TV

Well, we can be sure of one thing: Heather can't be voted Cover Girl of the Week for the umpteenth time this season next week. Not that I didn't like her and wasn't sad to see her go. Even meanie Bianca cried! I'm going to call it now: Bianca is going to win it all on the finale in two weeks. It pains me to say so because she's not a nice person, but she has "it." Whatever it is. Meanwhile, Jenah is back to looking sloppy. What's up with that? (And her behavior on the photo shoot with Nigel reminds me of someone from a couple cycles ago whose name I can't remember at the moment but I liked.)

Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night finale was full of potential headlines. The big news of the evening, of course, is that Helio Castroneves, the little engine that could, did. He won, beating out Spice Girl, Melanie Brown.

I've been surprised by how many people are requesting boxed DVD series as gifts this year (including my own kids!). Of course now that I think about it, many of these series are better written than most of the movies out there, offer more longlasting enjoyment, are divided into watchable segments (you may not have 3 hours to devote to a movie, but you can always find a half hour or so to watch an episode) and, of course, no commercials. I bet the Seinfeld boxed set and the King of Queens boxed set will be big hits. I have a friend who is asking for Curb Your Enthusiasm. My kids are also asking me for the first season of Heroes...

I've been really intrigued with the introduction of the gay characters on Wisteria Lane this season. While the stories about the gay couple that moved in next door to Susan have been a bit predictable so far, the episode on Sunday (spoiler alert!) where we find out that Lynette's beloved ex-stepdad is gay (and a prince of a fellow as played by Richard Chamberlain to boot), gives some unexpected heft to this frequently silly melodrama. I've been reading recently that there's been a steady move of gay families to conservative suburbs...could the show (gasp!) actually be tracking some real-life trends?

"Who has the hunger? Who has the talent?" asked host Tom Bergeron, opening Monday night's final round. As the last three months have demonstrated, those are two very different questions when it comes to Dancing with the Stars.

On last night's "tell-all" between Brad and the women he shunned, he tried his best to explain why he didn't choose either one.
It was a long hour.
Here's my theory, based on what he said about not being able to "apologize for not falling in love:" I think he was sincere in trying to make it work with one of the womenfolk. But perhaps they all had a fatal flaw that we're not aware of. Maybe Jenni is cute and sweet and all, but has nothing more to talk about than basketball-arena dancing. And perhaps Deanna, while spectacularly beautiful, is also spectacularly self-absorbed. Hey, I'm not saying this is reality! Just throwing ideas out there.
He said last night that he thought he was taking "the high road" by not professing fake love for either of them. I can see his point. And when DeAnna tried AGAIN to make him change his mind and take her back, that was just horribly awkward. Basically, she forced him to reject her anew. Yikes.
As for Brad's "issues" that he kept referring to, I think one of them is the incessant need for all women to love him, even if he doesn't feel the same way. That would explain his many romantic overtures and those "I'll miss you more than you'll ever know" speeches.
He should probably just stop talking now.

The show opened with Marie Osmond saying "If I make it to the finals, it will be because of the fans." Sure enough, when the first couple safely in the finals was announced, for the second week in a row, it was Marie and Jonathan. So the last became first. Meanwhile, when the final moment came and it was down to Jennie or Helio, it was no surprise whatsoever when a soon-to-be-tearful Jennie's name was called.

In the most dramatic rose ceremony EVER, bachelor (and Austin bar owner) Brad Womack broke not one heart, but two hearts.
He chose neither Phoenix Suns dancer Jenni or Greek goddess DeAnna.
Let's just say the decision is heating up the ABC message boards. Fans of the show are upset he led both girls on all season and they're showing their anger with posts such as: "AMERICA R we going to stand for this?" and "Please god take this show off the air!" and "Brad has just killed the show."
Personally, I'm glad he was honest and walked away now.
See more of Brad, Jenni and DeAnna tonight on After the Final Rose at 9 p.m.

During Monday night's semi-finals competition, one celebrity stood out from the field of four, and I don't mean that in a good way. Tomorrow night will reveal which of the remaining four contestants will not be in next week's finals. The judges' scores tonight were no surprise, at least in terms of outcomes. Marie Osmond came in last. Helio and Mel B. shared the top spot tonight with both scoring perfect 30s for both their dances.

Ambreal, our Dallasite, got eliminated last night (but you already knew that). My Hartford (well, Farmington, CT, but close enough) homegirl Jenah is still hanging. I'm starting to not like the last Texan standing, Chantal from Austin.

Tyra did something really mean and unprecedented last night.

It'll be like old times at TLC's Trading Spaces in January. Original host Paige Davis is returning as host for the new season. And she's bringing back some of the original designers, including Doug Wilson, Laurie Hickson-Smith, Frank Bielec and Hildi Santo-Thomas.

"Trading Spaces was always like a family to me so this feels like a great big reunion,” she said as part of TLC's announcement.

The SMU alum recently was in Dallas to star in the touring version of Broadway hit Sweet Charity.

Our Shopping Buzz blog reports that there'll be a Project Runway watch party tonight at the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station. The best part? It's free.

Check out live blogging of the season premiere on the shopping blog's Project Runway page. (I told you Monday that it would take place here; sorry about that).

Story: Dallasites compete on Bravo's 'Project Runway'

Not to gloat (for more than a moment), my all-seeing gaze last night proved to be correct: Cameron was sent back to daytime television. No more bare chests, no more sleeveless shirts, no more skin-to-win ensembles -- yes, I can safely say I will really miss Edyta.

A ranking of “The 50 Greatest TV Icons,” compiled by cable’s TV Land network and Entertainment Weekly magazine, has Johnny Carson at the top of the list. But Lassie, Larry Hagman and Kermit are all on there, too. The complete list is here.

Entertainment Weekly has some very good news for fans of Damages:

"FX has placed a 26-episode, two-season order for its drama series Damages, which just wrapped its critically-acclaimed first season on Oct. 23. Star Glenn Close will return for season 2, as will co-stars Rose Byrne and Tate Donovan."

The first season's finale ep featured some mind-bending reveals, and it left the stage nicely set up for a second season's worth of intrigue. A couple of the series' main characters have been killed off but may appear in flashbacks, including Noah Bean (as Dr. David Connor, whose shocking murder kept us guessing all season) and Zeljko Ivanek (as ethically compromised attorney Ray Fiske, whose suicide provided another tragic twist in the tale).

No one knows yet if Ted Danson returns as corporate villain Arthur Frobisher. Art was shot by a disgruntled ex-employee and, when last seen, appeared to be dying alone in a rural field. We'd initially heard that each season of Damages would feature a new legal adversary for Ms. Close's enigmatic character, Patty Hewes. But the Frobisher plot doesn't seem quite played out yet, and there could be more to come, whether Art ends up dead or alive.

P.S.: After watching Mr. Ivanek play the bald, gimlet-eyed, Cajun-accented Ray Fiske, we know one thing for sure. If anyone ever makes a movie about Bill Clinton's presidency, we definitely know whom we'd want to see playing the role of James Carville!

Photo: Glenn Close as 'Damages' attorney Patty Hewes (FX)

The judges kept emphasizing that this is the week before the semi-finals, the week the field is cut to four as a way of explaining their "tough" scoring. Of course, "tough" is a relative term and in cushy confines of Dancing with the Stars, an 8 was the toughest score those mean old judges threw down. As Stephen, among many, has observed, when 8 is the lowest score you can get, what's the point of the 10-point system? Just give a one, two or three.

Anyway, tonight's judging just reaffirmed the central question of this season's contest. Marie, the weakest dancer, had the lowest score. But her sympathy score -- as the frequent references to her father's passing last week underlined -- is through the roof. So will she stay or will she go tomorrow night?

A couple of locals will be gracing the series: Elisa Jimenez and Jeffrey Marion Lee. Be sure to log on to the shopping blog's Project Runway page at 9 p.m. for live blogging during the season premiere.

Story: Dallasites compete on Bravo's 'Project Runway'

Broadcasting & Cable mag now says ABC's planning to air the 8 Lost eps they have in the can.

So -- unless the writers' strike ends soon, which doesn't look likely at the moment -- we're probably looking at another Lost mini-Season 4, Part 1 (which ends in a cliffhanger), followed by Lost mini-Season 4, Part 2. Not ideal. But better than no 2008 season at all.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6498735.html

(Photo of Elizabeth Mitchell, the Dallas-bred actress who plays Dr. Juliet Burke on Lost: ABC)

Seinfeld: The Complete Collection is new on DVD. And we have to ask: What’s your favorite Seinfeld espisode?

The beloved puffy shirt (Sony)

"The Junior Mint" (Nov. 12) -- Elaine’s interest in an old boyfriend is rekindled when he loses weight.

"The Puffy Shirt" (Nov. 13) -- Jerry is coerced into wearing a ridiculous "puffy” shirt designed by Kramer’s girlfriend when he appears on the Today show.

"The Yada Yada" (Nov. 14) -- Jerry doubts his dentist’s religious conversion; Kramer and Mickey fight over a double date as Elaine undermines a couple’s chances at adoption.

"The Contest" (Nov. 15) -- Jerry challenges George, Kramer and Elaine to pool their money in a contest of self-denial.

"The Marine Biologist" (Nov. 16) -- Romance starts to blossom between George and his former college classmate Diane, after Jerry falsely tells her that George is a successful marine biologist.

"The Bubble Boy" (Nov. 19) -- Jerry agrees to make a side trip to visit a sickly fan -- who must live in a protective plastic tent -- while he and George drive up to a mountain cabin with their dates.

"The Sponge" (Nov. 20) -- Elaine's favorite birth control device is discontinued.

"The Little Kicks" (Nov. 21) -- Elaine’s strange dancing loses her employees’ respect.

"The Soup Nazi" (Nov. 22) -- A demanding soup stand chef bans Elaine from eating his wares.

"The Hamptons" (Nov. 23) -- Jerry and his friends take an ill-fated trip to the beach.

So what say you? Did the voting viewers get it right? For my money, "The Contest" is maybe the smartest episode ever. To do an entire episode about something your really couldn't talk about on television and all the smart euphemisms they came up with to get around that issue was pure genius.

The whole elimination of Sarah struck me as kind of bizarre. Not the fact that she was eliminated, but the idea that somewhere along the way, in her "journey" as they like to call it, she had lost too much weight to be a plus-size model. She looked the same to me, except the haircut.

Throw our favorite castaways a tarp, quick! It appears that a storm looms on their sunny South Pacific horizon, at least if the Writers Guild strike continues for very long.

Entertainment Weekly reports that although 8 completed episodes of Lost's new season are in the can, and could begin airing as planned in early February, the remainder of Season 4 is in limbo.

Says EW: "If the strike is prolonged and the scribes can't get back to work writing the rest of the episodes, fans are going to be stuck with the kind of stunted season they were forced to endure last year. 'It will feel like buying a Harry Potter book, reading half of it, and then having to put it down for many months,' explains [executive producer Carlton] Cuse. 'There is a cliffhanger at the end of the eighth episode. It will only be frustrating [for viewers] to have to step away from the show and not see the second half of the season.' "

TV Guide adds to the general sense of gloom:

If the strike extends into the new year and beyond, there is a chance ABC may opt to delay the new season until the fall. Or worse yet, February 2009. ...In any case, [Cuse] concedes that the decision to hold or air the episodes isn't ultimately theirs. "It's really [ABC honcho Steve MacPherson's] call," Cuse notes.

To which we can only say, a la Hurley: Bummer, dude.

Photo of Josh Holloway (who plays James Ford, aka Sawyer): ABC

Finally, after weeks of up-is-down unpredictability, an episode of Dancing with the Stars had a predictable outcome: On Tuesday night's results show, Jane Seymour was eliminated. Praised by the judges for her class and grace, Ms Seymour was obviously being left behind now that the field has narrowed, leaving no Cubans or Newtons to hide behind. To the extent that DWTS is a dance competition, it was time for Ms. Seymour to go

Casting directors for CW reality show Beauty and the Geek will be at Milo Butterfingers, 5645 Yale Blvd., this Saturday from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. They say they're looking for "geeks who are socially stunted when it comes to women but think they can turn a beauty into a scholar" and "beautiful, sexy, social-savvy women who can turn a geek into a stud."

Mel B. and Maksim lit the dance floor on fire with an edgy, intense paso double, vaulting them to the top of the Dancing With the Stars leaderboard Monday night, the first night the competitors performed two dances. On the other end of the spectrum, Jane Seymour's quick step and cha cha left the judges looking for nice ways to say they were bored. Still, not many points separated first from last, as the judges seemed to establish an 8 as the lowest possible score. Look for Garland's Leann Rimes on tonight's results show.