American Idol Finale Review

First of all, so happy and excited that David Cook won. A very deserving victory for the rocker. No offense to David Archuleta though, perfect vocals but not enough personality to pull off a win. Cook was the clear winner for me. He knew how to command a stage and had a very personable demeanor. His performance of “Always Be My Baby” during the Mariah Carey theme night was easily the best of the season. Congrats on your win Cookie!

Another fun moments: Carly Smithson & Michael Johns doing a fantastic duet, Amanda Overmyer’s expression during the ladies medley (although I can see her frustration since she’s not even going to be going on the tour, despite the show’s importance of spotlighting the top 12), the George Michael medley, and of course the random celebrity shots during the show (cut to Camryn Manheim right after the winner is announced).
A great end to a memorable season, easily the best one since the finale of Carrie Underwood & Bo Bice a few years ago.

2008 Daytime Emmy Nominations

The Daytime Emmy nominations were announced on The View today. Let’s take a look at how was nominated…

Best Daytime Drama Series:
General Hospital
Guiding Light
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless

Best Actor - Drama Series:
Peter Bergman, The Young and the Restless
David Canary, All My Children
Anthony Geary, General Hospital
Christian LeBlanc, The Young and the Restless
Thaao Penghlis, Days of Our Lives

Best Actress - Drama Series:
Crystal Chappell, Guiding Light
Jeanne Cooper, The Young and the Restless
Nicole Forrester, Guiding Light
Michelle Stafford, The Young and the Restless
Marua West, As the World Turns

Best Supporting Actor - Drama Series:
Daniel Cosgrove, Guiding Light
Trent Dawson, As the World Turns
Brian Kerwin, One Life to Live
Greg Rikaart, The Young and the Restless
Kristoff St. John, The Young and the Restless

Best Supporting Actress - Drama Series:
Tracey E. Bregman, The Young and the Restless
Judi Evans, Days of Our Lives
Kelly Menighan Hensley, As the World Turns
Gina Tognoni, Guiding Light
Heather Tom, The Bold and the Beautiful

Best Writing - Drama Series:
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
Guiding Light
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless

Best Directing - Drama Series:
All My Children
The Bold and the Beautiful
General Hospital
One Life to Live

Best Younger Actor - Drama Series:
Darin Brooks, Days of Our Lives
Van Hansis, As the World Turns
Bryton McClure, The Young and the Restless
Tom Pelphrey, Guiding Light
Jesse Lee Soffer, As the World Turns

Best Younger Actress - Drama Series:
Vail Bloom, The Young and the Restless
Jennifer Landon, As the World Turns
Rachel Melvin, Days of Our Lives
Emily O’Brien, The Young and the Restless
Tammin Sursok, The Young and the Restless

Best Talk Show - Informative:
Dr. Phil
A Place of Our Own
The Tyra Banks Show

Best Talk Show - Entertaining:
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Rachael Ray Show
The View

Best Talk Show Host:
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, & Barbara Walters, The View
Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa, Live with Regis and Kelly

Best Game Show:
Cash Cab
Jeopardy
Wheel of Fortune

Best Game Show Host:
Ben Bailey, Cash Cab
Pat Sajak, Wheel of Fortune
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy

Best Morning Show:
CNN American Morning
Good Morning America
The Today Show

Best Courtroom Program:
Cristina’s Court
Judge David Young
Judge Hatchett
Judge Judy
The People’s Court

Tonight’s Idol: Cook Rocks and Idol Scripted? (Plus Stars results)

American Idol - “Top 5: Neil Diamond Night”

Round 1:
1. David Cook
2. Syesha Mercado
—————
3. David Archuleta
4. Jason Castro
—————
5. Brooke White

Round 2:
1. David Cook
2. Brooke White
3. Syesha Mercado
4. David Archuleta
—————
5. Jason Castro

David Cook was easily the best tonight. I thought everyone pretty much blew in the first round though. Brooke was especially tragic. It was so cheesy and she looked so fake. The second round was better. Loved Simon calling out Archie for pulling a Kristy Lee. LOL. Castro was the worst of the night though.

And how about the Paula Abdul mishap. She mistakenly critiqued Jason Castro for two songs when he only performed once so far. Maybe revealing that this show is a little scripted and planned after all? Plus Ryan Seacrest looking offstage for help on what to do didn’t help matter any. I would say Jason Castro is going home, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be staying to make it seem like it wasn’t trying to be swayed that way.

Dancing with the Stars - “Results Show”

I only watched the last few minutes. Cristian de la Fuente explained that he would have to undergo surgery for his torn muscle, but the doctors could delay the surgery until the show is completed. So they decided to continue on in the competition if they were kept safe. And they were. Marisa Jaret Winokur & Shannon Elizabeth were in the bottom two, with Shannon Elizabeth being eliminated. Not terribly upsetting at all.

Random Thoughts: Falling Behind…

Sorry to everyone who was reading this blog. Things are getting busy and I promise to post more in the coming weeks. It seems to be more time consuming than I thought to be constantly posting here. Hopefully I can keep up. Here’s some random bullet points to keep you intersted.

- I felt terrible for Cristian de la Fuente yesterday on Dancing with the Stars. Such a terrible accident to happen to him. Hopefully he’ll still be able to compete on the show. It would be a shame to go out like that. I think he’s unfortunately going home.

- Neil Diamond Night on American Idol! Not sure how excited I am, but it could be interesting. Really looking forward to see who does well and who doesn’t. At this point I feel like it’s going to be the two Davids in the finals, so Syesha, Brooke, & Jason will be the next ones to go in random order.

- Lots of news about the 90210 spin-off has been announced. Lori Laughling & Jessica Walter have both been added. Suddenly I’m actually very excited about this show now, especially if Jennie Garth is added to the cast as well. Kinda giddy!

- That’s it for now. Come back later in the week for my thoughts on Idol and the Big Brother finale.

TV Tonight: Thursday, April 17

Let’s see what’s on tonight…

My Name is Earl - “No Heads and a Duffel Bag” (NBC, 8 PM)

- Looks like the Earl coma dreams aren’t over yet. Earl and Joy are still working on Earl’s karma list while he’s still in his coma. This episode features guest appearances from Beau Bridges & Michael Pena. I always enjoy Beau Bridges on here. While I’m not excited about the sitcom coma dreams at all, at least there’ll be more screentime for the hilarious Jaime Pressly.

30 Rock - “Subway Hero” (NBC, 8:30 PM)

- Hopefully it’ll be better than last’s week mediocre one. Tim Conaway guest stars as the hippest Republican celebrity Jack can find. Also, Dean Winters returns as Liz’s ex-boyfriend who is now a hero after preventing a terrible subway accident. Sounds hilarious. Should be better than last week.

Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites - “I Promise…” (CBS, 8 PM)

- Eliza was booted last week after trying to play the game too hard, but not before attempting to play a fake idol in a hilarious moment. I do really like Eliza, but she tried way too much this time around. The commercials for this make it look like there’s an endurance competition for the immunity idol. I always love the endurance competitions, so it should be an interesting episode.

The Office - “The Chairmodel” (NBC, 9 PM)

- The summary for this episode cracks me up already. Some of the staffers are going to be fighting over some parking spaces and Michael becomes obsessed with a model in an office-supply catalog. LMAO. Plus Jenna Fischer wrote on her MySpace blog that it was a hysterical table read for the episode and that it’s one of the best ever from the show. Cannot wait.

Scrubs - “My Manhood” (NBC, 9:30 PM)

- The show is kinda running out of steam. It’s still very enjoyable and the cast is stellar, but it’s just not as funny anymore and it’s become a little tired. Hopefully it can get a little energy back when it moves to ABC next season, if all goes as planned.

Eli Stone - “Soul Free” (ABC, 10 PM)

- The first, and maybe last, season finale of this fantastic series. This one revolves around Eli’s surgery to remove his brain aneurysm. I really hope this comes back next season. The cast works so well together and the cases are so entertaining and well thought-out. It’ll be a shame if this doesn’t get to continue to produce fantastic episodes.

ER - “As the Day She Was Born” (NBC, 10 PM)

- Aida Turturro guest stars tonight as a patient with a torn aorta. Hopefully she’ll be able to liven things up. The show isn’t terrible, but it’s just incredibly boring sometimes. There’s also a storyline involving John Stamos’ stepdaughter that doesn’t sound too exciting. I’ve been enjoying the budding romance with him and Linda Cardellini on-screen though.

Tonight’s Top Model & Idol

SPOILERS!

Some very interesting episodes of tonight’s reality TV…

America’s Next Top Model - “For Those About to Walk…”

- A very interesting episode. The whole Fatima incident was beyond bizarre. Don’t they fave fact-checkers to verify stuff like that? Fatima was in danger of not moving on in the competition because she did not have the correct travel documents. She had to go to a meeting at the Consolate office to see if she could be able to travel abroad. She ended up missing the photo shoot because of it. She was spared in favor of Stacy Ann, who was eliminated for ‘not knowing her angles’. They kept Fatima based on her stronger body-of-work. There was also an interesting challenge where the models had to be personable to people in the fashion industry, which Anya easily won. She got to do a photo shoot for 7Up and got $10,000. Not bad. Tyra also revealed that they would be traveling to Rome.

American Idol - “Results Show”

- And the person eliminated tonight was…Kristy Lee Cook. The bottom three consisted of: Brooke, Kristy Lee, & Syesha. Brooke & Kristy Lee were the bottom two, with Kristy Lee going home. I was a little surprised, especially since they faked us out with who was in what group. And the whole thing with David Archuleta was so incredibly awkward and embarassing. Definitely not the show’s finest moment. The best part of tonight’s episode was Elliot Yamin’s performance. He lost his mother a few days ago and it was really heartbreaking.

TV Tonight: Wednesday, April 16

America’s Next Top Model - “For Those About to Walk, We Salute You” (CW, 8 PM)

- It’s down to seven girls now. Tonight’s summary sounds like they might be taking their trip this week. I’m still sticking by my prediction of Lauren winning. They’ve really spotlighted her a lot in recent weeks. I can’t imagine her not at least getting to the final three or four.

Big Brother: Til Death Do You Part - “Eviction Night” (CBS, 8 PM)

- Last night Adam won the power of veto and took himself off the chopping block. Sheila then replaced him with Natalie. Either Natalie or Sharon will be evicted tonight. My guess is Sharon, but I could be wrong. Then after the houseguest is evicted, a new HoH will be crowned.

Back to You - “Wall of Fame” (FOX, 8:30 PM)

- The show’s first episode back since airing after American Idol in mid-February. Tonight sounds like a great episode for Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Chuck and Kelly discover an incriminating picture that they want to keep from everyone else. Sounds hilarious.

American Idol - “Results Show” (FOX, 9 PM)

- Read my recap of last night’s episode in a post earlier from today. My predictions for the Bottom Three: Carly, Brooke, & Syesha. Bottom Two: Brooke & Carly, Going Home: Carly. It pains me to say it, but I think this is the end of the road for Carly Smithson.

South Park - “Over Logging” (Comedy Central, 10 PM)

- On tonight’s episode, South Park is in chaos after they lose access to the internet. LOL. Should be yet another hysterical episode. I haven’t seen last week’s installment, but I’ve heard and read everywhere that it was a classic.

Last Night’s American Idol & Hell’s Kitchen

American Idol - “Top 7: Mariah Carey Week”

A pretty bland night overall. Kudos to David Cook and Jason Castro though. Easily the best of the night. Cook was especially brilliant. Carly Smithson was easily the worst. She was one of my favorites since the beginning, but she’s blown it the past two weeks. It’s a shame. She has a good voice but hasn’t picked the best songs. And David Archuleta was extremely overrated. It was a nice vocal, just nothing out of the ordinary. My rankings…

1. David Cook
2. Jason Castro
3. Syesha Mercado
4. Brooke White
5. David Archuleta
6. Kristy Lee Cook
7. Carly Smithson

Hell’s Kitchen - “Day 3″

Not as fun of an episode. The dinner service was entertaining though. Everyone pretty much screwed up. Jason rightfully went home. He didn’t know what he was doing. The whole scene with him explaining how he was going to fix the soufle was hilarious. But I think the guys were the overall losers. Craig should have been up for elimination instead of Vanessa.

Dancing with the Stars - “Results Show”

I only saw the last few minutes after Hell’s Kitchen ended. Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel were eliminated. Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke were in the bottom two with them. I can’t disagree with the choice. Priscilla seemed like a nice person, but she wasn’t up to par the past few weeks.

TV News: Bravo’s upcoming slate, 90210 spin-off update

BRAVO announces it’s reality development slate (Futon Critic)

- Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Project Runway, Shear Genius, and Flipping Out will all be returning with new episodes this summer. Plus they’re developing yet another spin-off in the Housewives-franchise with the new Real Housewives of New Jersey. Oy vey. Enough already with those shows!

Diane Neal leaving Law & Order: SVU (TV Guide; Ausiello)

- Diane Neal is exiting Law & Order: Special Victims Unit after this season. No word on her replacement yet, but Dick Wolf confirms Stephanie March won’t be returning to the role. Maybe Lauren Graham? She might still have a development deal with NBC.

AnnaLynne McCord joins cast of 90210 spin-off (TV Guide)

- AnnaLynne McCord is joining the cast of the 90210 spin-off. She was recently playing Portia de Rossi’s devil spawn on Nip/Tuck, in which she overacted and was hilariously awful. Plus with the news of Rob Thomas’ role in the spin-off diminishing because of his duties on two other pilots is not a good sign.

TV Tonight: Tuesday, April 15

Geez, April is going by so fast. Sorry there wasn’t a TV tonight yesterday. Lots of news posts and not enough time. Sorry. Here’s one for tonight though…

American Idol - “Top 7: Mariah Carey Week” (FOX, 8 PM)

It’s down to seven contestants. Jason Castro is still my favorite, with Carly Smithson and Brooke White close behind. This week they take on Mariah Carey songs, or Mariah Carey number one singles. I’ve seen both reported. Either way, it’s a Mariah Carey theme. Should be a lot of fun.

Hell’s Kitchen - “Day 3″ (FOX, 9 PM)

Another entertaining installment of this reality series. Tonight involves a challenge dealing with chickens. Should be very interesting and filled with cursing and bleeping from Gordon Ramsay.

Big Brother: Til Death Do You Part - “Veto Ceremony” (CBS, 9 PM)

On Sunday’s episode: Sheila won the endurance HoH competition. She then nominated Adam and Sharon for eviction. Tonight is the veto ceremony and it’s going to be an intense competition. For spoilers on who won the Veto and the resulting outcome, visit the Hamster Watch link to the right.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - “Undercover” (NBC, 10 PM)

The post-strike premiere. Olivia Benson goes undercover in a female prison to expose a shady prison guard. Sounds like a fantastic Emmy episode for Mariska Hargitay. And there’s a guest star appearance by Half Nelson star Shareeka Epps. Interesting to see what role she plays.

Frontline - “Sick Around the World” (PBS, 10 PM; check local listings)

I’ve been really interested in documentaries lately. Frontline has had a few fantastic ones lately. Bad Voodoo’s War about a group of soldiers in Iraq and Bush’s War which chronicled how the ‘war of terror’ started and how everything went wrong. Tonight is a documentary dealing with the health care systems around the world.

Boston Legal - “The Mighty Rogues” (ABC, 10 PM)

I enjoy this crazy-ass show. Last week was an okay episode with an amazing performance from three-time Emmy winner James Spader. Tonight sounds like a showcase for Candice Bergen, who is someone that could always use some more screentime. And John Larroquette’s character is handling a case, which might be a first for his character this season.

The Riches - “Trust Never Sleeps” (FX, 10 PM)

This show has been getting so good. Minnie Driver was phenomenal last week. Eddie Izzard and her are an absolute joy to watch every week. This week involved more of Dahlia trying to manage her double life with her parole violation and Hugh getting deeper and deeper into trouble in his profession as a lawyer. Cannot wait for this episode.

Work Out - “Hard Body…Thin Skin” (BRAVO, 11 PM)

Premieres after the finale of Real Housewives of New York City, which is absolute crap. This show is much better and more entertaining. The main person, Jackie Warner, is so likable and enjoyable to watch. There’s four new trainers this season, so it might not turn out so good if they don’t mesh well with the other trainers or the show itself.