Ox Notes: March 3, 2008

Dancing with the Stars 6 contestant Mario has some real challenges ahead of him. His pro partner, Karina Smirnoff, had back surgery a few days ago, although she expects to be able to compete this season.

Access Hollywood checked in on the DwtS pros as they rehearsed their opening night dance number. Louis van Amstel revealed that he was familiar with his celebrity partner, Priscilla Presley, from her work on Dallas: "In Holland, I watched that show religiously."

If you've missed Nick Kosovich since he stopped dancing on DwtS, you can find him in Chicago on March 7 judging the third annual Dancing with Chicago Celebrities charity event with his wife, Lena.

ABC is working on a High School Musical reality show, with plans to air it this summer.

Reality producers Nigel Lythgoe and Mark Burnett have some ideas on how to make the Oscars telecast more appealing to viewers. Their foremost suggestion: limit the telecast to two hours.

Robert Irvine, host of the Food Network's Dinner: Impossible, was busted for having lied about his resume. Turns out, he wasn't knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

The Futon Critic has a handy spring programming grid, and Reality Blurred offers a list of reality show premiere dates for the spring.

One of my favorite shows, The Deadliest Catch, is missing from both of the spring guides. Perhaps Discovery Channel is holding the show until the video game Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm is ready for release. Just what the world needs, another fishing video game.