Ox Notes: April 30, 2008

Mel B managed to get one of the few post-show interviews with Shannon Elizabeth after last night's Dancing with the Stars Results Show. Shannon and Derek Hough left the ballroom pretty quickly after being eliminated. Fellow competitor Mario told OK!, "They may go make hot sexy love. Who knows?"

Cristian de la Fuente offered some gross details about his injury to Entertainment Tonight. DwtS producer Conrad Green explained to TV Guide how the decision to let Cristian continue competing was made.

People.com reported yesterday that Karina Smirnoff and Mario Lopez had broken up, although Karina told Us that the report is false. A break up could make things awkward when Lopez returns to the ballroom next Tuesday as part of the DwtS 100th episode celebration.

Monday night's Dancing with the Stars Performance Show was watched by 17.92 million viewers.

In other TV news, episodes of BBC America shows Little Britain, Robin Hood, and Torchwood are now available on iTunes.

Variety has an article about British TV comedy talent being imported to America that confirms something I've feared: two of the writers/producers of Peep Show are remaking the show for American viewers.

Peep Show is the funniest show I have ever seen, displaying far more shocking and politically incorrect humor than would be allowed on US TV. The Americanized version is slated to air on Spike, which gives the writers a bit more leeway than a major network would, but I just don't believe it's possible to improve on the original.

The fifth season of Peep Show premieres in the UK on May 2. The first season DVD -- the only one available in US DVD format -- is an investment worth making.

DwtS 6, Week 7: Results

Cristian's injury was more serious than initially suspected. But was it serious enough to force him to leave Dancing with the Stars 6?

Following a recap of last night's Performance Show, the judges awarded the encore to Jason & Edyta for their Quickstep.

Len addressed the couples after the performance, telling them that, since all of the couples were doing lifts anyway, each couple would be allowed to do one lift in each dance next week, so long as they retained the character of the dance. If only my parents would have had the same approach to rule enforcement when I was growing up.

Then Kristi & Mark were told that they were safe for another week.

At long last, it was time for DanceCenter with Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice, and Len. In this segment, Kenny and Jerry (both sporting glittery eye shadow) gave their opinions of three of the competitors. These were some of the highlights:

Mario has a "brother called Luigi."
Shannon: "She'll cry at the drop of a hat."
Cristian: "He flies the only plane in the Chilean Air Force."

Def Leppard took the stage to perform the most important song of my youth: "Pour Some Sugar On Me." DwtS pros Tony, Karina, Cheryl, Louis, Mark, and Anna -- who were covered in what looked like 100 yards of black vinyl -- danced a Paso Doble as the band played.

After Samantha conducted a bland interview with Kristi & Mark and Jason & Edyta, DanceCenter was back to handicap the remaining contestants:

Kristi: Nicknamed "The Yam."
Marissa: "The very loudest competitor maybe in the history of television."
Jason: "Has a flatulence problem," illustrated with fart noises dubbed over video of him dancing.

When the clip ended, Tom was in tears and couldn't stop giggling. Samantha had to take over and tell Mario & Karina that they were safe.

Def Leppard returned to perform their new song, "Nine Lives." As the band played, American Rhythm champions Jose Decamps & Joanna Zacharewicz danced.

The performance was followed by a package of clips, in which all of the stars admitted to being physically and mentally exhausted by having to learn two dances in one week.

As Tom threw the show to commercial, he cryptically said, "In the past eight or nine hours, the trajectory of the show has changed three or four times -- the most recent time, minutes before we went on the air." That could only mean that, at least at some point during the day, Cristian had planned (or was told by doctors) to quit the show.

With only six minutes of show left, Tom asked Cristian to explain the extent of his injury. Cristian said than an MRI revealed a ruptured bicep tendon that would need surgery. But just before the episode started, his doctor told him that surgery could wait until after the season. Cristian said that, if he survived the vote, he would like to continue dancing with Cheryl.

Cristian & Cheryl did survive the vote, as did Jason & Edyta. That left Marissa & Tony and Shannon & Derek in the Bottom Two. Ultimately, Shannon & Derek were sent home.

During their farewell speech, Shannon got teary-eyed, just like DanceCenter said she always does. Derek called Shannon a "big dork" before they danced to the Burt Bacharach tune, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself."

Ox Notes: April 29, 2008

Cristian de la Fuente's injury might be more serious than viewers were led to believe on last night's Dancing with the Stars Performance Show. Cheryl Burke told TV Guide that, when Cristian caught her during a move early in their routine, she heard something pop. Assuming that sound came from Cristian's arm, then the injury is certainly worse than a cramp.

In the video of the performance, Cristian catches Cheryl about 30 seconds into their routine. After that, you'll see his arm gradually lose mobility, and by the time they're through the Samba rolls, his left arm is basically hanging by his side.

Ever the compassionate celebrity gossip show, Entertainment Tonight tried to interview Cristian as he was being wheeled to an ambulance on a stretcher.

Lest you think all of last night's post-show coverage was somber and free of snark, Joey Lawrence & Diane Mizota giggled about how poorly Cristian & Cheryl's Samba was going before the injury in the Yahoo! Buzz Session. And, on behalf of Access Hollywood, Mel B asked the other couples if they thought Cristian was faking it in order to get sympathy votes.

Kristi Yamaguchi respectfully addressed the negative criticism she and Mark Ballas got from Len Goodman last night in a blog post.

E!'s Marc Malkin is still trying to find evidence of an off-camera romance between Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough, and he's not having much luck.

In other TV news, my hopes of Hilary Duff joining the cast of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off have been dashed.

The current season of Beauty and the Geek is probably the series' last.

In August, vanished network The WB will be revived online. The site will feature new content, as well as stream episodes of old favorites like Friends and Gilmore Girls.

DwtS 6, Week 7: Performances

This week, each couple performed two dances, but an injury to one of the stars overshadowed all the performances.

Ballroom Round

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani -- Tango
Nice, traditional choreography showed off what a competent dancer Marissa has become.

Len Goodman said, "Three words: your best dance." Bruno Tonioli complimented Marissa for her "drama, passion, and I liked the hint of disdain." Carrie Ann Inaba told Marissa, "That was such a wonderful performance and shows a completely new side of you."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke -- Viennese Waltz
The highlight of this routine the way Cristian pulled Cheryl out of a death spiral.

Bruno called Cristian "South America's Clark Gable." Carrie Ann like Cristian's "new fluidity." Len said, "It was very nice to watch, but I would've liked to have seen a bit more of a traditional Viennese Waltz."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...9 = 25/30

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas -- Viennese Waltz
The leaders of the pack used an umbrella as a prop, and Kristi did a million turns in a row. I counted.

Carrie Ann said, "That was so emotional," but she noted that Kristi's turns were "a hair off." Len didn't like "all that mincing around. The umbrella -- you don't need props." When Bruno objected, Len blamed global warming on Bruno's "hot air." Bruno told Kristi, "It's good to see you acting the part."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...8, Bruno...9 = 26/30

Mario & Karina Smirnoff -- Fox Trot
Mario's "brain is fried" after learning a routine for a music video in addition to his two dances for DwtS. But it certainly looked like he remembered all of his moves.

Len told Mario, "You're not the most elegant of dancers, unfortunately." Bruno said, "You bring so much youthful vitality to everything you do." Carrie Ann said, "You do very ambitious and difficult routines, and you don't miss a step. In these type of dances...we just need you to be a little stiffer."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 24/30

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough -- Tango
Shannon channeled all of her frustrations from last week into the Tango; you could see the fire in her eyes.

Bruno said, "The Tango really is a bitch of a dance to master, and I'm happy to say, this one fascinated." Carrie Ann told Shannon, "Your best dance yet. By far. I can tell you really worked hard on your lines, and it paid off on the dance floor." Len said, "I thought you did a terrific job. Well done."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska -- Quickstep
The routine was pretty straight, until Jason stole the papers from the judges' table and tossed them into the air. He picked them up after the performance.

Carrie Ann said, "That was great. It was larger than life." Len told Jason, "With performances like that, you're in the final." Bruno said, "The performance of the night, I think."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...10, Len...9, Bruno...10 = 29/30

Latin Round

Marissa & Tony -- Rumba
The routine was nice, although the most memorable part of it was the strangely-styled costumes.

Bruno said, "It was very romantic. You could've pushed a little bit more on the sex, but it was nice." Carrie Ann enthused, "I thought it was GREAT!" Len said, "There wasn't much hip action for me, and it was all a tad careful throughout."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 25/30

Cristian & Cheryl -- Samba
Cristian was happily shaking his bum. Then, halfway though the routine, he pulled a muscle in his arm. He struggled to finish the routine, and wound up dropping Cheryl in their final move. Tom Bergeron sent the show to commercial before the judges gave their scores, so that Cristian could get some medical treatment.

When the show returned, Tom said the initial diagnosis was a severe muscle cramp. Then he asked the judges, "Do you judge up to the point that the injury occurred?" Carrie Ann answered, "Yes," and proceeded to give Cheryl and a noticeably pained Cristian their comments.

Carrie Ann said, "I really appreciate that you went the whole round, and you were there for Cheryl." Len said, "I think you were brave." Bruno said, "I hope you're coming back because you're a great performer."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...7, Len...7, Bruno...7 = 21/30

Kristi & Mark -- Cha Cha Cha
This performance gave the show a jolt of energy when it was most needed. Too bad you couldn't hear the bass in the song.

Len didn't like the "boogaloo hip-hop dancing." Bruno called it "a fantastic Cha Cha Cha, very inventive." Carrie Ann told Kristi, "Girlfriend, two snaps up."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...10, Len...8, Bruno...10 = 28/30

Mario & Karina -- Mambo
Mario wore some high-waisted white pants worthy of a Florida retirement village. They definitely captured the spirit of the dance.

Bruno told Mario, "This is your comfort zone. You're great in the Latin dances." Carrie Ann -- "You guys set this place on fire." Len said the performance was "Wild. Wacky. Wonderful."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30

Shannon & Derek -- Mambo
Shannon started the routine by shaking her bum in front of the judges' table, later revealing that she was wearing pads on her butt to accentuate her derriere.

Carrie Ann said, "The attack was fantastic. Some of your lines are still awkward." Len said, "I thought, for a moment, I'd died and gone to heaven," thanks to Shannon's "bionic bum." Bruno told Shannon, ''You really were working your tushy like a wild woman."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 24/30

Jason & Edyta -- Paso Doble
Jason & Edyta danced to the Monday Night Football anthem and wore Miami Dolphins colors. Does it even really matter how they danced? Probably.

Len told Jason, "A bit too much posing going on, but when you've got a body like yours and mine, we like to pose." Bruno inexplicably compared Jason to the aircraft carrier the USS Nimitz. Carrie Ann said, "The thing that kills me...your foot came off the ground, Edyta. Why? Why? Why? Why?"

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...8, Bruno...9 = 26/30

Judges' Leaderboard (Scores out of 60):
55 -- Jason & Edyta
54 -- Kristi & Mark
52 -- Marissa & Tony
51 -- Mario & Karina, Shannon & Derek
46 -- Cristian & Cheryl

I'm splitting my votes between the top two couples, Jason & Edyta and Kristi & Mark. Cristian will probably get some sympathy votes, and he and Cheryl should qualify to dance next week as long as Cristian is able. But if his injury is more serious than a muscle cramp, it may not be wise for him to continue.

If Cristian & Cheryl do stick around, then Mario & Karina and Shannon & Derek are in the most danger. And if there's any fall out from last week's blow up, Shannon & Derek may be asked to hit the road.

Ox Notes: April 28, 2008

In order to accommodate twelve dances, tonight's Dancing with the Stars Performance Show has expanded to 98 minutes.

According to Tony Dovolani's MySpace blog, he and Marissa Jaret Winokur will dance the Rumba and Tango tonight (thanks for the tip, Marina). Marissa writes for US Magazine that she'll miss palling around after the show with Marlee Matlin.

Brandon, who won the most recent round of the Ballroom Kids Competition on DwtS, said that he couldn't hear the judges when they offered their critiques: "I was just watching Brittany and whenever she nodded yes I said yes thank you." Brandon & Brittany will return on May 13 for the final round of competition, with the winners to be announced on May 20.

TV Grapevine has an interview with DwtS pro Alec Mazo, who's promoting his and wife Edyta Sliwinska's website, DancingPros.com.

Entertainment Tonight recruited another DwtS pro, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, to give an engaged couple some dance lessons before their wedding.

Survivor host Jeff Probst opened up about his personal life to USA Today. He does give one semi-spoiler in the interview, regarding something that was teased in last week's episode, so be warned.

It had to happen eventually. Production company FremantleMedia is developing a dating reality show that utilizes Facebook and MySpace.

Given how hard I struggled to suppress the urge to sing at top of my lungs when "Wake Up" came on at the gym this weekend, you could say I'm a little excited that singer Hilary Duff could wind up on the new Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff.

Ox Notes: April 25, 2008

Good news, sports fans: Kenny Mayne and Jerry Rice will debut a new edition of DanceCenter on Tuesday's Dancing with the Stars Results Show. As a way of thanking him, go buy a copy of Kenny's new book, An Incomplete & Inaccurate History of Sport.

Not surprisingly, former DwtS contestant Cameron Mathison is predicting his old dance partner, Edyta Sliwinska, to win this season of DwtS with her new partner, Jason Taylor.

Another former DwtSer, Marie Osmond, is planning a 6-month run in Las Vegas with her brother, Donny, starting in September.

Current Dancing with the Stars contestant Shannon Elizabeth's new movie, Deal, opens this weekend, but my editor, Josh Larsen, recommends that you don't go see it. Check out more of Josh's movie reviews here.

DwtS pro Julianne Hough's former fiance, and winner of Dance War, Zack Wilson, will serve as Zac Efron's stand-in during High School Musical 3 rehearsals while Efron finishes filming Me and Orson Welles.

Jimmy Fallon will reportedly take over Late Night hosting duties from Conan O'Brien when O'Brien replaces Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in 2009.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Lindsay Lohan is worried that the upcoming reality show starring her mom, Dina, and little sister, Ali, will negatively impact Ali's life. It's not a good sign when Lindsay sounds like the most responsible Lohan.

Finally, the outcome of last night's Survivor: Micronesia was tragically inevitable. Natalie's emergence as a villain prompts Zap2It's recapper, Andrew Stubinski, to ask, "How long before Parvati and Cirie start feeling threatened by her?"

Again, Erik proved to be the show's most reliable source of humor. The sight of him essentially molesting Cirie's hand in order to lick every last crumb of chocolate cake from it will stay in my memory for a long time. And Cirie is probably still having nightmares about it.

CBS.com has two new videos from The Ponderosa, including footage of the newly eliminated castaway's arrival. Eliza revealed that, in six days, she's already gained back the twelve pounds she lost while on the island, and added two extra pounds as well. I'm sure Ozzy's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup s'mores contributed to that.

Ox Notes: April 24, 2008

17.5 million viewers tuned in to see Derek Hough point out his competitors' flaws on the latest Dancing with the Stars Results Show. Cristian de la Fuente told People that Derek "should probably learn to stay quiet."

Cristian's partner, Cheryl Burke, confirmed for Extra that she's been out on a date with actor Gerard Butler.

Local news outlets featured interviews with the lead couple in Tuesday night's Riverdance performance, and with Brittany, the young dancer who won the Ballroom Kids competition with her partner, Brandon.

Tennis fans can stop entertaining hopes that legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova will appear on a future season of Dancing with the Stars. Evert asked The Post and Courier, "Why would I want to do that?" while Navratilova said simply, "Hell, no."

Ozzy Lusth gave a terse interview to TV Guide about getting blindsided on Survivor: Micronesia.

The writers of CSI have a surprise in store for viewers. They wrote the May 5 episode of the sitcom Two and a Half Men, and the sitcom writers penned the May 8 episode of CSI.

I think I'd like to see more of this staff-swapping. An America's Funniest Home Videos/Lost crossover, perhaps?

Ox Notes: April 23, 2008

Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba admitted to TV Guide that, while Marlee Matlin was good for the show, "with the schedule the way it is, she can't keep up."

Marlee told OK! that her kids were one of the main reasons she signed on for the show: "Most of my work was stuff they couldn't watch."

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight after last night's Results Show, Carrie Ann was noticeably miffed with Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough for lashing out against the judges. And Cheryl Burke emphasized to Access Hollywood the importance of always keeping your cool when on camera.

Some other DwtS links: Kristi Yamaguchi wrote in her OK! blog about being born with a club foot. E! has an interview with Mario about his cute little brother, Ray. US Magazine has a photo of DwtS cast members at a party thrown by -- who else? -- US Magazine. And People interviewed Adam Carolla about his post-DwtS plans.

Ratings for Monday night's DwtS Performance Show were back up to 17.82 million viewers.

Reality show hosts have officially gotten their own Emmy category. I nominate Tom Bergeron.

And Zap2It has a Top Chef preview video on its homepage indicating that tonight's episode involves pastry. I know that most of the chef's will spend the entire episode bitching, "But I'm not a pastry chef," but I am pumped. Given the choice between a beautifully constructed dessert and a steak (or vegetarian equivalent), I'm taking the dessert any day of the week.

DwtS 6, Week 6: Results

For a third week in a row, the lowest scoring couple was kicked off of Dancing with the Stars 6.

Usually, the recaps of the prior evening's Performance Show are uneventful. But this week, Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough had a meltdown during their confessional interview over the judges' remarks. Shannon sobbed, and Derek pointed out slip-ups by other couples that the judges didn't comment on, including the "horrific, demented lines people are making out there."

That led into an encore of the horrific, demented group dance. I didn't like it any better the second time.

Ashlee Simpson then took to the stage with her new single, "Boys," accompanied by her own dancers.



Following the performances, Shannon & Derek learned that they were safe, and Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez were told that they were in the Bottom Two.

When Samantha Harris interviewed the couples a few minutes later, Shannon addressed the judges by saying, "We got a little heated last night, and we want to apologize."

Then, the cast of Riverdance took the floor for my favorite performance of the night.



Two more sets of ballroom kids were up next, as part of the DwtS Youth Division, or whatever they're calling it. 13-year-olds Brandon & Brittany triumphed with their Cha Cha Cha over 12-year-olds Austin & Liza, who performed a Samba. Both couples were great, and for once, I wasn't creeped out.





After a video package of the judges talking about how hard it is to critique the stars, Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani, Cristian de la Fuenta & Cheryl Burke, Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas, and Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska found out they'd dance again next week.

That left Mario & Karina Smirnoff in the Bottom Two with Marlee & Fabian. Marlee & Fabian were cut, and both gave gracious exit speeches. Marlee thanked Henry Winkler for his encouragement, and Tom Bergeron acknowledged that he and Marlee were friends, telling her, "I am so proud of you."

Marlee & Fabian danced off to Kansas' "Dust in the Wind," which was almost too morbid to be funny.

Ox Notes: April 22, 2008

All of the reports from backstage at last night's Dancing with the Stars focus on the same thing: Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough's "showmance." TV Guide and OK! have articles devoted specifically to the topic. The OK! piece also mentions that the sheet Karina Smirnoff wore in her Rumba with Mario was detachable, but they elected to keep it in place to tone down the raunch.

Tony Dovolani gave the definitive statement on the showmance to Entertainment Tonight. When guest interviewer Helio Castroneves presented him with a copy of the photo of Shannon & Derek locking lips, Tony clarified, "He's telling her something in her mouth."

Access Hollywood's interview video reveals just how garishly made-up the women were for the group dance number. Somehow, the make-up department defied all laws of nature and managed to make Edyta Sliwinska look less-than-beautiful. All the more reason to give tonight's encore to Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas for their Jive.

Other DwtS links of note are People's What You Didn't See article, Kristi Yamaguchi's blog post about her perfect score, TV Guide's interview with Bruno Tonioli about Paula Abdul possibly competing on the show, and the latest Yahoo! Buzz Session, in which Joey Lawrence calls Jason Taylor "overrated."

The D-list cast members for NBC's Celebrity Circus and VH1's Celebracadabra! have been announced, and I now officially have no interest in either show.

If, like me, you fret about the lack of intellectually stimulating fare on TV, this will really chap your hide: NBC ousted an Emmy-winning writer from the upcoming series The Philanthropist because he wanted to deal with serious issues, and the network wanted something more "escapist" in nature. At least now we know that NBC thinks its viewers are a bunch of dolts.

Ox Notes: April 21, 2008

Senator Barack Obama will drop by tonight's episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for a little pre-Pennsylvania primary publicity.

In her OK! Magazine blog, Kristi Yamaguchi writes that she wishes she would've grilled those ballroom kids for some tips after last week's Dancing with the Stars Results Show. She and Mark Ballas will Jive tonight, while Cristian de la Fuenta & Cheryl Burke will dance the Fox Trot.

Tomorrow night's Results Show will feature a performance by the cast of Riverdance (thanks for the link, Marina). And the Broadway cast of A Chorus Line -- including DwtS alum Mario Lopez -- is scheduled for a May 6 Results Show performance.

In case you didn't read the comments in Friday's Ox Notes, Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough were busted smooching on a beach in Malibu. Extra has a clear shot of the kiss.

Also allegedly caught kissing recently were DwtS's Cheryl Burke and 300's Gerard Butler.

If you've wondered what Maksim Chmerkovskiy's been up to during his Dancing with the Stars hiatus, he gave The Insider a behind-the-scenes tour of the Las Vegas show he's choreographing.

I'm bummed that Gossip Girl now airs at the same time as Dancing with the Stars. I'm going to have to record the new episode of GG, and then blow through tonight's Performance Show recap.

New York Magazine has a fascinating article about Gossip Girl's success amidst changing TV watching habits, especially with the desirable demographic of text-message-addicted younger viewers.

Ox Notes: April 18, 2008

Dancing with the Stars fanatics, prepare to shell out big bucks for a good cause. Shoes worn and autographed by some of the women of DwtS are up for bid at the charity auction site, Clothes Off Our Backs. To promote the auction, Julianne Hough took Entertainment Tonight shoe shopping.

Incidentally, Samantha Harris wears size 9 shoes. I guess that explains her penchant for floor-length gowns.

The day after getting booted from DwtS, Netherlands-native Louis van Amstel became an American citizen.

In other patriotic news, Hillary Clinton's getting a lot of hype for her appearance last night on The Colbert Report. But her bit wasn't as funny as Barack Obama's appearance via satellite, and both candidates were trumped by John Edwards making demands in exchange for his superdelegate vote.



TV Guide interviewed John Oliver, better known as the British guy on The Daily Show, ahead of his new stand-up special, premiering tonight on Comedy Central.

NBC's announced its plans for an "All-American Summer," set to kick off July 1 with Celebrity Family Feud, hosted by Al Roker.

The network has over 100 hours of environmentally-themed programs scheduled for next week in honor of Earth Day (which is Tuesday, btw). The programs will be spread across the NBC-affiliated networks, under the umbrella slogan "Green Is Universal."

The CW decided that Gossip Girl is popular enough that it can make more money by only offering episodes of the show for sale at iTunes, and not streaming it online. Considering that I just ran to iTunes to buy the super-addictive song featured in Gossip Girl's OMG ads, "Sour Cherry" by The Kills, I think The CW could be on to something.

Last night's episode of Survivor: Micronesia is a must-see, thanks to great one-liners from James and Erik, as well as the biggest blunder in show history. Watch the episode here before you check out how the latest jury member is enjoying life at The Ponderosa.

Ox Notes: April 17, 2008

Even if she doesn't win Dancing with the Stars 6, Marissa Jaret Winokur will have a lot to brag about after the season is over. Sony is developing a daytime talk show for her, which they hope to debut in Fall 2009.

Here's a link to Mel B's post-Results Show interview video for Access Hollywood. Tuesday night's show was watched by 15.4 million people.

Before he was eliminated, Entertainment Tonight chronicled what a week with Louis van Amstel is like.

When Cristian de la Fuente isn't rehearsing for DwtS, he takes his adorable daughter to tea at American Girl Place -- with Access Hollywood cameras in tow, of course.

Based on information gleaned from interviews posted in yesterday's Ox Notes, Jason Taylor will dance the Cha Cha Cha next week, Kristi Yamaguchi the Jive, and Marissa the Viennese Waltz.

Last night's episode of Top Chef was my favorite of the season thus far, if only because most the contestants' dishes were well received, for a change. Zap2It has a very entertaining recap, in case you missed the show.

Head judge Tom Colicchio has been publicly airing his concerns about the excessive use of profanities by the contestants of Top Chef: Chicago. If only censors were paid by the bleep...

Ahead of tonight's new episode of Survivor, TV Guide has an interview with the first member of the jury, Eliza Orlins.

Eliza also guided a video tour of the Ponderosa, where jury members are sequestered for the remainder of the season. The camp is pretty basic, but must seem like luxury living compared to a damp cave on the beach. CBS will post new Ponderosa videos after each episode.

Ox Notes: April 16, 2008

Apparently, Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel made a somewhat quick exit after being eliminated from Dancing with the Stars last night. TV Guide and OK! had the chance to interview the duo for their Results Show articles, but People did not.

The Insider and Entertainment Tonight have video footage from after last night's show, and both shows interviewed Priscilla & Louis. Maybe Priscilla's just got something against People Magazine.

Kristi Yamaguchi was up bright and early to post at her blog at OK!. She confessed that she wasn't very comfortable in her midriff-baring lavender dress.

Kristi wasn't the only one unhappy with her outfit this week. Shannon Elizabeth was so displeased with the first dress DwtS costume designer, Randall Christensen, made for her that she had the costumers scrap it and start over again. Access Hollywood has video of the offending garment.

Access Hollywood's Web site has been slow to post Mel B's post-show interview videos this week. Here's Mel's vid from Monday's DwtS Performance Show, which was seen by a measly 17 million viewers.

In other TV news, ABC cancelled plans to revive Circus of the Stars after it ran into trouble booking talent due to the glut of celebreality shows currently on air or scheduled for the summer. NBC is going ahead with its Celebrity Circus.

I don't follow The Biggest Loser, but Reality Blurred has a list of how much weight the current season's contestants lost, and the figures are impressive.

The 20th season of The Real World starts tonight on MTV. It's the first season that I won't watch, and it feels damned good to be free of a show that's become nothing more than a celebration of debauchery, cruelty, and intellectual laziness. And, yes, I know how old that statement makes me sound. Now get off my lawn!

DwtS 6, Week 5: Results

The night's big surprise wasn't which couple was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, but which couple joined them in the Bottom Two.

During a recap of last night's Performance show, confessional footage showed Shannon Elizabeth and Marlee Matlin reduced to tears by the judges' comments.

After an encore performance by Kristi & Mark Ballas, Samantha Harris caught up with Shannon and Marlee backstage. When asked if she thought she did her best, Shannon said that, under the circumstances, "I kind of feel like I did."

Samantha asked Marlee, "How frustrating would it be for you if you were to be sent home tonight?"

Marlee jokingly responded, "I'm gonna strangle you if I leave," but then amended her plan to, "No, maybe Tom instead."

Before he introduced the next segment, Tom Bergeron scolded the studio audience: "Marlee Matlin: she threatens murder, and you applaud her."

Then it was time for Ozomatli to give one of the best guest performances in show history, accompanied by DwtS pros Fabian Sanchez, Kym Johnson, Louis van Amstel, Karina Smirnoff, Derek Hough, Edyta Sliwinska, Jonathan Roberts, and Anna Trebunskaya. Show producers should hire Ozomatli to perform all of the music for Latin Night, next season.



Following the performance, Tom announced the first results of the evening. Kristi & Mark were safe, and Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke found themselves in the Bottom Two -- left to consider their fate for the next 40 minutes.

It was then time for the season's new ballroom kids competition. Dmitriy & Michelle danced a nifty Jive, but the judges chose Jaryd & Cara (whom Bruno called "the cutest little gremlins") and their Cha Cha Cha to return to dance again, later in the season.

A video package showed some of the preparations the stars go through on Performance Show day. The women spend hours getting their hair and makeup done, while the men play football in the parking lot. Tony tries to keep his partner, Marissa, loose by harassing her, and Derek sings to Shannon.

Jason & Edyta were the next couple to learn that they were safe. Then, James Blunt sang his new single, "Carry You Home." Champion cabaret dancers Eric Luna & Georgia Ambarian performed as Blunt sang.



After the last performance of the night, Samantha asked a stunned Cristian what he was thinking as he waited to learn if he'd danced his last routine. Cristian replied, "It feels bad."

With time running short, Mario & Karina, Marissa & Tony, Shannon & Derek, and Marlee & Fabian learned they were safe. That meant Priscilla & Louis were back in the Bottom Two for the second week in a row. Appropriately, they were eliminated.

As Priscilla said her farewells, the credits rolled. She had to take some of her precious seconds to clarify that she doesn't really run a psychic hotline, as suggested in a DwtS April Fool's Day bit.

The show ended before Priscilla & Louis could take the floor for their last dance, and before it was even possible to determine what cruel exit song they'd dance to. "Heartbreak Hotel," perhaps?

Ox Notes: April 15, 2008

Here's a collection of coverage of last night's Dancing with the Stars 6 Performance Show, starting with a great TV Guide article about the rough season Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough have had. The writer, Deborah Starr Seibel (the best reporter covering DwtS, in my opinion), gives Jonathan Roberts his due for being ready to fill in on short notice, week after week.

After last night's show, Jonathan gave an interesting -- and long -- interview to TV Squad, assessing the performances and providing more details about nearly having to take the stage with Shannon.

The Insider has post-show interview footage, hosted by the intolerable Cojo. And Cheryl Burke got in a great line in her interview with Entertainment Tonight. Responding to Carrie Ann Inaba's request for a more "erotic" Rumba, Cheryl said, "Honey, after all the rumors about me, I'm not about to go there."

Kristi Yamaguchi got up bright and early to post a blog entry for OK! about last night's high-scoring Rumba. And Yahoo! has another Buzz Session video, with Joey Lawrence's take on Latin Night.

Betting odds for DwtS 6 have been updated, giving Priscilla Presley a 45-1 chance to win. Marissa Jaret Winokur's odds are even worse, at 50-1.

CBS announced its summer schedule, and Lifetime and Bravo also released their future programming plans.

Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has bowed out of the CW's Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off.

The fourth season of The Deadliest Catch premieres tonight on Discovery at 9 ET. I'll be recording my favorite fishermen to watch after the DwtS Results Show.

And if you didn't catch Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani's guest appearance on the most recent episode of The Soup, check out the funny video below.

DwtS 6, Week 5: Performances

After Dancing with the Stars 6's Latin Night, Kristi Yamaguchi remains the star to beat.

Mario & Karina Smirnoff -- Samba
Sad news, Sesame Street fans: Karina killed Big Bird to make her skirt. Mario looked like the Samba movements came easily to him. This was the best he's looked since Week 2.

Len Goodman said, "Work on your footwork a little bit more, but I've gotta tell ya, best dance so far." Bruno Tonioli told Mario, "If your hips could talk, we'd be censored tonight." Carrie Ann Inaba said, "It was nice and clean and to the point. It was a very classic routine."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30



Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel -- Rumba
Priscilla is impressively flexible. But it felt like she was sleepwalking through the performance -- when she wasn't posing, that is. There wasn't any emotional hook.

Bruno complimented Priscilla for seeming "sensual, but not trashy. Available, but reassuringly expensive." Carrie Ann told Priscilla, "You were in your mind a little bit too much this week, I think. It didn't just flow from your body effortlessly." Len said, "It was too careful. I was disappointed in the routine."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...7, Len...7, Bruno...7 = 21/30



Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani -- Samba
This was Marissa's most confident performance, and she and Tony executed some nice turns. But the choreography wasn't very challenging and still felt a bit slow. The routine was heavy on the shimmy, and light on the footwork.

Carrie Ann said, "You were workin' it, girl. That was your best routine by far. In the beginning, you were just a little bit off the music." Len said the routine had "more bounce to the ounce." Bruno told Marissa, "You have more shake than a cocktail bar. You really put the effort in it."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 24/30



Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke -- Rumba
The performance was nice and romantic, although things really got going once Cheryl got Cristian to smile, and he loosened up. Like Carrie Ann mentioned last week, Cristian still looks a little weird when he looks away from Cheryl and toward the camera.

Len gave a backhanded compliment: "It wasn't gruesome to watch. It was a very competent performance." Bruno said, "The chemistry with you two is great." Carrie Ann disagreed with Bruno: "I actually thought, tonight, the chemistry wasn't there between you two. What I think you need to do to get better is work on sustaining your movements."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...7, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 23/30



Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez -- Samba
The routine had energy and covered a lot of the floor. But it suffered in the execution, with a number of missed hand holds and problematic tempo changes.

Bruno told Marlee, "Very, very hot and sexy in the Samba. There is something very inspiring about you because you are so determined." Carrie Ann said, "You had a lot of stumbles and you were out of sorts. You continued, and it came back to life." Len said, "Marlee, you dance with such confidence. The Samba is definitely the most difficult of all the Latin dances."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...7, Len...7, Bruno...8 = 22/30



Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas -- Rumba
Wisely, Mark allowed Kristi to smile during the performance, instead of forcing her to portray hot, steamy passion. The performance felt romantic and believable -- all the moreso because the two people dancing looked like they actually liked each other.

Carrie Ann told Kristi, "I have to commend you; you really took a risk this week. I think you gave up some of your movements to have that emotion, but I think it was a good call." Len said, "I'm gonna give you three words: Fab. U. Lous." Bruno renamed her "Kristi Yummy-licious."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...10, Bruno...10 = 29/30



Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough -- Samba
Derek went back to the hospital the morning of the show with a case of food poisoning. Jonathan Roberts filled in for him during dress rehearsal, but Derek returned in time to perform live.

Shannon said in the rehearsal footage that she wasn't comfortable with the Samba, and it showed during the performance. Her moves were stiff, and her height made her look gawky. And, once again, Shannon looked completely exhausted as she listened to the judges' comments.

Len said, "As good as that was, it wasn't, for me, really good enough. Not enough hip action." Bruno told Shannon, "You're such a good looking girl, you have to come out and shake those maracas." Carrie Ann told Shannon, "Sometimes you did look awkward, but don't give up that attitude."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...7 = 23/30



Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska -- Rumba
It was another strong effort from Jason, although he wasn't able to find the perfect balance between of manliness and grace that the Rumba requires. And Edyta stole the spotlight from him with some eye-popping poses.

Bruno asked Jason, "How can you be so light and so big at the same time?" Carrie Ann said, "The two of you have the most insane chemistry on the dance floor." Len told Jason, "You've got a naturalness about you. You're like a bloke, havin' a dance." Len warned Edyta to lay off some of the posing so that Jason has to do more of the work.

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30



Judges' Leaderboard:
29 -- Kristi & Mark
27 -- Mario & Karina, Jason & Edyta
24 -- Marissa & Tony
23 -- Cristian & Cheryl, Shannon & Derek
22 -- Marlee & Fabian
21 -- Priscilla & Louis

Kristi & Mark seem like an unstoppable force, but I'm giving them a couple of my votes this week just to make sure they don't get Sabrina'd. The rest of my votes will be split between Cristian & Cheryl and Shannon & Derek. Their humorous rehearsal footage has made them two of my favorite couples, and I don't think we've seen the best from them yet.

Priscilla & Louis, who were in the Bottom Two last week, are obviously in the most trouble. But I won't be surprised to see any of the couples who scored less than 27 points join them under the red lights.

Ox Notes: April 14, 2008

The My Ox Is Broken homepage got a new addition over the weekend. The ABC Dancing with the Stars widget allows you to watch videos from the show and check out cast bios, right on the MOIB homepage. And until April 30, ABC will plant a tree for every ten videos watched on one of their widgets. So start watching.

DwtS pros Mark Ballas and Derek Hough spent their weekend gigging with their band, Almost Amy, and People was there.

Kristi Yamaguchi blogged for OK! that she and Mark takes break from dance rehearsal by going to the carwash together. And Marissa Jaret Winokur blogged for Us that her wretched Paso Doble dress was, at least in part, her idea.

Marissa and partner Tony Dovolani interviewed each other for Entertainment Tonight, disclosing more about Marissa's bathroom habits than I wanted to know.

An article in AsianWeek highlighted Cheryl Burke Dance's partnership with the city of San Francisco to fight childhood obesity.

Survivor's 17th season will be filmed in High Definition.

Project Runway judge Nina Garcia has left Elle magazine, putting her future with the show in doubt.

MTV's new show about a high school newspaper, The Paper, debuts tonight, and got less-than-stellar reviews from Variety and Reality Blurred.

Ox Notes: April 11, 2008

The Dancing with the Stars pros are dropping like flies. Tony Dovolani was taken to the hospital after this week's Results Show, but he'll be able to dance again by Monday night (thanks to Deb for the link to the story).

So, will Jonathan Roberts get to dance with his fourth partner this season, and practice with Marissa Jaret Winokur while Tony recovers? Or will Tony recruit one of the former DwtS pros living in the New York area (Elena Grinenko or Maksim Chmerkovskiy, perhaps) to help out? We'll find out on Monday night.

Kristi Yamaguchi wrote a blog post for OK! magazine following Tuesday's Results Show, although she doesn't mention Tony's injury. And Entertainment Tonight has an adorable video of Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough interviewing each other. It's worth watching just to find out what Derek's bizarre bad habit is.

Derek's sister, Julianne Hough, released a video for her new song, "That Song In My Head." Julianne's young enough that she still sounds like she's doing an impression of someone singing country, but she's got plenty of time to grow into her voice. And the song is kind of catchy. (Thanks to Kells for the link).

James Blunt and Ashlee Simpson will be the musical guests on the April 15 and 22 DwtS Results Shows, respectively. Def Leppard will perform on the show on April 29.

Someone who won't be singing on TV again any time soon is George Takei. Secret Talents of the Stars was cancelled after one airing.

Zap2It has a recap of last night's episode of Survivor: Micronesia. I have a whole new respect for Erik for convincing the tribe to call itself Dabu, which he said was Micronesian for "good." He later admitted to the camera that he made it up just to see if he could get the tribe to call itself something that sounded silly. Props, Erik.

Ox Notes: April 10, 2008

Wrapping up Dancing with the Stars news for the week, here are links to People's backstage reports from this week's Performance Show and Results Show. The Results Show won its timeslot in terms of overall viewers (16.5 million), but finished behind Hell's Kitchen and The Biggest Loser in the 18-49 demographic.

If you thought you spotted Bachelor Andy Baldwin sitting with Donald Trump's ex, Marla Maples, in the audience of Monday night's episode of DwtS, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. The two are a couple.

And if you're still reeling about some of this week's outfits, check out this blogger's pet peeves about the costumes on Dancing with the Stars. Amazingly, Marissa Jaret Winokur's awful Paso Doble dress wasn't mentioned.

Ahead of tonight's new episode of Survivor, TV Guide has an interview with Ami, who said she didn't start playing the game until three hours before her ouster. Oops.

Survivor producer Mark Burnett signed a deal with AEG Live, the production team behind the Dancing with the Stars Tours. Why am I getting horrifying visions of a "Survivor on Ice" arena tour?

Speaking of ice, the Discovery Channel and BBC will co-produce a high definition documentary series akin to Planet Earth called Frozen Planet, set to premiere in 2012.

The website BuzzSugar has a slideshow titled The Best Game Shows of My Childhood, a list that's probably most relevant to those in the 25-35 age range. In my youth, I watched almost all of the shows on the list, with Fun House being my favorite of the bunch.

Ox Notes: April 9, 2008

In his post-show interviews, Adam Carolla was just as charming as during his exit speech last night's Dancing with the Stars Results Show. Mel B has the best interview video, in which Julianne Hough revealed Adam's plan to introduce her to all of the fun kid stuff she's never done because of her years of rigorous dance training: visiting Sea World, drinking Kool-Aid, and eating Cap'N Crunch cereal.

Entertainment Tonight's post-show video features the stars interviewing their pro partners. The Insider has video as well.

Adam told OK! Magazine something I wish we would've heard from former contestants like Master P, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Sara Evans: "Honestly, I'd rather leave a little bit early than be the one that's hanging around while other people who can dance better than me get voted off."

Samantha Harris told TV Guide that Adam was one of the few celebrities she didn't mind grabbing her microphone. And Priscilla Presley told Extra that landing in the Bottom Two after being criticized for her lift was a "reality check."

Julianne Hough already has post-DwtS plans lined up: she'll sing the national anthem before the Indy 500.

DwtS 6, Week 4: Results

Who would've guessed that the most inspirational exit speech in Dancing with the Stars history would come from Adam Carolla?

Instead of starting the show with the judges' encore, musical guest Sheryl Crow performed a live version of her hit "All I Wanna Do." The performance was accompanied by DwtS pros Tony Dovolani, Edyta Sliwinska, Kym Johnson, and Fabian Sanchez.


A recap of last night's Performance Show was then followed by the encore. Len Goodman said that, since the judges couldn't agree on a favorite dance, they gave it to the most entertaining dance: Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough's Paso Doble.

After the encore, Samantha Harris caught up with Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough backstage. Sam explained that, at the end of their performance last night, their fellow cast members chanted, "Kiss! Kiss!" as they watched from backstage. Shannon said that, if they would've gotten the encore, she and Derek really would've kissed at the end.

Then the first two safe couples were announced. High scorers Jason Taylor & Edyta and Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas were told they'd be back next week.

A new time-killing feature made its debut after the announcement of the safe couples. Two pairs of child ballroom dancers performed live, and the DwtS judges pick one of the couples to dance again on a future episode. Aaron & Daniela's Samba lost out to Aaron & Rashell's Paso Doble. Always good to have your ego put in check on national TV before you're 10-years-old.

Then professional dancers Delyan Terziev & Boriana Deltcheva danced while Sheryl Crow sang a song off her new album.


The song was followed by a special segment about the pro performances on the Results Shows, which are assembled in a matter of hours.

After many commercials, Marlee Matlin & Fabian, Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke, and Mario & Karina Smirnoff all learned they were safe. After a few more commercials, Shannon & Derek and Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony learned that they were safe, too.

That left Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel in the Bottom Two with Adam & Julianne. Tom Bergeron promised that the losing couple would have enough time to say good-bye, and he honored his promise as Adam & Julianne were cut from the competition.

Contrary to the funny-guy front he's presented, Adam gave a speech that showed just how much participating in the show has meant to him: "I want to say, I had the time of my life. I lost 20 pounds of fat, and I gained 105 pounds of angel." He hugged Julianne and added, "I love this girl."

Adam finished by saying, "I recommend this experience to everyone who's scared of everything. If something scares you...I'm gonna get philosophical for one second, Tom. We all don't get the opportunity to do Dancing with the Stars, but you at home...there's something that scares you. There's something that is your Dancing with the Stars. Embrace it. Don't run from it. Do it."

Julianne got teary-eyed and called Adam a "great guy" before the couple danced their final dance to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again."

Ox Notes: April 8, 2008

One of my favorite things about this season of Dancing with the Stars is Yahoo's Buzz Session with Diane Mizota & Joey Lawrence. This week, Diane & Joey make fun of Carrie Ann Inaba for crying, and call out the judges for their inconsistent scoring. It's refreshing to see a former contestant who's willing to speak his mind, without worrying about offending his old cast mates or the producers.

Joey Lawrence also complained that the judges aren't rewarding Adam Carolla for his improved dancing the way they are other celebrities. Julianne Hough agrees, and she told Extra she's "pissed" about it.

While the painful neck injury suffered by Julianne's brother, Derek, has gotten all the attention, Kristi Yamaguchi told TV Guide that she's been dancing on a swollen ankle since Saturday.

Mel B filed another slightly unprofessional but totally amusing post-show interview video for Access Hollywood. Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, which I'm convinced are actually the same show, have post-show interview videos as well, both titled "The Dancers Celebrate Their 10s."

In other reality competition news, Project Runway will move to Lifetime after next season, in part because the show's producers were tired of Bravo ripping off PR's successful format. Bravo's parent company, NBC Universal, has filed suit to stop the move.

Today, the WGA resumes its efforts to unionize reality show writers by staging a press conference highlighting lawsuits against reality show producers over unpaid overtime.

Delays due to the writers strike forced HBO to move some of its show premieres to fall, instead debuting new seasons this summer. And Fox has updated plans for its summer schedule.

DwtS 6, Week 4: Performances

After remaining under wraps for the first three weeks of the season, the "10" paddles made several appearances during the latest Dancing with the Stars Performance Show.

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas -- Paso Doble
This routine easily could've been ruined by an odd song choice: New Order's "Blue Monday." But another strong performance by Kristi saved the day. The couple's striking outfits helped, as well.

Len offered only the smallest criticism for Kristi: "Every dance has a slight sameness to it -- not in the choreography." Bruno was full of praise: "You really unleashed the harlot tonight, my darling." Carrie Ann said, "You both set the standard for this competition. That was fantastic."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...10, Len...9, Bruno...10 = 29/30

Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel -- Viennese Waltz
Priscilla & Louis spent much of the early part of the dance out of hold, so I never really felt an emotional connection between them. And Priscilla's dress made her look like a mermaid. Even though this wasn't my favorite of their dances, it's hard to deny Priscilla's considerable skills.

Bruno complimented Priscilla's "great interpretation." Carrie Ann told Priscilla, "You're able to create such drama with your facial expressions." But Carrie Ann noticed a lift in the routine, and Len did as well: "I would've given you a higher mark, but I've gotta drop a point because you did do a lift."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...7, Len...7, Bruno...8 = 22/30

Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough -- Paso Doble
In a DwtS first, Adam rode in on a unicycle, and remained on it for the first part of the dance -- all while wearing a Zorro mask and a fake pencil moustache. I don't know what to say about the dancing, although Julianne did manage to work in a number of tricks. But overall, the routine was damn funny.

Carrie Ann almost stole Adam's comedic thunder with her perfect delivery of the following line: "It was smooth and it was dramatic. Your turns were fantastic. And then you got off the unicycle." Len told Adam, "You are such a lovable character...unfortunately, you're not much of a dancer." Bruno said, "You are the classic example that genius and insanity goes hand-in-hand."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...6, Len...7, Bruno...6 = 19/30

Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez -- Viennese Waltz
During rehearsal footage, Marlee explained that her deafness affects her balance, and that the twirls of the waltz made her dizzy. Fabian adapted the choreography, and they spent less time in traditional hold than the other couples. Overall, the dance was nice, and Marlee's detail work with her hands was lovely.

Len said, "I thought it was very, very good. It was poignant. In hold, sometimes your head is a bit bizarre." Bruno said Marlee was "totally immersed into the role." A teary-eyed Carrie Ann said, "You made me cry. Something about that performance just took my breath away."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 24/30

Mario & Karina Smirnoff -- Paso Doble
This was much better than their performance last week, but the connection between them doesn't seem as strong as it was during the first two weeks. and it looked as though they missed a couple of hand holds. Karina ended the routine with a daring flip worthy of the superhero costume she was wearing.

Bruno dubbed him "Mario the Conqueror." Carrie Ann said, "You could tell you spent the hours in rehearsal, 'cause that was a very challenging routine. Sometimes I felt that your movements got just a hair awkward." Len told Mario, "I admire your spirit. You've got one style of dance, and it's sort of wild. Work on the styling a little bit more." To his credit, Mario said he appreciated Len's criticism because it helps him get better.

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...7, Bruno...9 = 24/30

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska -- Viennese Waltz
This was a surprisingly sexy waltz, especially considering that most of Edyta was uncharacteristically covered in fabric. Jason stayed in character and showed off his great extension, although he lost his footing at one point. That said, this dance was overscored by the judges.

Carrie Ann told Jason, "That was beautiful. You have an understated elegance about you. You stumbled, but I'm gonna forgive you for that because that was great. Len called the performance "a wow of a waltz." Bruno said, "You managed to make the Viennese Waltz sexy, sensual, erotic," and then he added something about a swan mating ritual.

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...10, Len...9, Bruno...10 = 29/30

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke -- Paso Doble
Cheryl's costume looked like it came from the set of an adult movie remake of The Matrix, and yet it somehow worked for her. The dancing was very good, and Cristian seemed to embrace his inner matador, shouting and stomping enthusiastically.

Len said, "I liked the passion and the drama. I don't think you really conquered the music, but another fine performance." Bruno said the performance was "very convincing, totally in character." Carrie Ann disagreed with Len about the music, but she warned Cristian, "Watch your eyes when you're out of the hold. Sometimes you get a little glazed over."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...8, Bruno...9 = 26/30

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough -- Viennese Waltz
Jonathan Roberts filled in as Shannon's partner during rehearsals, as Derek recovered from his neck injury. Derek, who still choreographed the routine, coached from the sidelines and stepped in when he felt he was able. Shannon had to remind him to take it easy.

Derek, the consumate pro, never let a hint of the pain he was surely feeling cross his face during the routine. The performance was smooth and lovely. It might've earned straight 10s, had they been able to rehearse with Derek at full strength.

Bruno told Shannon, "The hot babe definitely has graduated into a class act." Carrie Ann said of Shannon's progress, "Something's definitely happening. It's really beautiful." Len said, "For me, I think that's the best dance I've seen tonight."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...10, Bruno...9 = 28/30

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani -- Paso Doble
Their performance was more compelling than last week's. But it was marred some by harsh stage makeup and a totally unflattering outfit for Marissa. The designers have botched all of her costumes, with no sign of improvement.

As Marissa & Tony took their place next to Tom Bergeron, it was apparent that the long-standing resentment between Tony and Carrie Ann has not gone away. As she started her comments, Carrie Ann joked, "Tony's giving me dirty looks." Tony muttered a reply under his breath, prompting Carrie Ann to ask, "What?" Tony gave a quick smile and said, "Nothing," and the show went on, but it was an uncomfortable moment to watch.

Carrie Ann said, "I thought it was fantastic. This was a whole different Marissa." Len agreed, "You're on an upward spiral. If you're back next week, keep it up." Bruno said, "You let go of the safety net."

Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...8, Len...8, Bruno...8 = 24/30

Judges' Leaderboard:
29 -- Kristi & Mark, Jason & Edyta
28 -- Shannon & Derek
26 -- Cristian & Cheryl
24 -- Marlee & Fabian, Mario & Karina, Marissa & Tony
22 -- Priscilla & Louis
19 -- Adam & Julianne

My votes tonight go to Kristi & Mark and Shannon & Derek, who I again felt gave the two best performances of the night. I would've ranked Jason & Edyta in third place. I could throw a few more votes to Adam because I think he's funny, but I'll be surprised if he's not out on Tuesday night.

This week's Results Show marks the first time the Bottom Two couples will be announced. Priscilla & Louis seem the most likely to hit bottom with Adam. The only couples I'd be shocked to see at the bottom are Kristi & Mark and Jason & Edyta.

Ox Notes: April 7, 2008

Today's all Dancing with the Stars edition of Ox Notes starts with a personal story. While I was home watching TV on Friday night, the last person I expected to call me on the phone was Tom Bergeron.

Friday night in San Francisco, Cheryl Burke celebrated the opening of her new studio, Cheryl Burke Dance. Several DwtS cast members, including Cristian de la Fuente and Tom Bergeron, attended the opening, as did MOIB contributor, Imee.

Before the party, I asked Imee to touch Tom Bergeron on my behalf, and she used this as an opening to approach the DwtS ringmaster. Imee took things a step further and asked Tom to give me a call. Excited at the chance to talk on Imee's pink-sleeved Blackberry, Tom pulled Imee outside and gave me a ring.

Back in Illinois, I answered the phone and hear, "Hi, Kathy. This is Tom Bergeron. Why aren't you at the party?" I manage to keep my cool and say I lost my plane ticket when ATA filed bankruptcy. Tom answered, "Lost your plane ticket. You don't know how many women have given me that excuse in my life."

We chatted for another minute or so, and I made sure to tell Tom that he's the best part of Dancing with the Stars. According to Imee, many people at the party told him the same thing. Also according to Imee, Cristian de la Fuenta is very handsome in person.

So big thanks to Imee for making my weekend, and giving me a great story to tell. Now, on to news.

Poor Cristian was recently subjected to shopping with the Insider's Cojo for a dress for his mom, who flew in from Chile to attend tonight's show.

During tonight's Performance Show, Kristi Yamaguchi and Mario will both dance the Paso Doble. Be warned, Mario's Paso song is Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

According to TV Guide's latest Power Rankings, Marissa Jaret Winokur has a 0.2% chance of winning DwtS.

After three seasons of competing in America without winning a trophy, the powers behind the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars are trying to woo Kym Johnson back to her homeland.

Former DwtS contestants Joey Fatone and Mel B have signed on to host a singing competition on TLC.

Ox Notes: April 4, 2008

If you watch anything on TV tonight, make sure it's Countdown on MSNBC at 8 or 10 ET. Rachel Maddow is filling in as host, and she's the best political analyst on TV right now. Unlike most pundits, who are career journalists or ex-politicians, Rachel is a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD in Political Science. And on top of those credentials, she's funny.

Another show to watch this weekend is one of MTV's many reruns of Rock the Cradle. I caught the show this morning and was impressed by the quality of singing by the celebrity offspring. Plus it was amusing to see Olivia Newton-John sitting in the audience next to Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, as though they're watching their kids sing in a high school choir concert.

Dee's son, Jesse Blaze Snider, is a professional comic book writer, as well as an aspiring musician.

Paul Mirkovich and Rafael Moreira of the Rockstar: INXS house band are in the Rock the Cradle house band.

One show I plan to catch in weekend reruns on Bravo is Step It Up and Dance, which MOIB reader Beto said was worth watching. Do the rest of you who saw it agree? Zap2It has a recap of last night's premiere.

Al Pacino says he hopes to follow in his pal George Hamilton's footsteps and compete on Dancing with the Stars -- if only to lose a little weight.

Former DwtS contestant Joey McIntyre is reuniting with New Kids on the Block for a tour.

In other unnecessary '80s throw-back news, someone is remaking the film Short Circuit. Good thing Steve Guttenberg's available.