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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
DwtS 7, Week 2: Results
Viewers weren't fired up enough to vote for the latest celebrity eliminated from Dancing with the Stars 7. At least she still has her other show to fall back on.
The evening started with the season's first Judges' Encore, which went to Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson for their Matrix Paso Doble.
Following that, the first two safe couples were announced: Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo and Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff. Karina was so convinced that she and Rocco had been in trouble that she immediately started squealing and jumping on Rocco.
Then tonight's musical guest, Jessica Simpson, gave the first of two performances. Her singing was overshadowed by the pair of dancers accompanying her: Pasha Kovalev & Anya Garnis from So You Think You Can Dance 3! I'm still surprised that they haven't been hired as DwtS pros yet.
The next two couples to learn that they were safe were Cody Linley & Julianne Hough and Brooke Burke & Derek Hough.
Bruno Tonioli & Len Goodman were then featured in a video about their double duty as judges on DwtS and Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K. Len said that he and his travel companion, Bruno, "get on famously well," and Bruno agreed: "I couldn't choose anybody better to do this with."
After the segment, choreographer Brian Friedman and company performed a special routine wearing outfits adorned with lights, similar to those worn during the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies.
Then, Jessica Simpson was back, this time accompanied by Cheryl Burke & Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
The next safe couple announced was Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani.
Tom Bergeron introduced the next segment by walking from the stage, down the hallway, and into the waiting room where the couples get their scores and talk with Samantha Harris. A video montage showed exactly what happens while the dancers wait in The Red Room.
As the show neared its end, Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson, Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke, Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer and Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy were told that they were safe.
That left Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas and Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas alone on stage, although Tom had to clarify that the couples weren't necessarily the Bottom Two. Since Tom has to waste time explaining it every week, I wish they'd just go back to having a Bottom Two.
Kim & Mark were told that they were going home, and Tom quickly urged them off the stage saying, "We just have a few seconds." Kim said that today is the five year anniversary of her father's death, and that she knows she made him proud.
Mark, then, made things really awkward as he said of his dad, Corky, "I'm so proud to be sharing the stage with him. I'm glad he's still alive." As if things weren't uncomfortable enough, the band played a peppy version of "See You Later, Alligator" as the credits rolled. R.I.P., Mr. Kardashian.
After last night's meh episode of Dancing with the Stars 7, Entertainment Tonightturned their mics over to the contestants. For Access Hollywood's video report from the set, Mel B asked all of the couples about Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer's kiss.
TV Guide reports that Lacey's contemporary Paso Doble routine had the support of So You Think You Can Dance judges Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman, who were seated in the studio audience.
Pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy didn't sound fond of Lacey's choreography when he called EW.com after the show. He also mentioned some of the conflicts between DwtS cast members with traditional ballroom backgrounds (Maks, Tony, Karina, and Len) and those with more contemporary training (Lacey, Carrie Ann, and Bruno).
Regarding the low scores she received from the judges, Cloris Leachman told OK!, "We were robbed!" Brooke Burke told Us that her kids love to watch her dance.
As he was leaving a restaurant late last night, Warren Sapp reacted to a TMZ photographer's questions about Warren's rumored "man-diva attitude" on the DwtS set.
Before they performed yesterday, Lance Bass and Misty May-Treanor wrote about their routines at their blogs.
The new Dancing with the Stars: Latin Cardio Dance workout DVD, which features DwtS pros Cheryl Burke and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, got a negative review from The Sun Herald.
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart spoke during a recent radio interview about being rejected by the producers of Dancing with the Stars several times.
Turner Classic Movies will run a Paul Newman marathon on Sunday, October 12, including films like Cool Hand Luke and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Actor Michael Cera told The National Post that an Arrested Development movie isn't likely to happen. Cera has a supporting role in the film adaptation of C. D. Payne's Youth in Revolt, one of my hubby's favorite books.
For the most part, the second week of Dancing with the Stars 7 was notable only for the consistent blandness of its performances.
Maybe it was because three episodes last week left the couples with one fewer day to rehearse this week's routines. Perhaps the producers went out of their way to avoid casting someone like Kristi Yamaguchi, who dominated DwtS 6 from her first dance.
Whatever the reason, this episode of Dancing with the Stars was totally boring. None of the performances was memorable, or even of very good quality. Unless things pick up soon, this could be a long season.
Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo -- Rumba In their rehearsal footage, Toni turned the tables on Alec and made him karaoke "Unbreak My Heart." Alec's off-key singing left his wife, Edyta, shaking her head. Toni wore an outfit that looked like it was borrowed from Edyta's collection for their performance.
Len Goodman said, "I was surprised how good that performance was," although he wanted more basic steps. Bruno Tonioli said Toni showed "sensuality and vulnerability." Carrie Ann Inaba said, "Toni, you move like you sing," though the judge noted two lifts in the routine.
Brooke Burke & Derek Hough -- Paso Doble Brooke was able to stay in character during the performance, despite the trouble she had keeping up the intensity during rehearsal.
Carrie Ann said, "I was truly mesmerized," even though Brooke's balance was off a bit. Len liked Brooke's "controlled aggression." Bruno told Brooke, "You are born to dance."
Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff -- Rumba Rocco fed Karina a snack at the end of the routine. Even though he's a chef, it was a little weird.
Bruno told Rocco, "You were standing there like The Thing." Carrie Ann said, "What's lacking is musicality." Len said, "There was more tears than jeers about the whole thing."
Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer -- Paso Doble Lance & Lacey decided to ditch the capes and danced to the Katy Perry song "I Kissed a Girl," because Lance is gay, in case you didn't know. And then Lance kissed Lacey on the lips at the end of the routine. Oh, boy.
Len directed his comments at Lacey: "I know your game, and I know your brain. Chuck in a couple of twist turns, keep the old boy happy, and then do a load of stuff that has no relationship to Paso Doble. It doesn't work, my old sausage, I'm sorry to say." Carrie Ann said, "I thought it was a very clever song choice." Bruno said, "You go for it 100%."
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas -- Rumba Kim needed coaching from the founder of The Pussycat Dolls on how to be sexy. It didn't appear to help in the performance.
Bruno called Kim's performance "colder and more distant than Siberia." Len wanted more hip action from Kim: "You've got all the gear in the rear, but nothing occurs." Carrie Ann suggested, "Watch yourself on tape. See if you really look and compare to everybody else. If not, figure out a way to bring more to the dance floor."
Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- Paso Doble This week, Maks put Misty through a training regimen that brought her to the brink of tears. In the performance, Misty did a drop and a flip that were pretty cool.
Carrie Ann said, "Compare to what we just last saw, that's the kind of energy and determination that I like to see on the dance floor." Bruno called Misty "Mighty Xena, The Warrior Princess." Len encouraged Misty to look at Maks to keep their connection, instead of "looking like you're in the home for the bewildered."
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke -- Rumba In rehearsal, Cheryl said, "Maurice has embraced the character of the Rumba, maybe a little too well," after he started calling himself "the ultimate lover."
Len said, "It's all right, what you do, but it's a bit rough." Carrie Ann agreed: "It was a little too stiff." Bruno told Maurice that he moved "rough and clunky."
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas -- Paso Doble The slow tempo of the song allowed Cloris to show some technique, until Corky started tossing her around like a sandbag.
Bruno called the performance "surreal." Len said, "It was a lovely traditional dance to traditional music." Carrie Ann told Cloris, "One of your assets is your incredible wit, and I didn't see it that much in that performance, and I missed it."
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani -- Rumba Tony bared his chest and Susan wore a headpiece that reminded me of The Childlike Empress in The NeverEnding Story.
Carrie Ann said, "Susan, I thought that was really nice. Nice chest, Tony." Bruno said, "You still dance a little bit like the Virgin Queen." Len grumbled, "I didn't like it when Tony exposed himself."
Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson -- Paso Doble This Matrix-themed routine finally brought some life back to the ballroom.
Len said, "I thought it had a lovely, dark, menacing feeling to it." Carrie Ann yelled, "We have a Paso Doble killah in the house!" Bruno called the performance "big, bold, heroic."
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough -- Rumba This routine was faster than most of the other Rumbas tonight, which was a welcome change. After the performance, Cody said that a girl could win his heart by bringing him "a Twinkie and some chicken."
Bruno told Cody, "You've gotta learn control." Len said, "It just lacked a little bit of polish and finesse." Carrie Ann said, "I thought it was really an age-appropriate Rumba."
Judges' Leaderboard: 24 -- Brooke & Derek, Warren & Kim 23 -- Toni & Alec 21 -- Misty & Maks, Susan & Tony, Cody & Julianne 20 -- Lance & Lacey 19 -- Maurice & Cheryl 17 -- Kim & Mark 16 -- Rocco & Karina 15 -- Cloris & Corky
Normally, I write how I'm splitting my votes for the week, but after this snooze of an episode, I've decided not to vote. Consider it my silent protest.
Cloris & Corky's serious Paso Doble will probably cost them votes, and they seem the most likely candidates to go home. Though it won't surprise me if Rocco & Karina get the boot.
Updated DwtS 7 betting odds have Brooke Burke as the favorite to win, with Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene, Cody Linley, Susan Lucci, and Misty May-Treanor tied for second.
In case you missed Tina Fey's dead-on impersonation of Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live this weekend, The Chicago Tribune's blog The Watcher has video from the show.
Yahoo! caught up with contestants from past season's of The Biggest Loser to see if they've been able to keep the weight off.
A court has temporarily blocked Lifetime from airing or promoting Project Runway 6, which recently started filming.
Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn shared some style secrets with OK! Magazine.
CBS's usually diligent censors failed to blur "Little Marcus" when he made an appearance during the Survivor: Gabon premiere.
There are tons of videos from the current season available at Survivor's website.
I enjoyed the premiere of The Amazing Race 13 last night, even though it was obvious which couple would be the first eliminated. EW's Josh Wolk wrote a funny recap of the episode, making frequent references to the Blong candy that featured in one of the challenges.
Information about Blong is hard to find online. Perhaps one of MOIB's Brazilian readers could clue the rest of us in to what exactly Blong is.
It seems like there's no end to Dancing with the Stars news. TV Guide and People posted reports from behind-the-scenes at Wednesday night's Results Show. Mel B interviewed the couples for Access Hollywood.
In an article for TV Guide, the founder of JumpTheShark.com wonders if his website's patron saint, Ted McGinley, brought some bad mojo to Dancing with the Stars 7. After all, the show lost 5 million viewers over the course of its marathon three-night premiere.
Kim Kardashian is keeping a blog for MSN, where she posted some photos from backstage at DwtS.
EW's Michael Ausiello reports that FOX's Do Not Disturb is the first new series to be canceled this season.
Survivor: Gabon premiered last night to an audience of 13 million. Reality Blurred has the scoop on what happened when a group of reporters were allowed to run the first Immunity Challenge.
Survivor host Jeff Probst is blogging about the current season for EW, and his latest post includes a video that's worth watching for the payoff line at the very end.
Engaged Survivor: China contestants Erik Huffman and Jaime Dugan announced their "low-key love story" in a press release, apparently unaware of the irony.
Rock Star: INXS contestant Marty Casey will hock jewelry and perform a mini-concert at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois this Saturday.
The Amazing Race 13 premieres Sunday night on CBS. Host Phil Keoghan chatted with USA Today about the new season, which features locations like (spoiler alert) India and New Zealand, where Phil's dad, John, will make a cameo appearance.
To get you fired up for the new season, here's a TAR parody video that MOIB reader Kells alerted me to:
Ted McGinley told ET and Us Magazine that his greatest regret about leaving Dancing with the Stars 7 so early is that he down his partner, Inna Brayer.
People profiled Inna and the other two new Dancing pros, Corky Ballas and Lacey Schwimmer.
As for why he thought he went home so soon, Ted told OK! that his fans aren't the kind who vote for DwtS: "My people aren’t necessarily tech-savvy."
EW's Results Show recap includes audio of a phone interview with DwtS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
BravoTV.com has blog posts by the latest auf'd Project Runway designer and Tim Gunn, who appreciated seeing guest judge LL Cool J take bratty Kenley down a peg.
Discovery signed a deal with YouTube giving the website exclusive video content from its nine affiliated cable networks.
In other Web video news, special Ugly Betty webisodes are now available at ABC.com. Scrubs and Brothers & Sisters webisodes will debut later this season.
Yesterday, John McCain canceled his scheduled appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman because of an urgent need to return to Washington to deal with the economy. But Letterman busted McCain, who was actually still in New York taping an interview with Katie Couric at the same time that The Late Show was filming. E! has video of Dave, who was understandably miffed at the Senator's brush off.
Survivor: Gabon premieres tonight on CBS with two back-to-back episodes. Reality Blurred explained why the show is important to Gabon's economy, and also interviewed contestant Michelle Chase.
Another Survivor: Gabon contestant, Charlie Herschel, is telling everyone that he's a confidant of Clay Aiken. How fortunate that Clay outted himself right before your TV debut, Charlie.
After a second straight night of eliminations, Dancing with the Stars 7 is another man down.
The DwtS pros kicked off the Results Show with a Paso Doble to a rendition of David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure."
After a lengthy recap of Tuesday night's show, Brooke Burke & Derek Hough and Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas learned that they had earned enough votes to continue on to next week.
Instead of the traditional judges' encore, the season's first eliminated couple, Jeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska, danced the Quickstep that they didn't get to perform last night. It was much better than their first dance.
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas were the next duo to learn that they were safe.
Then it was time for singer Jesse McCartney to perform. He was accompanied by former DwtS pro Ashly DelGrosso and another dancer, whose name Samantha Harris mumbled unintelligibly.
After the performance, DwtS 6 contestant Adam Carolla returned to conduct man-on-the-street interviews with folks in Hollywood. Adam asked one man, "You don't know who Cloris Leachman is?" The man responded, "I don't know who you are!"
The bit was followed by the announcement that Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke were safe.
Finally, it was the moment in the show that all of the teenage girls in the audience had been waiting for: The Jonas Brothers performed, accompanied by DwtS pros Mark, Derek, Lacey and Inna.
With time running out, the following couples were told they were safe: Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson, Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani, Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff, Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer, and Cody Linley & Julianne Hough.
That left Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer and Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo standing onstage, awaiting their fate. The ax fell on Ted & Inna, who both seemed genuinely bummed to be leaving. The departing duo didn't get a farewell dance, as ABC cut directly to President Bush's speech about the economy. Here, I'll sum that up, too: It's bad.
After becoming the first celebrity eliminated from Dancing with the Stars 7, comedian Jeffrey Ross told Us Magazine that he was "heartbroken." On top of that, he told OK! that he was in incredible pain from his scratched cornea: "It woke me up this morning and I literally whispered to my girlfriend, Meaghan, 'This is the worst day of my life'."
But Jeffrey and partner Edyta Sliwinska aren't done dancing yet. According to TV Guide, the duo will perform the Quickstep they've been rehearsing for the last month on tonight's Results Show.
DwtS 5 champ Helio Castroneves filmed some interviews for ET after last night's episode. Access Hollywood video cameras were in the ballroom as well, but, sadly, Mel B wasn't behind the mic.
This season's first official DwtS Results Show will be followed tonight by a two-hour special about magician David Blaine's latest stunt. According to The New York Daily News and EW, folks who've stopped by Central Park to see the prestidigitator hanging upside down aren't impressed.
In two years, you'll be able to watch reruns of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother on Lifetime.
Netflix announced deals with CBS and Disney that will allow members to stream episodes of shows like CSI and Hannah Montana online.
George Clooney officially said that he won't return to ER for a cameo during its final season.
Reality Blurred has an interview with Survivor: Gabon contestant Corinne Kaplan, whom he describes as "unapologetically awful." Read this interview and you will forever eye with suspicion those cute, young pharmaceutical sales reps sitting in your doctor's waiting room.
Dancing with the Stars 7's second Performance Show featured the season's first elimination, and the ballroom got a little less funny as a result.
The show began with all of the couples on the stage, waiting to learn if they'd be dancing tonight or going home. One by one, each couple was told that they were safe and, following a few clips from rehearsal, they danced.
Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer -- Quickstep Like last night, they went for a punky take on a classic style.
Len Goodman didn't like Lance's posture or hold and said the routine wasn't his "cup of tea." Bruno Tonioli liked their "fresh take" on the dances. Carrie Ann Inaba said she was "entertained" but not "impressed," saying that they deviated too much from the International style.
Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- Mambo Misty did a lot of solo work in the routine, which was a bold move this early in the season.
Carrie Ann and Len commended Misty on having the courage to solo so much. Bruno warned Misty that, throughout the routine, "Your shoulders get higher and higher and higher."
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke -- Mambo This was a free-form Mambo, and Maurice even did The Worm near the end of the routine.
Bruno said, "It strayed a little bit from the Mambo. It was like being at a party." Carrie Ann told Maurice, "The music pumps through your body." Len asked, "Why did you do the Free Willy step? I don't want all that nonsense."
Brooke Burke & Derek Hough -- Quickstep After topping the leaderboard last night, Brooke was amazing again tonight. Her form is great, and her face is very expressive. She's establishing herself as an early favorite to win.
Len repeated his comment from last night: "Best dance so far." Bruno cheered, "Sen! Sa! Tion! Al!" Carrie Ann enthused, "I'm blown away."
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas -- Mambo The performance was raunchy and utterly lacking in technique, but it was still entertaining.
Before she even danced, Cloris gave each judge $10 as bribe because "I know they don't give you very much money." They gave the money back before commenting. Carrie Ann said, "Golden girl can shimmy." Len told Corky, "I think you've done a fantastic job." Bruno started to speak, but Cloris interrupted, telling him, "Speak English." Bruno taunted her with the threat, "Shady Pines, Ma. Shady Pines."
Upon seeing her scores, Cloris threatened to leave and called for her chauffeur.
Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo -- Quickstep Toni was running out of breath in their rehearsal footage, but she looked great during the performance.
Bruno said the dance had "all the qualities of a fine Champagne." Carrie Ann liked the couple's chemistry. Len said, "The whole thing was very, very nice," apart from what he referred to as Toni's "funny head."
Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson -- Quickstep Warren may have looked nervous, but he executed his moves with great speed.
Len said, "For entertainment, it was fantastic." Bruno called Warren "a ton of fun." Carrie Ann said, "You didn't miss a step. But I felt like your footwork was a little bit flat."
Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer -- Mambo Ted warned in his rehearsal footage, "This Mambo King has dance fever, and watch out -- because it's contagious." He stood around a lot during the routine, but it was still fun.
Carrie Ann told Ted, "There is a bit of an awkwardness to the way you move." Len said, "What you showed, Ted, is that with hard work, anything is possible." When Bruno told Ted, "You grabbed your Mambo with both hands, and you squeezed every ounce of fun out of it," Tom Bergeron quipped, "That sounds so painful."
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough -- Quickstep Cody had good energy and competent dance moves to boot.
Bruno called the couple, "King and Queen of the prom. Your parents must be so proud." Carrie Ann said, "Cody, you have gone from being a boy to a man on the ballroom dance floor." Len said Cody danced with "great maturity."
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani -- Quickstep Susan was still a little tentative, but this was a big improvement from last night.
Carrie Ann told Susan, "That was the strength and power and charisma that I expected from you." Len said, "This was so much better than last night." Bruno called Susan "my fair lady."
Jeffery Ross and Kim Kardashian were the last two celebrities waiting to learn their fate, although Tom cautioned that they didn't necessarily represent the Bottom Two vote-getters. Tom told Jeffrey that he'd lost, making Kim and Mark Ballas the last couple to dance this evening.
But first, Jeffrey and Edyta Sliwinska got to say goodbye. Jeff joked about his injury, "They told me Edyta was going to be easy on the eyes." He said, in all seriousness, "This has been the most fun I've ever had." Regarding his partner, Jeffrey called Edyta "a champion in waiting," and jokingly begged audience members, "Please support Edyta and her nine children back in Poland."
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas -- Mambo In a nod to Kim's famous derriere, they danced to Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back." Kim didn't commit to her moves, and her energy level didn't match Mark's.
Bruno said of Kim's performance, "More wasted assets than Fannie and Freddie." Len said, "Mark was overdancing to try and compensate, and the whole thing lacked a bit of balance." Carrie Ann told Kim, "I think you did really good with what you had. I see you trying."
Judges' Leaderboard: 26 -- Brooke & Derek 23 -- Toni & Alec, Cody & Julianne 22 -- Warren & Kym, Susan & Tony 21 -- Lance & Lacey, Misty & Maks, Maurice & Cheryl, Rocco & Karina 19 -- Ted & Inna 18 -- Kim & Mark 16 -- Cloris & Corky
Brooke Burke has the jump on her fellow contestants, so she's getting the majority of my votes tonight. The rest are going to Cloris Leachman because of the comedic value she brings to the show. Plus, I don't feel like any of the couples, apart from Brooke & Derek, have distinguished themselves enough that the show would suffer without them, so I'm happy to have Cloris stick around for another week.
If I had my way, Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas would go home Wednesday night. She said herself that she's a shy person, and it's often harder to train away that kind of personality trait than it is to improve something technical like footwork.
One of the best things about the last season of Dancing with the Stars was the chance to watch the politically incorrect Mel B interview the contestants after the show. Mel's back behind the mic for Access Hollywood with her first post-show video interview of the season.
ET also has video footage from last night's DwtS 7 premiere. Note that, in both videos, Julianne Hough does all the talking for Cody Linley. I hope that changes in the coming weeks.
Cloris Leachman explained to OK! Magazine what prompted her to get up close and personal with the judges: "I forgot four steps and I got a little hysterical after that. I was inspired."
Warren Sapp told TV Guide that, as they waited to make their entrance at the opening of the show, he was afraid of falling down the stairs. His partner, Kym Johnson, assured him that "it would make great television."
It's no surprise that Dancing with the Stars earned the highest ratings of any show on TV last night.
Before hitting the dance floor, Misty May-Treanor talked with E! about checking out the competition, Lance Bass blogged about his training for Us Magazine, and former DwtSer Joey Fatone told People what advice he offered his old band mate, Lance.
CBS announced that Big Brother will take this coming spring off, returning in the summer for its eleventh season.
The premiere episode of Project Runway 6 recently filmed in L.A., with Lindsay Lohan sitting in as guest judge.
In case you didn't see it last night, here's video of Cloris Leachman's Dancing with the Stars 7 debut. Things get rolling when she starts talking with the judges at the 3:46 mark in the video.
She may not have earned the highest scores, but Cloris Leachman stole the spotlight on the premiere of Dancing with the Stars 7.
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough -- Cha Cha Cha In footage of their rehearsals, Cody said that he occasionally gets distracted by Julianne's "hotness." But he kept his head in the game and kicked off the show in fine fashion with a competent Cha Cha Cha.
Head Judge Len Goodman said that Cody looked "full of confidence," but cautioned him against "wildness." Bruno Tonioli told Cody to focus on his feet. Carrie Ann Inaba said the pair has "incredible potential."
Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff -- Fox Trot Karina sprained her ankle this morning during rehearsal, but she danced anyway. Rocco repeatedly said in their rehearsal footage that he was out of his comfort zone, and it looked that way on the dance floor.
Bruno called it a "Fox Trot on the brink of chaos," but Carrie Ann said the performance was "cute." Len said, "You dance like I cook: just chuck it all in and hope for the best."
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke -- Fox Trot In hold, Maurice was as slow on the dance floor as he is fast on the track. He'll do better in the Mambo tomorrow night.
Len said parts were "wild," "wacky," and "wonderful." Bruno said Maurice needs to work on his footwork and posture when in hold. Carrie Ann "you gotta work on the styles that we're asking of you."
Brooke Burke & Derek Hough -- Cha Cha Cha Brooke's crazy-long arms and legs produce beautiful lines, and hers was the most polished looking performance of the night.
Carrie Ann told Brooke, "You have an amazing body that's totally designed to dance." Bruno said, "That hip action...Len was panting. I mean, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth." Tom quipped, "That's mostly an age thing." Len called it "the best dance so far."
Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer -- Fox Trot Ted toned down his "macho" tendencies for his performance, nicely complementing the lovely Inna.
Bruno called it a "very, very entertaining routine." Len told Ted, "Your footwork was very, very good." Carrie Ann said, "You've got great potential, great lines."
Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer -- Cha Cha Cha This rockin' number finally woke up the sedate studio audience.
Len said, "It was young and modern. The trouble is I'm old and traditional." Carrie Ann said the performance was "hot, hot, hot," and Bruno called it "edgy."
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas -- Fox Trot Cloris danced nicely, especially for an 82-year-old. But it was her interaction with the judges and her backstage commentary that stole the show and made her my favorite performer of the night.
As Bruno began to talk, Cloris walked over and put her leg up on the judges' table. Then she knelt in front of Len as though she were praying, before getting up and leaning over the judges' table. Len interrupted his comments to tell Cloris, "Mind your cleavage, it's putting me off a bit." Cloris then sat on Carrie Ann's lap and asked people to vote for her because, "I'm an orphan, so if you wanna vote for me, just remember there's a lot of sadness in being an orphan."
But the shenanigans didn't end there. The censors had to go to work as the scores were read, with Cloris saying, "Shit!" in response to Carrie Ann's and Bruno's scores. When Len held up his paddle, Cloris said, "Five? You bastard." It was possibly the best moment in the history of Dancing with the Stars. Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...6, Len...5, Bruno...5 = 16/30
Jeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska -- Cha Cha Cha During rehearsal, Jeffrey said, "I don't have an Olympic medal or a Super Bowl ring, but I have a heart of gold and I love onion rings." But as they practiced this morning, Edyta poked Jeffrey in the eye and scratched his cornea. He danced against doctor's advice, ditching his rhinestoned eyepatch for a performance that was gutsy, if not graceful.
Carrie Ann said, "I just didn't feel like you were having a great time." Bruno called the performance "ungainly carnage." Jeff interrupted, "Len, obviously I respect your opinion the most because you're a legend. You've been judging Dancing with the Stars since it was a radio show."
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas -- Fox Trot Kim was clumsy in their rehearsal footage, but she looked smooth on the dance floor. It helps that she's dancing with the reigning champ.
Len said, "It was a bit cold. There was no chemistry between you." Bruno called Kim a "dusky beauty." Carrie Ann said, "I was happily surprised."
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani -- Cha Cha Cha The soap opera queen was good, but a little slow.
Bruno said of the performance, "It was very, very careful." Carrie Ann told Susan, "I think you need to put on a little more weight so that you can be stronger, because you looked a bit frail out there." Len said, "I think you've gotta throw caution to the wind."
Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- Fox Trot During rehearsal, Maks tried to find the "shred of gracefulness" in Misty. She looked lovely on the dance floor, making them one of the couples to beat.
Carrie Ann told Misty, "Try not to muscle everything. You can just relax into it a little bit more." Len said the performance "had an elegance about it." Bruno said that if Misty works on her turns and her shoulders, she'll "go a long way."
Judges' Leaderboard: 23 -- Brooke & Derek 22 -- Toni & Alec, Lance & Lacey 21 -- Misty & Maks, Warren & Kym 19 -- Kim & Mark 18 -- Cody & Julianne, Maurice & Cheryl, Ted & Inna 16 -- Cloris & Corky 15 -- Susan & Tony 14 -- Rocco & Karina 12 -- Jeffrey & Edyta
Jeffrey Ross seems like a lock to be eliminated tomorrow night. It may not be such a bad thing, since it'll give him a chance to let his injured eye recover. For the same reason, it might be good for Karina Smirnoff's ankle if Rocco DiSpirito gets booted early. Wednesday night, perhaps?
There was no question about who would get all of my votes tonight: Cloris Leachman. As soon as she called Len a "bastard," I was sold. She may not be the best dancer in the bunch, but Dancing with the Stars needs her.
Tonight's the big night: the premiere of Dancing with the Stars 7. Join us here at MOIB for a live chat during the East Coast broadcast of the show, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The youngest duo in the DwtS 7 cast, Cody Linley & Julianne Hough, chatted with People about staying healthy during the competition.
DwtS host Tom Bergeron has little time to recover after hosting last night's Emmy Awards. Variety has the complete list of winners, TV Guide posted a list of top moments from the telecast, and EW has a gallery of the best and worst dressed celebrities in attendance.
With 18 of last night's 28 Emmys going to shows on cable networks, Variety wonders how worried the four major broadcast networks should be.
Catching up on last week's episode of Project Runway, TV Guide has a video interview with auf'd designer Joe Faris, who knew he was doomed the minute the college grad makeover challenge was announced.
Bravo's website, as always, has blog posts about the latest challenge by Michael Kors and Tim Gunn, who didn't think that Leanne belonged in the Bottom Three. Guess which of the Top Three designers he thought should've been at the bottom.
The Emmy Awards presentation is on Sunday night, and the five nominees for Reality Show Host have been giving interviews about hosting the ceremony together. Tom Bergeron told The AP that, next to Heidi Klum, he and Ryan Seacrest, Howie Mandel and Jeff Probst are "gonna look like Snow White and the four dwarfs."
Access Hollywood posted a funny video of the five hosts sitting down for a Barbara Walters-style interview with Jimmy Kimmel.
In honor of the Emmys, Us Magazine posted a slideshow titled Emmys: Worst Dressed of All Time that starts with a photo of Tina Yothers from 1986.
Former Dancing with the Stars contestant Mel B wants to tone your "jubbily bits" with a new fitness video.
The current crop of DwtS contestants are getting ready for their debut on Monday night. Lance Bass complained to People about dancing in heels, and Access Hollywood has a rehearsal video featuring Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas, Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani and Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Ted McGinley told People, "I am the Monica Seles of this season!"
Be sure to join us on Monday night at 8 ET for our Dancing with the Stars chat. We'll keep up a running commentary on the performances as they air live -- perfect for international fans who can't watch the show on TV or for impatient West Coasters who don't want to wait until the show airs in the Pacific time zone.
We'll post a link to the chatroom on the MOIB homepage just before showtime. See you then!
Some of the Dancing with the Stars 7 contestants are blogging about their experiences thus far. Misty May-Treanor writes a blog for USA Today, while Kim Kardashian posted a lengthy account of her rehearsals with Mark Ballas at her MySpace page.
Meanwhile, Cloris Leachman seems intent on tormenting every man who comes near her, going so far as to tickle one of Access Hollywood's crew guys in this interview video.
Samantha Harris haters are going to love this next story. On Tuesday, she's throwing a birthday party for her one-year-old at a spa for kids. Whatever happened to a game of Bozo Buckets and a Barbie cake from the grocery store?
Smallville and Supernatural return to The CW tonight, although the episodes won't air in the Chicago area until 10:30 p.m. because of a White Sox game. Variety reviewed the Smallville premiere, and Zap2It has interviews with Supernatural executive producer Kim Manners and Jim Beaver, who plays Bobby.
Fans of CBS's Survivor are the most emotionally invested viewers of any TV show, according to a recent survey. But fans might not invest much in Survivor: Gabon contestant Jacquie Berg, whom Reality Blurred describes as "totally forgettable."
Observers at New York Fashion Week noticed several former America's Next Top Model contestants on the catwalk last week, with some even modelling garments for the Project Runway 5 finale.
Reality Blurred's Andy Dehnart wrote about his interview with Survivor: Gabon's Paloma Soto-Castillo.
Producers of MTV's The Islanddeny allegations that they wrecked a Panamanian rainforest.
Fans of Fringe might want to check out the game Heavenly Sword on the Playstation 3. The main character, Noriko, is modelled on Fringe star Anna Torv, who voiced the character. Andy Serkis (Gollum from the Lord of the Rings movies) plays the game's villain and directed all of the voice acting, which is some of the best I've heard in a video game.
After only two weeks, I'm bailing on Fringe. I enjoyed the pilot episode but had some concerns about the dialog, which only got worse in last night's second episode. It's tough to make dialog in science-heavy shows flow (e.g. every episode of Star Trek), but dumping Agent Farnsworth into the mix just so that there's someone around to ask, "Hey, guys, what kind of sciency stuff are ya up to?" is lame.
The second episode of Fringe followed the "monster of the week" format, which has been done plenty of times before, particularly on The X-Files. It doesn't seem like anything new. Am I missing something, or is Fringe just an average sci-fi show?
With less that a week to go until the Dancing with the Stars 7 premiere, the cast members have been giving interviews left and right. ET has a video interview with Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff. Lance Bass chatted with E! Online. And ESPN caught up with Misty May-Treanor.
Based on this Fresno Bee interview with Kym Johnson, Edyta Sliwinska, and Karina Smirnoff, it sounds like the DwtS pros know within hours of meeting their celebrities whether they have a shot at the trophy or not.
TV Guide did it's own group interview with Emmy hosts Tom Bergeron, Howie Mandel, Ryan Seacrest, Jeff Probst, and Heidi Klum. As much as I like Heidi, she's not even in the same league as the other nominees in the Reality Show Host category, as is apparent in the interview.
Project Runway 4 winner Christian Siriano showed off some of his spring collection for TV Guide.
Believe it or not, product placement during primetime broadcasts is actually on the decline.
Reality Blurred has the scoop on Survivor: Gabon contestants Ken Hoang and Marcus Lehman.
Martha Stewart's daughter, Alexis (who was the best thing about Martha's edition of The Apprentice) is premiering a new show on the Fine Living Network today. The show, called Whatever, Martha!, will feature Alexis ripping on old episodes of her mom's shows, including Martha's "habit of mixing sexual innuendo with her household hints."
If, like me, there will be a void in your life after Wipeout wraps its season tonight, The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan recommends Unbeatable Banzuke on G4 network. Mo, you had me at "cat-shaped wheelbarrow."
The Creative Arts Emmys were awarded last night, and Variety has the complete list of winners. Wade Robson won the Outstanding Choreography award for his "Hummingbird and Flower" routine from So You Think You Can Dance 3.
Controversy surrounds Jennifer Lopez's absence from last week's Project Runway 4 finale, including speculation that she may have skipped out on the show because she didn't get a part in an upcoming film by PR producer Harvey Weinstein. The foot injury excuse appears to be a smoke screen since Lopez was fit enough, according to her trainer, to compete in a triathlon yesterday.
In other Project Runway news, TV Guide has a video interview with Season 4 designer Terri Stevens, who used to be a female Michael Jackson impersonator.
Cable network Versus is working on a sports edition of E!'s pop culture clip show The Soup.
The latest season of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge, dubbed The Island, debuted last week with the premise of stranding the usual cast of drunken twenty-somethings on a deserted island. According to a report out of Panama, MTV's crew destroyed an area of pristine rainforest in order to build the set for the show, which was located only a few hundred feet from several luxury homes.
If you ever bemoan the state of television programming in America, consider this: Germany is about to launch a 24/7 reality show about a fast-food restaurant. Ach, du lieber!
If you only follow one link in today's Ox Notes, make it this link to Access Hollywood's video interview with Cloris Leachman. It's worth watching just to hear how Cloris torments her Dancing with the Stars 7 partner, Corky Ballas, by relentlessly hitting on him during rehearsal.
Access Hollywood also caught up with DwtS 7 contestant Toni Braxton, who only a few months ago couldn't climb a flight of stairs without chest pains due to her heart condition.
DwtS pro Mark Ballas landed a guest spot in the season premiere of Samantha Who? on October 13. He'll play fellow guest star Cybill Shepherd's dance partner.
Former DwtS contestant Heather Mills lost her spot on Celebrity Apprentice 2 after she reportedly asked that it be written into her contract that she would be a finalist. Oh, Heather.
But Heather Mills getting fired before Celebrity Apprentice 2 even begins isn't the most humiliating career development for a former DwtSer this week. Bush's Beans is holding a contest to find a chant to replace the classic "Beans, beans, the musical fruit...," and the prize for winning is an opportunity to perform your chant for DwtS 2 champ Drew Lachey. Oh, Drew.
Reality Blurred posted interviews with Survivor: Gabon contestants Dan Kay and Charlie Herschel.
Bill Nye, of Bill Nye the Science Guy fame, has a new show on Planet Green called Stuff Happens that focuses on how all of the stuff in our lives is made, and what impact it has on the environment.
There was a change of plans at this morning's filming of the Project Runway 5 finale. Original guest judge Jennifer Lopez was unable to attend the runway show, so PR mentor Tim Gunn filled in as guest judge.
Last night, Project Runway 4 winner Christian Siriano showed a collection at Fashion Week.
Last night's double elimination episode of Project Runway was a bit of a downer. Along with a designer that had long outstayed his welcome, one of my favorite designers, whom I thought was a lock for the finale, was eliminated for reasons that elude me, despite Michael Kors' explanation in his blog. I won't spoil the outcome in case you Tivo'd it, but Tim Gunn writes of the auf'd designer: "I feel sick about losing you." Me, too, Tim.
Presumably, all six of the designers remaining in the competition will show collections at Fashion Week Friday morning as part of the Project Runway 5 finale, so as not to give away the identities of the three finalists.
PR judge Nina Garcia is getting her own reality show called Running in Heels, which will follow her around the offices of Marie Claire magazine.
Former soap star Antonio Sabato, Jr. is getting a reality show as well. VH1 will do what it does best and help Antonio wade through a collection of sluts to find that one woman he'll profess to love, only to break up with her a few months later.
TV Guide asked Fringe executive producer Roberto Orci some burning questions about the series premiere. The interview will interest those of you looking for Lost-like clues in the new sci-fi drama from J.J. Abrams.
Zap2It interviewedHole in the Wall hosts Brooke Burns and Mark Thompson ahead of the show's official, hour-long premiere tonight at 8 ET on FOX. I watched the special preview on Tuesday night and felt that the show was so loud and overproduced that it detracted from the simple enjoyment of people trying (and failing) to fit through awkwardly shaped holes in a wall. It definitely looked like a FOX game show, and I don't mean that as a compliment.
