Ox Notes: March 19, 2009

I'm delighted to start this Ox Notes with a link to an thought-provoking post my husband, Greg, wrote for MOIB's sister site, Elf Needs Food. Greg's article is about TV writers' unfortunate habit of using past victimization as a substitute for character development. In its early seasons, Lost was a prime example of this kind of lazy storytelling (think John Locke and his untrustworthy father).

Lately, Battlestar Galactica has fallen into the same pattern. Greg's post addresses how BSG's retroactive continuity ruins its characters. Given that the series finale airs on Friday night, it's frustrating that the writers have spent so much time in recent episodes dwelling on the past instead of showing the characters dealing with their dire present-day problems.

In other TV news, there's no Survivor: Tocantins tonight due to college basketball. People has an interview with the latest castaway voted out, Spencer.

I'm just now catching up on all of the videos CBS posts at The Amazing Race 14's website, including host Phil Keoghan's video diary and the Elimination Station videos shot at the beautiful lodge in Thailand where the eliminated teams are sequestered.

NBC announced that it's scrapped most of its summer reality TV lineup.

Project Runway's Kenley Collins was arrested for throwing a cat at her fiance.

Anthony Bourdain recently critiqued TV food shows.

In Dancing with the Stars news, Steve Wozniak apologized for questioning the integrity of the DwtS voting system.

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough recorded an interview with TV Guide, and the camera work makes it clear which one of the pair TV Guide thinks is the real star (hint: it's not Chuck).

Melissa Rycroft told Us that she and Tony Dovolani will dance the Foxtrot next week.

People has a report on What You Didn't See backstage at Tuesday night's DwtS Results Show. The Results Show was watched by a record low audience of only 12.4 million, down from 21.1 million viewers the night before. Maybe going head-to-head with American Idol wasn't such a great idea.

Why, oh why, must Sony tamper with my childhood memories by releasing a horrible-looking animated movie version of the wonderful book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"?