What's So Funny On Mondays? - Dancing with the Stars, Gossip Girl, Chuck

I don't have time to write much since I have to get up in the morning for work (remember when I said I would have a lot more time off? I lied to myself apparently and took on a new temporary gig) but I couldn't wait to make these few comments.

Funniest moment of Monday night?

No, nothing on the CBS comedy block (which was in repeats, no?) or even Chuck. No, it was when I switched the channel over to Dancing with the Stars by mistake and saw Cloris Leachman and the entire remaining group of "stars" and dancers doing a Hip Hop group routine.



Genius I tell you.

Though for a second I thought Cory Linley and Brooke Burke were REALLY good but then realized it was Derek Hough and Lacey Schwimmer. I know more people watch this show but at this point, I think her brother got the better gig in Toronto (and who is back again for a second week on SYTYCD Canada!!!)

Almost as funny?
Gossip Girl - Pret-a-Poor-J - Ep. 208

First of all, Blair's Eastern European housekeeper deserves her own special Emmy award for best minor re-occurring actress. Her "God is always watching" (or something like that) comment and her monotone delivery is simply hilarious! And fabulous.

So was seeing Nate Archibald come out naked of the shower. Too bad the series is still on network TV and not Showtime, but love that oh-so-not-subtle way Jenny bumps into him at the Humphrey's apartment and the shows obvious set up to this (spoiler for upcoming episode since I couldn't find a photo of Jenny and Dan kissing at the end of this episode).

Kaitlin Willa Holland (The OC) is Agnes, a new "friend" of Jenny's who pulls Jenny (above, in her new look) to the clubs to help her with "good" publicity and ends up taking the dress Jenny's wearing (and Eleanor wanted reproduced by the next day. Of course). I'm not even going to explain how Agnes ends up wearing Jenny's dress but it's even more ridiculous and less interesting than it sounds.

Oh Willa, why you always the bad girl?

More interesting? Dan giving BLAIR WALDORF advice. What the? What show am I watching again? Blair tries to seduce Chuck and fails once, and Dan ends up giving her advice. And then hell froze over. Apparently.

Okay, so Dan actually sabotages Blair and Chuck as revenge for B and C's screwing over Vanessa but of course good boy Dan has to fix things (after Serena's insistence). Or something like that. I'm getting confused over who screwed over who and who is trying to screw who. It changes by the week on this show.

Then Serena meets a new boy at Rufus' gallery (for Vanessa's opening). Aaron Rose. Who looks better than this picture. Sometimes. When he wears the glasses. And yes, Serena is interested. AND tells/asks Dan. Like I said, things change by the week...

Strangely the least funny show on Monday night? The usually hilarious Chuck - Chuck Versus Tom Sawyer - Ep. 205

Sure, Tony Hale (Arrested Development) shows up at Emmett Milbarge, here to evaluate everyone and trim the fat out of Buy More and sure, anything Tony Hale says is funny, but the rest of the episode was a little disappointing, probably since they devote WAY too much time on the Buy More folks and some video game competition.

The Buy More folks were funny when they were side guest characters, but now that they are full credit cast members, the show seems to devote too much equal time on them when they really should be concentrating on Chuck, Sarah and Casey. More on the spy stuff, less on Buy More. And the more on Buy More, the less funny it all is. I used to just blame Morgan but now even Jeff and Lester are in full annoying mode.

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Reality Check - Dancing with the Stars, Beauty and the Geek

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Reality Check - DWTS, Survivor, Oprah's Big Give, Most Smartest Model

Did Dancing with the Stars just announce Ozomatli as guest performers on tonight's result show? Wow. Cool. Wow. Really? Cool.

Am I the only one who liked Eliza and wanted her and the adorable (if not too bright) Jason to do better on Survivor: Micronisia - Fans Vs. Favorites? I guess the smugness of Ozzy has finally gotten to me and the fact that he seems to have the whole thing sealed up in a bag is turning my own allegiances.

I have just had no inkling to continue watching Oprah's Big Give (other than to suck up to Oprah that I watched her show when I become BFF with her soon) and it's been collecting on my PVR for weeks now, but just as I was about to delete them all, I decided just to watch a bit of one and I'm totally suckered back in. I loved the episode where they had to give away $100,000 away fast without giving any individual more than $500 each. So fun!

I still think the judges are seem like an odd fit on the show, and I still feel like Jamie Oliver should be cooking away or continue his School Dinners fight, but whatever, how can you turn down Oprah?

Meanwhile, we FINALLY got America's Most Smartest Model here in Canada and it's absolute genius! Genius I tell ya!

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Chuck Versus The Comedies

Chuck - Chuck Versus the Wookie
Everybody Hates Chris - Everybody Hates Driving
How I Met Your Mother - Little Boys
Aliens in America - Rocket Club

Considering I'm a bit curious as to whats happening over at Dancing with the Stars (Jane Seymour was pretty good actually and I cannot rule her out anymore from the battle between Sabrina, Helio, Scary Spice and Jennie Garth anymore, plus, Cameron probably got enough votes showing those cannons of his), the 8pm timeslot on Mondays sure is a little crammed. What the hell networks? Can't you spread it out a bit more? Okay okay, I know, all those years of complaining there wasn't enough good stuff on TV and now there's an overload and I complain again.

Sarah's old colleague Karina, who seems a bit rogue, returns asking for Sarah's help in stealing a huge diamond and Chuck and Casey are sent along to help. The diamond ends up being used to fund terrorists, while Sarah's old colleague inserts doubt for Chuck about Sarah, revealing her past with Chuck's old roommate, meanwhile, Morgan begs to date Karina, and while she goes along with it, using the situation to infiltrate Chuck, Morgan's annoyances finally does good and inadvertently saves the day. That and a really good product placement for FedEx when Chuck ends up mailing the diamond away from the bad guys.

Continued after the jump:
Oh yeah, and Casey is handcuffed to a bedpost which he breaks away from, still trapped to a piece of the bed and he goes into the elevator with a mother and a child. Hilarious! I REALLY don't understand how some people are not loving Chuck (while loving Reaper) but it's this back and forth, between a scene of Sarah kicking ass against the bad guys, Chuck somehow scrambling away, and a scene where Casey stands awkwardly in the elevator as muzak plays over the air, that just keeps the flow so zippy and fun! It's a basic juxtaposition but it works and Chuck knows how to use it.

Chuck, still wary of Sarah after Karina cast some doubt, and he seeks some honesty out of her, but a spy never tells. Or does she? It's a nice twist seeing Sarah possibly breaking her spy persona down and actually enjoying her time with Chuck and co. (I mean, who wouldn't love hanging out with the lovely Sarah Lancaster as sister Ellie and her Captain Awesome).

Over in the 1980's, Chris constantly asks Julius to drive, so while he tries to sleep, Julius finally lets Chris move the car across the street. How can we tell this will go wrong? Cause Everybody Hates Chris.

Chris drives the car all the way to school, ends up impressing the girls, goes for a joyride, and almost gets stopped by the cops. Sadly, it was mom Rochelle who got stopped for speeding (32 in a 25 zone? If she wanted to speed she would have gone 50!) and must fight it in court (and bringing along Drew and Tonya). Only she gets the crazy judge who sentences everyone to ridiculously high fines, if not jail itself for small infractions, unless, they showed some cleavage of course. Rochelle being Rochelle, her time in court, will of course will not go well.

In the end, she wins the case (the cop didn't calibrate the equipment properly... didn't this just get used in another show recently too?) but gets fined for creating a ruckus in court. Meanwhile, Chris manages to survive the day driving, without getting in trouble. Whew...

Only the car gets towed when he ends up parking on the wrong side of the street. "... cause everybody ... haaaaates CHRIIIIIIS".

Robin meanwhile, hates kids. Apparently she's definitely not the mother in How I Met Your Mother. She's set up with a hot guy (Brad Rowe, who has always looked like the love child between Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe, oddly enough) who happens to have a kid. Robin manages to dodge the kids for a few weeks until finally she meets up with Dougie, and surprise, she actually seems to make a connection with him. Until she sees a picture he drew labelling her as his new mommy. Robin freaks. Robin freaking is seriously funny.

Barney and Ted compete to woo a girl first, in a competition to find out who has the best game. Marshall competes much to Barney and Ted's chagrin, but Ted has the edge when she slaps Barney for sleeping with her last year. But never underestimate Barney's game, and he uses the info Ted's gathering to strike against him. Plus, I'm sure the eye patch did help. Everybody loves a pirate. But...

As funny as How I Met Your Mother was again this week (AND during a Robin episode too!), the funniest show of the night was Aliens in America!

Justin and his friends (which include Max from Veronica Mars!) have lied for years about being in a rocket club at school so that they can sneak away to watch Charlize Theron naked and other such things boys do (until they grow up, according to Gary). When Raja wants to join, the jig is up, except Raja actually lies to Fran about it, saving Justin. But Raja, feeling guilty, decides to build a real rocket, just so it isn't a lie, and gets caught buying equipment to build a detonator, which of course, triggers the police to investigate.

Add in a computer used to surf porn, Raja accused of terrorism (again), Fran finding about Justin's lies, a cheerleader whose just as mean as her grandfather who was accused of war crimes, finding about Fran and Gary's locked up liquor (in the house NEXTDOOR), and a spycamera bear and we finally have the biting political episode I've known this show could pull. Did I mention it was flat out funny?

And that's even before we saw Fran's costumes she makes for Rocket Club!

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Albert Reed, Just Because...

In honour of Albert Reed, who was unceremoniously dumped from Dancing with the Stars last night, I present this photo gallery of the goofy male model who danced our hearts away. (Okay. maybe not, since he's out, but whatev... he wasn't great but he wasn't THAT bad, though he did look worried on competition night at the end as if he knew.)



More Photos after the jump:

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Pies, Lies, Tux and Ties, Geeks, Freaks and Ivy League Chic

Pushing Daisies - Pie-lette
Gossip Girl - Poison Ivy
Beauty and the Geek - Double Dare
Dancing With The Stars - Results Week 2
Reaper - Charged
Bones - Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van
House - The Right Stuff


Okay Canada, so did you not fall in love with Pushing Daisies' Lee Pace's Ned? And Anna Friel's Chuck? Because if you didn't, we need to talk. I may have to restrict your universal health care access since you obviously have no heart so no point in wasting our tax dollars.

America, you're next (on Wednesday night). Though I have no universal health care system to block you from if you start hattin' on my beloved Pushing Daisies. I'll discuss more when America gets to watch it.

It's Tuesday and geeks are abound and cute as ever in Bones and Beauty and the Geek and amusing at times in Reaper where Bret Harrison's chasing the freaks. Ivy League chic rules on Gossip Girl, but being a pretty boy isn't enough on the Dancing (with the Stars) floor. Did I mention how funny Bones is? House too! (Recaps and comments after the jump)

I will never claim that Gossip Girl will ever be art or subtle but there's a nice rapport between Blake Lively's Serena and her brother Eric (Connor Paolo), something that actually seems honest and grounded, between all the catfights and gossip. Chuck happens to see Serena walk into the Ostroff Centre (natch) and tells Blair right away, assuming Serena is an alcoholic.

It's Ivy League suck up time, as the university's are sending their reps, and it's time to put those donations, er, grades to work. Dan applies and is denied the Dartmouth representative chaperone position, which is given to failing Nate, arranged all from daddy more-bucks "Captain" Archibald (Sam Robards, above with Chace Crawford's Nate Archibald), despite Nate wanting to go west. Blair, bitchy as usual, uses her newfound information to announce to all the Ivy Leaguers of Serena's alcolhol problem. Only for Eric to confess to Blair what the truth was, leaving Serena (and me) shocked. Will she use this new information for good or evil, asks Gossip Girl? Guess we will have to see...Is that Blair seemingly apologetic? Or just her face stuck in the same position?

The Beauty and the Geeks play truth of dare, and Rebecca (Beauty) and Sam (Male Beauty) make out. A lot. Not faciliated by a dare. The beauty's must learn the parts of the human anatomy, while the geeks need to shop and create a perfect picnic basket. Both Rebecca and Will win both competitions leaving them the sole team to nominate. Sadly, they pick two of my favorite teams, Jesse and Natalie (above, both are just too cute), and Hollie (Betty Boop girl) and Josh (below, who along with Luke, is one decent haircut and contacts away from being a hottie, think Rachel Leigh Cook in She's All That or Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries). The first 7 questions are answered correctly and it comes down to Josh, who sadly, is incorrect on the most useless of questions (who would remember what anniversary you give leather on?). So long Betty Boop.

We also say so long to Albert Reed from Dancing with the Stars, male model and all round goofball (kinda geeky but it's endearing). WHY??? America has this whole love/hate thing with pretty boys don't they? They voted them off Big Brother, and now they voted off the Ambercrombie and Fitch model. Over Wayne Newton. Seriously?

Reaper, falling into the baddie of the week like I feared, must this week chase after a demon that stole power, and gets a radio controlled toy truck to somehow reap the evil power suit after the box carrying the reaping vessel keeps following Sam (which, actually, was stupid funny, I love me a good pratfall). Tyler Labine's Socks was annoying funny as his usual idiotic self (essentially a continuation of his sidekick-to-future-Oscar-nominee-Ryan-Gosling role on Breaker High) and Sam's dad (the captain from Breaker High! I can never mention that show enough times!) buys off Sam with a new Prius (electric... hmm... the same week he's chasing someone that stole electricity...) while Sam frets about not telling his mom that he's still the Reaper.

Ray Wise still rocks as The Devil, but the episode already seemed a little slower than the pilot, which I didn't completely fall in love with like everyone else seemed to. Between Chuck and Reaper, I find Chuck has seemed to find a better rhythm and is funnier with a faster beat but Reaper still has its moments, but they really need to write better solutions to the actual reaping.

So far Reaper is 2 for 2 in almost getting the baddie, thinking its safe, its not, then the vessel ends up sucking the baddie for real. Okay for now but could get tiresome fast and Bret Harrison had better hair on The Loop so I'll have to see about this...

Over on Fox, how funny was Bones and House? A soccer mom gets blown up on Bones and a sexy new bomb expert takes Hodgins eyes off Angela, but in what would be a sad play at enhancing some soap opera drama, becomes a cute game of trust between the oh-so-cute Angela and Hodgins. Zach is still adorably geeky ("those are mine" telling the bomb squad girl to stay away from his bugs!) and Booth and Bones continue their zippy raport as we find out the soccer mom was a former radical protestor wanted for the murder of a security guard in a heist-gone-wrong.

House continues his interviews to replace his 3 ducklings, with 40 numbered candidates to start, having all of them run through the hoops like a giant reality show audition. In the competition includes Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle) and Olivia Wilde (The OC) but all House sees are Foreman, Chase and Cameron... dream? hallucination or are they really back?

I think House works strongest when it goes AGAINST its usual disease-of-the-week procedural or when they put a big giant twist to it, like this episode as we see tons of ducklings-wannabe's attempting to figure out what House wants while solving the case of a fighter pilot (which really, was probably the least important part of this episode).

All around, a good night, though I'm not sure I can keep up every Tuesday... whew... that felt a bit like a marathon there...

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In Real News Today

In real news today, Josie something or another was voted off Dancing with the Stars last night (bye bye Alec) and Bravo finally announced Project Runway 4 will debut Wed. November 14th! WOO! Ah, the sounds of screaming, yelling and bitching in a studio reminds me of my own university days. Good times good times!

Seems like there's a few contestants that went to Parsons School of Design. Were there many in previous seasons? Hmm... Okay, my dartboard pick is going to be... Marion to win! Go Marion! (No idea. Watch me pick the first person out).

On a side note, I've added a new section on my sidebar called Cableworthy. Shows on cable that tend to run over and over again so I don't always watch it during the first run if it conflicts with network shows, but shows I love nonetheless.

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Dancing Hunks and Rapping Geeks

Beauty and the Geek - First Elimination
Dancing with the Stars - Men's Night

Alright, I love me some geek. Like I said before. I've barely ever mentioned it before but I secretly watch almost all the episodes of Beauty and the Geek when they play on repeat here on the cable channels in Canada. Then since there was nothing really on last week, I tuned in (and finished the rest of the episode over the weekend) and I'm already looking forward to the makeover episode where the geeks turn into chic thanks to the help of the beauties. Love that episode! I think John (above with Natalie) will make the best hottie transformation. (I think Luke and Jesse are almost halfway there already, just need better haircuts, pictures below, after the jump).

So this year, they added the twist of Sam and Nicole, the male beauty (who seriously, is inadvertently hilarious) and the female geek. Except, she looks totally like the Hollywood stick a bun in her hair and glasses on an attractive actress girl to signify geekdom. Her makeover will probably be pretty easy. The fact that she speaks like half my college friends and is seems pretty smart and grounded makes her a geek... hey... wait a minute...

Okay. I know I'm a geek too (though nowhere NEAR the L.A.R.K. David is, above with Jasmine) but last week, as they tested the beauties, I too had no idea what some of those large words they had to read. Maybe I have a little beauty in myself too! (shut up)

So after the Beauties were tested on their political skills in a debate (uh, seriously, maybe I am a beauty, because I scored one of the lowest possible when I was forced to do that in high school) and Sam, the man, won after model posing during the first round, but then counter arguing a clever rebuttal against Shay, who wasn't half bad herself (at least compared to all the other girls).

The geeks had to learn to rap and perform in front of (cough) Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia. John almost won it but Will (not William, above with Jennifer) got the prize in the end.

This left Sam, Nicole, Will and Rebecca safe, and they vote for Tony (awww) and Amanda, and Natalie and John up for elimination and Tony and Amanda lose (after getting more difficult questions that even Natalie called it out during the competition). Oh well, Tony who was so adorable and cried to Amanda explaining his shyness almost made me teary... (shut up. again).

Over on Dancing with the Stars, I just missed Cameron Mathison's dance, but I caught Helio somethingoranother (the race car driver) and he was pretty good (and apparently the best man of the night). Not excellent here but again, I have So You Think You Can Dance on the brain. Still, just watching him I knew he's be safe for a while and giving Sabrina (and apparently Mel C.) and run for their bootyshaking moneymaker.

I also caught model Albert Reed's dance... and I was just as dumbfounded as the judges. I have no description except it was... weird. It wasn't bad. It wasn't really good. They knew he was hot so they knew to exploit that with his open shirt and face mugging. His steps were godawful but this is Dancing with the Stars and we grade on a curve so it wasn't the worst and still better than other "stars". Essentially, they just need to work in a strip into the routine every week and he'll carry through for a few weeks at least. It worked for Dmitry (oh I kid. he was a fantastic dancer).

Rebecca and Will

Shay and Joshua

Hollie and Josh

Jennifer and William

Jesse and Natalie

Luke and Katie

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