TVSquad

There is a hilarious article on the ABC News website about that unusual kids' show on Nick Jr., called Yo Gabba Gabba! Apparently it's not a huge hit with the target demographic--kids--but it is a hit with the 20-something stoner crowd. According to the report, college students gather to watch Yo Gabba Gabba! several times a week. For many, it's the perfect accompaniment to a joint. This probably only happens at one school, but ABC has decided to make it sound like a growing trend.

Tracie Egan of Jezebel.com says, "It's a good stoner television show because it's not difficult to understand since it's made for children and there are lots of bright colors and good music."

In reviewing tonight's season finale of 30 Rock, Robert Bianco of USA Today took the opportunity to bemoan how the show has declined in quality since it came back from the writers' strike. Essentially, his argument centers on how the show has gotten increasingly absurd, when the show's initial attraction was how the relatively-sane Liz Lemon reacted to the insanity going on around her. Now, according to Bianco, even Liz is getting wacky, screaming for her sandwich in "Sandwich Day," for instance, or getting entangled in one romantic situation after another. According to Bianco, the show is "ditching plot and character in a desperate, scattershot search for laughs, as if its new goal were to become a live-action version of Family Guy."

Hm. Sometimes a critic picks up on subtle changes in a show others can't, at least not until it's too late and the show they loved is irreparably damaged. That might be the case here. But right now, I'm not quite seeing what Bianco is complaining about.

One of the things that I love about How I Met Your Mother -- there, I said it, I love the show -- is the mystery surrounding who "mother" is and whether we've already seen her on the show or is she still to be introduced. It's not just the Lost fans that are watching scene by scene, shot by shot, frame by frame to uncover clues. Take this very cool observation by a blogger at Seat42f.com.

If you look at the picture, the green boxes, you'll notice that the framed handwritten letter/poem/writing in the background of Stella's home (left), is the same as the framed letter/poem/writing behind the kids in the opening of the show. According to the blogger -- who has HD and studied the scenes closely, it's definitely the same artifact.

You miss Veronica Mars. We all do. But maybe you miss it just a little more than I do. Maybe your eyes well up with tears whenever you see Jason Dohring on a promo for Moonlight because you know he's not a vampire. He's Logan Echolls, dammit!

If that is you, there are kindred spirits out there, my friend. Spirits who miss the brilliant-but-canceled series so much that they're willing to cram onto a cruise ship together and reminisce about Neptune and its inhabitants. From the people who created the Browncoat Cruise 2007, this summer's offering is Cruise to Mars 2008. Yes, it's a real thing!

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's been ten years since Seinfeld aired its monumental finale. Newsweek decided to celebrate the anniversary by having two of its writers debate whether the show has held up over the years. One minor problem with the article, though: the arguments made on either side don't make any sense.

One of the reasons Marc Peyser didn't think the show held up was because, after watching the show's reruns for the first time in years, he found that "The pacing - no show had ever packed in so many scenes, some of them lasting a few seconds - now seems formulaic and forced." Well, duh, of course it seems formulaic now, since almost every sitcom that has come since has adopted that method of storytelling.

Easter eggs are part of the fun of watching Lost. Symbols, numbers, and names can all have multiple meanings and connections to the story. Repeat viewing is a must for the detail-oriented fan. Doors have become particularly significant sources of information on the show. Season Two's blast door map revealed the names and locations of several DHARMA stations on the island. This week's episode brought another door into the Lost mythology.

Leave it to Ben to have a secret room next to another secret room. We already saw the secret room filled with passports, foreign currency, and suits. After a dramatic confrontation with Keamy and the mercenaries, Ben went to another hidden room and did something that fans are still talking about. I'll save the details about second room's door, and what was written on it, for after the jump. Spoiler Warning: Stop reading if you haven't seen "The Shape of Things to Come."

I'm not here to argue for or against the comedic talents of current box-office champs Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. No, what I'm here to ask is: why do people dislike them so much? I'm not talking about people who just say that the two of them aren't funny; I'm talking about people who think that the two of them were the worst thing to happen to SNL, the comedy genre, and the entertainment world in general.

Case in point: this somewhat obtuse essay praising Poehler on Slate.com. In the process of reviewing Poehler's cartoon, The Mighty B!, writer Troy Patterson goes through some verbal gymnastics, like calling the ASSSCAT show she puts on at the UCB Theater "a Dadaist party trick," among other head-scratching terms. But what's interesting is the virulent reaction his review gets in the comments section.

I've mentioned several times in this space about my love for ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, but I can always find a reason to say it again: I love this show! I mean, both Kornheiser and Wilbon rank several places higher than most of my family on my Kidney Donation short-list. I don't want to overstate the issue, but spending an afternoon eating pizza and watching PTI makes me understand how Cartman felt when he got own his own amusement park. Soooooooooo happy.

As I was describing (yet again) to my wife how much I love the show, something occurred to me regarding all the other other millions and millions talking-head shows bouncing around my digital cable box: why don't any of them employ a stat boy?

The rumor that Paula Abdul will be a contestant on Dancing With The Stars has been floating around for a while now, and gained a little more steam with Paula's recent appearance on the show. Now, along with all the fan chatter, we are getting reactions from some of the people involved with the show. Our pals over at TV Guide sent along a press release for their upcoming issue, which you can find in its entirety after the jump, with quotes from Carrie Ann and Bruno.

In a nutshell, Bruno thinks she would win. Carrie Ann says that Paula is fragile and won't realize how much pressure is on her until she's signed up and can't get out. I asked DWTS pro Jonathan Roberts about it Monday night and his take was that he would be surprised to see Paula compete on the show because of her extensive dance background. He added that he thinks Paula has been around reality TV enough that she would know what she is getting into. I say, good or bad, it's a spectacle waiting to happen. What do you think? Click on through for a poll, and to sound off in the comments.

When we opened TV Squad's mail bag today, we found this question from Robyn S.: "Am I losing it or am I seeing subliminal messages on ABC like "The Mole is watching you" and "The Mole is coming"? Quick, 2-3 second flashes after commercials. Is The Mole coming back this summer?"

Robyn, you'll be happy to know that you are not losing it, ABC's The Mole is indeed coming back to TV this summer.

The graduates at Northwestern Law School have their panties all in a bunch because Jerry Springer is going to speak at their commencement. He has been invited because he's an alum (1968) and because of his past in politics, not his present persona.

I recently heard a story on This American Life about Jerry Springer that changed my mind about him (Episode #258: Leaving the Fold). As you all probably know, he was a on the city council in Cincinnati until he resigned for getting busted with prostitutes across the river in Kentucky. Stupid Jerry wrote a check for his romp. But, after that disgrace? He made a major comeback. He won another term on city council and then he was elected mayor of Cincinnati. Then he spent ten years anchoring the local news. Before he became the King of Trash TV, he was an inspirational politician and respected news anchor.

After they get past their chants of "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" and their booing, the graduates at Northwestern Law School will probably be treated to one hell of a memorable speech.

For the past few weeks, SciFi.com has been giving viewers an early look at that week's episode, online. The first and second episodes were shown only at noon Eastern, while the third (last week) was shown every hour throughout the morning and afternoon. In all cases, you couldn't rewind or pause the feed, and there are short commercials throughout. This was fantastic for fans eager to see the episode early -- until today, that is.

Sci Fi's website promised a noon "preview" of tonight's episode, which to most meant would be the same, full-episode preview we've been seeing this season. Instead, viewers got the shaft after about 20 minutes of the episode airing, including ending the viewing with a commercial.

The CW recently released risqué campaign posters to get new viewers to tune in to its show Gossip Girl. The campaign, titled "OMFG," got fans and the press talking as soon as the sexy posters hit the web and magazines. Two posters were released: the one you see on the right featuring characters Serena and Nate, and another one with Blair and Chuck. Also, a "OMG" version of both posters was used.

This week, the Parents Television Council (PTC) took notice of the ads and declared war against The CW.

Since Lost premiered about 4 years ago, fans have been active in coming up with theories (include the now-famous time loop theory) to explain the mysteries of the show. From the start, producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have debunked a few of the most popular theories (e.g., they are in purgatory) and hinted that others may be legit.

To help fans discuss theories and propose their own, USA Today's website devotes a section to fans' Lost theories. With these theories in hand, USA Today turned to Darlton (that's the common nickname for Damon and Carlton) to see if any could be accurate.

I've been an avid fan of Big Brother since it first premiered on CBS. I watched all seasons but one so far (I was away for one summer with no access to a TV) and started reading up on the live feeds last summer. One of the things I like to do when watching is trying to predict who'll be evicted next. So even if Jackie put a "Who will have the jury votes to win Big Brother 9?" in her review of Wednesday's episode, I decided to chime in and give my two cents about both players and make my own prediction. Is my vote the same as yours? Read on!