TVSquad

(S01E01) So, thank goodness there is only going to be one audition show for Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann. On American Idol, the audition shows are usually the most entertaining to watch. In fact, I lose interest once those auditions are over until Idol reveals the finalists. But Dance War's auditions were just plain awful. The singing wasn't as good as American Idol and the dancing wasn't as good as So You Think You Can Dance. Is it really too much to ask for performers who can both sing and dance? Perhaps those people are already employed at real jobs on Broadway.

After the jump, I will go over some of the highlights from the auditions. I use the word "highlights" loosely here. Bruno, Carrie Ann and host Drew Lachey combed three cities in search of performers for the live shows: New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville. I'll also review the first performance from the lucky fourteen finalists.

(S05E09)Tom opened the show talking about a night where controversy rocked the ballroom. I wouldn't call it so much rocking, as I would annoying, but that's just me. It does appear that some of that will be put to rest now. Len made a point of praising the pros for their excellent work, but warned them that he didn't want to see any more lifts. From here on out, they will incur a penalty from the judges.

They went right to the recap after that. Mark was really happy to be called the little engine that could. Floyd talked about his new experience, calling ballroom dancing better than hip-hop. Mel took the truck driver comment in good stride, asking for the truck driver vote. Jane was left trying to defend the lift again. Jenny ignored that lift nonsense and said she looks forward to continuing to improve. Cameron was excited about his three nines. As you would expect, Sabrina was thrilled to have the first perfect score of the competition.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Am I the only one who thinks the Spice Girls can take care of themselves?
  
• We lost both Drew and Wayne last night on Dancing with the Stars.
• The Pitts, a horribly unsuccessful sitcom from 2003, is being reincarnated as a cartoon.
  

The video's embedded below, or you can subscribe to this podcast via our feed. Plus, you can also download the file directly.

(S05E07) At the start of the show, Drew announced that tonight would be his last as co-host. Samantha Harris will be returning to work next week, which should make many people very happy. I still wish they had used a different former contestant each week, but Drew was a logical choice. They emphasized the men versus women angle again, and the women were declared the "winners" this week. The ladies dominated the leaderboard, leaving the men in the bottom half of the rankings.

In the post-performance confessional, Cameron was pumped about getting a higher score this time around. Mark said that he needed to truly believe he was a dancer before he could improve. Work isn't everything. Wayne had another humorous response to the judges' criticism. He thought that anyone who says you can lead a lady is out of their mind. I love that Wayne is always ready with a comeback for the judges and the hosts. Floyd felt like he let his partner down, but Karina assured him that this wasn't the case. Helio didn't let his middle-of-the-pack scores get him down.

(S05E06) This week's episode was quite the emotional roller coaster, wasn't it? Tears, comebacks, fake hair, a bare-chested Maks--all in 90 minutes! Tom opened the show by noting that this season's cast has logged more hours of training in the show's entire history, which is encouraging. Drew Lachey was back again for more awkward small talk and poorly articulated jokes. He did this really dorky dance next to Tom which proved that you can forget months of dance training like that.

A few things caught my eye during the introductions. Maksim brought back his trademark vest-only look; Jane Seymour was wearing a wig; Mark Cuban was, thankfully, wearing sleeves; and, Wayne had fake hair on both his head and face.

(S05E03) The three-part premiere week finally reached its conclusion, and one star was sent packing. Tom's introduction really played up the battle of the sexes angle, calling Week 1 a "dance duel." Drew returned as Tom's co-pilot, and I'm curious to see how long he'll stick around. As usual, there was a tidy summary of the previous night of performances. The men answered the call after Len's warning on Monday night. Like Jennie Garth, Cameron set the standard with his Foxtrot. In his post-performance interview, Cameron was very proud of all the work he did.

(S05E02) After sitting on the sidelines last night, the male contestants got a chance to showcase their talents. Host Tom Bergeron dubbed tonight's episode "Testosterone Tuesday, " and I bet he wishes he could use that line again. We've reached the second part of the three-night premiere extravaganza, and I'm already exhausted. Tonight the men attempted the Foxtrot and the Cha Cha Cha, after getting a look at their competition yesterday. Drew Lachey was back in the co-host position, which might not have pleased some of you (especially those who sounded off on yesterday's blog). There was no all-pro dance tonight; the show cut right to the standard celebrity introductions. Mark Cuban still looked awkward, Julianne looked sensational in her dress, and the crowd went crazy for Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Victoria Beckham doesn't want to act. But she will, however, guest star on Ugly Betty this season.
  
• Spice Girl Mel B. will get "poshified" (I'm sooo coining that word) on Dancing with the Stars.
  
• It's so on! Drew Lachey's new job is hosting the super-cheesy Dance War!
  

The video's embedded below, or you can subscribe to this podcast via our feed. Plus, you can also download the file directly.

(S04E07) They opened the show tonight by naming Apolo and Joey as the standouts. I think they have it right on that one. Ian and Laila have the stuff to get themselves back in contention, but as we sit now, Apolo and Joey are a step ahead of everyone else. Two steps in front of a few people.

When it came time to pick the encore, Len credited Ian, Apolo, and Heather as having great performances the night before, but the encore went to Joey & Kym. It was a good choice. They were the best of the night, and their paso doble was just as good the second time around. They were followed up by the first musical performance of the night.

Dancing with the Stars is getting a roadshow. Celebrities paired with real dancers will tour 38 U.S. cities, starting with San Diego on Dec. 19th. Celebrity contestants include Drew Lachey, Joey Lawrence, Willa Ford, Harry Hamlin (what?!?), Lisa Rinna and Joey McIntyre.

Why would anyone want to see this live? Absent-mindedly watching this on a Tuesday night is one thing... but actually paying cash to see mediocre dancers? American Idol does the same thing-- it sends mediocre singers on an American tour each year. I think the difference is the demogaphics.

Would you pay to watch Dancing with the Stars if they visited your town?

Our dear, dear friends over at AOL Television have an exclusive interview with Cheryl Burke. You're probably scratching your heads at this point, wondering who the heck Cheryl Burke is. Well, you may not know her by name, but you certainly know her by her moves, especially if you are fan of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Over the last two seasons Cheryl has shimmied across the dance floor with celebrity performers. Last year she was paired with Drew Lachey and this time around she is partnered with Emmitt Smith.

In the interview, Cheryl breaks the news of an upcoming Dancing tour. While there is nothing confirmed as of yet, Burke says there will be at least six celebrities and their professional dance partners on tour. Additional dancers will be hired to fill spots in the two-hour show where the celebrities are not performing. On the subject of celebrity partners, Cheryl says she has had great luck with the people she has been paired with and let's us know what the differences are between Lachey and Smith (While Emmitt has more rhythm, dancing came easier to Drew, who had a musical background).

Also discussed during the interview is the recent flare-up between former Dancing contestant Shanna Moakler and Paris Hilton. For the unaware (or the uncaring), Hilton alleges Moakler attacked her at a L.A. nightclub after she found Paris with her estranged husband, Travis Barker of the band Blink 182. Burke says it wasn't true. In reality it was Stavros Niarchos, Hilton's ex, who pushed Moakler down some stairs and threatened to hit her. Got all of that? There will be a quiz later.

The full interview with Cheryl can be found at this link.

The A&E folks over at the San Jose Mercury News sound pretty convinced that Dancing with the Stars frontrunner Mario Lopez has more dancing experience than he claims. On last week's premiere, Mario apparently suggested that he's had no formal dance training. The Dancing message boards lit up, claiming that he had dancing training before he was on Kids, Incorporated and his IMDB bio says that he worked as a dancer before he got the gig on Saved by the Bell. Another commenter even claims to have taken dance lessons with Lopez when they were both kids. (As if anonymous comments can be taken as the God's honest truth.)

Why would Mario lie? Does he think a win will do to his career what it did to John O'Hurley's career? I think he just needs to look at Drew Lachey for his answer.

Dudes and dudettes, dashing Drew Lachey, former 98 Degrees singer and recent winner of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, is now a daddy. Drew's darling wife, Lea, gave birth to a delightful daughter named Isabella.

Drew, daughter and dazzling mother are doing just dandy. Daddy is looking to the day where he can dance with his daughter. Meanwhile, Drew will be debuting with Nancy O'Dell as duel hosts of the Miss USA Pageant due this April.

Hey, look, it's a story about someone who's fifteen minutes of fames fame was briefly renewed and is now a father. There's not much to do with it but to add a bit of alliteration.

Dynamite!

Drew Lachey's win last month on Dancing with the Stars has landed him a spot as co-host of the Miss USA pageant. He'll join Access Hollywood host (and winner of my personal award for 'Most Annoying Speech Pattern') Nancy O'Dell on the stage. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy host Carson Kressley will be a pageant commentator.

The pageant airs April 21 on NBC.

Maybe now people will start referring to Drew Lachey as 'the dancer' instead of 'the brother of Nick Lachey'. Last night, he and dancing partner Cheryl Burke won the ugly mirrorball trophy on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Half of the decision was up to the judges and half was up to the voters.

Pro wrestler Stacy Keibler was eliminated halfway through the show, bringing it down to Drew and Jerry Rice.

What do you think? Is Drew the rightful winner?