TVSquad

The Space Shuttle Discovery was supposed to launch around 1:30 this morning, but bad weather in Florida means it has been put off until the same time tonight. On board will be the COLBERT, the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, named after the host of a certain late night comedy show. In this video, that host thanks NASA.

Update: tonight's launch has been scrubbed.

How many reality shows featuring beautiful people going to parties and arguing do we need? How many does Bravo need? I really hate the direction that the cable channel has gone in the past several years. An endless supply of Real Housewives shows, NYC Prep, America's Next Top Model, The Fashion Show, Flipping Out, Make Me A Supermodel, Millionaire Matchmaker, Tabatha's Salon Takeover ... make it stop!

Having said that, did you watch Miami Social? And if so ... why?

Since Bravo doesn't think there are enough people to dislike on television, here comes Miami Social. Vapid women? Check. Guys with their shirts off? Check. Dumb conversations? Check. Too much drinking and partying? Check?

I just realized that all of the negative things I just mentioned will probably make you want to tune in. Here's a preview. The only way I'll watch this is if they do a crossover with Burn Notice.

(S03E01) You knew from last season's finale that Michael taking the plunge into the Atlantic from a helicopter, thus turning down an offer to work with Management in some organized ops position, he was taking a big chance. The leap was a metaphor and the danger for Michael Westen was about to increase exponentially.

Well, in this opening episode, it's clear that creator Matt Nix has upped the volume for Burn Notice. In Spinal Tap terms, we're at eleven, and that's more than ten. For Michael, a five-mile ocean swim in suit pants was just the kind of discomfort trained operatives have to learn to endure. When he landed on Miami Beach, one of the busy, bikini-clad girls and kids making sand castle types, he was all in. But no rest for the weary. In short order, Michael was on the run and in a world of trouble.

I don't know about you, but I was surprised -- floored! -- to see Frankie Avalon on American Idol the other night. Granted, they always have to stretch to fill the one-hour results show, which could truly be done in five minutes, but how odd was it for Flo Rida, Kellie Pickler and Frankie Avalon to be on the same show?

And Frankie kicked off the show! The Idol producers dug up a 1959 video of Frankie Avalon singing "Venus," which of course, lead to the real Frankie appearing on stage to finish the number. With the exception of the dream sequence in Grease (1978) singing "Beauty School Dropout," has Frankie done anything relevant to warrant such major exposure?

The first 20 seconds of this show have already freaked me out. Ryan and Simon are in the back of a limo and they're just flirting. They're smiling and giggling, and it feels like I'm looking in on a first date. Moving on ...

American Idol continues to try to make this my favorite season ever by reminding America that Randy used to play with Journey. Not only did he tell America "Don't stop believin'," but he did so while wearing a large amount of spandex. And for that reason, he will always be my favorite judge.

This episode just gets weirder when we see that the limo Ryan and Simon are in has a police escort. There are literally half a dozen sheriff's vehicles surrounding them as they are driven to the audition site. Now, I used to live in Florida and I still have family there, so I visit quite often. Let me tell you: Florida police have way bigger things going on that could use their attention. This does not strike me as a clever use of resources.

When the Super Bowl first began, halftime shows consisted of marching bands and the occasional big name performer for a song or two. Carol Channing actually did two halftimes -- 1970 and 1972! Well, times have changed and so have the expectations.

The 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa reportedly has landed Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to anchor the Super Bowl halftime show. It'll be The Boss's first time performing for the NFL's biggest show.

One thing we can count on with Springsteen, there'll be no wardrobe malfunctions. Even if Little Steven whips off his bandana, the censors won't care. Ever since Justin Timberlake ripped the top off Janet Jackson and got a chunk of bra to go with it, revealing her breast to the ogling TV audience, the networks have been careful to keep the halftime shows purely musical.

Lifetime is going to honor Estelle Getty, who died yesterday at the age of 84, with a marathon of Golden Girls episodes.

The 10 episode marathon will start at noon this Friday with the pilot episode (the Sophia character looked a lot different in the first few episodes, if I remember correctly). The episodes have been picked because they focus on Sophia.

Fans will get a chance to vote on which episode ends the marathon, the episode they think shows Getty and Sophia the best. MyLifetime.com has narrowed down it down to five episodes: "It's A Miserable Life," "Sisters," "Old Friends," "My Brother, My Father," and "Old Boyfriends." And if you don't know the plots by the episode titles (you'd have to be a Golden Girls fanatic for that), the site gives you a quick synopsis of each one.

(S04E09) Mia cried. Mary kept relatively quiet (Thank God!). Nigel lectured. Cat wore a green dress. And we eliminated another two dancers last night on So You Think You Can Dance. Off we go!

Opening Performance
"Elevator" by Flo Rida featuring Timbaland (choreographer: Shane Sparks)

What a great hip-hop performance! And I'm so glad that Shane Sparks is lending his expertise to the show again. I was worried he'd be totally wrapped up in America's Best Dance Crew this summer. The girls part on the floor was great but a few of them messed up the arm movements. The best part of the piece was Comfort with the three guys. It was near perfect. My eyes never left Comfort. I wasn't impressed with her krumping on Wednesday but this opener proved to me why she's there.

In a case of reality television going too far, a director has been arrested in Florida for locking half his contestants in the house they were occupying. The show was called Pauper to Princess and its concept was to build eight women's self-esteem and help them grow physically, mentally and spiritually.

The part that I really find amusing is that the excuse the director Marc Brilleman gave for locking the women in the house was "they could not leave because they were being disciplined". Um, disciplined? Is this some sort of sadomasochistic fantasy going on behind these doors? Admittedly I haven't read the contracts, but if they broke the contract by leaving the house, couldn't you just fire and/or not pay them?

Eric Deggans, the TV and Media critic for the St. Petersburg Times has an interesting article up discussing the death of the TV theme song and also providing a list of his top-ten theme songs of all time.

Deggans points out the obvious -- that TV producers, ever wary of viewers flipping channels, have tried to keep the start of the show as peppy as possible -- but he also ventures a theory that is in desperate need of further explanation....

Last April I told you Sydney Pollack was attached to direct HBO's "dramatic re-imagining" of the 2000 election kerfuffle in Florida.

Pollack has stepped away from the director's chair for personal reasons, and Austin Powers director Jay Roach has stepped in. Pollack will remain as an executive producer, however.

After avoiding jail time for a drunk driving arrest back in November, actor Tracy Morgan (30 Rock) is apparently having a bit o' trouble. The actor/comedian allegedly engaged in a bit of bad touching at a Southern Florida radio station on Friday.

Radio host Yuleika De Castro (who goes by the radio name "Sandy Domingo") claims Morgan smelled of alcohol and kissed the back of her head and touched her shoulders and arms.

Wait, he smelled of alcohol? I thought he had to wear an ankle bracelet that could detect alcohol in his system? Perhaps he hasn't been fitted for the bracelet yet? Or maybe he's trying out a new cologne that smells like Pabst?

Morgan's local comedy club dates in the area were canceled, though it's not known if the cancellations had any connections to the incident at the radio station.

If you don't remember the presidential election debacle in Florida in 2000, here's a brief summary of what happened:

First, networks declared Gore the winner, then they declared Bush the winner, then they decided it was too close to call, then they decided no one was the winner, then they decided Bush and Gore were figments of our imagination, then James K. Polk was posthumously re-elected and immediately impeached within a six-minute time frame, and then after that it just got really confusing.

Wow, here's something that was COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED.

Judge Larry Seidlin, who presided over the Anna Nicole hearing/circus last week, might get a regular spot on CBS' Saturday Early Show. One of the show's producers, Michael Rosen, sent Judge Seidlin a letter the other day (obtained by The Sun-Sentinel), saying that they want to hire him for a new segment on the show:

"I have been extremely impressed by your compassion in the Anna Nicole case and I would love to discuss with you the idea of being our judge on a new segment, `Morning Justice.' It would be a semi-regular segment in which you would resolve the ethical and legal questions of our viewers who send in the issues troubling them."