TVSquad

If you don't already know her story, get ready to hear all about it. On December 13, the TV Guide Network will present a Susan Boyle special. An hour all about the unlikely Scottish singing sensation. I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story is a one-hour documentary/interview/performance special chronicling the rise of the Britain's Got Talent performer who became a You Tube phenom and has just released her first CD.

American Idol's Simon Cowell is the mastermind behind this production, which will also be broadcast in England on the ITV1. It'll have celebrity interviews including Simon himself, footage of Susan's hometown, her TV appearances till now, and -- naturally -- Susan singing songs from I Dreamed A Dream, the new CD.

See, this is a reason why cable is becoming the best place to watch TV. Lifetime has picked up Drop Dead Diva for a second season. The show is a real chick-flick kind of comedy/drama that has done well in the ratings ... for Lifetime.

The 2.6-3 million viewers would mean a cancellation on the networks – think Pushing Daisies – but on Lifetime, the charm and whimsy of Drop Dead Diva, the appeal to the female demographic, and the pairing with Army Wives on Sunday nights spells success.

If you had DVR'd the Tony Awards on CBS last night, or switched off the set after Elton John's Billy Elliot, The Musical won the final big award of the night -- Best Musical -- you missed the best thing in the entire show. In a word, Neil Patrick Harris.

At a few minutes after 11 o'clock, Tony host Neil Patrick Harris wrapped up the broadcast, but instead of just saying goodnight and urging viewers to go see a Broadway show, Neil did a musical number and it was the high point of the night. In true Barney Stinson style, the How I Met Your Mother star (and sure bet Emmy nominee), performed a song that was as good as any Billy Crystal Oscar opening. Funny, snarky and pointed, it really skewered the Tonys, almost like a Mad magazine parody.

(S34E12) It's just as we thought, everyone: Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. Why did it take SNL so long to bring in NPH? It seems cruel, almost, to make us wait like this. Even though the sketches this week were not particularly spectacular or groundbreaking, NPH's delivery and enthusiasm made the ride really fun. Unless his backstage demands and antics were too crazy for the SNL gang to handle, there's no reason to hold back on multiple returns.

The most famous Rachel on TV today isn't the same one that made Jennifer Aniston a star. And it's Rachael with the extra "E" that's the syndicated star of a talk show that won the Emmy in 2008. But the newest Rachel on the air is MSNBC's plucky new host of her own show, Rachel Maddow. Like Aniston, Rachel Maddow's hairdoo is fashionable, and like Ray, Maddow's very personable. However, The Rachel Maddow Show is worlds apart from Friends or 30 Minute Meals/The Rachael Ray Show. Maddow is all about politics, current events and things that, by and large, are important.

In some ways, The Rachel Maddow Show is a spinoff of Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Maddow has been a regular sub for Olbermann, proving her prowess to MSNBC, and her show has a cushy spot between the first run of Countdown at 8 p.m. ET and the replay at 10 p.m. For the premiere episode, in fact, Keith appeared as Rachel's first guest -- a crossover from the end of Countdown where Rachel was interviewed in the last segment before the close. This was a smart move, sort of like a bridge from his show to hers, a bridge to somewhere if you will.

The new studio for Maddow has the quality MSNBC look, glass top desk, plasma screens, obnoxious -- but expected -- graphics on the bottom and bugs and flags reinforcing information as it's spoken.

I think I know why Liza Minnelli and David Gest got divorced: She's way out of his league. I came to that conclusion after watching the unaired pilot for their VH1 Celebreality show, which all came to a crashing halt when they split.

Despite the caliber of the stars, there really isn't anything shocking or too weird in the pilot, but I did delight in watching the Liza scenes. She seems to be a genuine sweetheart-- crossing the street to sign autographs, snuggling a stranger's dog in her car, and talking her godson into doing his impression of her. I found Liza to be surprisingly unaffected by her fame and, quite frankly, I adored her. She's very old Hollywood. Plus, she shares some great moments with the late Luther Vandross and Ray Charles.

Then there's David Gest... who is weird in a Howard Hughes sort-of way. He lives in Liza's shadow. This line pretty much sums him up, while shopping at a furniture store, he says, "I just bought the elephant man's bones from Michael Jackson and I need an incubator."

Was it good? Not really. But it is worth watching, just to get a glimpse of Liza.

The pilot is in three parts on YouTube and Google Video.