TVSquad

(S9E18) For the first time in Dancing with the Stars history, the semifinalists have to dance three dances. Fortunately, their third dance was the dance-off they've been practicing for weeks. For the Latin dances, each of the contestants have to do a solo.

With next week being the finals, all the contestants are stressed and more emotional than normal. There were a lot of tears being held tonight.

As the contestants walked down, I couldn't help but gawk at how beautiful Kym Johnson looked in her tango costume. Unfortunately for her, it will probably lead to her and Donny's downfall.

Poor Marie Osmond. Apparently, her upcoming daytime talk show has been pulled already due to poor ad sales, despite being cleared on stations reaching 80% of the TV audience. It was going to be broadcast from Las Vegas where she and her brother Donny are performing nightly at the Flamingo Hotel as a result of selling their souls.

I guess that Dancing With The Stars career boost didn't really pay off. Or perhaps it was just unfortunate circumstances given how the economy is tanking. However, things are getting better and it's entirely possible that she'll be back in the talk show market in a few years.

I recognize that the Donny and Marie talk show lasted two seasons, but isn't that the franchise that most people recognize nowadays when then think of her (if they're of a certain age)? Her previous solo variety show in 1980 only lasted a year. Does she think that this talk show would last longer?

There seems to be an epidemic of blabbermouthing going around these days. First, Vice President Joe Biden's wife Jill lets it slip on Oprah that Joe had his choice of VP or Secretary of State (snap Hillary!), then Steve Martin reveals that he and Tina Fey will be presenting together at the Oscars (so much for secret presenters), now Donny's let the cat out of the bag.

While taping The Bonnie Hunt Show, Donny Osmond announced that he's doing Dancing With the Stars, the new edition that commences in March.

Oops! See, it wasn't Donny's job to make the announcement. He was supposed to let ABC decide the right time to reveal the lineup of celebrity dancers, although whether they can dance before the show begins is debatable.

There's no doubt a run on Dancing with the Stars is a boost to careers. Just consider Marie Osmond; was anybody knocking on her door for work before she fainted in between the waltzes and sambas? Well, according to Cybill Shepherd, the producers of Dancing with the Stars want her to take part in the competition. Whether they want her or she's saying they want her to get some press, Cybill goes on to say that she could consider being a contestant on the uber-popular reality show, but only if she can find the time to devote to rehearsing.

Cybill has been busy acting of late. She's going to appear on PSYCH in July when the show comes back with new episodes, playing Shawn's mother. There's also a feature called Barry Munday. Seemingly, she could make room in her work schedule for Dancing, and she claims she's really good at it and has fielded offers from them, "I love ballroom dancing. I've been offered Dancing with the Stars and I'd love to do it. I'm sure I could do it. It's just a really hard training period and I just haven't had time to devote to that."

When I first came across this video on my web travels, I thought it was part of that infamous Star Wars Holiday Special that aired in the 70s and hasn't been seen on television since (I think George Lucas is trying to forget it even exists). However, this is actually from Donny & Marie, and it's just as surreal, if not more. Long before she was dancing with other stars, Marie played Princess Leia to Donny's Luke Skywalker. Kris Kristofferson plays Han Solo (and looks like he'd rather be someplace else), the voice of Darth Vader is Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger!), and General Harkin is played by...Paul Lynde!

The most incredible part though is Redd Foxx, who hovers above and gives little bits of wisdom. The 70s were a very screwed up time. I also don't think that Donny & Marie would get very far if they tried out for American Idol. I used to watch this show though.

(Note, the first video after the jump is completely out of ;sync. Believe me, it wouldn't be any better if the sound and video were together.)

On the theory that it worked for another actress who play Tracy Turnblad, Marissa Jaret Winokur is going to star in her own daytime talk show, just like Ricki Lake before her. (Can Nikki Blonsky be next?)

Marissa J, who's currently spinning, twirling and trying to look graceful on Dancing With the Stars, will be developing a syndicated yakker (industry talk for talk show) for Sony Pictures Television. The fact that another company is also doing the same thing for Marie Osmond means one thing: producers think that if you can dance, you can talk. That's a show business axiom, isn't it? Her show, if it flies, will be for fall 2009.

Sony has dipped in syndication before with the Wayne Brady Show, which failed to click but did win the star a Daytime Emmy. Marissa is already an award winner, grabbing the 2003 Tony as Best Actress in a musical for playing Tracy in the Broadway version of Hairspray opposite Harvey Fierstein.

Move over, Rachael Ray! Another Food Network bird is straying for the nest to try her wings in syndication. Southern diva Paula Deen is readying a daytime cooking show for syndication in 2009. She also following Rachael's lead by not giving up her secure and lucrative connection to Food Network. Her Paula's Home Cooking and Paula's Party programs will remain Food Network staples.

The challenge for Paula will be coming up with a show that's not simply an echo of her other two shows. Unlike Rachael, who does a full-fledged talk show with a cooking segment, Paula's new effort is being called a "cooking" show. That could be limiting.

Today's New York Post has a gossip item that says King World execs are unhappy with the ratings for Rachael Ray's syndicated cooking/talk show and are not going to renew her contract when it's up in 2010.

Only one problem: the report isn't true and is full of inaccuracies (I know, Page Six inaccurate - shocking!).

The Huffington Post ran a story about it today as well and they were quickly contacted by a rep at King World that says not only is Rachael Ray's show safe, the ratings are actually up from last year, not down.

About two months ago, we learned that Donny and Marie Osmond were being considered for their own daytime talk show. One of the Osmonds will indeed host a talk show in the somewhat near future. Earlier this week, Marie, who recently appeared on Dancing with the Stars, announced that she will host her very own syndicated daytime talk show set to premiere in the fall of 2009.

This will not be Marie's first time as a host. If you recall, from 1998 to 2000, she co-hosted Donny & Marie with her brother, Donny Osmond.

Wow, another year has gone by. I just started getting used to writing "2007" on my checks last week and here we are in 2008. Happy New Year everyone! And don't tase me, bro!

I think this was actually a really good year for television, even if it does look like it's going to a short season. I think the best of the year and the worst of the year really stand out. Here's my list below. I'm sure you have your own opinions.

Best

1. Mad Men (AMC): Simply put, there was no better drama this past season (sorry Sopranos). This isn't just "great television," it might just change what the networks might put on in the next few years. It drops us into a world (in this case, a top ad agency in 1960 New York City) in a way very few shows are able to do. It has a flawless cast, intelligent writing, and a jawdropping, orgasmic production design. With this, AMC might just become the new HBO (they passed on this show but put on John From Cincinnati - ahem). Great to see it get a second season and a bunch of Golden Globe/SAG Award nominations. (And here's why Jon Hamm deserves a Golden Globe and an Emmy.)

Well, one of my Festivus wishes may be coming true after all. As we reported last week there are rumors that Donny & Marie (it is never Donny and Marie, always Donny & Marie) may be returning to television in perhaps a daytime talk show format or a reality program. My hope is that they shelve all of that and give us another variety show. And, if they can get it up in time, then we can have an Osmond Family Christmas.

Just like the one in this video, which seems to be from the latter (or last) season of the ABC variety show Donny & Marie. I probably remember these episodes the most because they featured every single Osmond that was still alive. In this example we see the Osmond Family band, including Jimmy on trumpet, Merrill on banjo, and Dad (may he rest in peace) on the bass guitar. We even get to see Marie play a little xylophone during the set.

Word on the street is that Donny and Marie Osmond may be returning to TV. After being prominently featured on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, the brother and sister duo have found a new audience.

Marie came in third place in the latest season of DWTS and Donny made appearances on the show as well as working for Entertainment Tonight as a special DWTS correspondent.

Here's what's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• WNBC (and others) named the ballplayers involved in the steroid scandal before the Mitchell Report was even released. But it was the wrong list. Whoops.
• A judge has thrown out that lawsuit against the creators of Heroes.
• But now Conan O'Brien is now getting sued.
• Goodbye Grey's, hello Lost.
• Anderson Cooper sits in for Regis and does a funny standup routine.
• Big shock: Marie Osmond is going to have her own talk show next year.
• Gary Coleman is trying to sell his Saturn.
• Remember that story about writers disrupting a taping of Last Call with Carson Daly? Here's the audio (supposedly - it keeps crashing my browser).

AOL TV listed the Top 5 TV Clips of the year today. Users went in and voted from the five categories and now the winners of these categories will compete for Top TV Moment of the 2007. You can even see how the votes were distributed over at AOL TV.

And the finalists are:
In Crybabies: Ellen DeGeneres's doggie drama
In Feuds: Rosie vs. Elisabeth on The View
In Shockers: Sabrina of the The Cheetah Girls being voted off Dancing with the Stars
In Spills: Marie Osmond fainting on Dancing with the Stars
In Trainwrecks: Britney on the VMAs

What did you think of these finalists? Here's my two cents. As for Ellen, Marie Osmond, and Miss Spears, I'm not surprised. As for the feud between Rosie and Elisabeth--I just don't get this one. I really don't see why anyone cares about what happens on The View. And the Cheetah Girl on DWTS--I didn't even know what a Cheetah Girl was until I saw her on the show so I wasn't too upset when she got the boot. Furthermore, I am appalled that The Sopranos finale didn't get any votes. That was a great TV moment and it got snubbed for Dancing with the Stars. Come on!

AOL TV will release the winner on December 19th. Make sure you go in and vote so your opinion counts. I hope Britney wins!

And there you were, thinking that the Emmys were the biggest and best awards any television starlet could hope for. Think again, because all those moments that should get awards are being honored at AOL TV. Some are actually important moments in television history (i.e. The Soprano's finale) but others are just mishaps or fights that the nominees hope audiences will soon forget.

AOL TV is calling it their Top 5 Awards. They provide five nominations but you decide who the winner will be. You can watch the video clips and vote for your favorites. AOL TV will release the winners on December 13th.

Check out the nominations and my predictions after the jump.