When I look at some of the people who have emerged as today's biggest stars on TV, I scratch my head and wonder, "how did that happen?" There are a few stars who have completely exceeded my expectations -- and I bet yours, too. In fact, after you read my five (no cell phone pun intended), I'm betting that you'll have a few more overachievers to add to the list.
1) Ty Pennington I'm not ashamed to admit that for a couple of years I was hooking on TLC's Trading Spaces. It may have been the perky Paige Davis, the home improvement on a $1,000, the cool things that the designers did in just 24 hours -- whatever it was, I was a regular viewer. Oh, yes, there was also a carpenter on the show named Ty Pennington.
The Daily Show was a little late to the game, finally covering the big news from the previous night. As the entire world already knows by now, Barack Obama is now the presumptive Democratic nominee. But, in case you haven't heard, Obama's win is super-historic. Bringing Abraham Lincoln (with a small cat glued to his chin) back for his reaction was hilarious, if only to hear him scream about time travel shock. But all Lincoln impressions aside, we can finally celebrate, for this tedious mess is over. Or... is it?
On Friday, May 30, the experimental episode will show how The View is made, by lifting the curtain so you can see how the magic happens. They've chosen to show the upside down, backstage View on that Friday - and don't worry about marking it in your calendar. You can expect plenty of reminders from Barbara Walters (if she's there), Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd. With all that behind the scenes footage, only half of the show as seen originally -- from the camera's point of view -- will be seen.
I think we can totally forget about Star Jones and Barbara Walters exchanging Christmas gifts this year.
The former View host/Court TV host is quite angry at Walters for various things that Walters says in her new memoir, Audition. Among the many reveals in the book is the fact that Walters had an affair with a married Senator back in the 80s. This doesn't please Jones at all, and she's also upset at Walters' version of the events that led to Jones being axed from The View. Walters reveals that they all knew that Jones lost a lot of weight by having gastric bypass surgery and that the other hosts were ticked that they had to lie about how Jones lost the weight on the air.
Barbara Walters had an affair. The broadcast journalist and co-hostess of The View revealed on an episode of Oprah (to be broadcast this coming Tuesday) that she had an affair with Senator Edward Brooke during the 1970's.
In 1967, Brooke was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate. At the time, Walters was an up-and-coming news reporter. In the interview, Walters described the Massachusetts senator as "exciting" and "brilliant". Winfrey asked Walters if she was in love, to which she replied that she was certainly "infatuated".
As the Academy Award presentation approaches, that can only mean one thing -- time for a new Barbara Walters special. Yes, yes, what matters most before the big show isn't the red carpet and the fashions, it's who will Barbara be interviewing for her annual Oscar edition? Ms. Walters has four biggies lined up for the Sunday, February 24th (7:00-8:00 p.m. ET) broadcast. Oscar nominee Ellen Page, star of Juno; Indiana Jones, himself, Harrison Ford; UglyBetty diva, Vanessa Williams; and HannahMontana/teen queen Miley Cyrus. It's an eclectic group, to say the least, but then, that's Baba Wawa's formula for success, is it not? After all, this is her 27th straight year doing a pre-Oscar special.
View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is coming back to the ABC show on Monday with her new son Taylor Thomas, who I believe used to star on Home Improvement.
Hasselbeck has been on maternity leave since October and has been living in Arizona (her hubby Tim is a quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals, who didn't make the playoffs). The daytime show has been using a lot of celebrity guests to fill in Hasselbeck's seat (and/or Barbara Walters' seat, when she takes the day off from the show) including Dana Delany and Jessica Simpson (and many others, but they were the cohosts on the days I actually watched the show). This will be the first time all five hosts will be back together in a few months.
Some people don't think this should be a "top story" of 2007, as I've heard it decried already around the interwebs, but the fact remains that this feud was all over the news, garnered high ratings and made The View one of the most buzzed about shows of 2007. Regardless of if you think Rosie was being a bully or Elisabeth was being a baby or if both were being words we don't say in polite company, it was a big deal. I know when I heard she was joining the show for its tenth season, my first thought was "The View is still on the air?"
Tonight at 10, the annual Barbara Walters special The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007 aired on ABC. And on the same day, Walters says that she's tired of celebrity interviews. She says that she's "not going after the tabloid stuff" and "It's a different climate now and 20/20 and the other magazines are focused on the big celebrities. I didn't want to keep doing that, I have been doing it for years." That's why people like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton aren't part of the list.
Or could it be that on no planet at any time would these two people be considered even remotely "fascinating?"
Ex-Survivor: Australian Outback castaway and current The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck called her daytime talk show to let her co-workers know the name of her baby boy born over the weekend.
Although it's November sweeps, I doubt she planned the timing of the birth to boost ratings. Perhaps the phone call, though! In her call to the show she told them that Taylor Thomas Hasselbeck was born at 7:52 am on Friday morning.
Elisabeth's husband is Tim Hasselbeck, a back-up quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
Can someone explain to me why Rosie O'Donnell even cares about this now that she has left The View and has moved on to other things?
ABC released a statement saying that ratings for the show are up 16% since she left the show and Whoopi took over her spot. But Rosie questions those numbers on her blog (in a post titled TRUTH IN ADVERTISING BABY!!) and gives the "real deal" when it comes to the ratings. Her post is rather confusing, using lots of numbers and plus and minus symbols and percentages. She points out that younger viewers are down and older viewers are up, which isn't good for the show.
It's 2007. We no longer use leeches in medical procedures, we don't dip people in water to see if they're witches, and television has gone from black and white to color and HD. So why are there still people who aren't sure if the world is flat or round?
I bring this up because of the video after the jump. It's from The View (shocker!), and shows the ladies talking about whether or not new co-host Sherri Shepherd thinks the world is flat. Shepherd, who also doesn't believe in evolution, says she doesn't know because she's "never thought about it." I guess this is the part of the story where I'm supposed to say "everyone's entitled to their opinion," but I just can't in this case.
Prediction: Jimmy Kimmel will be all over this tonight.
I'm not at all amazed that another week brings another controversy to The View, but I am a little surprised at who is involved this time.
Singer Barry Manilow has refused to appear on the show today because he didn't want to be interviewed by Elizabeth Hasselbeck. At first I thought this was one of those "taken out of context" things, but Manilow himself told TMZ.com: "I strongly disagree with her views. I think she's dangerous and offensive. I will not be on the same stage as her." He explains more on his site.
It's a little odd because he actually was on the same stage with her more than once the past few years. Maybe he sided with Rosie in the Daytime Talk Show Wars (TM). I'm sure the gals on the show will be talking about this today and tomorrow. And all you readers can begin leaving your many comments below right about....now.
When I look at some of the people who have emerged as today's biggest stars on TV, I scratch my head and wonder, "how did that happen?" There are a few stars who have completely exceeded my expectations -- and I bet yours, too. In fact, after you read my five (no cell phone pun intended), I'm betting that you'll have a few more overachievers to add to the list. 
The Daily Show was a little late to the game, finally covering the big news from the previous night. As the entire world already knows by now, 
ABC in turning things around on The View -- at least for one day. In what a cynic might call a stunt, 
I think we can totally forget about Star Jones and Barbara Walters exchanging Christmas gifts this year.
TNT has NBA Playoffs all night. 
As the Academy Award presentation approaches, that can only mean one thing -- time for a new Barbara Walters special. Yes, yes, what matters most before the big show isn't the red carpet and the fashions, it's who will Barbara be interviewing for her annual Oscar edition? Ms. Walters has four biggies lined up for the Sunday, February 24th (7:00-8:00 p.m. ET) broadcast. Oscar nominee Ellen Page, star of 
View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is 
Some people don't think this should be a "top story" of 2007, as I've heard it decried already around the interwebs, but the fact remains that this feud was all over the news, garnered high ratings and made The View one of the most buzzed about shows of 2007. Regardless of if you think Rosie was being a bully or Elisabeth was being a baby or if both were being words we don't say in polite company, it was a big deal. I know when I heard she was joining the show for its tenth season, my first thought was "The View is still on the air?"
Tonight at 10, the annual Barbara Walters special The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007 aired on ABC. And on the same day, Walters 
Ex-Survivor: Australian Outback castaway and current The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck called her daytime talk show to let her co-workers know the name of her baby boy born over the weekend.
Can someone explain to me why Rosie O'Donnell even cares about this now that she has left The View and has moved on to other things?
It's 2007. We no longer use leeches in medical procedures, we don't dip people in water to see if they're witches, and television has gone from black and white to color and HD. So why are there still people who aren't sure if the world is flat or round?
I'm not at all amazed that another week brings another controversy to The View, but I am a little surprised at who is involved this time.
Celebrate the 4th by watching television!
Stargate Atlantis season five - An early look
Saving Grace season two: An early look
