TVSquad

(S04E25) The biggest talent search in the world started its competition three months ago. After a summer of questionable judges decisions, talent performances and Hoff-isms, it's time to crown the winner of the show's fourth season.

But before the America's Got Talent winner can be announced in the live season finale to air on Wednesday, featuring a guest appearance by Susan Boyle, the Top 10 acts needed to perform one last time for America's votes. My comments and predictions coming up!

Don't ask me why, but someone has compiled a video consisting of the final ten seconds of every episode of the first season of Star Trek: the Next Generation.

Now many of you may know this, but almost every episode ended with someone saying, "bite me, suck-face!" and giving the finger directly into the camera. I know, it's weird. I never quite understood it myself. It's one of those TV catchphrases that never quite caught on.

Seriously, though, if you're a fan of The Next Generation, this is a pretty cool tribute, as each episode doesn't end with a definite conclusion, but with another step toward more adventure.

On July 9, Comedy Central will kick off the third and final season of Chappelle's Show, a cobbled-together farewell consisting of segments Dave taped before he walked away from the show because, well, for whatever reasons he might have had. I saw an advance copy of the premiere episode, but before I talk about it in vague terms so as not to reveal anything, I should preface this by saying I was never as fanatical about the show as most people. I think most sketch shows falls into two categories: those that are consistently funny throughout (Mr. Show, Kids in the Hall) and those that aren't consistent but still have some great moments (Saturday Night Live). I think Chappelle's Show has always fallen in the latter category, but that's only the show itself I'm talking about. The man, however, is as sharp and irreverent as any working comic today, and his show had moments of brilliance when everything jelled and the sketches were able to bring to life the same thoughts and insights that made his stand-up specials so hysterical. Moreover, at the risk of succumbing to that blog tendency of talking about celebrities as if I know them personally, I've always liked Dave Chappelle the "regular guy." There's a reason his show was so popular and the DVDs have sold so well. Besides being funny, Chappelle comes across as a very genuine personality. He was able to transcend the gap between himself and the home audience, so watching the show was like seeing a bunch of friends performing for friends. If one sketch didn't quite work, it didn't matter. You just sat back and waited for the next one.

And such is this final season, it would seem. The premiere episode, with segments introduced by series regulars Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings, has some very funny moments, many centering around a Dave who has been driven crazy with greed and revenge from all the money he made. Still, though, without Dave to bookend the segments and offer up that kind of "kick back, open a beer and chill with your friends" vibe, the show just isn't the same. Is it worth watching anyway? Well, that's for you to decide, but no fan of this show is going to tune into these "Lost Episodes" without knowing it's not going to be like it was before.

The sixth and final season of HBO's prison melodrama Oz will be out on DVD on September 5, and all I can say is, "it's about damn time." The series aired during my college and post college years when my access to HBO was intermittent at best. Nevertheless, I was able to catch most of the episodes. One very important episode I never saw, however, was the final one. In other words, I've been waiting all this time to find out how the series ended. Attempts to get my hands on that episode proved fruitless, so I finally gave up, assuming they'd eventually have to release it on DVD. I figure I've waited this long to find out what happens, what's another three months? While the show wasn't flawless, I think it was one of the best original series to air on HBO. Or maybe I just like naked guys stabbing each other with screwdrivers. My first step is learning to love that part of myself.

This Sunday the final episode of Malcolm in the Middle will air on FOX. I fell in love with this show during its first few seasons, but eventually my interested began to wane and I don't think I've seen a single new episode in at least the last three years. Somehow, I think I just got used to the show's shtick and lost interest. Also, as shallow as it may sound, I liked the show better when the kids were younger and their antics seemed more cartoonish. At any rate, the Chicago Sun-Times has a fun interview with Linwood Boomer, the show's creator whose credits also include Night Court and 3rd Rock from the Sun. It seems Boomer didn't have much luck pitching the show to other networks before landing it on FOX, and he makes no bones about the ignorance of studio executives who are unwilling to take chances on anything. The series finale, titled "Graduation," airs on May 14 at 8:30.