finale-related stories
Posted Sep 17th 2009 1:00AM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Episode Reviews, America's Got Talent
(S04E26) This is it, people. The time has come to name the winner of
America's Got Talent, the world's biggest talent search. The two-hour (!) final results bash included performances from
Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle,
The X Factor's Leona Lewis, Thelma Houston, Cirque du Soleil, Rascal Flatts, and Shakira. Sadly, none of the previous
AGT winners performed.
Based on the
TV Squad poll I've included in
my review of the Top 10 performance show, 35.1% of the voters, including myself, said Barbara Padilla would win. Kevin Skinner received 22.2% of your votes, while Recycled Percussion placed third in our poll with 19.4%. The other contestants all got under 7% of your votes. (Note that these results were accurate at the beginning of the results show.)
Did the TV Squad poll results match reality? Official results coming up!
If you haven't watched the finale yet and do not want to be spoiled as to who won the competition, it's time to click elsewhere now!Continue reading America's Got Talent: And the winner is... (season finale)
Posted Aug 17th 2009 2:26PM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Spoilers Anonymous, Cancellations, Reality-Free

ABC's canceled-too-soon
Eli Stone is still making gossip headlines weeks after the series finale aired on ...
a Saturday night.
Via the Watch with Kristin column over at E! Online, we learn what the writers had planned beyond that last
Eli Stone episode ABC aired.
Executive producer and creator Marc Guggenheim dishes about Eli and Maggie, Eli and Grace, the flash-forward in Times Square, Dr. Chen and Nate, Matt and Taylor, Jordan and Taylor's mother, Nate and Maggie (yes, you read right), and much more!
Spoilers(?) coming up!Continue reading Eli Stone: what would have been
Posted May 19th 2009 12:38AM by Michael Pascua
Filed under: OpEd, Dancing With The Stars, Episode Reviews

We're finally at the end of the season with the three strongest dancers. After ten weeks, I have no clue how Belinda Carlisle did back in week one. At this point, you could tell me that Nancy O'Dell was eliminated in week two and I would believe you. The mirror ball trophy was placed in front of the judges table and the judges seem excited about the competition. Unfortunately, we got some more disappointing freestyle performances.
The interesting thing about the three competitors is that their strengths are in different categories. Shawn is probably the quickest learner and can technically perform. Gilles is best with Latin, and Melissa is best with Ballroom. Melissa probably has the biggest hill to climb, coming from third place and stuck with a Latin performance.
Continue reading Dancing with the Stars: Week 11
Posted May 18th 2009 9:01PM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Gossip Girl
(S02E25) "Gossip Girl's going down!" - Serena It's no surprise that the
Gossip Girl season finale was filled with shocking moments, lies and backstabbing, since that's what the series is all about. What was particularly interesting was Serena's quest to expose Gossip Girl since, let's admit it, we are curious to know who s/he really is. We got hints and tidbits of whom it could be, but no real lead.
One thing is for sure, GG will continue to blog about the gang even if they are going to college and even if some of them will not be going to the same college.
Continue reading Gossip Girl: The Goodbye Gossip Girl (season finale)
Posted May 18th 2009 5:03AM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: OpEd, Desperate Housewives, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

(S05E23 / S05E24) "Isn't it just easier to shut down your hoo-ha until he gives in?" Gaby, offering Lynette her method for getting Tom to give up the idea of going back to collegeWell, season five of
Desperate Housewives has come to a close. I must say, this season sort of meandered towards the beginning, but really gained steam towards the end. The final episode brought a few stories together, including psycho Dave's, and ended with some good stories heading into next season.
Continue reading Desperate Housewives: Everybody Says Don't / If It's Only In Your Head (season finale)
Posted May 13th 2009 1:07PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: OpEd, Watercooler Talk

Now that the show is over, I'll finally admit it: I've been a closet fan of this season of
The Biggest Loser, at least since the early stages. I seem to take pleasure in the irony of watching it with my fiancee while we eat ice cream (low fat ice cream, but ice cream nevertheless). Anyway, the show is at once exploitative and inspiring, showing people losing cartloads of weight in order to give them back the fulfilling lives they lost as they packed on the fat. It also gives viewers a chance to decide which of the trainers -- Jillian or Bob -- is most manly.
(By the way, my money's on Jillian there. She's attractive, but she scares the living crap outta me.)
But what seems to happen between the last challenge and the live finale is that the finalists tend to go from healthily thin to scarily emaciated, all in the name of winning the grand prize. And, after taking a look at this year's winner, I have to ask: Is this healthy? And will it cause problems down the road?
Continue reading Random thought: Does The Biggest Loser finale cause eating disorders?
Posted May 8th 2009 1:01PM by Michael Pascua
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Watercooler Talk

It's finally that time when Tyra has three contestants left on
America's Next Top Model. After weeding out the competition, we are left with Allison, Aminat, and Teyona. Like every finale, the girls will have to complete a Cover Girl commercial/photoshoot, and then the final two will have a runway walk-off.
Who has the upper hand? None of them. Each contestant is missing a piece of the model puzzle. None of the winners ever had every aspect down, bringing it all down to the decision of Tyra Banks. Let's take a look at some of the advantages, disadvantages, and outlying factors that will affect the girls in the final episode.
Continue reading America's Next Top Model: Who will win?
Posted May 5th 2009 3:08PM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: OpEd, The Apprentice, Vs., TV Squad Polls, Watercooler Talk, Celebrities



If you are a fan of
The Celebrity Apprentice, you should have watched Sunday's two-hour episode by now and know that Joan Rivers and Annie Duke will face off in the ultimate task.
On April 23, I asked TV Squad readers to vote in an
Annie Vs Joan poll. The question was simple "Who should win the war?" At the time I write this line, 43.3% voted for Joan, 35.4% said Annie, while 21.1% opted for Trump to fire them both. That means 21.1% of you are disappointed this week, as Trump decided to make Joan and Annie the two finalists.
No matter if you like or hate Annie and/or Joan, you have to admit that out of the four contestants that were left at the beginning of the episode, those two will offer the most entertaining finale. Now that we know it's officially Joan Vs. Annie, who do you think should be hired?
Continue reading Who should win the Celebrity Apprentice?
Posted Apr 22nd 2009 3:06PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: American Idol, Contestants, Performances

Very early on, it seemed to me that Danny Gokey was a lock to be in the finals for
American Idol. He has a great voice, a compelling story, a nice personality that comes across the TV screen, and unless he completely screws it up, Danny is going to be there for the really big finale shows. However, after last night's tepid performance of "September" -- or as
Kona put it, he's the "best wedding singer ever" -- I have real concerns about Danny.
Handicapping the finals now, which is a risky endeavor since I'm not a Vegas oddsmaker, I see Adam Lambert and Kris Allen singing it out for
American Idol supremacy. Danny Gokey has sung himself out of the top two. He simply hasn't been interesting or creative or dynamic in the past few weeks. Kris and Adam are leaving him in the dust.
Continue reading Danny Gokey needs to shake it up...or else
Posted Apr 2nd 2009 1:12AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Life on Mars
(S01E17) It's the last episode ever of the American version of this show. I'm not sure if it's appropriate or not, but it happened on April Fool's Day, as well. They certainly took the show to its most literal conclusion possible. As I write this, I'm still processing a lot of the story.
Comparisons are inevitable, and the ending of the British series was hands-down better. However, this one was good for a couple of laughs and wasn't completely outrageous (close, but not completely).
Continue reading Life on Mars: Life is a Rock (series finale)
Posted Mar 17th 2009 8:15PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Reality-Free

Last week's episode of
Big Love received more hype than any other show this season for one simple reason.
The Church of Latter-Day-Saints (LDS) was protesting – in advance – the HBO drama depicting a secret church ritual. The church felt that the producers had gone too far by showing a sacred ceremony that was not meant to be revealed to those who are not members of the faith. While I respect their desire to protect their traditions, I think they should have waited till the show aired, because now that I've seen it, my attitude is simply this, "No big deal."
Continue reading Did Big Love go too far or was it no big deal?
Posted Mar 1st 2009 9:00PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Casting, Reality-Free

I've been pretty hard on NBC of late, like
calling for Jeff Zucker's head when NBC announced it will present Jay Leno every weeknight in prime time next fall, but I think I'm going to have to tip my cap to the network for how
ER is coming to an end.
Not only have the producers lured
George Clooney and Juliana Margulies back for a last go-round, they've also cast Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon for a guest turn. George, Julianna and Susan will all appear on
ER on March 12.
I'm curious to see their appearances, but here's the casting that will have me definitely tuning in:
Alexis Bledel is booked for ER two-hour finale on April 2.
Continue reading Gilmore Girl set for ER finale
Posted Feb 26th 2009 3:02PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, OpEd

The fifth edition of
Top Chef came to a conclusion last night. I'd like to say it was one of the all-time best seasons, that I was on the edge of my seat with excitement, that I was really rooting for one competitor more than another... I'd like to say that, but I can't. All in all,
Top Chef New York, which became
Top Chef New Orleans in the last few episodes, was kind of a dud.
Before I talk about the winner and what happened specifically in the finale, I have to ask why
Top Chef failed to really make use of the location this time around? New York is all about food and great restaurants and amazing chefs, but I can't think of one episode that really used the city in a creative way. Where was the Little Italy challenge? What about a trip to Chinatown for wild ingredients? Gail Simmons' bridal shower could have taken place anywhere. The Super Bowl challenge was generic. And when it was time for the finale,
TC went to the Big Easy. Is that any way to honor the Big Apple?
Continue reading Top Chef serves up a new winner
Posted Feb 24th 2009 9:22AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Interviews, Celebrities, Reality-Free

When I sit down to watch television, I want to be entertained. I do not want to be bored, annoyed, depressed or angry. Just give me some good, clean fun. That's why it's been an infinite pleasure watching TNT's new drama,
Leverage, a show I have crowned the
best new show this season.
I recently had the pleasure of talking with Timothy Hutton, star of
Leverage, about the first season of the successful new drama. Oh yes, the charming Tim and I dished about his performance, his co-stars and what season two may bring.
One thing I learned is that the powers-that-be over at
Leverage don't tell their actors a whole lot. After being enamored with season one, I was dying for a spoiler of what's to come next season, now that we know
Leverage has been renewed (they start filming April 13, in fact). OK, I would have settled for a teaser, even a tidbit, but it seems they're still tossing most of that around in the writers' room. Here's what I did get:
Continue reading Timothy Hutton talks about Leverage's first season
Posted Jan 14th 2009 3:31PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Cancellations, Reality-Free

Remember last summer, that CBS drama about life in 1976, the music, the fashions, the wife-swapping and key parties? Yes,
Swingtown, the daring drama that flirted with controversial subjects, but was essentially a well-produced soap opera in the tradition of
Knots Landing? Well, after months of no news about the show, we learn today that no news is bad news.
Swingtown has been cancelled.
CBS president Nina Tassler championed the show, but apparently she couldn't save it. At the press tour presentation she talked lovingly about the drama, even patting the network on the back to taking a risk by broadcasting it. But in the end, the good performances, excellent writing, critical approval and cult following it garnered didn't matter.
Continue reading CBS officially buries Swingtown
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