TVSquad

(S08E17) Tonight's show was a little better for filler and padding because of the pro dancer competition. The insanity of Cody Linley makes up for having to sit through Jamie Cullum.

I don't understand the comedy of Dance Center. Poking fun at the celebrities is one thing, but trying to be a bastard to Len Goodman just doesn't seem like it was in good taste. The only positive thing I got off the whole bit was that Mark = Dramatic Chipmunk.

We started off the night with Melissa's perfect 30 samba. I have a feeling there was more double sided tape today, but also Melissa's cleavage is not as squished tonight. Yeah, I looked.

There are two things that I find disturbing about the news that there's a reality show in the works for married actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna for TV Land. Number one, do we really need another show biz couple exposing their personal lives for the cameras? Number two, why is TV Land getting away from celebrating TV history by broadcasting great old shows to do banal entertainment like this kind of unscripted drivel?

Are audiences really clamoring for more of this stuff? I know I'm not, and I don't know anyone else who is! Seriously, this is not reality TV. There's nothing real about it except that they're using their real names. (Yes, those are their real names!)

Like I said yesterday, the press kits have started to come in to the TV Squad offices. Some of them are way cool, some are downright silly and some are nonexistent. Just last week I got one in from the TV Guide Channel for their upcoming red carpet coverage of the Emmy awards. OK, sounds reasonable, right?

When I opened the box and the hermetically sealed canister within, what I saw made me fear that I had just unleashed some unseen beast unto my unsuspecting family. As it turns out, only my dog was in danger.

Crosswords is the eagerly awaited new game show from Merv Griffin that premieres in syndication this fall, and they have found their host.

Ty Treadway, a former actor on One Life To Live and a co-host of Soap Talk with Lisa Rinna (who also has a new gig, taking over for Joan and Melissa Rivers at the TV Guide Channel) for several years, is going to host the new word-oriented game show. In explaining the choice, Griffin said that Treadway "exudes the kind of energy that will keep audiences engaged and excited."

Come on, Ty Treadway? Is that his real name? Indeed it is. It sounds like a name of a Simpsons character. Was Guy Smiley not available?

Interesting post by Tom O'Neil over at his LA Times blog. O'Neil is the guy you see on many of the awards shows, especially the Emmys, giving his analysis and predictions. He worked with Joan and Melissa quite a bit, and knows why they were let go by the TV Guide Channel. And it didn't have anything to do with money.

The reason? Entourage (and not the HBO show). I guess the two women have too many people around them and it got to be more of a hassle than it was worth to the network.

O'Neil also says that Joan and Melissa are a lot nicer and more generous than they've been made out to be. He also reveals that several producers at the TV Guide Channel wish they had been kept on (the same with E! execs, because Star Jones drove them nuts on the red carpet). I'm sure we'll be seeing the two women again with another deal soon.

First they were kicked to the curb by E! Entertainment Television, and now the same thing has happened with the TV Guide Channel: Joan and Melissa Rivers have been let go by the network and replaced by Lisa Rinna, star of Dancing with the Stars and various soaps.

Joan has a lot to say about what happened, but is keeping quiet until a new deal is finalized, says her spokesperson.

I love the press release from TV Guide Channel President Ryan O'Hara. Let me translate his remarks:

Stacy London, co-host of TLC's What Not to Wear, is getting her own weekly show. It's your typical talk show format with celebrity guests and feature segments, only Stacy's show will focus more on fashion and beauty. She has already shot at least one episode, which is packed with celebrity guests Jane Krakowski, Lisa Rinna, show designer Kristen Lee and author Ron Geraci. Beauty and fashion segments include trying out fashion trends on regular folks and, of course, makeovers.

I love Stacy on What Not to Wear and she has held her own pretty well when she has appeared on Oprah to talk about jeans and great clothing finds. Stacy brings a lot of sass to What Not to Wear and I hope that carries over to her talk show.

Shut Up! It's Stacy London premieres Friday, April 6 at 10 pm on TLC after What Not to Wear.

Those cruel Emmy bastards. Here Regis Philbin is today, recuperating from his heart bypass surgery (unless it's still going on, which is possible), and he doesn't even get a nomination for Best Talk Show or Host!

Ellen got a nod though, and she led all nominees with 12 nominations. Going up against her for Best Talk Show are Dr. Phil, The View, Tyra Banks, and Rachael Ray. If she's not the winner out of that group, something is wrong somewhere. She's also up for Best Talk Show Host, with the same nominees and also Lisa Rinna, who apparently hosts something called Soap Talk.

The shows up for Best Soap are Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, One Life To Live, and The Bold and the Beautiful. Bob Barker got a nomination for The Price Is Right. His last day on that show is in June.

Oh, and that Today Show "It's a New Day" theme? It got a nom too.

Here is the full list of nominees.

Dancing with the Stars is getting a roadshow. Celebrities paired with real dancers will tour 38 U.S. cities, starting with San Diego on Dec. 19th. Celebrity contestants include Drew Lachey, Joey Lawrence, Willa Ford, Harry Hamlin (what?!?), Lisa Rinna and Joey McIntyre.

Why would anyone want to see this live? Absent-mindedly watching this on a Tuesday night is one thing... but actually paying cash to see mediocre dancers? American Idol does the same thing-- it sends mediocre singers on an American tour each year. I think the difference is the demogaphics.

Would you pay to watch Dancing with the Stars if they visited your town?

Production has just begun on a new competition series for the Oxygen network that will pit hairstylists against one another in an attempt to go one-on-one with a famous hairstylist. The new series, hosted by SoapTalk's Lisa Rinna, is called Tease. Robert Verdi of E! and Style will judge the competitions along with salon owner Peter Ishkahns and booking agent Frank Moore. Six episodes of the new series are currently in production and slated to air in January. I'm clearly not the target audience for this new series, since to me the only thing more boring than getting my hair cut is watching someone else have their hair styled. Then again, if the series is as frantic as they're making it out to be, maybe we'll see a lot of accidental head stabs, third degree burns and eye punctures. If that's the case, then I may have an excuse to tune into Oxygen for the first time since that network debuted.