TVSquad

Every show has an off-week. Unfortunately, for Jay Leno when he has an off-week, it takes up five hours worth of our time. Almost every guest was less than entertaining, and even most of the comedy bits missed this week. Luckily, there were some redeeming moments throughout, most of which I've included right here for you. See, I just saved you five hours of time.

With Rachel Griffiths appearing this week, it appears that ABC's ban on their actors appearing on Leno's show may have finally been lifted. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring along a clip of Brothers & Sisters, so I guess they're still feeling a little sour. Or NBC doesn't want to promote a competing network's show too much.

(S34E09) I had my doubts about Tim McGraw, since musicians hosting kind of freak me out and country music is inherently scary to me. Thankfully, the redneck humor was pretty limited, Tim McGraw only sang once, and his over-the-top enthusiasm was marvelous. A lot of the sketches felt underdeveloped, but McGraw jumped head first into every character and sketch, which made even the worst jokes a little more bearable. Check out some video highlights after the jump, plus a web exclusive sketch!

(S03E11) After a crazy performance show it was only natural to expect that anything could happen on elimination night. Things started out normally enough with a group performance to "The Lion's Hunt" from the Lion King soundtrack, choreographed by Tyce Diorio.

It was not my favorite of the group performances, but it was fun. The thing I found interesting was that, like last week, this one also ended with the focus on Sabra. I'm taking that as a subliminal message for people to vote for her. She's quickly becoming my favorite in the competition.

(S08E22) Was it me, or was there just too much happening in this episode? "Screwed" was a culmination of not just this entire season, but of the entire series. And we're left, once again, to wonder whether the SVU squad is going to be disseminated.

The episode starred Ludacris, reprising his role as Det. Tutuola's stepson, Darius, from a March 2006 episode. But, despite the stellar acting job from Ludacris, it wasn't about him at all. In fact, his alleged crime wasn't even the center of the story (I stopped trying to remember the Ludacris episode when I realized that it didn't matter). Instead, Ludacris was the tool the writers used to pick apart all the mistakes the SVU detectives have made over the years and leave us hanging about their fate. The detectives were the ones on trial.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Odd roles for actors: Olsen twins as the next bond girls, Ludacris as a tube of toothpaste, and Jerry Seinfeld is back in the bee costume.
• What's in the Ritz Carlton "gifting room" for TV stars?

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

Paris Hilton has followed Britney Spears' lead by backing out of her hosting gig for Fox's Billboard Music Awards. Unlike Brit Brit, who didn't give a reason, Paris apparently quit the show because she didn't like the jokes that were written for her. She says that she didn't appreciate making jokes about people who are her friends. She couldn't come to an agreement with the producers about her scripts, so she quit.

This behavior pretty much goes along the lines of what Tina Fey told Howard Stern recently. She said that Paris takes herself way too seriously (oh, and she is stupid and sheds fake hair).

The hostless Billboard Music Awards air Monday on Fox at 8 pm. Musical guests include Janet Jackson, The Killers, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Nickelback, and Ludacris featuring Pharrell and Young Jeezy.

(S32E06) Some of you weren't so happy that we stopped reviewing Saturday Night Live, so I'm going to give this another go, just so that everyone at least as a place to discuss. And I will try and resist saying "ehh, it was okay, I guess" for every single review, but, let me warn you, it's going to be tough. That said, this particular episode was... well... ehh, it was okay, I guess. Surprisingly, Ludacris did a much better job than many other musician hosts (and some "real actor" guests, actually), but it was nothing spectacular.

Alec Baldwin is probably one of the funniest guests ever to host Saturday Night Live and he's making a return visit this weekend. On top of promoting his (freakin' hilarious!) role on 30 Rock, Baldwin is also in half the movies in the theaters this holiday season, including The Departed, Running with Scissors and The Good Shepherd. He'll make his 13th appearance on the show this Saturday, November 11th, along with musical guest Christina Aguilera.

Baldwin has been in some classic SNL sketches-- "Cantine Boy" and "Schwetty Balls" come to mind-- so hopefully we'll be treated to a new classic. He makes a great guest because he commits to his roles 100% and he's up for anything.

Also this month, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges will play the dual role of host and musical guest. His episode airs November 18th.

Remember Debbie Allen's Fame opener? "You want fame? Well, fame costs, and right here, is where you start paying in sweat."

Now it looks like kids will have to ante up in chicken and beer as the man Bill O'Reilly dubbed a "foul-mouthed thug" Ludacris takes the reigns of Nickelodeon's latest production for its teen network N.

Entitled Halls of Fame, the weekly drama follows the trials and tribulations of two sisters accepted to a Philly-based performing arts academy.

Luda will be acting as the show's co-executive producer and music supervisor. You can also expect to see him popping up in a recurring role. Sounds like a great idea if O'Reilly's culture warriors don't get a hold of it.

The show promises a behind-the-scenes, realistic look at what it takes to come up in the entertainment business. Whether or not that involves Fame's young starlets shaking their "money makers" remains to be seen.

Rapper/actor Ice Cube is joining the chorus of performers who have a problem with Oprah. Cube tells FHM magazine that he thinks he wasn't invited on her show when Barbershop II came out because he is a rapper (Oprah did have Cedric the Entertainer and Eve on). He also takes it a step further by saying, "She's had damn rapists, child molesters and lying authors on her show. And if I'm not a rags-to-riches story for her, who is?" Forget East vs. West. It's Rappers vs. Oprah (and I think Oprah will prevail).

Fellow rappers Ludacris and 50 Cent have also voiced their discontent with Oprah's lack of hip-hop artists on her show. Oprah was pretty clear with Ludacris, when he was on a year ago for Crash, that she did not approve of his dirty and derogatory lyrics. However, she did defend herself on an NYC radio station after 50 Cent accused her of banning rappers from her show. She said she even has a little 50 Cent on her iPod, and she loves Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, and Jay-Z.

So. Is this just a ploy by these guys to get some face time on Oprah or what?

We'll it's about time! As I mentioned last week, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have been getting a lot of screen time this season, both as a team and in individual episodes that highlighted and enhanced their character backgrounds. There was a small piece earlier this year that dealt with Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) and his son, and little or nothing done on Detective Munch (Richard Belzer).

Now, it looks like Fin Tutuola will be the focus of this week's show as his son Ken and nephew Darius (Hustle & Flow actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) are arrested for an alleged homicide. Also in the mix this week is Lisa Gay Hamilton (The Practice) as Fin's ex-wife, Teresa. So, it looks like it's going to be a Tutuolalapalooza show!

And now, let us retire to the television programme.

 

Ludacris, the rapper-turned-actor who did a remarkable job in the Oscar-winning movie Crash and in Hustle and Flow, will appear on a new episode of Law & Order: SVU tonight. As Adam mentioned last month, he'll play Det. Tutuola's (Ice-T) nephew, who has a secret that gets exposed when Tutuola's son is accused of homicide.

Said Ludacris, "There was no way I could turn down this amazing opportunity. The character was so rich and the storyline so complex, that I knew it was something I had to do." I'm sold.

SVU airs at 10 pm ET tonight on NBC.

On March 28, rapper/actor Chris Bridges, aka Ludacris, will appear on an episode of Law and Order: SVU as a family member of show regular and fellow rapper Ice-T. In the episode, Fin's (played by Ice-T) son is suspected in a double homicide. Ludacris will play a character named Darius who turns out to be a pivotal figure in the investigation. Yes, that's a rather vague plot synopsis, but I've found it's better to go into an episode of SVU completely oblivious. It makes for a more engaging experience.

Today's Oprah – actually, I think it was a repeat - featured the entire cast of Paul Haggis' Crash (which Oprah, as she reminded us ad nauseum, "looooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvved") talking about racism. I tuned in late (all the better to misinterpret out of context, my pretties), but I caught an ... um ... interesting segment about  linguistics.

When I turned the TV on, Oprah and Don Cheadle were talking over, and almost yelling at, each other. Apparently they were right in the middle of an intense debate over the proper use of the "N Word". Then Terrence Howard (who, the cynics amongst us will point out, is campaigning for Oscar nods on at least 2 performances and, as such, probably wants to be seen as Nice Guy) tells Oprah that he's decided to stop using it; Cheadle vehemently explains why he's opposed to pressuring people into limiting their linguistic choices. As if to bully him into breaking the tie for her side, Oprah turns to Ludacris. "Cris, would you consider not using The Word?" Visibly uncomfortable., Luda smiles. "Uh, I feel the same way Don does about it." Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Sandra Bullock pipes up:

"As long as we're going to stop using words," she says (and I'm totally paraphrasing), "Can we stop with the bitch and the ho, for women?"

The crowd goes wild. Completely silent during the previous portion of the conversation, all of a sudden there are 200 mild-mannered housewives gone wild, hooting and cheering and stomping their feet. And then ...

Ludacris: We can stop when women stop calling themselves bitches.

Sandra Bullock: I don't call any woman a bitch. (pause, then, totally straight-facedly) Unless she is one.

Cut to some kind of language expert, sitting in the crowd. "80 years ago, you could call a woman a broad. We don't do that anymore."

Oh. Really? Whoops.