TVSquad

I think it can be universally agreed that the fifth season of NewsRadio - the final season - was by far the worst season of the series. Not only was Phil Hartman killed during the hiatus, but another cast member (Jon Lovitz) came on board and just didn't fit in to what the rest of the group had built over the previous four seasons.

The season kicks off with the "Bill Moves On" episode, where the gang has just returned from Bill's funeral (he died of a heart attack), and everyone mocks Dave's 2 hour eulogy. Matthew doesn't really believe Bill is dead, everyone thinks Lisa is drunk, and Catherine (Khandi Alexander) returns to the show for one episode. This is one of the better episodes of the last season, because it's important to the show's history and (as is revealed on one of the commentaries), they didn't really rehearse it or do any run throughs. It was hard enough getting through it once on tape night. The tears you see are real. It ends with everyone taking an item off Bill's desk to remember him. Jimmy takes the whole desk. A nice tribute.

This season's American Idol finalists hit the road yesterday for their summer concert tour, but runner-up Katharine McPhee was missing. She has been sidelined with severe bronchitis and laryngitis. Doctors say she's on "total voice rest", which means even talking is out of the question. The tour started in Manchester, New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday. There's no word yet on when McPhee will return to the tour.

For a list of tour dates, check here.

(S06E08) "Tall or short stack?" While it's not exactly the most touching thing ever said on an episode of The Sopranos, it's gotta be up there, in some quirky kinda way, right? Vito, er ... Vince has apparently found at least one person with an interest in other men in his new "home," but he doesn't seem to want to accept that so well. You had to get a kick out of Vince (I'm having a hard time typing that, just so ya know) apparently stealing the cellphone from one of the other guests at the B&B in order to call home. Do we think his wife is going to rat him out to Phil, by any chance? I'm *sure* that someone could figure out a way to trace teh phone number that called the house, if they really wanted to.

Seeing AJ out with his friends, apparently paying the tab now that he's "minted" made me wonder what was going on there. Is he really just trying to fit in, or is there a plan behind paying $1890 bar bills somewhere? And let's just say that he most certainly is attempting to follow the family traits, one way or another. What I want to know is, will this be the slow rise of the young man into the family, or will Tony figure out another way to keep the boy busy?