Bob's Burgers: The Super Bowl

FOX is definitely hosting the SuperBowl this year! It is evident in their commercials, of course, but also in this week's episodes of The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, and a shot in American Dad. The biggest play, however, was definitely for the seaside town restauranteur, who decides to capitalize upon the huge audience of the event and drum up some business. It made for some funny burgers ("The Longest Chard" and "The Kale Mary") and a cute song, but it wasn't very substantial. Because it is a peculiar "holiday" to depict, it will probably get a lot of replay action, but I'm looking forward to something different for the Belchers.

Bob's Burgers "Easy Commercial, Easy Gommercial" (S04E11): When Jimmy Pesto is advertising to Superbowl watchers, Bob decides to do the same, starting a(nother) feud. Bob thinks that taking out a 15-second, $3,000 local commercial for the bi-county area will grow the business, and proceeds to empty his bank account to do it. [seems super cheap! though maybe the market is just that tiny there?] The family talks about commercial ideas, and decide on the slogan, "come meet our family, let us meet you," which gives Linda a chance to sing, and Louise a chance to write the script. [I kinda liked the saying at first, but it got old fast.] But, they only have four days, so Randy comes to direct and film the spot because he's cheap.

FOX

When the final product turns out like garbage (the banner broke, Teddy didn't catch the burger, the singing isn't harmonized), Bob capitalizes on Teddy's former NFL acquaintance, Sandy Frye, to guest in the spot instead. [I wonder how Teddy knew him?] He removes most of the family to do it, but the bigger problem is that Jimmy does the same thing - with the same guy! [hahaha! and a third commercial ALSO features Frye!] Despite the fact that Bob was first, everyone thinks that Bob stole the idea from Jimmy, so Bob heads over there to yell at Jimmy during the big game. The family follows, and Gene winds up flooding the restroom when his "super bowel" wouldn't flush properly. [yeah, there was a hold-it-in storyline going on for four days as well... gross.]

FOX Scheduling Issues, December 2012

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Last Friday, news broke that FOX would not be airing their holiday episodes for Family Guy and American Dad in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, CT. Rumors circulated about the gun violence contained in both "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" and "Minstrel Krampus," and the network chose to air reruns instead. Now, it seems that Family Guy's Christmas special will run after all, just a week later than originally planned. Look for the cartoon this Sunday, December 23rd, at 9pm ET/PT.

FOX

No word yet whether American Dad will air "Minstrel Krampus" this season or hold it over for the future. The amount of gun violence within has not been disclosed, though if you think back to "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls," the sixth season Christmas episode, it could be a LOT. That feature included massive amounts of gunfire by machine guns and assault rifles.

Check back for any updates.

Top 10 Television Republicans

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Here we go, the sequel to our Top 10 Television Democrats! No pairs today, so it's truly ten characters listed below, including one who is very new this season but she's so staunch that we couldn't make the list without her! 

all images pulled from wikis and IMDB

10. Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development. Out of touch with the economic problems surrounding her, Lucille doesn't believe that it's her responsibility to take care of anyone she doesn't have to. She also has no concept of economics or poverty, believing that the poor must certainly be able to afford food, bananas are only like ten dollars. Humorously, she won't respond to to questions she doesn't understand, has a Bush/Cheney 2000 sweater, and the internet has created a Mitt Romney/Lucille Bluth tumblr, (and a Lucille Bluth/Mitt Romney one) if you need some laughs about her conservatism.

9. Ned Flanders, The Simpsons. It's not difficult to see that Homer's neighbor is a pretty conservative guy... in fact, he might top the list for Springfield. He has said that he wished they "lived in a place more like the America of yesteryear that only exists in the brains of us Republicans," solidifying his stance against change and the desire to turn back the clock, as many see Republicans to believe. When his son, Todd, asks him what taxes pay for, Ned explains that the go toward "policemen, trees, sunshine. And let's not forget the folks who just don't feel like working," another quote showing his anti-handout grounding. It's difficult to get beyond that because his Christian outlook begins to mingle with his political affiliation.

8. Cindy Sanders, Freaks and Geeks. Cindy is the head of the Young Republicans club at McKinley High, and receives the honor of introducing Vice President George H. W. Bush when he comes for an assembly. Cindy stops dating Todd partly because he is a Democrat, and she annoys Sam with her political rants to the point where he becomes disinterested in her. One of her key conservative lines may be, "poor people shouldn't get handouts; they should get jobs."

7. Jane Forrest, The New Normal. A new character this year, Jane is very proud of her Republican upbringing and beliefs. She forced her daughter to keep her baby at age 18, because she needed to face the responsibility of her actions. She also stole Goldie's ballot in 2008 and is shocked when Goldie might not vote Republican in 2012. She's very against the "definition of marriage" changing, so when Shania has a pretend wedding to classmate Wilbur, Jane organizes a protest with some of the girls at the school whose parents have Romney stickers on their cars. Not bad for a character who has only been in six episodes so far!

6. Howard Cunningham, Happy Days. Late in the second season, "The Not Making of the President" (which can be seen on Bing) has Howard as an Eisenhower supporter. That's not much, but when Richie decides to campaign for Adlai Stevenson because a girl he likes is the President of the Junior Democrats, Howard is upset that Richie isn't respecting his opinion. He's also upset that other people are putting Stevenson bumper stickers on his car, but he flips his lid when Richie makes a speech for a Democrat when the Cunningham family is a long line of Republicans. When Fonzie is also shown to support Ike in the 1956 election, Howard is intrigued, though he later admits that he respects Richie for thinking for himself. When Marion admits to voting for Stevenson, however, Howard again erupts! 

5. Carlton Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He doesn't miss an opportunity to remind people that he's a Republican. He thinks that wealthy people should be left alone and not have to pay higher taxes, that everyone should look out for their own interests, and that laws should have strict interpretations. He's not big on environmental protection like his sister, Hilary, and thinks that environment in which you're raised shouldn't affect your outcome too much - everyone knows right from wrong and has the ability to work hard. He follows that party line pretty hard... 

4. Stan Smith, American Dad. Stan is a very impulsive guy, latching onto and then abandoning beliefs as they fit his situation, though he doesn't sway from being a card-carrying member of the NRA. He's pro-surveillance (of course, he works for the CIA), patriotic to the bitter end, and opposed homosexuality and gay marriage for the first season of the show. He's offended when he's not chosen to give a speech at the Republican National Convention, and is an authoritarian to the point where he'll brainwash his family into obeying him. He quotes Reagan, considers George Bush to be a hero, and opposes abortion. Am I missing any glaring Republican traits?  

3. Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H. He's an uber-conservative. What's interesting, though, is that rather than adoring Republicans, he just really hates Democrats, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. Charles is so conservative that he says things like "a lot of people dribble soup on their chins and vote for Democrats," that he'd rather "share his toothbrush with a Democrat" than ask to borrow Margaret's record player, and "he's so conservative that he'd make McCarthy look like a New Dealer.  

2. Alex P. Keaton, Family Ties. In contrast to his "hippie" parents, Alex is a staunch Republican, idolizing Nixon (both framed on his wall and appearing on his lunchbox!) and voting for Reagan and George H. W. Bush during the run of the show. Alex has a keen interest in economics, belongs to the Young Republicans, and dreams about the Declaration of Independence being written. A good chunk of the entire series features Alex being conservative in one way or another, actually. 

1. Archie Bunker, All in the Family. As the only Republican in his household (Edith voted for Carter in 1976 and Mike donated to the McGovern campaign, just for the tip of the iceberg), Archie maintains a conservative stance on many things, causing regular tension with his family. Though he is also seen as an extreme bigot, his Republican perspectives led him to support Nixon and Reagan, and oppose peace protestors and civil rights movement organizers. Additionally, when his neighbor, George Jefferson, runs for a local office on the Republican ticket, Archie supports him, regardless of his George's African-American heritage.

Here, take a look at him rail the Democrats.


Some honorable mentions include Matt Camden on 7th Heaven, Spinner Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Charlotte on Sex and the City, and Leon Carp on Roseanne. Who is missing?

News Roundup: Casts, Plots, New Shows

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Cast & Plot Updates:
Jamie Chung will be joining the cast of Once Upon a Time - as Mulan. Other characters to be featured next season include Jack (and the Beanstalk), Sleeping Beauty, and Captain Hook.

Teen Mom 2's Kailyn is almost done having a large tattoo inked onto her back.

Smash's Dev will be exiting next season, so Karen will get Ana as a roommate, played by Krysta Rodriguez.

Adam Lambert may be joining American Idol as a judge. Steven Tyler is leaving the show.

Carly Rae Jepsen will perform on the Monday, October 8th season premiere of 90210.

Barry Watson (Matt from 7th Heaven) will play a love interest for Blake Lively's character on Gossip Girl.

Game of Thrones is getting quite a few cast additions, including Diana Rigg, Mackenzie Crook, Clive Russell, Nathalie Emannuel, Kerry Ingram, Paul Kaye, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ellie Kendrick, Richard Dormer, Kristofer Hivju, Phillip McGinley, Tara Fitzgerald, Tobaias Manzies, and Anton Lesser.

Joel McHale will play a con man on Sons of Anarchy.

American Dad will have a bunch of guest voices in the future, including Nathan Filion, Jon Hamm, Rupert Grint, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Mary J. Blige will join The Voice next season.

Patton Oswalt will appear as a smuggler in a two-episode arc of Burn Notice.

Parks and Recreation filmed their season 5 premiere at the White House.

Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
Fan of Arrested Development? There's an art show in LA based on the series, running now through July 21st. If nothing else, click the link to check out the slideshow!

Mike & Molly will run on FX when it enters syndication.

CartoonNetwork is now available in Canada!

Fraggle Rock is getting a spin-off 25 years later... The Doozers.

The kids from Glee will be infiltrating Archie comics later this year or early next year.

Hulu is offering a free two-month trial of Hulu Plus right now.

The Firefly reunion panel at Comic-Con will be part of the Science Channel special airing November 11th.

TruTV has Upload with Shaquille O'Neal in the works. It will be similar to Tosh.0.

J. Lo is developing a drama over on ABCFamily. It will focus on a lesbian couple and their family. ABCFamily is also developing a show based on the 1995 movie, Now and Then.

Bravo has The Joneses in the works - the same one that ABC bailed on a while back.

TNT has ordered a pilot for The Last Ship, executive-produced by Michael Bay. It is based on William Brinkley's novel and focuses on "a global catastrophe" that has resulted in the only survivors being aboard a naval destroyer.

About 20 million DirecTV subscribers went without 17 Viacom channels (including MTV, Nick, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, and Spike) for 10 days because of negotiating issues. Everything is now settled.

GSN now has the rights to air reruns of Minute to Win It. Look for it on Tuesday nights in the 7-11pm ET block.

AMC's The Walking Dead will be featured at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights (in Florida and California) this year. Look for the zombies in mazes/haunted houses. 

Hulu will co-produce the fourth season of The Thick of It, a BBC political comedy.

Pete Rose has a reality TV show about his life coming to TLC.

Lifetime has two more drama pilot orders: Witches of East End, and The Secret Lives of Wives. The former will center around a mother and her two uninformed adult daughters, who don't know that they're witches. The latter will look behind-the-scenes at the lives of four women.

Those pesky One Million Moms are already leading a protest campaign against NBC's new fall show, The New Normal. Their angle, of course, is that the sanctity of marriage is being desecrated.

Comic-Con is Coming!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So, last year I went to Comic-Con with my friend, Kelly. She isn't going to be able to make it this year, but my husband is coming with me, so it should be even more fun. I've been trying to make it clear just how crazy the whole thing is (you know, getting up at 6am to wait in line for three hours, etc.), so we'll see how I did when we return! He's figuring out his plans right now, but I, of course, started working that out as soon as each day's schedule was released. Speaking of which, last year I posted my dream schedule a few days before the epic weekend and thought that I would do the same again this year. Though, I must admit, of last year's schedule, what I actually did kinda looked like:
Thursday: Completely different except I did make it to the LGBTX: Queer X-Men panel.
Friday: yes to Falling Skies, maybe to G4's anime panel, and yes to NCIS: LA.
Saturday: made it through the first half of the day perfectly, bailed after American Dad to do non-panel stuff, caught the Masquerade in an overflow room.
Sunday: made it to Jim Henson, The Simpsons, and Snoopy.

So, here's what I have in mind at the moment for this year (not including time spent on the floor and stuff) ... and, yes, I know it's impossible:

Thursday:
2:15-3:15pm: USA Network's Psych
Psych returns to Comic-Con for a fourth consecutive year, with a fan-focused event that will invite the audience to be not just viewers, but active participants. Psych-O fans can look forward to a hilarious and uncensored experience with the creative team behind the hottest fake psychic detective agency on TV. Psych stars James Roday (Shawn Spencer), Dulé Hill (Burton "Gus" Guster), Maggie Lawson (Juliet O'Hara), Tim Omundson (Carlton Lassiter), Kirsten Nelson (Chief Karen Vick), and Corbin Bernsen (Henry Spencer), along with Psych producers Steve Franks (creator/executive producer), Kelly Kulchak (executive producer), and Chris Henze (executive producer) will dedicate the afternoon to answering fan questions and interacting with the audience, sharing secrets & stories from the set in this "chat" with 4,250 of their closest fans. Attendees will see video clips produced exclusively for Comic-Con, a never-before-seen "first look" at the Season 7 episodes currently in production, and a taste of Psych's milestone 100th episode, "100 CLUEs".

4:40-5:45pm: Behind-the-Scenes Look at CBS' Elementary
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson over 120 years ago. This fall on CBS, the dynamic duo gets a modern-day makeover cracking cases in contemporary New York City. Brilliant investigator Sherlock, played by Jonny Lee Miller (Dexter), is a recent rehab graduate paired with his worst nightmare: sober coach Joan Watson, played by Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels). Together, Sherlock's unique detective skills and Watson's medical expertise make a formidable force capable of solving the NYPD's most impossible cases. Be the first to see an exclusive sneak peek at the new television series, followed by a panel discussion with series stars Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and executive producers Robert Doherty and Carl Beverly, moderated by Entertainment Weekly assistant managing editor Dalton Ross.

6-7:15pm: Showtime's Dexter
The gasps from last season's finale can still be heard among Dexter fans as their worst fears were realized, Dexter got caught and by none other than Deb! What will he do? What will she do? What's next for America's Favorite Serial Killer? If the suspense is killing you, don't miss this incredible panel, where you'll be the first to see the Comic-Con exclusive first two minutes of the season premiere. Moderator Ralph Garman (KROQ Entertainment reporter) presides over a revealing interview and Q&A session with the stars and executive producers of Dexter. Featured panelists include series star/executive producer Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), and special guest star Yvonne Strahovski (Hanna). Also appearing are executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Scott Buck, and Manny Coto. Plus Dexter fans will be the first to see the world premiere trailer of one of the hottest series on television, Homeland, presented by executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. The new season of Dexter premieres September 30, at 9pm ET/PT only on Showtime.

*I'm also toying with the idea of donating blood in the morning. It would take some time away from the floor but still get me out in time to get in line for Psych. I may wait to hear what Jonathan has planned for the morning before signing up for that. Otherwise, I may try to hit it Sunday morning.

Friday:
10-11am: Hasbro: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic 
Panelists from Hasbro Studios and The HUB TV Network's My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic share details of the making of the animated series and how the "friendship" and "magic" are brought to life. Fans won't want to miss it! Also includes Q&A time.

12:05-1:05pm: Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A
Boldly go Big Bang Theory! For the first time ever in Hall H, the mega-popular TV series returns to Comic-Con for a special screening and a lively discussion. Will Howard ("Froot Loops") Wolowitz return from space? Where do things stand with Penny and Leonard? And will unscheduled handholding affect "The Relationship Agreement"? From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 11.

2:45-3:45pm: Game of Thrones Panel and Q&A
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, HBO's Game of Thrones series concluded its 10-episode second season on June 3. Created and executive produced by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series follows kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noblemen as they vie for power in a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. Season 2 of the hit series told an epic story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest and triumph, set in an enthralling world of intrigue, seduction, and magic. Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, production of season 2 also took place in Croatia and Iceland. Some of the cast featured in the second season and appearing on this panel are (in alphabetical order) Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, and Richard Madden as Robb Stark. George R. R. Martin, who also serves as a co-executive producer and writer on the series, moderates with executive producer Carolyn Strauss.

4:30pm-5:30pm: Falling Skies Panel & Clips
Continuing the fight against alien invaders, TNT's Falling Skies follows a band of human survivors on their quest to outrun and outwit the powerful alien force that invaded Earth. Join stars Noah Wyle (ER), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), Will Patton (Armageddon), Drew Roy (Secretariat), Collin Cunningham (Living in Your Car), Sarah Carter (The Vow), and Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club), executive producer Greg Beeman, and show runner Remi Aubuchon (Caprica), with Q&A hosted by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory). Watch never-before-seen clips and be treated to an in-depth discussion on Falling Skies season 2.

7pm-8pm: Serialized Shows that Ended Too Soon
You saw every episode, you followed every storyline, you hoped against hope that they'd get another season...and they didn't. What would have happened if the show had kept going? Hear writer/producers Andrew Chambliss (Once Upon a Time), Scott M. Gimple (The Walking Dead), Ian Goldberg (Once Upon a Time), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost), and Jose Molina (The Vampire Diaries) talk about the stories that weren't to be on such shows as Dollhouse, FlashForward, Firefly, and The Middleman.

8-9pm: Aquabats!
Hey Aquabats fans! The band of five heroes out to save the world from boredom -- Ricky Fitness, Jimmy the Robot, Crash McLarson, EagleBones Falconhawk, The M.C. Bat Commander and directors Jason Devilliers and Matt Chapman -- plan to arrive at Comic-Con 2012 ready for battle! Fans can anticipate a special guest moderator and meet the stars of The Hub TV Network's new hit series. Grab your goggles and join the legions of fans for a gnarly time with the awesomest superhero, rock music band ever to hit San Diego!

9-10pm: Worst Cartoons Ever!
Presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, animation historian Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew) returns with an all-new program of some of the worst cartoons ever made, including the Phys Ed superhero Mighty Mr. Titan, space cadet Johnny Cypher, and some of those 1960s Marvel Super Heroes cartoons. Have a ball with the best/bad animation ever!

*Alternatively, I'm considering buying tickets for the Sonic Boom 2012 event that starts at 5pm over at House of Blues. Honestly, I'm not sure why it isn't sold-out yet, LoL. But if I get into Falling Skies, I'm not leaving early. I also don't know how late the party goes and if there's in/out privileges (doubtful), so we'll see...

Saturday:
11-11:45am: Once Upon a Time Magic is coming! Moderator William Keck (TV Guide Magazine senior editor and columnist) takes you to Storybrooke, where a curse placed on its fairytale inhabitants by the Evil Queen has been broken and reality and myth have merged. It's a place where magic is about to be introduced, but with it comes its own set of consequences. Co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis (Lost, Tron: Legacy) and Adam Horowitz (Lost, Tron: Legacy), along with Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Jennifer Morrison (House), Lana Parrilla (24), Josh Dallas (Thor), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), and Meghan Ory (Vampire High) engage in a Q&A about their hit TV series.

12-12:45pm: Futurama
Futurama cannot be killed! Join the cast and crew of the Emmy-award-winning series for world premiere footage of the all-new season on Comedy Central. Plus: Wear your Futurama-themed costume for the chance to win slightly valuable prizes! Scheduled panelists include creator/executive producer Matt Groening, executive producer David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, Calculon, Morbo).

12:45-1:30pm: The Simpsons
Now entering its 24th season, The Simpsons is a living animation legend. Join moderator David Mirkin, creator Matt Groening, executive producer Al Jean, supervising producer Mike Anderson, and the voice of Lisa Simpson, Yeardley Smith, for a lengthy look at the upcoming Treehouse of Horror, a sneak (2D) peek at Simpsons theatrical short The Longest Daycare, and much, much more (okay, 45 minutes' worth).

1:45-2:30pm: Family Guy
Seth MacFarlane, Alex Bornstein, Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Book of Eli), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Mike Henry, and showrunners Mark Hentemann and Steve Callaghan offer a sneak peek at Family Guy's funniest scenes from the upcoming new season, followed by a freakin' sweet Q&A with the audience.

2:30-3:15pm: American Dad
An exclusive preview of next season's most hilarious moments, followed by a panel conversation with the cast and producers of American Dad featuring Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, and Matt Weitzman.

3:30-4:30pm: Disney Channel TV Animation
See exclusive footage and clips from upcoming episodes of Disney Channel's award-winning series Fish Hooks and its newest mystery adventure series Gravity Falls, plus a sneak peek at the upcoming series Wander Over Yonder. Panelists include Fish Hooks creator Noah Z. Jones (Almost Naked Animals) and executive producer Maxwell Atoms (The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy), Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch (Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack), voice talent from both series, and Wander Over Yonder creator Craig McCracken (Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends) and co-producer Lauren Faust (My Little Pony, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic). Moderated by Eric Coleman, senior vice president, original series, Disney Television Animation.

5:15- 6:30 6pm: Person of Interest Screening and Q&A
The smash hit Person of Interest returns to San Diego! Join series stars Jim Caviezel (The Thin Red Line), Michael Emerson (Lost), Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Kevin Chapman (Rescue Me), along with executive producers Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight) and Greg Plageman (Cold Case), for a Q&A and special video presentation highlighting the most-watched new series of the 2011-12 television season-and a sneak peek at what's to come in season 2. Person of Interest is a crime thriller about a presumed dead former CIA agent, Reese (Caviezel), who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch (Emerson), to prevent violent crimes. Aided by "The Machine" -- and opposed by ruthless criminals, corrupt cops, and shadowy elements within the government -- the team works with NYPD detectives Carter (Henson) and Fusco (Chapman) to stop crimes before they happen. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Person of Interest airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

7:15-8:15pm: MythbustersA Comic-Con fan favorite, MythBusters is back with their traditional Saturday evening panel. Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman, Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara, and Kari Byron talk about their recent exploits and upcoming fall Mythbuster-y goodness!

8:30-11:30pm: Masquerade
Fabulous original and re-created costumes crafted by our talented attendees will be showcased on stage before an audience of thousands, with impressive awards and cash prizes bestowed to those judged most outstanding. The MCs will once again be writers/artists Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio of Studio Foglio.

*because my husband isn't enthralled with costumes like I am, I might decide to bypass the Masquerade and hit up a party or off-site event instead.

Sunday:
10-11am: Fringe Screening and Q&A
Fringe returns to Comic-Con for its farewell panel to celebrate its fifth and final season. Series stars Anna Torv (The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Dawson's Creek), Lance Reddick (Lost), Blair Brown (Altered States), Jasika Nicole (Take the Lead), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), along with executive producer J. H. Wyman (Keen Eddie), offer a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Don't miss the discussion about the climactic conclusion of this critically acclaimed thriller. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on FOX. Fringe: The Complete Fourth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 4.

11:15-12:15pm: Supernatural Screening and Q&A
Series stars Jared Padalecki (Friday the 13th [2009]) and Jensen Ackles (My Bloody Valentine 3D), recurring guest stars Misha Collins (Ringer), Jim Beaver (Justified), and Mark A. Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica), executive producer Jeremy Carver (U.S. version of Being Human), and consulting producer Ben Edlund (The Tick) return to Hall H to answer questions from the audience about what's in store for the eighth season of this thrill-ride series. Fans will also see an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights, as well as a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season DVD and Blu-ray release, in stores September 18. The eighth season of Supernatural will premiere in October on its new night, Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW. The series is produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.

12:30-1:30pm: Dr. Who
The Doctor and the Ponds land in San Diego. BBC America's Doctor Who stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill join award-winning lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock) and award-winning executive producer Caroline Skinner (The Fades) for a Comic-Con panel and Q&A. As fans eagerly await the new season's premiere, BBC America is making sure Steven Moffat brings new footage to reveal on the big screens in Hall H. Ahead of the new season, BBC America will premiere new Doctor Who specials-The Science of Doctor Who, The Women of Doctor Who, The Timey-Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who, and The Destinations of Doctor Who-as part of the Supernatural Saturday programming block starting Saturday, August 4 at 9pm/8c. For those new to Who, the previous two seasons from Steven Moffat are available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download.

1:45-2:45pm: The Cleveland Show
See the world premiere screening of "Menace II Secret Society," the season 4 premiere episode of The Cleveland Show, featuring unbelievable guest voices followed by a Q&A with panelists Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry, Kevin Michael Richardson (Thundercats, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Transformers Prime), Reagan Gomez, and Rich Appel.

2:45-3:45pm: Sons of Anarchy
Get an inside look into the world of FX's highest-rated series ever, with creator Kurt Sutter (The Shield) and stars Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Ryan Hurst, and Dayton Callie.

4-5pm: Harry Potter Fandom in 2012
Seven books from J. K. Rowling -- or ten, depending on how you count -- plus hundreds of thousands of fanfics. Eight studio movies -- plus dozens of popular fanfilms, musicals, and songs. One theme park -- but soon there'll be three or more! An international museum exhibition -- and piles of fan-made shirts, crafts, fanart, CDs and DVDs. An encyclopedic website -- and fancons, fan-made wikis, and history courses on the impact of the Harry Potter fandom. We'll look back at 15 years of Harry Potter fandom and try to predict -- better than Trelawney! -- where we go from here.

*I kinda imagine that all of the hardcore Dr. Who folks will sit through the morning programs, so I might skip Fringe and Supernatural (and Dr. Who) and hit the floor again in the morning, then head over for the afternoon parts of the plan. [or donate blood if I haven't yet.] 

Was it Canceled?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When I was a kid, I didn't understand much of why a show was canceled or renewed. I generally thought that the writers had no more stories for a specific set of characters, and that's why so many series finales were big, all-out episodes. The randomness of Michelle's amnesia on Full House comes to mind. Later, I thought that they ended shows when the characters got past the age that the show was designed to portray - like when the Saved by the Bell gang graduated from high school. That made perfect sense to me, especially because Saved by the Bell: The College Years was a completely separate show, as was Good Morning, Miss Bliss, when Zack, Screech, and Lisa were in middle school. When I got to high school, however, I started to learn (the hard way, of course), that it wasn't so much to do with the writers or the characters - it was the ratings. Somewhere around 1998 I began to "try out" new shows, as opposed to catching ones that were already established and joining the crowd. I loved a show I've written about before, which was so forgettable that nobody has ever been able to tell me what it was called... I suspect it lasted about five episodes, and was about teenagers going to high school while pursuing Olympic dreams. In 1999 I thought that Get Real was an awesome show, and I became a fan of Anne Hathaway even before The Princess Diaries. It lasted a single season. Just like last year's Better with You. A lot of shows don't last that long, though... 10-13 episodes are all they get, like Miami Medical, Sons of Tucson, and The Goode Family.

But, the time has come and the hammer is down... the majority of the 2011-2012 shows on the broadcast networks have now been renewed. We knew that the time was coming, what with the network up-fronts this coming week, but the vast majority of renewals and cancellations have already been announced, so here ya go. Hope you're not too upset! After the announcements I'll post a few thoughts.

First, the cancellations. Because, otherwise, you'll just scroll down to read those first anyway. I know you. :)

NBC really has the boatload of cancellations. Chuck is the only show that "just ended" while they have also pulled The Playboy Club, Free Agents, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, The Firm, Harry's Law, Prime Suspect, and Are You There, Chelsea?. If you haven't heard of some of them, you're not alone. Many are blaming poor marketing and bad timeslot placement for several of these shows failing, particularly Bent.

From ABC, many of these were already known, but they've canceled Charlie's Angels, Man Up, Pan Am, Work It, Missing, GCB, and The River. Desperate Housewives has ended as well.

FOX has canceled Allen Gregory, Terra Nova, Breaking In, Alcatraz, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, and The Finder. They've also pulled the plug on House. They have not yet announced the futures for Napoleon Dynamite or Bob's Burgers.

CBS is holding onto the announcements for seven of their shows (including both CSI spin-offs and Two and a Half Men), so stay tuned for more on those, but they've actually canceled A Gifted Man and How to be a Gentleman.

If you care about the CW, they've canceled The Secret Circle and Ringer, and One Tree Hill is also finally ending. An announcement is pending for The LA Complex.


Now, onto the renewals!
On NBC, you'll see more of 30 Rock, Whitney, Up All Night, Smash, The Office, Grimm, Community, Parenthood, Parks & Recreation, and Law and Order: SVU.

ABC will bring you more Modern Family, The Middle, Suburgatory, Once Upon a Time, Last Man Standing, Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Body of Proof, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Happy Endings, Private Practice, Revenge, and Scandal. Cougar Town has not been canceled, but you'll have to have TBS to watch new episodes next season.

FOX has decided to renew Bones, Glee, Fringe, New Girl, Raising Hope, Touch, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and The Simpsons.

Over on CBS, look forward to more NCIS, NCIS: LA, CSI, How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, Person of Interest, Hawaii Five-0, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, and The Mentalist.

And, if you're a CW person, have fun with additonal 90210, Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, Nikita, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries.


Now, some thoughts...
None of the announced cancellations truly upset me this year. Perhaps if ABC would have officially canceled Pan Am a few months ago I would have cared more, but I've made my peace with it by this point. I'm a tad bummed that Terra Nova won't see the light of day again, but I didn't think it would get renewed so I wasn't crossing my fingers there. Alcatraz's cancellation does bum me out a bit, and I was hoping for an eleventh-hour renewal, but I can handle it going away, too. I'm downright thrilled that GCB is off the air and I'll wave goodbye as House finishes up in a few weeks. I do think that Bent deserved more of a chance, but it's too late now, anyway. I hope you're able to make your peace with the future of your favorite show (and hang in there, folks banking on one of the remaining few to be saved!), but we're going to have a lot to look forward to with the rest of the new pick-ups coming this week!

Royal Wedding Info, Renewals, Etc.

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Just in case you wanted to hear more about William & Kate's wedding (you know, since I haven't talked about it since Sunday), there's been a lot of coverage of the Royal Wedding in the past week. And, that makes sense, quite frankly. Some of it has been pretty interesting... on the "50 Things you Should Know about the Royal Wedding," I learned some cool facts, like the fact that it would take Kate four minutes to walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. Two of Kate's exes were invited; four of Will's were. The Obamas did not receive invitations. Fergy wasn't invited, either. Kate's ring (formerly Diana's) is an 18-carat sapphire. There are some crazy items out there for the wedding, including a book on knitting replicas of those involved. The wedding is rumored to be costing $30 million, most of which will be the Queen's responsibility, though the Middletons are shelling out $100k, and Prince Charles is covering the evening reception. Diana and Charles' wedding (adjusted for inflation) was $70 million. And, Kate and Will are 12th cousins already, once removed. Oh, and here's the itinerary from the big day.

VH1 has a new hour-long scripted series coming out, entitled, Single Ladies. There will be a movie to premiere the idea on May 30th, and the series begins June 6th.

Two and a Half Men is being rebooted without Charlie Sheen. 

The triple crossover for FOX's Animation Domination didn't happen. In light of the devastating tornadoes across the country, FOX opted to pull the hurricane episodes that linked Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. No new date has been given yet.

USA's Fairly Legal got renewed for another season.

Army Wives also got renewed. 

FOX's Bones did, too. and, it was announced via Twitter.

Jamie OIiver's Food Revolution didn't have as good an outcome... it's been pulled for the month and will burn off Friday nights in June.

Charlie Sheen is Dominating TV News

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

There's another new show coming out in the fall on ABC. This one will star James Van Der Beek, and it's called Don't Trust the B*tch in Apt. 23, a title with which I am not thrilled.

On Sunday, March 6th, at 8pm, Firefly will premiere on the Science Channel. It will air at 10pm on subsequent Sunday nights.

John Lithgow is playing Barney's father on How I Met Your Mother, and his first episode will be March 21st.

When Charlie Sheen comes back and production on Two and a Half Men resumes, they might be doing it without a studio audience, if Sheen is still.... "out there." And then Charlie Sheen talked about taking a vacation before going back to work. And then Sheen called into a radio show and ranted to high heaven, part of which you can see here. So, the rest of the season (4 more episodes at this point), has been canceled. And, the latest, Charlie Sheen is going to get a 20/20 special interview this Tuesday night at 10pm on ABC.

Farrah from Teen Mom is now modeling clothes that she designed. 

Jo from Teen Mom 2 got arrested for marijuana.

Amber from Teen Mom now has naked photos on the internet.

If you have DirecTV, you get free Starz channels through tomorrow. For a complete list of what channels this includes, click here.

Despite recently being in the unfortunate 7:30pm slot, FOX has renewed American Dad for a seventh season.

On Monday, Canada launches an all-chicken channel. Get excited for... The Rotisserie Channel!

TBS's Glory Daze was canceled. I'm glad, since I didn't like that trash.

Some of the characters from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (including Will, Carlton, Ashley, Hilary, and Uncle Phil) will be doing a reunion of sorts.

The "Movie Made for TV" and "TV Miniseries" categories will be merged for the Emmys. They will allow six total nominations, rather than five.

I Watched Sarah Palin's Alaska...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Sunday:
Bridalplasty (S01E03): Ten girls left. Cheyenne still hurts SO bad. She doesn't look great, either, LoL. Allyson is determined not to be negative. Alex wants to help out Allyson, so they exercise together. All of the girls go to a boutique (Winnie Couture) to look at gowns. I didn't like Jenessa's hair at the boutique! I also didn't like the host's hair... ewww. Mermaid style - Alexandra is all over it. Princess silhouette - Jaimie wants it. Ballgown - Allyson isn't sure. Today's challenge: three teams - but Cheyenne is still on medical leave. They get a half hour to find their dresses, and there are no mirrors in the place! The team with the highest combined score wins, and the highest individual wins. The three brides on the lowest scoring team are the "bottom brides."
Team A: Netty, Kristen, and Lisa Marie. Kristen thinks she has this down since she's worked in a bridal salon before. Lisa Marie was working it, and got a 7. Netty had a great length and shape, and the guy said she was "sizzling," and she got an 8. Kristen loved hers, and the guy LOVED the look, giving her a 9!
Team B: Allyson, Jenessa, and Melissa. Allyson doesn't think others can trust her opinion, LoL. Melissa has a great veil, but her dress isn't even fastened, plus she looks kinda pregnant - she got a 5. Allyson had good comments, except mean things about her tattoos on her arms - she got a 7. Jenessa picked a good silhouette (I think her butt looked weird in it), and got a 8.
Team C: Alex, Jaimie, and Dominique. Alex thinks she's good to go, but Dominique isn't sure. Jaimie - positive comments, got a 7. Dominique got good feedback on the style and got an 8. Alexandra - nice tiara, wrong dress completely - from the back and the front. Alex thinks she could get a 10, but she gets a 4.
Kristen was the top bride and leaves for her surgery (boob job), getting amnesty from voting and being able to abstain from the next challenge as well. Alexandra, Dominique, and Jaimie were the bottom brides, though I would put Melissa in there instead of Jaimie. You can call your families?? Jaimie is talking to her sister on the phone, and it looks like she just put down a beer, since it's next to the phone. Kristen is afraid she'll regret not going bigger, haha. Full C or small D is her thought process... Allyson wore slipper boots on the elliptical, LoL?? Allyson wanted a $25k wedding; Jaimie wanted a $10k wedding. Melissa is talking about how strategic Jenessa is, LoL. 325 on the right, 350 on the left - okay now, Kristen. So if you put in an implant, then pull it out to put a different size in (the 325 and the 350 got pulled in favor of larger implants), what happens to the originals? trash? Do you pay for those even though they weren't really used? And the time to put them in and take them out again? Jaimie is freaked out about how much pain Kristen is in. Cheyenne talks about how she wants Jaimie to stay. Jaimie is cool with her small boobs, now, haha. and Alexandra thinks Jaimie is stupid to stay if all she wants is teeth whitening, LoL, and she wants the money more now. Jaimie drinking beer, haha. Allyson wants to vote for Jaimie. Alexandra is just thinking of quitting now? Jenessa likes watching Alexandra flip out... hahahahaha, who woulda thunk? Alex called her fiance?? You can do that?? haha, Alex knows Jenessa has influence. Jaimie wants the girls to vote with their hearts. Lisa Marie votes for Dominique. Melissa votes for Dominique. Jenessa votes for Dominique. Allyson voted for Alexandra. Cheyenne voted for Alexandra. Netty didn't have to vote since it didn't matter, but she did choose Alexandra. So NOBODY voted for Jaimie. :( Kristen was upset. Really, I don't think Jaimie deserved to be voted out.

The Simpsons (S22E09): Last week Christmas, this week New Year's Eve. And yet, it's still only the 12th, LoL. And another hit at FOX news, lmao. Tho that's coming to an end soon enough. haha, "candy canes are not elf bones" chalkboard message. Advent calendar! Awesome, yet would have been more appropriate last week, no? Still 24 little depictions was neat. Maggie sucking on a champagne cork was funny. Selma kissed the television, and Santa's Little Helper II and Snowball II (are those even the right numbers these days?) spent the night together, LoL. Fiesta Bowl in 5 hours and Marge is second-hand drunk from making out with Homer?? I didn't get why Maggie was clapping at that bird sound, LoL. "mild obscenity before 10am" gets a write-up in Springfield?? 11am and they're at Moe's, hahaha. The Wizard of Oz thing was just too weird. $100 to Window 9... and Homer can't even wait 10 minutes to bribe, LoL. Why did the Comic Book guy try so hard to save the ice cream cone?? 10 years in a federal penitentiary... dang. "we're Simpsons, dad. We don't do 'good behavior'" hahaha. Homer messing up the allies board for Fat Tony was dumb. Homer is going undercover in Fat Tony's crew in prison as Nicky Bluepants Altosaxophonia. "aaaay" zooms in and "ohhhhh" zooms out, with the camera and mic in the sideburns! plus, fuhgetaboutit does self-destruct, hehe. The meat is made from pigeons??!? Homer screaming because he can't eat the steaks sure does sound like he's getting beat up, LoL. The entire mob PLUS Homer just breaks out by knocking on a wall, hahahahaha. They let Homer keep his REAL cell phone?? "you must make your bones" ??? apparently in order to do this, Homer has to burn down Moe's. "New York Review of Mooks" was also amusing. "to heterosexual male friendship... the kind the Greeks wrote about" made me hesitate, LoL. How did the "aaay" and "ohhhhh" make Fat Tony realize what was going on?? And why was Homer so upset that Fat Tony was "dead" ? Fit Tony? hahaha. "dope a horse" ??? And Fit Tony became another Fat Tony?? hahaha, Homer still played for the mafia softball team?? It's driving me crazy!!! What in the world was that nice song?? LoL. This is the second time I've been mesmerized by the music on a television show lately, LoL.

Family Guy (S09E07): Nice intro by Seth MacFarland's dad. The parodies in the opening were cute; I wish I recognized more of them. Peter wants naked ladies, 12 kegs, a meal with Michael Landon's ghost, and a Charles in Charge lunchbox. Lois wants to go to the Spanish Coast, and a trip to Mexico with blow. Meg wants a dad who doesn't drink and a pink Lexus. Chris wants ice skates and Jennifer Garner in his bed. Stewie wants uranium, a ball, and Chutes & Ladders. Quagmire wants some S&M with Japanese ladies. Bonnie wants silver-plated silverware. Joe wants kids not to stare. The creepy old guy wants Nick Jonas, the drummer. Lois' dad wants a pitching wedge. It was also like The Simpsons with the advent calendar. The niece thing was messed upp. Chinchilla + mink = chink was creepy. LoL. Stewie wants to go to the North Pole... Brian says no... Quagmire's niece is in the ICU, so since the family wants to head to the hospital for support, now Brian will go to the North Pole, LoL. "Why does the North Pole have black teenagers?" "Katrina" "of course" hahahahaha. "birds that were too tired to fly back north," whaaat? What's with the potato-headed women from Massachusetts? With reality tv, it's harder to distinguish what's real and what's not, interesting. Stewie bribes Brian by offering him a night feeding with Lois... ewwww. a REAL leg?? The Angel guy was weird. really elaborate robots!! Tour bus??? Santa putting the end of the gun in his mouth was funny. Inbred elves??!? and the reindeer EAT them??!? Santa = 28 = what?? Brian taking over for Santa (who believes in Alla??). Stewie cutting off the arm was WAY GROSS!! Brian making a sandwich and getting chips was just weird. Hour and a half at one house and it's the wrong one, hahahahahahaha! OMG the reindeer were eating each other!!! HORROR!!! "everyone was bad this year" was the news report, then Brian gets on screen and shows the beat-up Santa, claiming we need to stick to one gift a year or bust. All the elves are "normal" now?? Nice message overall, but this was an overly graphic way to do it!

American Dad (S06E08): Moonshine whiskey, LoL. OMG there was a Santa behind the snowman?? "part of gun ownership is killing people by accident" ... whoa. All the nicknames were weird. Smash the teeth and cut off the hands - wow!! I didn't get the THC thing until someone told me it was in marijuana, LoL. An elf on a reindeer named Mimzy says Santa will kill the Smiths... The guy lives in an old, crashed airplane?? The barrage of reindeer was scary. Awesome mini-snowman, LoL. Lighting a cigar on Rudolph's nose?? Wrapped in wrapping paper, LoL. I was wondering how long they could hold them off, LoL, but time was on their side, LoL. Next Christmas they can get killed again, LoL.

Kate Plus Eight (S02Exx): not this week.

Sarah Palin's Alaska (S01E05): I only watched this episode because the Gosselins were in it, LoL. I wondered what they were doing for more time in Alaska that wasn't mentioned on the Kate Plus Eight episode. The past few summers have been busy, and this summer the Palins wanted to explore more. Sarah, Todd, Piper, Bristol, Willow, Track, Trig, Tripp. Wow, the Palins have a nice home. "In Alaska, the local gun shop is equivalent to the local barber shop." Sarah's dad apparently hangs out there often, and helps her pick out a "bear" gun. "more common than not to see someone with some sort of weapon on their person... it's like a blackberry on a hip in New York City." Sarah acts as a "trail-sweep" and doesn't take the shortcut, LoL. "It's the National Enquirer! Where's Bristol? hehehehehehe" was awkward. Sarah makes that dumb Russia joke, but at least adds "almost" this time. Piper struggled to do her 12 times tables... I wonder how old she is. SAD. And why is her hair up like she's headed to a pageant? The kids didn't look too thrilled to camp, even though Sarah made it sound like they do it all the time. But if that's the case, why did she need a new gun specifically for THIS trip?? Kate and the kids show up, and meet the Palins for the first time (I had thought maybe Kate and Sarah had met previously). The bear rug was cool. Sarah can do her FOX News things from home (I didn't know she did that...). It was interesting to hear about their shared struggles with the media and paparazzi. The Gosselin kids stay with a nanny while Kate goes with Sarah the 41 miles from Wasilla to Anchorage to take a wilderness course - "learn to return." No seatbelt!! Sarah was busy on her phone in the car. Black bears and brown bears both attack in Alaska. Say "no bear" ... since that's what they're trying to "teach" the bears... um... what?? Bears attack three times... and yet the strategy is to lay face-down without curling into a ball... Sarah looked a little skeptical of Kate's attitude about even holding a gun. Apparently they want to just scare the bear... not kill it. This new firecracker technique doesn't start fires and doesn't touch the bear. Kate isn't a gun advocate, but she'd use a gun to protect her kids, so good for her. Sarah's dad had a lot of neat artifacts. The dog is trained to find antlers?? cool. They're camping at Chelatna Lake, 55 miles away, accessible only by seaplane. The Gosselins left two hours later, so it would be a little more comfortable for them, LoL. "They did this before there were houses, why would we do it now" was Kate's commentary. Kate's more worried about staying warm than bears. Bears love salmon eggs? I had no idea! Kate's "been bitten 200 times" already and is miserable. Kate called it "cruel and unusual punishment" and complained that she was paralyzed to staying under the canopy to stay dry. Sarah's brother taught the kids Alaskan geography, and Sarah started some burgers. The kids had some hot dogs, too. Kate asked what she was handed... it was a hot dog... what else could it have been, LoL?? The kids looked happy having s'mores. Kate exagerrated her "19 layers" and was ready to go home when there were no tables, paper towels, or hand sanitizer, LoL. Less than 30% of Alaska is accessible by roads... I had no idea! Kate was just so surprised that the Palin kids considered camping fun. I liked how Todd stayed fishing to avoid Kate, haha. I thought it was funny that Kate was willing to DISOWN her kids if they wanted to stay!! That's bad parenting if ever I saw it!! Where were Trig and Tripp? The Easternmost state is Maine... why did Sarah and Willow say Alaska??

Hot in Cleveland (Behind the Scenes): Who does a behind-the-scenes after only one (short) season?? SUCH a funny show! I LOVE it!! Melanie, bubbly and sweet, wants to be liked, doesn't curse. Victoria is the egomaniac, an actress who just can't beat Susan Lucci, and such a great goiter! Joy wears the short dresses, is a cougar, an attention hog. Elka is such a flirt, a wisecrack, possibly a Jew (she speaks of escaping the Nazis in Poland). haha, "the show is basically about men at the door."

Monday:
Cake Boss: Next Great Baker (S01E02): Today we have Joey as the guest judge - he runs the ovens. The Baker's Challenge today is cupcakes (Carlo's makes 20,000 cupcakes a week!!). 2 hours to make it, and underneath each platter is a clue for what to make. Megan was devil's food. They like it. Corina was vanilla. She uses quarter cups instead of ice cream scoops to make it even. It was dry. Dana had sponge - it sucked. Johanna got Chiffon. It was salty... odd. She admits to not tasting her batters. Brian has pound cake. His was grocery-store quality, not bakery quality. Pumpkin for Jay. His were too short, and he hates cupcakes, too. Needs more flavor. Pamela has Red Velvet, and added a baby shower theme. Nailed it. Greggy is banana. The cake was good, the the icing was okay, but you'd never have time to flambe the bananas, so it's not for a bakery. Joe has carrot. Grand Marnier in the icing. They say it's not even a carrot cake. He's baffled, says he's sold a lot and this is the first critique he's received. Joe is shocked he's in the bottom 2. Greggy was the other loser. Pam was the runner-up, Megan was the winner.
Elimination challenge. Megan chose Dana and Jay for her team. Pam picks Greggy and Brian. Joe, Corina, and Johanna were the leftover team, with Joe as captain of that team. The client is from Hasbro, and they want a cake for Monopoly's 75th anniversary. 3 hours on Day 1, 8 hours on Day 2. The cake must be at least 3 feet tall.
Brian wasn't thrilled to be on Pamela's team. He didn't think her ideas flowed well graphically. What did Pam mean by "favors"? Brian isn't happy with the way the building is getting covered with fondant. They ran out of time on the skyline and the one building looked kinda Emerald City, LoL. They have a measuring issue with fitting the building on the board, since the dowel is the same size as the pipe. What a time-waster to have to make all three people have to put together the one building! Brian was right about the quality, too - below par. The Uncle Moneybags character (whom everyone is calling "Mr. Monopoly") was great. The detailed game board was nice, but they get criticized for altering the logo. The work wasn't clean enough as a whole. The least ambitious cake.
Megan's team was going okay, but Megan was worried about time while Jay was worried about quality. Spelling error of Illinois Ave (Illonois) was bad. Theyir cake wouldn't fit through the door when it came time to move/deliver it! They have to tilt it to get it through the door! They make it with like 30 seconds to spare! Lots of great Monopoly icons, great tokens. They get called out for spelling. The colors are great, it's fun-looking.
Corina did some designing for Joe's team. And she's angry that Joe is rolling his eyes at her. Joe asks how it's going and Corina won't answer. Joe was going to make BLUE dice?? Corina get more and more mad at Joe. No time for the bust and body of their Uncle Moneybags, so they throw it together. Big presence. Great head for the guy. Some sliding work. Johanna described Joe's leadership as unfocused. Corina said that Joe was out of his league. Joe gets very defensive, and they have to recount the knife-threatening conversation.
Silent judging this time. Now they have to deliver it (Carlo's delivers 60-100 cakes per week). They get 15 minutes to get the cake to the 1st floor elimination room. Team Megan won the challenge. Team Joe lost. Buddy called them a disaster. Johanna starts crying, Buddy asked her why, she says she should have taken more control, but was afraid. Buddy saves her after she says that she's ready to step up to leadership. Buddy says that Joe gets a choice of throwing in the towel or not (just like he offered last week), and he does. He says that Corina is a better decorator. He is also sad that he never got to show Buddy his lobster tails, Italian cookies, or cannolis. Sidenote, I wonder what their accommodations are like, LoL.

House, M.D. (S07Exx): no episode this week. #9 to be announced, probably January.

How I Met Your Mother (S06E12): haha, Lily poking fun at Marshall's "aim." Awww... from "never been happier" to "you're not pregnant" in 36 hours. Ted thinks he's a wonderful bestman, LoL. haha on the repeat joke for Millionaire Heads of Tails. Love Alex Trebek, LoL. "you better check yourself before you Trebek yourself" hahahahaha. Robin goes from Currency Rotation Specialist to Research Associate, LoL. And then back again when Marshall and Lily find out that they're not actually pregnant. Oh my... Ted has a Christmas-themed movie snack of a GINGERBREAD HOUSE?? hahaha. Diamonds in the pinstripes?? WHOA. haha on Barney's idea of charity. LOOOOOVED the expected reactions for "Barney's Favorite Things," like on Oprah. Track suits, remote control helicopters, condoms, telescopes, that soda making machine, jelly bean dispenser, Kinects, a limo to go to a strip clause, lap dances all around! That took up half of his bonus. Then he wants to donate the other half to charity, so he calls up his half-brother's father, and he changes $10,000 to $100, and the minister is still happy. The diamond suit is awesome!! Marshall riding the wave was great. Read the books, paint the nursery, learn to knit, baby-proof, play classical music. haha, The Jerky Boys. The "B" in "Barney's Favorite Things" was the same one we used in our wedding monograms, hehe. Ted put them in their place!! LOVED the "attention, homeless of New York..." line. Ted yelling at Robin was nice, too. Wow... Barney's suit generosity gave me goosebumps. Robin's ID looked AWFUL. PSA by Barney in the end, but not really. LoL.

Tuesday:
Minute to Win It (S02E16): This is the second of three holiday-themed episodes this month. It's also for $3 million with 12 challenges, for the 12 Days of Christmas.
We still have the first contestants from last week, Autumn (in red) and Allison (in green). They're sisters, seven years apart. They have 6 brothers - one is there in the studio. They really love their mom... apparently she works 7 days a week and they want to be able to pay off her house so that she can retire. We left off last week with Game 8.
Game 8: Raise Your Glass: Build a tower with four martini glasses and twelve Christmas ornaments (the round ball kind) - four in each of the bottom three glasses. Allison goes for it, and gets to the part where the last glass goes on top when it all falls and time runs out. Allison goes again, I wonder why she doesn't use the "ten extra seconds," but she seems to have a grip on it. She gets it this time with 15 seconds or so to spare.
Game 9: Hung with Care: Hang three candy canes on a 1mm nylon string, but not normal hanging, instead it has to be balanced on the tip of the hook. You have a ton to work with. Allison goes for it, and turns down the extra 10 seconds for this one, based on the fact that she's gotten this one before. The first falls and breaks. She gets the second after a few tries. The third goes on quickly, and the last one starts to freak her out, and she ultimately messes up. Now they only have one life left, and one of the family members shouts "use your 10" from the audience. Autumn goes for it this time, and uses the ten seconds. She prays. The first one gives her a little trouble, but she's really looking at it from an interesting angle. She's shaking, and that's not helping at all. She's trying to hold the candy cane with both hands and I think that's making it worse. She never even got one. So they take home $250,000 and go home.

Brother and sister duo - Steven & Alissa, from another big family (like 6 kids), this time in the Bronx. They want to be able to help their dad retire. The audience all wins Minute to Win It Wii games.
Game 1: Reindeer Nose Dive: wearing antlers, swing a large red pom-pom that's attached to your neck up and get it to land on your nose (covered in petroleum jelly). The antlers are just for fun, haha. Alissa goes for it, She gets it right away, and is done in less than ten seconds.
Game 2: Holiday Bonus: Jingle in the Trunk: 12 bells in a tissue box, attached to your backside. Shake around to get them all out. Steven goes for it, and he's fast, too! All of them are out in 14 seconds! Their holiday bonus is a 46" tv.
Game 3: Snowball Fight: Team Game. Standing on opposing sides, bounce ping-pong balls to try and knock off styrofoam balls from stools. There are four to do. They are six feet away each and the styrofoam balls are pretty big. Steven is pretty good at aiming. They finish with 17 seconds to spare.
Game 4: Holiday Bonus: Merry Fishmas: hold a chopstick in your mouth with a string hanging from it and a candy cane hanging from that. Use the hook of that candy cane to hook four more onto it. Alissa goes for it, and manages with just two seconds to spare. They both looked worried when this was the game announced, so I'm happy that they were able to pull it off. The holiday bonus was an extra 10 seconds (I thought they were going to get an extra life, LoL).
Game 5: Christmas Jingle: Arrange 11 water-filled glasses so that when in a line, they play the song "Jingle Bells." Sounds like a cool game! Alissa is going for it. She hits a bunch, her brother reminds her to keep her hands off the glass when she hits them. She's pretty far at halfway, and finished with 15 seconds to go. They bring out the parents and the other kids.
Game 6: Christmas in the Balance: Team Game. Hang 5 ornaments each on either side of a yardstick that's balanced on a wrapping paper tube. First they balance the tube on the stool and the yardstick on the tube, which takes 20 seconds. They hang the first set quickly, the second set went fine, the third set goes good, the fourth set went quickly, and the final set knocks it over on Steven's side. They go again. This time they are set-up at 40 seconds again, but he adjusts so they don't hang their first set of ornaments until 30 seconds left. The first two sets are nice, the third is a little off, the fourth was good, and the final set made it, too. In just the nick of time. :)
Game 7: Holiday Bonus: Extreme Christmas Nutstacker: Use a candy cane to hold 8 hex nuts, and slide one off at a time to build a tower. PLUS, you're balancing the plate it's happening on with the other hand!! The only difference here is the "usual" game is with a chopstick instead. Steven goes for it, and has 5 pretty easily. #6 looked good. #7 and #8 didn't give him problems either. They ultimately fall over on his plate, but I think it was the buzzer that scared him and he jumped, which sucks. He doesn't think 10 extra seconds would help (I do... it would stop the buzzer from going off!!), and just goes for it again (I think this is a really hard one to attempt twice in a row, because of how calm and balanced you need to be). He looks super-concentrated. I wasn't thrilled with his fifth one. #6 was a little shaky, too. #7 was nice, and #8 knocked him over... but since he had less than 10 seconds to go, I think the time messed him up... now they leave with $50,000 having not even used the extra 10 second bonus... that sucks. Again, I bet it would've made the difference!

16 and Pregnant (S02E18 & S02E19): Megan, from Ault, Colorado. Nathan is her first boyfriend, the "love of her life" and hasn't gotten a job since he graduated high school. His parents didn't stand for the kid doing nothing with his life, so he moved in with Megan. September at 24 weeks: they know it's a boy and they talk names. They're three years and three months apart. He calls her immature, which is ironic. Her dad was over in Iraq when she got pregnant. Nathan is into partying and video games. She was on antibiotics and it canceled out her birth control. Her sister thinks that she can't handle it, she won't be able to do college, and that Nathan will leave. 26 weeks: her Junior year Homecoming. She's going to take off from school at 32 weeks?? Nathan doesn't want to "settle" for a fast food job. Her dad suggested the armed forces, but he doesn't want to be away from the baby. Nathan says he has nothing better to do than play video games. Nathan says he's "not a gun person." Megan seems to be trying hard to get him to do SOMETHING. October at 28 weeks: it's Halloween and Nathan is playing video games instead of going with Megan to a party - at his parents' house! He tells his friend that he feels like he's stuck, and the friend offers him to stay at that kid's house. He tells her that he wasn't planning on being with her, but then it turned out that she was pregnant. 29 weeks, November: Her mom tries to be supportive, but she's really upset at her baby shower. Nathan doesn't stay at the baby shower to open the gifts - he takes off with her friends. Her sister gives him a talk, but her "rumor has it" was odd. The sister brings up the Army, and he says no, and she says she's not thrilled that he's living off her dad's paycheck... while he's in Afghanistan. November at 33 weeks: she gets pink highlights. 36 weeks, still November: Nathan's gone, and he comes to say he feels bad. 38 weeks: he's applying, but not getting anywhere. 40 weeks - her due date has passed. Turns out she's 1 cm, but thinned cervix. Tells her to come back in a few days to assess things if she hasn't gone into labor over the weekend. Her sister has to leave to go back to North Carolina. She's getting deployed because of the earthquake in Haiti. 41 weeks: her dad is back. She talks about being out of school starting now, but that doesn't add up, LoL. Jumping, bouncing, castor oil... they were trying to induce. But it worked. 4 hours in, she's in some pain. 5 hours in, she's 9.5cm. 6 hours in, she's pushing. 7 hours in, still pushing. 8 hours in, still pushing. She takes some oxygen. He's out. 1 week old: Nathan's playing video games while Megan tries to take care of the baby. Her dad is helping. None of her friends are responding. Her mom watches the baby so Megan and Nathan can go grab a pizza. 3 weeks old, she's going back to school. I laughed that she was up all night and put on makeup before going to school. Another month goes by, still no job for Nathan. It looks like she got her pink highlights re-done. Nathan and two of his friends do some hooka and talk about laying tile in Texas. Apparently he can work there with them. So forget caring about being there with the baby, haha. She seems heartbroken that she doesn't have friends, LoL.
Then, we have another episode of "Unseen Moments." Brooke craved anything and everything. Megan went to Target to try on dresses for Homecoming. Nathan was NOT supportive. Kayla had just given birth when she went prom shopping, and her butt and breasts were bigger than she was expecting. hahaha, having a baby in your prom photo is just WEIRD! Emil & Daniel "what kind of ring" "the kind you engage with" hahaha. Isiah and Christinna prety much broke up... she flew back to Rochester, NY. Three hours later he asks her to come back, she says she will if he changes, and next thing you know, she's flying back AGAIN. What a waste of money! When Megan has all-blonde hair, she goes to talk to that one friend, and they're sad that they can't see each other as much anymore. Aubrey teaches her boyfriend to straighten her hair, paint her toenails, and which piece of makeup is which. Brooke made her husband wear a pregnancy suit. Aubrey lied about having pizza experience to get her job. Isiah and Christinna get yelled at and told not to yell at one another in front of the baby anymore. Brooke and Cody are having issues. We haven't even seen Ashley's episode yet, so I think it's weird that we're seeing "unseen moments" from that episode when we haven't seen any of that one yet. Why are they even airing this now? Unless Ashley was some sort of last-minute addition to the season?

Wednesday:
Better With You (S01Exx): not this week. Episode 11 TBA.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season/Coming Up:

Wipeout (season 4 back January 6th)
Teen Mom (January 11th, this time featuring girls from the second season)
Hot in Cleveland (back January 19th at 10pm for 20 episodes of season 2)
Mr. Sunshine (starts Wednesday, February 9th at 9:30pm on ABC)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (not sure, probably January)
Melissa & Joey (not sure, I'm thinking like May?)
Table for 12 (missing "summer," "busy day," "jumping in," "brace yourself," "back to school")
Futurama (Season 6 continues with episode 14 in the Spring)
South Park (season 15 in the Spring)
Cake Boss (Season 4 TBD)
19 Kids and Counting (Season 6 TBD)

Huge got Canceled, Senate Passes TV Bill

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Hulu made the second season of Arrested Development available online. Now, I just finished the second season a week ago, but if you've never seen it, now's as good a time as any.

Huge got canceled. I'm sad, as I really liked that show. Ratings had steadily declined. However, there is an online petition to try to save it. Similarly, I hear that 19 Kids and Counting isn't doing well, so they may be nearing their end, too. Unless an announcement of #20 spikes things again...

The Senate passed a bill to force commercials to be quieter. As in, not louder than the show they are interrupting. It was unanimous. The House has already passed a similar bill (there are minor differences). This could be a law soon... and I have mixed feelings on it.

Um, it's October. But, plans for May sweeps are already underway. FOX plans to have all three Seth MacFarlane shows (Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show) have a giant crossover as a hurricane hits all three. Yes, you read right... it's hitting Washington, DC, Stoolbend, VA, and Quahog, RI.

All sorts of new things are going on with GoogleTV.

This isn't real-time news, but it's new to me: Shredder, the bad guy from the late-80s-early-90s cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was voiced by James Avery... aka Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Crazy.

As if the show wasn't popular enough, Modern Family is considering doing a musical episode.

I don't watch these shows, but premiere dates for White Collar (Tuesday, January 18th, 10pm) and Royal Pains (Thursday, January 20th, 9pm) are up.

The blog "Awkward Family Photos" has gotten picked up as a tv series for ABC.

FOX got the rights to make a series based on Will Smith's Hitch. It's going to be an hour-long format.

You mom being on Facebook is no longer an issue. SNL addressed it, LoL.

South Park is Back

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Sunday:
The Simpsons (S22E02): "I did not see the teacher applying for welfare" was an interesting board-opener. Driving the couch was also funny. The electric couch was not. Scratchy & Mrs. Scratchy started fixing the house in their wedding clothes?? I was sad for the ways Itchy killed them... twice. Kat Spayed was funny. Who is that guy who is making fun of Marge? Funny business card, tho. "Researching a movie about myself" as an excuse to snort cocaine... ooooook. LMAO - the minute you go undercover, you act like you don't know me," LoL!! What sort of hand presentation was Martin doing? "Temporarily own the hell out of it" was a funny line. hahaha on seeing Skinner get pushed into the closet Lisa didn't know that Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college?? I thought this was common knowledge... Cute skating rink moment. I laughed at the facebook status and comments at the end. Wait, what did Maggie do with her money? And I guess I forgot what Home did before he started habitually-buying-to-return, LoL.

Family Guy (S09E02): This episode was overly Brian-centric. OMG the swingset on the car made be gasp at Peter's expression! Um, there was NO line for Rush Limbaugh's book signing? Rush saving Brian from the gang was funny. 4 pages? how do you come up with that?? As the music played and Brian's eyes got bigger, I laughed. I wasn't a big fan of the Hummer/gay comment. heh, "never knew a Democrat to pass up pork" - what does that mean, exactly? haha on the reminder that McCain can't raise his hands... especially when he couldn't give the Harlem Globetrotter a High 5. It's Rhode Island. How many roads are there?? (talking about the free roads/turnpike argument) Um, Martin Luther King as a "troublemaker"? No. The "bad ideas" thing was funny. Still, I liked Sons of Tucson. Interesting commentary on how all of the American-made stuff fails. Is there a "country jail" in Washington, DC? The "gave credit to a woman for anything" comment angered me.

American Dad (S06E01): I only watched this because it was the 100th episode and highly touted. Weird opener with the "Who killed Mr. Burns?" thing, LoL. Roger having the remote the whole time was disturbing. I asked aloud why the koala chauffeur was stopping to talk to Jeff, but I was told that Hayley used to date the koala. Um, WHAT??!? The Superman-turn-back-time thing was weird, and I don't know that all that many watchers understood the reference... What was up with that map? Hayley was moving too fast and they're kinda south in Virginia to be in DC, LoL. "It's a dead end," WHOA, Francine. Whoa "mom with benefits" / "brother-sister" thing. Stan re-attached the dog's legs?? Francine ripping out the lining of her purse was weird, too. She's not usually this dumb... is she? "I'm gonna call NYC and get my Hebrews on this" LoL, LOVE it. bleh, all of the deaths happened on the bus. Why would they drive NORTH to go to Mexico?? The Scooby reference was funny. Roger on Turkish amphetamines was ridiculous. Bet the "I played x in episode 302" thing confused people since this episode is labeled at the 100th episode and lots of people don't know how production codes work. "President Shakes" on the $100 bill also upset me. That was nuts. The calling of the mom was over the top with the CIA guy. How in the world did they end up in Thailand??!? "7 fetuses" = shocked & jaw-dropped. I don't know how I felt about the scheme aspect. The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang thing was amusing & surprising.

Monday:
Kate Plus Eight (S01Exx): not this week.

Little People, Big World (S06E08): Jeremy bought that truck a YEAR ago already?? Jeremy without hair is weird. I guess it's a "budget" issue, because we all know he has plenty of time, LoL. Was Matt really that surprised that he's a micro-manager? It was interesting to see that Amy is anxious and knows it's hard to get a project by Matt... but he does tons of stuff without Amy's approval/thoughts. haha, calling Matt "MR" for his initials, LoL. Matt did have a goof point that you should get a car to work before you paint it - but he was willing to help Jeremy get some experience and a good deal. Sorry, but Amy with a kerchief and a shovel kinda makes her look like on of Snow White's seven dwarves, LoL. It's way more work to take a car to get painted when you can't drive it there, LoL. Wait. Now it doesn't look like a truck, LoL. Jeremy looked really surprised about the prices of those seals. Oh. And Matt is willing to loan him money and pay him top dollar for him to work around the farm. At least we saw the wood shed again, and it's actually going to get a bit organized. "months and months of working" means he didn't get the money right away? And there's obviously a ton of editing here, LoL. We see Jeremy's hair several different lengths. Funny to hear Jeremy call Matt "my father" instead of "my dad." Weird that Matt really blames Amy for teamwork issues, not even considering that it's at least 50/50. I don't really like seeing the whole car come together in one episode. I would've preferred seeing it little by little. Um... Jeremy drives it home, but is it registered and insured? I woulda liked to see Jeremy go through that, figuring that stuff out.

House, M.D. (S07E03): really? she uses a typewriter in this day and age?? hehe, he put the bitten candy back in the box. House really reads those books?!? Nice that House gave Chase the night off because he's got a date, LoL. haha, "if it's any consolation, I didn't get any sleep last night, either." "What room should I return it to?" nice, Cuddy. I was surprised at the patient's deductive skills about the perfume on the cardigan, but then I remembered she writes mystery novels, LoL. Loved the "Everybody Lies" on Taub's labcoat. Love that House tricked the patient into extending her psych hold. What, exactly, is Sam's real job again? Weird that House and Sam have this author in common. Since they were talking about commonalities being important in long-term relationships earlier, I wonder if this is foreshadowing that House is going to cheat on Cuddy with Sam... Lupus! Love when that makes an appearance! go-karts is cute... I loved that scene... the Jews thing made it even funnier. The evil laugh was weird. Using the cane was dirty, LoL. They got banned!!! LoL. and Cuddy blames House for the injury because he picked the activity?? Brilliant way for him to figure out the diagnosis. Very old-school methodology for this show. Touching when House talked to the woman about her son. I'm glad she hired the maid back, too.

How I Met Your Mother (S06E03): haha on Marshall as a wingman. Lily's "where is the poop" thing was kinda gross. And she wouldn't leave it alone. Sex with a girl three times before having sex with her... DAAANG! haha. "it was arounf the time everyone was going whazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzup." Interesting going through people's phones for useless numbers, LoL. Whoa... BIG LOL on Marshall's funk band. Everyone's phones make the same sound when you delete a contact??!? I thought it was funny that Ted finally said yes anyway to the building. Glad that Robin eventually forgot Don's number... now we don't have to worry about that creeping up again... I hope.

Tuesday:
Melissa & Joey (S01E09): Real cinnamon rolls are a pain in the butt. In a can, they're much easier and more worth it. Lennox is in 10th grade, got it. Whoa... the whole fake-lesbian-getting-on-Oprah thing was a weird stretch. Having Joe pump iron was a bit of an overkill... is the show hurting that badly for ratings?? Joe worked in NJ, so I guess that's where Lennox & Ryder are from. But Joe was born in a Korean military hospital, which is rather interesting. Lennox taking up gay right was funny. haha - "mouthy fraud. or actually something harsher but with the same initials." What constitutes "citizenship papers" ?? Can't you just show a passport? I liked Mel's first assistant better... where did she go? That is SOOO many boxes! Crappy about the re-box misunderstanding between Joe and Mel. Why did Mel let the assistant leave (even if it was to care for her father)? It seems to me that, especially in that circumstance, Mel would make her stay. I don't really get why Mel was so ready to fire Joe, either. "I got airbags, man. They're like big pillows" um, yikes. "3 words." "Ryder, Photoshop, Felony." I LOVE it! haha "no way in heck." I think they're writing in too much sexual tension, especially if they want to avoid romantic involvement for several seasons. I'm surprised that media believed Mel saying Lennox wasn't gay... I'd think that they'd claim that Mel was just in denial.

19 Kids and Counting (S05E11): having the cameraman announce the episode was different. haha, they only see the sunrise when they do The Today Show. But I can't blame them... half the time I see the sunrise I'm on my way to the airport, LoL. Josh looked almost asleep when Meredith started interviewing. Oh boy, a back-to-back interview with Mike Huckabee, LoL. We don't see any of that one. Johannah looked pretty calm about it, and it stopped bleeding. We see it just after it happened, as opposed to later on. It bothered me that JimBob said that because it was a girl, they wanted it fixed nicely... if it were a boy, they'd probably let it tear. 300 stitches over 19 kids... but I wonder how many of them have actually had them. I would be freaked if they were filming people sew my face, LoL. Those midway games are so expensive, I'm surprised that the Duggars did those! Anna likes funnel cakes, ok... Joy didn't look too happy carrying a baby instead of playing with the boys, LoL. So many of the rides at the fair are spinny, I'm surprised nobody got sick. Anna really started freaking out about the height and the fact that there was no seatbelt. I liked that Anna wore an Arkansas t-shirt. Very non-Duggar. I kinda wanted to see more of the Duggars' reactions to the ferris wheel, LoL. Accidents happen, guys. Kids are kids. Johannah's swelling and stitches would've been more realistic than having 19 perfectly-groomed children, LoL. We just saw a photo shoot last week... but we go ahead and do another segment about photographing for People this week?

Teen Mom (S02E11):
Catelynn: I love seeing how giddy they are when they talk about Carly! Catelynn was sitting strangely on that bench. What wound up Tyler so much?? Yet another weird interaction between Catelynn and her mom. That whole "I don't need an excuse, I'm your mom" thing doesn't really work when your daughter already had a kid.
Maci: the way her friend was asking her questions made it seem like she was trying to find out FOR Kyle, LoL. Did Bentley turn 2 at some point?? Because it's pretty unusual for boys to handle potty training at just a year old. Her brighter red hair is a bit much.
Farrah: Farrah hugging the DNA-testing woman was strange. Farrah is so weird to her baby daddy's sister. And she's so ugly when she cries.
Amber: wait. Gary wasn't the one who was wrong and he wants to get Amber a "monster" flower arrangement?? And then Amber treats him like that when she asks him to do her a favor?? The guy she's dating her a tattoo on the side of his hand?!? He's on work-release from jail?!?!? He's really strange. Kissing during your first meal together?? Saying you LOVE the idea of Amber having a baby? At least she mentions in her narration that it's clear he's trying too hard. I'm tired of Amber's eye rolls.

Wednesday:
The Middle (S02E03): haha, she lied to Brick about a candy law. haha, Brick is trying to test everything that he's ever been told. Whoa, I would've never guessed she would have meant "adult diapers," I wonder why that kid did. I liked how she kept pointing out that she could have a kid if she wanted. Sue's crush was amusing, but her friend claiming that she's on her way to marriage was ridiculous. The kid just danced on the porch, LoL. I like how his name was Brad, and that's the same name the dorky kid had on Grounded for Life. Using a cootie-catcher to make a decision is so third grade. I love how Sue and Shawn totally were on different planes in that conversation.

Better With You (S01E03): haha, opening parallels about waking up in the morning. You know, I haven't figured out the credits via photo booth strip yet. Vicky wanting to show off her legs was funny. Why would you measure your head every fall?? "the most famous break-up spot in the village" ?? The wingback chairs were interesting, though. I literally laughed out loud TWICE at "every time the card goes out, an angel dies." haha, urine = urgent on auto-correct. I also laughed out loud when Vicky announced she wants to be in Mady & Ben's card. Dang, CSI: Christmas Scene Investigators is awesome. One Flew Over the Christmas Nest was good too, but a bit different. "No-people" hahahahaha. again with the out loud, particularly "you already got the job, bro, you don't have to keep applying." And I love how they can't say no and that's how they ended up in the card. so is it December now at the end or was in a flash-forward? Like how they sat around and judged the cards together.

South Park (S14E08): first, a thought about the Burger King commercial that was on at the very beginning... I'm crazy surprised that the pillow is real!! I bet that's the best marketing strategy by Burger King since they had the video games come out. "NASCAR is only for poor & stupid people. I could never be that" LMAO. lmao "as poor and stupid as I possibly can." nice renderings of the Two and a Half Men characters. oh geez... short-term memory loss = stupid to Cartman?? ewwww.... he's EATING is!!! Butters lied to the guy and Cartman just jumped in the car?? haha on the medical diagnosis. Where's Cartman's mom when he's in the hospital?? Or heck, at all this episode??? Cartman killed ELEVEN people? and he's not in ANY trouble?? hahahahaha, Vagisil is sponsoring a car for him. And they even modified the cockpit to be driven "by a child." Is Cartman confusing the drivers with the fans?? hehe, now he's "dipping" the Vagisil!!?! The repetitive "every day" was awkward. You don't have to have a driver's license to do NASCAR, LoL? hahaha, Cartman eliminated all of the other racers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season/Coming Up:

Cake Boss (season 3 to continue October 11th)
16 and Pregnant (October 26th, 10pm, MTV)
Burn Notice (back November 11)
Hot in Cleveland (season 3 to start in January)
Mr. Sunshine (new show, starts in January on ABC. can't speculate the timeslot until we start knowing what's going to get replaces, LoL.)
Minute to Win It (season 3 to start...)
Wipeout (season 4 back next summer)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (not sure)
Table for 12: (missing "summer," "busy day," "jumping in," "brace yourself," "back to school")
Huge (canceled. will remove next week)
Futurama (unknown)