Kate Plus Eight: The Finale

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This is the end. It's hard to believe just how long the Gosselins have been on television. I remember when you couldn't understand any of the sextuplets speak. I remember before Mady and Cara were in school. I remember the specials that took place before the show picked up and brought us regular installments about what it was like to raise eight young children. I watched every special and every episode of the original Jon and Kate Plus Eight. [listed my favorites here!] While many scoffed at the show still filming during the parents' divorce, I stood by the show. I was happy when it was rebooted, even if it was without Jon. There were many uninteresting episodes, but I truly was interested in the family, their trips, and how they kept things together under such stress. It lasted 6 years and more than 150 episodes. 

Kate Plus Eight "The Finale" (S02E17): Kate talks about how stress got the best of them on the RV trip. She mentions that she was surprised that Ashley really did leave mid-trip. Kate's first thought when she found out the show was ending was "oh my gosh, I'm unemployed and I have eight kids to provide for." [makes sense... I think that would be my first thought if I was in her shoes, too! though I'm not the biggest fan of all her heels...] We see some footage from the first voiceover session in January 2007. [somewhat interesting but a bit blah.] We see videos of the babies from 2004. January 2008 was when Kate realized that her life had changed. [About a year into the full-time show... makes sense.] Kate first felt like she needed security after a local television appearance. [I had always wondered how that came about!] When Steve was put on the head of security, he didn't think they'd really be recognized that much. [hahahahaha!] The first episode aired in April 2007. [It's hard to believe that they moved into the new house in November 2008... so long ago already.]

Kate said the original appeal was people wondering how they got through the day with droves of little kids. [yep!] Steve said that the conflicts between Kate and Jon kept adults tuned in. [...okay. maybe. I can see it a liiiiiitle.] Jon was always ready to quit. Kate's still saying that their show is the "realest" reality show. [yeah, yeah. take a number...]

Kate is asked how often she cringes when watching the show. She was shocked at how she came across at times, seeing it again. She said that she especially can't stand herself in Season 2. She thought that people thought she was horrendous (a la Mommie Dearest), since the edits tend to show a lot of her crabby moments. [in all honesty, I believe her here. She may only have had three blow-ups over a two-day period, and we see all of them in 22 minutes.] Kate shared that the biggest lesson she learned was that, when you're put to the test, you find out you're a lot tougher than people thought.

Ashley saw the divorce coming because of how close she was to the family. Kate will always say that the show wasn't the reason for the divorce. When you look back on the Hawaii trip and the re-commitment and how they were staying together thru everything, they were already going through the motions.

Kate talked about the kids' favorite trips. [why not have each child answer for himself??] Cara - Australia, New Zealand. Mady - Australia. Alexis - her special day at the reptile house. Hannah - Hawaii.  Aaden - Pittsburgh Zoo. Colin - building the chicken coup. [that's not a trip... that's an activity at the house, LoL.] Leah - Hawaii because she learned to swim. Joel - everything. All of the kids loved the haunted house. Then Kate gave some memorable birthday moments - the 3rd birthday with Nana Janet on the horse. The 4th with cupcakes and Aaden didn't finish his dinner so he didn't get his. The 5th when the kids invited friends for the first time. They also took their last family picture that day. [Um. we saw Cara & Mady's birthdays on the show, too! Why not mention anything from theirs? Like the American Girl trip...]

The kids tell us who their favorite crew members are and we see some funny moments with the crew over the years.  Then the kids told us what their career aspirations are... Leah wants to work in a bakery. Aaden wants to be a paleontologist. Alexis, an animal rescuer. Hannah, an art teacher. Cara, a teacher. Mady, a veterinarian. [I can't tell Joel and Collin apart, but one wants to be an animal rescuer with Leah and the other wants to be a builder.] For whatever reason, Mady also shared that she wants four children, named Mason George, Emma Violet, Phoebe Ann, Peyton Rose. [I didn't pick out future children's MIDDLE names until graduate school! and the two first names I wanted in first grade I no longer really care for, LoL.]

Kate says that this isn't "goobye," it's "we'll see you around." After all, Kate wants to stay on television and in the media. [makes sense... plus Jamie mentioned that Kate has changed so much since the six were born... she's so much more absorbed with her looks now. The show ends with a nce photo and video montage.] 

The Gosselin Road Trip Continues

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Kate Plus Eight "RV Breakdown" (S02E16): Now in Wyoming, it's Day 8 (of 14). The plan is to head to Utah, but one of the RVs starts smoking pretty badly. It overheats and they end up needing a tow truck, plus another vehicle for the group that was traveling in that RV. Kate isn't clear in her explanation of what needs to happen, so Jamie and Ashley do things "wrong." [oh, by the way, that's the theme of this episode - everyone does things in a way that Kate feels is incorrect.]

They make it to Price Canyon, UT on Day 11 They've gotten a new RV to replace the one that broke down. Some of the swimsuits went missing, and Kate blames Jamie. They find them, though, so it's not actually THAT big of a deal. They get to the Moab Rafting and Canoe Company, but white water rafting does not end up like Kate hopes. The guide tells everyone how to relieve themselves if need be, but Kate objects, not wanting the kids to get into the water. [of course she thinks that's gross. you know, because it slightly is...] When loading the boat, Kate freaks out because she doesn't want to get wet AT ALL. [...you're kidding, right? You get a little wet if you're on the water... done deal.] They start to see some waves and bob a bit, but Kate doesn't want her boat to get into that section, and she requests that they just get near it. She's upset that they had to enter a small part of it, and claims that the guide lied to her. The guide offers to let everyone get out and swim a bit, and the bulk of the group takes advantage of the opportunity. In the end, Kate found the entire experience too scary.

On day 12, the kids are talking about how boring Kate's RV is. The clue for the next location is a little trench with some water in it - The Grand Canyon. It seems that Jamie gave away the location in advance yet again, which angers Kate. After just 20 minutes of driving, the older RV is having trouble again. This time, the generator stopped working - they think it overheated. Since there won't be air conditioning while they drive, they open the windows. They get to Tusayan, AZ, where the campground doesn't appear to have grills. Jamie and Ashley just want to order pizza, but Kate wants to marinate some chicken and grill. By 8:45pm [when there's still plenty of light, by the way] they purchase some small propane grills and one of the production assistants puts them together. Steve agrees with the pizza idea, which really makes Kate mad. There's apparently a TON of chicken that could go bad, and the waste is bothering Kate. [I would also be angry that "$100 of chicken" would get thrown out, but I doubt that the chicken is on the verge of spoiling.] Additionally, someone random took a photo of Kate, and she's pissed that "nothing was done about it." [we know that they do get pizza because there are leftovers the next day.]

At Grand Canyon National Park on Day 13, Cara and Mady complain and they have to wait in the RV with Ashley instead of see the Grand Canyon. [I don't know that I could punish my child in such a way when you're at a natural wonder like that. You're all the way out there, let her see the canyon and punish her later...] Kate makes a [stupid] comment about the Grand Canyon spanning 10,000 miles. One of the RVs is broken down again. Kate also still refers to the younger six as preschoolers... even though they're 7 by now. Kate's upset that Jamie and Ashley let some of the kids have pizza before lunchtime. Then, after she makes them hand over a slice of pizza for Steve, she's upset that Mady just hands it over, not wrapped in foil or on a plate or anything. [you know, because Kate has something against eating ANYTHING that a child's hand touches.] Kate then rants about how bad Jamie and Ashley have been this trip. Ashley asks the production team to send her home, and she tells Kate privately. She hugs the kids goodbye on camera and there's a lot of tears. [well, yeah. Ashley has been a babysitter of sorts for those kids for four or five YEARS now.] Kate admits that most people can't take her, and it is how it is. [I think that really put the nail in the coffin. She's right - she is VERY hard to handle. It's no wonder Jon just couldn't put up with her anymore.]

Stay tuned - next week is the final episode.

Countdown on Kate: South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Kate Plus Eight "RV Trip" (S02E15): The family is taking two weeks to travel via RV across the country. [you know, since they've already done everything else...] This took place just last month and included the Gosselins, Jamie and her three kids (Brooke, Reagan, and Clay), plus Ashley. They're keeping most of the locations secret from the kids.

Pre-trip, Kate is in a rush, she's sleep-deprived, and (as always) yells at the kids to hurry up. It's only a matter of time before Kate even decides she can't handle filming because she's stressed. [hahaha.] The Gosselins didn't actually take off from PA, they flew to South Dakota where their already-packed-RVs were waiting for them. [certainly sounds like an expensive way to do it!]

They have professional drivers, but Kate tries driving on her own first. It rained the first two days so they spent most of the time in the RVs. [I don't know if that was the greatest start...] They do go outside after a while and play in a muddy creek. [I don't understand how Kate ever let that get started!] At night, everyone seems to be cold.

For each location, Kate gives clues and the kids have to figure out where they're going. A rock, a chisel, a dollar bill, and a hammer are the clues for Mount Rushmore (Mady figures it out first). At Mount Rushmore, Kate's wearing a South Dakota sweatshirt and is upset that people are taking photos of the family. [she's just off her rocker sometimes. The family is recognizable. You're keeping yourselves recognizable. Get over it. It also bothered me quite a bit that the adults weren't sure who was who on the monument.] They're also having problems with the microwaves, refrigerators, etc. in the RVs. The next day, the clues were a rock and a banana, for Yellowstone Park. Cara gets it first. [honestly, I thought this was a little more obscure.] They stop and let the kids play in some

photo: TLC.com

snow in the park. [why in the world were they barefoot??] Then it's on to Old Faithful (not sure what the clues were this time). [Kate keeps talking about how she thought they'd all be outside more, but she also keeps saying "let's get going, people are photographing," so I don't know what she's complaining about. She just needs to make up her mind!] Kate leaves the group to find organic chicken and salad and stuff while Jamie and Ashley get the kids to set up camp. Later, Kate cooks while the others keep the older kids busy with makeup. It was the first time Kate cooked over a campfire. [really?] 

The big push is to tune in next week, since we know Day 13 (at the Grand Canyon) is when things break down, Ashley leaves early, and who knows what else. [I don't really care for these long and drawn-out vacations, especially since they're showing a lot of very trivial stuff these days.]

House in a Tree for the Kids while Kate Builds a Door...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Kate Plus Eight  "Treehouse & Chicks" (S02E14): The chicks from Easter didn't hatch and the kids wanted some, so Kate got them some for the barn. [not a bad idea, I suppose.] Kate didn't have a tree in mind when she hired people to come build a treehouse. [This seems ridiculous to me. You don't know how high up you want it, where you want it, and it seems later that she had no idea what the design would be, either.] It took three days to build. Some of the kids fought over who got to clean the chicken waste. [that's just gross. But good for them being able to see past that and just want to help out.] Kate put up the boundary between where the young chickens and where to old chickens would be. She and Ashley also built a door and they end up with a frame that's too wide so they get the treehouse workers to adjust it for them. It astounds Kate that she could build and install a door. [I'm pretty impressed she managed to do everything without bringing in other people completely.] Not all the kids eat eggs. [in a normal family I would be surprised that they had chickens when a kid doesn't eat eggs, but since 9 people live there, I guess it's not as big a deal.] They had a REALLY sturdy staircase built for the treehouse. [a rope ladder was too low-tech for Kate? The fact that it had a real door with a deadbolt was strange to me...] They also get a very wide wooden swing - two of the kids could ride it at once with ease. [...and you wonder why this show is ending... this was boring.]

Countdown to the End of Kate: Toughest Questions

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Kate Plus Eight "Kate's Toughest Questions" (S02E13): Kate told her twitter followers she'd answer questions they asked. Pretty simple and made for a simply boring episode for the most part.

Is she dating anyone? No. The kids are torn over whether they want Kate dating people or not. [I found this interesting because I had read that the kids were all pro-, which doesn't look like the case.]

Is she jealous Jon is dating? No. She doesn't care. She's glad to be divorced and on her own. [kind of. I mean, she wants to be with someone again, so she can't be that thrilled to be on her own.]

What is the relationship with Jon now? She only contacts him when it's necessary with the kids. He's kept to his two weekends a month, and the kids come home happy. [sounds about right.]

What's the hardest thing about raising 8 kids as a single mom? she's outnumbered. She has to be mom and dad. She's running 26 acres alone. [that is a lot of property to deal with by yourself.]

How do you get them all out the door in the morning? Schedule. Pack lunches the night before. She does hair at the kitchen table while they eat breakfast. [kind of a bad question... if you know her at all, the answer is going to be either "schedule" or "organize" ...]

Do you ever miss marriage? she's lonely. She misses having another parent there. [makes sense; I agree.]

Why has her style changed so much over the years? She was just a "frumply" mom when the kids were little. She had to change her t-shirt 50 times a day. [I don't know that this really answered the question. PLUS, we know her style changed, since in an episode long ago, JON picks out her clothes when shopping.]

Why does she always wear heels? She doesn't feel dressed if she doesn't have heels on. Why not? [man, am I rolling my eyes at this one!]

How old do you want to be? 30. That's when she really started to figure out who she was, but still have a wise perspective. [interesting response. I don't know that I'd say the same, but I think it works for her.]

What size is she? 2-4, and it came down after she started running. [well, you know. when you have all that exercise equipment, it would be a shame to be anything larger than a 6...]

Does she tan? She goes to tanning beds, as she's allergic to the self-tanners. That's her one unhealthy vice. [not sure if that's her only one, but okay.]

Is the tummy tuck her only plastic surgery? Yes. She believes that it was necessary. but it might not always be, she might have more surgeries later. [eye roll again...]

How do you deal with negative rumors? She ignores a lot of negativity. [what else can you do?]

How do the kids handle TV life? They don't know anything else. They know people watch them on TV. They love the crew. They think it's fun to be on TV, and they get to do a lot of fun stuff. There are people at school who think it's stupid, but most people treat them like everyone else. [I would've liked to hear from more of the kids on this one, not just Mady.]

What is the "funnest" part of having 8 kids? The big-family feel, the fact they can break into teams for anything. There's never boredom.

Which brother/sister is the loudest? Alexis.

Who eats the most? Collin.

What are the kids' favorite meals? Joel: chicken and peas and macaroni and cheese. Leah: bananas. [...why couldn't we have asked all of the kids??]

If you could be one of your siblings, who would it be? Leah picks Hannah. Joel would be himself. Mady picks Cara. [loved all the responses and the reasonings, I thought they were funny.]

Why haven't we seen more of Kate's family? She's different from them. Kate's younger brother Kevin turned on them so now she treads carefully. They may consider having a reunion of sorts because she wants to keep the kids happy and fulfilled. [that whole Kevin & Jodi thing was ridiculous. though I, too, have wondered about the rest of her family.]

If she could relive the past, what would she do differently? nothing. she stresses constantly because she's trying to make the best decisions all the time. [what a fake answer. we all have SOMETHING...]

What's her greatest accomplishment? She hopes in 30 years she has 8 children who are productive. She wants lots of grandkids, and she will do a lot of babysitting. [I wonder if she thinks that all of her kids will choose to be parents?]

Where would she be if the show never started? struggling to survive as a nurse who never saw her kids. [probably pretty true.]

Would she ever work a normal job? If she had to provide for her kids, yeah. But it's not her preference or desire - she enjoys being in the media world. [wouldn't have expected her to say anything else.]

Is paparazzi still an issue? yeah. [hopefully that's on the downward slope now...]

Had it not been for the show, would she still be with Jon? no. different things would have torn them apart - the makings were always there. [everyone says this about their divorces, so I'm inclined to agree.]

What's the hardest part about being divorced? She can't do everything. Sometimes she lets her kids down because she can't be everywhere. it's hard when the law makes you check with someone who doesn't see the kids as often to make certain decisions. [again, all believable and true.]

What are some of her hopes for the future? 8 healthy kids, still living there with the kids in the same school, still be doing something in TV, travel, learn, meet great people. [sounds to me like she knew the show wasn't going to be renewed...]

Overall, those who asked these questions probably enjoyed the episode. Personally, I didn't care for it and thought it was just a waste of an hour. Especially if the questions were received via twitter... she could be like other "celebrities" and respond in the same medium.

News Roundup: Cancellations, Renewals, Reboots, and More

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

They have indeed recast Lily on Modern Family. Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, age 4, will take over the role for the upcoming season. Her natural acting talent combined with how closely she resembles Jaden and Ella Hiller  should work out great! (Entertainment Weekly)

Kate Plus Eight got canceled. There may be a few specials done in the future, but we're at the end of regular episodes. The current season airing on TLC will finish - 4 episodes to go. After a two-year stint on late-night television, TBS has canceled Lopez Tonight. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty glad. In Plain Sight will be canceled after its 8-episode fifth season. Breaking Bad only has 16 episodes to go.

CBS is rebooting Bewitched... look for it Fall 2012? Roseanne is working on another blue-collar family show, titled Downwardly Mobile. Apparently there's a possibility that Sex and the City will be returning to television. bleh.

SyFy's Haven is incorporating a Twitter storyline into the current 7-ep arc. If you like the series and use Twitter, go find out more about they they're working together.

If Oprah can have her own network, so can Tyler Perry. He's working with Lionsgate to make it happen!

Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Laurie both make $700,000 for each episode of their respective shows. Jon Cryer makes $600k an episode, Mark Harmon makes $500k an episode, and Tina Fey makes $350k an episode. Tim Allen's new show will net him $225,000 per episode. For more info on these numbers, check TVGuide.

Seth MacFarlane will be the Roast Master for Charlie Sheen's upcoming roast.

True Blood got renewed for a 12-episode fifth season. MTV's strange show, Awkward, has been renewed for a second season. Leverage got renewed as well, for a fifth season on TNT. Lastly, Warehouse 13 on SyFy will get a 4th season.

This Week's "Reality Shows" : Teen Mom & Kate Plus Eight

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Teen Mom "Terrible Twos" (S03E06): There's a Christmas tree up at Ryan's, so it's likely late November or into December for them. Farrah's talking about Christmas, too.
Maci:  Kyle is still looking for a job. Maci is upset that she doesn't have Bentley all the time - he still goes to Ryan's 2 days a week. [really? she's upset that she only gets him 5 days a week?? This is what happens when you can't get along!] Ryan hasn't been to Maci's so he doesn't know Kyle is living there. Ryan's mom picks up Bentley and sees Kyle, so she tells Ryan, who will bring that up in court. [Why does Maci have a grandfather clock?? Ryan's mom is so pushy. Get out of their lives! She even tries to get Ryan to want to date Maci again!] 
Farrah: She got a mixed bag of grades in her final semester but she passed and will graduate. Farrah doesn't want more kids, so she wants to get a puppy to celebrate finishing school, plus have a playmate for Sophia. [really, no more children? not even ten years from now?] She also doesn't want to hear how much the puppy and his supplies cost, so she just blindly handed over her credit card at the register. [see, if you can't even handle knowing how much a dog costs, I don't think you're ready for one...] Farrah talks to Sophia like she's much older than a toddler. She plans to keep the dog a secret from her mother until Christmas. [this could get amusing... wonder how long she'll make it?] Farrah tries holding the dog over the toilet and telling it to go potty. [...what??] She then spanks the dog and cages it because it peed on the rug instead. [nice discipline I suppose, but if you don't take the dog outside, what do you expect??] It also doesn't take long for Farrah to put clothes on the dog. [should've seen this coming, but I didn't.] She really thinks that Sophia can keep the dog a secret?? Then, she shows her sister the dog. Turns out, her sister had a dog once, her mom took it back to the store, and her sister had to re-buy the dog! [hahahahaha!] Farrah has the dog in a diaper [LoL] because she can't take it outside - her mom will see it. The water is out at Farrah's mom's house so she comes over to Farrah's to use the shower... and figures out that they have a dog. [I'm kinda tired of her mom... I guess the woman is trying to be calmer since the old days when Farrah called the cops on her, but still...] 

Amber:  Amber's house doesn't have heat so Leah is staying with Gary. [Leah is starting to look like her parents... which is unfortunate, since I find neither of them attractive.] Gary wants Leah to have separate birthday parties, but Amber disagrees. [Leah calling out "Amber" to the phone was very strange. creepy, even.] Gary is hung over the day of Leah's party. [irresponsible parenting strikes again!] Amber takes Leah out to dinner for her birthday. [really? for a two-year-old? what's the point?]  
Catelynn: They're both working. Catelynn is heading to a retreat for birthmoms who chose adoption. We finally see Paige a little more. Catelynn hears about some adoptions that end up closing, and the birthparents no longer get to hear about how their chidlren are doing, which scares Catelynn. [it would scare me, too, if I had originally intended it to be otherwise!]  

Kate Plus Eight "DC Cupcake Visit" (S02E11): Mady and Cara go with their friends Katie and Jillian and both moms to the DC Cupcakes place. They get to bake some with the ladies. Kate just snacked on the icings. They made cupcake headbands with mini cupcakes... but it didn't work that well. [I didn't care for Kate playing around with the customers. She would've pissed me off!] They all made around 3 dozen each... [that is a ton!] Kate made a cupcake for a random guy she saw on the street... but the guy is gluten-free, so they have to get him a different one. [she's such a ridiculous flirt sometimes!] The guy had no clue who Kate was, even after hearing her name. [dang. that's crazy! well, to me anyway. who else in a metropolitan area doesn't know who Kate Gosselin is?] The girls also gave away some of their cupcakes to random customers in the store. They took a limo away from it... then they were in Annapolis. Years ago, the family traveled to Annapolis several times to visit some of Jon's family. Kate keeps in touch with them. They spent some time downtown. The aunt and uncle spent some time with Jon in Florida not long before this event. [interesting. I'm intrigued.] Kate wanted to have whole crabs, so the whole group cracks crabs, but end up ordering crab legs. [well yeah. Did Kate really think she could handle the messiness of cracking crabs??] They took a quick sail as well. [eh. pretty boring segments, I thought.] Back at the house, Ashley plays with the younger six - Team Games. The boys were The Cheese: Aadey Baby, Colly Wolly 2x4, and Squidy. [some strange names!] The girls were The Dolphins: Lexified, Heenah Baneenah, Little Leah. [of course Leah wouldn't have anything else, LoL!] First, a potato sack race using garbage bags, which the girls won. Then, a race with cups of water on their head. Some soccer, which the boys won. [ewww. the kids run around barefoot!] Tug of war, which the girls won. Race on those big balls you sit on and hop. A swimming race of sorts. Balance eggs on a spoon with the end of the spoon in your mouth! They also did a three-legged race and the dizzy bats. In the end, the girls won 7 games and the boys won 3. They even had a torch and some small fireworks. [cute overall... I guess.]

Kate Plus Eight "8 Movie Makers" (S02E12): The family has some folks over who run programs to make movies with kids. The kids learn some film jargon. They pick characters, which is harder for some of the kids than the others. These types of things aren't usually done in someone's house. Mady had an idea to start the movie in an orphanage, then a magic land comes about. We see a bunch of scenes get filmed. [wow, these kids have NO timing. good thing they're not real actors...] The kids change what characters they want to be and what they want to do so they're adding scenes and taking away other scenes. [this amuses me.] After it's all filmed, the family gets interviewed on a red carpet like stars. [I thought this was a great touch!] Then, they sit down to watch the premiere. We see bits of the finished product. [I don't think it looked all that great... the camerawork seemed a bit Blair Witch to me...]

Kate in Yellowstone; Friends at Nite; Switched at Birth Renewed...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Boardwalk Empire will return for a 12-episode second season starting Sunday, September 25th.

Teen Mom star Amber Portwood is in rehab again, although nobody seems to be sure who is footing the bill.

Perhaps the generous benefactor can help 16 and Pregnant's Aubrey (the one who was caught shoplifting recently). Aubrey has a tumor in her throat that she can't afford to have removed.

Rumor has it that Kate Plus Eight is filming in Yellowstone National Park.

Beavis & Butthead is returning to MTV, if you haven't already heard. For a sneak peak, click here. Note: it's pretty much the same old junk.

In case you missed my tweet, Friends will be joining the Nick-at-Nite lineup in September! Similarly, I tweeted out that there will be a Mister Rogers spin-off entitled Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, which features the next generation... in animation.

Walmart has joined the crowds of those offering streaming.

FOX won't allow free viewing of its shows on its website or Hulu in the fall. You'll need to use the pay-Hulu site or prove that you're a subscriber of a participating pay TV service.

The Simpsons will have an episode that spoof The Social Network in 2012.

Remember all the crazies who stockpiled for y2k? They're at it again, and Livin' for the Apocalypse will showcase some of them. It starts Sunday, August 28th at 10pm on TLC.

Franklin & Bash will have a live video chat after the season finale tomorrow, August 3rd. Check out the info.

And, in my favorite news of the week, ABCFamily has ordered 22 MORE episodes for the first season of Switched at Birth, coming in early 2012!

Casting News; Comic-Con Tips; Cancellations and Renewals

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

- Farrah from Teen Mom may be the next Charlie's Angel.

- Mike Vogel is taking on a lead role in PanAm.

- Kal Penn, who notably left his role on House to pursue a non-entertainment career for the Obama administration, is returning to television on How I Met Your Mother. I am not thrilled. It's also looking like Season 8 (2012-2013) will be the finale for the show. I'm okay with that.

- on a related note, Neil Patrick Harris is going to be a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

- Speaking of House, Cuddy's been out, but Chase has re-signed. Thirteen is still up in the air.

- Tons of giveaways happen at Comic-Con, one of which are these bags from the WB. Um, and they're giving away a car.

- And, if you can't be at the Con, watch what you can on G4!

- If I wasn't going to the Con, I might've been heading to the San Francisco casting call for The Price is Right contestants! (it's way out in the middle of nowhere and not in the city though!) Other cities follow.

- Netflix won't be streaming any more episodes from NBC.

- Aubrey from 16 and Pregnant was caught shoplifting some makeup.

- Wall $t. Wives is seeking cast members.

- TNT canceled Men of a Certain Age.

- Teen Wolf was renewed. So was Single Ladies.

- The Gosselins went to Mount Rushmore... maybe that'll be seen on a future episode of Kate Plus Eight.

- Season 4 of Merlin will be on SyFy in 2012.

-FX picked up American Horror Story, to premiere in October with 13 episodes.

- Charlie Sheen will be in a show called Anger Management, based on the 2003 film. No network is attached yet.

- And, as a reminder, Doug will be returning to television. I'm excited.

Sofia's Communion; Gosselin Dinner; Duggars Snowed In

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Recaps & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids and Counting, 16 and Pregnant, and Wipeout. Spoilers abound, so don't jump down if you don't want to know what happens!

Wipeout Back; Gosselins Give Back; 16 and Pregnant Updates

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids and Counting, 16 and Pregnant, and Wipeout.

Anthony's DJ Cake; Sextuplets are 7; Josie has Seizures

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids and Counting, and 16 and Pregnant.

16, 19, Cake, and Kate

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids and Counting, and 16 and Pregnant.

Kate in Philly, No Mummy IQ, A GingaNinja

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & [Commentaries] for "unscripted" shows this week include: Kate Plus Eight, Pregnant in Heels,16 and Pregnant, and Wipeout.

Just Kate, Rosie, and a Pregnant Teen this Week

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & Commentaries for unscripted shows this week include: Kate Plus Eight, Pregnant in Heels, and 16 and Pregnant.

Mauro does Morocco; Kate with a Koala

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Reviews & Commentaries for unscripted shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, Teen Mom 2, Pregnant in Heels, and Wipeout.

Pregnant in Heels Begins; Teen Mom 2 about Over; Kate in Australia

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

These posts are changing format just a little. Instead of just commentaries, I'm going to do a synopsis and then put my thoughts in brackets as I go along. Unscripted shows this week include: Cake Boss, Kate Plus Eight, Teen Mom 2, and Pregnant in Heels.

Kate's Halloween, Cake Boss' Christmas

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Sunday:
The Simpsons (S22E07): ["A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is as good as "A Charlie Brown Christmas"] was not really funny, LoL. Couch scene was too extended for me this time. weird pigeon guy. The vomited worms were creepy. And Marge drinking worm puree was also disturbing. Bart actually caring about the pigeon was amusing, especially him helping it fly again. Naked Burns doing ballet... what?? YAY... they played "The Typewriter" song! We used to play that in high school at the annual Teddy Bears' Concert. :) THE DOG ATE THE BIRD!?!?!??! ewwww feather poop. People not knowing the words to "Taps" bothers me. Who was that third kid singing?? Extra-disturbing Itchy & Scratchy today. The "farm upstate" thing was funny, and the mixed messages about killing birds was interesting. The oxycontin candy was eye-openingly disturbing! Freaky ostrich!

Family Guy (S09Exx): no episode this week, episode 7 coming up on December 12th.

Kate Plus Eight (S02E01): Halloween! Cute little twist on the opening titles. Kate thinks Halloween is tacky!! :( She just started filling a cart with stuff so she could build a haunted house... what an expensive way to go, LoL. SO not the old Kate!! She's driving a black Toyota Land Cruiser now. Interesting that they filmed Kate taking a photo with a fan. It was crowded at the costume store. Alexis wanted to be Tinkerbell and they didn't have it in her size... this is why you make your children's Halloween costumes or at least get started before the day before!! Kate wouldn't let the kids be "scary" things, LoL!! Kate had a creepy attitude about dressing as a She-Devil. The green smoke effect was just weird. Watching the kids wrap each other as mummies was really cute. I've only been to one party where we did that, and I was in seventh grade, LoL! Does Kate really have 5 cars?? Maybe the camera people park in the same place, LoL. I'm glad that the kids got one of the dogs back. The garage was really empty. Corny "promises" line. Collin is the kid processing the divorce with anger. haha, "we have the episode, of course we remember." There was a really strange interview scene with the boys where neither were paying attention, LoL. She tried to take 8 kids to a corn maze and thinks none will get lost, LoL? LoL, that dog is SO not a puppy anymore, LoL. Nice that Kate let the kids pet mice and rabbits, LoL. haha, I was kinda surprised that the kids didn't come running when Kate called on the PA system, LoL. Interesting that the maze had clues on which way to go, as long as you knew the correct answers, LoL. I don't think Kate really enjoyed the corn maze, and they didn't ask any of the kids if they enjoyed it, so I'm curious as to how that went over with the kids, LoL. I'm glad that one of the workers knew how to help Kate with the "haunting," LoL. Not too many screams, but I think it went over well. I like that the kids went through it over and over, haha. I like that Aaden wasn't sure if the camera guys knew about the haunted house, haha. They used stencils to make their names on the pumpkins, LoL. Wait... the name pumpkins were in the haunted house, but apparently pumpkin carving came after the haunted house... so those must have been the permanent ones, LoL. I don't know if I'd give my six-year-olds pumpkin saws... Kate had never done a pumpkin?? So, what... Jon always did all the work and they didn't do them at all last year? Collin was a skeleton, Alexis was Cleopatra, Mady was a pirate, Leah was a bunny, Aaden was a SWAT man, Joel was a ninja (which I thought was the worst costume of the bunch), Hannah was a sailor, Cara went as herself (which Mady in particular didn't seem to like). Kate didn't do a great job of teaching her kids not to cut across lawns, LoL. Kate had some cozy socks on in the interview, LoL. I bet Kate would have had fun with bobbing for apples... I hope that they do that next year.

Monday:
Cake Boss (S03E24): During the holidays, they don't do any big, special cakes. They just make tons and tons of traditional cakes and cookies. 15,000 cookies, 10,000 cupcakes, and 800 layer cakes is not uncommon for Christmas week. 4x the amount of ingredients are delivered. Carlo's cookies are shortbread with nuts - 14 batches means 2 dozen eggs, 14 pounds shortening, vanilla, 13 pounds of sugar, 18 pounds of flour!! Honeyballs are a big seller. Christmas Eve is Buddy's busiest day of the year! Hot cocoa for the people in line - that was nice! Mauro as Santa was cute. Buddy made steaks at 7:30pm on Christmas Eve for his crew. Kinda weird that they filmed this episode nearly a year ago at this point, LoL. Wow, they're open on Christmas Day! Only for a few hours, but that's interesting nonetheless. They donate extras to the homeless shelter.
[season finale]

Little People, Big World (S06E17 & S06E18): Everyone in one scene... that's rare, LoL. I forgot how different YoungMolly looked, LoL. Creepy "it's all that keeps me alive" comment by Matt. They still have the Previa? Counting the vehicles was INSANE. They own THIRTY-FOUR vehicles, counting lawnmowers, tractors, trucks, mules, cars, four-wheelers, EVERYTHING. 34!! I had never noticed how many toasts Matt has made. Zach and Jeremy grilling Molly was funny. I loved all of the flashbacks... very well chosen and placed. Interesting talk about the trebuchet incident, too.

Matt's "flawed" remark was uncalled for. Zach's voice is so different from when he was 15!
[series finale in two parts next week]

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

How I Met Your Mother (S06Exx): episode 11 back next week!

Tuesday:
19 Kids and Counting (S05E19 & S05E20): first, last week's... cool that some of the girls are going to get to drive the "big bus," LoL. Funny that John-David is a worry-wart. Fly to meet them for just ONE day?? Wow, laundry chute on the bus is interesting. I was not thrilled with Jinger's grammar on her phone. What made the rooster sound?? Jana drives first. haha on Louisville pronunciations. Cool back story to the "Louisville Slugger." haha, the Duggars are in to Silly Bandz. This was kinda cool for me since I recently watched that How It's Made show for baseball or softball bats. I honestly didn't realize how particular baseball players like their bats... or that they went through 40+ a season! The glass-blowing was also neat, and I'm sure it was a very good experience for the Duggars. The idea that Michelle has cleaned up 2,000 gallons of spit-up baby food was gross. whoa... does that mean most babies spit up 100 gallons??? yikes!! Michelle only enjoys the peace and quiet for a couple hours, LoL.

"All her flights connected" ... it was Arkansas to Kentucky... how many legs to that flight could there be, LoL? At this point I wish that they'd stop filming the violin segments... they just sound so awful most of the time! There was no point to having Jackson and Johannah play... they just bow on the open E anyway. Was it really that much faster for Michelle to fly then to ride in the car for 10 hours, LoL? Josie is about 10 months, 8 days at the end of this episode, so it's probably from October. [season finale]

16 and Pregnant (S02E16): Christinna, Rochester, NY to Huntsville, AL. Isiah plays football. Got married in secret. They dated for 8 months before she was pregnant. She graduated early. October at 28 weeks: the tool gave up his football scholarship to work at a sandwich shop. She's in community college. She was a virgin before him. Her mom was cool with it, but she's since moved back to New York. November at 32 weeks: baby shower. If they're fretting about $50 on groceries, they are bad at budgeting. I can totally make that work. 33 weeks: wow, $515 for 3 bedrooms is cheap!! November at 37 weeks: Isiah's got a twin sister, Kaliah, who went off to college. November at 38 weeks: okay, there goes any hope at the timeline being correct. 39 weeks: it's December 22nd so November clearly wasn't 38 weeks, lmao. They induced her with pitocin. She took an epidural. 16 hours in, pushing started. I didn't really like her doctor. After an hour of pushing, a C-section was suggested. 25 hours in, she's still trying to push, to avoid a C-section. She's looking ROUGH. And she's completely exhausted. After all that work, 26 hours in they go for the C-section anyway. 6 pounds, 12 ounces... not really big... I wonder what caused the difficulty... transverse? Why didn't they talk about that? 3 weeks old: Christinna is surprised that she has to give up a lot to be a mom. Isiah has a Gators shirt, LoL. Wow his family reallllly wants a DNA test!!

Wednesday:
Better With You (S01E09): first, Thanksgiving... I love how much everyone cut off the next person when it came to the "big news" LoL. Whoa, those were some weird turkeys!! haha, a dig at Maddie not being married and therefore not really a good Thanksgiving hostess, LoL. Who hides a ring not in a box?? whoa... gravy that fizzes?? Ben lying about stealing the ring was hilarious! Maddie says that they were actually engaged!! Casey reminds me of Joey from Friends in this episode. Maddie looked weird in that blue dress in the flashback. The musical number in the hotel was insane!! Using a dance troupe... awesome! "five signs" ?? pipe bursting, grandma dying, swollen finger, stopped elevator, and the elevator moving the second that Maddie took off the ring. ha! and we found out where "valid life choice" comes from! Whoa, everyone wondering about cameras in elevators, LoL. hahaha, "son of a Putney!" The ending was funny, too.

The Middle (S02E09): I DVR'd this because it had a Thanksgiving theme, LoL. Funny that Brick is into librarians. Weird that the dad's dad was in the hospital and nobody knew for three weeks. Cute that the daughter really wanted to start a pie-baking tradition, but the mom wasn't so keen on the idea. The girl hurting her chin freaked me out a little bit. Oh. The kid's a reader, LoL. Overall, bleh.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season/Coming Up:

Cake Boss: Next Great Baker (coming December 6th at 9pm)
Minute to Win It (back December 7th)
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 in January on ABC)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (not sure, probably January)
Melissa & Joey (not sure)
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)

9 Things About I Just Want You to Know

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I know it's been a while since I wrote about the other two Gosselin books. And, in fact, it's been like four months since I read this book. But, since I've been doing that "drinking game" series, I haven't interrupted that to throw this in on a Wednesday. Today I don't have time to come up with a new game (yes, I'll admit that I think I've now posted all of the ones I already know, except Seinfeld, but I was saving that one for the finale of writing that series), so I'm finally posting this book review.

I had some difficulty in tracking down I Just Want You to Know, mainly because my library didn't get it immediately. I actually believe that I was the first person in my county to have it checked out (third tops, really, judging by the date of acquisition). I found it more interesting than the second book, but not as intriguing as the first. I chose nine points since the book focuses on the eight children and Kate, but not Jon. They're listed primarily chronologically, as I thought of them while reading the book, but there are a couple that interested me later, and others that are more overview-ish.

1. Kate was terrified of a nighttime fire in the house. She and Jon worked out plans multiple times about how they'd get the kids out in such an emergency. When the sextuplets were really little, the plan was to just throw them in the middle of a comforter and Jon would carry them out like they were in a sack!

2. At one point they lived in a neighborhood that had trash regulations. Since the littlest kids were still in diapers, they would regularly go way over this allotment and either keep the least smelly trash in the garage another week, wheel a can several streets over to a friend's house who never hit the allowance, or put it all out with some snacks, in hopes that the trashmen would accept the gift and take all of the refuse.

3. Kate claims they would go through 4 boxes of cereal or two dozen eggs PER BREAKFAST. Even if this claim was when the little kids were four years old, that would mean each ate two eggs per morning, which is a lot for a kid that young. And I'm pretty sure you can get 8 servings of cereal out of a box with ease... so that's 32 servings for 10 people... doesn't add up.

4. Mady knew how to use "thanks" in context when she was eleven months old. AND, she has a second middle name: Rene. Similarly, the baby that didn't make it was to be Emma Rose or Ella Rose... even though there is no definitive answer that it was a girl.

5. you know how Jon was always brushing the kids' teeth on the show? Apparently he didn't always do that, because when Mady was four, she had a tooth that was black and rotting before Kate noticed that there was a problem.

6. There are quite a few apologetic remarks throughout the book about how Kate was sorry for the things she said to Jon and the way she blew up at Jon frequently. She also does a pretty good job of convincing the reader to take her side, using ploys to talk about how stressed she was and tugging on single mothers' heartstrings. However, there is also some finger-pointing, and parts of the book are clear that she's not happy with Jon's "instability," among other things.

7. There are a few stories that are being retold from Kate's first two books. I'm not sure what her angle was in doing that, but perhaps it was simply because those particular anecdotes are indeed very important to her.

8. In addition to needing more space, the family needed to move again because they needed more privacy, and their old house wouldn't allow it because of neighborhood building codes.

9. The letters to the boys mention that Kate is sorry she can't act as a "father" to them... does she not think that girls need fathering, too?

oh, and as an added bonus? Book 4 is on its way: Love is in the Mix, a cookbook. Not sure how I'll review that one. But, there's not even a release date for it yet, so who knows when this will actually be a concern.

House & How I Met Your Mother are Back!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I need to open with an apology. While we're in the moving process, we have no DVR, so unless I'm home to catch it live or it plays on the internet, it's tough. I've been gratefully going over to a neighbor's house to try to keep up, as they graciously offered their DVR for me to (ab)use. However, we all know I watch a LOT of television, and I don't like to be over at their place for hours on end. So, I'm doing what I can. This will probably mean that certain episodes get missed and then caught up later (this week I ran out of time to finish 19 Kids and Counting), but just wanted to give you a head's up.

Monday:
Kate Plus Eight (S01E07): So this explains why Hannah's hair is shorter sometimes... it got cut in this episode. But Kate crying over that was ridiculous. haha, everyone confuses the three little girls from behind now. "Here's one with a lizard." "no, you're a girl." um, Kate? It's 2010. If one of your daughters wants a lizard backpack, it's okay. haha, 1 extra lunchbox. Who tells their kid to run in a store??? Kate is too into shoes, LoL (but she wears an 8.5-9 if anyone's interested). "I don't know if I can get up that early anymore," really?? How much are you sleeping in these days, Kate??!? How long is this bus ride that Kate keeps emphasizing?!? "they better do it right from now on." um, six of your kids are only six years old. Have a heart.

Little People, Big World (S06E05 &S06E06): It's Father's Day. Jacob is still having phone control issues, LoL. whoa... deep sea fishing?? I wonder if this is any relation to the fact that Kate and the kids did that last week? Jacob brought Levi so he had someone his own age there... ok. Snow in June?? Oregon is crazy!! Meanwhile, in Newport, OR, it's beachtime. Amy bought ANOTHER camera because she forgot her two? AND the new one got totally wet an hour later so she got ANOTHER one!! Zach doesn't want Jacob to turn into a city boy, LoL. Zach sees Jacob as hanging with him now only because he can't keep up with Jeremy yet. Once he can, he'll be gone... interesting perspective. Wood-chopping contest. that's different! I'm not into fishing, but I don't know that I'd ever go when it's cold enough out that I'd have to wear gloves! LoL.

Zach got the call from the radio station?? How would they have his phone number?? Amy looked nice in that red suit jacket. "Dad, I need a job. And so does Jeremy." hahaha. Weird way to put this: "I don't know if I'm ready to drive a car with a new car small." Interesting way for Zach to hold his laptop... keyboard against his chest and screen on his lap. I've never seen that before... anywhere. Zach knew to shake the interviewer's hand at the end of the interview, good for him. Oh yay! I'm glad that Zach got the soccer job! I've never seen people more attached to an old first car, LoL.

House, M.D. (S07E01): I was totally lost on why House was hurt, LoL. Nice new opening. "right now, we are more important than what's at the hospital" hehe. Cuddy not being in the bedroom really looked bad for House to Wilson. ohhhh she hid in the closet!! How did Chase end up in charge of acting like they had a neurosurgeon on the premises? And if he actually really did have to perform surgery, what in the world were they gonna do? ewwwww! Is House really using his laptop naked??!? House and Cuddy are so cute together. I'm excited to see them take a trip together. House's big fears about it not working were thought-through, but still overly fearful. Why does Chase want to sleep with Thirteen? I feel like they just started dating and they're saying "I Love You," but I guess they've also known each other for like 20-25 years. Strange that Foreman did all of that research and realized that Thirteen just disappeared.

How I Met Your Mother (S06E01): "dude, you fixed church" hahaha Ted. He grades papers in the bar?? I love the "dibs" on stuff. What is the banjo music about? I'm surprised Barney let Ted buy him out... he has $$. Isn't Ted a little old to be fluff-spiking his hair tall like that? What was the 1 in 5 ankles thing?? why show those two lesbians that ended up together with a kid? Like, what's the point of showing the future there?

Tuesday:
Melissa & Joey (S01E07): don't like Mel's dress. Oh goody! We know where we are! Toledo. Why does she have this strange new assistant? The tiny little message thing was funny. Mel thinking they won't twist anything she's going to say is naive, especially for having worked in politics for some time now! Zoning out in zoning meetings. haha. And I feel like they're hitting the "Toledo" thing hard, too. Ryder was dumb in that interview. Joe was rocking some biceps when he was stirring that chili pot! PRESCHOOL reform??!?!? I thoroughly loves watching Mel dance to that game. I love how Mel has one single cheer. haha Joe did kid commercials. awww... the Chinese food ended up being a work dinner.

19 Kids and Counting (S05E09): Oh. The studio interviews are in the shop. Interesting. I've always kind've wondered where they did theirs. Jordyn is cute. Anna made it there without Josh, LoL? Really, the theme of this episode is taking pictures? LoL.
(I didn't finish this episode, so I'll mention a tiny bit more next week.)

Teen Mom (S02E09):
Catelynn: sucks that her mom was a tool when Catelynn talked about calling Carly for her birthday. Interesting scrapbook. Sucks that Ryan doesn't know his dad's situation with the rehab and the jail and all. Butch & Catelynn's mom have a "no contact" order and they've been together all this time??!? I thought they were married...? Um, did Catelynn's mom think a lawyer was free? $1500 for a lawyer is pretty reasonable.
Maci: I'm surprised her parents aren't going to follow her there... help her move stuff, etc.
Farrah: she thinks she's going to learn to sew and make money?? Why didn't her dad ask for more details on the car scam? "Sophia's lawyer" ?? Why didn't Farrah think she'd need a DNA test?? Farrah had no idea what to do for a stove fire? She works in a kitchen!
Amber: ewww... Amber without makeup again. omg she left a fork and knife near Leah?? I thought Amber did mixed martial arts to lose all the weight... now she's acting like she's new at it?? Amber yells at Gary for letting Leah play with a glass candle, but she doesn't take it away from her until later. I hate how often she uses the f-word. haha, "supposably."

If You Really Knew Me (S01E09): Columbia High School. But, I decided that I'm donw with this show. I've mentioned a few times in the past that it was getting boring and that there's nothing really new... ever. So, after a few days of deliberation, I'm choosing to cut it.

Wednesday:
Better With You (S01E01): Those tunnels aren't that dark, LoL. Nice little intro. "I like what I'm not seeing" haha. Picture count on the fridge was funny. Inventor is interesting, and unique. "quick thinking... not good thinking." Okay, older sister started dating that guy when she was like 16, so she's about 26. Mia and Casey are the young ones. Ben and Maddie are the un-married ones. I kinda love the "moving fast" thing... I think it'll create a lot of comedy. The breakfast invitation was funny. Vicky and Joel Putney are the parents. "I'm sorry. But I mean it!" "We really should start walking home soon" lmaoaoao. Vicky has a drinking game... I LOVE IT!!! The parents finding the tips card at the end could have been more amusing. I liked the framing closer, too... I hope all of the episodes start and finish with those!

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Off season/Coming Up:

The Simpsons (season 22 starts September 26th)
Family Guy (season 9 starts September 26th)
South Park (season 14 continues October 6th)
Burn Notice (back November 11)
Hot in Cleveland (season 3 to start in January)
Mr. Sunshine (new show, starts in January on ABC)
Minute to Win It (season 3 to start...)
Cake Boss (season 3 to continue...?)
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")
16 and Pregnant (unknown)
Huge (unknown)
Futurama (unknown)