So You Think You Can Dance?

Yesterday marked the end of May Sweeps, which means today is the start of the summer television season.

Even though I leave today for the annual International Communication Association conference in San Francisco, I definitely have my TiVo set to record the premiere of a summer reality series. Now entering its third season, So You Think You Can Dance starts this evening showing some of its best and worst auditions.

Some may not think it a show worth checking out, but below are, in my opinion, the two best dances from last season. The first dance is contemporary (which is a style that, overall, I don’t quite understand) and the second is hip hop. Watch them and judge for yourself.

CW 2007-2008 Season Schedule

Today the CW announced its 2nd ever fall slate. After last year’s merging of UPN and the WB, the CW has been working toward finding its own niche in the television marketplace.

After renewing many of the UPN and the WB programs last year, some didn’t make it to a second year on the CW. Reba, All of Us, 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, and Veronica Mars have all seen their demise during this television season.

The only first season success the CW has seen during the 2006-2007 season was The Game and Pussycat Dolls Present, which have been renewed.

In addition to the fall schedule CW has announced two new midseason series as well as the returns of One Tree Hill and Pussycat Dolls Present.

Here is the CW’s 2007-2008 fall schedule.

Mondays:

8pm-8:30pm Everybody Hates Chris

8:30pm-9pm Aliens in America

This sitcom follows 16-year-old Justin Tolchuk as he tries to make it through life in high school in Medora, Wisconsin. Adding to the challenge is his family’s taking in an exchange student: Raja Musharaff, a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Justin and Raja become friends while trying to navigate high school together.

9pm-9:30pm Girlfriends

9:30pm-10pm The Game

Tuesdays:

8pm-9pm Beauty and the Geek

9pm-10pm Reaper

Sam has gone through his life wondering why his parents have been so easy on him while pressuring his little brother Keith to succeed. Sam ends up skipping college and becoming a slacker. But when he turns 21 he discovers why his parents went so easy on him: they sold his soul to the devil before he was born. In return, on his 21st birthday, Satan comes and informs Sam that he must now serve the rest of his life as Satan’s bounty hunter. His mission is to remove the souls of evil-doers from this world and sending them on to the next.

Wednesday:

8pm-9pm America’s Next Top Model

9pm-10pm Gossip Girl

Privileged prep school teens learn all of the important news in their lives from the blog of the all knowing Gossip Girl. The problem is that no one actually knows who the Gossip Girl is. Based on the popular series of books by Cecily von Ziegesar.

Thursdays:

8pm-9pm Smallville

9pm-10pm Supernatural

Fridays:

8pm-10pm Friday Night Smackdown

Sundays:

7pm-7:30pm CW Now

This program features informative and entertainment reports on the hottest fashions, coolest music, the must-see movies, and the must-have gadgets and technology for the CW generation.

7:30pm-8pm Online Nation

This program goes through the infinite number of websites, blogs, and user-generated materials on the Internet to find the best, the hottest, the unique, and the bizarre and presents it to the CW audience.

8pm-9pm Life is Wild

This drama follows the blended Clarke family when their veterinarian father moves them out of New York City to the Blue Antelope game reserve in South Africa. Everyone in the family is sure that dad has lost his mind. But the reasons are deeper than anyone in the family realizes; the Blue Antelope is owned by the recently deceased mother’s family.

9pm-10pm America’s Next Top Model encore

Coming Mid-Season:

Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants

In this reality series mother/daughter teams are pitted against each other in a no-holds barred beauty pageant. The team to ultimately be crowned will receive a prize package including $100,000 in cash and a pair of tiaras. Judged by Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) and Shanna Moakler (Dancing with the Stars).

Farmer Wants a Wife

In this comedic reality series, 10 women tired of the city life decide that they need a change. They compete for the love of a good looking farm boy. And incidentally, they are currently casting for the young farmer here in Indiana!

Fox 2007-2008 Season Schedule

Today is the fourth and final day of the broadcast network upfronts. Today both Fox and the CW announced their schedules for the 2007-2008 season. Let’s take a look at Fox first.

Fox had very little success with their new series from the 2006-2007 season. Only the sitcom ‘Til Death and the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? survived to a second season. Every other series that premiered during this season didn’t last very long.

Following the model that Fox has put forth the past couple of seasons, they have announced their schedule that will start this fall as well as their planned schedule for Spring 2008. Here’s a night-by-night look at the CBS schedule for the fall and spring season. Included are brief descriptions, partially taken from tvguide.com. All times listed are Eastern.

Fall 2007:

Mondays:

8pm-9pm Prison Break

9pm-10pm K-Ville

This drama follows the Felony Action Squad of the New Orleans Police Department. The police officers that still remain in a post-Katrina New Orleans was to reclaim and rebuild their city. New partners Marlin Boulet and Trevor Cobb must learn how to work together in order to keep New Orleans safe.

Tuesdays:

8pm-9pm New Amsterdam

This supernatural drama follows an immortal New York homicide detective who was born in 1642. John Amsterdam was a soldier in the colony of New Amsterdam, which later became New York. He stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native American girl during the massacre of her tribe, and in turn cast an ancient spell that gave John immortality. John will stay immortal until he finds his one true love. Everyone that John ever grows to love and care about dies and leaves him behind, which forces him into a life of loneliness. Only jazz club owner Omar knows John’s secret.

9pm-10pm House

Wednesdays:

8pm-8:30pm Back to You

This sitcom follows a local Pittsburgh news team. Chuck and Kelly were the most popular news team during the 1990s, but off screen they were like oil and water. When Chuck got the call up to a bigger market, he went happily. But after an on-air tirade Chuck is forced back to Pittsburgh and back to work with Kelly. Starring Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond).

8:30pm-9pm ‘Til Death

9pm-10pm Bones

Thursdays:

8pm-9pm Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

9pm-10pm Kitchen Nightmares

This reality show follows chef Gordon Ramsey (Hell’s Kitchen) as he goes into a different restaurant each week that is in danger of closing. Gordon has a week to make the restaurant a success, which may mean revamping the menu, changing the décor, or firing members of the staff.

Fridays:

8pm-9pm The Search for the Next Great American Band

From the producers of American Idol, the search begins for the next great undiscovered band. Bands from all musical genres will compete. Judges will whittle the competitors down to ten. Viewers will then have the opportunity to vote for their favorite band as they work toward winning a recording contract.

9pm-10pm Nashville

From the creators of MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, this reality soap follows a group of young people as they try to make it big in Nashville’s music scene.

Saturdays:

8pm-8:30pm Cops

8:30pm-9pm Cops

9pm-10pm America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back

Sundays:

7pm-8pm The OT (NFL post-game)

8pm-8:30pm The Simpsons

8:30pm-9pm King of the Hill

9pm-9:30pm Family Guy

9:30pm-10pm American Dad

Spring 2008:

Mondays:

8pm-9pm K-Ville (January)/Prison Break (Spring)

9pm-10pm 24

Tuesdays:

8pm-9pm American Idol

9pm-10pm House

Wednesdays (January):

8pm-8:30pm Back to You

8:30pm-9pm ‘Til Death

9pm-10pm American Idol

Wednesdays (Spring):

8pm-8:30pm Back to You

8:30pm-9pm The Return of Jezebel James

This sitcom follows two sisters who don’t get along but decide to move in together when one agrees to carry a baby for the other. Starring Parker Posey (For Your Consideration) and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under).

9pm-9:30pm American Idol

9:30pm-10pm ‘Til Death

Thursdays:

8pm-9pm Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

9pm-10pm Canterbury’s Law

This drama focuses on the courtroom exploits of a female defense attorney who will do whatever is necessary to protect those that are wrongfully accused. Elizabeth Canterbury puts herself and her career on the line in order to take on the unpopular cases. Elizabeth and her husband Matthew are plagued by the disappearance of their young son and have settled in Providence, Rhode Island in order to distance themselves from that tragedy. Starring Juliana Marguiles (ER).

Fridays:

8pm-9pm Bones

9pm-10pm New Amsterdam

Saturdays:

8pm-8:30pm Cops

8:30pm-9pm Cops

9pm-10pm America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back

Sundays:

7pm-7:30pm King of the Hill

7:30pm-8pm American Dad

8pm-8:30pm The Simpsons

8:30pm-9pm Family Guy

9pm-10pm The Sarah Connor Chronicles

This drama follows the heroine of Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This drama follows the end of Terminator 2 as Sarah and her teenage son John deal with the fact that they are fugitives from the law. They are constantly on guard due to the fact that they have enemies from both the present and the future that could strike at any moment.

CBS 2007-2008 Season Schedule

Day 3 of the networks upfronts brings us CBS’ announcement of their 2007-2008 season schedule.

Being the number one rated network has its advantages. CBS cancelled very few of its programs from this past season. Cancelled was the freshman sitcom The Class, sophomore drama Close to Home, and long running comedy the King of Queens.

And CBS announced yesterday that it has cancelled freshman drama Jericho. This is one that upsets me the most. Jericho was smartly written, well acted, and very unique. CBS made some mistakes with it. It had two long hiatuses during the season. While such a tactic works for programs that have episodes that stand alone, serialized programs need to be treated differently. Particularly those programs that are in their first season need to avoid such a tactic. By taking too much time off a new program will struggle to keep its audience. If the episodes had run nearly sequentially I believe it would have fared much better.

CBS is premiering five new series in the fall, and has announced one drama for midseason. In addition, proven reality show The Amazing Race and sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine will return midseason. Here’s a night-by-night look at what the CBS schedule for next season has in store. Included are brief descriptions, partially taken from tvguide.com. All times listed are Eastern.

Mondays:

8pm-8:30pm How I Met Your Mother

8:30pm-9pm The Big Bang Theory

This sitcom focuses on Leonard and Sheldon, who are genius in quantum physics but are socially inept. They don’t fully understand romantic relationships, until their new neighbor Penny moves in. Leonard, Sheldon, and their group of friends begin to learn more about interpersonal relationships thanks to help from Penny.

9pm-9:30pm Two and a Half Men

9:30pm-10pm Rules of Engagement

10pm-11pm CSI: Miami

Tuesdays:

8pm-9pm NCIS

9pm-10pm The Unit

10pm-11pm Cane

This drama stars Jimmy Smits (NYPD Blue) about a Cuban-American family running a successful rum and sugar business in South Florida. The family patriarch must decide whether to keep the family business as is or if he should sell the sugar business and focus on the rum side. By selling he will please his son; by not selling he will be siding with his adoptive son. Also starring Nestor Carbonell (Lost) and Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope).

Wednesdays:

8pm-9pm Kid Nation

In this reality program 40 kids between the ages of 8 and 15 will work together, without their parents, to rebuild a ghost town in Bonanza City, New Mexico. Their ultimate goal is to build a town that works. They will have 40 days in which they will cook their own meals, run their own businesses, and run the city government. Four city leaders will set all laws and bedtimes. At the end of every episode all kids will get together in a town hall meeting to discuss and debate the issues facing them. No one is eliminated, but if a child chooses to leave they only need to raise their hand during the town meeting and ask to go.

9pm-10pm Criminal Minds

10pm-11pm CSI: NY

Thursdays:

8pm-9pm Survivor

9pm-10pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

10pm-11pm Without a Trace

Fridays:

8pm-9pm Ghost Whisperer

9pm-10pm Moonlight

In this supernatural drama, Mick St. John is a vampire that uses his powers to help the living. Mick was sired 60 years ago by his bride, Coraline. He now feels obligated to help the defenseless from Coraline and other vampires who simply view humans as a source of food and nourishment. In the midst of this of these struggles Mick falls for Beth Turner, a reporter covering the unusual murders caused by the vampires. From the producer of The Matrix.

10pm-11pm Numb3rs

Saturdays:

8pm-9pm Crimetime Saturday

9pm-10pm Crimetime Saturday

10pm-11pm 48 Hours Mystery

Sundays:

7pm-8pm 60 Minutes

8pm-9pm Viva Laughlin

This drama comes from executive producer Hugh Jackman (X-Men) and is based on the BBC hit Blackpool. Ripley Holden’s ultimate goal is to open a casino in Laughlin, Nevada. In this series contemporary songs are used to accentuate the drama and advance the story.

9pm-10pm Cold Case

10pm-11pm Shark

Other series coming mid-season:

Swingtown

This drama is set in the 1970s at the peak of the sexual revolution. Susan and Bruce Miller move to an affluence neighborhood, and meet new friends Tom and Trina Decker. As the Millers get to know the Deckers, they begin to realize that a platonic relationship isn’t all they are looking for. The Miller’s best friends from their previous neighborhood, Janet and Roger Thompson, appear to disapprove of the Miller’s new friends. Janet is appalled, and while Roger supports his wife he is intrigued and tempted by the sexual possibilities that are out there.

ABC 2007-2008 Season Schedule

Today is Day 2 of the network upfronts. ABC announced their 2007-2008 schedule today.

ABC had both successes and failures during the 2006-2007 season. Brothers & Sisters and Men in Tress were all renewed for a second season. Ugly Betty was ABC’s runaway hit. However, most of the sitcoms that began this season on ABC failed. Neither Help Me Help You, Knights of Prosperity, nor Big Day even aired for a full season.

Returning programs also faced difficulties. Both Desperate Housewives and Lost faced smaller ratings. Desperate Housewives has had difficulties recovering from an uneven second season. Lost has also been uneven, and faced a three month hiatus between November and February. Creatively both shows have been recovering. In addition, next season Lost will follow 24’s broadcast model: not beginning the new season until January and then airing all 16 episodes nearly non-stop.

Long running sitcom The George Lopez Show has also ended after a five year run. The future of ABC’s other long running comedy, According to Jim, has yet to be decided.

Once Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor reach their fall finales, they will be replaced by returning series October Road, Notes from the Underbelly, and the new series Cashmere Mafia. Also returning mid-season will be reality shows Wife Swap and Supernanny.

Here’s a night-by-night look at the primetime ABC schedule for next season. Included are brief descriptions, partially taken from tvguide.com. All times listed are Eastern.

Mondays:

8pm-9:30pm Dancing with the Stars

9:30pm-10pm Sam I Am

This sitcom follows Samantha “Sam” Newly as she recovers from an eight day coma and dealing with her subsequent amnesia. Sam begins to realize that before her accident she was not well liked and considered a bitch, and words toward doing what’s right while fighting the temptation to not be good. Starring Christina Applegate (Married With Children), Tim Russ (Star Trek Voyager), and Jean Smart (Designing Women, 24).

10pm-11pm The Bachelor

Tuesdays:

8pm-8:30pm Cavemen

This comedy is based on the Caveman in the Geico insurance commercials. Three cavemen are the ultimate outsiders as they try to find their place in the modern world. Nick doesn’t believe that they will ever be accepted, Jamie has accepted their role in the world, and Joel straddles the middle between the two.

8:30pm-9pm Carpoolers

In this comedy, four men from different backgrounds enjoy their daily commute because they are able to commiserate about the trials and tribulations of their daily lives. It is only when carpooling that these men are truly able to be themselves. Starring Faith Ford (Murphy Brown) and Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan, Sliders).

9pm-10pm Dancing with the Stars

10pm-11pm Boston Legal

Wednesdays:

8pm-9pm Pushing Daisies

This drama follows Ned, who can touch dead things and bring them back to life. Ned works with an investigator, bringing back murder victims long enough to name their killers. When Ned comes across a childhood sweetheart he brings her back to name her killer, but then keeps her alive. His revived sweetheart, Chuck, encourages him to use his power to help people and not just solving the murder mysteries. There is one catch though. Ned and Chuck want to live happily ever after, but if Ned ever touches her again she will die for good. Starring Chi McBride (Boston Public), Swoosie Kurtz (Sisters), and Kristen Chenoweth (The West Wing).

9pm-10pm Private Practice

This spin-off from Grey’s Anatomy follows the character of Addison Forbes Montgomery as she leaves for Los Angeles because she realizes she can no longer coexist with her ex-husband. Addison reunites with medical school friends and joins their private medical practice. Starring Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Tim Daly (Wings), Taye Diggs (Day Break), and Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy).

10pm-11pm Dirty Sexy Money

Nick George is asked to become the personal lawyer of the Darling family, and extremely wealthy family. Nick is asked to take over once the patriarch of the family dies mysteriously. The money he would earn in the job would allow Nick to be an do-gooder while the job would require him to get into the dubious dealings of this powerful family. Starring Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) and Donald Sutherland (Backdraft, MASH).

Thursdays:

8pm-9pm Ugly Betty

9pm-10pm Grey’s Anatomy

10pm-11pm Big Shots

This drama follows the lives of four CEOs who are best friends. They are in full control of their lives, until their wives enter the picture. These men retreat to their friendship, where they are able to confide in each other, ask advice, and support each other throughout the twists and turns their lives take. Starring Michael Vartan (Alias), Dylan McDermott (The Practice), and Christopher Titus (Titus).

Fridays:

8pm-9pm Men In Trees

9pm-10pm Women’s Murder Club

This drama is based on the novels by James Patterson. A detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner, and a reporter join together to solve murder cases. Each woman is successful in their own field, but all four realize that by pooling their expertise they can successfully investigate and solve tough murder cases.

10pm-11pm 20/20

Saturdays:

8pm-11pm Saturday Night College Football

Sundays:

7pm-8pm America’s Funniest Home Videos

8pm-9pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

9pm-10pm Desperate Housewives

10pm-11pm Brothers & Sisters

Other series coming mid-season:

Cashmere Mafia

Four women try to balance their careers as successful executives with their personal lives in New York City. They protect each other, confide in each other, yet try to have it all. All of these women try to break the glass ceiling, but what if one friend does while the others are still struggling? Starring Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal, Kill Bill).

Eli Stone

This drama follows a lawyer who has built a successful career at a law firm in San Francisco. Eli represents only large corporations and has a reputation of walking all over the little guy. Eli experiences a series of strange hallucinations, and afterwards looks for a deeper meaning in his life while trying not to lose his job and while maintaining a romantic relationship with the bosses’ daughter. It turns out the hallucinations are being caused by a brain aneurysm, and Eli wonders if maybe he now has a higher calling to follow. Starring Victor Garber (Alias), Loretta Devine (Boston Public), and Natasha Henstridge (Species).

Miss Guided

In this sitcom, Rebecca finds herself returning as a guidance counselor to the high school that she barely made it through. Rebecca has to ward of the romantic advances of the school’s male nurse while dealing with her own romantic interest in the auto-shop/Spanish teacher. Rebecca also has to deal with her high school nemesis when she joins the faculty as the school’s new English teacher and sets her sights on the auto-shop/Spanish teacher as well.

Oprah’s Big Give

This reality show is Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions first foray into primetime. This series will focus on contestants who will give away millions of dollars in order to make a difference in other people’s lives. Each week will bring a big twist that will impact the contestant’s decisions about how to do good work with the money. Each week the stakes will be higher, with one person ultimately being chosen as The Biggest Giver.

NBC 2007-2008 Season Schedule

We are again at the time of year when the broadcast television networks announce their upfronts. Upfronts are when they first announce their schedules for the following television season to possible advertisers. This is when the networks attempt to sell as much of the advertising space in these programs as possible, even before any episodes air in the fall. For established series with proven track records networks are able to sell the ad space at a higher rate. For new series advertisers can often get in at a premium, only because the program isn’t yet a proven commodity.

This is the week when all broadcast networks will announce their 2007-2008 season schedules. I’ll continue to report on these announcements like I did last May.

Today NBC was the first to announce their programming schedule for next season.

NBC seemed to have a lot of misses during the 2006-2007 season. Failed shows include Kidnapped, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, 20 Good Years, and Andy Barker P.I.. While some few freshman series were picked up despite so-so ratings, such as 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights, the only true success story of the previous season is Heroes.

In addition, many proven programs were on the chopping block. NBC’s biggest franchise has been Law & Order. Only Law & Order Special Victims Unit had been renewed as of this past weekend (they received their pick-up months ago). It was announced just yesterday that Law & Order would return to NBC for an 18th season while Law & Order Criminal Intent has been picked up, but original episodes will air on the USA Network and then be repurposed (rebroadcast) later on NBC.

The only long running NBC show not to be renewed is Crossing Jordan, who has had a five season run.

Here’s a night-by-night look at what the NBC schedule for next season has in store. Included are brief descriptions, partially taken from tvguide.com. All times listed are Eastern.

Mondays:

8pm-9pm Deal or No Deal

9pm-10pm Heroes

10pm-11pm Journeyman

This program is a sci-fi, romantic drama that follows a San Francisco newspaper reporter who begins to travel through time in order to change other people’s lives. However, his travels through time begin to cause a strain at work and at home because he suddenly disappears for periods of time. In his travels he also reunites with a long-lost fiancée, which places a strain on his relationship with his wife and son. This series is from the Emmy Award winning writers, producers, and directors of the West Wing.

Tuesdays:

8pm-9pm The Biggest Loser

9pm-10pm Chuck

This is a spy thriller that follows a computer geek who becomes one of the U.S. government’s most vital secret agents. When Chuck accidentally opens an e-mail filled with encoded government secrets, he ends up downloading the information directly into his brain. Chuck goes from fixing people’s computer problems at the local electronics store to dealing with assassins and international terrorists. He ends up getting partnered with the CIA’s top agent. This is a produced by executive producers behind the O.C. and the Charlie’s Angels movie.

10pm-11pm Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Wednesdays:

8pm-9pm Deal or No Deal

9pm-10pm Bionic Woman

In a remake of the late 70’s series, this program follows Jamie Sommers who has cutting-edge technology implanted into her body following a devastating car accident. If not for the technology Jamie would have faced certain death. But not Jamie has a debt to repay by using her new technologies and abilities for good, which will unfortunately lead to some personal sacrifices. This series is produced by those behind such successful programs as the X-Files and Battlestar Galactica.

10pm-11pm Life

This program follows an offbeat detective who returns to the police force after spending years in prison. He is released from prison thanks to his attorney and friend who proves that he was convicted of a crime he did not actually commit.

Thursdays:

8pm-8:30pm My Name is Earl

8:30pm-9pm 30 Rock

9pm-9:30pm The Office

9:30pm-10pm Scrubs

10pm-11pm ER

Fridays:

8pm-9pm Game Night, including 1 vs. 100 and The Singing Bee

NBC has committed the 8pm hour on Friday nights for game shows. In this slot initially will be the returning Bob Saget hosted game 1 vs. 100. After eight weeks it will be followed for six weeks by the new variety/game show The Singing Bee where contestants are forced to sing popular, recognizable music accurately, even once the music stops playing. In order to win they must get every word of the lyrics correct.

9pm-10pm Las Vegas

10pm-11pm Friday Night Lights

Saturdays:

8pm-9pm Dateline NBC

9pm-11pm Encores of NBC Dramas

Sundays (Fall 2007):

7pm-8pm Football Night in America

8pm-11pm Sunday Night Football

Sundays (January 2008):

7pm-8pm Dateline NBC

8pm-9pm Law & Order

9pm-10pm Medium

10pm-11pm Lipstick Jungle

This series is based on the best-selling novel by Candace Bushnell, who also wrote the novel the hit HBO series Sex & the City was based on. In this series three high-powered friends are followed as they face the ups and downs of their everyday lives in New York City. Starring Kim Raver (24) as the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine who wants to become CEO, Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) who must find a way to balance her career and her family, and Lindsay Price (Beverly Hills, 90210) who wants her dreams to come true including find Mr. Right.

Other series coming mid-season:

Baby Borrowers

In this reality series teenage couples experience what it is like to be a parent. These couples are given their own households and their own children, in different age groups, in order to see how they cope.

The IT Crowd

This comedy follows those individuals that come to your office to fix your computer when no one else is around. This series is based on a British comedy of the same name. These geeks are masters of the computer world, but lack any real social skills necessary to make friends.

World Moves

This reality competition, executive produced by American Idol’s Randy Jackson, searches the world for the best dance teams. The world’s best will come to Los Angeles and compete for a global championship and an international touring contract. Teams of five to seven members will compete live in order to demonstrate their creativity and athleticism. Viewers from around the world will vote on the Internet or phone for their favorites in order to eliminate one team each week.

Hilarious Commerical

I saw this commercial a couple of months back and wanted to post it here, but I was having some problems posting blogger when they updated their system. Now that I've figured it out with help from my friend Sam Bradley I wanted to share this ad.

I laugh every time I see this advertisement for Old Spice, and hope others enjoy it too.

Greatest Performance This Season

I'm an avid fan of American Idol. I've loved it since Season 2. This season hasn't been the greatest, but there have been some high points.

While I believe that Melinda Doolittle will win with Jordin Sparks coming in second, I believe that the best and most original performance of the year came from the contestant who I believe will come in third: Blake Lewis. His version of "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi was one of the few times this season that I had to go back and listen to it over and over again. Watch it below and hopefully you'll see what I mean.

Save My Shows

Next week are the upfronts. This is when the television networks reveal their fall schedules to the public. Advertisers are given their first opportunity to check out the new series and decide which ones they’d like to purchase ad time during. Last year I detailed the upfronts for each broadcast network, and this year I plan to do it again.

As I write this, however, network executives are making decisions about which new programs to order episodes of and which current programs they will keep around for another season.

The fates of many series have already been determined. Some of my favorites have already been picked up for another season. Shows such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, 30 Rock, Heroes, and 24 will all be seen during the 2007-2008 television season. Other series that debuted last season, such as Kidnapped, Smith, and The Nine have already been cancelled.

What I’d like to do now is make a plea for a few of the series that the networks are thinking about right now. These are series that I have not heard about their officially being picked up yet for next season. However, I’d like the networks to reconsider and bring these enjoyable programs back. My guess is that at least one of them will be back, but definitely not all of them.

Jericho is number one on my list of programs that I’m championing for next season. Jericho is smartly written and well acted. The program follows the residents of Jericho, Kansas as they deal with the aftermath of a nuclear invasion of the United States. There is nothing like it on TV right now, and hopefully it’ll remain on the air to entertain viewers next.

Scrubs has been on NBC now for six seasons. It is one of only two sitcoms currently airing that I find myself watching and consistently laughing at each and every week (30 Rock is the other). The producers would like one more season. Star Zach Braff has signed one for a seventh season. There is a glimmer of hope, though. If NBC does not renew it there is a very good chance that ABC will pick up the final season.

I’m a sucker for game shows. I’ve been a fan of so many over the years. From The Price is Right and Family Feud to Hot Potato and Tic Tac Dough, I love watching people playing for cash and prizes. The game show has been a genre that has been waning in popularity over the years. This year NBC recognized how inexpensive such programs are to produce, and decided to place a few on the air this season. And I enjoyed them both. 1 vs. 100 and Identity have unique concepts. While they could use some tweaking, I think both deserve a second chance.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the longest shot on my list. It’s hasn’t received much of an audience the entire season. But it was smart and incredibly well written. As a liberal, even I found some of the stories to be a bit left leaning. But it should be given another chance. NBC stuck with Studio 60 on Mondays at 10pm. Maybe if given another time slot on another night it could generate a larger audience and more viewer interest.

Graduation - The Photos

Since I was threatened with a beatdown in a comment to the previous post, here are some pictures from this past weekend's graduation. Thanks to my Dad and my little sister Elizabeth who took these pictures. I hope to have more soon.


This is me with my Dad right after the ceremony.












From left to right, I'm with my nephew Brendan, my sister Lisa, and my sister Elizabeth.

Graduation Day 2007

Today is graduation day here at Indiana University. It marks my five year journey through graduate school. While I'm not quite finished with my dissertation, today symbolically represents a conclusion to my exploits as a student.

And for the first time since I moved to Indiana most of my family is in Bloomington for a visit. Today they will see me graduate and then we will head to a party being held by my adviser, Dr. Julia Fox.

This really has turned into a special time and I'm very glad to be able to share it with so many people that are dear to me.

From Hoosier to Fighting Blue Hen

I have accepted a temporary Assistant Professor position in the Department of Communications at the University of Delaware starting this fall.

I'm very excited about the prospects ahead of me. This will be an excellent opportunity.