The judges have stopped playing it safe on Dancing with the Stars 4. There’s a big gap between this season’s best and worst couples, and tonight, the judges made sure their scores showed just how big that gap is.

Ian Ziering & Cheryl Burke — Samba
Song: Wyclef Jean, "Dance Like This"
Ian’s still having issues with moves he considers "feminine." First it was his hips, and now it’s the shimmy. Frustrated with Ian’s complaining, Cheryl walked out of practice, but they were able to "hug it out" and get on with their training.

Ian really threw himself into this performance, but a few minor missteps seemed to distract him. He’s still dancing more with his head than with his heart.

Len said, "From week one, you have come up with really competent performances. I want you to get to that next level." Bruno told Ian, "This week, you really went for the hip action — a bit like a power tool some times." Carrie Ann said, "I thought the shimmy worked for you. But I think you underestimate yourself. You have the tendency to come in and out of your performance a lot."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…8, Len…8, Bruno…8 = 24/30

Clyde Drexler & Elena Grinenko — Rumba
Song: Marvin Gaye, "What’s Going On"
Marvin Gaye’s ode to world peace was a strange choice for a dance about romantic love. Clyde’s mostly stationary dancing only added to the strangeness, and he and Elena ended the routine with an illegal lift. It was as bad as any performance they’ve given so far. And that’s bad.

Bruno said, "It was like a Rumba under an anesthetic. And then, at the end, you do a lift!" Carrie Ann was frank: "You’re the worst dancer in the competition, and tonight was really bad." Len was more generous: "I know your footwork wasn’t correct, but you came out this time and really tried to show us a proper Rumba."

While awaiting the judges’ score, Elena offered an explanation for the illegal move: "It was not supposed to be a lift. It was supposed to be a pose, but due to the length of his legs…I’m sorry."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…4, Len…5, Bruno…4 = 13/30

Heather Mills & Jonathan Roberts — Samba
Song: Tavares, "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel"
In preparation for the sexy Samba, Heather insisted that Jonathan wax his chest. As the technician ripped the hair off, Heather sadistically chanted, "That’s for the Jive. That’s for the Fox Trot." In tribute to the waxing scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Jonathan cried out, "Carrie Ann Inaba!"

To show off Jonathan’s new look, the routine opened with Heather ripping open Jonathan’s vest. The Samba was a little slow, but entertaining. The inevitable finally happened when Heather tried to end the routine by lifting her (real) foot to Jonathan’s chest. Her prosthesis wobbled a bit, and she fell. When she got to Tom Bergeron’s mic, she joked that her foot must have slipped on all the oil on Jonathan’s chest.

Carrie Ann said she’d have to deduct a point because of the fall, and recommended that Heather take ballet classes to strengthen her upper half. Len said, "I think you came out and you really sold it." Bruno agreed with Carrie Ann that Heather needed to "polish the top half."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…7, Len…7, Bruno…7 = 21/30

Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson — Rumba
Song: Joao Gilberto, "Besame Mucho"
The Rumba was the first slow dance for Joey & Kym, and Joey was having a little trouble taking it seriously. His buddies Lance Bass and Alfonso Ribeiro showed up for practice and helped Joey channel his normally goofy energy into the performance.

They pulled off the romantic dance and gave a nice performance, like they always do. Joey really commits to all of his moves, and he’s been listening to the judges; his butt didn’t stick out at all.

Len told Joey, "For me, you were a little bit feminine," at which point Bruno yelled, "Rubbish!" and physically assaulted Len. Bruno said, "That was absolutely strong and soft." Then Tom called on Carrie Ann for the tiebreaker, and she said, "A little feminine." She explained: "You over-performed it. Some of the moves looked like caricatures."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…8, Len…8, Bruno…9 = 25/30

John Ratzenberger & Edyta Sliwinska — Samba
Song: John Paul Young, "Love Is In The Air"
To help him get in the mood for the Latin party dance, Edyta told John to bring his drums to practice. When he showed up in a kilt — the uniform of his bagpipers corp — she was a little surprised: "I didn’t know he was the drummer in a Scottish marching band."

Dancing to "Love Is In the Air," (as heard in the movie Strictly Ballroom) John danced with joy and energy — much more so than Clyde had or Billy Ray would. John also made sure to show off his best asset: Edyta.

Bruno called the performance "one of the best, worst Sambas I’ve ever seen." Carrie Ann said, "I don’t know how long you’re gonna last in the competition, but I’m gonna give you this," and gave them a standing ovation. Len said simply, "Well done."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…6, Len…6, Bruno…6 = 18/30

Laila Ali & Maksim Chmerkovskiy — Rumba
Song: Corinne Bailey Rae, "Put Your Records On"
Because the Rumba is such a sexy, romantic dance, Laila brought her fiance, Curtis Conway, to rehearsal, so that he could let Maks and her know if any of the moves were too sexy. Curtis spent the rehearsal acting like a chaperone at a middle school dance, separating Laila & Maks until they were dancing at arm’s length.

With this performance, Laila resuscitated her confidence — in herself and in Maks. She looked sexy, and Maks acted like a true partner. It was the best Rumba of the night.

Carrie Ann called Laila "The Comeback Kid." Len told Laila, "Tonight was your best performance all season." Bruno said, "That was Luscious Laila, back in smoldering form. I think I need a shower."

While they waited for their scores backstage, Maks told Samantha he’d made Laila sign a waiver that said, "No Maks is gonna get hurt in the making of this dance." At that moment, Curtis snuck up behind Maks and grabbed him on the shoulder, and Maks nearly jumped out of the frame. Tom joked with Bruno, "You need a shower, and Maks needs a new pair of pants."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…9, Len…10, Bruno…9 = 28/30

Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough — Samba
Song: Reel 2 Real, "I Like To Move It"
Julianne doesn’t necessarily believe in positive motivational techniques. As they trained for their Samba, she yelled at Apolo, "Be a man!" She also told him to be sexy — like a tiger.

In keeping with her "sexy tiger" theme, Julianne wore a tiger-print leotard, as they danced to Reel 2 Real’s "I Like to Move It." In less capable hands, the song might not have worked. But the band was amazing, and Julianne’s choreography was fantastic, making Apolo look great. So far, Julianne is this season’s real breakout star.

Len first congratulated the band and the singers, and then told Apolo & Julianne they gave "a great, great show." Bruno said, "You two were possessed tonight." Carrie Ann said one word: "Perfection."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…10, Len…10, Bruno…10 = 30/30

Billy Ray Cyrus & Karina Smirnoff — Rumba
Song: Tina Turner, "What’s Love Got To Do With It"
Even when dancing to a Tina Turner classic, Billy Ray could not be compelled to move. Worse, even though he was standing still, Karina kept pulling Billy Ray off balance. It was a real step backward after last week.

Bruno reminded Billy Ray that Karina is hot, and explained to him, "You are to respond to the sex appeal." Carrie Ann commended Billy Ray for avoiding heel leads, but said of the dance, "this one didn’t make it for me." Len said that, instead of conveying romance, "This was like a couple having a bit of hanky panky in the back of a Chevy."

Billy Ray protested, "I’ve had some of my most romantic nights in the back of a Chevy," to which Tom replied, "And, clearly, so has Len."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…6, Len…6, Bruno…5 = 17/30

Leaderboard:
30 — Apolo & Julianne
28 — Laila & Maksim
25 — Joey & Kym
24 — Ian & Cheryl
21 — Heather & Jonathan
18 — John & Edyta
17 — Billy Ray & Karina
13 — Clyde & Elena

Tonight, I sent a vote to John & Edyta. They weren’t the best, but there are two other couples who deserve to go home before they do.

Billy Ray and Clyde might actually appreciate a way out of the competition. Next week, all of the couples will learn a new solo routine and participate in a group Swing routine. Since they keep mentioning their busy schedules, I’m not sure Billy Ray or Clyde will have the time to learn a pair of new dances.

Ian Ziering & Cheryl Burke will dance the Samba during tonight’s Performance Show, and Cheryl said at her TV Guide blog that she’s very excited about the music. Could tonight be their breakout performance?

Ian & Cheryl spent Friday night partying with fellow competitors at the Race to Erase MS benefit in Los Angeles. DwtS cast members from the current and past seasons took part in a fashion show, and based on the picture of Drew Lachey near the bottom of this article by Access Hollywood, he’s lucky he wound up on DwtS and not America’s Next Top Model.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy posted at his forum that he’s enjoying the pressure he’s under this season, "because it means that there is at least a chance of winning." He and his partner, Laila Ali, will be dancing the Rumba tonight.

After observing the couples for several weeks, Tom Bergeron offered his predictions on this season’ final four: Ian & Cheryl, Laila & Maksim, Joey & Kym, and Heather & Jonathan. Hmm. No Apolo & Julianne…

Of course, it’s never too early to start speculating on which stars will make the cut for the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Producers are reportedly eager to sign up new L.A. resident Victoria Beckham.

And Kathie Lee Gifford is starting her own Season 5 campaign, even though she said she’s turned down offers to appear on each of the previous seasons, because "she’s been too busy." I always kind of thought of Leeza Gibbons as Kathie Lee, Jr. (a sweatshop knockoff, if you will). I’m not sure there’s a huge demand to see the original model.

Despite Mirna’s pleas, Yield Karma failed to make an appearance this episode.

This leg of The Amazing Race: All-Stars began in the middle of the night, with teams heading to the Kuala Lumpur airport, where they would try to finagle the fastest tickets to Hong Kong. As Mirna & Charla traveled to the airport, Mirna repeatedly talked about the "Yield Karma" Beauty Queens Dustin & Kandice would suffer for having Yielded Eric & Danielle on the previous leg. And Mirna intended to act as karma’s agent, dishing out the justice herself.

All four of the teams arrived at the airport before any of the ticket counters were open, and rather than wait in a ticketing queue, Oswald & Danny went straight to airline offices. They managed to talk their way into being placed first on the wait list for the two earliest flights.

While all of the teams waited to learn their wait list fate, Charla & Mirna approached Eric with a pact to eliminate the Beauty Queens before the teams were whittled to three. Of course, Eric agreed. "Whatever it takes," promised Mirna. "No more giggly, bubbly phoniness."

Oswald & Danny were the only team to make the first flight out, and they arrived in Hong Kong at 11:55 a.m. As soon as their seats on that flight were confirmed, they gave the reservation code they had procured for the second flight to Charla & Mirna.

While talking to two agents at the same counter, Charla & Mirna and Dustin & Kandice tried to make their case for being first on the waiting list for the second flight (which arrived at 12:55 p.m.). Oswald & Danny’s code was technically first, but Dustin & Kandice’s names were actually on the list — Charla & Mirna’s weren’t.

Dustin & Kandice won the contest between the agents, even though the victory was short lived. Charla & Mirna made the flight as well.

Eric & Danielle, who’d unsuccessfully tried to exchange some of their foreign cash, were the third team the counter and weren’t able to get on the flight. Instead, they were forced to take a flight that arrived at 3:20 p.m.

Oswald & Danny reached the first clue at a dry cleaner, and they were thrilled to find a Fast Forward inside. It gave them an easy opportunity to extend their lead.

The Fast Forward was especially good for Oswald & Danny, because of their dire financial situation. Danny had spent all of their cash during the last leg in order to complete a Roadblock, and being able to head straight to the Pit Stop after only one task meant they wouldn’t have to waste money traveling by taxi to multiple locations.

Additionally, their Fast Forward task was exceptionally cool. Hong Kong is one of the action movie capitals of the world, so Oswald & Danny had to participate in a high-speed car stunt. After the car skidded to a halt, the would receive their next clue.

What Oswald & Danny didn’t know is that, after speeding through an obstacle course, the car would partially flip and skid to a halt on its side, before finally tipping back onto what was left of its tires. Oswald kept his eyes closed for most of the stunt and was more than happy to get out of the now-partially-wrecked car.

Oswald & Danny drove themselves to the Pit Stop at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, spending the last of their money on toll roads along the way. Phil Keoghan informed them that, for finishing in first place, they’d be returning to Hong Kong, celebrating Chinese New Year and staying in one of the city’s luxury hotels.

The second plane touched down in Hong Kong at just before 1 p.m., and one of the teams on board spent the rest of the leg beset by such bad decision-making and bad luck that some might consider it karmic retribution. Only the cursed team wasn’t the Beauty Queens; it was Charla & Mirna.

The cousins reached the dry cleaners in first place and, correctly assuming that the Fast Forward had already been taken, set out in a cab to complete one of the two Detour options: Kung Fu Fighting or Lost in Translation.

For Kung Fu Fighting, they would have to scale bamboo scaffolding on the side of an 11-story building as martial artists on ropes swung by them, engaged in mock battle.

For Lost in Translation, the cousins were given the name of a street and told to use a photograph of a sign to find a specific store. However, there were hundreds of stores on the same street, all with similar looking signs written only in Chinese characters.

Charla & Mirna first directed their cabbie toward the Kung Fu task, but weren’t sure if Charla would be tall enough to complete the task easily. So they turned the cab around and headed toward the shops.

Then they realized that it would be very hard to tell the signs apart, and they had their cab head back toward the Kung Fu task. But their cabbie didn’t know where it was, and they had to stop and ask for directions.

By the time the cousins finally reached the 11-story building, Dustin & Kandice had already eluded the flying karate guys and finished the task. The clue atop the building sent the Beauty Queens to the Star Ferry terminal, where they caught a ferry to Hong Kong Island.

On Hong Kong Island, teams needed to take a cab to an abandoned building that once housed the police headquarters. There, one team member completed a kung-fu style Roadblock, kicking down doors and searching rooms for a clue.

Kandice kicked the doors with gusto and found the clue with relative ease. The clue directed teams to drive five miles to Victoria Park, where a popular activity for children is playing with model boats in a pond.

Each team chose a model junk attached to a rope, and had to slowly pull it across the pond without pitching a wooden product placement gnome into the water. Once the boat was safely across, teams found inside it a clue directing them to drive to the Pit Stop.

Dustin & Kandice completed the task with ease and reached the Pit Stop with plenty of daylight to spare.

Charla & Mirna completed the kung-fu climb without incident, and told their waiting cab driver "Star Ferry, Hong Kong Island." Mirna was a little suspicious when the cab passed under a tunnel, but it was only when they were already on the ferry that a fellow passenger confirmed what she’d feared: the cabbie had driven them all the way to Hong Kong Island, and now they were traveling on a ferry from Hong Kong Island — completely in the wrong direction.

As they made the return trip back to Hong Kong Island, Mirna checked her watch. It was approximately 3:45 p.m., and Eric & Danielle had arrived in Hong Kong nearly thirty minutes before.

When Mirna & Charla reached the Old Police Headquarters, Charla wanted to do the Roadblock: "My legs are strong, and I like to kick things." It took her a while, but she was able to find the clue. Then the cousins hit the road, which is where things usually go wrong for them.

The sky was already turning dark, and it was rush hour in Hong Kong. The cousins drove in a circle before finally finding the park and pulling their boat across the water.

Mirna & Charla followed a cab to the Pit Stop and reached the mat — without them (or Yield Karma) having done anything all leg to negatively impact the Beauty Queens.

Eric & Danielle completed the same Detour task as everyone else, and Eric kicked down doors for the team. Then they got stuck in rush hour traffic, and an otherwise well-played afternoon in Hong Kong fell to pieces.

Eric ignored Danielle’s suggestion to hire a cab and follow it, insisting on reading the map himself as he drove. As they passed the same gas station they’d driven by minutes before, Danielle was at her breaking point.

When asked why he wouldn’t hire a cab, Eric replied, "It’s a pain in the ass." Danielle asked, "This isn’t a pain in the ass? Just guessing where we’re going?"

Once he was somehow able to convince himself that it was sort of his own idea, Eric hired a cab, and they reached the Pit Stop in last place. Fortunately for them, it was a non-elimination leg. Eric & Danielle need to finish the next leg in first place, or they will incur a thirty minute penalty.

After two trying legs in a row, Eric & Danielle’s enthusiasm for the race seemed to be waning. When told they hadn’t been eliminated, Eric said, "I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing." When Phil asked if they’d be able to fight their way into the final three, Danielle replied, "I don’t know."

It doesn’t look as if Eric & Danielle are completely out of the running yet. Next week, it looks like they may form a partnership with Oswald & Danny to Yield one of the other teams. Is there any chance that the team isn’t Dustin & Kandice?

Now that the lesser female celebrities have been eliminated from Dancing with the Stars 4, it’s time for the worst of the men to take a beating.

8. John Ratzenberger & Edyta Sliwinska
John’s slip into the Bottom Two this week means that he’s not connecting with the audience, and Edyta’s lackluster choreography isn’t helping their cause. I think when John was cast, most people (fairly or not) assumed he would be a funny guy, just because he acted as a comic character on Cheers. It turns out that, while he seems sincere and competitive, John hasn’t really been all that entertaining. He may have exceeded expectations as a dancer, but he’s fallen short as a comedian. Oddly enough, if the opposite were the case, I bet he’d be in less danger of elimination.

7. Clyde Drexler & Elena Grinenko
I’m still not sure how Clyde stayed out of the Bottom Two, after his wimpy Waltz and lousy attitude, but evidently some fans are still voting for him. I’m not sure how much longer that goodwill will last.

6. Billy Ray Cyrus & Karina Smirnoff
Billy Ray’s commitment to the show is admirable, even if his footwork is not. But he’s going to have less time to devote to dancing, now that Hannah Montana is filming again. If he lasts long enough to be required to learn two new dances each week, the show is going to become progressively more difficult for him.

5. Heather Mills & Jonathan Roberts
Like Billy Ray, Heather’s going to have trouble fitting rehearsal time into her busy schedule; she’ll be commuting from London every week for the remainder of the season. She was able to train for her Jive in only nine hours, but learning two dances each week might be too much even for Heather.

4. Laila Ali & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
After Maks’s rule-breaking Tango — and the resultant walloping from the judges — Laila seems to have lost her confidence. She needs to get it back, before she loses her place as one of the favorites in the competition. Fortunately, I think she’s safe for a few weeks, which should be time enough to get back on track.

3. Ian Ziering & Cheryl Burke
Ian’s still giving strong performances, so he’s moving up in the Power Rankings, if only because others are falling down. If he perfects his technique now, a couple of show-stopping routines in the final weeks could catapult him to the top.

2. Apolo Anton Ohno & Julianne Hough
Apolo & Julianne are sweethearts, and Apolo’s a talented dancer. But they haven’t been able to surpass Joey & Kym, because Julianne’s been playing it safe with her choreography. At some point, they’re going to have to go for broke.

1. Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson
Joey & Kym have been doing everything right: catering to both the audience and the judges. And when the judges speak, Joey’s listening to them. That’s the recipe that won the past two seasons for Cheryl and her partners, and it makes Joey & Kym the favorites for this season. By the end of his run, Joey’s going to be one lean, mean, dancing machine.

Summer TV Schedules
Networks are starting to announce their summer plans already. First out of the block for NBC is America’s Got Talent, premiering on May 29 with new host Jerry Springer. Last Comic Standing, with new host Bill Bellamy, will premiere on June 13, followed the next week by a new dating series call Age of Love. The Biggest Loser will return sometime later in the summer.

Bravo is planning a slew of new reality shows for the summer, including one entitled Millionaire Matchmaker, and another that will follow Paula Abdul’s private life. If the show is anything like one of Paula’s legendary morning TV interviews, it should be disturbing.

Of Course Not, Baby
Yesterday, someone found our homepage picture amusing and, as a result, was kind enough to link to us from the Television Without Pity forums. In the same post, she mentioned the Fred Astaire Dance Studios Blog, which I had never seen before, but which offers a professional’s opinion on each week’s Dancing with the Stars performances. Good stuff.

Many thanks to zengirl at TWoP, wherever and whoever you may be!

Start the Weekend Early
Your body may be at work, but your mind is already at home relaxing. Here are a couple of good ways to kill time until it’s time before your afternoon commute:

1) Reality Star Hangouts — MSN City Guides asked reality stars where they like to eat or party when they’re at home or on the road. Cheryl Burke likes to dine on pizza at Giordano’s when she’s in Chicago — but that’s just because she hasn’t tried an Italian beef from Portillo’s yet.

2) TV Shows on DVD — An oldie, but still addictive as ever. This is the place on the Web to search for television shows released on DVD. Wondering if That Girl ever made it to DVD? (It did.) What about Cop Rock? (It didn’t.) Spend the rest of the afternoon looking up shows by title or perusing the calendar of upcoming release dates.

When the producers of Survivor: Fiji devised their latest twist, I bet they weren’t counting on one of the season’s most likable players — who wasn’t even a target beforehand — being eliminated as a result.

At the beginning of the episode, both teams were told to take their personal belongings (and nothing else) with them to Exile Island. There, they received new buffs and merged into a new tribe, which they later named Bula Bula (Fijian for "hello hello").

The tribes headed back to Moto’s beach, which had been totally gutted in their absence. Instead of a bed and couch, all that remained in the cave was a pot, a machete, and some fishing gear.

The stinky men of Ravu — who were still covered in body paint from the Reward Challenge several days earlier — were especially miffed that they wouldn’t get to use Moto’s shower. In fact, Mookie, who had been on Ravu since the beginning of the season, never even got to see Moto beach in all its luxurious glory.

But the Ravu men had work to do. Dreamz confirmed that Cassandra was still on his side, Alex did the same with Stacy, and Mookie talked to Yau-Man. Boo, who had no real alliance with anyone, was universally agreed upon as the next person to vote out.

In a foolish burst of honesty, Mookie tried to cement the bond between Ravu’s "Four Horsemen" by telling Dreamz that he possessed one of the Immunity Idols. All that did was make Dreamz miffed that he hadn’t been told sooner — and make Alex and Edgardo question Mookie’s intelligence.

There was no way that Dreamz was going to be able to keep that secret from his best pal, Cassandra.

So Alex and Edgardo amended the voting plan. Instead of voting off Stacy right after Boo, they’d keep her around and make an alliance of five, voting Dreamz off if necessary.

At that point, Mookie and Dreamz realized that they needed to get rid of Stacy, or else Alex and Edgardo would likely keep her (because she hasn’t seemed like a challenge threat) instead of them into the final three. Plus, Dreamz didn’t even like Stacy, after how rudely she’d treated him and Cassandra during their days on the original Moto tribe.

Before everyone could cement their voting strategies, it was time for the Immunity Challenge. When the tribe arrived, Jeff Probst instructed everyone to reach into a bag and grab a colored rock. The orange and green rocks split the tribe into two temporary tribes of five members each.

During the challenge, the two mini-tribes would be competing against one another. The winning tribe won Immunity and a steak dinner. The losing tribe would head straight to Tribal Council, without any time to talk strategy.

The mini-tribes were:
Green — Michelle, Mookie, Dreamz, Stacy, Alex
Orange — Edgardo, Boo, Earl, Yau-Man, Cassandra

This tribe setup meant trouble for Michelle, should her team lose. Though she hadn’t even been mentioned as a target earlier, she was suddenly on her own with three of the "Four Horsemen" and their pal, Stacy.

Both tribes paddled to three buoys and collected bags of puzzle pieces. Then they paddled back to the beach to assemble the puzzle according to a pattern they’d memorized earlier.

The Green team fell behind early, and even a late surge once they’d gotten to shore couldn’t save them. The Orange team went to dinner, and the Green team went to Tribal Council.

The contestants gave non-committal answers to Jeff Probst’s questions about how they planned to vote, until Alex said he didn’t have any reason to get rid of Stacy, Mookie, or Dreamz. In other words, he was voting for Michelle, and he was letting the others know for whom they should vote.

At that point, Dreamz said he’d really come to trust Alex. (The only question was whether that trust in Alex stronger than Dreamz’s hate for Stacy…)

When they finally voted, Alex and Stacy wrote down Michelle’s name, and Michelle voted for Stacy.

It looked like Michelle had a shot at staying when Mookie — thinking about his earlier conversation with Dreamz, and not his loyalty to Alex — voted for Stacy as well.

Unfortunately, Dreamz was on his own wavelength. His trust in Alex (or, more likely, his not sussing out how Mookie planned to vote) won out, and he wrote down "Mechelle."

As Jeff Probst read the final vote, Michelle (who probably expected to go) looked calm. Dreamz and Mookie, on the other hand, started to panic.

Dreamz evidently hadn’t figured that both Michelle and Mookie would be voting for Stacy, and he was frustrated at having missed the opportunity to vote off his nemesis. And Mookie realized that he’d put too much faith in Dreamz. Now Mookie had showed himself to be disloyal to the "Four Horsemen."

I found the twist to be totally unnecessary, and absolutely awful to endure. It was impossible not to empathize for Michelle who, through no fault of her own, wound up on a tribe that was sure to get rid of her.

For one episode, the "temporary tribe" twist rendered all the strategies and interpersonal dealings of the previous twentysomething days moot. It’s not fun for the viewer to feel that sad and frustrated for someone like Michelle, so I hope that the producers avoid this particular twist in future seasons.

Michelle, for her part, remained upbeat. At this stage in the game, most people are voted off through deception, and at least she had time to prepare herself. "I think I’ve just affirmed that I know what kind of person I am and that I know what I’m capable of, and that I’m…just as strong as I thought. Hee hee."

Next time, Mookie confronts Dreamz about his vote and gets annoyed with Cassandra. And Dreamz does the thinkable and tells Cassandra and Earl about Mookie’s Immunity Idol.

Bravo News
Summer reality staple Project Runway is being held over until the fall. In its place, Bravo will run a new edition of PR’s less-cool kid sister, Top Chef. For its third season, Top Chef moves to Miami Beach, and Queer Eye’s Ted Allen will join the cast as a third permanent judge. If you bet that host Padma Lakshmi would go the way of Katie Lee Joel and be out after one season, you’re going to have to pay up; Padma’s back.

DwtS Update
Every week, the couple voted off of Dancing with the Stars will appear in the last segment of the Thursday episode of The View. Leeza Gibbons and Tony Dovolani were on today, dancing a Tango and giving a brief interview (which is more than they got to do at the Results Show).

Both Leeza and Tony felt that the judges held the female celebrities to a double standard. They said the female celebrities were judged as they compared to the female pros, while the male celebs weren’t expected to dance as well their professional counterparts.

Leeza said she and Tony aren’t done dancing yet, as he’s promised to teach her the Rumba. And they will both be cheering for Laila Ali & Maksim Chmerkovskiy to win the mirror ball trophy.

Playing the Role of Eddie the Dog…
Two of the supporting roles have been recast in the upcoming Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer sitcom Back to You.

It’s confession time. I’m looking forward to this show because…I’m addicted to reruns of Frasier.

I never watched Frasier when it originally aired. Now I watch it every morning on Lifetime while I eat my breakfast, and it’s a damned funny show: witty and well acted. And I defend myself (using force, when necessary) every time Greg makes fun of me for watching it.

MOIB Update
Videos of all of the performances have been embedded in this week’s Performance Show recap.

Dancing with the Stars News
TV Guide has a backstage report from last night’s Results Show. Apparently, no one is more surprised by Laila Ali’s dancing skills than her fiance, former Chicago Bear Curtis Conway: "I just didn’t know she could move like that. She’s so conservative at home."

People has more tidbits from behind the scenes of last night’s show, including an account of a night club dance-off between Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Ian Ziering, and Joey Fatone.

According to Access Hollywood’s Dish of Salt blog, several members of the cast disputed the number of practice hours Len Goodman quoted in his warning at the top of Monday night’s Performance Show. But most of them took the comments as motivation to keep working hard.

Except for the athletes. Clyde Drexler was upset on-camera, but off-camera, even Laila was a little defensive: "We worked very hard, so it’s not like I’m gonna go, ‘Oh my God, we have to work harder’ because I don’t think I can possibly work any harder than I’ve been working."

Apolo Anton Ohno took the comments as an attack on his character: "I think it’s hard for anybody to judge another person’s work ethic. I’m an Olympic athlete. I’m a 2-time Olympic gold medalist."

Something tells me Len wasn’t directing his comments at you, Apolo, but at the China-bound Clyde.

In an interview with People, Bruno Tonioli named Apolo as one of this season’s best dancers (along with Laila, Ian Ziering, and Joey Fatone).

Heather Mills brought up Len’s comments in her blog at USA Today, but said she agreed with the judges’ assessment of her own performance — even Carrie Ann Inaba’s criticism of her scrunched shoulders.

Life After DwtS
Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s partner from last season, Willa Ford, has been cast as the lead in an Anna Nicole Smith biopic. Uh, congratulations?

Former DwtS pro dancer Ashly DelGrosso said in an email newsletter that she is enjoying pregnancy and married life, while still keeping up with the show:

"I am missing being on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ this season, but it is fun just to sit and watch for the first time. I am very proud of Julianne and Apolo, I think they are going to make it to the top. Julianne is also from Utah and she came from my dance studio. I am rooting for them.

"So I hope you are enjoying this season and I am hoping to come back in season 6. Maybe this time I will have a partner that will take me all the way to the finals."

Leeza & Tony looked and sounded prepared for bad news tonight — and with good reason. The fabulous fifty-year-old and her partner were the latest couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars.

After the judges’ very direct comments last night, Len Goodman clarified that the judges didn’t want to put any of the couples down; they just wanted to help them reach their potential. For an example of some of the good dancing that’s happening in the competition, Len asked for an encore of Joey & Kym’s Paso Doble — their second encore in a row.

Big & Rich were the first live act of the night, and they performed their hit "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)." DwtS pros Cheryl, Tony, Edyta, and Alec dressed as cowpokes and used some of the same choreography that earned Cheryl an Emmy nomination when she and Drew Lachey had performed to the song during Season 2.

Hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris had promised a surprise during the Results Show, and the surprise ran onto the dance floor during the middle of Big & Rich’s song. Drew came out on stage, and he and Cheryl danced together for a couple minutes. The number ended with Drew dancing alongside all four of the pros.

As Drew caught his breath, Tom asked him if he had any advice to offer this season’s contestants. Drew said, "Listen to what the judges say. They know what they’re talking about." He joked that Len owed him money after the show for saying that.

Then the camera cut to the backstage waiting area, where Samantha interviewed some of the couples. Clyde was a bit defensive when Samantha asked if the competition was harder than he’d expected it to be: "It’s not that hard. It’s a lot of fun. Remember, we’re invited guests, so you treat people that you invite very nicely, judges."

That is exactly the wrong kind of attitude to have. Clyde is not there at the invitation of the judges; he’s a contestant — and a contracted employee of ABC, just like everyone else on the show. He’s not treating DwtS like the competition or job that it is, and that’s probably why his dancing isn’t getting any better.

Further limiting the chances of a renewed commitment to training, Clyde said that he’s flying to China tonight. Billy Ray Cyrus admitted to having scheduling difficulties of his own, as new episodes of Hannah Montana start filming tomorrow: "Talk about jugglin’ some balls, Clyde."

Then, Tom introduced footage of last night’s studio audience offering their opinions. Alfonso Ribeiro said that Clyde needed to "come alive." And if there’s one thing that Carlton Banks knows, it’s dancing.

After that, the first two safe couples were announced: Billy Ray & Karina and Apolo & Julianne. During Samantha’s interview with the couples, Karina echoed Billy Ray’s earlier comment and said he was going to have to "juggle those balls the best way he can." (That turn of phrase struck Joey, who was standing nearby, as especially funny.)

In an attempt to get away from the bawdy humor, Apolo said he and Julianne would be "juggling schedules."

Still backstage, Samantha confirmed a rumor that’s been circulating about her, recently. She’s pregnant with "a little baby dancer," the first for her and her husband, Michael. Karina was standing right next to the microphone and let out an ear-piercing squeal of delight.

The highlight of the night was a Samba performance by professional dancers Andrei Gavriline and Elena Kryuchkova. They won the International Latin division on this year’s America’s Ballroom Challenge. They’re exciting to watch, and I was glad that I didn’t have to wait until the next edition of ABC to see them dance again.

Big & Rich came out for a second performance, and they were accompanied by pros Brian & Julianne, who danced a lovely Rumba.

The performance was followed by a short lesson from the judges called "Anatomy of a Dancer." Fast feet and strong legs are necessary because, as Len said, "the hip action comes as a direct result from the foot and leg action." Carrie Ann said that flips are possible because of a strong abdomen, and not because of a strong back.

Tight shoulders indicate that a dancer is nervous. And the arm movements are what make one dance style distinct from another. "Drama comes from the head motions," said Carrie Ann. I plan on watching for a few of these points during next week’s Performance Show.

Then, Laila & Maks and Clyde & Elena were announced as the next two safe couples. To say that I was surprised about Clyde & Elena was an understatement.

Another video package focused on the decisions and pressures the pro dancers face every week. New choreography has to please both the judges and the fans. Julianne said, "If we make a bad decision on our wardrobes, it can affect the whole dance." And Elena said the pros must walk a fine line between "training or over-training" their celebrity partners.

Finally, Leeza & Tony and John & Edyta were announced as the two couples in the Bottom Two.

When Tom announced that Leeza & Tony had been eliminated, both smiled and nodded, looking as if they’d expected to go.

Leeza barely got to say, "Thank you to my Tony," before Tom had to usher them onto the dance floor. It’s unfortunate that the producers put Tom in this position, especially since he’s worked with Tony for three seasons. To not even allow Tony to respond to Leeza is shameful.

As "Miss You Like Crazy" played, the couple was surrounded with hugs from their fellow competitors.

Next week, the remaining couples take on the Rumba and Samba.