TV Guide has a backstage report from the set of So You Think You Can Dance in which Nigel Lythgoe says that, between the final performance and results shows, the Final Four dancers will be performing 11 or 12 routines. Perhaps Wednesday’s and Thursday’s two-hour-long episodes won’t be all filler material after all.
Another pair of dancers, Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, had their respective bachelorette and bachelor parties in Las Vegas this weekend.
In other talent competition news, NBC has sold the format for America’s Got Talent to 80 countries. The show could be huge in the Philippines, where there is already a huge pool of future parolees who can dance to Michael Jackson’s "Thriller":
The grandmother of all competition shows, The Miss America Pageant, is moving to TLC. The network will lead up to the contest with a reality series following some of the contestants.
On Monday night’s So You Think You Can Dance Results Show, the field of six was pared down to the final four.
This week’s group number was the story of some zombie satyrs whose significant others had just left on a train. Hey, I can only interpret based on the song’s lyrics (Tom Waits’ "2:19") and the costumes. Only choreographer Wade Robson knows what the hell his routines are really about.
Then, Titus Fotso & the African Dance Music Ensemble performed.
The show’s next two segments featured the six remaining dancers’ solos:
Choreographer Lil’ C and some of his dancers then killed time by performing a krump routine.
I was hoping I would enjoy this style of dance better once I’d finally seen it performed by someone who dances it regularly — and not someone who’d just learned the style in the span of a few hours. I didn’t.
It was almost time to reveal the night’s big losers. After a thorough recap of Wednesday’s performances, Lacey and Danny were told they were safe.
Then, Cat Deeley stopped the proceedings and ushered the audience out of the studio. This episode had been filmed on Thursday. So, in order to give the Final Four time to practice over the weekend, the results had to be revealed in secret.
With Sabra and Lauren as the two girls in danger, it wasn’t a surprise when Lauren was told she’d been eliminated. But the absence of a noisy studio audience added a creepy feeling to Cat’s announcement. Nigel Lythgoe — who’d been allowed to remain in the studio — said that Lauren might have peaked too late to win over voters.
Then Pasha and Neil took the stage to sparse clapping from the judges and a couple of crew members. Pasha got the axe, but Nigel called him a "charming gentleman." Mary Murphy teared up as she talked about Pasha’s development as a dancer, and Debbie Allen told him to take acting lessons and capitalize on his fame.
I agree. Hollywood has suffered from a dearth of shirtless Russian dancers for years. It’s time this crisis was addressed.
Dancing with the Stars’ Ashly DelGrosso gave birth to a baby boy on July 27th, and her website has pics of little Ammon Michael.
CBS Television Distribution is hoping to create new Internet superstars on Big Shot with a little help from its other property, Entertainment Tonight. You’ve got until January 7 to perfect your best dramatic look:
NBC is working on syndicating a half-hour version of Deal or No Deal, and the network is trying to save money by lowering the maximum prize to $250,000 and cutting back on briefcase girls.
If none of the three above show ideas excites you, here’s why: they are all versions of the same reality show formats we’ve seen already. Variety’s Josef Adalian gives an overview of this summer’s reality fare, and why it failed to produce any breakout hits like Survivor or Dancing with the Stars.
Since there is no So You Think You Can Dance results show tonight, here are TV Guide’s interviews with last week’s eliminated dancers, Sara and Dominic, to tide you over until Monday night.
In other Fox reality show news, a prospective contestant went into labor at the American Idol auditions in Texas.
Now that The Simple Life is through, E! has focused its efforts on a new show about another hard-partying socialite, Kim Kardashian — whose stepfather is Bruce Jenner.
Viewers were treated to six great performances by six great dancers on this week’s edition of So You Think You Can Dance.
The incredibly (if not overly) positive Debbie Allen returned to the judges table, joining Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. Like last time she guested, Debbie loved everyone.
Lacey & Pasha — Hip-Hop Choreographer: Dave Scott
Song: Junior Boys, "In the Morning"
Dave Scott is evidently a big fan of the movie Mannequin; Lacey played a mannequin, and Pasha played Andrew McCarthy. So why didn’t they dance to Starship’s "Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now"? Nigel said, "I thought it was danced very well." Mary said Pasha was "crazy good" and Lacey was "terrific as usual."
Sabra’s Solo — Elisa, "Rock Your Soul"
Another quality solo from Sabra.
Lauren & Danny — Contemporary Choreographer: Mia Michaels
Song: Celine Dion, "Then You Look At Me"
From mannequins to aliens — at least according to Mia’s instructions. I’m not sure I saw the "alien" in their movements, but I’m guessing that kissing a girl was pretty alien to Danny. Hey-O! The performance was great. "Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" shouted Nigel. "What am I gonna say after that?" wondered Mary, before breaking into one of her patented, "Woo’s!"
Pasha’s Solo — Bonnie Tyler, "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Pasha directed his dancing toward a dress on a mannequin (not a live one, this time), and ended his solo with a roundoff. Cat joked with Pasha, "Maybe one day you’ll get the girl," instead of always having to settle for mannequins.
Sabra & Neil — Jazz Choreographer: Mandy Moore
Song: Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
Mandy described the routine as an "eighties jazz power lunch," complete with a negotiating table. Mandy is my favorite choreographer, because she can make the goofiest concepts look totally cool. Nigel said, "I hope the finale comes up to this standard, because the dancing tonight is fantastic. So many good things going on." Mary was impressed as well, although she didn’t scream this time.
Lauren’s Solo — Maria Mena, "Sorry"
She punctuated her sharp, quick movements with some pretty spins.
Lacey & Pasha — Smooth Waltz Choreographer: Hunter Johnson Song: Mick McAuley & Winifred Horan, "A Daisy In December"
This was some of the best dancing we’ve seen from Pasha and Lacey. Nigel was impressed with their technical achievements, although he was disappointed with Lacey’s hands. Mary said the dance was "absolutely dreamlike. It was really sweet and touching."
Neil’s Solo — Dave Matthews Band, "Out of My Hands"
Neil’s acrobatic tricks made the girls in the studio audience scream.
Lauren & Danny — Disco Choreographer: Doriana Sanchez
Song: The Communards, "Don’t Leave Me This Way"
The tricks were great and Lauren & Danny looked really good together, although the routine worked more as a showcase for Lauren than Danny. Nigel liked it, and he pointed out the numerous bruises on Lauren’s legs to emphasize the difficulty of the routine. "I thought it was so much FUN!" yelled Mary, and she called Lauren a "seventies goddess."
Lacey’s Solo — Shiny Toy Guns, "Le Disco"
Lacey’s solos had lots of Latin moves, but she did them barefoot instead of in heels.
Sabra & Neil — Paso Doble Choreographer: Tony Meredith Song: Juan & Gennaro, "Espana Cani"
Neil embraced the chance to be the toughest guy in the room, and he looked pretty macho for a guy wearing a frilly shirt. "Wow. That was absolutely stunning," said Nigel. Mary said, "You guys look hot. You’re both back on the Train again! Woo!" Neil corrected Mary that this was actually the first time he’d been invited on her Hot Tamale Train.
Danny’s Solo — Joshua Radin, "The Fear You Won’t Fall"
This song was cool. Danny gave a nice smile to the camera that’s sure to earn him a few extra votes.
My favorite dances of the night were Lacey & Pasha’s Smooth Waltz and Sabra & Neil’s Jazz. I’m an unabashed Pasha supporter, and I cast my vote for him.
Since the competition is really between Sabra and Lacey at this point, it seems obvious that Lauren will be the girl to go home. All of the boys seem equally at risk, although my hunch tells me that Neil isn’t connecting with the at-home audience as well as the others and will probably be the one to go.
There’s no results show this week; the lowest vote getters will be cut in a special results show on Monday night at 8 ET. I’d like to know how the dancers are supposed to pair up and practice their routines for the final performance show, when they don’t know who’s been cut. I hope they address that on Monday night. It seems a little mean to have everyone practice over the weekend, and then to cut two dancers before their routines.
According to spoilers for tonight’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance, the pair of dancers many of us have been waiting to see perform together finally get their chance. Each couple will perform two dances, and all six of the dancers give a solo as well. Mercifully, the show is only scheduled to last one hour — more dancing, less filler!
Following up on the New York Magazine story about Bravo reality shows mentioned in Monday’s OxNotes, Jay McCarroll is going out of his way to prove that, contrary to what the magazine’s story said, he’s not homeless.Queer Eye’s Ted Allen had this to say about Jay: "He’s really kind of a jackass, whether he won Project Runway or not."
Here’s hoping that life after a reality show works out better for Age of Love’s Mark Philippoussis and Amanda Salinas, who reunited in Las Vegas on Monday to watch the show’s finale.
Provided that NBC can work the Olympic coverage into their busy schedule of pedophile-trapping shows, of course. This Variety article questions the wisdom and ethics of the network’s creepy policy of exploiting parents’ fears for ratings.
I can’t think of any show that makes everyone involved look bad the way that To Catch a Predator does — not even The Real World (the Sydney season debuts tonight at 10 ET on MTV).
Somehow, Louie managed to survive for another week on Pirate Master, despite making one of the stupidest moves in reality show history.
As soon as Nessa was eliminated, Jay began planning a way to ensure that his puppet captain, Christa, would stay in power. Step one: make sure that Christa’s Black Crew won the next challenge.
Jay had his chance the following day, when Christa was joined on her crew by Louie and Ben, and Jay lead the Red Crew of Laurel and Kendra. Even though his team was already mismatched physically, Jay did his best to make the Red Crew even worse.
As the crews rowed to shore, Jay kept up a pokey pace, allowing the Black Crew to gain a significant lead. But his efforts nearly failed when the Black Crew took a wrong turn running through the jungle, allowing the Red Crew to catch up.
When the teams returned to the beach to search for a chain buried near a giant anchor, Jay was the only person looking in the correct spot. He quietly whispered to Ben to follow the chain into the ocean.
Ben discovered a cluebox on the seafloor, and he had the Black Crew row out and haul it up. The Black Crew used their clue to find the treasure chest — which was empty. Even though the winning team earned no gold, Christa remained in power, which was all Jay really wanted.
He and Ben celebrated by playing a simple game of "high card." The two of them each picked a card randomly from a deck. The player with the highest card won $500 from the other, each round.
Even after Jay drew the same red queen three times out of four, Ben still didn’t realize that Jay was pulling one over on him with some simple sleight of hand. Jay happily took Ben’s money and congratulated himself for aligning with such a strong, dumb guy.
Riding high, Jay wasn’t careful when he talked with Ben about possibly having to get rid of Christa, who they agreed was smarter than they’d expected. Kendra was snooping on the conversation, vowing to use the info to her advantage.
Her chance came when Christa called the crew in one at a time to nominate two pirates to receive Black Spots. Kendra said that, while she knew for sure she’d be up, Christa ought to think about cutting Jay loose before he did it to her.
Christa’s decision this week was made very easy for her. Kendra was a given, and to make sure she’d finally be sent home, Louie heroically volunteered himself for the other Black Spot, counting on the loyalty of his friends to keep him safe.
This was tremendously stupid, because at this point in the game, loyalty means very little. Jay and Ben realized that, as much as they wanted Kendra gone, this was a good opportunity to get rid of another strong player in Louie.
It didn’t take long for Louie to realize his boneheadedness, and at Pirates Court he was forced to mumble meekly about how the others should keep him around because he’s so slow and nonthreatening.
Jay suggested that Kendra was dangerous because she was sneaky, and that seemed to be the reason that the crew needed to finally get rid of her. The fact that she annoyed all of them hadn’t been enough during her five previous Black Spot nominations.
Kendra was cut adrift, saving the audience from the possibility of a thoroughly boring finale.
Next time, Ben and Christa finally realize that Jay cannot be trusted. I hope this realization comes a little too late to get rid of him; Jay’s the only real player on this entire show.
I tuned in for the end of Age of Love last night to confirm that Mark Philippoussis would do what we always knew he would: dump the older woman and pick the younger one.
On the same subject, I just finished reading First Into Nagasaki by Anthony Weller. The book is a collection of articles written by his father, reporter George Weller, who snuck into Nagasaki four weeks after the city was bombed, before reporters were allowed in. The articles were censored at the time, and most never made it into print. The book presents the unique perspectives of Japanese doctors, American POWs, and Weller himself on the immediate aftermath of the atomic bomb.
In other important news of the world, Mario Lopez ran on a treadmill, and Samantha Harris had a baby shower — the celebrity kind, where the venue holding the shower provides the presents.
Finally, Wizard Entertainment has a list of the Top 25 Cliffhangers of All Time, from every entertainment genre. Expect spoilers.
New York Magazine’slatest cover story is an expose on what happens to Project Runway and Top Chef contestants after the show is over. In the case of most of the Project Runway folks, not much, unless the designers were already somewhat successful. Some designers new to the business side of fashion, like Season 1 winner Jay McCarroll, have had a hard time capitalizing on their fame.
The piece is catches up with several of the designers from Project Runway, but provides few updates on the cast of Top Chef. The article also mentions a contract Bravo recently signed with a talent management firm to help contestants in their post-show transition. Hopefully, the magazine will revisit that relationship in years to come; I’m very curious (and hopeful, for the sake of the contestants) to see if it works.
Presidential candidates are scheduling campaign stops on The Daily Show:
August 8 — Joe Biden
August 16 — John McCain
August 20 — Tommy Thompson
August 22 — Barack Obama
And beware of these 12 types of commercials. Although it’s okay to have a soft spot for Tiny House.
Let the fall schedule reshuffling begin. Fox has pushed its new scripted series Highlander, er, New Amsterdam (hey, they’re both about immortal guys…and there can be only one, after all) back until January to make room for more Don’t Forget the Lyrics.
While the networks focus on bringing new material to the airwaves, Discovery is expanding its online offerings. Episodes of Dirty Jobs and TLC’s LA Ink will be available on the Internet the day after the episode’s initial airdate. The first episode of the new season of Animal Planet’s addictive Meerkat Manor is available online now — a week before the new season begins.
Reality Blurred did some calculating and discovered that the $1 million prize for winning America’s Got Talentisn’t really worth $1 million — it’s actually more like $375,000.
If you’d like to brush up on your dancing skills with a little help from the Dancing with the Stars pros, there are a couple of great opportunities next week. Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko will be in Huntington, West Virginia on Monday and Tuesday, performing and offering classes for adults and kids as part of a charity fundraiser.
And Maksim Chmerkovskiy will be in the Chicago area on Wednesday to teach a dance camp at the Fred Astaire Chicago North Studio in Buffalo Grove.
My Ox Is Broken 