Dancing with the Stars 8 premiered last night to an audience of 22 million. TV Guide recapped the episode, and Us Magazine and OK! caught up with the contestants after the show.

EW interviewed Melissa Rycroft about her last-minute addition to the show, while E! interviewed the other replacement star, Holly Madison.

DwtS co-host Samantha Harris shot an interesting video for The Insider about the production work she and Tom Bergeron do before the show airs, including recording their voice overs.

Before the DwtS 8 premiere, Us filmed Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke in rehearsal, where Gilles admitted to having a "man crush" on fellow contestant Steve-O.

In other reality show news, TV Guide interviewed the latest team kicked off The Amazing Race, Amanda & Kris.

Fans of TAR can get the scoop on each episode in host Phil Keoghan’s blog, which appears Monday mornings at EW.com, in their PopWatch blog. The PopWatch blog is also where you can find Survivor host Jeff Probst’s blog, which appears on Friday mornings.

People interviewed Sandy Burgin, the most recent Survivor: Tocantins evictee, who poked fun at Howie Mandel and said that she wants to appear in Playboy.

Survivor: Tocantins‘ youngest contestant, Spencer Duhm, is apparently dating Survivor: China winner Todd Herzog.

In honor of last night’s Castle premiere, Zap2It compiled a Cop Show Taxonomy of the different types of police serials. Did you stick around after DwtS to watch Castle? What did you think of it?

A few early favorites emerged during the Dancing with the Stars 8 premiere. But it doesn’t bode well when a former professional cheerleader with 48 hours to learn a routine ties for second in a field of stars who’ve been training for weeks.

Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke — 24

Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas — 23

Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani — 23

Lil’ Kim & Derek Hough — 21

Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough — 20

David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson — 19

Holly Madison & Dmitry Chaplin — 18

Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy — 18

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts — 17

Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer — 17

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska — 16

Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower — 14

Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff — 13

What did you think of tonight’s DwtS 8 debut? Besides high-scoring Gilles Marini, who impressed you?

Dancing with the Stars 8 debuts tonight on ABC at 8 ET. Here’s some last minute news before the big two-hour premiere.

Last week, it was reported that Holly Madison would take the place of Jewel, who had to drop out of the competition after fracturing both tibias during rehearsal.

Now People reports that the spot left open by Nancy O’Dell, who has a torn meniscus in her knee, will be filled by Melissa Rycroft, the woman who got dumped by The Bachelor last week. O’Dell spoke with Access Hollywood about her injury.

A source inside DwtS confirmed to People that Madison and Rycroft will dance during tonight’s premiere, even though they’ve only had days to practice. Since there is no Results Show this week, Madison and Rycroft won’t be penalized for having had less time to rehearse than the other couples.

What do you think of the latest additions to DwtS 8? Melissa Rycroft was certainly cast because she dominated headlines last week, and Holly Madison has had her fair share of publicity recently as well, after leaving Hugh Hefner and dumping Criss Angel. If newsworthiness was the main casting requirement, I assume that Rycroft and Madison were cast only after Rihanna and the Octomom rejected ABC’s offers.

EW.com ranked the DwtS 8 contestants before Jewel and O’Dell confirmed that they’d be leaving the show; TV Guide’s reader poll ranks the contestants without them. Which of the dancers do you think will burn out early, and who’s in it for the long haul?

ET caught up with Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff in rehearsal and recorded a video interview. Us Weekly has a photo gallery of all of the couples in rehearsal.

In another video, The Insider filmed DwtS co-host Samantha Harris, Denise Richards and the female pro dancers as they enjoyed a pre-show spa day. Is it just me, or did Edyta Sliwinska seem a little nervous about her chances this season?

If you’re still hungry for more Dancing with the Stars news, feast upon these interviews with Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini, Derek Hough and the wonderful Tom Bergeron.

A link to the MOIB chatroom is already posted on the homepage; you’re welcome to gather there during the East Coast live broadcast of DwtS to chat with other fans. Greg and I may check in on the chat (which is often much more fun than the show itself), but we won’t make a point of watching the show live, as we have in the past. I’ve been disappointed in the last two seasons, so I plan to record the show and watch the routines later that night.

Consequently, I won’t be posting full recaps of the show this season. After the East Coast broadcast airs, I’ll post a thread with the night’s scores and space for comments. Tuesday morning, I’ll post what videos of the routines I find on YouTube. And, of course, I’ll still be posting DwtS news throughout the week in Ox Notes.

Here’s hoping Dancing with the Stars 8 returns the show to its former glory.

Maybe it’s time to rethink the way celebrities train for Dancing with the Stars. Nancy O’Dell joins Jewel and Gilles Marini on the list of pre-season wounded, suffering from a right knee injury. O’Dell told TV Guide that she thinks she’ll be ready for Monday night’s DwtS 8 premiere.

Jewel’s knee tendinitis may be severe enough to have forced her out of the competition already. US Weekly reports that Holly Madison of E!’s Girls Next Door is ready to take Jewel’s place in the DwtS 8 cast on Monday night.

Update: TV Guide confirms that both Jewel and Nancy O’Dell are dropping out of the competition due to injuries sustained in rehearsals.

Belinda Carlisle told People that she’s struggling with her spins, although she looked pretty good in her Access Hollywood rehearsal video.

Variety’s Brian Lowry offers advice to actors in this sluggish economy: "If you say things like ‘I’ll get this to the lab right away, boss’ on a crime procedural, this isn’t the year to try renegotiating that contract."

Just what every nerd needs: Star Trek cologne.

After watching last night’s Top Chef New York reunion, EW’s Christine Spines wonders if the judges gave Hosea the title simply because he’s less obnoxious than Stefan.

Top Chef judge Toby Young blogged about how the gay rights movement made Stefan & Fabio’s "bromance" possible. The blog post also includes a story about Toby and Stefan going to a lesbian bar after filming the reunion special.

Ox Notes will be back on Monday, March 9 with a special Dancing with the Stars 8 news roundup. Let’s see who else gets injured between now and then.

With the Dancing with the Stars 8 premiere less than a week away, the contestants are all over the Web. Here are links to rehearsal videos of Lil’ Kim & Derek, Denise & Maks and Steve-O & Lacey.

In retrospect, I should’ve known that Belinda Carlisle was going to be on DwtS 8 on January 28. That’s when she became a spokeswoman for NutriSystem, following in the footsteps of DwtS alums Joey Fatone and Marie Osmond. The former Go-Go spoke with E! and TV Guide about her DwtS training.

With spring around the corner, networks are rolling out their green initiatives. FOX’s 24 was able to reduce its carbon footprint by 43% during the production of Season 7. And Discovery announced two new shows debuting this month that deal with green energy and climate change.

NBC release a list of guest stars appearing on its shows in March.

In May, Food Network will debut Sandra’s Money Saving Meals starring Sandra Lee. First money saving tip: stop spending all that money on those stupid tablescapes she features on Semi-Homemade.

Weeks after getting out of a contract due to alleged mercury poisoning acquired by eating too much sushi, Jeremy Piven was spotted dining on calamari salad and tuna tartare. Well played, Mr. Piven. Well played.

Spike TV is bringing back ’80s comedy legend Super Dave Osborne for a limited series this summer. If you’ve never seen the master of fake stunts gone awry, check out his failed attempt to jump off of Toronto’s CN Tower:

Monday night’s After the Final Rose special proved last week’s rumors true, and Jason Mesnick proved to be one of the biggest jerks in Bachelor history. Bachelor host Chris Harrison blogged that Melissa wasn’t blindsided by what transpired on the ATFR special.

Jason told People that he was contractually obligated to crush Melissa in front of the cameras. What, he couldn’t pretend to be in an awkward, long distance relationship until the season was over, and then dump her in private?

Speaking of huge tools, Gilles "The Naked Guy from the Sex and the City Movie" Marini is concerned that the tight pants he’ll be wearing for Dancing with the Stars 8 might show his "thing." He should be more concerned that he has tendinitis in his groin and shoulder.

Access Hollywood‘s website posted videos of Nancy O’Dell and Shawn Johnson rehearsing for DwtS 8.

In TV development news, ABC canceled Life on Mars, and CBS renewed Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.

Ubiquitous TV ad men Billy Mays and Anthony "Sully" Sullivan are getting their own reality show on Discovery called Pitchmen starting on April 15.

Survivor: Tocantins‘ Jerry told People that eating uncooked beans cost him his chance at $1 million.

In an interview with TV Guide, eliminated Amazing Race duo Brad & Victoria revealed that Brad recently learned that he has cancer, and that Victoria needs surgery to repair a hip injury she sustained on the race. The married couple also mentioned that their missed connection in Amsterdam allowed them to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential Election on a TV in a cushy hotel room.

Last night’s Top Chef New York finale was a real let-down after an entertaining season. Even judge Toby Young blogged that he thought Stefan should’ve won. I think Hosea could give Season 2’s Ilan some competition for Most Forgettable Top Chef Winner Ever.

There’s plenty of entertaining post-finale content at Bravo’s Top Chef website, including video of Stefan admonishing Bravo for, among other things, giving Carla a Toyota Venza in the previous episode instead of a hybrid vehicle. There’s more video of Carla and Hosea, Q&A with Stefan and Q&A with Hosea, and blog posts by judge Gail Simmons and finale participant Richard Blais.

We have our first official Dancing with the Stars 8 injury. Jewel revealed on her blog and to Entertainment Tonight that she’s had to forgo practice for several days because of tendinitis in her knees.

In other DwtS news, TV Guide interviewed Season 8 contestant Denise Richards. And DwtS pro Mark Ballas starts the new season with a new girlfriend, American Idol‘s Joanna Pacitti.

I just realized that I forgot to record America’s Ballroom Challenge last night. Did you watch it, and if so how was it?

The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation is reuniting for the March 29 episode of Family Guy. The episode is part of a March sweeps month (moved back from February because of the DTV switch) that will feature more reruns than previous sweeps months.

Jerry Seinfeld is developing a marriage-themed reality show for NBC.

People interviewed the latest duo kicked off The Amazing Race, Linda & Steve, who have an unusually healthy perspective on the way their footage was edited for the show.

Fans of The Amazing Race will appreciate a lengthy Q&A Variety did with show producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri. Their answers are thoughtful and never defensive when responding to criticism. Doganieri even referenced the incident which provided the name for this website. It’s a must-read for serious TAR fans.

Top Chef New York crowns its winner tonight on Bravo at 10 ET. I’m pulling for Carla or Stefan — anyone but boring Hosea. Time has an interview with Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio.

Also on TV tonight is the season premiere of America’s Ballroom Challenge on PBS. This season features a new host, actress Jean Louisa Kelly, as well as two Dancing with the Stars vets among the first round finalists. You can find your local PBS listings here.

In other Dancing with the Stars news, ET caught up with Cheryl Burke at her TV Guide cover shoot.

FOX gave the fifth season of So You Think You Can Dance a May 21 premiere date.

In TV development news, The CW renewed six shows for next season, including Gossip Girl and Supernatural. And NBC is considering bringing back I’m a Celebrity — Get Me Out of Here, even though it didn’t do so hot the first time the network tried it.

Michael Cera finally signed on to appear in the Arrested Development movie.

Conan O’Brien’s announcer for his new gig as host of The Tonight Show is none other than Andy Richter, his original Late Night sidekick.

Variety’s Brian Lowry wrote about the increasing opportunities for talented older actors and actresses on network and cable TV shows.

I’ve finally found a reason to watch Hell’s Kitchen: Little Gordon. Gordon Ramsay says the nine-year-old miniature Gordon will appear on an upcoming season of the show. Watch and enjoy:

Ox Notes is back! Time to catch up on TV news that I missed during my week in the Florida sun.

I’ve been really happy with the first two episodes of both Survivor: Tocantins (which gained viewers in its second week) and The Amazing Race 14. I know it’s immature, but I’d be content if Mel spent the rest of the season wandering the globe complaining, "My groin!"

As The Bachelor nears its season finale, spoilers about Jason’s decision have popped up on the Web. In his EW blog, Bachelor host Chris Harrison addressed the rumors but didn’t give a satisfying answer as to why the show would need to film a second "After the Final Rose" special — unless the rumors are true.

The sinking U.S. economy is forcing networks to scale back their pilot orders. However, new shows are still in the works for comedians Joel McHale and Adam Carolla.

Networks can always save money by programming more low-cost chat shows, and Variety’s Brian Lowry has good advice for aspiring celebrity talk show hosts, including the reminder that non-celebrities will be watching the show: "Not everyone can relate to the inconvenience associated with parking your private jet."

The Screen Actors Guild rejected the producers’ "last, best and final offer" because it aimed to curtail the union’s future bargaining power.

ABC released the official photos of the Dancing with the Stars 8 couples. Please tell me Ty Murray isn’t going to dance wearing a cowboy hat every week.

Julianne Hough wrote that watching her boyfriend and DwtS 8 partner, Chuck Wicks, try to dance is "really hilarious." Fellow pro Lacey Schwimmer told People that her Season 8 charge, Steve-O, is a "workhorse."

In an interview with TV Guide, DwtS 8 contestant Nancy O’Dell explained perfectly what gives Olympians and other athletes an edge in the dance competition: "The experience of doing something physical in front of so many people under so much pressure."

O’Dell also mentioned that she’s warned her husband not to vote for NFL star Lawrence Taylor while she’s on the show, telling him, "You don’t have to go to bed with him at the end of the night. You have to sleep with me at the end of the night!"

ABC published the complete list of pairings for Dancing with the Stars 8 today:

• Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough
• Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer
• Nancy O’Dell & Tony Dovolani
• Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas
• Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke
• Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts
• David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson
• Jewel & Dmitry Chaplin
• Lil’ Kim & Derek Hough
• Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower
• Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska
• Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff

Nerds everywhere are trying to find ways to help Woz win DwtS 8.

My fellow nerds will also be excited to learn that the Battlestar Galactica prequel film, Caprica, will be released on DVD on April 21. Caprica the series debuts on SciFi in 2010.

BSG‘s Tahmoh Penikett talked with Zap2It about his new series, Dollhouse, which debuts on FOX this Friday night at 9 ET.

The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan gave ETonline.com a sneak preview of TAR 14, which debuts Sunday night at 8 ET on CBS.

Debuting tonight at 8 ET on CBS is Survivor: Tocantins. EW filmed what happened when their writers called Jeff Probst to clarify how to correctly pronounce Tocantins.

ABC and CBS announced more pilots in the works at their networks.

Bravo is working on a spin-off of Top Chef called Top Chef Masters, which will feature famous chefs competing in Quickfire and Elimination Challenges for charity.

I’ll be stunned if Eric Ripert does not appear on Top Chef Masters. He told People that Stefan is his pick to win Top Chef New York.

Bravo’s website has blog posts by last night’s TCNY judges and dinner guests Toby Young, Jacques Pepin, Wylie Dufresne and Susan Ungaro. There’s also a Q&A with Fabio that contains gems like: "I challenge anyone to reply the potatoes of my grandma."

I’m leaving the chilly Chicago suburbs for a sunny Florida vacation tomorrow. Ox Notes will return on Tuesday, February 24.