The big TV news today is NBC’s decision to give Jay Leno a nightly talk show at 10 ET starting next fall. That leaves the network with only ten hours of primetime programming each week, much of which will presumably be devoted to reality shows like The Biggest Loser and America’s Got Talent.

MSN has an article about 10 Reasons We’ll Miss Boston Legal. I thought last night’s series finale was perfect.

If you’re shopping for TV-related Christmas presents, check out TVShowsOnDVD’s Zap2It’s Holiday Gift Guide. And don’t forget to browse Amazon sales page featuring the website’s biggest discounts on TV DVDs. Some seasons of CW shows like Smallville and Supernatural are selling for more than 70% off!

Amazing Race champs Nick & Starr told Reality TV World that they beat runners up Ken & Tina by 11 minutes and Dan & Andrew by more than 90 minutes in the Season 13 finale, which was watched by 10.57 million people. The winners were also interviewed by People.

People conducted an hilarious interview with ousted Survivor: Gabon contestant Corrine, who said that the remaining contestants (with the exception of Bob) aren’t underdogs: "These are just unintelligent, unsuccessful people that got lucky breaks. This is revenge of the nerds edition." Corrine-haters can take comfort in the fact that she’s currently unemployed.

TV Guide revealed that Toni Braxton didn’t perform at the Dancing with the Stars 7 Finale because she was recovering from having a lump surgically removed from one of her breasts. The lump was not cancerous.

DwtS 7 runner-up Warren Sapp told OK! that he appreciates hearing from fans who tell him he was "robbed" of the trophy.

Supermodel and Project Runway host Heidi Klum is lobbying for a spot on Dancing with the Stars. How cool would that be?

DwtS 5 competitor Cameron Mathison told OK! that a t-shirt tucked into his underwear gave the illusion that he was wearing a thong during a recent episode of All My Children. Judge for yourself in this clip from The Soup:

The Amazing Race 13 wrapped up last night, and, fortunately, bumbling frat guys Dan and Andrew didn’t win. TV Guide and EW recapped the episode.

Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan is scheduled to be a guest on the December 21 episode of CBS’s Million Dollar Password. The show debuts on December 18, and The Futon Critic has a complete schedule of celebrity guests. I’m looking forward to the December 28 episode featuring Betty White and Adam Carolla.

Entertainment Tonight caught up with the cast of the Dancing with the Stars Tour as they rehearsed their new routines. In the video, which is nearly six minutes long, Marlee Matlin revealed that she’ll be dancing with all of the male pros to the song "Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend."

DwtS pros Mark Ballas and Derek Hough are finishing work on a CD with their band. The CD is set for release in March 2009, which conveniently coincides with the premiere of Dancing with the Stars 8.

Jackass cast member Steve-O is the latest celeb rumored to be competing on DwtS 8.

People interviewed Top Chef: New York competitor Alex Eusebio, who missed the irony when he said of the challenge that led to his ouster: "Some of us do not want to be on camera."

Catching up on Survivor: Gabon stuff, here are links to Jeff Probst’s blog post about the latest episode and the Ponderosa videos from Episode 12.

MSN has a slideshow of Great TV Baldies which, naturally, mentions Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Patrick Stewart. The slideshow provides me with a convenient excuse to include a video of the surprisingly catchy Captain Picard Song. Make it so.

Bravo’s website features blog posts about last night’s episode of Top Chef: New York from Tom Colicchio, Lee Anne Wong and the eliminated chef, who said of guest judge Rocco DiSpirito: "I have a hard time accepting him as a chef." Way to burn that bridge, dumbass.

Fans of the show living in the Chicago area can stop by contestant Radhika Desai’s restaurant, Between Boutique Cafe & Lounge, for Top Chef viewing parties on Wednesday nights.

Two members of the Dancing with the Stars family are trying to counter recent stories about them. Julianne Hough says she and Chuck Wicks aren’t planning on getting married, and Kim Kardashian says she would pose for Playboy again.

The final two episodes of Dancing with the Stars 7 were watched by over 20 million viewers, leading all other shows last week.

In Dancing with the Stars 8 news, it’s unlikely that Paula Abdul will participate as a contestant, since judging American Idol‘s live performance show on Tuesday nights would make her late to the DwtS set for the live results show.

Following the lead of the other networks, NBC released its midseason schedule.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is being hurt by the economic downturn, as it struggles to find contractors and suppliers willing to donate their time and materials for free.

C’mon, Hollywood. Are your studios really so stumped for ideas that you need to remake Romancing the Stone and They Live? I’d prefer that they just re-release the originals in theaters, if only so I can finally get a big-screen view of the greatest fight scene ever:

I’ve got movies to see and review tomorrow, so Ox Notes is off until Monday, December 8. See you then!

ABC announced its spring schedule, including a Monday, March 9 return date for Dancing with the Stars.

CBS also released its mid-season schedule this week, which includes plans to let new drama Harper’s Island carry over into summer. Survivor 18 premieres on February 12, and The Amazing Race 14 bows on February 15.

In other scheduling news, Reaper returns to The CW on March 17. And episodes of Celebrity Apprentice 2, which debuts in February, will be two hours long, presumably because NBC has nothing else to fill its schedule.

HGTV has several new shows debuting on New Year’s Day. I’m intrigued — and kind of saddened — by Income Property, in which homeowners convert rooms in their homes into rental apartments in order to raise extra money. Makes me long for the days when a big portion of HGTV’s lineup was devoted to flipping homes for profit.

DwtS pro Julianne Hough and her boyfriend, country singer Chuck Wicks, are thinking about getting married, though not right away.

Reality Blurred has a thorough accounting of what happened to Toni & Dallas during their last leg of The Amazing Race. The duo didn’t get their passports back in time to make to the Finale, so they’ll be absent when the teams cross the finish line on Sunday night.

If you’re searching for the perfect gift for that celebrity-obsessed cousin of yours, check out charity auction site Clothes Off Our Back for autographed Christmas ornaments and bowls.

AOL has a list of TV’s Hottest Hunks — Ever that has the nerve to rank CSI‘s Gary Dourdan ahead of David Hasselhoff. As if there was anyone hunkier than The Hoff back in the ’90s…

Just when I think I’ve seen the last news from Dancing with the Stars 7, Entertainment Tonight comes to the rescue. The show’s website posted an extended post-Finale interview video, plus an interview with Brooke Burke that was recorded in a Barnes & Noble.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that "Hollywood is very hot on" Brooke’s dance partner, Derek Hough.

Derek’s sister, Julianne Hough, told ET that she might not be done with DwtS after all.

DwtS 7‘s Kim Kardashian told OK! that she won’t be going naked in public anymore.

People has an interview with Toni & Dallas of The Amazing Race in which Dallas explains exactly what happened after he left their cash and passports in a cab.

David Gregory may or may not be the new host of NBC’s Meet the Press.

CBS ordered additional episodes of the drama Eleventh Hour.

The first episode of the second season of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords will make an early premiere on the website Funny Or Die.

As you bemoan the fact that you’re actually considering paying $300 for that stupid giant talking triceratops toy for your preschooler this Christmas, keep in mind that even celebrities appreciate a good bargain. Us Magazine has a slideshow of photos of stars shopping at Target and Costco.

Since Thanksgiving interrupted the post-Dancing with the Stars 7 revelry, here are a few final news items about the season that was. People posted a report about "What You Didn’t See" backstage at the Finale. And Kim Kardashian posted backstage photos from the Finale at her website and her MSN blog.

DwtS 7 champ Brooke Burke did an interview with a local news station in her home state of Connecticut.

Website The Frisky critiqued some of DwtS co-host Samantha Harris’ Season 7 hairstyles.

Due to Thanksgiving, I’m also behind in posting links to Top Chef: New York blog posts by judge Tom Colicchio, culinary producer-former contestant Lee Anne Wong, and guest judge Grant Achatz, who said of MacGyvery contestant Eugene: "Give me that guy on my team anytime."

Apparently, Rosie O’Donnell hosted a variety show on NBC the night before Thanksgiving. I didn’t even know it was on, and, based on its pathetic ratings, neither did anyone else. Thus ends Rosie Live.

The Chicago Tribune’s The Watcher posted a Mid-Season Report Card about the highs and lows of the Fall 2008 TV season.

Reality Blurred compiled a list of reality shows premiering in the coming weeks. And The Futon Critic posted a helpful grid of the primetime schedule for Winter 2008-09.

Is anyone else anticipating getting unwittingly sucked into Secret Millionaire when it premieres on Wednesday night?

As Dancing with the Stars 7 draws to a close, here’s a last round of post-show interviews from TV Guide, OK! Magazine, E! and Us Magazine.

During her interviews for Access Hollywood, Mel B asked all of the couples about a fight between Derek Hough and Warren Sapp that supposedly took place during rehearsal for the Samba Smackdown. TMZ has the details on the brawl.

After deciding to take a break from the show to focus on her musical career, Derek’s sister, Julianne, has earned some cautionary remarks from her coworkers. Fellow Dancing with the Stars pros Edyta Sliwinska & Alec Mazo told E! in a video interview that Julianne needs to make sure she doesn’t alienate her DwtS fans. "[T]he show is where she started. If I was her," said Edyta, "I would be doing both."

People filed a report from the set of Monday night’s final DwtS 7 Performance Show, which was watched by 21.1 million viewers. Ousted contestant Kim Kardashian posted some backstage photos at her MSN blog.

If you’re just not sure how to pass the time until Dancing with the Stars 8 premieres in the spring, NBC has you covered. Superstars of Dance debuts on January 4, wrapping up its brief inaugural season on January 26.

Happy Thanksgiving! Ox Notes will return on Monday, December 2. I leave you with video of DwtS 7 champs Brooke Burke & Derek Hough on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

She earned the highest scores, again — as she had for most of the season. But did the at-home voters give Brooke Burke enough support to earn her the Dancing with the Stars 7 trophy?

(Hint: Yes.)

The show started with a video package of Cloris Leachman at an outdoor mall asking people whom they voted for. One bewildered young lady said, "I can’t vote. I’m not a citizen."

Alicia Keys provided the first vocal performance of the night, singing "I Need You."

Then the eliminated couples returned to perform their best routines as Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris recapped the season, week by week:

Jeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska — Quickstep
Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer — Fox Trot
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas — Mambo
Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff — Mambo
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas — Tango
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani — Paso Doble
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke — Salsa
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough — Jitterbug

Tom and Samantha chatted with Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who were forced to drop out earlier in the season due to an injury Misty suffered. Toni Braxton also didn’t perform due to a recent surgery, so she and partner Alec Mazo chatted with Tom and Samantha as well.

For me, the highlight of the night was Jeffrey Ross’s roast of the finalists. After mocking his own last place finish and calling Cloris Leachman’s routines with Corky Ballas "Weekend at Bernie’s: The Musical," he asked, "What can you say about Lance Bass that hasn’t already been said about Clay Aiken?"

Finally, it was time for the finalists to dance their favorite routines from earlier in the season and receive their final scores from the judges.

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson — Hustle
Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba…9, Len Goodman…9, Bruno…9 = 27/30
Total score for both nights: 80/90

Lance Bass & Lacey Johnson — Jitterbug
Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…9, Len…9, Bruno…10 = 28/30
Total score for both nights: 81/90

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough — Viennese Waltz
Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…10, Len…10, Bruno…10 = 30/30
Total score for both nights: 88/90

As time in the overly long show wound down, Lance & Lacey graciously accepted their third place finish.

Well after most of her young fans had gone to bed, Miley Cyrus took the stage to sing "Fly on the Wall."

After a final commercial break, host Tom Bergeron named Brooke & Derek winners of Dancing with the Stars 7, and they were promptly hoisted onto the shoulders of Corky and Mark Ballas.

There are plenty of Dancing with the Stars post-show interviews to keep you occupied until tonight’s DwtS 7 Finale: Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, OK! and Us. E! was also on-set to chronicle the trouble Miley Cyrus had while filming her vocal performance, which airs tonight.

Lance Bass wrote in his Us Magazine DwtS Diary that he and Lacey Schwimmer will reprise their Jitterbug during tonight’s finale.

To coincide with Wednesday night’s new episode of Top Chef: New York, Bravo is launching a Web series called "After the Knife" about what happens to the chefs after they’ve been cut from the show.

Reality Blurred wrote about a CBS News Sunday Morning profile of Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio.

TBS recently staged a celebrity grocery bagging competition between cast members of Mad Men, The Young and the Restless, My Boys and, appropriately, 10 Items or Less.

In an interview with People, Survivor: Gabon‘s Randy Bailey offered some insight into the difficult transition contestants face after the show when they return to their real lives.

A&E has ordered a new reality series called Steven Seagal: Lawman about the action star’s off-camera work as a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana. Thank goodness it’s not called Steven Seagal: Musician.

As she has almost every week, Brooke Burke topped the leaderboard in the final round of Dancing with the Stars 7.

The show began with a series of segments in which the couples chose their favorite Standard and Latin dances from the season. Those performances were replayed in their entirety. Brooke Burke & Derek Hough picked their Quickstep and Paso Doble, Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer chose their Tango and Mambo, and Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson selected their Viennese Waltz and Paso Doble.

Then, siblings Craig & Samantha were named the winners of the season’s Ballroom Kids competition, and they danced their winning Jive. Given her knack for hamming it up on camera, I’d like to see junior Samantha take over co-hosting duties from Samantha Harris.

After the performance, the announcer unexpectedly proclaimed, "Live from Hollywood, this is Dancing with the Stars." If this marked the official beginning of the Performance Show, then what the hell had I been watching for the last 30 minutes?

Round 1 — Samba Smackdown
All three couples danced to the same song, performing some group choreography and solos, and everyone did well. The workload was most evenly distributed between Brooke & Derek (as opposed to Lacey, who overdanced a bit and distracted me from Lance’s performance), and they get my votes for this dance. Len Goodman called Brooke "the sensation of Season 7." Bruno Tonioli told Warren, "Your sense of fun compensates for, obviously, your lack of technique." Carrie Ann Inaba said that Lance had "momentum" after his high scores last week.

Judges’ Scores
Brooke & Derek: Carrie Ann…9, Len…9, Bruno…10 = 28/30
Lance & Lacey: Carrie Ann…9, Len…8, Bruno…9 = 26/30
Warren & Kym: Carrie Ann…9, Len…7, Bruno…9 = 25/30

Freestyle Round

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough
Dancing to "You’re the One That I Want" from Grease, the routine was pretty much non-stop tricks. Bruno yelled, "Follow that! You are the one that we all want!" Carrie Ann said, "Tonight, Brooke, Derek, you brought it." Len said, "That was, I think, the best freestyle I’ve ever seen."

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

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer
The hip-hop routine was good, but not as flashy as Brooke & Derek’s routine. Carrie Ann said, "I thought what you did was fantastic, but then there was one little section [of Cha Cha moves] that threw it off." Len said, "I was really pleased with it." Bruno said the routine had "creativity and wit."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…9, Len…9, Bruno…9 = 27/30

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson
They paid tribute to Tina Turner by dancing to "Proud Mary." Len said, "This show is not only about dancing, it’s about entertainment. And as an entertainer, you have no one that touches you." Bruno said, "With you, all resistance is futile. Lay back, and enjoy the ride." Carrie Ann said, "In all honesty, out of all the routines, that one was my favorite. But I saw a mistake."

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

Judges’ Leaderboard (60 points possible)
58 — Brooke & Derek
53 — Lance & Lacey, Warren & Kym

For me, the judges’ scores say it all: Brooke Burke is this season’s best dancer. For me, that outweighs any arguments for entertainment value or improvement that can be made in support of Warren and Lance — though they both deserve credit for those achievements. Go Brooke & Derek!