It was Ladies’ Night again on Dancing with the Stars, as the women dominated the dance floor.

Sabrina Bryan & Mark Ballas — Jive
Sabrina made high kicks in high heels look easy. Mark’s choreography was youthful, but sophisticated — even if he did do the Worm. He’s wisely recognized that Sabrina can pull off difficult moves, and he definitely pushes her.

Len said, "For me, that was your best dance so far." Bruno told Sabrina, "You’re like a seismic event. You get aftershocks after your performance." Carrie Ann agreed: "This dance completely suits you. It’s youthful. It’s vibrant. It’s all you."

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

Cameron Mathison & Edyta Sliwinska — Tango
It’s hard to be sexy while dancing to Sonny & Cher’s "The Beat Goes On." But Cameron owned the dance in a way that he hasn’t so far. Looking confident is almost as important as nailing the moves, and Cameron did both.

Carrie Ann called their Tango "G-rated," but said, "I definitely saw an improvement." Len told a You have got great posture and you’ve got a great hold. For me, it lacked a character of the Tango." But Bruno called him a "lady-killer."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…8, Len…7, Bruno…8 = 23/30

Mark Cuban & Kym Johnson — Jive
Mark’s hip was in a ton of pain, and it was obvious in his performance. Kym gave Mark’s hip a break by having him do the Twist for measures at a time, which gave the whole routine a slow feel. Then Mark lost his timing early into the performance. It’s obvious that he’s trying very hard, but this wasn’t Mark’s dance.

Bruno told Mark, "You were more in control. You were cleaner. Your started well, but you lost it." Carrie Ann said, "You get a little…almost like your kind of imitating somebody dancing. You’re the one dancing. Full out! Believe it a little more." Len complimented Kym for doing "a great job with the choreography," and told Mark, "I can see a development."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…6, Len…7, Bruno…7 = 20/30

Jennie Garth & Derek Hough — Tango
Last week’s slip was the best thing that could have happened to Jennie. She lost all of her hesitancy this week, embracing the dramatic character of the dance. And Derek didn’t let Jennie off the hook by choreographing a safe routine; she executed some powerful kicks and a gorgeous leg sweep. After their performance, Jennie jumped for joy.

Len said the performance was "sharp and tangy like a pickle." Carrie Ann gave Jennie a standing ovation and a high five. Bruno told Jennie, "You took on this tango and you won. You should be so proud. Don’t cry for me, Argentina."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…9, Len…8, Bruno…9 = 26/30

Melanie Brown & Maksim Chmerkovskiy — Jive
Maks showed off by wearing an open vest with no shirt. But he didn’t do any moves that would outshine Mel: a problem he’s had with his previous partners. Mel’s great synchronization and timing allowed her to hold her own with Maks, and she executed a cool split moves and some complicated-looking turns. She and Sabrina had the best Jives of the night.

Bruno called Melanie "the bouncing bombshell. Excitement on legs." Len agreed that Mel B’s "B is for Bounce. That was your best dance." Carrie Ann just said, "All of the things they said, I agree with."

As they waited for their scores backstage, Drew told Maks, "The stage managers wanted me to tell you they’re looking for your shirt," which was all the invitation Maks needed to take off his vest and show off his glittery suspenders.

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

Wayne Newton & Cheryl Burke — Tango
Cheryl tried to get Wayne to focus on his strong point: performance. Wayne took the floor wearing a funny fake moustache and ponytail, but then gave a serious performance. Cheryl had to dance around Wayne, who barely moved at all.

Carrie Ann said, "It felt, at times, that Cheryl was leading you." Bruno called Wayne’s look "something between Errol Flynn and Captain Hook, even Steven Seagal in between." Len said, "The mood of it was great. Unfortunately, you spent so much time on the character the dance somehow disappeared."

Drew asked Cheryl backstage what viewers could expect to see Wayne dressed as next week, should they get enough votes to continue. Cheryl’s response was a farewell speech (or cry for mercy): "Well, not only is Wayne a great dancer or a great entertainer, but he’s a great guy. I’ve enjoyed working with him this season. It’s been a pleasure."

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

Floyd Mayweather & Karina Smirnoff — Jive
Floyd started the routine by jumping rope, dropping the jumprope near the stage where it lay as a tripping hazard. Indeed, at the end of the routine, Karina snagged the rope on her shoe. Floyd’s arms were all over the place during the performance, and his pelvic thrusts were, um, overly enthusiastic. However, his footwork was better.

Len was concerned that Floyd has been training in gym shoes: "I think you should practice more in the proper dance shoes so you get used to pointing your toes." Carrie Ann appreciated Floyd’s energy, but said, "You’ve gotta work on the structure of the dance. Just a little more detail please." Bruno told Floyd, "You can do anything you want, you really can. Just, please, do it."

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

Jane Seymour & Tony Dovolani — Tango
Jane looked as stylish as ever in her beautiful dress. She had no trouble keeping in character, giving a dramatic performance that ended with an equally dramatic finishing move.

Bruno enthused, "Drama. Pathos. Passion. Great technique." Len: "You came out haughty, proud. I’ll tell you what — that could’ve been on pay-per-view." A teary Carrie Ann said, "That was just beautiful to see you put your heart and soul and transform your emotions into one of the most gorgeous dances I’ve seen. Every moment was a beautiful picture."

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

Helio Castroneves & Julianne Hough — Jive
Julianne looked like disco Pocahontas in this very youthful routine. Helio gave another great performance, culminating in a slide across the floor that ripped a hole in the knees of his pants. Julianne helped him limp over to the judges’ table for their remarks.

Carrie Ann told Helio, "Your fun is contagious." Bruno said, "Technically you were not as clean as precise as you usually are." Len agreed: "you messed up a bit on these kick-ball-changes. But as always, you come out, turn it on. Well done."

Drew applauded Helio backstage, "I see you trying to work the sympathy vote with the little limp off stage. Well played, well played."

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

Marie Osmond & Jonathan Roberts — Tango
In past seasons, men have had the market cornered on humorous routines. This season, Marie is the comedian, and she’s terrific at it. She’s getting the steps down, and Jonathan is capitalizing on Marie’s charm to great effect.

Len said, "Marvelous musical interpretation. You’ve gotta lift your ribcage a little more when you dance." Marie gasped in reply, "Too many babies!" Carrie Ann told Marie, "You brought Lucille Ball to the dance floor." Bruno said, "It could’ve become a bit of slapstick. It never did. The Meryl Streep of dance."

Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann…9, Len…8, Bruno…9 = 26/30

Leaderboard:
27 — Sabrina & Mark, Melanie & Maksim, Jane & Tony
26 — Jennie & Derek, Marie & Jonathan
24 — Helio & Julianne
23 — Cameron & Edyta
21 — Floyd & Karina
20 — Mark & Kym
18 — Wayne & Cheryl

Sabrina and Melanie performed my favorite Jives of the night, and Jennie gave my favorite Tango. Just to make sure they’re safe, I might have to throw votes to Cameron, Helio, Marie, and Jane.

The three lowest scoring couples are all fair game tomorrow night, but Mark & Kym and Wayne & Cheryl seem the most likely to wind up in the Bottom Two. I’m hoping that it’s Wayne & Cheryl’s turn to head home, as Wayne doesn’t seem to have any room for improvement and Cheryl seems to want out.

Tonight could be rough for several of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars. Mark Cuban is concerned, because he’s physically not up to performing the Jive as a result of his hip replacement, and many of his fans are going to be watching the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Even two-time champ Cheryl Burke sounds a little nervous, after her first trip to the Bottom Two with Wayne Newton: "We are trying our best, taking baby steps, and then we’ll be ready to go for the giant leaps with our Tango on Monday night."

Kudos to Sabrina Bryan for helping one of her fellow contestants: "We were set to do the Tango, but when things happened with Jane Seymour and her mom passing away, we were asked if we would switch and do the Jive, and let Jane do the Tango. I’m sure with the amount of time she’s going to have, trying to do some fast, upbeat routine was not going be in her ozone layer, you know? Anything to help her make it through this week and come back — we were actually really happy to help out."

For an extra dose of Dancing this week, check out I Wanna Be a Soap Star on Tuesday night, hosted by Cameron Mathison. Karina Smirnoff drops by the show to teach contestants some ballroom moves, with a little help from Carrie Ann Inaba’s boyfriend, So You Think You Can Dance’s Artem Chigvintsev.

Danny Bonaduce won’t be charged for tossing Jonny Fairplay and breaking his teeth. District attorneys felt Fairplay was asking for it.

In other legal news, a lawyer for A&E says that reality shows aren’t legally obligated to try stopping a crime as it’s in progress. At least not when it makes for good TV.

And fears of a Hollywood writers’ strike rose as talks between the studios and writers broke down over the weekend. A similar strike in 1988 lasted for 22 weeks and cost the TV industry $500 million.

Fei Long’s winning streak came to an end, and Sister Christian took the fall.

Christian-radio host Leslie started the episode confident in her position in the Fei Long tribe. After all, there’s no way she could be more annoying than pervy Jean-Robert, who rubs up against the younger women every night. "If we ever have to go to Tribal Council," she said, "at least we don’t have to worry about who it’ll be first."

The Reward Challenge gave Fei Long their first clue that Tribal Council might be in their future. In a floating version of the game King of the Hill, the contestants were divided by gender and had to force their opponents off a pier. The first team to win three rounds won the challenge.

Human action figure James had no trouble tossing the men of Zhan Hu into the water in the two rounds of men’s competition. But the women of Fei Long were no match for Jamie, Peih-Gee, and Sherea. And, since the women had gone first, Zhan Hu earned their first victory. They won some cushy blankets and pillows, and then nabbed Leslie as their kidnap victim.

At Zhan Hu camp, Leslie gave the next Hidden Immunity Idol clue to Jaime (who’d done the same for Leslie, last week). Then the gals spent the rest of the day swimmin’ and talkin’ Jesus with Erik, Peih-Gee, and Sherea.

Meanwhile, at Fei Long’s camp, Todd and Courtney overheard Jean-Robert and James hatching plans to get rid of Courtney and Leslie. James was only interested in eliminating Leslie, but Todd and Courtney considered him guilty by association, and they vowed to exact their revenge on him and Jean-Robert.

Later, Leslie returned to the Fei Long camp, gabbing that she’d met some fellow Christians at Zhan Hu. Aaron feared that Leslie had formed a Holy Alliance with members of the other tribe, and he decided to get rid of her in the event of a Fei Long loss at the Immunity Challenge.

Good thing Aaron was prepared.

In the challenge, four team members had to individually chop through a series of ropes to free some puzzle pieces, and then the last two members of the tribe would assemble the puzzle.

Courtney was the first member up for the Fei Long tribe. The easiest way to cut the ropes was by swinging the machete like you’d swing an axe to cut down a tree. But skinny Courtney could hardly even lift the machete. She’d previously joked, "I only weigh seven pounds," and not an ounce of that is muscle.

By the time Courtney finished — eventually sawing through her ropes — all four of the members of Zhan Hu had finished chopping, and Dave and Sherea were assembling their puzzle. The rest of the members of Fei Long made quick work of their ropes, but there was just no way to rebound from such a time deficit.

Courtney was pretty sure she’d be voted out after her poor performance in the challenge, but she and Leslie united to vote for Jean-Robert, if only to send him a warning about his loutish behavior.

Little did Courtney know that Aaron was pressuring teammates to off Leslie. Aaron made a convincing argument that Leslie was at least as weak as Courtney, and even more likely to switch teams than self-interested Jean-Robert. Plus, Jean-Robert was a valuable asset at challenges.

The 6-2 results of the vote at Tribal Council were a surprise to Leslie, who decided to frame her eviction as part of a Divine plan — and not simply the results of her teammates finding her untrustworthy.

Leslie’s post-show interview with TV Guide can be found here.

Two days after Hung won the third season of Top Chef, blog entries are filtering in to Bravo’s website. Tom Colicchio explains in his post how Casey could’ve saved her pork belly dish. Guest judge Rocco DiSpirito saved his real assessment of Dale’s lobster dish for the Village Voice.

TV Guide interviewed Hung after the finale, and Dale told the Chicago Tribune what chef Colicchio told him after the decision had been announced.

The New York Daily News asked one of Top Chef’s executive producers the question I’ve been wondering about: "Why are the chefs always over- or under-seasoning their food?"

And just when you thought you’d had your fill of TV food competitions, Food Network brings you The Next Iron Chef. Host Alton Brown gave TV Guide the scoop on why he didn’t enter the competition to replace Mario Batali’s vacated spot himself. The show premieres on Sunday, October 7 at 9 ET.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Helio Castroneves seems a little starstruck by his Dancing with the Stars competitors.

Police have gotten involved in the Danny Bonaduce Jonny-Fairplay-flinging incident, which, according to a bunch of hookers, was prompted by Fairplay’s excessive alcohol consumption.

Finally, Variety’s Brian Lowry offered an hilarious summary of the hook of the Fox Reality show There’s Something About Miriam, in which bachelors vie for the affection of a woman who, unbeknownst to them, is a pre-op transsexual: "…the show’s use of Miriam’s penis approximates the shark’s role in Jaws: Just knowing it’s lurking down there helps maintain a certain level of suspense."

It hasn’t been a good week for pro wrestling Survivors. Ashley Massaro was voted out of Survivor: China last Thursday, freeing up her time for this TV Guide interview. And Jonny Fairplay lost some of his chiclets after jumping on Danny Bonaduce — never a good idea.

Speaking of pro wrestlers, Hulk Hogan has been tapped to host the revamped American Gladiators.

Brace yourself: Billy Ray Cyrus is dropping by Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday. Mercifully, he won’t be doing any dancing: he and daughter, Miley, are the Results Show’s musical guests.

To tide you over until the stars Jive and Tango on Monday night, check out Mark Cuban’s latest blog post, Albert Reed’s video diary, or submit questions for Cheryl Burke at People’s website.

Star Trek’s George Takei is happy to have an asteroid named in his honor so that he can say, "I am now a heavenly body."

Be sure to check out Greg’s review of Pushing Daisies. The show’s premiere provoked that special kind of disappointment that comes from squandered potential. The ingredients were there, but it just didn’t come together for me. It was the TV equivalent of watching the smartest kid in your high school turn down a scholarship at Harvard to work at Wal-Mart.

I wanted to love Pushing Daisies. And, as I was watching, I tried to convince myself I that I did. But, once it was over, I finally admitted that it just wasn’t very good.

Pushing Daisies tries so damn hard to make you like it. It wants you to think it’s just a little smarter, funnier, sweeter, and more profound than it actually is. It’s like an annoying ten-year-old gifted kid.

The writing staff for Pushing Daisies did what any writing staff does when they can’t find the funny. They went for heavy-handed quirkiness. The female lead’s aunts were cheese-obsessed synchronized swimmers, one of whom had lost an eye from spilling kitty litter onto it. Such quirkiness was a poor substitute for real characterization and humor.

The show’s dialogue and delivery were off-putting. Every straight line existed solely to set up a clearly telegraphed punchline. The actors didn’t converse so much as they seemed to be waiting their turn to deliver said punchlines. I felt like I was watching a show acted by aliens who only knew our culture from watching transmissions of the last few Gilmore Girls seasons.

Even worse than the dialogue, the ceaseless narration was awful. I think the narrator spoke more than all the other characters combined. Not a good sign when your screenplay is so weak it needs to be propped up continuously by a frameworking gimmick.

Finally, I didn’t buy the forced chemistry between the two main characters, Ned (the guy) and Chuck (the girl). It felt like every time Ned spoke — no matter how mundane the comment — we got a close-up of Chuck smiling in admiration. Whenever Chuck so much as tilted her head, Ned looked at her in awe. Rather than trusting the audience to sense any chemistry without assistance… Rather than showing us any specific reasons for the characters to like one other so much… Rather than letting the characters’ relationship develop naturally to the point where we see them fall in like (or love) with one another, we were pretty much told from minute one, "These two people find each other absolutely fascinating — and so do you!"

There were some positives. The show was beautiful in HD. Chi McBride did a yeoman’s job with the only character who’s not a caricature. And Chuck made for a cute ex-corpse. But those are details; the bulk of the show was a saccharine mess.

ABC should be applauded for being willing to put something different on the air. Good on them for giving this adult fairy tale a try. It’s a neat idea for a show, and it’s got a good heart. I can appreciate why so many others enjoyed it. But the writing wasn’t very good, and the show was too concerned with telling me just how precious and charming it was. By the time it ended, I thought my TV had been staring at me with puppy-dog eyes for an hour.

Because pilot episodes aren’t always a reliable indicator of how a show will turn out, I may give the show another week. Or maybe I’ll have more fun if I spend next Wednesday night hanging out with my grandma and her creepy Hummel collection.

After last week’s spectacular Dancing with the Stars Season 5 debut, fans’ expectations for this second heat of performances ran high. Unfortunately, a number of the celebrities failed to maintain the momentum that they’d enjoyed during their first lap around the ballroom. Here’s my take on Monday night’s efforts.

PUTTING THE PEDAL TO THE METAL

Helio & Julianne
This King of Speed maintained his blistering pace and drew upon his Latin heritage to vault him into a lead position. Two-time Indy champion, Helio, delivered a charismatic and energetic Mambo that propelled him to the top of the leader board. Despite his physically painful practice sessions, Helio succeeded in putting everything perfectly together on performance night.

Helio executed complicated footwork, turns, and tricks while simultaneously showcasing his great musicality and wonderful synchronization. His relaxed confidence, debonair attitude, and infectious exuberance easily positioned Helio as the judging panel’s favourite. Julianne certainly hit the jackpot when she was assigned such an incredible partner to complement her dazzling choreography. The rest of the celebrities better beware, because this seasoned racer has already accelerated into overdrive!

Sabrina & Mark
Cheetahlicious Sabrina demonstrated that she certainly has what it takes to master a classic ballroom number. Her Quickstep was sharp, smooth, synchronized, and amazingly fast. Sabrina and Mark sprinted around the ballroom and probably covered more floor area than many of the other couples combined.

This lively duo delivered the total package: polished tricks, energetic performance, controlled execution, wonderful facial expressions, and great technique. I loved them! Based on this routine, it’s obvious that Mark received his training at the same institution as Julianne. His choreography was amazing! Helio and his partner had best keep on eye on their rearview mirror because this talented team is right on their tail.

Mel B & Maksim
Scary Spice’s transition from a feisty kitten to a classy lady might have required some etiquette coaching, but her lessons certainly paid off on the dance floor. Mel gave viewers what they "really, really want" with her solid performance of the Quickstep. M & M’s rendition of this classic ballroom dance was smooth, elegant, and effortless.

Accolades certainly go to Maks for managing to successfully contain Mel’s wild side. And the fidgety Spice girl did an equally admirable job of holding her posture, mastering the precision footwork, and maintaining good unison with her partner. Their coverage of the dance floor was excellent and the entire routine, from start to finish, was packed with motion. This dynamic duo is rapidly developing into a well-oiled machine. The rest of the field clearly has their work cut out for them if they plan to challenge M & M’s furious pace.

Marie & Jonathan
Marie’s makeover into a hot Latin mama was a pleasing and triumphant transformation. Her sassy attitude and committed performance sold her Mambo routine to the in-house crowd in a big way. Marie was confident, flirtatious, and moved fluidly around the ballroom. Her energetic hip action paired with her animated facial expressions and hand gestures set the perfect tone for this spirited dance.

Kudos go to Jonathan for once again choreographing a number that played into Marie’s strengths as a performer. The chemistry between the two struck just the right balance between raunchiness and playfulness. Both the death drop trick and her drop-to-the-floor ending were executed with admirable control (especially considering the disastrous previews from their behind-the-scene attempts). Without a doubt, Marie’s objective to shift her performance into a higher gear was solidly accomplished.

COASTING ALONG

Jane & Tony
Dr Quinn’s adaptation of the Mambo featured a decidedly British flavour instead of the more traditional South American one. Yet despite its prim and proper overtones, many viewers, including myself, were impressed by her transplanted version. Jane danced a precise, neat, and technically strong mambo that included great hip action and lots of flirtatious interplay. Jane looked terrific, moved smoothly around the dance floor, and showed great synchronization with Tony.

However, the routine barely registered on the "hot" scale. I have to agree with Len’s criticism that Jane’s rendition lacked the sizzle and bite expected in a Latin Mambo. In my opinion, this team has dropped back to the middle of the field but remains close enough behind the leaders to stage a well-timed upset.

Jennie & Derek
This week, actress Jennie came out as a more determined, confident, and stronger competitor. Regrettably she was faced with the misfortune of having to overcome an embarrassing crash-and-burn ending. Prior to her mishap, however, Jennie’s performance was quite commendable.

The ballroom style appears to suit this Yummy Mummy better than the Latin one. Jennie moved fluidly and elegantly around the ballroom. Her footwork was quick, light, and covered a respectable portion of the dance floor. However, her performance was not without its own litany of technical errors. Jennie had difficulty sustaining her posture throughout the entire routine. She messed up on her footwork towards the end and lost her unison with Derek. But Jennie’s potential for continuing in the race is still better than average.

Cameron & Edyta
Instead of delivering a Superman performance that complemented his incredible physique, Canadian heartthrob, Cameron, brought a more subdued Clark Kent persona to the dance floor. This All My Children soap star had difficulty getting into the music and really feeling its hot, energizing Latin beat.

Cameron’s rendition of the Mambo was slow, wooden, and rather emotionally detached. While he did hit some nice lines and showed good control in his hip shaking and body movements, the end product was not up to the same standard as some of his fellow competitors.

However, I’m not prepared to write off this Canadian cutie just yet. Cameron has as much potential as many of the other entries currently coasting along in the middle of the pack. Plenty of laps still remain for him to burn some rubber and advance to the pole position.

Mark & Kym
The potent mixture of billionaire Mark’s determination, focus, and fanatical work ethic earned him this week’s "most improved" nod from the DwtS judges. Unfortunately, Mark’s Mambo included a kaleidoscope of hit and miss elements. While Mark’s contagious enthusiasm made for a fun and entertaining performance, his technical shortcomings deducted from its overall appeal.

Highlights of Mark’s routine included nice rhythm, lively upper body movement and good synchronization. On the downside, his performance lacked hip action and the mandatory Mambo sizzle. Regrettably, Mark’s exuberance was exhibited more in his animated facial expressions than in his dance steps.

Still, Mark’s efforts deservedly won him a slot in the third heat. I’m concerned, however, that a great deal more support needs to be rallied off the dance floor before Mark holds a realistic chance of remaining in the running.

ENGINE TROUBLE

Albert & Anna
All things considered, Albert’s rendition of the Quickstep was adequately performed. The beginning was smooth and well executed, the middle was a little wild and out of unison, and the ending was almost (but not quite) back in the groove. Positive elements of Albert’s Quickstep included his posture, his steadfast hold, his lightness on his feet, and his relaxed delivery.

On the other side of the equation was the lack of chemistry between Albert and Anna, the routine’s overly complicated and noticeably out-of-synch footwork, and Albert’s skippy execution of the steps. While Albert wasn’t the worst the worst celebrity dancer, his departure wasn’t too surprising based on this performance.

Floyd & Karina
"Pretty Boy" Floyd is desperately in need of a different dance floor moniker! Floyd’s ballroom performance fell well short of any type of "pretty" classification. His Quickstep, though a noticeable improvement over last week’s Latin routine, was not nearly good enough to boost him above the novice ranks.

Floyd’s posture is atrocious! At no time during his entire dance did Floyd maintain the proper ballroom hold or exhibit an acceptable carriage. Even though he was light on his feet and his footwork was competent, Floyd’s poor posture overshadowed any positive elements in his dancing. Additionally, his legs were too straight, his steps too jumpy, and his pace not nearly fluid enough.

Floyd does not have the makings of a viable contender in this race for the mirrored trophy. I predict (and hope) that a permanent pit stop is on his horizon!

Wayne & Cheryl
In an effort to maximize his audience appeal, the King of Las Vegas threw his chips in with the King of Rock and Roll. But neither Elvis Presley’s’ music tract nor Cheryl’s costumed plumage were enough to distract viewers from Wayne’s shortcomings on the dance floor. Wayne’s Quickstep was slow, gimmicky, and seriously deficient in floor coverage and technique. His steps were hesitant, his upper body stiff and his musicality inconsistent.

Clearly, stage presence and entertainment experience are not enough when the competition has raised the ante so high. Wayne simply has not mastered the qualifications required for competing in this class of entries. Please, let’s pull this participant before he gets a yellow flag for obstructing the field!

TV Guide’s backstage report from the second Dancing with the Stars Results Show has a lot of quotes from Tony Dovolani about how he and Jane Seymour plan to proceed with the show following the death of Jane’s mother.

And thanks to People’s backstage reporting, I’m officially a Queen Latifah fan. Apparently, Latifah insisted on performing live with the DwtS band last night — a bold move, and a huge compliment to Harold Wheeler and company. Plus, it meant that we got to see one more performance by the professional dancers than we usually get at a Results Show.

Jennie Garth has already updated her blog at OK! Magazine after last night’s elimination. After you’ve read that, kill some more time with this DwtS quiz at People, complete with video answers by Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

The Results Show was watched by 15.7 millions viewers, losing in its time slot to House. Maybe if the Cavemen/Carpoolers hour tanks, ABC will move the Results Show up an hour and I won’t have to record Reaper.

Here’s another interview with Dale Levitski, ahead of tonight’s 75-minute Top Chef 3 finale. And Top Chef guest judge Eric Ripert is doing a heckuva nice thing by cooking a special "doomsday menu" for a man who’s about to undergo surgery that could rob him of his sense of taste. Take a look at the menu here.

And I couldn’t be happier that ABC has given Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas the green light to rework his show Cupid for a return to the small screen. The show about a man (originally played by Jeremy Piven) who thinks he’s Zeus’ son sent to Earth to help the romantically challenged only lasted 15 episodes during the 1998-99 season, but it was appointment viewing for me.

But don’t plan on catching up on the original series on DVD if you missed it 9 years ago. It’s not available.

Dancing with the Stars is always rough on models. This week, it was Abercrombie cover boy Albert Reed’s turn to go home.

The show began with a recap of Monday night’s performances. Then, the judges awarded the encore to Helio & Julianne for their Mambo.

When it was time for the first safe couples to be announced, Tom Bergeron mentioned that Jane Seymour had returned to England, following the death of her mother. After last night’s vote, Jane & Tony were safe, and Tom announced that Jane has decided to continue with the competition.

Helio & Julianne were also announced as safe.

For the first guest performance of the night, Queen Latifah sang "Live ‘Til I Die," accompanied by professional dancers Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed. I’d be happy if Victor & Anna were the guest dancers on every Results Show.

Then the audience from the Performance Show gave their opinion of the performances. Bachelor Bob Guiney was a fan of Jennie Garth, while some of the women just wanted Cameron to take his shirt off.

Following that, Melanie & Maksim and Sabrina & Mark were told that they’d garnered enough votes to continue on to next week.

One of the high points of the evening was the return of "manly chested" Nick Kosovich, who danced a Tango alongside wife Lena and American Smooth champions Tomas Mielnicki & JT Damalas.

That performance was followed by one of the show’s low points: the return of Jimmy Kimmel, who attempted to explain how votes are counted. Okay, it was actually kind of funny when he suggested that the votes were all counted by The Count from Sesame Street. But the one-joke bit was a little long — especially considering the time crunch that was to come at the end of the night.

The drama returned when Tom and Drew announced that Mark & Kym would be moving on to next week — after it had seemed almost certain that (with their low scores and Bottom Two showing last week) they would be eliminated.

Queen Latifah returned to the stage to perform "California Dreamin’," this time accompanied by Tony & Anna. The dancing was beautiful, as was Latifah’s singing.

In a pretaped segment, the pros gave their take on this season’s celebrities. Anna likes Helio’s "clear lines." Mark said Jane looks "expensive." And Karina enthused over Albert’s "INCREDIBLE CROTCH ACTION!"

Finally the couples were whittled down to the Bottom Two: Albert & Anna and Wayne & Cheryl. Instead of cutting to commercial as usual, Tom went over to the judges to get their opinions on the Bottom Two. Things got awkward when Tom asked Carrie Ann to say which one of the couples would be going home. She wisely dodged the question, and Tom gave the results of viewers’ votes: Albert & Anna were out.

Tom nagged Albert & Anna to hurry down to the mic: "We’re playing beat the clock!" As has happened in past seasons, the show’s filler had left little time for a proper conclusion. The nagging was especially annoying, given that the show was already scheduled to run two minutes long, ending at 10:02 ET.

Even Albert & Anna’s exit song, Culture Club’s "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" was botched, when Tom’s outro ran long and the singers missed their cue. They only managed to eke out an uncomfortable "ooh" before the show went to black. The producers need to get their timing down, because the abrupt exits of past (and now present) seasons aren’t fair to the eliminated couples — or their fans who watch.

Jane Seymour’s mother passed away this morning, so the star will not be in attendance at tonight’s Dancing with the Stars Results Show. Thanks to MOIB reader, Deb, for alerting me to the story.

In TV Guide’s backstage report from Dancing with the Stars, a number of dancers were already expressing frustration with the judges. In People’s backstage report, Jennie Garth was just frustrated with herself.

Last night’s DwtS Performance Show held strong in the ratings, still drawing over 20 million viewers. And the Arizona Republic featured an article about one of the show’s costume designers.

Tim Gunn promises that the judging on the new season of Project Runway will frustrate viewers. Is that a good thing?

The BBC is now 75% owner of Lonely Planet, my usual travel guide of choice.

And MSN has an article featuring TV’s Greatest Geeks. It’s not often you read an article that mentions both the Lone Gunmen (The X-Files) and Potsie Webber (Happy Days).