A tale of two TV shows...

Interesting contrast last night as "House" returned to the air for a short run of hastily written post-strike episodes, meanwhile "How I Met Your Mother" continued its dominating post-strike performance.

Why is a half-hour sitcom coming off the strike with fresh energy and renewed enthusiasm, while "House," which had the greatest first-half of a season, like, ever last fall, comes back with a half-assed, rote, formulaic mess of an episode? "House" was sort of in a transitional phase with its post-"Survivor" switch to the new team. But it certainly had the elements in place for a triumphant return. Wilson's love life alone should be enough for a half-season of comedy gold. But no, we got... this. Blech.

Meanwhile, "HIMYM?" Brilliance, even if it couldn't top last week's Robin Sparkles shocker. Barnabus Stimson. Gold, I tell ya.

Grace Polanski replaces Jeannette Hynes on KXRM mornings

Beginning this morning, in fact. KXRM GM Steve Dant said Hynes wanted to spend more time at home with her kids, but hoped to return to broadcasting once they were in school. He said they haven't made a decision on who will take Polanski's weekend anchor slot.

KKTV news going HD?

Just saw a press release saying that KKTV/Channel 11 owner Gray Television is buying high definition cameras and equipment for 21 of its stations, apparently including our own KKTV. No word on when the blessed day should arrive that we'll begin seeing Don, Shannon and Brian in brilliant high definition.

If KK makes the HD jump, it could kick off another round of upgrading in the ever-more-competitive local news field.

FYI, all of the local stations broadcast digitally, and they broadcast HD from their network feeds and syndicated programs, but no one has been shooting local programming in HD.

UPDATE: Ah heck. No, they're not going HD. They're just buying HD-capable cameras so they'll be ready should that glorious day ever arrive. Bum-mah.

Idol Idle

My wife was actually surprised to see Carly and Syesha in the bottom two tonight, while Jason and Brooke skated.

This is just "Idol" being "Idol," though - by this point in the season, each of the performers has an established fan base and, for both Jason and Brooke, being out-and-out bad was a smarter choice than simply being adequate.

It is too bad that Syesha and Carly both had one of their better moments, respectively, at this late stage, but that was Michael Johns' problem, too: He started getting good too late to win over the 12-year-old girls that really vote for this thing.

Of course, Smithson and Johns were also both foreigners on "American Idol," which couldn't have been an advantage (although if David Archuleta had an accent, the tweeners would just love him all the more).

I do find it pretty interesting how loyal an audience Brooke has. It seems like she would appeal to an older audience, but she obviously has some staying power. We shall see. The other interesting question is whether Jason Castro's good looks will keep him in it long enough to knock out one of the major contenders (other than the two Davids, naturally).

I guess I'd peg the rest of the road as: Syesha, Brooke, Jason, David and then David wins it all!

Ooh, I'm so tricky.

COUNTERPOINT: Meanwhile, according to the Los Angeles Times, Carly's ouster is sure sign of the decline of Western civilization - "Carly Smithson’s booting is not simply unjust; it threatens to undermine the very premise of 'American Idol.'"

Umm, okay. I think their reviewer hasn't bought an album in the last 20 years, 'cause Carly Smithson was never going anywhere but the adult contemporary charts. Archuleta and Cook may each be annoying in their own way, but I think both are clearly capable of putting an album on the top 40 chart.

'Deal or No Deal,' Mr. President?

And a little primetime appearance by the guy they're trying to replace

The Race Comes To WWE Raw! Monday, April 21, 2008

Hill-Rod, The BaRock and McCain Hogan hit up the WWE Raw audience for votes Monday night.

It's 1:30 p.m. on Monday, do you know where your apocalypse is?

Still four and a half hours away, according to the press release:

CLINTON, OBAMA MCCAIN FIGHT FOR YOUR VOTE ON "MONDAY NIGHT RAW®" TONIGHT

STAMFORD, Conn., April 21, 2008 -- The night before an important Pennsylvania primary, Presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain will each make a very special appearance on a three-hour edition of WWE®'s "Monday Night RAW" tonight on the USA Network starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The three Presidential candidates intend to tap into the power of the more than five million viewers who each week tune in to watch RAW, making it the number one weekly year round show on cable. In particular, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama will be appealing for votes from WWE fans in Pennsylvania, where they are locked in a tight primary battle. An invitation from the WWE to have Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama appear on RAW to settle the Democratic nomination process in the wrestling ring was the catalyst for tonight's appearances by the three top Presidential contenders, who each will address the WWE audience in specially taped messages.

Who deserves to win the biggest Championship match in the country? Tune in Monday to hear what the candidates have to say.

WWE encourages its fans in Pennsylvania to Smackdown Your Vote! for your favorite candidate on Tuesday.

NPR takes the pulse of the polygamists

This is one of the strangest stories I've ever heard on the radio, NPR or otherwise.

It's sort of presented as a news story, but it's pretty obviously a commentary of some sort.

You have to listen to the end where Wade Goodman starts talking about Western values and the laughing judge. It's so weird.

I really want to listen to the rest of his reporting from the trial to see if he was just hopped up on cough medicine this time. Or maybe we'll get a full throated dissertation on the competing worth of laconic Western values versus the boisterous modern version.

Roslin is so the 12th Cylon

Or something. I finally got around to watching last week's "BSG."

Good episode, although some of the acting was pretty spotty. I gotta say, though, that it's a troubling sign that the Cylons are getting to be more interesting than the humans.

And I think the BSG pilots were way too nice to Apollo. Dude is abandoning them to die, when you think about it. So he can be a paper pusher. Just rubs me the wrong way.

And Starbuck's whining was really getting old in this episode. I get it: We're going the wrong way. Message received.

Still, the toasters turning on the skin jobs? That's good stuff.

Way to go, Charlie

I didn't bother to watch the Democratic debate last night - 'cause I ran out of patience with those like, 15 debates ago - but the amount of vitriol getting heaped on ABC's Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos makes me wish I did.

I linked to one of the few reviews that didn't include swear words.

Funny - although probably more funny if you're not an Obama supporter.

Kayla on "Montel"

Kayla Woodhouse, whose family got a new house last October on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," was featured on the "Montel Williams" show today for a segment on miraculous kids. Kayla and her parents, Kim and Jeremy, talked about the challenges they've faced with her condition, which prevents her from feeling pain or regulating her body temperature.

At the end of the show, Kayla got a visit from Christian performer David Phelps, her favorite singer.

Next up for Kayla is a visit from Discovery Health's "Mystery ER," who will be filming in Colorado Springs this week.

Woodhouse family on Montel

Kayla Woodhouse of Fountain, last seen on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," will be on the Montel Williams show tomorrow (3 p.m., KRDO) for an episode devoted to amazing kids.

Kayla suffers from a rare disorder that limits her body's ability to feel pain or to regulate her temperature. The condition forces her to spend most of her time indoors and her family to keep the thermostat on "cool" year-round. "Extreme Makeover" built the family a house with plenty of indoor entertainment and special environmental controls.

On Montel, Kayla will tell her story and get to meet a special guest. The episode was taped a couple months ago.

Chase and Cameron: From cottages to living in a van down by the river

Interesting interview with "House" creator David Shore that says that Chase and Cameron will not be elevated from their diminished roles on the show anytime soon.

It's back, oh thank god it's back

It's been so long, I'd forgotten how much I'd missed it. So many shows have come back with half-assed, rushed episodes (um, "30 Rock" anyone? "Earl" wasn't even trying). But "The Office." Oh my, "The Office."

"The Dinner Party" was just this side of a clasic. Just so many great parts, it's hard to pick one out. My wife thought the closing musical montage went over the line into sad, but so many of this show's great scenes have walked the line between comedy and tragedy. It's the human touch that prevents it from being just a farce (albeit just a farce can be fun, too, as "30 Rock" is when it's on its game).

Ah yeah.

Another one bites the dust

Don't let this post stand in the way of your watching the "Lost" vid just below, but I always enjoy it when a show goes down in flames after a single airing:

NEW YORK (AP) — The secret talents of celebrities will remain hidden. CBS is axing its new reality show “Secret Talents of the Stars” after only one episode.

The first airing Wednesday had former “Star Trek” actor George Takei singing “On the Road Again.” Only 4.6 million people tuned in — and thousands tuned away as the hour continued.

The reality show also had Clint Black doing standup comedy and Mya tap-dancing. Danny Bonaduce is among the celebrities whose secret talents will be kept to himself.

CBS officials say news programming is expected as a temporary replacement.

Everything you ever needed to know about "Lost"

In one easy word...

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

KRCC hires new news director

Public radio station KRCC (91.5 FM) hired Andrea Chalfin as its new news director. She'll start in mid-May.

Chalfin has been a news reader and reporter for the University of Missouri-Columbia's NPR affiliate. She's replacing Eric Whitney, who started the KRCC news department in 2004 and left in January to become the health reporter for Colorado Public Radio.

In other KRCC news, the station launched a Colorado College student station a week and a half ago on its HD-3 digital subchannel. To listen to the SOCC ("Sound of Colorado College"), you either need an HD radio, or you can listen online at www.krcc.org.

And if you're a fan of "Democracy Now," host Amy Goodman will speak at the station at 3 p.m. April 20.

Idol idle

Well, that certainly wasn't the best episode of the season, but it may well have been the most interesting. A lot of the performances were... unexpected. I didn't expect Carly to suck. Or Kristy Lee Cook to deliver her best performance of the season. And I certainly didn't expect whatever it was that David Cook was doing. Good lord.
I would have thought David Archuleta would have knocked "inspirational songs" out of the park, but he was just OK. Not that it matters.

And I could hardly have been more disappointed with Brooke White... when she said she was married. (The song sucked too).

Jason Castro easily delivered the performance of the night. Loved the ukelele. When I was in Kauai a few years ago, they played that song around the freakin' clock on local radio. Seriously, like once an hour - and this is 10 years after the song came out. I can't blame Simon for not remembering Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole's full name, but I don't know why he said "that song from the Internet." Um no, dude. It's that song from "50 First Dates." Duh. I liked the original better, but Castro's version really suited his voice and look and was generally an all-around perfect fit.

I honestly have no idea who's down after that. I guess nobody's leaving tonight, 'cause it's "Idol Gives Back" week (and I do mean "weak"). I think Syesha might be next, though - it's not this performance, but she just seems like she's from a different, less interesting season of the show.

Dancing with jocks

Jason Taylor's success on this iteration of "Dancing with the Stars" has me thinking about the ongoing success of athletes on the show - Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, now Taylor (I think Clyde Drexler kinda stunk it up, but I don't recall). I think it raises all sorts of interesting questions.

Is this indicative of some latent desire for artistic expression in athletes? If someone with Rice's stature hadn't taken the leap into the abyss first, would anyone else have been brave enough to follow? Is there any trickle-down effect where athletes of all levels might be more willing to try their hand (and feet) at an artistic endeavor? Isn't that the plot of about 100 teen romance movies? Can we expect to see a waltz or two in the endzone this year?

Here's one for BSG fans

Battlestar Barbarella takes flight. My nerdy heart nearly explodes.

Craig Eliot returning to KOAA

After nearly three months away from the station, KOAA/Channels 5&30 morning meteorologist Craig Eliot is hoping to be back on the air April 16.

Back in February, Eliot felt some stiffness in his left knee. He's had surgeries in both knees, so at first he thought nothing of it. When it swelled up, he went to see his doctor, but still wasn't particularly worried. Nor was his doctor, until he stuck Eliot's knee with a needle and found it badly infected with a hard-to-treat staph infection.

Three surgeries, three weeks in the hospital and months of round-the-clock anitbiotics later, Eliot said his doctors finally think he's on the mend. And, he says, the enforced layoff has actually been good for him.

"I spent a lot of time with my wife and my newborn daughter," Eliot said. "It’s taught me to do a little less and enjoy it a little more.
"I look at it as one of the better things that’s happened in my life," he said.

So, he's not eager to get back to work and the 2:30 a.m. alarm, but Eliot said he has missed the morning crew at KOAA.

"I’ve missed the people I work with," he said. "They have been amazing. We’re really really close on the morning crew."

Clear eyes, full hearts can't lose

Game on.

I honestly never thought I'd see the day, but it's happening.

You may wonder why this critical favorite deserves a third shot when so many other critically beloved, widely ignored shows never get the chance. I say, a TV world in which Connie Britton does not win an Emmy is not one I want to watch.