The queen of ALL media

Photo from Oprah.com

She's got her own talk show. Her own magazine. Her own radio station. Her own school. And now her own YouTube channel. What's next?

I love, love Oprah but YouTube?? Really????

Hang on, is that fear I smell?: "Ugly Betty" the recap

by ABC.com

If you're not watching "Ugly Betty," then you're missing one of the best show on TV. Every week, the writers pack the show with such witty lines and storytelling that the hour just flies by. This episode was al about "secrets."

This week Betty and Henry continued their secret fling all the way to "Wicked." Betty first had to go through all sorts of shenanigans including a fake date with Gio the sandwich guy.

Hilda was lying about working in an exclusive salon only to be working at a "Hooters' knockoff called "High Beams." Unfortunately, she got busted by a classmate of Justin's. But fortunately for Hilda, Papa Suarez and Justin bought her a hairdrying chair and Hilda's own business "The Sweet Hair After" was born.

Daniel is still trying to save "Mode" even almost resorting to sleeping with a "cougar" (I loved it when they added the cat growling sound effects).

Mark too is carrying on a secret romance with his pudgy boyfriend and after he's outed in front of Amanda he admits he was wrong to dismiss Cliff.

Wilheimena is also carrying a secret: She knows that her daughter hates her and refuses to come to the wedding. After she overhears Mark and Amanda talking about it, she realizes that the show must go on with or without her daughter Nico.

The fun thing about the show is the quotes: Here's a sample:

"There's supposed to be one white and one dark in each box. My wedding theme: Ebony and Ivory! That idiot wedding planner has gone and segregated them!" -Willie to Mark about her wedding favors.

Mark shouts: "This is unacceptable!" Willie says "What to we want?" Mark says "Intergrated chocolates!" "When do we want them?!" Mark shouts: NOW!"

And the best news of all: Gay Justin is back!!
Here's a sample: When Justin's friend tries to trade Playbill's he tells her "Nice try Hillary, but the Merman is a collector's item. And it'll put me through college someday or send me to Billy Elliott school."

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You should be watching.

Episode grade: A+

The boys are back: "nip/tuck" the recap

photo from Orlando Sentinel.com


"Tell me what you don't like about yourself."

And that's the signature line of this gem of a show "nip/tuck' and after umpteen months away it's back! Last season, our boys Christian and Sean moved from Miami to Los Angeles. So far, they've hooked up with a publicist whose's a shark and she's landed them a hot new gig on a show called "Hearts & Scapels"

Christian is still up to his old tricks of being a ladies' man and Sean's still the moral compass of this show, but at the end of the episode, it looks as if the compass is off center.

Episode grade: A+

All you need to do to lose weight is to eat right, exercise and shut up and listen to me: "The Biggest Loser" recap

photo by NBC.com

The aftermath of Neil's decision to waterload before the last weigh-in made the TBL camp a not so fun place to be. Everyone pretty much snubbed Neil but the direction of the game got changed a bit when Bryan, Ryan and Nicole all got a vote.

In the end, the cowboy David was sent packing. It's not a surprise because we knew early on by the face time he was getting that it was going to come down between him and Kae. (Note to the editors of reality shows, let's NOT telegraph what's going to happen.)


Episode grade: A+

Don't forget to watch!

Screencap from "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!"


It's the great pumpkin everyone! Well SOME of it anyway.

If you have kids, share this with them. If not, watch it by yourself! Whatever the case, enjoy!

Tonight at 8 on your local ABC station!

Help! My show is broken!:" Heroes": the recap

photo from NBC.com

OK, I'm calling it: "Heroes" has jump the shark. Not even Kristen Bell can save it and she's a good actress! I was soo bored at Hiro's, Peter's and Claire's storylines that it wasn't even funny.

I'd write a recap but I can sum it up in bor-ring. The big reveal at the end about a virus wiping out New York screams legacy virus. and Marvel Comics did that years ago.

The big reveals from last night: Claire makes the cheerleading squad after she and West cares the bejubus out of some actress that was totally trying to rip off the head cheerleader from this movie.

"Nikki" teams up with Mohinder to look for new mutants. I put "Nikki" in quotes because I suspect it's actually Jessica and that the Company brought the Jessica personality back.

Monica gets a shiny new Ipod from Bob full of abilities she can copy while in Ireland, Peter and his new girlfriend (I wish I could care enough to remember her name) go over to Canada to find a room full of stuff.

Maya activates her Wonder Twin power to get Sylar, Alejandro and herself across the border much to the deaths of some Minute Men. (I'm guessing New York is hit by a Maya/Legacy Virus combo)

And badass H.R.G is back!

Episode grade: C-

Bossy women run this street

photo from ABC.com




Best episode of the season! This episode was the perfect storm of funny, sad, serious and side-splitting.

Loved that Bob and Lee are fitting into the neighborhood. We start out with Bob and Lee's new (hideous) fountain proving the wrath of the ladies of Wisteria Lane. Bree sums it up best with this quote "With all the gay men in the world, we get the two with no taste." But not to be outdone Mrs. McClusky asks Bree to talk to the gays with this line.

"Bree you should go talk to them you can relate to them. You had a son that came flying out of the closet and a husband that was looking for a doorknob."

We also had Bob telling an old neighbor "If you ever want to talk fashion, we're here for you."

Each of the ladies had her hands full as Bree had to deal with the ramifications of Danielle fleeing the convent, Lynette trying to save her kids' treehouse, Susan dealing with Bob and Lee's fountain and Gaby trying to juggle an affair with Carlos.

The best scene in the whole episode is when Lynette and Katherine campaigning for the office of the neighborhood association.

Episode: A

What the hell is going on here?: "Heroes" the very late recap

Photo from NBC.com

Because of the fires in San Diego, a lot of the regular programming was pre-empted because of the fire coverage. As a result, a lot of the shows were aired over the weekend. That being said, here's a quick and dirty "Heroes" recap.

When we last left off poor Molly was trapped in her nightmares and Matt and Mohinder were both lost about what to do. Molly before she conked out tracked down Matt's dad who apparently had connections to the old heroes. Matt hooks up with Nathan and they fly to Philadelphia to confront him. It turns out that Matt's dad is a louse and he's the one stalking the old heroes. We also learn he has abilities similar to this DC Comics character.
We also see that his dad his headed to get Bob who runs The Company.

We also learn that the Company has sent an agent to find Peter (Kristen Bell) and she's willing to kill to get answers. Unfortunately her first victim is the guy who owns the pub where Peter's been hiding. Peter and his new girlfriend are hiding out in an apartment and Peter accidentally taps into Issac's powers to paint where he should go next. (So I guess Peter "permanently" retains powers.)

In New Orleans, Micah helps Monica get in touch with her "copycat" powers. She apparently can do anything she sees, like muscle memory. Micah shows her a comic book that Issac did (He must have done a bunch before his death) and shows her a character called St. Joan (two guess who this is going to really turn out to be.)

In Japan, Ando gets help deciphering Hiro's writing and we see them prepare for the battle of "The White Beard." (YAWN!)

The episode ends with Mohinder showing up at Monica's door saying he needs to help her and Ellie ordered home by her Daddy.

Episode grade: B.

"I like blowing" : "Ugly Betty," the recap

Photo from ABC.com


It's the end of baseball season but "Ugly Betty" keeps hitting home runs! This week's theme: affairs of the heart.

Betty is still reeling from the shattering news that Henry's going to be a daddy. Hilda and Justin try very different ways to heal their broken hearts. Claire tries to see if there's room in Bradford's heart for her while Marc finds "like" in an unexpected place and in an unexpected package. And Christina's old issues come back to bite her.

We start off with Betty and Henry trying to avoid each other and trying to move on. After Christina tells Betty that it's time for her to move on, she dips her toe into the Internet dating pool. She goes out with a man on a bowling date and basically talks him into boredom and he ditches her as fast as he can. Henry gets wind of Betty's date, follows her to the bowling ally and swoops in to save the date. They finally, finally, FINALLY decide get together.

At Casa de Suarez, Hilda is hanging out with the Golden Girl rejects while Justin is hanging out with rough-crowd wannabees.

The both realize the need to get out their grief and move on.

At the Meade household, Willie tires to play "It's a Wonderful Christmas" much to the dismay of the whole family. Claire sees them out side and realizes that they are a family and she and Yoga head off to Italy.

At Mode, Marc meets a portly photographer and realizes that there's some there, there. And to make this episode the best it can be we end with lovebirds Betty and Henry deciding to take the plunge. Yay!!

Episode grade: A

YAYYYYYYYYY!!!

Trust me. You'll want to click on this.

I'm done: The last Bionic Woman recap (until it gets better)

Photo by NBC.com

I wanted to like this show. The pilot was OK. The second episode sucked. The third episode was GREAT. The last episode not so good. This one just mediocre. So mediocre that I don't even want to recap it.

That being said, if it gets better I'll let you know.

Episode grade: Who cares?

The girl who wanted to be a model and then didn't: "America's Next Top Model" the recap

Photo: The CW


Oh. MY. GAWD!

Not since Tyra went crazy and screamed at a model since there has been an episode this good.

The episode started when this male model stopped by and made the girls go all into a tizzy.

Then a challenge for this organization resulted in Heather being the winner and getting to meet Mary J. Blige.

We then had the ladies doing a shoot for recyling. Saleisha came out on top.

And then we had Ambreal (nOOOOOO) in the bottom two along with Ebony. And sadly Ambreal was chosen to go home (NOOOOOOOOO!!!)

And then Ebony blurts out: "I don't want to be here." Tyra looks stunned and tells her not to let the door hit her on the way out.

Ambreal is spared and ding-dong the witch is gone!

Episode grade: A+

You'll notice something different about this week's blogs....

Because of the nonstop fire coverage, I haven't seen a LOT of my favorite shows for the past few days. Since a lot of them are on NBC, they'll be re-aired over the weekend. I hope to have my thoughts then.

Stay tuned.

And PRAY for us!!

It's baaack!!!: The Amazing Race!!

photo by CBS.com

When the fall schedule was announced a few months ago, I was worried about "The Amazing Race" being left behind. I shouldn't have worried. A show this good will surface eventually.

It'll be in its usual time slot of Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on CBS And if you've never watched, I URGE you to watch it. Seriously.

This season we have married lesbian ministers (GO girls, I mean women!), dating Goths (with pink shirts and hair!) and of course the run of the mill atheltic people. And young folks bonding with old people.

I cannot WAIT!

A word about the fires..

If you read my profile, you'll notice that I'm in San Diego.

It's pretty bad here folks. Ash and soot is everywhere. In the media locally it's been nonstop fire coverage. My heart breaks and goes out to the folks that are discovering via TV that their homes are gone. And to my colleague in the media Larry Himmel, I feel awful for you and have mad respect that you were able to do this. I wouldn't have been able to.

Even though I'm so in love with my TV set I'd like to run away with it forever, I'm not missing my favorite shows. Sure I'd like to see Tyra and Oprah and the rest but now with today's technology I can watch them later when I'm in a better place.

Plus you can to www.cbs.com; www.abc.com; www.cwtv.com and www.nbc.com to see the shows you missed.

Personally, I'm not directly affected by the fires because I'm lucky enough to live in the central area of the city. But it's sad when I see the people get to what's left of their homes. A few colleagues of mine were evacuated and some have gone back home now but what about the rest of the people in San Diego.

After this is over, we'll be seeing tons of stories about the cleanups, the startovers, the leftovers etc. The sad thing is, is that we went through this four years ago about this time.

This time, we appear to be better organized but it still is all so very sad.

A long time ago, we used to be friends: Veronica Mars Season 3

image from Amazon.com

And now it's over. I'll let you in on a secret. I still go to the CW on Tuesday nights at 9 hoping, praying I can see the show. But alas, it's not there.

The main reason to BUY the disc is not only the great episodes of this little show that should STILL be on air is seeing "Veronica Mars: FBI." Even though Kristen Bell has moved on to bigger but not necessarily better things, I hope the rumored movie will still happen. We need closure!

Did Keith win the election? Where's Wallace? Where's Mac? Where's Weevil?

And after you watch the "VM:FBI" you'll want to know more about the new cast that was introduced.

She's a big girl now!: Gossip Girl: The recap

Photo by The CW

I've been a little behind in blogging this show. While I'm trying to give the "Bionic Woman" every possible chance to get better, the truth is, is that it isn't.

That being said, I think my Wednesday nights will belong to the CW. The truth is, I can't WAIT days later to see and blog the show. That being said, here's the recap.

This week was all about Jenny and her quest to get into Blair's good graces during a sleepover. Meanwhile Serena and Dan finally have their first date.

Jenny learns the hard way that the even though the grass appears to be greener that it was not so bad where she was. Blair drags the gang to rescue Eric who's been forced to stay at the Ostroff center and then they go clubbing. Blair makes out with an older man and then steals his phone and Jenny calls the man's fiance to let him know that he's making out with underaged girls.

Serena and Dan have a pretty pitiful date until Serena pipes up that she wanted to date Dan and not the date that Dan thinks she should have. Back at the slumber party, Blair gets Jenny in trouble with police but Jenny manages to wiggle out of it.

And Serena and Dan finally KISS! Yay!

Episode grade: A

"Even if I cared, I'm just not physically able to express sympathy: "Ugly Betty' The recap

Photo from ABC.com

I love Wilhemina Slater! I love her so much that I want to be her understudy for life.

Last night we got another spot-on, hold your sides laughing episode of "Ugly Betty."

Once again it was full of gems such as Amanda telling Alexis "Friends don't let friends wear glitter before noon. To the ladies room. NOW!"

And from Mark "I love the smell of fresh Prada in the morning..."

But my favorite of the evening.."I transformed from Wanda the assistant to Wilhemina Slater, supermodel."

This week we had Betty take a creative writing class where she had the professor from hell. (Guest star: Victor Garber). He browbeats the class and labels Betty "Clappy" after she expresses enthusiam for a classmate's paper. At home she tells Papa Suarez that she needs to be good. "Not like Jordin Sparks good but more like Kelly Clarkson good." Justin shows up trying to be badass by wearing a leather jacket and drinking milk from a carton. He wants to be more like his dad. I'll continue Justin's storyline right now because I want the producers to stop this immediately. Justin's failing algerbra and drinking beer and bringing home girls (!)

I know he's a kid and everything but let's keep him gay and not go through this "I'm confused about my sexuality thing and want to be more of a man like my dad." It's not funny and you can tell the actor himself looks BO-RED. I want my Hermes loving Justin back immediately!

At Mode, Alexis shows up to work looking like a hot mess, not wearing a bra and wearing entirely too much makeup. After a few adjustments, she's off to her first meeting and proposes the idea of using Anna Nicole Smith on the cover. (Uh-oh Shaggy!)

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina is ready for her new position running Meade Publications and realizes that the other magazines suck and her heart is at Mode. She then launches the clever idea that if she can't have Mode no one else can.

Daniel has to deal with a client who's a homophobe (James Van Der Beek) and doesn't want his work associated with Alex. Daniel tells him to take a hike and Wilhelmina gets the idea of having her own fashion magazine.

Amanda is in Fay's secret lair and tries to find out info on her dad. She learns that Willie used to be her mom's assistant and was an Afro-wearing doudy woman who's had botox and lots of surgery. Yep, she was an "Ugly Willie." Amanda begs to find out who her dad was and Willie tells her that she was conceived during a wild party at Studio 54 and that her dad had a tattoo on his butt of Tweety bird.

Betty meanwhile is dealing with the ramifications of lying during her class. She inadvertantly read someone else's paper as her own and her teacher loved it so much he sent it to the New Yorker. She goes over to interview there and the interviewer tells her that she's carrying a boy. Back at Mode, Betty's confronted by the real author and Daniel steps in to save the day. He explains it as a mix up and saves Betty's bacon. (Nice to know that plagarism can be bought away with a few dollars).

Betty tells Daniel that she's sorry and that she values his opinion. Daniel says that he's a nobody and to do what she feels is best. This leads him to confess to Alexis that he was the cause of the accident and she forgives him.

At home, we see Henry waiting for Betty and he tells him that Justin is out of control. He also reveals inadvertantly that he IS the father of Charlie's baby and Betty tells him to leave.

Betty then faces her class and reads her real paper, much to her professor's dismay.

Episode grade: A+

"Hi, Jamie, boy you look great! How's Becca?": Bionic Woman: The recap

photo by NBC.com

Katee Sackoff is making this show worth watching. The plots and the main actress, Michelle Ryan, however, is not.

After last week's spectacular episode this one fell flatter than the landscape in Kansas. Long dull stretches, a plot no one cared about, lame acting all filled the hour.

With the exception of Katee who chewed the scenery everytime she showed up. It would be a much more interesting show if she was a series regular. The big reveal is that Jamie can be beaten and hurt. And that she only has five years before her bionic parts fail. (Trust me, we wont' EVER get to that point with this show).

Isiah Washington is horribly bored and it shows by his acting. And it seems that the show is wandering around aimlessly.

Now the question remains: Stay or go? I'm hoping that the show gets a spark to keep me interested but I'm beginning to think that "Gossip Girl" might be on my Must See TV list and this is on my catch it if nothing else is on list.

Episode grade: D.

I'm just not seeing gargoyle here: "America's Next Top Model": The recap

photo from www.cwtv.com


Is that a bad photo? Apparently for the judges in "America's Next Top Model" is is.

This is the first week I actually felt that I knew who these girls were. There's a LOT of hatred on this cycle and it appears that my girl Bianca is always as the center of it.

The highlight of the episode for me was the Model formerly known as Danielle showed up and she was amazing! I guess speech therapy DOES work!

Lisa is doing an amazing job but that doesn't sit too well with Bianca and some of the rest of the girls.

I was worried that Ambreal would be taken out because this is NOT her best photo. She was scared of heights ( I feel ya girl) and it showed by her freakout at the photo shoot.

In the end she and Janet were in the bottom two and poor Janet was sent home.

A few random questions: Is it just me or is Tyra seem waay too removed from these girls? Usually she would have dropped by for a chat or something now.

What's going on with Miss Jay's hair?

Episode grade: B