Grossest Manipulation: “I’m not trying to sell a story,” said BACHELOR PAD’s Kasey to fellow contestants. “But just know the money is necessary for my grandmother to live.” Kudos, dude. You’ve finally proven yourself to be just as disgusting as your fame-whore girlfriend, Vienna. Enjoy yourself while you can, buddy, because the race is on to see whether your relationship or your time in the spotlight ends first.
 
Best Crossover: Holy Wrestlemania! A special Tuesday-night edition of SMACKDOWN featured stars from both this WWE franchise and its sister show, RAW, giving Syfy a nice ratings boost and fans of the genre an extra night of carnage.
 
Why Geeks Wet Themselves This Week: The New York Post reported that a sixth version of STAR TREK is in the works and will soon be pitched to CBS.
 
The “Well What Else Did He Have To Do” Award Goes To…: Chad Michael Murray, who, having all but squandered the buzz he had a few years back, will return for the final season of ONE TREE HILL.
 
Best Tweet: Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine sent out one reading: “The VMA’s. One day a year when MTV pretends to still care about music.” He closed with an obscenity that would have been downright appropriate for what New York Times’ columnist Jon Caramanica dubbed “maybe the most bleeped award show in history, and certainly the lewdest.”
 
Saddest News: Melissa Sue Gilbert and Bruce Boxleitner announced they’d be divorcing. And if Scarecrow and Half Pint can’t make it, who can?
 
Lamest Casting: Okay, be honest: Who out there knows who JR Martinez is? Given his lack of storyline, even most ALL MY CHILDREN fans — on which he plays Brot — might have difficulty placing the name. Forget COUGAR TOWN; it’s DANCING WITH THE STARS that needs to consider a name change.
 
The “Don’t Make Us Beg… ’Cause We Will” Award Goes To: CBS, who this week put some of it’s programming on Hulu… but only in Japan. Given how crappy CBS’s on-line players are (and that includes for sister-network The CW), we can only hope this is a sign that Hulu will soon be hosting their content here as well.
 
Story We Never Need To See Written Again: No outlet needs to write about how “not all (insert ethnic group here) are happy with (insert offensive reality show centered on group comprised largely of said ethnicity here).” That’s like saying that not all cows are pleased with slaughterhouses.
 
Worst Mom: A stage mother on TLC’s TODDLERS & TIARAS dressed her child as Dolly Parton… complete with padded chest and butt. Remember when you actually, I don’t know, learned stuff on The Learning Channel?
 
Most Humble Nominee: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE hostess Cat Deeley told AfterEllen.com that Ryan Seacrest should win the Emmy that they’re both competing for. If she weren’t so darn charming, we’d smack her. As it is, we’ll settle for her graciously accepting come Emmy night.
 
Dumbest Question Ever: Will there be any GLEE skits on this year’s Jane Lynch-hosted Emmy telecast?
  
Emmy-Worthy Performance Of The Week: What do you say we just give next year’s Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama nod to ALL MY CHILDREN’s Debbi Morgan right now? It’ll be tough for anyone out there to top her heartbreaking performance as alter ego Angie clawed at the ground beneath which was buried the switched-at-birth daughter she hadn’t even known had died.
 
Best — And Perhaps Only — Reason To Watch TWO AND A HALF MEN For The First Time: Judy Greer (perhaps best known as the breast-flashing secretary on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) has been cast as the ex-wife of Ashton Kutcher’s character.

Most Beaten Horse: Did you miss COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN in it’s 8 p.m. timeslot on new home Current? Never fear… you can catch it again at Noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. No, seriously.
 
Best Spin: In effort to stave off negative reviews from those expecting a show involving time travel and dinosaurs to be a great sci-fi adventure, FOX is warning viewers that TERRA NOVA is an “epic family drama”. In other words, 7th HEAVEN meets Jurassic Park.
 
Most Uncanny Timing: Airing live following President Obama’s address to the nation in which he announced troop withdrawls from Afghanistan, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE coincidentally featured an intense number involving a soldier’s return from serving in that country.
 
Most Discussed Show Nobody Actually Watched: THE KILLING’s controversial season ender got so much ink everyday TV viewers might have mistaken it for a megahit as opposed to a show that drew a relatively small audience.
 
Best New Addition: Hulu began airing BBC’s sexy sci-fi series MISFITS. Expect “Monkey Slut” to become the next big catchphrase.
 
Proof That Death Is A Temporary Condition: FUTURAMA returned from its latest hiatus/cancellation. 

Most Poorly Disguised Movie-Length Advertisement: The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were so busy pimping Las Vegas that they practically forgot to hand out awards.
 
Most Obvious Failed Ploy: Having already given Oprah a Lifetime Achievement Emmy, the Emmy producers – in a desperate attempt to trick viewers into watching – made up a new award (the Crystal Pillar) to give the legend. Clearly onto their schtick, Oprah didn’t bother to show up, instead submitting a brief, pre-taped acceptance speech.
 
Some We’re Most Psyched To Groove To: Sure, most kids don’t even know what vinyl is but we’re stoked about Showtime’s series by that name which will explore the music industry of the 70’s.

Worst Date Ever: Pity the poor guy who winds up going out with octomom Nadya Suleman on CELEBRIDATE. “So, um… do you like kids?”
 
The “Glad You Asked” Award Goes To… : Row Lowe, who pondered whether or not he should return to CALIFORNICATION. Our answer? If it gets you off PARKS & REC, but all means… yes.
 
Most Ridiculous Statement Ever: As TRUE BLOOD prepares to premiere its fourth season, creator Alan Ball admitted he’s considering ending the show after the fifth year wraps. Why? He’s not sure he has “any left in him” beyond that. Dude, five seasons at, what, 12, 13 episodes each? Read more of the books upon which the show is based.
 
Reason So Many Folks At Fox Are Frowning: GLEE Creator Ryan Murphy says there will be fewer musical numbers next season. This is bad news for fans because it means more time for the show to fill with ridiculous storypoints and badly-plotted story arcs, but even worse for folks at Fox who’ve made a not-so-small fortune off sales of the show’s tunes.
 
Biggest Tease: And no, we don’t mean that in a good way. But it goes to ABC for purposely misleading viewers into thinking Bentley would show up on last week’s THE BACHELORETTE… and then ran promos indicating that “no, really, this week, he really will.”

Wondering why the gang from New Directions looks a little less than gleeful today? Well, if we were to hazard a guess, it might have a little something to do with the realization that their competition on GLEE’s upcoming November 25 episode entitled “Hairography” includes a few ringers in the form of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne, and Comfort Fedoke. But hey, don’t take our word for it, judge for yourself by checking out some more first look photos after the jump.

I’m not proud about this, but I’ll admit that when watching THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA I fast forward through everything that doesn’t involve human train wrecks Kim and NeNe. Come to think of it, I’m not proud that I watch that show, period.

Having trouble sleeping at night? Tune into BIG BROTHER AFTER DARK over on Showtime Two. I switched it on last night and about 10 minutes later kicked myself, asking, “Am I really sitting here watching Jesse scrub dishes and make a sandwich?” The thrice-weekly episodes are painful enough. I sure as heck don’t need to put myself through the live stuff. So far this season, Jordan is my favorite houseguest. I kinda love that she’s dumb as a brick. She and Jeff seem pretty compatible in that regard, wouldn’t you say? Russell has grown on me, but Chima… there’s just something about her that skeeves me out. At least the wildly annoying Ronnie is finally gone. Lord, that boy worked my nerves…

A personal note to Nigel Lythgoe and any other producer out there thinking of hiring Paula Abdul: Please know that you will be doing so at the risk of your credibility. One of the things that has always set SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE apart from IDOL is the fact that the judges offer valid critiques as opposed to the insipid “Well, you look real pretty” remarks that Paula tries to pass off as valid. Yes, it might be interesting to see the former choreographer compete on DANCING WITH THE STARS (although given her history of back problems, I can’t help but think she would prove a sub-par performer), but for the most part, execs need to realize her value to them is mostly as a ratings-grabbing ploy. Then again, Lythgoe proved he’s not above that with the whole Katie Holmes performance this season, sold — not blatantly, but definitely intentionally — as a “live” gig, even going so far as to film it in such a manner as to try and trick viewers into thinking it had been done in front of the studio audience when it obviously wasn’t. These kind of stunts only serve to take away from the credibility of a show that, for the most part, proves itself to have far more integrity than most reality offerings (right down to acknowledging that they are searching for America’s “favorite” dancer as opposed to “best”) currently airing.

The current season of MTV’s THE REAL WORLD may have less to do with the real world than any in its history… and that’s including the Las Vegas-based Stephen and “Trashelle” season. And unless I miss my guess, someone needs to tell sex-starved Jasmine that the reason she ain’t getting any from Patrick is that he bats for the other team…

Over on NBC, the peacock network will dedicate the 9-11PM slots to retrospectives on both Jackson and Fawcett’s remarkable careers while CBS will air a prime-time special on Jackson at 10PM which may also include coverage on Fawcett’s career.

BURN NOTICE (9PM USA)
While Michael is away infilitrating a gang in order to take down a highly sought-after criminal, Sam must face down his most challenging foe yet: The IRS (Da-Da-Duh!)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (9PM FOX)
Two more dancers have their dreams crushed on national television. Awkward.

BURN NOTICE (9PM USA)
Bad News: A detective discovers Michael’s secret stash of explosives. Good News: Said detective is played by Terminator: Salvation’s Moon Bloodgood.

NAKED SCIENCE (9PM NGC)
Does the National Geographic Channel think that just by putting the word ‘naked’ in the title we’ll watch this show examining an off-season tornado outbreak? Well played NGC, well played indeed.

RAISING SEXTUPLETS (10PM WEtv)
RAISING SEXTUPLETS parents Bryan and Jenny Masche swear that they won’t be the next ‘Jon & Kate.’ And you know what, we’re gonna hold them to that.

NEW & NOTABLE:
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (8PM FOX, CTV in Canada)
With special guest judge Kara DioGuardi… just kidding

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (8PM Cinemax)
Incredible? More like moderately-better-than-the-first-Hulk. We’re just sayin’

SOUTHLAND (10PM NBC, CTV in Canada)
In the first season finale, Salinger is stressed over the news that NBC is dumping his show on Friday next season estrangement between him and his teen daughter.

Not only is she a tireless promoter of the show and the genre, her love and respect for the remarkable young talents competing in tonight’s two-hour finale is a welcome change from the usual negative vibe that emanates from most reality television.

Press ‘play’ below to listen to Murphy’s take on the finalists, what it felt like putting on those dance shoes for tonight’s finale and what changes might be in store when SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns for a fifth season next summer.

And please note that joining theTVaddict.com in the interview was BuddyTV.com’s John Kubicek and MSNTV’s Dave Lake.

Not only does this TV Addict not think he can dance. He knows it! Which is probably the reason — as I alluded to in an earlier post — that I never caught the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE bug that has spanned the globe. [Coming Soon: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Canada!]

That said, even a non-fan such as myself couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement and energy as I sat backstage during tonight’s penultimate installment of the season. I mean it doesn’t take a Baryshnikov to appreciate the remarkable talent, dedication and sheer athleticism of everyone involved in the hit FOX show.

Especially when the adorable and mesmerizing Cat Deeley was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule mid-show to talk about what it’s like to host the show, her love of the contestants and of course her recent Emmy snub. [Hilariously interrupted courtesy of an impromptu "WooHoo" from Judge Mary Murphy!]

Take a listen by clicking ‘play’ below. And please note that joining theTVaddict.com in the interview was BuddyTV.com’s John Kubicek and MSNTV’s Dave Lake.