Anybody else find the first episode of HIDDEN PALMS far better than they expected it would be? Since just about every outlet under the sun has insisted on comparing the new kid on the well-populated teen drama block with it’s most recently departed resident, THE O.C., how did the two stack up? No doubt more than a few people will disagree, but we’re gonna go out on a limb by admitting that while O.C.’s pilot felt, well, a tad slow and broody, we were surprisingly captivated by the exploding garages, cross-dressing bingo callers, voyeuristic teens and dancing nymphs offered up before PALMS even reached its first commercial break. Throw in Sharon Lawrence and Gail O’Grady, and we’re not ashamed to admit it: We’re hooked.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? is officially one of our favorite guilty pleasures. That said, were the judges a little harsh on the pudgy hairdresser who auditioned last night? Yes, he was overweight… we’ll even go so far as to agree with Nigel’s proclamation that the kid was “fat.” But to accuse the young man of “touching himself all over” seemed somewhat inappropriate, especially in light of the fact that not five minutes earlier they’d raved about a young woman who not only caressed herself, but broke out a bottle of baby oil while doing so! We will, however, give the show credit (and a bit of a break) since they balanced the harshness by interviewing several other would-be contestants, all of whom were critical of the judge’s views.
Is it wrong to be wildly excited about the return of TOP CHEF? If loving it is wrong, we don’t wanna be right. Speaking of so wrong it’s right, MyNetwork TV – you know, the redheaded bastard stepchild abandoned when UPN and WB merged – made us darn near giddy with the news that they’ll be bringing PARADISE HOTEL back to the airwaves in early 2008. “All our research has shown that PARADISE HOTEL is a brand that reality viewers are desperate to see on TV again,” Fox Reality president David Lyle told Broadcasting & Cable magazine of his network’s decision to join forces with MyNetwork in bringing the sleazefest (and we mean that in the best possibly way) back to the airwaves. Our fondest hope? That the producers have Toni Ferrari – she of the big mouth and bigger… um, lungs – check back in. After all, what’s PARADISE without a snake or two, right?
How is it that GENERAL HOSPITAL’s storylines have gotten consistently dumber, and yet the show as a whole is better than it has been in ages? Has the soap finally become so bad that it’s good? How else to explain that despite such ludicrous twists as “Jerry Jax is Mr. Craig” and “Scotty sues Luke for custody of Laura… despite the fact that Nikolas is her legal guardian”, we’re unable to look away? Sure, we can’t figure out why Sam is suddenly telling Amelia stuff she never admitted to anyone before, or why Jason’s girlfriend feels the need to guilt him into confessing that he fathered Elizabeth’s baby. But somehow, the majorly talented cast is rising above the crap being pumped out by Guza and company to make GH highly watchable.
