Whine & Cheese

TAR5: God Choses Chip & Kim

Final thoughts from this season's last leg entitled "You've Just Made Me a Millionaire":

What a happy conclusion to TAR5!  As usual, the masterful editing had us sitting at the edge of our seats as Phil and the other teams waited for the first team to arrive. I am sure our living room was not unlike others as a gleeful cheer went up as the mini-van pulled up instead of the town car....

Here is my take on the Final Four...

The Bowling Moms - Linda and Karen
It was hard to not get a little choked up when The Bowling Moms were Philiminated from the Race in Manila ... not so much sad, but more than a bit inspired by their journey.  Teams like the Moms are ones that we tend to write off quickly even before they reach the starting line.  Linda and Karen proved us wrong as they unbelievably became the first all-woman team to make it to the 10th leg of the Race. Take that all you 20-something all-gal teams from the past.  While the last physical task really did them in, all props for their "never give up" attitude and while I am sure their kids are very proud -- there are whole bunch of us who feel exactly the same way.

Team Blue Lagoon/The God Squad/The Godels - Brandon & Nicole
While I am usually fairly tolerant of religious convictions and faith, Brandon & Nicole just took it to an extreme where they were never endearing (and given Brandon's bod, that is saying an awful lot).  The head slapper of the night was when Brandon tried to coax Nicole up the Continental Divide by trying to convince her to picture Jesus atop of the mountain.  The question at our house wondered whether Jesus was holding the check for $1 million!   I have to say I was nearly in tears during Christie's ugly-cry breakdown at the alpine bicycle challenge...oh, tears of the laughter that is. 

Traveling through countries like Kenya, India, and Manila wouldn't it had been nice for these two to take a moment to pray for the masses of people they passed who were living in poverty?  Not the case for this pair who live privileged lives in the richest country in the world where they make a living pouting and looking pretty for the camera?  Entertainment Weekly writer Marc Vera summed it up best: "I think he (God) got annoyed with two naïve twits asking for his assistance every five seconds in their selfish quest to win a million bucks."  Let's just leave it at that.

Colin & Christie
Did these two ever have a team nickname?  Well, one that didn't contain an expletive!  Well, what is there to say... they were the villains of the TAR5 and played that role masterfully.  If the show were filled with "likeable" people would it be nearly as fun?  As I said yesterday, the Race came down to a missed flight -- and the 10 minute time lag between flights was enough to make the difference between first and second place.  Deep down I probably would not have been that devastated if C&C won -- they were wildly competitive, playing the game to the max... and you just gotta respect despite their often ugly attitudes and tactics.  Smart move on getting the town car...it almost did it.

Chip & Kim
For me, this was probably one the most satisfying wins in TAR history.  Heck, they were at least one of the teams I pulled out at the beginning as a potential winner (my other two choices were woefully bad) -- and also a victory for us over-30 folks! 

This was a solid team... was there even one internal squabble between this husband and wife over the 72,000 miles?!  One of the most poignant moments of the finale was in Calgary... I suspected Kim was going to have a tough time with the Continental Divide climb (even more so, after we saw Christie and Nicole struggle)...but it was Kim that got to the top first and calmly said to the camera "Waiting for my husband for a change" (again no ear-shattering screaming to get up the hill faster from this team).  I also liked it when Chip said now it was "Kim time" to come in and kick some booty...

Sure they told some white lies in the end (misleading the God Squad about the getting the right clue...hey B&N, how about getting your ass out the boat!... and keeping mum about the delayed flight out of Calgary), but that's the game...it's a Race and, especially at the end, you are not there to be a good samaritan.  Like Chip said, they couldn't beat C&C physically... so they used their minds.  Congrats to Chip & Kim!

Re: The Amazing Race 6 It is being reported that CBS has delayed the anticipated October premiere.  However, this is good news!  Given the ratings success of this season (finally!), the rumor is that the network is looking to give the two-time Emmy Award Winning Oustanding Reality Competition Show a better time slot (other than the planned awful Saturday night hole)!  They are waiting to see if a spot opens up in their schedule (translation: one of their new shows flop)....so my guess is to look for the show on Friday nights when dr. vegas craps out...

BB5 Finale Night

The first prediction of the night thankfully came true ... Drew winning BB5 (thankfully as well my second prediction regarding TAR5 did not come true, but more on that later today).

It is not that I was all 100% guns-blazing behind Drew. As with most BB finalists, I have pretty much tired of them by the time the finale night rolls around. But I was happy to see that Cowboy did not take home the money. As Marcellas referred to him on "House Calls", he was the "prison bitch" of the show -- and while he probably needed the money the most, the winner should not be based on financial need. Drew took more chances, won more competitions, and stuck his head out more than Cowboy. Like one of the contestants said, if I believed that Cowboy was playing the role on purpose (or as Will would say for "strategical" purposes) I would have been more inclined to back him. So instead the pretty boy takes home the $500k despite probably not having to worry about much in life thanks to his genes... now he just has to figure out how to let Diane down slowly....very slowly.

My jury guesses were fairly accurate (well one can be pretty accurate when using terms like "possible" and "probable"). Nakomis probably made the right decision voting for her half-brother (less baggage to sort out when dealing with this whole situation in the "real world"). I admit to being a bit worried about the outcome when both Adria and Natalie cast their votes for Cowboy. Adria was the one who was a proponent of stepping up and playing the game...so I was a tad shocked she voted for a game that was anything but that. But she (along with Nat) were probably swayed by Michael's financial needs, religious convictions, "morals" throughout the game, and that they all share twangy accents.

The "reunion" part of the show was pretty darn catty (and just a tad embarassing for them). The five non-jury houseguests just really need to go away. The Jase-Scott feud, the Holly-Diane feud, the continuing love match between Holly-Jase... Oy! Enough! You didn't even make it that far on the show...so go away... though they probably will not. Some of these folks are already over at TheFishBowl.com -- a graveyard for ex-reality contestants... where they (unhealthily) resuscitate their moment of fame (or infamy).

And how about that Julie Chen? Getting the "Probst Clause" into her contact... I and only I will unveil the votes...DAMMIT!

So another season of Big Brother comes to an end... like I said, it wore out its welcome... but I have no doubt that I will be glued to TV set again when another set of hamsters come 'on over to the CBS lot next summer.

BB5/TAR5: Final Predictions

Tonite is the big finales of Big Brother 5 and The Amazing Race 5 ... so time for a last look into the crystal ball... I do NOT know any spoilers (for a change!), so these are pure guesses...

For BB5, I am predicting Drew over Cowboy... how the votes will fall out I am not sure, I go anywhere from a 7-0 clean sweep to a 4-3 squeaker. Here is the quick analysis of the jury voters:

Will: Definite Drew (will vote as Diane votes)
Adria: Probable Drew (though might be swayed by equally religious Cowboy who may perceived as needing the money more... despite calling themselves a voting block, what better way to show that they are two individuals by splitting their vote)
Natalie: Probable Drew (see above)
Marvin: Possible Cowboy (the toughest call of them all...you know he is going to get all "mouthy" about having to choose between these two... he didn't like Drew and Drew kicked him out...but could he really vote for the oafish Michael?)
Karen: Probable Drew (had harsher words and view of Cowboy through much of the game)
Nakomis: Probable Cowboy (I know she said she wouldn't vote for him and was most surprised by his actions, etc., etc. but I think she may save face family-wise by throwing him a vote... especially if she senses Drew will win anyway)
Diane: Definite Drew (despite having doubts about the status of their "relationship" and that he shockingly kicked her out...I think Diane will still hold out that it is the "real" thing)

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Who knows what is going to happen in The Amazing Race?! The last legs tend to be pretty physically challenging (particularly the race to the finish), but a missed plane at this point can also spell disaster. Here is my predicted order of finish:

Win: Colin & Christie (sorry!)
Place: Chip & Kim
Show: Brandon & Nicole
4th: Linda & Karen

My dream order of finish would be:
Win: Linda & Karen (how could you not smile and laugh out loud if that happened)
Place: Chip & Kim (close 2nd choice, no reason not to like 'em...and far ahead of...)
Show: Colin & Christie (the played hard...but not nice)
4th: Brandon & Nicole (yes, even below C&C - leave God out of it)

The Amazing Race 6: Team Preview

With the TAR5 finale tomorrow night, are you ready for The Amazing Race 6?!

The new season is scheduled to air in the black hole of television viewing ... Saturday nights ... though not sure what the actual premiere date is... perhaps it will be unveiled after Tuesday's finale.

TV Guide has a preview of the new teams ... I will refrain from making any predictions (we all know how well that worked out this season...well except if Chip & Kim win)... here's the scoop:

Jonathan & Victoria (age 42/age 31) - married couple who have already dubbed themselves Team Hollywood. Jonathan dyed his hair blue for the Race while Victoria is an ex-Playmate. Bill (of season one's "Team Guido") has dubbed them Team Hollyweird (somehow I think that one will stick!)

Lori & Bolo (32/38) - "Professional" wrestlers from Florida

Rebecca & Adam (29/27) - Self-dubbed as "weird ex-dating couple" - they teach spinning in Los Angeles.

Kris & Jon (30/29) - Long distance daters...Kris a student at UCLA, Jon a Scottsdale bar owner. Kevin (of Kevin & Drew from season 1) says "she's hot and he's an A-type male"... hmmm, we have seen this one before

Freddy & Kendra (35/25) - Engaged models from Miami... oh boy...

Lena & Kristy (23/26) - Sisters...Kristy is a Mormon "mother-model-student" ...Lena used to teach striptease aerobics

Aaron & Hayden (25/25) - Dating models from L.A. -- ugh, didn't I just type this?

Hera & Gustavus (23/49) - Father/Daughter - she's a special ed teacher, he's an ex-CIA operative

Maria & Meredith (26/26) - Best friends from Queens

Donald & Mary Jean (69/65) - Self dubbed as Team Medicare - married for 23 years

Avi & Joe (32/32) - High school teacher and ad exec ... high school buddies from Brooklyn and just like this season the only all-male team... eating challenges should be interesting... Joe eats Kosher.

UPDATE!
Welcome to those of you who arrived to this blog entry via RealityTV World or Reality Blurred! Thanks to those links, my site hits have risen dramatically -- glad to know that there are so many TAR fans out there. I have a new post about these hits -- and posted a link where you can take a look at pix of the TAR6 teams from TV Guide article... click here!

Emmy Recap

Some thoughts about last night's Emmy Awards:

Overall, pretty happy with the winners from last night...seemed like the right mix of rewarding the new, saying goodbye, and making up for some lost time.

Angels in America -- Were there any doubts that this would win and win and win?! Well deserved all around...though I am starting to think Al Pacino is losing it a bit.

Arrested Development - One of the big surprises of the night...usually the Emmys don't reward new or different. I like the show...I am not a huge crazed fanatic about it (I save that for my beloved Scrubs...umm with Sex and the City, Frasier and Friends all off the air...how about at least a nomination next year Academy, okay?!) but I do enjoy watching it and really appreciate its originality. The award will hopefully get more people watching -- though it will (hopefully) never be/become mainstream.

The Sopranos - If The West Wing won Best Drama again I think there was going to be a revolt among critics and even some fans (though I am not one of those who think WW has gone that terribly awry since Sorkin left)... so it was great to see The Sopranos finally get the big one. Surprised that neither James Gandolfini and Edie Falco did not take home the lead awards -- with the acting nods instead going to Michael Imperioli (minor upset of co-star Steve Buscemi?) and Drea de Matteo -- though I am having my doubts that either of these two are great actors. Imperioli victory speech did not stray too far from something that would come out of Christapha's mouth, while de Matteo is pretty much playing a warmed up version of Adriana on Joey.

The West Wing - Again not surprised over the virtual shut-out... well, with the exception of Alison Janney's 4th trophy -- but what was the deal about getting the other nominees to get up on the stage? Poor Mariska Hargitay fell for it...and ended up in a pretty awkward situation. My heart has a special place for C.J., but given success of The Sopranos last night I would have liked the broom to have swept Falco back up to the podium.

Sex and The City - Would have been my choice for Best Comedy (given the nominees), but was glad to see both Sarah Jessica Parker and especially Cynthia Nixon win for the first time. Was figuring Doris Roberts would win yet again thanks to a Sex-split, but thankfully that did not happen... Doris should pick up her Emmy next year for the last year of Raymond and Sex-less competition.

Frasier - Again not the biggest surprises that Kelsey Grammar and David Hyde Pierce took home the Emmys for their last season of work. A mild surprise that Grammar did win...as many predicted a posthumous nod to John Ritter. For those of you who were confused about Grammar being nominated for 3 shows as Dr. Frasier Crane -- the tough show to come up with was NBC's Wings -- where he guest-starred (and was nominated for as a guest acting Emmy). Ok Academy... with Pierce out of the running next year... [deadhorse] time to nominate John C. McGinley for Scrubs [/deadhorse].

The Amazing Race -- Woo Hoo!!! In the second year of this category, it seemed highly improbable that TAR would repeat as Outstanding Reality Competition Program. Once again it was up against the powerhouses of Survivor and American Idol... but this time around it was also up against reality buzz show of the year, The Apprentice... with the Trumpster in attendance, could TAR possibly do it again!? Yes! You're Philimanated! Did you happen to catch Mirna on the stage after the Awards were over?! Wonder who she pushed out of the way to get front and center!

Fine Wine #9: Jeff Probst

I am sure I was not alone in watching the premiere of Survivor Vanuatu [insert dramatic music] Islands of Fire! As usual, there is always some good boy watching on this show thanks to the minimal clothing and physical challenges. This season looks to be no different -- if anything, the stud quotient seems a bit higher this time around. However, with 18 Survivors (9 of each gender) -- keeping track of them all can simply make your head spin. I know there are two lesbians on the show...but with all the back-and-forth I kept on guessing there were like four of them (for the record they are Scout and Ami). Likewise, it was hard keeping track of the guys... though a quick check of the CBS Survivor website suggests that the objects of my shallowness are Brady and the two Johns... Brook was not all too bad either and I can't for the life for me figure out why he was voted off over the balance-challenged Chris. I read the "strategy" was something about voting off the younger guys first... hmmm... really smart move guys!

But anyways... from the picture included in this entry you can see that my latest induction into the Fine Wine Cellar is not a Survivor contestant...but a face that we certainly had no trouble recognizing... host Jeff Probst! Jeff was back for his typical studly opening (39 Days! 18 Contestants! 1 Sole Survivor!)... no hanging off the edge of a helicopter this time around... been there, done that... this time it is at the lip of a South Pacific smoldering volcano!

The soon-to-be 42 year-old Probst is still looking good. I bet you didn't think he looked this good, huh? Got to love those dimples and his sarcastic (or should I say "snarky") attitude...and last night we got to see him all wet after the Vanuatu gods brought on a downpour after the guys gained possession of the magic stone. This picture was published in Entertainment Weekly (not sure where I snagged a digital copy of it). I figured I had to post it... now I can start reeling in those Google hits for "Jeff Probst shirtless" (this is the only shirtless Jeff pic that I have ever seen) or "Jeff Probst pants around his ankles" (click on the pic to see the full shot)... I have a feeling Taz isn't the only one growling! The tribe has spoken...indeed! ;-)

A Year of Blogging

Happy Blog-iversary to Me!

Today marks one year of blogging for me...and they said it wouldn't last! Well, to tell you the truth I was not even sure it would last. I am kinda notorious to not sticking with things...blogging seemed like one of those fads...so I had my doubts...

Recall my thoughts of running a half-marathon in January? Well a few painful attempts at running even one mile on pavement squashed that whole "dream." Likewise, about a year ago I was very diligent about going to the gym. Lately, I am more on a 2 weeks "on" and 3 weeks "off" workout schedule (they say you need to give your muscles time to rest, right?). These are just a couple of examples...so you see, it is amazing that my blogging has continued for 270 entries over the past 365 days.

These days I don't find myself blogging much about my life. I am not totally sure if nothing interesting happens or that I am too obsessed with other things. But I guess what I blog about and how I go about doing probably gives far more insight into me than doing the "Today I went to Outback Steakhouse" type entries.

Basically, my blog has evolved into my own virtual water cooler. As you may (or may not) know, I work from home full-time. There are tons of positives (no commute, bare feet, shorts, bed-head, not having to "look busy," running errands at 2pm on a Wednesday, etc, etc. etc.) -- but one of the down-sides is lack of contact with human beings. Most of my work communication is done via e-mail and when I do have to actually speak with someone it is usually taken care of in a relatively short phone call. So conversation rarely gets around to what we watched on TV last night or the news of the day.

So that right there explains a lot of the purpose of (and my dedication to) to this blog. It's like hitting a tennis ball against a wall -- a monologue more than a conversation (though I will sheepishly admit I get thrilled by each and every comment I do get!) -- but it is an outlet....harkening back to the days when I did work in a tradtitional office environment and morning conversations consisted of "did you see that last night?" or "what do you think of so-and-so?"

Recently, my average hits per day has topped 100 -- so that is encouraging... I know the majority of these hits are not from some rabid following... I am not one of those wildly popular bloggers (you can check out some of those off to the right)... but it is still fun to know that folks are looking and reading... even if they are just looking for some shirtless pictures of some reality show contestant or to trying to find out the answer to the burning question of the day.

So what started as an experiment, turned into hobby and now seems like a habit. I still find it as enjoyable this week as I did the first week. It gives me a chance to "talk" (even if no one cares to listen sometimes! ) and, on the whole, that is good thing.

Jack & Bobby

It is very rare these days that I watch a new TV series and think "This is really good"... and nearlyl unheard of that I think it before the first commercial break. The show? The WB's Jack and Bobby. What got me to watch were glowing reviews in TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly - though I have to say I was a little hesitant to give the WB another shot. My only real television experience was their train-wreck of an American Idol spoof, WB Superstar. Though I know they have aired shows that are considered good, I admit to being prejudice. If a show is good, why couldn't it land on one of the three major networks.

Anyhow...as the title suggests Jack and Bobby has a political angle to it...and quite the creative one. The majority of the show takes place in the present day as two brothers cope with the trials of high school and a home life with a somewhat eccentric single mom (wonderfully played by Christine Lahti). The hook -- one of the brothers will become President of the United States in 2040. In a series of flash-forwards, we go to the year 2049. The McAllister administration has completed its apparent second/final term -- and key figures talk about the brothers and their past.

The fun part of the pilot episode is that we do not know which brother will ascend to the Oval Office until the last few minutes (where we also learn the fate of the other brother). It should be interesting to see how the show works things going forward since we are now in on the "secret."

I thought the show was just well done -- well-shot, engaging characters/actors, good writing, and an original idea. I was starting to think this was too much to ask of late. Newcomer Matt Long plays the older brother Jack and has a Shane West (from ABC's Once & Again, movies, and this coming season of ER) vibe about him, while Logan Lerman plays the more nerdy Bobby and nicely captures the angst of a first day at high school.

The show some political TV credentials as The West Wing's Tommy Schlamme is one of the producers. The pilot episode re-airs this Sunday afternoon (check your local listings...or better yet get a TiVo and thank me later). New episodes air on Sunday nights. Give it a try!

TAR5: The Ox and the Ass

Thoughts about this week's episode: "It's Okay, Run Them Over!"

It was Mental Meltdown night on CBS last night. First up was Nakomis losing her marbles (or faking it - though she said it was real on this morning's edition of House Calls) in a heavily censored and shortened rant on Big Brother 5 (according to live feed posters it went on for over an hour with cursing out CBS and BB producers for among other things having her find out she had a brother she didn't know about) and then we had the infinitely more entertaing site of Colin losing it in Manila!

Channeling Colin
I know the Race is getting close to the end... but other folks are starting to turn into Colin clones. First we had the usually docile Bowling Mom Linda totally diss her partner Linda for her lack of navigating skills. But alas that paled in comparison to Christie who turned into the devil's spawn... encouraging their Manila jeepney driver to run over innocent pedestrians. Run over innocent pedestrians... and there was no staying in the back of the bus for her... she jumped into the passenger seat and yelled at the poor guy. We have seen a lot of "ugly American" syndrome in five seasons of TAR... I think this ranks up as one of the worst (best?) examples of it!

''They played unfair!"
Dear Colin & Christie -- the Yield is part of the game, not something that Chip & Kim came up to specifically screw you over. Win like 4 legs in a row and that is what you get. When you are consistently the top finishers, it is easy to say you would never use it... but I am thinking you would not hesitate for a second if some other team was on your tail. I suspect some revenge next week... let's just hope some other teams step up and use the Yield on these two again.

Bring Me the Ox
Well, what more is there really to say about the whole ox Detour?! I hope Colin & Christie really felt stupid when they watched last night's show and saw how the others worked as a team (go figure!) - with one person leading the ox and the other plowing. But thankfully there are not two "I"'s in team... so we were treated to Colin being dragged around mud by the ox, while Christie just stood on the sidelines and criticized. But we did discover that Colin actually hated the ox and not Christie as last week's previews suggested... though after seeing what little help she was in the task things may have changed. Thanks to TAR for not using the best line of the night as the episode's title... Colin yelling "My ox is broken!" -- classic!

Darn Non-Elimination
We all knew there was one more non-elimination leg left... but why or why did it have to be last night?! As it was down to Colin & Christie and The God Squad -- I literally was chanting "Elimination! Elimination!" Ridding ourselves of either of these teams would have been more than fine with me... but it would have been the ultimate capper to the Chip's prediction of C&C's self-destruction. But oh well, we have to have someone to root against in the final legs.

"Vegas" Returns & LAX's "Pilot" Episode

Ah... the return of one of my TV guilty pleasures... Las Vegas. The show did not invest in any writers (or any creative staff) over the summer. It was the usual mix of stupid visitors (a mortician convention), stupid security staff (Mike exclaims "It looks like a code!" when a mumbo-jumbo of letters and numbers come up on the screen) who eventually save the day, and of course Nikki Cox's boobs. It is truly saying something when a gay man is mesmerized by a set of breasts... I thought for sure there was going to be a IUWM (Intentional Unintentional Wardrobe Malfunction) during a couple of scenes.

After a troubling secret military mission, lead stud Danny McCoy, to the surprise of everyone but us viewers returns to the Montecito. Suffering from post-traumatic war syndrome, Danny is zoned out most of the time...well, until he starts bashing innocent slot machines. Danny I know the feeling! Danny is SO delusional he even proposes to Mary (no shocker since we all saw the previews 187 times during the Olympics). But the silicon has not leaked to her brain just yet. Mary knows Danny is f&cked up and decides to put off their trip thru the drive-thru chapel until another day (hey, how about the season finale?!).

I was pretty sure Josh Duhamel (Danny) would quickly earn a place on my Fine Wine list. He was looking pretty darn fine with his cropped haircut and a little bit of stubble... and we were even treated to a rare shirtless scene last night. But the whole "trauma" thing was a bit of a turn-off... so I will wait until he is recovered... which knowing this show should be next week.
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Next, we moved over to LAX... which again seems a whole lot like Las Vegas but set at an airport instead of a casino. We are treated to a lot of zooming around as we try to keep up with a slew of silly storylines (dog loose, Philippino mail order bride, drunken pilots... and parents trying to convince a ticket agent that their 4-year old child is actually 2 so they can get a free seat... hey NBC, I have seen that one A&E's Airline way too often!).

But alas LAX does have some star power in the form of Heather Locklear and Blair Underwood. Heather is in charge of the runways and Blair is in charge of the terminals ... got it. The duo are both trying to land the recently vacated top executive spot at LAX. In the opening seconds of the show, the old big-wig guy decided to commit suicide in the most unique way... stand in a runway and let a 747 hit you on the way in. Hmmm.. now there seems a job worth fighting for!

Oh, did I mention Heather & Blair had a drunken fling in the past (Locklear can clearly drink me under the table is she can consume 3 (!) martinis before having quickie sex)? Anyway... neither ends up getting the job... they stay in their current positions... let the sexual tension continue! This also allows them to continue to punk each other with things like changing runways for the arriving governor or calling in the bomb squad. What a hoot!

Actually the show was not that bad....not very good, but not bad. I love Heather Locklear and if anything, that will keep me watching...well, as long as there is nothing better on...though I have to say I am not totally convinced that the former Sammy Jo and Amanda Woodward is a really believable airport executive (and saddling the character down with a goofy name like Harley Random does not help that matter all that much either).