Whine & Cheese

Ice Ice Baby

Just in case you thought I was dropping the reality television ball... have no fear, I have been watching Skating With Celebrities on Fox.   After falling behind, I have finally caught up on all the episodes...

And let me say I am in love lust have renewed my admiration for...

No, no, no... not Jillian Booberie (though I admit, by a mile, this is her most tolerable television appearance ever!)... but for her professional parter, John Zimmerman.  Now, I usually don't go for redheads, but as you can see, it is quite wise to never to say never.  I remember John from his amateur and Olympic days... and he is still looking mighty fine at age 32.  Unfortunately for those of you looking for more risque shots (myself included), good luck finding them!  The best I could come up with was the see-thru shirt and the open shirt modeling shot.

Surprisingly enough, the show is not the train wreck (literally or figuratively) that I expected.  Not that I am saying it is good by any stretch... but it is quite cheesy... so that is where I find my affection for the show.

The show gets no artistic merits for its panel of judges... we all know how it works... boy, girl, boy... with the old curmudgeon, the nice (or should I say the "nice and easy") gal (Dorothy Hamill, who at age 49, really needs to avoid the plunging neckline top she sported in episode three), and the mild or wild flamboyant guy. 

It is a perk-fest of Olympic proportions in the hosting department between Scott Hamilton and Summer Sanders (pictured above)... though Scott definitely gets way more excited about nearly anything and everything than his skate-less co-host.  Their height difference just cracks me up every time, even on a pair of skates Summer still towers over Scotty... let's just call 'em the Sonny & Cher of the skating world.

Finally, I take comfort that Kurt Browning has lost his hair.  I was never blessed with a head of hair like he had in that upper picture... but it is gone, gone, gone.  I still think he is attractive, but it is mildly disturbing that he now looks like Scott's younger brother.

Situation: Desperate for a Comedy

Have been meaning to get around to writing about Situation: Comedy. 

This is the Bravo reality/docu series that is, if thrown out in a "pitch meeting," best described as a Project Greenlight but for a tv sitcom instead of a movie. 

I have caught the first 3 episodes thus far.  Over 10,000 scripts were sent in... and in super fast fashion, 10 finalists were narrowed down to 5... and then down to 2 by the end of the second episode.  Our Matt Damon/Ben Affleck "sponsors" for Situation: Comedy are Will & Grace's Sean Hayes and his producing partner Todd Milliner (second from the right in the above picture).  At least Sean and particularly Todd are a bit more around/involved than A-Listers Matt & Ben.

I am enjoying the series thus far... but I am a sucker for "the process."  I like seeing how things get made or even an interview with an author talking about how they go about creating and writing a novel.  So this has been interesting... although many of the situations here are similiar to Project Greenlight: tight deadlines, limited budgets, compromising artistic "vision," outsiders not understanding how the "system" works, etc.

And oh... it is gay, gay, gay, gay, gay!  Now we don't know for sure (Hayes has never officially come out has he?!) but I am fairly confident that many of the industry people (from the producers to the casting agents) are family members.  Who needs LOGO?!  And the show even has a good fag hag in executive producer Maxine (rightmost in the above pic)... really enjoy her... just very honest, direct, smart & funny... you know how we love a woman like that!

I guess I should get around to talking about the scripts huh?  Well, honestly neither are shows that I ultimately think I would watch or enjoy.  "Stephen's Life" is about a cocky little boy (older than his years) who rules over his family, while the "The Sperm Donor" is about a woman who, along with her 13-year old daughter, track down the title character.  So, pretty ehh for me.

But as I said, for me this show is about the journey, not the destination.  Heck, I have yet to see any of the Project Greenlight films either!  It will be interesting to see if the "winner" makes it onto the network... recently I read that NBC was/is scrambling to fast-track a sitcom for the upcoming fall season.  So while the sitcom may not dead, it appears to be on life-support these days... and these Situation: Comedy finalists certainly do not seem to improving the prognosis.

Sidenote:  I know there has been a bit of a drought in the Fine Wine department of late. I was considering adding S: C's Todd Milliner to the roster, he is actually quite cute on the show... but apparently one of those guys who do not photograph as well.  So just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about new additions!

An Average Joe "Wins"

Since I ended up blogging about it more than I thought I would, I guess I should do one last entry about Average Joe 4.

The final 2 guys, "average" Nathan and "hunk" Rocky, battled it out to ultimately win Anna's love... well, kind of.  But before she made the big decision, we were treated to more shots of Tahiti/French Polynesian.  Once again, we were able to re-live one of our more memorable moments from our vacation... as Anna and Nathan took a jeep tour through the pineapple plantations of Moorea and enjoyed the views from atop Magic Mountain.  Here are pics, including my very own from atop Magic Mountain:

For much of finale hour we were presented with the positive and negatives about each guy.  Nathan can use words with multiple syllables, but Rocky is really handsome.  Anna's Mom prefers Nathan, but Rocky is so hunky.  Nathan is a really nice guy, but ah the chemistry with Rocky.  Nathan likes independent films too, but I really like making out with Rocky.  Rocky has been unfaithful in the past, but look at him!

So what happens?  Anna tearfully bids goodbye to Rocky on the dock... he goes back to the jeep and cries... not very well I must add... Rock if you wanna be an actor you are going to have to do a much better job than that!   

And finally an Average Joe "wins"... but not exactly a resounding victory... Anna babbles on about her past relationships not working out because she was never "friends first" ... and now she would like to try that out and "get to know" Nathan better.  So not quite a "Take me to bed or lose me forever" moment.

So my conspiracy theory is that the fix was in (I know, this never happens on reality tv!)... which was only further solidified during the final montage where all the guys from all 3 seasons of AJ were thanked for their participation... so, in a not so subtle way, it was NBC's way of saying "we're not doing this show again!"... so let's have the under-dog finally win.

AJ4: Tahiti Ta-Ta

Anna had to narrow down the field to the Final 2 last night on Average Joe 4.  As I have been advertising since the show debuted, tonight's episode was a special one for us since the final cut would be made in Tahiti.  So we were very much looking forward to seeing the islands we fell in love with in late May.

Surprisingly enough it wasn't too terribly painful to watch.  Since coming back to "reality," I have noted that my stomach has sunk seeing anything related to French Polynesia.  But I guess I have turned the corner, I was able to watch everything and look back on our trip and all we did/saw with some fondness.  It was fun to see Anna and the guys be just as amazed by these islands... and we could surely relate to the "I don't want this to end" kind of moments.  It is certainly a special place to be with your special loved one.

Much of the show appeared to be filmed on the main island of Tahiti (we only saw the airport during our stay)... but the show did venture over to the next door island of Moorea. And we were quite excited to see that Anna and Nathan's jet-ski adventure started off at the hotel we stayed at... the Intercontinental Beachcomber Resort on Moorea!  So we walked the same dock and beach as Anna... and these are the very waters they cruised on:

Another date with "hunk" Josh also appeared to take place around our hotel.  We had to laugh when Anna said they were shuttled off to their own private island... we got the "private" line too... and granted while you certainly felt like you had your own space, I am sure hundreds and hundreds of tourists have been on the private island since we were there!

But anyway back to the show... and the results... I only got the final pairing half right!

I correctly predicted that "hunk" Josh would be eliminated... granted I didn't have any real basis for it other than I didn't really remember much about him.  I was thinking I might be wrong as Anna's date with her ultimate "hunk" finalist Rocky did not seem to go all that well.  But it was the 'ole bait-and-switch, Anna said she had more of a spark with Rocky (translation: the sex is going to be a LOT hotter!).  Josh was left in tears.  I laughed.

I also correctly predicted Arthur being the final elimination of the evening... Arthur seems to be a nice and genuine guy... but being a bit older and divorced (and okay, quite "average" looking) he never really stood a chance snagging Anna... and she pretty much said it herself when she euphemistically said they were in "different places."

Alas, my own personal favorite "Joe" Josh (boy there are a lot of Joshes!) was also sent packing.  While I thought his final date with Anna went pretty well, I have to agree with Anna's take that he reeked of desperation... more than once thanking her for picking him and taking him on the trip.  Anna wasn't looking for an "I'm not worthy" boyfriend and, in the end, I can't really blame her for cutting him loose.

So the final "Average Joe" is Nathan... an eliminated "Joe" who received one of the make-overs and won out over the other re-made "Joes" to get the last spot on the flight to Tahiti.  Again, I should have known better... the whole tag of this season was the make-overs, so really is it any surprise that one of these guys made the Final 2?  Nope. 

Will the Joe jinx come to an end?  Will the third time be the charm?  Will a beauty find love with an Average Joe... something that has yet to happen in the show's fairly brief history?  My guess is no... unless the producers convince Anna otherwise!

We find out tonight!  Yes, no week-long wait for the finale... with the show not doing terribly well in the ratings looks like NBC is trying to burn this series off ASAP!

Fire Up The TiVos

New shows continue to roll out this summer... and with Queer As Folk and Six Feet Under ending their runs in August, we'll need some new shows, right?!  Here are a slew of shows on my radar, so get those TiVos ready to go... and heck, you really want to be "in the know" when I start blogging about them, right?! 

Situation: Comedy (Bravo) - premieres this coming Tuesday (July 26th) - Pretty much a Project Greenlight for sitcoms with Sean Hayes (and producing partner Todd Milliner) at the helm. The television audience will vote for the winner.

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Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo) - premieres Wednesday August 3rd - I really get a kick out of Kathy... so this unscripted series should be fun.  The website describes the show as "an insider's look at the indignities and encounters that can only happen when one is a well-known and under-appreciated comic doing what it takes to make a living."  Prior to the series debut, Bravo will air a her new stand-up show called: Kathy Griffin... Is Not Nicole Kidman.

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Battle of the Network Reality Stars (Bravo) - premieres Wednesday, August 17th - Speaking of D-listers! Or should we create an E-list category...or at least adjust the "15 minutes of fame" for inflation?  This, of course (if you are old enough to remember!), is a reincarnation of the beloved specials from the 1970s which featured teams from the 3 major networks (remember those days?). Here is the list of participants for the 6-week series:

Chip & Kim and Charla & Myrna - "The Amazing Race"
Nikki McKibbin and Ryan Starr - "American Idol"
Brittany Brower - "Americas Next Top Model,"
Heidi Bressler and Bradford Cohen - "The Apprentice"
Adam Mesh - "Average Joe"
Tina "Fabulous" Panas - "The Bachelor"
Will Kirby and Mike "Boogie" Malin - "Big Brother"
Evan Marriott - "Joe Millionaire"
Matt Kennedy Gould - "The Joe Schmo Show"
Wendy Pepper - "Project Runway"
Coral Smith and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin - "The Real World"
Theo Gantt - "Road Rules"
Duncan Nutter - "Showbiz Moms & Dads"
Richard Hatch and Susan Hawk - "Survivor"
Rachel Love Frasier - "The Swan" 
Valerie Penso - "Temptation Island"

On the sidelines, Omarosa ("The Apprentice"), Bob Guiney ("The Bachelor") and Trishelle Cannatella ("The Real World") will act as reporters with Mike Adamle (NBC Sports and "American Gladiators") as the show's main host.

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Weeds (Showtime) - premieres Sunday August 7th (though will air on Mondays starting on the 8th) - Love, love, love Mary Louise Parker who plays a suburban mom who resorts to selling weed to support her family after her husband unexpectedly dies.  Also features, Elizabeth Perkins, and Kevin Nealon.  Looking over the cast list, it appears Justin Kirk ("Angels in America") may be playin' MLP's ill-fated hubby.  UPDATE: Just read that Justin Kirk will be MLP's brother-in-law... so not a dead person!

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Finally (!!),  if you watched Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days on FX... you may have caught a very funny commercial (if you didn't whip thru it on TiVo) for a new sitcom called Starved. The sitcom debuts on Thursday, August 4th and is paired with another sitcom called It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia... promos for both shows are available here... let's just hope both shows are as funny as these preview clips!

Average Joe 4: Final Face-Off Looms

We are getting down the final episodes of Average Joe 4... have to say I have become a little smitten with our gal Anna and one of the Joes, so I am a bit more interested in the end result than I would have guessed.  Next week, they head off to Tahiti (more on that later) to narrow the field down to the Final 2 guys.

Last night, recreated one of my favorite moments from the original Average Joe... where our damsel was put into heavy make-up and allowed to spy on the guys.  Little did the guys know that their red-headed honey was transformed into their brunette and mildly dumpy waitress for the evening.

Hearts were broken as our Anna dissolved into tears as one the hunks she was "saving" for later... fell into the trap and started making out/groping of one of the decoy ladies sent to tempt the guys on their "boys night out."   

As expected, the Joes all behaved themselves, not giving the gals in the slutty outfits nary a second look... and instead spent much of their time professing their love for the lovely Anna.  Of course, the BIG payoff was when the "waitress" arrived to the elimination round... where Anna pulled off her face and unveiled the sting operation.  Still loved it.

My favorite Joe from the beginning, Josh, is still alive in the competition.  He finally had his first date with Anna and it all seemed to go very well.  He was a bit awkward at times and didn't quite get into the full-on kissing that Anna seemed to share with some of the other guys... but all in all, I think Josh did alright.  I think he will be the last Joe standing as I don't see him getting much competition from his "average" counterpart, Arthur.  In classic reality tv fashion, Arthur seems well primed to be the final heart-breaker of an elimination.   

 

So who do I think will be Josh's "hunk" opponent in the final 2?  My best guess is that it will be Rocky (pictured to the left), who, despite his gag-inducing name, really did manage to set himself apart from the rest of the jerks as Anna's very first "hunk" date. And honestly, I really don't have much recollection about his counterpart, Josh, a hunky blond from California.  Also, I would guess it helps that Rocky splits his time between LA and Vegas (Anna's hometown), where he works as <ugh!> a bartender and model.  And heck, it appears that he has the looks and works out every now and then.

As I alluded to earlier, Anna will make her final 2 selections in Tahiti (although the brief snip looked like it might have been Bora Bora).  The coming attractions for next week's episode made our stomachs sink.  Not unlike Anna watching her hunk make out with another girl, it is hard for us not to get jealous when we see someone else heading off to French Polynesia. I really do/did have a physical reaction to it!  It really does hurt just a bit!  So even if you do not watch AJ, maybe check in on next week's episode and see why we have fallen in love with this amazing place.

Also, next week, the "made over" Joes return... not sure what impact that will have (guessing not all that much).

Weirdo Joe?

For some reason we decided to watch Average Joe 4: The Joes Strike Back.  I really do not know why.  We did watch the first series where the lovely Melena chose pretty boy Jason over lovable Adam... but we have not watched any of the follow-ups... ok, backtrack just a bit...  I did catch the last half hour of AJ2 (?) finale where infamously the guy dumped the gal because she had previously dated Fabio.  But that's it... I promise!

I know this does NOTHING to dispel the rumors that we watch every reality show out there!  Just for the record, we are NOT watching: The Scholar, Hell's Kitchen, Beauty and the Geek, The Cut, or I Want To Be A Hilton.  So there!

And likewise, we don't get into the make-over shows... have not watched (or watch) the Extreme Makeovers or the more tawdry The Swan... so that wasn't really the appeal either here (in this edition the "kicker" is some of the rejected "Joes" coming back into the mix after physical/mental makeovers).

So I guess it was just a timing issue and a chance to re-visit a show that we haven't seen in a couple of years.  Unbelievably they found a woman without a clue of how the "game" works (or at least willing to pretend she doesn't)... but I have to say, with a few exceptions, the new crop of Joes are more weird/quirky than anything that I would call "average."   But I guess the definition has to change ... average = boring or nondescript does not make for good (or more appropriately "so bad, it's good") television

What cracked me up is that they pretty much did a review of the entire series (not sure how many weeks its running) in the first 5 minutes.  From the introduction of the Joes, to the arrival of the "hunks," to the return of the re-made Joes, to the big finale location... which, of all places, will take place in Tahiti!  We pretty much cringed when we saw those aerial shots of the trademark overwater bungalows. 

So I guess we are dialed in until the finale... at minimum, just to longingly recall memories from our vacation.

Don't Leave Me This Way? Why Not!?!

Don't have much time today for a whole lot of mindless chatter (did I just call W&C mindless chatter?!?)... whole bunch of not terribly fun work-related stuff that is keeping me on my toes!

But I can't let that day go by without saying THELMA HOUSTON ROCKS!  On a particularly baaad episode of Hit Me Baby One More Time last night... Thelma made me forget for a minute it made me forget that this show is all about the has-beens!  And isn't there another singer out there with the last name of Houston?  Hmmm... remind me...

Thelma pretty much had at "mmmm... mmmm... mmmm...." oh, that's the hummed opening bars of her classic hit "Don't Leave Me This Way" (you didn't recognize it?!).

I was always a big fan of the song ... what self-respecting gay man isn't... but seeing her perform it live just brought it to a whole new level of LOVE. IT.  It made me think Vonzell Solomon had real balls to cover it on American Idol!  And kudos for Thelma also for doing a sizzling cover version of Alicia Keys "Fallin'" this is a song that many, many fail at and Houston hit it out of the ballpark as well!

And did she look great or what?! 59 years old!

It was definitely a week to foam at the mouth over older black women singers... we finally got around to watching the finale of NBC's Las Vegas and were thrilled to see/hear Gladys Knight do a couple of tunes on the show... but don't get me started on Gladys...  I might just start breaking out into Pips moves and going "Woo! Woo!" to strains of "Midnight Train To Georgia" running through my head.   And folks that ain't too pretty!

Have a great weekend! 

What I Am (Will Be) Watching On Bravo

Since I did a post about the NBC shows that we watch, thought I would do one for its sister network, Bravo... or maybe I should call it NBC's gay brother network.

Haven't been watching Bravo all that much of late... the latest round of Celebrity Poker Showdown is done, this is the show where 90% of the celebrities play No Limit Texas Hold 'Em very, very badly. 

TiVo still records Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (thanks to TiVO auto-recording wishlist: QUEER), but these days I watch an episode in about 20 minutes... skip through most of it... just get to me the made-over room and man...  and none of Jai's gag-worthy (pun not really intended) "life" philosophizing.  Although, the show may get a much needed boost when the guys hit the road and tackle the straight men of Texas.  And besides Kyan is looking pretty good in a cowboy hat... though not looking forward to hearing about the "products" that can help out "hat head."

So what am I watching?  Well, after some indecision, I finally got around to the first two episodes of the third go-round of Project Greenlight a chance.  We watched the first two season on HBO.  Geesh!  They should really stop doing this show... within an episode and a half it is evident that this is going to be the biggest trainwreck of them all (which is really saying something since the first two films arrived in theaters pretty much DOA).  Much to the dismay of the celeb series "creators," Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the decision was made to not do the traditional low budget independent film, but a more "commercially viable" horror film. 

Problem is the script they chose would cost a minimum of $20 million to shoot "as is" - they cut it down to around $5-6 million early on... now the studio (Dimension Films) is asking for a $1-2 million budget.  Why chose it in the first place?  Then, they get the writers all hyped up (so much so that they go out and get agents by the 2nd episode!) and then tell them in an early meeting that their script is seriously "flawed" and that they will have to pretty much gut it to fit the budget.

But believe it or not that is not the biggest problem. They chose this very artsy 50-year old-ish director.  He does appear to be very talented... but when it comes to communicating he is just painful to watch.  Timid, intimidated by the "big wigs, often unable to get out a sentence when he does try... but one thing he is not shy about is his desire to cast 4 major roles in the film with his own family and friends, most who have limited or no acting experience.  Oy!  This is very bad...  No spoilers please... I hear you can find some by looking up the film over at imdb.com ... but I'd rather not know.

Okay... back to other Bravo shows... I am looking forward to Showdog Moms & Dads, which premieres next Wednesday, March 30th.  As the title suggests, it is a reality show following folks as they navigate through what seems to be the very eccentric world of dog shows. I am hoping that this will be a "real" version of Best in Show, but I should probably taper my expectation... though I have a suspicion that "truth" may be stranger than fiction.

Off in the future, there are a couple of more shows coming up (though no start dates announced).  First, I can hardly believe they are doing BlowOut 2 - the show that follows the egocentric "master" hair stylist Jonathan as he attempts to be open and maintain a salon in Beverly Hills.  I admit to watching the first season, but it was just painful to watch most of the time (though I managed to "struggle" through it all somehow...haha). 

More looking forward to Kathy Griffin: Life on the D-List - a series that will follow around the comedian as she does her stand-up act and other public appearances.  Just love the snarkiness of Ms. Griffin who does not hesitate to bring the might down and celebrate her own life at the bottom of the celebrity food chain.  Finally, there is Situation: Comedy - another reality/documentary show that will follow the development of a sitcom from an original script submissions... through production... and ultimately the airing of a real pilot episode.  Will & Grace's Sean Hayes is one of the driving forces behind this one.

American Casino: The Last Word

Well it is time to put to rest one of the most searched for topics on this blog: The death of Michael Tata on The Discovery Channel's American Casino.

In the past couple of days, I have received multiple comments from friends of Michael accusing me of starting rumors or misrepresenting him. That was never my intention. I am a fan of the show and of the "character" we came to learn about on the show. As a fan, I thought I was doing some sort of public service by tracking down information surrounding his untimely death. Michael obviously touched a cord in people as I would guess thousands of people came to this site to find out more information. I provided that in an article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Where I dipped into trouble was in the comment section of one post, where people speculated about Michael's personal life outside the show. Again just trying to be helpful and informative... I addressed the possible reasons for the speculation. I did not start a rumor or by any means imply that I was in the know -- this is a blog called Whine & Cheese -- hardly to be mistaken with the Associated Press or Reuters.

With that said, I will maintain only posts about Michael Tata's death that directly refer to other sources of information surrounding the cause of death. I am removing any editorializing, deleting all comments (where the issues really began), and not allowing any further comments to be accepted on these posts.. they will be for information purposely only period.

Likewise, Michael's co-worker, Ninya Perna, has also been a popular topic here. Like Michael, there seems to be an endless demand for information about Ninya. Here again, I was told I got the facts wrong. Again good intentions gone awry - based on information that I tracked down - which was very difficult to find - I found where Ninya started work as a hotel clerk at a certain hotel... I made the leap that was the hotel she met up with Tata. I admit this was an assumption and I should not have posted it... I removed that tidbit from my "list" -- and whatever remains of that post is taken directly from other sources (interviews, newspaper articles, etc). As with the above post, I am deleting and closing comments (most of which people were inappropriately addressing Ninya herself)

I stand by my good intentions that were behind each and every post about Michael and Ninya

The "just the facts" posts remain:
Death of Michael Tata: Accidental Overdose
and
The 411 on Ninya Perna