After the recap of the week two performances, guest judge Baz Luhrmann announced that the encore dance was going to Mya & Dmitry Chaplin. I was surprised because I thought, for sure, they’d bring The Muppets back.
Mickey Rourke was in the audience. That was unexpected. Later in the evening host Tom Bergeron informed us that he was there in support of his friend Chuck Liddell.
Tom and co-host Samantha Harris began the elimination process by announcing whether the three couples who received the highest scores on Tuesday night were “safe” or “in jeopardy”. There would be a “particular order” on this evening.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson – Safe
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin – Safe
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff – Safe
No surprises there. The remaining 11 couples were only separated from each other by 3 points.
Joss Stone performed her new song, “Free Me”, with dancers Jeremy Hudson and Mallory Escabelle (no idea if I spelled her name correctly) and I wasn’t crazy about the song or the dance. I will say that all involved were certainly working it.
Clip: The performers now have their own facility to practice in. There are 6 separate studios in the building and one of them is done to the scale of the actual ballroom. It seems to be making the cast closer and I’m sure it makes filming much easier.
The status for the couples who scored 21 on Tuesday:
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer – Safe
Natalie Coughlin & Alec Mazo – Safe
Debi Mazar & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – In Jeopardy. Oh, oh. I didn’t expect that.
Macy’s “Design a Dance”: It will be a Paso Doble to “Eye of the Tiger”. This week we’ll be voting on the celebrity dancer. The choices are: Kelly Monaco, Drew Lachey, Helio Castroneves, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, Mel B, Joey Fatone, Sabrina Bryan or Gilles Marini. I voted for Sabrina. I’m still not over how early she was eliminated.
Selena Gomez & The Scene was up next performing “Falling Down” with Derek Hough and Karina Smirnoff dancing. This song wasn’t really to my taste either.
The status for the couples who scored 20 on Tuesday:
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough – Safe
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova – Safe
The status for the couples who scored 19 on Tuesday:
Chuck Liddell & Anna Trebunskaya – Safe
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas – Safe
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel – Safe
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower – In Jeopardy. NO!!!!! I knew their score last night was too low.
Montage: “The Bad Habits of the Stars.” Apparently models like to pose, actors have short attention spans, entertainers are squirrelly and athletes always fall back into their old training habits.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: “Stomp the Yard” danced with the USC Trojan Marching Band. It was pretty cool. The “Stomp” guys had some amazing moves.
Joss Stone returned this time singing “Son of a Preacher Man” with Anna Trebunskaya, Dmitry Chaplin, Cheryl Burke and Louis van Amstel dancing. This was much more my style.
The status for the couples who scored 18 on Tuesday:
Tom DeLay & Cheryl Burke – Safe. That was a surprise.
Kathy Ireland & Tony Dovolani – In Jeopardy.
Louie & Chelsie were then revealed to be safe so the bottom two were Debi & Maks and Kathy & Tony.
Kathy & Tony were the couple headed home but Debi had to be left feeling nervous. She wasn’t at the bottom of the judges’ scores so her audience vote must have been pretty low. Kathy continued to be as upbeat as she’s been all along. She never stood out on the dance floor but she also didn’t do anything to damage her brand.
For week two we were joined by guest judge Baz Luhrmann who was filling in for Len Goodman. We didn’t get any details on Len except that he was working in Britain. Baz wasn’t quite the lovefest that Michael Flatley was last season – but he was close.
All 14 couples danced in this episode so it was a busy show:
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: Joanna wanted to make sure she wasn’t a one hit wonder and I think she accomplished that. She had a few hiccups, so it wasn’t as strong as last week, but she did a good job of keeping up with Derek in the Jive. Carrie Ann Inaba thought Joanna had great energy but her feet got a bit “spastic”. Bruno Tonioli liked that Joanna didn’t hold back but she needed to have more precision with her kicks. Baz thought they were a great pair but he would have liked to have seen more of their relationship in the dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 20.
Natalie Coughlin & Alec Mazo: Last week Natalie’s challenge was having a pleasant facial expression. This week it was remembering to breathe. Considering she’s been trained to hold her breath, that was a bit daunting. Alec said it was making her look stiff. Overall, I thought Natalie did a lovely job with the Quick Step. Physically she knows exactly what to do. She now just has to learn to really perform. Bruno said that Natalie has a smile that can light up the room but, sometimes, she gets tense and it shows in her shoulders. Baz thought Natalie started tense but she was much better during the second half of the performance. Carrie Ann said Natalie has great potential, and is one of her favorites, but she needs to think of Alec as an extension of herself. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Baz – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Chuck Liddell & Anna Trebunskaya: Anna and Chuck thought a tough and strong Tango would be a good fit for them. It definitely was an angry, if not particularly graceful, Tango. It was also significantly better than the previous week. Baz speculated that “Uncle Lenny” might not have cared for it but Baz thought it was fantastic to see Chuck embracing the dance. Carrie Ann said she was a little frightened and the dance certainly had impact. Bruno called it savage and primeval – but still a Tango. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 19.
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas: Mark described Melissa as very enthusiastic but not especially coordinated. I don’t envy anyone having to keep up with Mark in the Jive. Melissa’s moves looked smaller and slower throughout most of it. At the end, though, she did kick into gear and looked very good. Carrie Ann was quite excited. She said that Melissa was very “beige” the previous week and she feared Melissa wouldn’t last long on the show. This week Melissa was “bright red.” Bruno thought Melissa did much better with her upper body than with the lower. Baz said it was a big improvement over the previous week but she still needed to work on the steps. Carrie Ann – 7, Baz – 6, Bruno – 6. Total = 19.
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: The judges were pretty tough on both Michael and Anna last week. They felt they’d let each other down. Michael was determined to rise to the challenge this week and I think he did. There was a lot more personality and confidence showing in this Quick Step. It was a big improvement. Bruno said they had asked for more content and that’s what they got. There was still a ways to go, but it was a proper Quick Step. Baz called Michael a natural performer and Carrie Ann said it was a touchdown compared to his previous dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Baz – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 20. Michael seemed quite pleased with the scores but the audience was very unhappy with the 6. Host Tom Bergeron remarked, “I feel like I’m at a summer health care meeting.”
Debi Mazar & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Debi & Maks had some growing pains this week. Maks got a little carried away with the tough love training and Debi ended up in tears. Of course, being Debi, that didn’t stop her from clearly articulating what was wrong and what had to change. She described Maks as being like her little brother and, sometimes, she had to smack him to get through to him. I know they used the “Moulin Rouge” version of “Roxanne” because of Baz but, while I love that movie, I hate that arrangement. Anyway, Debi did a good job of showing the character of the Tango but I thought her steps still looked a bit jittery. Baz said they did a good job of playing the story of the dance. Carrie Ann called Debi the “drama queen” (in a good way) and Bruno loved how Debi was “channeling the feisty ball-breaker”. He did add that she was still a bit shaky during the transitions. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Baz – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower: Louie thought this dance would be interesting because he didn’t even know what the Jive was a week ago. Louie’s snowboarding experience has made him quite the gymnast. I thought it was a high energy and fun routine. Carrie Ann said Louie had a lot of joy when he dances but, occasionally, lost touch with the music. Bruno channeled Len saying that there was too much “mucking about” and not enough Jive. Baz thought it was tremendous and joyous – although Louie did drop out a few times. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 19. That was too low a score.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Aaron & Karina were another couple who had some personality conflicts this week. They both agreed that Karina sometimes forgets that Aaron is still new at this. They danced the Quick Step to “The Muppet Show” theme and were even assisted by Animal and Gonzo. It was sharp, crisp and a whole lot of fun. My guess is this will be the encore dance. Bruno called it “spectacular” and said Aaron was a mini Fred Astaire. Baz said it was clever, inventive and a real show. Carrie Ann especially loved the contact in the hold. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Baz – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Kelly felt great about her performance in week one but also felt pressure. She knew it wouldn’t be as good this week – and it wasn’t. It wasn’t bad, but Kelly broke character when she made a mistake and it looked a bit like Louis was dragging her across the floor. Kelly shrugged her shoulders when it was over. Baz said there were clearly some mistakes but he liked how Kelly fought through them. Carrie Ann could see that Kelly is building a good base of technique but she needs to maintain character. Bruno said Kelly could still be amazing but there were too many mistakes in this Tango. In the backstage interview, Kelly explained to co-host Samantha Harris that she panicked over the short rehearsal time. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 7, Bruno – 6. Total = 19. Kelly said she was very happy with those scores because, “I wouldn’t have given me that.”
Kathy Ireland & Tony Dovolani: Kathy knew she had to stop being tentative and she did get a bit better. The Ballroom style certainly fits her personality better than Latin. Carrie Ann said the presentation was better but Kathy was still too reserved to stand out in a crowd of 14. Bruno agreed saying Kathy has to express herself. Baz thought it was beautiful but lacked excitement. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 6, Bruno – 6. Total = 18.
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer: Mark was also feeling overwhelmed by the short week of rehearsals. Their Quick Step seemed off at the beginning and Mark slipped. Ironically, that actually seemed to kick him back into gear and the rest of the dance was quite solid. Bruno said Mark was a great performer who just needed to get his feet under control. Baz was impressed with how well Mark came back after the slip. Carrie Ann said it was very ambitious and clean but Mark needs to relax and breathe. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Baz – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Mya was worried that her tap training would interfere with her Jive but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her dance was nothing less than spectacular and Mya looked like she could be one of the pro dancers. Baz called it the “real deal”. Carrie Ann pointed out that Len would have really hated the beginning of the number but, lucky for them, he wasn’t there. She thought it was great. Bruno called her “Mya the Magnificent”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Baz – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Tom DeLay & Cheryl Burke: Tom has a “pre-stress fracture” in his foot but was told he could continue on. I have to give the man credit. He’s clearly working very hard at this and his Tango went pretty well – right up to the end when he almost dropped Cheryl. Carrie Ann described them as an “oddly well-matched couple”. She thought Tom provided a very good frame. Bruno said Tom was distinguished and determined, although it did fall apart at the end. Baz said there was dignity and grace in the dance. When asked backstage by Samantha if he has heard from any of his friends in Washington, Tom replied that he’s heard from a former Speaker of the House and 24 members of Congress who all think he’s crazy. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Baz – 6, Bruno – 6. Total = 18.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny knew the Jive was a very physical dance but said he was determined to show that a 51 year old can dance like a 15 year old. You know what? He succeeded. Kym gave him some very cool choreography and Donny seemed to have no trouble keeping up with it. He didn’t even look all that wiped out at the end of the dance. Bruno called it well-pitched and well-executed. Baz said the dance was accurate and Donny was very full of life. Carrie Ann declared it an “amazing” routine. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Baz – 9, Bruno – 8. Total = 25. Donny was just about giddy over the 9.
We ended with Aaron and Mya tied for the top spot and Kathy and Tom tied for the bottom. My guess is that Kathy is the one headed home.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
Posted on September 28th, 2009 by Princess Kitty in Amazing Race
Aired 9-27-09
Phil Keoghan & company returned with a double episode to launch season 15 of TAR. This time he was joined by 12 interesting pairs. The race opened at the cement-walled Los Angeles River. Let’s meet the teams:
Brian & Ericka: They are TAR’s first interracial married couple. It’s a little hard to believe that it took 15 seasons for this to happen. Anyway, I think the more defining aspect of this couple is that Ericka is a former Miss America (2004). Lance & Keri: They are engaged and Lance is a beefy trial lawyer who seems determined to confirm as many negative stereotypes about lawyers as possible. Maria & Tiffany: Friends and professional poker players. Zev & Justin: Best friends. Zev has Asperger’s syndrome. He says that he has some difficulties in social situations and may struggle with being taken out of his normal pattern. Mika & Canaan: Newly dating couple who are Christian musicians. Flight Time & Big Easy: Teammates on the Harlem Globetrotters. Sam & Dan: Brothers who happen to be gay. Gary & Matt: Farmer dad and his pink-haired and pierced rebel son. Eric & Lisa: Married yoga instructors. Eric said they intended to be “numero-frickin’-uno” which made me cringe. Garrett & Jessica: As soon as Phil described them as “dating on and off” I just knew this wasn’t going to end well. Garrett spent quite a bit of time in this episode telling us all about Jessica’s short fuse and quick temper. Marcy & Ron: This season’s “older” couple. They’ve been dating for a year and met on the internet. Meghan & Cheyne: The young, tall and athletic dating couple. They’ve known each other since elementary school.
We learned right off the bat that the addition of a 12th couple did not mean the show was going to run one week longer. The first challenge was going to happen right there at the river and it would be the end of the line for one pair. The instructions were to search a wall containing over 1000 license plates to find one from the Shinagawa District of Japan (their first destination). There were only 11 plates and 11 sets of tickets to Japan. The Japanese symbol for Shinagawa was printed at the top of the clue but no one seemed to notice that at first. Eventually they did start to figure it out with Maria & Tiffany being the first team to get their tickets. In the end, the two teams left searching for the final plate were Eric & Lisa and Lance & Keri. I was fine with either of them leaving but, if I had to chose, I would have preferred to keep the yoga couple. Unfortunately, it was Keri who figured out the symbol and found the plate. Eric & Lisa were done. They suffered the shame and pain of going home first in order to set the other teams free. I’m not kidding. That’s what they actually said.
The first 6 teams to find the plates (Maria & Tiffany, Marcy & Ron, Meghan & Cheyne, Gary & Matt, Flight Time & Big Easy and Zev & Justin) left LAX for Tokyo at 12:45PM. The other 5 teams (Sam & Dan, Mika & Canaan, Garrett & Jessica, Brian & Ericka and Lance & Keri) left at 1:15PM. While waiting for their flights, the teams got to know each other. We watched as the poker players told the Globetrotters that they made their living working with homeless kids in LA. They thought it would make them seem more sympathetic to the other teams. Yep. Karma is gonna get them for that.
Once in Tokyo, the teams had to locate a TV studio at the base of the Tokyo Tower. The poker girls hadn’t even left the airport before they started bickering with each other. The second flight ended up landing less than 10 minutes after the first so all the teams got to the studio at about the same time. We had our first race reboot.
Roadblock
The teams found themselves on the set of a Japanese game show (that I believe was fictional) called Sushi Roulette. The show’s host spun a roulette wheel containing 9 sushi rolls and 2 wasabi bombs. The one team member playing had to eat whatever landed in front of them. If they got a wasabi bomb, and ate the whole thing in 2 minutes, they’d get the next clue. Ron and Cheyne got the first bombs and I was really impressed with how the guys devoured it. I would have been in tears.
Their next clue instructed the teams to take a group of 20 Japanese tourists from the audience and lead them through the busy streets of Tokyo to the Konno Hachimanga Shrine. That was the Pit Stop for the first leg.
Garrett and Justin were the next to eat the bomb. It was going pretty well until Maria’s turn. She certainly did better than I could have but she didn’t get the last bit swallowed before time expired. She was going to have to get another one – and that happened with the very next spin of the wheel. I felt really bad for her. She made it the second time with about 1 second to spare.
Meanwhile, the teams who completed the Roadblock were running through the streets looking for help. Meghan & Cheyne found someone who agreed to lead their group to the shrine and they hit the mat in first place. Phil informed them that they had won a trip for two to Aspen and Vail.
Back at the gameshow, it was Lance and Big Easy’s turn to down the wasabi. They were successful and headed off to look for the shrine.
Zev & Justin checked in 2nd.
Canaan and Gary finished their bomb but Brian struggled with his. Brian’s reaction was probably like mine would have been. He was clearly hurting. He didn’t get it done in time. Wife Ericka was less than supportive saying, “I should have done this challenge.” To make matters worse, Dan got the next bomb and finished it off meaning Brian & Ericka were sitting in last place.
Lance & Keri were 3rd.
Brian managed to finish the wasabi and they were finally on their way.
Meanwhile, Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany joined forces to locate the shrine. The brothers knew that the girls thought they were cute so they decided to keep quiet about being gay. I can’t remember a group on TAR that got this manipulative this early in the season.
Marcy & Ron checked in 4th.
Flight Time & Big Easy were 5th.
Sam & Dan noticed that another team was headed in the opposite direction. When they told Maria & Tiffany about it, Maria said they could split off from them if they wanted. The brothers did and it was the right call.
Amazingly, Brian & Ericka checked in 6th. They had quickly found a man who was willing to lead them right to the shrine.
Gary & Matt were 7th.
Meanwhile, Maria & Tiffany weren’t just lost; they’d also misplaced two of their tourists. Their bickering started up again.
Garrett & Jessica were 8th.
Sam & Dan were 9th.
Mika & Canaan arrived 10th but they were missing one tourist. As it turned out she wasn’t lost, just slow. She showed up and Canaan carried her to the mat.
Maria & Tiffany eventually gave up looking for their missing people and went to the shrine. Phil told them that they were going to have a two hour penalty for not completing the challenge but they were staying in the race because this was a non-elimination leg. He warned that they would have a Speed Bump in the next leg.
We moved straight to that second leg. The teams had to fly 2600 miles to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once they landed, they had to take a bus to the rural village of Cai Be where they’d have to find a boat dock and get the next clue. They all got $444 to spend. Some of the teams used computers at a nearby hotel to book a flight and others headed straight to the airport. Those who waited almost didn’t make the first flight out because they ran out of economy seats. Brian & Ericka talked the ticket agents into selling the four remaining teams business class seats for an economy class price. They were all on equal footing again.
While waiting in line at the airport another passenger recognized Tiffany as a famous poker player. They were busted. Of course, they were being played by the gay brothers who were pretending to be interested in them so it was all balancing out.
They arrived in a very flooded Ho Chi Minh. The first bus leaving for Cai Be was at 3:30PM. Maria & Tiffany, Sam & Dan, Flight Time & Big Easy, Mika & Canaan and Marcy & Ron were on that one. The second bus was scheduled to leave at 4:45PM and had Zev & Justin, Brian & Ericka, Gary & Matt, Garrett & Jessica, Lance & Keri and Meghan & Cheyne. Once they realized that they weren’t going to leave for another hour, the six teams pitched in $100 to get the driver to leave early. It was all for naught because the dock they were headed to had closed for the night before either bus got there. You have to wonder if those teams are going to need that $100 down the road. They all camped out at the dock. During that time we learned that Maria & Tiffany and Zev & Justin had taken an immediate dislike to each other. Let’s see. On one side we have the girls who lied about helping the homeless. On the other we have Zev who, literally, had just given the jacket off his back to a cold and wet Vietnamese man on the bus ride over. I’m with the guys on this one.
At 7:00AM they all got their clue. The teams had to take boats to a series of mud pits. Each team had to transport mud to an orchard and use it to fertilize a tree. Once they brought enough mud, the farmer would give them their next clue. First, though, the poker players had to deal with their Speed Bump. They had to find a soup stand, get the ingredients to make a traditional soup called pho, bring it back to the dock and make the soup for the Dockmaster. Maria knew all about pho so they completed the task easily.
The mud pit challenge was disgusting. It was sloppy and wet and yucky. Surprisingly, our beauty queen (Ericka) kind of liked it. She called the mud “sensual”. Meghan & Cheyne were the first to get done and receive the clue. They had to return to the docks and then travel by foot to a field.
Maria & Tiffany arrived at the pits and started to catch up. They were still the last team done but they were only seconds behind Zev & Justin. The friends were delayed because they’d lost their clue and had to return to the mud pits to find it.
Roadblock
This one was cool! At the field the teams found that one member had to herd ducks. In 10 minutes they had to lead 150 ducks back and forth over a bridge and then get them all back into their pen. It was just as funny looking as it sounds and there were some sassy ducks involved. If they failed to get it all done, they had to go to the back of the line and wait for another turn.
Meghan, Jessica and Ericka failed their first time through and Garrett complained that Jessica had a quick fuse when things didn’t go her way. Actually, she just seemed a bit frustrated. She wasn’t having a tantrum or anything. Sam was the first to succeed and he and Dan got the final clue. The teams had to race by foot to the Pit Stop on the Bassac III Riverboat.
Matt finished pretty easily as Ericka suffered her second failure. Zev & Justin and Maria & Tiffany arrived just as Flight Time and Keri were finishing. Mika found herself struggling along with Ericka and Meghan. Zev, on the other hand, turned out to be “the duck whisperer”. He just stayed calm and moved the ducks along.
Meanwhile, Garrett, Brian and Canaan were getting frustrated waiting on the sidelines. Canaan, in particular, was losing his mind.
Gary & Matt were the first to check in. Phil informed them they’d each won a kayak.
Sam & Dan were 2nd.
Flight Time & Big Easy were 3rd.
Lance & Keri finished 4th.
Tiffany proved to be adept at herding ducks and Meghan also finally got her ducks to cooperate. Mika and Marcy quickly followed leaving just Jessica and Ericka on the field. Brian & Ericka started bickering with Ericka saying it wasn’t easy and “Don’t you dare get disappointed in me.”
Zev & Justin checked in 5th.
Meghan & Cheyne were 6th.
Maria & Tiffany were 7th.
Mika & Canaan were 8th.
Marcy & Ron were 9th.
Ericka finally got the task completed and declared that she was eating duck for dinner. Jessica finished a few minutes later.
Brian & Ericka were 10th.
That left Garrett & Jessica in last place. Upon being informed by Phil that they’d been eliminated, Garrett had a burst of anger. That lead to the episode’s moment of irony as Phil asked Jessica if that was normal for him. In the end, Garrett said Jessica had done a pretty good job of keeping her cool but we weren’t left with a very hopeful outlook for their future as a couple.
Next Week: Zev & Justin break a statue of a giraffe and Lance beats on things. I have no idea what any of that means.
Full episodes and bonus clips of TAR are available at CBS’ website here:
Posted on September 27th, 2009 by Princess Kitty in Amazing Race
It’s back! Phil Keoghan and company return tonight with 12 new teams. You can get to know them in the video below. My initial thought – how cute are those Globetrotter guys!
Executive producer, Bertram van Munster, told Entertainment Weekly that we won’t have to wait long for this season’s first twist. According to EW: The action begins at the Los Angeles River, and for the first time in show history, a team will be eliminated mere yards from the starting gate. The challenge involves a fence with thousands of license plates—some of them from Japan (which serves as the first destination). “Twenty four people run up and frantically start grabbing license plates, but they’re wrong because as usual they don’t read their clue,” chuckles van Munster. “Eventually a team gets eliminated—they see the cars drive off and it is bye-bye. We told them 100 times, ‘Read your clue. Repeat after me: Read your clue.’ They don’t read the clue. It’s unbelievable. Nothing has changed.”
It was double elimination time and one male and one female celebrity had to exit. The show opened with an encore of Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel’s Viennese Waltz. It was just as lovely the second time around. The best part, though, was immediately after the dance when we could see a laughing Kelly telling Louis that she still didn’t keep her foot on the floor during their spin. They’d been docked a point for that by judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
The recap of the previous night’s dances had another touching moment from Kelly. In the confessional she said (regarding her parents), “I’ve done so many naughty, bad things, nothing else I could ever do would shock them except for this. And it was really amazing to share that with them.”
Since we had to get two eliminations done in the hour, the show wasted no time in starting to whittle own the men. Co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announced that, in no particular order, the first two couples safe were:
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff
Hmmm. The Macy’s “Design a Dance” contest has an interesting twist this season. A former celebrity dancer will be taking part and we’ll get to vote on who that is. The style of dance was voted on this week and the Paso Doble won. Next up we pick the song.
The musical guest was Sean Kingston performing “Face Drop”. There’s something innately likeable about Sean, and his song is infectious, but I really hate the electronically manipulated voice fad.
Comedy Bit #1: The “Loser’s Club” starring Jeffrey Ross, Penn Jillette and Kenny Mayne. It was a cute bit about those who have exited first in previous seasons. Without a doubt, no one has made more out of being sent home first than Kenny Mayne.
The next three couples safe to dance again:
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer
Chuck Liddell & Anna Trebunskaya
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson
That left Ashley Hamilton & Edyta Sliwinska, Tom DeLay & Cheryl Burke and Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova. The next couple that was safe was Tom & Cheryl at which point we all knew Ashley was toast. There was no way a football star was going home in week one. Indeed, the couple eliminated was Ashley & Edyta. Ashley didn’t seem at all surprised and was very gracious. Later that night, on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Ashley talked about how thrilled he was to even get on DWTS pointing out that his partner, Edyta, was a much bigger celebrity than him. He may not have lasted long on the show but I think he made a good impression. He seemed like a very nice man.
Next we got the debut of Miley Cyrus’ video for “Party in the USA”. Well, actually we got about half the video. This is what she was singing during that quasi-pole dancing number at the ”Teen Choice Awards”. The song itself is pretty standard stuff but Miley is clearly trying to present a more grown up image. Actually, I take that back. She’s really just trying to portray what most girls her age want to be. The difficulty for Miley is that her fan base is quite a bit younger. Having said that, I’m a fan of her song “The Climb”, so maybe she will successfully make the transition.
It was the ladies’ turn to be tortured! The first two who were safe, in no particular order, were:
Natalie Coughlin & Alec Mazo
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin
Comedy Bit #2: This was a segment with Adam Carolla giving a pep talk to the male celebs. It had a few funny moments – the best of which was Carolla getting in Donny’s face and saying, “By the way, you’re 51. When do we get to start calling you Don?” After the clip they cut to Ashley (who was being a very good sport) being comforted by Adam.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: The cast of “The Lion King” performed “Circle of Life” in the ballroom. Yes, it was clearly some ABC/Disney cross promotion but you can’t really complain about it when the act is truly a spectacle. The only problem was that the show is just too big to be captured by TV cameras.
The next three couples safe were:
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough
Debi Mazar & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Patrick Swayze Tribute: I’m sure there wasn’t a dry eye in the house during this lovely number. Certainly there wasn’t in mine. I thought it was very touching to have husband and wife, Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya, dancing together. It was reminiscent of Patrick and his wife Lisa. Cheryl Burke and Tony Dovolani did a great job with the iconic “Dirty Dancing” number. Tony, in particular, had the tough job of dancing Patrick’s part but he did a beautiful job with it.
The three couples left were Kathy Ireland & Tony Dovolani, Macy Gray & Jonathan Roberts and Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel. The next couple safe was Kelly & Louis. The pair going home was Macy & Jonathan. Poor Jonathan. Ousted first two years in a row. During the show it seemed that Macy was disappointed by OK with it all. Apparently, though, she was really upset. She didn’t join Ashley on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Jonathan explained that she was really torn up about it because she felt she’d let a lot of people down. She did make the appearance the next day on “Good Morning America” so, hopefully, she’s feeling better about it.
Posted on September 24th, 2009 by Princess Kitty in Biggest Loser
Aired 9-23-09
We picked up back in the elimination room just after Alexandra’s departure and the remaining 15 contestants were a mess. This group has bonded quickly and they felt badly about sending one of their own home. Shay was particularly upset as she felt Alexandra’s partner, Julio, should have been the one to go. She felt he didn’t care that he hadn’t lost as much as the other guys his size.
Host Alison Sweeney announced to the depressed group that the show had a proposition for them. If, as a group, they lost more than 150 pounds at the next weigh in, then no one would have to go home. If they fell short of 150, two people would have to leave. It seemed to be the show’s attempt to overcome the notorious curse of week two. They were all aware that this was a tough challenge. Back at the house, Coach Mo took charge and tried to get them all thinking positively about it. He also looked straight at Julio and said, “You owe.”
Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels were also skeptical about the group achieving the 150 goal. Jillian said they’d be lucky to lose 100 pounds. The first thing Jillian told them was that they couldn’t starve themselves. They had to be meticulous about getting the right amount of calories. The trainers split the group in half with Jill providing nutrition info to one group while Bob ran a workout for the other.
After the workouts, Bob came upon the Blue Team, Rudy & Dina. So far, I really like these two as a team. They seem very supportive of each other. Rudy wanted Bob to talk Dina down because she was feeling very negative about her week two weight loss. Bob told her she’d never last if she was getting herself worked up this early on. He pointed out that stress can interfere with the body’s ability to lose weight. This scene led into Jillian meeting with the Brown Team (Liz & Danny) for:
Product Placement Alert One – Jillian used Ziploc Easy Zipper bags to teach the Brown Team how to prepare portion controlled snacks and meals in advance.
We then got an update on Tracey (finally!) who collapsed during the first challenge and had been hospitalized ever since. Her Purple teammate, Coach Mo, paid her a visit and found her looking pretty good. She was very grateful that Mo lost enough during week one to keep them in the game. She told him she was scheduled to be released the next day.
Shay continued to be frustrated by what she saw as Julio’s lack of effort. She even was shown in an interview segment questioning whether he was being truthful about the number of calories he was burning each day.
Tracey returned to the ranch and received a very warm greeting from the group. She got emotional as she told them that her crisis really drove home the seriousness of her weight problem. She came back with major restrictions on her workouts. Bob met with her to discuss how she needed to focus on the nutrition side of things which led to:
Product Placement Alert Two - Adding Biggest Loser Protein Powder to her diet.
Food Challenge
Ali and Chef Curtis Stone met with the contestants for this week’s food challenge. Curtis gave them a seminar on cooking and nutrition. Ali informed them that they needed to pay close attention because, after the class, she was going to quiz them. If they could answer 5 out of 8 questions correctly, they would get a 15 pound credit at the weigh in – meaning they would only have to lose 135 pounds to keep everyone safe.
Question 1: The Purple Team had to identify a proper portion size of protein (3 to 4 ounces). They guessed correctly.
Question 2: The Orange Team was asked to name 3 ways of cooking without using oil. Shay answered baked, poached and steamed which was correct.
Question 3: The Brown Team was asked to guess the number of calories in a chain restaurant’s chicken caesar salad. The choices were 540, 840 or 1010 calories. Brown guessed correctly - 1010.
Question 4: The Pink Team was asked how many calories could be saved by substituting zucchini for pasta in one serving. The choices were 110, 248 or 343 calories. I would have been wrong on this one. I thought it was 110 but the answer was 248. Pink got it right.
Question 5: The Green Team was asked how many calories would be in 16 ounces of soda with 3 refills. The choices were 685, 747 or 789. I had no clue. There really wasn’t that much difference in the choices. Green guessed 789 but the correct answer was 747.
Question 6: The Red Team was asked to identify a dessert with less than 150 calories. The choices were one cup of raspberries with 1/2 ounce of melted dark chocolate, a parfait made up of one cup blueberries with 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt and 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds or one cup of vanilla ice cream. Red went for the yogurt parfait but the correct answer was the raspberries and chocolate.
Question 7: The Blue Team was asked to name 2 reasons why one should add a protein to every snack. Rudy answered that it makes you feel fuller and provides fuel for your muscles. He was right and they earned the 15 pound advantage at the weigh in.
Physical Challenge
The group next met Ali at the edge of a lake. Four rafts were in the water connected to each other by narrow beams. They all had to cross the beams to get to each raft. The first raft was worth 5 pounds at the weigh in. The second raft was also worth 5 pounds. The third earned them a call home and the fourth raft got them an additional 10 pounds. Everyone had to be on the raft at the same time to earn the reward. To make it more difficult, the beams got narrower as they went along and, if anyone fell into the water, the challenge would be over.
Allen and Amanda lead off and they immediately found that the beams were wobbly. Tracey seemed to struggle the most because she had the weakest legs. Daniel kept hold of her hand and helped her through the challenge. They all moved slowly, and together, and got all the way through the course. It was actually quite impressive.
Back at the ranch, tears flowed as everyone made their call home. Abby’s call to her mom was particularly moving. We learned in the premiere that she lost her husband and two children in a car accident two years ago. She told her mom that she’d climbed a mountain and there were two little butterflies that followed her the whole way. She really is an amazing woman.
The group was feeling pretty good about having earned a total of 35 pounds towards their 150 goal. They now only had to lose 115 – a fact that didn’t make Bob and Jillian feel any more optimistic. They understood that, if they got big numbers this week, they would pay for it in week three. As Jill said, losing a large amount of weight in a short time will put the body into survival mode. They agreed to have Bob concentrate on training Julio. They, like Shay, didn’t think Julio was working at his peak.
This week’s last chance workout breakdown/breakthrough belonged to Shay. She was coming to grips with the fact that her extra pounds really represented all of her life’s wounds. She had to let go of the disappointments and betrayals and accept that she deserves happiness.
Weigh In
Going into the weigh in, Julio knew he had something to prove. He said that a person had been sacrificed so he could stay and he knew that this had caused a rift in the house.
Pink: Amanda lost 4 pounds and Rebecca lost 6 for a total of 10. That struck fear in everyone’s hearts because they needed to each average about 8 pounds to meet the new goal of 115.
Purple: Tracey lost 10 pounds and Mo lost 9 for a total of 19. Tracey was thrilled since she hadn’t been able to work out like the others.
Red: Antoine lost 8 pounds and Sean lost 11 for a total of 19. The group now only needed to lose another 67 pounds.
Green: Allen lost 10 pounds and Abby lost 11 for a total of 21.
Brown: Liz lost 10 pounds and Danny lost 12 for a total of 22. There were only 24 pounds remaining with 3 teams left to weigh in.
Blue: Rudy lost 14 pounds and Dina lost 8 for a total of 22.
Black: Julio only had to lose 2 pounds. Shay was still upset about Alexandra leaving and said in an interview that she actually hoped Julio would get a bad number so he’d realize he had to work harder. Instead, he got a great one – 19 pounds. Everyone was safe for another week.
Orange: Daniel lost 7 pounds and Shay lost 16 for a total of 23 pounds. They’d made it past the original goal of 150 with a total loss of 155 pounds.
Oh, man. Week three may become the new week two. This is going to be interesting.
Next Week: Speaking of interesting, apparently the next challenge results in a person or team getting to choose between having control over the “game” or having the help of the trainers. Someone is going to make Bob and Jillian very angry.
It was the ladies turn to take the dance floor and they did quite well. This is looking to be a competitive season.
The opening number was done by the female pro dancers and, while I hate to say it, I think the men’s dance the night before was better. The choreography for the girls’ seemed scattered.
As with the male celebs, the women had to debut with two dances. First they danced either a Salsa or the Viennese Waltz and then they had to partake in either a Latin or Ballroom relay dance. On Wednesday night, one male and one female celebrity will be sent home.
Debi Mazar & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: First off, Debi gets points for having been willing to show a clip of her blonde, 80’s self dancing on a show called “Graffiti Rock” To no one’s surprise (at least not to anyone who’s ever seen Debi) she is a talker with a short attention span. She and Maks will be quite a pair. Debi seemed to be a bit nervous and stumbled a few times but, overall, she looked like she was having fun and showed potential. I suspect that, as she gets more comfortable, she will get better. Head judge Len Goodman said the Salsa was full of energy and potential but there was still a lot of work to do. Bruno Tonioli noted that Debi lost her timing several times but, being Bruno, also noted that she really knew how to work her “bazooms”. Carrie Ann Inaba said she expected more “sass” from Debi. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total: 16.
Melissa Joan Hart & Mark Ballas: Melissa said her goal was to show the world that she’s not a teenage witch anymore. I thought it was a lovely first dance. I saw some of the floating quality that goes with the Waltz. The judges, on the other hand, were not nearly as impressed. Bruno called it prim, proper and adequate. He thought nerves made Melissa tense up her shoulders. Carrie Ann said Melissa had a few really good moments but lacked a connection to the music. Len hated the “sweet” and “sickly” opening. He also thought Melissa’s feet were “no good” but did like her posture and hold. Yep, we’ve got cranky Len again tonight. Host Tom Bergeron commented, “We don’t call him ‘Old Iron Knickers’ for nothing.” Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 6, Bruno – 6. Total: 18.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Mya is probably the person with the most dance experience so her intro clip was devoted to showing us that she was struggling with Ballroom just like everyone else. She didn’t, however, dance like everyone else. Her Waltz was graceful, elegant and confident. Carrie Ann told Mya she set the bar high for the evening. Len thought Mya was a fantastic dancer but hated Dmitry’s choreography. That threw Bruno into a tizzy and they bickered until Tom broke it off with a quip. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 5, Bruno – 8. Total: 21. Both Mya and Dmitry responded to the argument and the low score from Len in the most politically correct way possible.
Kathy Ireland & Tony Dovolani: In Kathy’s intro piece she made a point of saying that, despite having been a model, she has never been coordinated. Kathy is strong and limber but ….. she danced like a supermodel. On DWTS, that’s not a good thing. She was very reserved. Len said Kathy had potential to develop but the Salsa lacked energy and was far too careful. Bruno commented that he knew Kathy could sell almost anything but she didn’t sell the dance. Carrie Ann told Kathy she had great posture but needed to loosen up. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total: 16.
Natalie Coughlin & Alec Mazo: Natalie is used to competing but she’s not used to smiling while she does it. One of her biggest challenges was to not scowl. She is looking like one of the stronger partners Alec has had on the show. She moved her hips well and her athleticism really showed. Bruno told Natalie that she hit some great positions but had a tendency to freeze up during the performance. Carrie Ann called Natalie a diamond in the rough and said she loved the dance. Len was still cranky. He couldn’t understand how these gorgeous girls, dancing one of the sexiest dances, weren’t knocking his socks off. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 6, Bruno - 6. Total: 19.
Macy Gray & Jonathan Roberts: Jonathan commented that he’s never met anyone quite like Macy. “She’s an amazing person but a little bit eccentric.” They had a tough schedule because Macy was on tour in Europe. I would describe their Waltz as clumpy but cute. Macy had very entertaining facial expressions but, overall, she is one mellow dancer. Carrie Ann called it beautiful in its own “bizarre” way. Len said there was a charm and vulnerability about Macy and, if he were at home, he’d vote for her. Tom pointed out it was the first nice thing Len had said all night. Bruno said it was like watching a child take their first steps into a scary new world. Backstage with co-host Samantha Harris, Macy said she was happy to have the first dance out of the way adding that it felt like she’d “popped her cherry”. Actually, I’m guessing that’s what she said. They bleeped out all but the “cherry” part. Jonathan cracked, “and you were cute and vulnerable”. Carrie Ann totally lost it and was laughing so hard she could barely hold up her scoring paddle. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 4, Bruno – 5. Total: 15. Tom followed up by saying that Macy was going to be having a “little dance jubilee” after the show.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: Joanna and Derek seem like two of a kind. That means they’ll get along great (most of the time) but have a few meltdowns along the way. They’re both a bit hyper. On this night, though, they were great. The choreography was hot and so was Joanna. Len said he was happy. They finally saw a hot, smoking Salsa. Bruno said it was what the Salsa should be and complimented Derek on the choreography. Carrie Ann was in total agreement. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total: 24.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Louis was treated to the full Osbourne experience as he met Ozzy, Sharon and Kelly all at the same time. Kelly said she was doing DWTS so she could be the little girl she never really was. Boy, did she accomplish that. Kelly’s Waltz may not have been the best dance of the night but it was by far the highlight. She had the full princess moment including running into her daddy’s arms when it was over. Mama was crying her eyes out. Bruno said he couldn’t believe his eyes. The rock princess had turned into a vision of grace, elegance and style. Carrie Ann said she had chills. The hold was great but she had to bust Kelly on lifting her foot off the floor. Len declared it the best Waltz of the night. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total: 23.
Foxtrot Relay: This round included Natalie & Alec, Kathy & Tony, Joanna & Derek and Debi & Maks. All in all, it was a nice collection of dances. Kathy was clearly more comfortable with the Ballroom style and I’d say Natalie and Joanne tied for the best dance. Carrie Ann said Joanna could be elegant and sexy but noted that Kathy’s steps were a bit small and Debi was muscling it a bit. Len liked Natalie’s extension and appreciated that Maks’ choreography kept the dance in hold. Bruno thought Natalie looked more at ease and that Joanna was still smoking. Rankings:
4th (4 points) – Kathy & Tony. Total for the night = 20.
3rd (6 points) – Debi & Maks. Total for the night = 22.
2nd (8 points) – Natalie & Alec. Total for the night = 27.
1st (10 points) – Joanna & Derek. Total for the night = 34.
Cha Cha Relay: This one included Macy & Jonathan, Melissa & Mark, Mya & Dmitry and Kelly & Louis. This was Mya’s dance. She was fantastic. Kelly also did quite well but had a little stumble at the end. Melissa was a bit stiff and Macy was just kind of a mess. Len said that Macy’s busy schedule had caught up with her. He thought Melissa improved her performance and told Kelly she produced two first class dances. Bruno loved Mya’s footwork and thought Melissa finally looked like she was having fun. Carrie Ann said Melissa was the most improved and loved Kelly’s legwork. Rankings:
4th (4 points) – Macy & Jonathan. Total for the night = 19.
3rd (6 points) – Melissa & Mark. Total for the night = 24.
2nd (8 points) – Kelly & Louis. Total for the night = 31.
1st (10 points) – Mya & Dmitry. Total for the night = 31.
So, we ended with Macy & Jonathan in last place and Joanna & Derek in first. It’s looking like Macy or Kathy will be the first of the women sent home.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
The three night season 9 premiere kicked off with the male celebrities taking to the dance floor. The women will dance on the second night and then we’ll have a double elimination (one male, one female) on Wednesday night. The celebs are really getting tossed into the fire this year. They are starting off with two dances. For the guys, the first dance was either a Foxtrot or a Cha Cha Cha. In round two, they had to participate in either a Salsa Relay dance (if they did the Foxtrot earlier) or a Viennese Waltz Relay (if they did the Cha Cha). The producers really wanted to beat the first night jitters out of these people.
After an opening number by the eight male pro dancers we got underway with round one.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: In Aaron’s intro clip he immediately acknowledged that he’s had a wild past but said he’s working on turning his life around. We also saw that he’s still a bit of a kid and Karina’s going to have her hands full keeping him focused. I thought Aaron had a great opening dance. He had to be under a lot of pressure going first but he danced with confidence and even a bit of swagger. His movements in the Cha Cha were very crisp, although he did occasionally flail about. I should also note that big brother Nick wasn’t the only Backstreet Boy in the audience to cheer Aaron on. That was really nice to see. Head judge Len Goodman called it a great start and said Aaron showed a lot of potential. Bruno Tonioli said Aaron was sharp and edgy but needed to control his energy. Carrie Ann Inaba also thought it was great but noted Aaron’s feet were a little “funky”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 8, Bruno – 7. Total: 22.
Chuck Liddell & Anna Trebunskaya: Chuck wants to show the world that Ultimate Fighting Champions can be nice guys too. Anna said her main goal was to get Chuck to smile so he won’t scare the audience. Well, he didn’t really smile all that much but his facial expressions were priceless. There was one close-up that clearly conveyed, “What the hell am I doing here?” He was stiff and unsure of his steps but, on the plus side, he seemed to make Anna happy. This was the most we’ve ever seen her laugh and smile. Bruno called their Foxtrot rough with terrible lines and poor footwork and timing. Carrie Ann said Chuck wasn’t graceful yet, but he was smooth and charming. Len said it was much better than he thought it was going to be but a bit too aggressive. He asked Chuck to get more in touch with his feminine side. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total: 16.
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer: Mark is a martial artist who believes a lot of his skills will translate to the dance floor. He’s also very comfortable with having Lacey be “the master” while he is “the grasshopper”. Mark’s in great shape so I suspect he’ll be wearing the same kinds of costumes as Gilles Marini did last season. It was a good first dance (a Cha Cha) that played to Mark’s strengths (like the Kung Fu kicks) but it lacked sharpness. Carrie Ann said Mark showed great potential but his arms sometimes got a bit “woo choo” which I think meant wacky. Len thought the rhythm and hip action was good but really hated the gimmicks. Bruno said the talent was there but Mark had to watch the tricks because they threw him off a couple of times. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total: 21.
Ashley Hamilton & Edyta Sliwinska: Ashley seems like a nice guy. He certainly smiles a lot. I feel kind of bad for him because following his dad (George Hamilton) won’t be easy. We learned that Ashley was in a very bad motorcycle accident years ago that required brain surgery and left him in a wheelchair for over a year. His left side still isn’t as strong as his right. Poor Ashley looked very stiff and uncomfortable during the Foxtrot - although he never stopped smiling. Len said the dance lacked finesse but the basic footwork was pretty good. Bruno thought there was a total lack of showmanship and Carrie Ann added that Ashley needed to find a way to define himself. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 6, Bruno – 4. Total: 15. Ouch. Ok, it wasn’t great but that 4 was brutal, Bruno.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny really wants to show he can match Marie but, bless his heart, he’s still Donny and the moves Kym described as the “more intimate holds” made him blush and giggle. I thought it was quite cute. He also is going to have to work on overcoming the “Osmond slouch”. I think his first dance was exactly what we all wanted it to be. It was good, fun and had a ton of personality. He even got a standing ovation. Bruno said Donny could play an audience like a master but needed to work on his shoulders and hold. Carrie Ann agreed saying Donny will be tough to beat in performance but he has to work on his Ballroom technique. Len thought it was good but too theatrical for his tastes. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 6, Bruno – 7. Total: 20.
Louie Vito & Chelsie Hightower: Louie described himself as being 5′5″ (5′6″ on a good day) and said he was very happy to see that Chelsie was small too. He’s a true DWTS novice having never even watched the show. Louie showed some real potential. He certainly got the message to keep smiling no matter what. He also looks a bit like Jack Wild during the “H.R. Pufnstuf” years which instantly made me like him more. Carrie Ann was impressed. She liked that he respected the dance enough to really work on the technique. Len gave Louie a bit of a hard time about his shaggy hair but added that his technique, hold and posture were good. Bruno said it was so cute it was “like watching a little dancing hobbit.” Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 7, Bruno - 6. Total: 19.
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: When asked by Anna why he wanted to do DWTS, Michael replied that he has had a long standing rivalry with Jerry Rice. Michael has a lot of personality, and did show some potential, but he’s got a ways to go to live up to the NFL’s reputation for turning out dancers. He was much more comfortable with the playful steps than with the real Cha Cha moves. Len said it wasn’t great. He wanted Michael to be “slicker” and Anna to put in more content. Bruno though Michael had great presence but had bad footwork and timing. Carrie Ann said Michael had charisma but Anna needed to challenge him more. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 4, Bruno - 4. Total: 13. Whoa! Those were tough scores.
Tom DeLay & Cheryl Burke: After an intro clip that talked about how conservative Tom is, and how he didn’t want to embarrass himself, we got a dance that will live in DWTS infamy. It was something Jerry Springer would have done. It managed to be both better than I expected and just as bad as I expected. Tom can actually dance a little but….no one ever accused a politician of having too much dignity. In a weird way, it was kinda fun. Bruno called Tom crazier than Sarah Palin. Carrie Ann said it was surreal but Tom did have a natural grace. Len said “parts were magic, parts were tragic.” The actual Cha Cha part was good but Len didn’t enjoy the other stuff. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total: 16.
In a new twist, the couples competed in relay dances. They were split into groups of four with the judges ranking their performances. They were then given scores based on their ranking: 1st place = 10, 2nd place = 8, 3rd place = 6 and 4th place = 4 points.
Salsa Relay: This group included Ashley & Edyta, Chuck & Anna, Donny & Kym and Louie & Chelsie. Ashley and Chuck still looked unsure of themselves – although Chuck did a better job of smiling. Donny and Louie were definitely the standouts. Donny was the more technical dancer but I thought Louie showed a few flashes of Apolo Anton Ohno. Carrie Ann said that Donny smoked the competition. Len told Ashley it was a dance only a father could love and also thought Donny was the standout. Bruno said Chuck was a revelation but added that it was really Donny’s dance. Rankings:
4th: Ashley & Edyta. Total for the night: 19.
3rd: Chuck & Anna. Total for the night: 22.
2nd: Louie & Chelsie. Total for the night: 27.
1st: Donny & Kym. Total for the night: 30.
Viennese Waltz Relay: This round included Aaron & Karina, Mark & Lacey, Tom & Cheryl and Michael & Anna. I’d give this one to Aaron although the difference between these four was less dramatic than in the Salsa round. I thought Tom, in particular, did surprisingly well. Len thought Tom was a bit “skippy” and appreciated that Mark attempted a complicated move. Bruno said Aaron did a fantastic job of working the floor and loved Mark’s lines. He also thought Michael improved. Carrie Ann agreed that Michael & Anna were much better and told Mark he needed to remember to breath. Rankings:
4th: Tom & Cheryl. Total for the night: 20.
3rd: Michael & Anna. Total for the night: 19.
2nd: Mark & Lacey. Total for the night: 29.
1st: Aaron & Karina. Total for the night: 32.
We ended with Aaron & Karina in first place overall with Michael & Anna and Ashley & Edyta at the bottom. I think Ashley is the one headed out the door. He came into this with a relatively small fanbase and they won’t be able to overcome his low scores.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
Posted on September 22nd, 2009 by Princess Kitty in Biggest Loser
Alexandra White was last week’s evictee from the “Biggest Loser” ranch. She’s now lost 73 pounds on her own and that’s pretty exceptional for someone kicked off after only one week. She visited the “Today Show” to discuss her transformation with Al Roker.
Posted on September 21st, 2009 by Princess Kitty in Television
From now on, all award shows should be hosted by either Neil Patrick Harris or Hugh Jackman. NPH was fantastic last night. He was cool, confident, funny and unflappable. Plus, he’s a natural for the mandatory opening musical number:
Neil wasn’t the only fresh thing at the Emmys that worked. I thought John Hodgman added life to the announcements and hit a homerun when his own show won: “‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ is celebrating its 76th year on the air. It began on Comedy Central Radio as ‘Stewart-Brand Chicken-Fat All-Star Baked Beans Half Hour’. This is their 900th Emmy, and frankly, that’s too much.”
I also liked having the awards presented by category (comedy, variety, drama, etc) and I wish I’d been hired for the job of researching all the obscure roles that NPH used to introduce the presenters. AND, the show only ran over by a couple of minutes!
Of course it wouldn’t be an awards show wrap up without some fashion comments (and pictures). By and large, the fashion choices were very safe and a bit boring. As always, though, there were a few exceptional choices. The va-va-va-voom moment of the night was Blake Lively and her red dress. You have to be young and….perky….to wear this dress and Blake definitely is:
January Jones was stunning in an architectural dress with some flash:
I still can’t believe that Cojo (Steven Cojocaru) announced on “Entertainment Tonight” that January was one of the worst dressed. She was nothing less than dazzling.
I also loved Holly Hunter’s dress. It managed to be both simple and flashy:
Of course, I pretty much adore everything about Holly which leads me to the things I wasn’t quite so happy about. Holly didn’t win Best Actress in a Drama. Nothing against Glenn Close, or any of the other women nominated in the category, but Holly has been a raw powerhouse in the recently cancelled “Saving Grace”. Oh well. At least Kristin Chenoweth won for the dearly departed “Pushing Daisies”.
I also could have lived without “The Amazing Race” winning its seventh straight Emmy in the reality show category. I believe it is the only show ever to have won that award. I love my TAR but surely “Dancing with the Stars” deserves a win too. Oh, and Tom Bergeron was robbed again!
Mostly, though, I enjoyed the show. I love that Ellen Burstyn won for her role in “Law & Order: SVU” just as I predicted she would. You can check out her outstanding performance here: http://www.popculturekitty.com/?p=646
Ricky Gervais, as always, was hilarious. If Neil or Hugh must have a break from award show hosting then I’m fine with Ricky giving it a shot.
Finally, Neil had another outstanding moment with his ”Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” Emmy crashing moment – with an able assist from Nathan Fillion:
I’d say it was the best Emmy show we’ve had in quite a while. Even though they were facing a huge football game (which, I admit, I switched to a couple of times to get the score) they managed to increase the ratings by about 10% over last year. My guess is that if Neil comes back next year, they’ll do even better in 2010.
