Tom Bergeron said it best on the Dancing with the Stars semifinals results show: “no matter which way this goes, it’s going to suck”.  He was referring to Donald Driver and Maria Menounos who were placed in jeopardy by the end of the night. Ultimately it was Maria and partner Derek Hough who were sent home and will not compete in the finals.

Even though they were the top scoring couple this week, the votes were tallied and they were left out in the cold. Donald trailed her score by 2 points, but sometimes you just can’t outnumber the football fans. They carried him into the finals. Joining Donald and partner Peta Murgatroyd are William Levy with partner Cheryl Burke and Katherine Jenkins with partner Mark Ballas.  And those are our finalists for Season 14.

In a rare show of compassion, Dancing with the Stars put injured Katherine out of her misery quickly by declaring her safe and sending her into the Finals early on in the show.  She looked heartsick while awaiting her fate but when she received her good news she jumped up and down without a trace of back pain.  She has been cleared by her doctor to continue dancing.

Not surprisingly, William and Cheryl’s sexy samba was the chosen encore dance. We were also treated to a sexy samba by pros Chelsie Hightower and Tristan MacManus, who were chosen for the Design A Dance by viewers' online votes. Their red hot samba was set to Beyonce’s "End of Time."  Chelsie channeled her inner Beyonce and did not disappoint. Check out the video below. Julianne Hough’s return to the ballroom to promote her new move Rock of Ages had very little dancing but lots of rock. She sang too, displaying a pretty good set of pipes. Mary J. Blige is featured in the performance as well. See video below.

Now it’s on to the finals of Season 14 and you know what that means…the Freestyles!! Next Monday we will update with all the dances and performances for the two part Dancing with the Stars: The Finals, which kicks Monday, May 21 at 8 p.m. (ET) on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Semifinals Results Shocker: Top Scoring Couple Eliminated!

The fancyman arc has ended on New Girl for now as Jess (Zooey Deschanel) broke it off with Russell (Dermot Mulroney) after it became clear that there was no fiery passion between them. This week sees Jess hooking up with a former flame as Nick (Jake Johnson) has also reconnected with a face from the past. This has Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris) concerned that their roommates are 'backsliding' into relationships with their exes. Schmidt has medical worries as the injury he received last week to his most delicate area is still causing him bother and pain.

Last week saw the return of Nick's ex-girlfriend Caroline (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) which resulted in an epic (and passionate) argument between Nick and Jess as she vocalized her disapproval of this reunion. While the return of Caroline is less than likely to make Nick/Jess fans happy the fiery nature of that argument and the chemistry between the two is definitely a reason to rejoice. For one moment it appeared as if Nick and Jess would kiss mid-argument, but this being New Girl the pair ended up having an 'ass shaking' contest before Jess stormed off. Jess isn't the only one who is unhappy that Caroline is back on the scene and Winston and Schmidt will share their displeasure tonight. Nick seems blissfully happy but is ignoring all the pain that Caroline has previously put him through, so when she suggests that they move in together he seriously contemplates this offer.

Nick isn't the only one who has returned to an ex and Jess hooks up with former boyfriend Paul (guest star Justin Long). This becomes more awkward when Jess finds out something about Paul. Justin Long was a fun guest star before and while he didn't have the same spark with Zooey Deschanel as Dermot Mulroney does it will be interesting to see him back. Alcohol will play a major part in this as it does for Winston and he also suffers the consequences of a wild night out.

In the last episode, Cece (Hannah Simone) finally admitted to Schmidt that she has feelings for him beyond the great sexual connection that they have. This was after Schmidt went on a date with Cece's roommate who ended up breaking Schmidt's penis (yep you read that right). Schmidt is still dealing with this injury this week and is trying to avoid arousing situations. This includes going to visit Cece's grandmother in a nursing home though from the sneak peeks below you can see that even here Schmidt has trouble (though not for the reasons you might think).

This is the penultimate episode of the first season of New Girl and this show has become a really strong comedy as the season has progressed. All the earlier Jess related kinks have been ironed out and the characters and relationships are clearly defined now. Sitcoms often seem to take a bit longer to find their footing and this is definitely one the stand out freshman shows of the year.

Watch a teaser and 6 sneak peeks for tonight's episode of New Girl below. Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the episode.

Tonight on New Girl: Is Jess Backsliding? (Sneak Peeks)

Image Source: http://www.carbonated.tv/biztech/google-readies-wireless-music-device-for-your-living-room

Once upon a time, all a television needed to do to be impressive was to look sharp and work properly. Today’s technology innovations have raised the bar, thanks to advances in screen technology and the flood of people with business degrees  who believe that the customer’s experience should be enhanced. Televisions on the market now can connect to the Internet, hold and store apps, and sync with gaming consoles. Emerging models will work with the wave of a hand or voice commands. What once was snubbed as mindless entertainment is fast becoming the central nervous system of the home.

The physical television set is the focus of most new innovations. “In a world where the latest gadgets are automatically expected to be hooked up to technology ‘ecosystems’—apps, internet connectivity and access to social networks—television makers are banking on the fact that couch potatoes will want to see their friendly living-room TV get in on the act,” the Washington Post said in an early 2012 report on technological advances.

Samsung is researching and developing voice and motion recognition, so that consumers will be able to issue commands without a remote control. Vizio, which is partnered with the Google TV initiative, was the

first to use the cloud as a means of storing and accessing online games through a television set. Other mainstream manufacturers, such as Sharp, are building televisions capable of blending regular cable content with shows stored on web-ready platforms like Hulu or Netflix. Game console integration is also a factor. Gaming systems like Microsoft’s Xbox, Nintendo’s Wii, and Sony’s PlayStation offer far more than just basic gaming entertainment. Most also support interactive experiences that will respond to users’ moves and body commands, allowing participants to actively place themselves within the gaming experience. Many also act as video consoles so that users can access a range of video and web content.

In a 2011 pre-holiday press release, Microsoft emphasized the flexibility of the Xbox, which aligns the technology with the greater trend toward convergence of various types of entertainment: “Ready to mix things up? Effortlessly switch from games to music to live TV and more, simply by telling your Xbox what you want to experience.” Incidentally, Microsoft really means “telling”: the newest Xbox systems respond to voice commands, and can switch from gaming to shows to movie libraries with little more than a word.

Sometimes, gaming consoles hook right into existing cable services. Increasingly, though, they are developing their own proprietary content, often as a means of competition. Xbox and PlayStation both offer exclusive sports channels and television show collections. Amazon is also looking to break into the scene by offering its Prime video content to a range of gaming platforms, and extended its reach to the PlayStation in early 2012.

“A lot of our customers have been asking us to make our services available on the PlayStation 3 for a long time,” Bill Carr, Amazon’s Vice President of Video and Music, told Bloomberg Businessweek in April. “It’s all about building the best digital video service available.”

Consumers want to build interconnectivity in their living rooms for the sake of convenience. Gone are the days of multiple remotes and aggravating wired connections. If developers get their way, the internet and the user’s presence will be the only required controls. With a wide range of existing technologies and countless more on the horizon, the most confusing part of these living rooms of the future is likely to be narrowing down the choices.

How Interactive Gaming and Connected Home Entertainment Business Will Alter the Conventional Family Space

We're nearly to the end of the 2011-2012 television season and May sweeps are almost upon us.  A few shows, such as Raising Hope and Ringer have already ended their seasons, but the end of April officially kicks off the season finales for most shows.  To help you keep track, we've put together a list of all of the season finale dates across the five broadcast networks.

Sunday, April 29
The Good Wife (CBS)

Tuesday, May 1
Last Man Standing (ABC)
The Biggest Loser (NBC)

Sunday, May 6
The Amazing Race (CBS)
GCB (ABC)

Monday, May 7
2 Broke Girls (CBS)
Castle (ABC)

Tuesday, May 8
Unforgettable (CBS)
New Girl (Fox)
The Voice (NBC)

Wednesday, May 9
Best Friends Forever (NBC)

Thursday, May 10
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
The Office (NBC)
Parks & Recreation (NBC)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
The Secret Circle (The CW)

Friday, May 11
Undercover Boss (CBS)
CSI: NY (CBS)
Blue Bloods (CBS)
The Finder (Fox)
Fringe (Fox)

Sunday, May 13
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Desperate Housewives (series finale, ABC)
Survivor: One World (CBS)

Monday, May 14
How I Met You Mother (CBS)
Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Mike & Molly (CBS)
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
Bones (Fox)
Smash (NBC)
Gossip Girl (The CW)
Hart of Dixie (The CW)

Tuesday, May 15
Cougar Town (ABC)
Private Practice (ABC)
NCIS (CBS)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
Fashion Star (NBC)
90210 (The CW)

Wednesday, May 16
Suburgatory (ABC)
Criminal Minds (CBS)

Thursday, May 17
Missing (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Scandal (ABC)
Rules of Engagement (CBS)
Person of Interest (CBS)
The Mentalist (CBS)
30 Rock (NBC)
Awake (NBC)

Friday, May 18
Shark Tank (ABC)
Who Do You Think You Are? (NBC)
Grimm (NBC)
Nikita (The CW)
Supernatural (The CW)

Sunday, May 20
Harry's Law (NBC)
Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)

Monday, May 21
House (series finale, Fox)

Tuesday, May 22
Dancing With the Stars (ABC, final performance show to air May 21)
Glee (Fox)

Wednesday, May 23
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (ABC)
Revenge (ABC)
American Idol (Fox, final performance show to air May 22)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

Thursday, May 24
Community (NBC)

Tuesday, May 29
The L.A. Complex (The CW)

Wednesday, May 30
America's Next Top Model: British Invasion (The CW)

Thursday, May 31
Touch (Fox)

Season Finale Dates for All 2011-2012 Network Shows

I love pro wrestling, always have, probably always will. It has everything I want. Heroes, villains, shiny gold belts, smack talk, comedy, hot women and stories aplenty. What more could an individual want? This week, my beloved soap came across the pond to my very own shores. Unfortunately I couldn't get tickets, but thankfully, this is a TV website, and that's what I watched it on.

The first thing I noticed was that the opening video has Brock Lesnar and John Cena highlighted at the end of it. Biggest stars always get premium slots. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler checked in on commentary and welcomed us to London at the O2 Arena. No time was wasted as it went straight to Justin Roberts for introductions. CM Punk, the WWE Champion, made his way to the ring. The stage was decorated with the typical taxi cab, double decker bus and red phone box that Americans seem to associate with my homeland.  His opponent, the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry, was already in the ring, waiting. Punk's music ended and Roberts made the old school announcements, a No DQ, No Countout match for the WWE Championship.

The match was great. The nimble, lighter champion threw himself around, trying to counter the awesome strength of Mark Henry. The fight spilled out to the outside and Punk dived at the big man. The crowd started the (Daniel Bryan) Yes! chant as Punk ran the guardrail to catch Henry with a flying bulldog. The offence was short lived as Henry caught Punk trying to dive again and flung him into the guardrail.The crowd came to life as they continued to battle and Punk too advantage of the rules, or the lack thereof, and brought a steel chair into the ring. A few chair shots was not enough to keep Henry down, however. He fought back up and the chair ended up sandwiched between the ropes in the corner. The match continued and Punk tried to crossbody Henry from the top rope but Henry caught him. Punk battled out and landed a few big strikes but Henry countered an attempted bulldog. Punk was down in front of the chair but moved away and the oncoming big man crashed head first into the chair, knocking himself to the mat. Punk seized his moment and picked up the chair and used it for extra umph in a top rope elbow drop. A three count later and Punk was announced as winner and still the WWE Champion. His night wasn't over though.

Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen and began to run down Punk. He accused the straightedge champion of needing a drink and spending the day drinking away in a pub, with footage to back his claim. Punk informed him that he'd been having a fish and chip meal with his friend, which drew a reaction from the crowd, who then chanted 'Fish & Chips'. Jericho informed Punk that they would meet at Extreme Rules in a Chicago Street fight for the Championship. Punk welcomed the news but before he could add anything else Jericho disappeared from the screen. That match is going to be great. Jericho is so dastardly he should have a little dog called Muttley sniggering behind him.

They advertised Santino Marella, the WWE US Champion, against David Otunga, John Laurinaitis' hired lawyer and stooge. They also promised Brock Lesnar would speak. Then there was something strange with R-Truth dressed as Sherlock Holmes. I usually find him funny, but mimicking my childhood literary hero didn't strike a chord with me.

Santino came out wearing a multitude of football shirts. (Yes, football, not soccer, philistines) The crowd booed each of them, including my beloved Liverpool, until they cheered the England shirt on his back. I love Santino. Then David Otunga came out and proved that he has more muscles than integrity as he posed on the stage. Otunga controlled the match against the fan favourite Santino and managed to hit The Verdict, his finishing move spinebuster, but Santino managed to get his foot on the rope. Santino rallied with the crowd behind him and hit The Cobra, the greatest kid friendly finishing move since The Worm, and pinned Otunga to retain his title.

Backstage, Lord Tenzin was being interviewed by Josh Matthews. He growled lots, and said you always fear the unknown. True. Brock Lesnar was then shown having a sit down interview of sorts. He explained his general dominance of everything he's ever done, with clips to back his claims.He said he's back to destroy Cena, he's gonna beat him badly. At Extreme Rules, April 29th, he's coming for a fight, and he's only happy when he's whooping someone. It frightens me that he doesn't sound as physically terrifying as he is. Scary guy.

After that, the loveable underdog Zack Ryder came out. The commentators recapped the injury and devastation Ryder has recently suffered at the hands of Kane. Tonight is revenge time! Kane came out, menacing as always, and Ryder looked concerned. He had every right to be as it turned out. Kane booted him off the ring apron and he landed on the table. Kane continued to assault Ryder, despite his best efforts to escape into the ring. Eventually Kane got him in the ring and gave Ryder one of the biggest Chokeslams I've seen in a while. The match never started, poor Ryder. Kane picked up a microphone and proceeded to goad Randy Orton over the havoc he wrecked on WWE Smackdown.

In the back, all round nice guy Kofi Kingston was trying to cheer recently dumped AJ up. However he was interrupted by the villainous, yet popular, Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan promised to make Kofi tap out later and changed the name of his finishing submission hold from the LeBell Lock to the Yes! Lock, because when it's applied, and the Ref is asking if you want to quit, all you will be able to say is Yes! Yes! Yes! He went on obnoxiously for quite some time after Kofi left. Okay, he is kind of funny.

WWE showed us a feed of Piccadilly, complete with red buses. Why does WWE believe we haven't moved on since the Fifties? We have everything you do WWE, except for your lovely wrestling company, keep bringing it back. Never mind, here comes John Cena, WWE's resident Superman. Although he's not so super anymore. Thank you, Rock.

Last week's brawl between Brock Lesnar and Cena was shown. Cena talked for a while. He said how Laurinaitis now has all the power, and his own era may have ended.He said Brock wants to end him and replace him. Cena spoke about how he doesn't like Laurinaitis but then agreed with Brock's claims that Cena is scared of Brock. However, a little bit of fear isn't going to stop him, Cena is going to fight at Extreme Rules. Cena shouted this point home a lot. I like the suddenly vulnerable superman Cena, at least a lot more than the old version. Unfortunately for him, Laurinaitis doesn't like him. He came out and spoke about the era of People Power. He then promised Cena would have an Extreme Rules match later, against a mystery opponent, because that's more exciting. He's right. Laurinaitis is the perfect, brown nosing, middle man management type villain and it's great to see on TV. He mentioned that next week, Cena and Lesnar will meet in a contract signing. Good news.

The Punk and Jericho issue was recapped form earlier and then Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan made their way to the ring. This was another great match. Kofi and Daniel went at it with everything they had to give (a TV audience). The crowd were behind Bryan move than Kofi and he controlled the early going, apart from a beautiful top rope crossbody to the outside from Kofi. AJ was shown watching backstage as Bryan worked over Kofi's arm and kicked him a great deal, with the crowd chanting Yes! each time. Kofi managed to make a comeback and even hit the Boom Drop but Bryan wouldn't be denied. Kofi then went for the Trouble in Paradise finishing kick but Bryan ducked. Kofi managed to hit the S.O.S but Bryan was not staying down. Eventually, Kofi missed another attempted top rope crossbody and Bryan locked in the Yes! Lock submission hold and Kofi tapped out.  Bryan celebrated and the fans chanted Yes! with him but then he reapplied the submission hold which brought out the Great White, Sheamus, the WWE world Champion, who Bryan will face in a 2 out of 3 falls match at Extreme Rules. Sheamus chased Bryan off and helped the unlucky Kofi up, nice guy.

After a brief hype for Cena's match against a mystery opponent later, the Funkasaurus, Brodus Clay came out. Cue the dancing girls! I love a woman that can move. They don't love me so much, two left feet and all that. The deplorable Vickie Guerrero came out and introduce the Show-off, Dolph Ziggler. He came to the ring with Vickie and Jack Swagger. The match didn't last long. The Ref called for a DQ after Swagger got involved. Dolph and Swagger were held off by Clay, rather easily I must say. Vickie pushed Cameron, one of the dancers down but was eventually shoved down by Naomi, the other. Clay and his dancers celebrated by dancing again. Good times, but I wish the match had lasted longer.

After that, Laurinaitis and Otunga met with evil harlot Eve, and the three went to conspire. Boo and hiss!  WWE played the tribute video to the sadly departed, Chief Jay Strongbow. A lovely tribute that the live crowd applauded. Once again R-Ttruth showed up, still playing as Sherlock Holmes. Just not feeling it tonight with him. Sad.

The Great Khali and Big Show made their way to the ring to take on the WWE Tag Team Champions in a non-title match. The Champions, Epico and Primo, with their gyrating manager Rosa Mendes (I do love a woman who can move) made their way to the ring, as Michael Cole on commentary informed us of Rosa's Twitter complaints about the WWE Tag Team Champs not being on TV more. As Abraham Washington, a relative unknown, but clearly recruiting for something big, made his way onto the stage to watch, Khali dominated the tag champs. The tag champs tried to leave but Big Show dragged them back in and Khali hit his Punjabi Plunge as Big Show hit his Showstopper Chokeslam on the tag champs at the same time. Needless to say, Big Show and Khali pinned the champs and won is convincing fashion. Big Show jigged a little to celebrate to Khali's music. I do not love a man that dances!

Now it's Cena time! Cena comes to the ring and then Laurinaitis, accompanied by his statesman music comes to the ring and introduces Lord Tensai as Cena's mystery opponent, who comes to the ring with his lackey, Sakomoto. Clad with ace markings and a mencaing demeanour, Cena was not to keen on his opponent. As Laurinaitis and Otunga took a seat, the commentators discussed Cena's recent fortunes since his loss to The Rock, as Tensai dominated Cena. On the outside, Cena managed to smash Tensai with the ring steps but Sakomoto who hit a few cheap strikes on Cena and Otunga then rolled him in. Extreme Rules, Cena, everything is legal. Tensai went back on to dominate, so much so that Cena couldn't hit his AA finisher and Tensai continued to own him. Thankfully for his fans, Cena rallied, amidst the contrasting chants for and against him. He hit a few shoulder blocks and a stylized back body drop. He went for the 5 Knuckle Shuffle but Tensai wasn't finished yet and stored up to put Cena back down. Tensai hit a senton, a arm breaker and locked in a fujiwara armbar, that Cena reversed into a crossface submission, that Cole mistakingly called the STF. Otunga rushed in to break it up but ate an AA for his troubles. That gave Tensai the opportunity he needed and he spat (legal in this match) green mist into Cena's eyes and then dropped him with a Double Handed Choke Bomb, for the win. Cena eventually called for water fr his eyes as Tensai celebrated. The commentators, rather solemnly, discussed how Cena might be right about Lesnar coming to replace him in the WWE and then the show ended.

This weeks' show was great, and not just cos it was on my side of the pond. There were three good quality matches and lots of build for their PPV, including the prospect of some very tasty matches. We were also informed of next week's WWE Raw being a three hour show, containing the contract signing between Brock Lesnar and John Cena. With Jericho being a jackass as well, plus everyone else gearing up for Extreme Rules, I'm already looking forward to next week.

WWE Raw 04/16/12: Over the Pond, London does the Brits Proud

The 'Fancyman' was introduced to the world of New Girl last week and tonight's episode sees Jess (Zooey Deschanel) going on a first date with Russell (Dermot Mulroney) and it doesn't go according to plan. Martin Starr (Freaks & Geeks, Party Down) is guest starring as Dirk, a friend of Nick's (Jake Johnson) from college and Winston (Lamorne Morris) starts to panic about his relationship with Shelby (Kali Hawk). Meanwhile Schmidt's (Max Greenfield) secret relationship with Cece (Hannah Simone) is about to become not-so-secret to one of the roommates.

Russell went from infuriating Jess to wooing her in the space of last week's episode after he criticized her teaching technique. With Nick's help Jess attempted to tell Russell that she wasn't going to apologize to him regarding her teaching methods, even if it meant that Russell would pull his rather hefty donation from the school. Nick however, went from a 'we are the 99%' stance to developing a pretty large man crush on Russell; he also gained a fancy new jumper and phone from this trip to Russell's house. Jess did refuse to back down despite Russell's charm, but Russell was never considering pulling his donation anyway.

This week the pair go on their first date and it looks like it could be just as awkward as their bidet and Koi pond interactions in "Fancyman Part 1." It doesn't appear like Jess will be getting soaking wet this week, but appropriate conversation will be an issue as she isn't used to dating a guy of Russell's age or social stature. We have seen Jess acting unsure of herself in many situations, especially in romantic ones and this looks like it will be another chance for Zooey Deschanel to shine.

Nick is also unsure of how to behave with the opposite sex and his college friend Dirk is trying to help him get over Julia (Lizzy Caplan). Dirk's idea of helping Nick get over Julia is to bring out Nick's inner frat boy and this entails throwing a party in the loft. Hosting a college type party means that college girls are also invited and they think that Nick is awesome, Nick comments that these women "don't know what Saved by the Bell is and they've never felt pain." Nick and Jess are attempting different ends of the dating spectrum with varying results and it turns out that Nick can be a fancyman to a college girl.

In a very Nick like move Winston becomes super paranoid when Shelby goes on a 'girls' vacation and it looks like Winston could be heading into a phone call spiral as Nick did when Julia sent him a cactus. This obviously did not end well for Nick so hopefully Winston won't ruin his relationship by acting like this.

Schmidt attempts to rebuke Cece's advances tonight after she says that she is the boss of their relationship and this statement appears to be accurate especially as she hilariously entices Schmidt with certain body parts. Their power dynamic is not that simple though as Schmidt clearly has something that Cece can't resist, even if Cece insists that this all remains a secret. One of the gang will be discovering this affair tonight, who do you think it will be?

New Girl is nearing the end of its first season and there are some major changes ahead for the gang which will see one of the characters contemplating moving out. We will also see the return of Paul (Justin Long) and Nick's ex Caroline (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) and Big Love's Jeanne Tripplehorn will be guest starring as Russell's ex-wife Ouli. New Girl has been getting stronger each week and this is in part thanks to development of the friendships between the group and the guest stars that have appeared so far have complimented these characters.

Watch a teaser and five sneak peeks below for tonight's episode of New Girl. Use the arrows above to browse through photos for the episode.

Tonight on New Girl: First Date Disaster for Jess (Photos and Sneak Peaks)

And then there were four.

After four days of intense competition, blown calls, and a whole lot of victory, the Sweet 16 has officially been narrowed down to the NCAA Final Four. Representing four of the power conferences in college hoops, one storied program will add another title to their impressive array of hardware. But the question is...

When do they play?

On Saturday, March 31st, tourney favorite Kentucky will be taking on inter-state rival Louisville in the first match-up, scheduled to tip off a 6:09 on CBS. After losing four of six games heading into the Big East Tournament, Louisville's reeled off eight wins in a row, including five wins over ranked opponents. It's Coach Rick Pitino's 7th Final Four appearance and second in his 11 seasons at Louisville. Kentucky may have lost in the SEC final, but the team has only two losses on the year and looks nearly unbeatable when firing on all cylinders. Can this year be the year Coach John Calipari gets over the hump?

At 8:49, the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Kansas Jayhawks, a duel of number two seeds that convincingly put away the number one seeds in their respective region. The Buckeyes are led by sophomore Jared Sullinger, a highly touted big man that's helped keep the team in the top 10 all season long. The 'hawks, meanwhile, last won a title in the 2007-08 season; ironically, Coach Bill Self defeated Coach Calipari's Memphis Tigers in the title game that year. Could a rematch between the two decorated coaches be in the cards?

The 2012 NCAA title game will be held Monday, April 2nd at 9:00 on CBS.

How's your bracket holding up? Which team are you rooting for? Have you enjoyed this year's NCAA tourney?

2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Schedule
6:09 PM - CBS - (1) Kentucky Wildcats v. (4) Louisville Cardinals
8:49 PM - CBS - (2) Ohio State Buckeyes v. (2) Kansas Jayhawks

2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Title Game
9:00 PM - CBS - TBD

2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Schedule

What an opening couple of rounds at this year's NCAA tournament, right?

You had two 15 seeds taking out a 2 seed, all four Division I teams from Ohio made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and there are several key rematches either on tap or inches from being secured in the Elite Eight. It's a great time to be a sports fan, but those times are on hold until Thursday and Friday, when the regional semifinals kick off.

Thursday finds number one seed Syracuse, which almost got taken out in the round of 64 by 16 seed UNC Asheville, taking on Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers in the first game at 7:15. At 7:47, Louisville will battle another underwhelming number one seed in Michigan State, itself receiving a scare from the Saint Louis Billikens. Following the Syracuse/Wisconsin game, at 9:45, is the Brawl for Bragging Rights, as Cincinnati will square up with the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Rounding out the Thursday coverage is Florida vs. Marquette, a match-up of two teams that have had comfortable wins for their first two rounds. The Gator/Golden Eagle contest begins at 10:17.

Friday has no shortage of solid-looking games, beginning with high-powered Baylor taking on Xavier, one of the three double-digit seeds remaining, at 7:15. Another low seed, number 13 Ohio, gets a major national spotlight at 7:47 when they clash with number one seed (and heavily favored) North Carolina. 9:45 finds a rematch between the University of Kentucky and Indiana University, after the Hoosiers handed the 'cats one of only two losses they've suffered this season. Finally, the Kansas Jayhawks will try to fly past the Wolfpack of NC State in a 10:17 match-up.

You can check out a full list of days, times, channels, and teams involved below.

Is your team still in the tournament? How have you enjoyed the 2012 NCAA Tournament? Most importantly, how is your bracket holding up?

2012 NCAA Men's Tournament Sweet Sixteen TV Schedule

YouTube sensation Lucas Cruikshank a.k.a Fred Figglehorn, will star in the new Nickelodeon Comedy Series Marvin, Marvin.

The network shows big trust to the young actor by ordering 26 episodes of the new show.

The new series order comes a few weeks after Fred: The Show, a live-action, short-form comedy series created by Cruikshank premiered.

According to Deadline.com, Nickelodeon is extending the latter series with a new 28-episode order on top of the original 21-episode pickup.  Additionally, the network is working on a third Fred movie.

Marvin, Marvin, stars Cruikshank as an alien teen living with a human family, while trying to fit into life on earth.

Fred’s Lucas Cruikshank to Star in New Nickelodeon Comedy

CBS has announced that the queen of homemaking, Martha Stewart, will be making a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of 2 Broke Girls.

Stewart will guest star as herself on the upcoming May 7 episode.  Caroline and Max will crash a party that Stewart is attending at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to get her seal of approval on their cupcakes.  Will the great Martha Stewart give the girls a thumbs up?

2 Broke Girls airs on Monday nights at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

Plus, there's good news for fans who have been missing their daily dose of Susan Lucci now that All My Children is off the air.  Lucci has been cast in Marc Cherry's new ABC pilot, Devious Maids.  The show follows four maids (played by Ana Ortiz, Judy Reyes, Roselyn Sanchez and Dania Ramirez) who work for wealthy families in Beverly Hills.

Lucci will play one of the wealthy employers, Genevieve Delacourt, a lovely but slightly crazy woman.
While Genevieve has spent most of her life jumping from one man to another, she finds herself alone in her older years.

Devious Maids is one of several pilots that may make it onto ABC's schedule in the fall or during midseason.  Show picks-up should be announced in May at the networks' upfront presentations.

News Briefs: Martha Stewart to Guest on 2 Broke Girls; Susan Lucci Joins Primetime Pilot

You might be asking yourself why a television blog is reviewing a book - "Tales from Development Hell" - that revolves around movie scripts.  Well, the truth is that TV is part of the Hollywood business machine.  The development of a TV show/script might not be completely identical to that of a screenplay, but there are certainly similarities.  In any event, the subject matter of "Tales from Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made?" (the updated edition) is interesting enough for anyone fascinated with the Hollywood way of doing business.

Basically, here's how a script gets developed in Hollywood: a screenwriter drafts a script, perhaps on spec (without prompting) or at the rest of a director/producer/studio.  The script goes through a few drafts, with some people providing their notes along the way regarding changes to the script.  Then the movie is cast, locations are scouted and film starts rolling.  Right?  Wrong.  At least, for some movies.  In fact, if you read this book you will seriously ask yourself how any movies get made at all.

What actually happens - in some/many cases - is that scripts languish for years in something called "development hell".  In some cases, there are creative disagreements between screenwriters and the studio/director/producer.  In other cases the project changes hands.  In yet other cases, for whatever reason, the script goes through 50 rewrites with 50 different screenwriters and then still never sees the light of day for whatever reason.

Let's take, for example, the tale of Lord of the Rings.  Do you have any idea how many years various producers and studios were trying to get the books made into a movie before Peter Jackson's trilogy?  Basically from the time when Tolkien was still alive.  Did you know that, at one point, the Beatles (yes, THOSE Beatles) actually wanted to star in a film version of Lord of the Rings?   Do you know why the fourth Indiana Jones film was delayed for so long?  Do you know why Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic series has never been made into a feature film despite repeated attempts?

David Hughes takes the reader on the incredibly complex journey from the first draft to the actual film (assuming there is one and the script isn't just collecting dust in a file cabinet somewhere).  He charts the journeys of scripts that never got made into films, including "Smoke and Mirrors" (which at one point had Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones attached) and the remake of "Fantastic Journey".  Then there's the scripts that do eventually get made into movies, like "Tomb Raider", "The Aviator", or "The Dark Knight".  Hughes quotes screenwriters, producers, directors and studio personnel to provide an incredibly detailed and comprehensive look at the development hell some scripts have gone through.  From full details about the storylines of early scripts for Indiana Jones 4 to explanations of why only The Aviator was made instead of other Howard Hughes projects, this book has everything to explain to you the business of Hollywood.

And remember, "Hollywood is a business rather than an artistic endeavor", as Hughes describes.  Hughes is upfront about his bias towards screenwriters, seeing as he is one himself, but that doesn't cast doubt on his book.  Yes, the poor screenwriters seem like they were on the losing end in most of these cases, but a lot of people have lost out while in development hell, including producers, directors and stars, as Hughes describes.  If you're a budding screenwriter who wants to know what you're up against or just someone who is interested in the behind the scenes dealings of Hollywood, then this book is definitely for you.

"Tales from Development Hell" is published by Titan Books and is available on Amazon.

Book Review: "Tales from Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made?"

The vast majority of motorcycle riders are law-abiding citizens, average men and women who hold jobs and raise families. That’s why the few dangerous gang members are called one-percenters. The following is a list of the six most dangerous motorcycle gangs. It is worth noting that not every member of these gangs engages in criminal activity. To keep safe while on a motorcycle, smart bikers look to MotorcycleInsurance.com for insurance protection.

1. Hell’s Angels

When someone mentions motorcycle gangs, the first image that comes to mind is a Hell’s Angel with a death’s head insignia on the back of his black leather jacket. This large gang has chapters throughout the U.S. and every continent except Africa. The Hell’s Angels have had numerous highly-publicized run-ins with the law over the years, including violent confrontations with rival gangs.

2. The Mongols

When several Hispanic bikers were barred from joining the Hell’s Angels because of their race, they banded together to form the Mongols. In 2008, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a sting that resulted in 38 arrests, including the gang’s president. Today, members are prohibited by law from wearing their insignia, making them harder to identify.

3. Pagans

This gang began in Maryland in 1959 and has expanded rapidly since then. Its insignia depicts the Norse fire god seated on the sun and brandishing a sword. Members often wear neo-Nazi and white-supremacist patches as well. This gang has been linked to organized crime in the northeast and has a violent history of rivalry with the Hell’s Angels.

4. Outlaws

Started in 1935, the Outlaws are one of the oldest motorcycle gangs in the country. Their emblem is a skull with flaming pistons taking the place of crossbones. Many of its members have been tried and convicted of numerous crimes including drug trafficking, arms dealing, murder and prostitution. Its former president was sent to prison in 1999 for three murders after spending a year on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

5. Sons of Silence

Donec Mors Non Seperat, a Latin phrase meaning “Until Death Separates Us,” is this gang’s motto. Its patch features the letter A with an eagle superimposed on top of it. During raids on this gang, the ATF has seized large amounts of methamphetamine, firearms and explosives.

6. Warlocks

This gang, which consists only of white males, is concentrated in the Eastern U.S., England and Germany. Its insignia is the Greek mythological figure of a harpy, and members often wear white supremacist symbols as well. In 2008, four members of the Warlocks were arrested and charged with trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine.

6 Most Feared Motorcycle Gangs

Sherlock Holmes is an endearing and long-running character of both movies and television.  Originally created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, Holmes first lived as a character in four novels and 56 short stories.  Since then, his legacy has grown.  As Alan Barnes, the author of "Sherlock Holmes On Screen: The Complete Film & Television History", notes "Holmes has enjoyed a big screen career rivaled only by Bram Stoker's Count Dracula".

In present day, two different adaptations of Holmes live on.  The first is the film franchise revived by director Guy Ritchie, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.  The second is the BBC series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.  Those are but two of the many, many adaptations of Doyle's famed character over the years.

How to catalog the others?  Well, this book does it for you.  From the first incarnation of Holmes to the present, Barnes' book takes us on a complete and detailed journey through every Holmes-focused film and television show.  Lest you think this book is simply an encyclopedia of Holmes films and shows, rest assured that Barnes delves far deeper than that.  Every film and TV production is broken down into categories, including the case, the investigation conducted, and the solution to the crime.  Barnes also discusses how it matches up to the source material and analyzes the quality of the productions.  He even tells the backstories of how certain productions came to be.  Want to know how Gene Wilder came to star in the 1975 parody The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother?  Barnes has the answer.  The fact that a parody film is being discussed should give you indication of how extensive this compendium really is.

Barnes touches on myriad of mythology subjects related to Holmes, including how the character was "modernized" beginning in 1942 and how Holmes has been appearing throughout stories in the DC Comics world.  This book is an invaluable resource for any Sherlock Holmes fan.  From those who know their trivia to the casual reader, Barnes writes in any easy-to-read style that both informs and entertains.

Fans of the BBC series Sherlock, in particular, will find a great deal of information about the show in this book.  The Foreword is written by Steven Moffat, one of the creators of the series, and Barnes spends time detailing behind the scenes information about the show, including how it was conceived and filmed, and the subtle differences in the BBC version from the source material.

"Sherlock Holmes On Screen" is produced by Titan Books and is currently available on Amazon.

Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History (Book Preview)

Jimmy Kimmel likes to go big after the Oscars.  In the past, Kimmel's post-Oscars special has produced gems such as the "Handsome Men's Club" skit and Tom Hanks' "Toddlers 'n Tiaras".  But this year, Kimmel decided to go big.  Yes, even bigger than "I'm F*****g Ben Affleck", which included a slew of stars performing an original song of the same name.

This year, Kimmel unveiled the trailer for "Movie: The Movie".  It's definitely the longest-trailer every made (clocking in at nearly 9 minutes).  As Kimmel explained during his introduction "On a night like Oscar night, we're reminded of how many different genres of film there are.  The problem is you usually only get one or two genres per film.  So four months ago I set out to make the biggest, most star-studded film in the history of American cinema.  Something that packs everything moviegoers love into one spectacular motion picture event.  And tonight, my dream has been realized."

So how many actors and actresses actually appear in the trailer for "Movie: The Movie"?  Enough that we stopped counting.  Basically everyone appears in this parody trailer, including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Jessica Alba, Chewbacca, Samuel Jackson, Gary Oldman, Jeff Goldblum, J.J. Abrams, Josh Brolin, Tyler Perry and John Goodman.  And that's not even half of them.  Plus, literally every genre ever conceived is included in this film, which combines romance, football, disaster, Transformers, magical creatures and every cheesy love story.

Watch the trailer for Jimmy Kimmel's "Movie: The Movie" below.

Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar Show Presents the Most Star-Studded Trailer Ever ("Movie: The Movie")

We've got a pretty awesome contest thanks to H2 and their show Ancient Aliens.  One lucky TVOvermind reader has the chance to win an iPad 2, H2 sleeve and Beats by Dre Headphones (pictured above).

Ancient Aliens airs on Friday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST on H2: "Through ancient religious texts, personal sightings and exquisitely constructed wonders come the belief by some that ancient astronauts once inhabited our world among, and pre-dating the existence of, human beings and that they will indeed come again.  In Season 4 of Ancient Aliens, H2 resumes the investigation of these curious marvels while questioning truth vs. phenomenon via 75 million years of the most credible alien evidence here on Earth as seen in a myriad of forms from biblical texts to massive stone ruins aligned in perfect Pythagorean sequence."

Episodes this season include a study of the Mayans, the Doomsday Prophecy, the mythology surrounding pyramids, NASA's potential connection to extraterrestrial life, and the secret knowledge of Leonardo Da Vinci.

How do you win this terrific prize pack?  Here's the details:

UPDATE: The contest is now CLOSED. The winner will be contacted shortly. Thanks to all for their participation.

*Email me at clarissa @ tvovermind.com with the subject line "H2 Contest".  Please include your name, city & state.

*The contest will run until 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 2, 2012.  The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email.  The winner will be asked to provide his/her full address and the network will mail the prize.  Contest is open to residents of the continental United States.

In addition to our contest, H2 has a unique Facebook application where fans can decipher the Ancient Aliens Code for a chance to win $10,000,while also customizing their own crop circle by uploading a picture.

Want to learn more about the show?  Watch the trailer below and don't miss new episodes of Ancient Aliens on H2 on Friday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST.

Contest: Win an iPad 2 With Sleeve & Beats by Dre Headphones from "Ancient Aliens"

It's that time of year again...Valentine's Day.  The time for romance.  The time to express your love for those people you're closest to.  Or the time for the ladies to look at photos of attractive men and then send them to our friends so that they too can look at photos of attractive men.

Think back to your early elementary school days, when all of the kids were forced to write out Valentine's Day cards for each other and exchange them with their classmates.  Well, the CW and Fox have come together to once again give you that opportunity.  Want to send an e-card to your BFF with a photo of Misha Collins?  You can do that.  Want to print out a valentine featuring the cast of Glee or New Girl and hand-deliver it to your special someone?  You can do that too.

We've put together a handy slide-show featuring the electronic and printable versions of Valentine's Day cards that the networks have prepared for various shows.  Use the arrows above to browse through all of the offerings.  Make sure to click on the "Source" above each photo for larger versions or the website to send e-cards.

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at TVOvermind!

Valentine's Day Cards from Supernatural, Game of Thrones, The Vampire Diaries & More!

As more and more of our television viewing migrates to the internet and our computers, studios are working on putting together better and better web series for viewers.  One amusing new web series is Paul the Male Matchmaker, which made its debut on Hulu today.

Co-created by Liz Tuccillo (He’s Just Not That Into You, Sex and the City) and star Paul Bartholomew, the series begins with Paul inheriting his aunt Cathy's matchmaking service.  Despite not being successful at most of his previous endeavors, Paul is convinced that he's qualified to act as a matchmaker, since, as he explains, "I'm really attractive/super-likeable.  I'm a really, really happy person.  And I have a fantastic marriage...to someone who is really rich.  I think I'm going to be super-successful at helping women find love."

Make no mistake, Paul is utterly ridiculous.  And kind of mean.  But that's the whole point of the series.  Liz explained that the idea for Paul the Male Matchmaker came about because "I had been complaining to [Paul] how people have this way of - still in this day and age - assuming that if you’re a single woman that you’re doing something wrong and there’s something wrong with you.  It wasn’t really much of a specific incident that we stole and put in the show, but an overall outrage about how single women are still treated."

Each episode of the web series averages about 5 to 7 minutes and is arranged around a theme, like 'how to do first impressions' or 'what the movie Speed can teach you about how fear can jump-start relationships'.  The show works pretty well as a web series, which was an idea that initially appealed to Liz and Paul.  As Liz explained during our recent conversation "We were excited about making a webisode series in general because we were thinking this is where this idea would best be suited.  And the webisode seemed like a great way to workshop an idea and sort of get it out there as quickly as you could and see if it has legs.  The webisode format came first and it was ultimately Warner Bros. that made the deal with Hulu.  But before even we got the webisode series made, Paul had made a little series of videos to workshop the idea."

Paul the Male Matchmaker is full of fun and recognizable guest stars, including Janeane Garofalo (The Larry Sanders Show), Lisa Edelstein (House M.D.), Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Chuck) and Sam Trammell (True Blood) who all came out to help Liz and Paul "put on a show".

As mean as the matchmaker is, people should recognize that he's basically a buffoon who is, as Paul described, "...clueless.  I think he really feels like the things he’s doing are great ideas, are great ways to help these women find someone in their life.  I think he’s definitely all in."  But humor is the point of the series.  We should all be able to laugh at the ridiculous advice that Paul gives to women and realize that "we purposely made it harsh, to sort of point at how ridiculously mean people are to single women" Liz explained, "The goal was to be purposely harsh in order to poke fun at that."

All 10 episodes of the first season are currently available online and, if the series catches on, both Liz and Paul hope for a future for Paul the Male Matchmaker.  "I guess the options are a second season of webisode series or being developed for television or now they have something between, which is sort of like Children’s Hospital (15 minute segments)" Liz said.

Catch Paul the Male Matchmaker on Hulu.

Paul the Male Matchmaker Preview: New Hulu Web Series Available Today

Shameless season 2 returns with its sixth entry in this week’s "Can I Have a Mother," as Frank Gallagher's mother Grammy Gallagher returns from prison on a medical furlough, while Fiona goes on a double-date with the returned Steve (Justin Chatwin) and his lovely new Brazilian girl, and the beneficiary of Eddie Jackson's will is finally identified. After last week's "Fathers Day," and Steve's less-than-dramatic return, will the former car thief be able to square his troubles with the law, let alone Fiona, before it's too late?

Frank Gallagher has always been a complete scoundrel to his friends and family alike, so is it even possible that  his mother would be worse?  Well, I guess she'd have to be to wind up in prison for blowing up her own meth lab!  But Grammy isn't the only thing on Frank's mind this week, as he tries to put together a scheme for what to do with the money left by Eddie Jackson's will.

Meanwhile, Fiona reacts to the sudden re-appearance of Steve, complete with his Brazilian conquest Estefania, and even young Ethel has her own matters to deal with when her sister wives reveal the fate of their husband Clive in prison!  Sheila has her own event to plan, now that her daughter Karen has eloped with Jody, still carrying what's likely to be Lip's baby.  But with all the pressure placed on their home by Frank for a piece of Eddie's life insurance money, Sheila might not be taking so kindly to Frank's advances, particularly given the above photograph of Fiona actually comforting her father.

Check out a fresh look at tonight's Shameless "Can I Have A Mother" as Frank schemes about Eddie's money down at the Alibi, only to find himself face to face with his own mother, newly released from prison!  And don't forget to watch Shameless tonight at 9pm on Showtime, followed by an all-new House of Lies and Californication.

Tonight On Shameless: Grammy Gallagher's Back in Town

In case you missed it, the US government seized thousands of domains in advance of the 2012 Super Bowl, most of them setup to illegally stream the big game today (among other sporting events, TV shows, movies, etc). That doesn't mean you can't stream the Super Bowl legally though.  NBC has setup a live feed of the 2012 Super Bowl to stream online for the first time in history.  Here is the catch:  the stream is NOT available internationally.

Personally, I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding why there was such an effort to squash streaming of an event that is largely supported by some of the most expensive commercial slots in history.  In fact, the Super Bowl one of the rare occasions where the audience actually wants to watch the commercials.  They sell Coca-Cola in Belize, right?

But seriously, it's probably not so much the Super Bowl the intercops were out to block from being illegally enjoyed around the world, and there is always the upside that the seizing of those sites proved, yet again, that we don't need SOPA to shut down pirates in an expedited fashion. So all of you outside the US that were looking to stream the Super Bowl, grab your US-based Proxies and get ready to tune in.  NBC has you covered.

Yes, You Can Watch The Super Bowl Online ... Sort Of

Tonight is the 100th episode of Gossip Girl and it is Blair's big royal wedding that will mark this event. Or is it? It wouldn't be a wedding on TV without any drama and this is Gossip Girl, so expect plenty of that from many different sources as there are love triangles (or quadrangles or maybe even quintangles) all over the place. Love interests are not the only ones that threaten the nuptials as a dastardly priest and a vengeful rival also threaten Blair (Leighton Meester) and Louis' (Hugo Becker) big day. Throw in a doubtful bride and we've got the makings of a fantastic evening.

If you have seen any of promo photos, videos or sneak peeks then you know by now that Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg) is back in town to wreak some havoc, as payback for all the many schemes that Blair has inflicted on her. If the priest getup that Georgina is sporting in this promo means anything it is that she is willing to have some fun with this vengeance and I can't wait to see her back on the show. Georgina isn't the only one in holy garb that who could ruin the day, as Chuck (Ed Westwick) has teamed up with a priest that looks more like a stripper to also stop the wedding from going ahead. Father Cavalia's (Marc Menard) motives for wanting to stop the wedding seem a bit vague, but I don't even need to say why Chuck wants to stop it all and he is ready to embrace his inner villain to do so. Will Chuck end up the hero by saving Blair from a marriage that she is not 100% committed to or will his efforts distance himself further from Blair?

Dan (Penn Badgley) will also play a key part in the episode not only as Serena's (Blake Lively) fake boyfriend, but as one of Louis' groomsmen. Not sure how happy Blair will be if she finds out that the vows that she was so impressed by were not written by Louis but by Dan, will this change her feelings towards Lonely Boy? In one of the many moments of deception last week Serena lied to Dan about keeping up with the fake relationship, as she still has feelings for her ex. How a lot has changed; at the start of the pilot episode Serena doesn't know that Dan exists and now Dan is oblivious to how his first great love feels about him.  As you can see from the photo above there will be a dream sequence with Serena as Marilyn Monroe and Blair as Audrey Hepburn with Dan being forced to choose between the two, who will he pick?

Executive producer Josh Safran lightly teases some details in the preview below including how much effort went into creating this royal wedding and how Blair is wearing a one of a kind Vera Wang wedding dress. You can see Gossip Girl stylist Eric Daman discussing the intricate details of this dress and how the recent Prince William/Kate Middleton wedding played a part in creating the right royal feeling. Daman also estimates that in the 100 episodes that have aired so far he believes that there have been 100,000 wardrobe changes. This sounds like a crazy figure but when you think of the variety of clothes that are used in each episode it doesn't sound so wild and it would take some time to see if this figure is accurate (a challenge perhaps?). We also have a look at the 100th episode celebration party that was attended by the cast and creative forces and they all marvel at the success of the show (and at how young they were when they first started).

If you have time before tonight's episode then try to watch the pilot episode of Gossip Girl again, as we have been promised many callbacks to this first outing. A time when Blair thought she would marry Nate (Chace Crawford), Serena had just returned from boarding school, Chuck caught the bus (no really), Jenny hadn't discovered eyeliner, Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Lily (Kelly Rutherford) were merely old flames and Dan was the loneliest Lonely Boy. It's also worth watching again just to see how dramatically some of their hairstyles have changed (I'm looking at you Penn Badgley).

Check the behind the scenes videos below and be sure to check out the promo photos, video and sneak peeks here, here and here.

Gossip Girl 100th Episode: What to Expect and the Cast Celebrates The Event

Appearing on Live with Kelly as the first female co-host since Regis Philbin’s retirement, Kim Kardashian opened up about her short lived marriage to estranged husband Kris Humphries. Host Kelly Ripa wasted no time in questioning her about the big elephant in the room, and all the backlash Kim suffered as a result.  Kim was very open and appeared ready to address her feelings on live TV for the first time. Balking at the wide held notion that she did it all for the money, Kim says she is a “helpless romantic” and was “in love”. In fact, Kim says being the business woman that she is, it would have made better business sense to have stayed married longer; the implication being, she could have continued to cash in.  Citing sister Khloe’s quick marriage after knowing her hubby only one month, as well as Mom Kris Jenner’s marriage to Bruce after just 5 months of courtship, Kim saw no reason it wouldn’t work for her as well.

When Kelly asked her if she is watching the recent episodes Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Kim admits she is.  Watching her family members discuss in her scenes and hearing how they felt about what she was going through is proving to be therapeutic for her. She tells Kelly that soon after the divorce announcement, she moved back in with her Mom and still splits her time between the Jenner household and sister Kourtney’s home for some much needed soul searching. At the end of the day, Kim says she will not give up being a romantic, and realizes she just needs to rewrite her fairy tale.

Kim never once mentioned Kris by name, nor did she share what exactly went wrong for her.  The closest we can get to the inner workings of the 72 day Kardashian-Humphries marriage and its breakdown is by watching Season 2 of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, which airs its season finale next Sunday, January 29 on E!. For recaps of the whole season, click here.

Kim Kardashian Co-Hosts Live with Kelly - Dishes on Divorce

Last night’s Fringe launches us into a new chapter of season 4. We finally see the two universes really, truly working together to achieve a common goal – and it was fascinating. One of my favourite scenes of the episode (although I did have several) was when the members of both Fringe Divisions were all sitting around the same table, trying to figure out their action plan for combating David Robert Jones. I’m beyond curious to see where this takes the characters in the coming weeks: we’ll have an uninterrupted string of new episodes now until the end of February, which is something of a relief after the numerous hiatuses so far this season.

One thing I’ve found simultaneously intriguing and frustrating about this new timeline is trying to figure out where and how things would have changed without Peter’s influence. Fascinating because who doesn’t love a good thought-experiment; frustrating because sometimes I just can’t see how certain things would come about without Peter.  That being said, the fact that David Robert Jones – a bad guy Fringe Division killed at the end of season 1 in the original timeline – is still alive makes more than a little sense. One question I’d had about Jones was how he’d never crossed paths with Olivia: surely he would have still been fixated on the Cortexiphan kids, and it was through his actions that Olivia found out about her involvement in the trials in the first place. Although in the original timeline, Olivia didn’t remember the trials at all, whereas she certainly does in this new one.

I should have known that this question would be answered, and it becomes obvious at the end of the episode that Jones most assuredly knows who Olivia Dunham is, which now makes me wonder if we can expect the return of some of the other Cortexiphan kids. I have to admit, even though I was half-expecting Nina to be working with Jones, I was still rather shocked. I don’t understand how she could betray Olivia after raising her. But nothing is ever simple and clear-cut in Fringe: I wonder if, in some twisted way, Nina thinks that she’s helping Olivia, somehow. It also brings me to the question of Alt-Broyles’ alliance with Jones – somehow the explanation that he himself is a shapeshifter is almost too simple, but I suppose we’ll find out soon.

Ever since the season 2 episode “Peter”, where we saw exactly what happened the night Walter crossed over to take Peter, I’ve hoped to see a reunion between Alt-Elizabeth and our Walter. We finally got to see that reunion in “Enemy Of My Enemy”, and it was well worth the wait. The search for absolution has been a recurring theme with Walter: in our original timeline, he has managed to make some sort of peace with it. Helped, I think, by the fact that he has living, breathing proof in Peter that his actions were in some way worth the consequences. The Walter in this new timeline had no such tangible evidence, and has lived the last 25 years believing that he deserved every punishment. Orla Brady and John Noble have been great together in every single scene, but in last night’s Fringe they were phenomenal. Elizabeth is probably the only person who could give Walter absolution, and I love how much it says about her character that she has forgiven him, even knowing that her Peter didn’t survive.

The other scene I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention was the one between Walter and Peter: I mentioned in last week’s review that the scene between Walternate and Peter assuaged some of my longing for the relationship between the Bishops that we’ve come to love these last 4 seasons. But last night’s Fringe finally, finally returned to some of the dynamic we’ve come to expect between the father and son. Nothing says it better than Peter’s statement to Walter that he’s not at all surprised to find out that Walter is exactly who he thought he was. I can’t wait to see what happens next, now that Walter is committed to trying to help return Peter to his own timeline.

I can’t help but wonder, though, if it’s even possible for Peter to return “home”. I have yet to make up my mind as to whether this universe is “our” universe rewritten, in which case these are all the people Peter loves, but different, or whether it’s another universe entirely. That being said, I saw them filming a bit of Fringe this week, and something I saw makes me think that we’ll get a definitive answer on that question sometime soon. (No, I won’t give any details.)

The only thing that disappointed me a little was that Michelle Krusiec’s shapeshifter “Nadine” was killed: I found her character intriguing, but I also got a kick out of hearing my own name on the show. Although as we’ve seen with Jones, no one ever really dies in Fringe! From the promo trailer for next week’s episode, we’ll get to delve into September’s ominous statement from last week’s episode that Olivia has to die. And speaking of Observers, I’m intensely curious as to whether Astrid will find anything in September’s blood sample that Olivia asked her to test. The writers and producers have said several times that we’ll learn more about the bald-headed enigmas this season, so I can’t help but hope that some answers will be forthcoming.

All by way of saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this episode of Fringe, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Things certainly seem to be picking up speed: all we can do is hang on for the ride. A

Fringe 4.09 "Enemy Of My Enemy" Review

The H2 channel is giving one lucky TVOvermind reader the chance to win a men's or women's Patagonia jacket and umbrella in celebration of their series America's Book of Secrets, which premieres on Saturday, January 21 on H2.  Click the photo on the right to see a larger version of the prizes.

Here's what we know about the show: "America’s Book of Secrets uncovers the controversial truths behind some of the most confidential secrets in American history. The new series takes a look at historical landmarks throughout the country and reveals mysteries through captivating footage and live interviews and we’re sure your readers with be amazed with what they’ll witness."

Contest details:

*Email me at clarissa@tvovermind.com with the subject line "H2 Contest".  Please include your name, city & state.

*The contest will run until 10:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 21, 2012.  The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email.  The winner will be asked to provide his/her full address and the network will mail the prize.  Contest is open to residents of the continental United States.

In addition to our contest, H2 is running a daily contest on Facebook designed to challenge your knowledge of American history.  Do you know America’s secrets?  Take the quiz and earn a chance to win prizes like an iPad, Beats by Dre headphones and other great swag.

Want to learn more about the show?  View the trailer below.  Enter our contest for a chance to win and don't miss the premiere of America's Book of Secrets on Saturday, January 21 at 10:00 p.m. EST on H2.

Contest: Win a Jacket & Umbrella from H2's 'America's Book of Secrets'

Napoleon Dynamite comes to television as an animated series tonight with a two-part series premiere reuniting the entire original cast of the film.  Both "Thundercone" and "Scantronica Love" provide different looks at what might succeed with Napoleon Dynamite as an animated series, but ultimately doesn't amount to much entertainment.

I was completely on board with the idea of bringing Napoleon Dynamite to TV as an animated series.  The movie never held much esteem for me, as I don’t think it really could have for anyone.  Napoleon Dynamite was by no means a good film, or even a bad film, just kind of a quirky, and bizarrely memorable two hours  that grew on people without them realizing.

It certainly didn’t beg a sequel, but its eclectic weirdness seemed like it would match animation well and bringing back the entire cast to voice their animated counterparts made the prospect more than exciting.

That said, Napoleon Dynamite as an animated series is not Napoleon Dynamite as a film.  From its very outset the animated series feels familiar, its static opening shot and accompanying music evoking the film’s unique feel, but somewhere in between Napoleon’s steaming forehead and a Chernobyl-affected Starla firing a corn cob cannon at youngsters in a rural fight club, you realize how off the beaten path things have gone.

On the one hand characters with already exaggerated features and voices like Napoleon or Kip fight right in to such absurdity, but the more subdued characters of the film don’t translate particularly well in the animation.  Uncle Rico comes to mind first and foremost, as Jon Gries delivers a much more purposefully comedic voice than the more subdued buffoonery of the film.  With the film Napoleon Dyamite we would laugh at Rico as an insane man in a sane world, whereas the animation paints both the man and his surroundings too tonally similar to mine any humor from.  It’s that inability to balance styles of humor that causes this incarnation on Napoleon Dynamite to fall flat.

The first episode of the series, “Thundercone” deals with Napoleon’s rage-inducing acne cream landing he and his brother Kip in some sort of rural fight club dubbed the “Pioneer Punch Club,” which unfortunately proves too absurd a premise to launch the series on.  Even the presence of Amy Poehler as Misty, the object of Kip's, and eventually Napoleon’s eye doesn’t add very much to the episode, which at best serves as an introduction to the more heightened reality of the animated series.  “Thundercone” unfortunately carries the burden of transition, which means that those expecting humor more akin to the style of the film will inevitably wind up disappointed.  As for those watching the series fresh, I don’t think they’d find much to hang their hat on either.

FOX also debuted the show’s second episode tonight, “Scantronica Love,” which had me chuckling regularly and offers far better look into how Napoleon Dynamite might work as an ongoing series.  “Scantronica Love” makes the characters into the absurdity, rather than the situation by showing how the various students react to the results of a computer compatibility test.  I almost wish the ordering of the two episodes had been reversed, but then again “Thundercone” might have left too bitter of an aftertaste for anyone to watch further episodes of the series.

I’ll be interested to read how people react to these first two episode as both fans and non-fans of the film, which in and of itself already divided people.  I’ll keep checking it out on a weekly basis, but then again, I said the same of Allen Gregory.  Maybe Napoleon will have better luck.

And Another Thing…

• As most people will note, the animated series does ignore the ending of the film, with no mention of Kip's marriage to La Fawn Duh, or even the character herself.

• I should also point out that the intro sequence wasn't present on FOX's screeners.  There, a simple placecard with the Napoleon Dynamite idle music did the trick just fine.

• If nothing else, the series ends up being just about as quotable as the film, particularly with Kip.

• It’s too early to be harping on continuity, but it’s of interest to note that in “Thundercone” Napoleon had trouble fighting with Kip, but by “Scantronica Love” seems to hold his own against the likes of Rex Kwan-Do

What did YOU think?

Napoleon Dynamite "Thundercone / Scantronica Love" Series Premiere Review

As you know doubt know, we've just entered into a new year, and one which will no doubt be eventful for the world of television. Of course, I can't claim to know what's coming up (though I wish I could). Instead, here's what we hope will happen in the world of television next year.

Check out my list over the next few pages, and add your own hopes in the comments section below.

The Headlines Start on Page 2...