All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Simon Cowell thinks Lee DeWyze will emerge as the American Idol season nine winner. I don’t think he should (especially after last night’s final performances, which Crystal Bowersox handily dominated), but I agree that he probably will. Meanwhile, for me, the biggest event on tonight’s Idol season finale isn’t the revelation of the winner, but the fact that it’s Simon’s final night on the show. Shark jumped.

– PS: Check out this cool new (and free) American Idol PC game, which lets you record your own vocals on hit songs and then make a video of it, starring an avatar version of you. Warning: It’s fun and addictive.

– I’m not ashamed to ‘fess up: The 24 series finale made me weepy. Just can’t believe Jack Bauer is not going to be on my TV on Monday nights anymore. Sigh. And, I know, there’s iTunes and Amazon.com downloads, but Fox isn’t releasing the final season on DVD until December 7. Odd to wait that long …

– If you missed the Jesse James interview on Nightline last night, US Weekly has a recap, including details about what he says was a very abusive childhood at the hands of his father.

– Lost fans are still looking everywhere for answers the many questions the series finale left hanging, but those images of the Oceanic 815 wreckage that popped up at the end of the finale? Nothing significant about them, ABC confirms. They’re just photos.

– Follow up: That video clip you’ll see in the link above, a video filled with almost 100 unanswered Lost questions, prompted Movieline to try to answer some lingering Lost mysteries.

– This is one of the wackier concerns for next fall’s new TV season: CBS has decided to call the new Twitter-inspired William Shatner sitcom $#*! My Dad Says instead of $#!+ My Dad Says, because the network thinks the second one looks too much like the actual word the symbols are replacing. Wouldn’t that be a good thing, though? Anyhoo, the symbols, when spoken about, will translate to the word “Bleep.” This promises to be the most ridiculous pop culture name since Prince wanted to be known as that funky symbol.

– Good news: Psych‘s fifth season premiere has been moved up ever so slightly, from July 21 to July 14.

– Congrats to Tina Fey, the very deserving winner of this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. By the way, I came across a really cool Tina Fey fan Website today: TinaFeyFan.com. Definitely worth checking out for all things Tina.

– It’s not a surprise, but still pretty cool: Turns out the ratings for the Betty White-hosted Saturday Night Live episode were even higher when DVR numbers were added in. Yes, Everybody Loves Betty.

– Another TV classic enjoying a ratings boost: Sesame Street.

– One of my newest reality TV show crushes is Food Network’s Chopped, where chefs are given mystery baskets of ingredients and challenged to make appetizers, entrees and desserts from them. It’s a fast-paced, tension-filled competition, and it’s truly amazing what some of the talented culinary whizzes come up with … making a dessert out of gummi bears, a main entree out of cola and a string cheese app? Really fun stuff. And if you have aspirations of being on the show, or know someone who could cook up something special, Chopped producers are looking for new contestants. Check out the series’ casting Website for more deets.

– Leave it to Family Guy to create a clever Emmy pitch that will, no doubt, be offensive to some of the more uptight Hollywood-ites: It’s Peter Griffin’s take on Precious.

– Perez Hilton has his own record label, so why shouldn’t Ellen DeGeneres. I guess. Anyhoo, she does/will, and her first signee to the label will be Greyson Chance, that kid whose Lady Gaga Paparazzi cover you’ve no doubt seen on YouTube.

– Speaking of Gaga, this promises to be one of the funniest/most awkward/just plain weird interviews ever: Loopy coot Larry King says, via Twitter, that he’ll be hosting the pop star on his CNN talk show next week.

– And here’s a fun TV tie-in: To celebrate its 20th anniversary, E! has teamed up with Cold Stone Creamery to create E! Entertain-mint, mint ice cream with brownies and fudge.

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• Filed in 24, American Idol, Fall 2010-11 TV season, TV News
• Tags: 24 DVD, American Idol finale, Lost series finale

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Kudos to NBC for the get-well message to Celebrity Apprentice contestant Bret Michaels at the end of last night’s show. Not so much for Apprentice host Donald Trump, who’s spouting off today about the supposed negative prognosis for the rocker and his brain hemorrhage … often he’s amusing, but sometimes, Trump should just keep his mouth shut.

– Madonna got her own episode of Glee, and now Britney Spears wants one, too. And series creator Ryan Murphy says he’s into the idea.

– More Glee news: Murphy’s description of this summer’s Glee tour makes it sound like it’ll be sort of a live performance of a TV episode.

– TheWrap.com has a first look at Rob Lowe and Party Down‘s Adam Scott as the new cast members of the most improved show of the season, Parks and Recreation, which means season three could be even better.

– Another show that’s likely to be even better in its third season: FX’s Sons of Anarchy, which started filming on season three last week. The new season, set to premiere this fall, will feature Hal Holbrook playing the father of (the so Emmy-worthy) Katey Sagal‘s Gemma. Holbrook, whose last TV guest gig was on ER in 2008, was married to Designing Women star Dixie Carter, who died earlier this month.

– And a show I hope improves upon its last season, which was the lamest in the show’s history: Entourage, which makes its seventh season premiere on June 27, along with season two of Hung and season three of True Blood. According to the current plan for Entourage, by the way, season seven will be the show’s penultimate one, with a big-screen Entourage movie in development for after the show’s eighth season.

– After a year on The CW, the Daytime Emmys are headed to CBS. They’ll air live – from Las Vegas, for the first time – on June 27.

– The Lost series finale just keeps getting bigger. ABC will now air the Lost two-hour pilot on May 22, the night before the series ender that (hopefully) will answer most of fans’ big lingering questions.

– If you have HDNet, check out the list of awesome performers the channel will host for concerts in May and June, including Green Day, Paul McCartney, Jack Johnson and John Legend.

– One of my fave TV critics, Alan Sepinwall, says the last six season three episodes of Chuck, which begin airing tonight (8PM ET, NBC) are even better, thanks to the Chuck and Sarah romance.

– And Mad Men star Vincent Kartheiser is definitely the opposite of those people on Hoarders, but he may be taking it too far: He has no toilet in his house.

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• Filed in Boob Tube to Big Screen, Glee, Lost, Sons of Anarchy, TV News
• Tags: Bret Michaels, Chuck and Sarah, Daytime Emmys, Entourage season 7, Glee Britney Spears, Glee summer tour, Lost series finale, Mad Men Vincent Kartheiser, Rob Lowe Parks and Recreation, Sons of Anarchy Hal Holbrook, Sons of Anarchy season 3

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Crystal Bowersox on last night’s American Idol? Wow.

– Not only is Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live on May 8, but her musical guest will be Jay-Z. Be prepared to fall in love with Betty White, hip hop fans.

– The Daily Beast interviews Al Pacino about his HBO movie You Don’t Know Jack, which premieres Saturday night (8PM ET). Pacino plays “suicide doc” Jack Kevorkian, and it truly is his best performance in years and another great made-for-TV flick from HBO.

– If you’re planning on throwing a Lost finale party on May 23, make sure you have plenty of snacks and libations on hand: ABC is planning five hours of Lost-themed programming that night, including a two-hour recap special, the two-hour finale and Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost, an hour-long special that will feature Lost showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lidelof, as well as several cast members.

– Kelsey Grammer is among the backers of a new right-wing TV network, which will feature shows like a conservative comedy series and Running, a reality show that will follow six people running for political office for the first time.

– Glee fans, cancel all plans for May 18. That’s when the Joss Whedon-directed episode of the show airs. The episode also includes Neil Patrick Harris guest starring as Will Shuester’s high school rival, as well as guest turns by Molly Shannon and Idina Menzel.

– Don’t hassle The Hoff: David Hasselhoff‘s doing a good thing by making a return appearance on The Young and the Restless, the CBS daytime soap that gave him his big break.

– Tori Spelling, the next big talk show host? Could be.

– Meanwhile, CBS is reportedly planning a talk show to rival The View, with Big Brother host (and wife of CBS honcho Les Moonves) Julie Chen, Roseanne and The Big Bang Theory star Sara Gilbert, Lisa Rinna and Real Housewives of New York City‘s Bethenny Frankel as panelists/hosts.

– Add I Dream of Jeannie to the list of TV shows being developed as big-screen movies.

– More series renewals: Burn Notice has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, even though the USA show’s fourth season doesn’t premiere until this summer; NBC has ordered a second season of Parenthood; and Fox has given the thumbs up to a 23rd season of Cops, the network’s second longest-running series.

– TV show premiere dates: Rescue Me‘s sixth and final season debuts on FX on June 29, while Mad Men‘s fourth season will debut on AMC on July 25.

– VH1 has a whopping 44 original series on tap for the rest of this year, including a new installment of Divas, more reality programming with Dr. Drew (how does this guy have time to live his own life when he’s so all up in the Kool-Aid of others’?), documentaries on 50 Cent and Rush, more installments of Behind the Music, and a reality show about Eva Longoria-Parker‘s L.A. restaurant Beso.

– According to a Lady Gaga Tweet, she’ll be performing on American Idol on May 5.

– And NBC reportedly wanted the Website AshleyMadison.com – the Website that encourages infidelity – to advertise during Jerry Seinfeld‘s The Marriage Ref. It might sound outrageous initially, but this is a show where the likes of Madonna is giving marital advice, so … maybe kinda fitting.

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• Filed in American Idol, Betty White, Boob Tube to Big Screen, Daytime TV, Glee, Lost, Real Housewives, Saturday Night Live, TV News
• Tags: Betty White Jay-Z Saturday Night Live, Crystal Bowersox, Lost series finale, Mad Men season 4, Tori Spelling talk show

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Maybe something good will come out of the cheesy Marriage Ref after all: After appearing as judges together on an episode of Jerry Seinfeld‘s NBC reality show, Larry David wants Ricky Gervais to guest star on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

– Can’t wait ’til April 11 to see the final season premiere of The Tudors? Showtime has posted an edited version of the episode at YouTube.com.

– ABC’s asking for Oscar-type money for ads during the May 23 Lost series finale: $900,000 for a 30-second spot.

– Thanks to a new app from Idol Fanatic, you can vote for your favorite American Idol contender via Facebook. No confirmation yet that Fox and the show’s producers will give their official stamp of approval to the process, though.

– According to the New York Post, Bachelor Jake Pavelka is trying to cook up an acting career.

– Sounds like Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Goop.com: Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher is partnering with Disney for a “chick’s guide to life” Website called – yes – GetHatched.com.

– Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, whose career breakout was the sketch comedy series In Living Color, is producing a new sketch comedy series pilot for Fox.

– Watch David Letterman try to explain to British chef Jamie Oliver why his food makeover series Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution isn’t going to be successful in changing Americans’ eating habits. It’s a funny exchange, and Letterman makes some good points, but you still have to admire Oliver’s efforts on his new ABC series.

– Hallmark and Martha Stewart are in talks to launch a new lifestyle cable channel.

– The “spring premiere” of new Glee episodes is set for April 13 on Fox, but at a wacky time: 9:28 PM ET.

– The NBC Website doesn’t reflect the change yet, but the network has rescheduled the season premiere of Friday Night Lights – the season that already aired on DirecTV – for May 7.

– Weekend at Bernie’s star Jonathan Silverman and former Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum are starring in Saved by Zeroes, a SyFy comedy pilot that sounds fun: The two will play friends and actors who starred together in a cult-fave sci-fi TV show, but who have since seen their popularity wane. Rosenbaum also created the series.

– Funny guy Martin Short (a.k.a. Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley), most recently seen on Damages, will star in the Fox comedy pilot Tax Man, where he’ll play the boss of an IRS office in Fresno. Numb3rs‘ David Krumholtz co-stars.

– And though it’s still a huge bummer that 24 won’t make it to a ninth season, the final episodes will include two great guest stars: Michael Madsen and Eriq La Salle.

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• Filed in 24, American Idol, Glee, Lost, TV News
• Tags: American Idol Facebook voting, Friday Night Lights season premiere, Glee spring premiere, Lost series finale, Ricky Gervais Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Tudors season premiere

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Betty White, Tom Selleck, and now Don Johnson is headed back to primetime, making it seem like 1985 in fall pilot action.

– As much as I loved this week’s episode of Lost – it was the perfect antidote, being one of the best episodes ever of the show, to Tuesday night’s American Idol performance installment, which was, hands down, the worst episode ever of AI – the Movieline.com snarky episode recap is almost as fun as the episode itself.

– At the Movies has been canceled. Let’s be honest, it was never the same without Siskel and Ebert‘s thumbs.

– Also dunzo: The Hills, after season six, which premieres on April 27.

– And Fox has put ‘Til Death out of its (and viewers’) misery, while Scrubs is also likely to be canceled.

– Endings is becoming a theme this week: Katherine Heigl has confirmed she’s quitting (actually, has already quit) Grey’s Anatomy.

– One more: Lost producers have revealed the title of the show’s series finale. It’s “The End.”

– The New York Jets’ training camp will be the subject of next season’s edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks.

– It may not be the savviest career move, but it’s still refreshing that even Big Love star Chloe Sevigny admits the just-concluded fourth season of her HBO show was, as she says, “awful.” It was especially bad in comparison to how great the show was in season three.

– CBS is launching its own reality dance series (because that’s definitely what’s missing in primetime), and Paula Abdul is said to top the network’s wish list of judges for the new show.

– Bill Cosby has made some very kind comments about his I Spy co-star Robert Culp, who died on Tuesday.

– Those infamous White House party crashers have landed on TV, as the wife, Michaele Salahi, will be one of Bravo’s Real Housewives of D.C.

– The Office has been hit-and-miss this season. The Jim/Pam baby episode has definitely been the highlight so far, along with the increased screen time for Craig Robinson since his Darryl got promoted. The comedian, whose Hot Tub Time Machine hits movie theaters today and who’ll host NBC’s Last Comic Standing this summer, says we’ll continue to see more and more of Darryl – the sharpest and most down to earth character at Dunder Mifflin – throughout the rest of the season.

– Diddy, whose name is among the dozens of people who’ve been mentioned as possible Simon Cowell replacements on American Idol, will perform on next Wednesday’s AI results show.

– And not only will we get a Madonna-themed episode of Glee on April 20, but a CD called The Power of Madonna, featuring seven Material Girl tunes performed by the Glee cast, will also hit stores and iTunes that day.

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• Filed in American Idol, Lost, Real Housewives, The Office, TV News
• Tags: Craig Robinson, Glee Madonna CD, Glee Madonna e, Glee Madonna episode, Katherine Heigl quitting Grey's Anatomy, Lost series finale, The Hills series finale