Strike Starts Monday

The Writers Guild of America plans to go on strike as of Monday. Most TV shows will continue to operate normally for the next couple of months, but midseason is when it becomes dicey. Immediate impact is likely to be felt by talk shows by Late Night, however, and they will likely go into reruns right away.

The concern is primarily about new mediums like digital delivery and DVDs, but the interesting thing is that TV networks have already been struggling this fall as it is, so all a strike threatens to do is make it even more difficult to get the attention of viewers again. Enough successful new reality and news shows that otherwise may not have made the cut will also likely bump some unionized shows out of the picture. Just in general, the studios will continue to seek ways to continue reducing the reliance on union workers as time goes by.

Economic fallout will be potentially significant. Los Angeles county’s entertainment industry accounts for $30 billion in revenue. Beyond just the writers and TV/movie studios, anybody who is in some way tied to the industry, whether it’s actors/producers looking for work next year, construction companies who build sets, or tourism in southern California, will also feel the impact.

ABC seems most willing of the lot to rely on repeats. Beyond that, though, this month will mark the premiere of Darren Star’s newest show, Cashmere Mafia, along with Notes from the Underbelly and October Road. This will be followed in January by Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann. And in February, Lost returns, though only half its season will be ready by that time.

For CBS, the first part of its midseason plans begins this Sunday night, with The Amazing Race 12. If they didn’t delay it until midseason to begin with, which was a stupid idea all along, they could just run The Amazing Race 13 in January, but now there’s going to be a gap come March. Swingtown is a new show that’s ready to go. Additionally, Jericho will be returning in an abridged 7 episode season 2. Survivor will be back as always, as will Power of 10 and Regis (in Million Dollar Password). Rumor has it Big Brother may be making an appearance earlier than expected as well. CBS has normally been able to get very strong numbers out of reruns of its procedural dramas.

Fox is looking good as it does every year around this time. American Idol will be making its return in January, and regardless of the big deal some are making about how its ratings have fallen, it’s still easily the highest rated show on TV. This could be stretched into multiple two hour episodes at the start of the season, with even more filler as the season progresses if needed. 24 will also be making its return, though when and how much remains to be seen. Fox will be hosting TV’s biggest night, the Super Bowl. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, New Amsterdam, Canterbury’s Law, The Return of Jezebel James, and Unhitched are new shows in the lineup. The Sunday animated block would be unimpacted by a strike for the foreseeable future. Reality shows are always something Fox is working on, so we can expect at least one new one in midseason. When all’s said and done, Fox will barely even notice a strike unless it drags on for a year.

NBC will continue its increasing reality show presence. Celebrity Apprentice and The Biggest Loser will be making their returns, as will one of the network’s strongest and most used shows, Deal or No Deal. New reality shows include Clash of the Choirs and Amnesia. Law & Order and Medium will be returning in January, along with new drama Lipstick Jungle. Given the success of The Office, there has been talk of grabbing the original British version of the show, along with other foreign English language programs.

The CW has returning reality shows America’s Next Top Model, Beauty & The Geek, and Pussycat Dolls, with new reality shows Crowned and Farmer Wants a Wife. Then there’s WWE Smackdown, which makes Fridays, typically a weak night for most networks, The CW’s strongest night. One Tree Hill will be back in January, with a fast forwarded plot in which the characters have graduated college. Like Fox, The CW probably won’t even notice a strike. Sure, there will be more reality TV, but the network’s been struggling so much to find its way that a forced change of identity may even be a good thing.

The Race 2 Winners

The Race 2 is a production of ICTV that’s structured similarly to The Amazing Race. Watch The Race 2 online.

In The Race 2 Episode 5, part 1 of the finale, whatever alliances may have previously existed evaporated. Despite being far behind at the start, their knowledge of the area pushed Jon & Jenna to a win, while Daniel & Jeff were eliminated because they had no knowledge of the area.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived.

First: Jon & Jenna
Second: Sadie & Ginalola
Third: Hal & Matilda

They must abandon their cars for the rest of the leg and catch a bus. On the bus, they will get their clue by solving a puzzle. If they don’t solve the puzzle in time, they will have to spend another half an hour riding around the bus loop. Such a simple idea, but this is another nice twist. Jon & Jenna arrive at the bus stop first, followed by Sadie & Ginalola, and Hal & Matilda arrive in time to take the same bus as well. Jon comes up with the theory that everybody finishes at the same time, a risky play but a wise one since he’s probably better at a physical challenge or footrace than a puzzle. Hal & Matilda figure out the first part of the clue and share the information. They then figure out the second part of the clue and also share that.

Teams must then go to Willard Straight Hall at Cornell University. All the teams stick together to go the wrong way. None of them realize the clue box is out front rather than inside. The challenge is to visit four locations from where photos were taken (not the locations in the pictures but the places where the photos were snapped). Sadie & Ginalola stumble upon the clue first, followed by Hal & Matilda. Hal & Matilda take a lead with their first ribbon, then Sadie & Ginalola tie them. Jon & Jenna spend quite a bit of time searching but finally get the clue. They immediately stop to get help from the locals, and they come up with a plan of action like they did previously (trying to figure out a way to go, rather than just running around in circles). Sadie & Ginalola take a lead with their second ribbon. Then Jon & Jenna get their first, and then Hal & Matilda tie Sadie & Ginalola at 2. Jon & Jenna get another to put all three teams even. Sadie & Ginalola take their third clue, and Jon & Jenna pass Hal & Matilda with their third. Hal & Matilda tie things up after that, but it appears not asking for help is hindering them. Jon & Jenna manage to take the lead with their fourth and final ribbons. The amount of running in this challenge is definitely to their advantage. Sadie & Ginalola are next to find their final ribbon, with Hal & Matilda bringing up the rear.

Their last challenge is to race to the observatory back at Ithaca College, by any means necessary. So they all go with the idea of hitchhiking. Jon & Jenna are first to find a ride. Sadie & Ginalola see someone in a store from Ithaca College and get a ride from her. Hal & Matilda eventually give up the hitchhiking concept and take a bus back to their car instead.

Jon Walski & Jenna Trojnacki are the first team to arrive at the finish line and are the winners of The Race 2. Except for that one leg where everybody went dumb, they ran a very respectable race, finishing first in four of the six legs. Sadie & Ginalola finish second, with Hal & Matilda coming in third.

While the celebration’s been going on, I’ve been looking at that cake Dave & Matt are holding since I first noticed them. Yep, they’re not done yet, and they take the opportunity to shove it in Thomas’ face.

Since producer Pete Berg has graduated from college, we probably won’t see The Race 3. However, he informs me we haven’t seen the last of him, so I’ll update you as I learn more.

The Biggest Loser 4 Episode 8

In The Biggest Loser Episode 7, the teams were broken up into smaller teams of three. Everybody but Amy stayed with their original trainers. Then after that, we were in for what was as shocking as advertised: Neil gained 17 pounds. Absolutely ridiculous. But in the end, neither wanting to send a message to Neil nor wanting to realize that in this episode Neil’s a huge threat due to his prior weight gain, the teams sent Jez home.

Neil says he’s not a bad guy but that this is a game, and if someone doesn’t see this as a game, they’re naive, which is how they end up going home. Isabeau’s apparently believing that he was just trying to send someone else home, which is kind of a duh thing, but ultimately someone else going home means he doesn’t. She doesn’t trust him any more, which is particularly bad since they’re partners.

Kae, who’s consistently been the strongest one, says things have changed, and she’s sick of playing the game. She packs her bags but decides not to leave.

Kim’s happy because her team’s just training and not getting involved in the drama.

Amy makes a confession to Jillian that she didn’t lose any weight due to pressure from Neil.

Hollie’s concerned she’ll go home because on the other three teams, there was one person who didn’t lose any weight.

The challenge is about endurance. Each team will get on seasaws suspended above the water. They will hold their teams’ weight up. When they let go of the rope, they fall in and lose. They’ll win a mystery box as a surprise. Neil and Isabeau are out first. Next out are David, Kae, and Hollie. Amy, Bill, and Julie are the last ones eliminated, so Bryan, Ryan, and Nicole win. The reward is that each person on the winning team gets a vote, as long as they don’t drop below the yellow line. With two of them being blue, this again doesn’t bode well for black team, although I don’t think any of them consider Hollie, the person most likely to be on the losing team, to be enough of a threat to waste a vote on her.

Bob talks to Kae and tells her to lighten up a bit. He knows she’s under pressure because of how well she’s been doing.

Neil: 339 pounds (-33)
Isabeau: 255 pounds (no change)
Total: -33 pounds (5.26%)

Isabeau acknowledges she took advantage of the situation and justifies her lack of weight loss by saying “I don’t feel that that’s manipulation. I feel that that’s smart.” So let me get this straight. If Neil does this, he’s evil. If Isabeau does it, she’s smart. Thanks for the explanation. Hypocrite.

Nicole: 235 pounds (-9)
Bryan: 289 pounds (-8)
Ryan: 308 pounds (-13)
Total: -30 pounds (3.48%)

Amy: 254 pounds (-11)
Bill: 251 pounds (-10)
Julie: 186 pounds (-6)
Total: -27 pounds (3.76%)

Though both have previously lost similar amounts, based on their losses, it is quite possible both Amy and Ryan may have not lose weight on purpose last week.

Hollie: 218 pounds (-5)
Kae: 168 pounds (-6)
David: 312 pounds (-3)
Total: -14 pounds (1.97%)

Kae just keeps on going and is now over a total of 25%, but Hollie was right to worry about the way the weights stacked up last week. Not a bad weak for the team, but not enough to compete with the big numbers the others put up. Because they’re not below the yellow line, Bryan, Ryan, and Nicole will each receive a vote.

Neil, Isabeau: David
Bill, Julie, Amy: David
Bryan: Kae
Nicole: David

So much for the theory that the red and blue teams are trying to assassinate the black team. David returns home to his son’s first birthday party. Today he weighs 263 pounds, down 105 pounds from his starting weight of 368.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of The Biggest Loser 4 episode 9, which airs in an expanded 2 hour edition Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

CSI: Season 8, Episode 5 – The Chick Chop Flick Shop

Last episode, Grissom and the CSI team faced two cases, both of which resulted as unsolved because of a huge company planning to cover up a water-related poisoning and a widowed mother with cancer who killed a guy thinking that he was the reason for her son’s death. This week, the CSI team celebrates Halloween with a morbid case concerning the queen of horror flicks, Weatherly Adams.

Stanley, the studio manager of a horror film production, reported Weatherly Adams missing. Although the actress is known for dying horrible deaths on screen and practically died in every way possible, this time, she was killed with an ax for the last time.

Stokes and Catherine investigates the crime scene for prints and evidences, while Brass takes fingerprints from the staff. Production owner Vincent Lafoon arrives and tells the CSI team he knows who killed Weatherly. An ex-worker named Zargo used to work for the production and had a relationship with the actress. When a fire accidentally burned Zargo’s face, Lafoon did not pay for his accident and to make it all worse, was dumped by Weatherly. Since then, Zargo breaks into the production set to give actress gifts to the actress every now and then.

Traces of DNA and semen from Weatherly’s nails and body lead to Zach Putrick, the movie director. During interrogation, Putrick admits having sex with Weatherly all the time and she was an “ass-scratcher”. Putrick proved his claim by showing his ass to Brass.

Back at the lab, Wendy the CSI lab tech along with the other lab staff and CSI watched a horror flick where she played a small role, (a victim who was stabbed and cut in half). Wendy says she was paid $600 for that role. Sara reacts to the film and tells Greg that it bothers her dark-haired women always gets killed in horror films, while blondes always survives. Sara admits to Greg that she is “sick of seeing death everyday”.

Dr. Al examines the body and ax, while Stokes finds out that Vincent Lafoon was faking the break-in (caught in the company’s videotape) to blackmail Zargo. Since the ax was not the murder weapon, Stokes, Cath and the new CSI Ronnie went back to the crime scene to determine where Weatherly was moved.

During their investigation, Dickie Jones (the dwarf actor) tries to ask Cath out and hopes to tell her something, as Stanley interrupted their conversation. Cath and Ronnie left the crime scene in separate cars, while Ronnie had to go back to the production set to get her celphone that she left. Back at the lab, Catherine receives a call from Dickie, asking her to meet him at the production set urgently.

Stokes discovered (while checking the videotapes) that Mason Lafoon tried to disguise as his brother Vincent. Mason admitted that Weatherly killed herself when her heel got stuck and she tripped off, falling back first to a pipe. Stanley tells Mason that the show must go on and the production company did not need any problems, so Mason agreed to hide the actor’s body.

Ronnie arrives back at the set to see Dickie tied to the ceiling dead. She sees a lady in a blue dress and hides. Zach Putrick then appears with a gun shot on his back. As Ronnie kept Putrick from dying, Stanley appears with a gun and a shot came off. The lady in the blue dress, which turned out to be Zargo, shot Stanley on the back, just in time as Cath and the police arrives.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of CSI: Las Vegas Season 8 episode 6, which airs Thursday at 9pm on CBS.

Watch CSI Online

CSI: NY Season 4, Episode 6 – “Boo”

The last episode, Down the Rabbit Hole gave Mac and the CSI team an introduction to the virtual world and how a world from the Internet can just be as dangerous as the real world. They faced a professional assassin, who killed several people as well as Congressman Duvaine, only to escape. This week, the CSI team celebrates Halloween with two weird cases – one was a murder/suicide of a family and the other was a true-to-life zombie.

The episode started when two men were working in a graveyard digging up a grave. While the older guy was telling horror stories, the other was digging the gravesite when a hand bursts out of the soil and a zombie attacks the old guy.

Danny and Lindsay took up another case where 2 boys and the mom were killed, while the dad supposedly committed suicide. The Duncan little girl was missing. According to the locals, the home of the Duncans is possessed by evil, since the same murder-suicide happened 30 years ago, where a little girl also became missing and never was found.

In the meantime, Stella and Mac investigates a dead guy who was part of a group that wanted to scare tourists and cause a riot. He died being hit in the head by an unknown weapon.

Lindsay examines the Duncan house and discovers that the little girl is hiding inside the wall, also shot with a shotgun like the rest of her family. She was immediately hospitalized. Lindsay then sees an old lady that warns her to “leave now” because the house was cursed. The old lady escaped through the passage wall, but left DNA when she scratch Lindsay.

Hawkes tested the gunshot to determine if Gill Duncan, the father, really did kill his family and committed suicide afterwards. The results showed that it was impossible for Gill to use the shotgun and kill himself.

At the hospital, Lindsay asks Rose Duncan if she remembered what the bad guy looked and pointed to her drawing book where she drew a monster. Luckily, footprints from the crime scene determined that it was owned by Henry Willens. Dog hair pointed to Willens as he is working as a driver for a dog babysitting company and since they have no way to track Willens down, they tracked down the dogs instead.

Curious about an emergency call made by 2 men reporting a zombie tried to attack them, Mac and Stella goes to the grave site to find a coffin with a hole and a voodoo doll inside it. The vic was identified as Dexter Nevins, an immigration attorney that was recently buried. Stella examines the voodoo doll to find a torn photo of Dexter, Hatian coffee beans and Hatian rum, which were supposed to be offerings for the god of death.

While Mac tells Flack that the stalker who kept calling him at 3:33am stopped the calls for about a week now, Mac becomes paranoid when the owner of the voodoo house they were investigating written 333 and 666 on her two eyelids. As it turns out, Josephine Delaquoia really did make the voodoo doll to keep Dexter from returning back to the dead. She explains to Mac the meaning of 333, a proverb and the son’s devil’s equivalent to 666.

Mac and Stella put the pieces together and discovered that Dexter was faking his own death for an insurance scam. While the CSIs were unable to contact his wife, they checked out the doctor who declared him dead, Dr. Burkis.

At the lab, Lindsay and Danny finds a signal on the location of the dogs and it was back at the Duncan house. Henry Willens, as it turns out, was the son of Betty Willen (the old lady that attacked Lindsay) who were the first owners of the Duncan’s house. They were seen leaving the home with a briefcase (with baby skeletons inside it), but stopped by police to be arrested. The legend of the murder-suicide 30 years ago was cleared when Betty Willens admitted that her husband left her and her son accidentally shot his sister. Betty cleaned up the crime scene to protect her son. Wanting to get the briefcase before the Duncans renovated the house, Henry Willens came back to the house in search of the briefcase when he was surprised by the early return on the family. Afraid of being imprisoned again, Willens shot the family when threatened him that they’ll call the police.

In the mean time, Stella and Mac visits Dr. Burkis’ house only to find Dexter’s wife and Burkis naked. The CSIs figured out that after the burial, the two who was having an affair, just left Dexter for dead to claim the insurance money. When Dexter squeezed his way out of the coffin, he went straight to Burkis only to find his wife sleeping with him. A struggle happened and Dexter was hit by a bat after giving his wife a shot. Both the wife and Burkis survived, but was half-dead from the medication. Mac described them as being true to life zombies.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of CSI: NY Season 4 episode 7, which airs Wednesday at 10/9c on CBS.

Watch CSI: NY Online

House Season 4, Episode 5: Mirror, Mirror

Last episode’s Guardian Angel challenged House and his prospect team about a girl who is experiencing hallucinations that dead people are attacking her and talking to her, while seeing visions of her dead mother throughout her stay in the hospital. While House was busy trying to figure out his patient, Dr. Foreman was experiencing tough luck applying to every hospital he visits for application.

This week, House and six remaining prospects from his so-called team is faced with a man experiencing respiratory collapse. Cuddy announces Foreman’s return, but House stubbornly denies his presence and re-application.

As the team finds out why the patient suddenly feels numbness, stomach ache, rashes and a variety of symptoms, House and Foreman clashes ideas about the patient’s condition. Without any identification, the group has no idea what’s happening to him internally and externally. 13 and Cole was asked to search for the patient’s car for identification and probable cause of his symptoms.

House believes the patient has mirror syndrome and proves his theory by disrupting Wilson’s surgery in the operating room. The patient then copies Wilson’s speaking habits, tone of voice, ideas and beliefs, lecturing House about his and Cuddy’s power struggle.

To get back at Dr. Cuddy for hiring Foreman back, House announces a fake food poisoning at the hospital canteen, asking people to go to the clinic and look for Dr. Cuddy.

In the meantime, Chase starts a bet involving who will House fire next. Will it be Amber? 13? or Foreman?

Cuddy stoops to House’s level and replaces the contents of his vicadin with laxatives. Wilson catches Cuddy and lectures her about the power struggle and not allowing House to get to her.

After telling House that he cannot get a job from anywhere else because other hospitals think he has been “corrupted”, House tells Foreman that he got him a job at Boston’s hospital with a good diagnosis department. Surprisingly, Foreman smiled and declined the offer.

13 and Cole finds the car and identifies the patient as Robert Elliot from Ohio. House figures 13 deliberately wanted to go with Cole because she didn’t want the patient mirroring how she felt. However, they found out that Elliot was only mirroring the person in the room whom he thinks is the more influential – the alpha omega.

Using the items 13 and Cole collected from Robert Elliot’s car, House enters the room with the patient’s clothes and things. House introduces himself as “Robert Elliot” to squeeze information out of the patient. When House showed the patient a bottle of lotion, the real Elliot took the lotion and squirted a small portion then rubbed it around his nose. When asked why he did that, Elliot told House it kept the smell of dung out.

House uncovers the patients job – he sells farm equipments. Robert Elliot got an infectious disease from pigs, which can be cured in just a few hours.

Before giving the patient medication, Foreman tells House that the patient can wait. To finally answer the power struggle that House and Cuddy has been fighting over, Foreman suggested of bringing the two in front of Robert Elliot and see whose personality he imitates. Unfortunately for Cuddy, it was House whom he imitated.

When it was time to fire someone, a large group of people, including Cameron, Chase and Wilson, were at the back of the lecture room eager to see if they won Chase’s bet. Contrary to his normal behavior, House did not fire anyone from the group even if he felt the team did a horrible job. As it turns out, House and Chase were in on it, receiving 50-50 share from the bet money.

Foreman then admits to House that he doesn’t want to leave and smilingly, House tells Foreman that he’s a freak.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of House Season 4 episode 6, which airs Tuesday at 9/8c on Fox.