Reality Shack

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Hell’s Kitchen

LauraBelle — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:47:45 +0000

I'm starting to think Fox is just spinning a wheel each night to decide what to air. First So You Think You Can Dance premiered before the end of American Idol, and now it seems Hell's Kitchen has been on every different night of the week, some weeks not appearing at all. While it premiered on Tuesday and has been a Monday show in the past, it's on tonight, and it's not even the finale yet. Catch up on your favorite shows you may have missed at TV-Links.

1. Save Me. Series premiere. In the first half hour, Beth starts getting messages from God after a near-death experience and is confronted by her husband's mistress. In the second half hour, Beth tries to make amends with friends, and Tom needs to adjust to Beth communicating with God. 7:00 PM CT NBC

2. Wipeout. Families compete. 7:00 PM CT ABC

3. Hell's Kitchen. Ethnic dishes with certain ingredients, and a team is behind on the dinner service before it even begins. 7:00 PM CT Fox

4. Motive. A teenager's ex-boyfriend is questioned after she turns up dead in a hit-and-run. 8:00 PM CT ABC

5. Does Someone Have to Go? Series premiere. A family-owned business is turned over to the employees, and the staff begins to see that solving the personnel problems it's as easy as they had assumed. 8:00 PM CT Fox

6. Four Weddings. In the first hour, cheerleader Chance has the Harlem Shake as a welcome to her reception, Marcela's reception has a Peruvian flair, Amanda's venue is historic, and Chantall's dogs are involved and formally dressed. In the second hour, a wedding planner puts on her own chic affair, Crystal utilizes an ice cream truck, Melissa has a non-traditional Indian wedding and a country boy husband, and Allison wants everything sweet and sparkly. 8:00 PM CT TLC

7. Monumental Mysteries. A memorial to a dog, a bridge with tragic origins, and a state forest with an unidentified substance. 8:00 PM CT Travel Channel

8. Braxton Family Values. 8:00 PM CT WE TV

9. Showville. Each week, “Showville” hosts open call auditions in a small, quintessential American town, offering locals of all ages – from singers and dancers to comedy acts and jugglers – an opportunity to win a $10,000 prize with the help of the show’s performance coaches. 8:00 PM CT AMC

10. Anger Management. Martin tells Kate about Charlie and Jennifer reuniting. 8:30 PM CT FX

11. Hannibal. A killer makes a totem pole from the corpses of his victims, Jack and Alana grill Abigail about Nick Boyle's death, and Abigail reveals a secret to Hannibal when she agrees to write a book with Freddy Lounds. 9:00 PM CT NBC

12. Rookie Blue. Season premiere. Nick and Andy disappear while working undercover in a meth pipeline, Swarek and others get involved in a rescue operation, and Andy tries to deal with the changes going on around her. 9:00 PM CT ABC

13. Men at Work. Mile and Gibbs don't disclose that they know Tyler's new girlfriend really well, and Neal and Amy try to not get stuck with the anniversary curse. 9:00 PM CT TBS

14. Tabatha Takes Over. Tabatha helps the owner of House of Synergy Salon and Spa who has lost control of his business. 9:00 PM CT Bravo

15. Faked Out. Series premiere. In the first half hour, only two of the three stories told about Miami are true, and in the second half hour, it's the same for Savannah, Georgia. 9:00 PM CT Travel Channel

16. Small Town Security. Captan wants to sell Chief's Mustang, Christa goes along with Brian on a stakeout, and Lieutenant helps Chief deal with her anger. 9:00 PM CT AMC

17. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guests tonight include Tyler Perry, Isla Fisher, and Shout Out Louds. 10:35 PM CT NBC

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Season Finales

LauraBelle — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:50:41 +0000

It looks like we're wrapping up the season finales for this night of the week. We've been doing it throughout the month, but we're finishing them off on CBS, NBC, and ABC. The best of them looks to be The Middle as Axl is due to finally graduate high school. Check out your other favorite shows at TV-Links.

1. MLB Baseball. New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles. 6:00 PM CT ESPN

2. Dateline NBC. A woman is sexually assaulted by her husband, then takes matters into her own hands. 7:00 PM CT NBC

3. The Middle. Season finale. Axl is uncooperative as Frankie tries to plan his graduation party, Sue tries for the sixth time to get her driver's license, and Brick has to create slideshow showing his past four years of school. 7:00 PM CT ABC

4. MasterChef. Season premiere. The first auditions. 7:00 PM CT Fox

5. Breaking Amish: Brave New World – Secrets Revealed. Bonus features from the group heading down to Florida. 7:00 PM CT Fox

6. NBA Basketball. Game 1 of Eastern Conference Final, Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat. 7:30 PM CT TNT

7. Criminal Minds. Season Finale. The Replicator is after a BAU team member, and Hotch finds out his estranged brother is caught up in a series of drug-related deaths he's investigating. 8:00 PM CT CBS

8. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Season finale. The detectives come up with a shocking theory as they try to determine the identity of a man Rollins arrested for exposing himself, and Det. Benson gets put in mortal danger. 8:00 PM CT NBC

9. Modern Family Everyone goes down to Florida when Phil's mom dies, Gloria has to deal with an outstanding arrest warrant, and Jay sees someone from his past. 8:00 PM CT ABC

10. Toy Hunter. The Hulk Rage Cage, a Shazam action figure, Captain America Jet, Mike Lawrence. 8:00 PM CT Travel Channel

11. Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy. Larry goes to Roswell, an amateur rocket scientist sends a bobblehead into space, and encounters with alien experts in Roswell. 8:00 PM CT History

12. How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life). Max is stressed to the point of eating everything in sight, and Polly helps Julian deal with his feelings for his new girlfriend. 8:30 PM CT ABC

13. Chicago Fire. The squad has to help out at the jail when a volatile situation breaks out, Shay has high hopes about motherhood, Hermann's wife goes into labor, and Mills and Dawn make important decisions. 9:00 PM CT NBC

14. Nashville. Juliette finds a letter from hermom, Deacon is confronted by Rayna about a secret, Rayna and Deacon perform with Brad Paisley, and Gunnar tries to get Scarlett back. 9:00 PM CT ABC

15. Psych. Shawn and Gu believe an ex of Henry's, who is a plastic surgeon, murdered a patient. 9:00 PM CT USA

16. Million Dollar Listing New York. Louis gets his first townhouse, but finds the décor outdates him, and Ryan puts up with a picky senior. 9:00 PM CT Bravo

17. The Town That Caught Tourettes? A group of teenage girls from the same high school in New York who developed symptoms that resemble Tourettes. 9:00 PM CT TLC

18. Jodi Arias: Beyond the Headlines. 9:00 PM CT Oxygen

19. Best Ink. 9:00 PM CT Oxygen

20. The Real World. Anastasia's boyfriend arrives for a visit, tension crops up among the roommates, and Nia is making Daisy. 9:00 PM CT MTV

21. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guests tonight are Vin Diesel, Jeff Foxworthy, and The Lone Bellow. 10:35 PM CT NBC

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Mirror Ball Trophy Awarded

LauraBelle — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:46:14 +0000

There aren't that many points separating the final four couples on Dancing with the Stars, despite Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff not getting perfect 10s. They probably won't win, but I think at this point it comes down to popularity between the three ladies on who will take the Mirror Ball Tophy home tonight. Catch up with all the TV you may have missed at TV-Links.

1. NBA Basketball. Game 4 of Eastern Conference Semifinal, New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers. 6:00 PM CT TNT

3. NBC News Special: Devastation in Oklahoma. 7:00 PM CT NBC

4. The Bachelor. The Bachelor's funniest moments. 7:00 PM CT ABC

5. So You Think You Can Dance. The auditions continue. 7:00 PM CT Fox

6. The Bad Girls Club: Atlanta. Reunion. 7:00 PM CT Oxygen

7. The Voice. More eliminations. 8:00 PM CT NBC

8. Dancing with the Stars. Season finale. Pitbull, Wynonna, PSY, and Jessica Sanchez perform, and one of the couples will be named the winner. 8:00 PM CT ABC

11. Airport 24/7: Miami … A person gets trapped inside an elevator. 8:00 PM CT Travel

12. Extreme Moms. Premiere. In the first hour, a germophobic mom, and a mom who wants to be nude in public. In the second hour, an overprotective mom who spies on her kids, and a mom who would rather look for love than spend time with her children. 8:00 PM CT Lifetime

13. Bad Girls All Star Battle. Season premiere. 8:00 PM CT Oxygen

15. NBA Basketball. Game 2 of Western Conference Final, Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs. 8:30 PM CT ESPN

24. Girl Code. In the first half hour, exes, gossip, STDs, party hosting, and old hookups at a bar. An hour later, hair, cheating, compliments, penises, and an attractive trainer. 8:30 PM CT MTV

17. Grimm. Nick follows up on a series of assaults that are rage-fueled, Nick finds out that Cat. Renard's brother is visiting, and Stefania and Frau Pech fight while using their Adalind alliances. 9:00 PM CT NBC

19. Who Gets the Last Laugh? Nicol Sullivan, Kevin McDonald, and Larry Joe Campbell. 9:00 PM CT TBS

20. Don't Be Tardy … Kim and Kroy want to have another baby, and Kim is still dealing with her mom. 9:00 PM CT Bravo

21. The Little Couple. Jen and Bill fly across the globe to China to meet their new son for the first time. 9:00 PM CT TLC

22. Preachers' Daughters. Behind the scenes. 9:00 PM CT Lifetime

23. Awkward. Jenna's Homecoming date makes her feel guilty. 9:00 PM CT MTV

25. Late Show with David Letterman. The guests tonight are Piedmont Bird Callers, Jason Bateman, and John Fogerty. 10:35 PM CT CBS

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Dancing with the Stars

LauraBelle — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:31:08 +0000

There are four very strong couples left on Dancing with the Stars. It could easily be any one of them winning the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy tomorrow night. First, they have to get through three dances apiece tonight. Catch up with all the TV you may have missed at TV-Links.

2. MLB Baseball. New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles. 6:00 PM CT ESPN

4. The Voice. The top 10 perform, as well as Maroon 5. 7:00 PM CT NBC

5. Dancing with the Stars. The five four compete. 7:00 PM CT ABC

6. Oh Sit! In the first hour, the contestants go through obstacles, and Ready Set performs, and in the second hour, Taryn Manning performs. 7:00 PM CT CW

8. The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Omar breaks his engagement to Adrian, Ben confesses something shocking to Alice, Margaret discussing his and Kathy's relationship with Eghan, and Clementine visits Rocky. 7:00 PM CT ABC Family

9. Rules of Engagement. Season finale. On Adam and Jennifer's wedding day, Brenda goes into labor, and Andrey has a big surprise planned for Jeff. 7:30 PM CT CBS

9. The Goodwin Games. Series premiere. To inherit their dad's fortune, the Goodwin siblings need to follow his wishes after he passes away. 7:30 PM CT Fox

10. Defiance. While Nolan deals with something from the past, a Castithan fugitive does harm in Defiance. 8:00 PM CT Syfy

11. The Real Housewives of Orange County. Terry has difficulties at home while Heather is away, Alexis goes after an acting career, and Lydia has a confrontation with her mom. 8:00 PM CT Bravo

13. Burger Land. A thick and juicy Angus burger and deep-fried dough burger in Mississippi. 8:00 PM CT Travel Channel

14. Mike & Molly. Season finale. Mike tries to get Peggy back together with Patrick after she breaks up with him, and Molly and Mike have important news for each other as a tornado reaches Chicago. 8:30 PM CT CBS

16. Hawaii Five-0. An innocent Kono gets a murder rap, and McGarrette's visit to Wo Flat ends with a shocking find. 9:00 PM CT CBS

17. Revolution. Nora is tortured and left for dead, Monroe learns about Rachel's mission to get to the tower, Miles tries to find how how his close associates are being tortured, and Miles, Charlie, Neville, Jason, Hudson, and Sanborn try to save Rachel. 9:00 PM CT NBC

18. Motive. Series premiere. Detective Angiel Flynn searches for the killer of a well-liked science teacher. 9:00 PM CT ABC

19. Warehouse 13. Mrs. Frederic introduces Artie to the new B&B manager 9:00 PM CT Syfy

20. Bates Motel. Romero wants to take action, Norman takes Emma to the dance, and Miss Watson gives Norman a ride home. 9:00 PM CT A&E

21. Newlyweds: The First Year. Kathryn and Tina get their pregnancy test results, Blair and Jeff fight, Kim gets advice on compromising from her dad, and the couples celebrate Valentine's Day. 9:00 PM CT Bravo

23. Rectify. Season finale. The town's angry comes to a boiling point, Foulkes puts pressure on the D.A. for a retrial, and Daniel confronts his future. 9:00 PM CT Sundance

24. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.Tonight's guests are Bradley Cooper, Heidi Klum, and The Dream and Kelly Rowland. 10:35 PM CT NBC

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Celebrity Apprentice Season Finale

LauraBelle — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:21:33 +0000

Red Carpet Event at Trump Tower -- Pictured: (l-r) Penn Jillette, Trace Adkins -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

It's definitely been a good All-Star season of Celebrity Apprentice, but truth be told, I had a feeling all along it would wind up being a final two between Penn Jillette and Trace Adkins. They really are the best two there, and Penn really should have made it to the finale in his original season. While I think they're both deserving, I think Penn might have the edge. He seemed to do a little more, as while Trace didn't mess up, he had a few uninspired weeks, while Penn was always working it. It'll be interesting to see how the Donald eventually decides it. Catch up on your other favorite shows at TV-Links.

1. MLB Baseball. Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves. 12:30 PM CT TBS

2. PGA Tour Golf. Final Round of TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, TX. 2:00 PM CT CBS

3. NHL Hockey.Game 2 of Eastern Conference Semifinal, New York Rangers at Boston Bruins. 2:00 PM CT NBC

4. NBA Basketball. Game 1 of Western Conference Final, Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs. 2:30 PM CT ABC

5. 60 Minutes. In the first hour, stories include facial recognition technology, Shin Dong Hyuk, and Michael Jackson's personal effects. In the second hour, children fleeing Afghanistan in favor or Europe, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, and Taylor Swift. 6:00 PM CT CBS

6. America's Funniest Home Videos. Season finale. The season's funniest video is determined. 6:00 PM CT ABC

7. The Cleveland Show. Season finale. Freight Train invites Cleveland to the Lowider Convention, and Dr. fist believes dementia could be the cause of the unexpected behavior. Junior finds out he excels at pole dancing. 6:00 PM CT Fox

8. The 2013 Billboard Music Awards. Tracy Morgan hosts, and Prince receives the Billboard Icon Award 7:00 PM CT ABC

9. The Simpsons. Season finale. Homer, Moe, Lenny, and Carl win the lottery, but Carl takes all the money and goes to Iceland, and Marge accidentally signs on to a website for people looking for extramarital relationships. 7:00 PM CT Fox

10. Long Island Medium: Beyond. Two straight hours of Theresa. 7:00 PM CT TLC

11. Trip Flip. An Austin couple goes to Puerto Rico on an all-expenses paid trip. 7:00 PM CT Travel Channel

12. XOX Betsey Johnson. Betsey tries to re-establish her brand with a retrospective fashion show, and Betsey's credit card is strained by Lulu's new business. 7:00 PM CT Style

13. Dog and Beth: On the Hunt. The Chapmans and a bail bonds legend work together in New Mexico. 7:00 PM CT CMT

14. MLB Baseball. Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers. 7:00 PM CT ESPN

15. ACM Presents: Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night. McGraw is joined by Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Bentley, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Pitbull, John Fogerty, Faith Hill, Florida Georgia Line, Nelly, and The Band Perry. 8:00 PM CT NBC

16. All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. Season finale. 8:00 PM CT NBC

17. Family Guy. Season finale. Stewie's time machine breaks down when he and Brian try to go to a Bette Midler concert in Las Vegas, and the Griffins receive an invite for the country club 8:00 PM CT Fox

18. Oprah's Lifeclass. Dr. Phils discusses how to be successful. 8:00 PM CT OWN

19. Married to Medicine. Season finale. Jackie gets ready for the spa opening, Toya shows Atlanta's elite her husband's business venture, Kari questions Mariah and Quad not being on Toya's guest list, and Quad and Toya have a showdown. 8:00 PM CT Bravo

20. Future Scream Machines: Bigger, Wetter, Faster. Technology behind the amusement parks. 8:00 PM CT Travel Channel

21. Army Wives. The men come home from Afghanistan, Holly ix excited to see Tim again, Quincy's injuries could hurt his army career, Gloria welcomes Hector home, and Joan comes to a decision. 8:00 PM CT Lifetime

22. Snapped. To put an end to her multimillionaire husband's philandering, a wife and her brother hatch a plan. 8:00 PM CT Oxygen

23. Resale Royalty. Items go missing at the store, so Sue hires a loss-prevention consultant, and Laura works with someone going to the Grammy Awards. 8:00 PM CT Style

24. Game of Thrones. King's Landing hosts a wedding, Tyrion and Sansa spend a night together, Dany meets the Titan's Bastard, Davos wants proof, and Sam and Gilly meet an older man. 8:00 PM CT HBO

25. Nurse Jackie. Nights of indiscretion leave Jackie and Grace in need of some recovery time, and Carrie strengthens her skills with flashcards. 8:00 PM CT Showtime

26. Married to Jonas. Dani's trip could be cut short because of her new job, and Joe is concerned about Mikey's nerves getting the best of him. 9:00 PM CT E!

27. Breaking Amish: Brave New World. The group gets together again for the first time since leaving New York and find out their not ready for living so closely together while on the road. 9:00 PM CT TLC

28. The Client List. Lacey deals with the attack's aftermath, Taylor sees Beau and another woman, Selena warns Derek about a client, Evan tries to work on this relationship with Shelby and Linette has a difficult in rehab 9:00 PM CT Lifetime

29. Mad Men. Don is disrupted by a surprise visitor, and Peggy looks to be inspired. 8:00 PM CT AMC

30. Veep. Budget netotiations are shut down by an allergic reaction, Amy and Gary are concerned Selina is seeing her ex, and Mike answers press inquiries. 9:00 PM CT HBO

31. The Borgias. Cesare reaches northern Italy, Catherina sends Alexander a cloth infested with the plague, Alexanders gives a new Jewish community a tax, and Mattai gets the respect of the Pope. 9:00 PM CT Showtime

32. What Would Ryan Lochte Do? Ryan receives an award and meets a favorite celebrity. 9:30 PM CT E!

33. Family Tree Men at a regional theater teach Tom and Pete about Harry's life. 9:30 PM CT HBO

What’s Hot on TV Friday and Saturday – Ben Affleck on SNL

LauraBelle — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:34:25 +0000

It's the season finale of Saturday Night Life, and it looks to be a good one with Ben Affleck as guest host and Kanye West as musical guest. It's another year that we'll say goodbye to a castmate, too, with Bill Hader announcing his departure. No more Stefan. Catch up with your favorite shows you may have missed at TV-Links.

Friday

1. Undercover Boss. Bosses from previous episodes discuss the change the show has made in their lives. 7:00 PM CT CBS

2. Fashion Star. The hidden world of the Internet and the story of a man who dies after falling from the 25th floor 7:00 PM CT NBC

3. Shark Tank. Season finale. In the first hour, ideas include a military-based jewelry line, a British scone, custom furniture, and a luggage pickup service. An update on the Scrub Daddy cleaning tool is given. In the second hour, a live translator app, all-natural dog treats, a dating website, and gourmet grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Dr. Heinz Doffenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb appears. 7:00 PM CT ABC

4. Nikita. Season finale. Nikita is forced into a dangerous solution by Amanda's final plan and has to choose whether to save Michael or herself. 7:00 PM CT CW

4. Beverly Lewis' The Confession. Laura Mayfield-Bennett (Sherry Stringfield), a wealthy socialite and benefactor who is beset by terminal cancer, reunites with her long-lost Amish daughter, Katie Lapp (Katie Leclerc), who has ventured out of her small Pennsylvania community after a painful incident led to her “shunning.” 7:00 PM CT Hallmark Channel

5. Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta. Cindy brings her fiancé and their four kids along on her appointment, and Chenya's biker dad has an idea for a gown that is hard to find. 8:00 PM CT TLC

6. Tanked. A Florida medical facility wants a cake shaped like a syringe, and the guys made an aquarium for their new shop. 8:00 PM CT Animal Planet

7. 48 Hours. The Jodi Arias conviction. 9:00 PM CT CBS

8. Rock Center with Brian Williams. Stories include domestic violence deaths, Zach Galifianakis, and Boston bombing victim Marc Fucarile.. 9:00 PM CT NBC

9. 20/20. Stories include videos of people quitting their jobs in outrageous ways, advice from Shark Tank on how to deal with an aggressive boss, a black market for stolen office supplies, and secret career killers. 9:00 PM CT ABC

10. Merlin. Mordred finds himself torn between loyalty and love. 9:00 PM CT Syfy

11. I Found the Gown. In the first half hour, Jemetria's group has a competition to find a dress, Carol wants a dress for her 50th wedding anniversary, and a new consultant chooses a dress for Kate that doesn't align with her vision. In the second half hour, a NY bride wants two gowns, a Colorado bride travels far for a deal, and a Boston bride needs to decide whether to go simple or flashy. 9:00 PM CT TLC

12. The Dead Files. A hotel in California's Death Valley that claims to have spirits. 9:00 PM CT Travel Channel

13. Real Time with Bill Maher. The panelists include President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass, Zach Galifianakis, S.E. Cupp, Michael Moore, and Ross Sorkin. 9:00 PM CT HBO

14. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guests tonight include Mitt Romney and Candice Glover. 10:35 PM CT NBC

Saturday

1. NHL Hockey. Game 2 of Western Conference Semifinal, Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks. 12:00 PM CT NBC

2. PGA Tour Golf. Third round of TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, TX. 2:00 PM CT CBS

3. MLB Baseball. Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels. 3:00 PM CT Fox

4. 138th Preakness Stakes. 3:30 PM CT NBC

5. NASCAR Racing: Sprint Cup. All-Star Race from Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. 6:00 PM CT Speed

6. Bet on Your Baby. Parents try to guess what their babies will do. 7:00 PM CT ABC

7. My Cat From Hell. A cat marks everything in the house, and a new cat makes trouble in a home that already has an older cat. 7:00 PM CT Animal Planet

8. NBA Basketball. Game 6 of Eastern Conference Semifinal, New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers. 7:00 PM CT ESPN

9. Brave. A Scottish princess needs to undo a curse from an eccentric witch. 7:00 PM CT Starz

10. 20/20. A look at Billboard's All-Stars included Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna, One Direction, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Lady Antebellum, and Tracy Morgan earns a spot on this as well. 8:00 PM CT ABC

11. Meddling Mom. Carmen Vega gets the help of her two best friends to meddle in her two adult daughters' lives, leaving baby books out for the newlywed and setting her younger daughter up on dates. 8:00 PM CT Hallmark

12. Iyanla, Fix My Life. A gospel-singing family looking into their weight issues. 8:00 PM CT OWN

13. Dateline: Real Life Mysteries. Kenia Monge disappears in Denver with no evidence, although there is a suspect. A second woman is attacked, and the mystery starts to get clearer. In the second hour, . 8:00 PM CT TLC

14. 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Heart, Randy Newman, PUblic Enemy, Rush, Donna Summer, Albert King, Quincy Jones, and Lou Adler are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 8:00 PM CT HBO

15. 48 Hours. Chicago's street violence, gang activity, and drug trafficking. 9:00 PM CT CBS

16. Raising Whitney. Kym plans to host a party for Joshua's birthday, and Val wants an expensive cake. 9:00 PM CT OWN

17. America's Cutest. “Ninja Cat,” “Techno Tabbies,” “Feline Foodies,” and “Cats with Catitude.” 9:00 PM CT Animal Planet

18. Life with LaToya. LaToya wants to adopt, and spends a day babysitting to make sure she's ready. 9:30 PM CT OWN

19. Saturday Night Live. Ben Affleck guest hosts, and Kanye West is the musical guest. 10:30 PM CT NBC

What’s Hot on TV Tonight – Goodbye to The Office

LauraBelle — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:46:38 +0000

Big TV night tonight. It's season finale time, and for The Office, it's series finale. One year without Steve Carell is apparently all it was meant for. And of course, the other big season finale is American Idol. Some can't wait, and others seem to just want to get it over with because it means we're that much closer to next season and a new batch of judges. Catch up on your favorite shows you may have missed at TV-Links.

1. The Big Bang Theory. Penny and Sheldon are thrown for a loop when Leonard gets an opportunity to work overseas. 7:00 PM CT CBS

2. The Office. Series finale. In the first hour, a retrospective of the series. In the second hour, employees of Dunder Mifflin, from past and present, gather to celebrate a wedding and one last round of interviews. 7:00 PM CT NBC

3. Wipeout. “Senior Citizens, Kids and Convicts.” 7:00 PM CT ABC

4. The Vampire Diaries. Season finale. Damon's life is put in danger by a ghostly encounter, Rebekah and Matt fight ghost looking for a cure, and Stefan finds a clue about the mystery surrounding Silas. 7:00 PM CT CW

5. American Idol. Season finale. 7:00 PM CT Fox

6. NBA Basketball. Game 5 of Eastern Conference Semifinal, Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks. 7:00 PM CT TNT

7. Elementary. Season finale. Sherlock is upset when his ex reappears, and he and Joan gets caught in Moriarty's crosshairs. 8:00 PM CT CBS

8. Grey's Anatomy. Season finale. Resources begin to run out as the storm rages on and patients arriving at the hospital by the busload, and a doctor's life is in jeopardy. 8:00 PM CT ABC

9. Beauty and the Beast. SEason finale. Cat's family secrets are revealed, Vincent deals with his possible demise and Gabe wants to find answers. 8:00 PM CT CW

10. Monumental Mysteries. A diseased bridge, a marble sculpture, and a landscape in the desert. 8:00 PM CT Travel Channel

11. Braxton Family Values. 8:00 PM CT WE TV

12. Anger Management. Charlie's ex becomes the life coach for one of his patients, causing him problems within his group. 8:30 PM CT FX

13. Hannibal. A victim is murdered leaving the vocal chords exposed, Hannibal finds out the killer was trying to get his attention, and Will wants Alana to distract him from the noises in his head. 9:00 PM CT NBC

14. Scandal. Season finale. closer to discovering the mole's identity, Olivia and the team get into an increasingly dangerous situation, and the latest White House scandal pushes Cyrus the the limit. 9:00 PM CT ABC

15. Men at Work. A medical school interview brings Gibbs' nephew to town, and Milo has a fashion change to increase his mojo. 9:00 PM CT TBS

16. Small Town Security. Lt. Croft wants to develop an elite force at JJK, and the gang helps Chief change her diet. 9:00 PM CT AMC

I just don't know what to think about Fox anymore. It's obvious they have to replace the whole judging crew of American Idol after this season. This one just wasn't a hit, especially if it's being beaten in the ratings by Duck Dynasty. But now So You Think You Can Dance is premiering before the the final of Idol? That's pretty much them acknowledging that Idol sucks and that they're just going to move on. Catch up with all the TV you may have missed at TV-Links.

1. NBA Basketball. Game 4 of Eastern Conference Semifinal, New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers. 6:00 PM CT TNT

2. NCIS. The international search for the killer of Eli David and Jackie Vance moves on while questions are raised about Gibbs' unconventional methods. 7:00 PM CT CBS

3. The Voice. The first hour is a recap of yesterday's live performances, and the second our hour eliminations and performances by Lady Antebellum, Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. 7:00 PM CT NBC

4. Wipeout. Zombies visit the contestants. 7:00 PM CT ABC

5. So You Think You Can Dance. Season premiere. 7:00 PM CT Fox

6. The Bad Girls Club: Atlanta. Part 2 of the Reunion. 7:00 PM CT Oxygen

7. NCIS: Los Angeles. A stolen weapons search is reignited after a nuclear explosion, partnerships are shuffled by Hetty to enable Callen and Kensi to go overseas, while Deeks and Sam work in the States. 8:00 PM CT CBS

8. Dancing with the Stars. The Wanted and Avril Lavigne perform, and another couple is eliminated. 8:00 PM CT ABC

9. New Girl. Season finale. Jess and Nick come to a decision regarding their relationship, and Schmidt and Winston plan how to ruin Cece's wedding. 8:00 PM CT Fox

10. Weird or What? In the first hour, a nation goes into panic seeing lights about the Indian Ocean. In the second hour, an invisible attacker has a California woman worried, and a teen believes she sees ghosts. 8:00 PM CT Syfy

11. Airport 24/7: Miami … The crew tests the speed of the world's fastest supercar after shutting down the longest runway at the airport. 8:00 PM CT Travel

12. Dance Moms. Krisie Ray comes quick to the defense of Abby, Melissa gets annoyed by Jackie and her daughter, and Abby goes toe to toe with Cathy. 8:00 PM CT Lifetime

13. Find Me My Man. Moya shares too much info, and Elyse has expectations that are urealistic. 8:00 PM CT Oxygen

14. The Mindy Project. Mindy wants to go to Haiti with Casey, and Danny and Christina host a party. 8:30 PM CT Fox

15. NBA Basketball. Game 5 of Western Conference Semifinal, Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs. 8:30 PM CT TNT

16. Golden Boy. Season finale. On desk duty, clark checks into a cold case that involves a murdered construction worker, and the lives of Margot and Clark are put in danger. 9:00 PM CT CBS

17. Grimm. Hank and Nick run into zombies, Adalind winds up in a feud involving Stefania and Frau Pech, and Juliette wants Monroe to let loose with Nick's darkest secret. 9:00 PM CT NBC

18. Body of Proof. An inmate escapes violently from a van transporting prisoners, leading to a witness from his murder trial being found dead, and Megan investigates the original case once the inmate makes the claim that he was frame. 9:00 PM CT ABC

19. Who Gets the Last Laugh? Finesse Mitchell, Luenell, and Alan Thicke. 9:00 PM CT TBS

20. Don't Be Tardy … Just before Thanksgiving, betrayal pops up from an unexpected source. 9:00 PM CT Bravo

21. The Little Couple. In the first half hour, Bill and Jen spend the last few days before picking up their son in China. In the second half hour, the couple leave for China and consider their journey. 9:00 PM CT TLC

22. Preachers' Daughters. Behind the scenes. 9:00 PM CT Lifetime

23. Awkward. The ghosts of Jenna's past show themselves as does Jenna's insecurity at Halloween in Palos Hills. 9:00 PM CT MTV

24. Girl Code. In the first half hour, a girls' night out, sexting, breakups, visiting the gynie, and breaking up. An hour later, social networking, friends with benefits, lying, masturbation, and using the bathroom at a boyfriend's. 9:30 PM CT MTV

25. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The guests tonight are Wanda Sykes, Martha Stewart, and Drop City Yacht Club. 10:35 PM CT NBC

Amazing Race 22 – Finale – Skating Through The Finale In DC

jnt13 — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:18:42 +0000

Yeah, I know. I lied. Work and 150 hours of Survivor just got in the way.

The Two Hour Finale was basically structured as two stand-alone episodes linked as one. I’ll sum it up as one episode – albeit one with an unexpected elimination halfway through the leg.

For me, this was a fun finale – made more enjoyable by the romp through the city where I work each day. I’ve often wondered why the show hasn’t come back to Washington – with just a leg during the Family Edition taking advantage of the many interesting locales in DC. But we sure got a nice tour of the city, and just outside the city in Virginia, and for me, left the season with a really fun ending.

The leg begins with the Newlyweds leaving Belfast to ride on the nicest ferry in the history of ferries. I mean, it makes the Staten Island ferry look like the poop cruise. Slap Shot left eight minutes later and comment about how much the Moms scare them. I can imagine hockey players being afraid of moms. They hit the first train. 90 minutes later Underwood leaves and the Moms two hours after them. Boy, how can the Moms make up a three hour deficit? A ferry departure time bunching, of course. Underwood and the Moms get lost in Belfast and that allows the Newlyweds and Slap Shot to show up at the Roadblock first. They get to bog snorkel first.

What is bog snorkeling? It’s something very bored and lonely – and likely drunk – people do out in the hinterlands of Ireland. You have to strap on a mask and snorkel, cannonball into a bog and “swim” 100 yards in mud in four minutes. Needless to say…this is rather strange. Anthony talks about squeezing his junk before doing the task in just over two minutes. Katie’s mask gets fogged up and has no idea where she is – but she does it in just over three minutes despite clocking the clock. Meanwhile, Mona complains about being cold and in dirty water…she has no idea what’s coming. When she goes, she whimpers throughout the task and does it quicker than Katie. She ends by desperately begging her partner to unzip her.

Jennifer is the one who struggled. So much so, that it is this task which led to their demise. She does the course incorrectly and fails to get it done in four minutes. She fails a second time, and barely makes it the third time around.

At the Detour – they have to Tray it or Spray it. Tray it takes them to dry dock and the berth which once housed the Titanic. They have to serve five of the Titanic courses to costumed actors. One member preps the plates; the other runs the tray from one end of the berth to the other (it was far). They had to get all five courses perfectly accurate. The problem is – if they don’t notice the course order sheet, they are screwed. The second form indicates who gets what dish for a couple of the courses where the “guests” have ordered different choices.

Katie shows how good she is at this race as she figures it out early. Anthony does not. Max says the team does well when Katie thinks and he does the bull work. At least he realizes it now. That marriage may work after all. Anthony figures out his problem with the second course and the missing course order. Mona doesn’t get it right for a long time. Beth winds up doing a LOT of running for this task. Bates does too, and boy, he gives Anthony an earful. Especially after Anthony is unable to determine what constitutes a chartreuse shaded dish. As if Bates would have gotten that.

The other task has them go to a skate park and have to recreate some graffiti art. Eventually Underwood gets there, but not before getting lost and winding up at some henge, but not THE henge, of course.

The show edits it to show Underwood finishing the task first, but I never believed it for a second. The Moms, however, had no idea they were not in last. They grab the third slot in the Finale.

Roadblock 1 – Bog Snorkeling. Katie, Anthony, Jennifer, Mona

Detour 1 – Titanic is all Newlyweds, Moms and Slap Shot. Underwood is graffiti.

First Order of Finish – Newlyweds (trip the D.R.), Slap Shot, Moms, and Underwood (ELIMINATED)

Penultimate Route Markers
• Max complains about being followed. This dates back to the first season, teams bitching about being followed. There is nothing you can do about it – you just have to hope that each time a team chooses to follow rather than do the work themselves that the gamble will backfire. And if you are the follower, if you lose the lead team, you are screwed. If the lead team is wrong, then you just managed to put yourself far behind the rest.
• Was it tasteless to have a guy dressed as the ill-fated Titanic captain handing out Race clues? I felt it might have been – even though the dude has been dead for 100 years.
• How about if I add the graphics showing the Titanic crashing every time they fail? Tasteless now?
• Con some? Really Beth? Never heard of consommé?
• Get a glimpse into the Battaglia household many years ago as Bates glared at Anthony while the little bro struggled with the menus?
• Bates can spin plates. What an odd skill set this guy has!
• I was surprised the Moms didn’t switch roles or even flip tasks after failing so many times on the task. They were lucky Underwood was so far behind.

FINAL LEG
They leave Northern Ireland, but stay in the UK as they take the ferry over to Liverpool, and then to London. They go to the Huston Tap and order a pint. There they learn the final leg is in Washington DC. We also learn the Moms were only 43 minutes behind the Newlyweds. Bates played for the Capitals in the NHL, so he is familiar with DC. Just what these guys needed…a power play opportunity.

They land at Reagan National Airport in Northern Virginia. They have to cross the Potomac and get to the Lincoln Memorial. Amazingly, I have yet to go there. Time to correct that omission. The Newlyweds are the first there and find the MLK plaque marking the spot where he delivered his historic “I Have A Dream” speech. Some random dude sidles up to them and gives them the clue. How utterly strange. Not even wearing Race colors!

They are told to go to 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue and meet up with President Obama. All three teams are geeked – even staunch Dittohead Max – to meet the POTUS. So many things should have clued them in. First, why would Obama be doing this? Sure, Michelle went on the Oscars, and the Prez has done stuff with the Super Bowl, etc. But those get some massive ratings. Amazing Race gets nice ratings – but not enough to squeeze into the busy schedule of the President.

Also, isn’t it fairly common knowledge that the White House is at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave? Didn’t NBC recently name an awful sitcom after that address? And, I hope they gave more info because there are four different 1100 Pennsylvania Avenues in DC – because this city was designed while on opium or something.

Anyway, the Moms go to the White House instead of 1100 Penn. The others make it to the right spot and run into some fake Secret Service agents. Inside they find no President, but a cheesy gift shop that makes photoshopped pictures of tourists with the Prez. Clever.

Next, they go to the Tidal Basin and find a marked car. Knock three times on the window if you want me. Then get a briefcase and a clue. We have ourselves a Switchback task.

In the Family Edition, teams had to find a spy. The Show had about 50 guys in dark suits and shades wandering the grounds. You had to approach one and utter your code phrase and hope you get the proper response. Essentially, it is a needle in a haystack task, but one where the needle keeps moving around. Max starts off first – and it is here at the Tidal Basin that the Race is decided. The codes:

Max – Where can I get a good half smoke with chile?
Bates – I did not dress warm enough for this weather.
Beth – The Cherry Blossoms are beautiful here in April.

The responses
Max agent – I’ve heard there’s a great place on U Street.
Bates agent – Perhaps you’d like to borrow my gloves.
Beth agent – I’ll have to bring my mother next spring.

Truth – these would be the most conspicuous agents in the history of espionage.

Max can’t find his agent, while Bates gets his rather quickly. The lead changes here. The clue to opening the briefcase is to remember what place your team finished in the New Zealand, Indonesia and Vietnam legs. Nice. Beth is so happy to finish when she does she offers to kiss the agent. And now we are into “Homeland” territory.

Next task – go to Nationals Park and take a zip line across the stadium. While one does that, the other dons a goofy baseball costume and has to catch a dropped ball. The trick? You really can’t see in the suit. Joining them will be Screech – the Nats’ mascot Eagle – along with the Presidents who race in the park in the fourth inning every home game.

Anthony zips and Bates catches. It takes a couple of tries. Katie zips and Max catches. It takes six tries. Mona zips and Beth catches – it takes 17 tries.

Next stop – Hains Point. A nice recreation area not far from the stadium. Here one member goes into a giant ball pit. Bazinga. They have to find the globes marking the countries they visited. The other member puts them in the correct order. Anthony finds all the globes and they leave with a comfortable lead. Max has no geography skills and thinks they went to South America. Katie replaces him. And I am resisting insulting Republicans. Mona and Beth switch off time in the tank.

We see Slap Shot heading to the finish line at Mount Vernon – George Washington’s estate in Alexandria, Virginia. Hains Point to Mount Vernon is not tough to get to – just getting to the George Washington Parkway basically. I assume the teams are doing these tasks at the crack of dawn on a weekend or something because we see no people in DC and there is no traffic. Two things that NEVER happen. Anyway, we see the boys curving on the highway. I know that curve. They are going the right way. They arrive at the grounds and win the Race. Newlyweds second and the Moms in third.

It was a solid Race – not spectacular, but solid. I thought Slap Shot was the favorite to win from the start and they did. My time has been stretched thin this season, I am unsure if I will be continuing with Race commentary next season – at least not on a week to week basis. Laura does a bang up job anyway – I’ve just been adding to it because I love the show. If this is it, it’s been a pleasure. If not, then we’ll talk again during Season 23 in the Fall.

Switchback – Max, Bates and Beth.

More Route Markers
• Glad Max respects Obama’s election. Jeez. What a national crisis we would have had to endure if he didn’t.
• Anyone else predict an appearance by the Family Edition? Ever? I assumed that was filed away in a giant End of Raiders of the Lost Ark room somewhere
• The great place on U Street? Ben’s Chili Bowl. And it is great.
• Katie is really smart, but boy, she has no patience. “We’re gonna finish in last because he’s an idiot.” I hope she regrets the things she says.
• Bates admits he would have no idea where the countries were before going on the Race. The Amazing Race. Teaching geography to jocks one by one.
• Nice use of “Ride of the Valkyries” as the Moms zip across the baseball stadium. I love the smell of horsehide in the morning!

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Survivor: Caramoan – Finale – And The Meek Shall Inherit A Million Bucks

jnt13 — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:52:23 +0000

Season 26 of Survivor came to a close last night and as it turns out, this season ranked most certainly in the top half of seasons – possibly in the top third. It is pretty amazing when you think back at the first half of the season – which was populated with insanity from Sgt. Hulka, Phillip and especially Brandon Hantz. More on him in the Reunion review. But the second half? Several great episodes marked with some effective strategy and, crazy as it may sound after 26 editions, things we have never seen before on the show.

It’s crazy when you think about it – but the two Fans vs. Favorite seasons were eerily similar. The weird first episode featuring a monumental first boot (Fairplay’s destruction vs. Francesca’s history of failure). The fans’ overall trouble with keeping up with the Faves. More than one medical evacuation – including one fairly late in the game. And most especially, a very unlikely winner.

Parvati was not an especially impressive player in Cook Islands, so it is not surprising that few people expected much from her in the first FvF. Amber was similar back in All-Stars. This is why I had predicted Andrea to be the winner this time – a decent finish, but unimpressive game the first time. My mistake was that I went with the theme of good looking young women – Amber, Parvati, Andrea. I didn’t look down the roster for the better choice – although, if you recall, I did pick Cochran (and Sherri!) for the Final Three. Cochran fit the bill too – decent showing, poor overall first time. But the potential was certainly there.

Look back at South Pacific. If Cochran had been placed on Coach’s tribe from the start, he might have actually gone pretty far. With Coach, Sophie, Albert, Rick, etc. it was a much better fit for him – and perhaps Cochran could have had a legitimate chance of being at the Final Tribal instead of Sophie. But he was on Ozzy’s team – populated with bullies, pretty boys, and beauty queens. He had no real chance with that group. He was ridiculed; he was pushed around and taken for granted. He flipped because he had to – but he was really damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t. He deserved another shot – he was interesting, funny and fun to watch.

Cochran came out this time with a plan and improved confidence. He understood the Boston Rob Rules more than Phillip did. He also tweaked them a bit. He got himself into a solid majority alliance in the early part of the game. More importantly, he developed a hard core ally to navigate the miasma with in Dawn. Along the way, he found sub-alliances in the majority alliance. He was wise to position himself alongside a larger personality in the alliance (Phillip) to attract the most attention from enemies. He managed to get Dawn on the firing line – her social game plus his strategy was the combo – to take the brunt of the jury ire. He was not afraid to make big moves, and stepped up his physical game. To use baseball terms, it was not a perfect game like Boston Rob in Season 22, but Cochran threw a six-hit, complete game shutout.

He joins Earl and JT as the only unanimous winners – curiously, all three did it with different jury numbers (7,8,9). And no matter what you think of the man, it is hard not to smile just a bit. He was a kid watching Richard Hatch win the first time around, and here he is on the show. He wore a buff to high school. He wrote a thesis about Survivor juries. He is us. If Cochran can do it, so can you. So can I. Well, maybe not me, but you know what I mean. Dawn would have been a worthy winner too – her game was just as good as Cochran’s, except it was a bit flawed. She just cried way too much and didn’t time her moves the way Cochran boasted that he did. Who could have known that Dawn would have become the end game villain this season?

I do think that Dawn’s undoing was in the works already but really her game ended with the Brenda blindside. I went through it all last week. Only Eddie and Erik posed threats to Cochran in the Final 5 and all he had to do was keep his F3 alliance with Dawn and Sherri intact and immunity out of the boys’ hands for the F4 vote. He did and it is over.

As for the episode – anyone paying attention knew that it was just a two hour march to Cochran’s coronation. Only the one challenge posed any kind of threat to that eventuality. If Eddie won that immunity challenge at Final Four, he was going to be a huge threat for the vote. Dawn would have probably been voted out, but Cochran would have had a hard time winning that vote to win. So there was some drama there to see how the challenge turned out – and at the Reward Challenge.

What? Reward Challenge in the Finale? How can that be? It can be because Erik made history again. Last time it was for giving up immunity at the Final Five and getting voted out – this time it was for almost giving up his life. After leaving Tribal Council and booting Brenda, Erik began to feel feint. He said everything was spinning and had to lie down. This is literally just down the path from Tribal, so Probst is still there. He pops in to talk to Erik as the Survivor doctors show up and amazingly get schooled by Eddie. He does so much lunkheaded behavior that it hard to forget – even as it appears on chyron – that Eddie is an EMT. He knows that Erik is going to need an IV and is malnourished badly. It is curious that Erik, one of the most well-fed people this season thanks to rewards, is the one to fall victim to this. Sherri and Dawn are showing their skeletons badly, and Eddie is a shell of the he-man he was at the start. Wait, He-Man and Skeleton…er…Skelator… Whoa.

Anyway – so Erik is told by Dr. Joe, or whatever his name was (I was hoping for Dr. Nick, everybody) that it’s over. No one has ever been evacuated this deep into the game – breaking the record held (I believe) by James in the first FvF (7th place). At Ponderosa he reveals that it just took a couple of hours of IV to get him right – but if he didn’t have that, he could have been in grave danger. Amusingly, Probst starts talking strategy with them with Erik lying right there. Cochran goes up to Erik and says, “I don’t come out here to make friends. But I seriously made a friend in you. I wouldn’t have wanted to share this with anybody else.” I think part of that is true, and part of that was Cochran’s self-proclaimed psychotic ability to separate the game and life.

I feel badly for Erik. He has been ridiculed over the last few years for the immunity necklace thing, so this was a great chance for redemption. Instead, he is essentially silent for 30+ days and has to be carted out at the exact same position as he was in the last time.

We go to the Reward Challenge which would have been the F5 Elimination Challenge and clearly Erik’s evacuation was too sudden for them to come up with a picnic lunch or something. Instead it was for a Final Elimination Challenge advantage – they did this last season too, but they also didn’t have five in the Finale. I would have liked a more pure Reward for food – or the old car reward – and have a final challenge without advantages. As it turns out, Eddie would have lost anyway. He and Dawn were neck and neck throughout the physical part and she was dusting him on the puzzle.