BarbaraWaltersSpecial

Barbara Walters announced on 'The View' today that this year would be the last for her annual Oscar night celebrity interview special.

"ABC has asked me to keep doing these specials as they have been so successful -- and I'm thrilled we have such great stars and have such a wonderful show -- but to be honest, I feel like I've 'been there, done that,'" Walters said.

Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 - Wednesday December 9, 10 pm, Global/ABC

Babs' annual love-in raises the bar a little this year - or is it just that 2009 was a really bizarre year? The short list includes four people I would confidently call lunatics (though some use their crazy for good and others for evil) including Sarah Palin, Adam Lambert, Kate Gosselin and Lady Gaga. Tyler Perry is also on the list and I can't wait to see how Walters handles him. Tyler, if you are reading this, I beg you to do the interview in Madea drag. Brett Favre and Glenn Beck from the world of sports round out the published list. The top three fascinators will be revealed during the broadcast. Who wants to do a pool? My picks are Robert Pattinson, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

The on-again, off-again love affair between ABC and American Idol star Adam Lambert is making my head spin. In the past week or so, still stinging over Lambert's over the top performance at the American Music Awards, ABC dropped Adam Lambert appearances on Good Morning American, Jimmy Kimmel Live and New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Adam absolved ABC of responsibility for the cancellations. He Tweeted that it was pressure from the FCC. Then the folks at GLAAD weighed in, coming to Adam's defense. That was followed by the announcement that Adam is now set to appear on ABC's The View on Thursday, December 10. He'll also be on Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People special on December 9.

If your TiVo or DVR can't get enough of the syrupy charm of the former Alaska governor, you might want to install a memory upgrade.

Barbara Walters will do a sit down with Sarah Palin on the heels of her new memoir, Going Rogue, in a five-part series starting Nov. 17.

Five parts? Seriously? Wouldn't one suffice? She's only doing ONE interview with Oprah Winfrey and Oprah is the supreme overlord of the female television universe. Does "a five-part series with Sarah Palin" meet the textbook definition of overkill?

'Damages'
(10PM, FX) 2nd season premiere
The premiere opens on Ellen, and, without giving away a plot point that will drive much of the season, it's safe to say that she's still reeling from last season's finale, when the person behind her fiance's murder was revealed.

A new friend Ellen meets in group therapy tells her she has only two options for dealing with her pain: forgiveness or revenge, and she's definitely made up her mind which way to go.

As for Ellen's boss Patty, she's seemingly trying to change her wicked ways by fronting a charitable endeavor, but when a man from her past (William Hurt) pops up unexpectedly (and unwanted) in her present, it's clear Patty's going to be in for another wild ride, too.