TheAristocrats

Some of the rogues in the 1995 film classic 'The Usual Suspects' have made their way to TV recently. Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Byrne have put in time at HBO (on 'Recount' and 'In Treatment,' respectively). Stephen Baldwin has become a reality staple on such shows as 'Celebrity Apprentice' and 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' (we get it, Stephen, you're a celebrity.)

But today, Kevin Pollak took us by surprise by teaming up with reality titan Mark Burnett on a new game show.

'Our Little Genius' will premiere on Jan. 13 in TV's most enviable time slot: right after the first Paula-less 'American Idol' on Fox. Pollak will host 'Genius,' which will feature child prodigies showing off their knowledge for cash prizes.

The "Balloon Boy" incident, the cleanest name I can give this monumental media f#*$#-up, sounded vaguely familiar to me. In fact, it sounded more like the setup to a classic joke with an incredibly unfunny punchline.

It seems the folks at Countdown with Keith Olbermann noticed that as well and turned the whole thing into another umpteenth retelling of the classic "Aristocrats" joke. If you're not familiar with the infamous joke about a family walking into a talent agent's office, search for it on YouTube. But don't come whining to me that your ears won't stop bleeding.

Paul Provenza is what comics would call a "comic's comic," so he's a perfect pick for Showtime's new comedian chat show.

The comedian and film director will host a new Showtime show next year called Behind the Green Room Door. It's a talk show featuring a rotating panel of comics having the kinds of hardcore conversations that can only be heard in dressing rooms and empty comedy club bars.

And if you've never been to a comedy club, then you can get an idea of the conversation when you realize Provenza directed the acclaimed comedy documentary The Aristocrats. And if you've never heard of The Aristocrats and you're sensitive to foul language, you might want to see if your DVR comes with ear plugs and a soul scraper.