It feels like the end of an era as we hear that Dolores Hope, singer, vaudevillian and wife of comic and actor Bob Hope, has died at the age of 102.

Hope family spokesman Harlan Boll said Dolores died Monday of natural causes at her home in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles.

Born Dolores DeFina in The Bronx, New York in 1909, Dolores had a successful nightclub singing career under the name Dolores Reade.

She met Hope in 1933 when he saw her perform in the Vogue Club in New York City and they married in 1934. Dolores then joined Hope's vaudeville act before putting her career on hold so they could concentrate on his movie and TV career.

Dolores accompanied Hope on his U.S.O. Christmas tours to entertain the troops from the late 1940s onward, and she performed on his numerous NBC television specials.

With the power of today's technology, we can experience things that just wouldn't otherwise be possible. The modern era's favorite Oscar host presented just such an opportunity at 'The 83rd Annual Academy Awards' (Sun., 8:30PM on ABC) by allowing us a glimpse into a world where Oscar's all-time favorite host could preside again.

Billy Crystal came out and slid easily into the hosting position, cracking jokes about the show running long and poking fun at his own Hollywood leading man looks.

He told a story about a connection he shared with 18-time Oscars host Bob Hope at the Academy Awards. Crystal was hosting and Hope shared a special gesture with him on-camera, and then a different one off.

In 1977, as now, gay rights initiatives were a contentious issue on many state ballots, and entertainers often drew harsh criticism for taking political stances. So it's no wonder HBO thinks the time is right for a biopic about Anita Bryant.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the cable channel is developing a movie about the singer-turned-activist. 'Sex and the City' creator Darren Star is directing and co-producing the film, whose writer is Chad Hodge (best known for the CW's fugitive-family drama series 'Runaway,' whose pilot Star produced).

Recently, when I shared my view about a certain Dell computer commercial, some of you thought I was a moron. Okay, we'll call it a difference of opinion. However, just to show you that I'm not a grumpster, allow me to extol the virtues of the Macy's commercial that celebrates this iconic American department story that's been around for over 150 years.

What makes The Magic of Macy's so much fun is that it doesn't tell you why the place is legendary, it shows you why. All those film clips from movies and television, years before anyone was using mentions like these for commercial purposes, underscore how much a part of pop culture Macy's was.

(It still is, to some extent, but the days of one brick and mortar store dominating the business landscape are long gone.)

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation is now launching a new website called EmmyTVLegends.org. It will include interviews with various celebrities who witnessed the rise of television including Milton Berle, Bob Hope and Walter Cronkite. Ironically, this is being done via the Internet. It's a bit like the passing of the torch from one predominant global medium of communication to the next.

Granted, all the videos have been uploaded to YouTube, so it's possible to find them without going through the website. Still, it's nice that the website organizes the interviews for the viewer. I was channeling my mother for a moment while watching some of them and thinking either "he/she looks so young in that interview" or "he/she is dead now".

The site represents a real treasure trove of television stories and history. I've only had a chance to watch a few of them so far. If you're interested in the medium I recommend watching some of them in your free time.

The new TV season has produced at least one breakout star for sure -- Kyle Bornheimer. On Worst Week, CBS's new entry in its solid sitcom block on Monday nights, Bornheimer has made his mark and the show is proving a ratings hit.

Kyle's every guy, not too bright, essentially sweet character on Worst Week, Sam Briggs, fits him like a glove. It's his ability to deliver the physical comedy as well as the self-deprecating lines with a knowing smile that has made him endearing.

Kyle Bornheimer has one of those really recognizable faces. You might remember having seen him in Jericho or Breaking Bad or The Unit. He's been kicking around for the past few years, searching for a role that would give him a chance to shine. That's what he's found in Worst Week.

He's no Johnny Carson or Bob Hope or Billy Crystal, but pop star and former boy band fave Justin Timberlake could be the next star to host the Academy Awards. The Oscars are still months away, but the Academy is already contemplating a way to make the show more Nielsen worthy.

Last February's show, hosted by The Daily Show's Jon Stewart (he also hosted in 2006), celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Oscars but was a ratings dud. It was the worst Oscars ever, in terms of Nielsen ratings, even though it had a 21.9 rating and 33 share.

Many people blame those dismal numbers on a disinterest among viewers in the films that were in contention last year, including heavy dramas No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, which seemed to have little appeal to mass audiences.

Each year, the Emmys honor the best in current TV. They also recognize the all-time greats. This year Bea Arthur, Larry Gelbart, Merv Griffin, Daniel Burke, Tom Murphy and Sherwood Schwartz will be entering the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame. Grand choices, in my opinion, with only a minor quibble which I'll mention later.

According to ATAS chairman and CEO John Shaffner , "The Hall of Fame is a special recognition for those who have made significant contributions and have left an indelible mark on the television business." As Maude in the 1970's and Dorothy on The Golden Girls in the 1980's (into the '90s) Beatrice Arthur, made her mark. She was more effective on TV than she was in the theater, and she was a dynamo on stage.

%Gallery-20843%

As the ranking #2 fan of The Muppets here at TV Squad (Adam definitely has me beat), I'm happy to announce that season two of The Muppet Show will be available on DVD on August 7th. It's been about 2 years since season one came out on DVD and fans have been not-so-patiently waiting for more.

Season two is a 24-episode set with classic guest appearances by Bob Hope, George Burns, John Cleese, Milton Berle, Elton John, Bernadette Peters and Julie Andrews, just to name a few. The bonus material includes The Muppets Valentine Day Special, a pilot which aired two years before The Muppet Show came on air. It features Kermit and Mia Farrow, and is hosted by little-known Muppet 'Wally'.

"The day I grab my crotch, it'll mean it's falling off."

That's one of the many gems (about Madonna) you'll get from veteran comedienne Phyllis Diller in this interview over at MSNBC. The 89 year-old, who I have always found to be very funny, "offically" retired four years ago, but she has a recurring role on Family Guy and still pops up in TV (Robot Chicken, The Bold and the Beautiful) and movies, like her appearance in The Aristocrats. But she's not doing any standup touring anymore (neither would you if you were pushing 90), and spends a lot of time painting.

In the interview, Diller also gives her opinion on a variety of topics, including O.J. Simpson ("what an ass"), Michael Richards ("he should have just crawled into a hole and shut up"), and the plastic surgery she's had in the past.

There's a documentary out of her final performance in 2002, and it's available on DVD.

[via Pop Candy]

Tonight at 10 pm, comedian Jay Mohr will host an hour-long special on TBS to honor the military men and women overseas, and the USO. The special, The Comedy Festival Presents: A Salute to the Troops and USO, will feature comedic and musical talent including Louis C.K., D.L.Hughley, Kid Rock and Frank Caliendo, among others. Carmen Electra will also make an appearance, though I consider her like sort of like a sprig of parsley on the overall banquet that is this special: a nice aesthetic choice, but ultimately unnecessary. The special, which will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, will also pay tribute to the late Bob Hope, whose legendary USO performances spanned over sixty years. The Armed Forces Network will also receive a copy of the show. No word if Anne Margaret will show up or not.

Hey kids, it's time to break out that ol' guitar, trombone, washboard, monkey trumpet, or whatever the heck else you play and join me in listing the best bands to ever grace the small screen. Today we're going to focus on real bands, but don't worry, there's another "The Five" right around the corner where we'll discuss the best fictional bands on television. But for now:

The Tonight Show Band (under Doc Severinsen): The Johnny Carson era of The Tonight Show came to an end when I was a sophomore in high school, and while I never had the same loathing for Jay Leno many others did, I don't think the show will ever be able to duplicate the vibe created by Carson, Ed McMahon, and bandleader Carl H. Severinsen (his friends call him "Doc"). Don't get me wrong, Kevin Eubanks and the current musicians on the show all have chops to spare, but Doc and his fellow bandmates had a kind of old-time classiness about them I couldn't help but admire. And who could forget those glittery, kitschy suits he used to wear?

Child actor Gary Gray died of cancer on April 4. The LA Times has the obituary.

Gray made his acting debut in Joan Crawford's A Woman's Face, but is probably best known for the many Westerns he was in, including Return of the Bad Men and Rachel and the Stranger. He played Nancy Reagan's (Davis) son in The Next Voice You Hear, appeared in films with Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo, appeared on I Love Lucy, and was in the last Lassie movie that MGM made in 1951, The Painted Hills.

(Oh, the pic? That's Gray on the right. On the left? Dean Stockwell!)

I know how you feel. Really, I do. A TV show comes along that seems so obvious in its mediocrity you can't fathom why so many people enjoy it. You list myriad examples of how the show is sub-par, or a blatant rip-off of another show, or too reliant on "easy" jokes, but no one will listen to you. They just keep watching and touting the show as if it's some work of genius. It's enough to make you go insane and eat your own face.

Family Guy may be popular, but there's still a lot of people who don't like it. My feelings on this subject are paradoxical. I like Family Guy, but I still have to agree with people who say the writing isn't always up to snuff, and that the show relies too heavily on pop culture references as a substitute for humor. Brian has a line in one episode that always makes me cringe: describing New York City, he claims it's "like Prague, sans the whimsy." Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like some college freshman trying to sound smarter than he is.