julie chen

Things are starting to get complicated on 'Big Brother' (Wed., 8PM ET on CBS). See if you can follow all of this...

[Spoiler alert.]

... Rachel is in love with Brendon or something and now she's Head of Household and nominates Britney and Monet for eviction. Britney and Monet are pals, but then Britney wins veto power and removes herself from elimination, which means that Rachel must nominate someone else for eviction -- but meanwhile, Matt is busy lying, but he lies to Andrew, who is also lying to him ... And oh, it's really confusing. Read the full TV Squad recap for all of the gory details.

The important thing that happens tonight is that Matt convinces Rachel to let him become a "pawn." Which means that he selects himself for potential eviction -- but he's just a decoy, allowing Rachel to gather enough votes to remove the semi-hated Monet. (Are you still following all of this?)

Matt seems to believe that he's a complete and utter genius, and feels that he can win all the other contestants' trust while deceiving them. His "pawn" plan is part of this larger goal.

Coming this fall, because you demanded it: Another CBS show with Julie Chen.

Chen will sit on the panel of 'The View'-like talk show hosted by 'Roseanne' star Sara Gilbert that will replace CBS's long-running soap 'As The World Turns' this fall.

'As The World Turns' will come to an end in September after 54 years on the air, with Gilbert and her gang of moms taking over the time slot in October.

According to Deadline Hollywood, CBS looked at several different programs to replace 'As The World Turns,' including a cooking game show with Emeril Lagasse and a new 'Pyramid' hosted by Andy Richter. However, 'The View'-esque program tested pretty well with audiences.

Well, we're back for the 12th season of 'Big Brother' (Thu., 8PM ET on CBS). Yes, it's 'Big Brother,' the somewhat-unloved reality show where people sit around in a house while cameras watch their every move.

[Spoiler alert.]

On the first episode of the new season, the challenge involves having the contestants grab on to a huge moving hot dog. (Or "wiener," as they continually call it.) The housemates are separated into two teams, and the game involves grabbing the hot dog and being able to hold onto it for several seconds. Up to $10,000 is at stake, and if someone falls, then they fail, and hit the fake rocks below them. (The players are also being sprayed with ketchup and mustard while they're doing this, in keeping with the theme of the whole stunt.)

Everything is going pretty well -- considering that grabbing onto a giant moving hot dog makes no sense in the first place. But then, contestant Britney falls off the hot dog while trying to do the stunt, and seems to hurt herself kind of badly. Everyone acts very shocked.

But at this point, we have to say this. ... Um. Really? Is this actually in any way shocking? So trying to jump onto a quickly moving object while being sprayed with condiments is actually dangerous? Color us unsurprised.

Whatever you do, Dave Price, do NOT cross Julie Chen! Price hijacks an upcoming segment by Chen on 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS), so Chen takes over the weather to teach him a lesson.

Oh, Dave Price, why must you make everything about you? As Maggie Rodriguez prepares to go on maternity leave, most of the 'Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS) anchors give her thoughtful baby gifts, but Price gives a gag onesie featuring a picture of his face.

Could this be any more awkward? Julie Chen tries to convince Harry Smith to try his hand on hip-hop "bounce" dancing on 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS).

Gah! Some images just aren't meant for public viewing on television. The anchors of 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS) revealed awkward teen photos of themselves in a segment called "Before You Were Hot."

Julie Chen, we agree that comfortable clothes and a warm blanket make for a relaxing time at home, but we draw the line at sucking our thumbs.

On 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS), Chen described a simple pleasure that involves thick socks with rubber grips, yoga pants, a blankie and thumb-sucking.

Proving once again that forecasting the weather is secondary to on-air goofball antics, Dave Price licks Julie Chen on 'The Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS).

Oh, Dave Price. This isn't going to help with the relentless ribbing the 'Early Show' (weekdays, 7AM ET on CBS) anchors typically give you.

Get ready to hear Julie Chen's point of view.

According to the New York Post, the Chenbot will be filming a pilot for a new 'View'-style daytime talk show whose panel of experts will have a slight twist: They will all be moms discussing things from a mom point of view. The series, which has yet to receive a title, could potentially fill the time slot being vacated this summer by the cancellation of the long-running soap opera 'As the World Turns.'

'The Early Show' is finally going HD, according to a new report from Media Bistro. It seems a little odd that it's taken the show so long to switch, especially considering that its morning show rivals, 'Today' and 'Good Morning America,' already broadcast in HD.

Perhaps this is CBS' attempt to boost ratings and skew to a younger audience, which was nudged along a couple of years ago when it re-launched the show with a colorful new widescreen set. According to Media Life, the show averaged a measly 2.52 million viewers during the first three months of 2010, putting it in third place among the network morning news programs.

I don't watch either Big Brother or How I Met Your Mother, so I really have no opinion on this. As Joel told you in his review of How I Met Your Mother, one of the plots had to do with Robin saying "But, um..." all the time. Now some people think that this was a little dig at Julie Chen, who has become famous for saying "But first..." on Big Brother. As this video montage below shows.

On a side note, I hate it when the hosts of Today say "But first, this is Today on NBC..." when they go to a commercial.

[via Pop Candy]

(S11E30) Natalie and Kevin made it scheming all the way into the final three on Big Brother 11. But, did they make it to the final two? Did one of them win the half-million dollars? Or did Jordan blow them both out of the water? It was an unlikely final three and the first two-hour live season finale. Despite the rather lame "high school cliques" theme to the season, it definitely had its moments of BB history.

(S11E29) The Big Brother 11 finale will be a two-hour extravaganza on Tuesday evening. It's going to be similar to the Survivor finales with all of the houseguests, a big reunion, and love and joy abounding. Well, Chima should be missing. I'm not so sure on the love and joy either. Perhaps it will be fisticuffs and brouhahas. Hey, if Natalie wins it all, I can see the audience going into uproar mode. It will be live and should be interesting. But we had to get through the latest episode first.