lasvegas

(S04E21) "We're getting down to the wire." - The Hoff

This week's performers needed to up their games big time because some of them did not impress viewers that much in the past four weeks when each performed for a place in the Top 20. And, as The Hoff pointed, we're getting down to the wire and will soon crown the season four winner of America's Got Talent.

The first ten acts to show their talent in the semi-finals are from performance shows one and two of the Top 48. This way of breaking the acts allows diversity as we were treated to dance, acrobatics, singing, canine tricks, comedy and magic.

Do we have a potential winner amongst tonight's performances? Did the judges Piers X anyone? Comments and Top 8 -- yes, you read correctly no Top 10 -- predictions coming up!

(S04E20) "I think the talent this year is "Hoff" the charts." - The Hoff

The Hoff must not be watching the same show we are, eh? Because the talent is definitely not off the charts. Yes, there are some very good acts but compared to previous seasons, this year's Top 48 was rather poor in talent.

The last Top 48 acts performed earlier this week and now came the time to reveal who would fill the remaining five spots in the Top 20. Except for three or four acts, this week's performance show was so-so, making it difficult to predict how America would vote.

Did your favorite acts make it to the Top 20? Results coming up!

(S04E19) A few of you told me that I was wrong by claiming that last week's performance show was electrifying. I agree with you that we have seen much better performance shows in the past. However, when you compare the third performance show of the season with the two previous, you have to admit that it was the most electrifying.

Save for a few of tonight's acts, such as Ishaara and Barbara, the third performance show is still the best performance show we've had so far this season.

My comments on the fourth performance show and my predictions coming up!

(S06E01) The producers of Top Chef must have listened to the criticism from the last edition of the show, the one set in New York with the contestants housed in Brooklyn. Despite being in perhaps the most exciting culinary city in the world, TC-NY was pedestrian. Well, Top Chef season six, is in Las Vegas and judging by the premiere, the stakes -- as they said a few times -- have been set very high. The round-up of players was filled with James Beard awardees, Michelin star cooks, people who have restaurants already... and a couple of others who have something to prove.

(S04E15) Before I comment on this week's performances, in case you missed it, I posted the list of the eight wild cards that they judges picked. I feel robbed of talent that should have been given the chance to be part of the now Top 48. I promise you, however, that it's the last time this season you'll have me say that the America's Got Talent judges made oh so wrong decisions, which, based on some of your comments, actually had people stop watching. Now that I know who is part of the Top 48, I've decided to embrace these acts and stop complaining. Otherwise, I'll end up not enjoying the season.

Last week, Arcadian Broad (judges' pick), Acrodunk, Drew Thomas Magic, Kevin Skinner, and Grandma Lee made it to the Top 20 -- I got four out of five right. You? Who will join them this week? My comments, Piers' Xs and predictions coming up!

Nigel Lythgoe really was serious about wanting to work with Paula Abdul again. Lythgoe used to be executive producer on American Idol, before he left to devote his full attention to So YouThink You Can Dance. This upcoming week, they'll be filming "Vegas Week" for the upcoming fall season six of the hit summer series.

But before that starts, Lythgoe has invited Paula Abdul to fly down to Vegas this weekend so they can talk about her possibly becoming a part of the show. He'd love to have her, of course, "If I can afford her," he says. The question becomes: was it the money over at Idol, or the fact that she felt disrespected?

As to what capacity Abdul could be involved in the show as it takes Idol's time slots in the fall, she could be very involved. Hell, if they agree to things quickly, she could be a part of the judging panel for "Vegas Week," meaning she'd only have missed the initial auditions, and she could certainly join the choreographer pool immediately.

(S04E12)

Based on the comments you left on last night's review, a few of you decided to stop watching the show because the "Vegas Verdicts" process was too cruel. How can the judges tell people they are going to Vegas and not have them perform a second time before they are sent back home? How cruel is it to get performers' hopes up by telling them they are going to Vegas when, in fact, most of them will have done the trip just to hear that they weren't good enough? Why did the judges send talented people such as Kari, Ciana and Tallan home and keep acts such as the dominatrix yodeler? On a side note, we shouldn't put all the blame on the judges. I'm sure the producers are pulling a few strings.

Be truthful, even if you vouched you would never watch America's Got Talent again, you couldn't help yourself from taking a peak at tonight's episode, eh? If you decided to not tune in to watch the last "Vegas Verdicts" cruel fest but still want to know what happened, here come the results!

(S04E11) "We can only put the best of the best through." - The Hoff

With the auditions finally over, it's time for the judges to get down to business and select the Top 40 acts amongst those -- 160 amazing, good, bad, and WTF? acts -- they let through to the "Vegas Verdicts" week. What the performers who were told they were going to Vegas didn't know is that the judges would be making cuts even before the performers could make their final plea to Sharon, Piers and David, for a chance to make it to the Top 40.

The performers were broken down into four groups. Groups A, C and D were told they would go through to the next round of judging. As expected, some people that didn't show real talent got through while Group B, which included acts such as guitarist Tallan Noble Latz, 8-year-old singer Ciana, singer Kari Callin and the Lake Houseton Performing Arts dance troupe, is going home.

What Groups A, C and D didn't know is that the judges would be making their final decision without them having to perform a second time...

When last we saw actress Jorja Fox on CSI, her alter ego Sara Sidle was deep in the Costa Rican jungle, happily reunited with the love of her life, Gil Grissom. Well, apparently Sara's going to have some very good reason to leave that romantic idyll because come this fall, Jorja Fox is returning to CSI for five episodes.

There's no indication that William Petersen's Gil is joining her, although since Petersen is still connected to the show as an executive producer, he could decide to pop in for a show or two.

It's difficult for any summer reality show to emotionally connect with the audience, because there's less effort to watch. Unlike American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance has no big dance related prize. Don't tell me that touring with Celine Dion is anywhere near a multi-album contract. Dancers will eventually have to retire because their bodies can't take it.

The show finally made the cut from 32 to our top 20. I'm a little surprised how laid back Lil' C looks, and how he votes against these dancers. Most of the cuts were obvious and no one really has me emotionally tied at the moment, but I've made some snap decisions on what little impressions I got.

Question: Do you think any one of the five remaining American Idol contestants have any idea who were in the original Rat Pack?

Answer: Sure, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe.

No, that was the Brat Pack. American Idol is honoring the original Rat Pack, which is actually not the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop pack of the 1960's Sands Hotel was in fact an outgrowth of the Rat Pack that Humphrey Bogart and Sinatra first formed in the late 1940s.

The popularity of Star Trek has been on the downswing for several years now without any sort of media franchise to support it (and it was arguably so even when Star Trek: Enterprise was on the air). It got so bad that even Las Vegas couldn't support its own mini-theme park based on the show. Now, with the upcoming movie based on the original television show, it looks like someone changed his/her mind because Star Trek: The Experience is re-opening at the Neonopolis Center in May.

Whenever I've visited Vegas in the past decade I always made the time to stop into the Hilton and at least look around the Trek gift shop. Most likely, the new movie will be incorporated into this display, which is fine by me. The new Enterprise NCC-1701 looks like it was designed by Apple (very sleek) and would likely look good hanging in large size in the middle of the exhibit.

There seems to be an epidemic of blabbermouthing going around these days. First, Vice President Joe Biden's wife Jill lets it slip on Oprah that Joe had his choice of VP or Secretary of State (snap Hillary!), then Steve Martin reveals that he and Tina Fey will be presenting together at the Oscars (so much for secret presenters), now Donny's let the cat out of the bag.

While taping The Bonnie Hunt Show, Donny Osmond announced that he's doing Dancing With the Stars, the new edition that commences in March.

Oops! See, it wasn't Donny's job to make the announcement. He was supposed to let ABC decide the right time to reveal the lineup of celebrity dancers, although whether they can dance before the show begins is debatable.

It's the end of an era on CSI. The Las Vegas Crime Lab is losing the head man. Gil Grissom is packing up his office and leaving Las Vegas. The night shift supervisor, the most influential scientist on the staff, Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom will be a character that won't easily be forgotten, let alone replaced.

If Laurence Fishburne is wise, he'll work with the producers and writers to make Raymond Langston a very different kind of leader.

Looking back at the Grissom years, there are distinctive beats that William Petersen brought to the character and the show. To me, there are six reasons why Grissom will be hard to replace.

(S09E09) In part one of the two-part episode that will hand off the reins of power at the Las Vegas crime lab from Gil Grissom to Raymond Langston, CSI spent as much time breaking the news about Gil's exit as it did lay the groundwork for Langston's entrance.

Speaking of entrances, Laurence Fishburne was given quite the platform, appearing in shadow until the light clicked on and he was revealed. It'll be interesting to see if Petersen's last scene will replicate Frank Sinatra vanishing into distant spotlights, singing "Excuse me while I disappear." Considering the Vegas connection, I think that would be a perfect way for him to go.