roccodispirito

(S07E04) We're back to the ballroom for week two, without Jeffrey Ross or Ted McGinley. Because of the extended opening week, the couples only had four days to learn either the rumba, or the paso doble. Asked what he was looking for, Len said that learning a new dance in four days is really tough. So, he was fearing the worst, but hoping for the best.

It was one of many questions we would have for the show. Was four days enough time? Is Brooke really that good? Would Kim finally come out of her shell? What would Lacey do to annoy crusty old Len this week? You'll find the answers to all of those, and a rundown of all the week two performances, after the jump.

(S07E03) We're really getting back into the swing of things now. After the whirlwind of 25 performances in two nights, it was time for a proper results show. As usual, that's both good and bad. Results shows always hold the prospect of musical guests, and professional numbers.

Unfortunately, they also have a tendency to bring iffy comedy bits, and dull taped packages. It's a bit of a crapshoot, but usually worth tuning in. Because, as we all know, no matter how sure you are that a certain couple is leaving, you just never really know. Am I hinting at a surprise elimination? Or just trying to trick you into clicking your way past the jump? Only one way to find out.

(S07E02) Just like that, we're back for round two. With the new season seven format, all thirteen couples returned to the ballroom Tuesday night, but only twelve of them would perform. The show borrowed a bit from the results show format as the safe couples were revealed one by one. After each reveal, that couple would perform while the rest of the dancers waited nervously. Some, obviously, more nervous than others.

The second night of dancing offered us a chance to see who learned from their experience performing live. Just getting comfortable with the setting is a huge hurdle to overcome in the beginning of the season. Some of the stars have taken to it quicker than others. To that end, I'm not one to spoil before the jump, but I'll leave you with this. In referencing one set of scores, Tom remarked that the judges were "Bringin' out the big paddles." Was there a 9? A 10? The results of all the dances are after the jump.

(S07E01) Can you believe it? Dancing With The Stars is kicking off its seventh season. In an effort to keep things fresh, this season marks the largest cast of competitors ever. That cast also features both the youngest, and the oldest, contestants to ever appear on the show. There are winners from the Grammys, the Oscars, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl. It should make for quite a show.

In another new twist, there is another new format for week one. All thirteen couples performed Monday night. Tuesday, one of the couples will be eliminated as the other twelve perform a second number. Then, on Wednesday, one more couple will be sent home. With thirteen performances, there is a lot to get to. I'll run them down quickly, with a look at what I think each couple's prospects for the competition are. Because, as we are all well aware by now, the dancing is only part of what keeps people moving on from week to week.

Dancing With the Stars is a show that makes no sense to me. I understand the appeal of it; I'm usually very interested in any program that involves celebrities doing ridiculous things on national television and I know that people love bright shiny costumes, but it still somehow manages to hold no interest for me whatsoever.

With that said, I know that the announcement of each season's DWTS cast is heavily anticipated and rumored for months before the actual announcement. We heard that Dan Marino may be a contestant; a claim that was soon denied. 82-year-old Cloris Leachman was another name floated, as was Magnum, P.I. himself, Tom Selleck. Kim Kardashian and Kathy Griffin were also said to have been approached.

As with most rumors, some of these turned out to be false, but others had some truth to them. Follow me after the jump for the official (and completely insane) cast of Dancing With the Stars' seventh season, along with some twists the producers have cooked up for this go-around.

A day hasn't gone by where we haven't received some sort of tip or email asking us, the TV Squad, how to get on [insert reality show here]. Unfortunately no, Simon Cowell does not work for us, and Donald Trump isn't my BFF, so we really can't help all that much.

The folks at RealityWanted.com often send us a list of new and existing reality shows that are looking for new, er, talent, and they've given us permission to make mention of them here. We'll try to make this a regular feature as often as we get a new list.

This time we have Split Ends, Divorce Court and other new shows.

There's more reality being served up by NBC: a food-based competition show in which couples vie to open a restaurant. British chef Marco Pierre White will be the judge. NBC has greenlit The Chopping Block for next season, calling it a sort of Top Chef meets Hell's Kitchen. Actually, it sounds like a twin for BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing. That one has nine couples competing for one restaurant with Chef Raymond Blanc as the judge. The NBC incarnation will have eight couples, and unlike Chef Blanc who has earned two Michelin stars for his restaurants, Chef White has three.

Some people just don't give up. No matter how poorly they do, they try again. And, no matter how poorly they do after that, they try again. Some would say that it is a sign of someone who is not willing to give up. Others would say that the person was just stupid.

I'm not too sure which description I would choose for chef Rocco DiSpirito. If you remember, DiSpirito was the star of NBC's The Restaurant, a reality show about running his own restaurant. There were hopes for the show when it began airing in 2003; however, reviews for the show were terrible and it ended its run in the summer of 2004. We thought that would be the last we saw of Rocco on eposodic television.

Apparently, that's not the case. According to Sarah Gim (from our sister site Slashfood), DiSpirito is currently filming a pilot for another reality series simply titled Rocco. In the show, the chef will act as a culinary therapist, solving people's problems through the use of food. Um, don't professionals usually say that solving problems with food is actually one of the worst things you can do?

Is Rocco determined, or just someone who doesn't get it? We'll see if this pilot turns into a series.

To follow up on this post I did over at Slashfood, I just got through watching Celebrity Poker Showdown (the one where David Cross won and gave bananas to the whole audience - you'd have to see it to understand), and right after the show ended, the NBC reality series from a couple of years ago, The Restaurant, came on.

Huh? Why is Bravo showing this again? I thought it was a low-rated embarrassment that the network (and Rocco DiSpirito) would want to put behind them. I know that CNBC was showing the show on a regular basis, but...well, that's CNBC, and they need all the programming they can get. Is Bravo so hard up for programming that they have to show a reality show that not many people cared for in the first place, and show it in the middle of the day to boot?

Weird.