December 16th, 2008

Last Monday former “SNL” star Jimmy Fallon started a daily video blog on nbc.com to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his new late night show. Let’s hope his real show is a lot funnier.

The video blogs were originally supposed to be a practice run of how Fallon’s going to host the “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” predecessor, according to Variety; but, now they are meant to be more of a free-style look at the preparations before the show debuts on March 2. Yet, the video blogs could benefit with a little more structure.

Some of Fallon’s insider information is interesting. For example, the Roots are going to be his in-house band, and every night fans of the guest band will be able to come out on the stage à la concert-style. We also got to see a model of the set including where there’s going to be trap doors for surprise guests to arrive.

Otherwise his blogs are kind of a snore. We got to watch Fallon read comments on his website where he practiced his sad face when someone called him “a douchebag who doesn’t deserve his job.” There was also the bit where he and his announcer, Steve Higgins, endlessly went back and forth about if his dismal movie with Queen Latifah was called “Taxi” or “Taxi Cab: The Movie.” We’d expect funnier from Fallon.

We’d also expect funnier when current “SNL” star Fred Armisen stopped by one night to do a mock interview with Fallon. Armisen was supposed to play the role of a bad guest to test Fallon’s interviewing skills, which just turned out to be a bad skit. 

So log onto nbc.com for his insider bits; but, if the comedy doesn’t get funnier Fallon will have a hard time keeping viewers awake at their laptops let alone at 12:35 a.m.

It’s official. People magazine’s Sexiest Man, Hugh Jackman, will host the 81st Oscars ceremony on February 22, 2009.

The producers were gracious enough to validate why Jackman was chosen by saying Jackman, “has style, elegance and a sense of occasion,” and while all that might be true, let’s get to the heart of the matter: He’s HOT!

Ever since we laid eyes on him in the 2001’s corny-but-sweet “Kate & Leopold” (which I’ve watched on several occasions – and yes! I DO have a life, thank you very much!), we were sold.

The voice, the facial bone structure, the man! Maybe I’m bordering on obsession here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not warranted. (Stalkers need love, too.)

Jackman will join an impressive, ever-growing list of “who-on-earth-will-be-next?” hosts, such as Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, and others.

So Jackman is far from the first to host the prestigious event…but he’s certainly the hottest. And that alone is reason enough for me to watch. I’m in.

Dakota Culkin, the sister of actors Macaulay, Kieran and Rory, died several hours after she was hit by a car in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Witnesses say she stepped off the curb in front of a moving vehicle and was taken to UCLA Medical Center with massive head trauma. Dakota Culkin died on Wednesday afternoon.

The oldest of the Macaulay children, Dakota was making a name for herself in production work, most recently on the film Lost Soul. No charges were filed against the driver, who stopped and assisted after the accident, and who police determined was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Culkin family during this difficult time.

The Office – Frame Toby

There’s a table full of brownies and the Dunder Mifflin crew is grabbing them up.  Kevin takes two and is scolded my Angela, Michael takes two so he can parcel them up throughout the day, and Kelly takes two, one for her and one for Toby. Michael states that she’d have to send them to Costa Rica for Toby. She replies, “I’m just going to hand it to him right now.” Michael has paid such little attention that he doesn’t even realize Toby is back. He goes to the annex to see if Toby is there or not and when he comes up behind Michael, Michael turns around and screams “NO” in Toby’s face.

In an attempt to show Toby he likes him, Michael puts on an act and goes to Toby’s desk declaring how people missed him, how glad he is that Toby’s back and asking about Costa Rica. After, Michael and Dwight develop a plan to get Toby fired by framing him. They make several attempts including setting him up for sexual harassment and trying to get him to fight Michael. 

After all plans fail, Dwight suggests they frame Toby with drugs.  Michael goes to the shipping docks to talk to the guys unloading equipment.  One of the dock guys puts something in Michael’s pocket and asks for $500.  Dwight calls to report Toby and Michael places the drugs in Toby’s desk.  Security arrives and Dwight brings them to Toby’s desk.  Security inspects the desk and Michael suddenly says they should stop the investigation.  The cops find the drugs but discover it’s some basil and salad dressing in a baggy. Toby clearly sees it’s a set up but expresses concern for the cop’s time.

In the break room Pam discovers a nasty microwave and puts up a sign.  She walks in on Oscar and Andy expresses its ridiculousness, the note that is. Ryan approaches Pam saying he’s on her side with the whole microwave issue and casually suggests that at some point, someone’s just going to have to get in there and clean it. Pam suggests that that’s why they have a temp. Ryan squirms and runs away. 

Jim announces that today is the day that he shows Pam the house he bought without telling her.  At the end of the day, Jim brings her to the house.  She’s speechless.  He’s also converting the garage into an art studio just for Pam.  She finally speaks and says, “I love it.”  Overjoyed that he bought her a house.

Ryan breaks up with Kelly for the billionth time.  He’s going to Thailand. Oh, and he asks that if she has any money she could give him, that would be great.

The Office – The Surplus

Oscar brings Michael the year’s budget and explains what a surplus is.  He tells Michael they have an extra $4300 which needs to be spent by the end of the day.  Oscar thinks they should buy a new copy machine. 

Michael announces the news of the copier and surplus.  Pam suggests they get chairs instead. Jim sides with Oscar and says that he and Pam don’t have to agree on everything.  The decision is up to Michael who has to think on it. 

At Schrute Farms, Dwight shows Angela and Andy around. Andy pays extra for Dwight to slaughter the food the day before the wedding and steps in cow poop.  They argue over the butter sculpture and Andy steps in more poop.  Dwight finally shows the couple where the ceremony will be and suggests a trial run.  Andy plays Angela’s father walking her down the isle.

Angela plays herself and Dwight plays Andy (so that Andy can see what he’ll look like).  Dwight has a German speaking officiant conduct a “fake” ceremony.  Dwight says “I do” as practice for Andy and Angela says, “I do” too.  And that’s the end of the rehearsal.  Before Andy and Angela leave she confesses to Dwight that she made a mistake picking Andy.  Then Dwight admits that the German officiant was real and that Andy wasn’t signing a receipt earlier he was signing Dwight and Angela’s marriage certificate as a witness.  Angela’s upset and tells Dwight it doesn’t count. At the office she throws herself on Andy mid chew on his tuna sandwich and tells him she needs to take care of a legal issue.

Pam tries to get Jim to reconsider, forcefully, about the chairs.  She goes to kiss him and whispers, “You’re on very dangerous ground.”  Pam is talking to Michael about the chairs when Oscar interrupts inviting him to lunch and Jim joins in.  Pam’s ready to fight dirty. When the boys return she’s done her hair, put on extra makeup and follows Michael into his office showering him with complements and laughing at his jokes.  Later Pam makes some copies and the machine of course fails, in front of Jim and the whole office. 

To help make a decision, Michael calls David who suggests Michael return the surplus and take the bonus. Michael didn’t know about the bonus and is ok with disappointing everyone.  So he announces that they don’t need a copier or chairs.  Oscar calls out Michael about knowing about the bonus. Michael tells the staff that they need to make a decision or he’s taking the bonus. A few minutes later while on a coffee break, Oscar bursts in announcing to Michael they’ve picked the chairs as he’d rather have those than nothing.

Next Jim comes up to Pam timidly and asks her to make 3 copies of each document he has.  She just stares at him in surprise.  He turns around and says he’s kidding, leans in for a kiss and whispers, “I need 4 copies of each.”

Survivor: Gabon Week 10: Nothing Tastes Better than 500 Dollars

At camp after Tribal Council, it’s obvious which alliance is making the decisions – Kenny and Crystal, who have plotted and executed three consecutive blind sides.

Bob and Sugar go into the jungle. He tells her about Exile and searching for the Hidden Immunity Idol. He admits to making a fake idol. 

The treemail hints at the Survivor auction. Each Survivor gets $500. Kenny buys the power to send himself or someone else to Exile and take their money, he chooses Bob. A clue for the next immunity challenge is won by Corinne for $500! Jeff auctions a covered object he says is for the whole team. Randy wins it – it’s enough cookies for everyone.  Sugar refuses hers, and says it’s for Matty, but Randy tells her it’s not for her to decide. Randy offers her one again and she takes it but hands it to Matty.

Back at camp Randy’s mad.  He, Corinne and Matty pow wow about what to do to out number the other alliance. 

Bob’s on Exile and frustrated about not being able to find the hidden immunity idol.

At camp, Matty talks to his original alliance – Sugar, Kenny, Crystal and Suzie about voting out Bob because keeping Randy could be beneficial in the end.

The next day Randy tells Corinne he’s crashing and burning and making everyone miserable so the old Fang tribe votes for him that night.  He’s hoping Bob will give him the Hidden Immunity Idol and the person with the second most votes goes home. Randy doesn’t know about the fake idol.

Randy’s plan is put into action. Picking on people and rude comments make Matty finally say, “Oh my god, don’t do this, dude.”  And says that “Randy has sealed his fate.”  Randy brings the cookie incident up and when Suzie comments he curses at her yelling “Shut up.”  Everyone is freaking out and Randy loves it.

At the Immunity challenge – the Survivors race across beams with puzzle pieces, the first three to finish move on.  Next, setting up the puzzle blocks on a plank while avoiding trip wires that’ll mess everything up. The blocks have to fall like dominos to raise a flag and win immunity. Corinne’s clue from the auction says she can go immediately to the setting up the puzzle blocks round.  Joining her are Matty and Kenny.  In the puzzle block round Kenny knocks a trip wire.  Matty avoids doing the same.  Kenny’s the first to see if his blocks fall properly – they don’t.  Next all three try and Corinne’s stops short, Matty’s stops and Kenny wins immunity.

At camp, Sugar convinces Bob that Randy would fall for the fake idol. Bob rationalizes that it does buy him more time on Survivor. Corinne tells Bob that in order to save their alliance he’s got to give the “idol” to Randy. And Bob does, confident in the alliance with Sugar.

Tribal Council – After the vote but before they’re counted Randy plays the hidden immunity idol and Jeff tells him it’s not an actual idol. Corinne and Randy are both surprised.  And in a gross display of disrespect Sugar bursts out laughing hysterically.  Randy is the next person voted out and the 3rd member of the jury.

Week 11 was a wrap up show.

Week 12 – The Good Things in Life Aren’t Easy

After Tribal Council, Bob scolds Sugar for her obvious laughing fit regarding Randy.  Good for Bob.  Sugar and Corinne argue about playing the game and talking about people behind their back.

The first challenge has the Nobag tribe divide into two teams to race through the swap and grab puzzle pieces to be arranged and raise a flag. Those who raise the flag compete against each other to complete another puzzle. They win messages from loved ones and a pizza and beer lunch. Before the challenge Jeff shows the Survivors clips from the loved ones messages. Corinne sits out the challenge.

The teams are Crystal, Sugar, Bob and Suzie, Matty and Kenny. Crystal shows her Olympic strength by practically dragging Sugar through the swap.  But Suzie, Matty and Kenny take the lead and are at the puzzle first.  Bob, Crystal and Sugar finally get to the puzzle and take the win so they head to the sliding puzzle.  Quickly, Bob finishes and wins. 

At his lunch Bob starts his message and is surprised when wife Peggy is there in person! Bob brings her to camp.  He whistles and the rest of the Survivor’s loved ones come in: Kenny’s sister, Crystal’s husband, Matty’s girlfriend, Corinne’s brother and Sugar’s sister.  Kenny takes his sister for a walk and explains “Every body loves me and if I make the final three I’ll win this thing.”  Sugar’s sister brought some of their father’s ashes to let a little bit of him stay in Africa. Matty tells his girlfriend he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, gets down on one knee and proposes with a necklace he made.  She says “yes!”

Treemail – Bob and Corinne go to get it and discuss blindsiding Matty.  And Matty, Susie, Crystal, Sugar and Kenny decide its time for Bob to go.  But Bob has a plan.  The immunity necklace that Marcus and Randy threw into the water was put in Marcus’ pocket, hid at camp and Bob knew where it was. Marcus didn’t have it when voted out so Bob took it.  At least, that’s the story Bob’s going to tell the other alliance.  Plan “Fake Hidden Immunity Idol Part 2” is set in motion by Bob and Corinne.

They tell Kenny the fake idol story and he considers jumping alliances.  They talk about voting out Matty and recruiting Crystal.  Leary Kenny talks to Crystal and decide that Kenny will vote Matty but Crystal will still vote Corinne with their original alliance. That way if Corinne doesn’t play the idol (or it turns out to be fake) she goes home and if she does play it then Matty goes home.  Kenny says that if this plan works than he’ll be the biggest strategist in Survivor history.  Crystal is conflicted thinking this may be the only chance to take Matty out – possibly messing up Kenny’s plan.

Tribal Council – Survivor is defined as knowing when to trust and when to cut your ties. Once the votes are in, Jeff asks for any immunity idols and Corinne sits still, not playing what she knows is fake.  The votes are read and Corinne is voted out. Their plan didn’t work. She’s the 12th Survivor out and the 4th member of the Jury.  Bob knows his time is up next week.