CBS and Mandy Speak About Criminal Minds

This was just released by CBS.

ON BEHALF OF ABC STUDIOS AND CBS PARAMOUNT NETWORK TELEVISION:
"Last week, Mandy Patinkin asked to be released from his role on Criminal Minds. We have honored this request, which was not in any way connected to contract renegotiations or salary issues. His departure from the series will be explained to audiences in an episode to be filmed in the near future and broadcast early next season. We thank Mandy for helping to make Criminal Minds a strong and successful series, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. A new character will be added to the series for next season."

ON BEHALF OF MANDY PATINKIN:
"Due to creative differences, Mandy has asked not to return to Criminal Minds this season. Mandy would like to thank the studios and network for releasing him from the series and he wishes the cast and crew continued success in all of their endeavors and looks forward to continuing to work with the Disney and CBS companies in other capacities in the future."

"Entourage" Recap/Review - "Dream Team"

The Dream Team
Originally Aired: July 15, 2007

A Snoop cameo delivers news that the Medellin trailer was leaked on YouTube! (Note: you can watch it HERE). The dynamic between Billy Walsh and Eric really helps Billy’s character work. When Billy blames E for the leak we FINALLY get to see E take Billy down. Literally. He tackled Billy through a table! Go E!

Next, the boys show up at Ari’s who spreads the news that the trailer on YouTube has Hollywood talking! With all studios interested, Ari is only interested in one. One that will also buy “Lost in the Clouds” the project E pitched to Ari. He also informs his boys that a reviewer wants to do a story on the three brains behind Medellin.

Ari pays a visit to Dana Gordon (callback!), she already has a name attached to “Lost in the Clouds” – Heath Ledger. Heath is represented by Josh Weinstein (another nice call-back to previous seasons.) Ari and Lloyd unleash their master plan to sink Heath and Josh and boy oh boy does it work. Ari plays Josh with the ease of Billy Joel sitting down to play Piano Man. The pairing of Ari and Lloyd makes for such great television and this time it ends with Lloyd ordering shots he calls WOOWOOs!!

Brian Grazer everone! Cameos left and right tonight. Ari’s sabotage works, Heath is off the project! However… so is the director and now “Lost in the Clouds” is stalled. Backfire! Ari starts to work his magic.

Vince convinces both Billy and E to show up for the interview and to behave. What does Billy wear to the interview? A t-shirt with SUITS SUCK on it. The man is the buster of all busters! The interview goes well, on the surface, as E and Billy lob hidden insults at each other the whole time. Once the reviewer leaves, E and Billy nearly throw down outside the restaurant. Billy rips off his t-shirt revealing his full-back Medellin tattoo. The guy is a psycho! Vince makes E drive away. E relishes in the fact that in six weeks, this project will be over and he’ll never have to see Billy again.

This ep’s story for the C-3PO and R2D2 of the show had Johnny and Turtle trying to procure a specific trucker hat to help Drama’s new ‘age down’ plan. Drama acting younger = comedy. Drama: “It’s the key to me landing the cover of Tiger Beat.” You can only buy the hat at a medical marijuana location. You can’t shop at this store without a card (prescription) and the plan has begun. Turtle brings Drama to a guy (Guest-star Bob Balaban) willing to offer a prescription to get into the establishment and get Drama the hat! Hat and prescription in hand the boys are set. Drama is a BIG hit back on the set. However, it’s not Drama that the gang wants to hang out with; it’s what he can bring from the store. I really don’t like major drug storylines in Entourage, so this week’s Drama/Turtle adventure left me somewhat uninterested in it.

As E and Vince drive through L.A. E’s cell rings – Ari! He sold the movie, and got E on as a producer. How? The “Dream Team” (TITLE!) plan. Vince stars, E produces and….. Billy directs!

Overall Episode Grade: B-

Until next week – let’s hug it out!

High School Musical 2 News

Buckle up kids - HSM2 is getting close!!

The highly-anticipated summer event for kids, tweens and families, the premiere weekend of "High School Musical 2," will feature a telecast hosted from a backyard barbeque with the movie's stars, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin, Chris Warren, Jr., KayCee Stroh and Ryne Sanborn, and with acclaimed director/choreographer Kenny Ortega, on FRIDAY, AUGUST 17 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

Wildcat Chat, an interactive element where viewers get their questions answered by the stars of "High School Musical 2," will be featured during the telecast of the movie on Saturday, August 18 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT). A recap of the results of the "HSM 2 Play Your Way" poll – which amassed 44 million votes worldwide and determined certain elements of the movie – will be presented.

A Sing-Along telecast, with lyrics to each song visible on screen and available for printing exclusively at DisneyChannel.com, will be showcased Sunday, August 19 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT).

In the contemporary musical sequel "High School Musical 2," the Wildcats are back. This time, school's out and East High School hoops star Troy Bolton, A-student Gabriella Montez and the rest of the Wildcats are getting ready for a fun summer vacation. But that all changes when scheming drama queen Sharpay Evans uses her dad's connections to get Troy a job at their ritzy country club – and a chance at a college basketball scholarship. The catch? He'll have to turn his back on his friends and pair up with Sharpay in a musical extravaganza for the club's annual talent show. But when Gabriella and the Wildcats start making plans without Troy, he must decide where his loyalties truly lie.

The Sequel is Out There!

The X-Files sequel that is!

According to a piece in the Hollywood Reporter, "Co-star David Duchovny indicated Saturday during the Television Critics Association press tour that the film, which has been the subject of speculation for the past few years, is one step closer to becoming a reality.

"I'm supposed to see a script next week," Duchovny said at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, adding that creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz wrote the screenplay and that Carter is set to direct."

It's been nearly 10 years since the first X-Files movie came out!

"Man vs Wild" Recap/Review - "Ecuador"

"Ecuador"
World Premiere Friday, July 13, 9 p.m. ET/PT
[submitted by Tiffiny F - TwoCents Reviewer]

I have a lot of respect for Bear Grylls. The man has survived a literally back-breaking fall while part of the British Special Forces and summitted Everest, both by the age of 23. He’s a survivor—but apparently he’s still trying to tempt the Fates with his show, Man vs. Wild. Tonight’s episode finds Bear in Ecuador, paragliding down into the Andean cloudforest on his way through the Amazonian rainforest and then, eventually to civilization. I’m used to Bear’s brand of crazy by now, yet his willingness to throw himself at Nature’s wrath week after week still leaves me shaking my head.

We join Bear as he glides his way from a spot in the Andes to a marshy, muddy bog about 12,000 feet above sea level. It’s cold and he’s wet, which as he reminds his viewers, is very dangerous because it can lead to hypothermia. This is one of my favorite parts of the show: where he feels it necessary to point out the obvious.
He continues to forge ahead downhill through the cloudforest, stopping to point out a legless lizard and a lethal mushroom along the way. Sometimes I think it would be impossible to survive if you are just some clueless tourist who has no idea what’s poisonous to eat and what isn’t. Luckily I hate mushrooms, so I wouldn’t eat one anyway, but that legless lizard looked somewhat tasty, and guess what? Turns out he’s poisonous too. Blast.

Something else you might not realize: getting through the dense foliage and vines of an Andean cloudforest is difficult. Bear says it can take nearly a whole day to go one mile in such dense forestation. That’s encouraging. Of course, he has training for this sort of thing, so he’s marching through the trees and vines like he’s out for leisurely nature walk. It’s not until he stops to address the camera that I can see how winded he is—it’s at this point he decides to slide down a fallen log and cut some serious time off this journey. I really thought he’d nut himself on the log, but nope. He slides down relatively unscathed, but the fun is just about to begin when he follows a channel from the base of the log into a cave full of bats. It’s dark and creepy, and as Bear points out, every surface is coated with foul-smelling guano. He can’t get out of that cave fast enough, and as he emerges on the other side, he mentions how much he can’t stand bats. Me either, Bear, me either. Maybe we have more in common than I thought.

Bear happens upon a fast moving glacial river, which he would like to follow to the Amazon (he hopes), but first he’s gotta rest and make a fire to dry himself out. The only reasonable shelter he sees, however, is a cave on the other side of the foaming river—so he has to build a bamboo bridge to get across. He cuts these two huge trunks of bamboo (using just his knife), ties on some cross-struts with vines, and voila, he has a sturdy bridge that weighs about 150 lbs. I had a feeling this wouldn’t work, and considering the amount of time it had to take Bear to make the bridge, I knew if it didn’t, he would be a bit perturbed. Sure enough, he pushes the bridge over to the other side and it smashes into uselessness. No shelter for Bear that night, and no fire, since it begins to rain and his tinder and kindling are too wet to catch a spark. It’s a momentous occasion for the survivalist; the first time he’s failed to build a fire.

Day Two dawns and Bear is more than a little cranky, but who can blame him. No fire, no shelter, no food, that damn bridge broke…I’d be in a bad mood too. Yet, he manages to find a single purple flower blooming in the canopy and it lifts his spirits: “God’s extravagance…Nature can’t help but make beautiful things,” he tells the camera, smiling. Tell you what though; I don’t care how pretty that flower is, if I can’t eat it or use it to build a fire, I wouldn’t be smiling about it right now.

Now Bear has to find a way across the river, which is still raging along. He decides to jump onto a branch hanging about halfway out into the river and use it to crawl across to the other side. Bear cautions to look for loose moss, which can be dangerous if you don’t account for it being on the branch, but I think I’d rather do some looking to make sure a jaguar isn’t perched on it. That’s a little scarier. He makes his way along the riverbank and finds some lovely little palm weevil grubs for breakfast. Okay, they aren’t lovely, in fact, they’re utterly repellent. But our Bear needs his protein so he bites into each one, face wrinkled in disgust. He describes them as “like eating cream cheese with crunchy clumps of gristle.” Mmm…tasty.

The local people of this area, the Huaorani, think the grubs are delicacy, but apparently Bear doesn’t agree with that assessment. He is, however, eager to try his hand at fishing in the way of the Huaorani (by the way, I looked them up on Wikipedia, or else I’d have no idea how to spell that), which is by making a bow and arrow and shooting the fish in shallow ponds. What kind of fish will Bear find? Here’s a hint: they like to rip flesh from creatures in a mad feeding frenzy, and no, they aren’t sharks. Once he gets his bow and arrow finished, he begins his pursuit of lunch, piranhas. Obviously, Bear is a skilled archer, because he manages to shoot three piranhas, and judging by the murkiness of the water and the speed of the fish, I’d be lucky to graze the side of one, let alone kill it for a meal.
Along with the fern fronds he found on Day One, he cooks up the fish on a fire (it worked!) and enjoys a nice, leisurely meal. I guess when one is eating fish and fronds, one doesn’t not rush oneself. Even stranded in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. With a full belly and lifted spirits, Bear decides to shack up in a cave for the night and head out again in the morning. Oddly enough, he can’t sleep—I guess the sound of jungle predators isn’t the greatest lullaby around.

It’s now Day Three, and a not-so-rested Bear is ready to find civilization (and with only about 10 minutes to go in the episode, he’s not far off) and get out of the humid, forbidding rainforest. First, though, he must find some breakfast. So he’s trying another Huaorani technique which goes like this: find smelly plant; shove in one end of animal burrow; flush out animal; shoot animal with bow and arrow; skin, cook and eat animal. Bear manages to get most of this correct, but he doesn’t cleanly kill the animal and loses sight of it while chasing it through the dense underbrush. The breakfast has fled, and Bear’s broken his bow. Lose-lose.
But he doesn’t have time to dwell on the loss, he needs to make up time and get to civilization. Bear decides to jump into the raging river and swim downstream to move faster than he can on foot. Which is a great plan, until the river becomes so violent that it’s unswimmable. So he fells a balsa wood tree (with only that ever-sharp knife, per usual) and fashions a log out of the trunk to help him float more safely in the rapids. The water becomes shallower and Bear can’t prevent his feet from banging against the rocks along the bottom so he abandons the log-floating plan and returns to terra firma. It’s not long before he spots a fire and a canoe along the riverbank, which signals the end of his journey through the Ecuadorian jungle and this episode of Man vs. Wild.

This was one of my favorite episodes, mostly because it was the first time Bear couldn’t actually make fire; he seemed more like a regular Joe than in his other adventures.

Final grade: A-

Next time: Scotland.

On a Christmas Tree, in a Galaxy Far Far Away...

Hung these fun ornaments!

Star Wars and Hallmark have teamed up again to release their Star Wars themed "Keepsake" ornaments.

All four went on sale at Hallmark stores this weekend. They consist of R2 with a Jawa, The Millenium Falcon, Obi-Wan giving Luke his first lightsaber (complete with three different sound and light effect) and a Tusken Raider. The raider is the first Hallmark Star Wars ornament that was made in a limited edition.

So get yours now!

"The Office" Summer Scavenger Search Week TWO

It's here!

Week one winner, Amanda R from Ohio, is on her way to the Hunt of Champions in September!

Can you join her by winning week two?

LifeInTheOffice.com hosts this week's hunt and you can get to their site from www.thetwocents.com

CLICK THE PHOTO FOR DETAILS!

The Office Conference Room - "Michael's Birthday"

[Updated: 7/13 - 10:50am]

NBC gave us two episodes this week.

They showed us "Michael's Birthday" from season 2.

As well as "Back from Vacation" from this season.

We will review "Michael's Birthday" this week as we've already covered "Back From Vacation" this year. If you want to read the Conference Room for this episode, it's OVER HERE.

Now that the Conference Room is back from vacation...

Everyone in the Conference Room - NOW!

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Name: KP
Office Site: TheTwoCents.com
Review: A cold opening of a pyramid scheme, perfection for suckers like Michael Scott! I think this episode really showcased what lies within Michael. And that's the NEED to be the center of attention. He buys his own birthday lunch (bologna, tomato and ketchup - BLECH!), brings in a big poster of himself for everyone to sign, throws himself a party at an ice rink and brings in donuts for himself. THEN we find out Kevin has a cancer scare and Michael (after sulking about losing attention) turns that about him too by making his own LiveStrong bracelet out of construction paper. All of this, some GREAT Jim and Pam moments while out shopping, some rare compassion from Angela, Dwight's knowledge of exactly what time Michael "exited' his mother, and of course learning that Michael's favorite song is "For The Longest Time" by William Joel (nice choice!). It was a nice episode but the JAM stuff raised it considerably.
Favorite Moment: Ryan's face AFTER my favorite quote.
Favorite Quote: Dwight: Hell, yeah. Save room for ice cream cake.
Angela: [grabs cake] Oh. Thank you.
Dwight: Oh. I got it.
Angela: What are--- it's... the party planning committee.
Dwight: [whispering] This is the most important day of the year. I can't risk anything.
Angela: Fine.
Dwight: What about that meeting... later... to discuss finances?
Angela: Yes... [whispering] but don't expect any cookie.
Dwight: [whispering] But what if I'm hungry?
Angela: [whispering] No cookie.
Overall Episode Grade: B

Top 3 All-Time Kevin Moments:- Rocking it in Scrantonicity (Both the video and at Phyllis and Bob's wedding)
- His pride in saying "I won the 2002 $2,500 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven-Draw Tournament at the World Series of Poker in Vegas. So, yeah... I'm pretty good at poker." And then losing to Phyllis and saying "I suck".
- Being locked in Michael's office with "The Surprise" on Michael's carpet.

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Name: Lauren
Office Site: Flonkerton
Review: I don't know if it's because our last two conference rooms were about the very pivotal Casino Night and Booze Cruise, but watching Michael's Birthday again tonight left me a little underwhelmed. It's a solid episode, mostly focused on Michael's unrelenting need for attention, even when more important matters come up, like the possibility of Kevin having skin cancer. But at the same time, nothing about this episode really stands out to me; there no great line or scene that I'm just waiting to hear/see. So I guess my feelings for this episode are similar to how Dwight feels about Michael's breath; good not great.
Favorite Moment: Most, if not all, of the ice-rink scenes.
Favorite Quote: Dwight: What about that meeting... later... to discuss
finances?
Angela: Yes... but don't expect any cookie.
Dwight: But what if I'm hungry?
Angela: No cookie.
Overall Episode Grade: B

Top 3 All-Time Kevin Moments:
1. Kevin gives Jim the "head up" that Roy might beat Jim up (and Kevin's subsequent reaction to watching Roy talk to Jim) in "Boys and Girls".
2. Kevin demonstrates his game of "Who can put the most M&Ms in their mouth" in "Office Olympics."
3. Kevin making his "Pam vs. Karen" list in "The Job"

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Name: jenny
Office Site: MTT
Review: I would say this is more of a moments episode than an actual story. When you rewatch it, there's definitely these little pieces that you think "Oh, right, that was this episode." The cookie conversation, the ticking time bags, the 69 Cup o Noodles and fabric softener. I just find it interesting that there are so many of these little things and yet, this isn't always thought of as one of the best episodes of the series for me. On the Jam front, I love the Season Two Jam when something serious happens and you can genuinely see how much these two -- especially Jim -- care about everyone in the office and not just making googly eyes at each other. It happens in The Injury with Dwight, and it happens here with Kevin's scare. Plus, who else would think of buying Night Swept for Michael even after all the wackiness he pulls?
Favorite Moment: Ryan's bewildered non-talking head in response to hearing Dwight and Angela's "cookie" conversation.
Favorite Quote: Michael: Hey Pam, all the stuff with Kevin, it's pretty scary and I'm thinking that the next time you're in the shower you should check yourself out. You know, give yourself an exam. Those things are like ticking time bags.
Overall Episode Grade: B

Top 3 All-Time Kevin Moments:
1. Making a salad with a shredder
2. Helping Jim choose between Karen and Pam
3. "You Oughta Know" karaoke

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Maty's Movies - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

"Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" is the most satisfying Harry Potter movie to date and a lot of that credit should go to writer Michael Goldenberg and director David Yates.

This was by far the most well written screenplay the Potter movies have received. While the writer was precise the visual lyricism of the camera work was fresh and unobtrusive.

The story is one of the toughest and most heart breaking chapters of the Harry Potter saga. Harry has to live in a world where his government is in denial about the return of Lord Voldemort. (Yeah I said it, I’m not afraid) To top that off Dumbledore won’t give him the time of day and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Dolores Umbrigde, has a personal vendetta against Harry and is preaching the idea that young wizards should not use spells even in dangerous situations.

The acting in this movie is perfect. The performance of Imelda Staunton as Umbridge was so exact to J.K. Rowling’s description you almost forget she’s not real. Also all the kids are coming into their own while acting with England’s thespianic heavyweights such as Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes (who I could watch all day long playing Voldemort). The way he moves sends shivers up my spine.

The film also brings to the forefront Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. The subtle style in which Oldman play black in this film is like watching a great artist paint. He raises the stake of this intense film with his realism and depth.

This is the most intense film of the series, but it smartly uses humor as a way to cut the tension, (Pay attention Transformers, this is how it’s done) giving the audience a chance to breathe.

The best part of this film is the ending, which is the first real wizards battle between good and bad.

Beautifully shot this movie is both flash and substance and a must see for all Potter fans and those who enjoy good storytelling.

I give this an enthusiastic A!

Some New (And Old) Faces on Nip/Tuck

From Hollywood Reporter:

"Nip/Tuck" creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy said that O'Donnell will be returning for "several episodes" of the show's upcoming fifth season starting with Episode 4. As for talk about a potential spinoff featuring her character, Dawn Budge, Murphy said, "The character was so instantly popular. We've spoken about (a spinoff); it's an ongoing discussion."

Going to ComicCon? Wanna See Pushing Daisies?

"Pushing Daises" is a new show coming to ABC this fall and produced by Warner Brothers.

According to ABC's site: "Once upon a time, Director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men In Black, Get Shorty, The Addams Family) and Writer-Producer Bryan Fuller (Heroes, Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me) created an unprecedented blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy. It is a love story about a young man with a very special gift…the ability to return someone dead briefly back to life with just a simple touch.

Ned, a mild-mannered baker of fabulous pies, discovered his gift as a child. Now he puts his gift to good use, working with his only friend, a private investigator, to crack murder cases by asking victims to name their killers. But the tale gets complicated, as all tales do, when he saves his childhood sweetheart and she miraculously stays alive. Each week, she encourages him to use his powers to solve mysteries and help others. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist: if Ned ever touches her again, she'll lose the life he gave her, for good this time. There's always a catch…

Golden Globe-nominee Lee Pace (The Good Shepherd, Soldier's Girl), Chi McBride (The Nine, Boston Public), Golden Globe-nominee Swoosie Kurtz (Huff, Sisters) and Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing, Broadway's Wicked) star in a fairytale in the spirit of Amelie, Stranger than Fiction, and Chocolat. From the producers of Big Fish comes an equally magical and delightful series that offers a weekly dose of sweet, heartwarming, quirky fun."

If you're going to ComicCon in San Diego at the end of this month, you could get in to see the premiere of this show. You'll get to meet Executive Producer Bryan Fuller, Director Barry Sonnenfeld and cast members. The first 300 people in the door will get some pie!

Pilot Screening and Q&A will be Saturday July 28th from 9:15-10:15am in Room 6CDEF.

Enjoy!

Jenna Fischer Gets An "A"!

TwoCents reader, Crystal, sent us a message on our MySpace page to let us know Jenna Fischer's MySpace blog was given an "A" grade by Entertainment Weekly!

Also on the list is our boy Kevin Smith who received an A- for his!

Thanks for the tip Crystal!

Grey's Starts It Up!

Production has begun in Los Angeles on Season Four of ABC’s Golden Globe-winning series “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Entering their first year as residents, Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens and Alex Karev now have interns of their own to mentor. Among the new interns are George, forced to repeat his internship after failing his exams, and Lexie Grey, Meredith’s half-sister.

Actress Chyler Leigh joins the cast as Lexie Grey. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Leigh has worked with some of the biggest talents in the business, from Aaron Spelling (“Safe Harbor,” “7th Heaven”) to David E. Kelley (“Girls Club,” “The Practice”). Her television and film credits also include “The 80s Show,” “Reunion” and “Not Another Teen Movie.”

“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang, Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, T.R. Knight as George O’Malley, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens, Jr. as Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Eric Dane as Mark Sloan and Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey.

“Grey’s Anatomy” was created and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes (“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”). Betsy Beers (“Casanova”), Mark Gordon (“Saving Private Ryan”), Krista Vernoff (“Law & Order”) and Rob Corn (“Chicago Hope”) are executive producers. “Grey’s Anatomy” is an ABC Studios Production.

Agent Michael Scarn IS Maxwell Smart!

Steve Carell stars in a movie next summer which is yet another TV show brought to the big screen.

Carell is the lead in Get Smart which comes out in 2008. I loved watching this show when I was little. The shoe phone never got old for me. The best part looking back? The shoe phone was rotary!

Anne Hathaway stars as Agent 99, The Rock is Agent 23, Alan Arkin is The Chief, Masi Oka (Hiro from "Heroes") is in there and Terence Stamp plays the evil villain.

Here's the TRAILER which Yahoo just posted. In the scene where the beads fall - is that or is that NOT Michael Scarn!?

Party Night on "The Office"!

NBC gives us TWO episodes this evening!

BACK FROM VACATION
9/8c TV14
07.12.2007
MICHAEL RETURNS FROM HIS JAMAICAN VACATION AS THE OFFICE PREPARES FOR A NIGHT OF INVENTORY - Still in "vacation mode" after his trip to Jamaica, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) tries to hang on to his relaxed island vibe despite a wave of office hassles. But it becomes too much when an e-mail containing a racy vacation photo is forwarded around the office. Pam (Jenna Fischer) gets caught in the middle as Jim (John Krasinski) and Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) argue.
Watch a Clip

and

MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY
10/9c TV14
07.12.2007
In celebration of his birthday, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) takes the Dunder Mifflin gang ice skating, while Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) nervously waits for some medical test results.
Watch a Clip

AND! If you haven't entered "The Office Summer Scavenger Search" what are you waiting for? Entries for Week One must be in by Sunday night! CLICK HERE FOR THE DETAILS!

TV by KP - "The Singing Bee" vs. "Don't Forget The Lyrics"

Welcome to tonight's heavyweight bout between NBC’s “The Singing Bee” and FOX’s “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”.

We here at TheTwoCents have watched both and are going to give you the punch by punch run down of the two shows!

Let’s go to the play by play!

Bee – Joey Fatone welcomes us and introduces himself, the band kicks right in with “I’m So Excited”.
Lyrics – Slow Motion Clips of contestants from the next few weeks and a random announcer saying what the show is about.

Bee - Joey dances and runs through the audience pushing the microphone into audience members’ faces. If they sing it right when he goes by, they go to the stage to play.
Lyrics – Ricky Miner and the band hits the theme and Wayne Brady welcomes us and introduces himself.

Bee - 6 people got it right and they are tonight’s contestants!
Lyrics - They bring tonight’s one contestant, Katie Moeser, to the stage. Wayne interviews her a little about biology, bugs and knitting.

Bee – Roll the quick video logo and the theme song written for the show. Joey gives a quick introduction on how the show works and starts round 1.
Lyrics – Wayne unveils tonight’s categories: 1980s, Classic Rock, Country, Divas, Girl Bands, Pop, Rhythm and Blues, Rock, and Rolling Stones. He then talks to Katie a little more about her favorite category.

Bee – Round one - the six contestants stand in a line. In a random order they step forward one by one. Joey tells them the year and the artist and the song title. The band starts to play and when they stop you have to sing the next few lines.
Lyrics – If Katie makes it up to the top of the scale she wins 1 Million Dollars.

Bee – Contestant #65 gets “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. He gets it right and gets to go to the Musical Chairs meaning he’s in the next round. #3 gets “Venus” by Bananarama. He gets it wrong. #43 gets it wrong. So does #28, #96 and #120. Back to #3 who gets “Maneater” by Hall and Oats. He gets it and moves on to the musical chairs! #43 steps up for “Losing My Religion” by REM. She gets it and moves on too! #28 steps up for “Maniac” and gets it right. The 4 musical chairs are filled and #96 and #120 have to go home.
Lyrics – Katie picks R&B and gets to choose between “I Just Called To Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder and “Have You Seen Her” by the Chi-lites. She chooses Stevie Wonder. She says hi to the band, Wayne explains that band will play with the words on the screen, then the words stop and she has to sing the next few words. She gets a whole verse and most of the chorus while Wayne stands there and sways back and forth. Then, they take her 4 words she sang. Put it on the screen. “Are you confident?” Wayne introduces the 3 backups (life lines) she could use. If she’s secure in it, she can “LOCK IN THOSE LYRICS” and then we get to see if she’s right or not. (Seriously, this is a new show, not Millionaire). Her lyrics turn blue when they are locked in, if they correct, they will turn green and if she’s wrong they turn red and she goes home with nothing. She gets it right and is going for $5000. She picks ROCK category. Picks “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night (yes, again) over “Hard to Handle” by the Black Crows. Verse – Chorus – and her next 4 lines are on the screen again. Wayne leans in, “are you sure?” She locks it in and is correct. We are going to $10,000. Katie chooses Divas. She picks “Material Girl” by Madonna over “New Attitude” by Patti LaBelle. Apparently Material Girl is her karaoke standard, yes, the contestants talk like on those other shows. Band stops, she sings, her lyrics on the screen, is she sure? Locks it in. She’s right. We will continue, after the break. And then they show clips of what is after the commercial break. Just in case you forget to turn it back on you’ll have an idea of what happened.

First Commercial Break Number of Songs Performed
Bee – SIX
Lyrics – THREE

Bee – Round 2. The 4 remaining contestants are now identified by name. Step up from their line and have new songs. The words they need to sing are scrambled on the screen in front of them and they need to sing them in the right order when the band stops. James and George step up together. Whoever gets it right when the other gets it wrong moves on to the 3rd round. The first song – Joey is very excited to announce – N*Sync “Bye Bye Bye”. (Smart move to do this in the first episode). James does the dance, but can’t get the words right. If George gets it right, he moves on. George gets “Alone” by Heart. He rocks it and moves on. Bye Bye Bye James! Next 2 contestants. Autumn and Gussie step up. Autumn sings “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. She BUTCHERS it. Gussie skips a word from “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer. Back to Autumn. “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil (Great song by the way), Autumn had NO idea how the song went, got it wrong. Gussie moves on to the next round by rocking “Tush” by ZZ Top. Joey sends it to commercials as the band kicks up “Bye Bye Bye” again and Joey breaks out the old choreography. Again – great move by acknowledging where he came from and not trying to hide from it.
Lyrics – Wayne “sets the picture” for us by recapping the first 7 minutes we just watched. $25,000 rung. If she gets this right she will go home with at least that much. (Sound familiar?). Katie picks Girl Bands and chooses “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bengals instead of “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. Verse and Chorus AND a music break for this song. (Having performed at Karaoke bars, there is nothing worse than a music break in a karaoke song) and another verse. Her lines go up on the screen. Is she sure? She talks out her thought process (yup, just like Millionaire). She uses her “back up” of 2 Words where she can pick 2 of her words to see if they are correct or not. They were both correct. The heart thumping and music and the lights – all the same as all the other shows. She locks it in. Wayne tells us AGAIN that she gets nothing if this is wrong. Music – lights, music builds….she’s right. NO DUH! She’s going to buy a microscope and biggest ant farm $25,000 can buy. Let’s move on. Going for $50,000. She can choose her category…… “RIGHT AFTER THIS BREAK”. I kid you not, Wayne said that. No this isn’t my Idol recap. Then the clips from the “After the Break”. Seriously folks, what is the point of that?

Second Commercial Break Number of Songs Performed:
Bee – SIX
Lyrics – ONE (yup, one)

Bee – Round 3. George vs Gussie. This round – when the singers stop, the contestants have to sing the entire chorus of a song. George is first and gets “All Star” by Smashmouth. HE GETS IT RIGHT! Word for Word. Gussie’s turn. He gets “Sweet Home Alabama”!! OH MAN!! He threw in an extra word and Gussie has to go home. George is tonight’s Singing Bee Champion! He gets to go to the bonus round for a chance to take home the $50,000!!!! The beauty is these bad singers only have to sing like 4 lines at a max.
Lyrics – Wayne recaps the full show for us again. $50,000 rung. Katie chooses Pop as her category and “ABC” by the Jackson 5 and “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter. She has to get 5 missing words. Wayne stops and pulls a ‘random’ guy out of the audience. Wayne and this guy stand behind her and dance as back up singers. This guy is not at all embarrassed. Random – yeah right. Full verse, chorus again and then into the bridge and back into a verse. Her words are up, she locks them in. Wayne says: “There’s only one thing to do right now…….go to commercial.” Yeah, love that. Then we have our clips from the final section…The bad thing is that this bad singer has to sing like MOST of the lines from these songs.

Third Commercial Break Number of Songs Performed:
Bee – TWO
Lyrics – ONE

Bee – Bonus Round called “The Final Countdown” and yes the band launched into “The Final Countdown” by Europe. George gets 7 songs to sing parts of. He wins money for each correct song and if he gets 5 of the 7 correct, he wins the $50,000. If he gets three wrong, he loses everything. He’s not told the titles, the band just starts playing and George has to pick up where the singers leave off. He sings “Walk Like An Egyptian” wrong. He gets “Bohemian Rhapsody” correct! Next up is “I’m Too Sexy” and George is a model of correct. “Cold Hearted Snake” is no problem for George as he gets that one right too! Only 1 strike and 2 songs left to go. George can’t handle “Heart of Glass” by Blondie. 3 right, 2 wrong. Sing it with us… “You keep on shouting, you keep on shouting…. I…. Wanna Rock and Roll ALL Night….” “And party EVERYday!!” Yeah, you knew it didn’t you? Well, so did GEORGE! Last song! “Do You Love Me?” Yes we do George! You’re our champion! He got it right, the confetti guns go off! It’s mayhem. Joey, George, the band the audience sing Rock and Roll All Night as we end the show.
Lyrics – Once again we get a recap from Wayne. She doesn’t want to use any more backups. Wayne reveals each word at a time to see if they are correct. Heart thumping music, light guns, etc etc etc. Wayne pauses…stalls…makes a crude joke…And ya know what? She’s right. Lots of jumping up and down, music and lights going crazy. She’s going for $100,00! She chooses Classic Rock category and she will pick the song to sing…. TOMORROW! They just end the show and we get clips for tomorrow night. We see her sing at least 3 OTHER songs so we know she’s not going home until at least 2 or 3 more categories. Is that a teaser or a spoiler?

Final Round Number of Songs Performed:
Bee – SEVEN
Lyrics – NONE (yup, that’s less than 1).

So, let’s recap shall we?

Show’s Titles:
"The Singing Bee" - inventive, cute, refers to the style of show and gives it a little bee logo.
"Don’t Forget the Lyrics" – could this be less inventive? If the guy who came up with this was working for CBS, they may have a show called “Annoying People Stranded On A Beach With No Food Who Compete In Silly Challenges And Every Week Someone Goes Home, Oh Yeah, Jeff Probst Is In It.” Be sure to catch APSOABWNOFWCISCAEWSGHOYJPIII this fall on CBS!
Winner: Bee (by a mile)

Hosts:
Bee – Joey Fatone: Former Boy-band member from N*Sync. Was just featured on the world wide phenomenon “Dancing With The Stars”.
Lyrics – Wayne Brady: Grandma’s favorite talk-show host from a few years back, and recently featured in ABC Family repeats of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”.
Winner: Bee (close one though because I really do like Wayne Brady from improv)

Format:
Bee – Just like a spelling bee, you’re lined up with numbers on your chest. Six people start the first round. The band kicks in to gear and they start to sing the lyrics to very well known songs. The band stops and you have to sing the next few words. We go through three different rounds where people are eliminated as we go through. The final winner of the day plays a bonus round to win all the money.
Lyrics – It’s Millionaire/Fifth Grader/1 v 100/Deal or No Deal with a karaoke machine. One person competes. You have a scale of money prizes that you climb up with each correct answer. You have 3 life lines/saves/cheats/back ups. You keep playing until you’re wrong or you reach the top value. Could happen over multiple shows.
Winner: Bee (More contestants, more chances, every show is self-contained, no “tune in next time to see what happens”.)

Top Prize:
Bee – The champ of each night can win up to $50,000
Lyrics – If you make it all the way up the scale you could win a $1 Million
Winner: Lyrics (by $950,000)

House Bands:
Bee – unknown musicans. Dressed in flashy outfits. Multiple singers for every style. And 4 girl dancers in little bee colored outfits.
Lyrics – the house band from American Idol. But they don’t use singers, the contestants do all the singing.
Winner: Tie. (The flashy and singers are better from Bee, but the dancers aren’t needed. The Idol band has rep from that show.)

Show Progression:
Bee - has three different kinds of music singing rounds.
Lyrics - has the ladder of prize money.
Winner: Bee

Bee has six contestants.
Lyrics used one tonight and she’s back tomorrow.
Winner: Bee

Bee has a champion every show.
Lyrics has “to be continued”.
Winner: Bee

Bee used Joey Fatone to sing/dance “Bye Bye Bye”
Lyrics let Wayne and an Audience Member step-touch behind Katie.
Winner: Bee

Bee performed a total of TWENTY songs.
Lyrics performed a total of FIVE (three of which were before the first commercial break).
Winner: Bee

Bee is something we haven’t seen before.
Lyrics is literally Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with Music.
Winner: Bee

Bee goes into commercial with fun, excitement and a song for the audience to sing.
Lyrics goes into commercial with a line robbed from Ryan Seacrest.
Winner: Bee

It’s a land slide! KO for Bee.

I give “The Spelling Bee” a B+ and I think it’s VERY entertaining. People could watch this and sing along at home and have fun.

I give “Don’t Forget The Lyrics” a D-. Only thing saving it from an F is Wayne Brady. With all the locking in the lyrics, contestant thought process and dramatic music – it’s just plain boring.

What do you think? What are your TwoCents about these shows?

Supergirl Lands in Smallville!

TV Guide is reporting that "Smallville" has cast the actress to play Supergirl on the hit CW show.

According to the article: "Just in time to be paraded before the Comic-Con fanboys, 22-year-old Laura Vandervoort, whom fans of The N (our Angel Cohn, included) know as "Instant Star's" Sadie, has been cast in the role of Smallville's Kara aka Supergirl. This superstrong — and airborne! — newcomer may prove to be a super pain to her kin, however. "We've wanted a character to shake things up," series creator Al Gough tells People. "She may be Clark Kent's cousin, but that doesn't mean she's going to be the obedient one!'"

For the complete story on how Smallville will introduce its take on Supergirl, see the TV Guide News Report.

ESPY Awards Taped Last Night

STOP!

STOP!

If you're really waiting until Sunday to watch the telecast of the awards on ESPN at 9pm EST, then don't read anymore of this post!!

You've Been Warned!

According to ESPN: "LaDainian Tomlinson won four trophies at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, including male athlete of the year for his record-setting season with the San Diego Chargers. Tomlinson defeated LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and Tiger Woods for athlete of the year."

Click HERE for the full story.

CBS Goes For The Yellow Jersey

CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR's exclusive network coverage of the 2007 TOUR DE FRANCE begins the first of its three hour-long specials on Sunday, July 15 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET).

The second installment of special race coverage continues on Sunday, July 22 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET) and concludes with the final stage on Sunday, July 29 (1:00-2:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.

For the 94th year, the TOUR DE FRANCE brings the finest cycling athletes from around the globe to one place for one race in what some consider the world's greatest annual sporting event. This year, the race commenced in London and will proceed through 20 grueling stages, covering a total distance of 3,570 kilometers.

Graig Hummer joins CBS Sports' TOUR DE FRANCE announce team along with "the voice of cycling" analyst Phil Liggett, who is working his 35th consecutive year on Tour television coverage, and industry veteran and former pro rider of seven Tours, Paul Sherwen, in calling the action.

CBS Sports once again partners with Versus to broadcast the 2007 TOUR DE FRANCE. Vic Frank serves as producer of CBS Sports' coverage. Production support will be provided by Versus.

Grey's Casting News

Today I found out that Chyler Leigh will be joining the cast of "Grey's Anatomy".

My first thing was to look up who Chyler was. I saw a picture and a light bulb went off. She was the star of "Not Another Teen Movie"!

Chyler has also appeared in the show that made me weary of serial dramas - she was in "Reunion" which as anyone who watched it can tell you, was cancelled before we found out who the killer was! She was also on Grey's at the end of last season.

Also, KaDee Strickland has been cast in the Grey's spinoff - "Private Practice". Looking up KaDee I found her to be one of the cast of last season's short-run "The Wedding Bells", but I recognized her from her role in "Fever Pitch".

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Leigh plays Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) half-sister, Lexie Grey, who comes to Seattle Grace as a new intern. On "Private Practice" KaDee will play Charlotte, a doctor and hospital administrator.

Farewell...

...Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady

"When she died of natural causes at her Austin home Wednesday, at age 94, Mrs. Johnson was remembered as loving and gentle, yet strong in spirit and in her dedication to her family and her passion for nature."

Lady Bird Johnson was the widow of former President Lyndon B. Johnson who passed away in 1973.

Still Looking For New Writers!!

COMIC-CON 2007 (San Diego)
Are you a fan of comics? Sci-fi? LOST? Heroes? Any of the above?
Do you like to blog/write/post/comment/take pictures/read stories/view movies/etc etc etc?
Are you going to Comic-Con 2007 in San Diego the last weekend of July?
If so, we're looking for you to be our correspondent at the Convention!
Contact us at ComicCon@TheTwoCents.com and we'll be in touch!

HARRY POTTER FANS
Did I mention that it will be coming out in BOOK and MOVIE in the next few weeks?
Want to be my correspondent about this? Are you going to stand in line to buy the book or see the new movie? I want your story! Email me at HarryPotter@TheTwoCents.com if you're interested!

TELEVISION REVIEWERS
This fall we are looking to expand the recaps we do on TheTwoCents to include more programs. We are looking for volunteers willing to write brief recaps/reviews of the following shows: (list will be amended as more are added or spoken for).

Grey's Anatomy (staffed)
24 (staffed)
Battlestar Galactica (staffed)
Boston Legal
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Desperate Housewives
ER
Friday Night Lights (staffed)
Heroes
House
Law & Order
Law & Order SVU
Law & Order CI
LOST
Prison Break (staffed)
Scrubs
Smallville (staffed)
Ugly Betty
John From Cincinnati (staffed)
Nip/Tuck (staffed)
The Shield (staffed)
Weed (staffed)
Big Love (staffed)
The Tudors (staffed)

Email us at TVReviews@TheTwoCents.com

if you're interested and we'll try to work something out.

To BEE or Not To BEE - AGAIN

Did you miss the debut of "The Singing Bee" last night while watching Ichiro round the bases for the first ever All-Star Game inside the park homerun?

No worries, NBC is there for us!

The Joey Fatone hosted karaoke show will re-run tonight on the Peacock Network.

The show will air tonight at 8:30pm EST.

I watched the premiere episode a few days ago, but never had a chance to write it up. But I really enjoy what Stewart Levine of Variety thought about it, so here's a link to his review.

Everybody Cut, Everybody Cut Footloose..... AGAIN

From Variety:

"Paramount is plotting a musical remake of the 1984 film "Footloose" and will develop it for "High School Musical" star Zac Efron and director Kenny Ortega. Dylan Sellers will produce.
Ortega is in negotiations to helm and choreograph, and Efron is in talks to play Ren McCormack, the rebellious newcomer (originally played by Kevin Bacon) in a town where dancing has been banned.

Original was directed by Herb Ross and scripted by Dean Pitchford.

Plan is to turn the project into a full-blown musical. "Footloose" was already turned into a Broadway tuner.

The 19-year-old Efron made his breakthrough with the Ortega-directed Disney Channel teletuner "High School Musical" and just completed an Ortega-directed sequel with the original cast; a third installment is in the planning stages.

Efron makes his feature debut in "Hairspray," which New Line releases Friday."

Again we pose the question - is this a good thing?

Court TV Legally Changes Its Name

As part of an extensive branding initiative that will also include a new look, new logo and expanded line-up, Court TV is about to become truTV. This new name reflects the network’s popular line-up of series that offer first-person access to exciting, real-life stories, according to the announcement today by Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, and Marc Juris, the network’s general manager. Through a dynamic original programming line-up that has been providing the network with strong and consistent audience growth, truTV will target a highly coveted psychographic known as “Real Engagers.” In addition, the network has put four new projects into development in support of the new brand, including shows from Granada Television, producer of Nanny 911; Original Productions, co-producer of Deadliest Catch; Bunim/Murray Productions, creators of The Real World; and Tiger Aspect USA, producer of Ms. Adventure. The complete re-branding will launch Jan. 1, 2008.

“The success of the Turner Entertainment Networks can be attributed in a big way to the fact that we have built strong brands that resonate with viewers,” said Koonin. “With this new name, truTV joins its sister networks TNT, TBS and TCM in establishing itself a solid, identifiable brand, paving the way for continued growth.”

Developing the truTV network name is the latest step in a nearly year-long process of rebranding the network. The process began with extensive research into who the network’s prime-time and late-night viewers are and what kind of programming they desire. The compiled data showed that the line-up attracts a dual-gender audience that loves programming with real people in exciting real-life situations and a strong interest in compelling stories and characters.

“Early in the rebranding process, we realized that the current network name doesn’t reflect the direction of our programming or our growing target audience of Real Engagers,” said Juris. “In truTV, we now have the ideal name that fits both the programming and the target audience. The network will be top of mind for Real Engagers seeking real-life action programming, real-life emotion and access to places they can’t normally go.”

Each weekday morning, truTV will continue to feature a six-hour block of the network’s award-winning trial coverage, with continuing broadband coverage online. Nielsen measurement will commence weekdays at 3 p.m. with the new talk show STAR JONES. This one-hour show, which will air live from Jones’ studio, will feature the day’s top stories and top guests from the worlds of pop culture, entertainment, crime and justice.

In prime time, early fringe and late night, truTV will continue to feature a line-up of already-popular signature series that target Real Engagers, including such shows as SPEEDERS, FORENSIC FILES and HAUNTING EVIDENCE. Upcoming series slated to join the line-up in support of the new brand include projects like BOUNTY GIRLS, featuring four tough, smart, beautiful and diverse female professionals on the hunt for some of Miami’s most dangerous fugitives; THE REAL HUSTLE, featuring a trio of con artists going after unsuspecting marks; and MOST DARING, a gripping series that focuses on life-or-death rescues.

The network is also in development on a number of unique, high-profile series and specials from top-name producers. “Our new development projects are the kind of compelling stories and people our audience of Real Engagers is seeking,” said Juris. “We’re proud to be working with successful, top-name producers in crafting series that will continue building on the network’s growing success.”

Among the project in development are the following:

NEIGHBORS 911 (working title) – From Granada America and executive producer Curt Northrup (Nanny 911) comes this new series in which former Green Beret Myke Hawke goes into the homes of people whose feuding has escalated into all-out war. He then uses video evidence to force them to confront each other and resolve their differences.

SKI PATROL (working title) – This exciting, character-driven series from Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World) gets viewers up close and personal with the men and women who work in some of the most extreme environments in the country. They do everything from dynamiting snowdrifts and performing daring out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking to party on the slopes.

BLACK GOLD (working title) – Few jobs have higher stakes than those of “wildcatters” in Texas, oil prospectors who race one another to tap into the last remaining U.S. reserves. From Original Productions’ Thom Beers, executive producer of hit series Deadliest Catch, this show will follow several of these wildcatters and their crew of roughnecks as they risk their lives, limbs and hundreds of thousands of dollars setting up rigs in an attempt to strike oil.

OUTLAW CHASERS (working title) – Randy Hicks and Lanny Dean are a renegade pair of storm junkies who, armed with just a radio and some video cameras, pursue twisters all around the Midwest in their customized pick-up truck. Using incredibly dramatic present and past-tense footage from their most exciting pursuits, this collection of specials from Tiger Aspect USA and executive producer Lawrence Cumbo (Ms. Adventure) will tell their story while following them in their quest to fulfill their dream: filming a tornado from the inside.

Wait, Didn't I Just Watch This?

Ever feel like you're saying this while flipping the stations?

It's very apparent now as we deal with Joey Fatone's "Singing Bee" and Wayne Brady's "Don't Forget the Lyrics".

But this isn't a first for TV. Not by a long shot.

Entertainment Weekly has a fun segment on the web today spotlighting some more of this "cloned" show phenominon!

MGM & FOX Sell DVDs To Help Fight Cancer

Breast Cancer to be exact.

According to a piece in the Hollywood Reporter; "20th Century Fox and MGM are teaming up on a giant DVD sale to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

On Sept. 18, the studios will rerelease a dozen DVD titles that appeal to women, from "Thelma & Louise" to "Never Been Kissed," in distinct pink packaging. Fifty cents from each DVD sold (the list price is $14.98) will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a leading research organization in the fight against the disease."

Other titles announced are: "An Affair to Remember," "A Walk in the Clouds," "Entrapment," "Ever After," "In Her Shoes," "Legally Blonde," "Mermaids," "Moulin Rouge," "Say Anything" and "There's Something About Mary."

It's a great idea for a great cause.

Quik-E-Mart, Moe's, Comic Book Guy's Shop.. all in.. Vermont??

The national contest for the "official" Springfield for "The Simpsons" is over.

After 109,582 votes, Springfield, Vermont was named the winner!

The prize? Springfield, VT will have the official premeire of 20th Century Fox's "The Simpsons Movie" on July 21st with "the filmmakers on hand to walk the yellow carpet."

Price Is Right For Roth?

TwoCents reader, Andrew E, sent in this link for an online petition to have everyone's favorite, JD Roth, become the host of "The Price is Right"!

SIGN THE PETITION

If you want to read more about JD, head over to RealityCheckByGina.com where she recently interviewed him about his role as executive producer of "Age of Love" on NBC.

HBO Lets You Have It "As You Like It"

Speaking of theater...

HBO Films presents director Kenneth Branagh's imaginative adaptation of Shakespeare's classic AS YOU LIKE IT, celebrating the enduring power of love in all its many disguises. Witty, playful and utterly magical, the story is a compelling romantic adventure in which Rosalind and Orlando's celebrated courtship is played out against a backdrop of political rivalry, banishment and exile in the Forest of Arden - set in 19th-century Japan.

Marking Branagh's fifth Shakespearean screen adaptation, AS YOU LIKE IT features a cast that includes (in alphabetical order): Brian Blessed ("I, Claudius"), Romola Garai ("Vanity Fair"), Bryce Dallas Howard ("Spider-Man 3"), Kevin Kline (Oscar(r)-winner for "A Fish Called Wanda"), Adrian Lester ("Hustle"), Janet McTeer (HBO Films' upcoming "Five Days"), Alfred Molina ("The Da Vinci Code") and David Oyelowo (HBO Films' upcoming "Five Days"). The film debuts TUESDAY, AUG. 21 (9:00-11:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 25 (4:00 p.m.) and 29 (10:30 a.m., midnight), and Sept. 2 (10:45 a.m.), 6 (4:00 p.m.) and 11 (2:00 p.m.).

HBO2 playdates: Aug. 27 (9:30 a.m.) and 31 (8:00 p.m.).

HBO presents in association with BBC Films, A Shakespeare Film Company Production, AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare. Adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh; produced by Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund and Simon Moseley; director of photography, Roger Lanser, ACS; production designer, Tim Harvey; editor, Neil Farrell; music composed by Patrick Doyle; costume designer, Susannah Buxton; makeup and hair designer, Jenny Shircore; casting by Sarah Bird. HBO Films vice president Jenni Sherwood is the executive in charge of the production.

ABOUT THE STORY
Thanks to its timeless wit, romance and playfulness, "As You Like It" is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. For Kenneth Branagh, the idea of making a film version came to him while playing Touchstone, the court fool, in repertoire in the mid-'80s.

CLICK HERE TO KEEP READING

My So Called (Broadway) Life

One of the smartest actresses around is FINALLY making the smart move and going to Broadway!

Claire Danes, who many consider on of the younger generations greatest female artists, has accepted the role of Eliza Doolittle in the revival of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion".

For those of you saying; "Wait a minute, Eliza Doolittle is from 'My Fair Lady'", you're right, but "My Fair Lady" was based on "Pygmalion". :)

The production opens at New York's Roundabout Theatre Company on Oct 18th (previews start about a month before that) and is schedule to run into December.

Comic Geek Review - "All Star Superman #8"

A new correspond ant has joined the ranks of TheTwoCents.

TM, who refers to himself lovingly as a "Comic Geek" will be reviewing the latest and greatest in the world of comics.

Here is his first submission. Welcome to the team TM!

[submitted by TM]

The Comic Geek review of:

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8

DC Comics: Release date 07-05-07

Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, Cover by Frank Quitely.

All Star Superman is one of the two titles in the DC comics All Star imprint. (All Star Batman is the other) These books are DC’s attempt to allow all star comic artists and writers a chance to tell stories showcasing the main DC characters, without being restricted by DC Universe continuity.

The plot:
A horrific Bizarro plague spreads across Metropolis leaving terrified Daily Planet staffers holed up at the office as Superman is trapped in the reverse madness of a dying Bizarro World!

What is a Bizarro?:
An imperfect duplicate of Superman made using a stolen strand of Superman's DNA by Lex Luthor. The cloning process was unstable and the Superman clone mutated in form and mind into a grotesque parody of the Man of Steel dubbed a "Bizzaro" by a horrified Metropolis. Possessing bits of the original Superman's memory, Bizzaro set about imitating Superman's heroic actions with disastrous results.

What happens?
In this version there is a whole mad world of Superman-like beings with Paris Hilton-like brains. (This is referred to as Bizarro World) The planet is dying and on the whole planet there is only one smart Bizarro. (Zibarro) It is Zibarro’s job to help a sick and dying Superman motivate and supervise a cast of some of dimmest bulbs ever seen to build him a rocket to escape the planet. The premise and the idea behind the story was good, and if executed properly it could have been great unfortunately a comic full of backwards speaking Superman clones leads to confusion and a big fat head ache. Bizarro versions of Superman’s father Jor-El, Green Lantern & the Flash were highlights. (A Green Lantern with a brain powered power ring that is worthless as Bizarro’s are brainless, and a Flash who’s top speed is two inches per hour is quite comical) and made this book a decent read, but it is not a book I recommend for a first time buyer , a child or a casual reader as the book was hard to follow and understand, and by far the worst of the series so far.

That said Grant Morrison is one of the best comic writers in the business today, and the artist on this book Frank Quietly is brilliant and a future star. The art and coloring in this book truly is All Star in caliber. My recommendation is to pick up All Star Superman Volume 1 featuring the first six issues of the series. “A back to basics new vision of the World's First Super-Hero”

All Star Superman 8 rating 2 of 5
Overall Series rating 4 of 5

Please look for my upcoming review of:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN # 111

Scanton Businesses Looking From Some TV Time!!

A TwoCents reader, who didn't leave their name, just sent in this great story!

Apparently the head props people from "The Office" are heading to Scranton to meet with local business owners to see what other "real" Scranton items then can feature in the background on the show!

"For two days, the executive responsible for making the characters drink at Poor Richard’s Pub, eat Cugino’s pizza and dial Rock 107 will be in town to see what else Scranton has to offer."

If you go
For whom: Businesses willing to be mentioned or have their material or products shown on the hit NBC show “The Office.”
Where: The Mall at Steamtown, Lackawanna Avenue
When: July 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thanks for sending it in, whoever you are!

"24" Needs More Time!

At least that's what Ausiello is telling us on TVGuide.com!

In this entry he explains that an entire plot/story line from the new upcoming season has been scrapped!

They were in Africa, then not, then maybe L.A., but no, re-write...

Man! This is more tense then all of last season was!

Dan Patrick is Going, Going, GONE!

Off ESPN anyway!

A story on Yahoo today had the following:

"Dan Patrick, one half of the duo that helped bring "SportsCenter" to its snarky fame in the 1990s, will leave ESPN next month.
Patrick announced his departure on his ESPN Radio show Monday from San Francisco, where he was covering the lead-up to Tuesday night's Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Patrick's last radio show will air August 17. It wasn't immediately clear when his last appearance on TV will be."

Good Luck Dan!

CURSES!!

Or charms, or spells, whatever you want to call them.

People.com has a fun little quiz to see if you can remember what spells they used in the movies of...

HARRY POTTER!

Did I mention that it will be coming out in BOOK and MOVIE in the next few weeks?

Want to be my correspondant about this?

Are you going to stand in line to buy the book or see the new movie? I want your story!

By the way, in case you were curious about my score on the quiz?

YOUR RESULTS:
6 out of 6 answered correctly

TRIWIZARD CHAMP
You might as well be enrolled at Hogwarts yourself!

Two Cents Give Their Two Cents To Office Alliance!

The tables were flipped on me as I was interviewed for another Office site!

The Office Alliance Pod Cast has some great sections with Office News, episode reviews and more!

I was lucky enough to be asked to be their "Employee of the Week" and we did an interview for about 20 minutes.

We talked about the different Office interviews I've done here, the Office Convention in Scanton, and of COURSE the Summer Scavenger Search! They even asked me my OWN TwoCents Bonus Question!

You can download the podcast off of their website! Tell them KP sent ya!

Live Earth, Dead In The Ratings

I'll admit it, I didn't watch and of it.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one.

This Reuter's story claims: "The main three-hour American TV broadcast on NBC averaged a meager 2.7 million viewers, ranking as the least-watched U.S. program on Saturday night and falling below NBC's summer prime-time Saturday average, Nielsen Media Research reported on Monday."

The competition for that time? Monsters, Inc. on ABC and "48 Hours" (The News Program) on CBS.

You're (Not) Fired!

According to an article on E! the Donald is back!

NBC and Trump have apparently reached an agreement to bring The Apprentice back to TV.

Now we all have to make the decision... is this necessarily a good thing?

Fox Gives You Some DVR Heads Up!

FOX has set the fall premiere dates for its new and returning series. Five new shows – including dramas K-VILLE and NEW AMSTERDAM, comedy BACK TO YOU and the unscripted KITCHEN NIGHTMARES and NASHVILLE – join returning favorites on the fall schedule.

The premieres are listed below in chronological order.

All times are ET/PT.

Thursday, Aug. 30
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER? (Season Premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 8
8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT COPS (Season Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT COPS (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK (Season Premiere)

Thursday, Sept. 13
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Series Premiere)

Friday, Sept. 14
9:00-10:00 PM NASHVILLE (Series Premiere)

Saturday, Sept. 15
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv (Season Premiere)

Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN (Season Premiere)

Monday, Sept. 17
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM K-VILLE (Series Premiere)

Wednesday, Sept. 19
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU (Series Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM ’TIL DEATH (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Season Premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 23
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (Season Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM FAMILY GUY (1-Hour Season Premiere)
[EDITOR’S NOTE: On Sundays in the fall, due to live NFL football broadcasts, encore comedy programming will be scheduled from 7:00-8:00 PM.]

Tuesday, Sept. 25
8:00-9:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE (Season Premiere)

Sunday, Sept. 30
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (Time Period Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (Season Premiere)

"THE OFFICE" SUMMER SCAVENGER SEARCH STARTS TODAY!!

That's right! It's finally here!

Week one of "The Office" Summer Scavenger Search has finally arrived!

Your chance to prove you are the biggest "Dunderhead" on the internet and in the process take home some GREAT prizes!!

We're happy to announce that the weekly winners will receive a Froggy 101 sticker just like the one you can see on Dwight's filing cabinet on episodes of "The Office"!

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER's stash just got bigger too! (That's what she said). We've already announced that the Grand Winner will receive a TwoCents Mug, a copy of "Call of Duty" video game (the game the Stamford Office always played), and an official Dwight Schrute Bobblehead! Being the week one host, I'm going to throw in a TwoCents magnet to the pool! And trust me, it doesn't stop here, more will be added in the coming weeks!

So, in case you're not sure what ALL this is about, you can read the official info/rules HERE.

Now, on to it! Below is your WEEK ONE TASK LIST! Remember you will find ONE answer on EACH of these sites, including right here on TheTwoCents!!




(Your replies to each item must include the website you found it on! Each site can only be used for one answer in the list and each question is specific to one site.)

1. One of these sites has a series of pictures of John Krasinski with Mandy Moore at The Sauce. How many pictures are there of them both together?
2. According to an interview on one of these websites, what five American movies would Karly Rothenberg (“Madge”) show someone who has never seen a movie before?
3. One of these sites has Andy Bernard’s Oompa Loompa song’s exact lyrics. Copy and paste them into your answer.
4. In a radio contest Brian Baumgartner (“Kevin”) was in a “How many M&M’s can you hold in your mouth contest”. According to a conversation one of these sites had with Brian, how many M&M’s was Brian able to put in his mouth?
5. One of these sites has a weekly fan art post, and one post features a fan who was asked by the show's producers to draw Dwight's "mugshot" for "Women's Appreciation." What is this fan's username (not real name) and was his or her drawing used?
6. One of these websites features an office fan asking another office fan out to the prom with a special gift. What is the gift and what does this gift say?
7. One of these sites had an admin meet a member of the cast at the Kentucky Derby Parade. Who was the cast member?
8. On one site, "Office" writer Gene Stupnitsky, who co-wrote "Traveling Salesmen," claimed that one particular strategy utilizing two Office characters in that episode, was his favorite to write. Who were the two characters?
9. One of these sites has scans of Steve Carell from a recent People Magazine. What animals are featured in one of the pictures with Steve?

BONUS QUESTION! On the main page of the OFFICIAL webpage of the Office Convention in Scranton, what color is the post-it note that says “Office Related Stories”? (You can get links to the official Convention page off many of these 9 sites).

Submit your answers this week to SummerScavenger@TheTwoCents.com

RULES:
(All entries must follow all the rules or they will be considered void)- Only one entry per person/per week
- Residents of the Continental U.S. do not pay shipping for prizes. Hawaii , Alaska and International entries will have to pay for the shipping if they win.
- Hunters may only win once, but may participate in as many weeks as desired for fun.
- All e-mail entries MUST include full name, city/state, e-mail and phone number. (Your full name and personal information will not be released.)
- This contest, and sites included, are in no way associated with creators of “The Office”, NBC or any of its websites/affiliates.

Next Week's Host is: LifeInTheOffice.com

TheTwoCents.com, LifeInTheOffice.com, OfficeQuotes.net, JelloStapler.com, TheOfficeAlliance.com, mtt.just-once.net, Flonkerton, The Office LiveJournal Community, and TheOfficeChat.com

I'm Toby! Who Are You?

You scored as Toby Flenderson, You are Toby. Are you really okay with that? Grow a backbone already! Toby Flenderson 65% Pam Beesly 58% Karen Fillipelli 58% Jim Halpert 58% Michael Scott 48% Dwight Schrute 45% Kevin Malone 40% Jan Levinson 38% Andy Bernard 35% Ryan Howard 33% Kelly Kapoor 33% Creed Bratton 30% Angela Martin 25% Meredith Palmer 25% Dunder Mifflin Personality Quiz created with QuizFarm.com

The Office Conference Room - Office Closed For the Holiday

Hello all!

Due to the holiday week, a lot of offices are closed today, and the Office Conference Room is no different! Happy July 4th!

BUT!!

Keep your eyes here on Monday when the first week of our "Office" Summer Scavenger Hunt BEGINS!!!

Maty's Movies - "Transformers"

I said to a friend once “I don’t know what I want out of a Transformers movie, but I'm sure what I’ve watched in the previews isn’t it”. Well I was right.

Now prejudging the awfulness of a Michael Bay summer blockbuster doesn’t make me Nostradomus. After such wonderfully awful films like Pearl Harbor, and Bad Boys II, I think we can all agree he peaked with Armageddon. Yet the studios still gives this guy a ton of money to play with and yet he can’t make this movie feel like anything but a re-run.

We have seen these awful action sequences where nothing you do can defeat the enemy and the young hero has nothing in common with the shallow girl who is out of his league. Of course she’s “more then meets the eye”. Yeah, they use that awful Transformers joke. Which brings me to the constant need for this movie to try and make you laugh. Less is more fellas!!! You can’t create comic relief if all you’re trying to do is get laughs. Shia LaBeouf has his charm and John Turturro brings a fun energy, but neither of this actors can pull you out of the tailspin that is this script.

The plot is boring and takes too long to unfold while the relationships have no heart and are clichés. Another problem is the special effects don’t add to the movie. They are good at points and at other points look like special effects. The transforming in the movie is the most disappointing part. There are a couple of times that it looks cool, but for the most part it doesn’t look like they are transforming. And the sound stunk, and it was part of the plot too.

If you are determined not to remake the cartoon version of the Transformers, then make it better! Or don’t get us excited about it.

A generous C-

[submitted by Maty]

Live Earth Allows You To Put Down The Remote

Learning from what MTV and VH1 did wrong with the Live 8 concerts, NBC is making strides to show more of the Live Earth concert and less commercials this Saturday.

"In July 2005, Live Earth's predecessor, Live 8, drew so many complaints about commercial interruptions that MTV and VH1 acknowledged its mistakes and ran five hours each of commercial-free coverage a week afterward. This time, NBC Universal is working with concert promoter Kevin Wall and advertisers to cut commercial time by about 50% per hour. There will be more than 50 minutes of program an hour (compared with about 42 minutes normally)."

The concert airs on all of NBC's channels this weekend. The big program is NBC's 3 hours primetime broadcast on Saturday, but Bravo's coverage runs from 8 a.m. EDT Saturday to 2 a.m. EDT Sunday. Sundance Channel and Universal HD plan 22 hours of live coverage from 4 a.m. EDT -- when Live Earth kicks off in Sydney -- through 2 a.m. EDT Sunday. CNBC has seven hours beginning 7 p.m. Saturday. MSNBC will have live reports from New York and London throughout the day.

Farewell...

Will H. Schaefer, Composer.

Go ahead, hum a classic TV theme song, chances are Will Schaefer had something to do with it. The man behind such catchy tunes as the themes from "I Dream of Jeannie", "Hogan's Heroes" and "The Flintstones" has passed away from cancer.

Schaefer, as well as composing background music for many shows, is also responsible for orchestrating the "It's A Small World" song in the ride of the same name in the Disney theme parks.

He was 78.

Happy 4th of July!!

Two Cents & Five Questions With...

...Camille Marchetta, Author/Television Writer

Camille Marchetta was behind some of the words that the American TV Fans fell all over themselves for during the 80s. Camille worked on some of the greatest Television Dramas in the history of the medium.

She is currently finishing work on a new novel but took some time from her busy schedule to give us her Two Cents & Five Answers!

Two Cents: Would you please tell the TwoCents readers a little about yourself and what roles you had a part in on TV shows such as "Dallas" and "Dynasty".
Camille Marchetta: After graduating from college, I worked for a while as a secretary in New York at NBC and ABC. On a trip to London, I fell in love with the city, went looking for a job, got one with a literary agency, became a director of the company, and stayed for nine years. By then, I was determined to write and so I moved on to Los Angeles, where friends had already started careers as television script writers. It took a while and a lot of perseverance, but eventually I was hired to write a television film (which never got made), a script for a short-lived series called "Lucan", and then one for the "Dallas" miniseries. The producers liked it, and I was asked to join the staff as a story editor, which meant that I worked with the executive story editor (one rung higher on the ladder) and the producer developing ideas, as well as writing and overseeing scripts. I remained with the show until it became a mega-success with the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode. A few years and some projects later, I signed on as a producer to write the "Bible" and develop stories for "Dynasty" in its ’84-’85 season, when it finally crept past "Dallas" in the ratings and became #1.

TC: Many say shows such as "Dallas" and "Dynasty" led the way for shows such as "Melrose Place", "Beverly Hills 90210" in the 90s as well as the newer versions such as "Watch Over Me" and "Fashion House". Was there the sense on the set at the time, that you were going to be trend setters?
CM: I don’t recall being particularly aware of that or concerned about it. My focus was to try to make the episodes of the series I was working on as interesting and entertaining as possible. But of course it was very exciting when they became such big hits. And inevitable that others would try to duplicate their success, though I never thought of "Melrose Place" or "Beverly Hills 90210:" as being the same kind of show (though they were produced by the same company as produced "Dynasty"). "The OC" seemed to me to be more directly related.

TC: What do you spend your time working on these days?
CM: I’ve been writing novels. In fact, my newest, "The River, By Moonlight" will be published shortly. When it is, notice will appear on my website: www.camillemarchetta.com.

TC: What fun websites do you visit or tv shows do you watch for your own entertainment?
CM: I love iTunes and download a lot of music and radio shows to catch when it’s convenient for me to listen. I’ve seen some things on YouTube I found unbelievably brilliant. As for television, I was addicted to "24" but the story seemed to run out of steam this past season, so I’m not sure I’ll watch next. And "House" may be getting a little too cranky for me. I find "Lost" interesting. And there’s an English series called "MI-5" that I think is great … it’s in reruns on A&E right now.

TC: What do you consider the proudest moment you've had in your entertainment career?
CM: I can’t narrow it down to one moment. But it was pretty terrific when both "Dallas" and "Dynasty" reached #1, knowing I helped to make it happen.

*Two Cents Bonus Question*
TC: If someone were to climb off a desert island and only have time to watch five movies to learn what American cinema is all about, what five movies would you show them?
CM: It’s hard to choose just five, but, if I have to: Buster Keaton’s "Young Sherlock"; Orson Welles’ "Citizen Kane"; Alfred Hitchcock’s "North By Northwest"; Billy Wilder’s "Some Like it Hot"; and Francis Ford Coppola’s "Apocalypse Now."

MAJOR thanks to Camille for giving us her TwoCents today! You can find her books on Amazon HERE.

[photo of Camille Marchetta and Joan Collins on "Dallas" set - courtsey of Marchetta]

Maty's Movies - "Live Free or Die Hard"

"Live Free or Die Hard" is not your average summer movie blockbuster.

Now I’m not saying this film is built on a foundation of substance. This isn’t Merchant Ivory’s Live Free or Die Hard, but it does do a beautiful thing… it is a worthy tribute to the original.

So lets talk about the plot, on second thought … lets not. This is not a flick with a really original or interesting plot this is a flick where the action is relentless and the one-liners are like comfort food.

John McClane is back in a situation he doesn’t want to be in but that won’t stop him from shooting up tons of bad guys purchased from "1-800-Henchmen". On top of that John McClane is one of the only action heroes in the modern era to actual reload his gun. Yeah, we’re looking at you James Bond!

This movie is an exciting ride that never slows down. The stunts were breathtaking, the jokes all worked, and the director, Len Wiseman, does a beautiful job of giving you new and exciting shots of the action that made me think repeatedly ”how did he get that?”

It was fun and a good time for anyone looking for some classic action film yah yahs. Knowing that this film knows exactly what it is I give it an: A

Farewell...

... Art Stevens, Disney Animator.

Stevens began work at Walt Disney Studios in 1939. According to an AP Story: "Stevens applied for a job at Disney in 1939 after he learned that Walt Disney planned an animated feature based on one of his favorite stories, "Alice in Wonderland," which eventually came out in 1951."

Stevens directed "The Fox & The Hound" and "The Rescuers".

He also worked on such classics as "Fantasia", "Peter Pan", "Bambi", "101 Dalmations", "Mary Poppins", "Robin Hood" and more!

Stevens died from a heart attack at his home at the age of 92.

Like OH MAH GAWD!! Teen Choice Nominees Announced!

TEEN CHOICE 2007 will celebrate the hottest teen icons who made waves this year in film, television, music, sports and fashion in a live two-hour special airing Sunday, Aug. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

This year, Lily Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Sacha Baron Cohen, America Ferrera, Sanjaya and “Heroes” are among those receiving their first TEEN CHOICE nominations. Justin Timberlake, the reigning “Teen Choice” champ who has won 18 surfboards since 1999 for solo and group projects, landed four more nominations this year. Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher, who has racked up 12 individual trophies over the past eight years, is nominated in 2007 for Choice Movie Actor: Drama.

Teens ages 13 through 19 can vote at www.FOX.com/teenchoice for the hottest celebrities in film, television, music, sports and fashion. Following is the list of categories and nominees for Wave One of TEEN CHOICE 2007.

MOVIES
Choice Movie: Action Adventure
300
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Spider-Man 3
Transformers

Choice Movie: Drama
Step Up
Stomp the Yard
The Departed
The Guardian
The Pursuit of Happyness

Choice Movie: Chick Flick
Georgia Rule
License to Wed
Music and Lyrics
The Holiday
The Last Kiss

Choice Movie: Comedy
Blades of Glory
Evan Almighty
Knocked up
Night at the Museum
Ocean's Thirteen

Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller
Disturbia
The Number 23
1408
Hostel: Part II
Saw III

Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Ashton Kutcher - The Guardian
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed, Blood Diamond
Channing Tatum - Step Up
Adam Sandler - Reign Over Me
Will Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness

Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Lindsay Lohan - Bobby, Georgia Rule
Meagan Good - Stomp the Yard
Scarlett Johansson - The Black Dahlia, The Prestige

Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure
Shia LaBeouf - Transformers
Chris Evans - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man 3

Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure
Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Keira Knightley - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Kirsten Dunst - Spider-Man 3
Lena Headey - 300
Megan Fox - Transformers

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Ben Stiller - Night at the Museum
Jon Heder - School for Scoundrels, Blades of Glory
Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan , Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Steve Carell - Evan Almighty
Will Ferrell - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Emma Roberts - Nancy Drew
Jessica Simpson - Employee of the Month
Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up
Sophia Bush - John Tucker Must Die
Kate Hudson - You, Me and Dupree

Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller
Josh Duhamel - Turistas
Jim Carrey - The Number 23
Ryan Gosling - Fracture
Jake Gyllenhaal - Zodiac
Shia LaBeouf - Disturbia

Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller
Jordana Brewster - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Amber Tamblyn - The Grudge 2
Elisha Cuthbert - Captivity
Jessica Biel - Next
Sophia Bush - The Hitcher

Choice Movie: Villain
Al Pacino (Willie Bank) - Ocean's Thirteen
Bill Nighy (Davy Jones) - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Julian McMahon (Victor Von Doom) - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Megatron - Transformers
Topher Grace (Venom) - Spider-Man 3

Choice Movie: Hissy Fit
Cameron Diaz - The Holiday
Will Ferrell - Blades of Glory
Steve Carell - Evan Almighty
Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Ryan Seacrest - Knocked Up

Choice Movie: Liplock
Keira Knightley & Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
Kirsten Dunst & Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man 3
Megan Fox & Shia LaBeouf - Transformers
Drew Barrymore & Hugh Grant - Music and Lyrics
Beyoncé & Jamie Foxx - Dreamgirls

Choice Movie: Breakout Female
Megan Fox - Transformers
Sophia Bush - John Tucker Must Die, The Hitcher
Jennifer Hudson- Dreamgirls
Emma Roberts - Nancy Drew
Rachel Bilson - The Last Kiss

Choice Movie: Dance
Columbus Short - Stomp The Yard
Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan - Step Up
Ioan Gruffudd - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
John Heder & Will Ferrell - Blades of Glory
Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man 3

Choice Movie: Rumble
Spider-Man 3 - Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) & New Goblin (James Franco) vs. Venom (Topher Grace) & Sandman ( Thomas Haden Church )
Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End- Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) vs. Crew of The Flying Dutchman
Transformers - Captain Lennox (Josh Duhamel) vs. "Blackout"
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) vs. Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon)
300 - Spartans vs. The Immortals

Choice Movie: Breakout Male
Chris Brown - Stomp the Yard
Justin Timberlake - Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan
Shia LaBeouf – A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Disturbia, Transformers
Justin Long - Accepted, The Break-Up, Live Free or Die Hard, Idiocracy
Jaden Smith - The Pursuit of Happyness

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE NOMINATIONS

Farewell...

... Beverly Sills, Opera Star

According to Reuters; Beverly Sills, the world-renowned soprano who became the most popular opera singer in America in modern times, died on Monday evening in New York from inoperable lung cancer, her manager said.

Sills was 78.

Jericho Meets The "Peanut Man"

CBS invited the man behind the peanut sending campaign to save Jericho to the set.

The cast and crew met with the man that helped save their show, Shaun Daily.

On Monday, June 11 at CBS Television City , JERICHO stars Skeet Ulrich, Brad Beyer, Richard Speight Jr. and Bob Stephenson, along with executive producer Carol Barbee, met Shaun Daily, the Las Vegas based DJ who played an integral role in the campaign to save JERICHO .

Rebroadcasts of episodes from the first season of JERICHO will air on CBS beginning Friday, July 6 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) with the pilot episode. On July 13, CBS will present back-to-back broadcasts beginning with "Return to Jericho " (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), which recapped the first 11 episodes, followed by episode 13, “Black Jack” (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). The remaining summer broadcasts will consist of episodes 14–22, in which tensions continue to escalate between Jericho and the neighboring town of New Bern as they battle the Kansas winter, dwindling resources and the uncertainty of a new world. The citizens of Jericho must now find a way to unite against these hardships, working together to preserve their community and their way of life as they prepare for an all out battle for survival in the season finale.

You can watch a video of the meeting HERE.

Farewell...

... Joel Siegel, Entertainment Reporter

From ABC:
ABC News and WABC-TV are saddened to announce the passing of our beloved colleague and friend, Joel Siegel. Siegel, 63, died late this afternoon following a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family and friends, including his wife, Ena Swansea.


Mr. Siegel joined “Good Morning America” in 1981 and was a regular on the broadcast ever since. His weekly movie reviews on Fridays were eagerly anticipated by the “GMA” audience, the film industry and all of his colleagues. Siegel’s great sense of humor, warmth, and insight into the films he reviewed and the industry he covered made him one of the most influential and respected members of his profession.


“Joel was an important part of ABC News, and we will miss him,” said ABC News President David Westin. ”He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joel’s family.”

“For 31 years, Joel Siegel has given Channel 7 viewers his honest opinion on entertainment,” said Dave Davis, President and General Manager of WABC-TV. “His reviews of movies and plays were written and delivered in Joel’s clever style -- revealing, refreshing and always filled with his smart humor. No one had more fun writing about a bad movie than Joel. His dedication to work while he has battled cancer with strength and dignity has been an inspiration to all of us. His contributions to Eyewitness News will never be forgotten.”

In addition to his film reviews, Mr. Siegel interviewed countless actors and entertainers, as well as fellow critics throughout his remarkable career. His annual Oscar broadcast, “Joel Siegel’s Road to the Academy Awards,” aired for ten years on WABC-TV and was syndicated to more than 100 markets around the country. Mr. Siegel always led GMA’s coverage of the Academy Awards, traveling to Los Angeles each and every year to bring viewers firsthand reports from Hollywood’s biggest night.


As a young man, Mr. Siegel took up the fight for civil rights registering voters in Georgia in 1964. And for the rest of his life he remained committed to others. He was outspoken about his battle with cancer, reporting on his illness and testifying to Congress on behalf of others afflicted with cancer. In 1991, Siegel and actor Gene Wilder founded Gilda's Club, a not-for-profit organization which operates facilities that offer emotional and social support for cancer patients and their families and friends. Ever since, Siegel continued to help raise funds for the organization, which now has branches around the country. He served as its president until his death.


Mr. Siegel was born in Los Angeles, California on July 7, 1943 and graduated cum laude from UCLA. He began his career working as a radio newscaster, a book reviewer for The Los Angeles Times, and a freelance writer for such publications as Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated. Mr. Siegel was also a joke writer for Sen. Robert Kennedy and worked as a copywriter and producer at an advertising agency, where his creative projects included, among other things, inventing ice cream flavors for Baskin-Robbins!


In 1972, Mr. Siegel arrived in New York and worked as a feature reporter for WCBS-TV. He also hosted “Joel Siegel’s New York” on WCBS Radio.


In 1976, he joined WABC-TV’s “Eyewitness News” as the station’s entertainment critic.


Throughout his career, Mr. Siegel was honored with five New York Emmy Awards; the Public Service Award for “distinguished news reporting and commitment to freedom of the press” from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith; and the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association Award for “general excellence in individual reporting.”


Mr. Siegel was also an author. In 2003, he wrote “Lessons for Dylan: From Father to Son” -- a book for his son -- understanding that he might not beat his battle with cancer. Mr. Siegel also wrote the book for “The First,” a musical play produced on Broadway in the 1981-82 season that told the story of the legendary Jackie Robinson. He was honored for that work with a 1982 Tony Award nomination, making him the only drama critic ever to receive one.


Mr. Siegel is survived by his young son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea, an artist.

"The Office" Summer Scavenger Search

STARTS MONDAY JULY 9TH!!!

OWNERS OF SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE “OFFICE” FANSITES ARE BRINGING YOU A CONTEST TO HELP FIGHT THE SUMMER REPEAT BLUES!

Are you the Ultimate Office fan? Do you consider yourself the Dunderhead of all Dunderheads? Do you have what it takes to join the Dwight Army of Champions, go head to head with Michael's jokes, out-weird Creed, out-drink Meredith...you get the picture! We are looking for you! You probably visit a fan-site to two from time to time, why not take a chance to win some nifty gifties while doing it?

The owners of TheTwoCents.com, LifeInTheOffice.com, OfficeQuotes.net, JelloStapler.com, TheOfficeAlliance.com, mtt.just-once.net, Flonkerton, The Office LiveJournal Community, and TheOfficeChat.com are combining to bring you this summer-long adventure through the cyberspace!

PRIZE LIST FOR GRAND CHAMPION:- Dwight Bobblehead from NBC Store- TheTwoCents Coffee Mug- Call of Duty video game... MORE TO COME!!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS!!!

"The Office" Conference Room - Marathon #2

[Updated
6/29
2:45PM]

Another Thursday and another sampling of our favorite show. Even in repeats! It was pure Office Genius!

This week we got: Booze Cruise, Office Olympics and The Secret!

GOOD TIMES HAD BY ALL!!

This week we ask our panel of Office Site Owners:

Top 3 All-Time Dwight/Angela Moments!!

Everyone in the Conference Room... NOW!

----------
Name: KP
Office Site: TheTwoCents.com
Booze Cruise Review: I loved this episode. It's what the first two seasons were all about... will Jim tell her!?!? There's that, now famous, 40+ seconds of silence on the top of that boat and the entire world held its breath when it first aired, and I almost did again watching it a second time. One of my favorite moments wasn't even in the broadcast. The deleted scene of Creed rocking the guitar with the band was phenominal! Meredith coming out of her 'shell' with Captain Jack! Jim dumping Katie, Coporate Spies, I loved it all!
Favorite Moment: The 40+ Seconds of Silence
Favorite Quote: Jim: That's... great. You know, to tell the truth, I used to have a big thing for Pam, so...
Michael: Really? You're kidding me. You and Pam? Wow. I would have never have put you two together. You really hid it well. God! I usually have a radar for stuff like that. You know, I made out with Jan...
Jim: Yeah, I know.
Michael: Yeah? Yep. Well, Pam is cute.
Jim: Yeah. She's really funny, and she's warm. And she's just... well, anyway.
Michael: Well, if you like her so much, don't give up.
Jim: She's engaged.
Michael: BFD. Engaged ain't married.
Jim: Huh.
Michael: Never, ever, ever give up.
Overall Episode Grade: A

Office Olympics
Favorite Moment: Michaels face as the doves fly by.
Favorite Quote: Dwight: I have been Michael's #2 guy for about 5 years. And we make a great team. We're like one of those classic famous teams. He's like Mozart, and I'm like Mozart's friend. No. I'm like Butch Cassidy, and Michael is like Mozart. You try and hurt Mozart; you're going to get a bullet in your head courtesy of Butch Cassidy.

Overall Episode Grade: B+

The Secret
Favorite Moment: Michael doing his hair like Jim.
Favorite Quote: Dwight: Otherwise, it's just malfeasance for malfeasanceses-ses sake.
Overall Episode Grade: B

Top 3 All-Time Dwight/Angela Moments:
- Parking Lot at Phyllis' Wedding.
- No Cookie!
- Angela watching Dwight make his speech.

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Name: Fancy New Beesly
Office Site: Fancy New Beesly on MySpace
Booze Cruise Review: If I had to make a list of my top 10 all-time favorite episodes of The Office Booze Cruise would be in it. From Jim's bet that Michael would yell "I'm the king of the world!!!" within the first hour to Dwight looking at Angela from behind the fake wheel saying,"Do you want us to run aground woman?" Aside from Beach Games I think this is the best episode was that was ever taken outside of the office. Michael's superiority battle against Captain Jack was so great. The way Jim broke up with Katy "No. Let's break up." was hilarious but completely heartbreaking because I think that was the point when the audience realized that Jim was basically hopelessly in love with Pam. The high point..the very best...was in the end when the writers do one of the things that makes The Office such a WONDERFUL show...they had the characters achieve what they wanted to do most but in a way that they would never expect & was so natural to their character. The motivational speech that Michael gives to Jim "Never, ever, ever give up." should have earned Carell the best actor in a comedy Emmy that year.
Favorite Moment: Dwight being given the fake wheel....
Favorite Quote: Katy: Do you think we'll ever be like that? Jim: No. Katy: What is WRONG with you? Why did you even bring me here? Jim: I don't know. We should break up.
Overall Episode Grade: A

Office Olympics
Favorite Moment: The real estate guy thinking that Michael & Dwight are gay.
Favorite Quote: Kevin: The candle smells like cookies. Jim: Yes, it does my friend. Indeed, it does.
Overall Episode Grade: A

The Secret
Favorite Moment: When everyone (Kelly & Angela especially) find out that Jim has a crush on Pam.
Favorite Quote: "And I plan on keeping that secret...for...as long as I possibly can."-Michael
Overall Episode Grade: A

Top 3 All-Time Dwight/Angela Moments:
*Phyllis' Wedding: Dwight-You look like the Queen of England.
*Dwight telling Angela that she can be in charge of the women when they plot to overthrow Michael
*In The Injury when Dwight walks up behind Angela & says,"You're sweeter than candy" & then spanks her.

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Name: Ken_TOC
Office Site: theofficechat.com
Booze Cruise Review: We begin with a particularly strong cold-open with a classic prank on Dwight: Jim has managed, with a little aiding and abetting from his vending machine tech buddy Steve, to replace every snack selection in the machine with an item from Dwight's desk. After Pam enters the break room and purchases Dwight's pencil cup for the very reasonable price of $1, Dwight attempts to buy back his things only to discover that his wallet is one of the many fine selections of Schrute property trapped behind the impenetrable plexiglass of the vending machine. A very David Blaine-like feat by Jim...who hands Dwight a bag of nickels to liberate his possessions. Cut to the opening credits. Brilliance.

The major plotline of the episode is Michael Scott's first-quarter camaraderie event aboard the sub-luxurious yet functionally seaworthy "ship", the Lake Wallenpaupack Princess. At night. In January. In Pennsylvania . And it will be a booze cruise....to Meredith's delight and AA's chagrin. As we see the employees and their guests board the vessel, Michael makes Gilligan's Island references about all of them...with Kelly as the native, Dwight as Gilligan, and Stanley as one of the Globetrotters...classic Michael. We also see Katy, Jim's girlfriend, introduced to us in the "Hot Girl" episode of season 1, played by the amazing Amy Adams (Don't believe me? Rent "Junebug". Told ya.) As the guests are boarding, we see a brief power struggle between Captain Jack (the actual captain of the ship, deftly portrayed by Rob Riggle of SNL and Daily Show fame) and Captain Mike (captain of the "Dunder Mifflin is a ship" analogy). This theme will continue throughout the episode. Shortly after the ship has sailed, a limbo competition is followed by the dance competition...a perfect opportunity to see some fantastic Steve Carrell physical comedy. I couldn't help but be reminded of David Brent's awesome display of charity inspired rug-cutting in the BBC version.

Booze cruise is "JAM" packed with JAM action. The dynamic between the two of them is put to severe tests. When Pam, Roy, Jim, and Katy are sitting together at the cool kids' table, we see how painfully mismatched both couples are: the sensitive guy and the cheerleader on one side and the ex-high school jock and the art student on the other. Anyone for a Yankee swap? After Roy has done a shot of liquor out of a snorkel, Pam has had her fill of fratboy hijinks and heads out to the deck, followed closely by Jim. She reveals to Jim that she sometimes doesn't get Roy . They share an intense gaze into each other's eyes for about five seconds, and then Pam awkwardly breaks it off and using the cold as an excuse to go back inside. After a drunken episode of soul-searching brought on by Captain Jack's military tales, Roy decides to seize the moment and set a wedding date with Pam, announcing it on the band's PA system. Roy 's announcement serves as a catalyst for Jim to finally dump the empty-headed, purse-peddling Katy. Trapped on the ship, he has to endure her "woman scorned" glare for the rest of the outing. Once the wedding announcement celebration has subsided, Michael finally gets to give his oft-interrupted motivational speech, only to have his "ship is sinking" analogy taken literally by the non-Dunder Mifflin guests, causing one of them to dive overboard (which could have easily been prevented by Kevin if it didn't involve him getting out of his seat). Oops. This results in many things: a wet booze cruiser, an angry Captain Jack, a topless-in-public Meredith (again), and Michael restrained with hardware store zip ties. At the end of the episode, Michael does finally deliver a motivational speech...not about Dunder Mifflin; about love. Once informed of Jim's true feelings for Pam, Michael tells him to never give up...to do whatever it takes to get his girl. Overall, a solid episode with many key plot moments and great Dwight and Michael shenanigans.
Favorite Moment: When Michael and Jim have just had a serious man-to-man, heart-to-heart conversation and Dwight nerds up the vibe by telling them that he's steering the ship back to shore....with the pretend steering wheel mounted on the deck for children to play with. Michael informs Dwight of his navigational impotence - "It's a fake wheel, dummy!"
Favorite Quote: Michael: "Now on this 'ship' that is the office...what is the sales department? Anyone?"
Darryl: "How 'bout the sales department is the sails?"
Michael (patronizing tone): "Yes, Darryl...the sales department makes sales. Good."
Overall Episode Grade: B

Office Olympics
Favorite Moment: Ryan napping in his car after unwittingly delivering Michael's carb-friendly breakfast two hours before work under the misapprehension that he needed to be there early for....work. Silly temp.
Favorite Quote: Jim: "I really love the...uhhh....paper triangle flicking and hitting things game"
Oscar: "Yeah."
Kevin: "We call it Hateball."
Jim: "Why?"
Kevin: "Because of how much Angela hates it." (Angela gives Kevin a baneful scowl through the glass cubicle partition)
Overall Episode Grade: A-

The Secret
Favorite Moment: At Jim's excruciating Hooters lunch with Michael, when Michael uses the lame "I will have the chicken breast, hold the chicken" line on Hooters girl Dana only to shrivel and order the gourmet hot dog when she challenges him.
Favorite Quote: Dwight: "Guess what I found out about Oscar tonight....he was lying about being sick! Should I have reported his malfeasance? Hmmm...probably. But now I know something he doesn't want me to know, so I can use his malfeasance to establish leverage. Otherwise, it’s just malfeasance for malfeasance's...'s......sake."
Overall Episode Grade: B+

Top 3 All-Time Dwight/Angela Moments:
1. Angela keeping up appearances at Casino Night by slapping Dwight for his celebratory kiss after throwing a winning 8 at craps. Her sly little smile caught by the camera crew reveals her closet penchant for sexy discipline.
2. Angela's precious expressions when she makes her co-workers recount Dwight's moment of heroism when he pepper sprayed Roy , saving Jim's pretty face from utter mutilation in "The Negotiation".
3. Angela taking the slow train to Philly to make sure that Dwight has plenty of "monkey cookie" when he's not networking at the Northeastern Mid-Market Office Supply Convention in "The Convention", only to be caught in bed and mistaken for a hooker by Jim.

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Name: Lauren
Office Site: Flonkerton
Booze Cruise Review: I dare say for me this is the definitive episode of Season 2, or at least it's a close second to "Casino Night." The episode is a series of classic moments: Jim's vendor machine prank on Dwight, the great ensemble banter in the conference room, Capt. Jack's special assignment for Dwight, Michael being "The Boss of Dancing", the 27-seconds of Silence, Roy's surprise announcement, Michael's poorly worded motivational presentation that earns him a spot in "The Brig", and of course Jim's unexpected heart-to-heart with Michael. Speaking of that "27 seconds of silence", I'm sure Greg Daniels got a few looks when he proposed having the romantic leads (of a comedy, no less) stare at each other with no dialog for half a minute. It wouldn't work on most shows, but thank God The Office isn't "most shows." It's simple, beautiful, and really just a perfect scene. It's also a bittersweet as I feel this is when Jim and Pam lose their "innocence" in a way. Up until this point they mostly bantered and plotted and innocently flirted as they both seemed relatively content with their "friends" status. However it's clear on the deck we're not dealing with simple friendship, not even a crush or an infatuation. Jim loves Pam deeply, he knows Roy is wrong for her, but he also knows even suggesting that Pam leaves the only man she's ever been with would scare her. Jim is at a crossroads at the end of this episode; he can continue to play Pam's best friend while hoping maybe someday it will become more, he can avoid her and date other women and hope the feelings will just fade, or he can risk a broken heart and speak the words he so desperately wanted to say during those 27 seconds. After Michael offers some Winston Churchill-esque advice, Jim smiles slightly and we're left with a feeling that there might be a some fight left in Jim after all. Favorite Moment: The 27 Seconds of Silence, followed closely by
Michael being "The Boss of Dancing"
Favorite Quote: Jim: "You know what? I would save the receptionist. I just wanted to clear that up."
Overall Episode Grade: A+

Office Olympics
Favorite Moment: Michael freaking out over the length of his mortgage. And of course, the invention of "Flonkerton" ;)
Favorite Quote: Dwight: "A thirty year mortgage at Michael's age essentially means that he's buying a coffin. If I were buying my coffin, I would get one with thicker walls so you couldn't hear the other dead people."
Overall Episode Grade: B+

The Secret
Favorite Moment: Michael crying as he begs Jim to still be his friend even after he told everyone of Jim's crush on Pam.
Favorite Quote:
Michael: What do you like best about Pam?
Jim: Uh, I really don't want to talk about it.
Michael: Is it her boobs, or...
Jim: Um, she's easy to talk to I guess and she's got a really good
sense of humor.
Michael: Really?
Jim: Uh-huh.
Michael: Never gets any of my jokes.
Jim: [glance to the camera] What about you?
Michael: Her boobs, definitely.
Jim: Wow, that's not what I meant.
Overall Episode Grade: A-

Top 3 All-Time Dwight/Angela Moments:
3. Angela slapping Dwight on Casino Night followed by that weirdly kinky look on her face.
2. Stealing away to dance together at Phyllis' Wedding
1. Making out on Angela's desk (and Jim catching them)

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According to ABC - Jim is Back!

“According to Jim” has been picked for a seventh season on the ABC Television network, it was announced today.

“When Brillstein-Grey approached me with the idea of doing a family show, I didn’t realize the family would extend so wide,” said Jim Belushi. “For six years, it’s been a joy being part of the ABC and Touchstone families and part of each and every family who have been loyal viewers of our show every week. This season will top all the rest. I’m thrilled to continue this seventh season with these extended families.”

Jim (Jim Belushi) has it all -- a gorgeous wife, Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith), whom he challenges with his stubborn manliness but contagious charm; three precocious kids, Ruby (Taylor Atelian), Gracie (Billi Bruno) and Kyle (Conner Rayburn) and his brother-in-law, Andy (Larry Joe Campbell), his best friend, business partner and “partner in crime.” Completing the tight-knit family is Jim’s sister-in-law, Dana (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), who is now happily married with a rambunctious toddler to add to the family mix.

“According to Jim” stars Jim Belushi as Jim, Courtney Thorne-Smith as Cheryl, Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Dana, Larry Joe Campbell as Andy, Taylor Atelian as Ruby, Billi Bruno as Gracie and Conner Rayburn as Kyle.

Executive producers are Warren Bell, Suzanne Bukinik, Marc Gurvitz, Jim Belushi, Judd Pillot, John Peaslee, John D. Beck and Ron Hart. “According to Jim” is from ABC Studios in association with Brad Grey Television.

CBS Announces Big Brother 8 Cast

CBS announced today the identities of the 14 Houseguests who will compete in BIG BROTHER 8, as well as the new creative twist that will play out during the summer broadcasts.

As always, BIG BROTHER Houseguests should expect the unexpected. This season's twist will shock and most likely change the way some houseguests would have played the game had certain people not walked through the door.

On premiere night, Thursday, July 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), Houseguests will learn that some of them will be sharing the house with an enemy, a rival or someone with whom they have unfinished business -- in short, someone from their past who they had hoped never to see again or someone with whom there is an extreme amount of tension.

In addition to the surprise twist of an unwelcome person from their past, the premiere episode will reveal a new interactive element that will give viewers the most control they've ever had over someone in the BIG BROTHER house. For the first time… America is in the house.

One participant has been selected to be " America 's Player." At the conclusion of every episode, beginning Sunday, July 8 (8:00-9:00 ET/PT), a question will be asked of viewers where they will vote on an important assignment that " America 's Player" must complete. It could be a strategic move or a personal action. They must attempt to do what viewers request, including voting out a specific Houseguest. And, they can never tell anyone in the house that they are working on behalf of the viewers. But, they need to be careful…just like their fellow Houseguests, they can be voted out at any time. If " America 's Player" successfully accomplishes these assignments, they will be financially rewarded. Viewers will be able to vote on cbs.com or via text messaging on a mobile phone and will choose from multiple choice answers on each question. The prevailing vote must be completed by " America 's Player" in order for him or her to be rewarded.

BIG BROTHER follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day. One by one, the Houseguests will vote each other out of the house. At the end of three months, the last remaining Houseguest will receive the grand prize of $500,000.

BIG BROTHER 8 debuts Thursday, July 5 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Following the premiere, BIG BROTHER 8 will be broadcast three nights weekly, on Sundays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and the live eviction show, hosted by Julie Chen, on Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM live ET/delayed PT).

Following are the 14 Houseguests, listed in alphabetical order, who will compete in BIG BROTHER 8:

AMBER, 27
Las Vegas
Separated
Cocktail Waitress

CAROL, 21
Lawrence, Kan.
Single
Student

DANIELE, 20
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Single
Waitress

DICK, 44
Los Angeles
Single
Bar Manager

DUSTIN, 22
Chicago
Single
Shoe Salesman

ERIC, 27
New York
Single
Talent Management Assistant

JAMEKA, 28
Waldorf, Md.
Single
School Counselor

JEN, 23
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Single
Nanny

JESSICA, 21
Haysville, Kan.
Single
College Student

JOE, 23
Chicago
Single
Receptionist

KAIL, 37 (Female)
McKenzie Bridge, Ore.
Married
Business Owner

MIKE, 26
Three Lakes, Wis.
Single
Painting Contractor

NICK, 25
Kimball, Minn.
Single
Former Pro Football Player

ZACH, 30
Burbank, Calif.
Single
Graphic Designer

BIG BROTHER 8 is executive produced by Emmy Award winner Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, in association with Endemol U.S.A.

For more information on BIG BROTHER 8 and the 14 new Houseguests, log on to www.CBS.com.

Also, follow the show ALL series long on our sister site for Reality TV - www.RealityCheckByGina.com!

Tonight on "The Office"

We get another night of Office Marathon Action!

JOHN, ANGELA AND BRIAN HOST OFFICE MARATHON
Special Time 8:30/7:30c | 06.28.07 | TV14
John Krasinski, Angela Kinsey and Brian Baumgartner hosts a 90-minute Office marathon.

OFFICE OLYMPICS
8:30/7:30c TV14
06.28.2007
WHEN THE BOSS IS AWAY...Michael (Steve Carell, "Evan Almighty") has a panic attack when he tries to close the deal on his new condo. Meanwhile, while he and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) are away from the office, Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) organize an "office Olympics" where employees compete in ridiculous games. B. J. Novak also stars.
Watch Highlight

BOOZE CRUISE
9/8c TV14
06.28.2007
WON'T YOU LET ME TAKE YOU ON A SEA CRUISE - Michael (Steve Carell) takes the Dunder Mifflin crew on a freezing "motivational" booze cruise in January in an attempt to get them to accept his theories on leadership. To his frustration, they find the ship's captain more inspiring, and Jim (John Krasinski) becomes motivated to speak his heart to Pam (Jenna Fischer). Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak also star.
Watch Highlight

THE SECRET
9:30/8:30c TV14
06.28.2007
Jim (John Krasinski) is worried Michael (Steve Carell) is going to tell others that he likes Pam (Jenna Fischer) so he has to unfortunately go along with being his best friend, which includes a lunch trip to Hooters. Rainn Wilson and B.J. Novak also star.
Watch Highlight

Check out TheTwoCents tomorrow as the Conference Room will open its doors once again and owners of many Office Fan-Sites give you their TwoCents about these episodes.

Studio 60 Signs Off

Tonight is the finale of Studio 60.

So, great actors, a great writer, and an amazing set aside, this show is going away because it failed to really find its own rhythm and thus failed to find an audience.

I wouldn't be too concerned for the people though. I think Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, D.L. Hughley, Aaron Sorkin, Stephen Weber, Timothy Busfield, Nathan Corddry, and Amanda Peet won't have any trouble finding work.

What Kind of Day Has It Been?
Tonight at 10:00 pm EST NBC
The long night for Danny, Jordan, Tom and Simon ends; Matt and Harriet's new beginning?

Going To The Museum? Yippee Ki Yay Mo....

John McClane has entered the Smithsonian!

Or rather, Bruce Willis has, and he brought some cool stuff with him!

According to an AP story, "Bruce Willis gave the Smithsonian Institution the sleeveless shirt, a promotional poster, an ID badge and the original script from the latest film, "Live Free or Die Hard," which was released Wednesday. The script arrived only Wednesday morning, Museum of American History Director Brent D. Glass said."

I love this museum, however, the Museum of American History is closed for renovations till next year. But the exhibit is hanging out, temporarily, over at the Air and Space Museum. You can see the ONLINE version here!

From Mars to Moonlight

It didn't take Jason Dohring long to find a new paycheck.

Dohring, who played "Logan" on the much beloved "Veronica Mars" has signed on to joint he new CBS series entitled "Moonlight".

"Moonlight" is about a private investigator who just happens to be a vampire. Dohring will play hedge-fund trader... who also happens to be a vampire.

Farewell...

... Liz Claiborne, Fashion Designer

Liz Claiborne passed away last night after a battle with cancer.

The Associated Press' article states: "The new approach to dressing revolutionized the department store industry, which had focused on stocking pants in one department and skirts in another.

"It's what the working woman needed," said Joanne Arbuckle, chairwoman of the art and design department at the Fashion Institute of Technology. "Her coordinated pieces — you went from the turtleneck to sweater to pants to the socks. It's like what Gap did for kids, and she did it beautifully."

Claiborne was 78.

They're BAAAACCCKKK!!!

Girl Power is about to flow all over the place!

Today the British Pop Group, The Spice Girls, announced they are reunited and it feels so good!

Their website boasts: "Hey everybody!! We're back!! Can you believe it!!"

They announced plans for a World Tour and tickets are now on sale for the first 11 stops, starting in Los Angeles on December 7th.

Now is the real question... is this a good thing?

A NEW "OFFICE" CONTEST!

Have The Summer Repeat Blues?!

NINE Different Websites featuring "The Office" WANT TO HELP!

A contest is coming involving www.TheTwoCents.com, www.LifeInTheOffice.com, www.OfficeQuotes.net, www.JelloStapler.com, www.TheOfficeAlliance.com, mtt.just-once.net, flonkerton.wordpress.com, community.livejournal.com/theoffice_us, and www.TheOfficeChat.com!!!

Prizes, Bragging Rights, and more!

Check ANY of these sites as announcements will be coming SOON!!

Fashion, Music and... Jeremy Piven!

FASHION ROCKS™, an entertainment special celebrating the best in fashion and music presented by Condé Nast Media Group, will kick off New York's Fall Fashion Week at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast, Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The fourth annual FASHION ROCKS™ is a star-studded concert that honors the extraordinary relationship between fashion and music and features a host of music's most glamorous trendsetters. The concert, hosted by Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Jeremy Piven ("Entourage"), will include performances by Aerosmith, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Fall Out Boy, Fergie, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris, Martina McBride, Santana and Usher. Additional performers and presenters will be announced at a later date.

OBO, an international fashion production company, will produce the fashion segments that appear throughout the concert. OBO most recently produced the 2007 Victoria 's Secret Fashion Show, as well as shows for Zegna, Marchesa, Tommy Hilfiger, Chloé and Behnaz Sarafpour, among others.

Models, Teens, Singers and More - NBC Wants You!!

Check out NBC's Casting Page and you can find all kinds of stuff! Here are a few!

Do you want to be a Deal or No Deal Model?
Open Calls are now available June 27 - 30 in Southern California.

Wednesday 6/27 Los Angeles, CA
Republic 11AM–3PM
650 North La Cienga Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Friday 6/29 Newport Beach, CA
Tentation Ultra Lounge 4PM-8PM
4647 Mac Arthur Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Saturday, 6/30 San Diego, CA
Stingaree Lounge 6PM-9PM
454 6th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101

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DEAL OR NO DEAL
If you were unable to attend an open call, please submit a video tape. Follow the instructions below to find out how.

TO BE CONSIDERED AS A CONTESTANT:
1. Make a 5-minute personal videotape of you and the supporters you wish to have appear with you on TV.
2. Fill out an application (include a recent photo of each person)
3. Send it to our contestant department.


1. Making Your Videotape
Making a videotape audition for the program is very easy. Using a video camera, make us a 5-minute tape that tells us a little about yourself and what you would do with $1,000,000. Be sure to include the people you would like to appear with you on-camera as your "supporters." Be creative, show us your personality - tell us what makes you unique. Please start with your name and hometown. There is no "right" or "wrong" thing to say on your tape, we just want to get to know you.

Make sure we can see and hear you clearly.
-Label the tape with your name address and phone number.
-We can only accept VHS tapes (The ones that fit in your VCR). Transferring your camcorder tape to VHS can be accomplished easily. Use the Red, White, and Yellow cables that come with your camera to connect it to your VCR. Push play on your camera, and Record on your VCR. Please run a test and make sure your transfer worked properly.
-Be Kind, Rewind. Rewinding your tape to the beginning greatly increases our fondness for you.

2. Filling out the Application:
Adobe Reader is required to view the application. Click here to download a free copy if you do not have it installed.
Please take your time and answer the questions honestly. We will only accept completed and signed applications if they are accompanied by your videotape.

Include a recent photo:
Please enclose a recent personal photo of each person with the application. Make sure your photo(s) are clearly labeled with your names and phone numbers on the back. It is best, though not mandatory to send 2 clear photos of each person - one close up and one full body.

3. Sending Your Package
Please label your package and send it to:
DEAL OR NO DEAL CASTING
PO Box 1916
Culver City, CA 90232

To review, here is your "To Do" List:
1. Make one (1) 5 minute videotape
2. Label the tape with your name, address and phone number
3. Complete and sign an application
4. Include a few recent photos of you and your supporters.

Please note: Application materials will not be returned. Limit one application package per person.

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New Teen Reality Show - Now Casting

NEW NBC EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAM - NOW CASTING!

Are you between 16 and 19 years old and in a relationship?

Would you like to move in with your boyfriend or girlfriend and have your own money and independence?

Are you and your partner ready for adult life and everything that goes with it?

NBC is looking for outgoing teenage couples eager to experience life as an adult. If you would like to live in your own house, take on adult responsibilities and temporarily move in with your partner as well as look after babies and children, then this is the show for you!

If interested email us a recent photo of you and your partner, a brief bio and a description of your current living situation to casting@loveproductions.net

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ATTENTION MUSIC LOVERS!! NEW NBC PRIMETIME MUSIC GAME SHOW

You don't have to sing it well - you just have to sing it right!

THE SINGING BEE, NBC's new, fun and exciting prime time music game show is looking for contestants who think they are the masters of song lyrics.

If you know the lyrics to the MOST POPULAR SONGS of all time — from classics to today’s hits — then this is your chance to show your stuff and take home BIG MONEY.

This is NOT a talent competition! This IS a chance to take your music knowledge and share it with the world!

For immediate consideration contact us at: casting@thesingingbee.com OR Call our contestant HOTLINE: 818-655-7340.

Please read the eligibility requirements and fill out the application.

Click here for online application.

EW Hates Stuff Too!!

Entertainment Weekly has a GREAT list of 25 things that annoy them!

I agree with so many of them! Here are a few:

3. When TV shows (we're looking at you, Lost) end at 10:02 p.m., 11:03 p.m., etc. Our DVRs don't know to wait up.

8. ''Upsizing'' sales tactics at the concession stand. If we wanted the jumbo deal, we would have asked for it.

16. The word 'pitchy'.

21. People outrunning fireballs. (photo)

Two Dreamgirls Lead the Pack of Winners at BET Awards

From The Hollywood Reporter:

"Dreamgirls" co-stars Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson were the big winners Tuesday night at the BET Awards '07, which were handed out at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The singer-actresses each took home two awards. Beyonce was named best female R&B artist and won for video of the year for "Irreplaceable," directed by Anthony Mandler, while Hudson won best new artist and best female actress.

Forest Whitaker was named best male actor during the ceremony, hosted for the third time by actress-comedian Mo'Nique.

Elsewhere in the music categories, Ne-Yo took home the award for best male R&B artist, while Gnarls Barkley won for best group. T.I. was a repeat winner this year with another nod as best hip-hop artist, while Kirk Franklin also repeated his win as best gospel artist.

Winning the award for best song collaboration was "Runaway Love," by Ludacris featuring Mary J. Blige.


The "BET J Cool Like That" award went to R&B singer Gerald Levert, who died in November.

Basketball star LeBron James was again named male athlete of the year, while tennis pro Serena Williams walked away with the award for female athlete of the year.

Diana Ross was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony, while Don Cheadle was presented with the Humanitarian Award for his efforts to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur.

BET Networks also paid tribute to James Brown, who died in December, and Levert with performances by Bootsy Collins, Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Prof. Griffin and DJ Lord), Gladys Knight and Yolanda Adams.

EW's Top TV Stars!

Yesterday we showed EW's list of their favorite Movie Stars!

Today they posted the top TV Stars they are crazy for!

The list includes our friend Melora Hardin (read her TwoCents) as well as some other favorites such as the Deadliest Catch guys, Katee Sackhoff, and Rex Lee (plays "Lloyd" on Entourage).

Farewell...

...Nancy Benoit, WCW Manager

Nancy Benoit, and her son, were found dead Monday in their home in Georgia.

Autopsy results are expected today and sources within the case suggest a murder/suicide scenario with her husband, Chris Benoit the WWE Superstar, the man responsible.

Fatone Dances Over to Singing Bee

America's dancing dynamo and former *NSYNC star Joey Fatone ("Dancing with the Stars") hosts NBC's ultimate sing-along variety game show "The Singing Bee," which is set to premiere on Tuesday, July 10 (9:30-10 p.m. ET) following the 90-minute "Las Vegas Callbacks" episode of summer's #1 hit "America's Got Talent" (8-9:30 p.m. ET).

The announcement was made today by Craig Plestis, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, Development and Specials, NBC Entertainment.

"This fun-filled family show is going to have viewers singing along with their TV sets," said Plestis. "Coupled with 'America's Got Talent,' we've got two great hours of TV that America can fall in love with every Tuesday night."

Added Plestis, "We are also thrilled to have Joey on board to host. He brings an added burst of energy and a legion of fans with his musical talent and infectious personality."

In "The Singing Bee," contestants will be challenged to accurately sing the lyrics to the most popular songs of all time in a variety of karaoke-style competitions. Each episode will begin with an audience-wide sing-along where eight lucky contestants will be chosen to compete in a series of fun-filled singing games. In this exciting singing showdown, there's no middle ground for partially correct answers -- contestants must be perfect or they're out of the game. Family-friendly and conducive to playing (and singing) along at home, "The Singing Bee" inspires hilarious wrong answers and amazing performances by those rare contestants who somehow manage to get every word right.

In addition, all music on the show will be performed by house band "Ray Chew and the Buzz" with "The Singing Bee" dancers, "The Honeybees."

Fatone, former member of the musical sensation *NSYNC, is a multi-talented "triple threat" most recently dancing his way to second place on "Dancing with the Stars." He has also appeared in multiple Broadway musicals including "Rent" and "Little Shop of Horrors," and the feature films "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "The Cooler."

"The Singing Bee" is created and produced by Juma Entertainment, LLC and The Gurin Company. The executive producers are Phil Gurin (NBC's "Miss Universe" franchise) and Robert C. Horowitz ("Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials Top 40 Countdown").

Two Cents & Five Questions With...

...Kari Matchett, Actress

The second episode of "Heartland" airs tonight at 10pm EST on TNT. Last week we had 5 Questions with the star, Treat Williams, and this week we get 5 from his co-star, Kari Marchett!

Kari plays Kate Armstrong the ex-wife of Williams' Dr. Grant. She's an organ-donor coordinator for the local donation center.

Matchett is already a star in Canada, having won a Gemini award. She was voted one of the Top 5 Faces to watch in USA Today. This past season she was seen on "24" as Lisa Miller, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, and stars as Mary Tate on NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". She also stars opposite Peter Krause ("Sports Night", "Six Feet Under") in the indie drama "Civic Duty", which opened in the Tribeca Film Festival before its nationwide release. Last season, Matchett earned high critical praise for her remarkable work on ABC's "Invasion" as Dr. Mariel Underlay.

We were able to get Two Cents & Five Answers from Kari and here we go!

Q: What do you think makes "Heartland" great dramatic television?
Kari Matchett: I think people will fall in love with "Heartland" for the same reasons that I fell in love with the original script for the pilot. It's about life and death issues. It's about people receiving organs that will help them continue to live, and they are receiving these organs from people who have just died. It also deals with the complexities of the matters of spirit, heart and emotions.

Q: Tell us about your character, Kate Armstrong.
KM: I play an organ-donation coordinator on the show, and my ex husband is played by Treat Williams, who's a hot-shot surgeon - the best in the business. So not only is my character dealing with life and death issues of people dying and people living off the donated organs but with all the emotions of working with the man she once loved, married and has a child with. Every second is filled with something new and interesting and has a wealth of history because of the fact that the two main characters were once married. It just lays in all the details and complexities and mixed emotions and really mirrors life in so many ways.

Q: Why is Dr. Grant so focused when it comes to work and such a mess in the rest of his life?
KM: David Hollander has created these incredible chracters that have truth to them. Nathaniel's truth is that we're born really good at some things, and we really suck at others. Nate was born to do what he does. He's good at it, he loved it, and he's passionate about it, and yet he's a mess when it comes to relationships. So although things are really lined up and clear and crystal clean in some areas of his life, which is his brilliant work, he's really not brilliant with his relationships, even though he tries and tries again to succeed.

Q: Why are flawed character that much more interesting to watch?
KM: Who wants to watch somebody perfect on TV? I think that television is a great representation of the truth and of who we are. Great television always reflects the truth, and people are drawn to it because they see themselves and hopefully understand themselves better. There is no one person on this Earth who is perfect, and so I think the clearer characters on television or on film, the clearer their flaws are drawn and the more complex and interesting the characters are.

Q: How does Kate convince people to turn their tragedies into good for somebody else?
KM: The difficulty of what Kate does is trying to appeal to families who have just gone through terrible tragedies by appealing to their need to help others. She has to ask the impossible question, which is donate your loved one's heart to continue to let someone else, who you don't know, live. One of the most interesting things about playing this character is that I don't think she always knows how she is going to achieve that. It's not an easy job, and I don't think she ever really knows how she's going to deal with it. But she loves people, and she tries to connect with them and make it work.

Big thanks to Kari Matchett for answering these questions! Be sure to check out her performance tonight in the second episode of "Heartland" on TNT!

The Office Season 3 DVD

TVShowsonDVD.com is a great website if you're looking for TV shows on DVD.

They list all kinds of information!

For Office Season Three, they just released a disc by disc count of what is going to be on the DVDs. Lots of extra nifty gifties for us folks!

Shia Alert!

Get used to this, with Transformers and Indiana Jones 4 hitting us from all angles!

TwoCents favorite, Shia LaBeouf, heads a new EW list!

EW is Spotlighting 100 things they love about movies and Shia is the first face we see on their "Ultimate Must Have List".

Other names include some more TwoCents favorites: Parker Posey, Alan Rickman and Steve Zahn.

Vote for Richard Gonzales!

Friend of TheTwoCents, Richard Gonzales (read his TwoCents about working on "The Office"), has had his short film continue on in the Fame Cast competition!

HE NOW COMPETES FOR THE TOP 10 and $10,000!!
Please register & VOTE
HE NEEDS OUR HELP MORE THAN EVER!!

VOTE HERE

scroll to find NEW OLD CAPT and vote!

American Idol Auditions Set!

With auditions scheduled in seven cities across the nation, the phenomenal AMERICAN IDOL begins its search for the next singing superstar. Once again, talented singers will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the American Idol title and a major recording contract.

The quest to become the next American Idol is about to start. Auditions for the seventh season of AMERICAN IDOL begin in San Diego , CA , on Monday, July 30, at Qualcomm Stadium.

Auditions will continue in the following cities:

Dallas , TX - Monday, Aug. 6 - Texas Stadium
Omaha , NE - Friday, Aug. 10 - Qwest Center
Atlanta , GA - Tuesday, Aug. 14 - TBA
Charleston , SC - Saturday, Aug. 18 - North Charleston Coliseum
Miami , FL - Wednesday, Aug. 22 - American Airlines Arena
Philadelphia , PA - Monday, Aug. 27 - Wachovia Center

Audition information for these cities will be announced shortly. Season Seven of AMERICAN IDOL premieres in January 2008 on FOX.

SAN DIEGO AUDITIONS
WHO: Men and women 16 to 28 years old on July 28, 2007 and eligible to work in the United States . Restrictions apply – please go to Americanidol.com for specifics.

WHEN: Monday, July 30
WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium
9449 Friars Road
San Diego, CA 92108

LINEUP: Wristbands will be given out from Saturday, July 28 (starting time TBA), until 8:00 AM on Monday, July 30. Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out; therefore, once they obtain their wristbands, they will be asked to return to Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, July 30. Additional information is available at www.Americanidol.com.

Audition information, including forms and requirements, is available at: www.Americanidol.com.

Jafar, Bambi and The Beast Won't be Returning...AGAIN!

Not in direct-to-DVD movies anyway!

In a GREAT move, Walt Disney Studios has announced they are going to stop making those direct-to-DVD sequels to their best selling original movies.

You know the ones. The Return of Jafar, Lion King 1 1/2, and Mulan 2 for example.

Disney decided to keep the QUALITY in their films and focus on the major releases of their new movies and Pixar films.

They have one more sequel in the works (based on Tinkerbell), and then they will be done.

Nice choice Disney, well played.

Farewell...

... Hank Medress, Musician

Ok, so maybe the the name doesn't ring a bell, but his voice sure would.

Medress was the lead singer of The Tokens, the band that brought us the hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

Medress lost his fight with lung cancer at the age of 68.

Farewell...

... Rod Beck, Baseball

Rod Beck, known for his big mustache and even bigger intimdation factor on the mound was found dead at his home Saturday.

Beck had 286 career saves and was loved by all of baseball.

No cause of death is known at this time, he was 38 years old.

We Need YOUR Review!!

"Evan Almighty" with Steve Carell opened this weekend!

We want YOUR review!

If you went to see it, send us a quick review (including a letter grade) and we'll post it!

The Office Conference Room - Marathon #1

[Updated: 6/22 12:05pm]

It was a nifty little gifty for us last night as NBC showed up THREE episodes!

Casino Night (season 2), Branch Closing and The Merger.

Our panel of Office Fan Site Admins have again sent in their thoughts on these episodes, including full reviews of Casino Night, and their answers to our new All-Time Question!

This week we are looking for:
THE TOP 3 ALL-TIME Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments!

If you want to share your own TwoCents of this topic - head to the FORUMS and do so!

Be sure to check back throughout the day as we add more reviews to the list!

Everyone in the Conference Room - NOW!

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Name: KP
Office Site: TheTwoCents.com
Casino Night Review: This hour long end of Season 2 delivered on so many levels I could probably type forever. The cold open with Dwight in the tux his grandfather was buried in, Jim being able to move the coat rack and the wink Pam gives him. Michale having two dates but only after Pam would screen his corny comments first. Toby listing the reasons they didn't invite the BoyScouts including it being catered by Hooters! Kevin being a poker champ, and then losing to Phyllis. The kiss and slap from Dwangela. Creed stealing everything that wasn't locked down. The crazy impressed smirk on his face as Bob Vance gives away a mini fridge. Toby beating Michael in poker and loving it. Oh so many great moments. And then the flip that the writers gave us with Jim. He's talking with Jan about his transfer to Stamford and she tells him that he needs to tell someone. Jim finds Pam talking with Roy (who is leaving her there looking VERY cute). Jim has something to say, my mind was locked on it being about Stamford and then BAM! What did he say? Read my favorite quote below and you'll find out. My heart SOARED and then BROKE all within in 20 seconds. Then Pam is on the phone with Mom, you can make up what she's talking about. Does she love him too? They kiss! Roll credits. NOO!!! What a way to end the season keeping us ALL hooked all of last summer. The same way they did this year! A phenominal episode all around!
Favorite Moment: That very slight pause JUST before Jim says it. Pam just smiling and staring at him.
Favorite Quote: Jim: Yeah. Hey, can I talk to you about something?
Pam: About when you want to give me more of your money?
Jim: No, I...
Pam: Did you wanna do that now? We can go inside. I'm feeling kind of good tonight.
Jim: I was just... I'm in love with you.
Pam: What?
Jim: I'm really sorry if that's weird for you to hear, but I needed you to hear it. Probably not good timing, I know that. I just...
Pam: What are you doing? What do you expect me to say to that?
Jim: I just needed you to know. Once.
Pam: Well, I um... I... I can't.
Jim: Yeah.
Pam: You have no idea...
Jim: Don't do that.
Pam: ...what your friendship means to me.
Jim: Come on. I don't wanna do that. I wanna be more than that.
Pam: I can't. I'm really sorry if you misinterpreted things. It's probably my fault.
Jim: Not your fault. I'm sorry I misinterpreted our friendship.
Overall Episode Grade: A+

Branch Closing
Favorite Moment: Faxes from Future Dwight
Favorite Quote: Michael: It is an outrage, that's all. It's... hey're making a huge, huge mistake. Let's see Josh replace these people. Let's see Josh find another Stanley. You think Stanleys grow on trees? Well they don't. There is no Stanley tree. Do you think the world is crawling with Phyllises? Show me that farm. With Phyllises and Kevins sprouting up all over the place. Ripe for the plucking. Show me that farm.
Overall Episode Grade: B+

The Merger
Favorite Moment: Pam hugging Jim as he walks through the door.
Favorite Quote: Jim: Hi, I'm Jim. I'm new here.
Pam: Oh my god! It's really you!
Jim: Yeah, I was just doing a little joke there about how we'd never met...
Pam: I know. I don't care.
Overall Episode Grade: B+

ALL TIME QUESTION:
Top 3 Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments:
- Jim's confession on "Casino Night" / Jim asking Pam on a date on "The Job"
- The moment of silence on "Booze Cruise"
- Jim and Pam shopping for Kevin's get-well stuff on "Michael's Birthday"

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Name: Lauren
Office Site: Flonkerton
Casino Night Review: I feel like this episode has entered a mythical status in Office fandom because it always will be "The episode where Jim told Pam he loves her", so it's difficult to review. I sometimes forget how funny and entertaining this episode is before those last 4 minutes. Michael's not-so-secret hate of Toby is in full force, Jim and Pam pair up for a great prank on Dwight, Darryl can barely contain his laughter as he talks about teaching Michael phrases "from da hood", Ryan is reluctantly getting deeper and deeper with Kelly, and Michael ends up with two dates at the casino night. And, of course, this is the episode where Jim tells Pam he loves her. His confession is so simple and honest it makes such a beautiful and at the same time heartbreaking scene. It helps that John and Jenna's acting is pitch perfect; you can almost feel Jim's heart breaking when you look at his eyes, and at the same time you can see the panic on Pam's face as her world is being turned on it's ear. A year and many, many viewings later, the confession and the kiss still gives me goosebumps.
Favorite Moment: The Kiss
Favorite Quote: I have two.
1. Michael (to Toby): Why are you the way that you are? Honestly, every time I try to do something fun or exciting, you make it not... that way. I hate so much about the things that you choose to be.
2. Jim: I just needed you to know. Once.
Overall Episode Grade: A+

BRANCH CLOSING
Favorite Moment: Everyone's reaction when Jan announces the Scranton
branch is staying open.
Favorite Quote: Jim: I mean, I always knew that the [Scranton] branch would shut down someday. I just figured it would be because Michael sold the building for some magic beans.
Overall Episode Grade: A

THE MERGER
Favorite Moment: Jim and Pam seeing each other again (you know, before it all goes to pot)
Favorite Quote: Andy: Hello.
Michael: Ah! You must be Andy Bernard. Aloha and welcome!
Andy: And you must be Michael Scott. Aloha and... hello.
Michael: A-ha-ha-ho. Very good! Welcome to our little kingdom. Ah, we
have a bag of nifty gifties for you.
Andy: Michael, thank you for welcoming me to your little kingdom, Mike.
Michael: Oh.
Andy: Nifty!
Michael: They are nifty! They're nifty gifties.
Overall Episode Grade: A-

ALL TIME QUESTION:
Top 3 Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments:
3. Pam falls asleep on Jim's shoulder in "Diversity Day"
2. The 27 seconds of silence in "Booze Cruise"
1. (tie) The Casino Night Kiss AND Jim asking Pam out in "The Job"

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Name: Fancy New Beesly
Office Site: Fancy New Beesly on MySpace
Casino Night Review: I watched this episode when it aired with my best friend & just remember being really proud of Steve Carell for writing something SO great. It was the perfect season finale...in fact, if it had ended slightly differently it would have been a perfect SERIES finale! Every single actor got a great part in it & realizing that Creed was a much bigger oddball than we'd all realized was too fun. Of course the end scene when Jim confesses his love to Pam was totally unexpected & I remember feeling like he was saying it to me because it was SO realistic! I also remember audibly calling Pam a "bitch" repeatedly after she told him that they were just friends. HAhaahhahah
Favorite Moment: Jim kissing Pam.
Favorite Quote: "Why are you the way that you are? Seriously. Every time I try to do anything fun you make it...not that way. I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."-Michael to Toby
Overall Episode Grade: A

BRANCH CLOSING
Favorite Moment: the cold open with Jim's prank on Dwight...faxing him faxes from Future Dwight...
Favorite Quote: Michael Scott: It is an outrage, that's all. They're making a huge, huge mistake. Let's see Josh replace these people. Let's see Josh find another Stanley. You think Stanleys grow on trees? Well they don't. There is no Stanley tree. Do you think the world is crawling with Phyllises? Show me that farm. With Phyllises and Kevins sprouting up all over the place. Ripe for the plucking. [long pause] Show me that farm.
Overall Episode Grade: A

THE MERGER
Favorite Moment: Pam running up to Jim & hugging him when she first sees him.
Favorite Quote: Dwight Schrute: The Japanese camp guards of World War Two always chose one man to kill whenever a batch of new prisoners arrived. I always wondered how they chose the man who was to die. I think I would have been good at choosing the person.
Overall Episode Grade: C

ALL TIME QUESTION:
Top 3 Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments:
- making up diseases together in the Health Care episode
- the 45 seconds of silence on the Booze Cruise
- Jim confessing his love to Pam

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Name: Jade 6_TOC
Office Site: theofficechat.com
Casino Night Review: Ahh...Casino Night: the season two finale. It was a great episode packed with fantastic quotes from Michael, Darryl, Dwight, Jim, Creed, and Toby. Jim's cold open prank concerning his ability to move things with telepathy worked amazingly well on Dwight, even by Dwight's standards. His reaction was PRICELESS..."Oh my God".
Michael announces to the office employees that the person with the most chips at the end will get to donate 500 dollars to a charity of their choice. This leads to one of the funniest and memorable group discussions ever. Michael says he wants to donate the 500 dollars to Afganistanis with AIDS, and when Jim joking says that they are called "Afganistanannies" Michael says that there is nothing funny about AIDS. Funny, I don't remember Jim mentioning a thing about AIDS.
It’s not going to happen Dwight, stop trying to move the bobble head.
What a fun time Pam and Jim had looking through the wedding band videos. We finally get to see Scrantonicity and Kevin shows us his stuff! I'd hire him, alongside that photoghrapher in "Conflict Resolution", that would be one slammin' wedding.
Once the Casino charity actually starts, Dwight tries to help Michael juggle his two queens, but fails miserably. Jan and Carol , a.k.a. "Lan Jevinson" and "Codename: Remax" meet and Michael explains that he had already asked Carol. Jan pretends she's OK with it, but regrets ever getting together with Michael. Does she even know what she wants?
Towards the end of Casino Night, it seemed as if Michael had a good time with Carol, Pam enjoyed winning money from Jim, Creed won a mini-fridge from Vance Refrigeration because he stole the most chips, Phyllis and Bob were happy they won the all-in battle with Kevin, Angela was Dwight's good luck charm at the tables, Ryan is his usual miserable self ordering weird cherry drinks for Kelly, and Roy made himself scarce by leaving early. This leaves Jim and Jan, who are both unhappy and down. There's even a moment when we thought the two of them would get together and comfort each other. That didn't take, Jan leaves the Casino very fustrated.
Back to Pam and Jim! They meet up outside the warehouse, Jim catches Pam off guard by blurting out that he's in love with her. Pam lets him down saying their friendship means a lot to her. Jim says he wants to be more than friends, but Pam didn't cave in, not even when Jim teared up. She calls her mother from her desk at the office, and Jim soon follows her. Pam hangs up while Jim slowly approaches her, he embraces her then kisses her, she kisses back and places her hands on his head. They break apart and the episode along with the season ends there. Many thoughts go through our head, did it finally happen? Are they really together now? Will Pam leave Roy for Jim? Did she just admit to her mother that she thinks she loves Jim? Unfortunately for us viewers we had to wait many months to find those things out.
Favorite Moment: The conversations they have while Michael is sitting on Pam's desk, including the Afghanistanannies conversation and Toby's explanation and Michaels response to why the Boy Scouts will not be there
Favorite Quote: "I taught Mike some phrases to help with his interracial conversations, stuff like" fleece it out", "going mach 5", "dinkin' flicka"....you know, things us Negroes say"
Overall Episode Grade: A+

BRANCH CLOSING
Favorite Moment: Dwight reads Jim's fax from "future Dwight", then knocks the cup of coffee out of Stanley 's hand
Favorite Quote: "Oh really, what role is that? King of the stupid universe?" - Michael Scott
Overall Episode Grade: B+

THE MERGER
Favorite Moment: Dwight and Andy fighting over the cars they drive.
Favorite Quote: Dwight replies, " Do you mean, from you, to me? Cause that's how it works" after Andy says "Anything new to report?"
Overall Episode Grade: B

ALL TIME QUESTION:
Top 3 Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments:
- Pam falls asleep on Jims shoulder in Diversity Day.
- Jim tells Pam he's in love with her in Casino Night.
- Pam and Jim on the Booze Cruise, standing in silence on deck, in the cold.

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Name: Elyse Moretti
Office Site: Life in the Office
Casino Night Review: Oh, man. The season finale of the year, or maybe even the decade, for sure. Including drama series as well. This was definitely one of the defining episodes of the show for me--the night I watched it, I realized how completely invested in these characters and their lives. Furthermore, it's HILARIOUS, and you can watch it over and over again and find new, funny things to laugh at.
Favorite Moment: Jim's speech
Favorite Quote: See above
Overall Episode Grade: A++

BRANCH CLOSING
Favorite Moment: Dwight receives faxes from Jim--er, FROM THE FUTURE!
Favorite Quote: Michael: It is an outrage, that's all. It's... hey're making a huge, huge mistake. Let's see Josh replace these people. Let's see Josh find another Stanley. You think Stanleys grow on trees? Well they don't. There is no Stanley tree. Do you think the world is crawling with Phyllises? Show me that farm. With Phyllises and Kevins sprouting up all over the place. Ripe for the plucking. Show me that farm.
Overall Episode Grade: A -

THE MERGER
Favorite Moment: Jim & Pam see each other for the first time!
Favorite Quote: entire Lazy Scranton rap
Overall Episode Grade: B+

ALL TIME QUESTION:
Top 3 Jim/Pam (JAM) Moments:
How can I answer this question?! Ahhhhhhh...there are WAY TOO MANY! Here are just a few of my top JAM moments, in no particular order:
- The celebratory hug and kiss at the Dundies
- Right after the end of jinx, when they are smiling at each other and Jim says "Hey"
- The hand-holding/withdrawing in Casino Night/Gay Witch Hunt. HEARTBREAKING!

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New Stars Added to Hollywood Walk of Fame

E! has the list of people who will get their own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

The music category will see stars for George Harrison, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Brooks & Dunn, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Movie Stars getting stars are Cate Blanchett, Tim Robbins, Angela Bassett, Stan Lee and the collective "Munchkins" from "The Wizard of Oz". A family of make-up artists also will be added.

TV stars will have the names of Susan St. James, Howie Mandell, Bill Geist (CBS News), Kate Linder ("Young & the Restless"), Vince McMahon (WWE), Sherwood Schwartz ("Brady Bunch", "Gilligan's Island" creator) and the late Brian Keith.

Stephen Schwartz, the man behind "Wicked", "Pippin" and "Godspell" on Broadway will get a star too.

Leave the Ghost Light On

Why?

Because the post-Tony closings on Broadway have begun. According to the Yahoo! a number of shows will be closing in the coming weeks.

"Pirate Queen" closes this weekend. "Talk Radio" and "LoveMusik" also both end Sunday.

"Radio Golf" and the revival of "Company" both close on July 1.

July 8th says goodbye to "Inherit the Wind" while we turn the A/C on "110 in the Shade" as it closes on July 29th the same day we say goodbye to "Beauty and the Beast" after 13 years.

If you get to Broadway before the end of August you'll be able to catch "Frost/Nixon", "The Year of Magical Thinking" or "Deuce" before they close that month.

Indy is Back!

Ok, so, I didn't get called to be an extra on Indiana Jones 4. Oh well, these things happen!

HOWEVER! On the Indiana Jones official page they just posted this picture with the following blurb. Take notice to who they give the photo credit to!

The Man With The Hat is Back
June 21, 2007

For the first time since 1989, Harrison Ford dons the familiar costume on Thursday, June 21, 2007, as the upcoming Indiana Jones adventure begins production under the direction of Steven Spielberg. The new Indiana Jones movie is set in the 1950s and stars Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent. The Lucasfilm Ltd. production will be released by Paramount Pictures worldwide on May 22, 2008.
Photo by Steven Spielberg.

BREAKING NEWS!! Office Reruns to be on TBS!!

One of the funniest workplaces in television history is coming to TBS when the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning series THE OFFICE joins the network’s line-up in Fall 2007, according to an announcement today by Ken Schwab, senior vice president of programming for TBS and sister network TNT. TBS’s deal for the series, which stars Steve Carrell (Evan Almighty, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), includes non-exclusive broadband streaming, on-demand and wireless rights to run concurrent with the off-network telecast rights, which will begin in Fall 2009. Jonathan Katz, senior vice president of program planning and acquisitions for Turner Entertainment Group, negotiated the deal on behalf of Turner Broadcasting with Frances Manfredi, senior vice president/general sales manager, Cable & Non-Theatrical Sales, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.

“THE OFFICE is not only a top-notch sitcom, but also one of the most relatable comedies on television,” said Schwab. “Anyone who has ever worked for a completely clueless boss, had an inner-office romance or simply worked among an odd assortment of coworkers will immediately get the offbeat humor in this series. It’s a wonderful addition to our line-up, and we’re thrilled to bring it to our audience of comedy lovers.”

The 2006 Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, THE OFFICE is a documentary-style look into the humorous and sometimes poignant foolishness that plagues the 9-to-5 world. It delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Regional manager Michael Scott (Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Carell) is a single, middle-aged man who is the boastful tour guide for the documentary. With unshaken enthusiasm, he believes he is the office funnyman, a fountain of business wisdom and his employees’ cool friend. He has no clue that his employees tolerate his inappropriate behavior only because he signs their paychecks.

Michael’s staff includes Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer, Slither), the friendly office receptionist who bears the brunt of his routines; Jim Halpert (John Krasinski, Jarhead, Kinsey), a likable sales rep with a good sense of humor who should have found a better job years ago; Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson, Six Feet Under), the arrogant assistant to the regional manager; and Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak, Punk’d), a young, smart, self-possessed temp, who quickly figures out the real office politics.

In addition to its 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and Golden Globe for lead Carrell, THE OFFICE has earned four Emmy nominations, a Screen Actors Guild Award® for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series, two Television Critics Association Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards. THE OFFICE, from Reveille and Universal Media Studio, is executive-produced by Ben Silverman; Greg Daniels, who developed the series for American audiences; Ricky Gervais, who starred in the British version of the series; Stephen Merchant; and Howard Klein.

TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s “very funny” network. It serves as home to such hot contemporary comedies as Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Guy, King of Queens, Seinfeld and Friends; original comedy series like My Boys, The Bill Engvall Show, 10 Items or Less and Frank TV (working title); first-run series like Tyler Perry’s House of Payne; specials and special events, such as Funniest Commercials of the Year and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas; blockbuster movies; and hosted movie showcases.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a TimeWarner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming to the basic cable industry.

Two Cents & Five Questions With...

... Craig Robinson, actor.

We watch Craig often on NBC's "The Office" as the Warehouse Foreman, Darryl Philbin. The man who is responsible for all of Michael Scott's wonderfully incorrect catch phrases such as "Dinkin' flicka" and "Pippity poppity, give me the zoppity."

A very busy stand-up comic, Craig has also had roles in movies such as "Knocked Up" and "Tyler Perry's: Daddy's Little Girls". Craig popped up on TV in shows such as "Arrested Development", "The Bernie Mac Show" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm".

Recently Craig took some time out of his stand-up work to spend some time with us and share his Two Cents & Five Answers!

TwoCents: Please tell the Two Cents readers about yourself and how you got your start in the "biz".
Craig Robinson: I got my start through comedy. Yes, open mic nights and improv classes at Second City in Chicago and of course acting classes. I was an elementary school teacher by day, comedian by night.

TC: Stand up and The Office. How do they differ for you?
CR: Stand up and the Office differ because one you are out there all alone, no teammates or second takes, you deliver the set up and punchline and the response is immediate. In essence you are the writer, director and performer. In the other you get to set up the joke and let others around you knock em down while receiving instructions on how it could be better. Pretty sweet either way I think.

TC: How are they the same?
CR: The similarities between the two, the translating an idea to an audience and making it funny, that's the good stuff.

TC: What fun websites do you visit for your own entertainment?
CR: Actually I could use some suggestions on fun websites but I do try to catch the office ones and if I was more computer savvy I would be all in the mix at theofficechat.com.

TC: What new projects do you have coming up?
CR: "Driving School" is an internet show done by Microsoft and Volvo where I play a driving instructor. We've got some solid writers so I'm pretty excited about it. Not sure when it's coming out though. "D-War" is a sci-fi action adventure with my friend Jason Behr of Roswell fame and "Walk Hard" is a Judd (the genius) Apatow joint. Oh yeah, Season 4 of "The Office".

Two Cents Bonus Question:
TC: If someone were to climb off a desert island and only have time to watch five movies to learn what American cinema is all about, what five movies would you show them?
CR: A Fish Called Wanda, The Usual Suspects, Which Way Is Up?, L.A. Confidential, Pineapple Express.

SO MANY THANKS to Craig for sharing his time with us! Be sure to look for him in "Knocked Up" which is out right now as well as his other upcoming projects, his stand-up act, and of course next season on "The Office"!

Jimmy Kimmel Loses His Appendix!

Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," was in good shape after having an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. He's resting comfortably and they've cancelled his show tapings for at least the rest of this week.

Rest up Jimmy! We need you back soon!

Fishing ... The Hard Way!!

You don't go searching for them...

THEY come searching for YOU!

CNN has this video where a reporter gets 'upclose and personal' with the Asian Carp that are invading our waters!!

Coolest Hot Air Balloon EVER!

Wow!

Imagine seeing this float over your house?

For Star Wars Celebration Europe this July 13-15 in London a special balloon has been created!

And you thought Darth Vader had a big head just from being the greatest villain of all time!

Office Marathon Tonight!!

Tonight NBC gives us a "Happy First Day of Summer" present with a marathon of 3 episodes of "The Office".

AND, it's hosted all night by Steve Carell! Promoting "Evan Almighty" which opens this weekend! Yahoo actually has an 8 minute clip!

Tonight we will see:

CASINO NIGHT
8/7c TV14

In the season 2 finale, Dunder-Mifflin holds a Casino Night in the warehouse to benefit charity. While Michael (Steve Carell) faces the task of juggling two dates, Jim (John Krasinski) is forced to ponder the reality of transferring to the Stamford branch and what that means for his relationship with Pam (Jenna Fischer). Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, David Denman, Kate Flannery, Melora Hardin, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nuñez, Phyllis Smith and Rainn Wilson also star.
Watch Highlight

BRANCH CLOSING
8:43/7:43c TV14

Jan (Melora Hardin) delivers the bad news to Michael (Steve Carell) that the Scranton Branch is slated for closure. This leads Michael on a quest to keep up the staff's spirits up. Meanwhile, everyone imagines what their lives will be like in the wake of the close. Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, David Denman, Jenna Fischer, Kate Flannery, Melora Hardin, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, John Krasinski, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nuñez, Phyllis Smith and Rainn Wilson also star.
Watch Highlight

THE MERGER
9:27/8:27c TV14

Old friends Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) are back together after months apart as the Scranton branch and Stamford branch are finally merged. Michael (Steve Carell), Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and the other employees are faced with a variety of changes. Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, David Denman, Kate Flannery, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Rashida Jones, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nuñez, and Phyllis Smith.
Watch Highlight

Now, of course you can chat it up and then play Trivia at www.TheOfficeChat.com tonight! (Trivia will be after the "Branch Closing" episode)

And, if you need transcripts of these episodes, you know you can find them at www.OfficeQuotes.net!

We will be up and running a new edition of The Office Conference Room tomorrow and check back later today for Two Cents & Five Questions with a very special guest!

BNL does DVD & PBS

The Hollywood Reporter is also telling the story of The Bare Nakes Ladies bringing their concert to PBS and DVD!

The band recorded their recent concert in Detroit for the purpose of selling on DVD and bringing to the PBS network later this year or early next year.

According to the article: "In its usual spirited and comedic fashion, the Canadian quintet played a two-hour-plus assortment of its biggest hits -- opening with "One Week" and also including "The Old Apartment," "Pinch Me," "It's All Been Done," "Brian Wilson" and "If I Had $1000000" -- along with fan favorites such as "Alcohol," "Get in Line" and "Call & Answer" and a three-song mid-show acoustic set."

If you've ever seen BNL in concert, you know this will be a good watch!

Deadliest Catch is a GREAT Catch for Discovery!

The Hollywood Reporter Reports that the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" scored with its season finale Tuesday night. The episode was the series' most-watched ever in its three seasons, averaging 3.9 million total viewers. "Catch" also was the No. 1 basic cable program of the night among adults 25-54, males 25-54 and males 18-49 and was the No. 2 program among all primetime television Tuesday in the two male demos, behind NBC's "America's Got Talent." Overall, Season 3 of "Catch" surpassed Season 2 by 20% in adults 25-54 and total viewers.

American Dad Coming Home Again!

FOX has picked up the subversive animated series AMERICAN DAD, featuring security-obsessed CIA agent and devoted family man Stan Smith, through the 2008-09 season. AMERICAN DAD (Sundays, 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) ranks No. 1 in its time period among Adults 18-34, Teens and all male demos.

The series continues to follow Republican poster boy and card-carrying NRA member STAN SMITH (Seth MacFarlane) and his hilariously odd family in Langley Falls , VA. With a heart of gold and looks that would make ‘80s video vixen Tawny Kitaen jealous, Stan’s wife FRANCINE (Wendy Schaal) carefully hides her blonde-party-girl personality for the sake of the conservative man she loves. Stan is constantly butting heads with his left-wing, liberal, 18-year-old daughter HAYLEY (Rachael MacFarlane), who has no qualms about signing pro-choice petitions, attending anti-war protests and speaking out against the Bush regime on the quad of her community college. Hayley’s 13-year-old brother is the geeky yet subtly debonair STEVE (Scott Grimes), a kid who seems to be on the verge of puberty but can’t quite make sense of the opposite sex, much less his embarrassing family. The Smith household is rounded out by two rather unconventional members. There’s the sarcastic space alien refugee, ROGER (MacFarlane), who lives in the attic and likes his martinis, and his women, dirty; and KLAUS (Dee Bradley Baker), a lascivious goldfish with the brain of a German guy and a lust for his foxy caretaker Francine.

This eccentric family full of radically different personalities is just trying to find a way to love and trust each other during these increasingly stressful times. And with a guy like Stan doing his best to make sure the threat level stays below yellow, it’s a hilarious ride.

AMERICAN DAD is a 20th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman serve as co-creators and executive producers.

AFI Still in Love With Citizen Kane!

Last night CBS aired the new installment of AFI's top 100 movies of the last 100 years.

Lots of changes have happened in the decade since the last list. The Associated Press has a great article and here are some highlights:

In the CBS special "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies — 10th Anniversary Edition," "Citizen Kane" held the same No. 1 billing it earned in the institute's first top-100 ranking in 1998.

There were notable changes elsewhere, though, with Martin Scorsese's 1980 masterpiece "Raging Bull" bounding upward from No. 24 in 1998 to No. 4 on the new list and Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 thriller "Vertigo" hurtling from No. 61 to No. 9 this time.

Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 epic "The Godfather" ranked No. 2, up one notch from 1998, switching places with Michael Curtiz's 1942 favorite "Casablanca," which dipped from second-place to third.

Both 1967's "The Graduate" and 1954's "On the Waterfront," which ranked Nos. 7 and 8 respectively in 1998, fell out of the top 10, "The Graduate" coming in at No. 17 and "On the Waterfront" finishing at No. 19.

The other five films in the new top 10 also were among the original 10 best, though they shuffled positions: 1952's "Singin' in the Rain (No. 5 now, No. 10 in 1998), 1939's "Gone With the Wind" (No. 6 now, No. 4 in 1998), 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia" (No. 7 now, No. 5 in 1998), 1993's "Schindler's List" (No. 8 now, No. 9 in 1998) and 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" (No. 10 now, No. 6 in 1998).

Of those newer films, only four made the top-100: 2001's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (No. 50), 1998's "Saving Private Ryan" (No. 71), 1997's "Titanic" (No. 83) and 1999's "The Sixth Sense" (No. 89).

Older films that did not make the cut on the 1998 list broke into the top-100 this time, led by Buster Keaton's 1927 silent comedy "The General" at No. 18. Others included 1916's "Intolerance" (No. 49), 1975's "Nashville" (No. 59), 1960's "Spartacus" (No. 81), 1989's "Do the Right Thing" (No. 96) and 1995's "Toy Story" (No. 99).

[TwoCents Note: Shawshank Redemption made the list this time too!]

Films that dropped out of the top-100 this time included 1965's "Doctor Zhivago," which had been No. 39 on the 1998 list; 1984's "Amadeus," which had been No. 53; 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which had been No. 64; 1990's "Dances With Wolves," which had been No. 75; and 1927's "The Jazz Singer," which had been No. 90.

CBS Gameshow Auditions!

POWER OF 10, a high-stakes, primetime game show where contestants compete for the chance to win $10 million, will have a special broadcast premiere Tuesday, Aug. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The series moves to its regular time period on Wednesday, Aug. 8 (8:00–9:00 PM, ET/PT).

On POWER OF 10, the contestant who can most accurately predict the American public's response to intriguing poll questions could walk away winning millions. POWER OF 10 reaches out across America to poll thousands of people and ask them, well, just about everything — from "What percentage of Americans said they were virgins the day they got married?" to "How many Americans believe they are smarter than president George W. Bush?" Each week contestants will be tested to see if they have their finger on the pulse of the people and can accurately predict the results of the nationwide surveys. With the first question worth $1,000 and only five questions to answer, and each one increasing 10 times in value, the contestant who has the best take on the American mindset could walk away with a $10 million payday.

Drew Carey will host Power of 10. Carey is a stand-up comic turned actor and producer who is best known for having two hit shows simultaneously: "The Drew Carey Show" and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" He was also a producer and host of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" which continues to air in syndication.

A nationwide search for participants for the summer game show is currently underway and application forms for Power of 10 are available on CBS.com. Hopefuls can apply by either visiting the website (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/powerof10/) for application requirements and forms or can attend a casting call and audition in person. Auditions for the Power of 10 will take place on Friday, June 22 in Atlantic City , N.J. and on Wednesday, June 27 in New York City .

Friday, June 22, 2007
Tropicana Casino and Resort
2831 Boardwalk
Atlantic City , N.J. 08401
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Flatotel Hotel
135 West 52nd Street
New York, N.Y. 10019
9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Applications are being accepted throughout the summer and must be accompanied by a three-minute home video that includes a signed eligibility requirement form, a signed release form, a recent photo and a completed questionnaire. Contestants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application and must be legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia . For more information, contestants can call the casting hotline at 1-877-949-POWER.

Michael Davies ("Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") is the executive producer for Embassy Row in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Deadliest Catch Finale

Last night Discovery Channel showed us the last episode for the season of "Deadliest Catch".

Ships caught in ice, too many crabs for the hulls, dead crabs, homecomings, greenhorns becoming men, we had it all!

I won't ruin the surprises of final numbers or shares per boat because I know a lot of people have this on DVR or wait for the marathons they show all the time.

However I do want to talk about the Time Bandit's problem being stuck in the ice. Did you see the look on Captain Johnathan's face? I think, on a MUCH smaller scale, it's like that feeling you have when the road ahead of you is totally covered in ice, your car is fishtailing at 3mph and there are cars skidding out all along the road. That sense of real intense concentration. Of course, I'm sure Johnathan would have given anything to be in a car in an ice storm at that time.

Per your requests, we'll cover the entire next season of Deadliest Catch here on TheTwoCents!

While waiting, try the Discovery Channel's "Oregon Trail"-type Deadliest Catch Game! It's intense.

Think You Know Your Movies?

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S NEW ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL, "AFI'S 100 YEARS...100 MOVIES: 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION," TO BE BROADCAST WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

Following are some interesting facts about this year's new entertainment special, AFI'S 100 YEARS … 100 MOVIES: 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, to be broadcast Wednesday, June 20 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Driving Miss Daisy") will host the special that will count down the greatest movies of all time. During the broadcast, the confidential list of the 100 greatest American films of all time will be revealed by some of Hollywood 's biggest stars.

Those scheduled to be included in the special are Tim Allen, Halle Berry, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Laurence Fishburne, Peter Fonda, Harrison Ford, William Friedkin, Dennis Hopper, Norman Jewison, Spike Lee, Shirley MacLaine, Malcolm McDowell, Eva Mendes, Liza Minnelli, Sydney Pollack, Debbie Reynolds, Martin Scorsese, Martin Sheen and M. Night Shyamalan.

*Did you know that Frank Sinatra "Coulda been a contender" when he was seriously considered for the starring role in ON THE WATERFRONT? Paul Newman was also considered before Marlon Brando committed to the part.

*Did you know that John Singleton was only 23 when BOYZ N THE HOOD was released in 1991, making him the youngest director on the ballot? Singleton was also the first African American to receive an Oscar nomination as Best Director and the youngest to be nominated in that category. Orson Welles was the second youngest director to be nominated for an Oscar and the second youngest director on the ballot, directing CITIZEN KANE when he was only 25.

*Did you know that Sofia Coppola, who wrote and directed LOST IN TRANSLATION, made her screen acting debut as a baby in the baptism scene in her father Francis' THE GODFATHER, and later had a major role in his film THE GODFATHER, PART III?

*Did you know that Clint Eastwood was 74 when MILLION DOLLAR BABY was released in 2004, making him the oldest director on the ballot?

*Did you know that the oldest films on the ballot are THE CHEAT and THE BIRTH OF A NATION, both released in 1915, and the newest films on the ballot are BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, CRASH, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK and HOTEL RWANDA, all released in 2005?

*Did you know that in 1973 Bob Fosse won an Oscar for directing CABARET, an Emmy for the Liza Minnelli special Liza with a Z and a Tony for directing the Broadway musical Pippin?

*Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock and William Wyler each directed 10 films on the ballot—tying for the most represented director? Steven Spielberg and Howard Hawks each directed eight films on the ballot, followed by Billy Wilder and George Stevens, who each directed seven films.

*Did you know that Henry Fonda is the most represented actor on the ballot and that Katharine Hepburn is the most represented actress? Fonda appeared in 10 films, while Hepburn appeared in seven. The male runners-up are, James Stewart and Cary Grant with nine films each and Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson with eight. Female runners-up are Lillian Gish and Bette Davis, who each appeared in five films.

*Did you know that in Oct. 1942, just before the world premiere of CASABLANCA , a Warner Bros. publicist wrote a studio memo advising, "Change the title. It sounds too much like a beer."

*Did you know that in 1939 Victor Fleming directed both THE WIZARD OF OZ and GONE WITH THE WIND? He won an Oscar for GONE WITH THE WIND.

*Did you know that GONE WITH THE WIND publicists Howard Dietz and Russell Birdwell managed to plant news items and feature stories about the production almost every day from July 1936, when David O. Selznick bought the rights to the novel, through December 1939, when the film had its Atlanta premiere? The high cost and long production schedule was so notorious that it led to a popular limerick: "The Civil War was quite a fight and not a mere diversion; I never knew how tough it was before Dave Selznick's version."

*Did you know that 1939 and 1942 are the most represented years on the ballot, with 11 films for each year?

*Did you know that 205 films on the ballot are included on the National Film Registry of culturally, historically or aesthetically significant American motion pictures, selected by the Librarian of Congress?

*Did you know that sometimes critics change their minds about films? In 1946, when influential New York Times critic Bosley Crowther reviewed THE BIG SLEEP, he called it "an over-age melodrama" and a "poisonous picture…likely to leave you confused and dissatisfied." He seemed to have changed his mind by 1974 when reviewing CHINATOWN , lamenting that the picture "continually made me wish that I were back watching THE MALTESE FALCON or THE BIG SLEEP."

*Did you know that there are 10 animated films on the ballot: BAMBI, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, CINDERELLA, FANTASIA, FINDING NEMO, THE LION KING, PINOCCHIO, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, SHREK and TOY STORY?

*You probably knew that Audrey Hepburn's singing voice was dubbed by Marni Nixon for MY FAIR LADY. But did you know the reason was that Hepburn's singing voice was too low to reach some of the high notes and the key could not be changed because of composers Lerner and Loewe's contract, which stipulated that the score could not be altered in any way?

*Did you know that both the 1925 and 1959 versions of BEN-HUR are on the ballot and that William Wyler, who directed the 1959 version, was an assistant director on Fred Niblo's 1926 version?

*Did you know that MARTY, 12 ANGRY MEN and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES were all based on 1950s live television dramas?

*Did you know that when A CLOCKWORK ORANGE was first released in 1971, it received an X rating from the MPAA, but when major newspapers in 30 American cities refused to run ads for the film, the MPAA criticized newspapers for excluding ads for "a legitimate motion picture." In 1972, Kubrick re-cut two scenes so that the picture could receive an R rating.

*Did you know that a few months after he completed SOME LIKE IT HOT, Tony Curtis, who mimicked Cary Grant's and mannerisms voice for the film, co-starred with Grant in OPERATION PETTICOAT?

*Did you know that the smallest cast of the films on the ballot appeared in 12 ANGRY MEN? And the largest is THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, one of the many biblical epics of the 1950s to boast "a cast of 1000s."

*Did you know that outtakes for shots of Dabney Coleman and Jane Fonda's car driving to her parents' summer house in ON GOLDEN POND were used for the opening credits of the popular 1980s television comedy Newhart?

*Did you know that the film that Joel McCrea's character wanted to make in the classic Preston Sturges comedy SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS was entitled O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, which inspired the 2000 comedy of the same name directed by the Coen Brothers?

*Did you know that the storyline in the 2001 film MEMENTO is actually told in two directions: the black and white portion moves forward, while the color scenes interrupting the black and white sections, move backward? The two sections come together at the end, when the beginning of the story is revealed…Got that?

*And did you know that the word "Memento" is an important plot point in the 1936 Fritz Lang film FURY?

*Did you know that while Gene Kelley choreographed and directed the lengthy ballet sequence for AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, the film's director, Vincente Minnelli, was able to shoot an entire film, FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND, before returning to complete AN AMERICAN IN PARIS?

*Did you know that THE GRADUATE inspired the 2005 film RUMOR HAS IT, a comedy about a woman who learns that her mother and grandmother were the inspiration for "Elaine" and "Mrs. Robinson" in THE GRADUATE?

*Did you know that, while the official premiere of THE WIZARD OF OZ took place in Hollywood 's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on August 15, 1939, the actual world premiere was as the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc , Wisconsin on August 12, 1939.

*Did you know that, for a brief time before production began on CITIZEN KANE, RKO executives referred to it as JOHN CITIZEN , U.S.A. ?

*Did you know that, before James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster TITANIC, there had been several films about the sinking of the RMS Titanic, beginning in 1912, not long after the real ship went down? The most famous of those films centered on the ship were the 1956 Fox film TITANIC and the 1958 British film A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, but the 1964 Debbie Reynolds-starring musical THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN also included a section about the Titanic.

*Did you know that Walt Disney originally intended to re-release FANTASIA every few years with additional musical sequences? The high cost of the film and the start of World War II prevented this from happening.

*Did you know that when M*A*S*H was being filmed, stars Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould wanted to have director Robert Altman fired because they thought he was ruining the picture with his innovative, layered dialogue technique. Later both actors went on record to say that they had been wrong.

*Did you know that SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE was inspired by AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER and included scenes of the film when Meg Ryan and Rosie O'Donnell were watching it on television?

*Did you know that current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared in one film on the ballot, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY?

*Did you know that 80 films on this year's ballot were not on the original AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies ballot, and that 44 of those films were released in the last 10 years? Some of the new films include LA CONFIDENTIAL, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, MOULIN ROUGE!, all three films in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, LOST IN TRANSLATION, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, RUSHMORE, SPIDER-MAN 2 and SIDEWAYS?

*Did you know that in 1978, the college Greek system of fraternities and sororities was on a steep decline but started on an upsurge right after ANIMAL HOUSE was released that year? Toga! Toga!

*Did you know that in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA there were no women in the huge cast, aside from a few extras.

*Did you know that Cary Grant originally wanted to play the part of George Bailey and even brought the original short story, "The Greatest Gift," to the attention of RKO studio executives as a vehicle for him?

*Did you know that the shortest film title on the ballot is RAY, while the longest is DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB?

*Did you know that the 1950's rock 'n roll hit "Rock Around the Clock" was introduced to the movies over the opening credits of the intense 1955 urban high school drama BLACKBOARD JUNGLE? The song, performed by performed by Bill Haley and His Comets, became such a rock 'n roll anthem that it became a movie title for the 1957 film ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK?

*Did you know that the hit song "Singin' in the Rain" by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown was first performed in the M-G-M musical HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929? Years later, after Freed had produced many of M-G-M's big-budget musicals, he thought it would be a great idea to let the song be the inspiration for a movie about movies during the transition from silent to talking pictures. That picture became SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, selected as #1 on AFI's list of Greatest Movie Musicals.

*Did you know that, prior to his Oscar-winning performance as the King of Siam in the 1956 musical THE KING AND I, Yul Brynner played the role on Broadway and later reprised the role in a television series, Anna and the King, as well as a Broadway revival and numerous road show productions before his death in 1985?

The Office.... VIDEO GAME!?

That's right!

Variety is reporting that MumboJumbo has licenced the rights to the NBC show as well as the likenesses of its stars for a simple little video game.

"MumboJumbo has likeness rights to the show's cast, who will be portrayed as bobblehead-type dolls. Game will also feature audio and video clips from the show."

You will be able to 'work' in the office and play pranks on people. However it won't be a big blow out for Wii, PlayStation or XBox. This will be a smaller game for DS, PSP, PCs and the like.

So, keep your eyes open for this! You know we'll keep you updated here!

From "The Office" to "Heroes"

Nick D'Agosto who played Jan Levinson's assitant, Hunter, in a few episodes of "The Office" last season is leaving the corporate headquarters!

Apparently, after she was saved, and thus the world, the cheerleader in Heroes needs a new boyfriend!

Nick has been cast to fill that role!

Read More...

Don't Forget The Lyrics!

“’Cause this is thriller, thriller night ...” Can you sing the next verse? We all think we know the words to the world's most popular songs, but when there’s a million dollars at stake, will contestants be able to keep singing when the music stops? Or will they be at a loss for words? Wayne Brady hosts the new game show DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS! premiering Wednesday, July 11 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, July 12 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

On DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS! contestants will choose songs from different genres, decades and musical artists. Then they’ll take center stage to sing alongside the studio band as the lyrics are projected on screen – but suddenly the music will stop and the words will disappear. Will the contestants belt out the correct missing lyric, or freeze under pressure?

After each correct response, contestants must decide to “Stay & Play” or “Take the Money & Run.” If they sing 9 songs correctly, they are presented with a No. 1 hit and one final missing lyric for the top prize of $1 million. It’s that simple: 10 songs, 10 missing lyrics, 1 million dollars.

Wayne Brady is a versatile performer known for his ability to act, sing, dance and make audiences laugh. His syndicated talk/variety series, “The Wayne Brady Show," won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show and garnered him two Emmys for Outstanding Talk Show Host. He demonstrated his improvisational skills on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, for which he received an Emmy as well as four Emmy nominations. His television credits also include “Everybody Hates Chris,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “30 Rock” and “Chapelle’s Show.”

Pam Pong

Ok, I have NO idea how I missed this!

A group called Sweet Diss and the Comebacks has recorded a song and video called "Pam Pong" and it's sweeping through the world of "Dunderheads! It's GREAT!



Thanks to TheOfficeChat.com and LifeInTheOffice.com for tips!

Reader Review - "Man vs. Wild"

You spoke and we listened!

One of the shows you said you wanted to see covered here on TheTwoCents was "Man vs. Wild" on The Discovery Channel.

One of our readers, Sarah, stepped up and offers her review of last weekend's season premiere of the show!

We are still looking for your feedback on what shows we should focus on. Email us at CoverThis@TheTwoCents.com and we'll try our best to make it happen!

[Submitted by Sarah]

Man vs. Wild

Every episode of this show is fantastic! I had been counting the day down until the new season of Man vs. Wild. Bear Grylls is simply one of the coolest human beings! He’s better then any action hero on TV because he is real! Anyone that can eat raw zebra with a side of elephant dung juice is a hero.

This week we catch Bear deep in the Florida Everglades. He drops in and decides that he needs to head west and starts to make his way through the rough terrain. Some of my favorite parts of this show are when Bear freaks out and starts talking to the camera crew. In this episode he comes upon some bubbles in the marsh (thinking it could be a gator) and yells to the crew to get in a tree quick. The look on his face… priceless! As night falls he has to make a tree house to sleep in and always a delight to watch… Bear taking his pants off. If you watch this show regularly then you know Bear likes to take his cloths off. Funny, I never get tired of it.

As he wakes up he continues west trying to find dry land. Another great part of this show is seeing what Bear is going to eat. This episode he finds some ant larva (5 times more protein then mean) a frog and eats it whole letting the audience know you have to kill it with the first bite or else it will wiggle the whole way down, then he kills a turtle and smokes it and surprisingly it tastes like chicken.

The thing about this show is as I watch it I know that if I was in the situation I would NEVER be able to do the things Bear can but I love to think that maybe I could. Could I get myself out of a sink hole? Probably not but I could watch Bear get out of them all day long! Next week we go to Iceland…. I’m not sure if Bear will take his pants off but one can hope!

Till next week I leave you with this bit of Gyrlls advise: Don’t use Spanish moss as bedding in your shelter… it has chiggers in it.

Elite "Club" Opens Its Doors

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 115 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2007 to the Academy’s roster of voting members.

“These individuals are all exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields,” said Academy President Sid Ganis. “We’re looking forward to having them join the Academy’s ranks.”

The membership policies that the Academy adopted four years ago in order to slow the growth of the organization would have allowed a maximum of nearly 150 new members in 2007, but as in the previous three years, the various branch committees endorsed far fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members for four years.

“The numbers are stabilizing nicely,” said Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis, “but at the same time some interesting changes are occurring. Like the recent lists of Oscar® nominees, our last few membership invitation lists have been increasingly international.”

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.

Some of the 2007 invitees include: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Eddie Murphy, Christopher Plummer (how has he NOT been in till now!?), Jennifer Hudson, and J.J. Abrams.

Click HERE for the full list.

What Was That Song??

Ever say that to yourself, or your family, or your friends or your pets or to your couch when watching "The Office"?

Well now everything is going to be ok!

This great website has decided to go episode by episode listing the music used! It even includes some great YouTube Clips to go along with the music!

Enjoy!

Farewell...

..."Sensational" Sherri, Wrestler

WWE is saddened to learn of the death of WWE Hall of Famer “Sensational” Sherri. She was 49. She passed away at her mother’s home in Birmingham, Ala. Friday morning, according to her husband of 10 years, Robert Schrull.

Sherri was best known to our generation as the manager behind Macho Man Randy Savage, Ted Dibiase and Shawn Michaels.

She was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame just last year.

The cause of death has not been released.

Where is Paul Pfeiffer??

For all of us "Wonder Years" fans, PopCandy has found Paul Pfeiffer!!

He's a lawyer!

Man, I feel so old now...

Special Deliveries!!!!

Babies, babies everywhere!!

Hollywood's population just got a little bigger!

Tiger Woods and his wife had a baby! Kevin James and his wife had a baby! Julia Roberts and her husband had a baby! Keri Russell and her husband had a baby!

Anyone I miss?

Two Cents & Five Questions With...

... Treat Williams, Actor

Treat Williams debuts on TNT tonight on the premiere episode of the new series "Heartland".

Heartland is a medical drama that focuses on the high-tension world of the organ donor and transplant business. After watching an advance copy of the series premiere, I can say this isn't just another hospital drama, there is more to it. The series also stars Kari Matchett who we've recently seen in "24" and "Studio 60".

Treat Williams has enjoyed great success in feature films, starting with his breakthrough role in director Milos Forman's film version of Hair, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1980. Just two years later, he was nominated for a second Golden Globe for his portrayal of Daniel Ciello in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City. Williams' extensive film credits include 1941, Smooth Talk, Dead Heat, Heart of Dixie, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Mulholland Falls, The Phantom, The Devil's Own, The Deep End of the Ocean and Hollywood Ending. Most recently he was known as Dr. Andy Brown in the WB's "Everwood".

TheTwoCents was able to get Two Cents and Five Answers with Treat Williams!

Q: When you first read the script for "Heartland" what about the story appealed to you?
Treat Williams: David Hollander wrote a script about a subject that I don't think has been tackled before: the concept of heart and organ transplants and the relationship between the donor and the recipient. There is a mystery between the two that has never been talked about in terms of the ramifications of what it is like for someone who's receied the heart of another person and what kind of responibility they have to the person whose heart they've received. I also love the character.

Q: Your character is a hero, but he's not perfect. What makes flawed characters more interesting to watch?
TW: People identify with these types of characters. Most of us are flawed, complicated people and we're trying tvery hard to disguise that or hide it from the public. Ultimately, we respond to someone who's capable of doing heroic things but has issues or problems in their life that they can't seem to resolve. I believe audiences identify with that. All of us have those secrets and those things that we wish we could improve about ourselves. And when you have someone who's heroic and flawed, I think it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Q: How did you research your rold in "Heartland"?
TW: I went to UCLA and stood in on an open-heart surgery on an 18-month-old boy for about five or six hours. I met with our technical advisor and learned about the ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machine, which takes over and performs the body's functions for the time of an operation. I spent time in different hospital wards, including the intensive care unit. I also spent time with families and patients from 2 to 80 years old waiting for someone to give them a few more years of life. It is an extraordinary concept to give someone a longer time on this earth by replacing their organs with those from another human.

Q: What is the most challenging part of playing a doctor?
TW: Learning the big words.

Q: Do you have any experience with organ transplants or donation?
TW: No, but I did give blood in college to make money for pizza.

It was great to get these answers from Treat Williams! "Heartland" premieres on TNT tonight at 10pm EST.

Monday Memories... "G.I. Joe"

Come on, sing along....

We all watched this show!



It was the kind of thing that would leave litte boys to say things into the family camcorder like "I am HAPPPPPYY..... and I like G.I. Joes!".

Of course, this special unit of military fighters were there worst shots with thier guns ever. Little red and blue lazers flying all over the place without anyone every getting hit.

And, we all know we learned lessons every week and "Knowing is half the battle!"

Chat With Kevin!!

TheOfficeChat.com is having its second moderated chat with a star from "The Office"!

Last Monday night Bobby Ray Shafer (Bob Vance - Vance Refrigeration) stopped in and the transcript of that chat is now up on TOC.

TONIGHT! - Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone) is gonna rock the chat at 9pm EST!!

Closer is Back!!

The new season Premiere of "Closer" airs tonight!

“Homewrecker” – Monday, June 18, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) – TV-14-V

Television’s top detective is back on the case this summer as Golden Globe® winner Kyra Sedgwick returns in ad-supported cable’s #1 series of all time. In the premiere episode, budget cuts are hitting the LAPD hard, and Brenda must give up one of her team members to the counter-terrorism unit or force Provenza into early retirement. Meanwhile, the team investigates the murder of a family in which the prime suspect is the surviving son.

Directed by Michael M Robin

Written by James Duff & Mike Berchem

Created by James Duff

NOTE: TNT will present a 15-hour marathon, featuring all 14 episodes of THE CLOSER Season 2, leading up to the premiere of Season 3. The marathon will begin Monday, June 18, at 6 a.m. (ET/PT).

Series Regulars

Dep. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson: Kyra Sedgwick
Lt. Andy Flynn: Tony Denison
Asst. Police Chief Will Pope: J.K. Simmons
Lt. Mike Tao: Michael Paul Chan
Sgt. David Gabriel: Corey Reynolds
Det. Julio Sanchez: Raymond Cruz
Commander Taylor: Robert Gossett
Det. Irene Daniels: Gina Ravera
Det. Lt. Provenza: G.W. Bailey
FBI Agent Fritz Howard: Jon Tenney

NBC Debuts "Age of Love" Tonight!

"Age of Love"

Hosted by Mark Consuelos ("All My Children")

30-year-old Australian tennis superstar Mark Philippoussis will attempt to find true love among women ranging in age from 21-48 in this unique series based on the current phenomenon of younger men dating older women. Philippoussis will date 13 women from two very different groups -- the "Kittens," six fun, enthusiastic women in their 20's, and the "Cougars," seven beautiful, sophisticated women in their 40's.

But only one woman can win Mark's heart. Is she an attractive, experienced woman who knows what she wants and has already carved out a niche of her own? Or, is she a sexy younger woman who lacks the experience of her older counterpart, but has an enthusiasm for life that only comes with the inexperience of youth? In the end, both Mark and the viewers will discover if love is truly ageless.

The suspense builds in early episodes as Mark -- unaware of the concept -- is first introduced to the "Cougars." As he meets them one by one, their ages increase much to his surprise. The series takes a dramatic turn when Mark learns there's a second group of much younger women -- the "Kittens" -- who will also be attempting to vie for his affections. Unaware of each other, the two groups of women meet for the first time taking the competition for Mark's affections to a whole new level. From there, each week the field of women will be narrowed down with the remaining vying for his attention -- but only one can win Mark's heart.

"Age of Love" is produced by 3 Ball Productions. JD Roth ("The Biggest Loser," "Beauty and the Geek"), Todd A. Nelson ("The Biggest Loser," "Beauty and the Geek"), Adam Greener ("Unan1mous") and Craig Armstrong ("Survivor," "Super Nanny") are executive producers.

Our "sister site" for Reality Television, www.RealityCheckbyGina.com, will be following this show all season! Check later today for their interview with show host JD Roth.

Talk About... Entourage (6/17/07)

A mere few weeks after the season finale, we have the season premiere of Entourage!

How did you like it? Talk about it here or on the Forums!!

Welcome to the Jungle
Original Airdate: Sunday June 1