How Bad Are We?

And here is the first of two TV jumble blogs to look forward to during the week.

Pan Am: If I needed a reminder that there was no more Brothers And Sisters, then the arrival of ABC's new air stewardess drama on Irish TV was a nice way of doing so. It'd be easy to dismiss the series as a Mad Men for ladies but actually, it's a bit more interesting than said show to be honest. The most interesting character to emerge out of the ladies is Kate and the fact that she's working for the FBI. It's hard to tell if this show will be a long runner but I'm intrigued enough to give a few more episodes a go.

Shameless: The last two episodes of the eighth series ended the show on a reasonable enough note. Okay, I'm not a fan of Mimi and Billy as a couple, so their wedding wasn't that much of a highlight but Carl's out of nowhere decision to become a policeman and the breakdown of Kelly and Shane was surprisingly a lot more effective. Frank was still his unfortunate useless self (why is this character still on this show?). Here's hoping that Series 9 next year is better paced. The series certainly suffered from pacing problems.

Spy: Sky1's latest take on comedy is thankfully a lot better than their last few efforts. Spy will not win points for originality and Robert Lindsay's hammy acting does rear it's head but Darren Boyd is excellent as the hapless Tim who accidentally became a member of MI5. Also oddly funny is the Stewie Griffin-ish son Marcus, whose pithy observations might not be realistic for a nine year old but they are entertaining to watch. Definitely one of Sky1's better efforts.

The Apprentice (Ireland): I've been relegating this to a Sunday afternoon repeats but blimey, I wasn't expecting Eoin to actually leave. Typical. One of the most irritating contestants and we're denied the satisfaction of actually seeing him getting fired. Oh, and didn't Bill fire yet another female contestant? Any chance he can stop doing that so frequently because even I don't this series to be a boys club.

The Vampire Diaries: I really love this show and the last two episodes have made me so glad I actually took up watching. The flashbacks and reveals galore in relation to Klaus have been fun to watch and even more so, the renewed alliance with Elena/Damon and Bonnie being crafty enough to fake her own death while Jenna finally became privy to vampires and Klaus got his own body back. Of course, there's a few downers - Katherine largely being underused and Damon acting like his usual petulant/violent self when Elena took control of the Klaus and tried to find other ways of defeating. Gotta love the girl's gumption. Damon on the other hand, can just do one.
Threesome: Yay, another new comedy that I actually found myself enjoying. If this Comedy Central's attempts of doing flagship shows, then it's off to a terrific start. Even though I wasn't sure I needed to see yet another show where a gay man fathers a kid for a straight couple (during an awkward three-way during Alice's birthday), I can't help but enjoy this series. Alice, Mitch and Richie make for an interesting troika and Alice's mother in the second episode was fun to watch as well but that might be down to my soft spot for Pauline McLynn. Can't wait to watch the next few episodes.


- Jamie Bamber will be appearing in Body Of Proof as a love interest for Dana Delany's character.
- E4 have the rights to both Charlie's Angels (which was cancelled) and New Girl. Both are due to air on the channel in the next few weeks.
- Chord Overstreet will be returning to Glee after all, reprising his role as Sam in the eighth episode, due to air in December. Matthew Morrison will also be directing the Christmas episode this year.
- Marc Cherry is developing a new series for ABC called Devious Maids.
- Lena Hedly has said that the second series of Games Of Thrones will be even crazier than the first one.
- Catherine Tate will be reprising her role as Nellie in the second half of the eighth season of The Office.

Run The World, Brittany

And here is one of two TV blogs. Next one is tomorrow.

Glee - Great set of episodes of here. The second one seemed to deal all too quickly with Quinn's downward spiral but the reintroduction of Shelby and a second club which Mercedes ended up joining after the third episode was an interesting. Actually, the third episode was the best we've had - much needed focus on Mike's family, Emma's family (and Will being the supportive partner) and Mercedes being called out on her laziness as well. Plus Brittany at her flash mobbing best bid for Class President means that Kurt is probably going to lose another role pretty soon. Too bad we have to wait a month for more episodes though.

Shameless - Is it weird that I've enjoyed the second half 0f the series more than first half? The 100th episode felt like a return to form and the fact that Kev briefly returned and it was written by creator Paul Abbot certainly helped matters. But it still isn't perfect. I couldn't care less about Aidan as a character, Shane/Kelly's marital problems seemed to come out of nowhere, Mimi and Billy are still wrong to watch and Marty's return was ultimately pointless in the end. And Frank has got to go - he's become the epitome of cannon fodder now.

The Apprentice Ireland: Ah, I missed this show and funnily, I actually prefer it (slightly) to the UK one. Speaking of the UK one, this one has adopted the same stratagem this year with Bill going into business with one lucky hopeful instead of giving them a job. So far, I don't like any of them and while Ashling was an incompetent PM (read the fecking brief, woman), I would've fired Chris a lot quicker. He's a big character - yeah, right. Still, the next 11 weeks should be fun though.
The Fades: I'm at a crossroads with this show. Every time I feel underwhelmed, something drags back to watching it. The second episode was incredibly dreary (apart from Mac's daddy issues) but the third one sort of made up for it. Paul with wings and then Paul in a coma was interesting, Helen crossing over, Neil getting Mark to talk to Sarah (she's still here) and then Mark getting arrested for his estranged wife's disappearance and the arrival of John at the end. I hope this means the second half of the series delivers, especially with Anna and Jay, who are the weaker characters of the bunch.

This Is Jinsy: Every now and then, I see a programme so unimaginably horrible, I find myself at a loss as to why anyone in their right mind would commission such a show. Sky1 - what the hell were you thinking? Were you that hard up for new programmes you allowed this dreck to be subjected to a public audience? If you haven't seen it (and I only watched it for David Tennant and Catherine Tate's episodes), really don't bother. It tries to be akin to the likes of The League Of Gentlemen but it's nowhere near that level of entertaining. Avoid like the fucking plague.

- The Simpsons has been renewed for two extras seasons, courtesy of FOX. I guess that salary dispute got sorted then.
- Both The Playboy Club and Free Agents have become the first shows to get the axe for this season. I wonder what other shows will follow.
- Amber Benson will play a stripper in the 10th episode of Ringer, who Victor comes into contact with.
- Alice Evans will be playing Esther, the mother of Klaus in an upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries (ITV2 are airing Season 3 tomorrow at 9pm).
- Irish viewers will see Pan Am first when RTE2 air it Mondays at 9pm from October 17th.
- Kristin Bauer will be played Maleficent in an upcoming episode of Once Upon A Time.

Horrible Business Partners - The Apprentice Final Four

I've been dipping in and out of the seventh season of The Apprentice and while we've had arguably stronger years, there's still no sign that Alan Sugar's all emcompassing business series is waning with the general public.

At 9pm tonight, the final four will undergo interviews and then one of them will be hired but really, who deserves it out of this lot? Jim Eastwood is a man who spouts so many cliches, he deserves a gagging order while Tom Pelleureau is proof that eccentric doesn't always make for good TV. Nah, actually, he's alright. Plus both Helen Milligan and Susan Ma might have made it this far but I can't see either of them really making as a business partner with Alan Sugar.

Either way regardless of who scoops the prize, I'm sure tonight's final show is going to blow the competion away.

EDIT: Tom won it but seemingly by the skin of his teeth. I really did think it was going to be Helen that bagged it but she shot herself in the foot in the end. Congrats, Tom.

It's The Afterbirth You Dickhead

Okay, this is probably the last TV jumble blog for 2010 and here are the end of a few shows I've been watching over the last few weeks.

Ugly Betty - Yes, Season 4 has finally finished up on E4 and while it continues to show us that Vanessa Williams was better here than in her new gig, I have to admit the last few episodes have been fun - Betty getting rid of her braces, Hilda getting married, Justin finally coming out, Wilhemina and Cliare burying the hatchet, Amanda finding her real father and of course, Betty leaving for London and Daniel going after her. The series wasn't perfect but it was a fun, feel-good antidote that will be missed.

Misfits - I loved the last two episodes of this show. The finale might have pulled something of a reset after the consequences of milk guy nearly killing everyone but it certainly made for a fun episode and it's incredible that even with a rubbish power, Brian could manage to be a fairly credible threat as well. As for the Christmas special, well, it certainly won't go down as too schmaltzy anyways. You had Marnie giving birth with Nathan stamping on the afterbirth for gore along with Nikki's swift death, a guy pretending to be Jesus, Simon and Alisha's reltionship developing and the gang losing their powers only to gain some new ones. Thank goodness this show is due for a third run.

The Vampire Diaries - Three episodes in a row and I've finally finished off the first season and it was fun. I liked learning more about Stefan and Damon first few hours as vampires, Isobel's brief entry into Alaric and Elena's lives was amusing enough and the writers have made sure I don't feel an ounce of compassion for John Gilbert. Heck, even when Katherine in the final minute chopped his bloody fingers off, I couldn't muster any empathy for the guy. Damon had some nice moments of decency, Jeremy lost another girlfriend with Anna and Tyler was also effected by the noise of that device, which can only mean there's something supernatural about him. Here's hoping TG4 don't waste too much time and air Season Two pretty sharpish.

Desperate Housewives - I was waiting for one episode this season to truly blow me away and I actually got it. Okay, so event episodes are all spectacle and I'm still not sure how Paul's storyline can be sustained for the rest of the season but at least someone had the freaking sense to shoot him. I'm betting it'll be someone like Mitzi or even Lee if they want to be a tad risky. As for the riot, it felt devastating enough and here's hoping that the remainder of the season will finally get the show back on track too.

The Apprentice - Irish/UK Versions - Ah, it's an all girl victory on both sides. Michelle predictably bagged it for the Irish and Stella (less predictably for me) won the UK one but either way, both versions had some enjoyable moments and sure, it won't be too long before the seventh series of Alan Sugar's version hits our screens again.

- Along with Caprica, SyFy have also pulled the plug on Stargate Universe. Wow, it's really not good to be a spin-off nowadays.

- The producers of Smallville have been trying to get Michael Rosembaum to reprise his role as Lex Luthor for the show's final run.

- Ian Somerhalder has revealed that Klaus in The Vampire Diaries will make Damon shake in his boots. Sounds like my kinda character, then.

- Damien Lewis, David Harewood, Mandy Patinkin, Claire Danes and Laura Fraser have all joined the cast for new Showtime series, Homeland.

- John Corbett has landed a multi-arc role on Parenthood.

You're A Bad One Miss Grinch

And here's another TV blog in the space of a week. I think I might be on a roll of some sort.

Glee - Christmas episodes are always going to be and should probably always been rather cheesy and this show made no exception to that long accepted rule. Here was an episode where a 16 year old Brittany still believed in Santa Claus and Sue herself actually dressed up as the Grinch when she did a spot of sabotaging at Will's expense. In terms of the songs, Rachel and Finn's rendition of Last Christmas and Kurt/Blaine's take on Baby, It's Cold Outside stodd out the most. US and Irish viewers will have to wait until February for the remaining episodes of the second season.
Misfits - With a finale and a Christmas special to look forward to in the next nine days, last night's episode was the oddest thing ever. Kelly finally nabs herself a bloke who adores her and he turns out to be a gorilla. Interesting to see that the storm affected animals along with humans but it was certainly the weirdest thing going. Less weird, however were Nathan and Alisha's attempts of protecting Simon from Jessica's psycho father while that mystery behind Curtis and Nikki's superhero encounter was finally resolved. The finale certainly looks like a bit of a game changer and while this episode was the weakest from the series, it still amused for the most part.

Desperate Housewives - I can't lie that I've been feeling widely disconnected from this series because even though this season isn't awful, it's just dawned on me that there's very little left it can actually offer. Paul's plot for the neighbourhood is tedious rather than terrifying and the potentially good plot with the baby swap is seemingly resolved, following the departures of Grace and her family. Oh and do I look like I care about Renee pining for Tom? On the plus, I am still enjoying Bree/Keith and the latter's parents for some reason. Hope their 'event' episode is much better though than these last two have been.

The Vampire Diaries - The good news is by December 22nd, TG4 will finally be finished with the first season. The not so great news is that there's no word as to when they'll air the second season but it'll be something to look forward to. As for the last two episodes I've viewed, well apart from the arrival of John Gilbert and the whole Miss Mystic Falls saga, things have felt a little quieter but from what I've read about the last three episodes, I am excited for events to come. Oh and while I won't ship Elena/Damon, they do look sorta good together.

The Apprentice - UK/Irish Versions - Ooh, things are getting good, aren't they? Liz Locke got the boot on the UK version of this show due to her tour guide team being bad and in the Irish version, it's a girl/girl final next with both Michelle and Niamh pitted against each other as Barry, Will and Panos all got the boot. So, who would I like to see win - Michelle for the Irish one, Jamie for the UK version.

- Skins will premiere on MTV from January 13th 2011. I'll be doing another blog in relation to the US version and one on the fifth series on the UK version.

- Glee will also be doing songs by Destiny's Child and Maroon 5 in the second half of Season 2, which premieres on E4/Channel 4 in January.

- Larry Hagman will be appearing in Desperate Housewives as a love interest for Lynette's mother, who's returning in the New Year. There's also rumours that Keith will have a child that he's unaware of.

- Look out for a proposal in an upcoming episode of Smallville.

- Brothers And Sisters could be doing another storyline about someone not being a Walker when an old flame (played by beau Bridges) of Nora's surfaces. Kevin and Scotty will also be adopting later in the season as well.

- MTV have announced that Bubba Lewis, Joey Pollari, Zack Pearlman and Mark L. Young will be the main cast for their version of The Inbetweeners.

A Bit Of A Huge Roundup

This is going to be a little short but over the last two weeks, there have been some good shows to watch over.

Lip Service - Pretty interesting finale. I'm not gonna lie that I didn't see Cat/Frankie happening because it was pretty obvious that was going to go there and it'll be interesting to see if Cat does choose her ex-girlfriend over Sam. I did also like Frankie's mystery being resolved and it was nice to see Tess sort out her friendship with Ed, get a good acting gig and spark up a relationship with Finn. Pun intended. Hoping this series returns for a second run.

Merlin - what is it with Uther trying to crush other people's love interests? First, he ended up banishing Gaius's one, Alice after it was revealed that her hand was being forced by a Manticore and thanks to Morgana's scheming, he almost ended up having Gwen executed as well. I have to admit to enjoying Merlin using a disguse in order to save Gwen and give both Uther and Arthur a piece of his mind. Now, I need to go and catch with last night's episode.

Thorne - I really enjoyed the last two episodes of this series but I'm hoping for a little more of an oomph if we get a next series. Thorne's guardianship over Charlie and his scenes with his father, Phil and Ruth were fantastic but Sandra Oh was surprisingly disappointing as Sarah Chen and I wasn't too sad to see her killed by Martin. Overall, a worthwhile addition to Sky1's staple.

Accused - Christopher Eccleston and his gritty dramas, eh? He certainly seems to enjoy them and the start of this six-parter from Jimmy McGovern was a decent stab at something for Monday nights. Each week sees a court case and this week saw Eccleston's character steal money to pay for his daughter's wedding and ending up getting six years as well as having his affair quietly revealed in the background. Certainly not a good day for Willy.

The X Factor - Well, in the last three weeks, we've had TreyC, Aiden and Paije all fall to the sides whilst Katie Waissel and Wagner have triumphed yet again. Having weeks dedicated to both Elton John and the Beatles certainly has been telling but at this point, I just know that either Matt Cardle or One Direction are going to win this, so it doesn't matter what controversy Katie generates, though to her credit, she did a cracking version of Help.

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here - Maybe it's a form of twisted karma but for a woman who examines other people's poo for a living, Gillian McKeith certainly has managed to become a figure of fun and scorn for the general voting public and her fellow teammates. Personally, while I'm not glued to this series, I am finding the excess picking on Gillian a tad too mean and I don't even like the woman.

The Apprentice UK/Irish Versions - Mmm, I'm watching the Irish more and actually enjoying it more. We've lost misery guts Tara and moronic Dave (while still being lumbered with patronising git, Jamie) and with any luck, Will will develop a personality and Michelle will win the bloody thing. As for the UK versions, I wasn't too sad to see the departures of either Alex or Sandeesh to be honest.

We're Off To See The Fisher King

Another UK TV based blog. I'll do another US one next Thursday after I've finished Dexter off and seen the first episode of The Walking Dead.

Lip Service - Terrific fourth episode. Okay, I might not find Frankie the most likeable of people but she certainly keeps things interesting to a degree. Not only did she nearly get arrested for trashing a house with Sadie and sleeping with Jay at the end of the episode but her search for her past is starting to cause problems for Sam and Cat as well. Speaking of them, I cringed a little when Sam had to meet her girlfriend's parents. I think I could go a healthy stretch without seeing Cat's mother to be honest. As for Tess, the internet being a disaster storyline was cliched but amusing enough. I still think in spite of Lou's douchey behaviour that she'll end up going back to Tess. Dating Tom the prick can't be doing her the world of good and Lou is preferable to Ed getting with Tess. I like him but I'd rather that him and Tess didn't get it on if that's possible.

Merlin - Eight episodes in and this season still feels like it's on the slow path. This week did try to make some progress with Arthur going on a mission for an artefact whilst unaware of the fact that it was actually Merlin's destiny to meet the dying Fisher King (look, it's Kemp from Being Human) and get some water from Avalon while Gwaine did some monster slaying. Another plus to this episode was Warwick Davis's cameo appearance and the fact that Gwen became privy to Morgana's evil ways and confided in Gaius about it. Overall, an enjoyable episode though Morgause was wasted to a cameo this week.

The X Factor - It was Halloween during the weekend, so there was perfect excuse to use it as a theme for the show on Saturday. Well, it would've been perfect if more than a handful of contestants actually had songs/costumes that adhered to the theme. If I never hear Wagner's take on Bat Out Of Hell or Aiden's odd version of Thriller, it won't be too soon. Cheer up, Aiden. In terms of songs, I actually thought that Cher's version of Stay With Me worked the best, even if Simon's comments about the similarities between Cher and Cheryl are about two months too late. Oh and Belle Amie left but that wasn't much of a surprise.

The Apprentice - UK/Irish Versions: I have to admit that between the two of them, I'm actually preferring the Irish version a little more this year. The UK version has had some good moments in the last weeks and I was glad to see both Melissa and Paloma get the boot in the last two weeks but the Irish one is making me laugh. Especially with Panos being gloriously out of his depth and the figure of fun with a bad game during a task for Cadburys in a local village. Oh, and kudos to Michelle being project manager given that her dictator style actually meant that people get things right and given that she was on the team that lost out to an 11 month calender last week, it was nice that she was able to get a victory. I wasn't too bothered to see Sarah and Nagaite go though I'm hoping that Jamie is next.

- Nina Dobrev has revealed that more will be revealed about Katherine's colourful past in an upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries.

- Kevin and Scotty will be taking in a young girl named Olivia in Brothers And Sisters.

- Gwyneth Paltrow's character on Glee will be called Holly Holiday. Burt and Carol will also be getting married in an upcoming episode as well as Kurt possibly transferring/spying on another school.

- HBO have ordered a pilot from Steve Coogan and Justin Theroux.

- Eliza Dushku will be playing an FBI agent in The Big Bang Theory, whose job is put in danger by Sheldon.

- True Blood's fourth season will finally introduce Andy's sister, Portia as well as cage-fighter Naomi, z-list palm reader, Marnie (who gets posessed by a witch's spirit - Hallow?), fairy Queen Mab and Suzanne McKittrick, who's a shapeshifter. Casting for these roles has yet to be confirmed.

Siblings Reunited

Okay this is going to be brief runover of what I've seen in the last few days and sorry for the delay.

Merlin - Two very interesting episodes here. With the first one I've seen, there was the return of the fairy creatures from the first season and a young woman named Elena, who sensibly did not want to be Arthur's suitor. Top marks to the writers for keeping the goofiness at the right level and for the sympathy drawn for Elena. As for the second episode, nice to see Gwen's brother and the return of Cenred but I would like the Morgana/Morgause stuff to move a little more forward now.

Lip Service - I really do like this show. Okay, so the comparisons to The L Word probably won't end soon but it's certainly more believable and less elitist take on lesbian culture and the characters are definitely interesting to watch. Frankie's not too likeable but she's fascinating and it's hard not to lovbe/feel bad for Tess, given that Lou's pretty much messing her about and she lost her job after impersonating a child psychologist badly. Plus Cat's burgeoning relationship with Sam is nice to watch as well. Not really too bothered about Jay and Ed or Becky - yet.

Thorne: Sleepyhead - Going on the second episode alone, this is definitely taking a different route than the books, which isn't a bad thing. Thorne and Phil's fractured friendship over an old secret is definitely interesting and it was nice to see some of Holland's home life as well as a means for Allison to try and communication with Thorne and Anne but the cliffhanger at the end of the first episode seemed resolved a little too quickly, even if a fair amount of time passed for Tom. I'll comment about the last part of Sleepyhead in a later blog.

Single Father - I'm not going into hyperbole about how this is a brilliant show but the hype surrounding it is certainly justified, that I will admit. Taking Dave to the levels of seeking out Lucy's bio-dad and then sleeping with Sarah after learning that Rita had one secret too many did all make sense, even if it was terribly predictable. The acting in this, especially from the youngsters does continue to impress but I can see some difficult decisions ahead for Dave in the next two episodes.

The X Factor - Ah, the last two weeks of this have been fun. In the space of four shows, we've lost Storm Lee, Diva Fever and John Adeleye (the latter I was sad to see go) but more importantly, we've also had Cheryl plug her latest rubbish song as well as a totally manufactured feud between her and Louie to endure. Um, guys, this show is about the contestants, not the judges. Speaking of contestants, I find it hilarious that for all the negative publicity she's generated that Katie has still managed to be saved for the last few weeks. And my sister keeps nagging me about the greatness of Mary Byrne. I get it, already - Dublin should be proud.

The Apprentice - Ireland/UK Versions - I'm beginning to think that I need to seperate these two because at the moment, I'm enjoying them in equal measures and find myself supporting certain candidates and bemused by others. In the UK version, Shibby bemused me but his bad decisions with the task made it just for Alan Sugar to give him the boot, whereas I also find myself a little taken with Jamie. The Irish version makes me wonder why Dave hasn't been booted out but I guess it had been fair for Caroline to get the chop over the ad fiasco, even if her comments about certain people coasting along might be true. Either way, I bet BBC1 and TV3 are very happy with the ratings for these shows nonetheless.

- Keith Carradine has been cast as Penny's father in an upcoming episode of The Big Bang Theory.

- Robert Englund will be guest starring in next week's Halloween themed episode of Chuck.

- Kristin Davis is set to star in upcoming NBC series, The Happiness Project about one woman's quest for true happiness.

- Mariah Carey is being rumoured for the US version of The X Factor.

- Chandra Wilson has recently directed an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Wildcards

Merlin has had a mixed couple of weeks, especially with the last two episodes I've seen. Gwaine gave us a dashing knight who got exiled from Camelot, even after saving Arthur's life from two disgruntled thugs using magic to disguise themselves as knights but The Crystal Cave was an episode where a lot actually happened. Merlin tried to change the future but instead his interference caused it and Morgana herself became more incensed with rage when she learnt that Uther was her actual father and made a few more failed attempts to kill him. Somewhere in these last two episodes - Arthur, Gwen and Gaius had middling roles, the Dragon became irritated with Merlin's authority and Morgause was a surprising voice of reason with her volatile sister. The season is having a hit and miss quality but it's still better than mostly everything else that airs during the weekend.

Sky1 deserve a medal for bringing Thorne: Sleepyhead to the small screen. If the first episode alone is anything to go by, this is going to be a fantastic series. David Morrissey is brilliant in the leading role and the ongoing plot with the killer trying to get his victims into a state of locked in syndrone is just as creepy to watch as it was to read and I've read the book. The ending where Thorne got attacked in his own apartment by the killer desperate to connect with him totally took me by surprise. I can't wait to see where this further goes and the supporting cast as also brilliant.

There's been so much hype for Single Father over the last couple of weeks that I wasn't sure if I would end up liking it myself but you know what? I did and them some. David Tennant definitely is a masterful actor and his depiction of Dave's anguish over the death of his wife and trying to keep his family together is certainly a performance that's deserving of major awards within the next year. The writing's not particularly original but it's utterly believable and there's a brilliant cast here, especially Suranne Jones and the actors playing Dave's children are very good as well. I think the kiss between Dave and Sarah was a little rushed at the end of the episode (even if 10 weeks passed since Rita's death) but overall, this is another series I'm looking forward to for the next three weeks.

The Apprentice - well, I've been watching both the UK and Irish versions of the show and it just goes to show that both versions continue to entertain me. Last week's premiere of the UK one showed that Alan Sugar can still startle the bejesus of the show-offs vying for a position in his company. Dan Harris wasn't soon packing his bags after blundering in the first task and there's already a departure of another contestant for personal reasons as well. The Irish version in the last two weeks saw both Niamh Humphries and Kieran Walsh getting the boot through their own incompetence and misfortune. Still though, I'm actually surprised that scheming Tara survived Bill Cullen's wrath this week and then I remember that the argumentative madam makes for interesting TV. Well more interesting than Panos's all too familiar fear of power tools.

If I read more about Cheryl Cole being the most hated woman in Britain because of The X-Factor, I'll scream. I don't remember her generating this amount of hate when she beat the crap out of a toilet cleaner all those years ago, so it's interesting that not putting Gamu through has earned her such grief. Granted both Katie and Cher messed up and shouldn't have gone through but fans tends to go overboard with these sort of things. The use of wildcards was predictable though but the exits were interesting. How did Belle Amie and Katie Waissell fare better over Nicolo Festa and FYD? Oh well, I guess congratulations to Mary Byrne, whose version of It's A Man's Man World really did bring the house down. I always worry when I find myself agreeing with Louis Walsh but even I couldn't fault his hyperbole of the Tesco worker this week. Still think it'll be either Cheryl or Dannii who'll snag the victory this year though.

- Christopher J. Hanke is playing the guy that Scotty cheats on Kevin with in Brothers And Sisters. Richard Chamberlain is also guest starring as a love interest for Saul. Ryan Devlin is also playing a grad student who might interest Kitty.

- Glee's Rocky Horror Picture Show episode will air on FOX from October 26th.

- HBO have announced that William Hurt, Cynthia Nixon, Paul Giamatti, Topher Grace, Ed Asner and Billy Crudup will appear in upcoming adaptation of Andrew Ross Sarkin's best seller Too Big To Fail.

- Katerina Graham has admitted that Bonnie may be getting a love interest in the second season of The Vampire Diaries.

- Kristin Bell is being linked to NBC's upcoming remake of The Munsters.