WBNX Blog

Parting shots: Ode to two great reality villains

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:04:10 +0000

Two of The CW’s best-ever drama queens were handed their walking papers last night. One refused to walk. Farmer Wants a Wife evictee Josie unloaded on country boy Matt—right in front of the stunned townies at bingo night. Saying he wanted a female farmhand, not a wife, Josie yelled that he didn’t have anything to offer a girl…then declared she wasn’t leaving ‘til Matt gave her a “departing gift.” The blubbery, unattractive blonde (who fancies herself “a 10-plus”) brought more laughs to a reality show than any contestant I can ever remember. Josie’s views on politics, work, money, love, decorating, the elderly—well, just about anything—were so outrageous, she became the train wreck you couldn’t look away from. Someone, please give this girl a weekly half-hour forum to voice her thoughts; it’ll be appointment TV for many. America’s Next Top Model axed Columbus native Dominque, who made few friends with a pushy persona and third-person references to herself. Some likened her strong facial features to a transvestite, but even Tyra admitted that as the weeks wore on, Dominique took some great photos. Among the final four, arguments could be made that she was more attractive than plus-sizer Whitney, ultra-thin Fatima, and ditzy Anya. But the Buckeye gal took her elimination with class, saying she felt like a winner for advancing this far. Who will survive next week’s final TV commercial challenge? My upset prediction: Whitney.

America’s Next Top Model / Season Finale! Wed. 8pm – Encore: Sun. 7pm

Farmer Wants a Wife / All New! Wed. 9pm

Controversial judge will debut in afternoons

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:41:46 +0000

In New York, Jeanine Pirro has challenged the big boys in statewide races. Hillary Clinton. Andrew Cuomo. Her supporters have included Donald Trump, Gov. George Pataki and Tommy Hilfiger. Opponents marvel at her ability to dodge the many controversies that have followed her 30-year legal career. And they’ll all be really interested to see this political celebrity doling out justice afternoons this fall on The CW. Judge Jeanine Pirro joins WB comedy vets The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show in September to form the network’s new 3-5pm weekday lineup. Ms. Pirro was the first woman to be elected Judge and later District Attorney in storied Westchester County, where she gained exposure working on high-profile domestic abuse cases. Five years ago, she authored To Punish and Protect: One DA’s Fight Against a System That Coddles Criminals, a book endorsed by none other than Judge Judy Sheindlin. Pirro’s tell-all “debunks the psychobabble of excuses for criminals, and it serves as a battle cry for the rights of victims. I knew I liked Jeanine Pirro’s style—now I am a fan,” Sheindlin writes. Jamie Foxx and Shawn and Marlon Wayans established themselves as TV stars on The WB Network, with each of their series reaching the 100-episode plateau. They’ve gone on to enjoy tremendous success on the big-screen, as well. The verdict on this upcoming afternoon block? Looks like a winner.

CW dramas rise up to ask “Can you top this?”

admin — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:18:14 +0000

“I killed someone.” And with those final words last night, Serena took Gossip Girl to a wild new level of intrigue. Best episode of the season? Oh yeah. Michelle Trachtenberg, as Georgina Sparks, in just two weeks has become a soap villainess in the vein of legendary “mean queens” Joan Collins and Heather Locklear. Her sweet smile masks a sordid agenda, which for starters has included drugging, outing, creating duel identities, boyfriend-stealing…oh, and secretly videotaping the crime Serena confessed to Blair. For blackmailing, of course. This show is the gold standard for escapist dramas: fast-paced storylines and jaw-dropping moments. Later in the evening, One Tree Hill offered up one fiery exchange when Nate told his (supposedly) dying father, the convicted murderer Dan, that he was no longer a part of their family. An irate Dan then hurled his drink into the wall, giving us a glimpse of the old villain this show really needs him to be. With Brooke fussing over the baby, Lucas pining for Lindsey, Peyton and Haley recording music, and Mouth and Millicent being Mouth and Millicent, Dan is the one polarizing character that ignites strong emotion. We crave more scenes like the hilarious, biting encounter last week between Dan, his ex-wife Deb and the creepy clown. There are only two episodes remaining this season for each of these can’t-miss Monday serials, and you just know the theatrics will be amped up even further.

Gossip Girl / All New! Monday 8pm

One Tree Hill / All New! Monday 9pm

Beautiful, sexy people; who got snubbed?

admin — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:29:26 +0000

We’ve reached that annual summit where magazine editors feel compelled to tell us which celebrities are this year’s Most Beautiful or Sexiest—since we can’t determine that for ourselves. People has offered a teaser of its upcoming Top 100 list, and loses credibility with the selection of Rumer Willis. It does note that Bruce and Demi’s kid is best friends with the sizzling Jessica Szohr (Vanessa on Gossip Girl), so she scores points for that. By the way, how perfectly did Vanessa and Nate blend on this week’s episode? To avoid hogging seven individual spots, People lumps together the entire young, beautiful cast of Gossip Girl; no arguments here…it’s the best-looking group on plasma. TV Guide was hit-and-miss with their choices. Patrick Dempsey as Sexiest Man? McPlease! Runners-up for the overall sexiest titles included Jared Padalecki from Supernatural, and a trio of Gossip-ers: Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford and Leighton Meester. In sub-categories, Erica Durance (Lois on Smallville) was crowned Sexiest Sci-Fi Gal; Supernatural’s Sam and Dean (Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) are Sexiest Siblings; and Blake Lively (Serena) has the Sexiest Pout. Others receiving nominations are Tom Welling, Ray Wise (the devil on Reaper), Penn Badgley, and One Tree Hill co-stars Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty. Are there any CW stars you feel were overlooked? Sound off…

Walter and Loughlin in; Duff out, two hopeful

admin — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:26:33 +0000

If The CW’s spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210 is half as interesting as the casting process, we’ll have a pretty big hit on our hands. Popstar Hilary Duff was offered a female lead role, reports E! Online, but has turned it down to “expand her image outside of the teen genre.” Career mistake? Seems like putting your face in front of millions each week might be a good way to remain relevant and sell some music. But one girl’s loss is another’s gain. The adorable Shenae Grimes (Darcy on Degrassi: The Next Generation) will now play the daughter of fan favorite Lori Loughlin, who did such impressive work alongside music idols Jesse McCartney and Zac Efron on Summerland. And someone deserves a raise for this one: Arrested Development matriarch Jessica Walter just came aboard as Loughlin’s mother, an eccentric faded ‘70s film star lush! Couple that news with original 90210 stars Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling expressing their desire to be part of the show—and very quickly, this project’s getting juicy! The only male to be cast thus far, Dustin Milligan, got some CW exposure on last week’s Supernatural, where he played “Corbett,” the haunted house reality-show victim. There are countless key roles yet to be filled on the much buzzed-about 90210 pilot—and with primetime soaps it’s all about the casting.

Degrassi: The Next Generation / Sat. at Noon & 3pm – Sun. 3:30pm

Punks and popstars: unforgettable CW night!

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:13:09 +0000

Top Model and Pussycat Dolls hit homeruns for different reasons last night. In the PCD climax, suspicious minds wondered if more than three hotties would elude the final cut to be in Girlicious. Charlye has such an impressive alto voice, it’s a shame she just couldn’t work with divas Natalie and Chrystina. After team and individual performances, the judges named Tiffanie and Nichole to the new pop group and waved bye-bye to Charlye, setting up a heart-thumping showdown between BFFs Nat and Chrys. Screams and tears filled the stage when Robin Antin declared that “three girls are good, but four are Girlicious!” Click here to watch their first music video, Like Me. The four choices are quite alluring and should pack ‘em in on their upcoming tour. Earlier, the unlikely “Lauren Experiment” came to an end, when the graceless punk bid “Ciao!” to her Top Model friends in Rome. It capped a hilarious challenge: filming a lip cover commercial while speaking Italian. Miss J nearly fell off his chair laughing at the results, and we were right there with him. Fatima was the best, Dominque and Whitney were over-the-top (like a bad foreign soap), and Lauren…well, Jay Manuel said “it was hard to watch.” Inexplicably, Anya won yet another designer challenge—on top of the $10,000 from last week and recent private shoot with Nigel. As Whitney said, “Are you kidding me?! Anya?” The final five models each have their strengths. It’s still anyone’s ballgame.

America’s Next Top Model / All New! Wed. 8pm – Encore! Sun. 7pm

Pussycat Dolls present: Girlicious / Click here for recap with Robin & Mikey

PCD surprise = suspense for Girlicious finale

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:57:05 +0000

The Pussycat Dolls panel spared everyone from elimination last week, setting up tomorrow’s big finale in which (supposedly) two of the five Girlicious contestants will have their dreams end. To have come this far, each girl has some measure of talent…some more than others. What Natalie lacks in vocals, she makes up for in schmoozability. Asked by judges Ron Fair and Robin Antin whether she could get along with any potential group members, she boasts, “I’m one of the most compatible people, I feel like, in the house, to be perfectly honest.” Wait, what?? Charlye has been moody and, at times, a weak singer; TPTB question her desire. Nichole seems very committed, and Tiffanie is as psyched for stardom as anyone in contention. She’s shown both a playful personality and a drive to make her group members excel. Then there’s Chrystina, who may be the hottest of the five girls (when made-up, that is); but she’s forgotten lyrics, tanked interviews, and sulked like a prima donna. So who are your picks, and what kind of success can Girlicious expect? Eden’s Crush, the first female group assembled on WBNX in the 2001 series Popstars, immediately posted both a Top 10 album and single, Get Over Yourself. From that quintet, Nicole Scherzinger later went on to become lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls. Don’t miss the Girlicious music video premiere, Like Me, tomorrow night after the final cuts are announced. That is, if there ARE any cuts…

Pussycat Dolls present: GIRLICIOUS / Season Finale! Wed. 9pm

WOW! Reaper mythology takes bold direction

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:52:51 +0000

To say that Reaper returns with a vengeance may be understating things. Tomorrow night, in the first of five new episodes, the series zeroes in on a startling revelation: there’s an underground alliance of fallen angels planning to overthrow the devil! Can Sam’s mysterious neighbors, Steve and Tony, convince him to be their “insider” in the plot? Could it really be an escape clause in Sam’s soul-contract? Speaking of that document, why did Sam’s father burn part of it? And why has the devil forged a fatherly relationship with Sam? Expect answers to those questions and more, as the freshman drama-comedy-thriller makes a strong bid for another season. There’s not a more imposing network presence than Ray Wise, whose “sarcastic, but dangerous” portrayal of the devil has made him Reaper’s focal point. We’ve seen plenty of the LOL persona; wait til he gets wind of a secret rebellion! Bret Harrison (Sam) doesn’t get nearly enough praise for his subdued comic role. He plays off the devil so well, and his bumbling sidekicks, Tyler Labine (Sock) and Rick Gonzales (Ben), only add to the merriment. At a recent WBNX event, more fans talked about Reaper than any other show. Already one of TV’s most engaging hours, blending in the mythology storylines will take it to a whole new level.

Reaper / All New! Tuesday 9pm

CW celeb look-alikes: Gossip Girl’s Nate and…

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:51:10 +0000

Gossip Girl returns Monday with the first of five explosive new episodes, as the producers plan to ratchet up the drama level. Among those with unexpected plot twists are “Nate Archibald,” played by Chace Crawford. The 22-year-old’s looks have been compared with Idol rocker David Cook, among others…but he’s a near-ringer for actor Ian Somerhalder, whose rise to fame began on the WBNX summer series Young Americans. In other Crawford family news, Chace’s sister, Candice, is the reigning Miss Missouri and finished among the Top 10 finalists in last week’s Miss USA pageant. Check out her photos here; she’s stunning.

Gossip Girl / All New! Monday 8pm

Here is The CW’s best theme-song video ever

admin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:42:36 +0000

Maybe it’s the sunny spring weather that teased us last week, or a love for the simple country life. But I cannot wait for The CW’s campy new reality show, Farmer Wants a Wife, debuting in two weeks. Our advance publicity materials include the awesome program opening, and I can’t recall any show theme that’s made me smile like this one. It incorporates a female rap-crossover jingle, colorfully surreal backgrounds, a clear view of farmer Matt and his ten zany city gals, in a 30-second summary of the romantic competition. We’ve also posted web interviews with each contestant, and one face may look familiar to NE Ohio friends: Ashley is a native of Chagrin Falls! She’s a cutie with common sense, in contrast to delusional (and hilarious) Josie, who believes the laid-back world of a farmer’s wife involves eating breakfast cooked by a maid, delegating work to hired hands, and “maybe playing with the animals.” The series is a massive hit across Western Europe, and should strike a chord with our Midwest viewers. Can one of these concrete jungle bachelorettes find love in the barnyard? It’ll sure be fun to watch and see.

Farmer Wants a Wife / Series Premiere, Wed., April 30 at 9pm