GREAT FOOD, GREAT SERVICE

It's no secret, I love Carl's Jr.'s Western Bacon Cheeseburger. And I love the commercial Top Chef's Padma did for them. (You can watch it here.)

What I didn't say is how much I love the music in the commercial. I sent an email to the company (via the Hardees site), asking about it. This was about a week ago. Today, I got an email from them. Turns out the song is called "Round the World" by Chris Winston featuring Aisha Francis.

Not only did they respond to my crazed-fan mail request, they did it quickly and professionally. I know the founder of Carl's Jr. is a right-wing nutjob, but kudos to his employees for the awesome food and kick-@ss customer service.

Unlike Staples (long story for another day), Carl's has a customer for life.

NOT-SO A-LIST

So I decided I wanted to vote for this year's Bravo A-List Awards. So I tooled on over to BravoTV.com, and... nothing. No links, no mention, no search results that helped me find my way to the actual voting. (You can vote here). Nice word clearance, guys.

This is just like last month's Bravo online promo: Be A Part of Bravo's TV Panel. I had no idea what it was, but it sounded like fun. Until a few days ago, there wasn't a link on Bravo's site. But now that it is up, I went over there to "join the panel." After asking a few questions about my age, how much TV I watched (and giving them my email), they said they had all the information they needed. Nice panel.

Ah, the wonders of modern media... I mean, how many things can the management of NBC/Universal ruin? Let's wait and see!

VIVA LA 'TOP CHEF' PROMO

If you're anything like me (and I hope you are), you've seen the new Top Chef promos and wondered, "who sings that song?" It sounds like a gayer (and cooler) Good Charlotte track... but who is it?

The band's name is Cobra Starship, and the track is called, "City Is At War," from the album Viva La Cobra. I have to admit, I kinda like the track. (OK, I bought it, but it isn't in heavy rotation at the moment.)

I'm kinda/sorta looking forward to the new season of Top Chef, and in truth, the majority of my excitement comes from this song and the promo that features it. After the whole Hung-Dale fiasco a couple of seasons ago, I'm less enthusiastic about this show. But it is still way better than any of the stupid "reality cooking" shows on Food Network.

CRUSH OF THE MONTH: October

My crush of the month is on Bravo Top Design hunk Preston. I love watching him on the show (with and without the sound on). He's hunky, dreamy and pretty talented, too.



For an older post about him, click here. For more pictures (safe for work) click here. You can read his official Bravo profile here.

GUILTY PLEASURE #301

I have to cop to this now: I've been watching Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. And I'm way into it after just one episode. (Not like Charm School Rock of Love, which I'm sure I'll will lose all interest in after a week or so.)

And I have to hand it to Bravo: they brought the funny and the drama, after just one show! (You can check out the show site here.) The brewing feud between Sheree (far right) and NeNe (right next to her, in the fierce orange gown) is just plain awesome. First of all, I'm so on NeNe's side. Secondly, Sheree shouldn't even be on the show, as she is so obviously a man, and thus, not a real housewife. Thirdly, if I had to be around any of the wives, it would be NeNe and her BFF, "black woman in a white woman's body," (her words, not mine), Kim. (Guess which one she is in the photo.)

I hated (and yes, I mean hate - a word I don't usually throw around) The Real Housewives of New York, because those bitches were just plain ol' lame. But these Atlanta women rock.

THIS CAN'T BE REAL

Mr. Rachel Zoe's hair cannot be real. Putting his dead-animal hairdo aside, I love me some Rachel Zoe Project on Bravo.

TOP THIS

How yummy is Preston from Bravo's Top Design? (You can read his Bravo Bio here.) There's only been three episodes (and he was in the bottom two for the first two - insert immature bottom joke here), but I've already got a serious crush. I almost don't notice what's going on in the show when he's on screen... although that may be because new host India Hicks is such a snore.

But back to Preston... that face, that smile... that body, and the clothes he puts on it. Every little thing about him screams delicious. Please to enjoy these other pictures:

AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

The second season of Top Design (the interior design contest program) is almost upon us, and Bravo is ramping up the marketing campaign with their usual diarrhea-style explosion of hyperbole: "From the producers who changed the runway and the kitchen... forever," and the like.

And as much as I love Project Runway, if I were Bravo, I wouldn't be bragging about the impact of a show I just lost in a bidding war with another network. (And the rival network is Lifetime, for crying out loud!) But I guess when your other new programs are Date My Ex and Tabatha's Salon Take Over, it's best to focus on the positive. And to be honest, Top Design is just so-so, as far as programming goes.

But what really annoys me when I see those Top Design commercials is the way Bravo just drops the new host in our laps. They toss out India Hicks' name at the end of the promo like I'm supposed to know who she is, without any other type of introduction. They did the same thing with Susie Essman, back when she hosted the short-lived Better Half, and I have to say, in addition to not knowing who Essman was, I was underwhelmed with her. I'm guessing her appeal is limited to Manhattan.
I have to say I consider myself pretty "with it" when it comes to pop culture and celebrities in general, but I had to check out India Hicks' Wiki-page (here) to get the skinny on the new host. It turns out she was a model back in the 80s. As for her design qualifications? Her father was a designer in the 1960s. (Last season's host, designer Todd Oldham, and he's back in a reduced capacity.) But for some unknown reason, Bravo felt the need to add India to the line-up.

And I'm sure the world will never be the same again...

MILLION DOLLAR MARY

I had the chance to catch the first episode of the new season of the Bravo show Million Dollar Listing the other night, and I have to say... I think I'll actually watch Season Two.

They've switched the focus (and the geographical location) of the show this season, from the old-farts of the West-side to the young, gay(ish) Hollywood, Silverlake/Los Feliz and Malibu area. (For those of you not familiar with the Los Angeles area, Silverlake/Los Felix is so gay, it is often referred to as the Swish Alps.) The editing and subject matter of the show seem to be revitalized, refreshed and renewed, making the show oh so delicious and pretty watchable. (OK, so I only saw one episode, but still.)

The agents the focus on are much younger, and considerably hipper than in season one. More importantly, they seem to despise each other (openly), which should add to the fireworks. When the show roars back for a second season, I for one, will be tuned in, to watch what happens.

'RUNWAY' ON THE RUN?

Several media sources report Lifetime Networks - the network for women (and their gay male friends) - scored a major coup over NBC/Universal this week. Bravo's hit TV show... no, make that cable's highest rated reality show, Project Runway, will no longer air on Bravo, starting this fall.

Now, these reports are mildly misleading, in that Bravo will air the fifth incarnation of the runway show during the summer, starting in mid-July. So, for now, Project Runway will remain on Bravo. But the next, sixth "season" is slate to go into production for Lifetime, in the fall.

Usually (and I stress the usually part), a season runs for anywhere from 18-22 episodes (less for reality), and run once a year. Some shows, like major network shows, straddle two calendar years, but shows like Project Runway tend to have shortened runs, only appearing once a year.

The changing of the guards, or stations, as it were, means Runway will have multiple seasons in one year. Thus far, the change of networks is under fire, with a lawsuit from NBC/Universal. No word on what the grounds of lawsuit are, but given the volatile nature of the TV world, combined with NBC/U's loosing streak since the 1990s, this fight will be ugly. And I mean ugly.

We'll just have to watch what happens...

WAY TO BE ORIGINAL, BRAVO

I'll admit I've enjoyed Make Me A Supermodel, on Bravo, from time to time. I found the format fresh, and the weekly voting sessions a nice change from other reality shows. Instead of recording all the episodes at once, and airing them months later, this show held its vote on Thursday, kicked someone off on Friday, and started filming the next week's episode that same day. (American Idol does something similar, recording "live" episodes, but the format of the show - performances recorded all at once - lends itself to this weekly, live(ish) format. Model, on the other hand required several days of filming and editing before an episode was ready to air.)

I thought Bravo was finally on to something: reality programming, in near-real time. Wow, I thought, Bravo really stepped it up a notch with this show.

Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out, a show with the same exact name and format already ran in the U.K. In fact, once the American version concluded, Bravo ran a marathon of the British version. So much for original. Much like its parent network's new fall schedule (NBC, which is running not one, but four "adaptations" of previously produced shows), Bravo is suffering from a complete lack of originality.

Bravo: watch what happens, if you haven't seen the original version of the program they are ripping off.

STEP WHAT UP, BRAVO?

If you watch TV - even only a handful of select shows, here and there - you're probably aware of Bravo TV. The Bravo TV network is one of the cable networks in the NBC - Universal family. It started out, before the shows about housewives and haircuts, as a network devoted to the performing arts... but now, it is the "high end," or, "high concept," reality show network.

Along with shows like Project Runway, Top Chef and The Real Housewives of Orange County, there are a number of new, largely contest-based reality shows. The newest, is a dance competition called, Step It Up And Dance, hosted by Elizabeth Berkley.

Bravo heavily promos the show on all of the NBC - Universal networks, in the hopes of driving up viewer interest. But two main thoughts creep in to my head when I see the commercials for SIU&D:

1. Another dance show? Really??? Is this the best you could come up with? Maybe you should step your game up, Bravo, and try and come up with something original. At least Fox, when they steal an idea, offers a twist: when ABC found viewer ratings gold with Dancing With The Stars, Fox rolled out Skating With The Stars. While neither show boasts actual "stars" on its cast, at least the second, ripoff show tried to aim for something new and interesting. What, exactly, is Bravo aiming for in rolling this show out?

2. Would it kill you to cast some good looking contestants, Bravo? I mean, this isn't Project Runway, where personal appearance doesn't factor in to the actual content of the contest. Dancers are cast for their talent and their looks. What's with the uggos? Have you seen Manuel, the weirdo? And while we're on this subject, what's with casting the guys who just have to brag about how they are straight in an all-gay field? Internalize your homophobia much, Bravo programmers? I guess not, as your self-hating homo tendencies now rise to the surface of casting.

I know which of these two concerns is the more serious... but if you're going to stuff bland, seen-it-before programs down our throats, how about a little eye candy to go with it?

PROJECT JACK

If you missed this week's premiere of Project Runway, Season Four... first of all, what's wrong with you? Secondly, you missed out on TV's newest, hottest hunk, Jack Mackenroth. This 38 year old New Yorker has the looks, the bod (did you see him in his undies? those abs?), the smile and most of all, the talent. You can watch his first Bravo interview video here. But a simple scan of the net turned up some pretty interesting factoids about this hot hunk...

*he's a competitive swimmer (in the gay games - he was reported to be a late bloomer, and late to athleticism)

*he's allergic to bananas, avocado and latex (although I've heard a number of gay men claim to be allergic to laytex)

*his sister say Jack used to steal her Barbie dolls when they were younger (no shocker in that confession)

*his MySpace profile lists supermodel Janice Dickinson as one of his role models... but he later claims he was only joking when he said that (the rest of the season will determine just how much of a joke that was)

*he loves 80s music and style (no big surprise here, considering his age)


I'm looking forward to the rest of the season... and not just on the off chance they'll show Jack in his chonnies again. I never thought there would be any part of Project Runway I like more than Tim Gunn, but then along cam Jack.

TV REPORT (Finale, Pt. 1)

Well, the summer season of TV is coming to an end, so it's time to give my wrap-up report.

So You Think You Can Dance - well, I was pretty bummed when they bumped Pasha from the show, but I was happy with the outcome, so I guess it washes out in the end. Interesting side-note: the show wowed critics, but failed to deliver the big ratings of previous seasons.

Shows That Bombed - We saw the usual carnage this summer, with early casualties like Creature Comforts, Paula Abdul: Straight Up and Victoria Beckham: Coming To America. I thought NBC should have given Posh & Becks more of a chance, but that's just me.

Shows That Just Plain Stink - Bravo managed to pull out a whole bunch of stinkers, including Flipping Out, Welcome to the Parker and previously mentioned Paula Abdul disaster. Another NBC Universal flop in the making is Sci Fi Channel's Flash Gordon. The script(s) and acting both need major overhauls. And yet another NBC Universal property stinking things up is USA Network's Burn Notice. And even though it delivered major ratings, and some Emmy nods, The Starter Wife was pretty stinky, too.

Other disappointments - ABC canceled Traveler without the usual notice or ceremony surrounding a cancellation. Episodes appeared online for a while, but were also yakned rather quickly. Fan and critic favorite Rescue Me has really started to stink as of late, focusing on preachy, AA sort of religious junk instead of developing plot or characters.

A Mixed Bag - Bravo's Top Chef still may be able to rescue itself from collapsing into a tired, predictable show... maybe. Sci Fi's Who Wants To Be A Super Hero is lame (again), but at least this year, it is playing up the camp-factor. USA's The 4400 is becoming barely watchable, but I'm hanging in there.

Stay tuned for Part Two of my TV report for the shows that rocked this summer.

SUMMER SERIES' RETURN (Part 3)

The final part of my series focusing on summer TV concludes with the three shows I'm looking forward to the most. I'll watch every episode of this show, and in some cases, I'll even watch the re-runs. They are (in no particular order):

MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST [Bravo Networks, Third Season] Kathy Griffin is one of my favorite stand-up gals, and the show that follows her daily life quickly became one of my favorite reality TV shows. Kathy is funny, and there's no debating it, but her funniest bits seem to come in her private life.

I've actually had the honor of meeting Ms. Griffin (a long time ago), and she was really sweet. And (wait for it...) funny. She was a participant in a home-version of Match Game for a pal's birthday bash, and she brought the house down every time she opened her mouth.

Kathy had a batch of bum luck, both career wise (when she got dumped from E!s live red carpet team) and personally (a nasty divorce), but it hasn't seem to affected her desire entertain her loyal fans (read: the gays).

Overall show rating: 8

DOCTOR WHO [Sci Fi Channel, BBC] I say, "season debatable" because Doctor Who is a show that has had many, many lives on UK television. I only started watching last year, because it was on after Heroes, but before Battlestar Galactica, on Sci Fi's Friday night line-up... it made for an amazing night of viewing.

I caught up on older episodes this year, and wasn't as impressed with the cast. The title role of The Doctor changes actors from time to time, it seems. I like the newer guy — and he was great in the last Harry Potter film. It also seems like they're switching side-kicks this new season, so I'm a little on the fence about this... but I'll give the show's new season a solid try.

The eye candy is non-existent on this show, but the writing, acting, FX and musical score are all top-notch. And I mean, top-notch... the kind you don't find on American TV shows.

Overall show rating: 7.5 (but could go up, depending on the new sidekick)

RESCUE ME [FX Networks, Third Season] This is, by far, one of the best TV shows of the past decade. In my humble, and only partially-informed opinion, Rescue Me outshines The Sopranos, The Closer and just about all the other dramas on cable right now. The writing is crisp, clean, and only bested by the acting. The LA Times recently handicapped the Emmy race this year, and Rescue Me was among the shows it placed out in front, to take home some statues this year. And I can't think of very many shows that would be as deserving.

It would be easy to make a show about firefighters in New York, and pull on out heart strings after what happened on September 11th, but this show rises above such simple tactics. (They've touched on it, once or twice, but have managed to avoid any cliches.) The show deals with a wide variety of issues, and manages to infuse the many story arcs with humor and pathos... not an easy feat.

As for the man-candy, this show offers up plenty. (Firefighters, 'nuff said!) But the good looking, hard bodied men fade into the background thanks to the phenomenal acting and writing.

Overall show rating: 9

SUMMER SERIES' RETURN (Part 2)

Here are some more of the programs I'm looking forward to:

KYLE XY [ABC Family, Second Season] This show is poorly written, and barely acted, but my younger sister hooked me into watching this one. Aside from the homosexual subtext (which makes for fun viewing), the basic concept driving the show is pretty fascinating.

I would file this show under brainless summer fun. It isn't all that hard to follow, and the concept is engaging, but doesn't require regular, weekly viewing.

As far as eye candy, there's not much here... unless you're into young, hairless, button-belly-less guys.

Overall show rating: 5

TOP CHEF [Bravo Network, Third Season] This show is from the same producers as Top Design, Shear Genius and Project Runway. And it is in the same echelon, quality-wise. The first season kind of dragged, but once they found a new presenter, and a better judge panel, the show started to rock.

Interestingly enough, the newest addition to the judges' panel is one of the guys from the American version of Queer Eye For the Straight Guy. And the co-host for Shear Genius was from the Danish Queer Eye crew.

This show, like many reality competitions, requires knowledge of the previous shows, but luckily Bravo only has 4 new shows on the air at a time, and it plays them over and over again... so if you miss an episode, don't worry, it will be re-broadcast at some point.

There isn't much guy-candy on this show, but the raw, competitive environment is entertaining enough on its own.

Overall show rating: 6.5

VARIOUS SCI-FI SHOWS: Who Wants To Be A Superhero, Flash Gordon and Eureka [Sci Fi Channel, various times, various seasons] There isn't a single one of these shows that I'm looking forward to watching more than the others... in fact, I don't have any intention of watching more than one or two episodes of each show. The Sci Fi network offers some great programming (like Battlestar Galactica), and some really iffy shows, and ends up as one of the channels I surf to first when I'm bored, and just wanna see what's on.

These shows are heavy on the eye-candy, and fun to watch... OK, I haven't seen Flash Gordon yet, but it's got that cute guy from Smallville, and is on my fave channel, so I'll go out on a limb and call it watchable.

For more info on summer shows, check out the Summer TV Guide over at AOL.

BRAVO! MILLION DOLLAR MORONS

Well, it's hats-off the bobos over at the Bravo! Network: the new show they're rolling out, Million Dollar Listings appears to be even more vapid, stomach-turning crap than... well, anything!

Right on the heels of the whole Mel Gibson fiasco, we have a show that glorifies the Melibu lifestyle... I mean, just look at the opening clip, "Welcome to Malibu, full of celebrities," bleets the bloated, tired-looking woman, only half-looking at her client, as she pulls her cell-phone hands-free device free from her ear... with her hands. (Not so hands-free, I guess.)

But this isn't my beef -- there will always be morons on TV; there are just too many stations on-air to avoid this. No, my problem with this show is that it offers nothing new, or of value. Yes, shows like Project Runway may not make for a M.E.N.S.A.-style discussion, but at least I can say I've learned a little bit more about the world of fashion. (Plus, any show with Nina Garcia deserves a place on TV: you go, sister-woman-girlfriend!)

With Million Dollar Listing, all we're left with is a the same ol' garbage! Another choice cut from the show's preview offers a montage of childish tantrum-throwing agents. Why reward this behavior? Why glorify it? Who, in any state of lucid, alert mental activity would justify it by showing off the price-tag of these homes? President Bush always says terrorists hate us for our freedom, but I think they hate us for shows like this.

IF THEY THINK YOU'RE A BITCH...

I love watching "My Life On the D-List," re-runs of "The West Wing" and other programs on Bravo, from time to time. My only real complaint is over the way the run the same promos over and over... and over. When launching a new program, they run promo-spots so many times, I feel like I've seen the program, well before it airs. (Oh, and recently, they've been "re-purposing" loser-programs from their parent-station, NBC... which is lame. I mean, if I didn't watch, "America's Got Talent" when it was on NBC the first time, I'm certainly not going to watch it just because they run it on a channel I like!)

Anyway, the latest program (or, at least, one of the latest), is called, "Workout." The promo for this one really gets under my skin: it starts off with whats-her-tits, saying, "People think I'm a b!tch... but I'm not."

Now, there's something odd about this statement. If people think she's a bitch, and told her to her face, she'd say, "People say I'm a bitch." But she doesn't. She says, people think she's a bitch — which means people either say it behind her back, or they don't say it at all, and she's just projecting/reading-into the way people treat her.

Bottom line: you wouldn't even bring a subject like this up unless:

a) You're a bitch, and you're proud of it. b) You're a bitch, and you're not OK with it. c) You're just a bitch. Period.

I've only seen bits'n'scraps of the show, but I have a feeling it's "c," she's just a bitch. Period.