Why Natalie's "Survivor" victory over Russell was well-deserved
Ultimately, Natalie played a better game than Russell, despite gripes by naysayers. As James Poniewozik points out, "Not that I especially cared for Natalie, but I was kind of glad to see her win, if only to reject this idea that the "coattails" strategy is somehow any less legitimate than any other strategy in Survivor. For one thing, if you're a less physically strong player, you have fewer protections, especially in the early rounds, and the coattail strategy is one of the ones available to you. Saying that Russell's strategy was more legitimate on some Calvinist grounds that it required harder work, supposedly, is not only nonsensical, it's unfair."
Russell: "I don't think she deserves it. That's my opinion"
Natalie: I had as much game as Russell // Finale gets ratings boost
Did Russell not winning ruin this season? // What a satisfying end!
Reality TV mostly celebrates the "utterly mundane"
Sure there are reality shows like "Project Runway" and "SYTYCD" that are informative, says Mary McNamara. "But from the nurse log of 'American Idol' and 'The Amazing Race' have sprouted all manner of shows in which the time-honored division between fame and notoriety has been unforgivably mangled, creating a pop culture smoothie in which there is not so much flavor as sensation. Raising children, surviving marriage, gossiping with your friends, looking for a job, losing weight and buying expensive things — for all their bravura, most reality shows celebrate nothing quite so much as the utterly mundane."
Showtime giving "Ronna & Beverly" a midnight tryout tonight
The "Jewish AbFab" from "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohan was filmed as a pilot but never picked up. Instead, the comedy about two Boston Jewish divorcees will get a special airing tonight and Dec. 29.
"Amazing Race" returns Feb. 14, paired with "Undercover Boss"
"Cold Case," meanwhile," will move to 10 pm on Sunday nights.
"SNL's" comedy secret: Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Repetition is hilarious on "Saturday Night Live," as Roger Catlin points out: "Just about every sketch on 'SNL' Saturday dealt with repeating a phrase or action, ad infinitum, to the end of the sketch." PLUS: Jack McBrayer & Mike Tyson pop up on the umpteenth "What Up With That?" sketch.
NBC affiliates seem peeved over Jay Leno's low ratings
“We remain hopeful that it will get better,” Howfield says NBC's Las Vegas affiliate GM says of November's "a little scary" ratings. “But we'd sure like to have a few of those ratings points back.”
Fox sends "Fringe" to knock out "Heroes"
"Fringe" will remaining in its Thursday timeslot, but an unaired "Fringe" episode from Season 1 has been scheduled to air on Monday, Jan. 11.
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