Episode 23.4 - Pants... Dance... Revolution
February 1

Chico: Hey there, I'm Chico Alexander... and this ... is my dance crew... the Haterade Gang.
Jason: Yo.
Chico: The odd thing... we don't dance. NONE of us.
Jason: I try to dance. I am NOT good.
Gordon: Um...Chico...where's the wardrobe consultant? I think on that last move, I split my pants. :P
Chico: I also try to dance. I'm.. better than J. Gordon on the other hand.... he's got skillz
Gordon: Where's my pants?
Chico: *throws spare set*
James: No shirt, no shoes, no service on this show.
Gordon: Thank you.
Chico: Now that Gordon has his pants, from somewhere in America... the Pants... Dance... Revolution... edition of WLTI.. is... ON!
Jason: YAY!
James: Woo-hoo!
Gordon: Gordon Pepper here, along with Chico. My pants are off the ground as we welcome our guests. First up, a man who can bust a move when he puts quarters in that Bubble Bobble machine, Mr. Jason Block.
Jason: Greetings.
Gordon: And next up, someone who we haven't seen for a while but always good to have him back here. Making some moves in Atlanta, Mr. James Dinan.
James: Hello all.
Jason: Welcome back.
Chico: I have a question, James... Is it snowing down there?
James: An hour north of here, but just rain outside HQ
Chico: Right on, right on.
James: We already had our token one day of snow anarchy this winter :-)
Chico: Yeah, RDU's getting theirs in late. :-) But enough about the weather. Let's talk dancing. One place where it's hot is... in the ATL, where five crews are competing for a spot in ABDC season 5. They're redoing the format. And they're adding a new judge, Omarion, who coincidentally had a hit song called "Ice Box".
Jason: Not a bad R&B single.
Chico: Nope. Not at all. And he's beginning to fit in with the panel, so that's always a good thing.
Gordon: It's not really a retooling as much as it's an extension. Back durins the early seasons of the shows, they had the regional auditions.
Chico: Here's how it works... five crews from the South, five from the East, and five from the West will compete for one of nine spots. Three at a time, of course.
Gordon: But instead of them having a 90 minute special, they are making the regional auditions 3 weeks worth of episodes, which is lengthening the series and adding the number of crews up to 15.
Chico: Because if you have a hit series and you want as much involvement as possible... you do that. On a show like ABDC... you can get away with that.
Jason: That was my next question. Is this padding...or more of a good thing?
Chico: More of a good thing. Because you've already separated the wheat from the chaff. Anything that happens can only help the show out now.
Jason: So you are not seeing way bad crews like in the AI audition rounds?
Chico: No. "No zonks, just deals."
Gordon: This is a very good thing. You get to see the crews twice before you vote on them. Plus you're getting more quality in terms of show.
Chico: And it evens out the playing field. There are some good crews, some bad ones.. this time, they're all good in their own way. So let's talk about Thursday's show. Five crews from the South. We have Jungle Boogie, Ghost, X-Treme Motion, Swagger Crew, and Royal Flush. The three that move on from this show: Jungle Boogie (the crankers from Stone Mountain, GA), Swagger Crew (another ATL outlet), and Royal Flush (who tried out every season this has been on the air).
Chico: Thoughts?
Gordon: I actually agreed with the judges decisions. Royal Flush gets the last spot due to their originality, vs. the lack of unison and some sloppy moves from Ghost and Swagger Crew. But all 5 acts were quality acts.
Chico: Though I have to say that yeah, Jungle Boogie was a little sloppy and Ghost might've borrowed a couple of moves here and there, you never know.
Gordon: I don't mind borrowing as long as you can make your own spin on it.
Chico: But they never did.
Jason: I agree with G.
Chico: And Omarion called them on it. That's the thing there.
Jason: Omarion's judging? Better/worse than Sparks? After one show anyway.
Chico: I think he's yet to find his footing. JC's pretty much still the voice of reason there. But when he knows something, he really knows it. Seriously, how many times can someone say "Ya know what I'm sayin'?"
Gordon: I think Omarion's trying to get into the role of Shane Sparks and being uber-critical. I think it's a good thing. Yes, it definitely showed that he's a little green, but I like his style and I think it will get better with more practice.
Chico: Definitely. This'll be one to watch in future weeks... hopefully without Hok's fake Cockney accent. So while Atlanta represents for ABDC, Washington represents something we've not seen on J! in a while... someone completely LOSING IT. :-) In a good way.
Jason: This was great to see :)
Chico: No doubt. If you haven't seen Thursday or Friday's show... Rebecca Dixon, she's an oboist and grad student from Vancouver, WA. She won both matches and just exploded. I mean... wow.
Gordon: It's fun to see contestants on Jeopardy actually get excited when they win. It is a game show, you know. You're out there to win money, not go to a funeral.
James: Always good to see someone show genuine excitement about winning on that show. She's obviously having fun out there.
Chico: Now usually, you think a Jeopardy! champion... rather stoic, rather stiff upper lip... But this is why we watch. To see the genuine outpouring of excitement that comes from the win.
Jason: 9 times out of 10 you see people smile, or just give the head nod.
Gordon: Exactly. And isn't that the point of a show? To go out there and have fun?
Chico: And you know... it's all about having fun out there. I mean, it's a game show, no one's going to hurt anybody...
Jason: BTW...we are not asking people to go nuts. Because that isn't J. But this was awesome. Genuine happiness.
Chico: Oh yeah. Let's go back to Thursday's match real quick... She wasn't dominating, but she was holding her own and she kept the lead throughout the match. And going into the final, she had $2600 on her nearest opponent. She also had the correct response... That helps. Who wants to play now?
Jason: I do!
Gordon: Me!
James: It helps that she can tell her French artists apart...for most of us, it's eeny-meeny-miney-moe. Or, in my case, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne :-)
Gordon: Don't forget Magritte.
Jason: Or David.
Chico: I don't know my Monet from my Manet. So yeah, James, welcome to the club. Okay, take a look at the monitors, folks... Category: 19th Century Artists.

This Frenchman once said, "I will astonish Paris with an apple" -- here are a few of them.

Chico: Let's start with James.
James: What is...is it just me, or are you hungry for apples right now?
Jason: LOL
Chico: And peaches, strangely... Okay, Jason?
Jason: Who is Cezanne?
Chico: Gordon?
Gordon: Who is Rick Salomon?
Chico: Gordon... Who IS Rick Salomon?
Gordon: Well, he certainly astonished Paris with an apple ...and a video camera, and a sex tape, and a lot of kinky stuff...
Chico: ... Oh, THAT Rick Salomon.
Jason: He IS right. :)
Gordon: And Paris was certainly astonished ;)
James: Oh dear.
Gordon: With his apple and love banana.
Jason: OUCH.
Chico: It belonged to Adam, but... Jason's right. Rebecca's right. She wins cash Monet.
Jason: Cash Monet!
Chico: And she's not done yet. Friday's episode ended in a real ... what's one step over a barnburner?
James: Slobberknocker.
Chico: I'll go with slobberknocker.
Gordon: Slobberknocker sounds good.
Chico: The category: Pro Sports. With Rebecca at $12,600, only trailing by a deuce... here's the clue.

The official address of the Atlanta Braves is No. 755 on the drive named for this man.

Jason: This was TOO easy.
Chico: I'll tell you right now... I've BEEN here, and I have a feeling that James might've been here as well. Who is it?
James: If you know sports, that is. And, yes, I've been there :-)
Jason: Who is Henry (Hank) Aaron?
Chico: 755... Atlanta Braves... come on, now... James?
James: (Crosses out Jeff Franceour) (Crosses out Ryan Church) (Crosses out Chipper Jones)
Chico: Gordon?
Gordon: Who is Chipper Jones Proctologist? He must have gone up there 755 times, or something.
Jason: LOL
Chico: No, James, it's Andruw with a U. Seriously though. This was a breeze. 755 Hank Aaron Drive. Now going into the bets... Francie Futterman had $12,800. Rebecca had $12,600. Now Rebecca could have played this one of two ways... Kill or protect. If you kill, you bet everything with the hope of your opponent betting everything, or rather, ALMOST everything. If you protect... you only bet to protect against a wrong response.
Jason: In this case...KILL.
Gordon: Rebecca bets kill. Francie bet to protect.
Chico: Me... I say "Scared money don't make money. Go big or go home."
Gordon: Smart money makes lots of money. Rebecca took the risk and it paid off. It was Game Over for Francine, who only wagered $2,200, so it didn't matter what her answer was.
Chico: Is this a job for the Players Betting Badly file, or does the fact that she had the wrong response waive that?
Jason: No. She bet badly.
James: Combination of both -- no knowledge of sports AND poor betting philosophy.
Gordon: I have to disagree with players betting badly. Maybe weird, but not bad. She played to protect, though if she's going to do that, the right wager is $199. She didn't know about sports, so it's better to bet conservatively.
Chico: But again, it wouldn't have mattered.
Gordon: Right. So no, I don't think she deserves the players betting badly moniker. That should be reserved for people who could have won if they bet wisely and didn't.
Chico: She... couldn't have won anyway.
Gordon: Exactly, so no.
Chico: Alright then. So for Rebecca...



Chico: ... and a two week break for the College Championship.
Jason: Where is from this year?
Chico: I believe it's from Culver City this year.
James: Home of Trebekistan University, methinks
Chico: I'm still waiting admission calls.
Gordon: Next up, we have some people next up who are less deserving of the MVP moniker.
Jason: Uh oh.
Chico: Oh NOES.
Gordon: Let's go to the week that was Deal or No Deal, shall we?
Jason: Here we go.
Chico: I'll get the sandwiches.
Gordon: Very tasty sandwiches. Let's start with Wise Hederi, a sandwich maker from Afghanistan. We start him out with this board:

PENNY, $1, $25, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $50,000, $250,000
OFFER: $11,000

Chico: How many cases next?
Gordon: 2 to open.
Jason: I say go for it.
Chico: I agree.
Gordon: You still have a limited safety net. He does go for it, knocks out the big one, but still leaves $50,000 in play when we get to this:

PENNY, $1, $25, $50,000
OFFER: $9,000

Jason: Bye. See Ya
Chico: Pull the trigger.
Gordon: There's no safety net left here. Wise thinks the $50,000 is in his case. The $50,000 is in Frannie's case, which is the case he opens up next.
Jason: NOOOOOOOOO!
Chico: Ack.
Gordon: Wise walks off with $11, which is enough for a sammie or 2.
Chico: With chips.
Gordon: We'll see that $9,000 play again. This time with Beth Jenkins, who gets this board:

$10, $50, $200, $2,500, $75,000, $250,000
OFFER: $22,000

Gordon: 2 Cases to open
Chico: Got to play again.
Jason: Yup. Play on
Gordon: You keep going here. The odds are good that you don't knock them both out. Beth knocks the $250,000 out, but the $75,000 is in play when we get here:

$10, $50, $200, $75,000
OFFER: $9,000

Jason: Bingo...bye.
Chico: Aaaaaand we're leaving again.
Gordon: Beth is staying for one more turn, and she opens up Bacchi's $75,000 case. Beth walks out with $80, which is good for a week's worth of sammies at Wise's shop.
Jason: Darn it.
Chico: I'm getting a slight hint of Deja Vu.



Chico: We have a graphic for everything, don't we?
Gordon: We do.
Jason: Didn't we see that before?
Gordon: Maybe.
Chico: So did anyone make a good deal this week?
Gordon: Why yes. We go to Friday's show, with the aforementioned Bacchi. Once again, we go to the Round of 4.

$5, $200, $400, $500,000

Chico: Whatever the offer is, take it.
Jason: Yes.

OFFER: $47,000 AND a Trip to meet The Banker in his room.

Chico: Again, whatever it is, take it.
Gordon: Bacchi Raida DOES take the deal, and she's the first contestant in DOND history to actually see the Banker in his room.
Jason: WOW!
Gordon: She had $200 in her case, so a nice deal, to boot.
Jason: Nice deal indeed.
Chico: That wasn't the only nice deal this week.
Gordon: Bacchi gets to see the Banker, but other people want to see Neil Patrick Harris.
Chico: that would be the OTHER nice deal.
Jason: He is in demand.
Chico: We see him this week guest judging on Idol (and doing a bang up job for a change)... and now he's going to help bring the Cube to the US.
Jason: Sort of :)
Chico: Sort of. As we speak, he's on the set in London filming the pilot for CBS.
Jason: And I say...Brilliant Choice. This is GOLD.
Chico: Now if you've never seen the Cube... a) what's wrong with you... and b) It's basically WWTBAM... with stunts and a plexiglas cube. Fox wanted it originally, but had since abandoned plans for it in favor of... Out Little Genius. Wonder how THAT worked.
Jason: For the type of show, and what you need from the host. Harris fits like a glove, IMHO.
Gordon: Maybe yes, and maybe no. It's time for another 'Side by Side', where we give reasons as to why it will work...and why it won't. Big Board please?

Gordon: Subject: Why the Cube will succeed.
Chico: First of all, the host. for years, we've said that Neil Patrick Harris was a host looking for a show. Show, meet host. Host, show.
Gordon: I think NPH has the potential to be a great host. He has the acumen for it, and based on his performances as a player, he knows his way around a game.
Jason: Secondly. The look. The graphics package is similar to the 2010 Krypton Factor. Looks great.
Gordon: It looks slick. Very well produced.
James: CBS is a network that, to me, is notoriously picky when it comes to choosing "non-scripted" projects. The Eye obviously saw something with this show, and believes it can be a hit. I trust CBS compared to say, Fox or NBC, to make this a success.
Chico: CBS' track record for quality speaks for itself. Survivor... Amazing Race... Power of 10... Million Dollar Password...
Gordon: So how did Winning Lines, The Will and Welcome to the Neighborhood grab you?
James: There will always be duds in the box, but I think CBS has a better track record than its other rivals.
Gordon: and let's see...Pirate Master, The Great American Dog, Game Show in My Head...
Chico: You had to bring THOSE up, didn't you.
Gordon: That's my job. And so is this: Big Bored, please?

Chico: it should be noted that Gordon is the only person on the planet that doesn't like the Cube... but since we're about equal time... Here's Why The Cube Will Fail.
Gordon: Subject: Why The Cube will fail.
Chico: 1) The folks at NBC will screw it up by showing up to the party first.
James: My biggest concern is time slot. I could see it Sundays at 8 in the summer (post-TAR, pre-BB), but there aren't many holes in the CBS schedule come fall.
Chico: That would be #2.
Gordon: #3: Gameplay. The sentiment reminds me a lot of the sentiment over Deal or No Deal. People want to play this. They aren't going to watch a new Beat the Clock with games repeated frequently ad nauseum.
Jason: Even if they give you instruction sheets at home?
Gordon: That's my point. It's a great play at home game. There's not much fun factor in watching someone trying to throw balls into a receptacle while spinning on a podium in a clear cube.
James: Wipeout manages to work with somewhat-high repetition week after week.
Gordon: It's fun to see people get destroyed on an obstacle course. The punishment here is not exactly severe.
James: Blowing five or six figures, to me, is severe.
Gordon: When you watch a game, you come to play along or to experience something. With Wipeout, it's Schadenfreude Train Wreck TV all the way. With this, there's no compelling reason to watch.
Chico: Well, it all depends on what happens. I mean. Take Ken Basin's million dollar loss. Now apply it to Double Dare's Obstacle Course. Imagine being so close yet so far... This is why we watch.
Gordon: You also had people shouting at the TV that he picked the wrong answer. Double Dare's Obstacle Course is fun and exciting. Throwing balls in a cylinder or walking a straight line blindfolded is not that exciting.
Gordon: Now if you had a water pit or contestant-eating piranhas on both sides of the line, that's exciting.
Chico: That would be Fear Factor.
Gordon: Fear Factor lasted 5 seasons.
Jason: All about execution.
Gordon: Jason is right, which leads me to...#4. It WILL be Americanized. What happens to a show that's Americanized?
Jason: Usually, neutered.
Chico: It's usually catered to the lowest-common denominator.
Gordon: Neutered, or the stuff that made the show a hit is removed. If they leave it alone, it will be fine. They won't though. #5. The pacing on the show is terrible.
Chico: The pacing on every show since 2004 has been terrible.
Gordon: Yes, and if they are going to make the shows self-contained (which seems to be their practice now instead of letting a game naturally flow), you're going to have some shows drag on for a long time.
Chico: What would be "good pacing"?
Gordon: Good pacing is letting a game run it's course. For example, on Deal or No Deal at the beginning of it's run, you had the contestant start and end their game in 40 minutes or whenever they were done, and then another contestant took over right afterwards.
Chico: And that was good...
Gordon: Then when it got to be a hit, it got fat, and then everything was 'self-contained', which gave us 90 minute shows with one contestant and tons of silly filler. It also showed the audience that they only had to tune in for the last 10 minutes to see what happened.
Chico: That was bad.
Jason: Exactly.
Gordon: I'm guessing they will try for the self-containment, which is going to be really bad in this sort of show. The British version is already slow to begin with. This is going to be worse.
Chico: Well, it got to be a hit for a reason. Perhaps with any luck, we'll see what the appeal was. Although I think it was presentation. Heh. Everything's cool blue. With the Tron lady inside.
Gordon: The Brits liked The Rich List, too.
Jason: *Giggle*
Gordon: Just to remind you, we seceded to the United States to MOVE AWAY from British culture.
Chico: And yet Survivor's still on and Simon Cowell still has work. Go figure. But that wasn't the ONLY good deal this week. Let's go to Vegas for NATPE. We're going to have a new show this fall! But it's not new in the strictest sense... Don't Forget the Lyrics is coming back.
Jason: Don't Forget The Lyrics gets a 2nd life in Syndication With Mark McGrath as host. Good choice if you ask me.
Chico: Very good.
Jason: Rock and Roll cred with Hosting chops. And easy on the eyes for the ladies.
Chico: And seeing a good thing work with 5th Grader, Lyrics will be delivered with a three-tiered approach.
Jason: Syndication, MyNetwork and Vh1
Chico: But yeah, if it worked once, surely it'll work twice. That's the thinking behind that.
Jason: I think so.
Chico: And you know what... absolutely. More airings means more audience...
Gordon: It worked for 5th Grader. Deal or No Deal...notsomuch.
Chico: But there is a downside, in that we're going to get six episodes at once... Not that there's anything wrong with that. But yeah... we may run out of episodes before we run out of season. And speaking of running out, Deal or No Deal... just might've.
Gordon: We'll get to that later on.
Chico: But the thing I'm looking forward to other than that... the return of the WLTI singalong. :) So can't wait for the return of Lyrics. We'll have more information on that as it becomes available. And speaking of singalongs...we're back to Neil Patrick Harris... and Joe Jonas... and Avril Lavigne... and Katy Perry... four guest judges on Idol... and they were actually good? Did I miss something?
Jason: Three of them were.
Chico: Gordon, you're the Idol expert. Insight, please.
Gordon: I thought NPH was spot on with a lot of his critiques.
Chico: That seems to be the opinion.
Jason: He was.
Gordon: I also liked Avril and Katy a lot. As for Joe...well the girlies like him. SHRIIIIIIEEEEEEK
Jason: I liked Katy and Joe. I thought Avril was a bump on a log.
Chico: I liked Katy. Joe... I'm on the fence about that one. Avril... I wish she woke up. I don't think she woke up in time for that day.
Jason: Although I thought Katy needed to tone down the bitchiness though.
Chico: What? I think you needed some catty there. Some people need catty. And with Simon leaving, someone has to be the bad guy.
Gordon: Katy's being herself,. Would you rather have someone who's animated or someone who you could mistake for drywall and spackle?
Jason: Animated I had zero problem with.
Chico: I vote animated. And yep, she's being herself. Can't fault her for that.
Jason: But when she was bitching about the judges arriving on helicopter...it was a bit much.
Gordon: I thought it was funny.
Chico: Of course you would. So we've talked judges. Let's talk singers. Any standouts yet? Because... I don't remember any.
Jason: I DO!
Gordon: I remember one in particular. :)
Jason: :)
Gordon: I think Jay and I remember the same one.
Chico: WAIT! I remember her now! "Barney and Sadomasochistic Friends!"
Jason: I whip you, you whip me, you are into B&D. How can you forget a body, and a voice like THAT.
Gordon: I'll tell you something though. She has a VERY good voice.
Chico: The story here is there was one girl... she was a Barney kid... as in "Barney & Friends". Then she grew up... and became a dominatrix to another Barney. ba Dum.
Jason: Erica Rhodes. Meow.
Chico: But yeah, she sounded alright. Simon said he would've said no... I doubt that.
Jason: Her body's banging and she has a good voice.
Chico: Yes and yes.
Jason: Let's see how she does in Hollywood. I also like the Hollywood rocker with the 9 year old daughter. I think she gets through Hollywood. I DON'T think she makes it to the TV City main stage. Because, well... there's a lot of competition, and people like her usually flame out before the top 12. See Wilson, Lisa. We'll see what she'll have to face this week, as we have one more week of auditions before the Hollywood Round, where Ellen will show up to inherit the set on the panel. Now... we're not the only ones with a dance crew, as J-Fat, KenJen, Cheeseball, Fluffy, Chairman, and Gordon Jr. have assembled... the Rat Pack, which is odd because they're hamsters. I hear Jr.'s quite the pop-n-locker.
Jason: Very odd
Gordon: And Eve, with a whip and cat outfit. Which only makes sense, since she's a cat.
Jason: Damn!
Chico: Okay, let's load up and do the news!
Gordon: Roll that Beautiful Brain Footage.

(Doug: Live, local, and latebreaking... From the four corners of the globe to your frontal lobe, this is WLTI Brainvision News, and now here's Gordon Pepper, Chico Alexander, and the award-winning Brainvision News Team)

Chico: Thanks, Doug. We're going to start out with the Fully Loaded, and this week, it's not so much a technology/intelligence report as it is a public service... So listen closely...

GSN leaked a survey out at www.gsn.com/survey.

Chico: NOW... it's basically asking for what kind of show you'd like to watch, and what kind of game you'd like to play online. Here's the thing, though... Some of the questions... and by some, I mean most... they're pretty leading.
Gordon: (hands Chico shotgun)
Chico: You might not want to do that, G. I might be tempted to use it.
Jason: I read the survey. This is BS.
Chico: They have things like "Do you like wish-fulfillment shows?" And they lump things like Amazing Race and The Bachelor, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians into the same category.
Jason: Which is a load of ****
Chico: And two big sins of commission here. The first, I'm basically going by memory here, but they say "Do you want to watch decades old reruns of game shows?" Little bit loaded, don't you think? And the second... apparently if you answer certain questions in certain ways, it'll cut off the survey saying "We have enough responses from people like you". Now I don't profess any knowledge of public polling, and I've never worked a day in Gallup offices to save my life... But SOMETHING IS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ROTTEN HERE.
Gordon: Well to be fair here, they only want people who watch game shows and who are fans to answer the survey, so I can't fault them with that.
James: Surveys do that all the time...not unique to the GSN survey...if they have enough people who plan on buying, say, furniture in the next six months, they'll put an end to accepting them.
Gordon: That being said, it does seem slanted to what they want to push to the general public, instead of it being an objective, anti-biased survey.
Jason: Gordon and James are right. If you answer questions a certain way, it's over. But yeah. This seems a bit skewed.
Chico: And we're apparently not alone in this thinking. Our friend Carrie over at About.com got the impression that they're thinking about reality shows... heavily. She was cut off.
Jason: Excuse me?
Chico: She answered the questions about online gaming, and she was cut off from the survey.
Jason: Ah.
Chico: Sounds to me like the folks who were polling are looking for a certain answer... from certain people. And that to me is a little fishy.
James: Which, again, is how that kind of polling works.
Gordon: Well, yes and no. You may be looking for a certain answer, but you can't discount the people who give a different one.
James: Very true, but others do it.
Chico: True. Evidence is supposed to corroborate a hypothesis, not the other way around. And come to think about it... it might not even work, because someone much wiser than I once said... Ratings will be more of a factor than public opinion. Almost like people voting with their remotes. .... That's about right, isn't it, James?
James: And surveys won't change anything for GSN....it's all about ratings and advertising
Gordon: But then again, this is why GSN is where they are in the ratings.
James: Very true
Chico: Lack of direction from people who obviously need to be made examples of.
Jason: You ain't kidding.
Gordon: And people have been voting for their remotes when it comes to their new shows. I'm guessing GSN doesn't like the early straw poll numbers.
Chico: I don't usually name-check on these stories...But given the debacles of the last year... Big Saturday Night, the Game Show Awards, Carnie Wilson, and now Hidden Agenda... David Goldhill needs to be shown the door.
Gordon: Dear GSN: We want game shows. Love, the American Public.
Jason: PS. We want GAME SHOWS.
Chico: PPS... SERIOUSLY.
Gordon: Speaking of which...here's a Datebook.

Solitary and Seducing Cindy debut this past weekend on Fox Reality. February 1 we get Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race, followed by Season 3 of Shear Genius on February 3. And College Championship action begins on Jeopardy! this week.

Gordon: If it's February, it must be sweep time.
Chico: We'll break out the brooms next week.
Jason: Yup yup
Gordon: What about a bat?
Chico: I got it right here.

Renewals! CBS is giving another season to Amazing Race and another 2 seasons to Survivor.

James: Not a surprise...both deserved
Chico: Of course. Also....

A list of the most popular game shows of 2009 in the WORLD has been released.

Chico: Gordon... the Board, please.

Chico: We're calling this one: Going Global in 2009. The list: I Love My Country (Netherlands), Jeopardy! (US), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (US), Hole in the Wall (Japan), Don't Forget the Lyrics! (US), Family Feud (US), Wheel of Fortune (US)... The top 3...

3) Wipeout (US)
2) Deal or No Deal (Netherlands)

Chico: And the number one game show of 2009 according to a TBI survey, based on the number of times a show appeared in a country’s top-rated programs with shows under five minutes and duplicates excluded.. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (UK).
Jason: Interesting list.
Chico: Very interesting indeed. Apparently we need more foreign versions of TPIR :-) Or the Cube...
Gordon: Very interesting. I'm guessing this is based on distribution, and not necessarily success.
Chico: Distribution, G.
Jason: Yes. Millionaire is the McDonalds of Game Shows.
Chico: Over 100 million served. And for good reason. It sticks to a formula wherever it goes'
Gordon: Hole in the wall in 7th sort of clued me in on that.
Chico: Yeah. Under normal circumstances, Hole in the Wall would be buried in a ground. Or something. But yeah, strictly distribution worldwide. But going back to the #8 entry... Gordon?
Gordon: That's my cue, isn't it?
Chico: You know it, boss.
Gordon: Ok then...

Are YOU Smarter Than...the father of Michael Lynche, who opens his mouth that his son got on The Top 24 of American Idol. Since that is a no-no, Michael gets dropped from the Top 24.

Chico: Michael Lynche's father... BAD! CORNER! NO HOME GAME!
Jason: That's just dumb.
Gordon: They are called NON-DISCLOSURES for a reason. I mean you hear this stuff all the time, and people like Joe's PLace has the lists of who went where, but you can't be dumb enough to talk to a major publication about getting into Idol.
Chico: Especially if you signed something saying you wouldn't.
Jason: And these papers are THICK.
Chico: And binding.
Gordon: ESPECIALLY since you already had a Lynche (Marques) get to the voting round, so as a dad, you have already gone through this process, and you, of all people, should know better.
Chico: I don't think you're angry enough, G. :-)
Gordon: I can get angrier, if you want (grabs the Shotgun from Chico). Because what upsets me the most is that it's not the kids fault. He's being punished because someone who he trusted screwed it up.
Jason: Agreed. His father screwed up his chance at a recording contract and a potential $1M.
Chico: World's greatest dad? Yeah, far from it.
Gordon: And since we're on the dad and son connection here...

Are YOU Smarter than...Giovanni, who is the first donut on BrainSurge.

Jason: Poor Giovanni
Chico: Awww... Nothing against him, but there are three simple rules: look, listen, remember. I'm guessing the TV stress got to him. Could happen to the best of us.
Jason: Pretty much. We are not busting on him. Just what happened to him. People on wheel call letters and vowels in repeat FASHION all the time.
Gordon: Yes, but in the words of Chico, 'Gordon likes making little kids cry'.
Chico: This is true.
Jason: You do :)
Gordon: And it's history making, so we report it. And for the hatemail which is sure to come in my direction, it's Gordon@gameshownewsnet.com.
Chico: And I don't even think you're done yet.
Gordon: How did you know?
Chico: Because you're my brother. =p

Are YOU Smarter than...Jordan Piel, who finishes Jeopardy on Friday night at -$2,800.

Chico: It could happen.
Jason: Yeah.
Gordon: And now for some Haterade, featuring everyone's favorite Zombie.



Chico: yo.
Jason: Hi, Augustus. Good Zombie. What's he got in his mouth?
Gordon: He's got 5 dimes.
Chico: 50 Cent?
Gordon: Very good.
Chico: I'm guessing the year rule is in effect.
Gordon: It is.

The Money and the Power has been unofficially canned, according to our folks at TheFutonCritic.com, though I'd say its a safe bet since the show got moved from 10pm to 1am during its run.

Chico: Yep.
Jason: Sounds about right.
Gordon: But I've got more.
Chico: Moooooore?

One of the contestants in the Australian version of The Biggest Loser just got arrested with a charge of Child Pornography. What to do? Edit him out of the show completely, which the production company behind the show did.

Jason: Good for them.
Chico: Which is understandable. Unfortunately, his partner's going to suffer for it as well.
Gordon: His partner being his sister.
Chico: We hope she returns on a solo edition should one arise.
Jason: Too bad unfortunately.
Chico: After all, this is another case of being screwed by someone you trust.
Gordon: Sure. And maybe they'd want to take a vacation afterwards just to get away from it all.
Chico: Of course. I hear Turks & Caicos is nice this time of year.

Wheel is going there for Beaches Resorts Week to air in June.

Gordon: Very nice.
Jason: Is that the summer week you think? Or not?
Chico: It is. The summer week. This week, though, they salute the Empire State of Jason Block's Mind.
Jason: NYC baby. Of course they film it IN LA LOL.
Chico: Which, again, totally makes sense.
Gordon: New York week in L.A. Ok then. Who wants some media hoes, which are good anywhere?
Jason: I do!
Chico: *plays "Pimpin' All Over the World"*
Gordon: but first, we have a big red comfy couch
Chico: Comfy. Good for cold winter days.

MTV has a new dating show where the parents choose which of 2 people is the right guy for the girl. If you're 18-23 and went to play, go here: http://www.realitywanted.com/call/6317-mtv-now-casting-new-dating-show

Chico: Sounds like Parental Control.
Gordon: It does, but it isn't. It's a new show.
Chico: Heh. A rose by any other name, my friend.
Gordon: Next up -

America's Got Talent is still casting for Season 5. Audition for the producers, who if they like you, will send you back to the live tv tapings. http://www.realitywanted.com/call/6558-nbcs-americas-got-talent-now-casting

Gordon: What if you want to be in a Boy Band?

Tour Director Jamie King and Perez Hilton (??!!?!?) are looking to create a boy band. If you want to hang out with Perez, go here:
http://www.realitywanted.com/call/6599-now-casting-simon-fuller-perez-hilton-and-jamie-king-present-boy-band-search-audition-now

James: That's a prize??
Chico: I don't think I'm the kind of guy Perez Hilton would want.
Jason: Why not? :)
Gordon: And they are coming in February 2010 to the Garden State Plaza in my neck of the wood, Paramus, NJ. That's when Chico is coming down to NJ next, so he can audition in front of them in his booxer shorts and show off his new physique.
Chico: Not yet, but I'm working on it.
Jason: ROFL. He is 30 now...he could be too old for them!
Chico: This is true.
Gordon: Finally...

For all you Failed American Idol Candidates, if you do get on a cruise ship, Cornwell Casting is looking for you. Go here to talk about being a cruise ship singer.
http://www.realitywanted.com/call/6562-casting-cruise-ship-crew-members-for-new-reality-tv-show

Chico: I'd rather hang out at the casino myself.
Jason: Those are all the singers Simon talks about.
Chico: All the ghastly ones.
Gordon: You mean the casin-hoes.
Chico: guilty.

In this week's Media Ho Report, Add Ant and Dec and Tommy Mottola to the people being courted by both The X Factor and American Idol as judges, while Katy Perry says that she'd give up singing to be the new judge (PLEASE let her judge, Idol! Please! Please! Please!)

Chico: Please?
Jason: Ok then :)

Adam Lambert puts up his underwear for auction to help Haiti, Phil Ford (Dr. Who) creates a new game for the BBC, Samantha Harris leaves Dancing With the Stars... Carrie Underwood sing the Super Bowl National Anthem, Jeff Foxworthy shows up for Education Day in Atlanta, and Carnie Wilson goes for weight loss on Dr. Oz.

Gordon: Guess the weight loss on her reality show isn't going too good.
Chico: I wonder who's the bigger ho is on that one.
Jason: Toss up there.
Gordon: But none of them are the hoes of the week.
Chico: if it isn't NPH, I will revolt.
Gordon: It's 2 hoes.
James: Partial revolt, then :-)
Gordon: One of which is NPH, for moonlighting as both a Judge on American Idol and a Host for The Cube. The other one also made an appearance on American Idol. Here:

http://www.realitytvworld.com/images/heads/storyleads/idol9_danielfranco.jpg

Jason: Daniel Franco? Why?
Gordon: Daniel Franco shows up on Idol for his tribute to Adam Lambert and all the Adam Lambert wannabes.
Jason: Oh yeah...That howling mess.
Chico: Therefore wasting precious time that would've been used for a) a Ryan-narrated comedy bit, or 2) an actual contender.
Gordon: That would make it the 3rd show he has gotten on and failed miserably at (The others being Project Runway Seasons 1 and 2)
Jason: Ouch ouch and ouch.
Chico: Painful. Pain. Full.
Gordon: And those...are your hoes.
Chico: And that's Brainvision. Shut it down.
Jason: Shutting down.
Chico: Still to come, fun with lists... but first, we riff from Comedy Central... circa 1999.
Jason: Whoa.
Chico: Relax. It's only the title and the logo.
Gordon: You're reading We Love To interrupt. You give us 22 minutes, and we'll give you 22 Dance Moves that you'll pay us to not execute.

(Brainvision has been brought to you by Judging Academy. 16 celebrity judges go in, and one comes out with a shiny new TV deal to judge a show. Week #1: The Mean judge snarl and facial patterns.)

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