Episode 18.10
August 11

Gordon: This is Gordon Pepper, and...wait a sec...are those caskets?
Jason: Scary.
Gordon: I see caskets and mattresses.
Chico: Gee.. I wonder what's inside..
Gordon: Well, the mattresses can only mean one thing...we're putting series to bed this episode, aren't we?
Chico: Yep. And the caskets?
Gordon: I think some of these shows may be getting laid to rest
Chico: Ah.
Jason: Caskets are scary things.
Chico: Well, let's get to it... From somewhere in America... we "We Love Bernie Mac" edition of We Love to Interrupt... is... ON!
Gordon: Yay!
Chico: We're joined by Jason Block and Don Harpwood this afternoon.
Jason: Greetings.
Gordon: We have 5 shows that have ended, and one that is starting up.
Chico: Let's start with the ones that ended. Since they outnumber the one that's starting.
Don: Makes sense.
Jason: Sounds good.
Gordon: Where do we start this week, daddy?
Chico: Might as well start at the beginning of the week with HGTV finding its next Design Star.
Jason: Who is....?
Gordon: No, that's Jeopardy!
Chico: Who didn't see that joke coming?
Jason: Not me.
Chico: Anyway, as usual, the winner is decided by popular vote, and Jennifer Bertrand edged out Matt Locke. A little chronicle if you will... the final two were designing houses for two families that were in Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Then HGTV turned America loose for the final vote.
Gordon: I think the audience made a good choice, by the way. Jennifer, I thought was far more professional.
Chico: Jennifer was by far the most deserving of the players.
Jason: And I like that they did houses for Katrina victims.
Chico: And if you liked that, J, you'll love that HGTV is donating $5,000 to a local marching band for rebuilding efforts. To keep the town together. That's called class. Jennifer's show will launch January 2009. So keep an eye out for that.
Jason: Bingo.
Chico: Another interesting bit... Mikey V, who's been more or less the villain of the series, didn't show up for the finale because of... shall we say, naked skeletons in his closet.
Jason: He was showing his tool?
Gordon: I think he showed everyone his tool while searching for his hoe
Don: Yipes.
Chico: My head is spinning from all the entendre. Tools... Hoes... Porn... Naked skeletons...
Gordon: Now the sister station, the Food Network, did The Next Food Network Star, where Aaron won it.
Chico: His show already launched.
Jason: Big Daddy's house.
Gordon: We discussed this last week on the results, but I wanted to make a few notes here.
Chico: K.
Gordon: 1. The NFNS finale was NOT done in front of a live national audience
Chico: It was pretaped, you're saying.
Gordon: I am saying
Chico: Right.
Gordon: 2. In the last episode, the judges were deliberating. I find that sort of strange to see judges deliberate if the vote was to be determined by the internet audience.
Chico: Deliberating like how?
Gordon: Deliberating as in discuss the strengths and weaknesses.
Chico: Ah. That's... odd.
Gordon: I thought that this was determined by the public, no?
Chico: Right
Jason: Not this time around, it seems.
Don: That seems rather weird...
Chico: I mean... that's just... weird.
Gordon: Which brings us to #3. At no time during the final episode do they say that the winner was determined by the audience
Jason: Which is weird, because this is the first time it's happened.
Gordon: I'm surprised it happened this time. Though if you look at last season, you know why it happened last time. I allow Professor Block to share the history lesson.
Jason: Joshua Adam Garcia, aka Jag, lied about his culinary credentials and his military service. He made it to the finals... except the producers called him on it after the show had taped. And he "resigned" for the good of the show. Which led to the recall and eventual victory of Amy Finley. Through Audience Vote.
Gordon: Which is obviously not who the producers wanted.
Chico: No.
Gordon: So instead we got Amy, who quit after 6 episodes and left the country. Oops.
Chico: WHA?! You serious?
Gordon: Serious.
Jason: Deadly.
Don: Wow.
Gordon: So I think this season the producers wanted more control.
Chico: Guess so.
Jason: Very much so.
Gordon: So we're done with design. Where do we go next?
Chico: Next, we go to last week. Gordon... Do you remember who you had to win AG this season? I'll give you a hint...

Gordon: I'll say Tim Oliphant and Tiffany Florentine

Chico: That was from last week's show. This was also from last week's show...

Chico: I'll go with Ally Davidson for the women's and Tim Oliphant for the dudes.

Gordon: I got it half right
Chico: One of us... was right. Ally cleared the Eliminator in 1:46, beating her own record time. Tiffany... 4:07. And as for Mike "The Gambler" Gamble and Tim Oliphant... well, that was no contest. Truth be told, it was pretty close... but Tim beat the Gambler by 25 seconds.
Gordon: Tim was going to dust everyone. And you don't give the person who has the best time in the Eliminator a 15 point lead going into it.
Jason: No you don't.
Chico: Nope. That's like Superman giving Lex Luthor a gun loaded with kryptonite bullets.
Jason: Love that analogy.
Chico: And saying "Go ahead... Take your best shot." "Okay. Boom. Done deezy." That's what the men's final was like. Is this the last we'll see of the Glads? I can see where this could go either way, but for me, it's a 60-40... against. And I'll tell you why. It's rather simple if you think about it... too much promise... too little return.
Gordon: I disagree
Chico: Really.. Go on.
Gordon: I think it has a shot to come back. Its relatively cheap to produce and if they keep it in the Summer, they can grow it.
Chico: Yeah, but the fact that they started it in season really didn't do it any favors.
Gordon: What hurt it is that they were dumb enough to start it during the May Sweeps. If this is a non-strike season, this is not a Winter Primetime show.
Jason: No it isn't
Gordon: And they need to add more show.
Jason: We said that last year.
Gordon: Well, maybe they'll listen this year.
Chico: And they did add more show, but I thought they added more everything else as well... and it really felt like overkill to me. But that's just where I'm standing. I'd really like to see more AG next year, but treated with the care it deserves. Not just thrown up on the schedule at the first sign of failure.
Jason: We are going to see a lot of that.
Chico: It's a good show... It just needs to be handled as such.
Jason: Agreed.
Don: Definitely.
Chico: Otherwise, we're going to be having this conversation again.
Gordon: Or worse, Gladiators will be talking to Augustus the Game Show Zombie Stripper.
Jason: Not him. I thought he was fed.
Chico: He lives to eat.
Jason: And eats to live.
Chico: Did Augustus catch the finale of I Survived a Japanese Game Show?
Gordon: He certainly did. Can we go back to last week, Chico?
Jason: Lets go.
Chico: Sure.

Gordon: I'll say Justin - the only person who hasn't been in an Elimination Challenge yet.

Jason: Bingo.
Chico: Hey, you got one right!
Gordon: That's the norm, not the exception
Chico: Now what I liked about this finale was that it was determined by pure unadulterated will of the votes... Challenge 1: Making New Friends in Japan. The final four had to go out into the world and use what they had picked up in the land of the Rising Sun to accomplish five scavenger hunt items. Challenge 2: Squishy Squishy... Picking up water with sponge sumo suits. And finally, Challenge 3: Super Majide! An obstacle course with past challenges. Winner gets $250,000 and makes friends with the Congratulations Mob.
Gordon: All three challenges were purely physical in nature. The women didn't have a shot and the young more athletic guy was going to edge out the older veteran.
Chico: Yep.
Don: I really liked that finale, though there was one thing that I thought was a bit weird.
Chico: One thing? =p
Gordon: I don't know about you, but I always break eggs with my butt.
Don: Heh.
Chico: Seriously, though. What one thing, Don?
Don: Well, anyway, at the start of the last challenge, they got one shot at riding the tricycle across the beam, then let them walk the tricycle across. I would have thought that they should have had to try it more than once or something before just walking across. But maybe that's just me.
Chico: Maybe.
Gordon: I have a feeling they may have, and then through the power of editing decided after the 30th time that it wasn't worth it.
Jason: ROFL
Chico: That's true, too.
Don: Good point.
Gordon: That did not look like something you could do in the first 10 tries
Chico: Unless you were really dexterous.
Gordon: And you don't want $250,000 decided by the first event.
Chico: So that makes sense. Not too weird, but again... it's Majide... It's very nature is to be weird. But you wouldn't have it any other way.
Don: Of course.
Gordon: How do you say dancers in Japanese?
Chico: Odoriko
Jason: Hai
Gordon: So You Think You Can Dance. 3 dancers are worthy of a lot of money. The other dancer, Courtney, eliminated first. Katee is eliminated next, but she wins $50,000 for being the last lady left.
Chico: Leaving Joshua and Twitch.
Gordon: And the winner is....Joshua. Twitch, for coming in second, gets...a year's supply of his own belly button lint.
Chico: This is the second one I called :-) But tell'em what Joshua gets?
Gordon: $250,000 and the title of America's Favorite Dancer
Chico: Until next year. :-)
Gordon: True. And then...we have comedy. Last Comic Standing also ended this week, as Iliza Shlesinger wins. She defeats Marcus, Jeff Dye, Jim Tavare and Louis Ramsey.
Chico: Good comic, her?
Gordon: You know my thoughts on Last Comic Standing, but if you don't, this is one of the rare shows where the best person usually doesn't win. The American audience doesn't vote for the funniest comic. They vote for the sob story. And this season - no exception to that rule. The funniest comedian...finishes in second.
Don: Figures...
Chico: You want to talk about par for the course? Who was the second?
Gordon: That would be Marcus, who joins Lavell Crawford, Ty Barnett, and Dave Mordal and Ralphie May.
Chico: and Alonzo Bodden
Gordon: You could add Alonzo Bodden here too, but he does win Season 3.
Chico: Ah. So how long before Iliza quits and leave the country?
Gordon: What time is it now?
Jason: Oh man.
Gordon: I'll say after the first tour when capacity is at less than half attendance.
Chico: Approximately three days after the LCS finale. Good call.
Jason: I'll check the airline registries.
Chico: You do that.
Gordon: Oh and since last year...does anyone remember who won last season?
Jason: Was that Josh Blue?
Gordon: ...no (BUZZ)
Don: Can't remember...
Chico: Me neither.
Gordon: (BUZZ) That would be Jon Reep, who was in CMT comedy Club and Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Not exactly a comedy tour.
Chico: Not really.
Jason: No
Chico: I didn't care much for the sequel. I liked the original.
Gordon: So what do you think about Country Music Finales, Chico?
Chico: Not big on it. But I do know they have just crowned the latest Nashville Star. Melissa Lawson.
Gordon: Melissa Lawson wins, defeating Gabe Garcia.
Jason: What's the odds of this show coming back next year? If they put it back on USA, I think yes.
Gordon: Good, I think. Like Gladiators, its a very cheap show to produce, and the ratings were not awful.
Chico: Well, it's the highest Nashville Star rating to date, BUT it's low for NBC AND they haven't had a lasting star to come out of it. My guess... Slim to none, and Slim just left town.
Jason: I say 60-40 for. Country Music is a huge block.
Gordon: They have had stars come out of the show, but not the ones who win. I think the show has life. I think NBC knows that they have a decent-sized following if they can nurture this correctly.
Chico: Who knows. Meanwhile, we have a premiere to go over.
Gordon: Let's talk Diddy.
Chico: Let's talk Diddy, indeed. We have ourselves 11 people who all want to work for Diddy. Most of them either from Cali or from New York city.
Jason: Not a surprise.
Don: No surprise there.
Chico: The job on the line: a personal assistantship at Bad Boy Records. The first task... explain why you want the job. The second task, after the candidates are split into two teams... 24 hours, 50 tasks. It's an exercise in multitasking.
Gordon: And then for the surviving people, to do a set of tasks for Diddy, with the ability to drop everything for bonus tasks.
Jason: Sort of the Apprentice on Steroids.
Chico: Sort of yeah. This is one of those rarities... Like Greed before it, a knockoff that works.
Gordon: Let's talk about what works. The Good - I really liked the first 2 tasks. Because these all make sense as to what the winner will have to do. This is old classic apprentice before it turned into an advertising spin machine.
Chico: You liked it when that one guy was eliminated for his breakdancing, didn't you?
Gordon: I did. What else did you like?
Chico: That it's serious. It's not a "game", no pun intended. The bad... and this was resolved before the teaming... you have people that thought that this was just a game.
Jason: Did they get eliminated?
Chico: Right then and there.
Don: Nice.
Chico: See the breakdancer.
Jason: So Diddy was taking this serious too?
Chico: Apparently so.
Gordon: You didn't see almost any of Diddy
Chico: Which is a refreshing change. From, say... Seeing all of Trump.
Gordon: Sort of. I have a major issue with something else. Apparently, personality will be a factor in sticking around. Kim looks like a constant troublemaker. Gabrielle made a mistake, but is a team player. Three guesses who they kept.
Chico: Kim.
Gordon: Good guess. Sure, you have to create drama at a reality show, but Kim isn't going to win this. All you are going to do is maybe wipe out a few good people because they let Kim get to them.
Jason: right
Gordon: And this is the same issue Project Runway has right now; Style > Substance.
Chico: Hopefully this'll change as we get closer to zero hour, but for now, what's Haterade's stance... does Diddy work for you?
Gordon: He does work for me. I think this will be fun. I think that this will be a fun show - as long as they stay on point. I will turn on it in a second, but for right now, it's a decent start. B-.
Chico: I'm going to give it a B-. It works, but it's not without common reality failings. Hopefully, they'll all be resolved, but until then... Yeah. By the way, Gordon... Did you hear about the hamsters' new show? "I Want to Work for Eve"?
Gordon: Is that the one with the 13 hamsters lining up to try to be the Producer's Assistant?
Chico: the very same.
Jason: Very cool.
Chico: Many people find the idea of hamsters working for a cat a little weird... but that's how we roll.
Gordon: The first mission is to get a sign that says '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. Okay, Gordon... you're up.
Gordon: I've got some dates for you
Chico: Fire away

August 22 has 'Who Are You Wearing', a clothing competition from TLC

Chico: Explain.
Gordon: People compete to design clothing for celebrities. The winning designer's outfit will be worn by said celebrity.
Jason: wow
Don: Interesting.

Meanwhile, September 11th features Hole in the Wall, replacing Moment of Truth, which is getting moved to the Winter (or to replace a faltering show) Finally, GSN will be airing a set of Game Show Documentaries on Sundays, starting on September 7th. There's an ugly rumor that one Haterade has been working on that show.

Jason: Really?
Gordon: Really.
Chico: Is that a confirmation or a denial? =p Read: Did you start that ugly rumor?
Gordon: ...you'll have to watch :)
Chico: Heh. Okay, we'll watch.: It's gonna be good television.
Gordon: Good boy. What do you got, Chico?
Chico: I got a Global Break.
Gordon: Oooh. Let's go Global
Chico: And it has to do with Hole in the Wall.

We're all waiting for the US version... The Australians aired theirs. And it's four Gs Bigggg. 1.55 million viewers big on Nine. It beat out the recently-launched Aussie version of "Make Me a Supermodel". Supermodel scores 1.06 million.

Chico: Both will return after the Olympics.
Gordon: Pretty good numbers for Australia
Chico: Oh yeah.
Jason: Very good numbers.
Chico: Can't wait for the US premiere. And the way it's structured... It could gain a following before Survivor Gabon premieres. Or it could tank.
Gordon: And the tank could be full of Haterade.
Chico: Depends on whether or not America wants to see Wipeout redux. Anyway, to the Haterade.
Gordon: but first, let's see people who won't get to the smart pool. Are You Smarter Than...

Andy, for a variety of offenses in his offensive playing of Catch 21.

Chico: I sense a Big Bored coming...
Jason: So do I.
Gordon: You do indeed. Big Bored please?

Gordon: We start with Round 1. Andy has 200. Karen has 100. Henry has 200. Henry is frozen at 19. Karen has 11. Andy has 13. Card...Jack.
Chico: We have our first... "Catch 21 Catch 22". He can bust... and lose, or he can pass... and lose as well.
Gordon: So Henry is stuck with who he should pass to.
Jason: Oh man. That's a Catch 22 alright.
Don: Tough spot to be in.
Gordon: He can either piss off Henry or piss off Karen. He commits 21 Seppuku and busts himself, which pisses off Karen. Remember this moment. Karen gets...the Jack anyway and wins the round, which leaves Andy and Henry to fight it out. Round 2. Everyone has a 10. Andy has 19. He gets a 6.
Chico: Has to pass it.
Gordon: Now at this point, Andy is leading Henry 300-200. Karen is in the second round. Andy MUST make sure that Henry doesn't win. The best way to do it - bust him out. So instead of giving Henry 16, Andy...passes to Karen?
Jason: Are you crazy?
Gordon: On top of this, Andy, who has a chance to freeze at 19, does not do so. Karen now gets the next question right. So now that Andy has pissed Karen off twice, and with a chance to eliminate Andy from the game, what do you think Karen will do?
Chico: Goodbye Andy.
Jason: READY...AIM...FIRE.
Don: Boom.
Gordon: Goodbye Andy. Now if Andy 1. Gave Karen the win in the first round, and 2, passed the 6 to Henry, which could have busted him out instead, then Karen busts Henry and Andy moves on. Instead, Andy loses and Henry, who survives, wins the match.
Chico: Your game sucks, Andy.
Gordon: A special semi-boo to Henry, who doesn't play the bonus round correctly and leaves with $4,000 less than what he should have had.
Chico: Played the power chip too soon.
Gordon: Yep. Got to hold on to those Power Chips. Also have to hold on to that Haterade
Jason: I have my glass ready.
Gordon: Since what started as a good idea is now a pretty embarrassing one...

American Idol's thought to go to Puerto Rico is a sound one, since no Latin singer has ever won Idol. Thousands of auditioners...went somewhere else. Only 300 Puerto Ricans show up to the Idol auditions.

Jason: Ay!
Don: Ouch.
Gordon: 2 Words. Objetivo Fama.
Jason: Pretty much.
Gordon: If you're an aspiring singer, that's where you want to go.
Chico: Especially coming from Puerto Rico.: If you're a singer in Puerto Rico, you have one of two ambitions... a) Objetivo Fama, and b) Menudo.
Gordon: Sure would. That would want to make the American Idol producers want to get Fully Loaded.
Jason: Hic
Chico: This week, we have a new trivia contest site.

TriviaWorld.com offers big prizes for big trivia tables. Winners in double elimination tournaments get prizes ranging from an iPod to a Wii.

Jason: Nice.
Gordon: Nice little contest. What about a contest for electronically gifted media hoes?
Chico: I could go with that.
Jason: What would be the prize for that?
Gordon: I don't know, but here's what I got on the Casting Couch...

The Producers of Mythbusters are looking for talent to be a part of an exciting new TV show for a major cable network and need the type of people who can turn a “civilian” vehicle into a machine that can do battle in combat warfare scenarios. Think crazy mad-max vehicles! Think Burning Man! If this sounds like you or someone you know come be a part of a fun on this creative new show and build the outrageous vehicle of your dreams!
http://www.realitywanted.com/call/3000-weaponizers-now-casting-do-you-have-skills-in-electronics-robotics-andor-weaponry

Jason: I am blanking on the show they did with this! There was a show on the Discovery Channel...Machine Warriors? Is that it? Junkyard Warriors?
Chico: Junkyard Wars. On TLC.
Jason: That's it.
Chico: Hosted by Robert Llewellyn...
Gordon: We may get another season of it.
Chico: and then ported to the US and hosted by George Gray. Nah, the title's in the link. It's a show called "Weaponizers". But let's say machining isn't your thang...

TPIR is looking for models. If you're a hottie aged 18-30 in the Dallas, Tampa, or New York area, you can hit up CBS11tv.com, Tampabays10.com, or wcbstv.com for details.

Gordon: Anyone for some Hoes?
Chico: *plays Pimpin' All Over the World*
Jason: Bring them on.

In this week's Media Ho Report, Mike Richards is now a Co-Executive Producer of The Price is Right, Donny Osmond may be competing in the UK Im a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here,... Hunter Ellis (Survivor) hosts in Harms Way, Christopher Knight hosts Trivial Pursuit, David Archuleta will be working with Rock Mafia Records... Nigel Lythgoe may be leaving American Idol, Ben Lyons hosts My Family's Got GUTS, and Clay Aiken is a daddy... 1 person each from Big Brother's Past will go back into the House for a competition, Carrie Underwood has a duet coming with Elvis, and David Cook is working with Rob Cavallo.

Gordon: But none of them is your hoes of the week.
Jason: Who, pray tell, is it?
Gordon: Your hoes are...Barack Obama and John McCain, who both make fake ads for Last Comic Standing's finale episode. My favorite candidate's video this week? Paris Hilton.
Chico: I'd vote for that.
Jason: Paris rocked this week. I laughed my butt off.
Gordon: I'd vote for her if she ran. I really would.
And Those...are your hoes.
Chico: And finally...

Alan Sugar's going to America... sorta. CNBC's going to air the UK Apprentice starting August 25.

Jason: I want to see this. I heard a lot of good things.
Gordon: That would be a greenlight?
Chico: That would be a greenlight.
Gordon: Then this would be a bat (hands Chico the bat)
Chico: Alrighty, time to swing... actually, time for a switch hitter.

Wanna Bet is moving to Tuesdays, where it hopes to benefit from leading out of Wipeout.

Gordon: BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...chortle...wheeze...
Jason: (snicker) Yeah right.
Chico: I think it'll affect the ratings *does the pinch finger* that much.
Gordon: You're putting perfume on a skunk.
Jason: That's kind, Gordon.
Gordon: Thank you. And with that, that ends Brainvision. Shut it down.
Chico: Shutting it down. Still to come, resolutions for the summer and the fall to come, but first, Gordon, what's first?
Gordon: First, we don on some masks and take out our Stanislavskian Method Acting books.
Chico: This is WLTI... give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world. *xylophone*

(Brainvision is powered by Hole in the Ground... the show where Media hoes play a game of human Welltris...)

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