Better With Guest Stars

Never was a more unexpected duo of guest stars than this week's Better With You combo of Derek Hough and Larry King.

The young, impossibly cool professional dancer appeared as an instructor trying to help Casey and Mia prepare for the first dance at their wedding. The fun story about Casey hiding all his best "girl things" talents from his fiancee hit its highpoint in a showy tango wherein Casey (Jake Lacy) whirled Hough around the floor, reminding ABC viewers just what they've been missing in Hough's absence from Dancing with the Stars this season.

King showed up as a celebrity guest in Ben's hotel. The clever show capitalized on the prehistoric talk show host's persona, framing him as a wise elder with an uncanny ability to read people and a disturbing need for extra hotel towels. The take home message: ask Larry King, he'll know what to do.

It was a weird combination but a strangely awesome one. This show really has grown on me, wouldn't it be nice if it made it to a second season?

TV Stars in The Movies

The holiday movie rush has produced some truly excellent and some disappointing fare. But one thing has remained true: TV stars are really bringing it to the big screen this season. Click on the movie titles to read reviews from our sister site My Cinema.

First there's the rush of TV faces who play a crowd at a dinner party and make up the brief but best part of Fair Game. Current TV superstar (and longtime My TV favourite, from way before Modern Family) Ty Burrell is there alongside beloved character actors from past TV seasons like FRIENDS' Susan (Jessica Hecht) and Grey's Anatomy's Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith). Fantastic Broadway player Norbert Leo Butz formerly of ABC's short-lived The Deep End also joins them for dinner.


Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh livens up a dreary adaptation of Rabbit Hole, as she does for anything she's in, former Joan of Arcadia star Amber Tamblyn, Everwood's Treat Williams, Lizzy Caplan from Party Down/The Class and Gossip Girl's Clemence Poesy fill the limited supporting roles in James Franco (Freaks & Geeks/ General Hospital)'s tour de force 127 Hours. and That 70's Show's Mila Kunis continues her rise to film stardom with an impressive and My Cinema Award (among other awards)- nominated supporting performance in Black Swan. 

Gossip Girl's best actress Leighton Meester gives the performance of her career so far in Country Strong as a beauty queen-turned-country singer on tour with her idol. Meester delivers excellent vocals and a compelling performance as the surprisingly multi-faceted Chiles Stanton.

And then there's Burlesque. The musical is absolutely packed with TV stars delivering excellent performances. Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane plays a slick real-estate tycoon and Veronica Mars herself Kristin Bell plays the star of the burlesque show, showing off that Tisch musical theatre degree that so many people forget about. David Walton (100 Questions/Perfect Couples) and Dianna Agron (Glee) put in fantastic turns in tiny but important parts, and pros of the reality dance world Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars) and Chelsea Traille (So You Think You Can Dance) hold down the burlesque chorus. Perhaps the best TV star performances come from former OC stars Peter Gallagher and Cam Gigandet. Gallagher, always reliably excellent, plays Cher's ex-husband and co-club owner. Gigandet, remembered fondly as the guy who killed Marissa, nails the easily-fumbled role of Christina Aguilera's unavailable love interest with easy charm and sincerity.

If you're going to the movies this month, you're bound to see some truly excellent film actors. But don't forget where a lot of them find their home- TV.

2010 in Reality TV: Dancing with the Stars

Superstar pro dancer Derek Hough (easily one of the show's most valuable assets in personality and ability) pulled out back-to-back victories in 2010 partnering 2 of the best dancers the show's ever had: Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey.

The ever-charming Evan Lysacek livened up season 10 amidst a controversial band of entertaining headline-grabbers like Kate Gosselin and Jake Pavelka, making for a really great finale between 3 likable stars (the third being amicable sportscaster Erin Andrews).

Season 11's finale was even more interesting despite the unbelievably predictable outcome. Bolstered by her effervescent partner Mark Ballas, Bristol Palin came disturbingly close to the title, going up against Grey and adorable Disney channel star Kyle Massey in the finale. Strangely engrossing personalities like The Situation, The Hoff, Rick Fox and Margaret Cho also added to the season, though the real stars were Grey (a sentimental favourite so soon after Patrick Swayze's death) and her excellent partner, who pulled off some of the best dances in show history.

Where I Stand

I realize I have fallen behind on the many many things happening in the TV world right now. It's finale time, which means it's My TV Season Wrap-Up time so my plate is quite full of writing to be done. In the mean time, in case you haven't been following @mytvblog on twitter (which you all should), I thought I'd get you caught up briefly on where I stand on the TV issues of the moment:

The Survivor and Amazing Race Finales: in both cases the wrong person won and the most deserving competitor took second. As much as I would have liked to see Caite win the race and throw it in the face of all the snobby pseudo-intellectuals who teased her, the title should have belonged to the cowboys, who ran the most consistently impressive race. As for Survivor, the finale was fun because Jeff was super snarky with bitter Russell but the only reason Sandra should have won was if she had actually succeeded in taking Russell out when she tried. This was Parvati's season, she played the best game and really should have had it.

The Lost Finale: I'm generally pro, though I understand why the mythology-oriented fans are left disappointed. It was an emotional, character-driven, spirituality-heavy farewell and if that's not your Lostian focus then you couldn't have been happy. As for me, a super sap who's all about character over plot, I loved that it got me emotionally reacting to Lost again. Despite solid writing, excellent effects and superb acting, the MVP award goes to composer Michael Giacchino for creating iteration after iteration of his iconic "important emotional moment" music for the episode's record breaking number of important emotional moments.

NBC Thursday Finales: Community offered its weakest episode yet (read Rachael's Season Wrap-Up for more, all of which I agree with), 30 Rock's finale was awesome after a really rocky season (again, see Rachael's Wrap-Up) and The Office was hardly noteworthy at all (hence, Wrap-Up still pending) except for the promise of Holly's return.

The Grey's Anatomy Finale: Amazing. A couple minor flaws but generally the best episode they've done possibly ever (after an altogether strong season). I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, even though I knew who would perish/survive because of contract news.

The Dancing with the Stars Finale: The right person won and managed to remind me that even if I despise her current band, I loved her first one and she was my favourite when she got her big break on Popstars back when I was a kid who watched Popstars. Also, Derek Hough is a god of choreography and dance and energy. Also, I love Evan Lysacek, he reminds me so much of my friend Chris.

Tomorrow's American Idol Finale: Team Bowersox!

The Bachelorette: I'm still not on board with Ali (she was just WAY too mean to Vienna, who danced on the DwtS finale btw and was beautiful!) but I do love The Bachelorette. I'd watch Chris Harrison do anything and there are already some really promising bachelors (including a cutie from Vancouver who caught my eye early).

Friday Night Lights: It's back and I'm still OBSESSED. I love very few things as much as I love this show.

Dancers to Watch

Last night during the Bachelor finale (more on that later), the new Dancing with the Stars lineup was announced. Now, after this morning's announcement of the professional dancer pairings, I've already got my favourites picked out, as well as who I think will do really well.

First off, I'm loving the pairing of nice guy dancer Mark Ballas (my favourite pro) and infamous TV bitch Shannon Doherty (who I've always sort of loved)- that's who I'm rooting for out of the gate.

Next, there's So You Think You Can Dance spitfire pro Chelsie Hightower (one of the series' best teachers) paired with hardworking charmer Jake Pavelka from The Bachelor. Though he runs the risk of being too stiff, I'm hoping Jake has the learning curve to do really well under Chelsie's capable wing.

I'm also fully on board with Olympic skating cutie Evan Lysacek and Russian sweetheart pro dancer Anna Trebunskaya, whom I think will do very well.

Superb coach Cheryl Burke has been paired once again with the football star of the season, a pairing that has won the trophy in the past. This year it's Chad Ochocinco. Sportscaster Erin Andrews will probably do very well alongside professional bad boy Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Wet dream star Pamela Anderson and groundbreaking astronaut Buzz Aldrin will be interesting but probably eliminated in the first couple weeks.

Luckily for all involved, annoying 15 minute extender Kate Gosselin is paired with perhaps the weakest pro on the slate: Tony Dovolani, who's mediocre choreography cost the delightful Melissa Rycroft the crown 2 seasons ago.

The power pairing of superb pro dancer Derek Hough and Pussycatdoll Nicole Scherzinger is sure to do well in the judges rankings but lose sympathy with the audience. Though Derek is very popular, pop stars don't have a great track record with the audience (Mya anyone?), and the Pussycat dolls are not exactly a good match with DWTS' older demographic.

It's sure to be an interesting season.

Choreography Nominees: Kym Johnson

Dancing With The Stars' Donny Osmond and choreographer Kym Johnson dancing the My TV Award-nominated freestyle routine to "Back in Business" which won them the competition.

Congratulations Dancing Winners!

In the last few weeks in the overly crowded world of television dance competitions, two very deserving winners won two very different competitions.

On So You Think You Can Dance Canada, early favourite Tara Jean took home the win, marking the first time that the best dancer has actually won a SYTYCD season (I love Nico but Vincent was the better technical contemporary male, Kayla could outdance Jeanine by a small but notable margin, Katee deserved the season 4 US win, Danny should have had season 3 wrapped up, Travis should have had season 2 and there's a reason Blake McGrath is entirely more relevant than season 1's winner Nick). In fact, the top 2, which included runner-up Vincent (the token adorable Frenchman of the season), was exactly right. Two of the most entertaining and engaging dancers as well as the top performers in their (contemporary and ballroom respectively) and every other style, Tara Jean and Vincent's success shows that audiences are finally getting it right. And because of that, this pair of twenty-year olds will finally get their big break.

On the other end of the spectrum, the last thing Dancing With The Stars' winner needs is a big break. In fact, he could not be more of a showbiz legend. I know I predicted before the season started that Mya would win that heinous mirror ball trophy but I couldn't be happier to be wrong (though you've got to give me props for calling her top 2 finish before the show even aired). I've loved Donny Osmond since I was 6 years old and I saw him play the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat. Mock me if you must but that man has the prettiest voice there ever was; he is, after all, the voice of Mulan's prince. Kelly Osbourne may have improved the most and won a surprising number of hearts but Donny won me over every week with his hard work, dedication, sense of humour and humility. He was also endlessly goofy, incredibly charming and could actually dance. His partner Kym Johnson also proved charming and fun throughout the season. Call me dorky or crazy or old lady-ish but my favourite won Dancing with the Stars and I love him all the more for loving his mirror ball trophy.

Dear Mark and Derek,

Stick to Dancing.

Your performance with "Ballas Hough Band" on Dancing with the Stars tonight was simply strange. You may be two of my favourite pro dancers on the show but your pseudo-boyband skills don't measure up to your ballroom prowess and performance charm.

Love,
Kelly

In other DwtS news:
-Rod Stewart is creepy, no one wants to see that! But it's great how they have pro couples dance along with the musical guests so it seems a little less like a waste of time.
- Why don't fans vote for Aaron Carter? He had the highscore of the week and was in the bottom 3. Is it because he's slimy? It's certainly not because he can't dance, because he's one of the best on that floor.
- Donny Osmond is still adorable. He seems genuinely surprised every week he doesn't get eliminated. That said, what was with that green outfit?
- Are Kelly and Aaron really close? They were being really cute at the end of the show.
and
- Michael went home after his best night of the season and Mark left after losing the dance-off to Aaron, having landed in the bottom because his partner (SYTYCD's Lacey Schwimmer) was sick.The eliminated couples danced a strange yet sweet little circle dance as the credits rolled, it was oddly endearing.

DWTS Picture List: the pretty new couples

Tom, Aaron and Debi look confident; Donny and Melissa look a little uncomfortable; Chelsie and her snowboarder partner look good together; Mya looks like a winner and Kelly looks surprisingly pretty!

Introducing Next Season's Dancing with the Stars Champs

It's official, Mya is going to win Dancing with the Stars; at the very least she'll make top 3. If the Lady Marmalade singer wasn't a front runner to begin with, today's announcement that she's been paired with Emmy nominated choreographer Dmitry Chaplin has pretty much guaranteed her the title. This will be Dmitry's second season on Dancing with the Stars, having been a top 20 contestant on So You Think You Can Dance season 2 and made reappearances on the show throughout the following 3 seasons as one of the series' most successful choreographers (working his way up to an Emmy nomination for a routine from season 4). Last season on Dancing with the Stars, Dmitry's superior choreographic skill and instant chemistry with any partner would have gotten him a lot further if he hadn't, at the last minute, lost Jewel to a leg injury and gained a playboy bunny with an IQ of 7 as his partner. With Mya by his side (one of the few contestants guaranteed to have a built-in sense of rhythm), Dmitry should have his first win under the belt of his super tight pants this season.

Other highlights of the couples announcements include heavy-hitter Cheryl Burke taking on longshot (and, I'm gonna say it now, dark horse) Tom DeLay and Melissa Joan Hart's slim chances at the title greatly increasing by the announcement that last year's winner and My TV favourite Mark Ballas will be partnering the teenage witch. SYTYCD fans will be happy to know that in addition to Dmitry, Chelsie Hightower and Lacey Schwimmer will also be returning (alongside newcomer and SYTYCD choreographer Louis Van Amstel, who got stuck with Kelly Osbourne) as well as Emmy nominee Derek Hough.

Damn you producers for depriving me of my Chelsie/Aaron matchup. But thanks for having Sabrina's back (Melissa Joan Hart), I want her to do well.

Dancing With The People Kelly Loved in the 90s

Season 9's Dancing With the Stars cast was announced this morning, and the list certainly has some names to watch.

Most interesting on the list is Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Really!?!

Other notable names are singers Macy Gray and Mya (the latter of whom I would tap as an early front-runner for that ridiculous disco ball trophy).

Kelly Osbourne is on board for what I'm sure will be a short catastrophe.

But most importantly, let the 90s nostalgia kick in. Starting with Donny Osmond, the man whom I fell in love with at the age of 6 when he starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (did I really just admit that?). Next up is Aaron Carter: brother of one of my beloved Backstreet Boys, 12 year old white rapper and Lindsay Lohan/Hilary Duff lover extraordinaire (could not be more excited about this one!) and, last but not least, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH!!!!!!!!! Melissa Joan Hart returns to TV.

While I could sit here and tell you that Mya's probably got the best moves, Donny's definitely got some grace, Melissa and Kelly will probably be gone pretty early and I have a sneaking suspicion that Tom DeLay's been practicing his quick step, the truth is that the winner of Dancing with the Stars will be determined when they receive their partners on August 24. The man who works with Cheryl Burke will inevitably rise to the top of the pack, while (Emmy nominee) Derek Hough and Louis Van Amstel (a newcomer fresh off So You Think You Can Dance choreographic success)'s partners will certainly reap the rewards of having solid teachers. Assuming last year's pro winner (and My TV favourite) Mark Ballas is back as well, one of the lucky stars will do well to work with him. Top notch partner Julianne Hough will most likely be off this season to focus on her music carreer but hopefully SYTYCD alum like Lacey Schwimmer, (Emmy nominee)Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower will be back (I'd love to see a Chelsie/Aaron Carter pairing).

Dancing with the Pros

This season I picked up Dancing with the Stars as what can, at best, be described as a "casual viewer". I watched a couple episodes here and there, mostly just cheering for Melissa (who'd won my heart on The Bachelor only a week earlier). But after last night's finale (and the previous night's competition show) I realized that it wasn't her that I was watching anymore. I wasn't watching for the dancing (which is mediocre at best), the choreography (which is understandably simple), the judges (who aren't complaint-worthy but are also nothing to write home about), or even Gilles Marini's abs. I was watching the pros.

You see, as endearing as Melissa is, as much as Ty's improvement is admirable, as much as Shawn is adorably inspiring and as sweet as the Woz was, this show is made by the professional dancers who choreograph, teach and perform with the stars every week. Sexy Gilles would have been unremarkable if not for the constant pushing of his amazing professional partner Cheryl Burke. Derek Hough managed to tame the wild Lil'Kim and bring out an elegance that I certainly didn't know she had. Likewise, his sister Julianne Hough took blah country singer Chuck Wicks (also her boyfriend) and used their emotional connection to bring out the enticing performer in him. So You Think You Can Dance alums Chelsie Hightower and Lacey Schwimmer managed to teach rhythm to a cowboy and a jackass (literally, it was Steve-O); Chelsie turned out to be such a surprisingly good teacher that her partner Ty Murray made the final 4. And even though he was unfortunately partnered with a potato head with big boobs, Dmitry Chaplin still proved that he's a remarkable choreographer (even by the higher So You Think You Can Dance standards).

But it was Mark Ballas (partner of winner Shawn Johnson) who was the real treat of the season. Not only was he a standout dancer, Mark was the endearing personality of the competition. Paired with the youngest contestant in the show's history (Johnson, 17), Mark created the perfect dynamic with his student/partner, supported her through her multiple breakdowns, choreographed fantastic routines tailored just for her, carried her through to the finale and even threw her a prom when he found out she'd be missing her real one to be on the show.

So my foray into Dancing with the Stars fandom worked out well for the show, because even though I tuned in to see one dancer from this season in particular, it's the multi-season professionals who caught my attention.