SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

You can toss them off as just a small group of foreign correspondents throwing a party, but those guys have a good track record for forecasting Oscar and Emmy nominees.

In the television categories, they’ve done a good job except for snubbing “Friday Night Lights.” And let’s face it, besides a solid group of critics and supporters, they aren’t the only ones. Fans have tuned out in droves to this spectacular drama, which is all the more reason why the Globes should have honored it.

Couldn’t you just give one of these guys a nod? (l-r) Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke, Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor on “Friday Night Lights.”

Another series overlooked by the foreign press was HBO’s “The Wire,” a gritty drama that captures inner city life like nothing else on television. When the new season was shipped to TV critics recently, everyone from TV Guide’s Matt Roush to Philly Daily News critic Ellen Gray spent the weekend poring over it. Since this is a blog, I’ll note I did the same. Fantastic.

The final season of “The Wire,” with Dominic West and Bobby Brown, begins Jan. 6. photo: Paul Schiraldi

And really people, William Shatner again? Has he been buying rounds of drinks for you people at all the local bars or what?

You could choose from Kyle Chandler or Dominic West, yet you go with the Shat?

Shame, shame.

Best Television Series – Drama
“Big Love” (HBO)
“Damages” (FX Networks)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“House” (FOX)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“The Tudors” (Showtime)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Patricia Arquette – “Medium”
Glenn Close – “Damages”
Minnie Driver – “The Riches”
Edie Falco – “The Sopranos”
Sally Field – “Brothers & Sisters”
Holly Hunter – “Saving Grace”
Kyra Sedgwick – “The Closer”

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Michael C. Hall – “Dexter”
Jon Hamm – “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie – “House”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers – “The Tudors”
Bill Paxton – “Big Love”

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
“30 Rock” (NBC)
“Californication” (Showtime)
“Entourage” (HBO)
“Extras” (HBO)
“Pushing Daisies” (ABC)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series –Comedy Or Musical
Christina Applegate – “Samantha Who?”
America Ferrera – “Ugly Betty”
Tina Fey – “30 Rock”
Anna Friel – “Pushing Daisies”
Mary-Louise Parker – “Weeds”

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”
Steve Carell – “The Office”
David Duchovny – “Californication”
Ricky Gervais – “Extras”
Lee Pace – “Pushing Daisies”

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
“Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” (HBO)
“The Company” (TNT)
“Five Days” (HBO)
“Longford” (HBO)
“The State Within” (BBC America)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Bryce Dallas Howard – “As You Like It”
Debra Messing – “The Starter Wife”
Queen Latifah – “Life Support”
Sissy Spacek – “Pictures Of Hollis Woods”
Ruth Wilson – “Jane Eyre” (Masterpiece Theatre)

Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Adam Beach – “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”
Ernest Borgnine – “A Grandpa For Christmas”
Jim Broadbent – “Longford”
Jason Isaacs – “The State Within”
James Nesbitt – “Jekyll”

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Rose Byrne – “Damages”
Rachel Griffiths – “Brothers & Sisters”
Katherine Heigl – “Grey’s Anatomy”
Samantha Morton – “Longford”
Anna Paquin – “Bury My Heart At Wounded – Knee”
Jaime Pressly – “My Name Is Earl”

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Ted Danson – “Damages”
Kevin Dillon – “Entourage”
Jeremy Piven – “Entourage”
Andy Serkis – “Longford”
William Shatner – “Boston Legal”
Donald Sutherland – “Dirty Sexy Money”

Yes, you wacky ratings kids, we’ve got your weekly round-up, with a season-to-date to boot. First up is the primetime broadcast numbers for the week of Dec. 3-9, then we have the lovely year-to-date numbers and finally, just for you newshounds, we have the broadcast news numbers.
Still working on cable.

1 CSI 18800 6.6
2 GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 17780 6.2
3 60 MINUTES 16500 5.8
4 RUDOLPH RED-NOSE REINDEER 14550 5.1
5 SURVIVOR: CHINA 13860 4.8
6 EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED. 12780 4.5
7 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 12730 4.4
8 WITHOUT A TRACE 12680 4.4
9 ABC PREMIERE EVENT-12/9 12530 4.4
10 AMAZING RACE 12 11950 4.2
11 TWO AND A HALF MEN 11880 4.1
12 LAW AND ORDER:SVU 11730 4.1
13 COLD CASE 11570 4.0
14 DEAL OR NO DEAL-WED 11330 4.0
15 BARBARA WALTERS PRESENTS 11310 3.9
16 NCIS 9P-SPECIAL 11090 3.9
17 HEROES 11060 3.9
18 SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK 10510 3.7
19 HOUSE 10460 3.7
20 PRIVATE PRACTICE 10400 3.6
21 CSI: NY 10370 3.6
22 SHARK 9840 3.4
23 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT 9780 3.4
24 CSI: MIAMI 9690 3.4
25 DEAL OR NO DEAL-FRI 9410 3.3
26 UGLY BETTY 9370 3.3
27 SANTA CLAUS COMIN’ TO TWN 9340 3.3
28 CRIMINAL MINDS 9200 3.2
29 AMER FUNN HOME VIDEOS 9060 3.2
30 SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER 8690 3.0
31 BOSTON LEGAL 8620 3.0
32 WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB 8540 3.0
33 CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS-2 8520 3.0
34 CHUCK 8410 2.9
35 HOUSE-MON 8P 8350 2.9
36 BIGGEST LOSER 4 8320 2.9
37 BONES 8170 2.9
38 E.R. 8150 2.8
39 FROSTY THE SNOWMAN – 12/7 8050 2.8
40 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 8010 2.8
41 FAMILY GUY 7900 2.8
42 20/20-FRI 7840 2.7
43 LIFE 7630 2.7
44 SIMPSONS 7570 2.6
45 AMER FUNN HM VIDEOS-12/4 7480 2.6
VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION 7480 2.6
47 MY NAME IS EARL 7380 2.6
48 FROSTY RETURNS – 12/7 7340 2.6
49 SAMANTHA WHO? 7160 2.5
50 KID NATION 7100 2.5
51 ABC SAT MOVIE OF THE WEEK 7010 2.4
52 LAS VEGAS 6830 2.4
53 48 HOURS MYSTERY 6810 2.4
54 DIRTY SEXY MONEY 6740 2.4
DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS 6740 2.4
56 CRIMETIME SATURDAY 6700 2.3
57 KING OF THE HILL 6580 2.3
58 AMERICAN DAD 6510 2.3
59 LIFE 12/3 6480 2.3
60 BIG BANG THEORY, THE 6410 2.2
61 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 6300 2.2
62 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 2 6170 2.2
COPS 2 6170 2.2
64 AMW: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK 6110 2.1
65 MOVIES ROCK 5890 2.1
66 30 ROCK 5840 2.0
67 COPS 5780 2.0
68 GREY’S ANATOMY SP-12/4 5720 2.0
69 MEN IN TREES 5600 2.0
70 BACK TO YOU 5530 1.9
71 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 5320 1.9
72 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 5140 1.8
73 TIL DEATH 5010 1.8
74 NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY 5000 1.7
75 OFFICE 4990 1.7
76 WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB-SAT 4950 1.7
77 OCTOBER ROAD 4940 1.7
78 SCRUBS 4850 1.7
79 K-VILLE 4820 1.7
80 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-3 4630 1.6
81 KING HILL SP-12/9 7:30P 4580 1.6
82 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN 4510 1.6
83 CRIMETIME SATURDAY 8PM 4430 1.5
84 DON’T FORGET LYRICS-FRI 3920 1.4
85 KING OF THE HILL-SUN 7P 3460 1.2
86 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE-PRIME 3310 1.2
87 NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND 3040 1.1
88 SMALLVILLE 2810 1.0
89 REAPER 2620 .9
90 BEAUTY AND THE GEEK-2 2490 .9
91 GOSSIP GIRL 2440 .9
92 CHUCK-SAT 2080 .7
93 SUPERNATURAL 2040 .7
94 GAME, THE 1900 .7
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS 1900 .7
96 30 ROCK-SAT 1810 .6
97 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-3-ENC 1790 .6
98 GIRLFRIENDS 1760 .6
99 ALIENS IN AMERICA 1590 .6
100 LIFE IS WILD 1110 .4
101 CW NOW 850 .3
102 ALIENS IN AMERICA-SUN 830 .3

YEAR-TO-DATE FROM 09/24/07 THROUGH 12/09/07

1 DANCING W/THE STARS-MON 10 21630 7.6
2 CSI 10 20850 7.3
3 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES 9 19850 6.9
4 GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM 10 19730 6.9
5 DANCING W/STARS RESULT-TU 9 19490 6.8
6 HOUSE 10 18440 6.4
7 NCIS 10 17650 6.2
8 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 10 15670 5.5
9 CSI: MIAMI 11 15660 5.5
10 CRIMINAL MINDS 11 15370 5.4
11 WITHOUT A TRACE 9 15200 5.3
12 SURVIVOR: CHINA 10 14950 5.2
13 TWO AND A HALF MEN 11 14350 5.0
60 MINUTES 11 14350 5.0
15 CSI: NY 11 14000 4.9
16 EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED. 10 13850 4.8
17 COLD CASE 10 13420 4.7
18 SAMANTHA WHO? 8 13250 4.6
19 BROTHERS & SISTERS 9 13100 4.6
20 HEROES 11 12800 4.5
21 PRIVATE PRACTICE 9 12610 4.4
22 LAW AND ORDER:SVU 11 12480 4.4
23 AMAZING RACE 12 6 12270 4.3
24 UNIT, THE 10 11840 4.1
25 SHARK 10 11640 4.1
26 DEAL OR NO DEAL-WED 5 11380 4.0
27 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT 11 11330 4.0
28 BOSTON LEGAL 8 11100 3.9
29 OT, THE 5 11030 3.9
30 SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK 10 10700 3.7
31 UGLY BETTY 10 10510 3.7
32 PUSHING DAISIES 7 10440 3.6
33 NUMB3RS 10 10410 3.6
34 WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB 7 10080 3.5
EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-7P 2 10080 3.5
36 GHOST WHISPERER 9 10030 3.5
37 E.R. 10 9770 3.4
38 BACHELOR, THE 9 9720 3.4
39 DEAL OR NO DEAL-FRI 10 9690 3.4
40 BIONIC WOMAN 8 9650 3.4
41 BONES 10 9510 3.3
42 OFFICE 10 9450 3.3
43 SIMPSONS 9 9370 3.3
44 FAMILY GUY 9 9350 3.3
45 CANE 10 9000 3.1
46 DIRTY SEXY MONEY 10 8850 3.1
47 SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER 8 8740 3.1
48 BIG BANG THEORY, THE 11 8730 3.0
49 CHUCK 11 8540 3.0
50 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 10 8470 3.0
51 LAS VEGAS 10 8450 3.0
52 MOONLIGHT 9 8440 2.9
53 BIG SHOTS 8 8390 2.9
54 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 11 8380 2.9
55 AMER FUNN HOME VIDEOS 8 8300 2.9
MY NAME IS EARL 10 8300 2.9
57 PRISON BREAK 6 8080 2.8
58 LIFE 10 7960 2.8
59 HOUSE-MON 8P 3 7690 2.7
60 KID NATION 11 7680 2.7
61 BIGGEST LOSER 4 11 7600 2.7
62 KING OF THE HILL 6 7570 2.6
63 JOURNEYMAN 10 7340 2.6
64 CARPOOLERS 6 7070 2.5
65 48 HOURS MYSTERY 9 7040 2.5
66 ABC SAT MOVIE OF THE WEEK 1 7010 2.4
AMERICAN DAD 8 7010 2.4
68 20/20-FRI 10 6900 2.4
69 CRIMETIME SATURDAY 9 6850 2.4
70 30 ROCK 8 6790 2.4
71 BACK TO YOU 9 6750 2.4
72 PHENOMENON 5 6710 2.3
73 MEN IN TREES 7 6680 2.3
74 COPS 2 7 6650 2.3
75 CAVEMEN 6 6600 2.3
76 VIVA LAUGHLIN 1 6500 2.3
SCRUBS 6 6500 2.3
78 SINGING BEE 4 6490 2.3
79 DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS 7 6480 2.3
80 AMW: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK 8 6340 2.2
81 TIL DEATH 10 6330 2.2
82 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 10 6280 2.2
83 SAT NIGHT FOOTBALL 8 6240 2.2
84 NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY 2 6220 2.2
85 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 9 6140 2.1
86 SIMPSONS-SUN 7:30P 5 5960 2.1
87 COPS 8 5880 2.1
88 CRIMETIME SATURDAY 8PM 9 5640 2.0
89 K-VILLE 8 5460 1.9
90 LAW & ORDER:SVU-SAT 8 5340 1.9
91 SMARTER THAN 5TH FRI-8P 2 5240 1.8
92 OCTOBER ROAD 2 5190 1.8
93 DON’T FORGET LYRICS-FRI 4 5060 1.8
94 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-3 11 4980 1.7
95 WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB-SAT 1 4950 1.7
96 FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 2 11 4700 1.6
97 SMALLVILLE 10 4680 1.6
98 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN 10 4670 1.6
99 SAT NIGHT FTBL PRE-GAME 8 4590 1.6
100 KING OF THE HILL-SUN 7P 4 3750 1.3
101 BIONIC WOMAN-SAT 4 3460 1.2
102 SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE-PRIME 1 3310 1.2
103 SUPERNATURAL 9 3040 1.1
104 BEAUTY AND THE GEEK-2 11 2990 1.0
CHUCK-SAT 6 2990 1.0
106 REAPER 11 2930 1.0
107 NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND 7 2850 1.0
108 GOSSIP GIRL 11 2620 .9
109 GAME, THE 11 2530 .9
110 EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS 11 2400 .8
111 GIRLFRIENDS 11 2230 .8
112 ALIENS IN AMERICA 10 2010 .7
113 30 ROCK-SAT 1 1810 .6
114 EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS-MON 1 1790 .6
115 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-3-ENC 11 1470 .5
116 LIFE IS WILD 10 1270 .4
117 ALIENS IN AMERICA-SUN 8 930 .3
118 CW NOW 11 820 .3
119 ONLINE NATION 3 670 .2

And our nightly news winner is:

The affable Brian Williams

According to Nielsen Media Research data, “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” was the most-watched network evening newscast, winning the week of December 3-9, 2007. During the week, the Williams-led newscast averaged 9.473 million total viewers, followed by the Charles Gibson anchored ABC’s “World News'” with 9.320 million, and the Katie Couric helmed CBS “Evening News'” came in last with 6.548 million viewers.

For the first time in Television Critics Association history, the January press tour has been canceled.

The twice-yearly press event, which is held in January and July each year, allows the networks to trot out their new shows to North American TV writers and critics from the New York Times to the Oakland Tribune. Journalists grill stars, writers, producers and executives about their shows. It is a unique event that allows unlimited access and provides fodder for reporters writing about shows that are rolled out through the year.

A trip to the “Heroes” set last July during press tour. Pictured are TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello and “Heroes” Greg Grunberg and Ali Larter.

As a TCA officer, I can tell you first hand that everything possible was done to preserve the tour, and the information gleaned that is passed on to readers. TCA President Dave Walker of New Orleans Times-Picayune has been tireless in his efforts to negotiate some sort of tour. But it all fell apart today, and news of the cancelation was passed on to the members.

“In light of the recent news concerning negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and following my consultation with representatives of all the presenting networks, the hotel will release the hotel rooms and ballroom space the tour would occupy,” Dave wrote to the members. “Consider the tour officially canceled whether the strike is settled before January 8 or not.

“From the beginning of this process, the commercial broadcast networks have cited expected budget cutbacks and their presumed inability to present panels for scripted programs as their reasons for not committing to a strike tour. More recently, the networks have also reported that a strike settlement later in December or in early January would offer difficulties in presenting tour sessions, due to logistics issues and hurry-up production schedules.”

As Dave told members, until late last month, the TCA had been working on staging a strike tour assembled around cable, PBS, TCA information panels plus possible presentations by broadcast networks, though none had committed to present if a strike was still in place. An abrupt reversal by PBS, who’d been committed for several weeks to present strike or not, scotched that plan.

A July press tour is still planned and is expected to take place this summer in Los Angeles.

“I hate you, Nate. I hate you.”

Yep. That’s the sound of Jennifer AKA “It’s not fair.” This is the same woman who complained a couple of weeks ago that it wasn’t fair that she and Nate came in second when the team that came in first had won before.

Check out the body language of dating teammates Jen and Nate (far right) when they meet Phil (left) at the final check point on a hill over looking the city of Dubrovnik

Jen, it’s a game. There are winners and losers and you, my not friend, are a loser. While you may think Nate hasn’t been good to you, there’s an entire “Amazing Race” audience who can’t believe he didn’t slap you with that oar.

For those who missed the episode, the teams had to travel to Croatia, which turns out to be a beautiful not-to-be-missed travel destination. When the teams get to be too much, you can always put Jen on mute and just enjoy the pretty places.

Getting to Croatia proved to be the downfall of the brother-and-sister team of Azaria and Hendekea, who have placed first in three legs of the race. As “Race” fans know, travelers must book economy flights and it was just a matter of time before someone accidently booked a business class ticket. That’s what happed to the Double A’s, and by the time they went back and exchanged their ticket, they were on the last flight out to Dubrovnik.

A game of musical ticket counters resulted in the teams splitting off and using a number of different connecting flights to Dubrovnik. Once they landed, their first task was a road block that didn’t seem all that difficult. A member had to go to a pile of rocks and pick the one that would fit into the rock wall.

Azaria choosing the right stone that will fit into a corresponding space on a rock wall.

That task completed, the teams then zip-lined across to a tower. There, they had to decide to either zip-line into the harbor, swim to a row boat and then row around the harbor to find their next clue or repel down the side of wall, climb up another wall on a rope ladder and then find their way through some complicated streets to find the clue box.

Most decided to row, which proved to be a good strategy of the father-daughter team of Ron and Christina, who finally won a leg. The two are actually working well together now that Christina has learned to communicate with her bossy dad.

While we don’t have any strong favorites in this race, our pick for the most interesting would certainly be the goth couple Kynt and Vyxsin. Didn’t you just love their matching pink cowboy hats? Yee-haw indeed. But we were a little concerned about seeing harsh words between them in the previews for the next episode. Kynt actually raised his voice.

Go, Goth, Go. Vyxsin climbs the city wall of Dubrovnik. Photo: Chris Castallo/CBS

For some reason, Team Lazy (Nicolas and grandpa Donald) just barely squeaked by, so they live to race again.

Meanwhile, we’re also stuck with hater Jen for yet another episode. But since the show is pre-empted for this Sunday (“Survivor” finale), we won’t have to deal with her for two weeks.

Unless Peih-Gee continues to win immunity, she’s out next week. And yes, I know the challenge was Swamp Donkeys, but it looked more like Swamp Monkeys to me.

Moving on. The one shot at upset came when Lunch Lady Denise thought about defecting from her Todd-Amanda-Courtney alliance to hook up with Erik and Peih-Gee. Saying that this vote was probably the biggest mistake she’ll make in “Survivor,” Lunch Lady sealed her fate by voting for Erik.

Erik was cute, but not a million bucks cute. Amanda stuck to the alliance and voted off her sugar baby. Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS

Chances are slight that she’ll be able to win an immunity challenge, so expect next Sunday’s finale to finish up with the trio of Todd-Amanda-Courtney in the final three. Of course, we’ve been wrong before. But I think that the trio knows that each one has an equal chance of winning against each other when they go up against the jury.

Denise Martin, Amanda Kimmel, Courtney Yates, Todd Herzog, Peih-Gee Law and Erik Huffman during the Immunity Challenge – “Swamp Donkeys”

Peih-Gee won immunity in the Swamp Donkeys challenge in which the Survivors had to go over an obstacle course that included slogging through a mud swamp. They raced down to one end, answered a question that would give them the correct key, then went back to open a box. There were three questions, three keys and if you missed the question and got the wrong key, you had to go back and get the right one.

Todd and Court doing the course

Todd looked like he was the winner until he grabbed the wrong key in the last leg, giving Peih-Gee the win. It was a win that guaranteed Peih-Gee would make it into the top five.

Can Peih-Gee win enough immunities to make it into the final three?

The reward challenge this week was a game of blind man’s bluff, with the six finalists getting a visit from their loved ones to help them compete. There wasn’t much gleaned by these encounters, except that Amanda and her sister have some weird bird-call deal going on that bordered on mental torture for the other competitors. And that Courtney’s dad seems to embody the stereotype of a stuffy Brit.

“He’s British,” explained Courtney after she commented that she thought he’d be wearing a suit, and certainly would never wear shorts.

The other Survivors thought Todd was pulling a Jonny Fairplay move when his sister arrived and told him that their younger sibling suffered a miscarriage in her teen pregnancy. Fairplay punked his fellow Survivors during a similar deal when his friend told him that his grandmother had died. The sympathy ploy worked for Fairplay, but made Todd the object of mistrust. Todd insists that it’s true, not a game move. But you never know about this play-ah.

Courtney once again solidified my opinion that she’s the least worthy of the group when she made a comment about how when Jonny said his grandmother died, “it was kind of funny.” But if Todd’s making up the miscarriage, then that’s really sick.

I’d still like to see Courtney get the boot, but apparently there will be no early Santa present for me.

Reality show recruiters are coming to the Bay Area, and we’ve got the 4-1-1 right here:

Amazing Race Casting Call

Saturday, December 8

10am to 2pm

Metro PCS

3963 Stevens Creek Blvd.
(between Saratoga and Kiely)

Santa Clara

For more information, and to download an application form go
here.

“America’s Next Top Model”
Saturday, December 15

10am-2pm

San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology

1067 Folsom between 6th and 7th Sts.

San Francisco

Applicants must arrive with a completed application. Application and complete eligibility requirements available at here.

In addition, at this casting call, applicants will also be given the option of having their audition automatically submitted into the “America’s Next Top Model: The Bay Area Search” competition.

The local competition offers a chance to win a makeover, photo session. Full-page spread in the SF Chronicle and an in-person audition with ANTM casting director, Michelle Mock. Check it out here.

Former San Francisco costume designer Chris March bombed out with his hideous creation that made us all remember why shoulder pads were never a good idea.

The challenge tonight was for the designers to take bad fashion ideas from pleather to shoulder pads and whip them into fashion forward statements.

In addition, the designers were divided into teams of three and had to make three different fashion elements blend into a cohesive design collection. One team turned fashion nightmares into a fashion dream, while the others struggled.

In the bottom two, Team March showed what happens when you get three designers with varying degrees of skill. While Chris and teammate Steven came up empty, Sweet P whipped up a delicious dress that was easily my favorite creation.

Sweet P’s yummy tog

Yet right along side was Chris’ downfall. Chris rejected Tim Gunn’s advice to ditch the jacket, more’s the pity. The short jacket looked like a Ross reject, hurting my eyes and making me feel sorry for the model who had to wear it.

Chris’ fashion don’t

While Team Jillian, which included Rami and Kevin, agonized over Kevin’s inability to finish a pair of shorts. But in the end, his creation was simply stunning.

Shorts stole the show

Team Jillian won an overwhelming victory, with all the judges so enamored of the collection they actually named the winner first.

Go to the Project Runway site to see all the designs, and vote for your favs.

With San Francisco designers Simone and Chris out, only U.C. Berkeley grad Jack remains from the Bay Area trio. And, looking at the previews from next week, things don’t look good for our Jack.

Once the off-kilter Heather got kicked to the curb last week, my interest in “America’s Next Top Model” has waned.

Heather’s my ANTM

But, hey. We’re in the home stretch. Gotta make it work. Whoops, wrong show.

Tonight, Tyra got to play photographer again as she shot the four finalists at the Great Wall of China. Might as well called it the Great Wall of Whine-as. Jenah got all teary over missing her boyfriend and her little sisters. Wah, wah, wah…I’m so pretty, why does life have to be so hard on me? Get thee to a Burger King, baby, if you want to stick around town.

Saleisha, who looked like she might be shown the door early on in the competition, flashed real top model potential tonight. Her photos were fierce and she came out kicking. Our money’s on her for making it to the top model spot.

Saleisha Photo: James Wade

Chantal’s all perky and pretty, but I just can’t see what the judges see in her or her pictures. When the end credits roll and we see that picture with the ousted model taken out of the picture, I’m always struck by the fact that I can’t tell Chantal from Jenah.

But justice was served tonight. I’m so over nasty Bianca, especially when she thought she was cute and misdirected Jenahto the wrong side of the mall. Oh, go over there, you can’t miss out on all the great stuff. Oh, Miss Attitude, that’s what ended up biting you in the backside tonight.

Bianca, karma’s a bitch and so are you.

Bah-bye B.

Ding-dong the witch is gone

When the driver got lost on the way from San Jose to Livermore, the video interview with “Journeyman” Reed Diamond also took a strange turn: We ended up shooting the interview on the NBC float traveling down the holiday parade route in Livermore.

At night. With a journalist (me) who, until recently, limited my videotaping to soccer games and birthday parties. So be kind when you watch this week’s SueTube with Reed.

Anway, Reed says when he and wife Marnie were in Solvang last week, he says women were yelling at him from the stores to give his “brother” a break.

That would be his fictional brother Dan (played by “Rome” star Kevin McKidd), a man who suddenly started traveling in time to right certain wrongs in “Journeyman.” Think of it as a sort of “Quantum Leap,” with Dan as a time-traveling San Francisco reporter trying to cope with it all.

Reed and Kevin McKidd from the Christmas episode airing next week

“It’s like, wait a minute, wait a minute. Would YOU believe someone who told you they were time traveling?” says Reed, who plays Dan’s cop brother Jack. “C’mon. But give him some time. Things change.”

Reed and Marnie did double-parade duty last weekend in Livermore and, the much larger San Jose parade. First up was Livermore’s parade, which lasts about five minutes. Reed loved every minute of it, waving and chatting to the crowd from atop the KNTV-Channel 11 float, complete with a mock Bay Bridge (with toy cars traveling on it), a faux helicopter and even a tiny vineyard.

Certainly the good times took his mind off the writers’ strike which is crippling Hollywood right now.

“It’s a righteous fight. Last time around, the writers didn’t get their fair share from DVD sales. Now it looks like the same thing is going to happen with Web sales,” Reed says. “They lost a lot of money on DVD sales, but this fight is important because in a few years, kids are going to look at those shiny discs and say ‘what is this Daddy?’ The Internet is the next big revenue source for producers, and the people who make those shows deserve to get some of that money.”

Reed and other actors are supporting the writers because their contract comes up in June, and the actors will be fighting for those same Internet dollars.

Today KTVU-Channel 2 announced Gasia Mikaelian has been promoted to Anchor of the KTVU Channel 2 News at 5 and Bay Area News at 7 on TV36.

Hey, did they just sneak in an announcement that there will be a 7 p.m. newscast launching? That’s right and it begins in January. But we suspect it will be little more than a rehash of the KTVU evening newscasts.

Anyway, a friend, Jason Bezis, called me about a week ago saying that he had been contacted by a polling firm to see if he would watch a 7 p.m. newscast.

That newscast time works out perfectly for folks who are still sitting in commuter traffic when most nightly newscasts air.

Gasia Mikaelian

Gasia will share the KTVU-Channel 2 News at 5 desk with Frank Somerville. This might help placate viewers the station angered recently when it replaced 14-year early news veteran Mark Curtis with L.A. transplant Dave Clark.

“I’m thrilled to be offered this opportunity,” Gasia says. “Growing up in the Bay Area, KTVU has always been the station I wanted to be a part of, so it is very exciting to be promoted into such a key role here.”

Gasia, who holds a BA in broadcast journalism from San Diego State University, joined the KTVU Channel 2 News team in March 2005 as a reporter/fill-in anchor and was promoted to weekend anchor in July of 2007. Prior to joining KTVU Channel 2 News, she began her career in 1997 in Yuma, followed by stints as an anchor/reporter in Huntsville, and San Diego.

She grew up in Livermore and her family still lives in the East Bay. She has been active in a number of Bay Area charities including the MDA Telethon the past two years.

“It is a pleasure to be able to promote Gasia into this important position,” KTVU News Director Ed Chapuis says. “Her knowledge of the Bay Area and her roots in the community will be an asset for KTVU.”