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 by Ashley Gouveia
Happy New Year! It’s time for my Best of 2007 list.
It was certainly a year to remember, with the returning favorites trying to remain fresh and on the radar. Then there were new shows on the block that gave some of the oldies a run for their money. Here are my top picks that kept me glued to the tube all year long.
Ugly Betty
This is one show that passed the sophomore slump with flying colors. It’s also the only show that doesn’t make me want to throw my remote. It has been able to sustain its wit and charm , while saving room for the dramatic. They took some risks with killing off Santos and putting Henry and Betty together so quickly. But they pulled it off. Hilda and Justin were able to mourn Santos, and he simply wasn’t forgotten about after one or two episodes. A+ for that! I adore every character on this show. Even the newcomers like Gio and Yoga. Put that together with the brilliance that is Judith Light and that, to me, is a fantastic hour of television.
Supernatural
It’s probably the most underrated show on TV. The acting and the writing is some of the best I’ve seen on a ‘supernatural’ show since Buffy. It has the ability to gross me out, scare me, and make me laugh. Not only are Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles great to look at, but also their performances are top notch. The sibling bond that those two have is so believable. This past year we got to see the Winchesters try to take down as many demons, and other things that go bump in the night, before Dean’s one-year life limit is up. I would put this show under any ‘best of’ list.
Moonlight
Hands down, the best new show of 2007. I am so glad I decided to pick up this series and give it a chance. Alex O’Loughlin and Jason Dohring are the hottest vamps since Angel and Spike. But don’t get it confused with any Whedon series because it’s completely different. The chemistry between Mick and Beth makes this show great to watch every week. I didn’t think another vampire show would pull me in but it did. I am so excited to see where it goes in the new year.
The View
I usually don’t have a lot of time for daytime television. Except for my soaps, of course. I wasn’t an avid watcher of the show until Rosie O’Donnell joined the panel. Say what you want about her opinions, but she is hysterical. I found myself constantly tuning in when I *cough* missed my morning lectures. Hot Topics was a must see, whether they were discussing politics or celebrity buzz. However, if you tune in now, it’s like night and day. It doesn’t have the same vibe like it did with Rosie.
Those are my picks for the Best of ‘07. What am I looking forward to in the New Year? The return of scripted TV. Do I dare to dream? I’m pumped for new seasons of Lost and One Tree Hill. I can’t wait! What would be on your Best of ‘07 list? Let me know! ‘Til next week.
Commentary with a Co-Ed is a weekly column at Tube Talk new every Thursday.
 Elisabeth Hasselbeck revealed the name of her new baby boy on The View Monday, via telephone.
Taylor Thomas Hasselbeck was born Friday in Arizona and weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.
Hasselbeck is currently on maternity leave and living in Arizona with her husband, Tim, who is a backup quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
 Singer Barry Manilow has refused to keep his scheduled appearance on The View today because he didn’t want to share a stage with Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Apparently, Manilow disagrees with Hasselbeck’s politics. He issued this statement on his Web site yesterday:
Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be on The View tomorrow as scheduled. I had made a request that I be interviewed by Joy, Barbara or Whoopi, but not Elisabeth Hasselback. Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request so I bowed out.It’s really too bad because I've always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs. The good news is that I will be on a whole slew of other shows promoting the new album.
Good for The View for refusing Manilow’s absurd request. The last time I checked, in a democracy people are allowed to have differing opinions. How petty that Manilow feels he can’t discuss his new album with someone whose views he opposes. By the way, if he’s going to diss Elisabeth, he should at least learn how to spell her name correctly.
Hasslebeck is a conservative on a show that features primarily liberal actors, musicians and hosts. Although she passionately argues her politics with co-stars, she doesn’t with guests, as they are usually there to promote a project. Shame on Manilow for acting like such a prima donna. I suddenly have the urge to torch my Manilow music collection, because even though he writes the songs, he won’t perform them on The View.
 The View’s rosy ratings
I never saw this coming. Whoopi Goldberg’s first week on The View scored huge ratings, tying Rosie O’Donnell’s debut to earn the highest ratings ever in the show’s history, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The addition of Sherri Shepherd brought even more viewers to the chatfest, an impressive 3.9 million on Monday, compared to 3.1 million last year.
Watch new fall shows early
You can watch several new fall shows for free, before they air. NBC is offering its new pilots, Bionic Woman, Chuck, Life and Journeyman, and CBS is offering The Big Bang Theory at Amazon Unbox, for free, before they air on TV. Once downloaded, viewers can watch the shows on their computers or TiVo box. Not to be left out, The CW is offering Gossip Girl at iTunes.
Former Buffy star does The Apprentice
Cordy vs. the business world? Yes, it’s true. Former Buffy and Angel star Charisma Carpenter has signed on for the celebrity version of The Apprentice, according to TV Guide. I’ve seen her slay a vampire. Her fellow job applicants had better watch their backs.
Former O.C. star guests on Chuck
Rachel Bilson, known to many as Summer Roberts from The OC, will guest star on the new NBC show Chuck for several episodes, according to show runner Josh Schwartz. I’d heard that Chuck was this season’s Seth Cohen, but I didn’t believe it until now.
Jon Stewart to host Oscars
Jon Stewart is set to return as the host of The Oscars this year. He’s been asked to pull hosting duties again when the show airs on Feb. 24, 2008. I love Stewart, but I guess this officially means that Billy Crystal is done.
 Sherri Shepherd is joining The View as the new cohost, after all, according to the Associated Press. Barbara Walters will make the official announcement on Monday. Several months ago, Shepherd was reported to have won one of the empty hosting chairs, but contract negotiations apparently hit a snag. The snag apparently was resolved. Congrats to Shepherd.
The Emmys will open with a musical number, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But, it’s not clear whether host Ryan Seacrest will be singing. I think we all know where Simon stands on this idea.
Former President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary apparently love the FX show Damages. Bill mentioned his affection for the show during an interview on Extra. Damages is a legal drama about a ruthless and ambition litigator. Insert your own jokes here.
A new interview with two of my favorite TV stars is up at The Frat Pack. Kristen Bell and Jason Segel are starring in the upcoming Judd Apatow film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. They have plenty say about the movie and each other. The film doesn’t open until May 2008, but it’s never too early for a shameless plug.
That Girl, Marlo Thomas, is set to guest star on Ugly Betty this season, according to E!Online. Also, Coach himself, Craig T. Nelson, is joining My Name is Earl, as the warden at the Camden County Jail, E! is reporting. Is it just me, or does Coach’s pal “Luther” seem a better fit for the wacky Earl gang?
If you cringe when the Emmy nominees are announced, then you’ll probably enjoy E!’s Tater Top Awards. The awards are chosen by TV fans, i.e. you, and seem to better reflect the TV stars/shows we love. For example, Kristen Bell, of Veronica Mars, was voted the Drama Queen and Lost’s Kate and Sawyer’s earned a prize for Best Show of Skin and Best Kiss. And no, I didn't rig the ballot box.
 It’s official. Whoopi Goldberg has taken a job at The View.
Barbara Walters made the announcement on Wednesday’s show that Goldberg would take the job as show “moderator” that Rosie O’Donnell vacated earlier this year.
Goldberg joined The View gals briefly Wednesday and said she is most looking forward to the hot topics portion of the show. She’s least looking forward to trying to get a word in between the loquacious ladies. Smart girl.
Goldberg begins her time at the table on Sept. 4.
No word yet if comedian Sherri Shepherd has snagged the other open seat at The View, as rumored.
 Star Jones Reynolds, former cohost of The View has admitted that she underwent gastric-bypsss surgery to lose weight.
Reynolds’ shrinking size has been the topic of speculation for the last two years because she evaded questions about her weight-loss method. But, finally, Reynolds is coming clean.
She discusses her weight loss in the September issue of Glamour magazine, hitting newsstands on Aug. 7.
At her heaviest, Reynolds tipped the scale at 307 pounds, the Associated Press reported. Reynolds said she went from just overweight to morbidly obese, after gaining 75 pounds after her 40th birthday.
I don’t think this is shocking news to anyone, considering how rapidly Reynolds went from a plus size to a lollipop girl. But kudos to her for finally admitting that she didn’t lose the weight the old-fashioned way.
For the complete story in Glamour, click here.
 ABC is expected to announce this week who will fill the two empty chairs on The View.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg and comedian Sherri Shepherd are reportedly in final negotiations for the jobs, according to the LA Times.
I enjoy both of the ladies, Shepherd especially. She’s fun and a bit crazy. (Not many women would admit to wanting to kill their cheating husbands on national television.) Plus, Shepherd seems to make Barbara Walters a little nervous, because she never knows what Shepherd is going to say. I can’t help but smile when Walters gets a little nervous in her chair.
Neither Goldberg or Shepherd seem to have a political agenda. In other words, both seem quite content to state their own opinions and listen to others without pushing their own politics.
ABC is expected to officially announce the cohost replacements later this week.
 Rosie O’Donnell answered some questions about her last day at The View, via her Web site.
O’Donnell posted a video about the incident, calling the on-air squabble between she and Elisabeth Hasselbeck “nuclear Wednesday.”
Watch it for yourself and form your own opinion, but it seems that she and Hasselbeck won’t be playing together again anytime soon.
O’Donnell also discusses her friend, Janette Barber, in the video. Barber was caught drawing a mustache on a poster of Elisabeth at The View studio, according to The New York Post.
In the video blog, O’Donnell says that Hasselbeck phoned her, but Rosie didn’t speak with her. They have e-mailed, but from Rosie’s comments, it seems that the two are still on a break.
 Rosie O’Donnell will not be retuning to The View, despite that her final air date was supposed to be June 20.
I’m sure Republicans everywhere are cheering. After her particularly nasty on-air fight with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck this week, O’Donnell has chosen to end her run with the show.
"We had hoped that Rosie would be with us until the end of her contract three weeks from now, but Rosie has informed us that she would like an early leave," said ABC daytime chief Brian Frons. "Therefore, we part ways, thank her for her tremendous contribution to 'The View' and wish her well."
O’Donnell commented that she was “extremely grateful” for her time on the show. "It's been an amazing year and I love all three women," she said.
Well, you certainly couldn’t feel the love earlier this week when she and Hasselbeck squared off once again about the Iraq war. Things quickly turned personal, with finger pointing and yelling, as O’Donnell took issue that Hasselbeck didn’t defend O’Donnell in the press when she was labeled as calling U.S. soldiers terrorists. O’Donnell called Hasselbeck “cowardly,” while Hasselbeck retorted that O’Donnell should defend her own insinuations.
Even co-host and jokester Joy Behar looked uncomfortable, as the debate switched from politics to overly personal comments about one another’s actions/beliefs. The remainder of the show seemed a little awkward, even when guest Alicia Silverstone came out. Silverstone rudely walked right by Hasselbeck and hugged the remaining three hosts. (Not cool, Alicia. Not cool.)
I’m incredibly saddened that O’Donnell’s stint on The View has ended on such a sour note. She brought such flair to the show, and turned it into must-see-TV for me. But honestly, even I’m having a tough time defending O’Donnell. Her lack of understanding for anyone else’s political views, other than her own has grown tiresome. More and more, O’Donnell didn’t seem content at simply stating her “view” and listening to the other ladies’ views. She seemed to verbally smack down anyone who didn’t agree with her politics i.e. Hasselbeck.
For someone who talks often about respect, peace and love, I wish O’Donnell would have shown a little more of it in her final broadcast. If she had issue with her co-worker and vice versa, they should have worked it out off-screen.
This isn’t the first time O’Donnell has personally attacked Hasselbeck. She once ruffled the youngest co-host’s feathers, and plenty of other 20-somethings, by quickly discounting Hasselbeck’s opinions due to her youth.
Making this story all the sadder is the fact that O’Donnell’s friend Janette Barber was escorted from The View's studios Thursday after being caught drawing mustaches and defacing posters of Hasselbeck at the show's offices, according to the New York Post. ABC confirmed that photographs were vandalized, but did not identify the perpetrator. The network did emphasize that O’Donnell wasn’t in the building.
Defacing posters? Wow. That has to be a new low. Are these people in fifth grade?
I’ve always loved O’Donnell’s easy, fun talk-show manner, but I enjoy her more when she’s simply hosting and not pontificating about the evilness of the president and the administration.
Perhaps it’s best O’Donnell left. Under her stint, The View has transitioned into a program about the view of one woman (O’Donnell,) not the views of several women, which was the original intent of the daytime talk show. Plus, Hasselbeck is pregnant, and frankly, just watching those two spar stresses me out, so I can’t imagine what it’s doing to the hormonal expectant mom.
O’Donnell is a fabulous entertainer, and I’ll watch her projects in the future. But, I hope she returns to her fun, easy talk-show fare, sans the politics.
 Goodbye Gilmore Girls
The CW just announced that Gilmore Girls has been cancelled. The series finale airs May 15. Sorry Gilmore Girls fans. But, this may be good news for Veronica Mars. The network has to have something to bring back next year.
CHiPs feature film
The television show CHiPs that chronicled the adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers is headed to the big screen. Wilmer Valderrama, of That ‘70s Show, is on board to play Ponch. No word yet on who will fill John’s motorcycle seat.
Stop One Show campaign winner announced
Our friends at Buzz Sugar tallied the votes for the Stop One Show campaign and the winner has been announced: CSI: Miami. The site also has a hilarious video clip featuring the show’s star David Caruso.
Bones, One Tree Hill and Lost all get ratings boosts
Several of my favorite shows saw ratings gains this week. Bones was up to 10.41 million viewers, Lost bumped up to 12.1 million and thankfully, One Tree Hill bested ratings for the Pussycat Dolls finale by 400,000 viewers, earning One Tree Hill a decent 3.27 million viewers.
Actor Tom Poston dead at 85
Actor Tom Poston passed away on April 30 after a brief illness. Poston was best known for his role as George Utley on Newhart. Poston also starred in The Steve Allen Show, Mork and Mindy, and Coach.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck pregnant
The View’s co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck announced this week that she’s three months pregnant. That could explain a lot. The past few months, Hasselbeck and fellow View co-host Rosie O’Donnell have clashed onscreen politically. Perhaps hormones are to blame. O’Donnell has said more than once that she’s in the throes of menopause. And now Hasslebeck is with child, so maybe hormones have been making the two overly argumentative about their war stances. Or, maybe they’re just passionate debaters when it comes to the war.
 Rosie O’Donnell announced Wednesday that she won’t be back next season as a regular host of The View.
Apparently, she couldn’t work out a deal with ABC. O’Donnell did say she’ll do occasional guest appearances.
Confession: I never watched The View regularly before Rosie O’Donnell came to the chat fest. And now that she’s announced that she won’t be back next season, I’ll be officially deleting The View from my TiVo, unless they get an equally entertaining co-host to fill her spot.
Prior to Rosie’s reign, The View was, I’ll say it, boring. Meredith Vieira was always politically correct and the rest of the ladies just talked over one another incessantly, which made me crazy.
With Rosie at the table, I tuned in to see a glimpse of the Rosie I remembered from her old talk show. Boy, did we get that and a whole lot more. She brought with her the audience prizes, give-aways to home viewers, a sense of fun and personality, and Broadway show features.
She also brought with her a fiery political discourse with a liberal slant.
Not everyone liked Rosie’s version of the The View. Some said the constant heated political arguments among the women during the Hot Topics section of the show had transformed The View from a fun-filled talk show to a tense debate, more appropriate for Crossfire. Others found Rosie to be overbearing and rude to Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the one co-host who often disagreed with her political views. (I admit I was shocked and saddened during one political debate when Rosie angrily discounted Elisabeth’s viewpoint, saying she was too young to understand.)
Will The View return to its “rosy” format after Rosie leaves, abandoning the political debates for more comforting show topics? No one knows for sure.
What is certain is that love her or hate her, Rosie made The View appointment television. And I’ll miss her.
Hit "play" below to see Rosie's announcement on The View.
 by Jennifer Squires Biller
Bones casts former star of The Practice
This season, we’ll finally get to meet that fool-of-a-woman who refused to marry Booth (David Boreanaz) on Bones. Jessica Capshaw, formerly of The Practice, has been cast as the mother of Booth’s child, according to TV Guide. What, you were thinking it was Lara Flynn Boyle? Yeah. Me, too. I can so picture Flynn Boyle squaring off against Boreanaz, especially after her she-devil performance on Las Vegas that ended with her flying, literally, off the roof. I digress. Capshaw landed the role of Booth’s baby mama, and I couldn’t be more pleased that the show is delving more into the characters’ private lives. (I love character-based drama!) I’m praying somebody asks her why she’d kick Booth to the curb. Despite his poor fashion sense with those horrid skinny ties he wears, the man is good stock. What was she thinking?
Debbie Matenopoulos returns to The View
You thought I was joking a couple weeks ago in the “Star Jones Reynolds fired post" when I said that “somewhere Debbie Matenopoulos is doing cartwheels.” Well, yes, I was joking, but as fate would have it, the plucky blonde is headed home to The View. She’s slated to drop by the chat fest on July 25. In related news, the ratings for the first week of The View, sans Star, skyrocketed to numbers not seen since 2004 and broke the top five in the coveted demographic for women ages 18-49. The show saw a 5 percent bump in total viewers from the previous week. Somewhere, Star Jones Reynolds is…oh, nevermind.
Psych’s a hit!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for watching Psych! You have my eternal gratitude. It’s not often I actually love a show, pimp it to you and wal-lah, it turns into a hit. (R.I.P. Invasion, Jack & Bobby and Eyes.) But it seems Psych did well enough in its debut for the USA network to tout it as “the year’s No.1 new original series.” Well done, Tubers! The debut episode racked up more than 6 million viewers. The follow-up episode with Gus obsessing about the spelling bee was classic, too. And Dulé Hill looks yummy in pink. Who knew? And I love it when shows give us the bloopers at the end. Bravo!
Charlie’s Angels TV reunion?
Could Jill, Kelly and Sabrina be reunited soon on the small screen? The Tabloid Whore is reporting that Henry Winkler, better known as The Fonz, is trying to put together a Charlie’s Angels 30-year-reunion television special for the former Angels. Winkler previously helped put together the reunion shows for Happy Days, Dallas, Knots Landing and Dynasty. Wow, 30 years. Do I feel old. Has it been that long since feathered hair and polyester bell-bottoms were considered vogue? Don’t answer that. TV reunions never get old for us TV-loving types. Check out the fun-a-paloozas that were the Happy Days reunion and The Brady Bunch reunion.
 by Jennifer Squires Biller
I take a few days off and the TV world goes mad. Star Jones Reynolds was apparently fired from The View, according to People Magazine. Instead of going quietly into the night, Star made an impromptu speech during Tuesday’s broadcast of The View, announcing to shocked viewers, co-workers and network executives that she wouldn’t be returning next year, but would be on the air until mid-July. Star allegedly told People Magazine that she felt she had been fired, since her contract wasn’t renewed for a 10th season. Apparently, the network wanted to keep the news hush-hush for the moment, but Star didn’t comply. The network and Barbara Walters did not appreciate Star’s performance or her comments to the media, and ABC asked her not to return to work on Wednesday, according to Entertainment Tonight. Meow! I’ve never been a fan of The View. (I prefer TV that doesn’t involve four people talking at the same time.) But, seriously, I’m ready to tune in just to see how Walters and Joy Behar handle this sticky situation. Somewhere, Debbie Matenopoulos is doing cartwheels.
For more comments from Star and Walters about the situation, click here.
 by Jennifer Squires Biller
Barbara Walters officially broke the news Friday at the Daytime Emmy Awards that former talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell will replace Meredith Vieira as the new co-host of The View.
“Well, thank God, because it was either that or Celebrity Fit Club," O'Donnell joked, when she joined Walters on stage for the announcement. Humor like that is why we love Rosie.
Kudos to Walters for this brilliant casting move. O’Donnell had a huge following with her former talk show and will undoubtedly bring a lot of viewers with her. (Perhaps, even me.) Admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of The View. (Ducking for cover.) I’ve tried several times to watch the show, but can’t seem to make it through an entire viewing. All the ladies have an annoying habit of talking over one another at the same time, making the conversation inaudible and making me reach for the ibuprofen and the remote.
O’Donnell was once nicknamed “The Queen of Nice.” I’m anxious to see if she can maintain that image, or if she even wants to, sitting beside Star Jones Reynolds and the rest of the gals. Viewers of The Rosie O’Donnell Show watched Rosie temporarily shed her “nice” label when she verbally attacked guest Tom Selleck about his affiliation with the National Rifle Association. (Selleck had come on to promote a movie, but the highly emotional exchange quickly put an end to that.) I saw it live, and it was one of the most awkward moments ever on television. You all know my deep affection for Magnum P.I., so obviously I was miffed at his shabby treatment. But we all have bad days, so I’m not judging. Still, it will be interesting to see if Rosie will be judgmental of politics/associations/lifestyles that she passionately disagrees with, or if she’ll simply contribute her “view” without drawing blood from her co-workers or guests. I know I’ll be tuning in to see what happens. She debuts in September. Welcome back, Rosie. We’ve missed you!
Tube Talk Girl can be reached by e-mail at jennifer@tube-talk.com.
 Finally confirming rumors that have been flying for months, Today show host Katie Couric announced Wednesday she will leave Today at the end of May. Couric has accepted the anchor job for CBS Evening News, becoming the first female solo anchor for an evening news program.
Couric will replace Bob Schieffer in September. The View host Meredith Vieira is the frontrunner to replace Couric at Today, according to The New York Daily News.
Tube talk girl can be reached by e-mail at jennifer@tube-talk.com.
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by Ashley Gouveia
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