Michael Pascua
- http://www.michaelspascua.com
Review: America's Next Top Model - Dive Deeper
(S13E09) We're down to the final five on America's Next Top Model and one thing that Top Model is doing better this season than Project Runway is capitalizing on their location. Sure, Laura may look like a tomato during interviews, but at least Hawaii is being represented through their beaches and sugarcane plantations.This week's challenges were basically recycled from previous seasons. A falling challenge (similar to Season Six's Falling Fairytale photoshoot) and an underwater challenge (which was done in a pool in Season Two for Quench Water). Both proved to be more interesting because of the beautiful location.
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Review: Dancing with the Stars - Performance 7 Results
(S09E15) Last night on Dancing with the Stars many of the dancers grew stronger than ever. With Mark & Anna T. on the bottom, it guaranteed that they were either going home or dancing for their lives. Instead of having one performer singing two different songs, we have three performances thanks to DWTS pimping the Ballas Hough Band.
Encore Performance - Team Tango - The second time around, the performance still had the sizzle and the strongest timing. Kelly had this dazed look this time, possibly because she was nervous for the dance-off. Joanna still was the strongest of the night, possibly because Derek's choreography that he gave her was the strongest.
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Recap: Dancing with the Stars - Performance #7
(S09E14) It's week seven of Dancing with the Stars, and the pressure is on. Lacey Schwimmer was the victim of a cold; Anna Trebunskya has stepped in to help Mark Dacascos. The other victims tonight were the professionals who were forced to wear costumes designed by the celebrities. While it worked for Kelly, it backfired on Joanna.You know that there will be longer commercials between performances when you get a professional opening sequence. Five professionals and one woman who wasn't named performed a tango and paso doble. The dance was supposed to be an example of teamwork, but the paso and tango was also not as synchronized as I expected.
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Review: Grey's Anatomy - Give Peace a Chance
(S06E07) This week's episode of Grey's Anatomy focused on Derek and evolved the character as someone that's not just McDreamy. The show should start with Patrick Dempsey talking more often. I didn't realize how mellow his voice was, though saying the words "calm," "quiet," and "peace" automatically sound calming. I hope he narrates a Disney movie soon.
If the show continues to be strong with character driven development per episode, I suggest keeping Meredith bed ridden. She's already forgiven her father and has strengthened her relationship with her sister. Let's evolve the rest of the one-dimensional characters while she stays in bed.
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Review: Project Runway - Best of the Best
(S06E11) Project Runway finally explained why different people won challenges this season instead of just Irina and Althea winning all of them. This week's challenge was to make a companion piece to the contestants' winning looks. Unfortunately, Logan has never won a challenge. With one day and $100, they had to make it work.
On paper, the challenge sounds like an interesting way of thinking of cohesive collections. Most of these designers have an aesthetic (Carol Hannah doesn't like pants, Christopher likes full skirts). For Gordana, Christopher, and Logan, the companion pieces that they made neither complimented, nor improved on their original outfits.
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Review: America's Next Top Model - Let's Go Surfing
(S13E08) I don't know how America's Next Top Model's photoshoots continue to grow more and more insane. This week, Tyra decided to turn the model hopefuls bi-racial. Surprisingly, the photos didn't turn out bad, just not model-like.
You know it's never good when a boring character gets a character. The mathematician Brittany caught the bitch bug and complained about how immature Erin was for the rest of the episode. Guess what happened at the end of the episode? I would rather have gotten the "fading away" edit that Tyra loves so much.
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Review: Dancing with the Stars - Performance 6 Results
(S09E13) Tonight on Dancing with the Stars there was some actual content tonight: the dance-off. Unfortunately, that meant that there was no encore performance. Instead we go right into Taylor Swift.
Musical Performance - Taylor Swift - "Jump then Fall" - Anyone notice that the stage Norah Jones had last week was just audience chairs? Taylor Swift is a horrible live singer (squeaking every time she sang the word "jump"), but luckily we had some professionals who reminded me of Ryan & Ashleigh from So You Think You Can Dance. Their lift near the end was the best part.
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Review: So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 Perform
(S06E11) We finally get to the actual competition on So You Think You Can Dance. On tonight's episode, the judges cut one guy and one girl without America's help. It's okay, I don't trust America. Cat welcomes us in a stunning Chinese-inspired dress. I'm still amazed by Cat's ability to look good in anything.As we watch the dancers open the show, we start with the newest addition to the Top 20: Brandon. Even after meeting these contestants yesterday, I still don't know them. To make it worse, the sound people kept using the live mic on the tappers, and at first I thought my ears were going.
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So You Think You Can Dance dropouts and injury spoilers
I don't want to toot my own horn, but I predicted that illness would fell more reality show competitors in last week's TV Squad APB podcast. It turns out that the first to be affected was Billy Bell. Fox's official website posted a message wishing Billy a speedy recovery. There were no details of his illness.It's a shame to see Billy go so soon. After seeing Monday's performance, which was pre-taped, he showed power and technique. He hopes to try out for Season Seven.
If you want to be spoiled on who replaced him, the replacement's partner and dance, and another injury continue reading.
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Review: So You Think You Can Dance - Meet the Top 20
(S06E10) In a So You Think You Can Dance first, we get to meet the Top 20 before competition starts. It's nice to see the dancers doing well in their element before they fall apart trying to learn Disco, Bollywood, or Russian Folk.
We also welcome Adam Shankman as a permanent judge. Nigel wants Paula Abdul to guest judge eventually. Since she was in the audience of Dancing with the Stars, she's probably got the time.
I dislike the return of last season's finale stage as the new permanent stage. The camera angles constantly have heads in the corners, and there are no more stairs for cool performance elements.
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Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
Meet (half of) The Blanks: Scrubs' Sam Lloyd and Philip McNiven
