Send Walt Your Questions For The TV Stars

And now there are four.  Another football-delayed, frantic paced episode of “Amazing Race” flew by Sunday night and Tina and Ken Greene, sparing ex-spouses, survived to make it to the final four.

Best moment of the night was when Ken found out that they were going to have walk through the streets of Kazakhstan dressed in a cow suit. “Guess who will be the rear?” he said, reflecting his position as follower. Tina, as usual, was the boss.

But she made a couple of missteps when she didn’t properly follow the instructions. They got in and out of that cow costume and then back in again.  Still they arrived in third place, behind the annoying brother and sister team of Nick and Starr, and the mother/son team of Toni and Dallas.

If there was any justice, the poor hapless Frat boy team would have been history. But they stumbled to the finish line ahead of Terence and Sarah. The ditsy couple fell way behind when they failed to beat Nick and Sarah in a Fast Forward challenge involving a sheep butt eating contest.  Wimpy vegetarian Terence could not hack sheep guts.

Another good moment was when Dallas flirted with Starr making his mom jealous. That boy needs a date.

The first Roadblock involved hunting for golden eggs at a chicken factory where 7,000 cluckers were awaiting their fate. It wasn’t particularly hard. But it must have been smelly. 

The sheep butt fat eating was interesting but it was a snap for Nick and Starr who now have won most of the legs of this race.  If they keep winning, well, it’s going to be a dull finish.

The Detour on this leg of the journey was only slightly amusing. All the teams picked the same task “Act Like Fools,” during which they put on cow costumes, drank a glass of milk from a street vendor and picked up a clue at a butcher shop.  Tina misread the clue, forgetting that directions would be at the bottom of the milk glass and then taking the costume off before going to the butcher. But other teams had more woes so Tina and Ken they were safe.

But can they win?  They need to play a couple of flawless rounds to have a chance. They should be safe for another week because those Frat boys can’t keep getting by on dumb luck.  Or can they? It would be a shocker if they won the whole damn thing.

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CBS has announced that President-elect Barack Obama has agreed to give his first post-election interview to correspondent Steve Kroft. The interview includes future first lady Michelle Obama and is to take place on today in Chicago.

The interview is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday at 7 p.m.

“60 Minutes” has covered the campaign and the election closely. Kroft and “60 Minutes” cameras were with Obama’s top aides on election night for a segment broadcast last week that drew 18.5 million viewers, ranking it America’s number-one program for the week.

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NBC has pulled the plug on the spy thriller “My Own Worst Enemy” and returning sophomore drama “Lipstick Jungle.”

And Fox has canceled late-night sketch comedy veteran “Madtv,” one of its longest-running shows.

Both actions came down late Wednesday.  NBC’s cuts were because of low ratings. Fox’s move is a cost-cutting one.

“Madtv,” inspired by Mad Magazine, has been a Saturday-night fixture for 14 seasons. But this will be the last, Fox sources said. The show’s co-creator, David Salzman, said he plans to shop “MadTV” to cable networks and other outlets. It ends production in December.

Fox told Salzman the show had become too expensive considering its time period and ratings.

NBC’s move is not so surprising. “My Own Worst Enemy,” starring Christian Slater as a spy with a split personality, was ratings challenged.  It also was one of the dumbest concepts. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

“Lipstick,” starring Brooke Shields and Kim Raver, had a modest following but it was never the hit that NBC expected.  The story of New York working women was touted as a broadcast version of “Sex and the City.”

NBC has considered “Enemy” an important show. The big budget spy thriller was supposed to re-create the Bourne action movies and it followed -"Heroes" which had been a valuable time slot.  But “Heroes” has tanked this season, too.

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Tampa’s Tina Greene Turns Green

Finally CBS has made some new “Amazing Race” photos available.

Ken and Tina at the finish line

Very Messy Stuff

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I was going to post this yesterday but things got crazy around the Tribune when 18 co-workers got laid-off including Phil Morgan and Dan Ruth. Both have been around as long as I have. Ruth was the movie critic when I joined the Tribune in 1977.  He later became the TV critic.  Phil, one of the best feature writers in the business, has a great sense of humor. He was laughing on the outside and crying on the inside.  One day, when newspapers go totally online, will anyone even do feature stories any more?

Now for the recap.  I have started rooting for Tina and Ken Greene to win “Amazing Race” because I’m a romantic and want their marriage to work (which probably doesn’t require winning this contest).

But I’m also rooting for them because the other teams aren’t all that appealing.  Maybe the Frat Boys?  May the mother/son team?  I don’t know.  Tina, 49. and Ken, 52, are the oldest so there’s another reason.  And I have met them and she’s a lot nicer in person than how she’s been portrayed on TV.  But then, she wasn’t under the pressure of competition when I interviewed her.

On Sunday’s leg of the adventure, the teams dashed through India and coming up short were the annoying divorcees Kelly Crabb and Kristy Cook.  Without dumb luck, these two petty Mean Girls would have been gone sooner. But they managed to survive week after week until they stumbled through a misinterpretation of instructions during the seventh leg of the race through Dehli, India.  The booby twins had started in second place.

Ken and Tina began last and had to overcome a “Speed Bump” because they came in last on the preceding episode. It was a non-elimination round so they were spared.  Their speed bump penalty task was to go to a temple and hand out holy water to the needy.  Before that was completed, they joined the others who were getting pelted by crazy Indian men with paintballs.  Ken got coated in blue and then the paint-throwers turned on Tina and she was doused in green.

The next chore was a choice between following confusing and tangled power lines over the streets, looking for the numbers on the small tags hanging from them, and writing them down in the proper order or manually grinding giant bags of dried hot chili peppers. Terence and Sarah were the only ones who went for the peppers, in what turned out to be a painful burning experience.

In the end, Nick and Starr landed in first place yet again and Ken and Tina stayed alive. Next week, I predict that the Frat Boys will be going home.

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The magazine “Entertainment Weekly” is reporting that the fifth season of “Lost” will premiere with a two-hour event on Jan. 21, 2009, at 8 p.m.

That’s a Wednesday which means that “Lost” will be returning to its original day-of-the-week slot. (Last season, it aired on Thursday nights.)

ET has sources inside ABC who say that its first two episodes may air back-to-back.  There also may be a recap special.  Not certain is the timeslot. Probably 10 p.m.?

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If you are looking for any shocking revelations of secrets or anything new about Hulk Hogan, you won’t find it on E!’s Hulk Hogan “True Story” tonight.

But the old stuff is the best part. Vintage clips from the days when Tampa’s Terry Bollea first went into the ring as the Hulkster make it worth taking a look at “HULK HOGAN & FAMILY: THE E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY” at 8 tonight.
E! had access to Bollea’s home videos.

The special also lays out all of the recent Hogan problems including his fall from public grace in the aftermath of his son Nick’s problems. Nick caused a car crash which left the passenger, John Graziano, bed-ridden and crippled for life in a vegetative state. Nick recently was released after a short jail term.

Hulk Hogan’s image was tarnished for awhile when jail house tapes surfaced on which Nick and Linda complained about the small size of his cell and the lack of windows!  Hogan and Nick also were speculating that the injuries to Graziano might have been God’s will somehow as the result of Grazino’s “negative” ways.  (Hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3tJAt5pn70)

This infuriated the Grazino family and their anger is included in tonight’s special. But Hulk gets the last word and he seems to have patched up his public image.

Much of the show is a recap of his life and career from the days he was a big, lumbering kid to his early flirtation with a rock music career to his first encounters with wrestling.  Also covered is his courtship of and marriage to Linda, who is also interviewed.

Bollea became the most celebrated professional wrestler of all time and in 2005, the reality show “Hogan Knows Best” introduced audiences to Hulk’s animal-loving wife Linda, his pop-singing daughter Brooke and his wild-child son Nick. He became a multi-millionaire and one of the Tampa area’s most visible celebrities.

But the image and the family live started to unwravel when son Nick was involved in a car crash that left a passenger severly injured. Nick evently served time in jail. A lawsuit is pending and Linda filed for divorce.

In the 90-minute episode, Hulk and Brooke give their spin on the events.

Hulk explains why he gave up wrestling and why he put his family on a reality TV show.  Brooke talks about her bond with her father and explains her feelings about the current relationship she has with her mother.

Also on hand are close friends and family members including Hulk’s niece Victoria Bollea, wresting pals Eric Bischoff, Bill Goldberg, Brian Knobbs and Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem, along with “Brooke Knows Best” co-stars Ashley Menendez and Glenn Douglas.

Hulk Hogan, on his feelings over the divorce – “It was shocking… I didn’t know if I was going to vomit or pass out or cry, and I kind of took a few moments, and it was like I got kicked by a mule… I was one of these hopeless romantics that thought no matter what happened, I thought I would be the one who was married forever.”

Brooke Hogan, leading up to Hulk’s “Larry King Live” interview – “It was to the point where we were getting so just slaughtered with this press of just false rumors and false stories, it was just like the truth has to come out.”

Brooke Hogan, on her dad being alone – “There’s been times where he’s been alone that have scared the living daylights out of me and I’m like, ‘Dad, I’ll be right there.’ He’s very emotional, and he starts over thinking things, and he starts getting really sad.”

Brooke Hogan, on her father’s current girlfriend Jennifer McDaniel – “I really do like Jennifer a lot.  It would probably kill my mom to hear this.  I’m glad that she’s around because, you know, I’m trying to do my own thing and work, and its like I can’t be there 24/7 so its nice to know that there’s somebody that I trust with, you know, taking care of him as much as I would.”

Hulk Hogan, on Nick’s sentencing for reckless driving - “When the judge said you’re gonna get 8 months in jail, Nick didn’t turn around and look at me for advice, guidance or anything.  He just took it like a man.  I never got to say goodbye to him, you know.”

Brooke Hogan, on how the incident affected her brother – “Nick, for being in his situation, for being in the public eye, it was a good lesson.  He definitely, he got a wake up call.”

Brooke Hogan, on the effect of her brother Nick’s car accident on her parents’ relationship – “The accident, I think really showed them that they just don’t view things the same as individuals and as parents, you know, so, it was just kind of like a wake up call.  I just think that all the stress of our life kind of made it happen sooner.”

Bubba “the Love Sponge” Clem, friend/radio personality, on “Hogan Knows Best” – “In my opinion the reality show is what destroyed the family, and I can remember Terry telling me, ‘It is what it is brother.’”

Eric Bischoff, friend/former wrestling promoter – “Hulk finally for the first time in a 25-year career allowed people to look behind the curtain, you know, for a guy who is as aware as he is about staying in character and being that brand and being Hulk Hogan.  For him to finally let people in his house, see him in the shower, sitting on the toilet, flipping eggs, was a big thing.”

Brooke Hogan, on her reality show, “Brooke Knows Best” – “It’s like the best time in my life because it’s me and my two best friends and we can just raise hell.  There’s not like mom and dad watching.  It’s like I just kind of go, you know, balls to the wall.”

Hulk Hogan, on the business of professional wrestling – “No matter how often I worked or how easy things were getting, I felt everybody was replaceable in the business.  It was a business with no security.  If you broke your leg, that was it.  I mean, it was over.  It wasn’t like we had guaranteed contracts.  There was no insurance.  There was nothing so I mean, you just never knew how long it was gonna last.”

Brooke Hogan, on her dad wrestling – “It was really horrifying for me and Nick because all I saw was my dad bleeding profusely and Nick would go running down the hallways, screaming.’”

Bill Goldberg, friend/wrestler, on Hulk – “I don’t think Terry’s happy unless he’s performing.  He’s always gonna be out there, and he’s got fans upon fans upon fans who are always gonna be with him.”

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More than 71 million people tuned in to election coverage from 8 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Nationally, ABC was the most watched, but in the Tampa market CNN was tops.

From 8 to 11 p.m. an estimated 216,000 viewers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg television market were watching CNN while NBC (WFLA) averaged 181,000 viewers; Fox News Channel had 178,000; the Fox News coverage on WTVT, Channel 13, averaged 117,000; MSNBC 101,000; ABC (WFTS) 98,000; and CBS (WTSP) 91,000.

The audience, spread over four major broadcast networks and numerous cable channels, was higher than the 2000 and 2004 elections.

An estimated 59 million watched George W. Bush defeat John Kerry in 2004, and 61 million people watched the mangled and confusing 2000 election results pour in.

ABC was the most-watched this time (8-11 p.m.), with a 4.7 rating and 10 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and 13.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. 

NBC was a very close second with a 4.7 rating and 10 share in the 18-to-49 demo but was second in the 25-to-54 demo and in total viewers, where it drew 13.1 million people.

CBS was third among the broadcasters but fell below CNN and Fox News Channel with a 2.5 rating and 5 share in the demo and 8 million total viewers.  The broadcast coverage carried on Fox affiliates (anchored by Shepard Smith) finished fourth with a 2.2 rating and 4 share and 5.36 million total viewers.

The numbers were up over 2004 for ABC and Fox. CBS and NBC lost double-digit percentages of viewers compared with 2004.

In cable ratings, CNN had the most total viewers with 12.3 million and also won easily in the 25-to-54 demo, the network’s target, pulling in 5.8 million demo viewers. CNN came close to broadcast leaders ABC and NBC in both the demo and total viewers.

Fox News was second in both categories, drawing just more than 9 million viewers and nearly 4 million demo viewers. That would be the most demo viewers and second most total viewers in the network’s history.

MSNBC finished third with nearly 5.9 million viewers, including 2.67 million in the demo. Despite the third-place overall finish, MSNBC moved into second from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., during which time Sen. John McCain conceded and President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech.

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The 2008 Presidential election was all about change but, for the most part, local television news in the Tampa area was mired in old school ways Tuesday night.
And it wasn’t pretty.  Every time the major broadcast networks cut back to the local stations, it was like going from a Ferrari to a Gremlin.
Coming off the splashy high-tech graphics and high-energy anchors at the networks, the local talking heads looked a little threadbare and dull.
Only a desperate desire for results of the Tampa area races would have kept the viewer from flipping to cable or heading to the kitchen for a snack.
I don’t think a couple of local anchors chatting with the obligatory local politic expert is going to cut it anymore in this whiz-bang, 3-D holographic, touch-screen map era.
And on a historic night when the first black man in history wins the White House, you would think the local TV stations might have rounded up some leaders from Tampa’s black community as commentators.
At least WTSP, Channel 10, under its new moniker of “10 Connects,” tried to shake things up by dispatching Reggie Roundtree to an upscale watering hole in downtown St. Pete for an out-of-anchor desk experience. It was an interesting effort even if the results were less than spectacular.
He tried to “connect” with people who chose to drink their way through the evening, but at times, he looked a little lonely and in need of articulate company.
Meanwhile, back at the 10 Connects anchor desk, Dave Wirth and Heather Van Nest were begging people to “connect” by going online to chat with them. This got old and annoying fast.
When a couch spud is sitting in his PJs with his feet propped up and one hand on a cold brew and the other in a bag of popcorn, the last thing he wants to do is “connect” with TV anchors.
Other than the results of local races, there appeared to be two local breaking stories of note in Tuesday night: the meltdown of the election results and the line of students at the University of South Florida who were still voting long after Barack Obama had locked up the election.
From what I saw, 10 Connects and WTVT, Channel 13 (Fox 13) stayed on top of these two developments. WFLA, Cannel 8, also caught up. But then I didn’t see every news break on every affiliate. When things didn’t hold my interest, I moved on.
The most interesting thing I saw on WFLA, Channel 8, was an interview with a bitter, angry John McCain supporter whose bigoted comments were shocking and disturbing coming after Obama’s lets-all-hold-hands and work together speech. 
WFTS, Channel 28 (ABC Action News) and Fox 13 appeared to have the better, easy-to-read election crawls of Florida results.
Network affiliates get precious little time for local coverage during election night so it was disappointing and needlessly redundant when Fox 13’s late newscast rehashed everything that was already reported on the Fox network.

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TAMPA – With 54 nominations, the Tampa Bay area will be well represented at the upcoming Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards in Orlando on Dec. 6.

Among those nominated for outstanding work during the past year are some familiar television anchors and reporters including Keith Cate, Steve Andrews and Steve Jerve of WFLA, Channel 8; Kathy Fountain of WTVT, Channel 13; Mike Deeson of WTSP, Channel 10; and Linda Hurtado of WFTS, Channel 28.

Among those with multiple nominations are Deeson (4); WTSP reporter Kathryn Bursch (3); WTSP reporter Preston Rudie (3); Cate (2); Hurtado (2); WTVT investigative reporter Doug Smith (2); WFTS consumer reporter Jackie Callaway (2) and WFTS anchor Walt Maciborski (2).

Also earning nominations are WFTS reporter Sarina Fazan; WFLA reporter Samara Sodos; and WTSP reporters Tammie Fields, Craig Patrick and Janie Porter.

PBS outlet WEDU, Channel 3, has 13 nominations including nods for “”A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins” and “Smart Health” hosted by Angie Moreschi (4 nominations) and the Larry Elliston-produced documentary “The Florida Dream.”

WTSP leads the nominations with 15; WTVT and WFTS have seven each, WFLA has six and Bay News 9 has three.

Continuing Coverage:

1. Jail House Justice
Mike Deeson, Adam Vance
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

2, Cancer Factory
Steve Andrews, Gordon Dempsey
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL

Feature News Report

3. Letters from Iraq
Kevin Carlson, Preston Rudie
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Investigative Report

4 Small Town Justice
Doug Smith, Lisa Blegen
Craig Davisson, Nate Sylves
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

Spot News

5. I-4 Disaster
Janie Porter
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Arts/Entertainment

6. The Last American Traveling Sideshow
Preston Rudie, Gene Yagle
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Crime

7. Letters from Death Row
Sarina Fazan
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

8. SWAT No Women
Tammie Fields, Adam D. Vance
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

9. Tom Spellissy:  Framed by the Government?
Mike Deeson
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Health/Science/Environment

10. Jillian’s Journey Out of a Silent World
Linda Hurtado
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

11. The Navy’s Broken Promise
Doug Smith, Lisa Blegen,
Craig Davisson, Robert L. Towe
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

12. RSD
James Dove, Dr. Joette Giovinco, Jeff Schlesser
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

Health program

13. Smart Health
Angie Moreschi
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Human Interest

14. Courageous Graduate
Linda Hurtado, John Fulton
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

15. Writer’s Block
Kathryn Bursch
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

16. Gino The Tire Guy
Meredyth Censullo, John Deal
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

17. A Mother’s Hope
Samara Sodos, Michael Egger
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL

Human Interest – Program

18. A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins:  Life Lessons
Jennifer Noble, Alex Gazio, Brad Clore
WEDU-TV, Tampa -St.Petersburg, FL

19. A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins:  On the Right Track
Matt Zodrow, Alex Gazio, Elaine Lucadano
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

20. Wounded War Vet Yoga
Angie Moreschi
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Politics/Government

21. Teflon Charlie
Craig Patrick
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

22. Jed Pittman:  Full Time Salary – Part Time Job
Mike Deeson, Paul Thorson
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

23. Bob Henriquez:  It Pays to Know People in Power
Mike Deeson, Tim Burquest
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Religion

24. Journey of Faith
Angie Moreschi, Alex Gazio
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Societal Concerns

25. Last Line of Defense
Walt Maciborski
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

Specialty Assignment Report

26. Taking Action For You
Jackie Callaway, Matt McGlashen
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

Sports

27. Keeping Score
Preston Rudie, Adam Vance
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Sports – Program Feature/Segment
28.  Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins:  Knock ‘n Roll Rugby
Tracy MacDonald, Alex Gazio
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Sports – Regularly Scheduled Daily or Weekly Program

29. Average Angler Adventures – “For Oscar”
Paul Kosuth, Glen Richard, Glen Pla,
Brent Beauchamp, Jason Kitwood
Catch 47, Pinellas Park, FL

Severe Weather Forecast
30. Steve Jerve
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL

Documentary

31. The Florida Dream
Larry Elliston, Dax Bedell, Matt Zodrow,
Steve Snead, Alex Gazio, Ellyne Lonergan
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

32. A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins:  For the Love of the Game
Jennifer Noble, Alex Gazio, Matt Zodrow
WEDU-TV, Tampa - St.Petersburg, FL

Documentary – Historical

33. Heroes from the Bay
Spencer Briggs, Matt Zodrow
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Interview/Discussion

34. Your Turn:  Ovarian Cancer:  Find it Early
Kathy Fountain, Anne-Marie Fagler
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

35. Road to the White House
Keith Cate, Nancy Ryan
Christopher C. Smith, Susan A. MacManus
WFLA-TV, Tampa, Florida Communications Group

36. Magazine Program

A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins
Jennifer Noble, Jack Perkins, Matt Zodrow,
Brad Clore
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Public/Current/Community Affairs

37. Drug Treatment:  A Family Affair
Angie Moreschi
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

On Camera Talent – Anchor – News

38. Keith Cate – Anchor Composite
Keith Cate
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL

On Camera Talent – Reporter
39. Walt Maciborski
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

40. Craig Patrick
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

41. Taking Action For You
Jackie Callaway
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL

On Camera Talent – Reporter-Features/Human Interest

42. Roy De Jesús Craft Achievement Composite
Roy De Jesús
Bay News 9 en Español, St. Petersburg, FL

43. Laurie Davison Composite
Laurie Davison
Bay News 9, St. Petersburg, FL

44. Kathryn Bursch Compilation
Kathryn Bursch
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Photographer

45. Jonathan Haas Compilation
Jonathan Haas
Bay News 9, St. Petersburg, FL

46. The Last American Traveling Sideshow
Gene Yagle
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

47.  A Mother’s Hope
Michael Egger
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL, FL

Photographer – Short Form

48. A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins:  Water Colors
Brad Clore
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Editing:

49. Megapixel Myth
Craig Cross
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL

50. Kathy Hilton on HSN
Chip Hansen
Riverbank Studios, Tampa, FL

Writer

51. Kathryn Bursch Compilation
Kathryn Bursch
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

Writer – Program

52. The Florida Dream
Larry Elliston
WEDU-TV, Tampa, FL

Lighting (Studio or Location)
53. Need to Breathe – “Daytime” Studio Session
Chip Hansen, Ben Eytalis
Riverbank Studios, Tampa, FL

54. The Last American Traveling Sideshow
Gene Yagle
WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg, FL

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ome of these women are men!  Maury Povich goes all out for an Election Day special on Tuesday.

“Time to Vote! Born Man or Women?” will feature transgender candidates and women, with the audience invited to guess which is which.

“This is probably the most important election in our country’s history,” jokes Povich “ ... not that the one with Barack Obama and John McCain doesn’t count.”

Wonder if he has any Sarah Palin lookalikes?

The show airs at 4 p.m. on WTTA, Channel 8, MY Tampa Bay.

Viewers At Home Can Vote Online at http://mauryshow.com

The audience and viewers at home will be able to vote on whether the candidates are really women or men in disguise.

“Our goal, after a very long and tough Presidential campaign, is just to have a little fun with our studio audience and viewers at home,” Povich says.

“Maury” returned this fall for its 11th season. The show continues to deliver more than 3 million viewers per episode and finished the 2007/2008 season as the second youngest-skewing talk show (behind only “The Tyra Banks Show").

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The Internet has been buzzing over the the Sarah Palin prank call that took place Saturday when a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy fooled her completely.

The Republican vice presidential nominee discusses politics, the dangers of hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney, and Sarkozy’s “beautiful wife,” in a six-minute call that aired today on a Quebec radio station.

The call was made by a well-known Montreal comedy duo Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel. Known as the Masked Avengers, the two are notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state.

Audette, posing as Sarkozy, spoke in an exaggerated French accent and dropped hints that the conversation was a joke. But Palin did not pick up on them.

Palin campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt confirmed she had received the prank call.

Click here to listen: http://www.tindeck.com/audio/filestore/w/wwdo-SarahPalin.mp3

“Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C’est la vie,” she said.

During the call, he tells Palin one of his favorite pastimes is hunting, also a passion of the 44-year-old Alaska governor.

“I just love killing those animals. Mmm, mmm, take away life, that is so fun,” the fake Sarkozy says.

He proposes they go hunting together by helicopter, something he says he has never done.  “Like we say in French, on pourrait tuer des bebe phoques, aussi,” he says. “Le phoque” is the French word for seal so the sentence in French means: “We could go kill baby seals, too.”

“Well, I think we could have a lot of fun together while we’re getting work done,” Palin counters. “We can kill two birds with one stone that way.”

The comedian jokes that they shouldn’t bring Cheney along on the hunt, referring to the 2006 incident in which the vice-president shot and injured a friend while hunting quail.

“I’ll be a careful shot,” responds Palin.

Playing off the governor’s much-mocked comment in an early television interview that she had insights into foreign policy because “you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska,” the caller tells her: “You know we have a lot in common also, because ... from my house I can see Belgium.”

She replies: “Well, see, we’re right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes.”

When Audette refers to Canadian singer Steph Carse as Canada’s prime minister, Palin replies: “Well, he’s doing fine and yeah, when you come into a position underestimated it gives you an opportunity to prove the pundits and the critics wrong. You work that much harder.” Canada’s prime minister is Stephen Harper.

Palin praises Sarkozy throughout the call and also mentions his wife Carla Bruni, a model-turned-songwriter.

“You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife,” Palin says. “Oh my goodness, you’ve added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours.”

The Sarkozy impersonator tells Palin his wife is “so hot in bed” and then informs her that Bruni has written a song for her about Joe the Plumber entitled “Du rouge a levres sur une cochonne” which translates as “Lipstick on a Pig.”

The caller asks Palin if Joe the Plumber is her husband and adds: “We have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It’s called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit.”

He also tells the Alaska governor that he loved the “documentary” made about her and referred to a pornographic film with a Palin look-alike made by Hustler founder Larry Flynt.

She answers tentatively, “Ohh, good, thank you, yes.”

The callers then reveal the prank and identify themselves and their radio station.

“Ohhh, have we been pranked?” Palin asks before handing the phone to an aide who ends the call.

Obama’s campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs, commenting on the prank, said: “I’m glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama.”

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They have gone from first to worst:  Tampa business executive Tina Greene and her ex-husband Ken were the last to arrive at the pit stop on Sunday’s installment of “The Amazing Race.”

But they got a free pass because it was a non-elimination round.  So Tina and Ken will carry on for at least another week.

This was another week where the outcome of the race hinged on incompetent cabbies.  On this season, teams have been held up by vehicle breakdowns and cab drivers who don’t know where they are going.  The biggest lesson of “Amazing Race” this year is watch out when taking a cab in a backward nation.

Tina, who lives in Tampa, and her estranged hubby, Ken Greene, an ex-NFL player who lives in San Diego, started off this season as strong contenders, winning back-to-back legs of the race. But in the past two episodes, they have fell behind.  This week, there was a lot of attention on Tina snapping at Ken for not keeping pace with her demands.

Once again viewers were reminded that the Greenes are using the race as a test to see if they can patch-up their marriage.  (In case, anyone forgot Ken cheated on her, blah, blah blah).

So far, national reaction to Tina has not been favorable. She’s been written up as a shrew in most online and in many print recaps while Ken is coming off as a doormat.  This could be the result of editing for dramatic effect. But it’s obvious that Tina is a Type A+ personailty and Ken is super laid-back.

Things got dicey on this episode with Tina barking orders at Ken while he was painting little cars (another dumb competition).

Frat boys Andrew and Dan could paint but they couldn’t iron (another weird task). Ken and Tina had taxi troubles that slowed them down.

Brother and sister team Nick and Starr were first place one more time and each won an electric car. Next week, we are promised more fireworks between Ken and Tina.

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The half-hour campaign message from Sen. Barack Obama that aired on NBC, CBS and Fox on Wednesday night easily beat ABC’s “Pushing Daisies.” The whimsical fantasy drama could only muster a 4.2 rating and 7 percent share of the viewing audience.

That was fourth place behind Obama’s speech which drew a 6.7 rating and 11 share on NBC; a 6.1 rating and 10 share on CBS and a 5 rating and 8 share on Fox.

Collectively the paid campaign ad logged a 17.8 rating and 29 share (which is better than the World Series averaged).
There have been conflicting reports on why ABC didn’t take Obama’s pitch. The network did pass on it at first, saying that “Pushing Daisies” needed the exposure and there was no half-hour show to play at 8:30.  Then ABC officials decided to take the Obama message but wanted in excess of $1 million and Obama turned them down.

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Tampa’s PBS station, WEDU, Channel 3, was recently nominated for 15 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards for two of its local series and two special documentaries.

Going into its sixth season, “A Gulf Coast Journal” with Jack Perkins led the charge with seven nominations; followed by the new WEDU series “Smart Health” with five; the station’s hour-long cultural documentary “The Florida Dream,” produced by Larry Elliston, received two nominations, and one nomination for the special historical documentary “Heroes from the Bay.”

Jack Perkins

“I’m very proud of our WEDU staff who work tirelessly in bringing educational, inspiring and many times entertaining community stories to life through our local programming.  In these turbulent times, it’s more important than ever that WEDU continues to focus on the issues and people that matter most to us in our every day lives – those in our own hometown,” said Dick Lobo, WEDU President and CEO.The winners of the 2008 regional Emmy® Awards will be announced on Saturday, December 6th at the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences annual ceremony taking place in Orlando. 

Encore performances of these Emmy nominated WEDU programs can be seen on the station’s digital channel WEDU+ (3.4) beginning at 8 pm on Sunday, November 30th.  “Smart Health” is also available on WEDU’s main broadcast channel weekdays at 6 a.m. beginning November 3.

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