The Primetime Dish

May 25, 2007, Los Angeles - Actress Mary-Kate Olsen will join the cast of SHOWTIME’s top-rated comedy series WEEDS for its third season currently in production in Los Angeles, it was announced today. Olsen will be featured in 10 of the season’s 15 episodes as Tara, a new love interest for Silas (Hunter Parrish) whose girlfriend broke his heart last season.  Olsen’s character lives in the newly-developed mega-church community called Majestic.  Produced by Lionsgate, in association with Tilted Productions, WEEDS premieres Monday, August 13th, at 10pm ET/PT.

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So I watched the premier of “Hidden Palms” tonight. It was a bit slow, but interesting.

The show is about Johnny Miller, who at the very beginning witnesses his drunk father blow his brains out. Fast forward a year later, Johnny himself is now out of rehab . . . his mother has remarried and moved them to some swanky California town.

Johnny meets his neighbor Cliff, who claims he was best friends with Eddie, the guy who lived in Johnny’s house and in his room. Eddie died, that’s all we are told for now. He then meets an eccentric girl named Greta, who likes running around the golf course at night while the sprinklers are on.

Clip: Johnny Meets Greta

This episode mainly served to introduce us to everyone it town, which is why it was a bit slow. Johnny learned from a guy he met at the local AA that Cliff is trouble, not to be trusted. Cliff warned Greta to stay away from Johnny, and not to talk about Eddie.

Johnny didn’t stay away from Greta of course. We saw a creepy side to Cliff, who kicked a neighbors poor little dog! It looked like Cliff was a bad guy, yet at the end Greta goes to cliff and cries on his shoulder. Confused!

Very odd show, but I’ll watch next week just because I am intrigued.

Spoilerish Clip! Johnny learns how Eddie died

So last night E! premiered the new season of “The Simple Life.” Now I know they already had one season on E!, but I didn’t bother watching it as it was when Paris and Nicole were feuding and weren’t actually ever on screen together. I watched it occasionally when it was on Fox. I have to say, it’s much dirtier on E! They couldn’t have gotten away with some of this stuff on Fox.

The show started off slow, with Paris and Nicole making up. Obviously the E! people were there to film this, so it was just some silly reenactment. After they made up it was suddenly off to Camp Shawnee! This season Paris and Nicole are camp counselors, along with two young men (one who has the hots for Paris). Now we never exactly got an explanation as to what kind of camp this place is. It looks like a regular kids summer camp, but I think the show took it over and is using as a theme camp for the summer, so to speak. It seems they are booking the camp with various sorts of groups just to give Paris and Nicole random things to deal with. I guess if it was the same thing all summer we’d get bored with Paris and Nicole really fast.

This first week Susan Powter, fitness guru from the 90s, was there doing a get healthy and lose weight camp. I used to love Susan Powter (Stop The Insanity!), so this was a treat for me. Unfortunately for Paris and Nicole, they had to give people colonics. Yuck! Like I said, stuff they probably wouldn’t get away with on Fox.

Later everyone was starving as Susan locked all their junk food up and made them eat what looked like rabbit food to me. Paris and Nicole got the idea to break open the locked fridge by dragging it around camp in the camp owners truck. He was not happy with them and said if they ever took his truck again that he’d have them arrested. The fridge was ruined, and then never did get it unlocked.

So okay really, dragging a fridge around? Obviously the producers of this show have to have told this camp and the owner “Just let Paris and Nicole do what crazy stuff they want, you will be well compensated for.” I mean no one in their right mind would give anyone one more chance after doing that!

It was still funny though Next week’s episode looks to have them dealing with beauty pageant kids and their moms.

Okay so I watched the first episode finally. It was a fun show, not much to comment on because it’s the audition phase. The really bad dancers were hilarious, how some of them taught dance I don’t even know. I must confess, I don’t understand why they let some of the dancer through that they did. I didn’t think they were really that good.

I have not seen the show, but I’m assuming it will follow the style of American Idol? Each week they’ll have to do some theme dance or something? That is where the people who can only do one style of dance will get knocked out I’m assuming.

PS I’ve been working on adding more themes. However some aren’t fully working yet (IE have the shoutbox or recent comments up)

So with “Lost” ending last night, pretty much all the big shows have had their finales. What, if anything, will you be watching this summer?

There are some dramas coming up, such as ABC’s “Traveler” and CW’s “Hidden Palms.” I’m going to give both a try. As I understand, both have at least 8 episodes done, so if they take off the shows may have to order more. Of course both shows were apparently filmed awhile back, this could be tricky if actors have moved on!

As far as summer reality, I’ll be watching “Simple Life” until I get sick of Paris and Nicole. “Big Brother” is always fun. On Bravo there will be “Kathy Griffin’s Life on the D-List,” “Hey Paula!” and “Top Chef.” Also I will be tuning into “America’s Got Talent” as that show was fun.

Near the 2nd half of the summer Bravo will bring on “Project Runway 4″ and Showtime will have “Weeds” and “Dexter” back.

I’ll also be watching some DVDs of “Lost” (to get caught up) as well as “Dirt” and the last half of last season’s “Nip/Tuck.”

Well I’m glad that since Melinda didn’t win, it went to Jordin. I do think the top three will all come out with great albums. I also hope someone scoops up Gina, as she was my favorite.

Kristin over at E! is saying, contrary to what Isaiah’s reps are saying in bunches of papers, that it looks like Isaiah (Burke) won’t be back next season for “Grey’s.” TR Knight (George) probably will.

 Also Kristin is reporting it looks like Nathan and Peter may not be dead after all on “Heroes.” DL however might be gone I wonder if maybe they’ll actually make him die from his wounds after all?

First up, Blake and Jordin did their final performances on “American Idol” tonight. Jordin I was impressed by, but only Blake’s repeat performance of Bon Jovi did anything for me. Sorry Blaker girls, I just didn’t think he was that great tonight. The judges put it best, Blake was the better entertainer, but Jordin the better singer.

Tomorrow is the decision/finale for AI. Two hours of Ryan saying “And we’ll find out . . .  later in the show.” “We’ll find out . . . after the break after the that comes after the next to last break.” I might have to just not watch until the last fifteen minutes.

Over to “Dancing With The Stars.” I spent all my votes last night on Joey. I was however STUNNED that Leila didn’t at least make it to the final two! I think she was too, she was not a happy camper! I kind of figured Apollo would win. I really wanted Joey to win. I think this is a sign Blake will win AI tomorrow night too.

On the offiicial CBS Jericho community is this statement

To the fans of Jericho:

We have read your emails over the past few days and have been touched by the depth and passion with which you have expressed your disappointment. Please know that canceling a television series is a very difficult decision. Hundreds of people at the Network, the production company and the incredibly-talented creative team worked very hard to build and serve the community for this show — both on-air and online. It is a show we loved too.

Thank you for supporting Jericho with such passion. We truly appreciate the commitment you made to the series and we are humbled by your disappointment. In the coming weeks, we hope to develop a way to provide closure to the compelling drama that was the Jericho story.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment

So last night was the first of a 2 part season finale for “Dancing With The Stars.” While I thought everyone was great, the judges came down hard on them all at one point or another. I spent all my votes on Joey, as he’ll need them. I think it will ultimately go to Leila Ali though. They all get one final dance tonight though, so who knows.

Tonight is the sing off on “American Idol.” I know most of you want Blake to win, but I would rather see Jordin take it at this point. Like many of you have said, they will all go far from the exposure of this.

The “Lost” 2 hour season finale is coming up. I will be watching it just see what actually happens. Besides nothing else is on

Some possibly interesting new shows coming up this summer to talk about. A lot of new reality shows, some I don’t get at all. What’s up with this “Pirate Master” show coming up? It’s like “Survivor” meets “Amazing Race” meets “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

In August “Weeds” finally returns on Showtime. I love that show! “Dexter” comes back as well. I never finished that season, I always meant to. I wonder if it’s still on Showtime on Demand? The DVD should be out soon enough.