Wondering why the gang from New Directions looks a little less than gleeful today? Well, if we were to hazard a guess, it might have a little something to do with the realization that their competition on GLEE’s upcoming November 25 episode entitled “Hairography” includes a few ringers in the form of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne, and Comfort Fedoke. But hey, don’t take our word for it, judge for yourself by checking out some more first look photos after the jump.

I’m not proud about this, but I’ll admit that when watching THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA I fast forward through everything that doesn’t involve human train wrecks Kim and NeNe. Come to think of it, I’m not proud that I watch that show, period.

Having trouble sleeping at night? Tune into BIG BROTHER AFTER DARK over on Showtime Two. I switched it on last night and about 10 minutes later kicked myself, asking, “Am I really sitting here watching Jesse scrub dishes and make a sandwich?” The thrice-weekly episodes are painful enough. I sure as heck don’t need to put myself through the live stuff. So far this season, Jordan is my favorite houseguest. I kinda love that she’s dumb as a brick. She and Jeff seem pretty compatible in that regard, wouldn’t you say? Russell has grown on me, but Chima… there’s just something about her that skeeves me out. At least the wildly annoying Ronnie is finally gone. Lord, that boy worked my nerves…

A personal note to Nigel Lythgoe and any other producer out there thinking of hiring Paula Abdul: Please know that you will be doing so at the risk of your credibility. One of the things that has always set SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE apart from IDOL is the fact that the judges offer valid critiques as opposed to the insipid “Well, you look real pretty” remarks that Paula tries to pass off as valid. Yes, it might be interesting to see the former choreographer compete on DANCING WITH THE STARS (although given her history of back problems, I can’t help but think she would prove a sub-par performer), but for the most part, execs need to realize her value to them is mostly as a ratings-grabbing ploy. Then again, Lythgoe proved he’s not above that with the whole Katie Holmes performance this season, sold — not blatantly, but definitely intentionally — as a “live” gig, even going so far as to film it in such a manner as to try and trick viewers into thinking it had been done in front of the studio audience when it obviously wasn’t. These kind of stunts only serve to take away from the credibility of a show that, for the most part, proves itself to have far more integrity than most reality offerings (right down to acknowledging that they are searching for America’s “favorite” dancer as opposed to “best”) currently airing.

The current season of MTV’s THE REAL WORLD may have less to do with the real world than any in its history… and that’s including the Las Vegas-based Stephen and “Trashelle” season. And unless I miss my guess, someone needs to tell sex-starved Jasmine that the reason she ain’t getting any from Patrick is that he bats for the other team…

Over on NBC, the peacock network will dedicate the 9-11PM slots to retrospectives on both Jackson and Fawcett’s remarkable careers while CBS will air a prime-time special on Jackson at 10PM which may also include coverage on Fawcett’s career.

BURN NOTICE (9PM USA)
While Michael is away infilitrating a gang in order to take down a highly sought-after criminal, Sam must face down his most challenging foe yet: The IRS (Da-Da-Duh!)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (9PM FOX)
Two more dancers have their dreams crushed on national television. Awkward.

BURN NOTICE (9PM USA)
Bad News: A detective discovers Michael’s secret stash of explosives. Good News: Said detective is played by Terminator: Salvation’s Moon Bloodgood.

NAKED SCIENCE (9PM NGC)
Does the National Geographic Channel think that just by putting the word ‘naked’ in the title we’ll watch this show examining an off-season tornado outbreak? Well played NGC, well played indeed.

RAISING SEXTUPLETS (10PM WEtv)
RAISING SEXTUPLETS parents Bryan and Jenny Masche swear that they won’t be the next ‘Jon & Kate.’ And you know what, we’re gonna hold them to that.

NEW & NOTABLE:
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (8PM FOX, CTV in Canada)
With special guest judge Kara DioGuardi… just kidding

THE INCREDIBLE HULK (8PM Cinemax)
Incredible? More like moderately-better-than-the-first-Hulk. We’re just sayin’

SOUTHLAND (10PM NBC, CTV in Canada)
In the first season finale, Salinger is stressed over the news that NBC is dumping his show on Friday next season estrangement between him and his teen daughter.

Not only is she a tireless promoter of the show and the genre, her love and respect for the remarkable young talents competing in tonight’s two-hour finale is a welcome change from the usual negative vibe that emanates from most reality television.

Press ‘play’ below to listen to Murphy’s take on the finalists, what it felt like putting on those dance shoes for tonight’s finale and what changes might be in store when SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE returns for a fifth season next summer.

And please note that joining theTVaddict.com in the interview was BuddyTV.com’s John Kubicek and MSNTV’s Dave Lake.

Not only does this TV Addict not think he can dance. He knows it! Which is probably the reason — as I alluded to in an earlier post — that I never caught the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE bug that has spanned the globe. [Coming Soon: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Canada!]

That said, even a non-fan such as myself couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement and energy as I sat backstage during tonight’s penultimate installment of the season. I mean it doesn’t take a Baryshnikov to appreciate the remarkable talent, dedication and sheer athleticism of everyone involved in the hit FOX show.

Especially when the adorable and mesmerizing Cat Deeley was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule mid-show to talk about what it’s like to host the show, her love of the contestants and of course her recent Emmy snub. [Hilariously interrupted courtesy of an impromptu "WooHoo" from Judge Mary Murphy!]

Take a listen by clicking ‘play’ below. And please note that joining theTVaddict.com in the interview was BuddyTV.com’s John Kubicek and MSNTV’s Dave Lake.

I’ve only seen the first 15 minutes of the debut episode, but HOPKINS seems determined to prove that reality TV needn’t be the black sheep of programming. The stakes are life and death, and the players in this game are people, not the caricatures who populate THE HILLS or THE REAL WORLD. Given that it is populated by doctors, it’s appropriate to dub this appointment television.

If all reality competitions were as full of energy, honesty and life as SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, there’d be a lot more worth watching. This week’s episode featured several truly stunning performances, my personal favorite of which was Mark and Chelsea’s emotional hip-hop number to the tune Bleeding Love. (If you missed it, youtube it… trust me!) I hate the fact that the snarky, nasty, pointless critiques of AMERICAN IDOL put that show at the top of the ratings heap while the honest, helpful, constructive criticisms of SYTYCD’s judges make this show a hit by summer standards, but keep it from being anything near the blockbuster IDOL is. Sometimes, America, you make me hate you. I’m just sayin’.

I’m not sure exactly how I feel about NBC’s BABY BORROWERS. I will say that if it prevents even one teen from having a baby they’re not ready for, perhaps it’s all worth while. And the people I really want to talk to are the parents who agreed to hand their offspring over to these teens! Last night, I met a couple with a seven-month-old child and asked if they would ever consider taking part in such a program. In the entire history of vocalization the word “No!” has never been uttered more emphatically.

File this under “don’t judge me”, but you know those kinda mean-spirited reality shows I’ve been dissing of late? My household watched WIPEOUT and I SURVIVED A JAPANESE GAME SHOW last night and, okay, I’ll admit it, we laughed our way through both. Especially WIPEOUT, largely due to the hysterical interviewing techniques and reaction shots of Jill Wagner. The biggest problem with WIPEOUT is the fact that so many contestants were thrown at us in the pilot that we walked away unable to name — let alone identify with — a single one.

Am I alone in feeling as if the second season of ARMY WIVES isn’t living up to the potential of its freshman episodes? Maybe it’s because Roxanne, always my favorite, has been sort of sidelined and neutered. I will say that I still love Pamela, who has really become the heart of the show. And is it just me, or did Kim Delaney’s Claudia Joy lose a daughter but gain a whole lotta lip in that explosion? Hello, botox!

While I abhor the endless AMERICAN IDOL auditions which seem to stretch for months, I’m wishing that SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE would show us more of the episodes in which they search for finalists. In part, this is due to the fact that while IDOL focuses on the negative, DANCE nearly always finds a way to spin things in a positive manner. But more important is the fact that we seem to miss out on key steps in the audition process. Personally, I want to see the dancers trained by contestant-turned-choreographer Travis, which we get only snipets of. And certainly when we got to the highly hyped “Vegas week”, which consisted of a single episode, I was dying to see more of the grueling process through which these talented young people go. So while it’s true that with IDOL, less would definitely be more, the complete opposite is true where DANCE is concerned.

The upcoming series about which I’m most excited is scheduled not for fall, but mid-season, so you’ll forgive me if I start doing a little early lobbying to get a show — any show — booted from the CBS line-up so that they’ll make room for HARPER’S ISLAND. Of course, the serialized murder-mystery could turn into the next REUNION, so I’ll expect CBS to swear to us that no matter what happens,we’ll get a resolution. Any shows in the works that you’re excited about? Or are you just looking forward to more episodes of favorites like PUSHING DAISIES that got the short-shrift thanks to the writers strike?

I couldn’t figure out why CBS would waste SYBIL — a flick starring Emmy winner Tammy Blanchard and every-award-known-to-man winner Jessica Lange — on a post-sweeps Saturday night, having given it almost no advertising support… until I tuned in. Both actresses — who deserved far better — gave it their all, but a weak script more interested in rushing from (plot) point A to (plot) point B than in actually allowing us to get to know the characters dooms their efforts from the start. One can’t help wondering if this project started as a miniseries — ala the 1976 Sally Field original — and wound up being edited down to fit into a two-hour slot. In any case, what we got was a watered-down version of the classic, with two amazing actresses doing phenomenal work despite the limitations of the production.

As I watched last night’s two-hour installment of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, it finally dawned on this TV Addict why I have yet to get completely hooked on the show.

I don’t think I can dance. Actually, I know I can’t.

Which is unfortunate, because I truly believe that one of the big lures of reality television is imagining yourself in each contestant’s shoes. Essentially playing couch potato quarterback as you meticulously second guess contestant’s song choices, alliances, strategies and outfits. Yes, believing you can do better is half the fun.

So while I may not be the world’s most talented singer, I’m pretty confident that even outside of the confines of my car/shower I can belt out a tune better than 90% of the IDOL wannabes. Not to mention outwit, outplay and outlast many of the boneheaded SURVIVOR castaways. But when it comes to dance, I know my limits.

And while I most definitely appreciate the astounding talent and dedication of the contestants involved not to mention the energy and excitement that exudes from judges Nigel Lithgow, Mary Murphy and whomever happens to be sitting in the third chair when they witness someone really special. Like original 90210′er Brandon Walsh, I simply won’t do it. Seriously. Not only could you not pay me enough, there is no amount of alcohol on this planet that could get this TV Addict to pop, slide and twist on the dance floor in front of millions.

Unless of course my partner was Kelly Taylor, but unfortunately that’s an entirely different show.