The TV Addict 

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:
THE SIMPSONS (8PM FOX, Global in Canada)
Yet again Bart illustrates that underachieving is the way to go when he alongside his fellow Springfield Elementary “underperformers” get an exemption from taking the test and are whisked away to Capital City.

BROTHERS & SISTERS (9PM ABC)
In an effort to single-handedly prop up the California wine industry, tonight’s two-hour installment promises double the surprises (A Walker health crisis!? A Walker exit!?) and assuredly, double the alcohol consumption.

UNITED STATES OF TARA (9PM Showtime)
While you’ll tune in for Toni Collette’s Emmy worthy performance, you’ll stick around for the equally unique, hilarious and touching supporting cast of characters including Keir Gilchrist, Nathan Corddry and Rosemarie DeWitt. The latter of whom delivered one of the funniest monologues in recent memory during last week’s very NSFW episode.

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You know all those really annoying commercials about the switch to Digitial TV that we’ve been forced to endure for the past year or so. Well, get ready for a lot more of them. As Broadcasting & Cable reports this week that President-elect Barack Obama has pressed pause on those pesky little issues like fixing the economy and the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan in order to ask Congress to delay the proposed DTV (Digital TV) transition date past the February 17 deadline. Begging the question, if America can’t manage a relatively simple switch to Digital TV that has been years in the making, what chance does Universal Healthcare have? We’re just sayin’.

According to E! Online, Donna Martin is indeed heading back to America’s favorite zip code. Which means it’s time for this TV Addict to offer a little bit of free advice to the ‘brains’ behind the new 90210. Ready? Because here we go in 3… 2… 1… Fans are never going to become emotionally invested in the younger generation of characters if you keep bringing back the original class. So either stop with these pathetic rating stunts, or simply rejig the show to what you cleary wish it was: 90210 Ten Years Later.

With Kathy Griffin’s penchant for hilarity catapulting her off the “D-List” and into serious “B-List” contention, perhaps Donald Trump could borrow the moniker. Because after announcing his new crop of contestants for the new season of THE APPRENTICE: ‘CELEBRITY’ EDITION that include the likes of, Clint Black, Andrew Dice Clay, poker player Annie Duke, Tom Green, golfer Natalie Gulbis, Scott Hamilton, Jesse James, DEAL OR NO DEAL model Claudia Jordan, Khloe Kardashian, Brian McKnight, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Brande Roderick, Dennis Rodman, football star Herschel Walker and Tionne “T-Boz Watkins — we can’t help but wonder if it’s finally time to call ‘CELEBRITY’ APPRENTICE what it is, THE-LIST APPRENTICE.

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Let’s face facts: The last time THE APPRENTICE actually captured our attention was when NBC canceled the show in 2007 and Donald Trump basically responded with, “You can’t fire me! I quit!”

That was probably the smartest thing the walking combover had done since hiring reality-star-in-the-making Omarosa several seasons earlier. But the moment NBC came back to Trump and asked that he return to the boardroom, Trump folded like a cheap suit. In a desperate attempt to revive the failing franchise, it was announced that the new edition would feature the Trumpmeister firing celebs.

And that’s when things went tragically awry.

Already, the series had been showing a serious lack of creativity during the previous season, in which it was decided that the show could “re-invent” itself by relocating from New York City to Southern California. The only other major twist involved having each week’s losing team sleep in tents outside the mansion in which their winning rivals were living it up. Worse, the weekly tasks began to feel both repetitive and more like commercials than challenges.

The season was a bomb, the show was canceled and then, mysteriously, brought back to life and returned to Trump’s home base, New York City.

Did we mention this season has celebrities?

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If we’re to believe the beacon of journalistic integrity that is TMZ.com, ONE TREE HILL has just officially jumped the shark. According to ’sources’, TMZ.com is ‘reporting’ that Kevin Federline is set to shoot a guest spot on the CW sudser this week. All together now, they cancelled EVERWOOD for this? (Yup, two years later, still bitter!)

Speaking of ‘jumping the shark’, the Dumpster, err we mean the Trumpster is up to his old tricks. In yet another desperate attempt for attention, Donald Trump claims that he’s currently negotiating with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton to take part in THE APPRENTICE: CELEBRITY EDITION. And if you believe Trump, we at theTVaddict.com know this Prince in Nigeria who only needs a few thousand dollars to help… well you get the idea.

Today’s announcement by FOX that Ryan Seacrest will be hosting the upcoming 59TH PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS can only mean one thing. Ryan Seacrest is the only actor — unlike say Lindsay, Paris and Nicole — that we’ll actually believe when he’s checked into the hospital for ‘exhaustion.’ AMERICAN IDOL NEW YEAR’S EVE! E! NEWS LIVE! HIS OWN RADIO SHOW! Does this guy ever stop working!

SEINFELD RETURNS TO NBC
Since NBC can’t possibly build a time machine to travel back to the heyday of FRIENDS, SEINFELD and Must See TV — they’ve decided to do the next best thing — sign Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld has signed on to play himself in 30 ROCK’S season premiere. “I was thrilled to be asked to guest star on NBC’s hit comedy 30 ROCK,” Seinfeld says in a statement. “I think it’s going to be so refreshing for me to be playing myself in a show that has nothing to do with neurotic, dysfunctional New York characters.”

THE APPRENTICE
According to an NBC press release, “NBC has renewed THE APPRENTICE for mid-season with a creative twist.” Creative! More like desperate. Is it not clear to anyone but this TV Addict that the ultimate kiss of death for any reality show is the use of the words ‘celebrity version?’ Mark the date on your calendar folks, THE APPRENTICE has officially jumped the shark. Unless of course the celebrities include The Donald, Rosie, Isaiah and T.R. Knight. Then and only then will this TV Addict be tuning in.

MONDAY NIGHT: THE NEW MUST SEE TV
In a surprise announcement, NBC President Ben Silverman announced that Josh Schwartz’s action-dramedy-hybrid CHUCK would lead off Monday night followed by HEROES and JOURNEYMAN. Having seen the pilot, this TV Addict will attest to the fact that NBC’s confidence in CHUCK is not misplaced. Josh Schwartz’s follow up to THE OC looks to be a definite hit come fall 2007.

That said, Holy TIVO Batman! CHUCK, HEROES, JOURNEYMAN, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, NEW CHRISTINE, 24, PRISON BREAK, ALIENS IN AMERICA, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, WEEDS, DEXTER, CALIFORNICATION. When did Monday night become the new Thursday?

With the new season of THE APPRENTICE just around the corner, the TV Addict had the opportunity to ask a question of the man himself, Mr. Donald Trump.

theTVaddict.com: With THE APPRENTICE season six taking place in Los Angeles, will the show now be changing cities with each new season? And being situated in Toronto Canada myself, is there any chance we’ll see the show move to Toronto for an episode? [TRUMP currently has a major development being built in downtown Toronto].

Donald Trump: We’re definitely looking at moving the show in future seasons, and Toronto is a possibility. Other cities we’re considering are Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas.

What other scoop did theTVaddict gather from the conference call with Mr. Trump….

With the show taking place in Los Angeles, expect a lot of Hollywood tie-ins.

The winning project manager will get immunity from being fired the following week.

At the request of the network, the show will go with a few fewer product placements, in terms of the marketing tie-ins. Expect some episodes to have the first season feel of selling lemonade.

Trump misses Carolyn, but thought that it was time to bring in fresh faces. Trump’s daughter Ivanka will be playing a more prominent role on the show.

And finally, an APPRENTICE REUNION is in the works and will most likely take the form of a two hour reunion show. According to The Donald, an ‘All-Star’ APPRENTICE wouldn’t really work throughout an entire season [of 15 episodes] because the contestants know each other too well.

The sixth season of THE APPRENTICE premieres with a 90 minute special on January 7, 2006.