Holiday Weekend TV Choices...

FRIDAY
ABC: Men in Trees, Women's Murder Club, 20/20 (NEW)

CBS: Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, Numbers

NBC: The Singing Bee (NEW), Dateline (NEW)

FOX: Bruce Almighty (2003)

CW: WWE Friday Night Smackdown

SATURDAY

ABC: Samantha Who? (2hrs), Women's Murder Club

CBS: NFL Network New England vs. New York

NBC: NFL Network New England vs. New York

FOX: Cops (1hr), America's Most Wanted (NEW)

SUNDAY

ABC: The Sound of Music (1965)

CBS: The Amazing Race 12, Cold Case, Shark

NBC: Football: Kansas City/NY Jets

FOX: The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, American Dad

CW: Life is Wild, Crowned: Mother of all Pageants

MONDAY

ABC: Shrek 2 (2004), Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008

CBS: How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami

NBC: Saturday Night Live in the 90's: Pop Culture Nation, Law & Order: SVU

FOX: Men in Black II (2002)

CW: Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game

TUESDAY

ABC: Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC

CBS: NCIS, The Unit, 48 Hrs Mystery

NBC: The Biggest Loser: Couples, Law & Order: SVU

FOX: Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Hawaii

CW: Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants, One Tree Hill

Courtesy Dave Kent @ The New 93.9 KISS FM, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC!

Get your local listings HERE

Nielsen Ratings

Sunday Night Football topped the Nielsen ratings in the week leading up to Christmas, with the match-up of Washington and Minnesota leading the way. But even so, it only drew 14.1 million viewers.

NBC's singing competition show Clash of the Choirs drew 8.3 million viewers for all four episodes. Low as those numbers are, the show still beat all six editions of the ABC show Duel. Despite the winner taking home nearly two million dollars, the game show failed todraw more than 7.5 million viewers on each night. The final show, which aired Sunday, had even fewer viewers: only 6.2 million, according to last week's Nielsen ratings.

CBS was once again the highest-rated network for the week, followed by NBC, ABC, Fox, the CW, My Network TV, and ION Television.

Here are the top primetime programs for the week of Monday, December 17th-Sunday, December 23rd:

1. Sunday Night Football: Washington at Minnesota, CBS, 14.1 million viewers

2. CSI: Miami, CBS, 14.01 million viewers

3. 60 Minutes, CBS, 13.52 million viewers

4. NCIS, CBS, 13.01 million viewers

5. Criminal Minds, CBS, 11.66 million viewers

6. Biggest Loser 4, NBC, 11.42 million viewers

7. Two and a Half Men (Monday, 9:30 p.m.), CBS, 11.28 million viewers

8. CSI: NY, CBS, 11.19 million viewers

9. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 11.1 million viewers

10. The Unit, CBS, 10.74 million viewers

The REAL O.C....

Former O.C. star MISCHA BARTON was arrested in West Hollywood early yesterday morning for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol and possessing marijuana. The arrest came after her vehicle was spotted by sheriff's deputies allegedly straddling two lanes of traffic.

Barton also failed to signal when making a turn, according to an L.A. County Sheriff Department statement released yesterday. In addition, she was busted for driving without a valid license. The 21-year-old actress has been released on ten thousand dollars bail. A court hearing is scheduled for February 28th.

TV Tonight (12/27)

ABC Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

CBS: CSI: NY, CSI, Without a Trace

NBC: My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, The Office, Scrubs, ER

FOX: Ice Age (2002)

CW: Smallville, Family TV Awards

Courtesy Dave Kent @ The New 93.9 KISS FM, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC!

Get your local listings HERE

TV Crap

Love New York 2 star TIFFANY POLLARD loves GEORGE WEISGERBER, a.k.a. TAILOR MADE. She turned down his proposal on the December 17th finale of the VH1 series, but according to People magazine, she'll accept another proposal on the January 6th reunion show...

According to the New York Daily News, HEIDI KLUM could convince SPICE GIRL VICTORIA BECKHAM to serve as a judge on the season finale of Bravo's Project Runway...

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men...

The NFL's New England Patriots could make history this Saturday night, and now we all get to see it. Cable's NFL Network, which currently has no agreement with cable companies such as Cablevision and Time Warner Cable, has reached a deal with CBS and NBC to carry its telecast of the Patriots-New York Giants game.

The NFL Network has recently come under criticism for exclusively televising NFL games that only reach a relatively small number of fans, and was scheduled to broadcast this Saturday's contest. Given the potentially historic nature of the game -- the Patriots are trying to become only the second team in NFL history to achieve an undefeated regular season -- the network relented on exclusivity.

"Now here's Dave"

JAY LENO may renew his nightly competition with DAVID LETTERMAN when he returns on January 2nd. According to the New York Post, Letterman is "poised" to announce tomorrow that he will also come back to television on that date. Letterman's production company has met with the striking Writers Guild of America to bring back The Late Show and its writers, but no agreement has been reached yet and no new negotiations are scheduled. Letterman could still follow the lead of Jay Leno, CONAN O'BRIEN, and JIMMY KIMMEL and go back to work on January 2nd without his writers. An insider told the Post, quote, "As that date gets closer, [Letterman] is going to be forced to make a decision."

Duel!

Forget Deal or No Deal, or Who Wants to be a Millionaire, for that matter. Twenty-eight-year-old Florida nurse ASHLEE REGISTER survived ABC's Duel on Sunday night, winning just shy of 1.8 million dollars. The week-long, high-stakes trivia game show ended with the following question: "Which of these weighs more: (A) A gallon of water; (B) A gallon of crude oil; (C) A gallon of vegetable oil; (D) They all weigh the same." If you guessed option "A," give yourself a round of applause.

Register says she'll use the money she won to pay off debts, buy a house, and shower her family with gifts.

"Put on a show or the little puppy dog gets it!"

CARSON DALY says he had no choice but to resume production of his late-night show Last Call with Carson Daly to save the jobs of his non-writing staff members, after NBC issued him an ultimatum in the wake of the writers' strike. He tells the Los Angeles Times, quote, "It was, 'Put a new show on December 3rd or 75 people are fired. What's your answer?'" Daly said that order was passed down by his "immediate bosses" at NBC, but did not elaborate further. Daly was the first late-night host to go back on the air during the ongoing writers' strike, which currently is in its eighth week.

NBC hosts JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN and ABC's JIMMY KIMMEL will return without their writers on January 2nd. JON STEWART of The Daily Show and STEPHEN COLBERT of The Colbert Report will air new episodes on Comedy Central beginning January 7th, also without the aid of their writing staffs.

Kennedy Center Honors (IOW, not much on tonight!)

STEVE MARTIN, Oscar-winning director MARTIN SCORSESE, BEACH BOY BRIAN WILSON, singer DIANA ROSS and pianist LEON FLEISHER are this year's recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, in recognition of their lifetime achievement in the performing arts. The show was taped in Washington, D.C. earlier this month and airs tonight on CBS. CAMERON DIAZ, STEVE CARELL, VANESSA WILLIAMS and American Idol winner JORDIN SPARKS were among the stars who paid tribute to the honorees. CBS presents the 30th annual Kennedy Center Honors tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Off for the Holiday...

Big TV News Page will be off for at least Christmas Day in the States...If there is no new TV News then we will be off for longer...but more than likely I'll be back on Wednesday (12/26)

As a holiday present, I leave you a picture of an actor who possibly has "Jumped the Shark"*

*Jump the Shark is a trademark of TV Guide

TV Boogoloo

An eBay auction of an original Knight Rider car was suspended last week due to overwhelming interest in the vehicle. An attorney for the estate of the late ANDREW KISSEL said the auction for KITT -- DAVID HASSELHOFF's car in the 1980s series -- received more bids than he could handle while on vacation. The auction will be re-listed once his vacation ends next month. The sale will help pay off the debts of Kissel, a real estate developer who was found dead last year...

Girl met police last week when 26-year-old actress DANIELLE FISHEL was arrested in Newport Beach, California on a drunken driving warrant from Los Angeles County. She was arrested last Thursday morning and released from jail shortly thereafter. Fans of the 1990s comedy Boy Meets World know Fishel as Topanga, the girlfriend of BEN SAVAGE's character on the show. She became a correspondent for The Tyra Banks Show earlier this year...

Strrikkee!

Now entering its eighth week, the Writers Guild of America strike has shut down many TV shows and cost more than 350 million dollars in lost wages. And that's making for a bleak holiday season for prop masters, electricians, carpenters and other "below the line" workers, who have been forced out of work by the strike. Prop company owner JIM ELYEA says his business has dropped by 40 percent since the strike began November 5th, forcing him to lay off some workers and take a pass on exchanging Christmas presents this year.

In the meantime, reps for Late Show host DAVID LETTERMAN met with striking writers on Friday, in an attempt to reach a deal that would allow for Letterman's show to return to the air with its writing staff. Late-night hosts JAY LENO, CONAN O'BRIEN and JIMMY KIMMEL plan to return to their shows January 2nd without their writing staffs. JON STEWART and STEPHEN COLBERT will bring their Comedy Central shows back without writers on January 7th.

Idol Schedule set

American Idol fans can mark their calendars with dates for all of the upcoming audition shows. Any Idol fan knows that the seventh season starts up with a two-night event January 15th and 16th. But according to zap2it.com, Fox has mapped out the whole Idol audition schedule, with one-hour early audition episodes on January 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th, as well as February 5th and 6th. They'll include footage from San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami and Philadelphia.

For those who want to skip the preliminary stuff and get to the Hollywood round, the first episode airs February 12th. The top 24 will be revealed the next night.

The top 12 guys and top 12 girls will perform in two-hour shows on February 19th and 20th, followed by the first round of fan voting. Then two guys and two girls say good-bye elimination night, February 21st.

With the field narrowed, the top 10 guys will perform Tuesday, February 26th, with the top eight singing the following Tuesday, March 4th. The girls have Wednesdays, with the top 10 singing February 27th and the top eight on March 5th. Zap2it reports that elimination nights will be Thursdays at 8 p.m. The top 12 will be revealed on March 6th and start vying for the Idol title on March 11th.

What's on TV for the Holidays...

The holiday season brings presents, good cheer, and plenty of alternative programming to watch on TV over the next two days. While CBS and the CW have reruns of their Monday-night shows scheduled for tonight, the other major networks will present films and specials for you to enjoy with the entire family:

* You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. ABC airs the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 8 p.m. Eastern time, followed by the 2005 animated tale Madagascar.

* NBC will again broadcast the classic holiday film It's a Wonderful Life, at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

* Fox offers the 2003 STEVE MARTIN comedy Cheaper by the Dozen at 8 p.m. Eastern time

On Christmas morning, RYAN SEACREST will host yet another major TV event, emceeing the Disneyland portion of the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade, airing at 10 a.m. Eastern time. REGIS PHILBIN and KELLY RIPA will host the festivities at Walt Disney World. The special will feature a Dancing with the Stars performance from JOEY FATONE, DREW LACHEY and other dancers, as well as appearances from Hannah Montana star MILEY CYRUS and musicians JOSH GROBAN and THE JONAS BROTHERS.

The Christmas-night TV schedule is mostly filled with reruns, aside from a new, holiday-themed episode of NBC's Deal or No Deal at 8 p.m. Eastern time. If you prefer a good movie, ABC will air the first Pirates of the Caribbean film at that time.

TV Hodgepodge

STEPHEN COLBERT of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report has been voted AP Celebrity of the Year by broadcast producers and newspaper editors who said that he had the biggest impact on pop culture in 2007. Colbert beat out Harry Potter author J.K. ROWLING and Former Vice President AL GORE, who finished second and third respectively.

One of the original KITT cars from the hit '80s TV series Knight Rider is up for auction on eBay. The talking, black 1984 Pontiac Trans Am is being sold to satisfy some 30 million dollars in debts of slain real estate developer, ANDREW KISSEL whose killing last year remains unsolved. As of yesterday, one bid for the 20 thousand dollar minimum was posted on eBay...

VINCENT MARGERA, who is known to fans of MTV's Viva La Bam show as "Don Vito", was sentenced yesterday to probation for ten years to life after he was convicted of groping young girls at an autograph signing session near Denver. The 51-year-old reality star was found guilty in October of two counts of sexual assault on a child. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender, get substance abuse treatment, undergo a mental-health evaluation, and to not to appear as his "Don Vito" character for 10 years...

ABC-TV has announced that it will move the last original episode of Grey's Anatomy from January 3rd to January 10th. The move prompted NBC-TV to reverse the premiere of Celebrity Apprentice from January 10th back to January 3rd to avoid losing a large chunk of its audience to the popular primetime medical drama

Truthiness and justice for none!

JON STEWART and STEPHEN COLBERT will be back with more fake news on January 7th, albeit without the help of their writing staffs. Comedy Central announced yesterday that The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report will return on that date, following a hiatus brought on by the seven-week-old writers' strike.

Stewart and Colbert said in a joint statement, quote, "We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence."

The Writers Guild of America didn't show as much humor in its own statement, saying, quote, "Comedy Central forcing Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert back on the air will not give the viewers the quality shows they've come to expect."

SAG Awards! Feel the Power!

The 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will air live from Los Angeles on January 27th on TNT and TBS. Here's a list of the nominees:

Actor In A Movie Or Miniseries

Michael Keaton, The Company

Kevin Kline, As You Like It

Oliver Platt, The Bronx Is Burning

Sam Shepard, Ruffian

John Turturro, The Bronx Is Burning

Actress In A Movie Or Miniseries

Ellen Burstyn, Mitch Albom's for One More Day

Debra Messing, The Starter Wife

Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Queen Latifah, Life Support

Vanessa Redgrave, The Fever

Gena Rowlands, What if God Were the Sun?

Actor In A Drama Series

James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

James Spader, Boston Legal

Actress In A Drama Series

Glenn Close, Damages

Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Actor In A Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

Ricky Gervais, Extras

Jeremy Piven, Entourage

Tony Shalhoub, Monk

Actress In A Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?

America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Drama Series Cast

Boston Legal

The Closer

Grey's Anatomy

Mad Men

The Sopranos

Comedy Series Cast

30 Rock

Desperate Housewives

Entourage

The Office

Ugly Betty

All Spears, All the Time Part Deux

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS has raised more than a few eyebrows with her unexpected pregnancy, including in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana. One resident, BESSIE SANDIFER, believes that 16-year-old Jamie Lynn and her big sister, BRITNEY SPEARS, have both let down the people of Kentwood. But JULIA MILLER, a neighbor of the Spears family, says, quote, "I think the media needs to leave 'em alone and let them have a life."

Meanwhile, the family of 19-year-old CASEY ALDRIDGE, the father of Jamie Lynn's baby, is still coming to terms with the news. Aldridge's uncle, Pastor ODUS JACKSON, says, quote, "I'm sure they would have liked to have become grandparents in a different mode, but I think ultimately...they will accept it." Jamie Lynn told OK! magazine she plans to raise the baby in Louisiana.

Jamie Lynn and Casey may even have wedding bells in their future. Jackson tells the New York Post that they, quote, "want to get married. I know Casey does, and he says she does, too."

Jamie Lynn's pregnancy hasn't had any effect on her Nickelodeon series, Zoey 101, yet. The show will wrap up its third season on January 4th, and the fourth and final season has already been filmed and is scheduled to premiere in February.

In light of Jamie Lynn's announcement, Nickelodeon says it is considering a special about sex and love, with the help of newswoman LINDA ELLERBEE. If the cable channel moves forward with those plans, the special could air as soon as next month.

TV Tonight (12/20)

ABC: Duel (NEW), Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice

CBS: CSI, CSI, Without a Trace

NBC: Clash of the Choirs (LIVE), My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, The Office ("Fun Run" is a great episode!)

FOX: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (NEW), Don't Forget the Lyrics (NEW)

CW: Smallville, Supernatural

Courtesy Dave Kent @ The New 93.9 KISS FM, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC!

Get your local listings HERE

TV FunHouse

QUEEN LATIFAH will join the ranks of KIRSTIE ALLEY and VALERIE BERTINELLI as a Jenny Craig spokeswoman, according to People.com. A rep for the weight-loss company said, "We officially confirm that Queen Latifah will join the Jenny Craig program in January."...

The Hollywood Reporter says MTV is developing a spin-off of its popular series A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, which concluded earlier this week. The spin-off will feature A Shot at Love contestant DOMENICO NESCI choosing one of 15 women who will ultimately meet his mom in Italy. A Shot at Love centered around men and women trying to win over the bisexual TILA TEQUILA...

Ch-Ch-Changes...

DONALD TRUMP won't make his triumphant return to the boardroom until January 10th. His celebrity edition of The Apprentice was originally scheduled to premiere on January 3rd, but the start date has been pushed back by one week. NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice will feature actress MARILU HENNER, actor STEPHEN BALDWIN and other C-list stars competing for charity.

The debut episode of the ABC dramedy Cashmere Mafia, starring LUCY LIU, has also been pushed back. It will now premiere on Sunday, January 6th before moving to its normal Wednesday-night time slot later in the week. The show revolves around four career women dealing with their professional and personal lives.

Awards Shows, Now Live, on Tape!

The People's Choice Awards has chosen to shake up its format because of the ongoing writers' strike. The event will now feature prerecorded acceptance speeches from winners, who will respond to questions sent in by fans. QUEEN LATIFAH, who was previously announced as host, will still participate. The People's Choice Awards, usually a live ceremony, will instead be taped and air January 8th on CBS. The show honors the public's favorite entertainers.

The Writers Guild of America has already decided to not allow its members to write for the Golden Globe Awards, also scheduled for next month, and the Oscars. There have been no signs of progress between the writers and studios in recent weeks, but the WGA said yesterday it hopes to reach agreements with some independent production companies by next week. In fact, DAVID LETTERMAN's production company reportedly will meet with the WGA tomorrow, setting the stage for a possible return in the near future.The writers' strike began on November 5th over such issues as compensation for online programming.

Denise the Lunch Lady

The school lunch lady whose misleading sob story on the season finale of Survivor: China earned her 50 thousand dollars now says she'll donate the award to charity. DENISE MARTIN claimed on the show Sunday night that she was demoted to a janitorial position at a Massachusetts school upon her return from China, inspiring executive producer MARK BURNETT to give her the money. She admitted on CBS' The Early Show Tuesday that her comments were misleading, after the school district for which she works said Martin had been promoted to custodian before she taped Survivor, and had returned to the same position.

The 40-year-old Martin has apologized again in a statement, saying, quote, "I do not feel comfortable about accepting the $50,000. I would instead ask that it be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation."

All Spears, All the Time...

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS somehow managed to overshadow her big sister, BRITNEY SPEARS, earlier this week, when her pregnancy was revealed.The 16-year-old actress is expecting her first child with 19-year-old boyfriend CASEY ALDRIDGE, surprising many of her fans. JOY FALLICK, a Long Island, New York, mother of a Jamie Lynn fan, believes the Nickelodeon star should act as a role model to her young audience. Nevertheless, child psychiatrist Dr. CHARLES SOPHY says Jamie Lynn's story should promote dialogue between parents and their children.

Speaking to OK! magazine, Jamie Lynn said her mother, LYNNE, is now supportive of her after breaking the news just before Thanksgiving. Her dad, also named JAMIE, isn't quite as understanding, though. According to Us Weekly, he's "furious" with the two women for selling their story, and according to a source, quote, "feels Jamie Lynn ruined her life." TMZ.com reports that Jamie Lynn and her mom weren't seeking money for their deal with OK!, but Britney's sis will receive one million dollars for a photo shoot once she gives birth.

Britney herself has kept her sense of humor through it all. She reportedly told paparazzi while shopping Tuesday night, quote, "My sister's not pregnant!" A source tells TMZ that the pop star was just being sarcastic.

Jamie Lynn's pregnancy shouldn't interfere with her Nickelodeon show, Zoey 101 -- the series reportedly completed production on its final season in September. However, MICHELLE TAUBER of People magazine says some readers of her publication want a special "wrap-up" episode of Zoey 101, currently scheduled to air next month, to be cancelled.

TV Tonight (12/19)

ABC: Duel (NEW), Private Practice, A Holiday Celebration at Ford's Theater (NEW)

CBS: Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, Criminal Minds (NEW), CSI: NY (NEW)

NBC: Clash of the Choirs (LIVE), Journeyman (NEW)

FOX: Back to You, 'Til Death, Kitchen Nightmares

CW: Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (NEW), Gossip Girl (NEW)

Courtesy Dave Kent @ The New 93.9 KISS FM, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC!

Get your local listings HERE

TV Potpourri

MICHAEL DOUGLAS is a bona fide movie star, but he's now landed a steady gig on TV. The 63-year-old is the new announcer of NBC's Nightly News, introducing anchor BRIAN WILLIAMS each evening. Douglas' voice could first be heard this past Monday. Television work is nothing new for Douglas, of course. He starred on The Streets of San Francisco back in the '70s...

Entertainment Tonight's MARK STEINES will host the Miss America pageant next year. Steines will host Miss America Live! from Las Vegas on January 26th. The two-hour special, set to air on TLC, will wrap up a four-part reality show focusing on the 52 women competing for the crown. Steines seems to be a natural choice for the gig -- he's married to former Miss America LEANZA CORNETT...

Consider it insurance if the writers' strike isn't over: NBC will add reruns of the USA series Monk and Psych to its Sunday night schedule beginning in March. Both shows will return to USA with new episodes next month...

Nielsen Ratings

Reality doesn't bite for the networks. With the writers strike in full swing, viewers have embraced reality shows to fill the lack of new scripted programming. The finale of Survivor: China was the second highest-rated show in last week's Nielsen ratings, with more than 15 million viewers. The penultimate episode took fifth place with 14-and-a-half million viewers, while the reunion special also placed in the top 15. That's the good news for the long-running CBS reality franchise. The bad? Despite taking second place, only one other finale in Survivor history has drawn lower ratings -- this past spring's Survivor: Fiji.

While episodes of Survivor held the top of the Nielsens last week, other reality shows scored big, too. The Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and multiple episodes of Deal or No Deal all finished in the top 20.

CBS was the highest-rated network for the week, followed by NBC, Fox, ABC, the CW, Univision, My Network TV and Telemundo

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of Monday, December 10th-Sunday, December 16th

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 19.9 million viewers.

2. Survivor: China Finale, CBS, 15.2 million viewers.

3. Without a Trace, CBS, 15.1 million viewers.

4. Sunday Night Football: Washington Redskins at New York Giants, NBC, 14.6 million viewers.

5. Survivor: China, CBS, 14.5 million viewers.

6. CSI: NY, CBS, 14.4 million viewers.

7. Criminal Minds, CBS, 14.2 million viewers.

8. CSI: Miami, CBS, 14.1 million viewers.

9. The O.T., Fox, 13.5 million viewers.

10. 60 Minutes, CBS, 13.4 million viewers.

Oops!

The school lunch lady who claimed on the Sunday-night finale of Survivor: China that she was demoted from her position upon her return from the show has served up an apology for her "misleading" comments. Forty-year-old DENISE MARTIN was awarded 50 thousand dollars by executive producer MARK BURNETT after she said she was demoted to a janitorial position because of her involvement in the show. The next day, the Massachusetts school district for which she works stated that Martin was actually promoted from her cafeteria position to full-time custodian before she left for Survivor, and that she returned to the same job.

On CBS' The Early Show yesterday, Martin admitted that the school district was telling the truth. She explained that while taping Survivor, she decided that she wanted her old cafeteria job back, but has been told there are no openings. Martin apologized and said, quote, "It was not my intention to be misleading." When asked if she would accept the 50-thousand-dollar award if the offer is still on the table, she replied, quote, "I had no idea that I was going to be awarded that."

Here's Jimmy Kimmel!

JIMMY KIMMEL will follow the lead of fellow late-night hosts JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN and return to work on January 2nd, without the help of his striking writers. Much like Leno and O'Brien, the host of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live made his decision out of consideration for his non-writing staff members. He said yesterday in a statement, quote, "Though it makes me sick to do so without my writers, there are more than a hundred people whose financial well-being depends on our show. It is time to go back to work."

Leno and O'Brien announced their impending return earlier this week, though they also won't have writers to pen jokes for them until the seven-week-old strike is resolved.

Most late-night shows have aired reruns since the strike began on November 5th. CARSON DALY resumed production on his NBC late-night show last month, and DAVID LETTERMAN's production company, Worldwide Pants, is reportedly seeking an individual agreement with the Writers Guild of America to bring back his CBS show and its writers, as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which Letterman's company produces.

Knocked Up, The TV Show!

So much for BRITNEY SPEARS' younger sister being the stable daughter in the family. JAMIE LYNN SPEARS is expecting a child, at the tender age of 16. The star of the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 tells OK! magazine she and her longtime boyfriend, CASEY ALDRIDGE, who's reportedly 18, were shocked by the unexpected pregnancy. Jamie Lynn is 12 weeks along, and plans to raise the baby in her native Louisiana.

Jamie Lynn says she waited until just before Thanksgiving to break the news to her mom, LYNNE, who she says has been supportive after the initial surprise wore off. Lynne Spears tells the magazine, quote, "I didn't believe it because Jamie Lynn's always been so conscientious. She's never late for her curfew. I was in shock. I mean, this is my 16-year-old baby." There's been no comment yet from Jamie's big sis on becoming an aunt, although according to People magazine, she was unaware of Jamie's pregnancy. A family friend says, quote, "This is going to kill her," adding, quote, "In the end, she'll be supportive." Britney, of course, has two young kids of her own.

Nickelodeon responded yesterday to Jamie's announcement, stating, quote, "We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being."

Perhaps as a result of Jamie's revelation, a memoir from Lynne Spears about raising her children has been delayed indefinitely, according to People magazine. The book had been due out in May.

The issue of OK! magazine with Jamie Lynn's interview will hit newsstands nationwide by Friday.

TV Tonight (12/18)

ABC: Duel (NEW), According to Jim, Boston Legal (NEW)


CBS: NCIS (NEW), The Unit (NEW), Cane (NEW)


NBC: Clash of the Choirs (NEW), The Biggest Loser (NEW)


FOX: Bones, House


CW: Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (NEW), Reaper

Courtesy Dave Kent @ The New 93.9 KISS FM, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC!

Get your local listings HERE

TV Potpourri

People magazine reports that Heroes actress ALI LARTER became engaged to The Game Plan actor HAYES MACARTHUR over the weekend. The couple has not set a wedding date yet. The 31-year-old Larter plays Niki Sanders, a woman with multiple personalities, on Heroes...

The Food Network thinks RACHAEL RAY is simply delish. After replacing former network star Emeril Lagasse just last week, the cable channel will launch a new primetime series featuring the bubbly TV personality, titled Rachael's Vacation, in January. The Food Network is also helping itself to new episodes of Ray's daytime series 30 Minute Meals...

Hmmmmm....A Survivor Cover Up?

Did Survivor: China contestant DENISE MARTIN outwit the show when she said she was demoted from her position as a school lunch lady because of her celebrity status? Looks like she just might have.

The 40-year-old Martin claimed on Sunday night's finale that she lost her cafeteria job at a Massachusetts school upon her return from China because her superiors felt her newfound fame was "too distracting" for the kids. She said she was demoted to a janitorial position instead. After hearing Martin's story, executive producer MARK BURNETT awarded her 50 thousand dollars, apparently on the spot.

However, in a statement posted on their official website yesterday, the Douglas Public Schools district disputed Martin's allegation. In fact, they claim that she was actually promoted from a cafeteria position to full-time custodian, with a higher salary and better benefits, before she taped Survivor. The school adds that she returned to the same job after she finished competing in the reality series.

No comment as yet from either Martin or Survivor producers.