• Here’s the take I haven’t seen yet on Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice: “Which is the more powerful force, the loyalty of Grey’s audience or the combined showkilling power of Tim Daly and Taye Diggs?”
• I am really tired of hearing Viva Laughlin! compared to Cop Rock. Cop Rock had original music. Viva Laughlin! will be about lip syncing to pop music in casinos, which begs the question of if CBS can make a weekly version of Moulin Rouge every week. It’s already ahead of Cop Rock by not having to write new music.
• Joe Scarborough may take over the morning Imus slot on MSNBC, vacating his show which airs after Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Scarborough Country’s audience has been growing but it still loses a big chunk of Countdown’s viewers — will MSNBC take this opportunity to find a show that could hold onto Olbermann’s viewers?
• Yay! Viva Laughlin!clips finally hit YouTube:
  
  Cop Rock wouldn’t have dared to camp up “Sympathy for the Devil” even though that is a popular song to camp up. (Anyone remember Laibach’s versions?)
• I didn’t notice it before, but that’s Jane’s preacher boyfriend from Coupling in Viva Laughlin.
• So. If Private Practice doesn’t make it do we sick Christopher Lowell with the showkiller label as well?
• Nooooo!
• Last time this year, the two shows I was anticipating most were Heroes and Ugly Betty. This year, it’s Pushing Daisies and Viva Laughlin!. I’m hoping to have good luck on that, this year.

Okay, feeling a little obsessive about Luke Snyder’s love interest, Noah, debuting tomorrow on As the World Turns, I started looking at the MySpace page made for the character. I think there could be something interesting in giving all of the show’s teen characters MySpace pages, but why does Cleo have a MySpace page? Considering that the character, a homeless runaway, keeps passing out from hunger (usually after refusing an offer of lunch) when does she have time to record video diaries at the public library?

Here’s a quickly-improvised cocktail recipe I put together recently. It’s fairly easy to prep for and ends up tasting much fancier than it really is.

Green Tea Martini
4 oz. Green Tea Syrup
3 oz. gin
soda

Mix the gin and syrup together in ice, strain and divide between two glasses. Add a splash of soda to each drink.

Green Tea Syrup

1. Take four cups worth of flavorful green tea (either four tea bags or 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea) and steep for four minutes in one cup of very hot water (just below boiling). Strain the tea.
2. Put the green tea back on the heat with &fact12; cup sugar. Cook on low until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside and cool

I used a mix of teas found in my pantry, a little bit of jasmine, sencha and dragonswell.

UK Channel 4’s recent branding spots feature stars from its series quickly answering cute questions. I like this one where alcohol choices are named, heavily featuring Ugly Betty cast members:

Okay, one more, just because Peter Gallagher is just adorable here:

See a bunch more at ONTD.

• Today in cool services found in other countries: “The Cell Phone Camera Diet Plan” is, apparently all the rage in Japan… and a pretty cool idea.
• In a perfect world, this could actually happen. I remain cynical until it actually happens.
• Okay, I hadn’t noticed until now the resemblance between Stephen Colbert and Bob Saget. For some reason, it bothers me.
• I’m glad this Doctor Who rumor has been heavily denied by the BBC. I’d really like a season of Who where I’m go in knowing I shouldn’t get too emotionally connected.
• Oy. HBO shows how not to run a guerrilla marketing campaign. Sheesh.

Awww. Baby bunny.

Don’t say I don’t take care of you.

Y’know, if the networks are looking for cheap to produce programming why not revisit a novel game show like Whew!?

I only saw Whew! once as a child, but the show’s “Gauntlet of Villains” certainly gave it a permanent place in my memory. The pun-based questions also make the show seem pretty fun. Besides, the Gauntlet of Villains could be pretty neat if made with modern production values.

People don’t freak out on game shows the way they used to… I blame the lack of bright lights and vivid colors. It’s hard to scream and jump for joy with all those shadows, scaffolding and exposed beams.

A fun note to head into the weekend.

Why the frack does this stay on YouTube long enough to get over 21,000 views?

Gah. Between this and the comics blogosphere sexism, I’m falling back into ‘hating people’ mode.

• In light of recent events, I thought I’d note that there was the time when the Moral Majority was cool… the Moral Majority of Hawaii, at least.
• Well, crap, I’ll never get around to writing a full post about this so here’s a big bit of news from last week’s TV upfronts: advertisers agree to include DVR viewers in ad rates. This could have a major effect, especially for marginal shows with a large DVR audience like Battlestar Galactica.
• This just sets off too many warning bells — AMC is working on an original series about a suburban meth dealer. Danger sign one, AMC. Danger sign two, sounds a whole lot like another cable network’s show.
• Why company blood drives can lead to sensitive situations.
• Early word on The Sarah Connor Chronicles doesn’t sound good.

BBC America has finally put up a web page for its upcoming soap Hollyoaks, which debuts next week. Also, the network has finally answered where the story will begin:

BBC AMERICA picks up the story in the build-up to a pivotal plot point in which escaped convict Sam Owen, who was convicted of date rape, wreaks his revenge on Hollyoaks by inflicting death and destruction at the local pub, The Dog…

These stories continue to develop in the lead up to the devastating fire at The Dog, an event that will leave a scar on the face of Hollyoaks for years to come. In the ensuing episodes, the community will rally round to help the survivors and life goes on bringing with it a whole new set of problems and dramas for its inhabitants.

Awesome. I’ve always wanted to jump into a soap just in time to catch a major bloodletting. Now if only SOAP Net would listen to my requests that they rerun “The Loving Murders” storyline… do you get any more promising than a serial killer storyline that starts with a poisoned powder puff?

In further BBC America notes, two more series have been re-announced. These shows aren’t a surprise, but we now know when to expect them to air. Hotel Babylon (otherwise known as the show that beat Footballers’ Wives in the ratings) debuts in August while the debut for Torchwood is set for September.