The 10th edition of “Dancing with the Stars” kicks off Monday, March 22. And this edition promises an unpredictable season.

ABC has released the official portraits of the new cast of Stars with their professional dancers.

Click on each picture for a bigger view of the stars.

Enjoy!

Okay, first things first…I guess I blew the “Bachelor” finale. Jake and Vienna are the duo.

This season definitely had its drama and plenty of surprises. But I say Good for Jake. He and Vienna seem pretty happy in the “After the Rose” ceremony. Tenley was certainly one of the most gracious runner-ups in the show’s history.

Glad to see she and Jake ended on a positive note.

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But the biggest surprise on Monday night during the “Bachelor” finale was the announcment of the new “Dancing with the Stars” cast!

Wow…like The Bachelor, this new season of Dancing looks like its also going to offer drama and plenty of surprises.  

Here’s the line-up for Season 10 starting in three weeks:

Pamela Anderson –

The rumors were right! 

Nicole Scherzinger

Best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, the 31-year-old Scherzinger would seem to have a natural advantage on “DWTS” due to her extensive singing/dancing work. 

Kate Gosselin-

This is the one that made me and my wife gasp! (I swear to God, we did!)  

Chad Ochocinco -

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco joins the ranks who have competed in the dancing competition, including Warren Sapp and Jerry Rice. Born Chad Johnson, the colorful player legally changed his name to the Spanish words for “eight” and “five.”

Shannen Doherty -

“Dancing” loves those ”Beverly Hills, 90210″ alums. (Jenny Garth and Ian Ziering appeared before.)

Evan Lysacek -

After you win a Gold Medal at the just wrapped Olympics, what do you do for an encore? 

Erin Andrews -

Another big surprise…and you gotta love that ESPN/Disney synergy in action!

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin -

The original moon-walker…enough with that line already! He’s 80 years old…and I bet he’s gonna show Pamela a step or two.

Aiden Turner -

Another ABC soap star hits the boards…”All My Children” does well with this show.

Niecy Nash -

“The Insider” panelist can ask Samantha Harris for pointers.

Jake Pavelka -

Talk about synergy – Part 2…coming off the “Bachelor” finale, Jake is going on the dance floor.

Ya gotta think Evan and Nicole are the strong favorites right out of the gate. His ice dancing skills are a definite strength plus his athletic training (how many Olympians/athletes have won the Mirror Ball trophy?) And Pussycat Doll Nicole certainly should have some advantages too.

The weak one? Kate Gosselin,  your 15 minutes are up like 10 minutes ago. As my wife pointed out, now we know why Kate got those hair extensions.

Remembering the moon landing as a kid back in 1969, I’m personally rooting for Buzz Aldrin. Hopefully he’s got the right stuff! 

So in addition to the new cast, there is more about the new season.

On Monday morning, a leggy Carrie Ann Inaba told the “Live with Regis and Kelly” audience of some other significant changes to the setting of the show. The backstage ”Red Room” where the celebrities relax before or after their dances will no longer be backstage…it will now be out in the performance area, in front of the judges!

Carrie Ann thinks it will add excitement and even more spontaneous reaction as the stars will be able to react with the judge’s scores.

A "Dancing" Star? Are the rumors true?

Seems that every season of “Dancing with the Stars” brings a bunch of rumors about who might be on the show.

And it seems so many of those rumors end up being just that, rumors. 

I think some celebrities start the rumor mill going to put the word out there that they will be on the popular show just to get attention.

This time around, the main rumor making the internet rounds are that former Baywatch babe and tabloid queen Pamela Anderson is a potential dancer on the show.

Figure skater Evan Lysacek, a gold medal winner from the Winter Olympics, is also a contender according to People Magazine. BUT, he would likely not make the commitment until the fall edition comes around (since he has ice show commitments AND some more competitions potentially this spring.)

Paula Abdul has been courted by ABC to maybe join “Dancing.” But are they trying to get her as a contestant…or a judge or co-host? 

(UPDATED INFO: TMZ is reporting this morning that Abdul has passed on joining “Dancing.” That she is talking to Simon Cowell about his new talent show, “The X Factor.”)

Remember, Samantha Harris is bowing out as co-host…could Paula take her place? Others in the running (rumors again) for the co-host gig point to Nancy O’Dell, late of Access Hollywood. Or maybe it will be another former dancing contestant…Melissa Rycroft?

The actual cast announcements will be made on Monday night.

Tom Bergeron and Rycroft will announce the new contestants/stars during the two hour “Bachelor” finale on Monday night between 8 to 10pm on ABC and RTV 6.

The new season of “Dancing” debuts three weeks later.

 I will post the contestants on Tuesday.

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Will he pick sugar or spice?

BTW, speaking of “The Bachelor,” who will Jake pick?

ABC’s marketing department is promoting the showdown as “Sugar” versus “Spice.”

Ouch!

I asked my wife last night. She is disappointed to think that Vienna will be the last woman standing.

I don’t know.

But it seems to me that when the overwhelming evidence points to one winner…it’s usually the opposite.

I think Tenley will get the final rose…but Jake, smart guy that he is, will hold off on proposing until they get away from the bright lights of the reality cameras.

Just my thinking…what do you think?

Ratings don’t lie.

Who will "The Bachelor" choose?

Indiana (and the rest of the country) is watching this season of “The Bachelor.”

I’ve found this season pretty unpredictable. And pretty entertaining. 

Early in the season, a bachelorette was kicked off for fooling around with a show producer. That lady will return next week for the “Women Tell All” special. I’m amazed at what people will do to get their fifteen minutes of fame.

In this week’s episode (this show is just like a soap opera) Bachelor Jake rejected New York swimsuit model Gia. That leaves Tenley and drama queen Vienna (a popular target of the tabloids) in the finale.

Who will Jake choose?

Host Chris Harrison has teased a couple of possible spoilers.

He says we have not seen the end of Ali, the girl that walked out on Jake last week. The rumor is that she may be back as “The Bachelorette” this summer.  

The more interesting quote…he says viewers may not be happy with the outcome of this season. Hmm…does that mean Jake picks Vienna? Or does he pass on everyone?

I’ll be watching with my wife.

Chelsie Hightower and Ty in Sports Illustrated

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There’s some familiar TV faces (and bodies) in this year’s annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.

Some of the lady dancers from “Dancing with the Stars” peeled off their sometimes skimpy dance outfits…and put on skimpy swimsuits instead!

The best selling magazine reaches out to include some athletes that have been featured on ”Dancing with the Stars” with their female partners.

Dancers Cheryl Burke, Chelsie Hightower, Edyta Slyvenska are among the bodies gracing the magazine.

The new season’s stars and their dancing partners will be revealed in ”The Bachelor” season finale on Monday, March 1.

The Bachelor finale will introduce the new cast of "Dancing"

The season finale of “The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love” won’t just reveal a Bachelor proposal. The stars will be coming out!

On March 1, ABC will use “the Bachelor” finale to reveal the cast of the spring edition of “Dancing with the Stars!” Host Tom Bergeron will apparently announce the stars in segments throughout the show guranteed to be highly rated.

Speaking of “Dancing,” last week co-host Samantha Harris announced she would not be returning for the show’s tenth season. She’s leaving to concentrate on her hosting duties at “The Insider” and “Entertainment Tonight.”

So who will be the new co-host? Nancy O’Dell could be a possibility. She was supposed to be in the cast last spring (until she ended up IN a cast.)

But rumors that ABC wants Paula Abdul on “Dancing” this season are rampant. But the question is do they want her dancing…or co-hosting?

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Oprah has a new slogan.

Her new cable network will launch in January of 2011. While no shows are official yet, the tagline for the new channel is. “It’s Your Life – OWN it.”

A spokesman for OWN points out that it is not going to be called “the Oprah Winfrey Network” but OWN.

Whatever. 

From a marketing standpoint, it works.

UPDATED INFO:

Oprah will appear on her own network even before her talk show is finished on broadcast TV. She is going to participate in a documentary that will air on OWN about the final days of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

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Two of NBC’s stars from their biggest hits are teaming up.

An Emmy Winning star from “The West Wing” is coming back to TV, this time on a comedy.

Allison Janey (remember her as CJ, the President’s Press secretary) will co-star in Matthew Perry’s new ABC comedy “Mr. Sunshine.”

There is a connection. The guy directing the new show, Thomas Schlamme, was the director of many of the “West Wing” episodes. He also directed Perry on NBC’s “Studio 60.”  

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Metal...meets "Iron"

Finally, heavy metal…meets IRON. 

“Iron Man 2″ will have a rockin’ soundtrack.

The soundtrack of the sequel to “Iron Man” will feature AC/DC.

Okay, you’ve been warned.

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Jason and Molly getting married March 8 on ABC and RTV 6!

For only the second time ever,  the hit show “The Bachelor” will celebrate a wedding on ABC! Jason and Molly from last year’s edition are getting married! 

(Okay, technically, this is the FIRST wedding for the Bachelor. The other wedding was the pink themed extravaganza with Trista and Ryan from “The Bachelorette.”)   

Jason and Molly, from last year’s edition will tie the knot in a two hour televised ceremony on ABC and RTV 6 on Monday, March 8. 

You remember Jason…he’s the one that picked Melissa Rycroft then rejected her on the follow up show, admitting he made a mistake. Jason then added insult to injury and went for his #2 pick, Molly.

Jason was crucified by fans for his approach to telling Melissa Rycroft that it was over on national TV.

But ultimately, it appears his decision has worked out for everyone!

Within a week of the rejection, ABC sensing an opportunity, invited Melissa to join ABC’s other hit reality show, “Dancing with the Stars.”

Melissa did get a "a happily ever after" after all

Not only did Melissa shine, finishing in the top three, she was invited to join ABC as a Good Morning America special correspondent. She even worked Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. And the best news…she got married herself to an old friend/boyfriend late last year.

But the big question I have…will she be invited to the Jason and Molly’s wedding?     

Stay tuned!

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UPDATED: ABC’S OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE with more details!

ABC CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO THE WEDDING OF JASON MESNICK AND MOLLY MALANEY, ON “THE BACHELOR: JASON AND MOLLY’S WEDDING,” MONDAY, MARCH 8

“The Bachelor” Couple Will Celebrate Their Union with a Spectacular Event

Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney, the first “Bachelor” couple to ever walk down the aisle, will share a dramatic new chapter of their love story with millions of viewers when ABC televises their much anticipated wedding on “The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding,” MONDAY, MARCH 8 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

The couple, who announced their engagement in October, will let viewers in on all the exciting festivities – from Molly’s dress fitting for her dazzling custom-made gown to Jason and Molly planning the big day with their wedding planner and event designer. Then it’s on to their bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the next stage of their romantic journey with a beautiful wedding ceremony in the perfect location.

Past “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” couples, stars and participants (to be announced at a later date) will be on the guest list to help the couple celebrate, along with their families and friends.

Jason and Molly have had a rocky road on their way to happily ever after, which makes this momentous event that much sweeter for them. Jason’s journey goes back more than a year, when he was one of the final two bachelors on DeAnna Pappas’ edition of “The Bachelorette.” Although ultimately rejected by DeAnna, he was the overwhelming fan favorite and the first ever single dad on “The Bachelor” to try his luck at finding love again. He proposed to Melissa Rycroft in the finale, only to find that he had a change of heart. In a heartbreaking and shocking “After the Final Rose” special, he broke up with Melissa – and hoped it was not too late to beg Molly to give him a second chance to win her love. Good thing he took the gamble – despite the intense scrutiny from fans and media, his risk was rewarded. The couple took slow and steady steps to build their relationship, including Molly’s building a bond with Jason’s son, Ty, as they saw their connection develop into a real, lasting union.

Hosted by Chris Harrison, “The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are the executive producers.

Cougar Town gets a sophomore season!

The ABC freshman Comedy block on Wednesday night is coming back. Three comedies have gotten an early renewal for next season!

“The Middle,” “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” will return for a second year!  

ABC is looking for fourth show to add to the line-up (since only Kelsey Grammar’s “Hank” didn’t make the cut.) If you are not watching these comedies, you are missing one of the best night’s of TV.

Dare I say it, it’s the new must-see TV.   

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Speaking of the Wednesday night line-up on ABC, WRTV made a cameo on “The Middle.”

As you know, “THe Middle,” the comedy starring Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn is set in Indiana. Often the show will incorporate Hoosier references into the stories. I.U. sweatshirts, Colts jersies, even  the Indiana State Fair has shown up on a tee shirt or two.

A couple of months ago, the show contacted Channel 6 about using our station logo for a brief visual.

We sent the logo and on Wednesday night’s episode it showed up on the side of a large satellite truck!

RTV 6's cameo in ABC's "The Middle"

The media descends on the tiny town of Orson, Indiana when a dinosaur bone is discovered in the local quarry.

WRTV didn’t exactly have our “15 minutes of fame…”

It was more like 15 seconds.  

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Okay, guilty pleasure admission. I watched “The Bachelor” this week.  

This season’s “Bachelor: On the Wings of Love” revealed a big scandal this week. One of the bacholorettes apparently had an “inappropriate relationship” with one of the behind the scenes producers. Whoa and whoops!

It did make for a pretty interesting turn of events.

Chris Harrison, the host of “The Bachelor” writes a very entertaining blog for Entertainment Weekly.  He offers an insider’s take on the drama. Here’s the link.

In a show that could border on “inappropriate” itself, Harrison’s hosting takes away the “ick” factor and makes the show much easier to watch. He’s funny as hell in his blog, too. Give it a read.

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ABC kicks off the tenth season of the hit reality series “Dancing with the Stars” with a two-hour premiere, MONDAY, MARCH 22 beginning at 8pm. 

Celebrities will be announced in February.

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Bogie finally coming to DVD and Blu Ray

Finally, a few years ago, the American Film Institute announced their list of the 100 Greatest Movies Ever Made.

99 of those movies are available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

The one holdout is finally coming to DVD.

“The African Queen” starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn is going to be released in various elaborate, restored editions on March 23!

 Great movie. Great stars. If you’ve never seen it, watch it.

Kym Johnson and Donny Osmond take home the Mirror Ball Trophy

This season’s edition of “Dancing with the Stars” has had its ups and downs (injuries and some less than stellar celebrities.)

But the season finale on Tuesday night ended with an entertaining, surprising and ultimately satisfying outcome!

Donny Osmond took home the Mirror Ball Trophy.

Even though Mya may have been a more consistent dancer throughout the season, Donny’s winning personality AND his improved and ultimately more entertaining dance routines gave him the win. Kelly, a crowd favorite came in third.

What I like about Dancing with the Stars:

The show surprises…! As was shown on Tuesday night when a technical glitch interrupted a pre-recorded segment, winning host Tom Bergeron humorously reminded viewers that the show was “LIVE” (in that booming announcer voice that he uses at the beginning of each telecast.)

The show refuses to take itself too seriously: the comedy bits like the “Losers Club” with lousy dancers like ESPN’s Kenny Mayne; Adam Carolla grilling Donny Osmond on how to win; SuperBowl Champs Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin having a “dance-off.” But when it comes down to the tension, the show knows how to balance the comedy with the drama. And that ain’t as easy as it looks.  

Whitney Houston, looking and sounding just fine, did her big hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” as all the pros performed a group dance.

But it was Osmond’s pure joy at winning the competition that made Tuesday’s show so much fun. Seeing Donny pull his sister Marie (a contestant a couple of seasons ago herself) that made for a great finale.

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"Scrubs" is back on Tuesday

Okay, I gotta give a shout out for what is one of the funniest promos for a TV show I have ever seen. Inside the Tuesday night episode of “V” the folks from ABC’s marketing department hit a home run.

A promo for the new season of “Scrubs” that debuts next Tuesday night used star Zach Braff speaking to the audience from the familar iconic underside views of one of the ship’s from “V.”

The spot would ONLY work inside ”V.” What made it even more classic and hilarious? Braff, on the sig out to the promo does a throw-a-way line saying “Oh, and by the way all the V’s are lizards.”

Funny stuff. I don’t think my translation does it justice, but it cracked me up.

It will be good to see the newly refurbished “Scrubs” back on next week. (Braff is only appearing in a few episodes to transition to “Scrubs” moving in a new direction at a teaching hospital.)

Monday night Donny got his perfect score!

And the results show/finale for DANCING WITH THE STARS should be a good one.

Donny Osmond came on strong in his freestyle; Mya, perfect in all her other dances did not impress the judges in the final dance. Kelly Osbourne entertained, but stumbled.

“Dancing with the Stars” is not just a reality show. It’s a great variety show. Tuesday night’s finale will prove that with comedy, lots of returning celebs and a special performance by Whitney Houston.

I predicted last week that Mya and Donny would be in the finals with Mya winning. It’s gonna be very, very close.

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Did you see the “controversy” at The American Music Awards?

American Idol runner up Adam Lambert came out (so to speak) and definitely made a statement about the future of his music.

Lambert decides to go the shock route

If you didn’t see it, Lambert’s S&M styled number included a dancer’s face in his crotch, a passionate kiss with a male bandmate and assorted other acts that were definitely incorporated to push the envelope and get people talking. 

It is exactly what Lambert wanted to do. (And the show knew it was coming…they put the singer at the very end of the show and relentlessly promoted the performance as an controversial performance you would not want to miss.)

In creating some controversy around his performance he obviously wanted to gain a little street cred and exude a ton of attitude. I guess he did that. I saw an interview with the glam rocker on EXTRA and he said as much.

Kinda like saying “Mom and Dad, this is not the sweet boy your kids voted for on American Idol.”

We’ve seen it before. David Bowie, Madonna, Britney Spears etc.

The controversy is probably good for the AMA’s too. The show has always seemed an awards show afterthought. This year the whole show seemed to have a little more edge. But most importantly, it had more impressive musical performances.  

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“Find My Family,” a brand new ABC reality show had a sneak peek preview after “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday night. It was created by the “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” team.

And like “Extreme,” this show packs an emotional wallop. 

The preview episode reunited a couple with the daughter they gave up for adoption. This kind of reality show is reality worth watching.

Just pack the Kleenex first.

Regular episodes will air on Mondays at 9pm on ABC and RTV 6.

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RTV 6 will have live coverage of the annual Circle of Lights this Friday night at 7pm.

Kevin Gregory, Todd Wallace and Trisha Shepherd host. Several musical acts that auditioned in the fall will perform in front of 80,000 plus Hoosiers in downtown Indianapolis. 

In addition to the terrific singers there are a couple of new surprises for this years event. 

The stars of ABC’s new Wednesday comedy hit “The Middle” have taped a special message for the holiday show. (”The Middle” is set in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana.) 

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Finally, a special musical treat for you on Thanksgiving night.  ABC will air two specials.  

“BEYONCÉ: I AM… YOURS”  and “PAUL McCARTNEY: GOOD EVENING NEW YORK CITY” air at 9pm and 10pm.

 Here’s the info from ABC:

On Thanksgiving night, November 26, the ABC Network will air back-to-back hours from two of the world’s biggest music stars, Beyoncé and Paul McCartney. Both specials will incorporate rarely seen footage of Beyoncé and Paul McCartney, revealing interviews from the artists and their unique musical performances.

 “Beyoncé: I am…Yours,” at 9:00 p.m., ET

In Beyoncé’s first network special with ABC, viewers get a front row seat to an intimate performance from the iconic artist. The hour-long special captures the superstar’s appearance at the Encore Theater in Wynn, Las Vegas this past summer, where she tells the story of her career through music and dance. Woven throughout the special are backstage moments, footage of her off stage life, and rare childhood video. Additionally, viewers will get to know her famously all-female band — drums, keys, bass, guitar, horns and percussion players. Beyoncé shares how she transformed herself from a talented nine-year-old into one of the world’s most powerful musical forces – and what she thinks of it all.

 “Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City,” at 10:00 p.m., ET

Forty-four years ago, four kids from Liverpool performed what was then the largest, highest grossing rock concert ever – the Beatles Live at Shea Stadium. In the summer of 2009, Paul McCartney did it again, performing at Shea’s former site, New York’s Citi Field in Queens, NY. ABC will bring viewers this dazzling concert in which he performs Beatles, Wings and solo classics. Culled from nearly three hours of music and video, the program is an emotional journey through his legendary 50-year musical career and includes footage of the original Beatles concert at Shea. McCartney also talks candidly about those early days and what it was like to return to a place where he performed at the height of Beatlemania.

 The specials are produced by ABC’s Lincoln Square Productions. Rudy Bednar and David Saltz are the executive producers.

Derek Hough and Joanna Krupa

Okay, in my posts this week I boldly predicted the final three contestants for next week’s “Dancing with the Stars” finale.

I picked Mya, Donny Osmond and Joanna Krupa.

Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

Guess I underestimated the popularity of Kelly Osbourne. Swimsuit model Krupa and her partner Derek Hough were shown the door on Tuesday night’s live telecast.

I did not see that one coming.

Donny’s one poor performance on Monday didn’t knock him out. I think his being so hard on himself and admitting how disappointed he was with his dance goes to show just how popular the guy is with the show’s viewers.

Kelly’s moving onto the finale was worth it. Just seeing her dad Ozzy react (he looked to be near tears) was priceless.

But Mya…well it’s her trophy to lose. Donny has the best shot of taking it from her. But he’s going to have to hit it out of the park.

Should be a good show!

BTW, it was surprising to see the Bee Gees on Tuesday night’s Results show. After the untimely death of brother Maurice Gibb a few years ago, I was under the impression the Brothers Gibb were not going to perform anymore.

Kinda cool seeing them again.