8pm

• Ghost Whisperer (2.0/8 in 18-49) ended its season with 8.4 million.
• America’s Funniest Home Videos (1.7/6) had 6.8 million laughing.
• Friday Night Smackdown (4 million, 1.2/4) was down a smidge.
• FOX‘s airing of Dodgeball (2.8 million, 1.2/4) was down 600,000 compared to last week’s movie.
• A repeat of American Gladiators* (0.9/3) only had 2.5 million fired up.

A new season calls for a new schedule.

If you’re without anything to do this summer, this updated programming schedule may help keep you occupied.  Over the next few months, networks will be introducing a crop of reality shows (Celebrity Circus, Greatest American Dog), some experimental dramas (Swingtown, Fear Itself) and the usual horde of repeats.

This list is a compilation of the calendars for the five major networks.

Up until now, the spinoff has been without the show’s central reason for existence: the patriarch!  The West Beverly alum who moves his family from St. Louis to become his alma mater’s next principal.  The guy heading this drama’s version of the Walshes.

While there wasn’t anyone from the original cast suitable to play this character, the producers were able to snag someone from the old FOX family.  Rob Estes, a former Melrose Place star, has just been cast as Harry (Harry???) Mills.  Estes will star alongside Lori Laughlin (his show wife) and play father to Shenae Grimes and Tristan Wilds. 

CW has apparently worked very hard to flesh out this update with some decent eye candy.  While I’ll always have very fond thoughts of them, Jim and Cindy Walsh never looked this good.

8pm

• Ugly Betty (8.5 million, 2.7/8 in 18-49) gained a 1/2 million from last week.
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (8.3 million, 2.2/7) scored 600,000 more.
• A CSI* repeat (1.7/5) kicked off the night with 7.8 million.
• My Name is Earl (7.1 million, 3.0/9) tacked on another million.
• Smallville (3.8 million, 1.7/5) was down 200,000.

Most of the media was treating Syesha Mercado’s elimination as a foregone conclusion before the results episode of American Idol aired this week. Now, everything is going as planned (and predicted) while Mercado makes the press circuit. Recently, Syesha spoke with Entertainment Weekly.

The questioner actually put it to her like this: “The whole country seemed to know it was going to be a David versus David finale. How was it, being on stage when you knew your fate?”

I wouldn’t have been able to find fault with Syesha Mercado if she called a halt to the interview and walked off in a huff right then and there, but she didn’t. “Well, I didn’t read the press. I didn’t get the memo,” she joked, “I heard rumors that it was going to be a David-Syesha finale.” She clarified, “David Cook,” a moment later.

Rock ‘n roll group Lustra has fingered Cyrus for borrowing a little too heftily from their song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” (from the Eurotrip soundtrack) for her tune “Rockstar.”

“Although we are very flattered that Ms. Cyrus took this route, we would have preferred some credit,” guitarist Nick Cloutman told the press. The band, according to Cloutman, is “considering various options to rectify this situation.” As far as I can see, all those options will probably melt down into just one: a very quiet and tidy little settlement - anything to stop the bad reports in the media.

“She doesn’t write the songs - she sings them. We have referred this to Disney,” one of Miley’s reps responded to the news. And Disney, make no mistake, has the best lawyers money can buy. 

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest recently sat down with CNN guru Larry King to talk about - what else - the final episodes of Idol’s seventh season, and everything that led up to them.

When asked about David Archuleta, Ryan Seacrest answered “David Archuleta is extremely comfortable and poised and powerful when he sings.” Ryan admitted, “He’s a little uncomfortable and fidgety when he’s not singing, but he’s a master with the songs.” Seacrest went on to say “David Cook is very different. He’s a rocker. He’s a nice guy. And he’s been through quite a bit.”

During their Today show appearance, the group performed a number of songs including a medley of their older hits.  (You can see several more of those clips after the jump.)

Those unable to make it to Rockefeller Plaza today can find more information on tour dates here.

Andrew is the latest chef to learn that lesson the hard way. His over-confident attempt to create a healthy sushi box lunch for Chicago cops (???) fell flat with the judges, both because it didn’t taste very good and also because it was missing a food group required for the challenge.

The spastic 30-year-old New York sous chef joins Nikki who went home last week after her ineffectual role in the “Wedding Wars” episode. That leaves just six chefs left to fight it out for this season’s title.

8pm

• The Price is Right (7.3 million, 1.4/4 in 18-49) narrowly won its hour.
• Deal or No Deal (7.1 million, 1.8/5) was down a notch.
• ‘Til Death (5.9 million, 2.2/7) and Back to You (6.9 million, 2.5/7) both did about the same.
• Wife Swap (6.4 million, 2.5/7) slipped by 600,000.
• Approximately 4.6 million saw Whitney Thompson crowned America’s Next Top Model (2.3/7).

The American Idol will be named next week, but before the finale extravaganza can begin there was one last piece of business to deal with: elimination. For this special night, all the judges and contestants dressed in black and white (or, one or the other).

The Top 3 Idols danced around the stage and judges’ island singing “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” I didn’t really love the performance, but nerves probably played a big part for the singers. The week’s Ford video followed, Idols crooning “Heaven” inside an MTV Cribs theme. This one was actually pretty cute, which is more than what can be said of weeks past.

According to the New York Post, stars who may seize the opportunity to get some help include pop singer Aaron Carter, basketball star Dennis Rodman, Skid Row musician Sebastian Bach and former madam Heidi Fleiss.  Although some of these names could clearly benefit from the program, VH1 would not comment on any of the casting rumors.

Production on the next season of Rehab is scheduled to begin in June.

After 11 weeks and 14 models, it was time for America’s Next Top Model: Cycle 10 to come to a close.

Who was the next girl destined for Seventeen magazine?  Was it Fatima (the Somalian with the horrible childhood), Whitney (the first full-figured model to make it this far) or Anya (the “ethereal beauty” with the god-awful voice)?  Read on!

8pm

• American Idol (24 million, 8.6/24 in 18-49) grew by 2.8 million.
• NCIS (14.7 million, 3.0/9) improved by 900,000.
• According to Jim (1.4/4) settled in with 4.4 million.
• Most Outrageous Moments (4 million, 1.2/3) had a 200,000 decrease.
• Beauty and the Geek (1.5 million, 0.7/2) was down a notch.

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest called this year’s Top 3 competition the “closest race this show has ever seen,” but that was before the three performed their three songs. Now that the music has faded and the votes are in, there’s only one question left: who will make it to the finals, and who will make it only as far as elimination?

Each Idol contestant visited their own home towns last week, a traditional event for all Top 3 American Idols every season. For this year’s crop it meant a visit to Murray City, Utah (David Archuleta), Kansas City, Missouri (David Cook) and Tampa, Florida (Syesha Mercado). 

Here’s your first look at the cast behind the highly-publicized 90210 spinoff. Come next fall, CW will use the drama to kick off its new Tuesday night schedule.

Those pictured include Dustin Milligan (Runaway), AnnaLynne McCord (Nip/Tuck), Jessica Walter (Arrested Development), Shenae Grimes (Degrassi), Tristan Wilds (The Wire), Lori Loughlin (Summerland), Ryan Eggold (Dirt), Jessica Stroup (Reaper) and Michael Steger (The Winner).

Jennie Garth, who is not seen in this shot, was also recently confirmed as recurring character in the new series. Tori Spelling is reportedly in talks to return as well.

Here is how the cable network describes the former Bond girl’s project:

“Opening up her life for the first time Denise Richards lays it all on the line. Follow the high-profile star as she navigates Hollywood, romance and motherhood after a tumultuous year in the tabloids.”

Now who’s going to follow me as I try to navigate this contrived mess?  (Note to Seacrest:  Stick to hosting.)

Complicated premieres May 26 right before the debut of Living Lohan.

On last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars: Season 6, the four semifinalists had the opportunity to showcase their improvement.  Their dances - chosen at random - were all repeats of styles they had done before. 

By night’s end:

• Jason Taylor got a 28 for his Foxtrot (formerly 22) and a 27 for his Paso Doble (26).  Total = 55.
• Cristián de la Fuente was coincidentally assigned the same two performances he attempted the night of his injury.  Despite horrible flashbacks, he earned a 27 for his Viennese Waltz (25) and a 29 for his Samba (21).  His total of 56 topped the Miami Dolphin.
• Underdog Marissa Jaret Winokur scored a 26 for her Quickstep (21) and a 26 for the Rumba (25).  Total - 52.
• Kristi Yamaguchi racked up a 28 for her Jive (down from her perfect 30) and a 29 for her Tango (27).  Her total of 57 was the best of the evening.

8pm

• Dancing with the Stars (18.3 million, 4.2/11 in 18-49) was the night’s most-watched show.
• Bones (9.4 million, 3.2/9) grew by 1.3 million.
• Britney Spears helped draw 700,000 more to How I Met Your Mother (9 million, 3.8/9); The Big Bang Theory (7.9 million, 2.9/9) tacked on another 300,000.
• The American Gladiators debut (4.9 million, 1.9/5) did about 1/2 as well as Deal or No Deal.
• Approximately 2.6 million tuned in to hear Serena’s big secret on Gossip Girl (1.2/3).

American Gladiators won big ratings and big press during the writer’s strike, prompting NBC to immediately sign the series for another season, cast new gladiators and create bigger, better events for a triumphant second season return. The season kicked off last night…but was it as victorious as NBC hoped?

Ratings-wise, American Gladiators is already going the way of other NBC shows (to third or last place). FOX’s House led the night, while the Gladiators raked in only about 4.9 million watchers.

The season premiered with bigger obstacles, more competitors and a bevy of new Gladiators, all in hopes that this could be the show to secure NBC a first-place ratings slot. For those of you who didn’t watch it, I did.