Here is the latest on Men in Trees, it looks like it will not be back this season. The five remaining episodes will be added to next season’s allotment. Tonight is the season finale of October Road in the post Grey’s Anatomy timeslot. Next week, ABC will have a two-hour Grey’s Anatomy. The following week, May 10th, ABC will be giving a preview showing of Traveler, a show about a couple of friends on the run after someone they thought was a friend sets them up to take the fall for a terrorist act. It will begin its regular run for the summer on Wednesday, May 30th. On May 17th, ABC will be airing a Lost clip show after Grey’s Anatomy, which will also play again before the Lost finale on May 23rd. That takes you to the end of the fall season for ABC on Thursday nights. At least, Men in Trees will be back next season. Want to keep up with news about your favorite shows, then subscribe and get Tonight on the Tube via email. What do you think of this move by ABC to hold the rest of the episodes until next season?

Prime Picks

My Name Is Earl (NBC): New. After Earl gets rejected for a credit card he decides to get his GED.
The Office (NBC): New. When a shipment of paper goes out with an obscene watermark on them, the staff hurries to try and solve the problem and smooth over the situation.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): New. Everybody pays extra attention to a patient who also happens to be on the hospital’s board. Cristina and Burke start making plans for the wedding.

Shark (CBS): New. When a boy is found after four years living as the son of his abductor, Stark and his team must poke holes in his story that he was just trying to protect the kid from abusive parents.

Solid Selections

Smallville (The CW): New. A bomb is set off in one of Lex’s secret labs, while a pissed off Special Forces soldier holds Lex hostage and Clark tries to save him.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS): New. A washed up boxer is killed and the team must figure out what actually killed him.

October Road (ABC): Season Finale. Aubrey tells Nick he needs to choose between her and Hannah. Ray let’s Ikey and Allison’s secret out of the bag. Physical Phil changes things up a bit to try and win back Pizza Girl. Some good news for fans of this show is that they just made Janet and Pizza Girl regular cast members. Why is that good news? Why would they bother doing so, if they weren’t thinking of bringing it back for another season next fall? This upgrade in status keeps them locked in and unable to look for other potential roles for next season on other shows.

Cable Choices

Emeril Live (Food Network): Repeat. Emeril cooks up some delightful chicken dishes.

Iron Chef America (Food Network): Repeat. Sunday’s episode with Chef Consentino taking on Iron Chef Mario Batali in battle garlic replays.

Ace of Cakes (Food Network): New. See how he made a cake for the NFL and the Super Bowl.

Other Options

• 30 Rock (NBC): Season Finale. Liz is trying to figure out how to do the long distance relationship thing. Kenneth is trying to find an AWOL Tracy. This has been renewed for next season already.
• Scrubs (NBC): New. A wild sorority sister of Elliot’s comes for a visit turning J.D. into a third wheel. The show will be coming back for another season; it is just unclear as to whether it will be on NBC or somewhere else, like ABC. Next season will be its last though.
• This American Life (Showtime): Season Finale. Don’t worry, if you like the show, Showtime has picked it up for second season.

Sports Notes

• NBA TV has the Houston Rockets at the Utah Jazz.
• TNT has doubleheader NBA Playoff action with the Detroit Pistons at the Orlando Magic and then the Phoenix Suns at the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Versus has NHL Playoff hockey action.

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Were you shocked by the results tonight? I wasn’t. When they announced that no one would be leaving this week, which was all about charity and giving, I was like,” yeah, I can see that.” I wasn’t like, “oh my god, I can’t believe they just did that.”

What was shocking, however, was how mostly boring the show was and how most of the names they used to promote the show, only showed up in a few taped bits. Very few were actually in attendance. Although, you can go to iTunes and buy some of the videos they showed last night and the proceeds will go to charity.

There were three things that I did like:

• Il Divo, they were absolutely great.
• The duet of Celine Dion and Elvis was cool, even if a bit cheesy, but it was pretty well done.
• Ellen DeGeneres putting her money where her mouth was and donating $100,000 to the “Idol Gives Back” charities. One thing that always bothers me, is when a rich & famous person takes a few minutes or hours out of their day to use their celebrity to get all the little people, who have made them a celebrity, to donate to this great cause or that real need, but haven’t shelled out any cash of their own towards it. Ellen is the first I can recall in recent history that I have seen put up some of her own money, while asking you to send in yours. Actually, this may have been the most shocking occurrence of the night. Way to go Ellen!

Well, next week the votes will be added to this week’s votes and the two lowest will be heading home.

American Idol Season 6 – Top 6 Rankings:

1. Jordin Sparks – Even though they made her think she was the one being sent home this week, her young age and this week’s performance may have just put her in the front runner position.
2. Melinda Doolittle – Has the best voice and most consistent performances
3. Blake Lewis – If he doesn’t bring the beat box back soon, he will be beating back to Bothell, WA soon.
4. LaKisha Jones – Peaked way to early and has never been able to recapture that performance. Definitely needs to stop picking songs by past Idol winners.
5. Chris Richardson – Still don’t know what it is that people see in this guy.
6. Phil Stacey – Well, at least in an all white outfit and hat, he didn’t look quite as pale as usual.

Who do you think would have been put off the show had they done so? Who is most likely to be leaving American Idol Season 6 during next week’s results show?

While there are a few other things on tonight worth watching, the night will once again be dominated by American Idol and probably more so than ever. With the lineup of singers, actors and others they have, plus the promise of surprises, even non-Idol fans will probably be tuning in to watch the performances. Will you be watching “Idol Gives Back” tonight?

Prime Picks

American Idol (FOX): New. Two-hour results show with many guest performers including Celine Dion, Pink, the African Childrenss Choir, Rascal Flats and past Idol winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, plus many, many more. Also they will be asking you to call in and donate to the cause. Runs two hours, but will it have commercials? I guess we will finally find out tonight.

Lost (ABC): New. When Sun learns of what happens to pregnant women on the island, she lets Juliet examine her. The life of the new visitor to the island hangs in the balance. Last week’s episode plays right before this one.

Solid Selections

Jericho (CBS): New. A few people get shot while trying to steal salt from the mine, which only heightens tension between Jericho and New Bern.

Crossing Jordan (NBC): New. Macy is unsure if Jordan is ready to come back to work, but it doesn’t matter as she finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder case.

CSI: NY (CBS): New. Joey Lawrence plays a convicted serial killer who is let go after his arresting officer goes to jail and even though he is under orders to leave him alone, Mac goes after him when a new body surfaces. Whoa!

Cable Choices

Emeril Live (Food Network): Repeat. Get some ideas on what to do with those leftovers.

MythBusters (Discovery Channel): New. The guys look at some myths about ninjas. Plays again later.

Hustle (AMC): New. The gang finds another mark and sets about relieving them of their money. Runs 75 minutes and plays again later.

Other Options

• World Poker Tour (Travel Channel): New. The Festa Al Lago from Las Vegas. Runs two hours.

Sports Notes

• NBA TV has the Washington Wizards at the Cleveland Cavaliers in playoff action.
• TNT has a NBA Playoff doubleheader with the Denver Nuggets at the San Antonio Spurs and then the Golden State Warriors at the Dallas Mavericks.

TV Marathons

Sci Fi Channel has the three-part, six-hour mini series The Lost Room tonight.
VH1 has from 1980 to 1984 of I Love the ‘80s: 3D.

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It was all about hope and inspiration tonight as America Idol kicked off their “Idol Gives Back” campaign. Where each vote up to 50 million was worth 10 cents for charity from FOX parent company News Corp. Regular sponsors, Ford, Coca-Cola and AT&T were thanked multiple times for their undisclosed support for “Idol Gives Back.” Tomorrow will be a two-hour results show with plenty of performers and pleas for you to make a donation.

Overall, I would say that the singing performances were good. It will be interesting to see who ends up in the bottom three after giving voters two phone numbers for each contestant and an extra two hours to vote.

Did I completely miss something or did they say that Bono was the guest mentor, but we never saw any mentoring? Was I dreaming, did I just make it up in my head? Or, did I see it in the ads and hear Ryan say it at the beginning of the show? It makes me think I am losing it.

Anyways, what did they sing and how did they do?

American Idol Season 6 – Top 6 Performance Rankings:

1. Jordin Sparks – She was the last to take the stage and sang, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” She was very good. For me, it was the first time I felt she was connected with the song and wasn’t just singing it. There was some real emotion behind it. Randy thought it was so good, he it might be the “best vocals” they have heard “from any season.” Paula thought it was a “glorious” performance. Simon thought she was “fantastic” and “could have a hit record with that” song.
2. Melinda Doolittle – She was second to sing and chose “There Will Be A Day.” She was once again fantastic. Randy thinks she has “arrived.” Paula told her she was “magical” and there is “no one like you.” Simon thought it was a “vocal master class.”
3. Chris Richardson – He was first to go and his performance started out a bit rough for me, but he sounded pretty good for him as the song went on. He sang, “If I Could Change the World.” Randy thought he was finally “in it to win it.” Paula thought it was “fantastic.” Simon told him that it was a “good vocal” and a “more sexy performance.
4. LaKisha Jones – She chose “I Believe,” which if I remember correctly was the song that vaulted Fantasia into the front and her eventual win. I don’t think it was a great song choice, although I thought she did better than the judges seemed to. Randy thought it had some “pitch problems” and Paula told her she is a “powerhouse vocalist,” but basically she liked the Fantasia version better, although it took Simon to translate her mumbling into something coherent. Simon was once again worried about “the shouting.” It was nothing like last week in the shouting department, but it paled in comparison to when Fantasia sung it. She was the fourth to take the stage.
5. Blake Lewis – He was third and went with John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I thought it was a pretty solid performance, but a tad boring. It was just “kinda all right” for Randy. Paula thought it was the “first sensitive or emotional performance” he had given. Simon said he “sang it with sincerity.”
6. Phil Stacey – He was next to last to sing and chose “The Change.” It was weird for me to her him sing a song by a country artist without any country flavor in his performance. Especially after last week’s really good Country week he had. I thought he sounded a bit scratchy in places and more opera than country. Randy thought it was “another strong performance.” Paula thought it was his “best.” Simon thought that if he could connect more with the country elements he could keep going because “people like you.”

That would make my bottom three Blake, LaKisha and Phil, two of which were in the bottom three last week. And, like last week I think they will be safe and Phil, who was safe last week, will be heading home to spend some quality time with his kids.

Who do you think will receive the least votes out of the Top 6 remaining on American Idol Season 6?