Tonight, NBC introduces the fourth spin-off of their long-running hit "Law & Order," which was shockingly canceled earlier this year as it headed into what could have been a record-breaking 21 years on TV.

Taking a page from successful city-hoppers "CSI," this spin-off offers a similar format in a brand-spanking new setting. So can a West Coast take on the show -- known for its gritty New York vibe -- cut it with audiences?

The show's previous spin-offs, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law & Order: Trial By Jury" all maintained the original's New York state of mind. So by flitting off to LaLa-land, the producers may have their work cut out for them. Still, its a prodecedural, and as long they stick close to the original's classic premise and structure, fans should be willing to make the jump rather seamlessly.

Plus, with "LOLA," as it's been lovingly dubbed, they've already got the stellar cast, headed by Alfred Molina as hot-headed deputy district attorney Morales. Also on board is Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow") as cool cat deputy district attorney Joe Decker, Regina Hall ("Scary Movie," "Ally McBeal") as deputy district attorney Evelyn Price and Skeet Ulrich ("Jericho") as Detective Rex Winters.

According to producers, L.A.'s vibrant sprawl should offer more diversity in storyline development, allowing them to explore the underbelly of the city from Koreatown to West Hollywood and everywhere in between. And given that its L.A., the ripped-from-the-headlines thing will take a page straight out of People magazine. This week, a Hollywood bling ring takes on a teen starlet and her controlling stage mom, a la Lindsay Lohan and her mama Dina.

Catch "Law & Order: Los Angeles" tonight at 10 p.m. on NBC.
 

Keri Russell is best-known, and perhaps best-loved, as the title character on J.J. Abrams hit "Felicity." The former Mouseketeer -- she rocked it on Disney's "The New Mickey Mouse Club" alongside future A-listers like Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera -- has kept a low-profile for the past few years, doing indie hits like "Waitress" while settling into motherhood. Now, though, she's stretching outside of her comfort zone -- and maybe ours -- by doing comedy, starring on Will Arnett's new show, "Running Wilde," which debuted last week on FOX.

 

Video: See full episodes of 'Running Wilde'

We caught up with Russell to talk comedy, working with Will Arnett and being a working mother.

On Doing TV Comedy: "Well, I certainly wasn’t shopping around to do a series again. I think I had such a great run with 'Felicity' and it was such a positive experience in every way so I wasn’t looking to recreate that but when I read this, I’m obviously a huge "Arrested Development" fan and I just was so taken by [show creator] Mitch Hurwitz that I couldn’t pass it up. So I don’t think I was necessarily shopping for one, but when I read it I couldn’t say no. I think Mitch’s relationship has been with FOX before. I think it’s hard.  My little guys first week of preschool was last week and of course I want to be there for that.  I never imagined I wouldn’t be walking him to class.  Luckily, just by chance, I didn’t have to go into work until 1:00 that day and so I got to drop him off at least and then my husband picked him up.  But, oh yes, of course it’s hard, but I think it’s hard for my lawyer friends, too, or advertising friends.  So it was a good fit. It's hilarious. I feel like I'm hanging out with my older brother and all his cool friends or something. He makes fun of me every day of my life. I'm just tagging along every day. I tell him every day, I have an older brother already -- Todd Russell -- and I don't need another one."
 
On the Funny Business: "It's all so funny. We just had an episode concerning a junior high school dance -- I think everyone is obsessed with junior high school dances. So I particularly liked that one, and Andy Richter is in it. What he does is so ridiculous and so wonderful. So that's one that's fresh in my mind, but we are doing one this week all based around a renaissance fair, which is really good. This is definitely different than anything I've done before. It's working completely different muscles. It's a delight. I'm getting to work in New York, where I live, which is wonderful. And I'm just laughing all day. They're super-smart, they're funny and it's just refreshing. It's an absolute change of pace." 

On Keeping Up: "This is definitely different than anything I've really done before. It's such a different ride and I feel like I'm learning so much every day. It's fast. It's furious, especially with Mitch. He's rewriting things seconds before we shoot them. I'm not talking a line, I'm talking pages of rewrites and then, 'Go ahead,' and he says, 'I'll just stand off to the side and I'll give you your line.' I say, 'Mitch, that's not how it works,' but, by the way, for Will it is. Will is just so sharp like that and they have such a quick, I don't know, just such a strong relationship that they just know each other's jokes."

On Her Crunchy, Know-It-All Character, Emmy: "I don't think I'm as bossy as she is, but I certainly think I know everything and at least my husband Shane would agree with that. Will [Arnett] keeps joking that Shane is an un-credited writer on the show -- that Shane gives him all the bad things about me and then they write it into the show. My character is living the life of the public servant, but wanting credit for it and P.S. preaching it as loudly as possible and telling everyone how they're doing it wrong. I like that aspect because it's such a big thing right now. It's all celebrity cause and all that stuff. I love Mitch's version of saying, 'Just because you're doing this work in the rainforest or whatever doesn't mean you don't secretly covet going to the fancy party and wearing a fancy dress.' It's okay, and I like that. I think it's true and I think it's smart."

On Being A Working Mom: "Anytime you're working and you have kids, mom or dad, I think it's hard. You just have to make time. During the weekends, I try to do less friends stuff and be there to make dinner and be there for breakfast time and make the little bits count. [My son] does come visit me on set, and the great thing about the show is Will and Amy have two little guys, too. So we've already gotten them together to play, and they're all about the same age -- they're all under three. This is sort of the best possible version of it, because Will is also having this young family as well."

Catch Keri Russell, Will Arnett and the gang on "Running Wilde," Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

 

And here I thought "America's Next Top Model" was all about the drama. But last week, the panel of judges, which features creator Tyra Banks, photographer Nigel Barker and Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley, voted off one of two sisters cast on the show this season -- a move that surely eliminated some surefire sibling drama down the line. Or maybe not? According to the eliminated sister, Terra White, she and her kid sis Chris don't get competitive much. We caught up with the Arlington, Texas, native to chat about getting kicked off, her makeover and watching her sister take the title -- she hopes!

Were you surprised that you were sent packing, given the drama a pair of sisters competing could bring?

Yeah, I guess that part wasn't as important to them. But Chris and I aren't competitive and we never really have been. We've always gotten along great. Plus, we have different looks and different personalities, so we're not really competing directly with each other. I wasn't really even going to try out this time. I actually tried out three times before this season, and it never worked out. So I was at the point where I was like, "I'm not going to try anymore." But Chris was going to try out, and she kept trying to convince me, like, "We should try again one more time. Don't give up." So that made me rethink it. But it wasn't like we both planned to end up on the show together. I was going to try again and at the last minute, she was like, "Well, I'm going to go, too." So it was a spur of the moment thing. And it worked out.

You mentioned that you were surprised about being dismissed this week.

Yeah, it was immediately after the makeovers, so it doesn't really make any sense. Yeah, I hadn't done so well before the challenge, but what's the point of giving someone a whole new look if you're not really going to explore the potential that the person has once they have the look. They eliminated me right after the makeover, so it came as a shock.

Do you think it was because you were crying?

Yeah, I think that might have had a lot to do with it. Chris kept telling me to keep it together and not cry, but I couldn't help it. Yeah, it's just hair, but as a black woman, you're very attached to your hair. It takes forever to grow back. Tyra knows. But they just cut off all my hair and then they just up and dismissed me. It was horrible. I'm not saying I wouldn't have done the makeover if I knew there would be an elimination at the end of it. But I maybe would have liked to have known that there was a chance of that happening. It just seems really unfair.

So am I right to presume you'll be watching and rooting for a certain someone to take the title?

Yeah, the whole family will be watching. It will be hard for me, having been through it, but I'm so excited for Chris and I can't wait to see her succeed. She's going to do great and I think she has a real shot at the title. I'll still be modeling, too. I just have to go about it in my own way. But Chris has what it takes to get to the top. I'm confident she will be "America's Next Top Model."

 

On the 21st season of 'Survivor,' set in Nicaragua, Louisiana native Shannon Elkins was the man in charge on the younger La Flor tribe. And that might have just put the target right on his back. We caught up with the father of three, who owns his own pest control company, to talk about broken alliances, that drama with Sash and why he compares himself to badass Russell Hantz.

Were you surprised to be the one going home this week?

I think I knew what was coming. You think I'd have went off on everyone like that if I knew I was staying? I knew it was coming. We thought we were pretty strong until Jud and NaOnka had that little fight right before the challenge. NaOnka basically punked out Jud and that was the beginning of the end for us. We were going into it with all this tension. And I've played basketball all by life, but Benry wanted to be the man and shoot the baskets. So there you go. I knew I was a target from Day One, but then I didn't want to be the one dropping the ball and putting the target right on my back.

Do you think you were being targeted because you sort of stepped up as the leader of the tribe?

It only mattered to the people who weren't with me. They were aligned with all the girlie dudes instead of being aligned with the only real man on the tribe. Yeah, I was the ring-leader. Look at me, c'mon. Compared to those wusses out there. You gonna follow me or Fabio or Benry? Sash? C'mon. Chase would have been an obvious one, too, but Brenda got his nuts locked down so tight right from the first night. And people knew it. They could tell he was done. He was in love with Brenda. And we had to break up that pair, so Brenda was the one we'd have to send home. So you know I thought I had it going into tribal, but Brenda changed everything on me. I knew Chase was done. He thought he was on 'the Bachelor,' not 'Survivor.' So he wanted to give her the rose, not me. That's what he did. So I knew I was going out, so I was like, 'Screw it.' I decided that I would go out in a blaze, if I was going anyway.

What would you say your downfall was? Chase?

I thought the guy had some nuts -- he's a line-backer from Carolina. But to let a girl just run you like Brenda did and play him so hard, he punked out. I think he's never had a girlfriend before. It was brutal out there watching that go down. Once I got Brenda out, I could have gotten whatever I wanted out of Chase.

Do you think calling Sash gay added to your troubles during tribal council?

Hold on, hold on. I never called him gay, alright? This is what happened -- I don't need to call him gay. Anyone who watches the show can see that for themselves. I don't need to judge that. I am far from perfect, so I don't judge. I'm straightforward, but this guy is out here lying to y'all about who he really is. So I already knew the answer to that question. What really happened was, he kept attacking me in tribal, and he brought me to the point of breaking. He kept accusing me of lying. And so I said, sure, 'I lied to you like you lied to me.' And he said, 'When did I lie to you?' So I said, 'When you told me you weren't gay.' That's how it went down. I wasn't trying to out him. Everyone knows his preference. I called Chase out on the same level. He was full of shit. I'm a straight shooter.

On your 'Survivor' bio, you say you're like Russell but prettier. Do you think comparing yourself to Russell is a risky move?

I don't think I was nearly as bad as Russell. In two shows, you can't do very much. But Russell says some straightforward, crazy shit. He says what he's thinking, and so do I. And as far as being much prettier than Russell, well, damn, do you need me to send you a picture?

So given that you only got to stick around for two episodes, would you play 'Survivor' again?

There's no way in hell CBS is going to ask me to play again. They never do what they should do on a TV show, so they'll never cast me again. But I don't know what I would do. Because if you go out there and drop 40 pounds of muscle, it's a major toll on your body. I don't know if I would be willing to risk that. 

This season's guilty pleasure? The CW's cheertastic "Hellcats" for sure. We caught up with star Aly Michalka -- who plays Marti, a snarky former gymnast law student who finds herself on the college cheer squad so she can score a scholarship and stay in school -- to chat about love triangles, making music and the show's "Glee" comparisons.

On Jumping Right In: "I've never been a cheerleader in my life and never expected that I would be. So I don't have any formal cheer training. And given how much it takes, we don't have all that much time to focus on it on set. We don’t have a ton of time, we’re learning these routines in a day! But that makes it feel real, gives us the kind of energy a real team would have. And we have some people on set to guide us with that stuff, and given my dance background, I felt pretty comfortable picking that stuff up. I was in a competitive dance company when I was a teenager. I did a lot of hip hop and we did  competitions. I just loved it. It's great that I get to bring that experience to 'Hellcats,' because they just threw us right in. But Marti is supposed to be gymnast, not a cheerleader, so she brings her own vibe to things too. For background, I did a lot of research online, watching cheerleading competitions,  nationals, sectionals, checking out the way they moved and interacted. I tried to bring that cheer spirit."
 
Expect Lots of Conflict: "Marti's going to have a lot going on this season. We’re going to see a lot of ups and downs when it comes to her relationships and when it comes to the squad and her relationships with her mom -- Wanda is definitely one of the more wacky moms on TV these days, so that will be interesting. We'll also see her relationship with Savannah develop, since they both have family issues. Towards the middle of the season, you'll see more conflict between them. You’ll see that relationship go through a roller coaster ride. Because Marti's getting comfortable with herself when it comes to her role on the squad. Plus, there will be a lot of romantic conflict this season. You really didn't get to see Marti realize her feelings for Lewis or her feelings for her best friend Dan, as well. And he starts dating Savannah (Ashley Tisdale), so there might be some conflict there. It makes things interesting, but it's true to life. I mean, there's definitely been times that I've liked more than one person at a time. Obviously we're meant to be with one person, but sometimes multiple people might be a good fit for you. Speaking of which, there also may be something up with her professor, Julian, played by Gale Harold, who's joining the show."

On Music: "Well, it's not a musical, song-and-dance show, but yeah, you will see more from Marti on that front. It's great, because of my background, but it's not front-and-center right away. You'll see more of that by episode four, but it's done in a real organic way, so I'm happy with that. It feels natural. You can definitely believe that Marti would be a musician and play and sing. It's incorporated in a very realistic way. Ashley Tisdale's got the musical background, too, but it's more Marti's thing on the show, so no collaborations for us at the moment. I've known Ashley since my Disney days, so it's been a lot of fun working with her. We have a great time on the set."

On the 'Glee' Comparisons: "Well, that show has had amazing success, so if they want to compare us to that, it's not a bad comparison to have, you know? It's a great show and it's got a huge following. I can see the similarities but we're not breaking out into song. While we've got the energy from cheerleading, 'Hellcats' is not really a song-and-dance show. If we can be as fun and as entertaining as 'Glee,' that's definitely a compliment for us."

Catch "Hellcats" tonight at 8 p.m. on the CW.
 

This week's episode is all about toppling the social order -- but in the end, the Glee kids are right back where they started, slushies and all.

Okay, so here's the deal. Matt -- the mixed race kid we hardly saw last season -- transferred. So Glee is down a member. That means they can't get to nationals -- in New York this year -- or even regionals for that matter, unless they find a few new members.

One glitch: the Glee sign-up sheet has, count 'em, zero names on it. The Glee kids don't care, they're a happy ragtag bunch, remember?

But Principal Figgins has cut the club's budget and handed the extra funds over to the new football coach, Bieste -- who looks surprisingly like old coach Tanaka (he had a nervous breakdown). And Schue probably wouldn't put up that much of a fuss, but Sue Sylvester sure won't be having any of this -- and the Cheerios budget has been slashed, too. And here's where the unthinkable happens.

That's right: Sue Sylvester is joining forces with her mortal enemy Will Schuester for the greater good: Operation Mean Girl. "Bieste needs to be stopped," Sylvester tells Mr. Schue. "And I need your help to topple her."

But this Bieste, she's a tough nut to crack, what with her wacky one-liners and all. "You're all coffee and no omelet," Bieste spits in Sylvester's face, before telling Schue that Glee asking for more money is a "steer with six teats and no oink."

Sue and Schue are still working on Operation Mean Girl. But Coach Bieste isn't as thick-skinned as she looks. In a fit of rage -- Finn thinks its a bright idea for Artie to join the football team so he can get Tina back -- she kicks Finn of the team. So he tries out for Cheerios. Yes, really. Weird. He dances. While Will backs off the plan, Sue Sylvester takes it even further, making Brittany accuse Bieste of inappropriately touching her.

Meanwhile, Quinn is back on the Cheerios as captain because Santana got a boob job, which demotes her to the bottom of the pyramid. (Sue Sylvester has a no plastics policy.) Cue the girl fight! Post-partum, the bitch is back, baby, and she's ready to take control.

And through all of this, the Glee clubbers are focused on finding new members. While grooving on "Empire State of Mind" in the courtyard, Finn notices new kid Sam -- the much-buzzed Chord Overstreet, who may or may not end up as Kurt's new boyfriend -- checking them out. Then he conveniently overhears the kid crooning in the shower. And he rocks out to Travie McCoy's "Billionaire" with the guys -- conspicuously sans Kurt (if Sam is the new boy toy, there has to be a meet cute), so all seems well on that front.

But Rachel Berry's got some trouble on her hands when she tries to recruit a cute little Filipina girl named Sunshine Corazon (Charise), whom, it turns out, might just have a voice to rival the Glee diva's. Eeeps. Naturally, Rachel lets her competitive nature get the better of her, trying to cut Sunshine off before she can steal her thunder -- by sending her to a crack house. But Tina and her new beau Mike Chang (they hooked up at Asian camp) find out through the Asian grapevine and so Sunshine gets her own special audition, which she rocks. She's in.

But that's just too easy -- and this premiere needs to set up a season's worth of drama. So Sam ditches Glee for the star quarterback spot, which just kills Finn, who's "just another Glee loser now." And Sunshine gets recruited by Vocal Adrenaline, whose new coach gave her a condo and got her mom a green card.

So in the end, the Glee kids are right where they started -- with a man down and not much hope of filling that spot, right?

Next week is the uber-hyped Britney Spears episode, complete with Lea Michele's Rachel Berry rocking the midriff-baring top and belting "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Stay tuned for a sneak peek here!
 

I guess I won’t have to worry about hassel-ing The Hoff this season. The former "Baywatch" star was the first to exit stage left after turning in a cheesy cha-cha this week. The Tom Jones-inspired routine left a lot to be desired and left David at the bottom of the scoreboard along with Margaret Cho and The Situation.

 

Photos: See the 'Dancing' cast | Video: Watch clips and full episodes | Twitter: Follow MSN TV

 

Backstage David told hostess Brooke Burke that he finally understood how all those "America’s Got Talent" contestants felt.

 

Here’s how our remaining stars fared this week in the order they were called safe:

 

Michael Bolton

I wasn’t a fan of the crooner’s Viennese waltz. His frame was bad and there were two serious stumbles at the beginning of the routine. But, hey, he has lots of room to improve and he’s not even the lowest man on the totem polee

 

Margaret Cho

The comedian’s larger-than-life Viennese waltz bombed with the judges but lucky for her the voters get the last laugh. It’ll be interesting to see whether Margaret decides to go more traditional next week. Also interesting: the budding pottymouth contest between her and Florence Henderson.

 

Jennifer Grey

It’s been almost twenty five years since Jennifer Grey starred in "Dirty Dancing," but she’s still got it! Her lines were beautiful, her rhythm was perfect and she brought the emotion necessary for a really great waltz. She’s the one to beat at this point.

 

Rick Fox

The basketball legend’s waltz was quite smooth and polished: His frame was good, his steps were measured, and he hid his stage fright well.  (It was only apparent during the critique, when the cameras zoomed in on his sweat-covered face!) I can’t wait to see what Rick and Cheryl do for their Latin routine next week.

 

Audrina Patridge

The reality star’s cha-cha was fast and yet super-controlled. Since she doesn’t have as much experience onstage as some of her fellow competitors we should expect to see Audrina’s performance get even better as she gets more comfortable in front of the crowd.

 

Florence Henderson
It turns out that Florence Henderson isn’t at all like her TV alter ego Carol Brady: She’s way more awesome. The foul-mouthed temptress danced a perfectly respectable cha-cha. Her hip action left a lot to be desired and her footwork was wrong almost as often as it was right. But it was fun. I hope she sticks around.

 

Brandy

Our former Cinderella turned in a sweeping, graceful waltz that was full of elegant touches. She made it look easy (even though it wasn’t). It’ll be interesting to see how Brandy does with a less buttoned-up Latin routine next week.

 

Bristol Palin

Bristol was clearly nervous out on the dance floor and so her cha-cha was a little tough to watch. Her posture was poor and her rhythm was off, but her footwork was pretty good. I’ve seen far worse week one performances, and if audience votes keep her around she could surprise us all.

 

Kurt Warner

Our newly retired quarterback isn’t taking his newest challenge lightly! Kurt danced a surprisingly fluid Viennese waltz on the first night of competition and looked like he was having fun. Let’s hope his fans will work to keep him around.

 

The Situation

The Situation’s shooting schedule gave him almost no time to rehearse his cha-cha, and it showed. He doesn’t seem like a terrible dancer, it was more that he couldn’t quite remember the steps. Next week he’ll have the same rehearsal schedule as all of the other celebs, so we’ll have to see if that makes a difference.

 

Kyle Massey

The "Cory in the House" star tore up the floor with his cha-cha. Kyle has great rhythm and an enviable range of motion, but more than that he seems like he has the ability to improvise. This kid could win it all.

 

Who won the week? Jennifer, Kyle and Brandy
Who needs to step it up? Margaret and The Situation

 

"Dancing With the Stars" is back for its eleventh season -- hard to believe, right? And this one is shaping up to be one of the best ever so far. Jennifer Grey rocked the house and cried remembering the time she spent working with Patrick Swayze. And then Carrie Ann cried. The Disney Channel's Kyle Massey brought the crowd to its feet with his rockin' cha-cha, and pop star Brandy turned in a moving Viennese waltz.

Photos: See the 'Dancing' stars rehearsing | Video: See clips and full episodes

Bruno Tonioli is already caught up in the romance of the season: "The quarterback [Kurt Warner] vs. the basketball player [Rick Fox]! I can’t wait to see you fighting it out here in the Latin [um, round] next week!" Both pro athletes turned in great performances, so Bruno's right that this will be a showdown worth tuning in for.

There were some lows, too, and some low, low scores: a trio of 15s! (These are numbers we haven’t seen since back in the Steve Wozniak days.) Margaret Cho delighted me and left the judges speechless with what was maybe the weirdest routine in the show's history while The Situation and The Hoff turned in numbers that were bearable only because everybody’s shirts stayed on.

 

Here's the play-by-play in case you missed it:

 

Audrina Patridge

The first routine of the season set the bar awfully high: Reality star Audrina's cha-cha-cha was fast and yet super-controlled. It’s so easy for cha-cha novices to go all hips, but Audrina kept it balanced. The producers are smiling down on Tony Dovolani. Last season he was paired with notoriously difficult Kate Gosselin, but now he’s got a talented partner who actually seems to care about the competition.

Score: 19/30

 

Kurt Warner

The former Cardinal and all-around nice guy danced a surprisingly fluid Viennese waltz with Anna Trebunskaya -- at least according to two of the judges. Len got in his first good crabby comment of the season. He made it 17 minutes into the broadcast before complaining, which I'm sure is a record. Bottom line: we've seen a lot of football players do well on this show, but I’ve never seen one as good as Kurt Warner right out of the gate.

 

Score: 19/30

 

Kyle Massey

The "Cory in the House" star is the show's youngest-ever competitor, but he and Lacey Schwimmer danced a very school's out cha-cha. I mean that literally: lockers, plaid, roleplay. It pretty much rocked. This routine rivaled some of the best from last season, and you know that's high praise. Kyle has great rhythm and an enviable range of motion, but more than that he seems like he has the ability to improvise. That's what will take you all the way. What did the judges think? Carrie Ann loved it and Len looked like he was going to go all assistant principal on Kyle -- but didn't. He said he liked it too! Oh, and Bruno liked it too, but I imagine he would have given the routine the nod just based on the costumes.

 

Score: 23/30

 

Rick Fox

Basketball legend Rick Fox moves surprisingly well for someone so ... supersized. I'm not sure what the producers were thinking pairing him with tiny Cheryl Burke. The poor thing had to have some 4-inch slippers specially made. His waltz was quite polished: His frame was good, his steps were measured, and he hid his stage fright well. The Viennese waltz isn't as complicated as some of the other dances, especially the Latin ones, but this makes any little mistake really stand out. Lucky for Rick he didn't really make any.

 

Score: 22/30

 

Margaret Cho

You know it's a party when Margaret Cho's mom shows up. The comedian took her talent for self-dramatization and poured it all into the Viennese waltz. The result? Lots of twirling, cape capers and nary a box step. I totally loved it. The judges hated it. I'm not sure I've seen them hate anything more. They lectured Margaret and her partner Louis Van Amstel on the "seriousness" the Viennese waltz required, but I have to protest. After all, they weren’t the ones who picked that Queen song.

 

Score: 15/30

 

Brandy

It's more than appropriate that the girl who played Cinderella started things out with a Viennese waltz. Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy turned in a sweeping, graceful routine that was full of elegant touches. The judges praised Brandy for her smooth moves, though Carrie Ann pointed out that she hit her marks just a little too hard. This is week one, but I feel comfortable putting Brandy in the final three. And I hope she and Maks will challenge themselves a little more next week. I'd rather see someone get a little tripped up by difficult choreography than perform a basic routine flawlessly.

 

Score: 23/30

 

Bristol Palin

Mark Ballas choreographed a really nice cha-cha for the first week of competition. Not too hard, not too easy. Bristol was clearly nervous out on the floor tonight, and I feel for her. It's not easy to strip off your buttoned-up suit and hair helmet to shake it. She's braver than me. But this is a dancing competition and her posture was just awful and her rhythm was off. On the other hand, her footwork was pretty good. If she makes it past the first elimination Bristol could be a contender. Len put it best: "That was a very acceptable performance ... for week one."

 

Score: 18/30

 

Florence Henderson
It turns out that Florence Henderson isn't at all like her TV alter ego Carol Brady: She's way more awesome. The foul-mouthed temptress danced a perfectly respectable cha-cha with Corky Ballas. Her hip action left a lot to be desired and her footwork was wrong almost as often as it was right. But it was fun! And if I could dance like that at Florence Henderson’s age -- or, okay, right now -- then I would be thrilled. If anyone out there wanted another Cloris, well, here you go!

 

Score: 18/30

 

Michael Bolton

Our resident Grammy-winning bajillionaire didn't distinguish himself on the dance floor tonight. His frame was bad and there were two serious stumbles at the beginning of his Viennese waltz. Honestly? It seems like he just couldn't catch his balance. He also couldn't remember that he was supposed to lead. But at least he remembered to smile. We've seen Chelsie Hightower turn around celebrities with two left feet before, so for now it's up to the voters.

Score: 16/30

 

The Situation

This dude is named Mike Sorrentino, but I’m just going to call him The Situation because that's what we're all used to. The Situation's shooting schedule gave him less than a week to train for the cha-cha-cha. And it showed. He rallied a bit toward the end of the routine, but then he almost dropped his partner Karina Smirnoff. At least he kept his shirt on. And, at least this routine led to possibly the best line Len has ever uttered on this show: "You've got the guns, but not the ammunition." Bottom line, if The Situation makes it through to the next round, he could have a shot.

 

Score: 15/30

 

Jennifer Grey

The "Dirty Dancing" star was nothing short of amazing waltzing with Derek Hough. Even if she hadn't been, the producers stacked the deck a bit when they gave her a song from the movie. But back to the dance: Her lines were beautiful, her rhythm was perfect and she brought the emotion necessary for a really great waltz. And this is Derek, so of course the choreography was insanely difficult. I can't find anything to criticize and, apparently, neither could the judges.

 

Score: 24/30

 

David Hasselhoff

You know how Len hates props? I tend to agree with him when props are a black leather jacket with sequins and a pair of sunglasses. Oh, and the music? "Sex Bomb." The Hoff cannot pull off Tom Jones, and so his cha-cha really brought the cheese factor. His footwork was mixed at best and he very nearly dropped partner Kym Johnson. He was also disturbingly out of breath by the end of the dance. Bruno called the routine "a potpourri of insanity" and Carrie Ann said David danced more with his mouth than with his body, and I could actually see what she meant. I kind of hope we're not voting The Hoff off the island just yet.

 

Score: 15/30

 

Who won over the judges?

Jennifer, Kyle and Brandy

Who won over the crowd?

Jennifer and Kyle

Who needs to step it up?

Michael and The Situation