Rio 2016 Olympics: Lilly King owns Yulia Efimova

Yulia Efimova, self proclaimed "champ"

There's some old school Cold War drama brewing in Rio. Looks like NBC can bring back the term "Must See TV."

Yulia Efimova, a controversial swimmer from Russia who was suspended for doping in 2013 then tested positive for Meldonium in March 2016, held up her finger with a #1 sign after finishing first in her qualifying heat. She was initially banned from the Rio 2016 Olympics, but then the IOC (International Olympic Committee) lifted the ban to allow her to participate. A number of other Russian swimmers were also banned only to have the IOC lift it.

Cameras cut to US swimmer Lilly King wagging her finger at Efimova while watching on a screen. In an interview, King stated, "You’re raising your hand #1 and you’ve been caught for drug cheating. I’m just not a fan." Smackdown! King and Efimova go toe-to-toe in the Women's 100m Breaststroke final Monday night around 9:54pm ET on NBC.


Ireland swimmer Fiona Doyle was left out of the semi-finals, and upset that someone who previously doped was upset that Efimova may have taken the place of someone who was clean. She rightfully had plenty to say, “Cheaters are cheaters. She has tested positive five times and she’s gotten away with it again. It’s like FINA keep going back on their word, and the IOC keep going back on their word."  Doyle continued, “And FINA caved in to (Russian President) Putin, and that’s just not fair on the rest of the athletes who are clean. Who are you supposed to trust now? They have signs all over the village saying we are a clean sport, and it’s not. And I just don’t think that’s fair.”

In the Men's 4x100m freestyle, Team USA took gold, giving Michael Phelps his 19th gold medal. France took silver and Australia won bronze. Russia, who were booed by the crowd in Rio, finished 4th after the Aussie's thankfully edged them out. I'm sure they know the word Karma? It would be sweet justice for Efimova to finish 4th or lower tomorrow night as well.

Though we do need to be clear that Russians aren't the only ones who have doped or will continue to do so. However, the widespread state-sponsored cover up by Russia is what bothers people, and the fact that athletes who have been caught are still participating in the Olympics, taking places of athletes who are clean. 

Best of SNL 40

Saturday Night Live celebrated 40 Years with a Sunday Night special...live from New York, of course. Overall it was an enjoyable show, and quite amazing to the crew that pulled it all together in what was probably a pretty crazy week. The show was big on nostalgia with plenty of clips from 1975 to the present.

My one gripe is that there weren't quite enough sketches, yet there were three musical performances. And one of them was Kanye West and his Auto-Tune...yawn. So if you tuned in expecting to see 3 hours full of new versions of your favorite sketches from the 1970's to now, you were kind of out of luck. Here are the best moments:

1. Wayne's World. Possibly the most famous recurring sketch was thankfully brought back to life towards the end of the special to deliver one of their always fun Top 10 lists. The best was when they ran through the list of musical performers. Three of The Beatles, U2, Nirvana, Beyonce & Beck were some named. And of course, Garth mentioned how he thought Beck was a better performer than Beyonce. Cue Kanye West jokes, which he was in on, having "security" hold him down.

2. Weekend Update. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler & Jane Curtin came together for a funny and entertaining version of the SNL staple. It featured some tributes to classic SNL characters portrayed by former stars who have since passed away (such as Emma Stone playing Gilda Radner's "Roseanne Roseannadanna"). Stefon made an appearance, and he and Seth Meyers are parents now! But the highlight goes to Curtin: "I used to be the only pretty blonde reading fake news. Now there's a whole network devoted to that." Then the Fox News logo pops up.

3. Jim Carrey. This was technically before the show, but Carrey asked Matt Lauer & Savannah Guthrie if he could ask them something. His question: "Where are you hiding Brian Williams?" Lauer awkwardly responded, "Oh, look at the time." Carrey followed with, "In his defense, if the helicopter in front of me gets hit, I'm taking the story." Perfect!

 

4. Celebrity Jeopardy. Will Ferrell & Darrell Hammond did battle again as Alex Trebek & Sean Connery and it was just as good as it always was. Kate McKinnon also did her perfect Justin Bieber impression, and Norm Macdonald brought back Burt Reynolds.

5. Martin Short & Maya Rudolph (as Beyonce). They paid tribute to the musical sketches of SNL, with perfect use of a fan on Maya-Beyonce. It featured Will Ferrell & Ana Gasteyer as their desperately trying to be hip church singers, The Culps. Adam Sandler brought back Operaman and the Blues Brothers showed up.

6. Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon Opening. The dynamic duo did a musical rundown of the most memorable characters in SNL history. Molly Shannon showed up as Mary Katherine Gallagher and then Rachel Dratch appeared as Debbie Downer to bring down the mood just a little bit as only she can. Always remember - Feline Aids is the number one killer of domestic cats.

7. Ellen Cleghorne. Jerry Seinfeld did a segment which we see a lot of on SNL, taking questions from cast members & others sitting in the audience. He called Sarah Palin Tina which provided an amusing skit between the two. But, Larry David and former cast member Cleghorne were the best, with it going something like this:
Cleghorne - "Why aren't there more black women?"
Seinfeld - "On the show?"
Cleghorne - "No just in general. There should be black women popping out of drawers." Jerry agreed that there should be more, and then she asked where they were on his show Seinfeld. Burn!

8. Betty White & Bradley Cooper Kiss. The Californians went way too long, and there were so many other sketches they probably could have done instead. It did however feature a fun performance from original cast member, Laraine Newman. And it also had a long kiss between Betty White and Bradley Cooper, which wasn't just a peck on the lips. That's something you might never see again!

'Heroes' Returning to NBC

During prime time coverage of the Sochi 2014 Olympics, a strange commercial appeared. It showed a view of the Earth in darkness, kind of looking like an ad for Revolution. Then the Heroes logo appears on screen followed by "Reborn" underneath it with a date of 2015. NBC will be bringing back Heroes in 2015, titled Heroes Reborn as a 13 episode miniseries. There will be bran new characters, and some of the original cast members may be returning as well.

Heroes premiered to much fanfare and big ratings in 2006, proving to be a needed hit for NBC not long after Friends left the air. Tag line "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" became one of the most well known marketing tools. Season Two was just as big, but then the wheels seemed to fall off. Season Three bled viewers every week and reviews were mixed. Season Four came along and continued to drop viewers until being cancelled in 2010.

Apparently NBC hopes to recapture the original magic of the show, which was an addictive X-Men like thriller. Watch the teaser below.   

Sochi 2014: Week 1 Stories

The ugly Sochi 2014 Logo looks a little better this way

The first week of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are in the books, with plenty of story lines of course from the funny to the inspirational.

- Oshie in Sochi! The USA-Russia men's hockey game delivered on every level, and it ended with TJ Oshie giving the US the victory in the Shootout. Oshie was on the bubble before the Olympics, but the US took him to the Olympics because of his success in Shootouts, and it paid off. USA men's hockey will be looking to win their first Gold Medal since Lake Placid 1980, which featured the "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet Union. Oshie 2014 shirts are now being sold online playing off the NBC Sochi logo.

- USA-Canada Women's Hockey. It was a back and forth heated battle, much like the USA-Canada Women's Soccer match from London 2012. Canada ended up on top in this one after trailing to start the 3rd period, scoring 3 goals in that last period. The Women's Hockey tournament as a whole has been much improved over Vancouver 2010, which featured a large number of blowouts. Canada outscored opponents 41-2 in Vancouver, but in Sochi 41 goals were scored by all teams combined, with much closer games.

- Sochi Problems, or #SochiProblems, taking social media by storm. Even though Russia spent $51 Billion on these Olympics, more even than Beijing 2008, various buildings were still being completed up until the start. Everything from yellow water to doors locking, to uncovered manholes to worries about the Russian Government using cameras to spy on people. Controversy has also been rampant, from questions on if they were killing stray dogs, to some of that $51 Billion being pocketed by officials.

- Bob Costas and his pink eye. It started out in his left eye, but by Monday had moved over to his right eye as well, creating the ultimate Sochi Problem. This may have been prevented had he just wore a condom over his left eye like Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes from TLC did in the 90s. Always use protection! Meredith Vieira & Matt Lauer have taken over, though Costas will be back this week.

- Opening Ceremony snowflakes fail. In what quickly became a meme, 5 giant Snowflakes were supposed
to transform into the Olympic Rings. However, one of them failed to "come out"...maybe in protest of Russia's horrendous "Gay Propaganda" law? Suck it, Putin! Russian TV cut to stock footage of all 5 rings open during one of the rehearsals...even though it was instantly shared from the stadium by people all over social media. You can't fool anyone with Live TV nowadays.

- Noelle Pikus-Pace made a fantastic comeback to win Silver in Women's Skeleton. She missed the Torino 2006 games after her leg was broken badly by a Bobsled in October 2005 that failed to brake and ran into her. She then barely missed out on a medal at Vancouver 2010, finishing 4th. She kept her spirits high through it all and won the silver, jumping up into the crowd to meet her friends and family, showing viewers what the Olympic spirit is all about.

Sandra Bullock Drops the Best F-Bomb

Sandra Bullock picked up an award for "Best Actress in an Action Movie" for Gravity at the Critics Choice awards. In true humorous Bullock fashion she first thanked Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, & Jean Claude Van Damme for "teaching her everything she knows" as an action star.

Then all of a sudden someone must have hit a button to trigger the loudspeaker when "Choice Movie Awards" came booming out leading Sandra to proclaim "What the fuck" to a rounding ovation. The censors on The CW caught it, unlike on NBC. Her co-star from The Heat, Melissa McCarthy, obviously enjoyed it. Various times she made funny references to why it was considered an Action Film. Awards shows always find loopholes to get films into different categories, as with the Golden Globes and some of their questionable choices for in the Comedy category. Gravity has some action scenes, but overall it is more of a drama/thriller.

She also thanked George Clooney for "floating away and not coming back." Watch the fantastic speech below.

    

The Annual Golden Globes Censor Fail

There were about four reasons to watch the Golden Globes this year.

1. Tine Fey & Amy Poehler, who are guaranteed to bring out some laughs.

2. To see if anyone would curse and/or have a drunken speech that sends the censors into a panic.

3. To get a speech that is actually interesting to listen to, from Sandra Bullock and/or Tom Hanks, two people who know how to deliver a top notch speech with humor and humility without being dramatic.

4. U2.

Well, 20 minutes into the show and Jacqueline Bisset said "Shit" and NBC botched the censorship and only got the words leading up to "Shit". I thankfully flipped back just in time! And she definitely seemed drunk as well, which is what sets the Golden Globes apart...alcohol on the tables. It is no doubt boring sitting there for hours (as most awards shows are), so it seems someone curses and rambles every year after knocking back copious amounts of wine/champagne.

Poehler and Fey were great of course, playing off each other perfectly, featuring a nice bit with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an electronic cigarette. Poehler also jokingly made out with Bono after winning Best Supporting Actress in a TV comedy. Sandra Bullock & Tom Hanks presented an award together, and hopefully one or both will win later in the show to show everyone how a speech is done.

Greg Hardy...Hogwarts

Key and Peele aren't the only ones who can have some fun with the NFL introductions.

On Sunday night during the Carolina Panthers-New Orleans Saints Sunday Night Football game on NBC, Panthers defensive lineman Greg Hardy, while donning a pair of shades, did the greatest thing ever and introduced himself as "Kraken... Hogwarts". This also led a fan to change his college on Wikipedia to Hogwarts as well, though briefly. It's clear that his patronus would be one mighty Kraken capable of sending dementors away for good. Watch the Harry Potter shoutout below.

NWSL Season Ends On A High Note

The first season of the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) is in the books. Portland Thorns FC defeated Western New York Flash in the championship on Saturday night 2-0, on a soaring golazo from Tobin Heath and a late clincher from Christine Sinclair (with the assist by Alex Morgan). Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd and the Flash played well but just couldn't find the net, as Karina LeBlanc was on her top form. LeBlanc probably would win a seat as the mayor of Portland if she ever chose to run. The whole game was exciting from start to finish, and was even better than NBC's slate of EPL games on Saturday.

Thorns fans packed Jeld-Wen Field all Year

The Portland Thorns set the standard for women's club soccer, averaging over 13,000 fans per game with a season high of 17,619 on August 4th. US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said there won't be any expansion in 2014 as they focus on the current teams building their base. He did say there could be more NWSL teams that link up with an MLS (Major League Soccer) team. The New York Red Bulls and Sky Blue FC were the clubs mentioned who could form a partnership. The Portland Timbers ownership also owns the Portland Thorns, which has given them this big edge. They were able to bring in many Timbers season ticket holders, and the "Timbers Army" supporters group members joined the "Rose City Riveters" Thorns supporters group in giving the Thorns an atmosphere that can rival some European men's teams.

Why 'Modern Family' Shouldn't Win The Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2013

Neil Patrick Harris hosts the 65th Emmy Awards

Nominations for the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 18. Modern Family is one of the best written shows on Television, and has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series three straight years. Its actually the only show to win it this decade so far. You can be sure it will be a finalist once again. However, even though I love the show, it would be a shame if it won a fourth straight time.

This past season, while good as usual, wasn't quite as strong as the previous three, and was out-shined by a number of other comedy series. Here are the following comedy shows I would rather see win the Emmy Award this time around.

The Big Bang Theory - Well this is the most obvious choice. In a time where broadcast shows are getting lower ratings thanks to rapidly increased competition from cable & pay channels (as well as streaming services like Netflix & Amazon), The Big Bang Theory has become a juggernaut. The show is the most watched sitcom since Friends. Its also really grown and come into its own since it premiered in the fall of 2007. The first & second seasons ended up 68th & 44th respectively in the final Nieslen Rankings. The most recent fifth & sixth seasons ranked 8th & 3rd. You can bet that the seventh season is a safe bet to become the top rated show by the end of the 2013-2014 season. The series has made nerds cool, and its time for the rise of the nerds to be capped off with an Emmy.

Parks & Recreation - One of the most underrated shows on Television. Parks & Rec, much like NBC's former 30 Rock, suffers from low ratings. However, it is one of the most laugh out loud shows currently on Television. Amy Poehler is the driving force, and the cast around her including occasional characters makes it feel like a live action version of The Simpsons.

The Middle - Modern Family gets most of the attention on ABC, yet The Middle has stood well on its own for the past few years. This season it exuded a sense of warmth around its dysfunctional family comedy with each & every episode, outshining the higher rated Modern Family for the first time. This year could be its best chance to strike Emmy gold.

The Office - The 2006 winner for Outstanding Comedy Series gave a final season that satisfied fans and critics alike. The show brought a satisfying conclusion to each and every one of its quirky characters that we grew to love over the past 9 seasons. The ensemble cast has been the shows strong point, and this year all their story lines came to a close in an emotionally funny way, without being too over the top. And I'm still mad that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for portraying Michael Scott. Its unlikely to be nominated, but I still think the final season is worthy, and was better than Modern Family this year.

Veep - The political satire stars Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as Vice President Selina Meyer, who just can't help but screw up time and again in the most hilarious of ways. The series uses its political humor without actually taking shots at any specific parties (which aren't mentioned), its more about the system we have and how ridiculous politics in general can be, which is much more satisfying.

I'm tempted to include The Mindy Project, but its tough for a freshman series to get a nomination & win. Mindy Kaling has a great chance to leave with some hardware herself though.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on September 15 on CBS, and hosted by the hilarious & reliable Neil Patrick Harris once again.

Best Episode for Each Character on 'The Office'

We've had over a week now to digest the series finale of The Office. One of the strong points of The Office through all these years has been the strength of its ensemble cast. As the NBC series heads to its end this week, I've decided to come up with my favorite episodes from each of the major characters on the show. It can be as simple as a hysterical line or a standout scene.

Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) - "Moroccan Christmas" (Season 5). The Office drunk gets to go first. And there are so many moments that made us all laugh our asses off. When she got hit by Michael's car, bit by a bat, when she ate Angela's hand sanitizer to get drunk. However, "Moroccan Christmas" is her standout episode. when she sets her hair on fire while dancing drunk and Michael then tries to start an alcohol intervention. He dupes her by saying he will take her to a bar, and when she realizes he's taking her to rehab, she tries to escape.

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) - "Christmas Party" (Season 2). Another Christmas episode, which The Office always did so well. Angela is the head of the party planning committee, and her Christmas party is ruined throughout this episode. Michael first ruins everyone's party by playing "Yankee Swap". He then makes it right by buying a ton of alcohol for everyone. Although everyone else has a satisfying end to the party, Angela's ends with her out back by the dumpsters throwing, then smashing, various Christmas ornaments.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) - "The Injury" (Season 2). It's hard to pick one for the star of the show, but "The Injury", when he accidentally burns his foot on a George Foreman grill in bed, is an abosolute highlight. It allows Michael to shine in a ridiculous way as he plays up his burnt foot and the lack of care he gets from everyone else in the office, calling it a "disability".

Pam Beesly-Halpert (Jenna Fischer) - "The Dundies" (Season 2). I'm leaving out the Jim & Pam combo moments ("Casino Night", "Booze Cruise", "Niagara", "A.A.R.M"). So my favorite moment where Pam shines alone was when she drank way too much at The Dundies. In just one night, she falls off a chair, wins the "Whitest Sneakers" dundie, kisses Jim, screams "BEST DUNDIES EVER!" and gets banned from Chili's.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) - "Pilot" (Season 1). I'm giving Jim the pilot episode, since it introduced us to his first ever prank of Dwight, which is a running stoyline we've looked forward too for the entire run of the series. It all started here, with Dwight's stapler being put into Jell-O, thus creating a prank copied by fans of the show.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) - "Livin' the Dream" (Season 9). Dwight finally has two of his dreams come true. He receives a black belt he doesn't really deserve, then he finally becomes the manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, which he totally deserves. It was a satisfying moment for fans to see Dwight finally become manager.

Phyllis Lapin-Vance (Phyllis Smith) - "Phyllis' Wedding" (Season 3). Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration finally get married. The funny part is Phyllis steals all of Pam's ideas from her abandoned wedding to Roy. She also allows Michael to push her father's wheelchair down the aisle so she can get six weeks vacation for her honeymoon.

Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) - "Initiation" (Season 3). Pretzel Day. That's all that really needs to be said. Its Stanley's favorite day of the year, and he actually gets along with Michael as they both wait in line for their free pretzel.

Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) - "Lecture Circuit" (Season 5). Kelly tells off Jim & Dwight for forgetting her birthday, which leads to Jim & Dwight having to team up to make up for it by throwing Kelly a party, as she dictates what they can do. We also find out Kelly was in juvy when she was 14 for stealing her ex-boyfriends boat.

Ryan Howard (BJ Novak) - "Night Out" (Season 4). Ryan is oddly friendly during the start of this episode when he returns to Scranton to unveil the "Dunder Mifflin Infinity 2" website, after the first one was overrun by sexual predators. Michael & Dwight go to New York to see him because they want to party, and we learn Ryan is on drugs.

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) - "Costume Contest" (Season 7). In this Halloween episode, we get to see Kevin dressed as both Phyllis and Michael Moore. He also has beef with the new salesman Danny because he dumped Pam years ago. He decides not to go to the bar with Danny to be loyal to Jim & Pam. I always loved the moments when the cast would show their loyalty for one another.

Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) - "Classy Christmas" (Season 7). Erin finally meets Holly for the first time after hearing about her from Michael. Throughout the episode though, she tells the cameras that she doesn't understand what Michael sees in Holly, wondering why people think she is attractive. When Holly hurts Michael's feeling for having a boyfriend, Erin gives her the cold shoulder.

Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) - "Business Trip" (Season 5). Oscar travels on a sales call to Canada with Michael & Andy. He gets drunk and lets loose in a way we weren't used to seeing, getting Andy to drunk dial Angela.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) - "Product Recall" (Season 3). An obscene watermark of a "beloved cartoon duck & mouse" goes out, all thanks to Creed. He saves his job by framing someone at the paper mill. He gets a card for the fired worker and collects money from everyone in the office, which he then pockets for himself. Creed was always good for these quick hitting moments, and this episode was full of them.

Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) - "The Negotiation" (Season 3). While seeking a raise, he finds out that Michael barely makes more than him and decides to "help" Michael get more money. While he ultimately does get Michael more money, he can't help but play tricks on him by teaching him fake "black man slang" and making fun of him for wearing a suit made for women.

Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) - "Secret Santa" (Season 6). Andy expertly shows his reputation as the shows most annoying character when he requests Erin for secret Santa, getting her the entire 12 Days of Christmas, with some of the birds injuring her.

Jan Levenson (Melora Hardin) - "Dinner Party" (Season 4). Watching Jan & Michael having a party in their small condo as their frustration for one another keeps getting worse throughout the episode is a thing of comedic beauty. We get to hear the song "Just One Night" by her young former assistant Hunter, who she still has a thing for.

Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) - "Goodbye, Toby" (Season 4). Our first meeting with Holly doesn't go so well for her. As the new HR rep, Michael instantly dislikes her in the beginning. He tells her that Kevin is mentally challenged, making her interactions with Kevin throughout the episode hilariously entertaining. It causes him to think she is attracted to him when she gives him this special treatment.

Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) - "Goodbye, Michael" (Season 8). Michael says bye to Toby and doesn't make fun of him for the first time ever. Just when you think he might miss Toby, Michael quickly gets annoyed when he finds out Toby has a brother in Boulder, Colorado where he is moving. We later see Toby skype with him, and he is exactly the same boring guy as Toby. 

Satisfying Finale For 'The Office'

The Office has now shut its doors with a satisfying series finale that picked up one year after the penultimate episode, "A.A.R.M". The Finale was directed by Ken Kwapis, who directed the pilot episode and last directed the Season 5 episode "Company Picnic".

It all started out with a one hour retrospective featuring a look back at the history of the Emmy Award winning show since development in 2004 (premiering in 2005) as well as interviews with the cast & crew, and a look at the series finale party that was held in Scranton, PA. NBC also did this with another hit show, Friends, in 2004 before that series finale.

Then came the emotional series finale. With the help of fansite OfficeTally (major props to the great Jennie Tan!), the episode was thankfully extended an extra 15 minutes in order to incorporate as much as possible into such a well done episode. Angela (Angela Kinsey) & Dwight (Rainn Wilson) have their anticipated wedding that stands up along with Jim & Pam's (John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer) and Phyllis' (Phillis Smith) wedding episodes. Dwight & Angela, or Dwangela, first started their back & forth relationship way back in Season 2's "E-mail Surveillance" when Pam suspects they have a secret relationship. We've come a long way since then, and it was great to see them finally have their big moment together. The highlights include:

- Michael Scott (Steve Carell) returned and gave the best, most joyous, "That's What She Said!" yet. Dwight: "Michael! I can't believe you came!" Michael: "That's what she said!"
Jim was Dwight's best man, but concocted a typical Jim scheme to surprise Dwight and make Michael his best man at the last minute.

- Kelly (Mindy Kaling) & Ryan (BJ Novak) returned and finally hooked up at the reception, in typical Kelly & Ryan fashion. Ryan left his baby with Kelly's boyfriend and the two ran off together. Nellie (Catherine Tate) got the baby, so it all worked out.

-There were a few other fun cameos that recalled the early seasons. It's revealed Dwight re-hired Devon, who was fired in the Season 2 episode "Halloween". Elizabeth the stripper (Jackie Debatin) from Season 3's "Ben Franklin" was the stripper hired for Dwight's bachelor party. And the stripper hired for Angela's? In one of the funniest moments from the episode, it was Meredith's (Kate Flannery) now adult son Jake (Spencer Daniels)! Carol (Nancy Carell) was also back to sell Jim & Pam's house.

- Everyone brings a cat for wedding gifts. Sprinkles may be gone, but Angela will always have some new cats for her collection. And throughout the years we've seen Angela berate and get frustrated with Phyllis, but as the show has done so well, the two showed they still have a bond. As Angela's feet hurt, Phyllis carried her down the aisle piggyback style to the tune of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine".

- We find out that Pam has secretly been showing the house to people to sell it so Jim can move to Austin, TX to join Athlead (now Athleap). She figured he bought it without telling her, so she could sell it without telling him. She wanted Jim to live his dream now as they finish this chapter of their life. Dwight fires them before they could quit, but he does that so they can get their severance pay.

- The characters give their final talking head interviews, and this is the moment that made the tears start flowing big time for me, especially when Dwight talks about what each one of them means to him, calling Pam his best friend.

- After a post-wedding celebration in the warehouse, and after Pam unveils her mural that features the entire cast (which they take a picture in front of with the actual real life crew from The Office), our favorites return to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office one last time together. Pam answers the reception phone for the first time in years, with her famous "Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam" before telling whoever it is that Jim no longer works there. They all celebrate and then head outside, with Pam taking the picture of the building she drew with her.

- Erin (Ellie Kemper) finally met her birth parents at the PBS documentary fan Q&A earlier in the episode, played by Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr. This is another moment that brought the tears, and it was fun watching the rest of the cast realize who they were with Erin finally doing so in the end.

-Favorite line of the night, besides "That's what she said" goes to Andy (Ed Helms) for: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

There are just so many more that writing about them can't do it justice. If you for some reason missed this series finale, which was one of the best of all time, go and watch it OnDemand, iTunes, Amazon, NBC's website. However you can do it, just watch it.

'The Office' Series Finale Guaranteed To Deliver

I think I need a box of tissues ready from now, because if tonight's second-to-last episode is any indication, I will be crying like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert during The Office Series Finale next week.

Tonight's episode had Jim and Pam's storyline come full circle. After watching clips of their moments together on a computer, Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally received the love note Jim (John Krasinski) had left with her tea pot from the season 2 Christmas episode ("Christmas Party") back in 2005. Yes, the one where they played "yankee swap"! I'm really going to especially miss getting new Christmas episodes of The Office. Anyway, the moment tonight solidified Jim & Pam's status as one of the greatest TV couples of all time. The song played during their video montage was "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol, so add that to your Jim & Pam playlist along with "Sing" by Travis.

The entire office also gathered to watch the premiere episode of the documentary at the end, and we see them taking in the first episode as we hear Michael (Steve Carell) talking to Jim. The show has really done an outstanding job bringing the fictional documentary to the surface this season.

Finally, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) proposed to Angela (Angela Kinsey) and we found out Phillip really is his son. This is what set up the series finale next week. It picks up a few months after tonight's episode, with the documentary crew catching up one final time with Dunder Mifflin. Its confirmed that many old faces will be back for the finale, including Mindy Kaling & BJ Novak. And though they've denied it, I am almost positive we will be seeing Steve Carell return as Michael Scott at Dwight & Angela's wedding.

We'll see who else might return in cameo appearances. A preview showed the stripper from the famous "Ben Franklin" episode, so anyone is possible. Maybe Jan (Melora Hardin) and Karen (Rashida Jones)? Don't forget to watch the series finale of The Office May 16 on NBC to find out. It starts with a retrospective at 8pm, and the finale following from 9pm-10:15pm.

'The Office' Going Out On Top

The Office is quickly approaching the end of its 9th and final season. And ever since Steve Carell left as lead character Michael Scott, people have been saying the quality of the show has gone down, which we've heard plenty of times with other shows. However, they've clearly changed those attitudes as the series hits the home stretch. Ever since the episode "Promos" aired on April 4th, The Office has churned out some of its strongest episodes in years that can stand with all of the classics. 

"Paper Airplanes" continued this trend by giving fans a little bit of everything. Laugh out loud moments such as Angela (Angela Kinsey) showing off her new tiny studio apartment filled with all of her cats and Erin (Ellie Kemper) showing off her competitive side by absolutely flipping out during the paper airplane competition. The end of the episode was what really has fans talking though. Jim (John Krasinski) & Pam (Jenna Fischer) finally resolved their issues they've been having all season, and it happened with just a simple hug and "I love you". During this they flashed back to a clip from Jim & Pam's wedding in Season 6, which really put the exclamation point on it all. It was without a doubt the best Jim & Pam moment we've had on the office since the Niagara wedding in Season 6, so it was only fitting. 

Anyone who abandoned The Office the past two seasons needs to quickly jump back on board, because the series is headed towards what should be a satisfying finale. 

Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon & Howard Stern?

Reports surfaced this week that NBC may soon be looking to faze out Jay Leno and replace him with Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show' sometime in 2014 when Leno's contract expires. Fallon has done a great job with his show, and it seems natural that he would be the perfect choice to replace Leno.

The interesting part is that NBC might be trying to get the "king of all media", Howard Stern, to replace Jimmy Fallon in that time-slot. Stern has been fairly vocal on 'The Howard Stern Show' about wanting to leave Sirius radio once his contract is up in late 2015. Besides his radio show, he is currently a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent. Stern and NBC have not commented on the rumors yet. AGT has given Stern a different outlet, one where he has shown that he is not all about sexual jokes and cursing. However, he could still give late night TV a new edge that it mostly lacks. Not to mention he does interviews as well as anyone else can. Make it happen!

Speaking of America's Got Talent, I think they made solid choices with the judges. Stern is the shock jock with great one-liners. Howie Mandel being a stand-up comic brings the laughs also, playing well off Stern. Formerly of the Spice Girls, Mel B is not afraid to speak her mind, as she was booed during the first auditions in New Orleans for saying she didn't like brass music. Hey, she was just being honest. Finally, they added Heidi Klum as a fourth judge, which could be interesting. It seems the four will all interact well together, while not taking away from the performers on stage.

Lindsey Vonn Suffers Crash

The ugly Sochi 2014 logo

Lindsey Vonn, one of the United States' biggest Winter Olympic stars, suffered a nasty crash at the Skiing world championships in Austria. Officially she suffered two torn ligaments and a broken tibia, which she will have surgery for next week.

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics begin a year from now on February 7, 2014. People are wondering if she will be ready, but after watching so many Olympics, I doubt she would miss them. Someone of her caliber will get the best doctors you can find, and her recovery process will be much shorter than the average person. You can already see NBC pushing it as one of the games' many remarkable comebacks, and a feel good story for the millions of viewers they're sure to get. And speaking of NBC, they will be broadcasting the Olympics starting the day before the Opening Ceremony for the first time, which features the debut of Team Figure Skating & Slopestyle Snowboarding as well as Women's Ski Moguls. Those events begin before the ceremony with qualification rounds. The Olympics have been a huge ratings boost for NBC, so its a smart decision.

Vonn released a statement today saying, "I am grateful to my fans for the outpouring of support, which has really helped me stay positive. I can assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi." I already have the Olympic theme song pounding in my head, so I can't wait to see Vonn go for the gold next year in Sochi.

Vonn was airlifted after her crash

Trailer for 'The Heat'

The Heat is an upcoming action-comedy film that you should be excited about. It reunites Melissa McCarthy with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig and also stars Sandra Bullock, who makes her return to comedy. The script was written by Kate Dippold, from NBC's outstanding Parks and Recreation. I didn't even need to see the trailer to realize this would be a great movie, but the trailer has been released (watch below) and confirmed what was expected.

Bullock and McCarthy play FBI agents who must team up to take down a Russian mobster. Should be great to see Bullock in an R-rated comedy this time around. The film is in theaters on April 5, 2013.

Fox & Friends Needs A Reality Check

"Fox and Friends" is mostly known for being spoofed on Saturday Night Live in expert fashion for their constant falsehoods and crazy statement, but they've just taken their latest to a new level.

On Friday morning, they critizized NBC's "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together" concert which aired later that night. They wondered whether it was all a ploy by NBC to help out President Obama. They also questioned why it was before the election and not after. Gee, maybe because people need HELP right NOW? These benefit concerts air every time there is a major disaster...but because "Fox & Friends" is so ridiculous and so obsessed with the election, they of course had to make themselves look like complete idiots.

I'm pretty sure when I watched Jon Bon Jovi perform, he didn't yell "vote Obama!" into the microphone. And I'm pretty sure there were no political ads, just stories showcasing the devastation and people who are in need. All the artists had ties to the areas. Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are New Jersey staples. Mary J Blige is from Yonkers, NY, Christina Aguilera was born in Staten Island. Aerosmith spent a lot of time in New York City, though their career kicked off in Boston. Billy Joel is another New York staple.

Get a grip "Fox and Friends," maybe you should have your own benefit and actually do some good like NBC did.

New Fall Shows 2012

As always with the fall, we see the return of football and premieres of brand new television shows. There are a bunch of interesting ones that you may want to keep an eye on this season. And as always, some will succeed and some will fail. I'm already expecting Animal Practice to fail...though people do love to see animals, so it could oddly work.

Revolution (NBC) - Revolution just premiered on NBC, and could become the next Lost, or possibly do for NBC what Heroes originally did before it went off track. NBC is looking for a new hit scripted show, especially with The Office & 30 Rock in their final seasons. I enjoyed it and thought the one hour premiere moved by very quickly. There is more action than I expected, which was fun to watch in prime time TV. I'm thinking the show might strive to be like The Walking Dead, with a good mix of action and character development. And just enjoy the show, don't wonder why people aren't harvesting solar or wind power. Maybe they'll answer that in a future episode.

The Mindy Project (FOX) - Mindy Kaling from The Office has scored her own sitcom, which will be airing with New Girl on FOX. Kaling wrote some of the most memorable episodes of The Office, so her own series is well deserved. Its generating some good buzz with critics, so I expect this to be a hit for FOX. Her character's basis is that she always wonders why her life isn't like the romantic comedies she loves so much.

The Neighbors (ABC) - This is the oddball of the season. Its about a family who moves to a new neighborhood in New Jersey, one in which everyone is an alien...from outer space. I think its interesting since there hasn't really been a good sitcom with this fantastical theme probably since 3rd Rock From the Sun. We'll see how this one does, airing in a block with hit Modern Family. Jami Gertz is the main star and could carry the show. She's been consistent since her career started 30 years ago, so she can pretty much handle any role.

666 Park Avenue (ABC) - ABC's latest Sunday Night series is about an upscale apartment building in New York City, which is possessed by some supernatural beings. When you sign your lease, you are signing your soul away. Sign me up for this one.

American Horror Story: Asylum (FX) - Okay, this isn't technically a new series, but the second season will be an entirely new arc, which was the plan from the beginning. Jessica Lange will be returning in a new role, playing an evil nun. Wouldn't have it any other way, Lange was the standout character from the first season. We'll see if they can top the previous season.

NBC's 'The Office' is Shutting Down

NBC sitcom 'The Office' is getting ready for its upcoming 9th season, which has been confirmed to be the final one. Angela Kinsey took to her twitter to address the rumors and confirmed them, saying, "It is true. This is our last season. We hope to give a real end to these characters we love to play. Thx for watching." Producer Greg Daniels, who is back for the final season after doing seasons 1-5, also confirmed it. He stated, “This will be the last season of The Office. And we’re planning a very big exciting last season. We’re going to have a lot of faces coming back. There are a lot of things that I’ve personally been wanting to do since season two. All questions will be answered this year. We’re going to see who’s behind the documentary. Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively.”

There is no confirmation that Steve Carell will return as Michael Scott, but one can assume he will be back for the final few episodes of the series that he led from 2005 to 2011, continuing on with it years after he became a box office draw. What better way to end the show than have Michael & Holly get married and return to Scranton? Mindy Kaling will return as Kelly Kapoor for a few episodes even though she has her own sitcom, 'The Mindy Project', debuting on FOX.

Word is John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer (Jim & Pam) will be getting some kind of big storyline for the final season. We'll have to wait and see what it is, just don't break them up! Read more from Greg Daniels about the final season of 'The Office' over on Entertainment Weekly. It may be sad to say goodbye to the characters of Dunder Mifflin, but at least everyone can prepare for the show to go out in the best way possible. Many questions will be answered, including who the "Scranton Strangler" actually is! The season premieres on September 20.

London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony

Freddie Mercury

All good things must come to an end, and once again the Olympics have come and gone too quickly, with London 2012 ending with a bang, with one of the best Closing Ceremonies ever. Featuring performances from the likes of The Who, Spice Girls, George Michael, Muse, Anne Lennox as well as the members of Queen with Jessie J on vocals. They were introduced by the late, great Freddie Mercury on big video screens. It was old footage of him (from Live Aid 1985) interacting with a crowd, and the crowd in the London Olympic Stadium interacted back with him in a fantastic moment. This was the highlight along with the next one.

Another amazing moment came when a bunch of children came out to perform John Lennon's legendary song "Imagine". Then old footage of John Lennon came on the screens to sing the song, and it sent everyone into a frenzy (myself included). The children performed the song in sign language. The video was remastered from the archives of Yoko Ono especially for the Olympics. Much better than a hologram! Thank you Yoko for helping to bring John into the closing ceremony, where people from hundreds of countries were together singing and dancing, all "living life in peace." A sculpture of John's face was also created on the floor.

There were also tributes to David Bowie, Pink Floyd and The Beatles of course. The Spice Girls had a fairly good entrance, each coming out on a British style Taxi which then drove around the stadium floor with them standing on top. Russell Brand performed The Beatles' classic "I Am The Walrus" in a very psychedelic setting. Though Jessie J got so much screen time (too much) that I was half expecting her to come out and sing the "Olympic Hymn." Annie Lennox was dressed like some giant bird on a pirate ship which was odd, but interesting. Also got to see a great Monty Python performance. Some NBC viewers are mad that they cut out the band Muse and waited until midnight to show The Who after airing a new sitcom in between. Should have watched a BBC stream.

I loved the closing ceremony, and London knows how to stage on Olympics like no one else. This was their record third time hosting (1908, 1948 & 2012). Next its on to Sochi, Russia for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Spice Girls Reunite