Romance is dead; we?re stuck with the Donald

Reality television shifted gears this week, away from dancing and wooing to barking and badgering. ABC?s reality shows Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor: Paris wrapped up last week. The Apprentice started (again) Mondays on NBC.
I?d take Travis and Drew over the Donald and his kids any week.

I particularly enjoyed early dancing loser (and ESPN personality) Kenny Mayne, who was outraged that Stacy Keibler finished only third. That has to be the first time that a sports reporter has defended pro wrestling.

I?m glad Jerry Rice didn?t embarrass himself, but I hope he knows his obituary will read: ??Hall of Fame wide receiver and Dancing With the Stars runner-up Jerry Rice . . ."

As for Drew Lachey, congratulations: You?re officially a C-list celebrity.

And on the subject of Harry Hamlin (that?s a fun phrase to write), I hope he decides to follow literally in the footsteps of his wife, Lisa Rinna, and compete on Dancing.

For those who missed out last year when Hamlin and Rinna appeared on one of the best TV dramas, Veronica Mars, hie thee to a video store and purchase season one posthaste. A marvelous display of big-lipped acting.


? The group of desperate housewives in New Albany with whom I watched the final Bachelor all agreed that Nashville, Tenn., kindergarten teacher Sarah was the one for absurdly hunky Travis.

While it?s really great that runner-up Moana had never felt that way about ??another human being," she was apparently unaware of the cosmic law that says ER doctors and kindergarten teachers score an ??Aw" to the ninth power on the Cuteness Scale.

Of course, they?ve probably broken up by now, but at least they?ll always have tapes of themselves making out in Paris.


? If you?ve wandered away from The West Wing, I recommend returning before the fine NBC drama wraps up its final season. This Sunday?s episode includes some tantalizing progress on a long-standing story line along with upsets in the candidates? campaigns.

Also, at the critics? tour in January, executive producer John Wells said the series was trying to negotiate with former regular Rob Lowe to return as Sam Seaborn.

??It?s sort of in his court now," Wells said.

NBC announced recently that Lowe and seven other semiregulars will return during the last five episodes.

Rob made the right choice. I don?t think ??Hi, I was in The Lyon?s Den" is going to get him into many cocktail parties.