Just wanted to be sure I got the matchups on the record, so season 8's line up is listed below.

Which got me to thinking about the good old days of "Dancing" ---- like seasons 1 and 2 when the contestants weren't so "dancing inclined" as the last several seasons seem to be (why don't producers just feature a former Rockette while they're are at it). Has the show become way "over-produced?" Is that one-hour results show just too ridiculously long? Has the show lost its charming kitsch factor?
What do you think?

Anyhow, here's what's on tap for season 8.
Derek Hough paired with rapper Lil' Kim
Julianne Hough paired with country singer (and boyfriend) Chuck Wicks.
Edyta Sliwinska paired with footbal legend Lawrence Taylor
Maksim Chmerkovskiy (engaged to fellow dancing pro Karina Smirnoff) paired with actress Denise Richards

Real-life sweeties Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough will be competing against one another on "Dancing with the Stars." | AP PHOTO

Karina Smirnoff paired with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
Chelsie Hightower paired with chapion rodeo bull rider Ty Murray
Dmitry Chaplin paired with singer Jewel (who is married to Murray)
Cheryl Burke paired with hunky actor Gilles Marini
Mark Ballas paired with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson
Kym Johnson paired with comedian David Alan Grier
Jonathan Roberts paired with former Go-Gos lead singer Belinda Carlisle
Tony Dovolani paired with Access Hollywood star Nancy O'Dell
Lacey Schwimmer paired with Jackass Steve-O.

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

NBC says Andy Richter and Conan O'Brien will be back together again on late-night TV.

Richter, who worked with O'Brien for seven years on NBC's "Late Night," will become the "Tonight" show announcer when O'Brien takes over from Jay Leno as host in June. NBC said Richter also will take part in comedy bits.

A selection of guests scheduled for today's talk shows:

Early estimates indicate that the Oscars' TV ratings actually went up for this year's telecast last night -- but that's not saying much.

A full accounting will be ready later today, but preliminary numbers show a 6 percent uptick from last year's show. But that means last night's show is still among the bottom three least-watched Oscars ever.

Early estimates indicate that the Oscars' TV ratings actually went up for this year's telecast last night -- but that's not saying much.

A full accounting will be ready later today, but preliminary numbers show a 6 percent uptick from last year's show. But that means last night's show is still among the bottom three least-watched Oscars ever.

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

I'm missing a few. They started with 52. There are 36 slots, but I only have 13 rejects. Be the first to tell me who I missed and I'll give you a copy of the latest "American Idol" karaoke game for the Wii. Fer realz.

IN
ANOOP DESAI
VON SMITH
ALEX WAGNER-TRUGMAN
ADAM LAMBERT
TAYLOR VAIFANUA
JASMINE MURRAY
ARIANNA AFSAR
CASEY CARLSON
MEGAN CORKREY
MISHAVONNA HENSON
STEVIE WRIGHT
JOANNE PACITTI
KENDALL BEARD
KRISTEN MCNAMARA
ALEXIS GRACE
SCOTT MACINTYRE
LIL ROUND
JESSE LANGSETH
ALLISON IRAHETA
RICKY BRADDY
MATT GIRAUD
JU'NOT JOYNER
JORGE NUNEZ
BRENT KEITH
STEPHEN FOWLER
NICK MITCHELL
JACKIE TOHN
TATIANA DEL TORO
NATHANIEL MARSHALL
JEANINE VAILES
KAI KALAMA
ANNE MARIE BOSKOVICH
KRIS ALLEN
MATT BREITZKE**
MICHAEL ARVER**

OUT
CORY SHELDON*
T.K. HASH
CHRIS CHATMAN
REGGI BEASLEY
JENN KORBEE*
FELICIA BARTON
ASHLEY HOLLISTER
DEVON BALDWIN
FRANKIE JORDAN*
SHERA LAWRENCE
DERIK LAVERS
JAMAR ROGERS
JACKIE MIDKIFF*

*Denotes contestants eliminated after a sing-off

**Denotes contestants who competed in a sing-off, but both were passed through.

We're nearing the end of the second hour, so a few yes votes rapid fire: Jeanine Vailes, Kai Kalama, Anne Marie Boskovich and Kris Allen.

Matt Breitzke and Michael Sarver are forced into a sing-off, but both are given the final two slots.

If my math is correct, only 13 people were shown the door on camera, meaning another three people were eliminated off-camera. I'll post the complete list of the ins and the outs in a second. If I missed an out, hit me back.

Randy Jackson is terrible at dragging out the suspense. Cowell cuts him off. Jackie Tohn is going on. Tohn almost goes into convulsions, she is so elated. She slips off her heels and runs out of the room, all smiles.

The train wreck, Tatiana Del Toro, is up next.

"Tatiana, just try for once not to be annoying," Cowell tells her.

Before he can even finish the sentence, Paula Abdul notices that Del Toro is wearing jewelry from Abdul's line. There is no end to this girl's shame. She mentions she cried when she couldn't get the matching ring (which Adbul just happens to be wearing). Abdul takes the ring off her finger and places it on Del Toro's. Had Proposition 8 not been struck down, I think they might have been married.

Jackie Midkiff and Nathaniel Marshall are locked in a sing-off. Marshall goes on. Midkiff is told to come back next year.

Jamar Rogers is out, but encouraged to come back next season.

Ricky Braddy, Matt Giraud, Ju'Not Joyner, Jorge Nunez and Brent Keith are #21-#25.

Stephen Fowler, who messed up his lyrics last night, stopped, restarted and messed them up again, is #26. Can a Brooke White-style stop and start on live TV be far behind?

Ryan Seacrest calls Nick Mitchell (and his alterego Normund Gentle) "the craziest contestant on season eight," but he's completely forgetting the looney antics of one Tatiana Del Toro. The judges decide to keep the crazy for another week. Does this count as one slot or two?

Shera Lawrence and Derik Lavers are both cut. Lavers cries more than Lawrence does.

16 year-old Allison Iraheta (and her unnatural shade of red hair) is lucky number 19. Paula Abduhl calls her a dark horse.

Danny Gokey (of "did I mention my wife died" fame) takes the 20th slot, dashing my hopes of a sing-off between Gokey and his BFF Jamar Rogers. Rogers will have to wait until after the commercial break to learn his fate.

Felicia Barton, Ashley Hollister and Devon Baldwin

Stay-at-home mom Frankie Jordan has to sing off against Jesse Langseth. Jordan is ok, but Cowell tells Langseth her song choice was horrible, but she makes the cut.

Cowell's parting blow: "If it's any consolation, you wouldn't have won anyway." Wound meet salt.

Cowell is over-ruled. Kristen McNamara makes it, Jenn Korbee does not.

Alexis Grace is next up and is put through. She's #15 for those who are counting.

Blind pianist Scott Macintyre, one of the strongest narratives to emerge thus far this season, takes the 16th position. 20 more slots.

Mother of three, Lil Round, also has reason to celebrate.

One away from the half-way point of the show...

T.K. Hash, Chris Chatman, Reggi Beasley are all shown the door.

Kendall Beard lives to sing on.

Jenn Korbee (one half of the married couple who made it to Hollywood week; her husband was cut during group sing) vocally duels with Kristen McNamara (whom Simon Cowell thought may have intentionally sang bad back up during group sing). I'm guessing Korbee will have a lot more time to spend with her husband very shortly....

Taylor Vaifanua is the first female to face the judges. She had performed poorly in the group sing, but redeemed herself with yesterday's solo. She's put through.

We're spared any suspense with regard to Jasmine Murray, Arianna Afsar, Casey Carlson, Megan Corkrey, Mishavonna Henson and Stevie Wright. All are through.

Anyone think Joanne Pacitti isn't going through? I have a bridge to sell you.

12 slots gone. 24 more to go. Still no Angela Martin.

Head to head battles begin.

Cody Sheldon has to sing one more time against his friend Alex Wagner-Trugman. Wagner-Trugman is better. Nice shot of Sheldon sitting on a couch outside of the judges room listening to his dream implode. Sheldon is sent packing.

The Broadway voice, Adam Lambert, is next up. The judges give him a taste of his own theatrics and make him sweat, but he's through.

With a twist: some will need to sing

Anoop Desai is first to hear the results and his the first into the top 36. No surprise.

Von Smith is second and after the usual mind games, he's through.

The producers aren't veering too far from the show's formula so far.

A selection of guests schedule don today's talk shows:

Room one makes it through. Anoop and Scott, Lil Rounds are among those celebrating.

Room two (with Del Toro) is last. Del Toro has to make it about herself. But they are also sent through.

50 become 36 tomorrow night. Weee.

Kaylan Loyd is very flat and Simon Cowell puts her out of our misery.

Leneshe Young felt good about her performance. She might be the only one.

Kai Kalama did a belly flop. Michael Sarver (the oil rig guy) is in the same room with him.

Room Two gets a lecture about having started out so strong, but petering out. Which means they all got through.

Room Three (I think) does not. In that room: Michael Castro (The brother of season seven's David Castro).

Oy!

Nick MItchell takes the stage in his alter-ego Norman Gentle get-up (Khaki shorts, lame shirt, red headband). He performs "Georgia" fairly well.

Ann Marie Boskovich is the umpteenth person to sing "I Hope You Dance." She performs it without and flourish.

Ju'Not Joyner is in the same room. I get a distinct Chikeze vibe from him. He's very soulful. If he makes it through, he'll surprise everyone at some point.

Can. Not. Stand. De Toro.

Alexis Grace, Kenny Hoffpauer and Jasmine Murray are given the montage treatment. They're in room two.

Nathaniel Marshall is in there with them. A quick edit shows he's playing an acoustic guitar and not wearing shoes on stage (ala last season's Brooke White)

Studio plant Joanna Pacitti forgets the words. Bet she makes it through though.

Casey Carlson and Stephen Fowler also forget the lyrics. Votefortheworst.com said all three made it through. So much for Simon Cowell's warning that if you forget the lyrics you're out. Unless votefortheworst.com is wrong. Doubtful.

Still no sign of Chicago contestant Angela Martin.

Anoop Desai, Jorge Nunez, Scott Macintyre (the blind guy) are given quick montages. Macintyre plays the piano on "I'm Going Home."

"I just found out that Paula gave me a standing ovation. I didn't see that," he says without an ounce of irony in his voice.

A quartet of gals: Kendall Beard, Stevie Wright and mother of three Lil Rounds and Kristin McNamara. Rounds and McNamara should make it though.

Mishavonna Henson, back for more punishment after getting cutting during Hollywood Week season seven, is next. She's alright.

If "American Idol" is a singing competition, why has there been so little singing in favor of manufactured drama?

The remaining 72 contestants performed with a band, back-up singers and, if they wanted to, their own instruments.

"Wicked" Los Angeles cast member Adam Lambert is first with a Cher's "Do You Believe in Love" as a ballad. It's weird.

Matt Giraud is next up with "Georgia." He accompanies himself on the piano. Too many vocal riffs. Three judges give a standing ovation. So much for judges not making any comments.

Friends Jamar Rogers and Danny Gokey are given more screen time. Who wants to bet only one of them makes it through?

"Grey's Anatomy" cast member James Pickens Jr. says the medical drama will be saying goodbye to Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight.

Music sales may be low, but interest in music isn't, at least according to ratings for the Grammy Awards.

Nielsen Media Research says that Sunday's ceremony was seen by at estimated 19.1 million people. That's about 2 million more viewers than for last year's show and higher than it's been for three of the past four years.

Music sales may be low, but interest in music isn't, at least according to ratings for the Grammy Awards.

Nielsen Media Research says that Sunday's ceremony was seen by at estimated 19.1 million people. That's about 2 million more viewers than for last year's show and higher than it's been for three of the past four years.

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

9;25 p.m. and we're up to 11 celebs.

Can you STAND the excitement. I'm still yawning...

Added to the list:
Ex-bubblegum popster Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Gos; the D.A.G.man himself David Alan Grier ("Chocolate News" and "In Living Color"); and Apple Computer founder and engineer Steve Wozniak. Gadzooks!!

More to come.

We waited and waited. and here it is....

Lil 'Kim is used to wearing practically nothing in public, so the sequins and peekabo dresses and barely-there frocks made famous on this show will be nothing new to the singer/rapper.

NFL Hall-of-Famer, former New York Giants legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor is one of the greatest players of all time. Let's see if he's still got the moves to do what it takes to win in the ballroom.

Nancy O'Dell? Not since Leeza Gibbons have we been this excited. Oh brother.

Oh well,I supposed we should be thankful for hunka-hunka-hunk Gilles Marini (the gorgeous stud living next door to Samantha in L.A who spends much of the film showering with the women he's bedded, or bedding the women he's bedded, or going full-frontal with or without the women he's bedded.. you get the picture). In real life, the 32-year-old Frenchman is happily married and the father of 2. So there ya go. Eye candy of the highest caliber. Let's see if he's got the moves when he's fully clothed (not to mention completely dry)

So now we know why Julianne Hough is supposedly sitting out this season of the show.. her singing cowboy boyfriend Chuck Wicks will try to cut a rug in the ballroom. Honestly, does he think this will help his music career? Seems like Julianne's music career, which should be skyrocketing by now (the girl really can sing) is just idling. Maybe this is a brilliant publicity stunt for the duo? Can't tell just yet.

Denise Richards, well, this gal will do just about anything for publicity these days. Nuff said.

Every "DWTS" needs an Olympic gold medalist. So here comes the Liliputian (4 feet 10 inches) gymnast Shawn Johnson. She could be a first-rate contender.

We had the "Goot" (Steve Guttenbert) now we have "the Woz" as in Apple computer founder/creator Steve Wozniak. He's officially (I think) this season's geezer, though nowhere near the geezerdom of Cloris Leachman.

David Alan Grier (fresh from the cancellation of "Chocolate News" on Comedy Central) the former star of "In Living Color" will be this season's cutup.

Ex popster and lead singer of the Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle has recently dropped 20 pounds and is looking might fabulous! This could be the springboard for her career comeback. (Hey, Marie Osmond landed a sweet deal at the Flamingo in Las Vegas with brother Donny!) And for the record, Osmond signed with Jenny Craig.

But the ones that will get the most attention this season are the husband and wife duo of professional rodeo cowboy Ty Murray and his bride, the singer Jewel. The coosome twosome will be competing against each other. Hmmmm. Wonder if their marriage will survive if one of them wins?

The list goes on...
Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, country music singer Chuck Wicks, "Sex and the City" alum Gilles Marini and Charlie Sheen's ex, actress/reality show star Denise Richards.

Could the lineup get any more dismal? Let's see what the last reveal has in store for us tonight.

Oh those wascally wabbits at ABC. They started dropping the celebrity names for Season * of "Dancing with the Stars" amid their Sunday night primetime lineup.
The first four revealed were: singer Lil' Kim, reality show bad boy Steve-O ("Jackass" Wildboyz") , Tv personality Nancy O'Dell, and requisite NFL star Forrest Taylor (New York Giants legendary linebacker).

So there you have it... so far. Stay tuned.

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

Tatiana's group all makes it forward despite Tatiana trying to make it all about Tatiana.

Team compromise is last. Duffy's "Mercy." Nathaniel Marshall is over-dramatic. Nancy Wilson is flat, but Kristin is strong.

Simon thinks Nathaniel and Kristin might have purposely sang flat back-up, making Nancy sound bad.

75 made it to the final day of Hollywood.

I'm not expecting all 25 groups to get screen time, but did I miss her?

Danny Groken, Jamar Rogers, Taylor Vaifura and another girl (who doesn't get any screen time and remains unidentified) ditch the band and score an a cappella version of Queen's "Somebody to Love."

Montage of groups performing "Some Kind of Wonderful" and I guess all get through.

Jasmine is the only member of Team Diva to survive, despite the rest of the group's attempt to throw Katrina (bikini girl) under the bus.

India, Justin, Chris and Matt re-invent "I Want You Back" and are all passed through.

Nick (aka nerd guy) makes it through by playing it straight. The girls in his quartet aren't lucky.

Alex, Ryan, Anne Marie, and Emily. Emily forgets the words. Alex and Anne Marie make it through.

So, who do you think was robbed?

Katrina Darrell, aka Bikini Girl, decides she needs sleep more than she needs fame.

And after catching a few more zzzzs, comes to her senses to the shock/dismay/surprise of her fellow divas who just now realize the chances of success are about as small as Katrina's choice in swim wear.

Tatyana's group continues to implode.

And so does Team Compromise, the group she tried to join, but then quit.

Bikini Girl leaves the other three members of her group (Team Diva) in the lurch.

Anyone think any of these people will make it through?

Sabotage during the group sing? You don't say, Simon!

I'm having a high school flashback to gym class and picking teams. You know somebody is going to be picked last, teams are going to get stuck with people they don't really want and that drama will surely unfold.

How odd that Rose ended up in a group with Bikini girl?

Oh, wait. Now I get why they do group sing.

Tatyana is having a meltdown, leaves her group, joins another group and then goes back to her original group.

What do you guys think so far?

In between "Mad Men" seasons, suave star Jon Hamm found time to shoot some episodes of "30 Rock," too. His guest shot starts tomorrow, and we found this blog with a bunch of photos from the upcoming episode. Go, Liz!

Photos from Pregnant Cornbread

See two full pages of shots here.

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

A growing number of television actors are not only studying scripts, they're also studying American vowels and consonants. Popular actors from England, Australia and New Zealand have found a home on the small screen playing American characters.

Read the story here, and watch video examples here ...

A selection of guests scheduled on today's talk shows:

Kate and Sawyer discover their attraction while distressed two years ago on "Lost."

If you thought the tortured tropical romance between Sawyer and Kate was over, you might be surprised by a future episode of "Lost," according to Evangeline Lilly, who stars as Kate on the ABC thriller.

"There is a reunion of sorts" awaiting the pair, says Lilly. Never mind that Kate seems to have escaped that mystical island while Sawyer, the handsome rogue played by Josh Holloway, was staying put.

Despite his rant about artistic integrity at the Smashing Pumpkins' hometown shows a few weeks back, Billy Corgan allowed a new Pumpkins song to debut via -- wait for it -- a Hyundai commercial during last night's Super Bowl. That's the ad with the tune above. Whatever. Stop funding this whack job, suckers.

Last night we got the first commercial for Amy Poehler's new sitcom, "Parks and Recreation," coming soon as a follow to "The Office."

We haven't seen it getting much buzz, so we're happy to hear from TNT that there's allegedly enough of it that the new series "Leverage" is getting picked up for a second season.

"Leverage" is one of our favorite new cable confections -- an escapist trifle that mashes up the remakes of "Ocean's 11" with "The A-Team." Timothy Hutton stars as a former insurance investigator who leads a team of con men and thieves in Robin Hood-like jobs, getting even with crooks who rip off innocent people.

TNT announced today it's ordered 15 more episodes of the comedy-drama. The show's currently on at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, and the second season should start airing later this year.

More video after the jump ...

Preliminary Nielsen Media Research ratings show the Super Bowl's audience was likely down from last year's peak, but about on par with the 2007 and 2006 games.

The Pittsburgh-Arizona game on NBC recorded a 42.1 rating and 65 share in Nielsen's overnight measurement of the nation's top cities. The same measurement for last year's New York Giants-New England Patriots game, which was the most-watched Super Bowl ever, was 44.7.