Nielsen Rating's Top 20 for July 20 - July 26

The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for July 20 - July 26. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.

Rank	Season average	Show name	Network	Viewers in millions
1.	17	America's Got Talent (Tuesday, 9)	NBC	13.7
2.	23	America's Got Talent (Wednesday, 9)	NBC	11.3
3.	6	NCIS	CBS	9.7
4.	8	The Mentalist	CBS	9.6
5.	9	Two and a Half Men	CBS	9.3
6.	38	Big Bang Theory	CBS	8.8
7.	13	CSI: Miami	CBS	8.5
8.	49	So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday)	Fox	8.4
9.	64	America's Got Talent (Tuesday, 8)	NBC	8.3
10.	64	The Bachelorette	ABC	8.0
11.	7	CSI	CBS	7.8
12.	37	Law & Order: SVU	NBC	7.5
13.	52	So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday)	Fox	7.4
14.	13	60 Minutes	CBS	7.3
*	19	CSI: NY	CBS	7.3
16.	X	Hell's Kitchen (Tuesday, 9)	Fox	6.9
17.	12	Criminal Minds	CBS	6.5
18.	52	Big Brother (Thursday)	CBS	6.4
*	88	Wipeout	ABC	6.4
20.	N/A	Big Brother (Sunday)	CBS	6.1
*	93	Dating in the Dark	ABC	6.1
*	N/A	Hell's Kitchen (Tuesday, 8)	Fox	6.1

ABC's The Bachelorette: Jillian Dumps Kiptyn & Reid, Then Agrees To Marry Ed

Well. Reid did return for one more shot at Jillian on The Bachelorette. That part of the previews ended up being true. The other part of the finale previews that had Jillian in anguish due to yet one more shocking revelation that would lead to the most dramatic episode in the history of television, did not end up being true.

Though there was some lengthy anguish on Jillian's part that drug on for a long, long time, regarding Reid's on his knees proposal. She had to take a time out to consider Reid's case. While Ed was in a limo on his way to make his own case.

Reid claimed he had to pull all sorts of strings with the producers to get back to Hawaii so he could propose to Jillian. I'm guessing the producers jumped at the chance for some good manufactured drama. What sort of strings could Reid have pulled? He mentioned the string pulling twice.

So, Jillian dumped Reid again and then Ed showed up. Jillian was well over her tearful Reid anguish by the time Ed showed up. Ed proposed. Jillian accepted the proposal with a loud "ABSOLUTELY."

I forgot to mention, before Reid showed up Jillian dumped Kiptyn. Kiptyn did not seem to upset at being rejected.

I don't get why Jillian was so gungho over Ed. I didn't much care for Ed. Reid seemed more amusing. Ed seemed boring. Once Ed got over his performance anxiety he must have performed really well, judging by how Jillian was being so overwhelmingly, inexplicably thrilled with him.

The rumor bouncing around the Internet is that that diminutitive, overly earnest, airplane pilot from Dallas, who did such a good Mesnick balcony crying scene after he informed Jillian that Wes had a girlfriend, Jake, is going to be the next fodder on The Bachelor. Jake seemed to be such an upstanding highly moralistic fellow, I don't know how he is going to handle handling 3 women in 3 days in those notorious Fantasy Suites.

Nielsen Rating's Top 20 for July 13 - July 19

The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for July 13 - July 19. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.

Rank	Season average	Show name	Network	Viewers in millions
1.		All-Star Game	Fox	14.6
2.	2	America's Got Talent (Tuesday, 9)	NBC	13.5
3.	1	America's Got Talent (Wednesday, 9)	NBC	11.6
4.		All-Star Pregame	Fox	11.2
5.	6	NCIS	CBS	10.5
6.	9	Two and a Half Men	CBS	9.1
7.	8	The Mentalist	CBS	8.4
8.	39	The Big Bang Theory	CBS	8.2
9.	13	CSI: Miami	CBS	8.0
*	18	CSI: NY	CBS	8.0
*	65	The Bachelorette	ABC	8.0
12.	6	CSI	CBS	7.7
*	54	Wipeout	ABC	7.7
14.		Remembering Cronkite	CBS	7.6
15.	18	America's Got Talent (Tuesday, 8)	NBC	7.5
*	12	Criminal Minds	CBS	7.5
17.	50	So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday)	Fox	7.2
18.	37	Law & Order: SVU	NBC	7.1
19.	50	So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday)	Fox	7.0
20.	88	America's Got Talent (Wednesday, 8)	NBC	6.5

Hell's Kitchen: All Hell Breaks Loose During 2 Hour Premiere

Last night's 2 hour premiere of the latest trip to Hell's Kitchen, on FOX, delivered on the entertainment, hooking me from the first episode. That has never happened before. Usually I start watching a few weeks in.

Last night's 2 hour season premiere was actually 2 episodes, back to back. Which works for me.

In episode 2, weight-challenged Robert, he with health issues, from the previous iteration of Hell's Kitchen, is back. He was put on the girl's team. Chef Gordon Ramsay acted as if Robert was a culinary genius. My memory of Robert was he got yelled at a lot by Ramsay, which was soon to be the case again.

Good entertainment was provided by several people. There was this Melinda girl, way in over her head. Could not get pasta cooked right. Kept throwing it away and trying again, til Ramsay found the garbage can full of noodles. Melinda had the best overwhelmed, deer in the headlights, bug-eyed panic look I think I've ever seen. She was the first to get the boot.

Well, actually a guy named Louis got the boot first. Louie didn't even make it through the dinner service. He was so incompetent, Ramsay kicked Louie, the diner operator, home.

One of the boy chefs is a guy named Van, born in Georgia, currently a neighbor of mine, in Dallas, Texas. Van has anger management issues. He was assigned the table side, cook the shrimp duty, where he proceeded to botch it up, including sending frying pans flying several times. Maitre 'd, Jean-Philippe tried to reign Van in, to no avail. Van would not listen to JP, got downright feisty and threatening to the mild-mannered Belgian.

Finally, Ramsay pulled JP and Van off the floor and told them to knock it off and that they had to communicate better, telling them that they both spoke English, so communicate. To which Jean-Philippe said, in his French-Belgian accent, "I speak English. He speaks Texan."

Apparently Van is a trained chef and works in one of Dallas' top eateries. But, unfortunately, Van seems to be the latest bad Texas Reality Show Stereotype, following closely on the heels of Wes the Heel from Austin, on ABC's The Bachelorette.

And then there was ex-Marine, Joesph. Even worse anger management issues than Van. He seemed very high strung, yet competent. At the turn in your knives and leave Hell's Kitchen segment of the second episode, Ramsay asked Joesph to name the two up for the boot, and why. Joesph said the 2 names. But not why. Ramsay repeated the question. Joesph kept being obtuse. Ramsay then got more irate, with some choice name-calling, the details of which I don't remember.

And then Joesph lost it, in one of the best Reality TV meltdowns I have ever seen. He started ranting about not being a bitch, said he didn't need to be here, tossed off his chef jacket, then moved on Ramsay, spewing invective, to the shock of Ramsay and the rest of the chefs, who had made feeble attempts to get Joesph to calm down and be reasonable.

Joesph stood face to face, screaming at Ramsay, incoherently, wanting to settle it out in the parking lot. The look of astonishment on Ramsay's face was a great moment. And then, "To Be Continued."

I really don't think there is any way Joesph can be redeemed at this point.

The previews showed all sorts of drama next week, fire trucks, emergency teams, ambulances.

Very entertaining.

ABC's The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All & Reid Is Back For The Finale

Reid did not show up at the Men Tell All episode of The Bachelorette tonight. That seemed suspicious. And seemed to reinforce the rumors that Reid comes back in the finale after some new revelation about either Kiptyn or Ed or both sends Jillian reeling, leading to the most shocking, earth shattering, stunning, amazing, jaw-dropping, television ground-breaking finale episode of this series since the last one.

The Men Tell All episode tonight was highly amusing. There was a lot of fighting among the boys. David, he being the one with anger management issues, who made such an ass of himself, with Jillian, on a boat in Vancouver, that she dumped him. Even after David saw the footage, he still didn't get it. Even when the other boys told him how appalled they were, he still didn't get it. Even after the audience ganged up on him, he still didn't get it. But when host, Chris Harrison explained it to David, he finally seemed to get it, sort of, and said he would apologize to Jillian if, indeed, it did make her uncomfortable when he groped her and told her over and over again what a great ass she had.

When Jillian came out she confirmed, to previously doubting David, that his loutish behavior did make her uncomfortable. Then Jillian turned her attention to the guy in the house whom David had abused, that being Juan. Jillian apologized to Juan for what he had to put up with and praised him for handling it like a gentlemen, which we all saw, along with Jillian. Of course, loutish David, sat there hearing this, clueless and mugging like he was incredulous.

Wes, the guitar playing singer, with a #1 hit in Chihuahua, Mexico was thoroughly roasted, deservedly so, for being such a slimy tool.

Jake, the guy who returned to warn Jillian about Wes, got a lot of airtime. I agree with the guy who made fun of him for doing a full blown Mesnick. And the other guy who said it was ridiculous to act so smitten after so little time. Personally I think Jake may have some serious issues. What they may be, I don't know.

By the end of the 2 hours we got to a wrap up, showing a distillation of Jillian's romances with Ed and Kiptyn, all looking like everything was hunky dory. Til we got to the previews of next week's finale. Still looking like all was hunky dory, til the last 30 seconds, or so, when we learn that Jillian gets told some shocking information that changes everything, with Jillian lamenting that she doesn't know how much more she can take.

And then we cut to a hand holding a ring. Wedding ring? Then the camera slowly pans up. It is Reid holding the ring. What drama. I know I'll be watching.

2009 Emmy Award Nominations & The Few Of Them I Watch

I can not help but wonder why I have a TV Blog. Of all the TV shows nominated for 2009 Emmy Awards, I have watched very, very few. With the majority of the few nominated shows, that I have watched, being in the Reality TV Category, as in Top Chef, The Amazing Race, Dancing With The Stars and American Idol, all being shows I watch. The only one of the Reality Shows that I don't watch, beginning to end, I have seen parts of, that being Project Runway.

I have watched Family Guy and Two and a Half Men, in the Comedy category, occasionally. Family Guy gets a Comedy nomination while its fellow animated series, The Simpsons, never has?

Of the Drama Series, Lost is the only one of the nominees I watch. I really need to start watching more TV. And maybe less Reality TV. Survivor was not nominated in the Reality TV category, except for, I think, Jeff Probst getting nominated in the host category.

Anyway, below is a list of the top Emmy categories. If you go to the official Emmy website you'll see how detailed the entire list of nominees is, as in for things like "Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)." These type awards likely won't make it on the primetime awards show, Sunday, September 20.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Two And A Half Men
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock

Outstanding Drama Series

Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

Outstanding Miniseries

The Andromeda Strain
Cranford
John Adams
Tin Man

Outstanding Made For Television Movie

Bernard And Doris
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
A Raisin In The Sun
Recount

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Monk •
Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk

The Office •
Steve Carell as Michael Scott

Pushing Daisies •
Lee Pace as Ned

30 Rock
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

Two And A Half Men
Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Boston Legal •
James Spader as Alan Shore

Breaking Bad •
Bryan Cranston as Walt White

Dexter •
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

House •
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House

In Treatment •
Gabriel Byrne as Paul

Mad Men •
Jon Hamm as Don Draper

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Bernard And Doris •
Ralph Fiennes as Bernard Lafferty

Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale •
Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman

John Adams •
Paul Giamatti as John Adams

Recount • HBO •
Kevin Spacey as Ron Klain

Recount • HBO •
Tom Wilkinson as James Baker

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

The New Adventures Of Old Christine •
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell

Samantha Who? •
Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly

30 Rock •
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon

Ugly Betty •
America Ferrera as Betty Suarez

Weeds •
Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Brothers & Sisters •
Sally Field as Nora Holden-Walker

The Closer •
Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

Damages •
Glenn Close as Patty Hewes

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit •
Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson

Saving Grace •
Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

An American Crime •
Catherine Keener as Gertrude Baniszewski

Bernard And Doris •
Susan Sarandon as Doris Duke

Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre) •
Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty Jenkyns

John Adams •
Laura Linney as Abigail Adams

A Raisin In The Sun •
Phylicia Rashad as Lena Younger

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Entourage •
Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold

Entourage •
Kevin Dillon as Johnny Drama

How I Met Your Mother •
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson

The Office •
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute

Two And A Half Men •
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series

Boston Legal •
William Shatner as Denny Crane

Damages •
Ted Danson as Arthur Frobisher

Damages •
Zeljko Ivanek as Ray Fiske

Lost •
Michael Emerson as Ben

Mad Men •
John Slattery as Roger Sterling

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie

John Adams •
David Morse as George Washington

John Adams •
Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson

John Adams •
Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin

Recount •
Denis Leary as Michael Whouley

Recount •
Bob Balaban as Ben Ginsberg

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Pushing Daisies •
Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook

Samantha Who? •
Jean Smart as Regina Newly

Saturday Night Live •
Amy Poehler as Performer

Two And A Half Men •
Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper

Ugly Betty •
Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Boston Legal •
Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt

Brothers & Sisters •
Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker-Whedon

Grey’s Anatomy •
Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey

Grey’s Anatomy •
Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang

In Treatment •
Dianne Wiest as Dr. Gina Toll

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie

Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre) •
Eileen Atkins as Miss Deborah Jenkyns

Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale •
Ashley Jensen as Maggie Jacobs

Pictures Of Hollis Woods •
Alfre Woodard as Edna Reilly

A Raisin In The Sun •
Audra McDonald as Ruth Younger

Recount •
Laura Dern as Katherine Harris

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm •
Shelley Berman as Nat David

30 Rock •
Rip Torn as Don Geiss

30 Rock •
Will Arnett as Devin Banks

30 Rock •
Steve Buscemi as Len

30 Rock •
Tim Conway as Bucky Bright

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

ER •
Stanley Tucci as Dr. Kevin Moretti

In Treatment •
Glynn Turman as Alex Sr.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit •
Robin Williams as Merritt Rook

Mad Men •
Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper

Nip/Tuck •
Oliver Platt as Freddie Prune

Rescue Me •
Charles Durning as John Gavin, Sr.

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Desperate Housewives •
Polly Bergen as Stella Wingfield

Desperate Housewives •
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey

Monk •
Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven

30 Rock •
Carrie Fisher as Rosemary Howard

30 Rock •
Edie Falco as Celeste “C.C.” Cunningham

30 Rock •
Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Big Love •
Ellen Burstyn as Nancy Dutton

Grey’s Anatomy •
Diahann Carroll as Jane Burke

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit •
Cynthia Nixon as Janis Donovan

Medium • NBC •
Anjelica Huston as Cynthia Keener

Nip/Tuck •
Sharon Gless as Colleen Rose

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

Flight Of The Conchords • Yoko •
James Bobin, Written By
Jemaine Clement, Written By
Bret McKenzie, Written By

The Office • Dinner Party • NBC •
Lee Eisenberg, Written By
Gene Stupnitsky, Written By

Pushing Daisies • Pie-Lette • ABC •
Bryan Fuller, Written By

30 Rock • Rosemary’s Baby •
Jack Burditt, Written By

30 Rock • Cooter •
Tina Fey, Written By

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series

Battlestar Galactica • Six Of One •
Michael Angeli, Written By

Damages • Pilot •
Todd A. Kessler, Written By
Glenn Kessler, Written By
Daniel Zelman, Written By

Mad Men • Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot) •
Matthew Weiner, Written By

Mad Men • The Wheel •
Matthew Weiner, Written By
Robin Veith, Written By

The Wire • 30 •
David Simon, Teleplay By/Story By
Ed Burns, Story By

Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Bernard And Doris •
Hugh Costello, Written By

Cranford (Masterpiece Theatre) •
Heidi Thomas, Written By

Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale •
Ricky Gervais, Written By
Stephen Merchant, Written By

John Adams • Independence •

Kirk Ellis, Written By

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Entourage • No Cannes Do •
Dan Attias, Director

Flight Of The Conchords • Sally Returns •
James Bobin, Director

The Office • Money (Parts 1 & 2) •
Paul Lieberstein, Director

The Office • Goodbye, Toby •
Paul Feig, Director

Pushing Daisies • Pie-Lette •
Barry Sonnenfeld, Director

30 Rock • Rosemary’s Baby •
Michael Engler, Director

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series

Boston Legal •
Arlene Sanford, Director

Breaking Bad • Pilot •
Vince Gilligan, Director

Damages • Pilot •
Allen Coulter, Director

House • House’s Head •
Greg Yaitanes, Director

Mad Men • Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pilot) •
Alan Taylor, Director

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Bernard And Doris •
Bob Balaban, Director

The Company •
Mikael Salomon, Director

Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale •
Ricky Gervais, Director
Stephen Merchant, Director

John Adams •
Tom Hooper, Director

Recount •
Jay Roach, Director

Nielsen Rating's Top 20 for July 6 - July 12

The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for July 6 - July 12. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.

Rank	Season average	Show name	Network	Viewers in millions
1.	23	America's Got Talent (Wednesday, 9)	NBC	11.9
2.	4	NCIS	CBS	11.0
3.	22	America's Got Talent (Tuesday)	NBC	10.6
4.	10	Two and a Half Men	CBS	9.4
5.	8	The Mentalist (Tuesday)	CBS	9.2
6.	15	60 Minutes	CBS	8.8
*	14	CSI: Miami	CBS	8.8
8.	126	Primetime: Family Secrets	ABC	8.7
9.	41	The Big Bang Theory	CBS	8.3
*	8	The Mentalist (Thursday)	CBS	8.3
11.	50	Wipeout	ABC	8.2
12.	50	So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday)	Fox	7.9
13.	4	CSI	CBS	7.7
*	65	The Bachelorette	ABC	7.7
15.	50	So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday)	Fox	7.6
16.	18	CSI: NY	CBS	7.3
17.	11	Criminal Minds	CBS	7.1
18.	79	Big Brother (Thursday)	CBS	6.6
19.	94	America's Got Talent (Wednesday, 8)	NBC	6.3
*	89	Big Brother (Sunday)	CBS	6.3
*	x	Dateline	NBC	6.3