Olivia Newton-John makes her second appearance as a guest judge on a reality show in a week. First contestant has so many sound effects with his moves that it feels like a segment on "Funniest Videos." Which is not a bad comparison, considering how he sang….

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Well, we're in Birmingham, famous both for "Idol" finalists and for being the subject of the Randy Newman song cited above. (Check out the "Good Old Boys" album, notable also for "Louisiana 1927," which has become a post-Katrina standard.) First contestant tries "Unchained Melody" and has them calling for security when she refuses to quit singing …

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I managed to sit through last night's "Studio 60" (as well as the last 15 minutes or so of "24" which is NBA-like in holding the real drama until the clock is ticking down). Mostly a snooze, once again no point to a two-parter. But I did perk up at the reference to the TCA being in town.

TCA is the Television Critics Association. I'm a member, and you have read about some of its gatherings in this blog.

On "Studio 60," Tom, in a bad lie, claimed that he had to be a celebrity waiter at a TCA event. The lie was bad because there was no point to it, and because his getting caught seemed inevitable — pretty much the way you knew that Danny and Jordan were going to get locked on the roof before the door even snapped shut. (And how many cell phones would be unable — oh, never mind, it's not worth it.)

Now, I have been to many TCA events over the last 22 years and I don't remember one with celebrity waiters. That said, I do remember:

— Craig Kilborn having Jell-O shots delivered to everyone present at a TCA awards.

— Jimmy Kimmel working the grill one lunchtime.

— Richard Simmons carrying a tray of fruit to reporters.

— A Fran Drescher press conference accompanied by bags of her croutons.

So maybe Aaron Sorkin was a waiter one time, and I just didn't notice.

Caught up with a couple of things, and wedding bells were ringing in both of them. "Grey's Anatomy" even offered two proposals (neither answered yet) as part of an episode that seemed at least partly designed to tidy up some storylines. Not did it stabilize the McDreamy-Meredith relationship (and with some nice talk about what a relationship is), the clinic seemed a way to settle what Izzie does with her money and — although it hasn't been explicit — what the Chief will do after he retires. Sure, the failure of his marriage suggests that he may un-retire. But the Chief can remain part of the cast if he's running the clinic, too, and that leaves open the battle to succeed him.

And what of those two proposals? Beats me. And it may beat the writers, too, if the rumors about T.R. Knight wanting out of the show are true.

As for "Friday Night Lights," it continues to make the argument that it's one of the best dramas on TV right now. Not best new. Best, period. In last week's episode, I liked the way we were reminded — more than once– that the coach both carries his share of insecurities and is a hard-head. I also liked the way the show didn't feel the need to have the coach offer his QB an explanation of game strategy. (Something like, "The play was a good idea, but it was probably going to work only once, so we had to save it as a surprise when we needed it most. …") Of course, this show doesn't feel the need to have any explain motivations or ideas; we'll figure it out as we see what they do, pretty much the way we have to do with people in everyday life. At the same time, though, when words matter to them, they have pretty great words — look at Smash and his family, or the coach and Smash in the diner.

I have no idea where that show's marriage proposal will lead, except that it could be wrapped in trouble. But so could the ones on "Grey's" — or on any show that begins making wedding plans as the turmoil of ratings sweeps looms.

Many things to say about tonight's "Grease: You're the One That I Want" but I'll start with a simple one: How could anyone smile while singing "Walking in Memphis"? It's a booming song, to be sure, but one that does not remotely call for a big Ipana grin throughout. Yet that is what we got from Kevin, and I am still wondering why no one called Kevin on it — especially when Juliana was called on not conveying the drama in "The First Cut Is the Deepest."

But I am so cynical about the show at this point, that even with two Buckeyes in the competition (Kate and Ashley S.) I am wondering if what anyone does really matters. Besides the Kevin/Juliana inconsistency, here are a few reasons:

— Bringing Matt and Ashley A. back into the competition for no discernible reason other than that their stories were liked by the audience. Tonight's show indicated yet again that both are way out of their league as singers.

— Where most of the competition went two-by-two (two Dannys back-to-back, two Sandys likewise), Matt and Ashley A. were a separate pairing, which spared them from sounding even worse in comparison to the people who know what they're doing. Yes, their addition creates an odd number of men and of women. All the more reason NOT TO BRING THEM BACK.

— The judges are, for the most part, in the tank about who is good and who isn't. Only Snarky Brit Producer was at all blunt, while Kathleen Marshall and Jim Jacobs were extremely kind — and guest Olivia Newton-John wouldn't even pick two favorites at the end. (Who does she think she is, Paula Abdul?)

My theory: Even though there was a reference to auditions going on for other "Grease" roles, I won't be surprised if the Broadway production ends up drawing on the TV show pool for Kenickie, Rizzo and other supporting roles. If that is looming, then the people involved in the show are going to be reluctant to trash perfomers whom they will still have to work with; it's sort of a corollary to "American Idol's" getting kinder when the pool gets down to the folks who might end up releasing CDs under "Idol's" auspices.

— The remarkably convenient way that the judges, in picking their favorite Danny and Sandy, managed not to overlap at all — listing six different favorites. (It would have been eight if Newton-John hadn't been such a wimp.) Snarky Brit went with Ashley S. and Derek, Marshall with Austin and Allie, Jacobs with Chad and Kate. Way to keep things wide open — and, going back to the other-casting theory, to keep more performers happy.

Other notes: Ashley S. did all right with "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", especially in terms of stage presence, and Kate was OK — little slow getting to the oomph in "All By Myself." But of all the men and women tonight, I was really surprised by Kathleen's "Suddenly I See." A real force, that one.

Next show's guest is Andrew Lloyd Webber who, as far as I can determine, does not have a hyphen in his name even if the show's graphics indicated otherwise. No new telecast next week because of the Super Bowl, so we wait until Feb. 11 for voting results.

No mockery here. We're talking about movies that have won kudos from AARP. Here's the press release:

AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine, today announced the winners of its sixth annual Movies for Grownups Awards. From Best Movie to Breakaway Accomplishment to Best Actor and Actress, AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards honors a range of cinematic accomplishments in 13 categories, all of which are featured in the March/April issue, available February 1, 2007.

Top honors went to The Last King of Scotland—an unblinking look at the rise and brutal reign of Uganda strongman Idi Amin—which was named this year’s Best Movie for Grownups. …

Donald Sutherland was awarded Best Actor 50 and Over for his role as a defiant Parkinson’s patient in Aurora Borealis. And Helen Mirren, starring as Queen Elizabeth in the days surrounding the death of Princess Diana in The Queen, was named Best Actress 50 and Over. Clint Eastwood took the top honor as best director for his two-part World War II saga, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima.

The 2007 Movies For Grown-Ups Award winners will be presented with the coveted La Chaise d’Or trophy—The Golden Chair—a whimsical trophy in the shape of a Barcalounger, at a private gala awards dinner held at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles on February 6, 2007.

Update: You can catch the latest podcast with me and Malcolm Abram on www.ohio.com by clicking here for the MP3 file. Or, subscribe to the podcast.

Things the audience learned from "Idol":

– It's OK to mislead your parents, skip school and travel to New York City, because you may get a trip to Hollywood out of it. If there's a surge in teen runaways during the next round of "Idol" auditions, blame 19-year-old Sarah Burgess of East Palestine, Ohio, whose tearful tale got plenty of "Idol" air time — and a trip to Hollywood — without so much as a "Kids, don't try this at home."

– You don't need to know how to talk to go on "Idol." Tuesday night gave us the word "confidentiality" as a synonym for "confidence." On Wednesday, we heard about a song being "interpretated."

– Don't do a second song unless it is absolutely clear that the judges want it — and you have a good, prepared second song. Nakia Claiborne of Scottsburg, Va., looked like a lock for Hollywood after her spirited "Dancing in the Street." Paula and guest judge Carole Bayer Sager were interested in hearing her bring it down on another song, but it's not clear on my recording of the show that they wanted her to sing again on the spot. Still, Claiborne did and it was a disaster for her. No Hollywood. As Sager pointed out, Claiborne was flawed on "Dancing" but you could overlook them; not so on the slow song.

– Don't overreach generally. The Jersey Girls (Amanda Coluccio and Antonella Barba, both 19) didn't win any friends with their attempt at a duet, but they went through to Hollywood on solo turns. I'm not convinced they were all that good, but the show is clearly relishing the soap-opera potential in their competing against each other — potential demonstrated when Antonella didn't tell Amanda EVERYTHING the judges said.

– The spirit of Monti Rock III is being carried forward by Ian "I AM a superstar" Benardo, crossover from "So You Think You Can Dance." But that spirit also meant that someone either didn't make it to the judges, or was denied air time, just so Benardo could throw attitude.

– Also taking up unnecessary air: a 47-year-old contestant evoking Sinatra. He's too freakin' old for the show. Why was he even on?

– Rachel Zevita, 18, of New York City, is not only going to Hollywood; she's already annoying me.

– Life begins and ends with "American Idol" for way too many singers. I am thinking of Claiborne's tears, the training regimen for Porcelana Patino of Elmhurst, N.Y. (who did get to Hollywood), the recidivist contestants, the arguments and the begging.

– Jenry Benjarano, 16, of Rotterdam, N.Y. (part of my old stomping grounds), may go a long way based on Paula's sense that he is "easy on the eyes."

– Others getting tickets to Hollywood: Jory Steinberg, 25, of Santa Monica and Canada; Hollywood dropout Nicholas Pedro, 25, of Taunton, Mass., and Kia Thornton, 27, of Englewood, N.J.

A lot of people discovered this Canadian series during its replays in U.S. syndication, so here's some news they'll like:

Acorn Media announces the February 27, 2007 DVD release of Da Vinci’s Inquest, Season 1, five-time winner of Canada’s coveted Gemini Award for Best Dramatic series. The 4-volume DVD box set includes all 13 episodes of the first season.

Canada’s smash hit police procedural stars award-winning actor Nicholas Campbell (Cinderella Man) as Dominic Da Vinci, coroner for the city of Vancouver. A former cop, the controversial and charismatic Da Vinci passionately pursues justice for the dead while fighting bureaucratic resistance and his own inner demons. Da Vinci’s Inquest co-stars Donnelly Rhodes (Battlestar Galactica).

Compared with CSI and NYPD Blue for its realistic character development and complex plots, the series earned more than 35 industry achievement awards in just its first four seasons. The series aired on CBC for seven seasons from 1998-2005 and is currently a hit in U.S. syndication on CBS affiliates with 4 million viewers each week.

Da Vinci’s Inquest owes its realism partly to the inspiration of Larry Campbell, former Vancouver coroner and mayor who served as a consultant to the show.

Last night a little after 9, I turned on "American Idol" and it wasn't very good. There was this guy from Texas, and he didn't really sing. He talked instead. His audition went on forever, it seemed, even though the judges weren't all that excited by what he did.

All right, I'm kidding. In fact, we should probably give some thanks to the president for having the State of the Union address last night, since it made "Idol" just one hour instead of two.

An odd hour at that. Fewer really bad singers, and some decent ones who did not get through, starting with Frank Byers Jr. of Arkansas. He got bashed for being over the top, but I don't entirely see the distinction between his performance ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine") and that by Sundance Head, 27, of Porter, Texas, whose rendition of "Stormy Monday" was good but also flamboyant, and got him sent to Hollywood. A lot depends, as we've seen before, on the story you bring with the voice.

I should digress here to say that the news that Sundance's father was Roy Head had me half-singing "Treat Her Right" this morning, when I watched my recording of "Idol." Biiiiiig radio song in my youth.

Anyway, even there were only four Hollywood-worthy singers showcased during the hour — out of 23 or more chosen — I had the feeling that either the overall quality of singers in Memphis was pretty good (certainly better than the two previous cities), or that the hour was edited to make it seem less excruciating than Seattle and Minneapolis. When the judges start shrugging off people as "nothing special," then there's enough good stuff that they can be picky; I think some of those "nothing special" singers would have gotten through in the Seattle/Twin Cities auditions.

And who has already gotten TV time and a ticket to Hollywood? Besides Sundance, Danielle McCulloch, 18, of Collierville, Tenn., whose torchy ways seemed to affect Simon on a non-singing level; Sean "Castro" Michel, 27, of Bryant, Ark., who already has me curious about what sort of makeover "Idol" will inflict on him; charmingly low-key Melinda Doolittle, 28, of (Some Place I Scribbled And Can't Read), Tenn., and new dad Phil Stacy, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla.

I watched "Veronica Mars" late last night and was not knocked out. Some good stuff, although I have gotten really tired of Logan's moping.

The ongoing attempts to push a self-contained story to the forefront didn't work for me last night. The resolution of the animal-lab tale felt rushed, especially in the context of a show that used to take its time establishing characters and mysteries. I understand the reason for it — to give the occasional viewer something to be satisfied with, instead of demanding loyalty for week after week — but it just doesn't feel like "Veronica Mars."

In an earlier post, I mentioned that "Studio 60" annoyed me with a two-parter because I didn't think it had enough to sustain a two-part tale. With "Veronica," I'm always ready for two and three and four and 18 parts, so one isn't enough. Yes, I know there's the ongoing murder mystery as well. I still feel as if "Veronica" is out of sync.

Caught up with "24" yesterday and this morning, and I have to say the absurdity of it is so brazen that I'm almost amused. As near as I could tell, exactly one southern California street was clogged by panic-stricken drivers. Jack's own driving attempts, as well as those of other characters, for the most part were blissfully unimpeded.

Then there was the seeming lack of real alarm about the nuke and the radiation — oh, it's blowing somewhere else! Sort of like the second-season nuke, which was put aside almost immediately after it happened. Jack moved on, and so did the show.

And I can't overlook Jack's latest Prince Hamlet move, the I-can't-go-on-I-must-go-on attitude (all right, that's more Samuel Beckett) that didn't make CTU think Jack was a little too unsteady to deal with THE BEST CLUE THEY HAD!

Finally, speaking of clues, anyone else think they were blatantly signalling that Jack's brother's kid is actually Jack's?

On "Studio 60," maybe I was just tired but I did laugh at Dolphin Girl. Beyond that, not too thrilled about the episode. The whole Danny-chasing-Jordan thing is getting way too creepy. And when so many plot threads were hanging with 10 minutes to go, I started thinking, "Rats, a two-parter." Not least because nothing was interesting enough to justify a second part.

Then again, I may also be reacting to recent reports of Aaron Sorkin playing Mr. Crankypants during the January TV press tour. Check out my friend Alan Sepinwall's account here.