News 'n' notes from another wacky week in TV:
TRUE SURVIVOR: Survivor: Palau continues to hang in there in the race for Canada's No. 1 TV show. According to BBM Canada, the reality favourite took the top spot across the nation last week (April 11-17) with 3,385,000 Global viewers. CTV had the next four spots with CSI (3,323,000), The Amazing Race (3,041,000), American Idol Tuesday (2,835,000) and Desperate Housewives (2,622,000).
Meanwhile, as it races to a heart-stopping climax, 24 is making a charge in Toronto. Airing on Hamilton's CH, it still managed to vault past Without A Trace, ER, Law & Order and House to take T.O.'s No. 11 spot with 391,000 viewers.
THE U.S. SCENE: CSI (27.54 million viewers) was tops in the States last week, followed by American Idol Tuesday (25.62), Desperate Housewives (25.27), American Idol Wednesday (24.96) and CSI: Miami (20.67). Canadian topper Survivor: Palau (20.37) came sixth.
SWEEP SHEET: Circle these May sweeps dates:
* JAG -- April 29 (series finale, CH, CBS)
* The Apprentice -- May 12 (Global, NBC)
* Star Trek: Enterprise -- May 13 (two hour series finale, CITY, UPN; Space has it May 15)
* Survivor: Palau -- May 15 (Global, CBS)
* The Simpsons -- May 15 (Global, Fox)
* Everybody Loves Raymond -- May 16 (series finale, Global, CBS)
* Law & Order -- May 18 (NBC)
* CSI -- May 19 (directed by Quentin Tarantino, CTV, CBS)
* Desperate Housewives -- May 22 (CTV, ABC)
* CSI: Miami -- May 23 (CTV, CBS)
* 24 -- May 23 (CH, Fox)
* Medium -- May 23 (NBC)
* Everwood -- May 23 (New VR, The WB)
* House -- May 24 (CH, Fox)
* Lost -- May 25 (CTV, ABC)
* American Idol -- May 25 (CTV, Fox)
WHAT IS OOPS: Three -- not one -- Canadians remain in the hunt for a shot at Ken Jennings in Jeopardy's Ultimate Tournament Of Champions. Besides Lan Djang of Toronto (singled out here last week), Ontario accountant Michael Daunt and Robert Slaven from Surrey, B.C. are still in competition.
Daunt, who pulled one out in Final Jeopardy! this week to defeat two other former champs, has already moved to next month's "Elite 18" round.
Two players will eventually face Jennings in a three-day final May 23-25. The winner pockets $2 million, runner up $500,000 and third gets $250,000 (all U.S. figures).
RACE RESULTS: Pals Lynn Warren and Alex Ali were tossed Tuesday on The Amazing Race. Meredith and Gretchen Smith, who thought they were trailing, became the oldest couple to reach Race's Final Four.
YOU'RE SCHEDULED: ABC has picked May 24 as the date for Trump Unauthorized. The quickie TV-bio stars Canadian Justin Louis as The Donald, with Wiarton Willie co-starring as his lid (Air Farce joke).
FOLK TALES: The fifth and final season of Queer As Folk begins May 23 with 13 new Showcase episodes. Rosie O'Donnell and Cyndi Lauper guest this season.
UNDER ARREST: Fox's Arrested Development went out with a shrug, with just under 6 million U.S. viewers sampling TV's funniest show last Sunday. Enough to order a third season? We'll know by mid-May. Meanwhile, NBC's The Office sank to a series-low 5.26 million viewers.
DINNER FOR TWO: That Godiva extra contest? Ginger Busch, a part-time actress from Toronto (who works at the Summit Grill House and had a bit part in Queer As Folk) and Juan Riedinger from Banff, Alberta, each won bit parts next season on the Bravo! eatery opus. Over 1,000 people applied.
