This Week in TV: Oct 17-23

By Tricia Romano Posted Oct 23rd 2009 05:49AM

This week in TV, we were forced to squeeze the last precious drops of the Balloon Boy saga, as the sweet nectar of scandal and ridiculousness keeps us alive for days! Days! We've got some 'Gossip Girl,' some Oprah and some 'Top Chef' just to whet your appetite.

Richard Heene's Thirst for More Fame Denied, Denied, Denied!: Last week, the entire facade of a mylar hoax became deflated during Wolf Blitzer's interview in just eight words: "You said we did this for a show." Uh-oh.

Cue: a series of bizarre press conferences by the Sheriff, first trying to convince everyone that they didn't believe it was a hoax, and then finally, admitting, yes, they were all duped. Cue: replay after replay and discussion after discussion on TV news.

The backlash moved so fast, but strangely, Lifetime, the channel that airs 'Wife Swap,' didn't decide to capitalize on the media attention and actually yanked the Heene family's episode, which was set to re-air on October 29, thereby cutting off a potential ratings bonanza. A spokesperson told CNN: " "It was on the schedule long before the incident."

We don't know if they should be admired for their ethics, or if they just hate money and good ratings.

Boys Kiss On 'Gossip Girl'!: Back in the '90s, TV shows routinely hyped same-sex kisses. 'Roseanne' had one; 'Ellen' had a multitude, and of course, several of the girls kissed girls on 'Sex and The City.' But those were all ladies, and they sent the ratings aflutter. This 'Gossip Girl' kiss was between two boys -- Chuck Bass and Neil Bledsoe -- and it didn't raise the hackles of America, or the ratings.

What do you expect, when the flirtation was longer than the the kiss itself? Bledsoe kept leaning in, and Bass says, "I'm not that kind of girl." If you blinked, you really would have missed it.

Elisabeth Is Back, Talks Nip Slip: The lone right-winger on 'The View' returned after giving birth to her baby boy, and told a story that veered from her usual in-your-face political discourse. This story was amusingly cute and also possibly T.M.I.: it featured a photo, a nip-slip, and a very happy baby.

Sarah Vs. Oprah: Tickets on Sale Now: We would prefer a mud wrestling pit and front row seats, but it was announced that the former archenemies are making nice just in time for the release of Sarah Palin's book, 'Going Rogue: An American Life' -- and for sweeps week. Oprah, unlike those nice people at Lifetime, has no qualms about going for the gold. The show airs November 16. And while we have given up on the mud wrestling dream, we can hope for some couch jumping, at least. No?

'Top Chef' -- Team Revolt!: This week in 'Top Chef'-dom, we learned that it's possible to have an incredibly bad restaurant name -- Revolt -- and come out on top. We also learned that running a high-class top-of-the-line restaurant is harder than it looks and that Padma is not happy when she is hungry. Do not make Padma wait for her food. The poor besotted Blue Team: they produced a surly, freaked-out hostess (Laurine), who could not be bothered to describe the complicated dishes until prompted; undercooked, nearly raw lamb (described as jelly-like in consistency by one of the judges); undercooked mussels and clams; and just plain bad trout (cooked by Jen, who seemed to have a meltdown when told her butter sauce was totally broken). The judges made the wise choice and sent home the surly hostess, giving the talented chefs another shot.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Eggelsfield Booted Out of 'Melrose Place': No more drama. That's what Michael Ausiello reported over at EW about the imminent departure of 'Melrose Place' residents, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Eggelsfield. The impending return of Heather Locklear's character Amanda is also setting the stage for a more light and frothy show, as the "Who Killed Sydney" mystery will be buried by December.

Soupy Sales Goes to the TV Show in the Sky: We're hoping that the Summer of Death doesn't turn into the Fall of Death (although we rather like the idea of the fall of death, if you follow us), but Soupy Sales passed away on Thursday at 83. We remember Soupy from our childhood on the various game shows (Hollywood Squares!), 'The Carol Burnett Show' and the 'Merv Griffin Show.' He's part of that generation of Hollywood entertainers, who practiced showbiz with a capital S. We'll miss him.

Tags: Ed Westwick, EdWestwick, gossip girl, GossipGirl