Three of the top five programs recorded and watched within the same week are on The CW, according to a first-quarter report in Television Week.  Beauty and The Geek ranked first, “time-shifted” by 27.9% of its audience, followed by America’s Next Top Model (25.4%) and One Tree Hill (23.1%).  Some theorize that fans of these shows don’t want to miss a single episode, even when there’s a competing favorite airing on another channel.  I’ve experienced occasional overload on Thursdays, but that’s about it.  I’d much rather watch my CW shows live.  Earlier this week, execs at the annual TV critics press tour noted that Gossip Girl is one of the most-talked about series on the network, yet not all of its viewers are on their couches at 8pm on Mondays.  Some opt to later buy a download for their computer or cellphone.  On a regular basis, that would seem odd to me, since you really can’t follow the action on a teensy 2-inch telephone, and it’s uncomfortable to sit at a desk and stare at a monitor.  Why’d we invest in the 60-inch giant screen TVs with stereo-sound?  Because nothing beats kickin’ back in a recliner and watching free TV…on the TV.

There’s an important election this fall, but for America’s youth their pop-culture vote’s already in progress.  The CW dominated the annual Teen Choice Award nominations, with nearly half of the network’s 27 nods snared by Gossip Girl.  One Tree Hill and Smallville followed with four apiece, while America’s Next Top Model (3), Beauty & the Geek and Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious each scored a slot among the TV categories.  Freshman drama Gossip Girl will compete for Best Drama, Drama Actors and Actresses, Breakout Show, Breakout Stars and Choice Villain.  This is the 10th Anniversary of the Teen Choice Awards and, interestingly, WBNX stars and series swept to victory from the very start—with shows like Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Buffy and Friends and winning big in ’99.  This year’s ceremony will be held Aug. 4, and teens aged 13-19 can vote daily for their favorites.  Yes, it’s a huge popularity contest…but like they say on the Upper East Side, you’re no one until everyone’s talking about you—or voting for you.  Click here to cast your ballot!

Who doesn’t like a good scare?  That’s part of the fun The CW will serve up over the next three sunny months.  From director Sam Raimi, 13 is the first series “to take the horror movie into the reality world,” the network teases.  Contestants will face some frightening challenges in their quest for the $66,666 grand prize.  Casting calls were completed in mid-April, and filming was expected to take three weeks on the eight-episode thriller.  Look for a premiere date announcement in the near future.  Meanwhile, out on the prairie, the seven remaining city girls are stakin’ their claim to Matt on Farmer Wants a Wife.  He’s got five weeks to decide which of these feisty beauties (including Chagrin Falls’ Ashley) are suited for his green acres.  And, of course, Friday Night SmackDown is all new, all summer long on WBNX.  Did you miss an episode of your favorite series?  Most of our dramas and Sunday night comedies are hitting ‘reset,’ so you can catch up from the start of the season.  “The Summer of Geek” also kicks off Tuesday, with a replay of the series’ popular twist featuring hunky ‘beauty’ Sam and ‘geeky’ Nicole—plus the hilarious Jasmine!  Starting Wednesday, America’s Next Top Model relives tumultuous Cycle 9, as Ebony, Bianca, Heather & Co. mix it up again.  Those summer nights just got a little hotter.

For savvy TV fans this is the biggest week of the entire season.  Not only do we learn what shows have made the Fall 2008 schedule, but we’ll also GASP! again and again at the season finale shockers.  Beginning tomorrow, The CW will roll out ten series eye-poppers over the next eight nights.  Turn off the cell-phones, unplug the computer and don’t answer the door.  This is gonna be good.  Beauty & The Geek offers an unexpected romantic battle—presumably over Tommy, whose “geekiness” escapes us—before awarding the big payoff.  Wednesday, will Tyra choose Top Model’s first-ever “plus size” winner?  After seven years, Michael Rosenbaum bids farewell to Smallville, but only after Lex finally learns Clark’s secret in a huge showdown at the Fortress!  And Dean Winchester?  Yikes! Guess who’s come to collect on his Supernatural soul-deal?  The Sunday comedies leave on a high note, with Everybody Hates Chris and The Game poised to return next season.  On Gossip Girl, will Lily go thru with her grand wedding—or run to Rufus?  And what are the “bigger” secrets Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina) promises are yet to come?  One Tree Hill, as usual, tosses every character into the drama blender, with one person’s survival, well…suspect, at best.  But next week’s Reaper finale may contain the most chilling revelation of all.  Yeah, this sprint-to-the-finish makes the TV marathon worthwhile.  Feel free to vent nightly, as needed…

For sheer entertainment, it doesn’t get much better than last night’s episode of Beauty and The Geek. The highlight of each season is Geek Makeover Day, which entails a new wardrobe, oversized eyewear, and lots of hair removal—waxing chests, snipping backs, shaving faces. Each guy also gets a fresh hairstyle. All the nerds look better, although I don’t see much difference in poet Matt. Cowboy Joe displayed the biggest (and best) change, but doesn’t like it. “I feel like a sellout, it’s not me,” he whined. “My wardrobe was my identity, my façade.” The team challenge took place on the set of The Young & The Restless, with daytime stars Joshua Morrow and Michelle Stafford judging. Couples had to write and perform their own romantic prom scenes, which were so hilarious the judges were wiping tears. Typical crazy dialogue: “Remember the time you were abducted by pirates?” Shot on film with a soft lens, everyone actually looked like a soap star—especially Leticia, who should pursue acting. She and Matt won the contest, and chose Randi and Greg to accompany them to a Hollywood film premiere. The remaining four couples staged a bizarre cross-dressing fashion show, with Joe voted ugliest woman…sending the cowboy and Tara to the elimination room next week.

Beauty & The Geek tossed two curves into the game last night, resulting in the familiar guy/girl twosomes viewers love.  Before that, 6’6” Tommy learned his budding romance with model Amber was kaput, as she tanked last week’s quiz-off.  Tuesday’s twists sent one gal (Jillian) to the Geek team, and one guy (Chris) to the Beauties for flag football the L.A. Coliseum, with the losers’ transfer eliminated.  Annoying cowboy Joe made no friends on the field, while poet Matt exited with a shoulder injury amidst many tears.  The Beauties won both the game and the right to choose their new Geek partners:  Cara & Chris; Amanda & Tommy; Leticia & Matt; Randi & Greg; Kristina & Jason; Tiffany & Jim.  The cliffhanger leaves Tara to select either the cowboy or unsocial Jonathan, axing the odd man out.

For the first time, The CW has three competition shows airing together. Beauty & The Geek kicked off Round 5 by pitting the sexes against each other, but the players still seem intent on learning from their counterparts. If anything, this series accentuates an oddity of Reality TV: groups of girls scream and argue, and groups of guys do not. Why is that? Challenge #1 was to seduce the most phone-digits from strangers in a nightclub, with the playing field leveled thru ugly makeunders for the girls. They still won and chose five geeks to face off in sudden-death Jeopardy. Recovering Microsoft addict John buzzed too late, escaping next week’s Talent Show.

Last night, Top Model judge Miss J. “lost all confidence” in Somalian Fatima; I agree, she’s a walking stick who can’t strut. Tyra calls darkhorse Katarzyna a “mini Paulina Porizkova” — she knows how to work it. The girls wore raw meat garments and posed with slabs of beef, coaxed by Mr. Jay (or was that Mr. Freeze?). Funny Amis then capped off her worst day—after literally skipping down a runway—by coming to panel dressed for a job at Slobs-R-Us. Yeah, she’s gone.

It was all about The Pout on Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious. Hottie Chrystina couldn’t fathom being so close to elimination last week, and carried that sorry attitude thru rehearsals. Jamie joined the pity party, feeling her makeover hair shade belongs on a pumpkin. Bulky Jenna has zero energy on-stage, and that drama will come to an explosive head Monday night. Poor Cassandra boo-hooed when her deep voice couldn’t hit the notes on Blondie’s Heart of Glass. Alas, no range = goodbye.

Two weeks from tonight, the fifth round of Beauty & The Geek will premiere—and like this season’s earlier installment, there’s an interesting twist. Exec Producer Ashton Kutcher shook up the mansion by adding a geeky girl (Nicole) and hunky guy (Sam) to the Cycle 4 competition. But now, it appears that each challenge will pit all the beauties against all the geeks, with an elimination process yet to be revealed. Yes, this is a surprising shakeup for the “social experiment” which typically measures personal growth among mismatched twosomes. Judging by the 18 photos and character traits listed, there is no shortage of extremely gorgeous (yet clueless) young women, nor male counterparts who are brainy-n-backward. The Cowboy and Sweater Vest Enthusiast—a Jim Tressel wannabe?—look like they’ll stir the pot, but for bearded Jim and Jonathan, Makeover Day cannot come soon enough. Click here to get your first glimpse of the new contestants.

The CW has wasted no time in prepping fresh entertainment for the coming months.  In fact, the start dates for three popular competition series are fast approaching.  Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious debuts Mon., Feb. 18; America’s Next Top Model, cycle 10, premieres Wed., Feb. 20; and Beauty & The Geek, round 5, kicks off Tue., March 11.  There’s quite a bit of schedule revamping, with comedies shifting to Sunday and Gossip Girl to Monday, so just click here for an easy rundown.  Also, Tyra Banks has already begun scouting for her next group of chic model wannabes.  Amazingly, Cycle 11 will air this fall—so if you’re between 18-27 years old, at least 5-foot-7, and…well, gorgeous, check out these Casting Call details to see if there’s a runway and a quirky panel of judges in your future.  Remember, Czech supermodel Paulina Porizkova joins the cast in place of Twiggy for this go-round.   The Pussycat Dolls show will be assembling an entirely new girl group.  And what twists await our innocent Geeks?  Only Ashton Kutcher knows for sure…

America voted, and Buckeye babe Jasmine and her Boston partner Dave were awarded the $250,000 Grand Prize last night on Beauty & The Geek.  The season finale was taped with a rowdy studio audience, reuniting each of the ten teams for some behind-the-scenes Q & A.  Some of the guys, like Luke and Josh, are reveling in their newfound confidence, dating up to three girls a week!  Hollie, the professional “Betty Boop,” was inspired to boost her brainpower by enrolling in college.  We also met the mother of ultra-nerd Joshua, and the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.  Jasmine (the nanny we crowned “funniest airhead ever” at the start of the competition) looked smokin’, and says she can now move out of her mom’s basement; while Dave may have to spend some of his loot on lattes and lobster, after his friends started a funny online matchmaking site for their LARP-ing pal, DateDavid.org.  The finale also brought out that creepy tarantula and tried again to get petrified Jasmine to touch it (what’s the point, here?) as it scurried across Dave’s back.  Dude, give me a rolled-up magazine and that thing is history.  As for the runner-up team, Nicole heads back to her music and Sam returns to his party-boy haunts…but with or without TV flame Rebecca?  Many recognized Sam Horrigan as the former child actor who’s had a few notable roles over the past 14 years (Little Giants, Grace Under Fire).  He appears in the upcoming flick Bar Starz.

Tonight, America’s Next Top Model will reveal its Final Three, giving the boot to either Bianca, Saleisha, Chantal or Jenah.  Tyra says Chantal reminds her of Cheryl Tiegs—not a bad comparison, but is her sunny look versatile enough?  Jenah must not have watched last season, because she repeated the error of joking around with Nigel…not a good idea.  I’d wager she gets the Chinese gong tonight.  Bianca and Saleisha were in my original final three picks, but I now think Saleisha has the looks and personality to win it all.