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Top 15 Surprise Twists That I Never Would've Predicted

October 26, 2006

1) Katie Couric's "CBS Evening News" would lose momentum after a few weeks and fall behind ABC and NBC. Isn't the best use of Katie in a one hour format, prime time, weekly newsmagazine?

2) Comedy Central's "South Park" would hit season 10 this Fall and still be "must TIVO" TV and generating headlines. You almost wonder if last winter's Tom Cruise-reported protest-against the "in the closet" episode is somehow linked to Cruise's dismissal from Paramount.

3) "Jericho," "Ugly Betty," and "Heroes" are the sleepers of the Fall TV season

- "Ugly Betty" is filling that void of an 8pm family comedy.

- "Heroes" is helping fill that void of a teen appeal drama (with returning teen idol Milo Ventimiglia and soon-to-be covergirl Hayden Pantierre) in the wake of shelved "The O.C."

- "Jericho," though experiencing a slight ratings drop these past few weeks, has been given a full order for the rest of its season. Clearly, "Jericho" is the pre-show for "Lost" fans who like dramatic stories unfolded in fragments. This show might also have appeal to the disgruntled fans of "Lost" as that show moves further and further away from survival on an island, and into the "Others" kidnapping story. "Jericho" is a community trying to figure out how to survive after a bizarre nuclear holocaust, without layers of complicated flashbacks.

4) The season finale of "Flavor of Love" was the highest rated non-sports show on cable this year. And that there are no protests from watchdog groups for its regressive minority stereotypes.

5) "America's Top Model" would continue to ascend on CW. We never heard about any of the previous model winners, except Adrienne Curry in "My Fair Brady." However, this is one sturdy franchise capable of staying strong against even "Dancing with the Stars."

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