Hurricane Sandy Affects Primetime TV Scheduling

Before we give you the lay down on how Sandy is impacting television this week, we want to be sure to send our thoughts and prayers to all of those who are in one way or another affected by Sandy this week. You’re in the Yak’s thoughts.

Now, those of you hoping to get CBS’s comedy block and Hawaii Five-0 last night found out the hard way. CBS pre-empted their original programming and aired a CBS News special on Sandy, since those on the east coast likely were not able to enjoy the same laughs you might have. The original episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Partners, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly and Hawaii Five-0 will air next Monday, November 5.

ABC and NBC have also made some moves. NBC’s special Halloween episodes of Go On and The New Normal, slated to air Tuesday at 10/9c after The Voice, have been pre-empted. ABC has also pre-empted Private Practice on October 30. Both NBC and ABC will air special coverage of Hurricane Sandy instead. Private Practice will return November 13th (next week is Election coverage) and there is no word when NBC will air their Halloween comedy specials.

The irony between much of the country being unable to see Revolution last night is not lost on NBC. The peacock has opted to pre-empt their Thursday comedies (30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office and Parks & Rec) to air a repeat of Team Adam and Team Cee Lo’s Knockout Round on The Voice, which aired Monday night. Monday night’s Revolution will air Friday November 2 at 8pm ET, followed by an all-new Grimm. NBC will, however, air an ORIGINAL 30 Rock Wednesday Oct 31, since the episode is a continuation from last week’s election themed plotline. This will give Tina Fey and Co. to finish off that story before next week’s actual Presidential election. This 30 Rock episode knocks off the final episode of already cancelled Animal Practice.

Phew. Got all that? That about covers it … check your DVRs.

‘Community’ Finally Sets Premier Date

The wait is finally over Community fans! NBC has unveiled a premier date for ‘Community’ in it’s mid season line up today, slating the comedy to return to it’s old Thursday 8/7c time slot beginning February 7th, replacing ’30 Rock’ (which will have wrapped its 13-episode final season by then). So Community fans, you won. NBC (who as you know was supposed to debut the new season on Oct. 19th, but scrapped it at the last minute) has heard your calls.

ABC Family Announces Countdown To, Plus Its 25 Days of Christmas Schedule

How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Halloween is just around the corner, but ABC Family has just announced its plans for the holiday season later this year (which will be here before you know it!). ABC Family’s Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas (Ho-Ho-Ho … had to put that in somewhere) kicks off just before Thanksgiving on Sunday November 18 and will continue through November 30. The network will WORLD PREMIERE Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, as well as provide a number of other shows and specials to get you ready for December, including a holiday special of Secret Life of an American Teenage Daughter.

And that’s not all. Kicking off the festivities on December 1, the 25 Days of Christmas will include a number of movies and specials to bring you the Holiday spirit, as well as a special ORIGINAL musical, The Mistle-Tones.

The full schedule of events is found below.

Sunday, November 18
Snow at 8a/7c
Snow 2: Brain Freeze at 10a/9c
Christmas Cupid at 12/11c
Snowglobe at 2/1c
Santa Baby at 4/3c
Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe at 6/5c
Holiday in Handcuffs at 8/7c
12 Dates of Christmas at 10/9c

Monday, November 19
The Secret Life of the American Teenager Marathon at 11a/10c – 8/7c
The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8/7c ALL NEW HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Jack Frost (1998) at 9/8c

Tuesday, November 20
Jack Frost (1998) at 6:30/5:30c
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) at 8:30/7:30c

Wednesday, November 21
Miracle on 34th Street (1994) at 3:30/2:30c
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at 6/5c
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at 8:30/7:30c

Thursday, November 22
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at 12p/11c
The Last Holiday at 2:30/1:30c
The Blind Side at 5/4c
The Blind Side at 8/7c

Friday, November 23
Eloise at Christmastime at 11a/10c
The Princess Diaries at 1/12c
Mary Poppins at 3:30/2:30c
Nanny McPhee at 6:30/5:30c
Nanny McPhee Returns at 8:30/7:30c NETWORK TELEVISION PREMIERE

Saturday, November 24
The Princess Diaries at 8a/7c
Mary Poppins at 10:30/9:30c
Nanny McPhee at 1:30/12:30c
Nanny McPhee Returns at 3:30/2:30c
Home Alone 4 at 6/5c
Home Alone at 8/7c
Richie Rich at 10/9c
Unaccompanied Minors at 12a/11c

Sunday, November 25
Unaccompanied Minors at 7a/6c
Hook at 9a/8c
Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish at 12/11c
Richie Rich at 2/1c
Home Alone 4 at 4/3c
Home Alone at 6/5c
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist at 8/7c WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist at 10/9c

Monday, November 26
Snoopy, Come Home at 5/4c
A Boy Named Charlie Brown at 7/6c
Disney•Pixar’s Wall•E at 9/8c
Christmas Every Day at 12a/11c

Tuesday, November 27
Pixar Short Films at 5/4c
Disney•Pixar’s Wall•E at 7/6c
Disney•Pixar’s Up at 9/8c
Pixar Short Films at 12a/11c

Wednesday, November 28
Home Alone: The Holiday Heist at 5/4c
Disney•Pixar’s Up at 7/6c
Aladdin at 9/8c
Three Days at 12a/11c

Thursday, November 29
Mickey’s Christmas Carol at 6/5c
Aladdin at 6:30/5:30c
Happy Feet at 8:30/7:30c
The Christmas List at 12a/11c

Friday, November 30
Happy Feet at 1:30/12:30c
Santa Baby at 4/3c
Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe at 6/5c
The Family Man at 8/7c
Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe at 12a/11c

Saturday, December 1
7a/6c Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
8:30a/7:30c Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish
10:30a/9:30c A Dennis the Menace Christmas
12:30p/11:30c Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
3/2c The Family Man
6/5c Jack Frost (1998)
8/7c & 10/9c Elf
12a/11c Snowglobe

Sunday, December 2
7a/6c Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
8:30a/7:30c Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
11a/10c I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
1/12c The Search for Santa Paws
3/2c Jack Frost (1998)
5/4c Elf
7/6c & 9:30/8:30c Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Monday, December 3
5/4c ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
5:30/4:30c Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
6:30/5:30c Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
8/7c & 10/9c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
12a/11c Holiday in Handcuffs

Tuesday, December 4
4:30/3:30c Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
5:30/4:30c Mickey’s Christmas Carol
6/5c Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
6:30/5:30c Jack Frost (1979)
7:30/6:30c Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
8/7c Elf
10/9c Fred Claus ABC FAMILY PREMIERE
12:30a/11:30c Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
1a/12c Jack Frost (1979)

Wednesday, December 5
2:30/1:30c Fred Claus
5/4c Elf
7/6c Home Alone
9/8c The Polar Express
12a/11c Home Alone

Thursday, December 6
4/3c Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July
6/5c The Polar Express
8/7c Disney’s A Christmas Carol NETWORK TELEVISION PREMIERE
10/9c & 12a/11c Elf

Friday, December 7
3/2c Elf
5/4c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
7/6c The Santa Clause
9/8c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
12a/11c 12 Dates of Christmas

Saturday, December 8
7a/6c Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
10a/9c Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
1:30/12:30c Fred Claus
4/3c The Santa Clause
6/5c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
8/7c & 10/9c Despicable Me NETWORK TELEVISION PREMIERE
12a/11c Santa Baby

Sunday, December 9
7a/6c Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
8a/7c Snow
10a/9c Snowglobe
12p/11c Santa Baby
2/1c Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe
4/3c 12 Dates of Christmas
6/5c Holiday in Handcuffs
8/7c & 10/9c The Mistle-Tones A NEW ABC FAMILY ORIGINAL MUSICAL

Monday, December 10
5/4c Mickey’s Christmas Carol
5:30/4:30c Jack Frost (1979)
6:30/5:30c Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
7/6c The Year Without a Santa Claus
8/7c Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
9/8c Home Alone
12a/11c Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Tuesday, December 11
5/4c Home Alone
7/6c The Santa Clause
9/8c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
12a/11c Chasing Christmas

Wednesday, December 12
5/4c The Santa Clause
7/6c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
9/8c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
12a/11c Christmas Do-Over

Thursday, December 13

5/4c The Mistle-Tones
7/6c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
9/8c The Polar Express
12a/11c Christmas Every Day

Friday, December 14
5/4c Pixar Short Films
7/6c The Polar Express
9/8c Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story
12a/11c Pixar Short Films

Saturday, December 15
7a/6c Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat
7:30a/6:30c Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Grinches The Cat in the Hat
8a/7c The Little Drummer Boy
8:30a/7:30c The Little Drummer Boy Book II
9a/8c Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
9:30a/8:30c Pinocchio’s Christmas
10:30a/9:30c A Miser Brothers’ Christmas
11:30a/10:30c The Story of the First Christmas Snow
12p/11c ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
12:30p/11:30c Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
1/12c Jack Frost (1979)
2/1c Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July
4/3c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
6/5c Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story
8/7c Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2
10/9c Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
11/10c The Year Without a Santa Claus
12a/1c Jack Frost (1998)

Sunday, December 16
7a/6c Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish
9a/8c Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
11a/10c Home Alone 4
1/12c The Year Without a Santa Claus
2/1c Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
3/2c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
5/4c Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 2
7/6c & 9:30/8:30c Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3 ABC FAMILY PREMIERE

Monday, December 17
11a/10c Sons of Mistletoe
1/12c Christmas Every Day
3/2c Christmas Do-Over
5/4c Dr. Seuss on the Loose
5:30/4:30c Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
6/5c Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat
6:30/5:30c Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Grinches The Cat in the Hat
7/6c & 9:30/8:30c Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
12a/11c The Mistle-Tones

Tuesday, December 18
11a/10c The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus
12p/11c Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
12:30p/11:30c Santa Who?
2:30/1:30c The Christmas List
4:30/3:30c Disney Prep & Landing
5/4c Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
5:30/4:30c Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
8/7c Home Alone
10/9c The Polar Express
12a/11c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Wednesday, December 19
8a/7c Christmas in Boston
10a/9c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
12p/11c Three Days
2/1c The Family Man
5/4c Home Alone
7/6c The Polar Express
9/8c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
12a/11c Three Days

Thursday, December 20
7a/6c – 11a/10c Beverly Hills, 90210 HOLIDAY MARATHON
11a/10c Christmas Caper (starring Beverly Hills, 90210’s Shannen Doherty)
1/12c Secret Santa (starring Beverly Hills, 90210’s Jennie Garth)
3/2c The Mistle-Tones (starring Beverly Hills, 90210’s Tori Spelling)
5/4c 12 Dates of Christmas
7/6c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
9/8c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
12a/11c Santa Baby

Friday, December 21
9a/8c Christmas Cupid
11a/10c Snowglobe
1/12c Santa Baby
3/2c Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe
5/4c Holiday in Handcuffs
7/6c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
9/8c The Santa Clause
12a/11c Holiday in Handcuffs

Saturday, December 22

7a/6c Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
8:30a/7:30c Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
10a/9c Disney Prep & Landing
10:30a/9:30c Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
11a/10c Mickey’s Christmas Carol
11:30a/10:30c Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too
12p/11c A Chipmunk Christmas
12:30p/11:30c Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
2/1c Rudolph’s Shiny New Year
3/2c A Miser Brothers’ Christmas
4/3c The Year Without a Santa Claus
5/4c Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
6/5c The Santa Clause
8/7c The Santa Clause 2
10/9c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
12a/11c The Santa Clause 2

Sunday, December 23
7a/6c Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
8:30a/7:30c A Dennis the Menace Christmas
10:30a/9:30c Unaccompanied Minors
12:30p/11:30c Fred Claus
3/2c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
5/4c The Polar Express
7/6c & 9:30/8:30c Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Monday, December 24
11a/10c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
1/12c The Polar Express
3/2c The Santa Clause
5/4c The Santa Clause 2
7/6c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
9/8c Home Alone
12a/11c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Tuesday, December 25
7a/6c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
9a/8c A Chipmunk Christmas
11a/10c The Santa Clause
1/12c The Santa Clause 2
3/2c The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
5/4c Disney’s A Christmas Carol
7/6c Home Alone
9/8c National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
12a/11c The Santa Clause 2

The Amazing Race: The Yak Chats with Will and Gary

Gary Wojnar and Will Chiola

The Amazing Race kicked it into high gear last night with a whirlwind of action through the streets of Dhaka, Bangledesh. With the teams racing their way through back alleys, floating back and forth across rivers, and pounding away their aggression on steel and cotton, Gary Wojnar (@GaryWojnar) and Will Chiola ended up as the superfans that became the latest casualty du jour. The substitute teachers took some time today with Yakkity Yaks to discuss their involvement in the race.

~~~~~~

The Yak: It looked like you guys finally hit your stride in Bangledesh. What really happened at the end of the leg?
Will: At the end of the leg, at least with us, we kept going. We didn’t know Trey and Lexi were ahead of us. What happened was that our cab driver took us to the wrong side of the river, so we had to double back. We gave him the clue, and he accidentally looked at the middle part of the clue and took us to the wrong spot, but that was our own fault.
Gary: The way the clue was set up was at the beginning of the clue was a paragraph, and the first part of the clue said to make your way to the Pit Stop and it told you where the Pit Stop was. Then there was a space, and the middle of the clue had a paragraph that said, “In order to make it to the Pit Stop, you must go to a landing on the river, take a boat across to another landing, and then walk to the Pit Stop.” We had folded over the top part of the clue because we didn’t want the cab driver to see that part, as it was not necessary at that point. We just had to get to the landing at the river. At one point during the race, he got out of the cab, took the clue with him, and we think he unfolded the clue and showed somebody the top part of it, so he actually took us to the wrong part of the river. He took us to the landing that we were supposed to take the boat across to, so it was an unfortunate error. What it came down to was if I had done the bondo task a half-hour quicker, we’d still be in the race.

Will and Gary make their way to the Pit Stop

The Yak: Being superfans, how was the race different than you thought it would be going into it?
Will: It was very hard in the fact that we couldn’t communicate with the locals. Sometimes “yes” means “no.” Sometimes they took you to a certain spot, like you wanted to go to K-Mart, but you ended up going to Wal-Mart. Trying to communicate with the Taxi Cab driver turned into, “No, we don’t need to go here. We need to go there,” so going from point A to B is very hard. Plus, the heat, the lack of sleep, and the hunger – it all adds up to trying to stay calm and not get too upset. We could get upset with each other because we’re use to it, but we did not want to get upset with the locals because we’re in their country. We were representing The Amazing Race and the United States, so we wanted to leave a good impression.
Gary: With Will and I, we had made a point that before we went on the race, we would speak to people in different countries with dignity and respect because, as Will said, we were not only representing ourselves in the race, but America, so we needed to make a good impression with them. Just because we couldn’t speak their language or they didn’t speak English, it was no reason to get angry with them. No reason at all.

The Yak: The week before, in the close finish with Caitlin and Brittany, what were you guys thinking when your driver took that right turn at the end?
Will: We were talking to our becak driver, and we asked him how to get to the market. He asked the guy behind him how to get to where the clue was pointing us, so we were thinking, “Wait a minute. If you asked the guy behind you, why are we taking you then?” So, we switched becak drivers. He was slower, but we knew that he knew exactly where he was going, so we were pretty confident we were going the right way. We weren’t worried about where the girls were going because every place he took us to was correct.
Gary: It was so exciting though! We had no idea they were behind us when we were at the U-Turn, so we u-turned Team Georgia. We took a chance that someone was behind us because we weren’t going to go out without using every tool that was available to us. So, as we were going down the road and they passed us, we said, “Holy crap! It’s the girls!” So, when we took the right turn and they took the left, we turned around and asked the driver, “Is this the right way?” and he shook his head yes, so we told him to keep going. At that point, it was either right or wrong and we had faith in him. Luckily, that worked out for us that time, but that was so exciting running that. The girls were actually about 30 seconds behind us.
Will: We knew that if it came down to a foot race, we probably would lose, so we were very lucky to get there first.

The Yak: For the last couple of legs, it appeared that you were struggling with getting to the Pit Stops and there were a couple of times where it looked like you had given up hope. What made you so sure that you were done in the race with that particular leg and did it change your outlook going into the next leg?
Will: Are you talking about the leg where we weren’t running to the Pit Stop?
The Yak: Correct.
Will: The problem was that Gary had hurt his foot running across the Bund (during the first leg) and it was really swollen, but we were afraid to get medical attention because thought that they would maybe send us home. So, he was sleeping with a shoe on, icing it all night, and at that point, he couldn’t run. That’s why he said, “I can’t run.”
Gary: We didn’t give up because we knew that you never know what’s going to happen on the race. There’s no way we gave up because we tried way too hard to get on the race, but at that point, my foot was absolutely swollen and I wasn’t running because I was quitting, but because the foot was so bad. During the night, we had stuff that we kept putting on it to freeze the foot so it wouldn’t hurt as much.

The Yak: What were the hardest challenges you faced on the race?
Will: Mine was making the balloons. I’m not too creative, and I just totally freaked out when I found out I had to make balloon animals for kids. I couldn’t tie the knot, I was sweating, I was falling apart, but Gary was giving me encouragement. I made it through because Gary put his faith in me.
Gary: My difficult one was the bondo task. I’ve fixed my cars with bondo, so when we got there, I thought, “Oh, great! Bondo! I can do this in my sleep.” Although, it’s been a few years since I did it. The heat was crazy. When I got home, I looked at the weather for that day and it was 101 degrees in Dhaka. With the heat, the bondo would set up in just seconds, so as soon as you would put it on it would harden. Everybody was having difficulty on it, but the bottom line is if I would have done that task quicker and finished sooner, we’d still be in the race, so you can talk about taxis and stuff, but I just did not get the Roadblock done quick enough. I’m very upset about it.

The Yak: Yeah, it looked like it was a pretty tough task.
Gary: We were there for probably 3 hours. It was hot and we were hungry, but everybody was having difficulty with it. I just thought for sure when we got there and I saw it was bondo, I thought, “No problem. We’ll breeze through that.” However, it didn’t turn out that way.

Gary and Will sew up a mattress during a Detour

The Yak: Did you do anything special to prepare for the race after you found out you had been chosen?
Will: I was brushing up on my Spanish speaking classes. I was also going on the Internet and doing brain activities to become more focused and more alert. Sometimes I have a tendency to lose focus.
Gary: We worked out six days a week. Will’s an athlete – he runs marathons – and I run on the treadmill, but when you run in an air-conditioned building for two hours, it does not translate in a hundred degree weather. The advice I would give to anybody who wants to go on the show: Get a backpack with 50 pounds in it, and run and run and run. Then, when you think you’ve run enough, run some more. Plus, like Will said, we were going to Internet websites and doing brain puzzles. We actually did some jigsaw puzzles and we timed ourselves in order to get our skills quicker at putting stuff together. We did a lot of biking, which we do anyway. Basically, there’s really no good way to prepare except to run with a backpack. You have no idea what they’re going to make you do.
Will: As far as the languages go, we took Spanish because it’s one of the most common languages in the world. Unfortunately, there’s two hundred countries in the world and who knows how many thousands of dialects, so there’s no way to know which countries to prepare for, but we thought Spanish would be good because we did have more of a chance in a Spanish-speaking country.

The Yak: What was your favorite part of the race?
Will: My favorite part of the race was driving a cab through Indonesia, and I saw a moped that had a father, three kids, and a mother on it, taking their kids to school. I though, “Wow!” You don’t realize how good we have it in the United States.
Gary: That is a cliché. We do have it better in the United States, and it is a cliché, but it’s so true. I have so many favorite moments. I enjoyed it so much. I had it come down to two moments. When we were in Indonesia, we were in the back of the truck going to deliver ice, and they didn’t show this, but Will and I were waving to the people, chanting out stuff, singing songs, and people were waving back to us. Then, at the train station in Surabaya, they had a Japanese Beatles cover band, singing Beatles songs, and I got up and sang a little bit of “Ticket to Ride” with the band. We were in front of people who probably had no idea what we were singing, but that was such a fun time right then.

The Yak: Did the two of you get close with any other teams and have you stayed in touch since the race ended?
Will: We pretty much talk to all the teams on a daily basis, via the Internet, Facebook or texting. There’s a special bond that we’ll have forever since we all shared the Amazing Race experience.
Gary: Daniel and Amy – We were very close to them. Those two have amazing hearts. No only with what Amy went through, but they set up the foundation to help disabled athletes, so those guys are great. The Goat Farmers – the Beakman Boys – we love them. They’re so fun. They’re so considerate. Caitlin and Brittany – We love their competitiveness on the show. James and Abba (Mark) – We thought those guys had a great way to run the show, where they worked by themselves. We keep in touch with a lot of them, and we plan to for the rest of our lives.

The Yak: Would you have changed anything about the way that you ran the race?
Will: If we could go back, we would have definitely kept Rob and Sheila from going out on the first leg. At the time, we thought that we were the last two teams left and we didn’t want to give them the clue, but in hindsight, if we had helped them out, we could have eliminated the Chippendales because didn’t know they were behind [Rob and Sheila]. So, if we could go back, I would definitely help out Rob and Sheila. They were our friends and we did have an alliance, so I feel really bad because we love Rob and Sheila.
Gary: We did have an alliance with them, but when it came down to it being us or them being eliminated, of course we’re going to pick us to survive. If we knew we could have eliminated the Chippendales, of course we would have taken them out. They’re a strong team, and you want to get rid of the stronger teams. It would have changed the whole race dynamic because if you notice, there are a lot of alliances between the Chippendales and Trey and Lexi and the Sri Lankan twins. Who knows what would have happened? Hindsight is 20/20, though.

The Yak: So, what’s next for the two of you?
Will: We’re hoping that maybe the Amazing Race will invite us back on the show because we’re running every day with our backpacks. [Will and Gary laugh] We’re basically teaching and trying to get a permanent teaching gig, which is kind of tough in Michigan right now, but I’m working at one school all the time as a stand-in. What’s great about it is I’m able to communicate to the kids about the different things we saw, and what I’m really able to communicate with them is that the United States – even though there were times when we were down and had forces against us, we still had the most opportunity out of anybody in the world. So, we try to teach them that there’s always someone who will help them reach their goals and commit to an opportunity.
Gary: What I share with my students is that you have to work together and have teamwork to accomplish a goal and to keep trying. Don’t ever stop. Don’t ever quit. No matter how bleak it looks.

The Yak: We appreciate the time you took to talk with us, and thank you so much for being teachers to the youth of America!
Will: Thank you very much! I appreciate that!
Gary: Thank you very much!

Jennifer Esposito Leaves Blue Bloods, Calling CBS “Shameful”

Jennifer Esposito, who plays Detective Jackie Curatola on CBS’s hit show Blue Bloods, is leaving the series – at least temporarily. But why? According to a statement from CBS, Esposito has informed them that she is only available to work on a limited part-time schedule for the time being. “As a result, she’s unable to perform the demands of her role and we regretfully had to put her character on a leave of absence,” the statement went on.

Now there is no definite word as to why Esposito has chosen to work for a limited time, but the actress has been public about her Celiac Disease. Her final episode will air Nov. 2 and her role as Danny Reagan’s partner (played by Donnie Wahlberg) will be filled with guest actresses throughout the season, starting with Megan Ketch who will be introduced in Esposito’s last episode.

The door is left open for Esposito to return, as CBS touts her talent in their released statement. After Deadline broke the news, Esposito took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the matter, calling CBS out on their shameful behavior in handling her struggles with Celiac. Esposito shared the following thoughts

“CBS PUT me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doctor said you needed a reduced schedule due to Celiac,” she wrote. “CBS didn’t listen to my doc and I collapsed on set. Which everyone saw! After a week off my doc said I could return to work but CBS implied that I was NOT truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise! It’s been almost two months without bringing me back to work + keeping Me from working anywhere else!… Absolutely shameful behavior.”

So who is to blame? Are you sad to see her go? Will she be back? Only time will tell. Blue Bloods airs Fridays at 10pm ET on CBS.

Report: Adele Welcomes Healthy Baby Boy

Adele Adkins

Adele has managed to do what so many big stars of her caliber can’t … stay out of the spotlight during a pregnancy. For the most part, Adele has managed to keep her private life private and that is respectable. After announcing her pregnancy via a post on her official website in June, the Grammy winner has been busy preparing for her first child. According to a report by UK’s The Sunday People, Adele gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week.

Four months after the big announcement, Adele and partner Simon Konecki are finally parents. The report states that a source close to the couple claims that “Adele and Simon are ecstatic at their new arrival.” Adele most recently released her theme for the new Bond “Skyfall,” which was well received by fans of her music and the movie alike. The singer’s rep would not confirm the news to the Toronto Star, stating that they would not release a statement at this time and that they had “no comment.”

Whether Adele has given birth or not, we at the Yak are happy for her and wish her and her new family the best in health and happiness.

The Amazing Race: The Yak Chats with Caitlin and Brittany

Caitlin King and Brittany Fletcher

Indonesia was once again the locale for Leg 3 of The Amazing Race this week, and with over 17,000 islands making up this country, I’m sure the teams felt like they were traipsing through every single one of them to reach the Pit Stop. This leg was full of lion heads, egg heads and hot heads, and while Abbie and Ryan reclaimed their top spot by reaching the mat first again, Caitlin King (@CaitKing7) and Brittany Fletcher (@BrittanyFletch) became the latest causalities of The Amazing Race. The best friends sat down today with Yakkity Yaks to discuss their time on the race.

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The Yak: Hi, ladies! Thanks for sitting down with us today! We were sorry to see you eliminated last night. It looked like a tough loss.
Brittany:: Thank you!

The Yak: How tough was it to accept going out like you did?
Brittany:: It’s obviously hard. That’s something you never want to see, especially with as competitive as Caitlin and I are. The most frustrating thing was that we had already been taken to the Pit Stop when we left the Detour. We were 6th when we left the Detour. We had the becak make an error and take us down a different path, so it ended up costing us everything. We ended up with the one that went left at the fork in the road, but it was somebody that we kind of relied on and had taken us to the Pit Stop about 45 minutes prior, so that was obviously frustrating.

The Yak: Did you both have a feeling that you could have beat Will and Gary to the mat?
Caitlin:: Yes, absolutely.

The Yak: What was the hardest challenge on the race?
Caitlin:: The hardest challenge for me was the balloon challenge. It was so hot, and we had to wear long sleeves because of their religious reasons, so I was on fire trying to do that task. The bike was too small for me, so my knees kept hitting the front of the Merry Go Round. In general, the hardest for us was that it was mentally draining throughout the whole race. You don’t realize that until you are actually racing. Also, having to experience the language barriers. It’s something you know you’re going to come in contact with, but we didn’t realize it was going to be as challenging as it ended up being.

Caitlin and Brittany learn their fate at the Pit Stop

The Yak: What was your favorite part of the race?
Brittany:: I would say being able to experience all the different cultures. It makes you appreciate and know how blessed we really are to do even the small things, like taking a shower. Just being able to experience the different cultures and travel the world on a competition, plus being able to meet the types of people that we did meet and create friends for life. It was definitely one of those experiences that we’re always going to look back and be so appreciative to have been a part of.

The Yak: Speaking of the other teams, were there any in particular that you got close with and have you stayed in touch since the race ended?
Caitlin:: We’ve become friends with a ton of the teams – Amy and Daniel; we were always really close with them. We became really close with the Sri Lankan twins, the Chippendales. Honestly, all of us are really, really close, but it was obviously easier for us to connect with the younger teams. We definitely plan on keeping in touch and meeting up at some point in the future.
Brittany: Yeah, we still talk with them, and we’re ready to cheer them all on.

The Yak: When you were arguing about the cost of the rickshaw ride, did you ever find out exactly how much you should have been charged?
Brittany:: The thing was that they had only showed a part of it. We had actually been standing there for about 15 minutes trying to pay the becak driver. It was one of those things where he wasn’t giving us any feedback. He was just staring at us, so we had people all around, like the locals, trying to tell us how much it was. He was asking different people, and it was one of those things that Gary and Will had already caught up with us and had started the challenge while we were still standing there trying to pay the driver. They were doing hand gestures, and when you’re in the heat of the moment, you’ve got to go because it’s only you and three other teams. We had to keep going because of the race, so it was one of those things where I came across as trying to hop out of the becak and yelling at the driver, but we had been standing there for 15 minutes trying to ask in a really respectful and nice way. When you have to get things done, it causes you to get frustrated, so we were like, “Listen, I’ve got stuff to do. How much is it?!?” You kind of put your foot down. I don’t think it was me trying to come across as arrogant when we were trying to pay. We just had no feedback, so that was what was frustrating.

The Yak: After you found out you were selected, did you do anything special to prepare for the race?
Caitlyn:: We’re both really competitive and into sports, so we knew that we could count on each other to stay in shape and be ready physically. That was the one thing we felt like we had control over, so we would always constantly be on each other’s work out plans. Also, Brittany is really good at coming up with different strategies, so she actually came up with a good idea to practice team-building skills by putting together a Lego truck, which was really hard because one of us would be at the other end of the room and had to talk the other one through the directions. We prepared as much as we could, but you really can’t prepare for the things that you do on the race.

The Yak: If you could, would you have changed anything that you did on the race?
Brittany:: Caitlin and I did the best we could at every challenge, so even with the third leg, I knew that in order for us to stay in the competition, I had to step up and represent Caitlin and I on that road block. I did it in five minutes, and it kind of worked out where we got to the train station at 7:54 and the first one left at 7:45, so we were right with the Sri Lankans. [CBS] kind of made it look different, but we were neck and neck with them at the train station. It’s just one of those things where we did what we could control. I definitely wouldn’t do anything differently, but at the same time, it just happened to come down to the becak driver. It was one of those things where I wish we could have communicated better. There’s nothing I would have changed, but I wish that America could have seen how we were so respectful of the culture and country we were in. It just came down to the way they edited it. They just saw the heat of the moment and coming down to the wire, which caused us to get competitive and determined to not get eliminated. They just showed a different side of us because we were there to win and to compete. We weren’t there to sit around and twiddle our fingers while riding a becak.

The Yak: So, what’s next for Caitlin and Brittany?
Caitlin:: I just moved from St. Louis to Atlanta, so it’s kind of exciting to start a new chapter in my life. It’s nice to be back in the South, since we both went to Auburn and I have a bunch of friends here, so it’s exciting.
Brittany:: I’m still in Chicago. I actually just took a job with a pharmaceutical company, so I’ve been busy with that and moving into a new place. I’m just trying to get settled, and looking forward to watching the rest of the race. We hate that we were out so early when we knew that we were a strong team.

The Yak: We were sorry to see you go, too! Thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it!
Caitlin:: Thank you!
Brittany:: Thank you so much!

Big Brother Australia Contestant Quits After Family Tragedy

Popular Australian Big Brother contestant Josh Moore has quit the reality series after the sudden death of his brother. Josh was called to the captains quarters where he met with his parents who informed him of the sudden passing of his older brother Toby 32.  It’s being reported that Toby has died from a sudden heart attack.

“Josh then spent the night outside the house with his family where he made the decision to leave the Big Brother competition and go home to support his family at this sad time.

“The Southern Star production team and the Nine Network wish to express their sympathy to the family and ask the fans of Big Brother and the media to allow them privacy at this time.”

Josh a 28-year-old musician was a real contender to win Big Brother and take home the $250,000 prize as he was very popular among housemates, in the house for two months Josh has never been nominated for eviction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4OSFJBWE3g

If you’re a fan of Big Brother Australia, you can send messages of support to Josh and his family via email: bigbrother@sstar.com.au

You can watch full episodes of Big Brother Australia by clicking the link.

The 3rd Annual American Country Awards: And the Nominees Are …

The American Country Awards are Fox’s latest attempt to get into the country mix. CBS has the ACMs, ABC has the CMAs and CMT is, well, a country music channel. Country music does generate viewership and Fox jumped into the mix a few years ago. However, the ACAs are more known for mixing in the usual suspects with the not so usual suspects to perform on stage. Another unique aspect of the ACAs is that it is the only fan voted country music award show out there. Luke Bryan leads with 7 nominations, while Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band have 6 apiece with Eric Church and Taylor Swift not far behind (with 5 each). Carrie Underwood is the show’s big winner, racking up 10 awards in the last 2 years. Check out the full list of nominees below. And don’t forget to vote for your favorites at TheACAs.com.

The ACAs, hosted once again by Kristin Chenoweth and Trace Adkins, will air LIVE from Vegas on December 10th at 8/7c on Fox!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Lady Antebellum
Zac Brown Band
Luke Bryan
Taylor Swift

MALE ARTIST
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Toby Keith

FEMALE ARTIST
Sara Evans
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

GROUP
Lady Antebellum
Zac Brown Band
Rascal Flatts
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Lee Brice
Colt Ford
Gloriana
Justin Moore
Jake Owen

NEW ARTIST
Lauren Alaina
Pistol Annies
Hunter Hayes
Jana Kramer
Kip Moore

ALBUM
Lady Antebellum – “Own The Night”
Dierks Bentley – “Home”
Luke Bryan – “Tailgates and Tanlines”
Eric Church – “Chief”
Blake Shelton – “Red River Blue”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean – “Tattoos On This Town”
Zac Brown Band – “Keep Me In Mind”
Luke Bryan – “I Dont Want This Night To End”
Eric Church – “Drink In My Hand”
Chris Young – “You”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: MALE
Jason Aldean – “Tattoos On This Town”
Luke Bryan – “I Dont Want This Night To End”
Kenny Chesney – “Reality”
Eric Church – “Drink In My Hand”
Chris Young – “You”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: FEMALE
Sara Evans – “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”
Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
Martina McBride – “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
Taylor Swift – “Ours”
Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: GROUP
Lady Antebellum – “We Owned The Night”
Zac Brown Band – “Keep Me In Mind”
Rascal Flatts – “Banjo”
The Band Perry – “All Your Life”
Eli Young Band – “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: NEW ARTIST
The Farm – “Home Sweet Home”
Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
Jana Kramer – “Why Ya Wanna”
Dustin Lynch – “Cowboys And Angels”
Kip Moore – “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Lee Brice – “A Woman Like You”
Brantley Gilbert – “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”
Glorianna – “(Kissed You) Good Night”
David Nail – “Let It Rain”
Jake Owen – “Alone With You”

SINGLE OF THE YEAR: VOCAL COLLABORATION
Kix Brooks (Feat. Joe Walsh) – “New To This Town”
Zac Brown Band (Feat. Jimmy Buffet) – “Knee Deep”
Kenny Chesney (Duet with Tim McGraw) – “Feel Like A Rock Star”
Rascal Flatts & Natasha Bedingfield – “Easy”
Brad Paisley (Duet with Carrie Underwood) – “Remind Me”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Luke Bryan – “I Don’t Want This Night To End”
Jake Owen – “Alone With You”
Blake Shelton – “God Gave Me You”
Keith Urban – “For You”
Chris Young – “You”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: MALE
Luke Bryan – “I Don’t Want This Night To End”
Jake Owen – “Alone With You”
Blake Shelton – “God Gave Me You”
Keith Urban – “For You”
Chris Young – “You”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: FEMALE
Sara Evans – “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”
Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
Martina McBride – “I’m Gonna Love You Through It”
Taylor Swift – “Ours”
Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: GROUP OR COLLABORATION
Lady Antebellum – “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”
The Band Perry – “All Your Life”
Glorianna – “(Kissed You) Good Night”
Little Big Town – “Pontoon”
Love And Theft – “Angel Eyes”

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: NEW ARTIST
Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
Casey James – “Let’s Don’t Call It A Night”
Jana Kramer – “Why You Wanna”
Dustin Lynch – “Cowboys And Angels”
Kip Moore – “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck”

SONG OF THE YEAR
Trace Adkins – “Just Fishin” – Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill
Jason Aldean – “Fly Over States” – Michael Dulaney& Neil Thrasher
Jason Aldean – “Tattoos On This Town” – Michael Dulaney, Wendell Mobley &Neil Thrasher
Lee Brice – “A Woman Like You” – Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford & Jon Stone
Kenny Chesney w/Grace Potter – “You And Tequila” – Matraca Berg &Deana Carter
Eric Church – “Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde & Ryan Tyndell
Ronnie Dunn – “Cost Of Livin” – Phillip Coleman& Ronnie Dunn
Toby Keith – “Red Solo Cup” – Will Hoge & Eric Paslay
Tim McGraw – “Better Than I Used To Be” – Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Brad Warren & Brett Warren
Eli Young Band – “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Ashley Gorley & Bryan Simpson

TOURING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Lady Antebellum
Zac Brown Band
Kenny Chesney / Tim McGraw
Eric Church
Rascal Flatts
Toby Keith
Miranda Lambert
Brad Paisley
Taylor Swift

American Music Awards: And the Nominees Are…

Oddly enough, Christina Aguilera (coach of NBC’s The Voice) joined producers of the American Music Awards (airing on ABC) to announce the nominations earlier today in Los Angeles. Aguilera is also the first performer announced for the 40th annual AMAs. Last years big winners, Taylor Swift and Adele, ended up with only one nomination each. Big time Idol success stories Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood nabbed two nominations each, while Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown, One Direction and Maroon 5 snagged some nods their way. Minaj and Rihanna lead the nomination tally with 4 a piece. Newcomer Gotye got into the mix with a couple nominations. In addition to Artist of the Year, Justin Bieber snagged 2 more nominations in the Pop Album and Male Artist department.

The AMAs are determined through fan voting, which starts today. (Click here to cast your votes) Check out the full list of nominations below and let us know what you think!

The AMAs are set to air LIVE from Los Angeles on November 18th at 8/7c on ABC!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Justin Bieber
Drake
Maroon 5
Katy Perry
Rihanna

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
J. Cole
fun.
Gotye
Carly Rae Jepsen
One Direction

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Justin Bieber
Flo Rida
Pitbull
Usher

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Kelly Clarkson
Nicki Minaj
Katy Perry
Rihanna

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
fun.
Maroon 5
One Direction
The Wanted

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Justin Bieber, “Believe”
Maroon 5, “Overexposed”
Nicki Minaj, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”
One Direction, “Up All Night”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE BAND, DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY
Zac Brown Band
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Luke Bryan, “Tailgates & Tanlines”
Lionel Richie, “Tuskegee”
Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away”

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Drake
Nicki Minaj
Tyga

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
J. Cole, “Cole World: The Sideline Story”
Drake, “Take Care”
Nicki Minaj, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
Trey Songz
Usher

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Rihanna

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown, “Fortune”
Rihanna, “Talk That Talk”
Usher, “Looking 4 Myself”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK
The Black Keys
Gotye
Linkin Park

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Adele
Kelly Clarkson
Train

FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN
Don Omar
Pitbull
Shakira

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Jeremy Camp
Newsboys
tobyMac

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
David Guetta
Calvin Harris
Skrillex