Media Life
Homepage



TV This Week

Net goddess:
Gabrielle on the runway


Volleyball champ Reece guests on 'Top Model'

Nov 8, 2006

Guest stars on reality shows are usually horridly awkward (think an embarrassed Prince on “American Idol”) or just out of place (think a clueless Jessica Simpson on “The Apprentice”).

But tonight at 8 p.m. the CW has a bit of sweeps stunt casting that actually makes sense.

Gabrielle Reece, the former top volleyball player and model, stops by “America’s Next Top Model” to help Tyra Banks’ wannabe models pose for athletic photo shoots.

Reece has posed for the covers of magazines like Playboy, Outside, Shape and Women’s Sports and Fitness, and she also did fashion work for Elle and as an Elite Modeling client, when she used to get up to $10,000 per day.

These days she’s mostly retired from volleyball and modeling, instead focusing on raising her 3-year-old daughter Reece with surfer Laird Hamilton.

But she still has a rather devoted following of male fans, as the hundreds of web sites offering booty pictures of her from her scantily clad playing days can attest. That could help give a minor ratings boost to “Model” tonight, not that the show exactly needs it.

While other CW programs have struggled to equal their ratings from their UPN and WB days, “Model” is up from this time last year. It regularly ranks No. 1 in its timeslot among women 18-34 and is usually No. 2 among 18-34s. That’s helped the CW improve on both UPN and the WB’s Wednesday night average in those demos from last year by double-digit percentages.

 

A look at this week’s top TV draws

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 a.m.

NBC

"Today" (N)

Author Lauren Greenfield and actor Will Ferrell guest.

8 p.m.

CW

"America's Next Top Model" (R)

Pro volleyballer Gabrielle Reece gives the girls some tips on doing action-oriented photo shoots.

8 p.m.

ESPN

"NBA Basketball" (S)

Good Western Conference matchup between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs.

9 p.m.

ABC

"Lost" (D)

Locke uncovers a mysterious message that may shed some light on the secrets surrounding the island.

9 p.m.

NBC

"The Biggest Loser" (R)

Much to the surprise of the remaining teams, some of the already-eliminated contestants return with a chance to rejoin the competition.

10 p.m.

CBS

"CSI: NY" (D)

In a warehouse storing Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, a paintball player is shot and killed.

10 p.m.

ABC

"The Nine" (D)

Jeremy and Franny's relationship starts to heat up, and Egan plans a poker party.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Time

Network

Program

Description

7:30 p.m.

ESPN

"College Football" (S)

Just a week after its big win against West Virginia, undefeated Louisville takes on surprising Rutgers.

8 p.m.

CBS

"Survivor" (R)

In a somewhat unusual twist, the contestants are given the chance to declare mutiny and jump to the competing tribe.

8 p.m.

ABC

"Ugly Betty" (D)

Betty reviews a new hotel and Sofia and her crew try to show Daniel who's in charge.

8:30 p.m.

NBC

"The Office" (C)

A rumor that the Scranton office will close has the employees imagining what it would be like if it did.

9 p.m.

ABC

"Grey's Anatomy" (D)

The hospital's males take a camping trip together.

9 p.m.

CBS

'CSI" (D)

The team tracks a serial killer who uses mini replicas of his crime scenes as a calling card.

10 p.m.

NBC

"ER" (D)

A patient makes things harder on the doctors trying to help him with a constantly changing personality.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 a.m.

NBC

"Today" (N)

Keith Urban performs, as do the Radio City Rockettes.

8 p.m.

CBS

"Ghost Whisperer" (D)

Melinda encounters an arsonist ghost who keeps setting a restaurant on fire.

8 p.m.

ESPN

"NBA Basketball" (S)

Shaq, D-Wade and the Heat take on Jason Kidd and the Nets.

9 p.m.

NBC

"Las Vegas" (D)

The casino hires a debt collector of sorts to track down some $500,000 it's owed.

10 p.m.

CBS

"Numb3rs" (D)

An aging Major Leaguer trying to make a comeback dies after overdosing on steroids. To the numb3r-mobile!

10 p.m.

NBC

"Law & Order" (D)

An investigation surrounding a "Girls Gone Wild"-type video team.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Time

Network

Program

Description

Noon

ESPN

"College Football" (S)

Another key Big Ten matchup between Wisconsin and suddenly unimpressive Iowa.

8 p.m.

Fox

"Cops" (R)

Cops in West Palm Beach stop a stolen car, which of course escalates into an even bigger mess.

8 p.m.

ABC

"College Football" (S)

Once-beaten Texas takes on Kansas State in Manhattan.

8:30 p.m.

WGN

"NBA Basketball" (S)

The up-and-coming Bulls take on the Pacers in Chicago.

9 p.m.

PBS

"The Maltese Falcon" (M)

The classic 1941 noir flick starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor.

10 p.m.

HBO

"Boxing" (S)

Heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko defends his title in NYC against undefeated Calvin Brock.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Time

Network

Program

Description

3:30 p.m.

ABC

"MLS Soccer" (S)

The MLS championship game from Frisco, Texas.

8 p.m.

Fox

"The Simpsons" (C)

An abundance of Army recruiters land Homer in basic training.

8 p.m.

CW

"7th Heaven" (D)

Eric and Annie are gone, leaving Lucy in charge of Sandy and the teenagers.

8:15 p.m.

NBC

"NFL Football" (S)

Huge NFC game between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.

9 p.m.

ABC

"Desperate Housewives" (D)

Bree meets Orson's mom, and--surprise, surprise--the two don't get along.

9 p.m.

CBS

"Cold Case" (D)

A 1975 case of an 8-year-old girl gone missing is reopened.

10 p.m.

HBO

"The Wire" (D)

Colvin takes three students somewhere they've never been before, and Bubbles and Herc trade favors.

A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.



Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.




Latest headlines
Less Sparks: 'Idol' finale off 19 percent
Buyers pick ABC to lead in the upfront
Fact is, we've learned to accept spam
Tribute to Jay Leno, in his own words
Rachel, the guy is buds with my boss
Best tube bets this weekend

May sweeps: Fox leads ABC by 0.1 in adults 18-49
Bancroft family on Rupe: We're still not interested
Poll: Iowans trust traditional media for caucus news
Wheeling and dealing: XM courts used car owners
Maury in Montana: TV yakker launches newspaper

IAB: Online ad revenue hits record $16.9B in 2006
Internet radio stations reject royalties compromise
Bud wiser: A-B says failed TV site will fade away
Study: Web's the place to build buzz on entertainment