7 Ways to Fix the New 'V'

It's still too early to tell whether the reimagined 'V' will be a hit or not, since only a handful of episodes have aired to date -- but a nearly 30% decline in viewership (to a still-respectable 10.7 million) from the premiere to second episode could indicate the show is in trouble.

Reviews of the new series starring Elizabeth Mitchell, Joel Gretsch, Scott Wolf, and Morena Baccarin have generally been favorable, but critics also argue the show feels rushed and doesn't really offer much that's new from the original aside from superficial things such as tone, pacing and effects. Yes, the acting is in a totally different galaxy, but is that enough to make the new series a success? We think not. And while we still think the series has plenty of potential, it could stand for some improvement. Here are seven geeked-out ways to make 'V' the kick-ass show it deserves to be:

1. Give Us More Visitor Backstory

Provide more history on the Visitors so we understand their motives lest they run the risk of becoming one-dimensional caricatures of good and evil like in the original. Give us a look at their home world, for example, and the circumstances that drove them to Earth in the first place. The original never really attempted this.

2. Introduce Unwitting Sleeper Vs

Introduce Visitors in human guise who don't know they're aliens. Admittedly, 'Battlestar Galactica' did it first, but it effectively created a ton of palpable tension and paranoia, and echoed what we all feel in a post-911 world. Could do the same here.

3. Amp Up Anna

Have Anna step up her game. Sure, Baccarin's Anna is great to look at, but her icy cool demeanor is already wearing thin. We're sure there's something freaky lurking beneath her placid exterior that will come screaming out at some point, but we want it now. The memory of the scenery-chomping Diana from the original demands it.

4. (More) Aliens Among Us
In the original, the Visitors forcefully conscript humans to serve in battle against other alien races. Why not bring one of these races to Earth and introduce them as allies? Or enemies. We're not picky.

5. Bring Back Old-Guard V

Create guest spots for old 'V' actors for fan service and as way to bridge the old and the new series. Who wouldn't love to see Marc Singer or Jane Badler on the small screen again?

6. Absolutely, Positively NO Starchild

Avoid the alien/human hybrid plotline that appeared in the original. Is the relationship between Erica Evans' randy son Tyler and Visitor Lisa really going to end up the way we suspect? Honestly, the notion of a hybrid has been done to death on countless other sci-fi shows from 'The X-Files' to 'Battlestar.' The last thing we need is another golden-haired starchild with superhuman powers like Elizabeth from the original series. Remember, Elizabeth crawled into a cave during the original, spun a cocoon and grew into an adult overnight. That bears repeating .... cave ... cocoon ... grew overnight. Now let us never speak of it again.

7. Remember: This Is Not Your Grandfather's 'V'

Above all, it's important that 'V's' creators aren't afraid to take chances, even if it's to subvert a much-loved aspect of the old show. Re-imagine, please, don't simply remake.

Jennifer Lopez on AMAs fall: 'I meant to do that!'

Jennifer Lopez took to Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show this morning to speak on the tumble she took while performing her single “Louboutins” at the American Music Awards last night. First came denial: “Did I trip a little bit? I don’t even remember.” Then excuses: “I meant to do that! You should know me better than that. That was part of the choreography!”

Okay, so Lopez was probably only kidding with all that nonsense, as indicated by her laughter throughout. After Seacrest graciously credited her with “the greatest recovery ever” following her spill, the diva offered some more sincere words of wisdom: “The measure of things is not what happens when you fall, it’s how you handle when you fall.” That’s deep.

After that topic was out of the way, Lopez and Seacrest chatted for a few more minutes about topics including Christian Louboutin footwear (of course) and her husband Marc Anthony’s obsessive Miami Dolphins fandom. She also promised that her next album, Love?, will be out in February or March of next year.

Are you looking forward to Love?? (Double question marks intentional. I take punctuating J.Lo’s album titles very seriously.) What do you think of Lopez’s explanation of her AMAs misstep? Do you even care about that anymore, or are you on to other celeb doings?

Adam Lambert performance on 'Good Morning America' canceled; will appear on CBS 'Early Show' instead

Adam Lambert’s scheduled appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America tomorrow has been canceled following his controversial performance at Sunday night’s American Music Awards, aired by the same network. An ABC spokesperson sent EW the following statement: “Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”

Instead, the Idol runner-up and general pop culture lightning rod will be moving over to CBS’s Early Show, his publicist tells EW.

A spokeswoman for CBS has confirmed that Lambert will be discussing his AMAs appearance on the Early Show tomorrow as well as performing, and will also appear on the network again that night on David Letterman.

Donny Osmond Wins Dancing!

It was the perfect ending to “an emotional roller coaster season” Donny Osmond told PEOPLE minutes after he and partner Kym Johnson were awarded the Season Nine mirror ball trophy. The former teen idol, 51, humbly addressed fans and press members after the show, tearing up as he tried to express how he felt to be the winner.

“If you saw the work that went into this season,” Osmond said softly. “Kym is so amazing. Of all the things I’ve done in my career, this is right up there.”

When Osmond heard his name called, he rushed over to his wife, Debbie, and swept her off her feet and onto the ballroom floor.

“That was so special for me to have Kym on my right and Debbie on my left. What a night,” said Osmond, who was surrounded by his family after the show. His sons quipped that a great place to display the trophy would be on top of this year’s Christmas tree.

Osmond beat out runner-up Mya, who had consistently performed well this season, and fan favorite Kelly Osbourne.
“I was so shocked when Kelly was eliminated. I couldn’t believe it,” says Osmond, who joined the crowd in chanting “Kelly! Kelly!” as Osbourne left the dance floor.

Osmond and Johnson had to miss Tuesday night’s wrap party in order to catch an overnight flight to New York to appear on Good Morning America Wednesday. But after that, Osmond said his plans were to reconnect with his family for Thanksgiving. And then, he said giddily, “We’re all going to Hawaii!”

Just moments after Osmond and his partner were announced as champs, a pyrotechnic display on the stage behind them sparked a fire. A tarp covering the orchestra pit and instruments caught on fire while host Tom Bergeron was speaking to the victorious couple live on the air. Two crew members rushed onto the stage with fire extinguishers and put out the flames within a matter of seconds.

“It was crazy,” pro dancer Anna Trebunskaya told PEOPLE after the show. “They put out the fire fast, so fortunately no one was hurt.”

It was the last of a series of technical difficulties that peppered the two-hour finale, which, all in all, was arguably the most exciting telecast of the season, and kept host Bergeron on his toes.

During the first five minutes of the show a recap video of Monday night’s performances had a glitch and froze. Bergeron jumped in and quipped to viewers, “Did I mention that we’re a live show?” The show went to commercial for 60 seconds before the video recap was repeated, with the affable host joking that the do-over was on purpose because they wanted to make sure viewers were paying attention.

Later in the telecast, Osmond took center stage to sing his 1970s hit “Puppy Love” while Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower danced. For the first several lines of the song, Osmond’s microphone was not working. But he kept on singing and within seconds, sound was restored and all of the soccer moms in the audience, and presumably at home, swooned in stereo.
Mya, the evening’s runner-up, was duly impressed.

“He is such a professional and he is teaching us all how to do it properly,” Mya said. “I have the utmost respect for him.”

Make Free iPhone Ringtones Using iTunes

While Apple would prefer that you buy ringtone versions of music you've already purchased, you can still make ringtones for your iPhone using only iTunes and songs that don't have DRM (such as the ones you've ripped from your old CDs). Here's how:

• Open iTunes, right click (or Control + click) on a song, and select 'Get Info.'
• Under 'Options,' check the boxes beside 'Start Time' and 'Stop Time,' and under 'Stop Time,' change the duration to 0:30 (or less). Hit 'OK.'
• Right-click on the song again and select 'Create AAC version.' (If a format other than AAC comes up, go into 'iTunes Preferences/General/Import Settings.' Under 'Import Using,' select 'AAC.')
• Once the AAC version is created, drag it to your desktop, delete it from iTunes, and then change the file extension from .M4a to .M4r. Drag this file back into iTunes and you'll find it automatically placed in the 'Ringtones' section of your library. Delete the desktop version.
• Note: Don't forget to go back to the original song file and uncheck the 'Start' and 'Stop' times.

Levi Johnston, Put Your Pants On

Seriously, Levi, put on your pants.

You posed nude. Things got out of hand. You got in over your head, got bad advice, let the attention flatter you. You were tempted by the easy money and the first-class travel, I understand. I'm sure it's difficult for an unemployed and uneducated young man to resist such enticing persuasion. That said, you need to get out of the shower and clean up your act. It's fine to have an appetite for publicity, but that's no reason to be infamous. There can be no good end to this course you've taken.

Porn is a huge industry in the United States. Playgirl Magazine is a player in that universe, and now, Levi, so are you. You are the Fleshbot awardee of an "11-inch dildo made of silver." The porn magazine that hired you has over 200 "arty," unclothed images of you for sale, several accessorized by a hockey stick. They will be releasing them to the public in a slow dribble.

I'm not saying adult entertainment isn't viable commerce, it's just really distasteful: ugly, exploitive, abusive and yes, dirty. They may be paying you what feels like a lot of money, (OK, $100,000 is a lot of money -- although I wonder how much of a cut goes to Sherman "Tank" Jones, your mentor, handler, spokesperson, business manager and bodyguard). But is it enough to make yourself into a punch line?

If political matters completely out of your control had not happened in the summer of 2008, most likely you'd have lived a quiet, unremarkable life in the wilds of Alaska. This opposite, media-centric version of Levi life you're experiencing is bound to be more interesting, but it is perilous and carries almost certain disappointment. When normalcy vanished, maybe turning yourself into a commodity was the only option you saw, but think about it. You have one important thing at the center of your life besides yourself: you are the father of a little boy. You didn't plan that. Abstinence is a great concept but it's bad preparation.

Such mistakes happen. When yours did, I don't know whether you and Bristol considered other scenarios beyond the one her parents laid out for you. (If ever there was an argument to explore reproductive options, it was yours.) But that's all history. However things transpired, you now have a tiny son, Tripp, 11 months old, who will need a dad. Act like you could be one.

Missing Boy Lived in NYC Subways

Gone for 11 Days, Child Says He Got By on Snacks and Water

The mother of a 13-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome who was missing in New York City for 11 days says her son spent the entire time in the subway system.

The boy's mother, Marisela Garcia, feels police were slow to make the case a priority because she's a Mexican immigrant. But police say they contacted the school immediately and leafleted most of the city.

Garcia wants to know how her son went unnoticed for so long despite surveillance cameras and a police search. He has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

Police found Francisco Hernandez Jr. on Oct. 26 in a Coney Island subway station. He says he took refuge in the subway after getting in trouble at school and feared a scolding at home.

He rode trains and used station bathrooms. He says he mostly slept and lived on snacks and water.