Courtesy photo

I’ve never been a fan of the television show America’s Next Top Model, but it looks like I’ll be tuning in when new episodes are broadcast next month.

According to multiple sources online, former Hawaii resident Sheena Sakai has been selected as one of 14 finalists this season. She’ll make her first appearance on Sept. 3, when a two-hour casting special kicks things off on the CW network (channel 93 on Oceanic digital cable).

Wait a minute… the CW is on a digital channel?

I’ve got analog cable at home. Lose money!

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So, yesterday was my first day back on the job after a belated Spring Break.

I spent it working on a video about Duane “Dog” Chapman’s press conference at the Kahala (check out the coverage here. Also got a chance to talk story with his son, Leland Chapman, who confirmed a partnership with local boxing legend Jesus Salud to train up-and-coming mixed martial artists.

More about that partnership in my column next week; for now, enjoy the highlights from yesterday’s announcement that “Dog the Bounty Hunter” will return for its fifth season on A&E in July.

NBC/Trae Patton photo

Got what it takes to pick out suitcases on national TV?

NBC is sending representatives to Honolulu to conduct an open casting call for the show “Deal or No Deal,” hosted by Howie Mandel. There have already been a couple of Hawaii residents who made it on the program, and now the network is coming to Oahu for the first time to find more potential winners.

Local residents who are energetic, charismatic and outgoing are invited to come to Pearlridge Uptown on Saturday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of the United States; everyone standing in line at 1 p.m. will be guaranteed an interview.

“Deal or No Deal” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on KHNL.

Star-Bulletin file

Tony, Tony, Tony. I’m disappointed.

Last week’s episode of “No Reservations” brought Anthony Bourdain to the islands, and a lot of people were both excited and worried at the same time.

We weren’t sure he’d get it right.

In my opinion, he didn’t.

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Wow. Two Maui-related posts in one day.

KGMB’s Jim Mendoza turned in a great story about falsetto singer Kawika Kamakakehau Fernandez that aired on the station’s 10 p.m. broadcast last night and again tonight at 6 p.m. You won’t appreciate the talent he has until you watch the video.

I’d embed it here, but once again, KGMB isn’t too akamai about sharing the code. Follow the link above to watch the video on their website.

One last post about Super Bowl XLII and I’m done. Promise.

If you left the television tuned to KHON after the game Sunday, you might have seen sports reporter John Veneri’s “Go Johnny Go” segment on the station’s newscast.

In honor of the Super Bowl, Veneri printed out a stack of e-mails from viewers and set out to crash as many Super Bowl parties as he could. I can’t embed the video here, so follow this link to watch it on KHON’s website.

I love when Veneri FAKES taking a shot at one party, then proceeds to cannonball into a swimming pool at another.

What a finish. Even if you’re not a Giants (or Patriots) fan, Super Bowl XLII was definitely a game worth watching.

Also worth watching – not surprisingly – were the commercials.

Who would have ever thought MySpace.com would partner with advertisers to make every single commercial available online?

Check out my favorites after the jump.

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So much for taking it easy.

Despite promising himself and his family that he would “take a nice break this year,” local stand-up comic and TV/radio personality Augie Tulba will be awfully busy in 2008. In fact, he just returned yesterday from a four-day trip to Saipan.

It’s always fun to talk story with this guy. I wrote about him last year, when Tulba was more than a little anxious about his first headlining performance at the Blaisdell Arena.

Tulba, his wife, Star-Bulletin photographer Craig Kojima and myself all sat on the grass at the corner of Ward and Kapiolani, eating plate lunches before Kojima snapped some shots and I got my interview.

As he told me then, “”The last time I was here, I got knocked down … it was my last pro fight.”

Tulba called last week to give me a little update before he left for Saipan. He was excited to share the details about a deal to move “The Augie Show” from OC-16 to KFVE.

Up first, however, is a TV special set to air Wednesday at 8 p.m. on KHNL. The one-hour program will feature highlights from “The Augie Show” and promote his upcoming slot on KFVE.

I’ll have more details about Tulba’s move from OC-16, upcoming gigs and his return to the Honolulu radio airwaves in Friday’s “In the Mix.”

I was checking my RSS feeds earlier, and this is what I found.

Can’t wait for the season premiere of “Lost” on ABC later this month? Click on the image above to watch a sneak preview.

Link:
“The Beginning of the End” (Lost Spoilers Blog)

Here’s something for all you enterprising, unsigned musicians out there…

No, an actual Grammy Award isn’t up for grabs. Instead, for the second year in a row, producers are giving one lucky person the chance to perform on stage during the TV broadcast of the awards.

It’s called the “My Grammy Moment” contest, and this year’s winner will play with Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters. If you missed the show in 2007, Robyn Troup performed with Justin Timberlake.

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