Dancin' Drew

Dancin' Drew
Drew Lachey did Cincinnati proud last night on the "Dancing with the Stars" season premiere. Not only was he the best male contestant, he was the only one who looked like he was having fun. Nick's baby brother ended the night with the highest score (24 of 30). Next were Tatum O'Neal and Giselle Fernandez (23). We'll find out who viewers liked when phone/online votes are added to judges scores in the 8 p.m. telecast tonight (Ch 9). Most likely to go home: rapper Master P (last-minute fill-in for his son, Romeo), ESPN's Kenny Mayne or actor George Hamilton.

MADE in Cincinnati
Casting directors for MTV's "Made" conduct a 3-hour open casting call at the main Public Library, 800 Vine St., downtown at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. But don't get your hopes up. MTV spent a week here last March, interviewing kids in Finneytown, Fairfield, Harrison and Middletown -- and nobody made it to "Made" for the sixth season. MTV now scouting for seventh season starting in spring. New "Made" episodes air 4:30 p.m. Monday. Repeats air 4 p.m. Monday, and 4-5 p.m. Tues-Friday.

Bengals predictions
My Bengals prediction? The team will lose -- it's time slot. "Bengals Weekly" with Marvin Lewis and Brad Johansen, which is produced by the club -- yes, Brad is paid by the team to do it -- has lost its 11:30 a.m. Sunday time slot on Ch 12 to Gary Sullivan's home fix-it show. Elements of "Bengals Weekly" will be merged with "Bengals Nation" for a one-hour show at 7 p.m. today. Gary Sullivan's "Homeworx" has the 11:30 Sunday time slot through August, so if the Bengals win Sunday, next week we'll see another combo "Bengals Nation/Weekly" during the week.

Mike likes the Bengals
Did you hear Mike Greenberg's prediction on ESPN's "Mike & Mike In The Morning" show? He's picking the Bengals, going against oddsmakers favoring the visiting Steelers. Said Greenberg today: "When things look THIS EASY, they seldom are." "Mike & Mike," the best national morning sports show I've ever heard, airs on ESPN2 6-10 a.m., and on Hamilton's WMOH-AM (1450). Surprisingly, I can get WMOH all the way to downtown on my car radio.

Connie Chung's comeback
Connie Chung returns to network TV with her hubby for "Weekends with Maury & Connie" at 10 a.m. Saturday on MSNBC. Chung and Maury Povich will do a half-hour show -- though expect it to expand if gets any ratings. "Maury & Connie" repeats at 4 p.m. Saturday, and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Still think CNN blew it a few years ago by not pairing her with Larry King, for a Chung King report.

Back on the Blog
Thanks for your patience during my Christmas vacation.. My New Year's Resolution was to post a blog every weekday this year... but breaking news this week got me off to a bad start. See you Monday.
--Kiese
jkiesewetter@enquirer.com