The Dow is down, the S&P is tanking and we're all tightening our budgets to cope, right? Well yeah, except when it comes to entertainment. A recent poll by Movietickets.com via Pop Watch Blog asked people "how the economy had changed their movie going habits," 31 percent said it had done so "noticeably," 33 percent said, "drastically," and 36 percent said, "No change."

Ah fall! When the weather gets colder, the leaves turn pretty colors and the DVR overheats from taping so many of the Fall TV shows. A couple of weeks ago I told you what returning shows I was waiting for like a kid on Christmas morning, and now that I've seen a few, I'm here to report back on What's Cool and What's Crappy.

Like many of my fellow sci fi fans, I looked forward to the premiere of Sanctuary Friday night (10/3) because it is one of the few new science fiction shows we are getting this year. The other is Fringe, upon which I've already commented over at Snapshot Chronicles. But Sanctuary isn't interesting simply because there isn't much else to divert our attention. Some of the other reasons the show appeals to me:

Television's biggest night had drama, pathos, and naked people on the stage...well, maybe not naked people on the stage, but I got your attention didn't I? Last night was the 2008 Emmy Awards and since I never believe in watching the show in real time, I use Megan's Patented DVR Shortcut Method.  How it works is I start watching the recorded show about an hour and a half before the live show ends, then I try to click through fast enough to finish watching the DVR version just as the live show ends.That way, you watch three hours worth of inane speeches and bad hosting jokes in an hour and a half.  It's a better viewing value.  On with the show.

Grab the remotes, Folks! It's the 2008 Fall TV Season and shows are coming at us faster than political shots from Obama and McCain. Or Tina Fey and Sarah Palin. Or Biden and...you get what I mean. Between the new shows and the returning shows, my DVR and I are working hard to bring you, dear BlogHer readers, all the info there is to know about what's good or will be good this fall.  There's even a show about me, Megan Smith.  Well, sort of...but more on that in a minute.

Strap on your high heeled sneakers Ladies and Gentleman 'cause it's time for "Dancing with the Stars" to rumba it's way back into your living rooms. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will make first class fools of themselves all in the name of shameless entertainment? Well we found out who yesterday when the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" was announced on "Good Morning America."   Unlike some of the questionable D-listers from previous seasons, this time many of the contestants really are stars.  Good times, they are a comin'.

Hate your body? Can't bear to look in the mirror? If your answers are yes, stop right where you are and listen to this podcast interview I did last week with Kelly Park.

We're halfway through the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics so it's time to rate NBC's coverage.  First a caveat, I haven't seen every single hour of the coverage, but really, who has?  My opinion based on the many hours I have watched?  For once, I'll give them a thumb that's almost pointing up.  Some thoughts:

The ad men of AMC's "Mad Men" are sleek, stylish and mired in a 60's culture that's been meticulously recreated.  They smoke like bad oil, they drink like cheap dates and they sleep around like they've earned the right.  Three weeks into the show's second season and just a few weeks before going for sixteen primetime Emmy awards, "Mad Men" is maintaining its buzz.

As I write this post I'm watching live Olympic tennis. American James Blake is in the deciding third set against Dominic Hrbaty of Slovakia and it's tied 3-3.  I'm not watching this match on television.  I'm watching it live online.  That's right, live streaming of Olympic events have come into their own with the Beijing Games, and the first and best stop for all your action is NBC's Olympic Website. The team that put this site together deserves a medal of their own because it has just about anything an Olympics sports fan could want. As long as you stay within NBC's restrictions that is. 

Do you hate your body?  Do you avoid looking in the mirror for fear of what you'll see?  Well Kelly Park and Carson Kressley of Lifetime Television's "How To Look Good Naked" may be able to help.  And without liposuction, facelifts, butt lifts or tummy tucks. As part of BlogHer's "Letter To My Body" campaign which tries to help women improve their body image, I'm going to have the pleasure of doing a podcast interview with Kelly Park who starred in the premiere of this season's "How To Look Good Naked."

It's still a month and a half to the primetime Emmy Awards, and I'm wondering what the nominees might be up to. I'm sure all the actors and actresses are being inundated with offers of clothes and jewelry from every well known and some not so well known designers.   I'll be interested to see what some of my favorite nominees will be wearing:  Glenn Close, Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek of "Damages;"  America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams of "Ugly Betty;"  Neil Patrick Harris of "How I Met Your Mother" and Hugh Laurie of "House."