TV Potpourri: No Go for Blago, ABC's pickups, Who is Susan Boyle?

Blago Can't Go: A little while ago, we told you that NBC wanted disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to star in their reality series "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" But a federal judge put the ka-bosh on that by not allowing the Guv to travel outside the country (the show's premise is that 10 celebrities will be dropped off in a Costa Rican jungle and have to adapt to the conditions). Still, it looks like the well-coiffed Dem is trying to get as much as he can out of his newfound "celebrity" status by appearing at a news conference designed to reveal some of the contestants, including the vapid duo of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (neither of whom can ever run for office with the existence of this photo, thankfully!). Apparently NBC, because it has no shame, is still trying to find a way to keep the impeached governor on the show.

ABC's Early Pickups: If you were wishing for "Grey's Anatomy" to be cancelled, wish again. Meredith and Co. are guaranteed to whine again for another season as ABC announced some of its early pickups. Shows you will see on the alphabet network next year include "America's Funniest Home Videos," "The Bachelor," "Brothers & Sisters," "Dancing With the Stars," "Desperate Housewives," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Private Practice," "Supernanny," "Ugly Betty," and "Wife Swap." Additional pickups will be announced in May during the upfronts presentation.

Who is Susan Boyle and Why Do All of My Friends on Facebook Care So Much About Her? Seriously, I would not have posted about this had I not been reading her name in umpteen status messages and steadily getting more annoyed by the minute. If you're not in the know, Boyle is a 48-year-old "singing sensation" from Scotland whose audition for "Britain's Got Talent" has received millions of views on YouTube because she managed to impress Simon Cowell. Oh, and she's, well, how should I put it -- very un-photogenic -- so I guess the fuss is over the fact that she doesn't care what she looks like and can sing, apparently. I'm not really sure why that's a big deal. Mick Jagger is hideous and he's still selling records (arguably it's harder for female artists).

I can't embed the video, but you can check it out here.

If someone can explain to me why Boyle has become an overnight sensation, I'd appreciate it. I suppose if all else fails and her newfound fame wanes, she can always replace Blago on "I'm a Celebrity."

-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com