WHen the slate of 16 new celebrities for “Dancing With the Stars” was announced earlier this week, there was one name that sent me for a loop, that absolutely doesn’t belong in the competition. No, I’m not talking about former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, reality-star Kelly Osbourne or mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell. I’m referring to Mya.

I happen to be a big fan of Mya, both as a recording artists and as an actress. But she’s a PROFESSIONAL DANCER. She got her start tapping under the tutelage of SAVION GLOVER. She showed off great moves in her videos and the movie, “Chicago.” She’s REALLY, REALLY GOOD. In a fair contest, she would wipe the floor of the competition.

Of course, “Dancing” is not a fair contest. It’s a popularity contest. I’ve always had a problem with that aspect of the show. I like the fact that viewers are voting, but is it fair to the dancer that performs best when so many votes are based on likablity and great storylines rather than the best footwork? Producers would have made this a more interesting contest by leveling the playing field; instead, it’s another mish-mesh of experienced and non-experienced hoofers. That may make for a good television, but it doesn’t make for good sport.

Maybe Mya should participate with her feet tied together. That being said, do you think she’ll win - or do you agree with the “experts” who say Donny Osmond is the front runner?

A few minutes after a panel for his new sitcom, “Community,” I caught Chevy Chase in the hallway, momentarily separated from his publicists, as he muttered to noone in particular: “Can I go home now?” No chance, Chevy. You’re a supporting player in what might be the most promising new sitcom this fall. Chevy did indeed stick around and I chatted with him for a while at the NBC party. Chevy, who has a prickly reputation, was all charm, generously sharing stories about his film career and “SNL.” I asked him if he was still recovering from all the stunts he did in his early years. Yep, he said, although one really threw him for a loop. During a sketch with Dan Aykroyd, in which he was playing Gerald Ford, he stumbled over a podium, which was supposed to be lined with foam. Apparently, the maintenance man forgot to do it. Chase pointed to the part of the body underneath the stomach to indicate where he got hurt and said he winded up urinating blood. He was in the hospital for a week and missed the episode hosted by Norman Lear. Was he able to have kids after the injury. Chase thought for a moment. “Yep,” he said. “Three.”

I complimented Tiffani Thiessen on her short video in which she explains why she won’t be contributing to the “Saved By the Bell” reunion on the Jimmy Fallon show (you can find it at funnyordie.com). She said it was her and her manager’s idea but that the guys at the website wrote the bit. So far, it’s got over a million hits. Thiessen said she may actually agree to the reunion (”It’s open ended”). Thiessen’s got too good of a sense of humor about herself not to participate.

Most of the gang from “The Office” was there, including Minnesotan Brian Baumgartner, who is obsessed with fantasy baseball, and Creed Bratton, who’s got an album coming out this fall. It’s not as big of a stretch as you think it is. Bratton was the lead guitarist for The Grass Roots.

Jay Leno tells us that Brian Williams will contribute to his show, reading news that wasn’t “good enough” to make the nightly edition. Great move. Williams is funnier than most standups. Al Roker was his good-natured self at the party, but split early to get up at 2:30 AM to do “Today.” I get sleepy just thinking about.

What is Arianna Huffington doing providing a voice for “The Cleveland Show.” “It’s been my dream ever since I was a little girl in Athens to be in an animated series playing a mad bear,” she said.

After the NBC party, I retired to the bar with some publicists when we noticed a man looking somewhat out of place at a nearby table all by himself. It took me a few seconds to realize it was the “More to Love” bachelor, Luke. I invited him over and he seemed thrilled to join us. He must have thought we were somebody important.

…And I am out of here. Catching the red eye after tonight’s Fox party. I’ll be away for a week or so. Try not to shed too many tears.

 Hey Paula: What are you thinking? According to FOX execs, Ms. Abdul turned down a “substantial raise” and won’t be returning. What Ms. Abdul doesn’t realize is that she needs “Idol” more than “Idol” needs her. Side projects have largely failed, in part because she fits in perfectly on America’s No. 1 show - and comes across as awkward in anything else. Here’s my guess: The show will leave the fourth seat open when it starts in January in hopes that Abdul comes to her senses and returns either later in the season or the next. Of course, this could all be just a negotiating ploy and Paula will be back even before January. Will it hurt the show? Not really. The success of “Idol” rests primarily on the quality of the contestants and their chemistry with the audience (Simon Cowell’s nasty comments is a distant second).

In the meantime, Abdul will put out an album (that will flop) and a reality series (that will flop). Come on home, Paula!

It’s a good thing the cast members of “The Big Bang Theory” are fun to hang with. In the course of the entire TCA tour we have three, count ‘em, three cocktail parties with them. Most of the critics are lining up to talk to Emmy nominee Jim Parsons, but I’ve chatting mostly with the other four major actors who are also very strong performers who, strangely, don’t seem to be getting much attention.

Kaley Cuoco, who should have gotten an Emmy nod, joked about how all the attention has gone to Parsons’ head. “Now when we do a scene, he makes me wear a paper bag over my head,” she said. A spent nearly a half hour with Johnny Galecki who shared tales of his recent trip to Europe and memories of his days on “Roseanne.”

Had the chance to catch up with Diablo Cody who told me she’s finished two more movie scripts. One is a comedy for Steven Spielberg; the other is a drama. She was mum on details, but more than willing to dish about “The Real Housewives.” I was able to introduce her to University of Minnesota alums Lix Brixius and Linda Wallem, the creative team behind “Nurse Jackie.” They were glowing in their praise for Cody and how she helped open up some doors to women writers. Cody, of course, took it all in stride.

You haven’t seen stunning beauty until you’ve seen Elle Macpherson in a white dress. Wherever she went, jaws dropped.

Not sure who was the last celeb to leave; might have been “Survivor” host Jeff Probst who was in high demand. Among the others I brushed by: Joe Mantegna, LL Cool J, Ashlee Simpson Wentz, Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow, Edie Falco, Paula Marshall (who shared a very funny story about a nude vomiting scene she did with David Duchovny), Tracey Ullman and Kevin Nealon.

Patti Smith scared me. Reasonable, enough. Anyone who’s seen her on stage knows she’s a formidable force, breathing fire and brimstone into her timeless songs. In person, however, she couldn’t be gentler and nicer. Chatting with her was probably the highlight of the tour, so far, as she freely talked about her seminal music - as well as her intimidating persona. “It took me a long time to understand that,” she said when I confessed my initial fear. “But I love the press.” Smith also performed a couple acoustic numbers for the press - “Grateful” and a homage to William Blake that I didn’t recognize. It was also her 62nd birthday.

The other musical treat was a lesson in the history of Latin music conducted by percussionist Bobby Sanabria. Jimmy Smits, who narrates the upcoming special “Latin Music USA” was tickled pink that Sanabria got critics to get up and dance, the most exercise most of the 65 people in the room have gotten all week. “I never thought I’d see that,” he said, cracking himself up.

Coming up on “American Masters” this season: Tributes to Harry Belafonte, John Muir, Odetta, John Lennon and Johnny Carson.

I don’t tend to set starstruck when I’m on the job. After all, I’m only running into celebs because I have a notebook to fill and they have a show to plug. But when you run across a familiar face accidentally, it’s still a treat. That’s what happened twice the other day while I was visiting sets. After a stop at the very impressive set for CBS’s upcoming medical show, “Three Rivers” (the hospital looks like a spa), I spotted Dr. Phil tooling around in a golf cart (Hey, doc, next time walk. It’s good for the heart). At least he didn’t run me over, like Steven Spielberg nearly did a few years ago when I was strolling through Universal Studios. Later at Fox, cruising slowly by on a motorcycle was a sullen Hugh Laurie. Hey, Hugh! Hugh!! Hugh?? No response. Maybe he was in character.

A visit to the resilient “Dollhouse” set was nice, but I don’t get the appeal of that show - or why Fox renewed it. Creator Joss Whedon seemed to be equally puzzled. “Welcome to the biggest surprise of my career - season 2,” he said. At least star Eliza Dushku didn’t bum a cigarette off me, something she’s done almost every other time I’ve seen her. By my calculation, I’ve “lent” her six smokes over the past five years.

We also stopped by the set of “NCIS: LA,” a guaranteed hit if only because of the first four letters of the title. I challenged Hartford Courant critic Roger Catlin to ask star LL Cool J if he would call this role a comeback. “Don’t call it a comeback.” Get it? Mr. J did and was a good sport about it. When Roger said he didn’t really have to answer the question, the rapper replied: “So I shouldn’t have to go into the whole, ‘Momma said knock you out’ with my shirt ripping off and sweating profusely on the crowd?”

As for panels,  it was hard to beat the cast from “Bored to Death” for laughs as Ted Danson, Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis traded hilarious one-liners. If only the show was as funny. I’m a fan of “Hung” but the panel turned into a double-entendre contest that, at times, got ugly. The show is about a well-endowed guy. I’ll let your imagination flow.

Hey, somebody tell Larry David not to chew gum when he’s on stage. It’s rude. I’d like to think the fictional LD on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” would agree.