Kids reunion isn't all right; Jo Jo's return is
NEW KIDS OFF THE BLOCK The latest episode of VH1's "Bands Reunited" promised more than it delivered. One night after New Waver Nick Heyward and Haircut 100 got back together, New Kids on the Block did not. Ambushed by the show's host Aamer Haleem and asked to reunite for a one-night-only show, three of the five not-so-new kids said "No!" (Jordan Knight, so hard-up he's now appearing on season three of "The Surreal Life" with Charo and Brigitte Nielsen, and his brother Jonathan Knight said, in essence, "Are you kidding? Yes!") So what up with the rest of NKOTB? Danny Wood, living in a gated community in Miami and driving an enormous SUV, would not even appear on camera, nor would Donnie Wahlberg, who's living in LA these days. Joey McIntyre was happy to chat with Haleem, but the budding Broadway star -- he's in "Wicked" right now -- wasn't interested in revisiting the past.
DON'T GET OUT. . . Making a stop in the area, teen singing phenom Jo Jo took a few minutes to catch us up on what's been going on in her life -- she's dating someone! -- and her thoughts on her regional faves. Jo Jo's favorite place in her hometown of Foxborough was Puffins Gourmet Cafe (it's temporarily closed), and she's a big fan of the Pheasant Lane Mall in New Hampshire. (Hey, she's still in her teens. What do ya expect?) Regarding the recent MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, where she was up for best new artist, Jo Jo said that Hilary Duff was very nice and went out of her way to talk to her. As far as who she's dating, Jo Jo said it's someone in the music industry, someone she can call after shows and compare notes with about their performances. But she wouldn't cough up his name or say whether she thought he was the one. But Jo Jo did talk about Bow Wow being featured in the remix of her next single, "Baby It's You." And making us forget, once again, just how young she is, Jo Jo said she hopes the addition of Bow Wow on the remix means her single will get air time on more urban stations than her chart scorcher "Leave (Get Out)."
DEAN'S LIST It's back-to-school time, and that means the city's crawling with the kin of the rich, famous, and otherwise notorious. We were reminded of this when we saw a photo recently of a smiling O.J. Simpson in the South End. (Too bad the caption in the Herald incorrectly ID'd his daughter Sydney as a student at Boston College -- she's a freshman at Boston University, where Jeffrey Katzenberg's son also goes.) But BC has its share of pedigreed undergrads, among them Ted Kennedy's stepson Greer Curran Raclin; golfer Greg Norman's girl, Morgan Leigh Norman;
HOW YOU DOIN? Sure the new sitcom "Joey" stars Newton native Matt LeBlanc, but there are a couple other local connections on the "Friends" spinoff that debuts tonight. The show's director and executive producer Kevin Bright (also a "Friends" alum) is an Emerson alum and member of the college's board, and fellow Emerson alum, actor Jennifer Cool-idge ("Legally Blonde" and "Best in Show"), appears in the first episode.
MOVE THAT INDOORS The weather didn't cooperate, but not much could dampen the spirit of Miss USA Shandi Finnessey, who was in town yesterday to promote the 12th annual Boston Komen Race for the Cure, which takes place Sunday at UMass-Boston. Instead of unveiling a 12-foot pink ribbon atop the New Balance headquarters in Brighton yesterday morning, Finnessey had to do that chore indoors. Breast cancer and ovarian cancer awareness is part of the Miss USA platform. As for her age, Finnessey says she's 26, but added, "this will probably be the last year of my life where I actually admit to my age."
Meredith Goldstein of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
