Reinventing the Blog Phase Two: The Loquacious Librarian and the Reviews of DOOM

Let me start off by saying this:  naming things is hard, y'all!

Seriously, if my new review-centered blog is still named The Loquacious Librarian and the Reviews of DOOM within a few months, I will be amazed.  But, I've already delayed rolling it out longer than I wanted because I've been struggling with the naming, so I finally bit the bullet and went with my most recent bit of "inspiration."

But I digress . . .

As you may have gathered, I have decided to go ahead and do a separate blog devoted solely to my reviews of literature, cinema, theater, etc.  Which means no more Movie Mondays or TV Tuesdays here at CoIM.  A moment of silence please.
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Okay, now that that's over, head on over to The Loquacious Librarian and the Reviews of DOOM to find out a bit more about changes to my rambling review structure.

TopGun's Turn of Phrase

This past weekend TopGun and I got caught up on a lot of shows which had been languishing on my DVR waiting for us to both be free to watch. One of these was the first four episodes of Chuck, including the highly entertaining two-part episode with a heavy focus on Chuck's brother-in-law, Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb. During one scene, Sarah makes a comment about how Devon is great at everything, to which Chuck replied "Hence the nickname." Naturally, this prompted TopGun to turn to me and say "So I guess I should be called 'Captain Awesome' from now on, huh?"

A little later we watched an episode of Better Off Ted in which Veronica and Linda become embroiled in a highly competitive game of Linda-bagel . . . don't ask. Anyway, Veronica has a monologue about how she's great at everything, and the word "hubris" gets thrown around a few times by different characters. So, when TopGun was jokingly bragging about something later, I responded, "Wow, what hubris -- so, should I call you Captain Awesome or Veronica?" After that, while we were playing Wii Sports I settled on combining them and called him "Captain Veronica Awesome" for the rest of the evening.

He played along quite nicely, and soon, whenever he would make a particularly impressive shot he would exclaim "That's Ver-awesome!"

I'm actually a bit jealous he came up with that before I did, but I suppose I should expect nothing less from ol' Veronica Awesome.

TV Tues - My Winter Schedule

In my last TV Tuesday blog I looked at the then upcoming Fall season and predicted which shows I would and wouldn't be watching; figured today would be a good time to update y'all on how my viewing schedule has panned out

MONDAYS

7:00 How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Chuck(NBC)
8:00 Two and a Half Men (CBS), Heroes (NBC)
8:30 Big Bang Theory (CBS)
9:00 Castle (ABC)

As predicted, Castle, HIMYM, 2 1/2 Men, and BBT are still squarely on my schedule (although 2 1/2 Men is increasingly hit or miss with me) while Accidentally on Purpose barely lasted two weeks before getting deleted from the DVR. Not a horrible show, per se, but not nearly engaging enough to keep me hooked.

As for Heroes . . . ugh. Think I'll save all of my ranting and raving about the train wreck that is Heroes for its own post. And yet, I'm still watching it . . . I have a sickness.

The one addition to the viewing schedule for Monday is Chuck. I haven't had a chance to watch the three hours worth of episodes that aired over the last couple of days, but they're high on my list.

TUESDAYS

7:00 - 9:00: Better Off Ted and Scrubs (ABC)
9:00: Blue Mountain State (Spike)

I would be more specific with the airing information, but ABC has been burning off episodes of both shows like crazy, and I never know from week to week which one will be on when. Once again, thank heavens for my FIOS DVR.

My parents got me the first season of Ted on DVD for Christmas, and mom and I spent the two days dad had to work over break plowing through the DVDs. So far the second season has been just as entertaining as the first, which makes it all the more painful to know that its ratings aren't that good and it probably won't get picked up for a back 9 episode order.

I'm not quite as enamored of the new iteration of Scrubs, although it is growing on me, and seems to be a lot better now that J.D. is gone and the new characters are really getting a chance to grow. Doubtful that it will get a back 9 order either, though.

Of course, in about a month it won't matter anymore, as their time slot will be taken over by the final season of Lost. February 2 cant' get here fast enough for me.

Tonight's the premiere of a new comedy on Spike, Blue Mountain State which looks like it might be funny; we'll see if it manages to work its way into my viewing rotation.

WEDNESDAYS


7:30 The Middle (ABC)
8:00 Human Target (Fox), Modern Family (ABC)
8:30 Cougar Town (ABC)
9:30 Tosh.0 (Comedy Central)

The (mercifully) short-lived Hank was pretty much as bland and unfunny as I had expected it to be, so no surprise there. What is surprising is just how much I enjoy every other sitcom ABC has airing on this night; even more surprising is that all three shows have become big hits, and as of today have officially been picked up for a second season.

Starting next week, Glee's time slot will be taken over by The Human Target, an adaptation of a DC comic book about a man who pretty much gets hired to stop assassination attempts. In addition to the comic book angle hooking me, the show also features three actors I really like: Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earle Haley. Hoping the quality of the writing is up to the quality of the cast.

THURSDAYS

7:00 The Deep End (ABC, iffy), Survivor (CBS), Community (NBC)
8:00 Grey's Anatomy (ABC), Fringe (Fox, definite),
8:30 30 Rock (NBC/Hulu)
9:30 Archer (FX)

Remember how in my previous post I said "The Office is a no-brainer"? Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. After a string of episodes that left me either cold or uncomfortable instead of amused, I have relegated the show to my "will watch on DVD someday" list.

For the record, I did watch almost all of FlashForward, although I still need to catch the mid-season finale if it's still online. Think it's an okay show, but I'm watching it more for answers to the main mystery than for any of the characters. Although, the fact that there's been a bit of a regime change in the show-runners gives me hope that when it comes back from hiatus in March it will be improved. In the meantime, its slot will be filled by a new lawyer series, The Deep End, which benefits enough from a likable cast that I might give it a try . . . although probably only if it's available online, since I can't miss Survivor or Community.

The other addition to this night's schedule is the animated spy spoof Archer on FX. TopGun and I caught a sneak preview of it several months ago after an ep of It's Always Sunny and enjoyed it quite a bit.

FRIDAYS

8:00 Dollhouse (Fox), Caprica (SyFy)

Even though it's almost over, there's still one more episode of Dollhouse to air this week, so it's getting a mention, dagnabit!

I know it was a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it show, but I fell mostly on the "love it" side for Stargate: Universe so I'm looking forward to its return in the Spring. Until then, I have the BSG prequel Caprica to fulfill my "spin-off of popular Sci Fi show I loved" jones.


SATURDAYS

Now that college football is over, have a feeling Saturday will become my day to get caught up on DVRed shows and DVDs.

SUNDAYS

7:30 The Cleveland Show (Fox, iffy)
8:00 Family Guy (Fox)
8:30 American Dad (Fox)

Yes, I'm still a sucker for Seth MacFarlane's shows; even American Dad has grown on me.


That about wraps it up; I'm sure there will be some changes when more new shows start premiering/returning following the Winter Olympics.

TV Tues - My Fall Schedule

It's that time of year again, when the broadcast networks trot out the bulk of their new and returning shows. After seeing Television Without Pity's "Watch, DVR, or Skip" Fall Preview, I thought I'd do something similar to show what my TV viewing schedule is starting to look like.

MONDAYS

7:00 How I Met Your Mother (CBS, definite), Heroes (NBC, iffy)
7:30 Accidentally on Purpose (CBS, iffy)
8:00 Two and a Half Men (CBS, definite)
8:30 Big Bang Theory (CBS, definite)
9:00 Castle (ABC, definite)

DEFINITE: Much like last year, my Monday nights will be dominated by the returning CBS comedies, which shouldn't surprise anyone. I'm also looking forward to the return of Castle, which I haven't talked much about; this one is carried past its so-so premise by the strength of Nathan Fillion's personality.

IFFY: I'm not too hopeful for the new comedy, Accidentally on Purpose, but I'll give it a shot if for no other reason than it's shoehorned into the 7:30 time slot now that Big Bang Theory is being moved to 8:30, although that reasoning doesn't compel me quite as much now in the DVR age. As for Heroes, well, odds are good that I'm going to keep watching it out of a combination of inertia, morbid curiosity, and a never-ending hope that they will finally wise up and bump off Mohinder, but my patience with the show was pushed nearly to the breaking point last season, so we'll see if I can stick it out all season.

MID-SEASON HOPE: This Spring will see the return of Chuck, which should wipe out all the bad taste left behind by Heroes.

TUESDAYS

7:00: Nothing
8:00: Nothing again
9:00: And yet more nothing . . . oh, wait, no, thanks heavens for cable! Sons of Anarchy (FX, definite)

DEFINITE: TopGun and I recently plowed through the entire first season of Sons of Anarchy, and I can't wait to see how the internal strife of the club manifests this season. Plus, Katey Sagal kicks all kinds of butt as the manipulative motorcycle mama Gemma, and the show is worth watching for her alone.

IFFY: Okay, I might have been a bit harsh above; I suppose there's a chance that the Christian Bale procedural The Forgotten or the Juliana Margulies legal drama The Good Wife might be worth watching, but the first sounds pretty forgettable (pardon the pun), and the latter is only on my radar because its cast includes Christine Baranski.

MID-SEASON HOPE: The Spring will bring the return of Better Off Ted (allow me to do my dance of joy at this show's renewal yet again) and the re-vamped Scrubs, of which I am cautiously optimistic.

WEDNESDAYS

7:00 Hank (ABC, iffy)
7:30 The Middle (ABC, hopeful)
8:00 Glee (Fox, definite), Modern Family (ABC, definite)
8:30 Cougar Town (ABC, hopeful)
9:00 Eastwick (NBC, iffy), The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, definite)

DEFINITE: Only one returning show on my radar here; really looking forward to the new season of TUF if for no other reason than to see how Kimbo Slice does. I watched the sneak preview of Glee when it premiered a while back, and I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if it did get "Don't Stop Believing" stuck in my head for months. Meanwhile, the ads for the new sitcom Modern Family have consistently cracked me up, and all of the positive critical buzz has earned it a firm spot in my viewing schedule before having seen a single full ep.

HOPEFUL: Although in many ways new sitcom The Middle feels a bit like a Malcolm in the Middle clone, the online preview did make me chuckle a few times, and I feel obligated to support Neil Flynn in his first big post-Scrubs project. Along similar lines, although I haven't been wowed by the ads for Cougar Town at all, it's generated some good advance reviews, and the fact that it's created by Bill Lawrence, the mastermind behind Scrubs, I'll definitely give it a shot.

IFFY: The previews for new Kelsey Grammer vehicle, Hank, did little for me, but since all the scenes came from the pilot, there's a possibility that the show could grow, right? As for Eastwick, well, you should know by now that any SF/Fantasy/Horror themed show will get at least a token viewing by me, as bland as the premise sounds . . . unless it's The Ghost Whisperer, of course

MID-SEASON HOPE: In the Spring, Glee will be replaced by The Human Target, a comic book adaptation starring one of my fave actors, Mark Valley.

THURSDAYS

7:00 FlashForward (ABC, hopeful), Survivor (CBS, definite), Vampire Diaries (CW, iffy)
8:00 Grey's Anatomy (ABC, definite), Fringe (Fox, definite), The Office (NBC, definite)
8:30 Community (NBC, definite)
9:00 Private Practice (ABC, iffy), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, definite)

And, if you're thinking "wow, that's a lot of TV shows for one night," you aren't alone; have a feeling some shows are either going to drop off the schedule, or get relegated to online only viewing.

DEFINITE: The Office is a no-brainer, as is Fringe, my favorite new drama of last year. Yes, 9 years and 18 season in, and I'm still hooked on Survivor. And while Grey's has its ups and downs, as long as Yang and Bailey are on the show, and have not had total personality transplants, I'll keep watching. As for Community, I thought the pilot was brilliant, and can't wait to see where it goes from here. And, finally, TopGun has got me watching It's Always Sunny, and I am hooked.

HOPEFUL: Although vastly different from the novel which inspired it, I think FlashForward shows a ton of promise.

IFFY: Private Practice was *this* close to losing me last season; the promise of a Bailey-centric Grey's crossover could be all that keeps me in the loop on this one. And while I wasn't planning on giving The Vampire Diaries the time of day, I've actually heard enough positive things about the pilot that I'll give it a try.

MID-SEASON HOPE: Partway through the season, 30 Rock will return, which will bump Community to 7:00.

FRIDAYS

7:00 Nothing, especially not the horribly painful new sitcom Brothers. *shudder*
8:00 Dollhouse (Fox, definite), Stargate: Universe (SyFy, hopeful)
9:00 Sanctuary (SyFy, definite), Psych (USA, definite)

DEFINITE: I wasn't sold on Joss Whedon's new series Dollhouse for the first several episodes, but as the show progressed and its mythology grew, I became a much bigger fan, especially after seeing the unaired episode "Epitaph One" on the DVD. I recently watched the first season of Sanctuary on my laptop thanks to Netflix streaming video, and enjoyed it enough to want to see where it heads. And while Psych does sometimes make me uncomfortable, on the whole it makes me laugh more often than not.

HOPEFUL: I was a big fan of Stargate: SG-1, and a sorta-fan of Stargate: Atlantis, so I will most definitely give the newest addition to the universe a try, while attempting not to make the inevitable Star Trek: Voyager and BSG comparisons.

MID-SEASON HOPE: Come January, we have the highly anticipated BSG prequel series, Caprica; having loved the pilot, I can hardly wait for the series to get here.

SATURDAYS

As always, Saturday is not really a banner day for TV watching outside of college football and the occasional MMA match.

SUNDAYS

7:00 The Simpsons (Fox, iffy)
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Fox, iffy)
8:00 Family Guy (Fox, definite) Dexter (Showtime, definite)
8:30 American Dad (Fox, iffy), Bored to Death (HBO, hopeful)
9:00 Nothing

DEFINITE: Family Guy is one of those polarizing, love/hate sort of shows; I fall on the "love" side. And although I still need to get caught up on the last season of Dexter, there's little doubt that I'll be watching the new season as soon as I do.

HOPEFUL: The ads I've seen for Bored to Death have me pretty intrigued with its quirky cast and premise; hope it lives up to my expectations.

IFFY: It's been years since I've really enjoyed The Simpsons on a regular basis, and American Dad never gelled for me; both of these shows fell off my radar while I was at Benjiman Street, but they might get a reprieve thanks to the DVR. As for The Cleveland Show, I've seen some ads which I've really liked, and others which have left me less than impressed. Will have to wait and see.

MID-SEASON HOPE: Between HBO and Showtime, I'm sure there will be plenty of new programming to keep the DVR busy on Sunday nights.

TV Tues - Ups and Downs

Again, just trying to keep the blogging momentum going, so just some general TV thoughts.

First, things that have made me happy

• Better Off Ted is one of the funniest shows to come down the pike in a long time; I did a big dance of joy when it was renewed
  
• Did smaller joy-dances when Castle, Dollhouse, and Chuck were renewed.
• Did a much bigger joy-dance when word came down that Futurama is coming back on the air with 26 new episodes, courtesy of Comedy Central.
  
• Am beyond happy that the new season of Wipeout has started; can't go wrong with the continual proof of my favorite adage: "People getting hit in the face -- always funny. Always."
  
• The penultimate season of Lost started off really strong, lost its way just a tad towards the end, but ended with a massive mind-frak that makes me want it to be 2010 right now so I can see how it all ends
  
• Best late night comedy sketch in quite a while: Twitter Tracker!
  
  
  
  

Things that made me not quite so happy

• Cancellations of Pushing Daisies, The Unusuals, and My Name is Earl.
• Continuing decline of Heroes, which not even the return of Bryan Fuller could help
• Lackluster reboot of Cupid; the original version with Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall was filled with rapid fire wit and incredible chemistry -- the reboot fell short on both counts, despite too leads I like a lot.
• Parks and Recreation, the lackluster new show from the creators of The Office. Can't believe just how bland and uninteresting the show is.
  

Maybe next week I'll get back into more timely reviews . . . maybe

Fragmented Friday - Who Watches the Watchmen's Man-things?

Latest diet update: as of yesterday morning, I was down 25 lbs since the beginning of the year.

Last night I went to a birthday dinner at Chili's in honor of Sunshine and Trouble, even though Trouble had declared multiple times that she was not having a birthday this year. Because of the timing of the dinner, I didn't get to watch OSU and OU play in the Big 12 quarterfinals, and had to settle for checking the score regularly on my cellphone. It was probably a good thing I didn't get to watch it, as the close score probably would have given me a heart attack. By the end, I had set the ESPN site to refresh automatically every 15 seconds, and so it was that it popped up the following info: "OSU 69 OU 70 FINAL." I sighed and announced it to the table, saying I was sad but was at least glad that the Cowboys had played them close. About 5 or 10 minutes later, one of the other guys said "Hey, Todd -- OSU won." Turns out he had just gotten a text from our former Singles pastor Freezeout who was actually at the game, and who is a big OU fan. I went back on my phone, and sure enough, the score now read OSU 71 OU 70. I later learned that OSU had gotten fouled with only a couple of seconds left and made two free throws to win the game; ESPN.com had just jumped the gun.

It amuses me greatly that most of the complaints I have heard from people about Watchmen have all centered around Dr. Manhattan's penchant for total nudity and the blue CGI private parts that accompany said penchant; who cares about plot, or acting, or direction or any of that jazz, just don't make us look at Dr. Manhattan's special purpose!*

My first time playing racquetball after the night of multiple buttkckings, I had made my first hit of my first game when Trouble said "What's wrong with your racket?" A quick glance showed that the top strings had broken. I went ahead and finished the game as is, since Trouble herself was playing with a cracked racket and had been for a few weeks, only waiting for payday to go buy herself a new one. Later, I emailed Cap'n Peanut to let him now that I had decided that the only possible explanation was that when he had borrowed my racket to play PigPen he had warped my racket with his crazy gorilla strength, and that a bill for a replacement would be forthcoming; he replied that it was nice to know that it was my shoddy racket that had been responsible for his less-than-stellar play that night.

Have you ever found out a piece of information that you were kinda glad to know, because you would hate to have been kept in the dark about it, but at the same time you kinda wish you didn't know, because that little piece of secret information fills you with concern and worry? Welcome to my world.

Last weekend the Singles had a game/movie night at Mei-Mei's parents' house; as always, the movie was shown out-doors, projected onto her parents' garage door. When the email invite went out, Cap'n Cluck urged everyone to remember lawn chairs and blankets. When I saw that, I decided to do one better than bringing a regular blanket, and instead brought one of my Christmas presents from my mom. So it was that about 20 minutes into the movie, as I started to get a little chilly, I wrapped myself up in a nice warm Snuggie**. The rest of the movie was spent with me looking for excuses to move my Snuggie-wrapped arms around for some reason, as every movement would sent Trouble and Lizard into paroxysms of laughter. One of those "you had to be there" times, to be sure, and I know most everyone else was lost as to what the three of us were dying laughing over.

I know I need to start up with the TV Tuesday posts again, but until I actually get around to it, I'd like to take this chance to say that this season of Lost is shaping up to be my favorite season, and I can't wait to see where it all leads. I also want to make sure everyone who is without the joys of TiVo/DVRs knows that Scrubs is moving to Wednesdays at 7:00. I'm also looking forward to the new sitcom which will be on between Scrubs and Lost, Better Off Ted.



Just looks like my kind of weird, doesn't it?

*Yesterday Zinger asked me if I had heard anyone make a "Dongtor Manhattan" joke yet; I assured him he was the first I had encountered.
**For the record: not only did I not request a Snuggie for Christmas, until I opened my present I had no idea that such a thing existed. It was a week or so later before I finally saw an actual Snuggie commercial.

TV Tuesday - Schedule's Filling Up Again

As February approaches, returning shows and mid-season premieres are making my viewing schedule a bit packed; may have to start cutting a few things soon. Although, if I ever get around to getting a TV for my living room that might help, as I could at least have something going while I'm working out.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

TUESDAY, January 20

Fringe (Fox, 8:00): Glad this one is back. Was good to see Olivia kicking major butt. I was glad that she stood up to the jerk with the vendetta against her; him standing in her way for no reason was going to get old real fast.

Privileged (CW, 8:00): One of the better episodes they've had of late, but not sure it was enough to keep it from the chopping block for me.

WEDNESDAY, January 21

Lost (ABC, 7:00-10:00): Loved it, very excited to see where exactly this season is headed. It made me want to go back and rewatch the Desmond-centric episodes about his time travels again.

THURSDAY, January 22

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): Was very glad to see the return of Estrada or Nada. Lots of good stuff in this one, most all of it centering around Joy, whether it was her proving that she was indeed an Estrada, or her diving into her witness protection identity.

The Office (NBC, 8:00): The Dwight/Michael story had its moments, especially the chase for the contact info, but the real highlight of the episode was the on-going "Hot or Not?" debate; wonder what Hilary Swank thought of it?

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): Like with The Office, it wasn't the A storyline of Jack and Liz at the retreat that entertained me the most, it was the Jenna/Frank and Tracey/Kenneth storylines. The Wikipedia bit was priceless, up to and including the "Janis Joplin eats kittens" moment.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): The best part of the episode was Christina and Meredith finally coming together again . . . that and the sign that the silly Izzy/Dead Denny story is about to move on to its inevitable "Izzy's sick" conclusion.

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): It's always a bad sign when your least favorite character on a show is the one who's supposed to be the main focus, isn't it? And I think they've just about done the "Dell lets his emotions cloud his judgement" story a few too many times. Once the crossover with Grey's is done, I'll be re-evaluating this one's spot on my viewing roster.

Burn Notice (USA 9:00): Love this show with a bloody passion; watched most of the second season in one day. Think my favorite episode was the one where Michael played a geeky scientist -- that was a lot of fun to watch. Great writing and great ensemble. If you're not watching this one, you're missing out.

FRIDAY, January 23

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): Was so nice to see Ted Kord treated with respect; his death in the comics was such a waste, at least the show made it a meaningful sacrifice. Plus, the writers always seem to do their best work when the focus is on the Jaime Reyes Beetle; I'd love it if they were able to spin him off into his own show.

Wolverine and the X-Men (Nicktoons, 7:00): A pretty entertaining new take on the X-men, filled with little touches for long-time fans. Its continuity seems to borrow from several different iterations, from the regular books to the movies to X-Men: Evolution to Ultimate X-Men. Was nice to see Rockslide and Dust pop up; kinda looking forward to seeing Pixie.

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00): I just don't enjoy the show nearly as much when its focus is primarily on the humans; not a bad episode, but I'd rather get a closer look at the inner workings of the Cylon culture. Plus, Mr. Gaeta has started to grate on my nerves more and more.

Psych (USA, 9:00): Not much to say about the "arsassin" episode other than I'm glad to have this show back on my regular viewing schedule.

SATURDAY, January 24

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 2:00 AM): At this point, all I'm hoping is that the big mysteries of the show get resolved by the end.

SUNDAY, January 25

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Although the songs were better in this ep than in the last, it's still not quite living up to the first season for me.

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): Two episodes in, and I'm still enjoying it.

MONDAY, January 26

Trusts Me (TNT, 9:00): So far, so good; Thomas Cavanagh does his usual thing, which is a positive, and I like the main female lead with all of her borderline anti-social quirks. I'm just hoping that they don't revisit the "Connor is jealous of Mason's promotion" idea too often; I'd much rather see the two of them work together in synch than be at each other's throats.

THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, January 27

Fringe (Fox, 8:00): The team investigates a phenomenon that literally melts people's brains.

Scrubs (ABC, 8:00): Two episodes back to back again, one of which answers the question of who will take over the vacant chief of medicine position, as well as the fallout of J.D. and Elliot's rekindled relationship.

WEDNESDAY, January 28

Lost (ABC, 7:00-10:00): A focus on Desmond's search for Faraday's mother.

THURSDAY, January 29

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): Addison's brother returns, and Violet talks to the two potential fathers of her child.

Burn Notice(USA 9:00): Michael helps a football coach concerned for one of his players.

FRIDAY, January 30

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): The Atom and Aquaman do their own riff on Fantastic Voyage, shrinking down and travelling inside a poisoned Batman.

Wolverine and the X-Men (Nicktoons, 7:00): The third part of the introductory storyline introduces Emma Frost to the team.

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00): Mutiny on the Galactica.

Psych (USA, 9:00): Shawn and Gus sign up for training camp for a pro football team. Yeah, that can only end well.

SATURDAY, January 31

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 2:00 AM): Jack's body turns up, and the investigation begins anew.

SUNDAY, February 1

Wipeout (ABC, Superbowl halftime): The biggest break-out hit of the summer returns with a special football themed "cheerleaders vs. couch potatoes" episode which will be shown during halftime of the Super Bowl.

The Office (NBC, post-Super Bowl): Michael tries to get the office crew to relax.

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Bret tries to form his own gang

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): Tara's date night goes awry when Buck comes to the forefront.

MONDAY, February 2

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:00): Sheldon's actions lead to a confrontation between Leonard and one of Penny's musclebound exes.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30): Robin needs a job to keep from getting deported back to Canada, and agrees to let Barney produce her video resume.

Chuck (NBC, 7:00): Chuck save a rock star

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Alan's receptionist/girlfriend invites him to move in with her and her stoner mother.

Heroes (NBC 8:00): Chapter 4, "Fugitives" begins as Hiro tries to train Ando, Claire stumbles onto Project Wideawake, I mean, Nathan's plot, and Sylar starts the search for his real father.

Trust Me (TNT, 9:00): The client decides they hate the tagline, and the team scrambles to come up with a new one to keep the account.

TV Tuesday - One More Day Till Lost! One More Day Till Lost!

THE WEEK THAT WAS

TUESDAY, January 13

Scrubs (ABC, 8:00 & 8:30): Man oh man am I glad that Courtney Cox's character is gone; didn't care for her at all. Not quite so glad to see Elliott and JD doing the relationship tango yet again; at least since this is Zach Braff's last season regardless they'll finally resolve the issue once and for all.

Privileged (CW, 8:00): I just realized this week that when everything is new again, this show will be on up against Scrubs and Fringe; in other words, so long, Privileged, it was nice knowing you, but you squandered what good will I had invested in you by making Megan unbearably self-righteous at all times.

THURSDAY, January 15

Smallville (CW, 7:00): I won't say much about the ep, since Bubblegum Tate hasn't seen it yet, but I will say that I had some minor quibbles with the direction they took the Legion, but that it was all worth it to see The Persuader swing his Atomic Axe, hear Garth say "grife" and "sprock", hear Rokk make a Subs joke, and see the Legion flight rings in action. Plus, it actually made me wish that I hadn't missed the last several seasons; DVDs, here I come.

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): The idea of Estrada or Nada was genius, as was the extraction of Darnell and Joy from the trailer. Looking forward to the conclusion this week.

The Office (NBC, 8:00): The idea of Michael being brought in to explain what he was doing right was funny; pretty much everything that came out of his mouth made me want to reach into the TV and slap his mouth shut. So, so painful. In contrast, the Andy/Dwight feud was classic, and made the episode well worth watching.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): This episode was a nice change of pace from the last several; don't think the show is totally back on track, but it could be getting there. The scene with Hunt having his breakdown really got to me for some reason, made me tear up a little.

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): The Cooper/Charlotte storyline was well done, but the rest of the episode either did nothing for me or, in the case of the idiotic "Addison's love life" storyline, grated on my nerves.

FRIDAY, January 16

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): A pretty solid episode; while it may not have strictly followed comic book cannon, I liked having Boston Brand be spurred onto a search for justice thanks to dealing with Bats.

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00): I shall remain as spoiler free as possible while discussing BSG from here on out, since I'm sure there are some of you out there who only see it on DVD. I will say that the identity of the final Cylon was a bit of a let-down for me, but that the major character death took me completely by surprise. I'm really looking forward to having all of the questions answered as the series wraps up.

Psych (USA, 9:00): I always enjoy episodes that have Shawn showing signs that he actually likes Lassiter on some level, and this one was no exception.

SATURDAY, January 17

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 12:15 AM): Not sure how long I'd stick with this series if it was open-ended, but knowing that there are only 8 episodes in total means I'll stick it out until the end.

SUNDAY, January 18

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Plot-wise, a fun episode; musically, I was disappointed. Hope this isn't signs of a sophomore slump.

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): I enjoyed the pilot quite a bit. So far, no glaring inaccuracies about DID jumped out at me; bonus points for calling the other personalities "alters." I'm interested in seeing how the series deals with the reasons for Tara's condition, and if it explores how she was first diagnosed.

MONDAY, January 19

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:00): So many great Sheldon moments in this episode; the facial ticks when he couldn't talk, his time in the children's section, his wall climbing experience . . . priceless, all of it.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30): Think this episode contained the best telepathic conversation ever; on the down side, I think I might have "Kokomo" stuck in my head for days.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Best part of the episode had to be Alan's nightmare at the end where he imagines what his possible daughter would look like as a teenager; greatness.

THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, January 20

Fringe (Fox, 8:00): My favorite new series of the season returns with an introduction to Olivia's sister.

Privileged (CW, 8:00): No new Scrubs this week, so the show is getting one last chance with me, mainly because I'm curious to see how they tie up the story of Megan's mom running off with Will's money.

WEDNESDAY, January 21

Lost (ABC, 7:00-10:00): Lost is back! Lost is back! The first hour is one of their usual catch-up clip shows, with the 2 hour season premiere starting at 8:00. Cannot wait!

THURSDAY, January 22

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): The conclusion to the two parter about Darnell's compromised identity.

The Office (NBC, 8:00): Dwight and Michael pull an undercover op to spy on a competing paper company.

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): Jack drags Liz along to a corporate retreat

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): The conclusion of Eric Stoltz's run on the show

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): The show drags out yet another tired cliche as Violet discovers she's pregnant and doesn't know who the father is

Burn Notice (USA 9:00): Thanks to the DVR I'm getting a chance to get caught up on the first half of Season 2 in time for the second half to begin. If you're not watching this show, you should give it a whirl; great stuff.

FRIDAY, January 23

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): The third appearance of the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle on the show which makes me glad, not only because I enjoy this version of the character greatly, but because so far the Blue Beetle eps have been the best. Plus, we also get to see the Ted Kord version, which is both a blessing and a source of sadness, as I really miss Ted. Still ticked at DC for killing him off.

Wolverine and the X-Men (Nicktoons, 7:00): The U.S. premiere of the latest animated version of the X-Men finds Wolverine trying to put the team back together after a year apart. Main characters include Shadowcat and Nightcrawler, so you know I have to watch.

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00)

Psych (USA, 9:00): Shawn and Gus investigate an arsonist.

SATURDAY, January 24

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 2:00 AM): Detective Wintersgill interrogates Danny.

SUNDAY, January 25

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Brett buys a new cup, and unwittingly bankrupts the band doing so.

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): Tara unleashes an alter better equipped to deal with the stresses of parenting

MONDAY, January 26

No new sitcoms on tonight for some reason, but there is one new show on I'll give a try . . .

Trust Me (TNT, 9:00): New series about an advertising agency that is really only on my list because it stars Thomas Cavanagh, who I hope has found a better post-Ed showcase for his talents than Love Monkey was.

TV Tuesday - The Week to Come

Now that I've finally gotten a DVR, I've been able to catch up on some cable shows I'd missed out before for one reason or another, partially thanks to being able to program it to record all episodes of shows without having to track down dates and times myself, and partially thanks to Video on Demand. Consequently, I spent a good deal of my Christmas break wading through marathons of several shows, including True Blood, Psych, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Robot Chicken. I still need to get caught up on season 3 of Dexter, but probably need to wait for a weekend when I have nothing else going on, since odds are good once I start watching it'll be hard to pull me away.

I won't bother trying to review all the shows that I watched in the last couple of months, so let's jump straight into my viewing schedule for the week.

TUESDAY, January 13

Scrubs (ABC, 8:00 & 8:30): Hallelujah, Scrubs is back! Tonight's episodes find Dr. Cox teaming up with Dr. Kelso to take down Courtney Cox's character.

Privileged (CW, 8:00): This show teeters precariously on the verge of dropping off my viewing schedule, especially now that Charlie is leaving the show; honestly, I almost wish Charlie and Rose would get their own spin-off, since they're about the only characters I'm liking these days. Anyway, tonight's episode deals with why Lily called Megan from jail last week.

WEDNESDAY, January 14

Nothing of interest to me this week, but the fact that we're just one week away from the season premiere of Lost bears noting

THURSDAY, January 15

Smallville (CW, 7:00): I haven't watched Smallville in ages, but tonight's episode was not only written by one of my favorite comic writers, Geoff Johns, but also features the introduction of my favorite comic characters, The Legion of Super-Heroes, to the show's mythos, and I can't miss that.

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): Joy tries out for a reality show, and Darnell's witness protection status may be in trouble.

The Office (NBC, 8:00): Andy finally learns out that he's been cuckolded by Dwight, and the two decide to duel.

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): The cast is besieged by the flu, but Jack is selective about who gets vaccinations.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): I haven't been too happy with the show overall this season, but I'm sticking it out for the foreseeable future.

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): See above comment about Grey's and apply here, only this one has a lot shorter leash.

FRIDAY, January 16

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): This latest Batman cartoon follows the formula used by the comic series The Brave and the Bold in the 70s and 80s: Batman teams up with random superhero to take down the villain-of-the-week. A much lighter version of Batman is on display here, harkening back more to the Superfriends era than the Batman: The Animated Series version. This week's installment has an intro featuring Kamandi, Last Boy on Earth wielding some incredibly Kirby-esque weaponry, followed by a main storyline the has Bats teaming up with Deadman to take on The Gentlemen Ghost

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00): After quit an interesting cliffhanger at the mid-season break, BSG finally returns to start the countdown to the end of the series.

Psych (USA, 9:00): Lassiter gets accused of murder, and has to turn to Shawn and Gus for help.

SATURDAY, January 17

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 12:15 AM): I know this show runs several different times over the week, but this is the airing that doesn't interfere with any of my other scheduled recordings. Stumbled on this by accident while channel surfing a couple of weeks ago; it's a British series (called Cape Wrath when it aired in the UK) about an isolated community whose inhabitants are all in witness protection, meaning they all have shady, secretive pasts.

SUNDAY, January 18

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Everyone's favorite Kiwi comedy guitar duo are back for another season. This time around, the pair were forced to write a lot of new music rather than just dipping into their repertoire, composing 16 new songs for the season.

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): I've of two minds about this one. On the one hand, it stars Toni Collette and features the writing of Diablo Cody, screenwriter of Juno; on the other hand, the fact that the hook of the show is that its main character has Dissociative Identity Disorder (better know as multiple personalities) will be sure to drive me crazy due to me having had a strange obsession with DID ever since Junior High and thereby having a low tolerance for inaccurate depictions of the condition. But, I'll at least give it a try, if for no other reason than to have something to gripe about in next week's post.

MONDAY, January 19

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:00): I didn't realize until a couple of nights ago that Sheldon was the "fast food knight" in Garden State; that really has nothing to do with this episode, just thought it was worth mentioning*

How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30): Marshall and Lily go to a wine and cheese party while the single folk go out clubbing.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Alan is convinced he's the father of Judith's child


*He also had a non-speaking role in School for Scoundrels, which is what prompted me to look him up on IMDB and discover the Garden State fact in the first place.

TV Tues - "You've Got a Little Evil on Your Face. No,the Other Side"

Well, I'm still really behind on my TV viewing; actually have been glad for the preemptions of election coverage and the like because they've kept from falling behind even further.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

TUESDAY, Oct 28

Privileged (CW 8:00): Am glad the "Yeah, Lily really was a thief" thing came out, was afraid that was going to be dragged out much longer. My favorite bits of the episode had to do with the girls and their volunteer project; much more entertaining than Megan's family dramatics.

WEDNESDAY, Oct 29

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): While not as strong as some of the other episodes this season, this one still had quite a few good parts; I'm looking forward to seeing the development of Ned's relationship with his twin half-brothers.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): Anyone who didn't see Addison winning the write-in vote coming raise your hand; what, nobody? That's what I thought. *sigh* So predictable.

THURSDAY, Oct 30

Survivor (CBS 7:00): Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes! Was so incredibly worried that the snake with the shifty accent would finagle his way to the end; way to blindside him, Sugar!

The Office (NBC 8:00): Even though I hated to see Holly go so soon -- I figured they couldn't let Michael be happy forever, but I would have liked to have seen their relationship flourish a little bit more before the plug got pulled -- I thought this was a great ep. From the killer Halloween intro featuring creepy Creed and poor Pam ("I can't even take off the hat, because then I'm Hitler), to the absurdity of Michael's inability to grasp the concept of singing the Blues, to the glory that was the Dwight/Andy feud, I was rolling the whole time.

MONDAY, Nov 3

The Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:00):

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30): While the bulk of the best parts of the episode were Barney-centric as usual, two non-Barney moments stood out: Robin's Canadian past, and Marshall's revelation that Stella hated Star Wars.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): While Jake calling Charley out on being a sick freak was a highlight, the best part of the show had to be Alan's evil grin at Judith's plight. Charley pointing out the evil on his face was good; the quicksilver shifting from evil grin to faux-concern as he was faux-comforting her was comic genius.

THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, Nov. 4

Privileged (CW 8:00): Tension between the twins as they start to explore their separate goals in life; oh, the drama.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5

WEC 36: Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown (Versus, 7:00): The long-awaited title fight between Faber and Brown which was postponed due to hurricane issues. Will also feature a title fight between Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen, as well as a match with Jens Pulver; I'm interested to see which version of Jens we get this time around.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): Fall-out from the election of Addison as head of the practice.

Ultimate Fighter (Spike 9:00)


THURSDAY, Nov. 6

Survivor: Gabon (CBS 7:00): It's merger-time, when all the alliances scramble for the swing-votes.

My Name is Earl (NBC 7:00)

The Office (NBC 8:00): The promo blurb seems to promise lots of Jim/Pam and lots of Jim/Dwight, which always bodes well. Plus, Angela and Andy choosing an "unusual" wedding location.

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): Speaking of promo blurbs, after reading the one for 30 Rock I have to say that while Liz meeting Oprah and Tracy and Jenna feuding over whose life is harder both sound kind of amusing, the real draw for me came from this sentence: "Kenneth tests Jack's morality." Comedy gold, people, comedy gold!

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): For those of you who haven't heard, tonight's episode will mark the last appearance of Dr. Hahn, who was been let go from the series. Let the conspiracy theories begin!

Life on Mars (ABC 9:00)

MONDAY, Nov 10


Chuck (NBC 7:00): Chuck's ex-girlfriend pops up while Captain Awesome does mandatory CPR training at the Buy More.

Heroes (NBC 7:30): A peek into the Petrelli's past that I hope will provide some answers.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:00): Sheldon bans Penny from the apartment, and Penny vows revenge. Can't wait.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30)

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): The events of last week play out as Alan tries to escape Judith and Herb tags along with Charley

TV Tues - Still Straggling

I'm still a bit behind on viewing, I'm afraid, so please bear with me. Oh, and I have officially given up on Kath and Kim; got maybe 10 minutes into the second episode before my disgust at the selfish spoiled brat behavior of Kim drove me insane. So, one less thing to worry about keeping up with.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

TUESDAY, Oct 21

Privileged (CW 8:00): I'm discovering that I enjoy the show more when it focuses on Megan and the girls or Megan and Charlie than I do when the grandmother or Megan's family are the focus.


WEDNESDAY, Oct 22

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): The flashback to Emmerson's childhood was great, as were the scenes with "Downy," who cracked me up with her super-cheery demeanor. Plus, I want one of those hug machines.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): Scenes with Violet, Cooper, Dell, and Charlotte were golden; scenes with Naomi and Sam were excruciating, unless they were scenes with the aforementioned golden characters. So, y'know, par for the course of the show.

THURSDAY, Oct 23

The Office (NBC 8:00): It was nice to see Phylis kind of wind up on top for once; I feel bad that she's always getting the short end of the stick.

MONDAY, Oct 27

Heroes (NBC 8:00): I just don't know what to think of the show anymore; right now Daphne, Ando, and Noah are the only characters I really care about, most everyone else annoys me with their stupid actions. Am ecstatic that Maya is gone, saddened that she didn't take Mohinder with her.

THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, Oct 28

Privileged (CW 8:00): We finally get to meet Megan's father; here's hoping it's less painful than meeting her sister. But even if it is, I think there will be plenty of pain in the promised Charley/Megan confrontation.

Mentalist (CBS 8:00)

WEDNESDAY, Oct 29

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): Thank you, ABC, for being the only network to air your regular programming instead of a 30 minute political ad, thank you very much. Plost wise, a friend of Ned's father shows up and Emerson reconnects with Simone, the dog breeder from season 1.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): Sam and Naomi fighting for who gets to be in charge -- great.

Ultimate Fighter (Spike 9:00)

THURSDAY, Oct 30

Survivor (CBS 7:00): The blurb promises a shocking twist with the possibility to change the course of the game, along with two contestants being voted off.

My Name is Earl (NBC 7:00): A Hallowwen party Earl; I can't wait to see the costumes.

The Office (NBC 8:00): The biggest downside to the "Pam's in art school" story is that it has drastically reduced the amount of Pam we see each week; luckily this episode should rectify that a bit as we get to see her embarrassment over being the only person at the corproate office to show up in costume on Halloween. Plus: Dwight sets out to get under Andy's skin.

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): The return of the sitcom I never thought I'd like, but which has grown to be a must see for me.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00)

Life on Mars (ABC 9:00): Sam meets his mother in 1973

SUNDAY, Nov 2

The Simpsons (Fox 7:00): Although I've kind of let The Simpsons slide off my viewing radar the last season or two, I still feel compelled to watch their annual Treehouse of Horror episode . . . even if it does come after Halloween.

MONDAY, Nov 3

The Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:00): A grad student is attracted to Sheldon; need I say more?

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30)

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Judith kicks Herb out; hope that's only a temporary thing, because, as Charlie said, "I've grown fond of the big lug."

TV Tues - Transcending the Situation

Afraid I fell behind on TV viewing last week, so quite a few shows won't be getting their proper review today; maybe next week.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

WEDNESDAY, Oct 15

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): It appears that the first episode of the season may have just been a brief misstep; I blame the ton of exposition which forced the rest of the plot to move at even faster speeds than normal, criminally wasting the talents of both Missi Pyle and Autumn Reeser. But I digress; while not as consistently laugh-out-loud funny as the circus ep had been, the nunnery themed episode was still a great time.


THURSDAY, Oct 16

Survivor: Gabon (CBS 7:00): Well, the elephant sighting was nowhere near as traumatic as I'd hoped, nor was G.C.'s tardiness.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): Think this may have been the first episode this season where I felt like all of the characters were actually acting like themselves. I am so happy that they've decided to make George likable again; he was always one of my favorite characters in the early days, but the last couple of seasons he kind of went off the rails. All of the scenes in the dermatology lounge were great as well.

Life on Mars (ABC 9:00): Well, luckily the beating Sam received at the hands of a bunch of uniforms was not as a result of them blaming him for the shooting, as I had originally feared, so that's something, anyway. Still, this much more volatile version of Sam keeps throwing me off; I'm also unsure of how I feel about the substitution of the Mars rover for the Test Card F Girl as Sam's recurring hallucination of choice, and not just because having a Mars rover pop up feels a little too on-the-nose -- no, I just really, really miss the creepy girl with the creepy clown. Yeah, the Test Card F Girl might not be the cultural icon here in the states that she is in the UK, but I made it through both series of the original without knowing who she was supposed to be, and I still enjoyed the heck out of it. The one positive change for the American version so far would have to be the introduction of Sam's spacey neighbor, a nice change that helps to distance this from the original without destroying its spirit.

SATURDAY, Oct 18

UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leiben (Spike, 8:00): All in all, not the most exciting batch of fights; as Cap'n Peanut pointed out to me, it was strange to see so many matches stay almost completely on their feet, hardly any ground game at all. About the only fight that was really worth our while was the Chris Lytle/Paul Taylor match; those two came out swinging and never let up. Three rounds of non-stop action -- don't see that nearly enough.


MONDAY, Oct 20

Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:00) : Sheldon wins the rationalization of the week award for his reasoning behind quitting the driving lesson: "I'm not giving up -- I'm transcending the situation." Greatness. As was the scene with Sheldon screaming for his life on the back of Howard's scooter. Man, I love this show.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30): What?!?!? You mean Stella's not the mother? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! Seriously, though, how telegraphed was the "Stella's going to hook up with her ex" thing? Some nice gags here and there (Barney and the whiteboard, everyone's reactions to no booze or meat at the wedding, alternate future timeline kids), but all in all, not their strongest ep.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): First of all, does anyone out there regularly sing Bringing in the Sheaves in church anymore? Secondly, that last shot of Alicia Witt seems to be setting the stage for her to become a Rose-substitute; I will only endorse such a move if it paves the way for Rose to return and take on her rival for the title of Charlie's Ultimate Stalker.


THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, Oct 21

Fringe (Fox 8:00): The team tries to track down a Typhoid Mary-esque case.

Privileged (CW 8:00): The fall-out from Charlie's realization the Megan will never see him as anything other than a friend.

The Mentalist (CBS 8:00): A locked room mystery

The 2008 Scream Awards (Spike 8:00): Spike's annual award show for Horror, SF, Fantasy, and comics; I expect lots of posthumous awards for Heath Ledger's Joker.

WEDNESDAY, Oct 22

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): Really looking forward to this one, which not only introduces David Arquette as a new recurring character, but also Emerson's mother, as played by the incomparable Debra Mooney, a.k.a. the no-nonsense nurse Edna from Everwood.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00)

Ultimate Fighter (Spike 9:00)

THURSDAY, Oct 23

Survivor (CBS 7:00): Now that G.C. is gone, Ace is next on my "please vote off now!" list, but from the previews it looks like this week's ep might cement his place on the show for a while.

My Name is Earl (NBC 7:00)

Kath and Kim (NBC 7:30): Since I haven't watched last week's ep yet, I haven't made a final decision on whether to jettison this one or not

The Office (NBC 8:00): Michael and Holly go on a date; the geeky behavior should be at an all time high

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00)

Life On Mars (ABC 9:00): This week the show takes its first giant step away from the original series by not mutating an existing plot, but making up its own: the murder of a Vietnam vet.

SATURDAY, Oct 25

UFC 90: May or may not get this, still up in the air; really want to see the Anderson Silva fight, and would love it if Thiago Alves kicked the crap out of Josh Koscheck, who is stepping in for an injured Diego Sanchez.

MONDAY, Oct 27

For some reason all the CBS sitcoms are re-runs this week

Chuck (NBC 7:00): Chuck gets called to task by the Buy More efficiency expert, as played by Tony "Buster on Arrested Development" Hale

Heroes (NBC 8:00): Return of Elle

My Own Worst Enemy (NBC 9:00)

TV Tues - Intervention

THE WEEK THAT WAS

TUESDAY, Oct 7

Privileged (CW, 8:00): Don't know which bugged me more: Megan's over-the-top reaction to thinking that her sister stole something, or the fact that she was right and everyone (including her) now thinks she was wrong. I enjoy the show much more when it's her interacting with the girls and not her interacting with her family.

WEDNESDAY, Oct 8

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): Remember how last week I said that I keep going back and forth on this show? Well, after what was, to me, a disappointing season premiere, the second episode of the season knocked it clear out of the park. Laughed out loud many, many times throughout the episode, especially the crashed clown car gag; disappointed in myself for not seeing it coming, but the execution would have carried it regardless.

Private Practice (ABC 8:00): This one is kind of circling the drain for me; how long can my love for Cooper and Violet make me overlook the fact that I don't really care for any of the other characters all that much?

Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 9:00): Wow. Just . . . wow. Dana gives Junie a second chance, and he pretty much blows it immediately. What a tool.


THURSDAY, Oct 9

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): Not necessarily a big David Arquette fan in general, but thought he did a really good job in this one. Thought the extra junk in the trunk of his ex was a little over the top, and even thought it made me laugh when she first showed up, the sight gags that came after that kind of took me out of the show.

Kath and Kim (NBC, 7:30): No idea how well this captures the spirit of the original; all I know is that I may have laughed a total of twice in the entire episode, and spent the rest of the time wishing that the two main characters weren't no unlikable. Will probably give it another chance since I tend to just tape from 7 - 9 on NBC that night, but if there isn't a glimpse of more redeeming qualities in the leads in next week's episode, I'll probably just be fast-forwarding through it from now on.

Survivor: Gabon (CBS 7:00): Dagnabit! If they had waited one more week before switching up the tribes, most-annoying-cast-member G.C. would have been ousted; as it is, he's now suddenly in a majority in his tribe and will probably be around for a while. Curses!

The Office (NBC 8:00): Great episode, from Michale's tackle-hug of Jim at the beginning, to Holly and Michael's "Let's Get Ethical" dance, to Meredith's method of obtaining discounts and steak coupons to Jim's policing of Dwight's time thievery, which lead to the second best line of the episode: "Being this vigilant is exhausting. I may have to go home early." The best line of the episode? "Also, they're not your family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male." Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): The Chief bugged me this ep with his dismissal of Bailey's concerns; don't care how concerned he is about their standings, that's just stupid.

Life on Mars (ABC 9:00): I wound up watching the entirety of the BBC version before I tried out the American remake. The verdict? The BBC version is awesome to the awesometh power, and the American version is, well, very American, i.e. coarser and more violent. Which, considering how much Gene Hunt and crew liked to rough up their suspects in the British version is saying quite a bit, but I'm not just talking about fisticuffs; I'm talking about actions and attitude of the lead actor. The BBC Sam would have his explosions, true, but there was also an air or restraint around him; the American Sam, however, just radiates violent energy. Not exactly an improvement, in my opinion. My biggest question right now is this: will the American version have a variation of the Test Card F girl?

The Eleventh Hour (CBS 9:00): Oops, forgot to tape this. My bad.

MONDAY, Oct 13

Chuck (NBC 7:00): Taped, but have not yet watched.

Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:00) : Sheldon's attempts at a faux smile were definitely the highlight of the episode.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30): By far the best episode of the season yet; the multiple interventions gag was great, as was Barney's old man gimmick. Many, many laugh out loud moments this time around, which have sadly been a bit lacking in the earlier eps.

Heroes (NBC 8:00): Why oh why couldn't Maya have gone ahead and bumped off Mohinder? Or, better yet, why couldn't Vortex Guy have popped up and sent the two of them both swirling off into oblivion? I had started to have some suspicions early on in the episode about the real power behind the return of Linderman, and was surprised to have my suspicions confirmed by the end of it.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Just a so-so episode, although Alan's request for a gun ("Nothing fancy, I'll only be using it the once") and his girly screams at the end were fun.

My Own Worst Enemy (NBC 9:00): Interesting premise, but time will tell how well it can hold my interest.

THE WEEK TO COME

TUESDAY, Oct 14

The Mentalist (CBS, 8:00): This could be the make-or-break episode on whether the smugness of the main character veers more into charming or annoying.

Fringe (Fox, 8:00)

WEDNESDAY, Oct 15

Pushing Daisies (ABC 7:00): Murder at the nunnery

Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 9:00): We get to see how badly Junie shoots himself in the foot.


THURSDAY, Oct 16

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): Earl takes Randy to cheerleading camp so that Randy's cheerleading dreams can come true; who can resist a plot like that?

Kath and Kim (NBC, 7:30)

Survivor: Gabon (CBS 7:00): Elephants attack the camp, and G.C. disappears right before a challenge; drama!

The Office (NBC 8:00): Michael has Dwight research birthing information to prepare for Jan's upcoming delivery; joy!

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00)

Life on Mars (ABC 9:00): From the ads it looks like this episode co-opts the plot of the second episode of the British version, wherein Sam's "modern" policing leads to a tragedy that further ostracizes him from the other police. Of course, in the BBC version such ostracism was merely social, while in the ads for the American version it looks like Sam is getting the crap kicked out of him by a bunch of uniformed cops . . . yikes. Seriously, I want to give this show the benefit of the doubt, but right now the shadow of the British version is hard to shake

SATURDAY, Oct 18

UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leiben (Spike, 8:00): One of the rare times when a numbered UFC event is shown for free on cable and not via pay-per-view; this is due to the fight taking place in London, where it is pay-per-view. Some of the guys may be coming over to my place to watch this, or they may hold off until the next Saturday when UFC 90 takes place; all depends on which one fits their schedules better


MONDAY, Oct 20

Chuck (NBC 7:00): The gang goes to Sarah's high-school reunion on assignment.

Big Bang Theory (CBS 7:00) : Too bad they couldn't have aired this one last week; it's theme of the group holding an intervention for Sheldon over his fear of driving would have fit in well with last week's HIMYM

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:30): Stella and Ted must contend with exes

Heroes (NBC 8:00)

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Alicia Witt guest-stars as a former teacher of Jake turned stripper after a fling with Charlie; I wonder if this is the same teacher Jake mentioned in the previous episode? Anyway, if Witt-fan Bubblegum Tate still had cable, he'd be tuning in for sure.

My Own Worst Enemy (NBC 9:00)