Nip/Tuck is back and better than ever!

Our favorite plastic surgeons have transplanted themselves to California, and the move, surprisingly, is a good one for the show. The sheer number of impressive guest stars (fitting into their roles like a leather glove) in the season premiere alone blew me away. Lauren Hutton is perfect as the agent who finally brings the guys some business (along with a fabulous gig as consultants on a plastic surgery show "Hearts N Scalpels.") Oliver Platt could be in his best role yet as the creator of "Hearts N Scalpels," and Bradley Cooper (Alias) is fantastic as the big star of the show who bullies (i.e., yells) at everyone to get his way. We also saw several fan favorites who haven't been in the limelight for years; Tia Carrere as a dominatrix, Paula Marshall as another actor on "Hearts N Scalpels," and Craig Bierko as a studio head whose "Mistress" is Tia Carrere. But my favorite role in last night's show had to be the one played by Daphne Zuniga (Melrose Place). She was the 40-something actress brought into the office by Lauren Hutton for a little work to help her keep her romantic lead roles. The look on her face when Christian showed her, on a life-size photograph of herself, where she needed work -- well, she showed defeat, frustration, surprise, and hurt all in one moment.

I'm loving the new set, new location, and new people so much that I almost wish all the old characters weren't going to soon converge on L.A., but that's going to happen anyway. Here's to hoping they keep the new direction alive and well!

Could some of my new faves actually stick around?

I'm not used to this! Normally, anything I like gets canceled after three episodes. But this week, we saw lots of good news in the form of a full season pick up of Back to You, and new scripts ordered for both Reaper and Dirty Sexy Money. Here's to the Darlings! Dirty Sexy Money is quickly becoming my new favorite of the season, even though I do still love my other new faves (Journeyman and Life, if I had to pick only three total favorites). Interesting that they are all led by leading men who I would not consider "list-worthy" upon first glance, but adore after getting to "know" them!

Let's all have more pie!

It's been reported that Pushing Daisies has been picked up for a full season! Finally, I pick a new show that isn't canceled after three episodes!! Now, if we could just get some good news about Journeyman, Life, and Dirty Sexy Money.

Amazing Days!

I've just read that Viva Laughlin has already been canceled, after only one airing. I don't really care about that news, but what makes it great news is the word on the streets is CBS will start Amazing Race on November 4th now! Woo Hoo!

TV is good this year! Do you have time for it all?

A good friend of mine just told me that she has five shows that she definitely has to watch every week. She, in turn, is amazed when I list the shows that I watch every week. How do I have time for it all? Honestly, I’m not sure. But I couldn’t do it without my DVR. (In fact, we’re getting a second one this week!) I sometimes watch four hours of television at night (fast-forwarding through all the commercials) and lately, if something isn’t holding my interest, I just delete it before I’m even finished watching it.

So, I’ve had to decide what I can “give up.” First on the list is Grey’s Anatomy. Why? Because I simply don’t care about any of the characters any more. I do not get George and Izzy together, I do not get what Meredith’s problem is (hello….he’s McDreamy!), I don’t care about Cristina and her interns that she can’t even bother to call by name, and believe it or not, I miss the fun that Addison brought to the show. Sadly, I can get all I need to get by reading the blog about it on TV Guide the next day.

After two weeks, I’ve decided to also give up Women’s Murder Club. There isn’t anything really wrong with it, I just am not interested in these women and/or their lives. And the murder cases haven’t held my interest either. Plus, I sort of feel like I’m cheating on Friday Night Lights, even though my television watching habits aren’t counted by Nielsen!

Is there anything you have had to give up on this season? Did you do it because you have too much to watch or did you just get bored with it?

In danger or not in danger?

Earlier this week, there was an article that listed five new shows that are in danger of not being around much longer. One of those was one of my new faves, Journeyman. Two days later, NBC orders three new scripts for the show, along with Chuck, Life, and Bionic Woman.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071011/media_nm/scripts_dc_2

This certainly doesn't mean the shows still aren't in trouble, but at least it's something. I'm really happy that NBC appears to be promoting the heck out of their shows, and I especially love Life as much as I love Journeyman. Let's all cross our fingers that this leads to even better news!

Anyone still watching Bionic Woman? I skipped the second, but realized last night that my DVR was still recording it, so I'm willing to try it again. What do you think?

Comfort Television

When Friday Night Lights returned last night (on Friday, what a concept!), it felt like the return of an old friend. It was like the feeling I get when I have good old-fashioned macaroni and cheese -- comfort television. The music, the feel you get from the camera work, and the return of the radio sports announcers......well, I felt as if I had come home after a very long trip away.

Coach Taylor came home, but not for long enough. He made it in time to see his baby daughter, Grace, enter the world. But he was forced to go back to Austin to his new job before he could really, honestly deal with the growing-up problems his teenage daughter is facing. He tried, as he always does, and Kyle Chandler just shines when he has those deep, important talks with his television daughter. As he does when he has those important talks with his television wife. I'm telling you right now, if Connie Britton doesn't get an Emmy nomination next year for the scene on the couch when Coach Taylor tells her he needs her to talk, she will have been robbed! You can tell that she is trying so hard to talk -- to say something, anything -- but she is too conflicted, too scared, to even speak. I've said it before but this couple is simply amazing.

Many FNL fans (me included) watched this episode online before it aired last night. And much was said in online message boards about the tragedy Tyra and Landry are now dealing with. Many are upset with the story line and feel it was just thrown in for dramatic impact. But all of the critics I pay attention to say "give it time." They say that this story line will bring out some of the best acting we've seen by both characters, so I'm totally willing to buy into it. After all, we tend to forget that these actors are playing teens. Teens often make the wrong decisions, even about serious things like self-defense murder.

It's been a long time since Friday nights were must-see viewing nights for me, probably since Homicide was on the air, so I'm thrilled that the network hasn't forgotten that some people are actually home on Fridays! For all of those folks who are attending real games under the lights on Fridays, I hope you have your DVR programmed. It's worth it!

Just Charming

Pushing Daisies was probably one of the new shows I most anticipated, yet I was afraid to hope for too much because that is when you are most disappointed. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.

I had read from many critics that the show was splitting many an office -- either you loved it or you hated it. As I watched, I felt that I MUST enter one of those two groups, right? But I finally just gave in to my intense "like" for the show. I don't think I loved it, but I definitely didn't hate it!

It's whimsical. It's colorful. It's unique. I have to admit I was sad that even with all that, it still isn't an 8:00 show I can share with my 7-year old. I can explain the silliness that is our main character, Ned, who has a gift where he can touch dead things and bring them back to life. After all, she watches Sponge Bob. She knows that not everyone on television is real (thank goodness). But I don't want to have to explain words like masturbation, which was used in the first ten minutes by Kristin Chenoweth's character as she talked about how words that sound alike get mixed up in her head. "I used to think 'masturbation' meant chewing your food...I don't think that anymore," she said. The line, in context, was pretty funny, but again, explaining things like that during what could be a fun show just isn't what I want to be doing with my evening. When will there be a truly family-friendly 8:00 show again? Ok, I've gotten off on my soapbox again!

My favorite part of the show? That Ned's pie shop is called "The Pie Hole." I couldn't stop laughing every time I saw the front of the shop with that name in neon lights!

Will my affection for this show last? I'm not sure. The silliness could get silly. But since everything else on television is so serious, I'm willing to give a little silliness a try.

How did they stack up?

After one full week of new television, how did all of these great, and not-so-great, shows stack up? A quick look at the ratings, from Monday, September 24 to Sunday, September 30.

On Monday, the clear winner was Dancing with the Stars on ABC. On NBC, Chuck came in third in its time slot, Heroes came in second in its time slot, and Journeyman came in third in its time slot. CSI Miami won the 10:00 time slot.

On Tuesday, again, Dancing with the Stars just blew away the competition, until the 9:00 hour, where House took the top spot. Reaper, on the CW, came in fifth, but even with very small numbers, it improved on its lead-in (Beauty and the Geek). In the 10:00 hour, Law & Order SVU won the time slot, but Cane did very well, coming in second in front of Boston Legal.

Wednesday was a night full of new television shows, but there were really no clear winners and no one knows how these shows will eventually play out in the ratings. Like a broken record, Dancing with the Stars won the 8:00 slot. Four new shows competed with Criminal Minds in the 9:00 hour. Private Practice came in first, followed by Bionic Woman, Criminal Minds, Kitchen Nightmares, and Gossip Girl. At 10:00, CSI:NY was first, followed by the new shows Dirty Sexy Money in second and Life in third.

Thursday was another night for surprises. After a year when Grey's Anatomy often beat CSI in the ratings, CSI came out on top for the night. Survivor beat Ugly Betty in the 8:00 hour, and at 10:00, Without a Trace won the slot, followed by Big Shots on ABC. ER was third.

CBS did very well on Friday, winning the 8:00 time slot with Ghost Whisperer and tying (against Las Vegas) in the 9:00 hour with Moonlight. Numb3rs was first at 10:00.

Again, Saturday ratings don't matter.

Sunday finally saw the return of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, both of which won their time slots for the night.

I can't wait to see how Pushing Daisies will do on Wednesday in the 8:00 time slot this week, as well as Friday Night Lights on Friday at 9:00. Stay tuned.