TV Is My Escape

I am going to start with the end. I can’t say that I am truly surprised that Jill popped up as a FULCRUM agent – if for no other reason then I am a Chuck and Sarah shipper through and through so this would be a fitting way for them to get back together! And really, just imagine what Chuck is going to think when he finds out that Jill is a rogue agent…she already betrayed him once! Now methinks that Jill’s involvement with Bryce was no coincidence. I am wondering if she was already recruited back at college like Bryce was and Chuck was going to be – and at what point did she go bad…and why didn’t Bryce say anything to Chuck. Of course I could be way off base on my thoughts here. In any event, another solid episode from Chuck…there hasn’t been a bad one yet this season! Thoughts, observations and highlights follow:

“You’re pretty nonchalant about your supercomputer boyfriend trying to browse someone else’s network” Casey to Sarah on her calm attitude to Chuck and Jill dating.

“We tried the back seat but you put a camera in the car too!”

“I’ve heard the loading dock is like a Five for Fighting concert. So fierce!” – according to Emmett who thinks Chuck has a drug problem.

Chuck telling Jill that life as a spy isn’t glamorous or sexy only to open the door on one very glamorous and sexy Sarah.

Chuck inadvertently dialing Jill on his cell as he shimmied though the hotel’s duct work and talking to Sarah about how long it would take a prostitute and high rolling businessman to have sex!

“It’s the FBI! They’re dumb, not deaf!” Casey to Chuck as Chuck falls loudly through the vent onto the floor

Chuck showing off what he knows by opening the puzzle box, which is apparently very popular for all the Renaissance spies out there!

Casey telling Chuck that it was a common spy problem for a man’s girlfriend to be caught in the shower with another women.

Emmett’s quest to get Buy More (Buymoria!) to turn on Chuck

Jeff going into prison mode when Emmett questions him; “Grab a sheave and make your move!”

That Morgan’s beard holds so many of Chuck’s secrets

Vogon poetry!!! (which is "the third worst poetry in the Universe")

Casey hitting the High C note!!

Casey telling the group that he wasn’t hatched!

Nerdcode!

Casey wondering about Jill’s ass..ets!

Chuck winking to Casey to let him know that he wasn’t going to give the Fulcrum agent the real information.

Emmett drinking the wine cooler at the poker game but having one too many fuzzy navels

Good thing the Morgan is so cheap and unethical not to pay for his video game and instead purchased a copier chip!

Sarah telling Jill the she protects all aspects of Chuck's life, so Jill had better not hurt Chuck.

Morgan turning the tables on Emmett – you gotta love Morgan’s loyalty to Chuck.

Okay…so everyone should have heard a roar of laughter from the Eastern and Central parts of the US when there was about 10 minutes left in last night’s episode from Chuck. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a long, long time – major kudos to both Zachary Levi and Adam Baldwin for making a kiss between two characters be so hysterically funny!!

This season of Chuck has been firing on all cylinders. I don’t think they’ve had a misstep yet. "Chuck vs. The Ex" was probably one of the best episodes to date of the entire series. Highlights and observations follow:

-- The flashback to Stanford 2003 was priceless – Chuck using ping pong balls to rapped Jill’s window, the crowd “awing” when Chuck declares his love, and the then crushed look on Chuck’s face when Jill confirmed she was dating Bryce Larkin.

-- Jill 2003 Mix on Chuck’s IPOD

-- Big Mike’s chocking on the donut leading to emergency preparedness training by Devon for the entire Buy More group.

-- Chuck’s description of Jill: “attractive brown-eyed, slightly egg-heady, brunette with the extremely cold heart”

-- Chuck embellishing his life to Jill

-- Casey questioning that Chuck ever had mojo and then asking who hadn’t slept with Bryce Larkin

-- Chuck’s coupon suit, not being able to drive the Ferrari, and everyone at the restaurant knowing Chuck

-- Casey as the maitre’d

-- “She exercised her first amendment rights to dump you!”

-- “Personally I’d like another 10 to 15 minutes of really pathetic self-indulgence, but duty calls”

-- Lester and Jeff blowing Chuck’s cover

-- The Buy More employees goofing off with the dummies. “I drink too much” and “My parents had impossible standards” –Jeff’s and Lester’s response to Devon’s “what’s wrong with you people?”

-- “I was born ready!” and “I was born premature” – Lester’s and Jeff’s response to Morgan query as they got ready to steal the ER test from Devon.

-- Ellie catching Morgan holding her panties.

-- Chuck’s speech outside Jill’s door.

-- Sarah’s expression when she realized that Chuck still had feelings for Jill

-- Chuck listening in on Sherrie’s and Jill’s conversation and then speaking into the microphone

-- Casey cleaning the table with antiseptic when Jill threw the wet tissues on the table

-- “I am putting my foot down…gingerly” – as Chuck stood up to Casey, who wanted to put Jill into direct danger.

-- Lester, Morgan and Jeff fighting each other to sit next to Chuck during the test.

-- Chuck taking charge of the rescue of the conference room – “We’re livin’ on the edge…love the rush”

-- The length the guys went too to pass the ER test.

-- CHUCK AND CASEY’s KISS – all in the name of swapping saliva in hopes of getting Casey the antidote

-- Chuck getting the girl in the form of Jill – but Sarah losing Chuck –sniffle!!

As with last's week blog, this one comes with the same warning -- Spoilers are included so if the show hasn't yet aired in your area and you don't want to be spoiled...stop reading now!

Having a destiny must suck. No matter what you do, something is bound to go wrong. In the Seeker’s case, its having a bounty place on his head and finding that the people of the Midlands are skeptical about his prophecy AND are willing to just about anything to get him in order to get the bounty. Which is pretty much what last night’s episode was all about; issues of trust and loyalty not only between Richard and Kahlan but with the people of Midland and the Seeker.

Overall I enjoyed this episode more then the premiere. I found it less predictable (I really didn’t see Lily being as conniving as she ended up being) and I didn’t feel like it was a rehash of anything I’d seen before, with the exception of a point made in a following paragraph. There is an intriguing power struggle between Richard and Kahlan that I wasn’t expecting and that has been a bonus to their relationship. Kahlan is very Machiavellian in her approach to the task at hand whereas Richard is far more concerned with doing what he sees as right - -not necessarily doing what is safe. Even after being betrayed by Lily, Richard still assists her in getting her brother from jail; even going against Kahlan’s advice. In the end, Richard and Kahlan find their common ground and the Seeker begins to earn the trust of the people of Midland as Lily tells the tale of the Seeker’s heroic measures to help her save her brother.

I have to note that when I read in the blub on what last night’s episode was about, the description of one character caused me pause --an evil cartographer – I did a bit of a chortle. Let’s face it, when one thinks of evil – map making isn’t the first thing that immediately comes to mind. That said, I love Ted Raimi in just about anything he does and it was no different last night as the magical cartographer who takes the object of a person and then puts it to parchment so that bounty hunters can track them. I am sure other thought of the Marauder’s Map from the Harry Potter books/movies – and there in lies one of my main issues with LoTS – I am reminded of too many other shows that preceded it. But I do think that as this show finds its own identity, much of my concerns will go by the wayside.

I am in a nitpicky mood so I will bring up the other issue with the show and that is the whole slow sword fighting sequence. If all the fights were done as slow as the ones with Richard and Kahlan, then each show would be about 30 minutes longer then the hour allotted. For me, the slow-mo sword fighting is just irritating and in no way enhances the effect.

Craig Horner continues to stand out as the strongest of the cast. His portrayal of Richard as an eager but smart hero makes me just like him more and more. I still find Bridget Regan to be a bit stiff and as a result I am not warming up to Kahlan as I think I should. My suspicion is that it is going to take more time then normal for this show to find its footing. There is far more that I like about the LoTS then I don’t, so I will keep coming back for each episode.

I am always a bit leery with stunt casting. There is the part of me that knows stunt casting is done purely for ratings which is why I am always just a bit skeptical about it. I knew that Oprah was going to be on 30 Rock and yes I was a bit skeptical but I’ve got to admit, 30 Rock did a fantastic job and twisting the Oprah visit into a hysterical episode. Thought, highlights and observations to follow:

-- Only Liz Lemon (who hadn’t yet changed from her Chicago home address because it was swing state) would be Princess Leia to get out of jury duty – “I don't really think its fair for me to be on a jury, because I can read thoughts”, “Dismissed!”

-- That NBC faked several Summer Olympics events – Tetherball, Synchronized Running, Octuples Tennis, Beer Pong, Jazzercise and Women's Soccer, -- all for a ratings increased.

-- Jack giving Liz sleeping pills for her plane ride (“Why shouldn't you enjoy the same luxuries as a dog”) and that leading to Liz’s encounter with “Oprah”.

-- Liz’s entire life story being spilled to “Oprah” in less than 1 minute.

-- Liz listing off all of “Oprah’s” favorite things to the staff and them racing out to buy them.

-- “Oprah” really being 12 year old middle class President Pam but was able to mediate the Tracy-Jenna situation ("I need to stop being a frenemy and start being your BFF!"), whose switching roles really wasn’t as funny as it could have been.

-- Jack declaring that it was the white male that really had it hard in this world.

-- Jack doing his best to get Kenneth to lie and Kenneth telling Jack that he was no longer his hero. And in the end Jack telling Kenneth that Jack was a hero – but not like the sandwich.

-- Kenneth discovering that there was an entire channel out there devoted to listing everything on all the other channels.

Some of the best lines of the night:

"How can you defame someone who has been arrested in three different Chuck E Cheeses?"

"Did you know it's still illegal to be black in Arizona?!"

"I'd still be in Africa - gorgeous, politically stable Africa."

"Hypothetical situations are like lying to your brain."

"Socio-economically speaking, you are more like an inner-city Latina."

"I thought pure morality died with Chuck Heston."

“Is Spongebob Squarepants supposed to be terrifying?”

Sorry that it has taken me so long to get my True Blood blog up. That stupid real life just keeps interfering!

Well, it’s hard to believe that we are now three episodes away from season closer for True Blood…but we are. And it’s been quite a ride. I had to chuckle at the name of Sunday’s episode, "Plaisir D’Amour" (essentially the joys of love) -- because in the world of True Blood, the joys of love can be anything but! So what did we learn from Sunday’s installment:

-- A vampire whose throat is cut requires a clean up that most of us will never, ever want to undertake.

-- Sookie has an interesting way of rationalizing what has happened to her

-- There looks to be serious consequences for Bill for taking Longshadow’s life…and for a human no less.

-- Though Eric has significant power in his Area – he obviously answers to another stronger power, hence Bill having to go in front of a tribunal.

-- Amy is just a bit psycho and she isn’t too good for Jason as Sookie thinks

-- Jason is still an idiot – but at least he got Eddie some TruBlood to drink

-- Beheading a cat is just wrong on multiple levels.

-- I wonder what Sookie would learn if she ever “listened” to Amy

-- Bill owns a Wii!

-- Bill asking Sam to watch out for Sookie speaks volumes to just how much Bill cares about Sookie

-- Though I think Sam still crushes on Sookie, he does care about Tara

-- $800 to exorcise a demon-- I am so in the wrong line of work.

-- So what do you say to a naked man that was a dog laying on your bed?

***WARNING -- The commentary below contains spoilers -- if you've yet to watch the show or if the show has not yet been broadcast in your area and you don't want to be spoiled...stop now**


Judging from the buzz on various boards, many of us were eagerly anticipating the premiere of Legend of the Seeker this weekend. For me, it was worth the wait even if the show wasn’t a “blow me away” sort of premiere. I went into the show with little expectation since I was not at all very familiar with the basis of the storyline. What I saw, I enjoyed. Gorgeous landscape, pretty people, sword fights…really what’s not to like?

If the premiere of Seeker suffers from anything, it’s predictability: unbeknown to a young man (Richard Cypher) he has a destiny (he’s the seeker and must defeat Darken Rahl); family is killed because of said destiny (father killed by Fane); young man is a bit brash (runs off leaving Kahlan and Zed behind) and his actions result in him losing a valued object (the Book of Counted Shadows); goes to get valued object back; somewhat succeeds but makes his destiny more difficult in the process (burn the book); at the end accepts his destiny and we are off and running. But even predictability can be enjoyable to watch and I didn’t let the all too familiar plot (sort of like a combination of Lord of the Rings, Xena, Hercules, and Beastmaster all rolled up into one) take away from the basic entertainment that was on the screen.

If I have one big complaint it’s most of the Australian and New Zealand actors suppressing their accents. Having them talk with their normal voices would in no way take away from the show. It’s a fantasy show taking place in a fantasy world…I would say accents would work just fine. Besides…they are cool accents! The minor complaint is about the actors portraying Kahlan and Darken Rahl. Bridget Regan comes across as a bit stiff and almost too regal to play a woman willing to lay down her life for the Seeker and I was hardly given chills when Craig Parker was in the scenes as Darken Rahl. I am going to have to see a bit more from him to honestly believe he is the embodiment of all that is evil. But Craig Horner is quiet wonderful as Richard – and the man looks great without a shirt and knows how to wield a sword. (BTW – am I the only one who noticed the odd costume change for Kahlan towards the end of the show? Chase’s family gives her new clothes in the middle and then by the time Richard and Kahlan get to the boundary to fight off the incoming army, Kahlan is back in the her Confessors robes. I guess they must have had time for her to change while racing to save the world).

I will admit that I am not at all familiar with the Terry Goodkind novels on which the series is based. I have friends who adore the books though and voiced concerned that a lot of the maturity of the books was going to be lost since this show was being billed as a family show. My understanding is that the books do contain intense violence and mature adult themes with regard to the relationship between Richard and Kahlan. Obviously the creators are taking a lighter step with regards to at least there two concepts. I will leave it up to those who have read the books to comment on just how much has changed.

There has been a flurry of rumors out there saying Pushing Daisies, ABC wonderfully whimsical Wednesday night show, has been canceled. PD has struggled in the ratings fight but I would like to see it survive. Lots of times different does do well on mainstream network TV, but I have hope that PD can make it. And so does Kristin Dos Santos -- here is her article on the recent rumors about PD's cancellation:

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b66522_did_abc_just_cancel_pushing_daisies.html

Ah 30 Rock, it’s good to have you back. There is a reason 30 Rock won the best comedy Emmy for last year. It takes a deft hand to make the absolutely absurd sublimely hysterical. And last night’s 3rd season premiere was no different.

As an aside -- 30 Rock had hands down the funniest thing I’ve seen on TV since the Thanksgiving Turkey debacle (best line ever – “Oh lord the carnage…..I swear to God I thought they could fly”) on WKRP in Cincinnati – the Midnight Train to Georgia spoof. Just thinking about that entire episode from last season causes me to break out in giggles.

But onto thoughts, highlights and observations from “Do-Over”:

-- Say what you will about Jack, but the man will do anything (including a tryst with Cathy Geiss) to get his old job back.

-- Jack’s observation that Chaney is “made mostly of metal”

-- Devin selling of the E of GE to Samsung making them Samesung and his company just G.

-- Jack starting back out in the mail room and predicting his come back in nine years and then through a series of quick promotions in one day, predicting five years for his comeback to take over the studio again.

-- Megan Mullally’s return to comedy as Bev, Liz’s adoption evaluator. And the entire process being a disaster no matter how hard Liz tried to coach her coworkers. And despite the fact that Liz never ran a web cam ring out of her apartment and only has men stay over maybe once a year.

-- Tracy’s porn videogame being “more profitable then the war on terror”

-- Cathy touching Jack near his “swimsuit area”

-- Liz and Jack playing out the overdramatic soap opera scene in Cathy’s office.

-- Cathy signing the legal document making Jack her private consultant with decorative stickers.

Some of the best line:

Jack: "I paid my way through Princeton working the day shift at the graveyard and the graveyard shift at the Days Inn."

Liz: "I got rid of all my Colin Firth movies in case they consider them erotica."
Jack: “The man can wear a sweater”

Devin: "Keep your friends close and your enemies so close... that you're almost kissing."

Fred: "I'm Fred; Nick is the other black guy."

Liz: "Is it so wrong that I want to have one of these to grow up and resent me?"

Liz: "I thought it was a topless beach; it was a shipyard."

And the best exchange of the night:

Jack: "Did you need something else, Lemon?"
Liz: "No. I just like seeing you in there."

Eli Stone: Unwritten

I have mixed feelings about last night’s Eli Stone episode. Was this the first Eli Stone episode where a song and dance number wasn’t part of the overall show -- did I blink and miss it? That being said, it’s still one of my favorite shows and even when it feels just a bit off, I won’t complain too much. In any event, a few important events happened, one of which was a total surprise. Just some quick thoughts:

-- I very much liked the interwoven tales of Jordan’s “insanity” trial and the lead paint case. They way they started out with Eli’s vision involving Jordan, then Nate volunteering at the clinic, Eli backing out of Jordan’s case, Eli and Maggie taking the lead paint case, and that being what goes before the supreme court was very solid storytelling.

-- I almost liked Taylor in this episode last night. It’s hard to not like someone who really is just trying to help her dad – especially when she digs up the information that the property of the firm belongs to Jordan!

-- Eli was as much on trial as Jordan.

-- Jordan’s and Eli’s talk after Jordan is found to be competent but ultimately voted of the firm’s board was very sweet. Especially the part about the fact that friends fight and it’s because they are friends that Eli would follow Jordan to a new firm.

-- Kudos to Eli for turning the public nuisance case over to a rival lawyer.

-- I did see one thing coming…and that was Maggie being the lawyer that supported the paint companies during Eli’s last vision.

-- Raise your hand if you were just a bit disappointed and surprised to see Eli’s and Nate’s dad’s journal goes up in flames. I would have liked to have seen more about the implications of that book.

My god it was like reliving my formative years all over again. Rush, Atari, Missile Command, mullets (okay not me – but lots of my guy friends had it!) – yep…how very sad is that? I don’t want to believe that I was the geeky…and yet too many signs point to it being true. Nowadays I try my hand at Need For Speed 2.

Only in the world of Chuck would the world be saved by winning a pop culture, arcane Atari video game and have it be downright, thoroughly entertaining. I’ve said it once, I will say it again…I “heart” Chuck. Quick thoughts, highlights and observations follow:

-- So Jeff was a Missile Command champion 20 some odd years ago! That explains so much!

-- I loved that all of the Buy More employees told the efficiency expert that Chuck was the glue that holds the store together.

-- Poor Ellie – she is so concerned that Chuck is reverting back to his “Morgan years” – one of my favorite exchanges of the night was between Ellie and Awesome when she gets off the phone with Chuck and turns to Awesome asking if he thought Chuck was on drugs. Awesome’s response: “It would explain a lot”

-- Ellie’s description of Jeff – “Nerd Herd, creepy, serial killer Jeff?”

-- Jeff’s stalker music video of Anna – does he understand that his “muse” will turn him into a pretzel if she ever discovered that such a thing existed.

-- Jeff carrying a card around that says he is lost and to send him to the address on the card.

-- So the creator of Missile Command actually commanded missiles!

-- Sarah’s Nerd Herd outfit.

-- Anna in a hula skirt – in fact all of Jeff’s demands in order to play Missile Command

-- Chuck saving the world by winning the game! And Sarah having total trust in him to do so.

-- Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” being consider the music of the universe!

-- Chuck totally messing up the International Radio Operations Alphabet: Oscar, Zelda, Penguin, Gamma, Sector, Boboh”

-- Sarah and Casey working together to get Chuck his degree from Stanford.

Inside shout out of the week: did every catch the terrorist’s name? If so do you know whose real name that was?

Chuck is preempted next week but the following week we finally get to meet Jill!!

It has been a challenge for me to write about True Blood. The reason is because I’ve read the Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead Until Dark, on which this season of True Blood is primarily based. Though there are marked differences between to book and the show, the show is following the overall plot of the book. As a result I knew that in the book, Bill was “alive” and not in the house of the bad-ass Trio of Vamps, and figured he would be “alive” in the TV show as well – unless Alan Ball drank his own form of V-juice and decided offing a main character was “good for the show”. I just didn’t think it fair to those who hadn’t read the books to come right out as say, “Hey fear not True Blood fans, Bill wasn’t in the house when it went up in flames in the book so he wasn’t killed last night”. I am going to maintain the practice of writing about the show as though I haven’t read the book or at least avoid from referring to it when episodes end in cliffhangers. So onto last night’s episode, “The Fourth Man in the Fire” (from the Johnny Cash song) with thoughts, observations and highlights.

-- Last week Rod pointed out that I had egregiously ignored the topless scenes of both Anna Paquin and Lizzy Caplan – Rod my friend, this following state is just for you – whoo hoo– more nearly nude scenes of attractive females on last’s episode! Woot, woot woot! Now in the interest of fair play – when do I get to see a nude scene of Alexander Skarsgard??

-- If V-juice does become the next mainstream marketable item, Jason’s got the best slogan that will make them move off the shelf – “V-juice – Better the Sex”.

-- Speaking of Jason – he was almost a redeemable character in this episode with acknowledging that he was the world’s worst brother and the guilt he carries about his parents death. It was nice to hear him think of someone else besides himself. And then he had to ruin those redeemable qualities by becoming an accessory with Amy to vampire kidnapping and likely vampire killing. And speaking of Amy – obviously not the sweet, likable girl we thought she was!

-- Poor Sookie – talk about your emotions being thrown all over the place. First she thinks she been dumped by Bill, then she thinks Bill is dead, and now she is just beginning to realize how not normal and dangerous her life will be as a result of having a vampire as a boyfriend. Not to mention that effect it is having on her relationships with Tara and Sam.

-- Okay…sex in a cemetery. That is just wrong on multiple levels.

-- I about spit out my water when Sam told Terry that he might want to keep the possum fact to himself.

-- Oak Ridge Boys Tribute Band!!

-- Bill truly is a charming guy – just look at how he acts when he is around children.

-- I suppose there are more romantic proposals out there, but I thought Rene’s proposal to Arlene was sweet.

-- And so we find out that Neil was the fourth man in the coffin.

-- Sam telling Andy that he comes from a family of naturists and that once a year he runs naked through the forest to help with the mourning.

-- Tara can be just about the most contrary person in the world.

-- Vampires text! Except for Bill – he doesn’t like to use the number keys!

-- Just how quirky is it that a vampire likes to listen to Debbie Gibson!

-- So I am just a bit in lust with Eric (Alexander Skarsgard with his real accent!!) but I really wish he would wash his hair. We did find something important about Eric – he is sheriff of Area 5 and Bill must comply with his wishes as long as they are not unreasonable – and apparently having Sookie be their human lie detector is not considered unreasonable.

-- The return of the Fellowship of the Sun – remember them, their founder and his family died in a mysterious car accident in the series premiere.

Greetings All --

FYI:

I don't know if all channels that will be carrying the syndicated Legend of the Seeker will have this on tonight, but the Washington DC area's The CW channel is carrying a half and hour special on the making of the TV show. It starts at 8 p.m. EST.

This will be quick highlights and observations about last night’s episode of Eli Stone:


-- Not that I haven’t been falling for Eli anyway…but last night confirmed my full love for the man. If only to have an airport moment like he had with Grace – that was so sweet.

-- It was nice to see Katie Holmes back on the small screen. The hoopla that surrounds her now can be distracting but there is no doubt that she can sing, can dance (she’s been a tap dancer for years) and I very much enjoyed her portrayal of the clumsy but sweet Grace Fuller.

-- I won't say much about last night's case other then it was a heartbreaker no matter how you look at it.

-- I rarely sniffle at TV but the scene with Nate telling Eli that he now knows why Eli’s aneurysm returned had me reaching for the tissues. As did finding out that Nate was the one who put orchestrated Eli’s meeting of Grace. And their Dad’s journal was an interesting twist and I look forward to seeing how that plays into future stories.

-- I have to say that I agree with Patti on the issue of the announcement – did Eli really expect her to send at a memo saying “Hey – remember that life threatening aneurysm that Eli thought been removed…well it came back”. But Eli solved that dilemma for her by shouting out his returned aliment

-- I am trying to figure out if I would prefer Jordan to lose his case because of what it might mean for Eli or win the case….because of what it might mean for Eli.

-- I am still not a Taylor fan…and I don’t think I ever am going to be.

-- I hope that we get some musical scene as we continue forward – though it’s nice to see that they seem to be exploring other music, like jazz, then just Top 40’s Pop!

Take two...

Okay so I am going to try this again. I remember mentioning in the original blog that others had posted blogs on the new shows or by networks, mine is by night.

Sunday:
Amazing Race 13
Cold Case
Brothers & Sisters (this one is sitting on the fence for me but has been steadily improving)
True Blood

Monday:
Chuck
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Big Bang Theory (on line viewing)
How I Met Your Mother (on line viewing)
Samantha Who (on line viewing)
Prison Break
My Own Worst Enemy
Gossip Girl (on line viewing)
Dancing with the Stars (the abbreviated version – I pop in during commercials and then read Vickie’s Blog the next day so I can be ready for when my Mom calls to talk about it.)
-- The loser on this night is Heroes – for me, it has become far more convoluted and I don’t enjoy the show anymore.

Tuesday:
90210
Privileged (one of the nicest surprises on the CW)
Fringe (a new favorite)

Wednesday: another way too busy evening
Bones
Pushing Daisies
Criminal Minds
CSI:NY
Sons of Anarchy (arguably the best new show this season)
I tried Gary Unmarried and it just didn’t hold my interest.

Thursday:
Ugly Betty
Supernatural
The Office (on line viewing)
CSI (on line viewing)
Life on Mars (I am struggling with this one despite Jason O’Mara being the lead)
The loser on this night was Eleventh Hour

Friday:
Crusoe
Life
Numb3rs
Starter Wife
The Ex-List started out fine, had Eric Winters in as a guest but it hasn’t grabbed hold of me so it is on the loser list.

Saturday night is spent doing something other then watching TV…like perhaps watching a movie! Yeah for Netflix

It happens every year the many of my favorites struggle to find audience. I was very happy to read that Terminator got a full season order; though mediocre in ratings, it's very popular with the advertisers and I suspect that is what save this show from the chopping block. I can only hope that my other favs such as Chuck and Pushing Daisies find similar white knights.

I feel like there should be music and a boxing ring announce saying, “and in this corner…” Because a fight is exactly what happens on Monday nights – networks fighting for each and every viewer and people fighting the limitations of even the best DVR program to see all their favorite shows! It’s been a long time since this many good shows were crammed into one night. But how does it all break out in the numbers? Below is the ratings by hour (provided via Marc Berman from MediaWatch) – there are fast nationals and can change:

8 Dancing with the Stars (ABC) 18.55 mil
Big Bang Theory (CBS) 9.28 mil
Terminator: SCC (FOX) 5.34 mil
Chuck (NBC) 6.7 mil
Gossip Girl (CW) 3.03 mil

8:30 How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 9.28 mil

9 Two and Half Men (CBS) 14.55 mil
Prison Break (FOX) 5.84 mil
Heroes (NBC) 8.49 mil
One Tree Hill (CW) 3.65 mil

9:30 Samantha Who (ABC) 11.03
Worst Week (CBS) 9.90 mil

10 Boston Legal (ABC) 8.96 mil
CSI: Miami (CBS) 13.25 mil
My Own Worst Enemy (NBC) 5.72 mil

As you can see both NBC and Fox simply struggle on Monday nights – and it pains me because four of my favorite shows are on those networks and on this night!

So I am going to wave my magic wand and you are now a network executive – what would you do with your weekly scheduling to help out your struggling shows?