The Mighty Van Halen is Back

Due to the generosity of a friend (shout out to Brian), I was able to check out Van Halen's concert in Minneapolis this past Wednesday.

It was the fifth time I'd seen the band-- but the first with David Lee Roth singing. I've been a Van Halen fan for about twenty years, so I just missed the original Roth Days, but I have heard numerous stories about the legendary shows the band put on at that time.

I'm not sure if I experienced one of those "legendary" shows, but I did see a great one. They went way back-- nothing was played that was newer than 1984-- but it seemed new. I'd heard some of the songs before when Sammy Hagar or Gary Cherone sang them, but this time, we got the guy who wrote the words singing. There was a big difference. Yeah, Dave's voice isn't what it was. He can't hit those high notes or sustain the ones he used to carry a while, but, let's face it, the dude is 53 years old. It got kinda annoying that he went "lounge act" on a more than a few songs (to cover the voice), but if that's how we can hear the songs, I could deal with it.

And while Dave didn't rap too much during the show (the band was all about the music), one of the highlights of the night for me was a story that he told during his solo that had nothing to do with anything, but he just told it in such a way that I was hooked. The guy has the gift of gab for sure. And I could tell he just loves what he's doing.

Edward was amazing. I've seen him live before and I've watched the live-show DVDs and videos, so I shouldn't be surprised by what he can do, but I was. The guy can cook-- and he hasn't lost a step. If anything, he has perfected himself even more. I was enthralled by him the whole night, but one of my usually least favorite parts of a show-- the guitar solo-- blew me away. In the past, Ed worked in a lot of the "classic" riffs in his solo, but since the rest of the show was of the "classic" songs, he was unleashed. [I half-joked to Brian that it'd be cool if he did the Hagar-era riffs during the solo, but I knew that wouldn't happen.] Ed punished his guitar during the solo; just crazy stuff.

So: Dave and Ed? They looked like they were having the times of their lives. I've seen Ed fake it with Hagar before , but I really think he was loving doing what he was doing up on stage-- with Dave right next to him. More than once, they seemed almost playful with each other. They did a pretty wild motorcycle impersonation "contest" that freaked me out (Dave would use his mouth and the mic to sound like a starting engine-- and Ed would then counter with the same sounds using the guitar).

Alex was in a little "cage" of drums, pushed back by the second level of the stage, so it was hard to see what he was up to, but being a drummer for a rock band... he was pretty busy. And, unfortunately, the rhythm section is a bit of the mystery to me, so it's hard for me to say how effective he was. I'm going to guess he too, hasn't lost a step.

And the newest and most controversial member: Wolfgang Van Halen. He's no Michael Anthony, but he held his own. Mike was not only an essential member of the band vocal-wise, but he put on a show just as much as the others did. Wolfgang didn't stand out, but, let's face it, this tour is the "Dave and Ed Show", so anyone that band would have tapped to replace Mike would have been in the shadows. The kid can play (as much as I can tell), and he's only sixteen, so I can only imagine he'll get better at working the crowd over time. For now, he was happy (and effective) moving a little outside his area and otherwise standing with legs together in front of his microphone. Considering he was playing with a group that has over twice his age in the business, he did well.

And what is probably Wolf's most important contribution: his beamingly proud father on the other end of the stage.

It's a travesty how Van Halen has handled their business as it pertains to Mike, but I'm trying to come to terms with it. The band definitely needs to get a better P.R. firm to handle what's been going on. Here's the best way to deal with it: VH says they're happy Mike has been playing with Hagar the past few years-- and that they know he has a steady gig-- because Ed wants nothing more than to play with his son while he can. Done deal. Ed & Al-- if you need someone to handle your business, e-mail me.

And one last side note: since Wolfgang is such a new entity to not only Van Halen, but the industry, some loathsome people out there have reviewed him by making jokes that he's overweight. It's despicable. For those lazy writers out there: try doing your jobs. The kid is not (that) overweight-- and he's sixteen. How would you have felt reading something like that-- that has NOTHING to do with your job-- in a paper or online? Grow up.

So all I've got left is: try to see if this show if you can. It may not be what is was in 1984, but it's still damn good.

And, knowing the track history of this band, you may not get the chance ever again.

Australia-- Where Even the Women are Manly

Check out this link to a woman who crushes beer cans in an unusual way:
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22651127-5001021,00.html

Premieres and Notables October 29-November 4, 2007

Monday, 10/29

Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Sundance. 6 pm CST. Special.
Director Peter Bogdanovich's four-hour documentary of the artist.

American Masters (PBS. 8 pm CST-- check local listings) takes a 90-minute look at Charles Schultz.


Wednesday, 10/31

MonsterQuest; History. 9 pm. Series premiere.
A look at the world's most legendary creatures. You know, like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and tonight's creature: "Champ".


Thursday, 11/1

Some special episodes on NBC: The hour-long My Name is Earl (7 pm) sees the Cops reality series visit town again and Rashida "Karen" Jones returns for a brief visit on The Office (8 pm), but it's not Jim she's after, and Kim goes into labor on Scrubs (8:30).

And Smallville (CW, 7 pm) keeps paying homage to the Superman past when Helen Slater (Supergirl of the Supergirl movie) begins a two-episode arc as Clark's Kryptonian mother, Lara.


Friday, 11/2

Orangutan Island; Animal Planet. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Thirty-five orphaned orangutans are moved to a protected island sanctuary in Borneo. Think Meerkat Manor but with apes.


Sunday, 11/4

FOX has some special episodes tonight: The Treehouse of Horror XVIII airs tonight on The Simpsons (7 pm) and Family Guy (7:30) celebrates its 100th episode.

Premieres and Notables; October 22-28, 2007

Monday, 10/22

No premieres (of note), but Prison Break (FOX, 7 pm CST) and K-Ville (FOX, 8 pm CST) air new episodes after last week's postponement and fanboy dreamgirl Kristen Bell joins the cast of Heroes (NBC, 8 pm).


Wednesday, 10/24

Marriage Camp; TLC. 6 pm CST. Series premiere.
Couples go to a camp in Texas to work on their marriages. Ugh...

Phenomenon; NBC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Criss Angel and Uri Geller mentor ten mentalists in this reality (*snicker*) competition.


Thursday, 10/25

Iconoclasts; Sundance. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Novelist Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn discuss Penn's film Into the Wild while they travel to Alaska. This show is up and down for me, but the ups are very good; you aren't going to get the insight to people this show gives you nearly anywhere else.


Sunday, 10/28

Nature; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). 26th season premiere.
The premiere looks at the bee epidemic that I first heard about on Real Time With Bill Maher last spring but have heard a lot more often of late.

VH Toon

My friend Brian sent me this link to a short (3 min) cartoon about the latest Van Halen tour. Yeah, the jokes are cheap/expected, but still funny.

(Doesn't discourage me at all about seeing them. Just three more days...)

http://videos.newsobserver.com:80/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=1515880

More Full-Season Pickups

Seems early, but the networks aren't messing around about giving full-season orders to some of their shows (could have to do with the possible strike looming).

The Big Bang Theory, Private Practice, and The Unit have all received full-season pickups.

Tara Reid Keepin' It Real

Once in a while, I run across a quote that I just need to pass on. Here's one from Tara Reid:

"I think the reason I never ended up in as much trouble as Paris (Hilton) or Lindsay (Lohan) is that I'm not stupid, so I'd never do a lot of the things those girls do."

Classic.

Premieres and Notables, October 15-21, 2007

Monday, 10/15

Samantha Who?; ABC. 8:32 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Christina Applegate stars as a victim of a hit-and-run who suffers amnesia. As she tries to piece her life back together, she realizes she wasn't a very nice person before the head trauma.

Little People, Big World; TLC. 7:00 & 7:30 pm. 3rd season premiere.

FOX has baseball, so the new episodes of Prison Break and K-Ville scheduled for tonight will air next week.

And Drew Carey begins his stint on The Price Is Right this morning. Check local listings for time.


Tuesday, 10/16

Frontline; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). 26th Season premiere.
This episode is called "Cheney's Law" and looks at how Darth Cheney as worked to expand the powers of the presidency.

2 Dudes Catering; Food Network. 9:30 pm. Series premiere.
The title says it all. Does anyone else think these cable channels are just starting to phone it in? I mean, it's like they grab any Joe off the street and start filming them...

E:60; ESPN. 6 pm. Series Premiere.
An hour-long magazine devoted to sports, or, as the first four weeks focus on: the sports journalists at work.


Thursday, 10/18

Vive Laughlin; CBS. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
This U.S. import of a BBC series (Viva Blackpool, which was supposed to be good) follows a casino entrepreneur as he attempts to build a casino in Laughlin, NV and gets caught up in a murder mystery. Oh yeah-- some of the characters spontaneously burst into song. It pretty much has gained universal disdain from critics, and if Cavemen wasn't so bad, it'd be the most loathed new show of the year. If you want to catch it before it gets cancelled, watch the pilot and then follow it as it moves to its regular day and time (Sundays at 7 pm).


Friday, 10/19

The Next Great American Band; FOX. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
FOX dips into the American Idol well yet again. This time, they're looking for a band. Judges are: Sheila E., Johnny Rzeznik, and Ian Dickson. I expect a failure.

Celebrity Rides: Burt Builds a Bandit; DIY. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Burt Reynolds joins a team of auto designers to restore some Trans Ams. Yeah, like I said "phoning it in".
If you're brave enough to try this drek, fully expect to have to take a Hollywood-esque "post-rape" shower while you're curled up in the fetal position after it.
I won't be watching it; I'd rather drink bleach...
I swear, TV executives are trying to make Americans even more stupid than they already are (I'm taking "average American" here; no one that actually reads this blog...).


Sunday, 10/21

Masterpiece Theatre; PBS. 8 pm (check local listings). 37th season premiere.
The first five episodes are for an adaptation of "Amazing Mrs. Pritchard".

Mini Pick-ups

In what is usually a precusor to a full-season pick-up, NBC and CBS ordered more scripts of some shows.

CBS ordered a surprising (given the ratings) four more Cane scripts.

The CW ordered three more Aliens in America scripts (great show).

NBC ordered three more scripts of the brutally scheduled Chuck, slipping Bionic Woman, and the struggling Journeyman and Life.

Good to see NBC and CBS not giving up on some of their highest-promoted new shows; all of which really need some time to grow.

The FIrst Full-Season Pick-up

The first new show to get picked up for a full season this year is:

Gossip Girl ???

Hmmm. Congrats I guess.

You can't say NBC isn't trying

Friday Night Lights was one of the most critically-acclaimed and beloved (by a small group of fans) shows of last year. When NBC moved it to Friday nights this season, many thought it meant NBC had lost faith in it (not me, but, you know, I'm a genius).

In a brilliant move, NBC pared down the Season One DVD set (just a few deleted scenes as extras) to keep the price low in the hopes that people would pick it up. It retails for about $25-- an extremely cheap price for a brand new hour-long DVD season, and sales can be had (I picked it up on sale at Best Buy for $15 this week).

And if having the price so low isn't enough, NBC is also offering a money-back guarantee. If you don't like the series, send it back with a receipt and a form you can get online, and they'll refund your money.

Awesome move. Check the show out if you haven't (I have heard nothing but good about it), and pick up the DVD set.

PRISON BREAK shocker-- and explanation

I haven't seen last night's episode, but I do know something huge went down (fans are already going apeshit).

But, as true with everything, there was a reason. And then things tried to get worked out and couldn't be, so the "big thing" had to happen.

If you've seen the episode and want to know what led to it, read out the link to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello below.

That's all I'm going to say as I haven't watched the episode yet-- and I'd hate to have it spoiled for any of you.

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Prison-Break-Exclusive/800024014

TIME Top 100 TV Shows

Click here for a list of Time magazine's list of Top 100 TV shows of all time.

I can't argue with it, although my favorites aren't really represented (but "favorite" and "best" can often be two different things).

Premieres and Notables, October 8-14, 2007

Monday, 10/8

Boondocks; Cartoon Network/[adult swim]. 10:30 pm CST. 2nd season premiere.
It's on [adult swim], but it's not bat-sh** crazy. This adaptation of the newspaper comic strip can drag at times, but when it's good (like the "Return of the King" episode), it's really, really good. When it's not really, really good, it's still better than at least half the comedies the networks air.


Thursday, 10/11

Tattoo Wars; TLC. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Yet another tattoo show. This one has two artists competing against each other. I'm sure finding artists to compete isn't that hard, but what person would allow a competition to happen on their skin?

And a show you've probably passed over is really hitting on all cylinders this season. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX; 9:00 & 9:32) is worth a try if you're looking for something painfully funny. The operative word is "painful"; these characters are despicable. But if you can handle mean-spirited comedy, this is a great show.


Friday, 10/12

Woman's Murder Club; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Angie Harmon leads a posse of women who solve murder mysteries in this "adaptation" of the James Patterson book series.

Men in Trees; ABC. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
This show got off to a slow start (it didn't get good until the third or four episode), and then ABC put it on hiatus (to keep the BRUTAL October Road on the air) before it finished it's season, and then it had to wait until two weeks after the major premieres this season... This funny, sweet show deserves much better than what's it's gotten so far. Check it out.

Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead; Lifetime. 8 pm. Season premiere.

America's Psychic Challenge; Lifetime. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Sixteen clairvoyants compete to see whose "powers" are the greatest. TV Guide asked the question, but I will repeat it here, too: why did the fifteen who aren't going to win continue to participate when they should have foreseen their loss?

Say Yes to the Dress; TLC. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Brides look for the perfect wedding dress in this reality series.
Are you f-bombing kidding me!??? People watch this?


Sunday, 10/14

The Gourmet Next Door; Food. 12 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Props to the Food Network for actually following through with a premise: the 2007 Next Food Network Star winner, Amy Finley, gets her own show. Nice.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians; E!. 9:30. Series Premiere.
This reality show follows the life and family of Hollywood party girl Kim Kardashian. UN-f-bombing-BELIEVABLE! Listen to me, people: stop watching this crap, and they'll stop airing it.

TRAVELER Wrap-up

For those of you who became fans of the ABC burn-off Traveler this summer, you may want to check out this link with a TV Guide blog post by David DiGilio that outlines the plans for season two (which will never happen) as well as how he envisioned the finale.

I thought it was a cool move for the fans to write this, so if you were one of those fans, check it out:

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/Celebrity-Blogs/Davids-Traveler-Blog/Closure/800023249

Premieres and Notables, October 3-7, 2007

And we continue...





Wednesday, 10/3



South Park; Comedy Central. 9 pm CST. 11th (12th) Season Premiere.
I'm pretty sure the new season starts tonight. How could TV Guide neglect to mention the premiere of the best satire on television? I don't know.



The Sarah Silverman Program; Comedy Central. 9:30. 2nd Season premiere.
Yeah, Silverman resorts to juvenile comedy too often, but the show is otherwise very excellent.



Better Half; Bravo. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
Spouses are challenged to learn their significant others' jobs and then compete against others for $20,000.



Pushing Daisies; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
The top choice of new shows for the critics I follow as best new show of the season. Lee Pace stars as a pie-maker who can bring back the dead with a touch. A second touch makes them die for good. It's a funny/quirky show that has everyone buzzing. Highly recommended.

Also, the TV Guide Channel's Infanity series looks at Prison Break at 7 pm (and probably repeats a dozen times in the next week). You just may catch a glimpse of good stuff by watching it.



Thursday, 10/4



30 Rock; NBC. 7:30. 2nd season premiere.
The most over-rated comedy of last year (yes, it did get better from a horrible start, but it's not the best comedy EVER like many people are saying) with an appearance by Jerry Seinfeld.



Law & Order: Criminal Intent; USA. 9 pm. 7th season premiere.
The former NBC show moves to USA to keep (creator) Dick Wolf happy.



Supernatural; CW. 8 pm. 3rd season premiere.

Carter Can; HGTV. 7:30. Series Premiere.
Carter Oostehouse helps homeowners with home renovation projects.



Last One Standing; Discovery. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
Six athletes travel the world to learn ancient sparring techniques. Might be a good one to try out if you like the History Channel's excellent Human Weapon series.



And Clark's cousin, Kara, is introduced on Smallville (CW, 7 pm). Kara has also been known to call herself "Supergirl", so you can see why that's a big deal. And while the outfit is little weird, you can't say she doesn't look super in this pic from TV Guide:

Damn...

Friday, 10/5

Degrassi: The Next Generation; The N. 7 pm. 7th Season Premiere.

About a Girl; The N. 8 pm. Series Premiere.

Friday Night Lights; NBC. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
The critic's darling from last year either gets saved by moving it to the less-competitive Fridays or gets thrown under the bus by going to the less money-making Fridays.

Saturday, 10/6

Hammer Heads; HGTV. 9:30 am. Series Premiere.
Yet another show about stalled home renovation projects.

Sunday, 10/7

Life is Wild; CW. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
A family-friendly program about a man who brings his blended family to South Africa, so he can care for endangered animals.

Captured; Oxygen. 9:30. Series Premiere.
This show focuses on mysteries solved primarily by women.

Next Iron Chef; Food. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
A contest show to find the next Iron Chef.

Premieres and Notables October 1-2, 2007

Lots of new stuff-- and most of the summer shows that haven't ended yet are ending this week.
Sorry, but time's at a premium, so I have to break the week up again. Here's Monday and Tuesday:


Monday, 10/1

Everybody Hates Chris; CW. 7 pm CST. 3rd season premiere.
The most underrated comedy out there. It may not be the best or the funniest, but it is extremely consistent and doesn't use teasing humor at all. It's a well-done throwback to the innocent comedies of the 1980's. Check it out if you haven't yet.

Aliens in America; CW. 7:30. Series Premiere.
This is, unanimously, the critics' favorite new comedy of the season. I have heard nothing bad at all about it. Normally, that would mean a short life for the show. But it is on The CW, which needs all the critical acclaim it can get, so this show should last a while. Anyway, it's about a young man who doesn't fit into the norms of his high school (he's a "dweeb", "geek", whatever), and finds a common bond with a Pakistani exchange student who lives with his family, who's even more "out of touch" with the other kids. Highly recommended.

Girlfriends; CW. 8 pm. (4th, 5th, ?) Season premiere.

The Game; CW. 8:30. 2nd (3rd?) season premiere.

Celebrity Expose; MNT (My Network Television). 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Because there just aren't any shows about stars and their foibles... The premiere focuses on Lindsey Lohan, so it must be a 2 or 3-parter...

Control Room Presents; MNT. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Live (on tape) shows by popular musicians. The premiere has Maroon 5 in Montreal.

Dr. Steve-O; USA. 10:05. Series Premiere.
Jackass star Steve-O challenges guys to participate in crazy stunts. I had heard that the real goal was to get timid men to become more manly. While I've never watched Steve-O's work, I did see him use a staple gun to pin his scrotum to his thigh on some late-nite talk show, so I guess there's no better person out there to give guys a shot of manliness.


Tuesday, 10/2

Cavemen; ABC. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
This is the show every single critic I've read has said is the worst of the new season. I haven't heard a single good thing about it. It uses the Caveman character (times three) from the Geico commercials to show how there is intolerance in the human race. Great concept as I believe we have a lot of "growing up" to do as a species, but, if everything I've read is any clue, the execution of the concept is horrendous.

Carpoolers; ABC. 7:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Four guys discuss their lives and problems during their daily commute. Would be considered the worst new show of the year if Cavemen hadn't beaten it.

Queer Eye; Bravo. 8 & 9 pm. 5th season premiere.
Catch the last bit of tips from the Fab 5 while you can as this is the final season.

Jon & Kate Plus 8; Discovery. 9 & 9:30. 2nd season premiere.

Five Days; HBO. 7 pm. 5-part miniseries.
This mini hits on the five most important days in a search for a missing woman. This is a co-production with BBC, so you know it will be gutwrenching-- and fantastic. Recommended.

Drunk Driving

This, truly, is one of the wrongest things I've ever read, but since it was done for The Onion, it's frickin' hilarious.

No Police Report Can Truly Capture My Love Of Drunk Driving

Premieres & Notables Sept 29-30, 2007

Okay, I'll finish this week here. Promise.

Saturday, 9/29

(Supposedly) CBS will reair this week's Moonlight (7pm) and Cane (8 pm) and NBC will reair Heroes (7 pm) and Bionic Woman (8 pm).

Saturday Night Live; NBC. 10:19 pm CST. 33rd (about 10 too many) season premiere.
Hosted by LeBron James, who I'm sure is s great guy, but how bad is it if NBC can't even get one of its own stars to host this show at the beginning of a new television season???

Blogger Perez Hilton hosts the third MadTV compilation (FOX, 10 pm), which focuses on pop culture parodies. Cross your fingers the classic Jessica Alba/Ike Berenholtz take-off on the Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey show Newlyweds is there. The line "She's dumber than a box of hammers," is one I use in my everyday life.

48 Hours Mystery; CBS. 9 pm. 4th Season Premiere.

Back in the Barnyard; Nickelodeon. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
New series based on the Barnyard film of last year.

The Shopping Detective; Fine Living. 10 pm. Series Premiere.
My favorite shows are ones where I get to watch others shop. Seriously. Watching grass grow, paint dry, and other people f-bombing shopping! "Fine Living" indeed.

The Victory Garden; PBS. 10:30 (check local listings). 33rd season premiere.
With new host Jamie Durie.


Sunday, 9/30

Pellet returns:
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; ABC. 6 & 7 pm. 5th season premiere.
Desperate Housewives; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
(with new cast members Dana Delany and Nathan Fillion)
Dexter; Showtime. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
I hope to catch this while I've got Showtime-- got a good deal three weeks ago and added it.
Brotherhood; Showtime. 9 pm. 2nd season premiere.
American Dad; FOX. 8:30 pm. 4th season premiere.
Brothers and Sisters; ABC. 9:01 pm. 2nd season premiere.
(now, with even more angst; it's a wonder these guys haven't participated in a suicide pact. [I do like the show; it's just a bit much sometimes.]).

That's it for this week. Next week should be a little easier.

Premieres and Notables, Sept 27-28

Hopefully for the last time this week:

Thursday, 9/27

My Name Is Earl; NBC. 7 pm. 3rd season premiere.

Who saw last season's finale coming? I certainly didn't. Earl got his life together, then he ended up taking the fall for Joy's crime (so she wouldn't get her "third strike") and landed in jail. Producers say Earl will be in jail a while. They also said we'll find out why Crab Man (Darnell) is in Witness Protection. Oh yeah-- there will be an hour-long Cops-themed episode this season focusing on the gang like last year. Cool.

The Office; NBC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
This begins the four hour-long episode run for the show. Producers say they won't be padding the show for extra time, but will keep them very tight. We'll see what happens when Jan moves into Michael's condo; what happened on Jim & Pam's date; and the fall-out of Jim and Karen's breakup. Oh yeah-- Creed, Andy, and Darrell's actors become series regulars, so we should see more of them. Extra cool.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; CBS. 8 pm. 8th season premiere.

Grey's Anatomy; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.

Big Shots; ABC. 9:01. Series Premiere.
Another great cast; but this Sex in the City-esque show about men doesn't excite me too much. I'll check it out; we'll see how long I last.

Without a Trace; CBS. 9 pm. 6th season premiere.

ER; NBC. 9 pm. 13th season premiere.
Who would have thought the show would make it this long? Everyone was writing it off at this time last year, and now it looks to have reinvigorated itself.

Ugly Betty; ABC. 7 pm. 2nd season premiere.
This is a great show. If you're not watching, try it. It's a little cartoony, but it works.

Smallville; CW. 7 pm. 7th season premiere.
And who would have thought that an "UnSuperman" Superman show would last this long?


Friday, 9/28

Las Vegas; NBC. 8 pm. 5th season premiere.
Five years? Wow.

Fun Shui; HGTV. 8:30. Series Premiere.
Oh, I see HGTV got some stones; trying to horn in on the networks.

Ghost Whisperer; CBS. 7 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and her boobs are back.
[I'm not sure what that means, but every parody of the show I've seen focuses on her boobs.]

HA!!! Check this out: The National Geographic channel has a documentary about bras (The Secret History of the Bra) at 9 pm. Get revved up watching Ghost Whisperer and then learn about the device used to contain Miss Hewitt's assets an hour later...

Moonlight; CBS. 8 pm. Series Premiere.
I'm not gonna be a hater because this show focuses on a vampire who becomes a private eye in L.A., but c'mon! I'll tell you what-- I'll watch this show (which I am not expecting to like much), and you go and watch the brilliant series Angel (about a vampire private eye in L.A.) on DVD or FX. Trust me...

Numb3rs; BCS. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.
This series with the stupid "3" for "e" in the title has Val Kilmer as a criminal mastermind.

Stargate Atlantis; Sci Fi. 9 pm. 4th season premiere.

Nope-- not gonna finish the week with this post. Sorry-- I'm fried...