OK, so in response to the one person who wrote to me and in case anyone else cares, the blog is on hold for a while. I'm swamped with a new post right now and have had no real free time. I'm hoping I can put something new together when the Press relaunches its Web site later this year.

What's on: Wednesday

The finals begin on LAST COMIC STANDING (NBC/9 p.m.), including the initial immunity challenge and head-to-head competition. The second week of the semifinals ended up with much better comics than the first, demographic-filling week. Still not the 10 best, but a good bunch.

Back from the dead, temporarily at least, is THE NINE (ABC/10 p.m.) as the network burns off the unaired episodes of the failed serial.

Also new: So You Think You Can Dance and Don't Forget the Lyrics on Fox; American Inventor on ABC; Rescue Me on FX; Top Chef on Bravo; two episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne on TBS; and two episodes of WWE MSG Classics on MSG.

Note to readers

Sorry I've been scarce recently. Working a lot recently. Will keep up as much as possible, but probably won't post as much as I'd like to. Suggestions about stuff to cover are still welcome and encouraged.

What's on: Tuesday

Wrapping up its season tonight: SHAQ'S BIG CHALLENGE (ABC/9 p.m.), the well-meaning, uplifting reality show that no one watched. The kids will take the president's physical fitness test before meeting up with Florida's governor.

Two new shows debut tonight. First, there's Bravo's FLIPPING OUT (10 p.m.) which follows a mean, obsessive real estate investor through his work and dealings with his employees. Less importantly, there's MURDER (Spike/10 p.m), which challenges its contestants to solve murders with recreated scenes and evidence. If you're not excited.... well, you're certainly not the only one.

Also: Big Brother on CBS; Damages on FX; America's Got Talent and Singing Bee on NBC; On the Lot on Fox; Just for Laughs on ABC; Wide Angle and POV on PBS; Eureka and ECW on Sci-Fi; The Bronx is Burning on ESPN; Mindfreak and Dog on A&E.

What's on: Monday

New tonight: Age of Love on NBC; Hell's Kitchen on Fox; contrived reality show Six Degrees of Martina McBride on ABC; Big Love on HBO; Heartland, Closer and Saving Grace on TNT; Kyle XY and Greek on ABC Family; and the premiere of the new season of My Boys.

What's on: Friday

New tonight: Set for Life on ABC; Smackdown on CW; Monk and Psych on USA; Best Week Ever on VH1; Dr. Who and Painkiller Jane on Sci-fi; The Soup on E.

Jericho catchup starts at 9 p.m. on CBS. Watch it. It's cool.

What's on: Thursday

No time for all the stuff I'd like to write about... but here's tonight's lineup...

If you're not watching BURN NOTICE (USA/10 p.m.) you probably should be. It's much more entertaining than its ads initially sold it as.

PBS premieres a documentary, GET UP STAND UP: THE STORY OF POP AND PROTEST (8 p.m.). Hosted by Chuck D, it documents the affect pop music has had on social change.

Plus, two Sci-Fi Channel premieres: Season 2 of WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO (9 p.m.) and MIND CONTROL WITH DERREN BROWN (10 p.m.). Brown's a mentalist who in the first episode will experiment with his powers over a PA system in a shopping mall.

BIG BROTHER 8 (CBS/8 p.m.) will oust a third houseguest... probably Kail.

Also new: Don't Forget the Lyrics and So You Think You Can Dance on Fox; First 48 and Detroit Swat on A&E; TNA Impact on Spike; Mad Men on A&E.

What's on: Wednesday

If you're ready to watch a good show turn bad, don't miss LAST COMIC STANDING (NBC/9 p.m.). Passed the fun opening audition rounds, they put some really bad comics through to the finals last week and left some really funny people sitting in the back. It seemed to me they just wanted to have people from every demographic on the series at the expense of good comedy. Four of the chosen aren't even funny.

ABC's picking the NEXT BEST THING (8 p.m.) tonight.

Also new: So You Think You Can Dance and Don't Forget the Lyrics on Fox; American Inventor on ABC; Cash Cab on Discovery; Top Chef reunion on Bravo; two episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne on TBS; and two episodes of WWE MSG Classics on MSG.

Damages review

Few things (in the realm of television) make me happier than a new show on FX. So, of course, finally having time to sit down and review a show, I picked last night's premiere of Damages (yes I know I owe you an On the Lot wrap and a Saving Grace review, but I think I picked wisely). This isn't an action story. It's not comedy. It's a straight-faced, mentor-student drama on the surface. It's slow and brooding and expects the viewer to be ready for a long haul. It's dark. Really dark.

At the center is the mysteriously bloody girl who exits the elevator in the opening scene. Turns out she's a lawyer, seeking work with Glenn Close's hard-nosed hump-busting high-stakes litigator Patti Hughes straight out of law school. Hughes is working on a case against Ted Danson's Frobisher, who's been accused of duping his employees into buying tons of stock in his company then dumping all of his shares. Frobisher's getting close to getting the employees to take a settlement. Hughes NOT happy.

Danson's really good in this non-comedic villain role; and of course Close is, despite a few cliches, the shining star. But she's got to have some support or the show would really be lost. The rest of the supporting cast falls in step.

As it gets through some base getting-to-know-the-characters stuff, the show has some serious potential. It's pretty to look at and it's not really about what you think it's about. I think that darkness is going to grow and set the show off from both its single-character driven brethren and its serial-storyline brethren as well.

Hughes comes off as House in that she's a revered and respected member of her profession who's willing to do anything to get the job done. But in its opening throes, this show is much more serious. I get the feeling by the end of the season you'll feel more like you've just watched something like 24 than House.

Worth your time. Give the pilot episode a shot.

What's on: Tuesday

Veto competition on BIG BROTHER 8 (CBS/9 p.m.) tonight. Kail and Jen are up for eviction but I think anyone would be silly to use the veto if they won it... most of the houseguests would be happy to see either go I think.

More importantly, DAMAGES (FX/10 p.m.) premieres tonight. Glenn Close's first series is being billed as a legal thriller. As a corporate litigator, she's working to bring down Ted Danson. I'll have reviews of this and Saving Grace tonight or tomorrow.

Also new: America's Got Talent and Singing Bee on NBC; On the Lot on Fox; Just for Laughs and Shaq's Big Challenge on ABC; Wide Angle and POV on PBS; Costas Now on HBO; Kathy Griffin on Bravo; Eureka and ECW on Sci-Fi; The Bronx is Burning on ESPN.

Pirate run through

From Hollywood Reporter:

LOS ANGELES -- CBS has scuttled Pirate Master, a low-rated reality series from Survivor producer Mark Burnett.

The show, in which 16 contestants searched for buried treasure, has struggled since its May 31 premiere, falling short of time-slot leader Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on Fox. It marks the second flop for Burnett this summer, with his Fox series On the Lot also suffering in the ratings.

Not really a surprise. But, seriously, replaced by reruns seems a lame move to me. I want NEW content. Not something I saw 7 months ago. NEW CONTENT NETWORKS! HEED ME!

In the Right place

Bob Barker's replacement has been named! From AP (via Yahoo):

NEW YORK -- Genial comic Drew Carey was tapped Monday to replace silver-haired legend Bob Barker on the CBS daytime game show The Price is Right. The deal was set Monday afternoon shortly before a taping of CBS' Late Show with David Letterman, where he confirmed it.

"I realize what a big responsibility this is," he said. "It's only a game show, but it's the longest-running game show in American television and I plan to keep it that way."

The selection attracted more attention than usual for a daytime show because of the prospect of replacing Barker, 83. Barker retired after 35 years in the job last month following taping of his 6,586th episode.

Not a bad pick. I've never hated Drew Carey at all... except for that whole Whose Line thing...

Full story here.

Premiere updates

Updated the premiere watch section on the sidebar with the schedues for Fox, NBC, CBS and CW. I'll update you when the ABC list is available...

What's on: Monday

TNT tacks another show onto its original-series lineup. SAVING GRACE (10 p.m.), starring Holly Hunter as a cop who has a big ol' spiritual awakening. It joins the already popular Monday night lineup of HEARTLAND (8 p.m.) and THE CLOSER (9 p.m.).

If you can stomach it, ABC has a two-hour wrap of the CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL (9 p.m.).

Also new: Age of Love and Dateline on NBC; 5th Grader and Hell's Kitchen on Fox; Big Love on HBO; WWE Raw on USA; Kyle XY and Greek on ABC Family.

What's on: Sunday

New tonight: Big Brother 8 on CBS; Dateline NBC; John from Cincinnati, Entourage and Flight of the Conchords on HBO; Side Order of Life, State of Mind and Army Wives on Lifetime; 4400 and Dead Zone on USA; debut of Hogan Knows Best, Rock of Love and Scott Baio is 45 and Single on VH1.