Quick sidebar note --->

Just updated the sidebar with all of the Fox finales that've been announced so far, so you can worry even more that there's only three more weeks left of 24...

What's on: Monday

The HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS/8 p.m.) gang is back after spotty appearances at best over the past few months, and they have a special guest... who may just be there to remind them to have their pets spayed or neutered.

And I don't think I have to explain how absolutely important it is that you watch HEROES (NBC/ 9 p.m.), which is gearing up for an awesome finish to it's first season... 24 (FOX/9 p.m.) is also doing some amazing gearing up right now with Palmer back in the hospital and Jack on the run.

Also new: Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor on ABC; Two and a Half Men, Old Christine, King of Queens and CSI: Miami on CBS; Deal or No Deal and Real Wedding Crashers on NBC (why these two shows are anywhere near Heroes on the schedule I'll never understand...); Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us, The Game and Girlfriends on CW; Oil Sweat and Rigs on Discovery; The Riches on FX; Monday Night Raw on USA.

Bringin' "60" back...

For my 200th post, I figure I can provide at least a little good news... from Zap2it.com:

NBC has set a return date for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

The Aaron Sorkin drama, which arrived last fall as the season's most hyped show and vanished from NBC's schedule amidst sinking ratings, will move to Thursday nights at 10 p.m. starting on May 24, at least according to the network's website for the show.

Not-so-coincidentally, that Thursday is the day after the end of the crucial May sweeps period and it comes a week after the upfront presentation at which NBC will reveal to advertisers whether or not Studio 60 has a future on the network next season.

The show's chances for renewal are believed to be relatively slim. Savvy viewers will recall that this is a return of sorts for Studio 60. Last May, NBC announced that the series would air on Thursday nights at 9 p.m., only to run scurrying to Mondays after ABC moved Grey's Anatomy into the same time period.

Studio 60 had a solid premiere, but by the time February rolled around the series was drawing only around 7 million same-day viewers (factoring in DVR usage gave the series a boost). The last original Studio 60 aired back on February 19, before NBC shelved it a week earlier than expected for The Black Donnellys.

Of course, The Black Donnellys failed to even premiere big and NBC pulled the plug on that Paul Haggis-created drama after only six episodes, replacing it with The Real Wedding Crashers, which also didn't exactly dominate the time period.

NBC has yet to announce its specific intentions for the truncated Studio 60 return. Six episodes remain unaired.

Well, at least there's a little bit of good news there. There's really no hope that it'll come back, but it's a great show and it at least deserves to finish out its season.

Incidentally, I think it needs to be mentioned again that NBC wasted two really good shows trying to make a dent in the CSI: Miami time slot.

What's on: Sunday

I'll make this a quick one since I'm still beat from my best friend's wedding last night. Big ol' cyber-congratulations to Mike and Cathy.

New tonight: Extreme Makeover: Home, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters on ABC; Amazing Race, Cold Case and Without a Trace on CBS; Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad on Fox; Dateline on NBC; 7th Heaven on CW; Mind of Mencia and Reno 911 on Comedy Central; Sopranos and Entourage on HBO; Tudors on Showtime.

What's on: Friday

I'll try to keep things current but I may be out of commission for the weekend (up north for a wedding). Tonight, though, there's a season finale for RAINES (NBC/9 p.m.). They usually don't give season finales to shows (especially Spring replacement shows) that aren't coming back, so good news for Goldblum and Co.

LAW & ORDER (NBC/10 p.m.) is back new as well.

Also new: Wife Swap and 20/20 on ABC; Ghost Whisperer, Close to Home and Numbers on CBS; Identity on NBC; Smackdown on CW; Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis and Painkiller Jane on Sci-Fi.

Sidebar ---->

Haven't really addressed this yet, but if you're reading, don't miss the right hand side of your screen where I try to keep some pertinent info regularly updated...

The FINALE WATCH lets you know when your shows will bow out for the season. They're arranged by air date, and the section offers as much information as I've been able to gather. Sometimes I miss a few (like last night's October Road finale), and if you see something missing, drop me a line and let me know. Same goes for the PREMIERE WATCH, which I just moved down this morning since there's nothing new due up until May 22.

Also there are the RATINGS (primetime and cable) which are updated weekly -- as soon as the Associated Press sends them -- and the LATEST NEWS, which I update as often as possible with links to other sites that have many more resources and much more time than I.

And finally there's the ARCHIVE, where you can sift through the endless tome (4 months) of previous app_tv blog posts.

I try to keep them all as updated as possible, but again, let me know if you see something I'm missing.

What's on: Thursday

Sad that it has to wrap up so early, but tonight's 30 ROCK (NBC/9 p.m.) is the season finale, part two of last week's harrowing tale that left Tracy on the run from Oprah and Al Sharpton's secret black conspiracy and left Liz with the information that Jack's bird-boned fiancee isn't who she claims to be.

OCTOBER ROAD (ABC/10 p.m.) finishes up a short first season, obviously on its way back next year. Grey's Anatomy did the same thing with its 7-ep season one arc. Not that this is as cool as Grey's is... some interesting storylines though.

Also new: Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy on ABC; Survivor, CSI and Shark on CBS; 5th Grader and Trading Spouses on Fox; Earl, Office, Scrubs and ER on NBC; Smallville and Supernatural on CW; Showbiz Show on Comedy Central; Penn & Teller and This American Life on Showtime; TNA Impact! and Ultimate Fighter on Spike; Nick Cannon, Adventures in Hollyhood and Human Giant on MTV.

Oh well...

From Hollywood Reporter:

It's been a short Drive for Fox's midseason drama, which has been pulled off the schedule after two weeks on the air.

For the time being, Drive will be replaced by House repeats in the Monday 8 p.m. slot.

Drive, from 20th Century Fox TV, is a serialized drama chronicling an underground cross-country race.

The series starring Nathan Fillion received a strong promotional push on Fox's juggernaut American Idol and was launched with a two-night premiere, a strategy regularly used for the network's hit serialized drama 24.

But Drive didn't click with viewers from the start, and in its two low-rated airings on Monday seem to have hurt its leadout, veteran 24, which this week posted its lowest adults 18-49 rating for an original episode in more than three years.

It is not clear when and on what platform the remaining nine episodes of Drive will air. Streaming the episodes on Fox.com or offering them as downloads through iTunes are among the possibilities under consideration.

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At least the shows they're cancelling this season aren't sticking around very long, keeping me from getting too attached (like Surface and Invasion last season)... 'cept for Studio 60...

Quicker Idol wrap

Don't even really care about my little Idol-watching project anymore. I'll finish out the season, but there's nothing really worthwhile here as far as television goes. The show is to TV what pop music is to radio/CD stores -- drivel for the lowest common denominator. (Incidentally, don't get me started on music stores right now... if only this wasn't just a TV blog).

Nice of Bono not to show up and coach like he was scheduled to do...

Chris annoys me. He was OK, but nowhere near as good as they're making him out to be from the judges' table. Melinda chose a cruddy song and still did well, I think. Blake's going to cost himself a shot if he continues to be so boring. LaKisha set the bar too high for herself early on. It's hard for her to impress anymore because it's just expected. She was just OK. I couldn't dislike Phil anymore. Jordin's not the best singer on the show, but I think she's probably my favorite. Her voice itself has the most unique tone. She should win.

Can you tell my heart is no longer in this? Blake's going home by the way.

I didn't even watch the other Idol Gives Back stuff... don't think I'm heartless please. I just really am hoping for some entertainment and not something to bring me down right now.

What's on: Wednesday

Big AMERICAN IDOL (FOX/8 p.m.) results show event with lots of guest stars and other important things. It's for charity. See how excited I am?

More importantly: JERICHO (CBS/8 p.m.). Holy crow is this show getting good. Jake and Eric in jail and Hawkins left to warn the town of an impending attack. And when I say attack I mean war between Jericho and a neighboring town. And you thought Kansas was boring.

Up for a laugh? Joey Lawrence guest stars as a serial killer on CSI: NY (CBS/10 p.m.).


Also new: According to Jim, Notes from the Underbelly and Lost on ABC; Crossing Jordan and Medium on NBC; Next Top Model clip show on CW; Shear Genius on Bravo; Halfway Home on Comedy Central; Mythbusters on Discovery; Real World and Road Rules on MTV.

Busy Matt wrap

So I'm a little behind on my work here -- it's been a busy few weeks. Here're a few notes on shows that need to be noted...

Drive: The show is already getting better and I promise you you'll like it if you're into mindless action flicks or shows. But, sheesh, the over the top writing stinks, doesn't it? Incidentally, it would make a great video game (preferably developed on the same engine as Grand Theft Auto).

Entourage: Without Ari, this show would be useless. Don't take that criticism the wrong way, I'm a big fan of the show. But it needs that punch to it that Drama and Turtle's goofiness and Eric and Vince's annoying indecisiveness don't provide. Much more actual plot and character development would be necessary if Ari hadn't gone bonkers and chased his shrink onto a golf course this week.

Sopranos: As Entertainment Weekly pointed out a few weeks ago, David Chase doesn't consider his creation a morality tale, and he's not concerned with what fans say about the show or about wrapping things up cleanly. Well, he certainly stepped up the violence in the first three episodes (something fans have been screaming about); he's given more characters some closure this week with Junior finally giving in to his failing health and Paulie earning a pass for his indiscretions thanks to a sentimental and arguably weak Tony. Unlike the first two episodes though, the bad guys didn't "get what they deserved." It's becoming more and more foggy as to what may or may not happen at the end of this whole thing.

30 Rock: Alec Baldwin is funny. Okay, scratch that... Alec Baldwin is EXTREMELY funny. Who cares if he yelled at his brat daughter? (More seriously, it's sad that this show doesn't get viewers... and that it's done for the season this Thursday.)

I'm still catching up on some other shows so I'll probably drop another wrap on you this evening (read: 3 a.m. tomorrow).

What's on: Tuesday

My relaxing weekend turned out to be not so relaxing, and I'm in a rush, so new tonight: Two episodes of George Lopez, Dancing with the Stars and Boston Legal on ABC; NCIS and The Unit on CBS; Idol and House on Fox; Dateline on NBC; Gilmore Girls and Pussycat Dolls on CW; Work Out on Bravo; Shield on FX and Miami Ink on TLC. MTV may have some new stuff, too... it's always a pain to figure that out though.

TIVO ALERT: For Boston Legal fans... if you TiVo'd last week's episode you more than likely got an ABC news special report on the guy who shot up Virginia Tech. Tonight's episode is the one your TiVo THOUGHT it was taping last week, so you'll want to make sure it's recording this one as well.

What's on: Monday

HEROES IS BACK! After what seems like forever the second best serial on television returns with its final five episodes of the season. I've missed it more than I thought I would. (NBC/9 p.m.)

After that, NBC premieres THE REAL WEDDING CRASHERS (10 p.m.) -- a candid camera sort of show aimed at embarrassing wedding guests (the bride and groom are in on the joke) -- because apparently there's nothing entertaining or creative left on their desks there (like new episodes of Studio 60 or Black Donnellys).

Also, please watch DRIVE (Fox/8 p.m.) for me. So it doesn't get canceled. I need the mindless, action distraction.

Also new: Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor on ABC; Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, King of Queens and CSI: Miami on CBS; 24 on Fox; Deal or no Deal on NBC; Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us, The Game and Girlfriends on CW; Oil Sweat and Rigs and Stunt Junkies on Discovery; The Riches on FX; Run's House and Taquita and Kaui on MTV.

What's on: Sunday

THE APPRENTICE: LOS ANGELES (NBC/10 p.m.) wraps up the season with the final four at the Hollywood Bowl. Someone gets hired... to one of Trump's failing businesses... exciting.

PLANET EARTH, Discovery Channel's beautifully shot miniseries/documentary wraps up with Forests and Caves (8 and 9 p.m., respectively) tonight. The entire thing is running all day today. Check some of it out because, for nonfiction, it's awesome. There's even a Making Of at 10 p.m.

Also new: Extreme Makeover: Home and Desperate Housewives on ABC; Amazing Race and TV movie Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness on CBS; Simpsons on FOX; Dateline and Deal or No Deal on NBC; 7th Heaven on CW; Mind of Mencia and Reno 911 on Comedy Central; Sopranos and Entourage on HBO; The Tudors on Showtime.

What's on: Friday

Very little: 20/20 on ABC; Identity and Raines on NBC; Smackdown on CW; The Soup on E!; Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis and Painkiller Jane on Sci-Fi.

Tandem reviewing

It's a skill honed only by those who watch too much TV and don't get a day off for a week and a half. Watch in amazement.

Not a big improv-ment
Long ago some TV executive came up with an idea: We could save tons of money if we don't pay writers. That idea evolved from things like game shows to things like Supernanny (though, the scriptedness of today's "reality shows" will remain in question for quite a while).

NBC's latest attempt a cash-saving programming is Thank God You're Here. The premise: take a comic or actor, dress them up and throw them into a situation they're not expecting and make them improvise. The success of Whose Line is it Anyway (the British one, not the U.S. version) is proof enough that viewers fall for improv shows.

The quality, though, depends on the person chosen to perform (Harlan Williams and Jane Lynch were wonderful on the episode I just took in), but the obvious editing is distracting and really hurts the air of spontaneity on which the show depends. If the right people show up, it's worth a look, but in general it's just another improv show and brings nothing new to the television table.

Cool factor
Fox's Drive is nothing spectacular either. The dialogue is the melodramatic crap that you would expect from Fox series (see Prison Break, Standoff) and for a character-driven show, the characters aren't interesting yet even after three episodes.

The show centers around an illegal, mysterious cross-country road race run by an unknown syndicate and populated by various stereotypes there for various reasons (I'm dying, they have my wife, my husband beats me, whatever...).

The biggest problem is the show's attempt to catch up to its serial granddaddies Heroes and Lost. Drive's already began plugging in mysteries that will last until the season ends (or, more likely, the show is canceled) -- and it's obviously trying too hard. The writers are overtwisting the storylines and it's going to end up hurting them. Even the interesting twists like handing a gun to the last-place contestant and telling her to take out another contestant will probably hurt the storyline in the end, especially so early on.

The shining spot? Nathan Fillion, who's been dragged into the race by his wife's kidnapping. He was extremely entertaining as Mal on Firefly and he continues that here.

The sheer coolness of the show and the possibilities of its premise will keep me watching for a few more weeks I think -- if it doesn't get canceled (ratings were NOT good).

Plain Jane
Losing one of its staples in a few months, Sci-Fi needs to pump out a new pseudo-hit. Hopefully Dresden Files will catch on (it completed its first season Sunday), but you can't go wrong with a badass-chick action show either. That description could be the only impressive thing about Painkiller Jane, though. It's basically Alias written for Sci-Fi and its production budgets with a little Buffy-like vampire hunting.

Jane's a DEA agent who stumbles into a completely different government department and gets recruited. She and her new team find out after a 40-story fall that she's a little more useful when she rolls out of the body bag the coroner packs her in. The team isn't hunting vampires though, they're on the lookout for "neuros" (think Professor X of Marvel Comics fame), and she's their new star.

The narration that Sci-Fi shows seem to lean on is annoying, and the wispy, video-game-ish cinematograpy is, while interesting, kind of hard to watch. It looks more like a show produced in Britain. The big shootout sequence near the end of the pilot will probably leave the Wachowski brothers nauseous.

It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but, like Drive, it's cool enough for now that I'll give it some more love this week.

What's on: Thursday

ABC's two big Thursday shows UGLY BETTY and GREY'S ANATOMY (8 and 9 p.m.) are brand new tonight after spotty-at-best attendance over the past 2 months.

If you like comedy and have Showtime, don't miss JOE ROGAN: LIVE (9 p.m.). He's one of the good ones (though he's a bit dirty in case you don't like that sort of thing).

Also new: October Road on ABC; Survivor Fiji and Shark on CBS; 5th Grader on Fox; Earl, 30 Rock, Scrubs and ER on NBC; Smallville and Supernatural on CW; Pimp My Ride, Nick Cannon, Adventures in Hollywood and Human Giant on MTV; Penn and Teller and This American Life on Showtime; and TNA Impact and Ultimate Fighter on Spike.

Shuffle off

If you care you know... if you don't care, here you go... from AP:

NEW YORK -- Sanjaya Malakar, the under-talented but unflappable singer who horrified and captivated millions in his improbable American Idol run, was finally voted off the show Wednesday night.

When the result was announced, Malakar wiped away tears and got a big hug from LaKisha Jones, the next lowest vote-getter.

"I'm fine," he told Ryan Seacrest. "It was an amazing experience."

"I can promise you: We won't soon forget you," Seacrest replied.

Most important: why was LaKisha in the bottom two?

What's on: Wednesday

NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY settles in to it's regular time slot (ABC 8:30 p.m.), though there's no guarantee it'll stick around for very long. (The season finale of In Case of Emergency -- originally set for 9:30 -- got bumped for a Lost rerun. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.)

Bravo has a new SHEAR GENIUS tonight at 10 p.m. (figure since I missed telling you about the premiere, it deserved a real mention this week).

Also new: According to Jim and Lost on ABC; Jericho on CBS; Bones and Idol results on Fox; Thank God You're Here, Crossing Jordan and Medium on NBC; Next Top Model on CW; South Park and Halfway Home on Comedy Central; Mythbusters on Discovery; Real World and Road Rules on MTV.

Andy Barker R.I.P.

I'll keep this brief. NBC is silly to get rid of Andy Barker P.I. This show is amazing and funnier than most all other comedies on TV. It's just too bad it didn't get far enough to reach the heights shows like Scrubs and The Office.

Just watched the last two episodes and they were the two best of the series (Ed Asner guest spot, Tony Hale on fire and better cinematography than any half-hour show I can remember).

Sadly, they go out on a Saturday night, when the only people watching television are either asleep or not cool enough to understand how good the show really is. Take care Andy. Sorry to see you go.

I can't get worse than country... can it?

It's that time again: Tuesday night. And you who read this and enjoy my clever American Idol commentary should count yourselves lucky that I even considered watching this terrible show tonight. My entire weekend got eaten up by work.

That I'm still watching is shock enough I suppose. But now I have to hear these karaoke stars do country? Please no.

(Please infer an automatic "this song sucks" with every performance.)

At least for my sake we get Phil out of the way early. I can tell you right now that this will be the worst performance of the night. This guy was due to leave first, not this close to the end. I don't care what the judges say. Jordin, conversely, nailed it. The song was just R&B enough for her to knock it out of the park. Tough to top.

Stupid Sanjaya comes out and brings the show right back down (and gets like twice the air time of anyone else). His personality is so very lame and he hasn't even begun singing yet. Wait, here it is, yeah he's awful. Like this show has always been and my show reviews of it have been getting over the past few weeks.

Gag, Carrie Underwood song now? LaKisha, seriously. You're lucky you can sing. Chris's voice, however, annoys the hell out of me and he's certainly not a country singer. Lame. Lame. Lame. Melinda buried everyone again, though Jordin gave her a good run. Blake, like Chris, is a fish out of water with this country crap, but he held his own.

Should go: Phil
Will go: Chris

What's on: Tuesday

GILMORE GIRLS is back (CW/8 p.m.) after a long hiatus. Now if they'd only bring Veronica Mars back. Too many stupid reality shows getting viewers though. Dumb viewers.

Also new: Dancing with the Stars and Primetime on ABC; 48 Hours Mystery on CBS; American Idol and House on Fox; Dateline on NBC; Pussycat Dolls on CW; Work Out on Bravo; Deadliest Catch on Discovery; The Shield on FX; ECW on SciFi; Scarred, Real World/Road Rules Challenge and Living Lahaina on MTV.

(Expect tandem reviews of Drive, Painkiller Jane and Thank God You're Here when I get some time.)

What's on: Monday

DRIVE's two night premiere continues (FOX/8 p.m.) ... I'll get to reviewing that soon, promise.

Otherwise, you're in for a pretty mundane evening. Also new: Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor on ABC; Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, King of Queens and CSI: Miami on CBS; 24 on Fox; Deal or No Deal and Thank God You're Here on NBC; Riches on FX; Oil, Sweat and Rigs and Stunt Junkies on Discovery; Real Sports on HBO; Super Sweet 16, Taquita and Kaui and Run's House on MTV; and Monday Night Raw on USA.

Luck always runs out

SOPRANOS SPOILERS BELOW, presumably.

The first episode of the new season brought tragedy to a member of the Soprano family. Poor Bobby, as punishment for his beating the pulp out of Tony, was sent on a hit. Seems like everyone's in for some tragedy (and they're obviously not all going to be as simple as death) as the series winds down. Not that it isn't well deserved. It's been warned of since the beginning, in fact.

Johnny Sack became this week's tragic figure, though he did suffer a bit differently than Bobby. He certainly wasn't as "lucky" as Tony proclaimed himself and Phil to be. Johnny's sad fate came in waves and was probably at its most painful when his brother-in-law answered the question: "How will I be remembered?"

For the second of the eight final episodes, HBO tonight dropped what in earlier seasons would have been an eventful, long-overdue bit of action. But from how things progressed, it doesn't look like fans will be going very long before another beating or shooting or cleaving as it were.

For the naysayers... always saying nay... you got your brilliantly shot, brutal murder and a nice beating for good measure. But the most important thing I noticed this week I almost don't care anymore (certainly not about AJ, Meadow and Carmella -- and please remove that always-angry-looking Dr. Melfi from my TV set).

Time was when I and everyone else would hang on the events of a new Sopranos and I'd be in three or four different conversations about the new edition within 24 hours of watching it. Now? Well, there's still reason to watch -- Phil's starting a war, presumably -- but I'm not bouncing off the walls waiting for next week's episode. I'm not like Sil just nodding at everything put in front of me.

Tired as I was when I got home tonight, though, I still made time to watch. Even before Drive, which I'm dying to see.

(Oh, incidentally, am I the only one who thought disgraced doc turned orderly Sydney Pollack was a fed? Probably. I know no one else missed the goof factor of the child-filled Leotardo family gathering that played out quite a bit like any Soprano family business dinner.)

What's on: Sunday

For months Fox has been shilling for it and it's finally here, the two hour premiere of the Idol network's new action serial, DRIVE (8 p.m.). (There's another new episode tomorrow at 8 p.m. before 24.) Great concept (action/adventure show akin to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) but possibly a little short sighted.

And, not that I think I have to remind you, but in case you forgot, there's new SOPRANOS and ENTOURAGE (HBO/9 and 10 p.m.).

And, against my better judgement, I'll point out that VH1 premieres FLAVOR OF LOVE GIRLS: CHARM SCHOOL (10 p.m.). Thirteen formerly ousted girls will compete for $50,000. Get excited.

Also new: ABC's Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters; Amazing Race, Cold Case and Without a Trace on CBS; Dateline and The Apprentice on NBC; 7th Heaven on CW; Mind of Mencia and Reno 911 on Comedy Central; Discovery's Planet Earth continues with Jungles and Freshwater; Sci-Fi's Dresden Files; The Tudors on Showtime.

Clever bragging subject

This is a press release from CBS dated Friday (with a little editing to make it readable):

"SHARK" ATTACK!

CBS's freshman drama Shark topped a first-run ER in adults 18-49 for the first time ever, capping a Thursday night which saw the network win every half hour in viewers and key demographics, according to Nielsen Live Plus same-day ratings for April 12.

Shark was first in households (9.4/16), viewers (14.49m), adults 25-54 (5.0/13) and adults 18-49 (3.9/11). Shark has won its time period 10 times in the last 11 airings in both households and viewers and for the last five broadcasts in a row in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

*snip*

SHARK also beat ABC's special one-hour preview of Notes From the Underbelly in viewers and all key demographics.

Way to advertise, CBS. So what if you beat a 6-years-past-its-prime 10 p.m. drama and a pilot showing of a somewhat-intelligent comedy? Big deal. Shark -- a House ripoff by the way -- is still the worst drama out there right now. And that's saying something when Brothers & Sisters and Men in Trees are both still (kind of) airing.

Not to mention ER's been off for more than a month, so winning those demos for any sort of streak isn't much of a feat.

Sorry everyone, this show is so awful it needed an appropriate smack down (and I hate working Saturdays, so I'm in a salty mood).

What's on: Friday

Sci-Fi has three premieres tonight: First, STARGATE SG-1 kicks off its swan song season 10.5 at 8 p.m., followed by a new STARGATE: ATLANTIS at 9 p.m. and the series premiere of PAINKILLER JANE at 10 p.m.

Also new: Identity and Raines on NBC; Smackdown on CW; and 20/20 on ABC.

Notes on "the Underbelly"

ABC hasn't really been knocking it out of the park as far as comedies go. In fact, I don't think there's really a watchable comedy on the network -- more than likely you'll get your laughs from dramedies like Boston Legal before guffawing at George Lopez or According to Jim.

Notes from the Underbelly isn't necessarily a great improvement. It's hipper than the family sitcoms mentioned above, but it's full of overdone-TV-archetype characters and fails to hit the quippy, quick Gilmore Girls-y dialogue it seems to be aiming for. Not to say it doesn't have moments worth actual laughs, but the pregnancy bit has been done on every sitcom that ever made it past 3 episodes and being fresh and even a little bit risky is the key.

The bright side is the second of two episodes Thursday night was much more entertaining than the first and showed a bit of promise. It's back next week at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday -- not a stellar time slot to catch on as bigger, better shows like Jericho and Bones head toward their finales. It's worth a look, though.

Tune out

I've learned so much from my parents that it's tough to single out one thing that's the most important. It's probably not possible. But one's always the most relevant at any given time.

Right now, this brief anecdote seems the most appropriate: When I was a kid I was picked on frequently as the youngest and smallest in my class. I was pretty much everyone's target when it came to needing a boost for their own self esteem. I had my feelings hurt more than any child probably should, and probably nowhere near as much as many do. My parents gave me some brilliant advice, and it certainly wasn't easy advice to take as a child. Obviously, given the way things have progressed in the national debate in the past few days, it's also not very easy advice to take as an adult. But it's great advice: Who cares what other people say about you? You know who and what you are, and what others think or say has no bearing on that.

This will be the last thing I say on the deplorable attack on our freedom of speech that has gone on in the past week. It's something that will from now on have an effect on every broadcaster, comedian, musician, journalist, entertainer, author, blogger and filmmaker you will ever experience for the rest of your life. You may not like what people say, but no matter what it is you have no choice but to accept their right to say it. Thinking any differently is a direct assault on one of the fundamental principals upon which this country is built. An assault that will carry over to every other right we have.

So I beg this of you -- not just for the sake of entertainment, which will continue to become more bland and less risky and edgy and fun thanks to the "nonexistant" censorship in this country (and as you can tell by what I write about, that does matter to me significantly), but for your own sake, because the sooner you learn the lesson my parents tried to teach me, the sooner the ignorant people of the world cease to matter.

If you don't like something you see on television, change the channel.
If you don't like something you hear on the radio, change the station.
If you can't handle the subject of the movie you're watching, leave the theater.
If you don't like something being said by someone you're standing next to, just walk away and don't associate yourself with that person. You can't, nor should you, stop them from saying whatever it is they want. But that doesn't mean you have to listen to them.

Five more "Degrees"

ABC today said it will post the remaining produced episodes of the canceled drama Six Degrees on its Web site. The first unaired episode will be added to ABC.com on April 27, with a new episode added every Friday for four consecutive weeks, for a total of five.

At least the networks are starting to realize that viewers don't enjoy (or deserve) being left hanging by the cancellation of their favorite shows. Good for you ABC, you're the only one of the big three networks I don't feel like strangling right now.

What's on: Wednesday

ABC premieres NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY (10 p.m.) after successive Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy clip shows, so at least there's something new on the network tonight.

Also, after what seems like forever, there's a new episode of MY NAME IS EARL (NBC/8 p.m.) tonight.

And Bravo has a rerun of the SHEAR GENIUS (8 p.m.) premiere, which I neglected to mention yesterday.

Also new: Survivor: Fiji, CSI and Shark on CBS; Fifth Grader on FOX; Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs and ER on NBC; Showbiz Show on Comedy Central; Pimp My Ride, Nick Cannon, Adventures in Hollywood and Human Giant on MTV; Little Beauties on VH1; and Penn & Teller and This American Life on Showtime.

Latest cut made

SPOILER ALERT. The person who got booted from Idol is named just a few lines below. I almost don't care that I could ruin it anymore, though.

At least the one who deserved to go went for once. From AP:

NEW YORK -- She's got legs -- and she knew how to use them. But Wednesday night, the magic finally ran out for Haley Scarnato on American Idol. (Yes, that means the Sanjaya phenomenon continues.)

The departure of Scarnato, 24, of San Antonio, trimmed the number of finalists to seven. The winner will be chosen in May. Simon Cowell suggested on Tuesday's program that Scarnato was using her curve-hugging, leg-baring attire as a ''tactic'' to stay in the competition.

''I'm not gonna wear anything ... that's completely inappropriate,'' a jeans-clad Scarnato countered Wednesday. Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson had the next-lowest vote tallies in the phone balloting, which drew more than 35 million calls and text messages.

She was worse than Sanjaya and even Phil. The biggest surprise here is Chris being in the bottom three. I'm not sure he deserves to go home yet, I think he just bobbled a song that everyone watching knows to earn himself the low vote count.

Rights and wrongs

Another in a series of sad days for the First Amendment. From AP:

NEW YORK -- MSNBC said Wednesday it will drop its simulcast of the Imus in the Morning radio program, responding to growing outrage over the radio host's racial slur against the Rutgers women's basketball team.

''This decision comes as a result of an ongoing review process, which initially included the announcement of a suspension. It also takes into account many conversations with our own employees,'' NBC news said in a statement. The decision also was announced on air.

Don Imus triggered the uproar on his April 4 show, when he referred to the mostly black Rutgers women's basketball team as ''nappy-headed hos.'' His comments have been widely denounced by civil rights and women's groups. The network's decision came after a growing list of sponsors -- including American Express Co., Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and General Motors Corp. -- said they were pulling ads from Imus' show for the indefinite future.

But it did not end calls for Imus to be fired from the radio portion of his program. The show originates from WFAN-AM in New York City and is syndicated nationally by Westwood One, both of which are managed by CBS Corp.

I'd stayed out of the debate over the last few days basically because I had a busy weekend and didn't have time to write a long diatribe about comedy, free speech, oversensitivity and taste. I've got a paper to help get out this evening and still don't have that kind of time, plus I'm too angry to clearly think out any sort of position. Suffice to say that it's sad that someone's entire 40-year career -- including the only morning news show on television worth watching if you're up at that hour -- is being ruined by a hyperactive news... sorry... newsertainment media.

Maybe I'll write more later, because there are way too few people standing up for freedom of speech nowadays.

More Hawaiian shirts and Ferraris in "Vegas"...?

From Hollywood Reporter:

Emmy winner Tom Selleck is in discussions to join NBC's Las Vegas as the fast-paced drama's new leading man. He would play the smart, powerful, fun-loving new owner of Montecito Resort & Casino, a new character designed to fill the void left by the recent departure of the show's star James Caan.

Caan recently left the series to return to features. Vegas, from NBC Universal TV Studio and DreamWorks TV, was picked up for a fifth season in February and is slated to begin production on its order soon. The show also is looking to add a beautiful female concierge in the wake of the departure of co-star Nikki Cox.

Selleck's starring role on "Vegas" would mark his first regular gig on a drama series since his Emmy-winning turn on "Magnum, P.I." He followed that up with memorable recurring roles on NBC's hit comedy "Friends" and, most recently, on ABC's dramedy "Boston Legal."

Having just started watching the show (and enjoying it significantly) I'm sad to see James Caan go. But it'll be interesting to see the 'stache return to weekly television.

What's on: Wednesday

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC/8 p.m.) wraps up its first season cheering its conditional return for next season (the network ordered six new scripts). So this should provide a little bit of closure for fans of the serial before the network completely gives up on it.

Also on NBC, MEDIUM (10 p.m.) star Patricia Arquette's brother David takes the helm of this week's episode.

Also new tonight: Two episodes of George Lopez, as well as In Case of Emergency and Lost on ABC; Jericho, Criminal Minds and CSI: NY on CBS; two episodes of Til Death and an hourlong Idol ousting show on Fox; Crossing Jordan on NBC; Next Top Model on CW; Top Design on Bravo; South Park and Halfway Home on Comedy; Hazard Pay on Discovery; Real World and Road Rules on MTV.

Same song

Okay, so I put my Idol wrapup off as long as possible... I think that tells you how much I care about the show anymore. Not that it seems like anyone cares -- my dad was begging me to stop even covering it and as far as I know he's my only reader. At least he agrees with me.

The only reason I'm continuing is I feel like I have to now. Plus, I promised.

Melinda opened the show pretty well. Song bored me though. I get the feeling they all will tonight. Less boring is watching Paula, who seems like she may have fallen back into her droopy-eyed ways. LaKisha's personality has finally caught up with her voice, unlike Melinda (who's getting less interesting every week). LaKisha sounded better, too.

Chris did his runny R&B thing on a rock song. Lame, lame... lame. Haley, luckily for the audience, was drowned out by the backup singers for a good portion of the song. Even more awful than usual. But not as awful as Phil. This guy violated Santana's "Maria, Maria." I have to remember to remove food from my view next time I hear him sing. Chris's Santana tune was much better.

Jordin is too underappreciated. She sounded awesome this week. And despite what the judges said, Blake was just okay. Sanjaya gets credit for being the only one to sing mostly in Spanish... nothing else though (specifically not his awful attempt at a goatee).

Haley should probably go. It may be Sanjaya's turn though.

Six more Fridays and Andy's last gasp

From Hollywood Reporter:

A day before the freshman series' season finale, the network on Tuesday ordered six additional scripts of the critically praised but low rated series. While this is short of the early second-season order NBC recently bestowed on another struggling rookie, the comedy 30 Rock, the order does strengthen Friday's chances for a return next season.

Friday is the second NBC series on the bubble to receive a six-script order this week, following a similar pickup for veteran Medium Monday.

Way to commit to your good shows there NBC. Yes, they're not huge ratings winners, but they're good shows. Something networks are caring about less and less. I'll be saying the same thing five years from now, too, I'm sure.

Meanwhile, NBC completely gave up on another well done show -- probably the best of those mentioned in this blog. From Zap2it:

NBC has bumped Andy Barker P.I. from its Thursday schedule this week and moved the show's final two episodes to the barren wasteland that is Saturday night network primetime. The remaining two episodes of the show will air back-to-back at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Scrubs will take over Andy's 9:30 p.m. time period a week earlier than originally planned. The veteran hospital comedy is switching spots with 30 Rock for a few weeks and will move back to 9 p.m. in early May.

If there's any positive news in the Andy Barker move, it's that all six produced episodes will now air on the network. NBC had initially scheduled only five for air, with the sixth, "The Lady Varnishes," slated to appear only on the network's Web site.

The first three episodes of Andy Barker, which stars Andy Richter as a CPA-turned-private eye, averaged about 5.2 million viewers. Those numbers give the show, which earned a fair share of critical praise, the unwelcome distinction of being NBC's lowest-rated series this season.

There's not much to say as it seems no bit of defense can help Andy anymore, stuck without even a Friday slot (to protect Raines perhaps?). It's really too bad.

I'm looking for a way to put the power back in the hands of the intelligent TV watchers. It's too late to save Andy, but there has to be a way to start showing NBC and all the other networks (though NBC is probably the biggest offender recently as far as trashing its good shows -- Studio 60, Twenty Good Years, Black Donnellys, now Andy) what a bunch of dummies they are.

What's on: Tuesday

Gonna make this quick since I've barely slept over the last 30 hours or so.

New tonight: Dancing with the Stars recap and kick off shows and Boston Legal on ABC; NCIS and The Unit on CBS; Idol and House on Fox; Dateline on NBC; Frontline looks at the war in Afghanistan on PBS; Pussycat Dolls on CW; Workout on Bravo; Shield on FX; and the premieres of the final Punk'd season and Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Inferno 3 as well as Scarred on MTV.

They COULD fly...

You'd think after two seasons Vince, Eric, Turtle, Drama and, most importantly, Ari, would have grown up a little bit. But that would have taken away from the brilliance of Entourage.

Back after a much shorter hiatus than most other HBO shows ever have, the biggest complaint anyone can have about the show is its brevity. But in a longer format it would just get tired (Robot Chicken has the same issue -- it's at its best when it hits and runs, leaving everyone wanting more).

The newest episode plays half cleverly/half hacky on the "break-up" angle between Ari and Vince, with friendly bad advice and hang-up phone calls. Jeremy Piven again continues to steal the show with his genius portrayal of Ari Gold, and Turtle and Drama provide the needed entertainment that the drab Vince and Eric lack. It's too bad the show is centered on the pair, because they continue to be the most boring parts of the show.

My only hope is that the show finds more direction this year, moving on from just party planning and Vince vs. Ari vs. Eric. The little glimpses of Hollywood stardom aside, the show still runs the risk of getting too wrapped up in its own gimmick and joining its characters in their Peter Pan complex.

What's on: Monday

Right, so as new shows go this isn't an ideal situation, but if you were a fan of Whose Line is it Anyway (the original, I wouldn't expect anyone to dig the American version), then your improv is served. THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE (NBC/9 p.m.) kicks off with a two hour block. The show's hosted by David Allen Grier and features favorite TV actors being put into situations with no script.

Also new: How I Met your Mother, New Adventures, Two and a Half Men, King of Queens and CSI: Miami; 24 on Fox; Deal or No Deal on NBC; Til Death Do Us Part and Suburban Secrets on CourtTV; Futureweapons and Stunt Junkies on Discovery; FX's The Riches; Super Sweet 16, Hillary Duff, Run's House and Taquita & Kaui on MTV; and Monday Night Raw on USA.

Beginning of the end

SPOILERS BELOW (probably).

I can hear the whining now. "Oh, there's too much talking." "Where were Paulie and Syl?" "It was so boring." "That sucked." "Waah, I'm a big baby and I don't understand the show without a lot of mob stuff and senseless violence."

Stop it. I'm done with this crap. Sunday brought a strong comeback for David Chase's masterpiece, no matter what anyone tells you. You got to see someone get whacked. The feds showed up (so did Essex County's finest). A.J. was endlessly annoying. Someone took a beating. Tony had an ample amount of brooding (and some of the best anti-Janice smack talk yet).

That boring stuff you're talking about? That's a bunch of genius, for your information. The Office has some of TV's most awkward moments, but it doesn't have the realism that Chase can crank in to his Tony-Carmela or Tony-Janice arguments, relationships and social goofs. But most important bit of genius in the writing is small talk. The show's most useless pieces of dialogue (to the lowest common denominator of viewers) are the its best-written. That's why CBS writers are stuck in the proverbial paper bag -- small talk is treated with the same over-the-top drama that you get in a chase sequence or a big twisty reveal, it's not treated like awkward, off-the-cuff small talk. In fact, forget just CBS; small talk is the greatest failure in screenwriting today. Chase nails it.

But the episode's greatest point is the boss's great revenge. A beating at the hands of an underling, however well deserved, can't go unpunished. And as the fade kicks in we're left with a sad picture of the soldier everyone has a soft spot for -- a guy who just a day before had the shot at being the next boss -- dealing with what could be the worst feeling a human can feel and likely the anger and shame of having lost that one big chance..

Don't forget, there's only eight episodes and the wrap-up is beginning. This was all set up, most importantly Tony's relationship with Chris and Bobby and the rest of his "family" and the appearance of more and more consequences for his life and his business. You'll get your closure, don't worry. You may not find out where the Russian guy went, but wasn't that episode all about Paulie and Chris anyway? Stop whining and take it in. It'll be gone before you realize. And then you'll be sorry.

(Entourage was awesome, too. I'll deal with that tomorrow. I'm sleepy.)

What's on: Sunday

HBO comes out with a big fat punch in the face for TV fans with THE SOPRANOS (9 p.m.) and ENTOURAGE (10 p.m.). I don't think I need to say anything more to sell these shows. Despite all the competition they may have tonight, there's no better choice.

Also new: Extreme Makeover: Home, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters on ABC; Amazing Race, Cold Case and Without a Trace on CBS; NBC's Dateline, Apprentice and Deal or No Deal; 7th Heaven on CW; Mind of Mencia and Reno 911 on Comedy; two episodes of Planet Earth on Discovery; Girls Next Door on E!; Dresden Files on SciFi; and The Tudors on Showtime.

Woke up this morning...

There's a lot of praise for FX on this blog -- simply because they're among the best in developing shows. But they're only among the best. The granddaddy, though, is HBO, and for as good as Rescue Me has been and remains, neither that nor any other drama on television lives up to the phenomenon status that has always been associated with The Sopranos.

It's extremely well-received among its peers, makes news for weeks before and after its seasons, is the subject of anger and debate and gossip and delight for many more Americans than most network shows, and, for some, is the only reason to watch television. It has driven protests about Hollywood violence and poor portrayals of Italian-Americans (something I beg you to not get me started on). To some it's all they'll ever know about New Jersey.

And now it's saying goodbye. Maybe it was past its prime -- but people have said that about the show after every episode since the second season kicked off. It's not leaving after two seasons of not being culturally viable like Friends did, it's going out like Seinfeld: with everyone watching. It's still probably the most loved drama on television, and it continues to be intriguing and widely discussed whether someone's been whacked in 3 weeks or not. Cries of "it's boring" and "they stopped too much of the violence" aren't only untrue, they're the sign of someone who doesn't really understand what the show's about.

It's not an easy task to put together a character that, despite being pure evil, is beloved. It's also not easy to disappear for two whole years and come back with a new season just as well received (in a global sense) as the last -- that's something they've done more than once. It's not easy at all to have such a large audience on a pay cable channel. And from a creative standpoint, it's not easy, nor has it really been done before, to make so many actors so recognizable to so many, and make that many characters relatable and interesting.

So, maybe as The Sopranos takes its leave, fans will stop criticizing everything David Chase does with his show and just enjoy what has been a wonderful show for the past eight years and six-point-five seasons.

What's on: Thursday

So this edition of the blog is basically for TiVo users (though, everyone will benefit), thanks to NBC. The network has it in for us with these "super-sized" 40-minute episodes that are made to make us miss shows on other channels.

So, for the record: A brand new OFFICE begins at 8 p.m. (the first new one in a while) and runs until 8:40 p.m., when a new, 40-minute 30 ROCK begins. Those are followed by SCRUBS (9:20 p.m.) and ANDY BARKER P.I. (9:50 p.m.). If you're working on a two or three DVR system like me, you should probably rearrange some priorities.

MyNetwork TV (channel 9 in New York), tries to get its first viewer with the big HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELTON special (8 p.m.). It's Elton John's 60th Madison Square Garden concert taped in celebration of his 60th birthday back on March 25.

Bravo's got its stand-up event WORD ACCORDING TO WHOOPI (10 p.m.) premiering tonight as well.

Also new: Fox's Fifth Grader; Survivor: Fiji, CSI and Shark on CBS; October Road on ABC; Showbiz Show on Comedy; Pimp My Ride, Nick Cannon's Short Circuits, Adventures in Hollywood and Human Giant on MTV; Bull!@#$ and This American Life on Showtime.

"Rock" on

NBC announced today that it's renewing 30 Rock for next season.

"From the beginning, 30 Rock has proven to be the kind of quality comedy that doesn't come around very often, and we are very pleased to have this show back for a second season," Kevin Reilly, NBC Entertainment president, said in a release Wednesday.

According to the release, 30 Rock is averaging a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.8 million viewers overall. With its most recent regular-slot telecast on March 8, the show delivered a best-yet 89 percent retention of its 18-49 lead-in from Scrubs and with its six most recent regular-slot editions, has retained more than 80 percent of its lead-in from Scrubs. The show will be back with a new, super-sized episode Thursday, and takes over Scrubs' 9 p.m. time slot next week.

I'm in support of this (though, not the taking of Scrubs' time slot). The show has been getting exponentially better each week, as I've said before, because Tina Fey has earned the chance to write like Tina Fey (and not like Tina Fey looking to land a pilot on a fall schedule). And Alec Baldwin is probably one of the best comedy actors on a network right now.

Latest casualty

SPOILER ALERT!

From AP:

Gina Glocksen, who had her share of good and bad American Idol moments, kissed the show goodbye Wednesday, becoming the latest casualty in viewer voting.

The exit of Glocksen, 22, of Naperville, Ill., trimmed the number of finalists to eight. The winner will be chosen in May.

Judge Randy Jackson had said on Tuesday's program that Glocksen -- the show's resident rocker girl, with her red highlights and all-black outfits -- gave a ''nice, controlled performance'' of the classic song ''Smile.''

His colleague Simon Cowell, who has griped that Glocksen was not in the same league as other finalists, sported a frown.

Haley Scarnato and Phil Stacey had the next-lowest vote tallies in the phone balloting.

See, this is how the show works. Middling contestants will all go before the really cruddy ones. You'll probably also lose a Lakisha or Melinda before they get rid of Phil or Sanjaya. More reason to not care.

What's on: Wednesday

Don't you love when guest stars show up as your star character's family member? Okay, so it's usually just a ratings stunt. But without full episodes of Idol to lead into, BONES (FOX/8 p.m.) needs something. Ryan O'Neil guest stars as Bones' dad.

ABC must have nothing better to fill time with as they've set an hour of brand new GEORGE LOPEZ (8 p.m.). Suggestion for ABC? Put Lost there. Stop complaining about its ratings at 10 p.m.

Also new: According to Jim, In Case of Emergency and Lost on ABC; Jericho on CBS; Idol results and Til Death on Fox; Friday Night Lights, Crossing Jordan and Medium on NBC; Pussycat Dolls on CW; Thelonious Monk on In Performance at the White House on PBS; Top Design on Bravo; South Park and Halfway Home on Comedy Central; Real World and Road Rules on MTV.

"Idol"-ing in the garage... its bad for you.

Seriously, Tony Bennett not really the way to hit your target demo... as if I wasn't already getting tired of this show, I'm not really excited for this week...

Honestly, I'm at the point of dreading this every week. I thought that this experiment may surprise me and have me enjoying the show. I was significantly wrong. That being said, as Calvin's dad would say... it's building character. Here's this week's breakdown. (If you've noticed, they've been getting shorter and shorter...)

Blake, obviously outside of his musical comfort zone, showed off his voice more than he ever has. Phil still stinks. And he bored the hell out of me this week, too. He'll keep getting the Navy card played and stick around yet again, I bet. I'm getting tired of Melinda's personality. It was cute at the beginning. Now it's just feeling fake. Not to take away from her talent or anything -- she's still the best on the show.

The remaining Chris will be fine. I'm starting to hate him less, despite his whiny voice. Jordin, still great, could get lost in the personalities of everyone else on the show... something Chris is starting to break out of. Gina picked a boring, boring song. I sounded nice as I was nodding off, though.

Sanjaya, for all the crap he gets, just needs to sing out to get some sort of credit --which he didn't do. It that everyone else had to pick a Sanjaya song this week, but he's still, eventually, doomed. Haley looked nice. I stopped paying attention to her vocals a few weeks ago... I usually get a snack when she's on. LaKisha deserves to win.

Should go: Phil
Will go: I don't care, anymore.

Only two more months. Please let it end.

"Bells" toll

The worst news in the stream of news I've posted today... From Hollywood Reporter:

LOS ANGELES -- The honeymoon is over for David E. Kelley's midseason Fox series The Wedding Bells. Production will be shut down after completion of the seventh episode. After receiving decent sampling in its premiere behind American Idol, Bells quickly faded when it moved into its regular Friday time slot, most recently drawing 4.5 million viewers.

While we've been pleased with the show creatively, and David's writing was first-rate, (Bells) just didn't secure the ratings we'd hoped for," Fox said in a statement. Four episodes of Bells have aired. For now, the network said it intends to air the remaining three segments. Bells starred Teri Polo, KaDee Strickland and Sarah Jones as three sister running a wedding-planning business.

Keep putting good shows on Fridays people, really. It's a great idea and probably the best way to make a show succeed. I'm really annoyed at this one -- it may not be the best David Kelley show out there, but it's still better than most Spring additions...

ABC's turn to feel my wrath

Yes... all 12 readers will now giggle at my banter and then forget this show ever existed... some wrath that is. From Zap2It:

The return of Six Degrees proved to be a decidedly brief one.

The on-then-off-then-on-again ABC series appears to be off for good now after a brief return to the schedule yielded pitiable ratings. Its yanking is one of several scheduling moves the network made on Tuesday, including the movement of comedy Notes from the Underbelly to yet another time period.

The comedy about expectant parents will still premiere at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, following Grey's Anatomy. The following week, though, it will move to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, where it will (presumably) stay for the remainder of the season.

For those of you keeping score, that's the fourth place ABC has put Notes since last spring. It was initially paired with Big Day on Thursday nights, an idea that was scrapped when Ugly Betty moved there for the start of the season. Then it was set to premiere at 9:30 p.m. this Wednesday, but then FOX expanded the American Idol results show to an hour, so ABC moved it again.

The show's next stop was 10 p.m. Thursdays, where it will live for all of one week before settling at 8:30 Wednesdays. The reason for the latest move was October Road's decent performance (8.25 million viewers, 3.5 rating in adults 18-49) following a Grey's rerun last week. Encouraged by those numbers, ABC will keep October Road in the 10 p.m. spot until it wraps its brief, six-episode season April 26.

Six Degrees, meanwhile, drew next to no interest upon its return (a Friday-night timeslot didn't help either). After drawing a less-than-impressive 4.45 million viewers in its March 23 return, it plummeted to 3.1 million viewers last week. Repeats of Wife Swap will replace it for at least the next few weeks.

I was less than enthusiastic about the show's return anyway, as good as it was, and this isn't really a big surprise, as Fridays are basically a hospice care center for TV shows.

As for Underbelly, they're really just setting this thing up to fail. Which means it's probably the best new comedy since Arrested Development (that's right, 30 Rock, I'm talking to you).

"Crash" and burn

Now, news that's less exciting... from Zap2it:

Having had less-than-stellar results with dramas in the 10 p.m. Monday spot this season, NBC will take a flyer on unscripted comedy to close out the year.

The network has set a premiere date for The Real Wedding Crashers, a hidden-camera show based on the hit 2005 movie. The show, produced by Punk'd maestros Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, will debut at 10 p.m. ET Monday, April 23, following the return of Heroes. It takes the spot of The Black Donnellys; there's no word on when that show's remaining episodes will air.

A group of five improv performers will take to the churches and reception halls or our fair nation, posing as guests or cater-waiters or other attendees to disrupt the proceedings, presumably to make sure that the happy couple never forgets their wedding day.

One catch: The bride and groom know what's coming. They're in on the joke and will help the "crashers" reveal the hoax at the end of each episode. Some of the hijinks will even be designed to bring families closer together, presumably in more than just horror at the behavior of the crashers.

OK, so here's another example of a network giving up on being creative and original and giving in to unentertaining, cheap reality shows. This is even worse because two very good dramas have fallen to this 10 p.m. Monday time slot (Studio 60 and Donnellys).

It goes to show that a lead-in means nothing for certain demographics. As great as Heroes is, the crowd that watches it isn't just leaving their TV on NBC. It's different from American Idol's crowd. And you can't measure the quality of these two shows without putting them in a more protective time slot. Putting them up against CSI: Miami was the shows' downfall, not their quality. Shame, NBC, shame.

Ascension for "Heaven"

Finally... (from Hollywood Reporter):

LOS ANGELES -- It's a wrap for 7th Heaven.

The long-running drama, which debuted in 1996 on WB Network and now airs on the CW, will have its series finale May 13 in its regular 8 p.m. slot. The hour-long episode, titled "And Away We Go," will actually mark the second time the show was scheduled to have a series finale.

Heaven's 10th-season finale aired on WB in May amid much fanfare about it being the series closer, delivering its highest marks in more than two years with an episode that appeared to wrap up many loose ends in the show about a minister and his sprawling family. But the CW, which launched in September after the merger of WB and UPN, gave Heaven a last-minute renewal in May, announcing that the show would return in fall 2006 in its signature Monday 8 p.m. slot as part of the CW's inaugural lineup.

Even less wholesome family programming in prime time now. Good. Not that I'm against it, I just think there's a difference between creative family content and family content for family content's sake. There's no way this show could have had any ounce of creativity left in it.

What's on: Tuesday

All the good stuff I say about FX and I've never watched THE SHIELD (FX/10 p.m.). Well, eventually my Netflix account will be spewing Shield DVDs at me, but for now, season six begins tonight.

Also new: Dancing with the Stars ousting and Boston Legal on ABC; NCIS and The Unit on CBS; Idol performances and House on Fox; Dateline, Law and Order SVU and CI on NBC; Work Out on Bravo; Deadliest Catch and Rogue Nature on Discovery; ECW on SciFi; Miami Ink on TLC; Bam's Unholy Union and an hour of Two-a-Days; The Agency and Hollywood's Tightest Bodies on VH1.

What's on: Monday

Ok, real quick, sushi's a-waitin'.

ABC's THE BACHELOR: AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN premieres tonight (as soon as Dancing with the Stars ends, 'round 9:45).

Much more importantly, Ohio State and Florida clash in the NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (CBS/9 p.m.).

And PRISON BREAK (FOX/8 p.m.) wraps up its second season, I'm sure with a bang (probably not. I was kidding. I'm hungry.)

Also new: Dancing with the Stars on ABC; Black Donnellys on NBC; 24 on Fox; Riches on FX; Discovery's Stunt Junkies and Futureweapons; My Super Sweet 16, Hillary Duff: This is Now; The Hills and Taquita & Kaui on MTV; I Love New York on VH1.

What's on: Sunday

Showtime debuts its new schlocky sexed-up period piece THE TUDORS (10 p.m.) tonight.

More importantly, Comedy Central kicks off new seasons of two of it's top shows (one bad, one good) MIND OF MENCIA (10 p.m.) and RENO 911 (10:30 p.m.). It's the Reno gang's first season since the movie this winter, and it's Carlos' first season since his outing as a hack by Joe Rogan on YouTube. (Just search for Joe Rogan and Carlos Men-steal-ya.)

Anderson Cooper hosts a salute to one of pop culture's icons in JERRY SEINFELD: THE COMEDIAN AWARD (HBO/9 p.m.). Chris Rock, Robert Klein and Gary Shandling also were there at the 2005 Comedy Festival where this was taped.

And, I know it's not new, but if you missed Tuesday's Dirt season finale, well, then we're not friends. It reruns at 10 p.m. tonight.

Also new: Two new editions of Discovery's Planet Earth; Cold Case and a two-hour Amazing Race on CBS; Dateline and Apprentice on NBC; King of the Hill and American Dad on Fox; a Desperate Housewives clip show and Brothers & Sisters on ABC; E!'s Girls Next Door; and Dresden Files on SciFi.