[Televisionary]

As Jack said, we have to go back... After weeks of speculation, ABC has finally unveiled its midseason schedule, following the consistent trend of filling the winter timeslots with new and returning reality fare and a few scripted launches. The biggest news, of course, is that Lost will launch its fourth season on January 31st, with a new timeslot as it moves to Thursdays at 9 pm, formerly occupied by Grey's Anatomy . I do think the earlier berth will help with the ratings; 10 pm was waaaaay too late for such an intense serialized drama and I am a Lost devotee. In any event, here is the new winter schedule for ABC: MONDAY (JANUARY) 8:00 pm: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann 9:30 pm: Notes from the Underbelly 10:00 pm: October Road MONDAY (FEBRUARY) 8:00 pm: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann 9:00 pm: Samantha Who? 9:30 pm: Notes from the Underbelly 10:00 pm: October Road MONDAY (MARCH) 8:00 pm: Dancing with the Stars 9:30 pm: Samantha Who? 10:00 pm: The Bachelor TUESDAY 8:00 pm: Jus

If after watching last night's episode of 30 Rock , you're still unclear about how much rewriting goes into polishing TV scripts before shooting, there's no saving you. I had been looking forward to 30 Rock all week long as the comedy has become a shining beacon of hope in a primetime schedule getting more crowded by the day with reality series as the WGA strike goes on. While I thought the episode might be a little bittersweet--it being the penultimate 30 Rock until the WGA and the AMPTP can end their conflict--I wasn't prepared for how lackluster an entry into the 30 Rock canon it would be. And it's sad because this week's installment (the untitled episode 209) had a set-up and plotline that could have been hysterical and absolutely brilliant... if only the writers had been able to rewrite the script. Instead, it was a mostly flat episode that gave me only a few chuckles, a rare feat for the indomitable 30 Rock , which typically has me roaring with laughter

Um, wow. If you saw last night's brilliant and heartbreaking episode of Pushing Daisies ("Corpiscle"), you know exactly what I'm talking about. (And if you didn't catch it, shame on you for missing out on the most astoundingly inventive series to come along in years!) While this installment was sadly the last produced episode of Pushing Daisies before the strike, it was the absolute perfect cliffhanger--in scope, tone, plot, and characterization--to nine episodes of whimsy, charm, and the very best witty dialogue this side of Dashiell Hamnett. The facts were these: this week's episode--written by Lisa Joy and directed by Brian Dannelly ( Saved! )--itself revolved around a murder spree in which the bodies of insurance adjusters from Uber-Life Life Insurance turned up outside the home of a boy thrice turned down for a heart transplant, but it was also about the fractured relationship between Ned and Chuck, who recently learned that her childhood sweetheart had

I swear, if Chantal won this season on America's Next Top Model , I was going to stop watching this series because I just could not take it seriously anymore. Whew. Fortunately, Chantal didn't walk away with the top prize--the cover of Seventeen magazine and a $100K contract with Cover Girl Cosmetics (as Tyra reminds us each and every week)--but I was blown away by the fact that she was chosen first at the judging panel and guaranteed a place in the final two, a move which eliminated far stronger competitor Jenah, whom I believe could actually have a future in high-fashion modeling. Rather than go into details about Top Model 's season finale, which as usual featured yet another Cover Girl photo shoot and commercial, I wanted to talk about something else: the complete and utter disconnect between what the judges claim they are looking for and what they actually end up awarding the top prize based upon. Throughout this entire competition, the judges continually harraung th

Ah, awards season is upon us, but I can't seem to muster the same enthusiasm this year, what with the strike still going on and no sign of resolution anywhere to turn to. Still, it's a little bit of comfort to know that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, in handing out their nominations, did decide to include some of my favorite series this year around, including Pushing Daisies, Big Love, 30 Rock, and Damages. So thanks to the HFPA for recognizing creative genius and innovative television. My hat is off to you! So which series and actors got nominated and which ones got left out in the cold? Below is a list of the TV award categories and their nominations, along with my reactions to the major categories. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA: BIG LOVE (HBO) DAMAGES (FX NETWORKS) GREY’S ANATOMY (ABC) HOUSE (FOX) MAD MEN (AMC) THE TUDORS (SHOWTIME) While I loves me some Big Love (and I am absolutely pickled that the HBO polygamy drama has gotten some much-deserved recognit

I swear, I cannot make this stuff up. NBC has announced a launch date for its two-hour backdoor pilot of Knight Rider (you can read my advance review of the pilot script here ), which will bow on February 17th from 9-11 pm. While the choice of February is hardly surprising, given the lack of first-run scripted programming for sweeps, what is mind-blowing is the choice of the actor hired to provide the voice of sentient car KITT. You ready for this? It's Will Arnett. Whoa. Yes, I'm stunned and slightly intrigued by this casting. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined the former GOB Bluth playing the voice of KITT, a decision which will either be completely inspired or just outright wacky. What do you think? Can Arnett fill the shoes formerly occupied by William Daniels? Stay tuned.

Things are not looking too good for Dan Vassar. NBC had until yesterday to give a full-season pickup to its time-travel drama Journeyman but instead quietly let the option lapse , a move which has likely all but killed the Kevin McKidd-starring drama about a family man who discovers that he can travel to the past, where he encounters his dead fiancee, who also happens to be a traveler. Journeyman did manage to complete production on its 13-episode initial order and the Peacock plans to air the final two installments next week (Monday and Wednesday evenings, if you're keeping score). The news of Journeyman 's likely demise comes just shortly after full-season pickups for fellow freshman series Life and Chuck . ( Chuck 's Monday night at 8 pm timeslot will be taken over by reality revival American Gladiators come January and NBC recently tested out procedural Life in Journeyman 's soon-to-be-vacated timeslot.) The jury is still out on the fate of Bionic Woman , the l