TV viewing will get better in 2009
There aren’t two worse weeks for TV than this holiday season fortnight. There are still some holiday specials and you can find a good bowl game or two, but most of TV is on vacation.
The first thing that means is very odd scheduling, so – and I’ve said this before but people still ask – if you can’t find your regular shows, do not worry. Everything returns in January.
Besides, what are you doing watching TV? There are gifts to wrap, eggs to nog and something you know you forgot but can’t remember what it is.
Since the adrenaline is already on overload, don’t spend more fretting about TV. Everything is fine until 2009, then go fret. Until then, there won’t be any cancellations – besides these that have already gotten the ax, either officially or unofficially:
“My Own Worst Enemy,” “Knight Rider,” “Crusoe” and “America’s Toughest Jobs” from NBC; “The Ex List” on CBS; “Do Not Disturb” on Fox; and “Easy Money,” “In Harm’s Way,” “Valentine,” and “Stylista” on CW.
Plus, there are the second-year shows that are doomed: ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” “Eli Stone” and “Dirty Sexy Money” and NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle.”
As for 2009, here’s a fairly thorough list of what’s coming back early in the year:
•“Scrubs” (ABC): Jan. 6. Remember, NBC canceled it and ABC quickly picked it up.
•“Nip/Tuck” (FX): Jan. 6. One of TV’s seriously out-there series comes back after a strike-shortened season.
•“Damages” (FX): Jan. 7. There’s a new case and more legal tricks ahead for this slick and terrific show.
•“Flashpoint” (CBS): Jan. 9. The Canadian import was a surprising summer success
•“Monk” and “Psych” (USA): Jan. 9. They both return for short seasons, then “Monk’s” final season will begin sometime in summer 2009.
•“24” (Fox): Jan. 11. It premieres with a two-hour episode, then follows with another two hours Jan. 12.
•“American Idol” (Fox): Jan. 13 and 14. Show producers added songwriter and music producer Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge. Other changes include just three weeks of auditions instead of four, more time spent on the Hollywood round, and this season the judges will pick a few “wild card” finalists.
•“Battlestar Galactica” (Sci Fi): Jan. 16. This starts the final 10 weeks of one of TV’s most intriguing series.
•“Friday Night Lights” (NBC): Jan. 16. It’s the broadcast premiere for episodes that ran this fall on DirecTV.
•“Flight of the Conchords” and “Big Love” (HBO): Jan. 18. Both shows lost start dates because of the writers strike.
•“Secret Diary of a Call Girl” and “The L Word” (Showtime): Jan. 18. This will be the sixth and final season for “L Word.”
•“Lost” (ABC): Jan. 21. After last season’s dazzling run to the finish, fans have been burning up the blogs with rumors and hearsay.
•“Burn Notice” (USA): Jan. 22. Like USA’s other shows, this witty spy/caper series is back for a short season, then starts a new run in the summer.
•“The Closer” and “Trust Me” (TNT): Jan. 26. “The Closer” will air five episodes, mostly to give a boost to the new “Trust Me,” a light hour starring Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh.
•“Life on Mars” (ABC): Jan. 28. ABC is hoping that airing it after “Lost” will get this smart series noticed by viewers.
•“Medium” and “Heroes” (NBC): Feb. 2. NBC is trying and trying to bring the magic back to “Heroes.” “Medium” has kept its solid, if mid-sized, fan base.
•“Life” (NBC): Feb. 4. NBC gets credit for not giving up on one of the most charming and original cop shows on TV.
•“Reaper” (CW): March 17. Yeah, we have to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to see this crew again.
Among returnees that are still unscheduled are “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “In Plain Sight” (USA), “Breaking Bad” (AMC), “Rescue Me” (FX), “Saving Grace” (TNT) and “Eureka” (Sci Fi).