Grey Area

I really tried to stick with "Grey's Anatomy." I really did.

But in the end, it was just too soap opera-y for me. In the end, I heard the phrase "McDreamy" one too many times.

But I do know that some people watch it, since it gets boffo ratings. "Grey's" fans will get a treat tonight, since ABC airs a recap of last season at 8 p.m., followed by the season premiere at 9 p.m., in which Izzy deals with the consequences of Denny's death from the end of last season.

I'll be watching "My Name is Earl," (NBC, 8 p.m.), followed by "The Office" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.). I've seen the first three episodes of "Earl," which actually follow a story arc. Joy buys a $3,000 TV unit, then tries to return it to the store. Earl, who never took Joy's side in an argument when they were married, has the opportunity to cross something off his list and take Joy's side, even though she is dead wrong.

Needless to say, Joy's scheme goes awry in a big way. Prominent guest stars in the first three episodes include Burt Reynolds, Marlee Matlin and Judy Greer.

NBC didn't send me a copy of "The Office," so I can't tell you if last season's cliffhanger between Jim and Pam is resolved. By the way, go to NBC.com and check Dwight's blog, written by actor Rainn Wilson in Dwight's voice.

DVD Picks of the Week: What the heck, I missed them when they came out last week, but the second seasons of both "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Office" hit the shelves last week. At this point, you either watch those shows or you don't, so it's up to you if you think they are worth the money. Dwight's Mussolini-inspired speech as salesman of the year in "The Office" alone makes that set worth the money.

TV News: For all of the hockey fans in the area, both of you can tune into TurnerSouth for 61 Thrashers games to be broadcast this season, beginning Oct. 5. JP Dellacamera returns for his third season to handle the play-by-play duties while Darren Eliot is the color man.

THURSDAY'S BEST BET: I'll be checking out "Shark" (CBS, 10 p.m.) tonight as it makes its debut. James Woods stars as a former hotshot defense lawyer now working as a district attorney for Jeri Ryan.

Plot wise, "Shark" has been compared to "House" except for its courtroom setting, in that Woods' character lacks social graces but makes up for it with professional skills.

It will be interesting to see how "Shark" stacks up against Fox's "Justice," which hasn't been bad, but is starting to come off as a bit formulaic.