'Anarchy' Is A Good Thing

FX has been pretty hit-and-miss with its series over the years. For every "Rescue Me" or "The Shield," you also get the likes of "Dirt" and "The Riches."

Fortunately, "Sons of Anarchy" (FX, 10 p.m.) is in the former category. In fact, comparisons to "The Shield" and "The Sopranos" are pretty apt. Though "Sons" doesn't rank yet with those two series - two of the best ever on TV, IMHO - it does show a lot of potential early on.

Think "Sopranos" redone as a biker gang, shot in a style reminiscent of "The Shield." (Not surprising, since the show was created by "The Shield's" producer, Kurt Sutter.)

Ron Perlman ("Hellboy") leads a biker gang that runs the crime in a Southern California town. With snitches among local law enforcement and dealing with all the rival gangs, the Sons of Anarchy are kind of the flip side of the coin to the strike team on The Shield.

In tonight's episode, the Sons must get back a warehouse full of guns stolen from them by a rival gang in order to fulfill the terms of a contract with a third group. Meanwhile, Jackson (Charlie Hunnam), the gang's annointed leader-to-be and son of the gang's founder, must deal with his ex-wife's (Drea De Matteo) drug habit that has put the life of their unborn son in danger.

The standout here is Katey Sagal ("Married With Children"), Perlman's wife and Hunnam's mother. As the matriarch of the gang, she channels both Carmela and Livia Soprano and is a forced to be reckoned with.

As FX series goes, "Sons" lacks the wit and emotional impact of "Rescue Me" and the adrenaline-induced shock value of "The Shield," but with the latter's exit at the end of this season, "Sons" has shown the potential to be a worthy replacement.

Note that the pilot runs 78 minutes, so like every other FX show, set your recording device of choice to run long.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) returns for Season 4 with a two-hour premiere that finds Bones (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) lecturing in London, only to be drawn into a case.

"Bones" has a lot to make up for with last season's less-than-stellar finale, in which team member Zach was shown to be the ally for the serial killer Gormogon. Though some of the blame lays with the WGA strike that shortened the season, the storyline was borderline ludicrous. In fact, "Bones" in general is plagued by somewhat silly weekly plots; what makes it worthwhile is the chemistry within the cast, especially the Deschanel-Boreanaz dynamic, one of TV's best non-couples.

"America's Next Top Model" (CW, 8 p.m.) kicks off a new seasons, while "Greatest American Dog" (CBS, 8 p.m.) continues to wind down.

Slight Mea Culpa

SOME SPOILERS FROM MONDAY, BEWARE

I erred slightly yesterday when I posted that someone on "Bones" would die. I had read online about a funeral in the season finale, and had assumed there was a dead body in the coffin.

The ads for "Bones" indeed just listed a traitor and not a death. I must have gotten mixed up with the promos for "Lost," "Smallville," "NCIS," et. al. this season, all of which have teased deaths to a key character.

But my original point still stands, that all of the dramatic tension of a series is sucked out, not enhanced, by promoting that "someone will die" or that "someone is a traitor." Last night's "Bones" might have been a better episode if we didn't already know someone was a traitor. Certainly, the "Bones" scribes didn't do much of a job in telling us why Zack went over to the dark side or give us much insight to the killer. I found the whole notion, "He was a nobody who just wanted attention" to be a letdown since the serial killer theme has framed most of the season.

On yesterday's blog, an anonymous poster said one of the reasons he/she likes "The Wire" is the fact that the characters are killed off in such a fashion that it adds to the shock value. I had the same feeling when I watched "The Sopranos." There were times during that series when I was stunned that a character WASN'T killed off. How much would it have lessened the impact if we had an idea ahead of time that characters like Christopher or Bobby, etc., would be killed in the manner they were? Answer: Lots.

MORE SPOILERS, BEWARE

On the flip side, the fact there was no "big announcement" promo for "How I Met Your Mother" truly enhanced the ending. I have to admit I was surprised, not because of the way the stories have been written leaning toward the direction of finding out who Ted's future wife might be, but because of "Scrubs" renewal on ABC, I didn't think Sarah Chalke would be available to continue to play Stella on a regular basis. Of course, we don't know if she will say yes to the proposal, but I sure as heck hope so. And the continuing of the Barney-Robin storyline was also a bit of a surprise in how they played it.

ABSOLUTELY NO MORE SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT

Because that's the end of today's posting.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: OK, perhaps one more: Someone named David is going to win "American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.). That's because the two finalists are both Davids, so not much of a spoiler. It's followed by "Hell's Kitchen," in which someone will almost certainly get yelled at by Gordon Ramsay.

The long-awaited death on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) occurs tonight, as teased by countless promos for the two-hour season finale. It's followed by the series finale of "Shark" (CBS, 10 p.m.), a decent show in which the producers tried to copy the formula for "House," but didn't quite get it.

"Dancing With The Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) takes up the whole night on the network, while "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) concludes its first season.

Someone Is Going To Die

When "M*A*S*H" killed off Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) in the 1970s, you know when the cast and crew found out? Second before they filmed the scene in which the actual characters found out. So the director of the show was able to film the characters/actors reacting in shock to the news, which of course, stunned the viewers as well.

If "M*A*S*H" came out today, we'd have a rumor mill started by TV Guide that would say, "One of these characters is going to die. Take our poll to see which one it is." Then the promos on CBS would run, calling this the episode no one can miss.

I bring this up because it used to be, back in the old days, producers liked the shock value when they killed someone off suddenly. It's one thing if the character is already dying, such as Mark Greene on "ER" a few years ago, to promote the episode in which he dies. That's expected (and was beautifully shot; the show never reached as high a point since).

But these days, the "someone is going to die" promos have almost become cliche, and half the time the person getting killed off isn't one of the stars, but one of the recurring characters.

I don't know when the trend started (I think it might have been "Beverly Hills 90210" when they killed off that recurring friend of Brian Austin Green's) but I do know that the trend has been incessant.

Someone is scheduled to die on "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) tonight, and we know it won't be Booth (David Boreanaz), who was shot last week. And since we know it won't be Bones (Emily Deschanel), it becomes a sort of Russian Roulette guessing game as to whom it will be.

And tomorrow night, someone will die on "NCIS," which ironically managed to keep a pretty good lid on things when they killed off Kate (Sasha Alexander) a few seasons ago. No one saw that coming. In last week's blog, I listed whom I didn't want to die, but it's a virtual guarantee one of those characters is gone because they've been throwing so many hints that it's going to be Jenny (Lauren Holly) that it almost can't possibly be her.

The point is, death in real life is supposed to be a shock most of the time, and especially in shows about crime, so why not go back to making it a shock by NOT PROMOTING IT OVER AND OVER? The quick answer: the producers are trying to lure lapsed viewers back to the show by promoting the big, stunning item and keeping viewers guessing with their own death pools.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Following "Bones," which has been something of a disappointment since its post-strike return, "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) has to risk his life to save Amber, aka Cutthroat Bitch. I hope it's not a spoiler to say House won't die, what with the show being named after him and all.

CBS wraps up its comedy season with the final new episodes of "Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," "2 1/2 Men" and "Rules of Engagement," beginning at 8 p.m. Since the network hasn't run a promo of a death, I'm guessing all of those sitcom characters are pretty safe. I'm not so sure about "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

If they let the contestants fight to the death on "American Gladiators," (NBC, 8 p.m.) it might make the show more interesting and jack up the ratings, which were abysmal last week.

ABC is all reality tonight with "Dancing With The Stars" winding down its season while "The Bachelorette 4" kicks off.

Finally, I think it might just be people dying socially on "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9 p.m.) and "One Tree Hill" (CW, 9 p.m.), but really, is there anything worse?

Back In The 'House'

OK, back from vacation and back in Macon. (Yes, I did post four times last week while on holiday, making me the coolest TV critic ever, especially since I don't get paid for this).

I guess karma is rewarding me with the first new episode of "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) since the strike. This time, our favorite curmodgeon is stuck with a cheery patient.

It should be interesting to see how "House" fares on its new night after being a staple of Tuesdays. It helps to have the natural pairing of "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) as a lead-in. As I've often written, both shows are natural complements of the other.

SUNDAY NIGHT SHOUT-OUT: After all this time, "The Simpsons" still manages to make me laugh. Thanks to Matt Groening & Co. for working the Bayeux Tapestry into the opening couch sequence. Well played, sir, well played.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: One great thing about being in the sweeps period is that the networks pull out all of the stops. This period is especially important, because the last one in February was seriously affected by the strike. The networks use the ratings generating during sweeps to set ad prices, so it's the most critical time of the year in terms of revenue for the networks.

Maybe that's why "Deal Or No Deal" (NBC, 8 p.m.) is trotting out a "Star Wars" themed episode, which includes the 26 models dressed in the Princess Leia slave bikini from "Return of the Jedi." It's followed by a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

CBS is all-new with its comedy lineup, plus "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) is new and features "Buffy" alum Michelle Trachtenberg, followed by "One Tree Hill."

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues to feature life aboard a US Navy ship.

Robin Sparkles Again

One of the best things about "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) is that the series will set up a joke during one episode and carry it on as a running joke through the series.

One of the best is the "Robin Sparkles" persona of Robin (Cobie Smulders), when she was a teen mall queen pop star back in Canada. The video of Robin is still around the Web where she sings "Let's Go To The Mall."

Tonight, the subplot is revisited with a plethora of guest stars as Robin meets up with her high school boyfriend (James Van Der Beek), and we also see Alan Thicke and real-life teen mall queen Tiffany. I'm fairly certain we get another cheesy pop video as part of the package.

It's one of the aspects of the show that I love, along with everything from suiting up to slap bets.

If you want an introduction to TV's best sitcom, you could do worse than tonight's installment, part of a whole new night of CBS comedies.

SARAH CONNOR RETURNS: TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting that though it isn't official, the cast and crew of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" will be returning for a second season. It's good news, as "SCC" had surprising emotional impact to go along with its action.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is new, but not all-new. Tonight's episode was originally shot last season, but it centers around the death of a college basketball star. Because it was set to air right around the time of the Virginia Tech shootings last year, Fox wisely decided in would be in poor taste to air it, so it is finally hitting the airwaves tonight.

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) has been deliberately drawing attention to its return tonight with a racy campaign that seems to fit in perfectly with the show itself. It's followed by a new "One Tree Hill."

"Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is sandwiched by "Dancing With the Stars" and "The Bachelor," while "Medium" is brand new at 10 p.m. on NBC.

Them 'Bones,' Them 'Bones,' Them Dry 'Bones'

One of my favorite procedurals, "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) returns tonight with a brand-new episode.

I bring this up because it's hard to think of a drama that has had the success that "Bones" has had considering how much the network yanks it around the schedule. But as star David Boreanaz pointed out in a phone interview Friday, the "Bones" audience is particularly loyal.

"We've proven that whatever day we're on, the fans will follow," he said.

What makes "Bones" so enjoyable for me, and I think for other fans of the series, is the appeal of the characters. Much like "NCIS" on CBS, we've come to care more about the characters than we do about the forensic mystery each week, in large part because the chemistry of the cast is so good. And, much like "NCIS," both shows know how to lighten things up.

Of course, the big question on "Bones" is whether the two leads, Boreanaz's FBI agent Booth and Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) will get together romantically. Boreanaz had an interesting response to that.

"I think they already are," he said. "The two characters drive the plotlines, which brings them closer together or pulls them apart."

Boreanaz pointed to the now-famous kiss between the two during the show's Christmas episode this season. Much like everyting else on "Bones," it was unconventional: they kiss because they are essentially dared to.

But that doesn't mean the two characters will jump into bed any time soon.

"We're not at a place where we're going to go the whole nine (yards)," he said. "We're going to keep teasing."

Boreanaz said the serial killer plot thread the show has revolved around most of the season will be resolved. It had to be altered slightly because of the strike. Initially, when it looked as if the season would be cut short, it was going to be a two-part cliffhanger, but with additional episodes added on after the strike, the producers altered their plans slightly.

Also, expect more of the young shrink Sweets to be in the mix -- and don't expect Booth to stop teasing him any time soon about his age, Boreanaz said.

"Sweets fits in perfectly," he said. "It's a great idea to see (Bones and Booth) going through therapy."

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Following "Bones" is the season finale of "New Amsterdam" (Fox, 9 p.m.), a series that has become pretty enjoyable and I hope gets renewed.

CBS is all-new with its comedy lineup, followed by a new "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

"Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is all-new, in the plum timeslot between "Dancing With The Stars" and "The Bachelor."

More Strike Fallout

My brother asked me a relatively complex question last night: If I were Jay Leno, how would I have handled the current WGA situation?

It's a fair question. Leno has essentially been forced to return to work on "The Tonight Show," with NBC threatening to fire the below-the-line talent (the cameramen, the sound guys, etc.) if he didn't. But doing so means cross the Writers' Guild picket lines and producing a less-than-stellar product, since he has no writers and much of Hollywood's A-list stars are boycotting the talk shows that haven't worked out a deal with the WGA.

Leno, who has been pretty vocal in his support of the union, made headlines yesterday when it was announced that he and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will be appearing as guests on each other's show Thursday night. (Kimmel has been far less supporting of the union.)

It's difficult to answer as to what Leno should have done. By staying off the air, he strengthens the union's position but puts a lot of people out of work. By going on the air, he keeps the show going, but undermines the union's position - the more shows returning to the air without the WGA's waiver, the weaker the WGA's bargaining position is.

Fellow late night host David Letterman owns his own production company, Worldwide Pants, which produces both "The Late Show" and "The Late, Late Show" with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants struck a deal last week with the WGA that allows both shows to go back to work with full writing staffs, meaning both shows not only return to the air at full strength, but are in prime position to get the biggest names in show business as their guests.

So what would I have done in Leno's position? I'd have sat down with the union and explained the dilemma. I'd have said that my hand was being forced and I had to return to work. But what I would have done would have been to make WGA president Patric Verrone my first guest and said he had the whole first segment of the first show back to defend the union's position - essentially 10 or 15 minutes of free air time on TV's No. 1-rated talk show to plead his side's cause.

Maybe the network wouldn't have gone for this, and perhaps the union wouldn't either, but that might have been a compromise to offer.

All I know is that there really are no winners in this clash - not the viewers, not the WGA, not the networks even, since they risk devaluing their own products by putting them out there with no writers and few guests to choose from.

Meanwhile, it was made official yesterday when the Golden Globes awards show was cancelled. Instead, there will be a one-hour news conference that will announce the winners and allow them to speak with the media. On the one hand, we really don't need another awards show, and as I've pointed out here numerous times, the Foreign Press Association makes some pretty lame picks anyway.

On the other hand, the Globes are pretty prestigious, and if you win one, this might be the only time in your life you ever do. It might be nice to put on a tux or a gown and receive your statuette in front of 20 million people.

No word yet on how talks between the WGA and the producers for the Oscars are progressing.

RETURNING TO WORK: Two of TV's biggest hostesses returned to work Monday after maternity leave. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is back on "The View," while Macon's own Nancy Grace is back on her CNN Headline News program.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Last spring, the CW was floated an idea about advancing the plots of two of its series ahead four years in time as a means of avoiding cancellation. One series was the highly acclaimed "Veronica Mars." The other was the teen soap opera "One Tree Hill." Guess which one the CW decided to keep?

"One Tree Hill" airs two new episodes tonight, including the season premiere which finds Chad Michael Murray & Co. out of high school and moving on with their lives. Meanwhile, the cool mini-episode of "Veronica Mars," which found our plucky heroine as a rookie FBI agent, is condemned to float for eternity around the Internet.

OK, folks, fair warning: CBS continues to plug new episodes of its shows only to yank them for reruns at the last minute. So tonight's "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) is supposed to be a new one; whether it is or not remains to be seen. It's followed by the most ridiculous awards in show business, the People's Choice Awards, which are quite literally a popularity contest and nothing more.

ABC is all-new with "According To Jim" at 9 p.m., followed by "Carpoolers" and "Boston Legal," proof that the writers need to return to work pretty darn quick.

NBC is kicking off its newest edition of "The Biggest Loser" at 8 p.m., still for me TV's most offensive show, followed by a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m.

The pick of the night, as always, is "Life On Mars" (BBC America, 9 p.m.)

And finally, if you missed them the first time around, now is the time to catch up with some hit shows you may have heard about. Fox is re-airing the pilots of "Bones" and "House" at 8 and 9 p.m., respectively, so now is your chance to catch them.

Skin-deep TV

If you've watched five seconds of FX the past three months, you'll know that "Nip/Tuck" (FX, 10 p.m.) kicks off its fifth season tonight.

Unfortunately, I've seem to have caught all 6,000 commercials FX has aired to promote the show, reminding me why I never started watching it in the first place - it really creeps me out.

Maybe it's because I've never gotten into the whole plastic surgery thing, or maybe it's because the show's promos usually display the series' most vulgar moments, but "Nip/Tuck" has never appealed to me.

But it has a devoted legion of fans, who know, no doubt, that the series has shifted stars Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh to Los Angeles after four years in Miami. But after being star surgeons on the East Coast, the two docs are small fish in the big pond of L.A. So they hire a publicist (Lauren Hutton) to help them establish themselves.

FX is pretty hit or miss with its series. For every "Rescue Me" or "The Shield," there have been a lot of duds. "Nip/Tuck" seems to be that rare show - not great TV, but very popular.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is all-new and usually at its best when it goes for humor. It also does well with holiday episodes (remember the Christmas show from Season 1, when everyone was stuck in the lab?) So I'm looking forward to tonight's Halloween-themed episode, especially with Bones going as Wonder Woman and Camille dressing as Catwoman. It's followed by a brand-new "House." (Fox, 9 p.m.) I already miss "Bosley," but am glad "13" and "back-stabbing bitch" have survived House's job interview for another week.

As I alluded to yesterday, the classic "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (ABC, 8 p.m.) airs tonight, followed by "Dancing With The Stars" and "Boston Legal."

CBS is all-new with "NCIS," "The Unit" and "Cane."

Finally, I never watch this show, but I have to say I was disturbed by this week's promos for "The Biggest Loser" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) in which one of the candidates gains weight in order to help himself in the overall competition. It disturbs me because the show was supposed to be this sort of feel-good, root-for-everyone kind of show, and when it devolves into reality-styled backstabbing, it becomes an unseemly, carnival-styled sideshow, with the viewer gawking at these people with weight problems. A few months back, I praised ABC for teaming up with Shaquille O'Neal to target childhood obesity, because that show seemed to have noble intentions. Perhaps NBC should remember that.

The Glass Is Half-Full These Days

On the heels of the announcement that arguably the worst new show of the season, "Viva Laughlin," has been axed is the even better news that TV's arguably best new show, "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.) has earned a full season's worth of episodes.

It's nice to see originality, when it's done right, rewarded. Some people have criticized "Pushing Daisies" for being too cute, but for me, I love the fairy-tale whimsical nature of the show. And actors Lee Pace, Chi McBride, Kristen Chenowith and Anna Friel are pitch perfect in their roles on the show.

In even better news, "How I Met Your Mother" actually has shown a slight ratings increase this season, getting an extra 600,000 or so last week. Hey, every little bit helps.

So, my mood remains optimistic for another week, until the writers strike ....

TUESDAY RECAP: "Damages" ended with a bit of a whimper rather than a bang (Ted Danson's fate not withstanding), and if this show doesn't get renewed I won't be too emotional.

On the other hand, between John Francis Daley last night and Stephen Fry last season, Booth (David Boreanaz) should be in therapy every week on "Bones." I think Daley has signed for a few episodes, so Booth's mental health woes should continue to delight fans of the series, especially with Bones (Emily Deschanel) now joining him.

And I continue to love the job interview process on "House," especially the candidates known as "13" and "Back-stabbing bitch." But I am going to miss "Bosley," unfortunately. After its clever takes on "The Bachelor," "Survivor" and "Charlie's Angels," which show will "House" producers mock next?

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: I've seen ads for "Phenomenon" (NBC, 8 p.m.) running on the network for the past few weeks, but I really have no idea what this show is about. Uri Geller and Criss Angel are the hosts, and I think it's something like "American Idol" for magicians, but other than that, I really don't know what to tell you. It's followed by new installments of "Bionic Woman" and "Life."

My boy Josh Beckett takes the mound against Jeff Francis as the Boston Red Sox play host to the Colorado Rockies in Game 1 of the World Series (Fox, 8 p.m.) I'm not really a Red Sox fan, but Beckett is the only guy on my fantasy team that is actually good, and he's amazing during the postseason.

"Private Practice" (ABC, 9 p.m.) and "Dirty Sexy Money" (ABC, 10 p.m.) follow "Pushing Daisies."

It's not like I watch any of the "CSIs" any way, but man, do the ads for tonight's "CSI: NY" (CBS, 10 p.m.) - about murder during an online role-playing game - look corny. I'm trying really hard to remember that Gary Sinise is one of the finest actors of his generation, but that's difficult when they have him shouting into the camera saying "Get out!" to an online game player. It follows "Criminal Minds," (CBS, 9 p.m.), which is in the process of introducing another great actor, Joe Mantegna, as Mandy Patinkin's replacement. Let's get these stars material worthy of them!

Some More Reviewing

Two shows I usually enjoy have come stumbling out of the gates this season rather than flying.

Two episodes into the post-Don Bellisario era and "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) has yet to find its legs. I usually find "NCIS" to be one of the more enjoyable of CBS' long list of procedurals because the show has a good sense of humor and doesn't take itself too seriously.

But so far, the series has come out flat. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the season premiere, involving guest star Armand Assante's arms dealer, was a big letdown after a year-long buildup. It just seemed as though the writers got tired of the storyline and looked for the quickest way to end it. Maybe that had something to do with Bellisario leaving "NCIS" as the producer, I don't know, but it seemed to be a big waste of time for the fans.

I have higher hopes for tonight's episode, in which Gibbs (Mark Harmon) not only has to deal with his ex-wife, but also his ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend.

"Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) hasn't been much better. I think the producers made a mis-step in returning lab geek Zack back so early after shipping him off to Iraq at the end of last season, because returning him the next episode essentially really took away from the impact of his return - he wasn't gone long enough for the viewers to miss him. Plus, the producers could have really milked a long line of new lab techs for Bones (Emily Deschanel) to drive crazy, rather than just mention it as a throwaway line. And the chemistry between Bones and Booth (David Boreanaz) hasn't lived up to past seasons.

But all is not lost among returning shows. "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) was pretty uneven last season when it came to storytelling, but has started off very strong with the extended subplot of trying to pick a new team. The new actors (Kal Penn, Olivia Wilde, et al) have been strong additions and we get to see House (Hugh Laurie) at his eccentric best.

MONDAY RECAP: I thought "How I Met Your Mother" reached slap bet/Robin Sparkles last night with Ted's "tricycle" scenario (not to spoil things for the DVR crowd). The feeling that this was the funniest 30 minutes of the new season lasted all of five minutes, as "Aliens In America" managed to be even funnier. This is easily TV's best new sitcom.

Though I've stopped watching it, "Prison Break" had a major event last night. You can read more about it with TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello here: (warning - major spoilers) http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Prison-Break-Exclusive/800024014.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Proof positive that there's no such thing as bad publicity, both "Cavemen" (ABC, 8 p.m.) and "Carpoolers" scored very solid numbers in their debut last week. How the same network suits that greenlighted "Pushing Daisies" also gave the thumbs up to these shows is one of life's great mysteries. It's followed by "Dancing With the Stars," in which teen superstar Miley Cyrus performs with her dad, Billy Ray, while a new "Boston Legal" is at 10 p.m.

I gave up on "The Unit" (CBS, 9 p.m.) a long time ago, but I did notice in the most recent ads that star Dennis Haysbert has gone back to the Pedro Cerrano look. It's followed by a new "Cane."

After two hours of so-called reality programming, NBC delivers a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m.

"Damages" (FX, 10 p.m.) continues to fall in the ratings, but word on the street is that it will be picked up for a second season. If they do, hopefully FX will take the time to fix the sound on the episode, since it was totally screwed up over the final 15 minutes of last week's installment when I tried watching it twice last week. But hey, I'm sure nothing important happened.

Part 2 of the HBO/BBC miniseries, "Five Days" (HBO, 8 p.m.) airs tonight.

Finally, "The War" may be over on PBS, but cool programming isn't. I definitely will be checking out "NOVA" (PBS, 8 p.m.) tonight, which deals with the making of Samurai swords. (Hey, we all have our interests and hobbies). In addition, the famous British documentary that follows the same group of people every seven years of their lives continues tonight with "49 Up" at 10 p.m.

Writers' Strike Imminent?

Over the past few days, the Writers Guild of America sent out letters and e-mails to its membership asking for authorization for a potential strike, tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 1.

With the contract between the WGA and the studios due to end Oct. 31, there are huge issues dividing the two parties, most notably, new media platforms and compensation. In other words, how much of the $1.99 does the writer get when you download a TV show or movie off iTunes?

It's a question that isn't going away, and with the actors' and directors' guilds contracts due to end next year, Hollywood hasn't heard the last of this issue no matter how the WGA deal shakes out.

So, why am I telling you all this? Originally, it was assumed that the WGA would wait to hold their strike until next June, to go in conjuction with the other two guilds. For the studios, it gave them more breathing room - by then, the TV seasons would be complete and they would have an extra eight months to stockpile movie scripts and get more projects in the can.

But now with only a window of a month to settle the dispute, movie projects all over Hollywood may be shut down and the networks are going to have to scramble to fill in programming, since most TV series will only have no more than a dozen episodes (probably less) in the can before a strike. Shows like "Heroes," which had planned on going the entire season without airing reruns, may now be forced to reconsider those plans. And the schedule will likely be full of reality style programming (another issue as the WGA wants those producers subject to WGA rules).

For the average TV and movie viewer, it's looming to be a gloomy holiday season, and the two sides seem far enough apart that this won't be resolved easily.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Our motto at the TVGuy should be "We watch awful TV so you don't have to." (No thanks necessary, but I do accept tips.)

ABC, which hasn't had a good half-hour comedy in a long while, launches two more tonight that will likely extend that streak. The much publicized "Cavemen," based on the Geico commercials, debuts tonight (ABC, 8 p.m.) followed by "Carpoolers" at 8:30 p.m.

"Cavemen" wasn't sent out in advance to critics, never a good sign, and the original pilot was so panned that it had to be entirely reshot. As a result, the series takes place in San Diego instead of Atlanta, the original setting.

"Carpoolers" stars Jerry O'Connell as part of a quartet of guys who share a ride to work each day. It's supposed to be a buddy series about male bonding, but it falls completely flat. The humor is lame and the situations these guys find themselves in border on the ridiculous. Between "Carpoolers" and "Big Shots," ABC really ought to stay out of the male bonding genre — they really suck at it.

Those shows are followed by ratings juggernaut "Dancing With The Stars" and Emmy favorite "Boston Legal."

Fortunately, you the viewer has plenty of good options tonight. Fox has the best lineup with new episodes of "Bones" at 8 p.m. and "House" at 9 p.m., as our favorite curmudgeonly physician puts 40 candidates through the job interview from hell.

"NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) wrapped up its season arc from last year a little too neatly for my taste, considering we won't be seeing any more of Armand Assante's guns dealer after a year's worth of buildup. It's followed by "The Unit" and "Cane."

Perhaps gearing up for the writers' strike, NBC has a 90-minute "Biggest Loser" beginning at 8 p.m. followed by "The Singing Bee" before it finally airs a dramatic show in "Law& Order: SVU" at 10 p.m.

Hopefully, you caught the pilot last week to one of TV's best new shows in "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.), but if you didn't, it's not too late to catch up with it now.

Finally, last, but certainly not least, Ken Burns' "The War" (PBS, 8 p.m.) continues tonight with victory in Europe and the death of FDR.