'Arrested Development's' Buster In Macon

A couple of things to know about actor Tony Hale.

He has both his hands. He's not a hyper-sensitive mama's boy.

And he's a down-to-Earth, genuinely nice guy.

Hale was in Macon Monday to speak to students and fans at Macon State about being a professional actor. Hale's dad, Mike, is the director of Macon State's Warner Robins campus.

Hale is best-known as the none-too-bright, overly sensitive man-child Buster Bluth on the Emmy-winning "Arrested Development," but he has had a diverse career, beginning with guest spots on "The Sopranos" and "Dawson's Creek" after working for years in commercials.

"AD" opened a lot of doors for Hale, who has gone on to appear in "Andy Barker, PI" and the Will Ferrell movie "Stranger Than Fiction." Currently, he is in the process of wrapping up several film roles, including "The Year of Getting to Know Us" with Jimmy Fallon and "The Informant," which stars Matt Damon and is directing by Steven Soderbergh. Hale is also joining the cast of NBC's "Chuck," playing the new manager of the store that Chuck works at.

So, the big question on everyone's mind is: What is the status of the proposed "Arrested Development" movie? Hale said he gets asked the question a lot, but doesn't really know the status of it. On the one hand, the series was more of a cult hit rather than a ratings giant, so it's a risky proposition for a movie studio. On the other hand, Hale pointed out, the profiles of actors Jason Bateman and Michael Cera have risen considerably since the series, which makes it easier to attract funding.

"Until we start shooting it, I'm not even going there," Hale said with a chuckle. "But if we do it, I want a bionic hand!"

Hale was asked about his favorite episodes and characters on the series. He said he loved the plotlines with his mother, Jessica Walter, and his girlfriend, Liza Minelli - both named Lucille. He said it's difficult to decide on a favorite character besides Buster.

"Everyone brought something to the table," he said.

But he did admit that he cracked up during nearly every scene he shot with GOB (Will Arnett), one of his brothers on the show.

Hale also had a lot of praise for the show's writers. When asked about co-star David Cross' penchant for improv, he said it rarely happened because of the quality of scripts.

"The scripts were so good that no one wanted to get off-page," Hale said.

Hale said even though the series was on the bubble for all three of its seasons, the cast decided to enjoy the experience of making it rather than worrying about being canceled. Of course, it didn't help that the series at one point ran in the same timeslot as "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI."

"There wasn't too much hope for us," he said.

Hale listed his acting influences from comics like Steve Martin and Tim Conway to giants like Robert Duvall, singling out his work in "The Apostle."

Hale said it's nice to have so many gigs lined up over the next year or so, because actors often live paycheck to paycheck.

Hale made several references to the fact that he is often cast as a bumbler or as the leading man's goofy best friend. I asked if he was worried about being typecast in such roles for his career.

"I love it," he said. "I really enjoy it. It's just a fact that I'm never going to get the girl, but that's fine."

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: It's depressing to think of how great "Arrested Development" truly was and how it constantly struggled for ratings, and then look at tonight's TV lineup.

In the land of the slightly bizarre, NBC goes promotional crazy when it pits the cast of "My Name Is Earl" against the cast of "American Gladiators" in tonight's "Celebrity Family Feud." (NBC, 8 p.m.) I'd love to come up with something witty to say about that, but I think it speaks for itself. It's followed by "America's Got Talent."

The wackiness continues on ABC with "Wipeout" and "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," followed by Primetime special "The Outsiders" at 10 p.m.

The two finalists square off in "Hell's Kitchen," (Fox, 9 p.m.), which follows a new "Moment of Truth."

'Chuck' Returns

One of my favorite freshman shows of the season returns tonight for what will hopefully NOT be the final two first-run episodes of the season (pending the strike).

"Chuck," the show about a mild-mannered computer repairman who has the entire U.S. intelligence database downloaded into his brain, returns with new episodes on NBC at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., sandwiching a new "Celebrity Apprentice."

"Chuck" deftly mixes comedy and action as the reluctant hero (Zachary Levi) tries to balance his normal life while dealing with his two secret agent handlers (Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski). Levi brings a terrific, everyman appeal in a starmaking turn. It's a very easy show to catch on with, so tonight might be a good chance to check it out.

Speaking of "Celebrity Apprentice," as critical as I've been of the show the past few seasons, I have to admit that few things will ever compare to the bizarreness of last week's boardroom, as Donald Trump finally encountered a man in Gene Simmons whose ego dwarfed his own.

My guess is that Simmons had gotten sick of appearing on the show and wanted to leave, and this was his best shot. How else to possibly explain his bizarre decision not to bring back TV exec Nely Galan to the boardroom, when Trump was practically begging to fire her and spare Simmons?

Hopefully, the acerbic brit Piers Morgan will stick around a while longer and Omorosa will go sooner rather than later.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 8 p.m.) is all-new as our heroine (America Ferrera) tries to pick between her two suitors. The afformentioned Gene Simmons and Gabrielle Union guest star. Following a "Grey's Anatomy" rerun, what is hopefully the last-ever "Big Shots" airs at 10 p.m.

'Amazing' Dilemma

Watching last night's "Amazing Race" reminded me of one of my favorite aspects of the show: the pulling-for-half-the-team dilemma.

To wit, the father-daughter duo of Ronald and Christina. Christina is the perfectly charming daughter who managed to turn out OK despite having an insane, tyrannical father. If she won the $1 million, I wouldn't be too upset. (Though at this stage, I'm pulling for the hot blonds. My rule for "The Amazing Race" is that, until I get to know the teams better, when in doubt, pull for the hot blonds.)

But, after two episodes, Ronald has proven to be perhaps the most irritating single racer in show history. It wasn't just his embarrassing tirade at another team in the airport, nor his arguing becoming so incessant that Christina had to stop and ask him to stop berating her.

By the time he gave his fifth or sixth bit of instruction to her on the pole vault, I was literally yelling at the TV for him to just shut the heck up. I honestly can't picture nine or 10 more weeks with this guy.

How bad is he? I would root for the evil team of Rob and Amber of any team with Ronald. Heck, he makes the whiny, irritating Flo from Season 3 or 4 (I forget which) seem like a lovely ray of sunshine in comparison.

I mean, Ronald called his seemingly nicely proportioned daughter "fat" as they climbed aboard the bicycle for the final homestretch, this after she completed the pole vault relatively quickly.

So, we return to the dilemma: Do I pull for Christina, who deserves a hell of a lot more than $1 million for putting up with this guy, knowing that Ronald gets half? Or do I pull against her, knowing that means she has to go through this horrible experience and not get any reward out of it.

Meanwhile, it's hard to pick a favorite out of the rest of the field. The cute sisters whine a bit too much; the kid-grandfather team is pretty hopeless (what were they thinking letting the old man try the pole vault); and all of the good-looking boy-girl teams have kind of melded together so far. The Goths, however, are hilarious. I'm hoping they stick around for a while (along with the hot blonds, of course).

Which teams are you pulling for and pulling against?

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Oh, to be "Chuck." (NBC, 8 p.m.) Tonight, he seemingly has to choose between his pretend, secret agent girlfriend (Yvonne Strahovski) and guest star Rachel Bilson. Why don't I ever have to be faced with these choices? It's followed by a new "Heroes," coming off its best episode of the season, and a new "Journeyman."

"Prison Break" (Fox, 8 p.m.) has so far been more affected by the WGA strike than any other show (not because of good writing; that disappeared about two-thirds of the way into Season 1) because it will return after a short break in January instead of April, which was the original plan. It's followed by a new "K-Ville," which is benefitting from the strike by virtue of the fact it hasn't been cancelled.

If you want a taste of what you may be in for over the next few months if the strike continues, check out ABC, with "Dancing With The Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) and "The Bachelor" (ABC, 10 p.m.) They sandwich "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), one of the few decent sitcoms ABC has turned out in the last decade or so.

CBS is all-new with its comedy lineup, followed by "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m. Sister network The CW also brings you all-new stuff.

You Were A Good Man, Charles Schulz

As fictional characters go, one of the ones I've always felt a close kinship toward is Charlie Brown.

Maybe it's the feeling of the emblematic football of happiness and success always being yanked away from me at the last second right before I kick it, or the fruitless pursuit of the little redheaded girl, but darn if the little bald kid in the yellow-and-black striped shirt doesn't seem to be the perfect spiritual fictional totem for me.

I bring this up because PBS presents the documentary, Good Ol' Charles Schulz on "American Masters" (PBS, 9 p.m.), followed by "Peanuts Gallery" at 10 p.m. Both shows look at the "Peanuts" world of Charlie Brown & Co. and the man who created it.

You'll learn who the inspirations were for characters like Lucy and the little red-headed girl, and how the comic strip grew from the funny pages to TV movies that are still loved today. One of the best, "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," will air Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Having worked in newspapers for 13 years, one of the neatest things I've ever seen in one was the tribute by every other comic strip the week Schulz died back in 2000. Every strip contained either a personal note from the cartoonist or a "Peanuts" character worked into that day's comic.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: I really can't understand why "Chuck" (NBC, 8 p.m.) is only doing middling in the ratings. It's got a strong cast, action, humor and uncomplicated storylines. A viewer could tune into any episode and dive right in, and not have to worry about catching up. Fans of the show seem pretty enthusiastic about it, yet word of mouth hasn't spread about it. It's a tad worrisome. It's followed by new episodes of "Heroes" and the ever-improving "Journeyman."

But then, I feel the same way about "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8 p.m.), and it's the weakest-rated of the four CBS sitcoms on Mondays despite being also the best. The sitcoms are followed by "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

One show drawing in the huge numbers is "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), thanks to being wedged in between "Dancing With The Stars" at 8 p.m. and "The Bachelor" at 10 p.m. It will be interesting to see if "Samantha" continues to draw after "DWTS" ends, but right now, it's ABC's most successful sitcom in years and may provide the blueprint how it will launch sitcoms in the future.

I'm going to continue to plug the season's best new sitcom, "Aliens in America" (CW, 8:30 p.m.) until you people start watching it. It's a great mix of teen angst combined with political incorrectness, and Amy Pietz deserves an Emmy nomination for her work as the mom on the show.

Finally, though the World Series has ended, Fox has had to set aside the programming schedule in case it went longer than four games. So everything is a rerun tonight, though interestingly, Fox is airing a rerun of "House" at 8 p.m. rather than the normally scheduled "Prison Break."

'Hero-ic' Effort?

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly blasts "Heroes" for what having what it describes as a sub-par season, and even many fans of the show are anxious for something eye-popping to happen.

As I pointed out a few postings ago, "Heroes" (NBC, 9 p.m.) was blasted by some last year because it had so many diverse plot threads that only came together after a full season. The writers seem to be taking the same approach this season.

That being said, the writers need to speed things up just a bit. It's hard to care about new characters when we are only seeing glimpses of old ones. We've barely seen Niki (Ali Larter, who spent part of the summer filming "Resident Evil," so she probably wasn't available) this season, and Hiro (Masi Oka) and Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) were completely absent from last week's installment.

Meanwhile, the show seems pre-occupied shoving new, uninteresting characters down our throat. Enough with the brother-sister plague carriers, already. Other than serving as a plot device for getting Sylar (Zachary Quinto) back to New York, they've detracted more than they've added. And Micah's cousin (Dana Davis), who has one of the more lame superpowers ever in duplicating whatever she watches on TV? (I'm curious, if she were watching "Heroes" and saw someone use their powers, such as Nathan flying, would she be able to fly as well?) But at least I know who to call when I can't operate my George Foreman grill.

Tonight could be a pivotal episode for "Heroes," since it marks the introduction of the lovely and talented Miss Kristen Bell as Elle, a mysterious woman with a mysterious power who seeks out Peter. Certainly, bringing in the likes of Bell is something that's going to be exteremely exciting for a lot of fans, but will the producers drag out her introduction as well so we can have a few more quality moments between Claire and her boyfriend?

Don't get me wrong, "Heroes" is still must-see TV for me, but the producers need to get us back to the characters we spent a season rooting for first, then introduce other characters into the mix (unless it's Kristen Bell, then they can give her as much screen time as they want).

I do find it interesting, though, about how impatient viewers are these days. TV isn't a two-hour movie; writers should get a few episodes to establish storylines and characters. Take a look at "Chuck," (NBC, 8 p.m.), which some people said was slow out of the gates. I disagree; "Chuck" took its first two episodes to set up the series and characters, then kicked it into overdrive by putting Chuck (Zachari Levi) into full-time spy situations. The result has been that "Chuck" is one of the more pleasant surprises this season. Ditto for "Journeyman," (NBC, 10 p.m.), which some viewers complained about being "confusing," when that is precisely the point. Our confusion mirrors Dan's (Kevin McKidd), who suddenly finds himself in different eras, seeing his dead fiancee. Who wouldn't be confused by that?

As always, it's all about finding the right balance, something not always easy to do on the TV landscape.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the premiere of "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) last week. It fulfilled the primary function of a sitcom - it made me laugh, something ABC sitcoms really haven't done in years. How long the premise of a woman re-discovering herself after amnesia may end up getting stretched thin, but it's hard to believe the same network that's given us this also gave us "Caveman" and "Carpoolers." But then, it's hard to believe the same network that has given us the god-awful "Big Shots" also airs "Pushing Daisies." So, what do I know? But given "Samantha's" timeslot between "Dancing With The Stars" and "The Bachelor," expect it to last a while.

What do I know, indeed? I find "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8 p.m.) to be the best sitcom of the night, arguably the best on TV right now because I'm not enjoying the full hour versions of "The Office," yet "HIMYM" is the lowest rated CBS comedy, losing out to the likes of "Big Bang Theory," "2 1/2 Men" and "Rules of Engagement." But maybe the success of those shows, combined with "CSI: Miami," will keep "HIMYM" around for a while longer.

Speaking of great sitcoms, thank goodness for diminished expectations, because "Aliens In America" (CW, 8:30 p.m.) has been a riot, though no one seems to be watching. It follows "Everybody Hates Chris," and is followed by "Girlfriends" and "The Game."

Finally, I gave up on "Prison Break" (Fox, 8 p.m.) and "K-Ville" (Fox, 9 p.m.) weeks ago, and haven't missed them. While a lot of "PB" fans were angered over the death of Dr. Sara, I've always hated what I thought was one of the dumber-written characters on TV. (How this woman got her M.D., I'll never know.) But "PB" is an example of trying to milk a show too much instead of finding a natural ending.

Some Reviews

Long-time contributor Jonathan asked for some reviews, especially of returning shows, last week. Now that I've caught up (mostly) on previewing the new shows on the schedule, it's ask-and-ye-shall-receive time. I'll look at the Monday shows today, with this being Monday and all.

Probably the biggest divide of any show out there is "Heroes," (NBC, 9 p.m.) Picking up a few months after last season's finale, we see old favorites (Parkman, Hiro, the Bennets) in different and unfamiliar situations as showrunner Tim Kring continues to introduce new characters.

Some people have criticized "Heroes" for being slow out of the gates, and perhaps there is some validity to that (we don't even catch our first glimpse of returning characters like Niki and Sylar until tonight), but if anyone remembers Season 1 of this show, Kring & Co. spend a lot of time setting up plotlines, usually with big payoffs later in the season. Clearly, a lot of "Heroes" is going to revolve around the company, and the trio of Parkman, Bennet and Mohindar trying to take it down. How does Hiro being in feudal Japan, or Peter having no memory, or the newly introduced Mexican twins play into that? I have no idea, but I have enough faith in the writing staff that there will be a payoff at some point this season. Meanwhile, the comic timing of Masi Oka and David Anders in feudal Japan has been nothing short of brilliant.

Also still on top of its game is "How I Met Your Mother." (CBS, 8 p.m.) The sub-plot of vacation Robin vs. New York Robin was well-executed, as was the death letters Marshall and Lily left for each other. How this show draws lower ratings than "Big Bang Theory" is really beyond me.

"Prison Break" (Fox, 8 p.m.) continues to sputter, and I finally gave up on it after two weeks. I mean, the show has bordered on the ridiculous for a while now, and introducing new conspiracies while not adequately wrapping up the old ones isn't the way to solve the show's problems.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Chuck" (NBC, 8 p.m.) has been one of the pleasant surprises of the new season, and the show gets even better this week now that the writers have established the premise. Chuck (Zachari Levi, one of the breakout stars on TV this season) must help track down one of the world's most dangerous terrorists, and to do so, he must learn to tango. Enter Captain Awesome! Meanwhile, Chuck continues to battle for the assistant manager's job at work. It's followed by "Heroes" and "Journeyman," (NBC, 10 p.m.), a show which I've liked but is struggling ratings-wise, most likely because of its confusing nature.

I've never been into "2 1/2 Men" nor "Rules of Engagement," which fill up CBS' 9-10 p.m. slot, and I don't think I'll start now, but the ratings have been pretty strong. It's followed by an all-new "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

Giving up on "Prison Break" also meant giving up on "K-Ville" (Fox, 9 p.m.) Despite a solid premise and a good cast, this show never lived up to the hype, devolving into car chases and standard '80s-fare cop melodrama.

Meanwhile, I eagerly await the second episode of "Aliens In America" (CW, 8:30 p.m.), which follows an all-new "Everybody Hates Chris." "Aliens" may be - arguably - the second-best pilot produced this year, only behind "Pushing Daisies."

Finally, I failed to mention it last week, but HBO is running a new miniseries mystery co-produced with the BBC called "Five Days," about a family that is abducted in the U.K. It had a very solid opening which re-airs tonight (HBO, 9:30 p.m.) before Part 2 airs Tuesday.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Welcome to the best week of the year - fall TV premiere week.

You've got new shows galore and old favorites returning. Which ones will fail? Which will succeed? Which shows are you rooting for?

Of course, last week saw the premieres of two Fox shows, "Prison Break" (Fox, 8 p.m.) and "K-Ville" (Fox, 9 p.m.), but this is the week that pretty much everything is new.

As I've posted previously, right now, NBC has the most interesting slate of new shows, followed closely by The CW. Of all the new NBC offerings, I believe "Chuck," (NBC, 8 p.m.) has the broadest appeal. Following the misadventures of a geeky store clerk, Chuck (Zachary Levi) finds himself having the entire American intelligence network downloaded into his brain by his former college rival.

Now operatives from both the CIA and NSA want the knowledge in his head and are keeping a close eye on him.

What makes "Chuck" different is that we actually get insight into the protagonist's home life. We're not just pulling for Chuck to not get killed, we're also pulling for him to get that assistant manager's job at work.

Oh, and "Chuck" also has perhaps the best-ever Ninja-vs.-geek combat sequence.

"Chuck" leads off an entire night of fantasy-based shows for the Peacock, with the season premiere of "Heroes" (NBC, 9 p.m.) and "Journeyman" (NBC, 10 p.m.) For more insight into "Heroes," you can check out this week's edition of "Entertainment Weekly," which has a great cover story on the show.

"Journeyman" is a show a lot of viewers may find confusing at first, but I think that's partly deliberate from the show's writers to reflect the confusion the lead character Dan (Kevin McKidd) is experiencing. Dan, a journalist, suddenly finds himself bouncing around through time, following the life experiences of a single family Dan accidentally meets. By the second episode, things get a bit clearer for Dan, though obviously how and why he is bouncing around through time will remain the season's big mystery.

There are plenty of other highlights tonight for a wide range of viewers. CBS kicks off its lineup with the season premieres of returning comedies "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8 p.m.), with guest stars Mandy Moore and Enrique Iglesias, "2 1/2 Men" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "Rules of Engagement" (CBS, 9:30 p.m.), followed by the premiere of "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m. The Eye also premieres the new comedy, "Big Bang Theory" at 8:30 p.m. Feel free to skip it.

ABC goes the so-called reality route, with the season premieres of "Dancing With The Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) - go Wayne Newton! - and the 11th edition of "The Bachelor" at 9:30 p.m.

UGLY COUCH TIME: On Tuesday morning's edition of "Live With Regis & Kelly," (WMAZ, Tues., 9 a.m.) former Maconite Christina Stefano Wood will appear as a finalist in the national Ugly Couch Competition.

MORE VIRAL MARKETING: A couple of items e-mailed to me from helpful publicists may interest you. If you want to check out the season premiere of one of TV's best shows before it airs in "Friday Night Lights," it is currently running on Yahoo! at: http://tv.yahoo.com/falltv2007/friday-night-lights/show/38958/videos/4151897.

Also, for fans of MTV's "Jackass" (I don't count myself among that group), Dr. Steve-O is getting his own show on USA. You can check out a preview at the official Web site, http://drsteveo.com/.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: There's not much I haven't already listed, but I should point out that the excellent "The War" (PBS, 8 p.m.) is continuing tonight. There are also new episodes of "Weeds" (Showtime, 10 p.m.) and "Californication" (Show, 10:30 p.m.)