Using Your Remote Control

If you check out The Telegraph today, there's an interesting letter to the editor in which a local viewer complains about CBS airing "Dexter" on Sunday nights. The reader said the series carries a TV-14 rating but clearly is not appropriate for 14-year-olds. The reader also accuses CBS of violating the public trust by misusing the airwaves and hopes "Dexter" will be pulled off immediately.

I've written about this before and likely will so again, but my short answer to this is, yes, "Dexter" shouldn't be watched by 14-year-olds, but no, it shouldn't be pulled off the air.

I've never understood why various parents watchdog groups can think they can make the choice for everyone as to what is appropriate and what isn't. Certainly, if I had kids, I wouldn't let them watch "Dexter," which shows a serial killer from the killer's viewpoint. But that shouldn't limit my own enjoyment of it.

It's a fine line as to what is appropriate and what isn't, but certainly there are so many different viewpoints on any series that censorship shouldn't be endorsed as a means of child-rearing. If the parents on these watchdog groups have a problem with their kid watching a certain series, by all means, supervise your own kid and make sure he or she doesn't watch it. But don't try to parent other kids who aren't your own.

Now, more than ever, with the advent of the internet, there are lots of things more harmful than a TV show, but there are also all sorts of parental controls and information out there to help parents combat it. Not to mention the quaint notion of actually sitting down with your kids and discussing what they see on TV as a basis for morality.

There are hardly any shows that don't carry material that someone somewhere might find objectionable. "Dexter" is really no more violent than some of the things seen on "CSI," for example. And is the violence any more or less objectional than all of the sex on "Grey's Anatomy?"

The point is, every household has the ultimate means of making sure their kids don't watch something that's objectionable. It's called the remote control.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: The short season of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Fox, 8 p.m.), replete with all sorts of violence, wraps up tonight with a two-hour finale. This is kind of a bubble show, with middling ratings compared to a very high budget, but it has grown on me and I hope it's in Fox's lineup next season.

Considering we fought a revolution 200-plus years ago to get away from a monarchy, this country remains awfully fascinated by Britain's royal family. Those people interested will be in for a treat as Barbara Walters examines a year in their life in a two-hour special tonight (ABC, 8 p.m.) It's followed by a new "October Road" at 10 p.m.

CBS airs new episodes of "Welcome To The Captain" and "Old Christine," while NBC has a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

Finally, ABC Family airs "Kyle XY" and "Wildfire," beginning at 8 p.m. I'm assuming that since they run on a family network, they are appropriate for all audiences.

'Dexter' On CBS

You can make a strong argument that Showtime has surpassed HBO in producing quality TV among pay-cable networks, especially with "The Sopranos" no longer on the air.

If you make that argument, "Dexter" would be at the top of the list.

Based upon a series of novels, "Dexter" stars Michael C. Hall as a police lab tech who moonlights as a serial killer. His victims? People in Miami who have committed crimes but somehow skirted the law. Dexter is a one-man judge, jury and executioner, trained by his late adoptive father to channel his latent homicidal instincts into a force for good.

Thanks to the strike, you can catch "Dexter" on network TV, when CBS begins airing the first season of the series Sunday night at 10 p.m.

There's been a little controversy over this, since obviously being on a network, the producers will have to cut out the strong language and nudity, as well as some of the gore that is one of the hallmarks of the series.

Can I recommend a watered-down "Dexter"? Yes. Though I think the series is best-presented in its Showtime format, there is enough great about the series that watching it on CBS won't affect the average viewer.

Hall is fantastic as Dexter, a total opposite to his character on "Six Feet Under." He is Emmy-worthy in his performance. His supporting is solid as well, although many fans of the series wish the whole thing was about Dexter and wouldn't go off into the various subplots.

"Dexter" isn't for the faint of heart, but it's a great mix of storytelling, acting and even humor.

THURSDAY RECAP: DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS ABOUT "LOST!!!"

SERIOUSLY!

OK, still here? Good.

Man, oh man, assuming the "Lost" producers have every subplot figured out, the ending of this series in a couple of years will be a humdinger, given all the little clues and twists they are leaving for us with the flash forwards.

Sayid (Naveen Andrews) becoming Ben's (Michael Emerson) personal hitman? Didn't see that one coming. And, of course, it begs the question about who the Germans were that Sayid was dispatched to infiltrate.

I can't wait to find out who the final two "Oceanic Six" survivors are.

Meanwhile, the one bad thing about "Lost" is that it's opposite "Supernatural," which might have aired its best episode ever. What could have been a simple ripoff of "Groundhog Day" as Dean (Jensen Ackles) is killed over and over while Sam (Jared Padelecki) is trapped in the same day turned out to be a brilliant mix of humor and pathos. This continues to be TV's most underrated show.

Finally, "Celebrity Apprentice" continues to be bizarrely entertaining, though enough is enough with Omorosa. She was beyond ridiculous last night and should have been booted off the show because of her behavior, no matter which team won.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: NBC, which sends me DVDs for nearly everything it does, did not send me the DVD for the "Knight Rider" TV movie airing Sunday at 9 p.m. So I can't tell you if it's any good or not, but my expectations aren't high. In fact, the one reason why I really wanted to see it - "Arrested Development's" Will Arnett voicing KITT - is gone as Arnett was replaced by Val Kilmer. Justin Bruening takes over the role as the son of Michael Knight, who fights crime in a Mustang supercar. And yes, David Hasselhoff does make an appearance in the movie, which may serve as a pilot if it's successful. It follows the finale of "American Gladiators."

"Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.) begins its two-part season finale as Adrian (Tony Shalhoub) is arrested for the murder of his wife's killer and becomes a fugitive. It's followed by the season finale of "Psych" at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.)

And I was remiss last week in forgetting to mention that one of TV's best new shows, "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 10 p.m.) is all-new Sunday.

An Early Happy Festivus

Just wanted to wish you loyal dozens (and judging by the number of replies that I've been getting lately, that number seems to be growing) a happy Festivus. As you (should) know, the holiday is upon us Sunday, so take out those aluminum poles and gear up for the feats of strengths. (I've long had my list of grievances ready to air).

It really says something about the staying power of a TV show like "Seinfeld" that over a decade after the Festivus episode aired, people still actually celebrate this holiday.

Some news and notes before the holiday season begins:

WILL JAMIE LYNN'S PREGNANCY BE A SPECIAL?: As you've no doubt heard by now, Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister has announced she's pregnant. Jamie Lynn Spears, star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," made the announcement in a celebrity rag earlier this week.

In the wake of the Spears family becoming more of a punchline, some good may actually come of this (besides the miracle of childbirth, of course). Nickelodeon is in talks with journalist Linda Ellerbee to do a special on teen pregnancy. Considering Nick's audience, and considering some of the other terrific specials aimed at kids that Ellerbee has done in the past (the one on AIDS, with Magic Johnson, springs to mind), this could end up being a great forum to deliver a message to thousands of teens and pre-teens.

Meanwhile, the network said it wouldn't yank "Zoey 101," which has wrapped up its final season of filming.

USA BIDS ADIEU: Fans of "The 4400" and "The Dead Zone" got a lump of coal for their stockings this week, as USA cancelled the two low-rated cult favorites. The network dragged its heels forever on making a decision, bu it seems like a mini-run of six episodes for each or even a TV movie to wrap up the storylines might have been a nice parting gift to loyal fans.

"DEXTER" KILLS: The sensational season finale of "Dexter" drew 1.4 million viewers in its initial airing, setting an all-time mark for Showtime. (The network only has between 15 and 18 million subscribers.) It was great to see star Michael C. Hall get deserved nominations this week from both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild for Best Actor, and Season 3 can't come soon enough.

Meanwhile, CBS is toying with the idea of airing heavily edited versions of "Dexter" during the WGA strike. Though I like the idea of introducing "Dexter" to a wider audience, the cuts the network would have to make in regards to the violence, sex and language would detract from the storytelling, IMHO, and I don't think a watered-down "Dexter" would make the same impact.

LIFETIME CONTEST: From a press release: Lifetime Networks’ myLifetime.com, the ultimate digital destination for women’s entertainment and escape, is searching for America’s most inspiring and creative New Year’s resolutions to be featured in an original Web series. MyLifetime.com’s “Clean Start Challenge” invites users to share their New Year’s resolutions online for a chance to host their own Webisode series and win cash prizes. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and a trip to Disney World. Nine runner-ups will each receive $2,000.

Users “audition” by submitting photos or videos describing their New Year’s resolution on myLifetime.com, now through January 9, 2008. A panel of expert judges will narrow down the entries to ten contestants, who will be given webcams to track their progress on keeping their resolutions from January 21st to March 31st.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Well, we've pretty much hit the end of new dramatic programming for the year, and even the college football bowl games aren't going to provide much relief. Tonight we get the mighty New Orleans Bowl, featuring the sexy matchup of Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic (ESPN2, 8 p.m.)

Other matchups over the weekend include the Papa John's Bowl (ESPN, Sat., 1 p.m.); the New Mexico Bowl (ESPN, Sat., 4:30 p.m.); The Las Vegas Bowl (ESPN, Sat., 8 p.m.); and the Hawaii Bowl (ESPN, Sun., 8 p.m.) as East Carolina looks for a Festivus miracle against Boise State.

"Duel" (ABC, 8 p.m.) continues tonight before ending Sunday night with its final four battling for more than $1 million.

"The Amazing Race" (CBS, Sun., 8 p.m.) returns for a new episode. It's followed by the documentary, "In God's Name" at 9 p.m., in which a dozen major religious leaders from all faiths around the world talk about modern issues.

A Cable Dilemma

Curse you, quality pay TV!

As evidenced by the love the Golden Globes showed networks like HBO and Showtime (a little too much love, in some cases) when the list of nominations were released Thursday, there's some really good stuff on those channels right now.

Which brings us to Sunday night.

Do I want to watch the season finale of "Dexter," (Showtime, 9 p.m.) which looks to conclude its fantastic Bay Harbor Butcher arc?

Or, do I want to watch the series finale of one of the most underrated comedies on TV, "Extras?" (HBO, 9 p.m.)

"Dexter" has been riveting this season, as the titular anti-hero (Michael C. Hall) feels the noose of the FBI tightening around his neck as he must comes to terms with what his life as a serial killer of bad people will mean to everyone else in his life. All the while, he must deal with his prisoner, Sgt. Doakes, who knows his secret, and his crazy ex-girlfriend Lila (Jaime Murray of "Hustle"). One of the best things about "Dexter" is that you definitely don't see the various plot twists when they pop up.

Meanwhile, series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have created a finale to "Extras" after two short seasons of the show, much the same way they did for the original version of "The Office" when it ran in the UK.

Andy (Gervais), a career background artist, must come to terms with the success of his TV sitcom which has been bastardized by the network, altering his vision of the show. While the regulars on the show - Gervais, his best friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen of "Ugly Betty") and his awful agent (Merchant) - have been terrific, what makes "Extras" truly brilliant are the cameos of real-life major stars and how they parody themselves, whether it's Ben Stiller quoting his own box office numbers or an overly self-involved Orlando Bloom, who can't figure out why Maggie is the one woman in the world who doesn't find him attractive.

The series finale includes appearances by Clive Owen, Gordon Ramsay, David Tennant and George Michael as themselves.

Since I can't tape one while I watch the other, I'll have to see which show airs its rerun first. But what a choice.

CASTING NEWS: A couple of interesting casting bits came over the wires, if the TV industry ever resumes.

Nana Visitor (Star Trek: Deep Space 9) will appear on the fourth season of "Battlestar Galactica" as a character with ties to Pres. Laura Roslin (Mary McDonell).

And the new voice of KITT in the upcoming "Knight Rider" TV movie? None other than Will Arnett of "Arrested Development," taking over for William Daniels from the original series. I have to say that if they let Arnett be his truly sarcastic self, "Knight Rider" may actually be worth watching. Also confirmed for the movie is original series star David Hasselhoff, reprising his role as Michael Knight.

STRIKE UPDATE: In a good news/bad news type of update, the WGA has filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board over the studios' walking away from the negotiating table.

It's bad news in that it shows the writers and studios are no closer to an agreement, but it might be good news in that hopefully the NLRB may force the studios back to the table. The studios offered a take-it-or-leave-it proposal to the union last week, then walked away from the table before the WGA even had a chance to make a counter-offer. The original offer? $200 residuals per year per episode of any TV show put online, which amounts to a slap in the face. Stay tuned.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Ah, the last few gasps of newness before 2008 comes.

One of my many complaints about "Moonlight" (CBS, 9 p.m.) is the almost-criminal underuse of Jason Dohring as Josef, Mick's (Alex O'Loughlin) vampire mentor. But tonight's episode is pretty Josef-centric, so that could be a good thing. It follows a new "Ghost Whisperer" (hey, guys, lay off Jennifer Love-Hewitt) and precedes a new "Numb3rs."

Meanwhile, "Men In Trees" (ABC, 8 p.m.) is also new.

On the sports side, if you don't want to drive all the way to Waycross (and I can't see why you wouldn't), you can catch the GHSA Class AAAA finals of Northside vs. Ware County tonight (GPTV, 7:30 p.m.)

On Sunday, "The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.) parodies one of my all-time favorite movies, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

For reasons passing understanding, CBS has decided to make the "Survivor" finale a three-hour affair. Me? I'll be watching pay cable, thank you very much.

'Razor' Sharp

Hope everyone have a good turkey day.

If "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" (Sci-Fi, Sat., 9 p.m.) does anything when it debuts this weekend, it will be as a reminder as to how much the regular series is missed. April seems very, very far away.

"Razor" tells three stories - all flashbacks - during the two-hour movie. One centers on Apollo's (Jamie Bamber) first mission as commander of Pegasus, in which he must destroy a Cylon weapon. His executive officer, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) is the lone surviving command officer since the ship's reign of Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes).

The second flashback is Shaw's first days on Pegasus, which coincided with the Cylon attack that wiped out the 12 colonies. We see through her eyes how Pegasus survived - though didn't thrive - under Cain's command. We also learn the story of the Cylon No. 6 unit (Tricia Helfer) who infiltrated Pegasus.

As Apollo tries to smooth the way between Shaw and Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) in getting ready for the mission, William Adama (Edward James Olmos) remembers his first mission as a pilot during the first Cylon War.

In true BSG style, none of the characters are presented sympathetically. We see what Shaw experienced with Cain and why she turned out as hard as she has become.

Though the ending is a little too neat and predictable, "Razor" provides a tremendous amount of insight into one chapter of the "BSG" saga and gives us tantalizing hints into elements of the final season.

But what it really does it remind us how far away April is, when the new season is supposed to start.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: It used to be Thanksgiving was a time for reruns, but that's not what the networks are giving us.

CBS is all-new Friday with "Ghost Whisperer," "Moonlight" and "Numb3rs," while ABC airs new episodes of "Men In Trees" at 8 p.m., followed by "Women's Murder Club" at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, it's a double-treat for sci-fi fans between "Razor" and "Torchwood," (BBC American, Sat., 9 p.m.) which airs its penultimate episode.

It's a full night of Sunday TV when "The Simpsons" (Fox, Sun., 8 p.m.) air a mini-"Frasier" reunion. Kelsey Grammer returns as Sideshow Bob, David Hyde-Pierce is his brother, Cyril, and John Mahoney plays their father. It's followed by "King of the Hill," "Family Guy," and "American Dad."

The teams race to Burkina Faso on "The Amazing Race," (CBS, 8 p.m.), followed by new episodes of "Cold Case" and "Shark."

ABC is all-new with "Desperate Housewives" at 9 p.m. and "Brothers & Sisters" at 10 p.m.

Finally, Michael C. Hall was robbed of an Emmy nod last year, but hopefully, last week's performance as "Dexter" will secure him a statuette. We'll see a different side of Dexter (Showtime, 9 p.m.) this week as the FBI closes in on the Bay Harbor Butcher. It's followed by a new "Brotherhood."

'FNL' On Fridays - Marketing Genius!

Tonight marks the return of one of TV's best shows as "Friday Night Lights" (NBC, 9 p.m.) is back. At least with the show's timeslot being the same now as the title, maybe a few more viewers will find it this season.

People who didn't want to watch "FNL" often complained they didn't want to devote their time to a show about high school football. "FNL" has about as much to do with high school football as "Grey's Anatomy" has to do with sharp medical writing.

"FNL" is a wonderful and realistic slice of Americana, how these characters try to keep their hopes and dreams alive in a stifling, dead-end town in Texas. Football is what binds the community together, but it's only a small part of what is going on.

Having seen the first three episodes of "FNL" this season, the series shows little signs of dropping off, despite a major blunder (IMHO) in the first episode.

It's the end of summer in Dillon, Texas, and school is about to begin. Former Panthers coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) is now beginning his duties as a college coach while his wife (Connie Britton; how she never even got an Emmy nomination is one of the great mysteries of life) is VERY pregnant. Daughter Julie is ignoring current beau, Panthers QB Matt Saracen, in favor of a good-looking, older lifeguard at the pool where they work.

Team fullback Tim Riggins has fallen off the wagon - again - while his former best friend Jason Street is adjusting to life as an assistant coach. Street's former girlfriend, Lyla, has found God. Her father, team booster Buddy Garrity, is being shut out of Panthers practices by the team's new no-nonsense head coach (Chris Mulkey). Finally, Matt's geeky best friend, Landry, is trying out for the team in hopes of impressing would-be girlfriend Tyra.

The Landry-Tyra stuff is mostly great, especially when Landry maps out a gameplan for wooing her with Matt. The scenes with Buddy, who has lost both his family and Panthers football, are also top-notch.

There is a major plot point in tonight's episode that was a mis-step by the writers, though. Two of the show's characters are stuck in a bad situation, and how they deal with it was too over-the-top, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the action will drive certain plot points at least over the next two episodes and possibly over much of the season. i won't spoil what happens here, but you will be able to recognize what I am talking about when you see it.

In spite of the mis-step, "FNL" doesn't show any signs of surrendering its claim as one of TV's most riveting dramas. Hey, even the Panthers didn't have a perfect season last year, and they still won the state title.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Normally, I don't plug reruns, but if you missed the debut of TV's best new show Wednesday, ABC is re-airing the pilot (or, rather, "Pie-lette") of "Pushing Daisies" at 8 p.m.

"Numb3rs" (CBS, 10 p.m.) is all-new, as Don & Co. investigate a Hollywood murder involving an actor. Just want to point out, the script I sent the producers over the summer was about a Hollywood murder involving a writer, but no, I'm not bitter or anything. It follows new installments of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Moonlight" at 9 p.m. Incidentally, tonight's "Moonlight" was written by former "Angel" writer David Greenwalt, so it may be worth checking out.

"Las Vegas," (NBC, 10 p.m.) featuring new lead Tom Selleck, airs after "FNL."

"Doctor Who" (Sci-Fi, 8 p.m.) wraps up Season 3 (or Season 29, depending on how you count) as Martha Jones must save a devastated Earth from The Master (guest star John Simm, "Life On Mars"). My only complaint about the season finales of this series is why must I wait so long between seasons, and how will they top this finale next year? It's followed by "Flash Gordon" at 9 p.m., featuring a guest appearance by 1980 Flash Sam J. Jones. Why they go to the trouble of getting Jones but not using the Queen theme song is beyond me. A new "Stargate: Atlantis" is at 10 p.m.

Speaking of Sci-Fi, if you can't wait for "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," set to air next month, there will be a two-minute preview during tonight's "Flash Gordon."

"Torchwood," (BBC America, Sat., 9 p.m.) is all-new Saturday.

Hey, you know what else is new Saturday? "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 11:30 p.m.), featuring Seth Rogen, with musical guest Spoon.

On Sunday, Fox is all-new with its animaton block, starting with "The Simpsons" and followed by "King of the Hill," "Family Guy" and "American Dad." CBS counters with a 90-minute "60 Minutes" at 7:30 p.m., followed by "Cold Case" and "Shark."

ABC's prime time soaps are also new, with "Desperate Housewives," featuring new cast additions Dana Delany and Nathan Fillion (almost enough to make me check it out again, but not quite) and "Brothers & Sisters."

"The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" (PBS, 9 p.m.) return after a brief hiatus, while The CW debuts a new family drama, "Life Is Wild" (CW, 8 p.m.) Based on a BBC series, it's about a New York veternarian who uproots his family to live in South Africa for a year.

Finally, the pick of the night is "Dexter" (Showtime, 9 p.m.), which was brilliant in its debut last week and should only get better with the addition of "Hustle's" Jaime Murray to the cast as a woman Dexter finally opens up to. It's followed by a new episode of "Brotherhood" at 10 p.m.