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?

More Pickups

ABC guaranteed itself at least 90 minutes of my viewership per week next season by renewing "Eli Stone" and picking up "Scrubs" from NBC.

Though "Eli's" ratings were middling, it's one of those rare shows that struck an emotional chord, and really picked up week after week. (Between "Eli" and "Pushing Daisies," has any network had a better year creatively with its new shows than ABC?) This is a star-making turn for lead Jonny Lee Miller, and the supporting cast is terrific. (I am, however, demanding at least one Victor Garber musical number every other episode, ABC).

"Scrubs" star Zach Braff announced the show's long-rumored switch to ABC on his MySpace page yesterday. "Scrubs" has long been one of my favorite sitcoms, and it deserved to go out on its own terms, not with a strike-truncated season. Now creator Bill Lawrence can write the finale he wanted to for next year.

"Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) also will return. After its outstanding pilot, the show struggled creatively, but has shown signs of life over recent episodes by examining the Hell hierarchy. And Ray Wise has been Emmy worthy as the Devil.

CBS' "The Unit" somehow defied the odds and bought another season. As TVGuide's Michael Ausiello noted yesterday, the show is slated to run on Fridays at 9 p.m. next season, leaving the fate of cult favorite "Moonlight" up in the air. My gut feeling is that "Moonlight" will survive somehow, even as a midseason replacement. "How I Met Your Mother" should be getting its official renewal soon (so enough with the Britney Spears appearances, guys), but "New Adventures of Old Christine" is still in limbo. However, indicators remain strong that it will join "Scrubs" and switch to ABC if CBS doesn't pick it up.

Among the not-so-lucky were ABC's "October Road" and "Women's Murder Club." The former was savaged by critics, but I thought the latter had some potential which never quite panned out.

There have also been a bunch of new projects announced, including ABC's "Bad Mother's Handbook," starring Alicia Silverstone and Megan Mullally; a Ryan Seacrest reality show for NBC called "Momma's Boy;" and a Fox reality show called "Secret Millionaire," in which real-life millionaires go undercover to live in bad neighborhoods, where they meet poor people, to whom they will give money in the final episode. Who said TV is running out of good ideas?!?

Previously announced new shows on CBS include "The Ex-List," based upon a popular Israeli series about a woman destined to be with a guy she previously broke up with; problem is, she doesn't know which of her ex-boyfriends it is; "Eleventh Hour," Jerry Bruckheimer's adaptation of a BBC thriller (the original starred Patrick Stewart and Ashley Jensen); and "The Mentalist," starring Simon Baker. There's also a Jay Mohr sitcom on the slate. CBS is also mining the wedding market with "Harper's Island," a murder-mystery set on an island during a wedding, and the sitcom "Worst Week of My Life," seemingly similar to ABC's failed sitcom "Big Day."

Finally, PBS announced a new version of the children's classic education show, "The Electric Company." Unlike the version I grew up with, I'm guessing this one won't have Morgan Freeman or Spider-Man appearing regularly. I hope at least they bring back "Letter-Man."

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Someone is supposed to get killed on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.), and I'm starting to get worried that it will be someone I like rather than Director Shepherd, whom I don't care too much about and who seems to be gettiing written out anyway. I mean, they can't kill off Gibbs (Mark Harmon), but it would truly suck if they killed off Tony, Ziva, Ducky or McGee. (It'd also suck if they killed off Abby, but I don't think the producers would ever do that. I hope.) Of all the above, I worry the most about Ziva. Even though Don Bellisario is no longer associated with the show, he has a history of constantly replacing the female leads. "JAG," the show that spun off "NCIS," went through three other female leads in its first season before they settled on Catherine Bell. Ziva (Cote De Pablo) herself was brought in after a couple of other women to replace Kate, who was killed off, who was the replacement for another actress who appeared in the backdoor pilot from "JAG." Plus, they focused on the germ-phobic agent a couple of weeks ago. I know the episode has already been shot, but guys, please don't kill off Ziva. It's followed by a new "Shark."

Catch "Women's Murder Club" (ABC, 10 p.m.) while you can; if follows the "Dancing With The Stars" results show at 9 p.m.

"Reaper's" penultimate episode follows the finale of "Beauty and The Geek" (CW, 8 p.m.)

"American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is down to its final three and is followed by a new "Hell's Kitchen." "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC, 10 p.m.) is also new.

Finally, "Frontline" (PBS, 9 p.m.) is doing a documentary on climbers who were trapped on Mt. Everest during a blizzard.

Facing The Reaper?

Tonight marks the return of "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) to its regular timeslot with a new episode.

One of the most hyped new shows this season of any of the networks, "Reaper" hasn't really established an audience and is a bubble show for next year.

For me, the show has been inconsistent. On the one hand, it features an Emmy worthy comic performance by Ray Wise as the Devil, but it also features one of the most irritating performances on TV from Tyler Labine as Sock, the best friend of the show's hero Sam (Brett Harrison).

"Reaper" has added two amusing guest stars (Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black) as friendly, gay demons who help Sam out. It remains to be seen over the show's final few episodes if "Reaper" is strong enough creatively and in the ratings to earn a reprieve for next season.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: At the beginning of the season, I noted that "NCIS's" recurring storyline with Armand Assante as an arms dealer was pretty much a letdown with its resolution. Apparently, the producers decided to beat that dead horse once more as the FBI investigates Director Sheppard (Lauren Holly) tonight (CBS, 8 p.m.)

NBC shows a rerun of "The Best of Chris Farley" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) before a new "L&O: SVU" at 10 p.m. "Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is also new.

Finally, feeling the pinch at the gas pump? Check out tonight's "Nova" (PBS, 8 p.m.), in which Car Talk guys Tom and Ray Magliozzi search for a new car and explore all of the alternative fuels out there.

A Bit More 'Lost' And 'Grey's'

If the bloggings seem light over the next couple of days, it's because I have a tremendous amount of stuff due in the paying side of my job, so apologies in advance.

Just a quick note today to deliver some good news. ABC announced that both "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" will have an extra hour apiece added to their post-strike orders.

The tricky bit is that "Lost" needed an extra hour to tell the season finale the way Team Darlton wanted to, but because of the way the schedule worked out ("Lost's" finale is essentially a three-hour long episode), ABC needed an extra hour filled, so it ordered another "Grey's."

The one bad thing, though, is that the first part of the "Lost" finale will air May 15, but we then get a two-week break before the final two hours air May 29, because Team Darlton felt it better not to break up those final two hours. So ABC will air the "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's" finales during that May 22 run, while the May 15 "Lost" will re-air in the 8 p.m. time slot May 29, making it an all-"Lost" night.

Ironically, none of this will help ABC much ratings-wise, because sweeps end May 21, meaning all of ABC's heavy hitters will be airing their finales after that key ratings period.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Abby tries to prove a dog's innnocence on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) That's one of the reasons I love this particular procedural - it's exactly the sort of thing Abby would do. Top that, CSI!

ABC airs a new "Boston Legal" at 10 p.m. following the "Dancing With The Stars" results show. Fox is all-reality with "American Idol" and "Hell's Kitchen," while NBC delivers a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m. after the finale of "The Biggest Loser."

Finally, a new "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) airs.

I Have No Secret Talent

Some might say I have no overt talent, either, but I sure don't have any secret ones.

I suppose if that bothered me, I could live vicariously through celebrities, who will be competing tonight (CBS, 10 p.m.) in the latest so-called reality offering.

Kicking things off is country singer's Clint Black's attempt at standup comedy; contortionism from Olympic skater Sasha Cohen; and tap dancing from Mya. I guess my personal favorite, though, is "Star Trek's" George Takei, who will be performing country music. (I could totally see him doing Johnny Cash).

From the old-school "Battle of the Network Stars" to "Celebrity Apprentice," we seem to love our celebrities competing for something, so this should be fitting right in with the American viewing public.

'RUNWAY' ON THE MOVE?: NBC/Bravo is in litigation with The Weinstein Co. over the mega-reality hit "Project Runway." The show, one of the mainstays for the Bravo network, signed a new five-year deal with Lifetime that is set to begin in the fall, but NBC (which owns Bravo) is suing to block the move over contractual issues. Considering how huge a property "Runway" is, this is a suit that won't be going away quietly.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) returns with its first new post-strike episode. TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting one member of the cast is leaving at the end of the season in a plot twist, but doesn't say who. Well, I know it's not Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and the show would suck if they lost Tony, Ziva, Abby or McGee or even Ducky, so I'm hoping it means Jenny.

"Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) also returns with its first post-strike new episode.

On cable, "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) is brand-new, while HBO is showing the documentary "The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo" at 10 p.m.

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.

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.

The Showrunner Must Go On

CBS made it official this week, announcing series creator Don Bellisario will be leaving "NCIS," effective immediately, several media outlets are reporting.

Bellisario and series star Mark Harmon reportedly weren't seeing eye-to-eye about how the show was being run.

It's kind of an interesting situation. Bellisario has had a long TV resume, creating the likes of "Magnum, P.I.," "Quantum Leap" and "JAG" before creating "NCIS," (CBS, 8 p.m.) one of the network's better procedurals in a network full of procedurals.

Harmon revitalized his career leading his team of agents as LeRoy Jethro Gibbs, the no-nonsense ex-Marine. What made the situation on the set interesting was that the Gibbs character was written out briefly at the end of last season, and wise-cracking senior agent Tony DiNozo (Michael Weatherly) filled in ably as the team leader. The show, in theory, could have gone on without Gibbs, so it was interesting the network chose to replace Bellisario.

Don't feel too bad for Bellisario, however - he has two series in development right now. "NCIS" will continue to be run by the show's remaining producers.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: "Gilmore Girls" (CW, 8 p.m.) fans only have a couple of episodes left before the May 15 series finale. That show's cancellation hasn't really increased the chances of "Veronica Mars" (CW, 9 p.m.) to return, however.

In full ripped-from-the-headlines mode, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC, 9 p.m.) offers its take on the Anna Nicole Smith case, with guest star Kristy Swanson in the faux Anna role. It's followed by "L&O: SVU," because I really like typing initials.

It's down to four on "American Idol," (Fox, 8 p.m.) While she is still with us, catch all of the "AI" post-game analysis on Maggie Large's music blog, Amped. A brand-new "House" follows at 9 p.m.

ABC rolls out two new episodes of "George Lopez" at 8 p.m., followed by Nelly Furtado appearing on "Dancing With the Stars" and a new "Practice."

And, saving the best for last, "The Shield" (FX, 10 p.m.) is all-new tonight as well.