Paley Fest

If I were one of the cool TV critics...

Wait, let me back up. I AM one of the cool TV critics. However, by the nature of this position at The Telegraph, I don't actually cover TV fulltime like critics do at other papers. Nor do I have any sort of budget. Nor do I even get paid, or many perks, or... (why do I do this again?)

Anyway, many of the critics who do get the above perks have all been in L.A., attending the Paley Fest. Each year, the festival celebrates the best of TV, both current and past, by getting many stars and creators of various shows (most of them really good) together and let them talk about their series and field questions from audience members. With the exception of Comic Con, this might be the festival I'd like to attend most.

This year's Paley Fest includes a "Buffy" reunion among other things, and TVGuide's Michael Ausiello has been blogging about it. You can catch his review of the session involving the "Pushing Daisies" cast here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Pushing-Daisies-Spoilers/800035582.

HOW 'BOUT THEM DAWGS?: Just a quick shout out to Dennis Felton and the lads for their amazing run during the SEC tournament. They'll in Washington, D.C. Thursday taking on Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (CBS, 12:20 p.m.) I'm sure many people are already filling out their brackets.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Holy Moly! What's that I sense? New offerings from the networks across the boards, perhaps?

Yes, CBS returns with its comedy lineup of "Big Bang Theory" and "How I Met Your Mother" flip-flopping the 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. timeslots, followed by "Two-and-a-half Men" and "Old Christine." (CSI: Miami is still a rerun).

ABC kicks off its ratings grab with the premieres of new seasons of "Dancing With The Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) and "The Bachelor" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), which features an Englishman this time around. Having seen the promos, yeah, this guy should have a REAL problem finding a wife.

Fox has brand-new episodes of "Canterbury's Law" at 8 p.m. and "New Amsterdam" at 9 p.m., while NBC airs a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

Cable-wise, "Kyle XY" (ABC Family, 8 p.m.) airs its season finale.

Golden Globes List

Nominees for the 65th Golden Globes were announced this morning. Since I'm sure our Reel Fanatic will do something on the movie picks, here are the TV ones:

Series, Drama: ‘‘Big Love,’’ HBO; ‘‘Damages,’’ FX Networks; ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy,’’ ABC; ‘‘House,’’ Fox; ‘‘Mad Men,’’ AMC; ‘‘The Tudors,’’ Showtime.

Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, ‘‘Medium’’; Glenn Close, ‘‘Damages’’; Minnie Driver, ‘‘The Riches’’; Edie Falco, ‘‘The Sopranos’’; Sally Field, ‘‘Brothers & Sisters’’; Holly Hunter, ‘‘Saving Grace’’; Kyra Sedgwick, ‘‘The Closer.’’

Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, ‘‘Dexter’’; Jon Hamm, ‘‘Mad Men’’; Hugh Laurie, ‘‘House’’; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, ‘‘The Tudors’’; Bill Paxton, ‘‘Big Love.’’

Series, Musical or Comedy: ‘‘30 Rock,’’ NBC; ‘‘Californication,’’ Showtime; ‘‘Entourage,’’ HBO; ‘‘Extras,’’ HBO; ‘‘Pushing Daisies,’’ ABC.

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Christina Applegate, ‘‘Samantha Who?’’; America Ferrera, ‘‘Ugly Betty’’; Tina Fey, ‘‘30 Rock’’; Anna Friel, ‘‘Pushing Daisies’’; Mary-Louise Parker, ‘‘Weeds.’’

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, ‘‘30 Rock’’; Steve Carell, ‘‘The Office’’; David Duchovny, ‘‘Californication’’; Ricky Gervais, ‘‘Extras’’; Lee Pace, ‘‘Pushing Daisies.’’

Miniseries or Movie: ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,’’ HBO; ‘‘The Company,’’ TNT; ‘‘Five Days,’’ HBO; ‘‘Longford,’’ HBO; ‘‘The State Within,’’ BBC America.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Bryce Dallas Howard, ‘‘As You Like It’’; Debra Messing, ‘‘The Starter Wife’’; Queen Latifah, ‘‘Life Support’’; Sissy Spacek, ‘‘Pictures of Hollis Woods’’; Ruth Wilson, ‘‘Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre).’’

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Adam Beach, ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’’; Ernest Borgnine, ‘‘A Grandpa for Christmas’’; Jim Broadbent, ‘‘Longford’’; Jason Isaacs, ‘‘The State Within’’; James Nesbitt, ‘‘Jekyll.’’

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Rose Byrne, ‘‘Damages’’; Rachel Griffiths, ‘‘Brothers & Sisters’’; Katherine Heigl, ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy’’; Samantha Morton, ‘‘Longford’’; Anna Paquin, ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’’; Jaime Pressly, ‘‘My Name Is Earl.’’

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Ted Danson, ‘‘Damages’’; Kevin Dillon, ‘‘Entourage’’; Jeremy Piven, ‘‘Entourage’’; Andy Serkis, ‘‘Longford’’; William Shatner, ‘‘Boston Legal’’; Donald Sutherland, ‘‘Dirty Sexy Money.’’

One thing that has always bothered me about the Golden Globes has been the way they lump together actors from TV movies/miniseries with those of regular TV series in the supporting categories. How can you compare Anna Paquin's work in "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" for example with that of Jaime Pressly in "My Name Is Earl?" Talk about your apples and oranges.

Yet the Golden Globes are also the awards that get it right when it comes to movies, separating dramas and comedies into separate categories. There's really no rhyme or reason to it.

Anyway, looking at the list, here are few names that struck me:

--It was good to see the love for "Pushing Daisies," getting noms for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Lee Pace) and Best Actress (Anna Friel). I would have loved for Chi McBride and Kristin Chenowith to have gotten nods as well, but three nominations for a series still in its first year is pretty good. (Any series that can work in the phrase, "homeopathic drug mule," into the narrative deserves a nomination). And I have no doubt Digby the dog would have been a clear cut winner were animals eligible.

--Also rewarded for excellence was the fantastic "Mad Men," up for Best Drama and Best Actor (Jon Hamm, with the year's breakthrough performance).

--"Dexter" didn't get a nom for Best Series, losing out to other cable fare such as "The Tudors" and "Big Love," but at least Michael C. Hall got a deserved nomination. (Are you paying attention, Emmys?)

--Sometimes, the Golden Globes try to be a bit too hip, giving a nomination to David Duchovny for "Californication." Duchovny is a fine actor, but "Californication" is an absolute joke. There were plenty of others more deserving. "Curb Your Enthusiasm," for example.

Still, the GGs do a better job than the Emmys in spreading around the nominations and at least taking a look at series not on regular networks and which are fairly new. That said, the GGs did nominate Patricia Arquette in Best Actress for "Medium," yet not a single entry in any category for "Battlestar Galactica."

(Of course, if I picked all the awards, they'd be perfect and I'd never get to complain, and where would the fun be then?)

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: One show that is remarkably consistent in its quality but will never get nominated for anything is "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) In tonight's all-new episode, Dean prepares for what might be his last Christmas by tracking an evil St. Nick who yanks his victims up the chimneys. It follows an all-new "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.)

"Survivor" (CBS, 8 p.m.) leads up to its big, three-hour finale on Sunday with a new episode tonight. Didn't CBS learn already that no one wants three-hour finales to reality shows? It's followed by new episodes of "CSI" at 9 p.m. and "Without A Trace" at 10 p.m.

Finally, "30 Rock" (NBC, 9 p.m.) is also new with a Christmas-themed episode.

Yet More Quick Hits

I'm off today, but still updating...

It looks as if "Journeyman" is pretty much toast after NBC failed to pick up its option on the show. The network will burn off the remaining couple of episodes, so hopefully, we may get a bit of resolution.

It's probably too late to do any good, but you can go to savejourneyman.net to see the online effort to save the show. ...

"High School Musical 2" broke so many records when it aired over the summer that Disney has decided to make "High School Musical 3" for the theatres. Fear not, I'm sure the network will also show it on the small screen as well...

Despite the writers' strike and all, ABC has decided that "Big Shots" is so bad that it has yanked the series despite having three new episodes on the shelves. If only ABC could have figured that out over the summer. ...

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: The only really good thing to watch tonight is "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.) It's followed by the pilot episodes of "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money," so now is your chance to catch up.

CBS is all-new with "Kids Nation," "Criminal Minds" and "CSI:NY."

Finally, I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the debut of "Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants" (CW, 9 p.m.), in which moms and daughters compete in a reality-show beauty contest. Writers, please return soon!

Some Thanksgiving This, Some Turkey That

Just a few brief notes as we head into the holiday...

In case you missed it in today's paper, the second Macon-themed episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airs Tuesday at 4 p.m. on WMAZ. ...

NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" has announced its lineup of 14 would-be Donald Trump employees: actor Vincent Pastore, rock star Gene Simmons, actor Stephen Baldwin, Nely Galan (former president of Telemundo), actress Marilu Henner, model Carol Alt, country music star Trace Adkins, Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Nadia Comaneci, Playboy Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon, Olympic softball gold medalist Jennie Finch, heavyweight boxing champ Lennox Lewis, ‘‘America’s Got Talent’’ judge Piers Morgan and Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz. Omorosa, the much-hated "Apprentice" star from Season 1, is also on the list. This show is proof that you can beat a dead horse. ...

"Torchwood" will air its second season in the U.S. starting Jan. 26 on BBC America. This season's guest stars include "Ugly Betty's" Alan Dale and "Buffy's" James Marsters. Also, Freeman Agyeman will reprise her character of Martha Jones in a crossover with "Doctor Who." ...

No posting tomorrow, but check back Friday for my review of "Battlestar Galactica: Razor."

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.) is only a half-dozen episodes old, and already it's bringing in the cool guest stars: Paul Reubens this week and Molly Shannon next week. It's followed by "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

CBS is all new with "Kids Nation," "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: NY."

With the WGA strike, Fox sitcoms are in early reruns, but "Kitchen Nightmares" (Fox, 9 p.m.) is new. Meanwhile, NBC is going with reality shows, leading off with "Phenomenon" and ending with a two-hour "Deal Or No Deal" beginning at 9 p.m.

TV's Best New Star

There's an old adage in Hollywood: Never work with children or animals.

Whoever came up with the adage obviously has never seen "Pushing Daisies," (ABC, 8 p.m.) because that person obviously hasn't seen Ned's (Lee Pace) dog Digby in action.

In my opinion, the single best-shot scene on TV this year was the song-and-dance routine between Digby and Broadway veteran Kristin Chenowith, who performed Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" in the series' second episode. And you had the Lassie-inspired sequence a couple of weeks' ago, in which the young Digby pulled the fire alarm en route to tracking down the young Ned at boarding school.

How the producers of "Pushing Daisies" get the facial expressions and perfect timing out of Digby is certainly a question for the ages, but the closest scene-stealing animal to Digby on TV that I can think of is Moose, the Jack Russell Terrier who played Eddie for 11 seasons on "Frasier."

But Digby is even better, and one of the best elements on TV's best new series. Tonight's episode centers around a murdered dog breeder, so I'm hoping that means a big role for Digby.

AROUND THE DIAL: For those interested, Newsday has a very good interview with "30 Rock" star and Maconite Jack McBrayer, who plays Kenneth the page. You can view it here: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/fanfare/ny-fffast5451095nov11,0,1362365.story

Good news this New Year's Eve. Dick Clark is officially back on ABC's "Rockin' Eve," sharing hosting duties with Ryan Secrest. Clark, 77 years young, missed the 2004 edition because of a stroke, and it always seems that he's a year away from hanging up his microphone permanently. ...

Just a week ago, "Damages" was 50-50 as to whether FX would give the show a second season. But the network announced this week that it was not only bringing the Glenn Close series back, it was doing so with both a second and a third season. ...

Finally, a reminder that the Galleria Cinemas in Centerville will show "The Menagerie," a digitally remastered version of the original "Star Trek" episode tonight at 7:30 p.m. It's one of the select few theaters around the country that is doing so. I was going to go last night, but got sidetracked (Thanks, Oprah!)

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: What has become a TV event returns tonight as "Project Runway" (Bravo, 10 p.m.) begins a new season. (Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I've set the VCR). Of course, if the WGA strike lasts a while, it wouldn't be much of a surprise at all if parent company NBC starts re-running the series on the main network, since "Runway" is one of the highest-rated cable series on the air.

Speaking of NBC, I got a preview DVD of tonight's "Life" (NBC, 10 p.m.) and it's one of the cleverest installments of the series as the detectives investigate the death of a Walter Mittyish bigamist while Crews is the prime suspect in the murder of the cop who put him away. We pick up some major clues tonight in the story arc about the conspiracy that sent Crews (Damian Lewis) to prison, but they bring about more questions than answers. It's preceded by a new "Phenomenon" at 8 p.m. and "Bionic Woman" at 9 p.m.

ABC is running new episodes of "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" after "Pushing Daisies."

Enjoy "Back To You" (Fox, 8 p.m.) and "Til Death" (Fox, 8:30 p.m.) while you can. Both series stopped shooting last week because of the strike, so I'm fairly certain this is the last week of new episodes. "Kitchen Nightmares" (Fox, 9 p.m.) should continue for a while, since it's a reality show.

CBS is all new with "Kids Nation," "Criminal Minds," and "CSI:NY," while the CW's "Gossip Girl" is also new at 9 p.m.

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!

Austin, Part 3: Friday Night Lights

Here are a few things you should know about one of TV's top series, "Friday Night Lights."

-Jesse Plemons (Landry) is the spitting image of Matt Damon, albeit with red hair. In fact, he played the younger version of Damon' character in "All The Pretty Horses." He also bears an uncanny resemblance to Glenn Morshower, who was cast as his father on "FNL." "He kind of looks like me more than my real father does," Plemons said with a chuckle.

-Minka Kelly (Lyla) is even more beautiful in person than on TV, which is saying something. She's a combination of a runway model and the girl next door. She wasn't bothered by the negative fan mail she got last season after Lyla had an affair with Tim Riggins. "It's the most rewarding," she said. "Knowing I had that affect on people. It's not frustrating at all. If your pissing someone off, you are doing something right. We're doing OK."

The show is filmed in Austin, and the cast and crew love the location filming, especially trying to capture that small-town feel of the show. Producer Jeffrey Reiner said both the book "Friday Night Lights" and the movie (directed by series producer Peter Berg) influence the series in trying to capture that feel.

The cast and crew say there is a lot more ad-libbing than most TV shows. Actors are given scripts only a few days before shooting (Plemons joked scripts are protected like drugs on the set) and that there is no blocking or marks on the set. The crew uses hand-held cameras to capture the action.

As for the controversial plot twist this season, when Landry and Tyra killed a man then dumped the body, the cast and crew have heard the complaints.

"The storyline is really powerful, really intense," Plemons said. "As an actor, you always want something that will make you uncomfortable. ... I really like the fact that people are upset. It means they really do care. What I've said is to give it a couple of episodes to let it play out, then make up your mind."

By the way, the scenes at the Dairy Queen between Matt and Smash are Reiner's favorites. "We get all this free ice cream," he said.

As for the show's low ratings despite critical acclaim, the cast and crew are taking it in stride, just trying to put out the best product possible. Reiner said NBC has been pretty good about staying hands off with the show, though the first season's promos that focused on the football aspect of the show probably hurt it.

And if this is the last season for "FNL"?

"I'm so proud (of the stories we tell)," Kelly said, "the growth you go through with these characters. If (the show) was done today, I'm so fulfilled and so grateful. I'm probably never going to do work like this again."

AROUND THE DIAL: Serialized shows keep adding names - "Rescue Me's" Andrea Roth will join the cast of "Lost" in a recurring role, TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello reports.

And, completing the crew of the USS Enterprise, Aint-It-Cool News is reporting that Karl Urban will be Dr. Leonard McCoy in the new Star Trek movie.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Hopefully, Middle Georgians will be taking one night off to catch "Randy and the Mob" at the Cox Capitol Theatre, but if not, there are some great options on Wednesdays.

First and foremost is "Pushing Daisies," (ABC, 8 p.m.) TV's best new show, which will feature the return of Chuck's (Anna Friel) loopy aunts (Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene). It's followed by "Private Practice," which most "Grey's Anatomy" fans haven't fallen in love with, and the inventive "Dirty Sexy Money."

Maybe if they retooled "Bionic Woman" (NBC, 9 p.m.) around the Sarah character instead of Jamie, it'd be a better show. It's followed by "Life" at 10 p.m.

I've pretty much given up on "Back To You" (Fox, 8 p.m.) despite its pedigree. It's followed by "Til Death" at 8:30 p.m. and "Kitchen Nightmares" at 9 p.m.

CBS is all-new with "Criminal Minds" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "CSI:NY" (CBS, 10 p.m.)

Finally, the first full-season pick-up among the networks went to "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9 p.m.) which has done very well among the youth market.

The New Kirk?

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that JJ Abrams and company are in negotiations with actor Chris Pine to be the young version of James T. Kirk in the next "Star Trek" movie. For a summary of Pine's career, go here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1517976/maindetails.

If signed, Pine would join Zachary Quinto of "Heroes" as the young Spock, Zoe Saldana of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series as the young Uhura and Anton Yelchin as the young Chekov. The article also confirmed that Eric Bana will play Nero, the movie's villain. Leonard Nimoy will reprise Spock in the movie, while there's a possibility that William Shatner will put in an appearance as Kirk.

There are several interviews all over the Net with Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the movie's writers, about what you can expect in the next film. Personally, I like the idea of going with relative unknowns as the young version of the Enterprise crew members, and Abrams directing the project can only mean good things.

FIRST PICKUP: "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9 p.m.) has become a guilty pleasure among the coveted 18-34 crowd, and the network is rewarding the show by picking it up for the full 22 episodes. "Gossip Girl" is also one of the top five downloaded shows on iTunes.

TUESDAY NIGHT REVISITED: I complained yesterday about "NCIS" and "Bones," and the TV gods heard my despair and delivered me two solid installments. Both series returned to the quirky humor that made me a fan in the first place. "NCIS" put Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in the uncomfortable spot of having one of his ex-wives, his ex-girlfriend (and current boss) and current girlfriend all together at the same time to great effect.

Meanwhile, "Bones" finally got the Bones-Booth relationship back on track with the bizarrely funny mystery set among horse fetishists. The conversation between Bones (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) at the end of the episode is an example of why the series has so devoted fans in the first place.

My only complaint about "Reaper" is that we need to see the Devil (Ray Wise) as much as possible. This was genius casting.
And please, TV gods, let us keep these prospective doctors on "House" for as long as possible.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Unlike the last two days, I didn't do reviews of Wednesday's lineup because most of the shows are new series.

Of course, the best new series of the season (I may have mentioned this once or twice) is "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.) I was worried that I may have gone overboard with my praise despite whopping critical approval and very strong ratings for last week's "Pie-lette," but an informal survey of friends, family and co-workers have all been as positive about the show as I have.

The sitcom duo of "Back To You" (Fox, 8 p.m.) and "Til Death" are the only other non-reality offerings by the networks at this time.

So far, one of the biggest disappointments this season for me has been "Bionic Woman" (NBC, 9 p.m.) I like all of the actors, but the writing hasn't been up to par, quite a surprise considering the talent behind the camera. But I'm sticking with it, hoping that it will improve. It's followed by "Life," a series that I've enjoyed so far, but is one of those shows that people will either like or hate, with little middle ground.

Speaking of disappointments, "Private Practice" (ABC, 9 p.m.) hasn't been exactly winning over the critics or the legions of "Grey's Anatomy" fans. While the ratings have remained solid, this is one series that needs to find its footing quickly. Meanwhile, "Dirty Sexy Money" (ABC, 10 p.m.) has been one of the season's delights, but hasn't found an audience.

My postings for the next few days may be spotty, since I'm going to be at the Austin Film Festival, but during that 96 hours of sleep deprivation is a session with the producers of "Friday Night Lights," which I hope to report on next week.

'Pushing Daisies' - TV's Best New Show

Normally, my co-workers enjoy the puns I put into the titles of many of these blog entries, but for today's posting, I didn't want to mince words.

I previously reviewed "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.) last week, but I'm giving it a second review because, yes, the show is THAT good. At least in my humble opinion.

Written by the great Bryan Fuller ("Wonderfalls") and directed with an absolutely gorgeous sense of color by Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men In Black," "The Tick"), "Pushing Daisies" is one of the most original concepts I've seen in years - a modern-day fairy tale and love story in which the two main characters physically CAN'T get together. There is no will-they-or-won't-they suspense like you see with other programs.

Ned (Lee Pace) has the most miserable superpower you could think of: He can raise the dead with a mere touch. Two little problems, however. If he touches the dead thing a second time, it dies - permanently. And if he doesn't touch the person or thing he just revived within 60 seconds, someone else must die.

Bad luck for Ned, who discovers the power as a child when he rescues his dog, but good luck for private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), who learns of Ned's ability and decides to use it for his own gain. Cod convinces Ned to revive the dead, ask who killed them, then split the reward. It's a perfect scheme until the next murder victim they investigate is Ned's childhood love Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (a winsome Anna Friel). Ned can't bear to touch her a second time after reviving her, leading to quite a bit of awkwardness since everyone now believes Chuck to be dead.

"Pushing Daisies" is the best of everything TV is meant to be - funny, romantic, sad and smart. Actor Jim Dale's narration is nothing short of brilliant, adding to the fantasy atmosphere of the show. Pace and Friel could be in star-making roles if this show makes it, and McBride is excellent in a complete departure from the roles he usually plays. And Kristin Chenowith is perfectly cast as the waitress in Ned's pie shop, with her own feelings of unrequited love.

In fact, there are really only two problems with "Pushing Daisies."

1) The pilot was so good that Fuller & Co. have set themselves an extremely high bar to clear on a weekly basis.

2) The show will likely last three episodes. Fuller already gave the American public quirky brilliance with "Wonderfalls," and the average viewer, wanker that he or she is, didn't get it. "Pushing Daisies" is even better than "Wonderfalls," but I can see how this series is going to fly over a lot of people's heads.

That would be a terrible shame, because Fuller has crafted scenes in which two characters have some of the most romantic moments seen on TV in years by NOT holding hands, hugging or kissing. The dialogue is sharp and crisp, and visually, it's wonderful show to look at.

Give this one a shot, folks.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Wednesday nights may be the most competitive of the week, and I'm hoping that the fact that "Pushing Daisies' is the lone hour-long dramatic offering in the opening timeslot will help its cause. Its competition? Two mediocre Fox comedies in "Back To You" and "Til Death," NBC game show juggernaut "Deal Or No Deal," the horrifying "Kids Nation" on CBS and "America's Top Model" on The CW.

It's 9 p.m. where things get interesting. ABC claims overall victory on the night with "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Private Practice," but I know there was a great deal of "Grey's" nation disappointed with this show, so will the ratings hold? Meanwhile, NBC has created a mini-juggernaut for the night with "Bionic Woman," followed by "Life." And "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9 p.m.) is carving out its now niche audience.

CBS is still doing strong as well, with "Criminal Minds" at 9 p.m. (tonight marks the departure of star Mandy Patinkin) and "CSI: NY" at 10 p.m. "Dirty Sexy Money," (ABC, 10 p.m.) which I think is one of the cleverest new shows of the season, is struggling, unfortunately.

And, as always, "The War" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues tonight, focusing on the Pacific theatre.

Finally, the Major League Baseball playoffs kick off today, with three games on TBS.

ABC: The Agony And The Ecstasy

I've got to wonder who is making the programming decisions at ABC, but it's got to be more than one person. It's the only way to explain how the same network could produce both the absolute worst and very best new shows of the season.

Tonight marks the debut of steaming pile of dog poo called "Big Shots" (ABC, 10 p.m.), which for some unfathomable reason has earned the coveted post-"Grey's Anatomy" time slot.

I won't waste valuable bandwith on "BS" (the world's most appropriate initials) except to say it tries to pass itself off as a clone of "Desperate Housewives" and "Sex & The City" for men, and fails spectacularly. Despite what would normally be considered a talented cast - Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Michael Vartan and Joshua Malina - the four leads are so unlikeable and the storylines so inane that I'd only watch another episode of "BS" at gunpoint. Even then, the bullet might be preferable.

The four leads are rich, powerful businessmen who all have women troubles. They spend a bunch of time discussing them at fancy clubs or the golf course, whining endlessly. Then they go attempt to solve their problems in the most stupid ways possible.

Anyone who reads this blog knows my biggest pet peeve as a writer is having characters perform actions that don't make any sort of sense in the real world. The McDermott character does this in spades in a ridiculous plotline involving a transvestite hooker.

And the pilot may have set a TV record for using the word "penis" the most times within 43 minutes. "BS" explores a lot of the same themes as "Dirty Sexy Money," only "DSM" does it a lot better and is worth an hour of your time.

What makes "BS" so especially irritating is that the same network bigwigs that OK'd "BS" also have given us flat-out the best new show of the year.

"Pushing Daisies" is so beautiful, so clever, so brilliant that I actually feel bad for you, the viewer, that you still have to wait a whole week to see it.

"Pushing Daisies" (which will always get the full title treatment here from now on) is not only the best new show of the year, it may also be the most inventive, creative pilot ABC has ever produced (and yes, I realize I am talking about the same network that gave us "Lost").

"Pushing Daisies" is essentially a fairy tale, about a man named Ned (Lee Pace) who discovers he has the power to raise the dead with a single touch. But the power comes at a terrible price - if he touches the person again, they die; and if he doesn't touch the person a minute after reviving them, someone else dies.

While this may sound like a somber theme for a TV show, it's witty and funny and sad and wonderfully executed. It co-stars Anna Friel as Chuck, the love of Ned's life; Chi McBride as Emerson, a private detective who knows Ned's secret and uses it to his advantage; and Kristin Chenowith as Olive, a waitress in love with Ned who can't understand why he won't pet his own dog. Jim Dale provides the best voice-over narration to any show since Ron Howard's work on "Arrested Development."

I'll preview "Pushing Daisies" more when it debuts next Wednesday, but this is not only the best new show of the year, it's one of the best shows overall for the year.

NASHVILLE DONE: The Fox reality series "Nashville" has already been yanked, at least temporarily, from the lineup. Replacing it Friday nights will be reruns of the new series "K-Ville."

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: Before ABC offends our senses with "BS," it premieres two of its top shows with "Ugly Betty" at 8 p.m. and "Grey's Anatomy" at 9 p.m. I was disappointed with the heavy-handed tone to "Betty's" finale, but the show was so good the rest of the time that I'm anxious to catch up.

I've seen the season premiere of "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.) and while it does drag a bit at some points during it's hour-long premiere, there are still quite a few great moments, especially as both Joy (Emmy winner Jamie Pressley) and Randy (Ethan Suplee) have to deal with Earl's incarceration. It's followed by the hour-long season premiere of TV's best sitcom, "The Office" (NBC, 9 p.m.) and the season premiere of "ER" at 10 p.m.

"Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) picks up where last season left off, with Lana and Chloe facing death and the Bizarro version of Clark flying around. Fortunately, Clark will have the help of his cousin, Kara, aka Supergirl. It's followed by a rerun of the "Reaper" pilot, a show I highly recommend.

Summer may be done, but there are still new episodes of two of the best series to come out of that season with "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" (FX, 10 p.m.) and "Mad Men" (AMC, 10 p.m.)