Mad About 'Mad Men'

Welcome to Post No. 500!

It's kind of appropriate that we celebrate this milestone with a milestone of television — the debut of Season 2 of "Mad Men" (AMC, Sun., 10 p.m.) this weekend.

"Mad Men" took the TV world by storm last year as AMC's first original drama series. Created by former "Sopranos" writer Matt Weiner, it was a stylish look at the early 1960s, where sexism, prejudice and other vices reigned supreme. It provided star-making turns for most of its cast, including the likes of Jon Hamm (an Emmy nominee), January Jones, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser and others.

The series follows the exploits of Don Draper (Hamm), a star in the world of advertising with the seemingly perfect home life. But underneath it all, Don's got a lot of problems. For one thing, he isn't really Don Draper; he took the real Draper's dog tags after getting wounded in Korea in order to get away from his miserable family. He also has a series of mistresses, a pig of a boss (Emmy nominee John Slattery, in the performance of his career) and a young rival desperately trying to steal his job (Kartheiser).

But "Mad Men" is more than Don's story. Each character, from the eager young secretary looking to further her career (Moss) to the quietly frustrated, loyal wife (Jones), it's a richly textured group of characters and subplots. "Mad Men" deftly mixes pathos and humor, and hopefully you caught up on Season 1 during AMC's marathon run last Sunday.

If you didn't, you won't be completely lost. Season 2 begins over a year after Season 1 ended, with the action moving up to 1962 and the height of Camelot in America. Considering Don's firm, Sterling Cooper, ran the Nixon campaign in 1960, that may not be a good thing.

"Mad Men" is likely the leading contender in the Emmys for Best Drama, and after its terrifically executed first season, it's easy to see why. Here's looking forward to more of the same in Season 2.

AROUND THE DIAL: Former Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel has been named the replacement for Colm Meaney on the US version of "Life on Mars." I had low expectations for this version of one of my favorite UK series, but Meaney was the one bright light for me. ... Erika Tamura (the princess on "Heroes") and Sean Patrick Thomas ("Save The Last Dance") are joining the cast of "Reaper" this season. ... "Smallville's" producers told TVGuide.com that, in addition to the appearances of Green Arrow, Black Canary and Aquaman this season, familiar DC characters such as Plastique and Maxima will also meet the future Man of Steel.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: One of the best-done cliffhangers I've ever seen takes place tonight on "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.), the first of the two-part season finale in which Earth disappears and it's up to the Doctor (David Tennant) and pretty much every other guest star the series has ever had to make sure it gets back. After you see the end of the episode, my advice is to avoid the internet for the next week. It's followed by a new "Stargate: Atlantis" at 10 p.m.

"Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.) has guest star David Strathairn as a chessmaster, followed by a new "Psych" at 10 p.m.

Worried that you missed "Swingtown" last night? Don't be - it's been moved to Fridays at 10 p.m.

Gone into "Lost" withdrawal? (Yeah, me too.) Anyway, a behind-the-scenes special about the series is airing tonight at 10 p.m. on G4.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) begins part one of the two-part second season finale as Robin and the gang set off to the Holy Land in search of King Richard.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece: Mystery" (PBS, 9 p.m.) wraps things up with the series finale of "Foyle's War."

Mary (Mary McCormick) has a fling with a protectee on "In Plain Sight" (USA, 10 p.m.)

Finally, a new episode of the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill" (HBO, 9 p.m.) airs.

'Monk,' 'Psych' Return

A few weeks ago, I noted the passing of actor Stanley Kamel, who played Monk's shrink Dr. Kroger on "Monk." (USA, 9 p.m.)

Kamel, a veteran character actor, appeared on some of the best episodes of the series and was a delight in the role of Monk's overworked therapist.

Kamel's death from a heart attack brings a note of poignancy to tonight's season premiere, as Monk must deal with the death of the character of Kroger, who often served as Monk's security blanket.

The episode isn't that great, even with guest stars Hector Elizondo as Monk's new shrink and Brad Garrett as the guy fixing up Monk's new house; the mystery is fairly easy to solve and how Monk is rescued in the end is downright silly.

But the final scene (and the underlying theme of much of the episode) is a nice tribute to Kamel, so it's worth checking out.

It's followed by the season premiere of "Psych" (USA, 10 p.m.), which has always been a rather silly show. We meet Shawn's (James Roday) long-lost mother (guest star Cybill Shepherd) tonight, but the "case" is even sillier than usual.

REMINDER: The second part of the three-part "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog" starring Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion hit the Web on Thursday at DrHorrible.com. You can check out the finale on Saturday. After Saturday, you'll have to pay $1.99 to download it off iTunes instead of getting it for free, though it is well worth it.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) meets "It's a Wonderful Life" in the episode "Turn Left," as Donna (Catherine Tate) experiences a world in which she never met the Doctor (David Tennant). Want to see what life on good ole Earth would be like without the Doctor constantly saving us? Tonight provides a great example. It also provides some hints into the two-part finale, in which all of the Doctor's companions play a key role. It's followed by a new "Stargate: Atlantis" at 10 p.m.

With Robin Hood away, Marian (Lucy Griffiths) must intervene to rescue the poorfolk of Nottingham in her guise as the Night Watchman on "Robin Hood" (BBC America, Sat., 9 p.m.)

On Sunday, Foyle is back on the job on "Masterpiece: Mystery" in a new "Foyle's War" (PBS, 9 p.m.)

ESPN manages to waste a lot of time with the annual "ESPY Awards" (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

The second installment of "Generation Kill" (HBO, 9 p.m.) debuts Sunday.

Finally, missed "Mad Men" the first time around and want to catch up before Season 2 begins? AMC is running an all-day marathon of the Emmy-nominated series on Sunday beginning at noon. Now is your chance to catch up before Season 2 begins a week from Sunday. This is TV at its absolute best and worth a day of watching or at least Tivo-ing.

Emmy Contenders

In a rather unique move, the Emmys have released the list of the final 10 comedy and drama series up for top show honors. Each list will be pared to five in the coming weeks, with the finalists in all of the categories to be announced in July.

For your perousal:

Outstanding Comedy Series Finalists
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock (won last year)
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Outstanding Drama Series Finalists
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire

First, the comedies. I'm glad to see "Pushing Daisies" made the list and disappointed "How I Met Your Mother" didn't. I suppose "Flight of the Conchords" shows some out-of-the-box thinking by the Academy, but "Two and a Half Men" clearly doesn't. It might be most telling that four of the 10 shows are aired on pay cable, while three of the 10 are hour-long shows and not traditional sitcoms.

I already listed who I wanted to make the finals last month, so check out the May blog posts for that. Of the list, I expect the finals to come down to "Curb," "Conchords," "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Ugly Betty," but with the Emmy voters, who knows what they are thinking?

As for the dramas, that they waste a slot on "Boston Legal" is both bitterly disappointing and not surprising. I fully expected some of my picks - which included "Battlestar Galactica" and "Supernatural" - not to make it, but I was hoping "Breaking Bad" might sneak in.

With "The Wire" airing its final season and seemingly taking the slot usually reserved for last year's winner, "The Sopranos," it will be interesting to see if the voters bring this much-praised but often-overlooked series to the big dance. Another thing to look for is how "Grey's Anatomy" fares after star (and last year's Best Supporting Actress winner) Katherine Heigl pulling out of this year's race, citing the quality of her storylines as a reason why. If "Grey's" doesn't make the cut in what is a pretty tough field, Heigl may get the brunt of the criticism.

As for the finalists, I expect it to go down to "Boston Legal" (unfortunately; God, these voters are idiots), "Damages," "Mad Men," "The Tudors" and "The Wire." That may not be the case, though, because that would mean only one network show would make the cut.

Anyway, keep an eye out in this space for when the finalists are announced.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The second part of the two-part "Doctor Who" adventure, "Forest of the Dead" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) airs tonight after Sci Fi reruns the first part, "Silence in the Library" at 8 p.m. As good as the first part was, tonight's episode may be some of the best work ever done in the four seasons since the show was revived.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is new. Also, a reminder, the first-ever "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) starring the late George Carlin is being rerun this weekend.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece: Mystery" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues with "Inspector Lewis." Also, there's a new "In Plain Sight" (USA, 10 p.m.)

LiLo's Big Comeback?

TVGuide's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC's "Ugly Betty" is in talks to not only bring tabloid queen Lindsay Lohan aboard for the season finale, but for a good chunk of episodes next season. You can read about it here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Lindsay/800038711

When I saw the headline, I immediately thought about the impact Britney Spears had on "How I Met Your Mother" - her appearance, though brief, drew the highest ratings to what turned out to be one of the best episodes of the season (not because of Brit, who was perfectly adequate for her small role, but for guest star Sarah Chalke, who turned in an Emmy-worthy guest performance).

"HIMYM" is returning with a second episode for both Spears and Chalke that will no doubt get a lot of buzz.

Clearly, "Ugly Betty" is hoping for a similar style ratings bump if it can land Lohan, who has become more infamous for her disastrous tabloid life than her acting. The difference, though, is that back in her pre-partying days, Lohan was actually a pretty decent actress, and with the right role (and her head on straight) could be so again. And with the paparazzi-inspired world of "Ugly Betty," she could be an inspired choice.

THURSDAY RECAP: When you have as much good TV as there is on Thursdays, staying up until 2 a.m. to watch it all is certainly worth the lack of sleep.

I'm running out of adjectives to describe how great "Lost" continues to be. I did have one thought about last night's episode that did worry me, so if you haven't seen it yet, be forewarned of spoilers.

****SKIP TO THE END****


****WHY HAVEN'T YOU SEEN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE, ANYWAY?*****

****STILL HERE?****

OK. So one of the things my dad keeps asking me about this show is "Are they supposed to be dead?" I never presumed they were before, but after last night's episode, that possibility now looms.

Witness the conversation between Hurley and Jack in the future, where Hurley states he believes as much. When Jack disputes the argument, Hurley points out that Jack is living in what would be a heaven-like scenario for him - with Kate and Aaron, back to his old job as a top surgeon.

The part that worried me was the smoke detector scene, in which Jack hears the beeping of the smoke detector in the hallway - it sounded like the beeping of a heart monitor. Is Jack really in some sort of coma, and the smoke detector was some sort of subconscious effort to deal with the beeping? Perhaps Jack never woke up after Bernard gave him the ether.

As much as I love the series, I'd hate for there to be a big reveal where it was all someone's dream. We'll see.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The other unmissable series on TV for me right now continues to be "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi, 10 p.m.), which sees the return of the Cylon Leoben, who joins up with Starbuck's crew on the garbage scowl searching for Earth. And Tyrol continues his downward spiral, though the writers are going to be hard-pressed to come up with anything that matched the scene last week between him and Adama in the bar. It follows new episodes of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m. and "Doctor Who" at 9 p.m.

CBS has an all-new night of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m., followed by "Moonlight" and "Numb3rs."

A new "Robin Hood" (BBC America, Sat., 9 p.m.) premieres Saturday.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) kicks off the three-part "Cranford," about life in an English village. The all-star cast is led by Oscar winner Judi Dench and is based upon the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell.

"Cold Case" (CBS, 8 p.m.) wraps up its season, followed by two episodes of "Dexter" beginning at 9 p.m.

"The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.) kicks off Fox's animation lineup by having the family go to the Sundance Film Festival. The CW is also new, including "Everybody Hates Chris" at 8 p.m. and "Aliens In America" at 8:30 p.m.

"The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) is also brand new.

Finally, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 9 p.m.) and "Brothers & Sisters" (ABC, 10 p.m.) continue to wind down their seasons.

'Sarah Jane' Good For The Kids

It wouldn't be hard to argue among us old-school "Doctor Who" fans that Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) is the most popular of the Doctor's long list of companions.

Sarah Jane, an investigative reporter who travelled with the Doctor through parts of his Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker incarnations in the 1970s, and was the companion they chose to base the spinoff "K-9 & Co." in 1983. She was also brought back for the 20th anniversary special, "The Five Doctors" that same year.

When producer Russell T. Davies revived "Doctor Who," Sarah Jane was the lone human character brought back from the original series to the new one in the episode "School Days."

Now Sarah Jane is back with "The Sarah Jane Adventures" (Sci-Fi, 7:30 p.m.) the newest spinoff to the "Who" franchise. Unlike the other spinoff, the adult-oriented "Torchwood," "SJA" is aimed squarely at the kids' audience. That's not to say adults won't find the show enjoyable in a whimsical sort of way, but "SJA" falls into the "family" category.

Sarah Jane, fresh off her adventure with the Doctor, has taken up investigative reporting again full-time. But the Doctor has left her with a bunch of gadgets that allow her to combat alien menaces when she uncovers them.

A teenage girl named Maria (Yasmin Page) moves into the house next-door to Sarah Jane, and one night catches her neighbor having a conversation with an alien. Needless to say, she's intrigued. Maria will become the companion as Sarah Jane takes on the Doctor-like hero's role as they investigate a soda pop factory.

Sladen, looking fantastic at 60 (all those years in the TARDIS must really do stop the aging process) steps back into her character with ease and confidence, and seems to be having fun. She's also the den mother to Maria and other kids who pop up in the first two episodes.

For parents looking to introduce their kids to science fiction without worrying about scaring them, "SJA" is a good start. And it's a good warm-up for the return of all-new episodes of "Doctor Who" beginning next week.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Sci-Fi fans are in for a treat. Not only is there the 90-minute debut of "SJA," but it's followed by two new episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.)

CBS returns with new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Numb3rs" at 10 p.m.

The documentary "Meeting David Wilson" (MSNBC, 9 p.m.) has gotten a lot of buzz as a commentary about race relations in this country. It follows a young black man named David Wilson, who travels to North Carolina in search of his roots, including meeting the great-grandson of the slave-owner who is also a distant relative of Wilson's.

Enjoy "Canterbury's Law" (Fox, 9 p.m.) while you can: it almost certainly won't be renewed.

The Miss USA Pageant airs tonight at 9 p.m. on NBC.

On Saturday, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.), the "Doctor Who" spinoff you probably don't want your kids watching, airs its penultimate episode for this season.

Sunday marks the return of "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 9 p.m.), followed by a new episode of "Eli Stone" (ABC, 10 p.m.) on a special night, as well as the return of Lurleen Lumpkin (Beverly D'Angelo) on "The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.)

"Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) begins a remake of E.M. Forster's "Room With A View." And speaking of costumed historical dramas, there are new episodes of "John Adams" (HBO, 9 p.m.) and "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.)

New episodes of "Cold Case" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "Dexter" (well, new for CBS at least) also air.

Finally, the documentary "The Human Footprint" airs at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel

Busy Weekend

It's hard to remember that there's a writers strike going on with the plethora of new stuff this weekend.

Chief among the offerings are two miniseries with excellent pedigrees.

PBS is bringing back a new season of "Masterpiece Theatre," though the new title of the series is now simply "Masterpiece." With new hostess Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") in place, the series airs a new adaptation of Jane Austen's "Persuasion," (PBS, Sun., 9 p.m.) with Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot and Anthony Stewart Head as her boorish father.

Opposite "Persuasion" Sunday night is "Comanche Moon," (CBS, Sun., 9 p.m.) the prequel to the immensly popular "Lonesome Dove" miniseries, based upon the work of Larry McMurtry. "Comanche Moon" follows the adventures of Gus (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow (Karl Urban) with their work as Texas rangers.

Either is a quality pick to spend Sunday night with.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The Dillon Panthers face their unwanted locker roommates on the gridiron tonight on "Friday Night Lights," (NBC, 9 p.m.) as Riggins continues his topsy-turvy life while recruiters continue to dog Smash. It's followed by the 100th episode of "Las Vegas" at 10 p.m.

CBS is supposed to be all-new tonight, with new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer," "Moonlight" and "Numb3rs."

USA returns with new episodes of its hit detective series, "Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.), which guest stars Howie Mandel, and "Psych" (USA, 10 p.m.)

On Sunday, you can catch a new episode of the acclaimed series "The Wire," (HBO, 9 p.m.) or check out the debut of the new "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" at a special time at 8 p.m. before the series moves into its regular Monday night at 9 p.m. timeslot.