Old Is New

Who says there are no new ideas in Hollywood?

From varying sources such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety...

CBS is set to make a remake/sequel to the 1960s hit "Hawaii Five-O." The new series would pick up with Steve McGarrett's (Jack Lord) son running the 5-0 unit in our 50th state. No word if this new McGarrett will say "Book him, Dano Jr."

Meanwhile, ABC is developing a TV version of "The Witches of Eastwick," based on the book by John Updike and the movie that starred the likes of Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. NBC had tried to pull it off in the early 1990s, making an unaired pilot produced by Carlton Cuse ("Lost") and the late Jeffrey Boam ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"), the pair that made "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr," one of my all-time favorite shows.

No word when either series will get things going, but they join the likes of the remake of "Cupid" and the next generation of "Beverly Hills, 90210" as shows getting a new life because the networks apparently believe in recycling. And they wonder why they are losing their audiences to cable.

CASTING NEWS: According to the trades, Kim Dickens ("Deadwood") will appear on "Friday Night Lights" this season as the estranged mom of quarterback Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford).

Meanwhile, on "Heroes," the ever-growing cast adds two more with Breckin Meyer and Seth Green. That's in addition to the new cast members being added through the webisodes on NBC.com.

Speaking of "Heroes," you can now see the series' alternate ending for Season 2 - in which the Shanti Virus is unleashed - (albeit without sound) here: http://heroesspoilers-odi.blogspot.com/2008/08/heroes-season-2-alternate-ending-and.html

Without the sound, it's not really worth watching, but they also do show a separate clip in which we see Hiro's dad's (George Takei) power - and it's a pretty cool one. That clip also doesn't have sound, but because the scene is between him and Ando, it's done with subtitles. Both clips and more (presumably with sound) are supposed to be on the "Heroes" DVD set to be released next month.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Olympics, of course (NBC, 8 p.m.), though nothing during the rest of the Games will compare to kicking French butt Sunday night.

The rest of the night is mostly reruns, perhaps most notably "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Fox, 9 p.m.) as the network tries to catch people up before the series returns. If you missed it the first time around, I recommend it.

"Rescue Me" (FX, 10 p.m.) follows up with another new mini-episode, though I'm not sure they can top last week's, and it's followed by a new "30 Days" at 10:06 p.m.

Finally, "Nova" (PBS, 8 p.m.) discusses the history and significance of Einstein's Theory of Relativity, my personal favorite in terms of scientific theories.

Robin Sparkles Again

One of the best things about "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) is that the series will set up a joke during one episode and carry it on as a running joke through the series.

One of the best is the "Robin Sparkles" persona of Robin (Cobie Smulders), when she was a teen mall queen pop star back in Canada. The video of Robin is still around the Web where she sings "Let's Go To The Mall."

Tonight, the subplot is revisited with a plethora of guest stars as Robin meets up with her high school boyfriend (James Van Der Beek), and we also see Alan Thicke and real-life teen mall queen Tiffany. I'm fairly certain we get another cheesy pop video as part of the package.

It's one of the aspects of the show that I love, along with everything from suiting up to slap bets.

If you want an introduction to TV's best sitcom, you could do worse than tonight's installment, part of a whole new night of CBS comedies.

SARAH CONNOR RETURNS: TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting that though it isn't official, the cast and crew of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" will be returning for a second season. It's good news, as "SCC" had surprising emotional impact to go along with its action.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is new, but not all-new. Tonight's episode was originally shot last season, but it centers around the death of a college basketball star. Because it was set to air right around the time of the Virginia Tech shootings last year, Fox wisely decided in would be in poor taste to air it, so it is finally hitting the airwaves tonight.

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) has been deliberately drawing attention to its return tonight with a racy campaign that seems to fit in perfectly with the show itself. It's followed by a new "One Tree Hill."

"Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is sandwiched by "Dancing With the Stars" and "The Bachelor," while "Medium" is brand new at 10 p.m. on NBC.

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.

No, Really, My Dad's The Best!

One of the casualties of the WGA strike is the viewer, who has to put up with the likes of "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad," in which various dads battle it out in an "American Gladiators"-meets-"Fear Factor" type format.

I'm not really sure if the winner will be the best dad in America so much as the one who can withstand the slime and complete all the physical tasks required of him.

It follows a "Deal Or No Deal" in which 13 of the 26 cases are now filled with $1 million. Given that the odds are now 50-50, how can someone not win $1 million?

All I can say is, the return of regular programming can't come soon enough.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Prison Break" (Fox, 8 p.m.) wraps up its third season tonight as the gang tries yet another escape, followed by a new "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" at 9 p.m.

"October Road" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is all-new, following a two-hour "Dance War." CBS has new episodes of the awful "Welcome To The Captain," at 8:30 p.m. and the always-entertaining "Old Christine" at 9:30 p.m.

Allison goes deaf on "Medium" (NBC, 10 p.m.) Once again, if she's that good a psychic, wouldn't she see this coming?

On cable, "Kyle XY" and "Wildfire" are both new on ABC Family, beginning at 8 p.m., while Lewis Black hosts a special, "The Greatest Joke Ever Told," (History Channel, 9 p.m.) Hopefully, this isn't the Monty Python joke where everyone dies after hearing it.

Finally, my favorite frontiersman, Kit Carson, is the subject of "American Experience" (PBS, 9 p.m.)

Oscars - Will The Show Go On?

With Academy Award nominations set to be announced Tuesday, it's becoming an interesting game of chicken between the WGA and the Academy.

The WGA has yet to grant a waiver to allow the show to go on with writers working on the program and nominees to cross picket lines in order to receive their statuettes.

Producers for the Oscars have said the show will go on regardless of whether they get the waiver or not, but seeing what a fiasco the Golden Globes were when it was boycotted last week, it's hard to imagine what the producers could do to fill air time successfully.

But the WGA is in a tight spot as well. Though most polls indicate the public is on the side of the WGA, the guild could lose a lot of public goodwill if the ceremony is boycotted or cancelled. The Oscars are typically the second-most watched TV event each year, behind only the Super Bowl.

On the other hand, if the WGA wants to deliver a swift kick to the groin of the AMPTP, the group negotiating on behalf of the studios, deep-sixing the Oscars would be a giant blow. It would be crushing to Disney/ABC to lose all of those ratings and ad revenue, and all of the studios would suffer since they wouldn't be able to use the bump of an Oscar nomination in their marketing schemes.

There are flickers of hope around Hollywood that the recent AMTMP deal with the Directors Guild of America might provide a spark between the studios and the WGA, but it's important to note that the DGA conceded a lot of points that the WGA is striking over in the first place, so the DGA deal hardly provides much of a framework for the WGA to use.

In the end, like the strike itself, no one is going to be the winner in this fight: not the writers and actors, who lose out on a career-making night; not the studios, who lose millions in revenue; and not the public, which loses its traditional night to celebrate the motion picture industry.

R.I.P. SUZANNE PLESHETTE: The actress, who died over the weekend, would have turned 71 on Jan. 31. Pleshette, a veteran performer for both films and television, was the linchpin of the one of the single greatest moments in the history of TV when she reprised her role in 1990 from "The Bob Newhart Show" for the brilliantly conceived series finale of "Newhart," Bob Newhart's second TV series. No TV series before or since has ever touched that twist of an ending (which probably wouldn't have been possible in today's era of Internet spoilers).

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Fox, 9 p.m.) suffered a big dropoff in ratings from its pilot to the second episode, but here's hoping viewers give it another chance. It follows a new "Prison Break."

"Medium" (NBC, 10 p.m.) follows reality game show hits "American Gladiators" and "Deal Or No Deal." While I'm personally glad that "AG" has returned to the air, the Hulk Hogan/Laila Ali interviews are coming off as insipid. And the play-by-play voiceover guy makes me long for the days of Mike Adamle and Larry Csonka. But some of the new games are cool and the Eliminator has been pretty interesting, plus I like all of the pools the competitors keep getting dunked into.

ABC follows its newest "Dance War" (ABC, 8 p.m.) with new episodes of "Notes From The Underbelly" and "October Road."

Tonight marks the return of the very popular teen series, "Wildfire" (ABC Family, 9 p.m.), following an all-new "Kyle XY."

If you missed AMC's much-anticipated pilot for "Breaking Bad," you can catch it again tonight at 10 p.m.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles

So Fox came through in a big way yesterday, sending me the first two episodes of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" in time for this review after participating in a teleconference with star Lena Headey ("300") and producer James Middleton the day before.

Frankly, I was a bit worried about seeing the pilot after Middleton said on the call to ignore "Terminator 3."

"We create an entirely new timeline," he said. "In terms of the show, the premise it establishes with a new timeline is more informed wih 'Terminator 2' than 'Terminator 3.' "

Of course, in T3, it establishes that Sarah was dead and we see John Connor as a young man in his 20s. In "SCC" we see John as a 15-year-old played by Thomas Dekker ("Heroes"). The action is set a couple of years after the events of T2, where Sarah, John and the Terminator destroyed the lab that creates Skynet, the system that builds the Terminators and initiates Judgement Day.

John and Sarah are living off the grid, and Sarah is engaged to an EMT (Dean Winters, "Rescue Me"). But Sarah decides that she has been in one place too long and decides it's time to return to the road, trying to stay one step ahead of both the authorities and the Terminators.

At his new school, John meets a classmate named Cameron (Summer Glau, "Firefly") who turns out to be a Terminator sent by his future self to protect his young self. She gets put to work early, as an evil Terminator shows up immediately after. (BTW, nice move, future John, in sending a hot teenage woman to be your protector rather than an oversized Austrian.)

Not to give too much away, but future John hasn't just sent back Cameron for his protection, and the Hail Mary she pulls at the end of the pilot to allow the three of them to escape the assassin helps establish the new timeline.

Time travel in sci-fi shows is a bit of a mixed bag: On the one hand, alternate realities allow for some great storytelling, like on "Heroes" in Season 1; on the other hand, it brings out all sorts of logical inconsistencies in plots, plus allows writers a loophole to change storylines or hit the rewind button in order to say "it was only a possible future."

Despite my initial misgivings, the SCC writers use the time travel aspect of the Terminator franchise pretty well, I think. And there are some moments in Episode 2 that indicate that viewers may not want to ignore aspects of T3 so quickly.

Headey makes the role of Sarah her own, despite the almost iconic status of Linda Hamilton's portrayal. Headey said she tried to approach the part from her own perspective, and the bond between her and John is explored a lot more in SCC than it was in the movies.

"It's such an ongoing evolution," Headey said. "I think her relationship with John is reaching new depths. ... I took from the movies what was undeniable - a strength and instinct, and an absolute sense of right and wrong."

Middleton said that events from SCC would be tied into "Terminator 4," which has cast Christian Bale as the future John Connor. He added that while none of the actors from the movies, such as Robert Patrick, have been approached to reprise their roles, he didn't close the door on the possibility, either.

So, what's the final verdict on SCC? Definitely worth an hour of your time. The action sequences are very strong, and Headey brings a lot of depth to Sarah (though she looks a little young to have a teenage son.) Glau is terrific as the new good Terminator, while Dekker is solid as John, though the writers need to have the character whine so much.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" debuts Sunday night at 8 p.m. on Fox before settling into its regular slot on Monday nights.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: Huzzah! A new episode of a show I actually watch! "Ugly Betty" is supposed to be all-new tonight (ABC, 8 p.m.) though I qualify it by saying read yesterday's posting. It's followed by a new "Grey's Anatomy" and "Big Shots."

CBS will supposedly run new episodes tonight for "CSI" at 9 p.m. and "Without A Trace" at 10 p.m. And NBC is all-new with "My Name Is Earl," "30 Rock" (Kenneth the page learns the joys of coffee), "Celebrity Apprentice" and "ER."

Finally, if you enjoy "Project Runway," Bravo is bringing viewers "Make Me A Supermodel" tonight at 9 p.m. The title is pretty self-explanatory and is hosted by models Niki Taylor and Tyson Beckford.