TVSquad

Today ABC revealed its 2008-2009 schedule, where many fan favorites were listed as returning, along with some disappointing cancellations. Every year, though, there's one show that stands out in that list of returning shows; a show that, nearly every time its name is uttered here, gets slammed and ridiculed, boggling minds as to why, oh why, is it getting yet another season. That show is, of course, According to Jim.

Once again, According to Jim gets to continue on ABC for another season. If you read the comments here, though, it's not as though anyone is particularly happy about it. "WTF" and "you've got to be kidding me" are common reactions to this news. So, I have to wonder: if so many people seem to hate this show, despise it so much as to make it the brunt of many TV-related jokes, and to be shocked -- SHOCKED, I tell you -- that the network could continue to allow such an atrocity to linger on, then who is watching it?

Joel asked this question before, but now I want to know. After the jump I've put a poll in place to get some idea of who's behind the ratings that keep breathing life into Jim Belushi's career.

Spike TV has ordered six episodes of Factory, a largely improvised comedy revolving around four small-town factory workers who'd rather do anything than work at their boring jobs, according to a Hollywood Reporter story. It will be the Guy Network's first original comedy series.

Set to premiere on June 29 at 10 p.m., Factory is directed, produced by, and stars Mitch Rouse (pictured), co-creator of Strangers With Candy, the short-lived TV series that ran from 1999-2000, as well as the 2005 prequel feature film by the same name.

Rouse has an interesting list of credits. In addition to numerous feature films, he played Dr. Ryan Gibson on According to Jim (come on, there must be someone out there who watches this show), Fireman #1 on Reno 911, and was a regular on Exit 57, a mid-1990s comedy-sketch show.

Are you still trying to figure out what to do when all of your favorite programs leave the air for the summer? I was thinking about maybe going outside. I'm told it's nice. ABC has other plans for our eyeballs though. They've signed up Nick Lachey to host a new reality show (I know... boo reality) based on the hit Disney franchise, High School Musical.

At the moment the show is called High School Musical: Summer Session, but apparently that isn't official. Casting calls kick off this weekend, with a premiere set for June 20th. The network is obviously hoping to cash in on some of the success their sibling Disney has seen with the movies. I wouldn't be surprised to see Disney sweetheart Miley Cyrus guesting on the show to bring in her throngs of fans.

• At 8, ABC has a new According To Jim.
• CBS has a new NCIS at 8, followed by new episodes of Big Brother and 48 Hours Mystery.
• NBC has the two hour season finale of The Biggest Loser at 8, then a new Law and Order: SVU.
• FOX has new episodes of American Idol and Hell's Kitchen.
• There's a new Beauty and the Geek at 8 on The CW.
• TCM has the premiere of Role Model at 8, with Alec Baldwin interviewing Gene Wilder. It's followed by The Producers.
• Discovery has a Best Of Deadliest Catch Season 3 special at 8, followed by two new episodes.
• At 9, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, then a new Boston Legal.
• PBS has a new Frontline at 9.
• BBC America has a new Last Restaurant Standing at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new episode of The Riches.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of New York City at 10.
• HBO has a new Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel at 10.
• Also at 10: Sci-Fi has a new ECW.
• At 10:30, A&E has a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S01E13) "Racist." - Tony

So, Andi decided to bite the bullet and tell Sam how she feels. Now I know this could easily be seen as a disastrous turn of events for Reaper but it could very well be awesome. The way I see it, Cady & Sam were destined to break up anyway and now Sam has one more very big reason to show Cady "the gate." The best part will be Cady making Sam's life a literal hell on earth after he dumps her. The whole situation could lead to a very cool cliffhanger for next season. I know what you're thinking but I'm being optimistic.

I'm curious about Sam's discovery that Steve and Tony are demons. I mean, if anyone else had walked in and saw them sanding their horns they would have completely freaked out but Sam, having had experience with that sort of thing, was able to handle it and react accordingly. Does Sam's relationship with the devil make him more susceptible to supernatural events? I think so.

• At 8, FOX has a new American Idol.
• ABC has a new Just For Laughs at 8.
• NBC has a new, two hour Biggest Loser at 8.
• The CW has the season premiere of Beauty and the Geek and then a new One Tree Hill.
• At 9, CBS has a new Big Brother, followed by a new Jericho.
• ABC has a new According To Jim at 9.
• There's a new Last Restaurant Standing at 9 on BBC America.
• At 9:30, HBO has a new In Treatment.
• At 10, ABC has a new Primetime.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of New York City at 10.
• MTV has a new Life of Ryan at 10.
• Also at 10: Sci-Fi has a new ECW.

Check your local TV listings for more.

I have a confession to make: I don't hate According To Jim.

Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for home-based sitcoms or maybe it's because I've had a huge crush on Courtney Thorne-Smith since the 80s (Day By Day!), but the few episodes I've seen were cute, amusing, and harmless.

Of course, that doesn't mean I necessarily welcome this news, that ABC is in talks with ABC Studios to bring the show back for an eighth season.

• At 8, FOX has a new American Idol, then a new House.
• NBC has a new, two hour Biggest Loser at 8.
• There's a new Nova on PBS at 8.
• At 9, ABC has a new According To Jim, then a new Carpoolers.
• The CW has a new One Tree Hill at 9.
• Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
• BBC America has a new Last Restaurant Standing at 9.
• At 9:30, HBO has a new In Treatment.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
• TNT starts running repeats of Bones with the pilot episode at 10.
• Also at 10: A&E has two new episodes of Parking Wars.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, FOX has a new American Idol.
• ABC has a new Just For Laughs at 8.
• NBC has a new, two hour Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Law and Order: SVU.
• At 9, ABC has a new According To Jim, then a new Carpoolers.
• There's a new One Tree Hill on The CW at 9.
• Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
• TLC has two new episodes of something called The Bussey Bunch.
• Also at 9: ESPN2 has more coverage of The Australian Open.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
• A&E has two new episodes of Parking Wars starting at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, FOX has the season premiere of American Idol.
• CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then part 2 of Comanche Moon.
• ABC has a new Just For Laughs at 8.
• There's a new, two-hour Biggest Loser on NBC at 8.
• PBS has a new Nova at 8.
• CNN and FOX News has coverage of the Michigan Republican Primary all night.
• At 9, ABC has a new According To Jim.
• MSNBC has a Democratic Debate from Las Vegas at 9, then coverage of Michigan.
• At 10, ABC has a new Boston Legal.
• NBC has a new Law and Order: SVU at 10.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County at 10.
• Also at 10: FX has a new Nip/Tuck.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Note: after the jump, a special poll about our new format.

• CSPAN and the news channels will have coverage of the NH Primary all night, and the other networks will cut in with results too.
• At 8, NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser, then a new Law and Order: SVU.
• ABC has a new Just For Laughs at 8.
• The CW has two new episodes of One Tree Hill starting at 8.
• There's a new Nova on PBS at 8, followed by a new Frontline.
• At 9, CBS has The People's Choice Awards.
• ABC has a new According To Jim at 9, then new episodes of Carpoolers and Boston Legal.
• Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
• At 10, Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

It was finally ABC's turn to unveil its winter schedule yesterday. There aren't many surprises in it except that Lost, as rumored, will now air on a new night and that Big Shots, who was benched last week, will get a fifth another chance. ABC's winter programming will also include the premieres of Cashmere Mafia, Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, Eli Stone and Oprah's Big Give and the return of a few reality series, such as Supernanny and Wife Swap, to fill the void left when scripted series will have aired all their new episodes.

Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of summer dying. Only a few more weeks 'til Jerry Lewis comes out on stage and the kids are back and school and we're reviewing the new fall shows.

In the meantime, ABC has a plan: they're bringing back The Nine again and running a marathon of shows the last week of August. Ha! Just kidding. I think ABC is done kicking that show around. But they do have a plan for the rest of the summer: they're going to run Emmy-nominated episodes of their shows, including Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, According To Jim, Extreme Makeover, and Grey's Anatomy. The episodes will feature sneak previews of the new fall season.

And I'm sure I speak for all of America when I ask, "According To Jim was nominated for an Emmy?"

I remember when I was a young man many years ago, watching a short-lived sitcom called Working Stiffs. I was enthralled with a very young and talented comic-turned-actor named Michael Keaton but even more so with the man who played his brother, Jim Belushi.

Since I was really just a kid, I was unable to be a real fan of John Belushi. Sure, I had heard about some of the stuff he did on Saturday Night Live and my parents talked about him a lot, but I was just too young to grasp his genius at the time. Jim, however, was a different story.

According to Jim is getting one more season. No, seriously.

TV Guide is reporting that ABC has suddenly renewed the sitcom for another 18 episodes. No word on why. The sitcom wasn't on the network's fall schedule, so everyone presumed it was canceled and ABC Entertainment President even alluded to that possibility.

Did anyone even make a stink about According to Jim not returning? I've heard about a lot of fan efforts to bring back shows, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hear anything about resurrecting According to Jim.

*Apparently Courtney Thorne-Smith is pregnant. Maybe they've decided to add another member to the family.