TVSquad

We used to be big House watchers in this house a few years ago. We loved seeing Dr. House be snarky and cynical, and while an addiction to Vicodin is tragic, it was part of who he was. Really, maybe that's part of what addiction is -- it becomes familiar and part of your psyche, and you don't want to give it up. I'm no therapist, though (clearly).

We lapsed with the show as it became more and more predictable, and even the addition of the new team and the Survivor-like way House picked them wasn't enough to make it must-see TV. We watched only an episode or two last season. House's spiral was sad, and we didn't want to watch it anymore. I know long-running shows have to evolve, but we had lost the old House.

I missed House. Plain and simple, no other show on television makes keeps me guessing what will happen next, and gives a more satisfying payoff, whether I've guessed the twist or not. That was the first thing I thought watching last night's season six premiere episode, "Broken." I'll even forgive the suddenness of a couple of plot twists (Dr. Nolan's father, and how House suddenly had keys to every room in the hospital when he needed a quiet place for a booty call). I know how those things fit into the plot, and I'll let the contrivance slide a bit.

The other thing I thought watching "Broken" was that I also missed Andre Braugher. His character, Dr. Darryl Nolan, was the toughest, smartest I've seen him play since Homicide. (Note - I haven't seen everything he's done since, so if you have any suggestions on something to seek out, I'll take a look). It's not easy to hold your own onscreen with Hugh Laurie's House. It has been said lot, but it's worth repeating, Laurie is great in the role, and the role itself is one of the best on television (good enough that they named the show after him).

I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from serious 24 withdrawal. Like, to the point where I'm ready to start watching the entire series from the beginning again.

But maybe there's a little glimmer of light there. I'm not talking about the 24 movie this fall to tie us into next year -- although that certainly qualifies. I'm talking about the new series, Night and Day, from 24 co-creator Joel Surnow and Todd Robinson.

TNT has just given the green light to the series, a fast-paced, gritty drama about the life of an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Hmmm, sounds strangely familiar...

Scott Bakula is Ray Romano's new best friend. Bakula is the latest addition to the cast of Men of a Certain Age, a pilot for TNT. The drama focuses on three men in their forties that have been friends since college; Bakula is one of the leads. His character, Terry, is an "intelligent, but struggling, actor." Terry's best friends have struggles of their own. Joe, Romano's character, is a divorced father who runs a party supply store. Owen, played by the supremely gifted Andre Braugher, is a family man who works at his father's car dealership.

This recent bit of casting news just made the TNT pilot a must-see for me. Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and Andre Braugher seem like an unlikely group of buddies, but I suppose it depends on the chemistry between the three actors.

Back in April, Allison reported that Ray Romano was working on a pilot for TNT. Romano is playing the lead, and now Andre Braugher has been added to the cast of Men of a Certain Age. The series, a dramedy along the lines of Sideways, focuses on lives of three middle-aged friends. Braugher will play Owen, a car salesman and family man. Ray Romano and Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond) are writing and producing the show together.

I've been an Andre Braugher fan since Homicide: Life on the Street, and I'm excited to see him get a promising role like this. Braugher is more of a dramatic actor, but he's definitely capable of getting some laughs. No word yet on who's playing the third friend. The character has been described as an aspiring actor.

Paul Attanasio, House executive producer, has conjured up a legal drama for Fox. The network greenlighted a one-hour pilot, Court K, which is set in Milwaukee and involves a judge, a prosecutor and a public defender. Just because it's set in Milwaukee, don't expect to see Laverne and Shirley.

Like House is not your typical medical drama, Court K will not be a typical lawyer show, not that Boston Legal is typical, but you know what I mean. Court K is reportedly a lot grittier, with sardonic, dark comic elements. We'll have to see if any of the principals are hooked on Vicodan. I wonder if it'll remind me of the movie ...And Justice For All, which was also a dark comic look at a Baltimore courthouse. But then, wasn't that Night Court, too?

It's the last week of March, and there are still a few more new shows for the networks to roll out. Most notably, is Thief, on F/X and starring Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street). Also, NBC is premiering a new sitcom that, if promos are any indication, will sink just as fast as Four Kings. And, WB is premiering a heavily censored version of The Bedford Diaries.

• Teachers, Tuesdays @ 9:30 pm on NBC (premieres March 28)
• A comedy about a rule-breaking teacher at a New Jersey middle school.