TVSquad

George Clooney learned a lot about television toiling away on The Facts of Life and E/R. The latter wasn't NBC medical drama that made him a star. I'm talking about the 1984 Elliott Gould sitcom on CBS that lasted a year, just 22 episodes.

But the point is this: he may be a major movie star today, but George knows and appreciates television. That could be why George Clooney's behind Delta Blues, a cop drama that TNT has just picked up.

I use the term drama loosely, because it's something goofier than a straight drama. The lead character is an Elvis Presley impersonator when he's not working for the Memphis Police Department. One more thing: Like Elvis, he honors his mother... and lives with her. Does that make him a mama's boy? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

(S07E01) As the seventh season commences, the cases continue. Tonight it's a flashback to 1966 and the events on a ship known for suicides, but the real crux of the show was more current. What's going on with Lily Rush since her near-death experience last year? When the case against Kitchener seems to be going soft, her reaction makes me wonder if our Lily is contemplating going Dirty Harry (Harriet?) on us.

Well, this is disappointing. That damn recession has hit show business, too! Cold Case isn't going to film in Philadelphia anymore. As fans of the show know, the Philly locations are like another character, giving the moody procedural a gritty reality that contrasts to the colorful flashbacks. It's really too bad because that local color is missed when it's gone. The shots of Miami in CSI: Miami, for instance, glamorize that program, even if they only drop them in occasionally. That's how it was for Cold Case with Philadelphia.

(S05E08) When I say that a lot of this episode of The Closer felt like a CSI episode, with the emphasis on the gory and gruesome aspects of original murder, I'm not being critical. And when I mention there were also elements that reminded of Cold Case, that's also not a diss because Cold Case is an underrated show.

But unlike Cold Case, which brings the past to life, The Closer remained very much in the present. Generally speaking, this was a pretty strong episode that played up Brenda's vulnerability.

You think Bobby Cannavale has felt the sting when all those episodes of the failed second go-round of Cupid have been burned off by ABC this past few weeks? It's got to be a shot to the ego, even for an established, successful Emmy-winning actor. Well, here's some news that should puff him back up again. Cold Case is bringing Bobby Cannavale back for the new season.

Cannavale appeared last season on Cold Case as Detective Eddie Saccardo, an undercover narcotics cop -- think Serpico with a sense of humor -- who had a brief romantic fling with Lily. It was one of the only happy things in Detective Rush's life last season, so the return of Eddie could be just what the doctor ordered for Kathryn Morris's character.

Next Wednesday, CBS will be announcing its schedule for the new season, and while rumors have swirled that Cold Case or Without A Trace might be on the chopping block -- despite good ratings -- one sure thing seems to be the spinoff from NCIS.

Well, now that I've seen the two-part NCIS episode that served as a pilot for the show, I'm hoping that CBS gives this new series a thumbs-down. I don't expect that to happen, but if it were my decision, I wouldn't dump a solid series with a loyal viewership like Cold Case or Without A Trace, for the hope of LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell's overly fussy, overly procedural NCIS derivative step-child.

Do the American people really like watching their favorite shows this way? Assuming you have more than one or two shows you enjoy following, this week is daunting to say the least and beyond exhausting. Just last night I had a three-hour finale of The Biggest Loser and that awesome Fringe finale. In the past few days we've said goodbye to The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Cold Case, The Unit, Brothers & Sisters, The Big Bang Theory, House and Castle. And that's just on the major networks.

Over the next two days we have America's Next Top Model, Lie to Me, Lost, Bones, My Name Is Earl, Smallville, Parks & Recreation, CSI, Grey's Anatomy, Hell's Kitchen, The Office, Supernatural and even CSI: NY on a special night. And it goes on through the weekend. In an era where ratings are slipping, how can it make good business sense to put all of these finales on against one another all within a few days of each other. I know they've always done that, but I just don't think it makes sense anymore.

Since I'm still new enough at TV Squad not to exist on the "Meet the TV Squad" page, this is my first Festivus. It's nice to be able to dig deep into my heart for all of my TV wishes in hopes that some internet fairy will grant them and make the television landscape just a little bit more awesome... for me, at least.

Without further ado, here is what I want for Festivus:

• Christina Hendricks and the rest of the Mad Men cast should guest-star on more shows. Ever since I started watching Mad Men, I've noticed Hendricks popping up places. She's on an episode of Without a Trace here, an old episode of Cold Case there... I love me some Joan Holloway and Mad Men isn't returning soon enough. I loved seeing Jon Hamm host SNL, and I'm super excited about his upcoming guest stint on 30 Rock. More please!

Today's news that CBS ordered five more episodes of Eleventh Hour is not a big surprise. A big surprise would have been if the network didn't give the freshman drama a re-order. The Jerry Bruckheimer production has been in the most-favored nation position at CBS -- meaning whatever Jerry wants, he usually gets.

The network enjoys a very fruitful/profitable relationship with the TV/filmmaker. Together, CBS and Jerry share Cold Case, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Without A Trace and The Amazing Race. They're thinking of changing the initials CBS to Columbia Bruckheimer System. (Kidding!)

Actress Brea Grant just landed a pretty cool role on the hit NBC series Heroes. According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, the young actress was cast as Joy, a woman in her early twenties with the power of superspeed.

This recurring character is said to be introduced in a scene set at a museum. Hiro meets the woman at the museum and asks her if she has powers and is using them to steal art. As expected, Joy will lie to our beloved hero Hiro and leave the scene with a few paintings. Is she part of the villains or is she one of the good guys and somehow lost her way? Only time will tell!

Let me start this rant by saying that I like sports. No, I love sports. I'm a fan. I get the DirecTV NBA package and the major league baseball games. I can talk to you for hours about stats and players and great games. That said, I hate the way Sunday sports programming drifts over into primetime. This happens primarily on CBS and Fox with the NFL games in the fall and winter, but the other networks have been guilty of staying with the game and then still insisting on showing the primetime schedule after the game is over -- even if that means that an 8 o'clock show begins at 8:45 and your DVR gets all screwed up and you wind up with only 15 minutes of a show you wanted to see!

Jeremy Piven was unavailable this time around, busy as he is playing Ari in Entourage, so writer/producer Rob Thomas went in another direction. Taller, by four inches. Thomas has chosen Bobby Cannavale for the title role in Cupid for ABC.

Cannavale, an Emmy-award winner for his guest turn on Will & Grace as Vince, will be Trevor Hale in Cupid. He's described as manic and charming and firmly believing in the fact that he is the real Roman god of love, Cupid. His mission is to make 100 love matches so he can earn the right to leave Earth and return to Mount Olympus. ABC is behind this new pilot, an updated version of Thomas' 1998 Cupid that didn't make it past season one.

(S01E01) "Most cops would kill to get into homicide" - John Amsterdam

I like the way this show begins. A brief voice over, a few establishing scenes and some hints as to what makes this series special. In the first five minutes, we learn that John Amsterdam is a homicide detective living in New York who owns a dog, has an active sex life is a recovering alcoholic and was once fatally stabbed in the chest. Makes sense.

Once the show gets rolling, we meet his new partner and his seasoned co-worker. This is where it becomes evident that New Amsterdam is your basic cop show with an added twist.

Fans of the Tiffany network can do the happy dance. CBS has renewed 11 scripted shows for the 2008-2009 TV season. The lucky 11 are: CSI; CSI: Miami; CSI: New York; NCIS; Criminal Minds; Cold Case; Without a Trace; Ghost Whisperer; Numb3rs; Two and a Half Men; and The Big Bang Theory.

There are not a lot of surprises in this bunch, although it's great news that The Big Bang Theory, CBS's rookie Monday-night sitcom from Chuck Lorre's stable, made the cut. Still in limbo, however, are three other Monday-night comedies from the network: How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. The story speculates that Mother will get the greenlight for a fourth season soon, but Rules and Christine seem to be in competition for the 9:30-10:00 half-hour slot.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Viva Laughlin, Cold Case, and Shark.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• NBC has a new Football Night In America at 7, then the Steelers/Broncos game.
• There's a new epiosode of The CW Now on The CW at 7.
• At 8, FOX has the Red Sox/Indians game.
• Nick has a new Zoey 101 at 8, followed by a new Nick News.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Theatre.
• Food Network has a new Next Iron Chef at 9, then a new Iron Chef America.
• HBO has a new Tell Me You Love Me at 9, then a new Curb Your Enthusiasm.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Dexter, followed by a new Brotherhood.
• At 10, VH-1 has a new Hogan Knows Best.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.

Check your local TV listings for more.