TVSquad

If I were an executive at CBS, I would never want to do business with actor Mandy Patinkin again. Even though Mandy is a terrific actor and one of my personal favorites -- I loved him on Broadway in Evita and Sunday in the Park with George, not to mention on screen in The Princess Bride and Yentl -- his history with CBS is abominable.

He was an Emmy-winning star on Chicago Hope, then left after a couple of seasons to be closer to his family in New York. Okay, that was understandable. Then after getting Criminal Minds off to a great start, he walked out of that show, citing creative differences.

Apparently, someone has said let bygones be bygones because Mandy Patinkin will be a guest star on Three Rivers. Maybe because this is a very personal issue with Mandy, he's convinced the powers that be to let him return to the network, albeit for just a guest appearance.

The "Ask TV Squad" column, published every Wednesday, answers your questions about current and past TV shows, as well as about the celebrities appearing on TV. Every week, I will pick a question (or more) sent to us and provide answers in the column. If your question is not picked for a column, it may be answered in a subsequent column. To submit questions to the "Ask TV Squad" column, you can post them below in comments or email them at asktvsquad@gmail.com.

This week, I answer questions about online TV shows, a new series called Miami Trauma, and NYPD Blue DVDs.

• TBS has Baseball Playoffs all night.
• At 8, ABC has a new Hank, followed by new episodes of The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick.
• CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, then new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by a new Glee.
• There's a new America's Next Top Model on The CW at 8.
• Also at 8: ESPN2 has the WNBA Finals.
• At 9, Discovery has a new Mythbusters.
• History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, then a new MysteryQuest.
• Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters at 9, then a new Destination Truth.
• At 10, Comedy Central has a new South Park, followed by the series premiere of Secret Girlfriend.
• Bravo has a new Top Chef: Las Vegas at 10.
• Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Oh, no. Please. CBS, please don't. I know it's tempting when you see the NCIS: LA ratings -- number two for last week, topped only by NCIS! -- but please, refrain. What am I talking about? CBS is pushing a spinoff of Criminal Minds, asking the show's executive producer Ed Bernero and executive producer Chris Mundy to come up with a variation on Criminal Minds. Hmm... Criminal Minds 2.0? Son of Criminal Minds? Criminal Guts?

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, followed by the series premieres of Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick.
• CBS has the season premiere of Old Christine at 8, then the season premieres of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has the series premiere of Mercy at 8, followed by the season premiere of Law and Order: SVU and a new Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance and a new Glee.
• There's a new America's Next Top Model on The CW at 8, then a new The Beautiful Life.
• Cartoon Network has a new Bobb'e Says at 8, followed by a new Dude, What Would Happen?
• At 9, Discovery has a new Man vs. Wild.
• Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay at 9.
• History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, followed by a new MysteryQuest.
• Also at 9: Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters, then a new Destination Truth.
• At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef: Las Vegas.
• Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

Every week I see tons and tons of TV DVDs released, and the only thing I can think of is "when is _______ going to be released?" Sure, I'll get The Office this week (but borrow someone else's Fringe), but I don't really see anything else that cries out "buy me for your collection!" I'm still waiting for Spenser: For Hire and Ed.

• Alvin & The Chipmunks - Star Wreck
• The Alvin Show - The Very First Alvin Show
• Beany & Cecil - Special Edition: Vol. 2
• Criminal Minds - Season 4
• Dog The Bounty Hunter - Best of Season 5
• Fringe - Season 1

First off, isn't that a cool way to do titles for a two-part season finale? I'm waiting for the day when some show has a two-parter where the first episode is titled "The" and the other one is titled "End."

This season finale focused on a serial killer who killed prostitutes and the homeless and took them across the border into Canada.The previews with the pigs kinda creeped me out (I guess pigs are the villains in many ways this year). How was this finale? The show has been renewed for another season.

So last night at 9PM, everyone in the country was watching either the Lost season finale or another exciting elimination on American Idol. Or were they? Is there anyone out there who doesn't watch Lost or AI and actually tuned into Criminal Minds instead, even if it didn't guest star Alex O'Loughlin this week?

I bet a lot of Moonlight fans tuned into Criminal Minds last night to see Alex O'Loughlin star as a serial killer; if they knew he was on it, that is. Oh, who am I kidding? The real Moonlight fans probably knew about the casting before O'Loughlin did.

What did you think of the episode? Criminal Minds is one of those shows that does pretty well in the ratings but no one really seems to talk about. So, talk about it.

Moonlight is history, but Alex O'Loughlin is still in demand. The actor, who garnered a huge fan base playing Moonlight's good guy vampire Mick St. John, returns to TV this week. O'Loughlin will guest star as a conflicted serial killer on CBS's Criminal Minds on Wednesday.

For O'Loughlin fans, the guest appearance is only a tease. What they really want to see is their favorite Aussie actor starring in a new weekly series. They might get their wish if CBS picks up Three Rivers, a drama pilot starring O'Loughlin as an organ transplant surgeon.

I got a chance to speak with O'Loughlin this week. We chatted about his new projects, his love for the vampire genre, and how Mick St. John could totally kick Kate Beckinsale's ass. Click through for the conversation, plus preview images and video from the actor's appearance on Criminal Minds.

• USA has an NCIS marathon all night.
• At 8, ABC has a new Scrubs, followed by new episodes of Better Off Ted, Lost (recap episode), and The Unusuals.
• FOX has a new Lie To Me at 8, then a new American Idol.
• The CW has a new America's Next Top Model at 8.
• PBS has a new Secrets of the Dead at 8, followed by Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, followed by a new True Jackson, VIP.
• TNT has the Hawks/Heat game at 8, then the Hornets/Nuggets game.
• Sci-Fi has a new Ghost Hunters at 9.
• Discovery has a new Time Warp at 8, then new episodes of Mythbusters and Pitchmen.
• At 10, CBS has a new Criminal Minds.
• TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne at 10.
• Comedy Central has a new South Park at 10, then a new Reno 911!
• Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10.
• TV Land has a new episode of The Cougar at 10.
• Also at 10: A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

• At 8, ABC has a new Scrubs, followed by new episodes of Better Off Ted, Lost, and Life on Mars.
• CBS has a new Survivor at 8, then new episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY.
• NBC has new episodes of The Chopping Block, Life, and Law and Order.
• FOX has a new, two-hour American Idol at 8.
• There's a new America's Next Top Model on The CW at 8.
• PBS has a new Great Performances at 8.
• Cartoon Network has a new Ben 10: Alien Force at 8.
• At 9, Sci-Fi has a new Ghost Hunters.
• At 10, FX has a new Damages.
• Comedy Central has a new South Park at 10, then the season finale of Important Things with Demetri Martin.
• A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter at 10.
• Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food at 10.
• Also at 10: MTV has the season finale of The Real World.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

• At 8, NBC has a new Biggest Loser, followed by a new Life.
• FOX has a new, two-hour American Idol at 8.
• At 9, ABC has a new Lost, then a new Life on Mars.
• CBS has a new Criminal Minds at 9, followed by a new CSI: NY.
• PBS has a new America's Ballroom Challenge at 9.
• History Channel has a new MonsterQuest at 9.
• Sci-Fi has a new Ghost Hunters International at 9.
• At 10, TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne.
• Bravo has the season finale of Top Chef at 10.
• FX has a new Damages at 10.
• MTV has a new Real World at 10.
• A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter at 10.
• Also at 10: Food Network has Guy's Big Night.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

What a sad sad day it was when CBS announced last season that it was canceling vampire series Moonlight starring hottie Alex O'Loughlin. The series was getting better and better every week, had a devoted fan base and a oh-so-beautiful cast (thanks mainly to Aussy O'Loughlin).

Even if CBS decided to end the series, the network was not about to let go of the actor which is why they inked a one-year deal with him to star in one of their new projects.

Until said project happens, Alex O'Loughlin will guest star in one of CBS's most popular shows: Criminal Minds.

• TLC has a Little People, Big World marathon all night.
• At 8, ABC has a new Pushing Daisies, followed by a new Private Practice and a new Barbara Walters Special.
• CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, the new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has the special Rosie Live at 8, followed by new episodes of Deal Or No Deal and Law and Order.
• FOX has a new Bones at 8.
• The CW has two new episodes of Stylista (the second is a clip show) at 8.
• PBS has a new installment of Monarchy at 8.
• The 2008 World Magic Awards airs on MyNetwork TV at 8.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Time Warp at 8.
• TCM has West Side Story at 8.
• At 9, Hallmark has the movie Accidental Friendship at 9.
• At 10, FX has the season finale of Sons of Anarchy.
• Bravo has a new Top Chef at 10.
• A&E has two new episodes of Parking Wars starting at 10.
• Also at 10, Showtime has a new Inside The NFL.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.