TVSquad

While it was a little odd that the "screener" of Glee we got was the exact same episode that FOX aired after American Idol in the spring, the rest of these shows were truly new. Dramatic offerings included FOX's loose adaptation of the DC Comics property Human Target and Past Life. On the comedy side they offered us screeners for The Cleveland Show, Brothers, Sons of Tucson and the aforementioned Glee.

After enduring the screener for Do Not Disturb last season on FOX, I could only hope that these offerings were at least better than that offense to the senses. And they were. Well, most of them. Unfortunately, it seems that FOX has at least one Do Not Disturb in them every season. Other than that, one of these shows was far better than I expected, another a bit worse, and a third one stands as one of the better pilots I've ever seen.

Well this is promising news indeed. Human Target is one of the most interesting concepts in the DC Universe and the Peter Milligan Vertigo series of the same name was one of the highlights of the early 2000s. The story centers on Christopher Chance, who takes on the identity of his clients to protect them from pending threats and help them eliminate them. He's a master of disguise in a way that Face/Off would envy. And now he has a name.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Mark Valley has been cast as Christopher Chance in the Fox pilot for Human Target. Valley has been a staple on the screen for years, most prominently for three years on Boston Legal and currently recurring on Fringe, where he has mastered the creepy stare. The guy can go from comedic to heartfelt to bad-ass to, as I said, creepy, and diversity is what you need for this role. This is a great casting choice. He's not too young, he's big and he's got an intensity about him. Man, I hope Fox picks this up even more now! Maybe Valley can go in to FOX in disguise and vote to go to series.

Anyone who watched last night's episode of Fringe can see that all the pieces of the puzzle that is The Pattern are coming together. Dunham is starting to merge John Scott's memories with her own, right as the evil Nina Sharp at Massive Dynamic decided she needs them to help her nefarious plans. Dunham's actually starting to show some personality; the chemistry between her and Peter and between Peter and Walter is getting fun. And the ending to last night's episode set up a nice cliffhanger that will take us through the holidays.

It's starting to reach a lot of the potential that fans had for it, given its J.J. Abrams pedigree. So why am I not more engrossed with the show?

(S01E03) Consider this episode of Swingtown a case of being betwixt and between. The Millers have been in their new home all of two weeks and so much has happened to shake their foundation; Susan especially seems like the song "caught in the middle with you." Does she want to be the good wife going to church and being satisfied with the way they were, her and Bruce, back in the old neighborhood? Or is she ready to embrace swinging?

She's at first drawn back to Janet and Roger and the old ways. Because she's still perturbed by the business card she found in Bruce's pants from the Playboy Club, the one from Sylvia suggesting a get together, Susan drags her family to Sunday services for a little God-time. Impulsively, when chatting with Janet, Susan announces that she's having a housewarming and wants Janet's help. It's like she's clinging to a simpler past.

Imagine this. If The X-Files and CSI had a baby and that baby's godfather was Heroes, then that would be Fringe. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, after attending a screening of J.J. Abrams' new show at Fox studios in Century City, I can vouch that it is indeed pretty good. One might even say it's more than pretty good; it's great in fact.

I watched the two-hour season premiere on Thursday evening. The pilot I saw was unfinished, but according to the publicist for Fox, the network is so psyched about Fringe, they couldn't wait to show the press. He referred to it as Fox's "tent pole series for the fall."

After the jump, I tell you about the pilot and the characters. Consider yourself warned though, there will be a few spoilers.

Over the last three seasons Boston Legal has been known as a program with a pretty busy revolving door when it comes to cast members coming and going. Usually, though, it was some of the smaller fish in the pond that came and went like the wind. This time around some of the bigger fish have been given their walking papers instead.

According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello Constance Zimmer, Julie Bowen, Mark Valley and Rene Auberjonois have been let go from the program. To fill the void, former Night Court actor John Larroquette will be joining the series as a regular, but not as the character he portrayed on The Practice. Instead, he'll be (another) attorney from the New York offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt. Also joining the cast will be Dirt's Tara Summers, who will play a young associate to the firm. Finally, much to some people's chagrin, Christian Clemenson, who portrays the quirky Jerry Espenson, will be promoted to series regular.

Now that 30 Rock has become a mild success for Saturday Night Live veterans Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan it seems that other former SNL alums are making an attempt at primetime popularity. Case in point . . . It's being reported that 8-year SNL veteran Horatio Sanz has joined the cast of the comedy Business Class.

In this pilot for NBC Sanz will star with Boston Legal's Mark Valley (who does nothing on that show but complain). The single-camera comedy will feature Sanz and Valley as two rival soda salesmen who live their lives on the road. Hey, I'm laughing already!

This would be Sanz's first foray into primetime television since leaving SNL last year. Maybe it's me, but it seems that Horatio was underutilized during his years at SNL, which is surprising because he had a pretty decent track record before coming on-board the sketch comedy show. I mean, he was one of the early founders of the Upright Citizens Brigade. I would think that would amount to a little more screen time. If I'm way off base here let me know.

(S03E07) You're not getting in this dress. -- Alan Shore, dressed like one of the Lennon sisters, to Denny Crane, also dressed like a Lennon sister. Don't ask.

After last week's intense, and somewhat oogy, episode of Boston Legal, we get a palette cleanser of sorts this week as some storylines are closed and others are opened. It was also an extremely subdued episode. Even bombastic characters like Alan Shore and Denny Crane were unusually quiet this time around. It was so calm that I almost fell asleep halfway through the episode. Oh, that wasn't because the show was boring. It was more a result of traipsing out with the kiddies for a marathon trick-or-treating session.

Let's move along now, shall we?