TVSquad

Actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan has come a long way from driving down the stock price for Hot Pockets.

He landed his own short-lived sitcom on CBS, thanks to David Letterman, called Welcome to New York and a co-starring role on the hit TBS' dramedy My Boys, which returns for a third season on March 31.

He also racked up a long resume of funny and dramatic roles on hit shows like Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, and That 70's Show. He is also one of the few actors to score appearances on all of the Law & Order series if you don't count the spinoff that hardcore L&O cultists are forbidden to say out loud.

The relationship between the viewer and the network is one that requires a delicate balance. As the numbers for DVR penetration continue to climb, it's pretty clear that a great many of us are successfully dodging more and more commercial breaks. And the networks continue to push back, trying different things to get eyeballs on ads. Some are merely annoying. For instance, as much as I like both Kyra Sedgwick and The Closer, I'm annoyed every time Brenda walks out of the corner of my screen while I'm watching another show on TNT.

While that one is annoying, this latest adventure from TBS crosses a line. During an episode of Family Guy (video after the jump), Bill Engvall walks out on the screen, much like the Brenda spots for The Closer. The difference is that Bill holds up a remote and actually pauses the episode before heading into his pitch for his show. When he finishes, he unpauses the show, which runs for two more seconds before going to the regular commercial break. Please, if it's not too much trouble, strap on your sturdiest combat boots and join me in sending a theoretical kick to the crotch of anyone at TBS that didn't think this was the dumbest idea since starting everything at five minutes past the hour.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: Burn Notice, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Kyle XY, Lost, My Boys, Nip/Tuck and Smallville. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: 24, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Lincoln Heights, Lost, My Boys, Nip/Tuck and The Office. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: Army Wives, Battlestar Galactica, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Moonlight, My Boys, Prison Break, Reaper, The Office and Ugly Betty. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: 24, CSI, Gossip Girl, Lost, My Boys, NCIS, One Tree Hill, Pushing Daisies, and Rules of Engagement. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

Fans of the TBS comedy My Boys can now breathe a sigh of relief. The cable network that is home to a number of original comedies has picked up the show for another year.

Boys, which stars Jordana Spiro as Chicago sportswriter P.J. Franklin, drew 1.5 million viewers per week during its initial summer run, which is 100,000 viewers more than it had when it premiered in 2006. It is being reported that eight new episodes have been ordered for what will technically be the show's second season. Twenty-two episodes aired in total during the show's freshman year.

As I started putting this list together it occurred to me, "Holy crap, there is a lot of good TV this summer." The summer used to be the time when my VCRs cooled their worn out heads after nine months of hard work. And now I find myself needing the Tivo and the DVR to keep up with everything. That's progress!

On Sunday, February 4, the same day some kind of football game or something airs on TV, TBS will air all thirteen season one episodes of the series My Boys. The marathon begins with the first episode at 5:00pm and ends at 11:30pm. New episodes will premiere sometime this summer.

My Boys is currently the number one sitcom on ad-supported cable for adults 18 to 49, which means you actually have to watch the show if you fall into that age bracket. Otherwise, you upset the balance of the universe and before you know it the moon is crashing into the sun, the ocean tides are reversing, and owls are eating giraffes. I don't make the rules, people.

Of course, you could always record the marathon and watch the big game instead, but those of us who were artsy marching band nerds when we were younger and never cared much for football will be sitting back to enjoy some comedy.

2006 was a good year for television, but then all years are good years for television. Nostalgia often makes us think that things were better way back when, but I wouldn't trade my hundreds of channels of digital cable for the three networks on the rabbit ears for anything. Even the somewhat obscure channels like The-N (South of Nowhere), GSN (High Stakes Poker), and IFC (Henry Rollins Show) manage to bring some good stuff to the table. Of course, things are never all rosey, but we'll get to that later. First, some of the best things about TV this past year.

NBC's handling of Studio 60 and Friday Night Lights - Many of us, myself included, are quick to jump on the networks when they dump a show just a few episodes in. So it's worth acknowledging that the network has been more than patient with these two shows. Many shows that have come before them have been blown right off the schedule for generating similar ratings. Studio 60 kicked off their season with ratings that declined week after week and, honestly, Friday Night Lights just never had any ratings to begin with. I really hope their patience pays off and audiences find these shows. They both deserve to see a second season.

• At 8, ABC has a four episode marathon of George Lopez, followed by a new Primetime.
• NBC has a three episode marathon of Friday Night Lights at 8.
• American Life has I Spy at 8, then The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
• Also at 8: Biography has a new Bio Live, with Lee Ann Womack.
• At 9, Court TV has a new episode of Forensic Files.
• TBS has The Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2006, also at 9.
• At 10, HBO has a new Inside The NFL.
• MTV has a new episode of The Real World at 10.
• TBS has two new episodes of My Boys at 10.

My Boys, the TBS comedy that I keep meaning to watch, was just picked up for a full season. The comedy, about a sports-loving girl with a bunch of guy friends, is the network's first attempt at an original, scripted comedy. It premiered with about 1.8 million viewers, which is enough to make TBS happy. The network ordered nine more episodes, bringing the total first-season order to 22. Production on the additional episodes will begin in early 2007 and they will air this summer. The first thirteen episodes will play out before the end of this year. And, if you're like me and you haven't seen them, you can watch on TBS.com. I think the presence of Jim Gaffigan as a co-star is what has me intrigued. No word yet on the fate of TBS's other original scripted comedy, 10 Items or Less.

Is anybody watching this? What do you think?

Hello. My name is Keith and I'm a spoiler junkie. This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at 917-421-9477 (NY) - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

Slow week out there, and it probably will be until the new year. This week we have: Dexter, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Gilmore Girls, Jericho, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, CSI: Miami, My Boys, Big Love and Scrubs. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

I think this internet thing might just be catching on... It seems that self proclaimed asshole, Tucker Max, has managed to turn his website into a television show. But this isn't just some video podcast, or YouTube experiment. It's the real deal. Variety is reporting that the team of Gavin Palone and Jamie Tarses will executive produce the show for Comedy Central. The two also work together producing TBS' new show My Boys. It's good, you should take a look.

Tucker's site has gained a rather large following, getting something between 1 and 1.5 million unique visitors a month. Along with a blog and a message board, the big attraction is the stories of his boozing and womanizing. They have already led to the book "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell." Max will also write the pilot script. The show is said to be about him and his friends as they transition into adulthood.

I'll be interested to see what comes of this. Some of the stories Tucker has written are very funny, so there is something to build from. Being on Comedy Central will get them a bit of leeway with content, but I think this one would have been better served with the even more lax restrictions at Showtime or HBO.

One of the things I dislike about television is when they try to compare a new show to an established classic. You know, when they begin a promotion with "If you liked Friends . . .", or something like that. When I hear that what immediately comes to mind is, "It will absolutely, totally not be like Friends."

So, when I heard promotions for the TBS original comedy My Boys (which premieres on November 28th at 10 pm) start with the line "If you like Sex in the City . . ." I was immediately wary. After watching a few episodes of the series I can honestly say that it is similar to Sex in the City only that the main character is a woman who is a writer. Oh, I'm not saying that the show isn't watchable, because it is, but it is definitely not in the Sex category. In fact, I'm not too sure what category it falls in, other than single-camera comedy.