TVSquad

(S04E01) Kathy Griffin is back, or as I choose to call her now Emmy Girl. Yes, the Emmy is on full display. In your face, everyone, Kathy's got an Emmy! Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List won the Emmy last year and if this first episode is a sample of what season four has in store, that Emmy is going to get a companion. This show is riotous. And irreverent and a perfect blend of comedy and celebrity reality which is really unreality because how many of us interact with Anderson Cooper and Michael Moore?

Kathy Griffin has found the perfect genre for her particular brand of comedy. A sitcom wouldn't capture her true character, strict stand-up is not her best venue (although she's gotten very good at it), and a talk show would force her to chat with others and appear interested. The My Life on the D-List format works for her and she's found a way to incorporate stand up, situation comedy and guests into a reality hour that highlights her being funny. She has supporting players -- Team Griffin, Jessica, Tiffany, Tom and Kathy's adorable mom, Maggie -- as her comic foils and partners in crime.

John Oliver (The Daily Show) hosted the 23rd Annual TCA Awards, which were given out at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Saturday night.

After being introduced by outgoing TCA president Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oliver opened the show up with (surprise!) some political humor. Pointing out that vice president Dick Cheney was fully in charge during President Bush's colonoscopy procedure, a ranting Oliver joked, "We should be thankful that we are alive to enjoy this evening!"

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I usually loathe the summer television season because everyday is like Sunday: there's nothing good on. Actually, I believe that's what Morrissey meant when he wrote "Everyday Is Like Sunday". Save for a few shows, my summer programming is erratic and I don't follow anything religiously. Sometimes I'm so bored by summer shows, I'll -- dare I say it -- turn off the television. Then I sit around and daydream about the new Harry Potter book or something. Yes. Summer TV is that bad. However, there are a few things that I'm currently looking forward to -- and not all of them are re-runs.

That's the Television Critics Association, the organization that represents over 200 TV critics nationwide and in Canada. They've revealed their nominees for their annual awards, and while a lot of the usual shows make the list, there are a few surprises as well. Some of that has to do with their choices, and some of it has to do with the categories they have and the way they nominate (for example, there aren't separate categories for "Best Performance in a Drama - Male" and "Best Performance in a Drama - Female," it's all under "Individual Achievement in Drama."

The list is after the jump.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Sopranos (HBO)
2. Yankees/Red Sox (ESPN)
3. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
4. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
5. Planet Earth (Discovery)
6. Suite Life of Zack & Cody (Disney)
7. Planet Earth (Discovery)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. Law and Order: SVU (USA)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• Are You Afraid of the Dark? - Season 3
• Columbo - Mystery Movie Collection 1989
• The Drew Carey Show - Season 1
• Ed, Edd, 'n Eddy - Season 2
• Flipper - Season 1
• Ironside - Season 1
• Kidnapped - Complete Series
• Morel Orel - Vol. 1
• NCIS - Season 3
• The Odd Couple - Season 1
• Planet Earth - The Complete Collection
• WKRP in Cincinnati - Season 1

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without A Trace.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7.
• At 8, FOX has the two hour premiere of Drive.
• The CW has a new 7th Heaven at 8.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Planet Earth starting at 8.
• Also at 8: Food Network has a new Challenge, with footage of the Food Network Awards.
• At 9, ABC has a new Desperate Housewives, then a new Brothers & Sisters.
• HBO has a new Sopranos at 9, then a new Entourage.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Blood Ties.
• Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia at 10, then a new Reno 911.
• Showtime has a new ep of The Tudors at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. The Sopranos (HBO)
2. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
3. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
4. I Love New York (VH-1)
5. Drake & Josh (Nickelodeon)
6. Charm School Trailer (VH-1)
7. Naked Brothers Band (Nickelodeon)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. Fairly Odd Parents (Nickelodeon)
10. Planet Earth - Shallow Seas (Discovery)

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without A Trace.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 7, then new episodes of Deal Or No Deal and The Apprentice.
• At 8, ABC has a new Extreme Makeover, then new episodes of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.
• The CW has a new 7th Heaven at 8.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Planet Earth at 8.
• Food Network has a new Emeril Live at 8, then a new Iron Chef America and a new Challenge.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Theatre, "The Wind in the Willows."
• There's a new Sopranos at 9 on HBO, then a new Entourage.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Blood Ties.
• Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia at 10, then a new Reno 911.
• Showtime has a new ep of The Tudors at 10.
• Also at 10: Sci-Fi has a new Dresden Files.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. Kid's Choice Awards (Nickelodeon)
2. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
3. Planet Earth - Ice Worlds (Discovery)
4. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
5. Planet Earth - Deserts (Discovery)
6. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. Pirates of the Carribean (USA)
9. Fairly Odd Parents (Nickelodeon)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

1. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
2. Planet Earth - Mountains (Discovery)
3. Planet Earth - Pole to Pole (Discovery)
4. Bring It On: All Or Nothing (ABC Family)
5. Planet Earth - Deep Ocean (Discovery)
6. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
7. I Love New York (VH-1)
8. House (USA)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. House (USA)

Those of you who are lucky enough to own an HDTV should check out Planet Earth tonight on Discovery Channel. I keep seeing previews for it today as I absent-mindedly watch a marathon of Deadliest Catch and it looks stunning. The series is basically Earth Science, featuring all sorts of unique animals and plants, and examining various landscapes.

Besides the fact that it looks beautiful, the story behind it is almost as impressive. The miniseries took five years to make and photographers put their lives on the line more than once to document the extreme living conditions on this planet.

Ah, technology. No longer will you have to go outside to appreciate the wonders of nature. Instead, the Discovery Channel is going to bring you the wonders of the natural world in glorious high definition starting March 25 with an eleven-part series, Planet Earth.

The program, created by the same people behind Blue Planet, is the result of 70 camera operators working for 2,000 days in 2000 locations using advanced techniques and technology. Discovery will also air behind-the-scenes footage after each episode and will provide extra content online. I'm guessing that after seeing the world in high definition your only recourse will be to track down Mother Nature and spit in her face in disgust.

As if Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's death hasn't raised enough ire thanks to the "too soon to joke" camp versus Bill Maher and South Park, Irwin's former BBC boss has added more fuel to the fire.

Executive producer of BBC's Planet Earth Alastair Fothergill must have had it with the Irwin-as-saint treatment when he stated to the press that he didn't have much sympathy for Irwin because he believed Irwin was more interested in his own stardom than animals.