TVSquad

The FX panels on Tuesday were pretty uneventful, aside from the news from network president John Landgraf. There was supposed to be a panel for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but that was mysteriously dropped from the schedule. I'm guessing that the boys figured they'd get too hammered at the FOX party the night before to handle questions from the reporters. Indeed, I witnessed Rob McElhenny and Glenn Howerton try to ride the Tilt-a-Whirl at the Santa Monica pier right after they pounded a couple of beers. Maybe canceling the panel was a smart idea.

Anyway, the three shows that paneled were Damages, Sons of Anarchy, and The Shield. More on what transpired after the jump.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

Even when it isn't at its greatest (which, for many fans, hasn't been since season 10) The Simpsons has still provided some great parodies of classic movies and television programs. For instance, in the season four episode "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" they did a great parody of the Star Trek movie franchise with Star Trek XII: So Very Tired. I still crack up everytime I see the scene where the severely obese Scotty is telling an aged Captain Kirk that he can't push the warp engines any further.

The Emmy Award nominations will be announced a week from this Thursday, and The Hollywood Reporter got a bunch of TV stars (both Emmy winners and nominees) together at a roundtable* to discuss the awards, and it's pretty lively.

While Ted Danson talks about it taking nine times before he won the Emmy for Cheers in 1990, David Spade explains that he was more bummed about not winning a Golden Globe for his role on Just Shoot Me more than not winning the Emmy, because he was beaten by Gregory Peck, who won for a really short cameo. Bryan Cranston reveals how his guest stint on The X-Files many years ago led to his role on Breaking Bad, and Alec Baldwin explains that it's actually OK that he doesn't get to swear on 30 Rock like his friends who have pay cable shows can.

Neil Patrick Harris makes some comments that reality show-haters will love.

* For the sake of journalistic accuracy, I actually have no idea if the table was round or not. It could have been a long rectangle.

As the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences tries to whittle the submissions down to actual nominees, it's interesting to take a look at who has made it to the semifinals. It's not a nomination, but it's one step away. Today comes word of the finalists for best comedy actress and best supporting drama actor. There are some surprises.

Chief among those for me is Sarah Silverman. I honestly hadn't even considered her in the running. I'm not much of a fan, but I do like that she is being considered for the simple fact that the base the nominees are drawn from can always use some expansion. And if she is the most surprising inclusion, the most surprising snub just might be Teri Hatcher. Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross, and Felicity Huffman all made the cut, but not Hatcher. Ouch. The rest of the finalists, and the supporting actors from a drama, after the jump.

I was looking over a "Where are they now?" feature our friends at AOL put together on the cast of Cheers, and a few of the mysteries of the long-running sitcom classic came to mind. These were head-scratchers big and small that made me wonder if the writers are the most clever geniuses ever to man a word processor (it was the '80s, after all) or, like in most sitcoms, consistency of story was the first thing to go if a good joke came up in the writers' room.

I guess I should just go over to Ken Levine's blog and ask him, since he wrote for the show for many years. But if I did that, I wouldn't get paid for it. So, after the jump are the biggest Cheers mysteries, starting with the biggest and most obvious one:

... Six welcome returns.

Every fall season I get stoked about all the new shows, with cool new premises ("A guy travels through time trying to make right what once went wrong!"-- Journeyman not Quantum Leap), and all the big changes in store for existing shows. But it's equally exciting to see which beloved actors will be returning to television. Brad Garrett coming back to television in 'Til Death last year? Cool! Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer both coming back to television ... together? That's gotta be awesome, right? Jerry O'Connell on Carpoolers ... well ... ? I like the guy, but I'm not scheduling a 'Welcome Back' shindig for him.

Half the fun of a new television season is the return of great actors and actresses to the small screen. And while I could have easily done 10 or even 20 of these, I've narrowed it down to the six talents who were most welcome back in my house on a weekly basis this past year. I've even been so bold as to rank them. Feel free to agree, disagree and present your own lists in the comments.

(S01E13) "I'm accused of murder and my mom bakes cookies. Sounds about right." - Ellen

Four or five episodes ago, you might have caught me saying that I was getting sick of Damages. It was getting slow and I was tired of all the questions. But with each week after that, things turned around and last night's finale definitely made up for any shortcomings this phenomenal season had. If FX doesn't renew this show, I'll be more disappointed than when Showtime canned Huff. All the big questions got answered. The ones we were left with won't drive you crazy. Plus, just as Tate Donovan promised us, we got one hell of a set-up for season two.

(S01E12) "Ellen... I can trust you?" - Patty

I think the best word to describe this episode was safe. Was it bad? No. However, it wasn't outstanding either. Then again, there is something respectable about giving your viewers exactly what they've been expecting all along.

Of course, the inherent problem with a show set-up like Damages is that when you finally reach the pivotal episode when past and present collide, you're forced to re-watch all the scenes from past episodes. Seeing them in order is an added bonus, but Damages is like The Wire. Neither show treats viewers as being stupid and I think most people who watch this show had already pieced together the puzzle and were just waiting for those few remaining holes to be filled.

One of my older sisters is an attorney, and we've been talking about the new season a lot lately. She doesn't watch much TV, but she's really into legal shows (which stands to reason - I gravitate towards shows about writers) and she keeps asking me if I've seen the FX series Damages yet. I keep telling her that it's really hard to watch every show out there when I have to write about so many. And I also tell her that if she watches Mad Men then I'll give Damages a chance. No word on the deal yet.

However, October 20 might just be my chance to catch up on the show, as FX is going to air a 12 hour marathon starting at 8am. They already aired a shorter marathon on Labor Day (five episodes), but this marathon will include the first 12 episodes of the series.

The season finale airs on October 23 at 10pm.

[via Pop Candy]

(S01E11) "You're a baptist, right Ray? Repent!" - Patty

This was the first episode this season since the pilot where I really felt a tense energy. It's definitely because we're getting closer to the point when the past catches up to the future. We went from eight days away, to six, to two in this episode and now I'm just waiting for the point when the toned down colors of the present suddenly change to indicate that we just crossed the line. For those that saw the previews for next week, it looks like that's coming up. This week gave us plenty to discuss though.

It might be a possibility after all. Despite enduring through weeks of abysmal ratings, Ausiello is reporting that FX may actually renew Damages for a full 13 episode second season.

For those of you that are scratching your heads, don't forget that this is the same network that plans to bring back Dirt after the new year. However, look at it this way -- Glenn Close along with Courtney Cox are the only two strong female leads currently in the FX original series line-up. So it's not surprising that FX brass would want to keep them around and develop their shows beyond one season.

(S01E10) "I'm so sick of your bullsh*t." - Ellen

And there it was. The moment that we weren't necessarily waiting for, but definitely were expecting. Ellen strikes back. She went from being timid to bold enough to tell off Patty -- the woman who made her that way. However, despite that and some other stellar moments in this episode, I'm officially frustrated with Damages. It really is one of the best things on TV right now, but it has also knocked off Lost as the biggest culprit in terms of the questions to answers ratio. The one silver lining is that it's a cable show and rather than wait a full 22, we'll hopefully get some results in the final three episodes over the course of October.

I'm not saying lay it all out. I still want a good finale... but give me something. It's no fun when a show of this caliber spends a whole hour doing nothing but confirming assumptions that we've had for weeks now.

(S01E09) "I want you to feel the disgust in your children's eyes when they look on you in shame." - Patty

Well, that certainly made up for the last few weeks. It's been slow to build, but I think that most of what's going to shape the rest of this season took form in last night's episode of Damages. Granted, a lot happened. Definitely a blink and you missed it kind of situation. But then again, that was one of the things that made me fall in love with the pilot in the first place. I'm actually starting to believe that the writers may be able to wrap this season up with a logical and satisfying ending.

(S01E08) "Patty Hughes has ears too! Maybe I'm talking to the wrong person." - Larry

Despite the minor complaints about this show that I think most people have been expressing, I tell you what -- it still holds your attention for the whole hour. I'm almost getting used to the fact that Damages has a tighter lipped writing staff than Lost does.

So what does that mean for this episode? Well... not much. One bombshell that I think we all knew was coming got let out of the bag and a few other little tidbits were let loose too. I think one of the most bothersome things for me is that new info doesn't come when you expect it. Stuff gets revealed in conversations that don't necessarily relate to the revelations. If anything, it keeps you on your toes as a viewer. I think I use my DVR remote to rewind scenes from this show more than anything else I've ever watched.

(S01E07) "Is this a hydrangea?" - Patty

This episode concerns me. Remember the promo for last week? It touted this as being the episode that reveals it all, clues you in, and suddenly adds clarity to the otherwise confusing plot we've been accustomed to so far. Did we get that? Sort of... but not really. Nothing Earth shattering was revealed and the stuff that was let out of the bag ended up creating only more questions. A lot of commenters have noted that this show is starting to feel like Lost for that exact reason. I love Lost. I'm thoroughly enjoying Damages too, but there comes a point when viewers need to be rewarded for their interest. This is a cable show. We've only got six episodes left, meaning that we've eclipsed the half-way point of the season. I'm just as confused as I was after the pilot.