TVSquad

The media never turns down a chance to advertise a "reunion" of the cast of NBC's Friends, even when it's only two cast members appearing in the same show. Courtney Cox will be guest-starring on Web Therapy, an online-only show produced by L Studio starring Lisa Kudrow.

I recall when Jennifer Aniston guest-starred on the two-seasoned FX series Dirt which starred Courteney Cox. That was subliminally billed as a Friends reunion as well.

One could argue that this is a cheap marketing ploy, and that person would be correct. It could be one that works, though. I haven't watched Web Therapy, but the premise seems interesting and it's certainly the sort of role Lisa Kudrow could pull off.

Courteney Cox must really like working on television. While most of her Friends cohorts are content to make guest appearances now and then, Cox is jumping right back in with both feet after FX canceled Dirt. And this time, she's headed back to major network television. To top that off, she'll be working with the fine and capable hands of Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, who also is bringing that show to ABC this season.

Cox and Lawrence go way back; he was a writer on the first season of Friends and she just wrapped a guest spot on Scrubs. Then, you take Cox's penchant for zaniness and Lawrence's comedic sensibilities and wrap it up in a show about Cox as a 40-year old mom, newly single and on the prowl and you get Cougar Town. That's all we know about it so far: With Bill Lawrence, Courteney Cox will exec produce and star in Cougar Town on ABC. What I see is a career renaissance for Cox just like Julia Louis-Dreyfus is enjoying with CBS's The New Adventures of Old Christine.

I'm a sucker for stunt casting. Sure, it can get annoying after a while, (hello Will & Grace) but I still love seeing a Michelle Trachtenberg on Gossip Girl or a Britney Spears on How I Met Your Mother. So I was really excited to read that Courteney Cox has signed up to guest star on Scrubs this season.

Cox, who was most recently seen on her FX drama, Dirt, is returning to the small screen for a three-episode arc as Sacred Heart's newest Chief of Medicine. The position was left open after Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins) retired at the end of last season. Since Cox is only going to be on the show for a handful of episodes, something tells me that she's not going to do well in her new position. Her character is said to "ruffle some feathers," and it sounds like she's ruffling the wrong ones right out the door.

(S02E07) "Death. I get it. It's guaranteed. I understand that. But why does it seem that everybody is so oblivious to the fact that they're swimming in deep water until they drown?" - Lucy

That's a really unfortunate quote. And to be dropped in the middle of the season (and potential series) finale? Ouch. Dirt really could be so much better and unfortunately, it just isn't. The problem is, I'm not so sure the writers, producers, and execs at FX realize it. Think about it. This was supposed to a normal 13 episode season. In my opinion, only one out of the seven episodes that got made was worth my time. At that rate, the second half of the season wouldn't have been much better. But no one stepped in and nothing changed. You would think, that after the mediocrity of the first couple of episodes, things would have started to look up. They never did.

(S02E06) "Exhaustion? Isn't that "Hollywood" for shit-faced?" - Willa

I remember when I spoke with Courteney Cox a few months ago about the upcoming season of Dirt, she said something about every episode being self-contained. Well, I beg to differ. If you missed last week's installment, then you were almost completely in the dark last night. This was a direct continuation of the previous hour and while I loved it last week, Dirt did was it does best and took another nosedive.

There have just been so many opportunities to really make this show more than it is and every time something with potential makes a splash, it gets killed. Literally this time.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Big Brother and Cold Case and an episode of Dexter.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, then episodes of Monk and Psych.
• At 8, The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, then a new Masterpiece.
• Nickelodeon has new episodes of Zoey 101 and Dance Sunset.
• Disney has two new episodes of The Wizards of Waverly Place starting at 8.
• Also at 8: VH-1 has a new Celebrity Fit Club, followed by a new Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.
• At 8:30, FOX has a new King of the Hill.
• At 9, ABC has a new Oprah's Big Give, followed by a new Here Come The Newlyweds.
• The CW has a new episode of The Game at 9.
• Food Network has a new Iron Chef America at 9, then a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• HBO has a new John Adams at 9.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors at 9, then a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• At 10, FX has a new Dirt.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Squidbillies, then a new Assy McGee.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S02E05) "Does Dr. Seuss know you're plagiarizing him?" - Farber

I know I ragged on Dirt last week for the direction it was taking this season, and while most of that complaining is still deserved, I have to admit -- this episode deserves a certain level of respect.

Britney Spears is everywhere. Every tabloid, every TV news magazine, and every gossip blog. The writers and producers behind Dirt were pretty much obligated to tackle her story in some way, shape, or form. It would have been awkward if a show like this didn't include it. That being said, they really could have screwed it up and made it painful to watch. But... I don't think they did.

(S02E04) "What? We got two great stories and Holt's Dad is a Nazi. What could be better?" - Lucy

Alright, it's official. I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Let's be honest -- this episode was not good. I was first in line to defend the creative changes that Dirt went through in-between seasons, but it's reached a point where issues that absolutely need to be addressed are being pushed aside for irrelevant new characters and pointless scenes. I can accept the fact that the serial format of the show has been ditched. As someone who watches a boatload of TV, I actually appreciate the fact that Dirt is now a show which no longer requires absolute attention for fear of missing something important. Self-contained episodes aren't necessarily a bad thing. But you can't just forget about the past.

(S02E03) "Alright, I'll ice up a nipple and start chatting." - Willa

Well that episode was out there. It brought back some old faces, introduced a few new ones, and split off into two wildly different tangents. On one side we saw a new side of Lucy as she aimed to bring down a past Dirt Now target while at the same time we saw Don placed in a situation that would have bee much more amusing had he stopped taking his medication.

• TV Land continues its Andy Griffith Show marathon all night.
• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Oprah's Big Give, and Here Come The Newlyweds.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 7.
• At 8, The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris, then a new Aliens in America.
• TCM has All About Eve at 8.
• Also at 8: HBO has the premiere of John Adams.
• At 8:30, FOX has a new King of the Hill.
• At 9, HGTV announces the winner of the Dream House Giveaway 2008.
• Showtime has a new L Word at 9.
• At 9:30, FOX has a new Unhitched.
• At 10, FX has a new Dirt.
• CBS has an episode of Dexter at 10.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Frisky Dingo.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S02E02) "Let's just figure out how her Daddy's gonna use his money to get his little girl off... did I just say that? Huh, oddly aroused." - Lucy

At first glance, Dirt may not look all that original to a new viewer. Granted we're only two episodes into the new season, but bear with me for a second. In the most noticeable departure from last season, these first two installments have relied heavily on recent tabloid headlines. It was something we saw in season one (such as Rick Fox's portrayal of a basketball star based loosely on his former teammate Kobe Bryant), but not as much. The fun this season comes from seeing where the tabloid headlines end and the creativity of Dirt's writers begins.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Oprah's Big Give, and Here Come The Newlyweds.
• NBC has 100 Most Outrageous Moments at 7.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then a new King of the Hill.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW, followed by a new Aliens in America.
• Also at 8: TCM has The Absent-Minded Professor, then Son of Flubber.
• At 9, HBO has the series finale of The Wire at 9, then a new episode of Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam.
• Showtime has a new L Word at 9.
• Sundance has a new Shameless at 9.
• At 9:30, FOX has a new Unhitched.
• At 10, CBS has an episode of Dexter.
• Breaking Bad's season finale airs on AMC at 10.
• FX has a new Dirt at 10.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force, followed by new eps of Squidbillies and Frisky Dingo.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Well it's about time. According to Ausiello over at TV Guide, FX plans to air the final 13 episodes of The Shield starting in September. Originally set to air starting in April, the final season was completed before the writer's strike hit. However, it still affected the show.

The strike cut short the most recent seasons of Nip/Tuck, Dirt, and The Riches. Nip/Tuck's finale aired a few weeks ago, Dirt just premiered this past Sunday, and The Riches returns next Tuesday, March 18th. Because of the truncated seasons for Dirt and The Riches (each finished only seven installments), they moved up in the schedule to March/April, displacing The Shield.

(S02E01) "No honey, I love the pudding. You can have the applesauce." - Lucy

Lucy Spiller is back! Hold your breath though because those stab wounds she received from Julia Mallory in last season's Dirt finale must've taken away some of her trademark bitchiness. Lucy, while still 100% dedicated and obsessed with her job as editor of Dirt Now magazine, is a lot nicer than I remember her to be. Is that a bad thing though?

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7, then a new Extreme Makeover, the series premiere of Oprah's Big Give, and a new Here Come The Newlyweds.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 7, followed by a new Deal Or No Deal.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill and Family Guy, and then the series premiere of Unhitched.
• The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris at 8, followed by a new Aliens in America.
• There's a new Challenge on Food Network at 8, then new episodes of Ultimate Recipe Showdown and Iron Chef America.
• At 9, Lifetime has the new movie The Perfect Assistant.
• HBO has a new episode of The Wire at 9, then a new Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam.
• Showtime has a new L Word at 9.
• Sundance has a new Shameless at 9.
• At 10, CBS has an episode of Dexter.
• AMC has a new Breaking Bad at 10.
• Also at 10: FX has the season premiere of Dirt.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force, followed by new episodes of Squidbillies and Frisky Dingo.

Check your local TV listings for more.