TVSquad

Wow, what a crazy night for television.

At 8, we not only have the season premiere a recap episode of Grey's Anatomy but we also have the season premieres of My Name Is Earl and The Office. Plus, CBS has a new Survivor at 8, while FOX has new eps of 'Til Death and Happy Hour (if you are, um, watching those shows). Then, at 9, FOX has a new Celebrity Duets, the Grey's season premiere on ABC, the season premiere of CSI on CBS, and a new Deal Or No Deal on NBC.

But wait! At 10, we have the season premiere of ER on NBC, while CBS has the series premiere of Shark and ABC has the season premiere of Six Degrees. Jeez. I tink everyone's TiVo is going to explode at once (and we haven't even mentioned PBS and what's on cable).

What are you watching tonight?

• At 8, CBS has the season premiere of Survivor: Cook Islands.
• FOX has a new episode of 'Til Death at 8, followed by new episodes of Happy Hour and Celebrity Duets.
• TCM has a Dick Cavett special at 8, featuring an interview with Woody Allen. It's followed by Allen's Bananas.
• To gear up for next week's premieres, NBC is repeating the season enders of My Name Is Earl, The Office, and ER. Starts around 8:40.
• MyTV has a new Desire at 8, followed by a new Fashion House.
• At 10, ABC has a new Primetime.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Underground at 10.
• Also at 10: The History Channel has the history of cereal on a new American Eats.

• Is Rosie going to be in a Nip/Tuck spin-off?
• Mos Def arrested for ad hoc performance outside VMAs.
• Ellen DeGeneres OK after car accident.
• Animator Ed Benedict dies.
• Here's the winner of Who Wants to be a Superhero.
• UK TV movie to portray fake Bush assassination.
• UK Office cast won't appear on US version after all.
• NBC switches slots of 30 Rock and Twenty Good Years.
• Who's the guy who crashed the VMAs?
• Lauren Graham to play herself on Studio 60.
• Trump fires Carolyn, hires daughter.
• GM drops sponsorship of Survivor.
• Joseph Stefano dead at 84.
• Glenn Ford dead at 90.
• Amy Poehler says she's still doing "Weekend Update."
• Has the Rock Star winner been leaked?
• Kyra Phillips of CNN goes to the bathroom with mic still on.
• NBC expresses regret for Emmy plane crash skit.
• Many people didn't like that sketch after Lexington plane crash.
• Jimmy Kimmel Live gets renewed for a fifth season.
• Vieira says The View has become a joke.
• Emmy Award results, tallied live by Bob.

• Who is this celebrity?
• The story of my conference call with Todd Bridges.
• Katie Couric gets electronically slimmed down by CBS.
• Here's a look at the Bones press kit.
• Here's a look at the Happy Hour press kit.
• Anna is ticked that she missed Pirates to watch the Emmys.
• What are the ten most outlandish series concepts?
  

• My review of the Diff'rent Strokes movie.
• Rich takes an early look at Happy Hour.
• Keith takes an early look at Heroes.
• I think Opie & Anthony did OK on Letterman.
• Bob takes an early look at Smith.
• Keith has an early review of BSG season 3.
• Mike C. looks at The Wire season 4.
  

• The Prisoner: "Once Upon a Time"
• Sports Night: "How are Things In Glocca Morra?"
• Seinfeld: "The Letter"
• The Simpsons: "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"
• Angel: "Five by Five"
• Futurama: "Fry and the Slurm Factory"
  

• Big Brother: Two eliminations, a nomination, and a veto
• Project Runway: "High Flying Fashion"
• Blade: "Hunters"
• Rock Star: Supernova: Week 9 Elimination
• Justice: "Pilot"
• Bones: "The Titan on the Tracks"
• Eureka: "Blink"
• Rescue Me: "Beached" (season finale)
• Celebrity Duets: Premiere
• Kyle XY: "Endgame" (season finale)
• The Closer: "No Good Deed"
• Prison Break: "Otis"
• The Dead Zone: "The Hunting Party" (season finale)
• The 4400: "Fifty Fifty" (season finale)
• Entourage: "Sorry, Ari" (season finale)
• Deadwood: "Tell Him Something Pretty" (season finale)

If you really sat down and looked at the numbers, you could probably count on one hand the number of successful live-action situation comedies FOX has had on its schedule over the last twenty years. Of course there were the three-camera, live audience sitcoms Married. . .with Children and That 70's Show as well as the single-camera comedies The Bernie Mac Show and Malcolm in the Middle. Also add the critically acclaimed Arrested Development to that mix, even though it was canceled after three seasons.

Yet, no matter how many unsuccessful comedies they have put on the air, the network brass still continues to try and find the right combination of talent and writing to give one of them a multiple season run. The brass is going to have to go back to the drawing board, because Happy Hour (premiering Thursday at 8:30 ET) does not have the right combination. In fact, I'm not too sure if it has a combination at all.

As the fall television season draws ever closer, we continue to receive press kits from the networks. This time around it's for FOX's new comedy Happy Hour, which premieres on Thursday, September 7th at 8:30. This particular kit lacks a little in one aspect, while it shines in the other. Let's take a look, shall we . . .

Matthew Gilbert has an interesting article in The Boston Globe, about the new season of shows and how TV shows are now more complicated than ever (but that's a good thing). Not just returning shows like 24 and Lost, but new complex series like DayBreak, Kidnapped, and Vanished.

One page that the print edition of the Globe has that the web site doesn't (at least I couldn't find it) is Gilbert's grades for all the new shows. Quick summary: he thinks the best new shows are The Nine, Studio 60, Heroes, Six Degrees, Smith, The Knights of Prosperity, and Justice. The worst are Happy Hour, Twenty Good Years, and Help Me Help You.