TVSquad

(S02E05) You know that things are really bad when even a stalwart rock like Hank starts to break down. All around Breaking Bad, the characters have been crushed under the weight of problems that seem to be unsolvable. I mean when this episode was over, the most together person was Jesse. Imagine that. Apparently last week's trauma in the Port-a-John left an lasting and therapeutic impression.

The image of Walt laying awake in bed was haunting. It was also universal, because I would bet there are a lot of people unable to sleep with the economic woes they're facing.

Fans of the perpetually unwatched but much-loved NBC show Friday Night Lights have a reason to rejoice this morning: the show has been renewed for a third season, according to Nikki Finke.

NBC executives had been looking for a way to renew their low-rated show, mostly through cost-sharing deals with other networks. They finally found a partner: DirecTV. No details of the deal were given; all we know right now is that the satellite company and the Peacock folks will share the costs of producing the show and will both air the show across multiple platforms.

Nearly a year after TiVo first announced its partnership with RealNetworks' Rhapsody music service, the two companies are rolling out a service that will let you listen to music on your TiVo.

In a nutshell, if you happen to have (or want to sign up for) a Rhapsody subscription, you can access artists, albums, playlists, and channels on your Series2 or Series3 TiVo. Just fire up your TiVo and navigate the on-screen menus. No PC necessary.

The service will set you back $13/month on top of your TiVo subscription. You can also sign up for a 30 day free trial.

I'm still on the fence about music subscription models. On the one hand, you're paying for access to a huge library of music that you can listen to on your computer, TiVo, or some portable devices. On the other hand, once you cancel your subscription it all goes away, no matter how many CDs worth of money you spent on the service during the months that you were a regular customer.

TiVo and Earthlink have announced a new partnership that will allow Earthlink dialup and DSL customers to buy a standalone TiVo unit and pay for their PVR and internet service on one bill.

Sure, this isn't really anything you couldn't get by just going out and signing up for the two services separately, but it's a key deal for TiVo, after losing the company's partnership with DirecTV.

Unlike the TiVo/Comcast deal, which will allow Comcast customers to access a TiVo interface on their Comcast PVR, Earthlink customers will be able to purchase Series2 Dual Tuner TiVo units. Most likely Earthlink customers will get a rebate on their TiVo purchase which will be at least as good as the rebates typically made available to the general public. Right now, a Series2 Dual Tuner box is available for $117 after a $150 rebate.

The Earthlink/TiVo deal should be available to customers this spring.