TVSquad

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

I wasn't even aware that there was already a Fawlty Towers complete set out. Or maybe I knew it and forgot and didn't get reminded of it until I heard about the new remastered set that comes out tomorrow. I'm gonna get that.

I'm also tempted to get Vegas, just because I liked that show and haven't seen it in years. I hate these "Volume" sets though. Just give us the whole season!

• Black Adder - Black Adder 1, II, III, IV, and V (All remastered) and Ultimate Edition
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman - Complete Series (New package)
• Eleventh Hour - Complete Series
• Faerie Tale Theatre - Bedtime Tales and Magical Tales
  

Once upon a time, Showtime had a popular show called The L Word. When it was winding down, they worked to put together a spin-off, but that never worked. What to do. What to do.

"Them there Real Housewives of Mayberry is real popular."

"Yep."

"Ain't they just doing Desperate Housewives with real people?"

"I reckon."

"Why don't we do that?"

How's that for authentic Hollywood dialogue I just totally made up? But that's what Showtime is looking to do: The Real L Word: Los Angeles.

Is television taking up too much of your time? Do you find yourself spending night after night on the couch, spending hours of quality time clutching your remote in the hopes it will lead you down the primrose path of perfect entertainment? Have you wasted entire days of your life decreasing the firmness of the coils in your couch with your ever increasing ass planted firmly in front of the idiot box?

If so, maybe a more physical activity would perk up your droll and dull life. Why not put down that remote, throw that TV Guide in the trash compactor and pick up that video game controller for a few hours of TV-related interactive entertainment? Because exercise is for people with no creative thought for self-entertainment.

Here is just a sample of some TV show game spinoffs headed to an XBox, Playstation or coffee table near you.

Through all of The L Word's ridiculous six seasons, Kate Moennig played Shane, the character that put butterflies in the tummies of men and women alike, gay, straight or otherwise. Hey. No use in deny it. We all felt it.

And watching this behind-the-scenes video of Three Rivers, it just seems like Shane decided to clean up her womanizing act and throw on some scrubs. There was a similar effect when Moennig played a small part in Art School Confidential. Is Moennig going to be able to convince viewers that Shane is in her past?

I had just gotten into watching The L Word when it got the ax, but at least now we can see more of Jennifer Beals. She guest-starred in two episodes of Lie to Me last season, and will have a recurring role in the upcoming season, playing Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Cal Lightman's ex-wife and mother of their teenage daughter.

Mekhi Phifer (Dr. Gregory Pratt from ER), who also appeared in two episodes, will come back as FBI agent Reynolds, brought in as a liaison between the Lightman Group and the FBI for those tough cases the FBI can't solve through traditional methods.

The show's second season kicks off Sept. 28 with Shawn Ryan as the new showrunner. He's got some great creds, having worked on The Unit, The Shield and Angel.

Lie to Me really seems to be picking up steam heading into its second season. We gotten a little hooked on it in this household, meaning it isn't "must-see" TV, but if we know it's on, we'll definitely check it out -- and pick up a few pointers on lie detection from Cal Lightman and crew.

Anyone else watching Lie to Me?

It occurred to me recently that there are more gay and lesbian characters on TV right now than ever before. That's pretty cool.

And they run the gamut from The L Word 's edgy Shane (pictured) to Desperate Housewives' funny Bob to Entourage's loyal Lloyd, who takes more verbal abuse from Ari Gold than anyone should ever be allowed to take.

See if you agree with my list of top gay characters on TV right now, and feel free to add your own in the comments. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

10. Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig), The L Word

9. Lee McDermott (Kevin Rahm), Desperate Housewives

8. Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys), Brothers & Sisters

7. Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Grey's Anatomy

6. Guy Branum, Chelsea Lately

5. Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez), The Office

4. RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race

3. Most of the people on the Bravo network

2. Lloyd (Rex Lee), Entourage

1. Much of the cast of The Real World: Brooklyn

Want to see the pictures or leave a comment? Click here.

Before the The L Word's final season, Showtime announced that they were developing a spin-off series around Alice Pieszecki, played by Leisha Hailey (aka that chick from those extra-annoying yogurt commercials). Because of the wacky muuurder plot that drove the sixth season, this spin-off would have featured Alice in prison. At some point this must have seemed like a good idea, because a pilot was made, but recently it was revealed that this will not be moving on.

This is probably for the best, really. Towards the end, The L Word was getting kind of exhausting and nothing about Alice made me want to watch a spin-off about her. Plus, seeing her being all quirky and bubbly in prison would have gotten old super-fast, assuming that's the main schtick.

• FOX has the Sprint: Auto Club 500 NASCAR race all night.
• At 7, ABC has The Barbara Walters Special, followed by The Oscars Red Carpet and The 81st Annual Academy Awards. After the awards (and/or local news), there's a special Jimmy Kimmel Live with Mel Gibson.
  
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then a new Amazing Race.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7.
• At 8, Discovery has three new episodes of Rampage!
• VH-1 has a new Confessions of a Teen Idol at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Classic.
• Food Network has a new Iron Chef America at 9.
• MTV has a new Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory at 9, followed by new episodes of The CollegeHumor Show, Nitro Circus, and How's Your News?
• HBO has a new Big Love at 9, then new episodes of Flight of the Conchords and Eastbound & Down.
• Showtime has a new episode of The L Word at 9, followed by new episodes of United States of Tara and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
• Also at 9: Sundance has a new Shameless.
• At 11:30, E! has 2009 Academy Awards After Party.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then the season premiere of The Amazing Race and new episodes of Cold Case and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7, followed by the conclusion of XIII.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece Classic.
• TNT has the NBA All-Star Game at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8 (with Miley Cyrus!), then the season finale of Ultimate Recipe Showdown and a new Iron Chef America.
• Disney has a new Sonny with a Chance at 8, then a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• VH-1 has a new Confessions of a Teen Idol at 8.
• At 9, ABC has a new Desperate Housewives, then a new Brothers & Sisters.
• HBO has a new Big Love at 9, followed by a new Flight of the Conchords and the premiere of Eastbound & Down.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new episode of The L Word, then new episodes of The United States of Tara and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job.

Check your local TV listings for more.

The sixth and final season of Showtime's The L Word is about to kick off (January 18th at 9:00 p.m. EST), so that means the new promos are on their way. Check out this piece of work right here and please excuse me as I reveal my art snobbery.

When I first saw this poster, I thought it was some fan art from a Photoshop beginner. What happened to the days of solid design, when stuff like this totally wouldn't fly outside of Graphic Design I? If basic cable shows like Mad Men can make their ads sleek and sexy, what excuse does Showtime have? I was so distracted by the weird masking and forced shadows and weak composition and awkward font choice and various other super-sad arty elements, that I completely missed the eight chicks getting it on in the background.

Now, if that's not ineffective design, I don't know what is. See a larger version of the poster after the jump and analyze for yourself.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

The complete series sets seem to be coming fast and furious these days, though there really isn't anything here that I want to spend the cash on (already have The Outer Limits). I have the first Man From U.N.C.L.E. complete series set that Time-Life did several months ago (this one is from Warner). The Starlost? Maybe as a curiosity, but I doubt it. The Incredible Hulk? Eh. Knight Rider? God no.

• According To Jim - Season 1
• Ben 10: Alien Force - Season 1, Vol. 1
• Dynasty - Season 3, Vol. 2
• Family Guy - Vol. 6, Freakin' Sweet Party Pack, and Total World Domination Collection sets
• The Incredible Hulk - Complete Series and Season 5
• Knight Rider - Complete Series
• The L Word - Season 5
• Looney Tunes - Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 6 and Spotlight Collection, Vol. 6
• The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Complete Series
• The Naked Brothers Band - Season 2
• The Outer Limits (Original Series) - Complete Series
• Route 66 - Season 2
• The Starlost - Complete Series
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season 2, Vol. 2

The L Word will kick off its sixth, and final, season in January, with Elizabeth Berkley in tow. That's a pretty nice run for any show, cable or network. If you're experiencing preemptive disappointment over the thought of losing the show, rest easy. As we heard at the TCAs, Ilene Chaiken, creator and executive producer of the show, has been signed to write and produce a pilot for an L Word spinoff.

Even better, we now know that Leisha Hailey has been brought in to star. She plays Alice, and would have easily been my pick for the character to spin off. The Showtime press release doesn't contain any details about what Chaiken has planned for Alice in the new series. We do know that she will take a storyline from season six and continue it as internet-only content. If the pilot goes forward to series, the online component will segue into the new show. I would add, if there is any way to bring back Erica Cerra, I'd be all for that. You can never have too much Erica Cerra on your television. Showtime's press release is after the jump.

Jesse Spano is coming back to TV. After guest appearances on CSI: Miami and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Elizabeth Berkley is ditching the procedurals and heading over to Showtime. The former Saved by the Bell star will be joining Jennifer Beals, her costar in the 2002 film Roger Dodger, on Showtime's The L-Word for a multi-episode arc.

Word is, Berkley's L-Word character has a history with Jennifer Beals' Bette. The two went to college together and Berkley was the straight girl who got away. Perhaps Bette will have better luck the second time around.

My only hope for this pairing is that they can somehow manage to fit a Flashdance: What a Feeling / I'm So Excited dance-off into the plot of the show, thus bringing together the high points of both of these women's careers and officially making this the best casting decision ever.

Some quickie news from Showtime, presented by entertainment president Bob Greenblatt:

• Ilene Chaiken is developing a spin-off for The L Word, which will feature a yet unspecified character from the original show, whose upcoming season will be its last. There will be an open-ended plot in the season finale that Chaiken will continue online, then pick up if the spin-off comes to pass.
• Two more 13-episode seasons of Weeds have been ordered.
• A seventh season of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! has been ordered, making it Showtime's longest-running show.
• A reality/documentary show called Lock 'N Load has been ordered; it's filmed in a gun shop, and it shows the various people who purchase guns and "exploit their right to bear arms," according to the press release.
• Two new pilots have been ordered and filmed. The United States of Tara, produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Diablo Cody, stars Toni Collette as a suburban mother with multiple-personality disorder. John Corbett stars as her husband (yes... it's a comedy). The other pilot is tentatively-titled Nurse Jackie. It stars Edie Falco as a New York City nurse with a painkiller addiction who sometimes crosses moral lines to help her patients (no... it's not a comedy). Tara will begin airing in winter 2009, and Jackie will begin airing in late spring or early summer.