TVSquad

Oh my. So much to be thankful for, even though the fall season hasn't been all that great. Here's my list:

Rogue agents. It's been Far.Too.Long since Jack Bauer has entered our living room, and we couldn't be more gleeful about his return - both the 24 movie and the series in January. Welcome back, Jack! We missed you! Well, my son and I have! My daughter and husband don't get you, but that's ok!

Mad scientists. That crazy Walter Bishop really brightens up our Tuesday nights around here. My son goes to school on Wednesday, talks about Fringe with his buddies, then texts me back their thoughts on The Observer, the cylinders, Massive Dynamic and all the rest. Of course, Walter is the best thing about the show. We love him.

• At 7, ABC has the American Music Awards Red Carpet, followed by the American Music Awards.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
• NBC has Football Night In America at 7, followed by the Colts/Chargers game.
• At 8, FOX has 24: Redemption.
• Disney has a new Hannah Montana at 9, then the movie Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds.
• Showtime has a new Brotherhood at 8, followed by new episodes of Dexter and Californication.
• At 9, PBS has Masterpiece Special: The Unseen Alistair Cooke.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, followed by new episodes of Entourage and Summer Heights High.
• Lifetime has the movie Wisegal at 9.
• At 10, Comedy Central has A Colbert Christmas.
• Food Network has a best of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at 10.
  
• There's a new Skins on BBC America at 10.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Superjail.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Drinky Crow Show.

Check your local TV listings for more.

It's no big secret. People love their movies and TV shows based on vampire book series -- romantic vampire book series, to be exact. Proof of that will be crowding your local multiplex this weekend thanks to the release of Twilight, the teen vampire flick based on Stephenie Meyer's inescapable best-seller. (I'll guess I'll wait another week to catch Role Models. Navigating through a sea of rabid teenage "Twilighters" isn't worth it. Sorry, Paul Rudd.)

Want more proof of the popularity of blood suckers? HBO execs are saying their freshman vampire series True Blood, also based on a series of novels, is developing an audience faster than The Sopranos, aka one of the most financially successful cable series in the history of TV. Michael Lombardo, HBO's chief of West Coast operations, says that The Sopranos' viewership numbers grew slowly. The big ratings jump didn't come until season two. But True Blood has fared better, with a 66 percent jump in Sunday night viewership since its premiere in September.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night In America, then the Cowboys/Redskins game.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, followed by new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• ABC has a new Extreme Makeover at 8, then new episodes of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• Food Network has the special Iron Chef America: Greatest Moments at 8, then the Iron Chef America Thanksgiving special and the season finale of Chef Jeff Project.
• Disney has a new Hannah Montana at 8.
• MTV has the TRL series finale at 8.
• Also at 8: Showtime has a new Brotherhood, then new episodes of Dexter and Californication.
• At 9, Nickelodeon has a new Nick News.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, followed by new episodes of Entourage and Summer Heights High.
• Comedy Central has the Jeff Dunham Very Special Christmas Special at 9.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has the Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode II special.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night in America, then the Giants/Eagles game.
• At 7:30, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, then new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, followed by new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• ABC Family has the movie Dr. Doolittle: Tail to the Chief at 8.
• HGTV has the special Design on a Dime: Top 35 Secrets.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8.
• Showtime has a new Brotherhood at 8, followed by new episodes of Dexter and Californication.
• Also at 8: Style Network has the series premiere of Ruby.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, then new episodes of Entourage and Summer Heights High.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Chef Jeff Project.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Superjail, followed by two new episodes of Xtacies.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, then new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night In America at 7.
• The CW has new episodes of In Harm's Way, Valentine, and Easy Money.
• At 8, PBS has a new Nature, then a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• FOX has Game 4 of The World Series at 8.
• Lifetime has the movie Sex and Lies in Sin City at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by new episodes of Iron Chef America and The Chef Jeff Project.
• Disney has a new Wizards of Waverly Place at 8.
• At 9, HBO has a new True Blood, then new episodes of Entourage and Little Britain.
• Showtime has a new Dexter at 9, followed by a new Californication.
• At 10, AMC has the season finale of Mad Men.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Superjail, then a new Young Person's Guide To History.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Seahawks/Bucs game.
• The CW has a new In Harm's Way at 7, then new episodes of Valentine and Easy Money.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• TBS has the Red Sox/Rays game at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by new episodes of Iron Chef America and The Chef Jeff Project.
• At 8:30, Disney has a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, then new episodes of Entourage and Little Britain.
• Also at 9: Showtime has new episodes of Dexter and Californication.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• Lifetime has a new Army Wives at 10.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Superjail.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• TLC has a new Little People, Big World marathon all night.
• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
  
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night In America at 7, then the Patriots/Chargers game.
  
• The CW has a new In Harm's Way at 7, followed by new episodes of Valentine and Easy Money.
• At 8, FOX has the Dodgers/Phillies game.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then new episodes of Iron Chef America and The Chef Jeff Project.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, followed by new episodes of Entourage, and Little Britain.
• Showtime has a new Dexter at 9, then a new Californication.
• Nickelodeon has a new Nick News at 9.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• There's a new Army Wives on Lifetime at 10.
• BBC America has a new Skins at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken, then a new Superjail.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
  
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, then the Steelers/Jaguars game.
• The CW has the series premieres of In Harm's Way, Valentine, and Easy Money starting at 7.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then a new Iron Chef America.
• Disney has a new Studio DC: Almost Live at 8, followed by a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
• There's a new True Blood on HBO at 9, then new episodes of Entourage and Little Britain.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new Dexter, followed by a new Californication.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• Lifetime has a new Army Wives at 10.
• BBC America has a new Skins at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken, then a new Superjail.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then the season premieres of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Eagles/Bears game.
• At 8, ABC has a new Extreme Makeover, then the season premieres of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.
• FOX has the season premieres of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, followed by a new Entourage and the series premiere of Little Britain USA.
• Showtime has the season premiere of Dexter at 9, then the season premiere of Californication.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• The season finale of Feasting on Waves airs on Food Network at 10.
• Also at 10: BBC America has a new Skins.
• At 10:30, E! has a new Sunset Tan.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken, then the series premiere of Superjail.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job.

Check your local TV listings for more.

In a time when networks are so quick to pull the plug on new series, it is absolutely stunning that two of this season's newest cable series have already been picked up for a second season. What's even more surprising is that one renewed show is Stephen Bochco's terrible Raising the Bar. After setting a record for a series debut on basic cable with 7.7 million viewers, 2.2 million people asked themselves what the hell they were watching, and the series settled into an average of 5.5 mil. But it's only been three weeks?

Surely, more of its viewers will realize that the show is absolutely terrible? From Gosselaar's bleeding heart crying to the bitching between his friends and Jane Kaczmarek's crazy judge, there's more leaps in logic and good sense than in Prison Break. The show makes Boston Legal look like a courtroom documentary. TNT also picked up Holly Hunter's Saving Grace after a respectable summer run.

(S01E02) "Angelina Adopts a Vampire baby." - Cover of a tabloid

After all the comments I got about last week's review, I feel that I have to address some issues.

The first one is the books that this show is based on. I understand that they are popular and without the series there would be no show but I haven't read them nor do I have any intention of doing so. My job is to review the television show True Blood and unless they introduce a character named Charlaine Harris, this is the last time you will see that name in my review.

• At 7, NBC has a new Football Night in America, then the Steelers vs. the Browns.
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• FOX repeats the Fringe pilot at 8, if you missed it.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece.
• G4 has the pilot of Lost at 9, with new trivia and facts.
• HBO has a new True Blood at 9, then a new Entourage.
• Also at 9: GAC has the Academy of Country Music Awards.
• At 10, AMC has a new Mad Men.
• Food Network has a new Feasting on Waves at 10.
• BBC America has a new Skins at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Robot Chicken.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job.

Check your local TV listings for more.

We've only been into the new season for a few days, but some ratings numbers are already in. Looks like people love robots and prisons but might be getting sick of vampires.

On Monday, NBC won the night, with its lineup of Deal Or No Deal (9.6 million viewers), America's Toughest Jobs (6.5), and Dateline (6.2), but FOX won in the all-important 18 to 49 demographic with its lineup of the Sarah Connor Chronicles season premiere and a new episode of Prison Break. The Sarah Connor Chronicles grabbed 6.3 million viewers, while Prison Break did even better, with 6.5 million. CBS beat NBC in the 18-49 demo with their lineup of comedy repeats. ABC was fourth and The CW was fifth.

(S01E01) True Blood is definitely a show after my own heart. I love any high concept drama that lays out the entire idea in the first five minutes.

In case you didn't get it, here's the short version. Synthetic blood is now available for vampires to buy, therefore they no longer need to kill to survive. So, as a society, they decide to live out in the open and are met with the kind of fear and skepticism that you'd expect.