Doctor Who is Buffy The Vampire Slayer in space. The Last Ship...

• Doctor Who is Buffy The Vampire Slayer in space. 
  
• The Last Ship is 24 without Jack. 
  
• Chicago PD is Baywatch without the beach. 
  
• Daredevil is Banshee in the city. 
  
• Rectify is Friday Night Lights without football. 
  

Yes? 

Friends, Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

04.30 Friends
05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Breaking Bad
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Flashpoint

Friends. Episode 23. "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 7. "Our White Coats"

Breaking Bad. Season 2, Episode 2. "Grilled"

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 9. "The Lights in Carroll Park"

Flashpoint. Episode 24. "Never Let You Down"

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Breaking Bad
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Flashpoint

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 6. "Our New Girl-Bro"

Breaking Bad. Season 2, Episode 1. "Seven Thirty-Seven"

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 8. "The Toilet Bowl"

Flashpoint. Episode 23. "One Wrong Move"

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Friends, Friday Night Lights, Defying Gravity, Legend Of The Seeker, The Office, Space: 1999, Black Beauty, Corner Gas

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

07.30 Friends
08.00 Friday Night Lights
09.00 Defying Gravity
10.00 Legend Of The Seeker
11.00 The Office
12.00 Space: 1999
02.00 Black Beauty
02.30 Corner Gas

Friends. Episode 10. "The One With The Monkey" New Year's Eve Party.

Ross gets a monkey (another signature element of the series) and Hank Azaria guests as a love interest for Phoebe.

More important, Maggie Wheeler returns as Janice. I love Janice and (for all the early seasons) thought she would eventually end up with Chandler and become a series regular. It didn't happen. They had better plans for Chandler, but I still remember Janice with fondness.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 7. "In the Bag" Mindy spends some time in hospital. Expensive. Tami deals with an unwanted romantic advance. Vince might have a gun. Luke has to stay home from school to work on the farm. Landry phones Tyra.

A weak episode in which every obstacle that crops up is easily overcome. The Riggins brothers are only coming to terms with the hospital bill, when a solution falls into their laps. Luke is able to get one of the football team to help him out on the farm. Tami's problem disappears after one conversation.

It's all a bit too easy.

Defying Gravity. Episode 12. "Venus" Zoe and Donner make their final preparations. But the landing goes wrong...

Flashbacks reveal that Zoe did not make the cut. A big twist. And an example of the good storytelling of this show. We know she made it to the crew and - indeed - is all set to be the first human on Venus, but now we realise that there is more intrigue in the backstory. How she got back onto the programme is not revealed here, but is sure to help us understand some of the mystery behind what is happening on Earth in the present day.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 21. "Fever" Jensen and Darken Rahl.

Superb. On every level. Craig Parker gives his best-ever performance, showing us the truly devious side of Darken Rahl. Hell, there are times when I believed the lies he was spouting.

It's a clever and well-executed story, handing most of the screen time over to a guest star and a recurring cast member. But it pays great dividends.

Meanwhile, the stuff back at the camp raises all sorts of terrific moral questions, of the type you do not expect to find a show of this genre.

Superb. On every level.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 12. "Secret Santa" Michael vs. Phyllis for the coveted role of Santa.

The first half is awful, with Michael being a jerk. He relents somewhat becomes nice in the second half, but it's not a great episode.

Space: 1999 Episode 9. "Force of Life" A technician is taken over by a mysterious orb and wanders Moonbase Alpha taking life and energy wherever he goes.

Superb. Ian McShane makes a great guest star and this episode highlights much that is wonderful about the show.

#1. Koenig and the rest of our heroes have no understanding of what is happening and no control over it. They are at the mercy of space and all it's mysteries. Bergman offers theories, Helena offers theories, but they admit that they haven't a clue. And I like that. I like the epic feel that this kind of story bring to the show. It leaves you wondering, long after the credits, what might have been happening.

#2. The show looks beautiful. Absolutely stunning. This is evident in any episodes that showcase an alien landscape of some kind, but it is nonetheless true in episodes which are confined to Moonbase Alpha. The show looks sumptuous.

#3. Some of the visuals are deceptively simple. One of the best images of this episode (and, maybe, the series) is the sight of Anton Zoref (Ian McShane) stalking the corridors of Alpha with the lights all blinking out as he walks past. It's simple. But it works. Likewise, whenever Zoref goes into energy-draining mode they show this with soft focus and purple lights in McShane's face. Sounds weak, I know, but it really works.

#4. Faced with the unknown. Koenig's knee-jerk reaction is alway to try and kill it. At least, that's true when the unknown is somehow trying to kill them. Such as here. Survival is the main objective. This is not Star Trek and these characters do not have the luxury of trying to communicate. They have to try and live as long as possible. That's all there is to it.

#5. The show can be scary. The attacks on the victims (and on Helena) are actually quite scary. Using simple things like lighting and slow-motion, they show accomplishes a lot.

Black Beauty. Episode 4. "The Horse Thieves" Black Beauty is stolen.

With guest stars like Tony Doyle, Jim Norton and John Ringham the viewer is really spoiled in this one. It's also a very good story, which doesn't play out in the expected way. Two bumbling thieves successfully steal Black Beauty but have to return to the scene of the crime to retrieve a dropped knife. While there they hear that the hut that they have stashed Beauty in is about to blown up by the railway workers so, to avoid the needless death of an animal they genuinely admire, they step forward and tell everyone. Setting up a mad rush to the rescue.

It's a simple story that plays out in unexpected ways because the characters are well crafted.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 16. "Coming Distractions" Davis and Brent each tell lies about seeing a movie with Hank, having promised to wait and see it with each other. Lacey is invited to join a group for older ladies, while Wanda sets out to deface Oscar's new sidewalk.

Now this is more like it! Back on form with a funny episode, where everybody gets some of the funny. The Hank storyline is the funniest, but they all work.

Highlight? Space: 1999 (superb)
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The Big Bang Theory, Friday Night Lights, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, The Incredible Hulk

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Friday Night Lights
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
12.00 The Incredible Hulk

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 10. "The Gorilla Experiment" Sheldon tries to teach Physics to Penny, while Howard gets jealous of Leonard.

A great one. How nice to see the group now expanded to include two girls. These guys are evolving. I hope Melissa Rauch is with the show from her on in, she's very funny.

Speaking of very funny, the show is always on to a winner when it pairs Penny with Sheldon for some reason. And this is one other their better pairings. A example of it being easier to find reasons for Penny to interact with everyone, now that she is dating Leonard.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 6. "Stay" Julie takes Matt to a concert, while Lyla returns home to visit Tim.

Beautiful. And subtle. Most of the episode is devoted to the two (apparently) happy couples. We can see that they love each other. Fiercely. But, by looking closely, we can see that both couples are together for the very last time.

Some of the finest storytelling I have ever seen.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 20. "Sanctuary" Inside a painting.

Mind-blowing ideas in this one, as Richard and the gang find themselves inside a painting! A fast pace makes it impossible for the viewer to be one step ahead, at any stage. The painter is a fascinating character. He appears shady at the very start, but we don't know why. And his sacrifice at the end is very touching.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 8. "Changing Channels" Trapped in TV Land.

Stunning. Simply stunning. Words escape me. Another hilarious, rule-breaking episode of Supernatural that turns out (in the end) to be an integral part of the ongoing, very serious, story arc.

Surely you can't get away with stuff like this?

The Incredible Hulk. Season 2, Episode 5. "A Child in Need" The child abuse episode.

A season one episode held over for season two.

One of the most famous episodes of The Incredible Hulk. And also one of the very best.

David is working at a school and becomes suspicious of the bruises he sees on one child's arms. Suspicion turns to alarm when he hears that this is regular occurrence. And nobody seems prepared to step in and help the child.

The script does a great job of misdirection by making us think, early on, that mother is responsible and that the father is the one holding things together. But David soon sees that she is a victim as well, and sets out to do something about it.

Not just blessed with a great script, the episode is blessed with a great guest star in Sandy McPeak, who brings all of his onscreen charm to the role and makes the father a real person in every scene, not just a cartoon bad guy.

The school nurse, too, is well rounded character and her reasons for not getting involved are well presented and make sense. To everyone except David, who has a better developed sense of compassion than most and the willpower to get involved.

Getting involved leads to a couple of great Hulk Outs and a rare occurrence when the little boy at the centre of the story, sees him change back from being the Hulk. This is dealt with in a very sophisticated manner, worthy of the tone of the show and the story: they never speak of it again. David doesn't ask the boy to keep his secret, the boy just knows to do so. He's not stupid. And neither is the audience, we don't need to hear stuff like this. We can believe that the onscreen characters are smart enough to understand some stuff without being told.

There are many great scenes/moments in this one, but the (very long) scene where we see the father asking the boy to go get him a beer is one of the best in the entire series, and one of the best you will see anywhere. It is very tense and layered with lots of depth and meaning. In lesser hands, it could have fallen flat. I mean, it's basically just a very long scene of a father waiting for a child to go get him a beer, so... it could have amounted to nothing much. Instead, it's utterly gripping.

The episode also shows a bit of creative flair in two other scenes. As the Hulk changes back to Banner for the first time, he and the boy are walking through dark backalleys and the director attempts a clever visual of them walking through shadow and light, with the creature being a different size every time we see it. It almost works, too. And it looks impressive.

Much better is the bit of flair used to cue the the arrival of the Hulk for the second time, as David is cornered in the School Gym by the aggressive father. Instead of hearing dramatic music on the soundtrack, the scene abruptly cuts away from the action and instead we hear the boy's footsteps as he runs for help. His feet falling on the floor, getting faster and louder as he gets closer and closer to the office/camera, building excitement as they do so, is used as a substitute for dramatic music and it's completely successful.

In subject matter and tone, this episode is indistinguishable from similar episodes of shows like Lou Grant or Quincy, and a higher compliment I cannot think of.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (beautiful)
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Friends, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, The Incredible Hulk

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

05.00 Friends
05.30 Dexter
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Supernatural
11.00 The Incredible Hulk

Friends. Season 1, Episode 5. "The One with the East German Laundry Detergent" Ross & Rachel have a laundry date, Phoebe helps Chandler break up with Janice while Joey lies to Monica to get her to go on a double date.

Some good elements here. The Ross/Rachel storyline could be from any sitcom, but David Schwimmer does some great work and raises it above the ordinary.

The Joey/Monica storyline is much more character-driven and, while it could certainly appear on any other sitcom, it's very much in line with what Friends is about. It's also very funny.

The Chandler/Phoebe storyline is definitely a type of story unique to Friends, and it also happens to be very funny. Maggie Wheeler makes a great first impression as Janice and remains one of my all-time favourite Friends supporting players.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 9. "Hungry Man" Thanksgiving.

A tension-filled hour unlike anything Dexter has done before. In fact, with the unrelenting tension it feels more like an episode of 24 than anything else.

Most of the scenes occur at the house of The Trinity Killer, as he gathers his family around for Thanksgiving dinner. But all is not well, and both Dexter and the viewer are watching and waiting for the eventual explosion.

The revelation that Trinity locks his teenage daughter in her own bedroom is one of the most horrific things they have shown on the series. Maybe because the usual horrors we see on Dexter are fantasy-based, and this one seems grounded in reality.

Truly great television.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 5. "The Son" Funeral.

A mixed bag of an episode. Matt's reaction to his dad's death covers the sort of ground seen on lots of other shows, and only the performances of Zach Gilford and Aimee Teegarden make it way above average.

When the show is dealing with Tim Riggins, Vince Howard, Luke Cafferty or Jess Merriweather it is on much more solid ground.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 7. "The Curious Case Of Dean Winchester" Dean is old.

A solid case-of-the-week and three superb guest stars make for another great SN. Chad Everett is dream casting as an older version of Dean, while Pascale Hutton and Hal Ozsan bring surprising depth to the roles of the bad guys. Hal Ozsan is particularly good.

The Incredible Hulk. Episode 12. "The Waterfront Story"

One of the stronger season one stories. It's overshadowed by many similar/better stories later in the run, but this is still a strong hour of television.

In common with many season one stories, which didn't have the show's formula down pat, this one has a few notes of interest: it opens with the Hulk defeating some bad guys, which means it is one of the few Hulk episodes with three appearances from the big guy (assuming there are any others?), and - because of this - it opens with David already appearing to leave town. In fact, in many ways this could play like Part Two of a two-parter, when all the usual stuff of David getting involved in the lives of people is already out of the way (in an imaginary part one).

Sheila Larken makes a great guest star in this one, and she and Bill Bixby really convince you that these two people have been friends for several weeks and mean a lot to one another. It's easy to believe that Larken's character will be lost without David and the final scene (where she walks down the street after him, as he leaves forever, is easily one of the most heartbreaking things I've seen in many a month).

On the downside? Banner just happens to walk by and over-hear the bad guys having an incriminating discussion? C'mon, that's too easy...

Highlight? Dexter (truly great television)
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The Venture Bros., Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

04.30 The Venture Brothers
05.00 Scrubs
07.00 Dexter
08.00 Friday Night Lights

The Venture Brothers. Episode 9. "Ice Station - Impossible!" Doc Venture is stationed at a remote ice station with Professor Impossible.

One of my favourite episodes. Professor Impossible and his three friends are a dead-on parody of The Fantastic Four. Very funny, but I don't know how they got away with it.

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 16. "My Cuz" Sean is back, Turk wants to be Chief.

Another winner. And an episode with a real end-of-series vibe to it: returning characters, characters getting promoted and JD making a big decision about his future.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 8. "Road Kill" Dexter saves Trinity's life.

More bonding from the serial killers, as Dexter goes away with Arthur and confesses to accidentally killing a man, which - in turn - prompts Arthur to open up and reveal his backstory. Engrossing.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 4. "A Sort of Homecoming" Julie & Devon go to a gay bar. Landry & Vince like Jess. Matt & Tim go hunting.

Strong episode where all the cast get something to do. Nice surprise in the gay bar.

Highlight? Dexter (bonding)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

The Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office, Sledge Hammer

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Dexter
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Supernatural
11.00 Parks And Recreation
11.30 The Office
12.00 Sledge Hammer

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 7. "The Guitarist Amplification" Leonard and Penny fight, so Sheldon tries to sort it out.

Always good/funny when Sheldon is at the center of the show. I still wish they wouldn't write episodes about the relationship between Leonard and Penny but, at least, they are funny episodes.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 7. "Slack Tide" Photographer.

Dexter continues to learn from Trinity (John Lithgow), while finding clever ways to distract the kids and make time for a new 'kill'.

Quinn meanwhile is turning into Doakes. Uh-oh.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 3. "In the Skin of a Lion"

This show excels at making the ordinary dramatic. So dramatic that it becomes as gripping as 24 or Lost. All these power plays in the town of Dillion are as exciting to watch as anything you could ever see on those shows, and far more thrilling than anything you'll see on FlashForward of V!

Great performance from D.W. Moffett, who has always played likable characters in the past and - here on FNL - now plays a genuine 'Boo Hiss!' bad guy. He is despicable. (And, consequently, lots of fun to watch.)

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 4. "The End" Dean travels five years into the future!

I love when Supernatural does the type of stories that it shouldn't be able to do. Here's one: Dean going 5 years into the future and working with himself in a world that came about because he was unable to forgive Sam in the past and work with him on finding a solution.

Misha Collins gives us a different version of Castiel, Rob Benedict is back and Jared Padalecki gets to play Lucifer. All good stuff.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 9. "The Camel" Mural.

A real feel-good episode, where the regulars work together on a new mural.

I love the bit where Jerry is laughed at by everyone. Seems to be a running gag now, and it works for me. Eventually Jerry is going to go postal and bring a rifle to work.

The ending managed to be warm and sweet, not sickly and false. A hard act to pull off.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 9. "Murder" The company might be about to under, so Michael wants to play games.

A fairly serious episode. Once again the show illustrates that there may be method to Michael's madness. And whether or not you agree with his management style, and choices, you must admit that Jim has come around to his way of thinking by the end of the episode.

Sledge Hammer. Episode 9. "Magnum Farce" Killer cops.

Lots of great stuff in this one. Sledge trying to guess what a dying man is telling him, Sledge having a fake fight with Captain Trunk and Janice Lynde as the ringleader of the bad guys who gets into a shootout with Sledge. "All you men want the same thing from me," she calls out at one stage, coming into the room, gun blazing. "Yeah," Sledge calls back. "Get the hell out of here!"

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (dramatic)
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Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Friday Night Lights
08.00 Flashpoint

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 15. "My Soul On Fire, Part 2" Wedding.

Still at the beach, all the various couples admit their feelings for each other openly. A testament to the complex relationships that Scrubs has created over the years. Pretty much everyone in the show operates in some state of denial and, with this episode, they briefly tell it like it is. Appropriate for a final season story.

Dexter. Season 5, Episode 5. "Dirty Harry" Debra's been shot, so Dexter goes after Trinity.

So far this season, Dexter had no interest in the Trinity Killer and there seemed to be no reason for that to change. Until now. With one recurring character murdered, and another major character shot the stakes are raised and Dexter turns detective. And he's a good one, too.

Great ending, too, as Dexter and the viewers at home find out that Trinty is more 'normal' than we suspected.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 2. "After the Fall" Tami forces Luke (Matt Lauria) to switch to East Dillion. Matt meets an eccentric artist (John Diehl).

Many shows, over the years, had introduced new regular characters. FNL seems able to bring new people to the table and make us like this right away. I do miss Tyra, Lyla, Jason, etc. but the new ones have charmed me.

Flashpoint. Episode 22. "Exit Wounds" Hospital.

Average/weak episode. A bit dull for a season-ender. It tries to push all the usual buttons and make us care, but - unlike most episodes - we are kept removed from it all by the predictability of it all. A pity.

Highlight? Dexter (great ending)
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Scrubs, Friday Night Lights, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Friday Night Lights
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
12.30 Parks And Recreation
01.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 14. "My Soul On Fire, Part One" Bahamas!

Lovely change-of-pace episode that finds all of the regulars in the Bahamas for the Janitor's wedding, and JD and Elliot have a(nother) minor crisis in their relationship.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 1. "East of Dillon" Eric starts his new job.

Solid season opener which seamlessly introduces some new characters and (with Eric's new job) has the promise of great drama ahead.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 18. "Mirror" Thieves pose as Richard and Kahlan.

It's great to see Craig Horner and Bridget Regan having so much fun with completely different characters, but this was not what I wanted to see this week. The show has been gradually getting more dramatic and intense with every episode and this seems like a pointless step backwards to more obvious case-of-the-week stories.

This belonged in the first thirteen, not in the back nine.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 2. "Good God, Y'all" War in a small town.

Very clever. It starts out with something we've seen before (Sam and Dean in a town of demons) but it's still just a hoot to watch. Then, to my surprise, the writer (Sera Gamble) pulls a switch and it turns out that things are not what they seem, at all.

Titus Welliver never disappoints, and he is at his best here.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 7. "Greg Pikitis" Halloween vandal.

Superb stuff. Leslie goes up against a teenage vandal, flanked by her boyfriend, Dave (Louis C.K.), and Andy (Chris Pratt), who now works for her. This team didn't even exist back in Season one (Dave hadn't been introduced, and Andy was kept in Anne's storyline) and now it results in pure comedy gold. It's hard to pick a highlight, but I'm gonna go for Andy's impression of a tough FBI agent as the biggest laugh of the episode.

It was also cool to see that Leslie was right all along.

The b-plot (about a Halloween party at Anne's) was also pretty funny.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 7. "Koi Pond" Michael falls in a kai pond, but it turns out to not be as simple as that...

A good one. The show is really making an effort to change things with Jim being promoted. And, I must say, they have succeeded. The Jim/Michael relationship is different now, and so is Jim's relationship with everybody else in the office.

Not sure why they did that (to keep things fresh, maybe?) but they are doing a good job with it.

Highlight? Supernatural (things are not what they seem)
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Sat, Jun 6, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, FNL, Prison Break, Flashpoint, Corner Gas, Californication, Entourage, Jason Of Star Command, Shazam!

07.00 Scrubs
07.30 Dexter
08.30 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
11.00 Flashpoint
12.00 Corner Gas
12.30 Californication
01.00 Entourage
01.30 Jason Of Star Command
02.00 Shazam!

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 1. "My Jerks" Taylor Maddox takes over for Kelso, and JD deals with a bunch of annoying interns.

Except for a few in-jokes about the move to ABC, and a superb debut from Courteney Cox, it's business as usual at Sacred Heart. Scrubs has always been about serious stuff in the middle of zany stuff and - based on this season premier - the formula is intact.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 12. "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?" Miguel has sent two people after Dexter... his brother and a psycho killer.

Satisfying ending to the third season. Now that Miguel is out of the picture, Dexter still has two foes to deal with. These foes were dealt with in different ways. And both were satisfying. Ramon and Dexter... sat down face to face and had a heartfelt conversation. Yes, there was some violence first (Ramon pulled a gun on Dexter at one point) but - to my surprise/delight - the storyline was resolved when Dexter reasoned with Ramon and allowed him to see the error of his ways.

Cool.

The storyline of the Skinner also came to a surprising conclusion. Dexter was taken hostage/prisoner and - not being an action-hero in the classic sense - I did not expect him to break free. Especially since his (newly-promoted) detective sister was on her way to rescue him. But, no, Dexter went all Jack Bauer on the bad guy and broke free. I wasn't expecting that. It was a bit "too TV" for a show like Dexter, and I hope they don't go there again, but it was a cool way to end the season.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 13. "Tomorrow Blues" Flash-forward five months to the early Summer and everyone prepares to go their separate ways.

A perfect season ender. The idea of the jump forward five months is inspired, and allows for a great freedom in storytelling. A lot has happened in the five months we missed. The show jumps from character to character with ease, brings up to date with what has happened since we last saw them and tells us what each one is planning/hoping to do next.

It doesn't get much better than this.

Prison Break: The Final Break. "Free" Michael puts his final plan into action.

Prison Break leaves the air with an episode as good as any that it produced. The elements of a great PB episode are in place: Michael is cool, Michael and Alex are a united team with a strong bond/mutual trust and the storytelling cleverly misdirects us: We assume things that are not true and the episode uses that against us.

Alex gets lots of great screentime in this one, as do Gretchen and T-Bag. This is a fan-pleasing episode. And a good way to end the story.

Flashpoint. Episode 14. "Business As Usual" Three newly-homeless men go after the CEO that caused them to lose their money.

The Flashpoint formula is in place here: great story, compelling guest characters, superb guest actors, and lots and lots of tension leading to action scenes.

Jessica Steen joins the cast. Always a good thing.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 14. "Contagious Fortune" Hank has Pink Eye, Oscar has forged Dog River Dollars and Karen has a mirror image: Davis.

Weak outing from the gang in Dog River. The Pink Eye story tries hard to be a spoof of Zombie movies but never quite reaches the heights. The Davis-copies-Karen-at-everything storyline is unfunny. Oscar raises the best laughs in the episode, but - this too - goes on for too long.

Californication. Season 2, Episode 3. "No Way to Treat a Lady" Hank hangs out with Lew, as he prepares to write his biography. Charlie follows Daisy onto a porn shoot.

The Hank stuff was curiously directionless this week. He just hung out and observed. Normally Hank is in motion and he's about something. Not in this episode. It's a little disappointing, but - I suppose - it's a different side to Hank. Judy Greer guests. Always good.

The Charlie-at-the-porn-shoot storyline was much better. Very funny and interesting. Is Charlie going to go from being a book agent to being a porn agent? That would be hilarious. Quite clever and deep. I love it.

Entourage. Season 3, Episode 4. "Guys and Doll" The 5th guy is still around and everyone (except Vince) is waiting and watching for him to foul things up.

Another good episode, showing what the guys are like when they are not 'themselves'. Dom throws everyone off. Except Vince. Eric and Ari find themselves agreeing.

Jason Of Star Command. Episode 4. "A Cry for Help" After the padding of the previous episode, this one has an abundance of activity. The clone sent by Dragos manages to render Space Academy defenseless and Dragos sends it spinning into a nearby star. Jason meets a hideous monster in the cells, but he removes it's bracelets and it turns into a beautiful princess (nice one, Jason) and together they are able to escape from Dragos (finally!) and fly to a nearby planetoid (where they must deal with earthquakes and so on).

Sid Haig and Craig Littler are wonderful to watch. Littler has his best episode here. He's 100% committed to, and very likable as, Jason.

I also love the music. If you watched any Filmation shows in the '70s you heard all of this music and it's great to hear it again.

Shazam! Episode 2. "The Brothers" Chad is blind and Danny, his older brother, overprotects him. But when Danny is injured by a snake, it falls to the blind boy to find his way to safety and rescue his brother.

It's still hokey but this second episode doesn't have the logic flaws and coincidences that the first episode had. You still have put your brain in neutral to enjoy it but, if you can, you will have a smile on your face. It's a storyline right from the pages of Little House On The Prairie and Lance Kerwin make a good guest star.

Billy Batson and Mentor show up to do their thing. I find the status quo of the series fascinating. The two guys driving around aimlessly, taking direction from animated gods in visions. Cryptic direction at that, since Hercules and the others does come right out and tell Billy exactly what he has to do. They hint and he has to reflect later and figure it all out for himself.

It's really odd. But oddly compelling.

Jackson Bostwick is great as Captain Marvel.

Highlight? Prison Break (as good as any episode that came before it)
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Wed, Jun 3, 09 - Nurse Jackie, Notes From The Underbelly, Friday Night Lights

07.30 Nurse Jackie
08.00 Notes From The Underbelly
11.00 Friday Night Lights



Nurse Jackie. Episode 1. "Nurse Jackie" A bike messager dies because a doctor doesn't listen to Jackie.

I like Edie Falco and I like the lead character. I'm not sure I'll go back to this hospital, though, to see the (grim) daily grind. Jackie is likable because of Falco. I'm not sure another actress could make me care about the character. And if it's not in the writing, should I bother going back for more?



Notes From The Underbelly. Season 2, Episode 1. "She’s Gotta Have It" Lauren wants Andrew to be more assertive. So he tries it. He likes it, and it turns her on.

Cute episode. It's funny and - what I really like about this show - makes you think about stuff.

Is Andrew a wimp? He's definitely a 'New Man'. And he definitely defers to what Lauren wants. Whether this is a bad thing or not is worth thinking about. But the end of the episode, Andrew has concluded that he only appears to be a wuss because he only picks the few battles that he cares about.

The pairing of Cooper and Danny, meanwhile, is hilarious.



Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 12. "Underdogs" is the best episode of Friday Night Lights so far, and one of the best hours ever filmed for television. I say that not because of the characters or the story but because of the way the show affected me on a spiritual level. True art does this. Affects you. Profoundly.

In this episode we see the Dillon Panthers travel to "The Big City" to play in "The Big Game".

We also see Tyra striving to write a good essay as a means towards getting into college. After much blood, sweat and tears... she writes a great essay. She reads it out, to Landry, and we get to listen and watch a montage of all the characters as they prepare for the game.

When they lose, the team gathers and Coach Taylor gives a short heartfelt speech.

In these two moments the show captures real life like nothing I have ever seen on TV or in the movies. I have seen some great movies. When you look at European cinema like Amélie, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon or La Vita è Bella you sometimes find writers/directors who capture aspects of real life. Often they are the darker aspects of real life.

Friday Night Lights captures all that is profoundly good about the human spirit.

Tyra is my favourite character. Sometimes they waste her potential and write about her love life and her on-off again romance with Landry, but when they stay on-point and write about her efforts to make good and get out of her small town life they really manage to tell a special story. And her reading of the essay she had written is the highlight of her story so far.

Coach Taylor is an amazing character of integrity and determination. He exemplifies the human spirit in all episodes, but never more than in this episode and in the speech he gives to his team at the very end.

Profoundly moving storytelling.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (best episode)
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Sun, May 31, 09 - Dexter, Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, Rules Of Engagement, Worst Week

07.30 Dexter
08.30 Friday Night Lights
01.00 30 Rock
01.30 Rules Of Engagement
03.00 Worst Week

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 11. "I Had a Dream" Dexter decides he's gonna have to kill Miguel. And he chooses a new Best Man.

This surprised me. Sure, I know Dexter was likely to kill Miguel, but I figured it would be left to, you know, the last episode of the season. Nope. The show had something else up it's sleeve. Good storytelling choice.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 11. "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" JD and his dad have a violent clash over his new girlfriend. Landry helps Tyra (again). Matt's grandmother has an accident.

The show brought me to tears again. This time it was in the Tyra storyline and it was because of what her mother said to her. Wow. Of all the characters on the show, I would have expected her to be the least likely to come out with something deep, insightful and inspiring. But she did. And it was a lovely moment.

I also enjoyed the handling of the accident that Matt's grandmother had. It was very low key. Like a real life incident. Yet it was destructive, and called lots of issues into sharp focus. Like a real-life accident might do. I'm glad the writers have opted to keep Matt's mother in the picture. And they are not teasing us with the promise that she might leave. In fact, she's being nothing but supportive and helpful. The writers are letting the drama/conflict come from other things (mostly the grandmother, what a great character) and she story/show is all the better for it.

30 Rock. Season 3, Episode 22. "Kidney Now!" Liz becomes a relationship expert. Liz?! And Jack organises a benefit concert to help his (new) dad get a kidney.

A great season finale. After three season's of romantic disasters, Liz inadvertently becomes a relationship guru. All thanks to a catchphrase she write for Jenna/TGS. It's an example of the weird, zany logic that runs rampant on this cool show and it's a great place to bring Liz to, to end the season.

Chris Parnell returns. And pretty much steals the show.

Almost.

The finale (the actual Kidney Now! song) is the real highlight of the episode. Many real stars appear, playing themselves and sing their hearts out in an odd (but very, very catchy) little ditty designed to get Mr. Green a brand new kidney.

Rules Of Engagement. Season 3, Episode 13. "AARP" The girls host a sex toy party and Jeff and Adam get paranoid. Russell pretends to be married.

Pretty good. Not the best episode of the season, but still provokes a lot of laughter. The engine driving this is the idea that Jeff loves his wife and wants to satisfy her in bed. He's goes overboard (hence the comedy) but his heart is sure in the right place. None of the season three episodes had Jeff behaving like a neanderthal. And the show is much better for it.

Oliver Hudson has become adept at being the 'dumb one' in the group and he excels at reaction shots.

Russell's plotline was a a bit of yawner, but not so much that it ruined the episode.

Worst Week. Episode 6. "The Ring" The baby swallows the ring, Mel hates her dress and Dick's mother arrives.

Lots to like here. The episode opens with great chemistry between Kyle Bornheimer and Erinn Hayes and the episode that follows - once again - highlights Sam and Mel as a united team in the face of all that the world throws at them.

Nancy Lenehan gets several funny scenes, reacting to the presence of Olympia Dukakis as Dick's mean mother. Lenehan's a hoot.

Sam manages to do a lot of things right in this episode. He bonds with Dick over the fighting women, he sticks up for Angela, he destroys the wedding dress (making Mel insanely happy) and he is able to get the family to mend broken fences. It's all very enjoyable, but is the show's premise slipping away at this stage?

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (Tyra's mom)
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Sat, May 30, 09 - 30 Rock, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Flashpoint, Corner Gas,

07.00 30 Rock
07.30 Dexter
08.30 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
11.30 Flashpoint
01.00 Corner Gas

30 Rock. Season 3, Episode 21. "Mama Mia" Liz competes with Jenna, while Jack meets his dad.

If I was a TV character, I'd want Alan Alda as my TV dad. Wow. Great casting. They even had Stuart Margolin as a runner-up!

And Steve Buscemi appearing again as private eye Lenny.

Yet, the show isn't swamped by guest stars and some of the funniest lines/moments come from the regulars (particularly Liz). Liz's advice-from-The-Sims bit at the very start is a classic.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 10. "Go Your Own Way" Dexter and Miguel have a battle of wits, as each tries to get the upper hand.

One of the best episodes of Dexter ever made. Since Dexter is all about stealth we don't normally get to see him in a battle of wits scenario. So this is a new departure for the show: Dexter in all-out war with somebody. And, to make it even better, the war is fought through polite conversation in front of lots of regular people.

Except for the confrontation at the very end. The big face-to-face on the rooftop. That was amazing. Great performances from both men. Jimmy Smits can go from likable to hateful in a single conversation. Talented guy. His considerable on-screen charisma doesn't work against him when he plays a villain.

Then there's Michael C. Hall. The confrontation on the rooftop is amazing. The energy levels of the two men are completely different. Smits' Miguel is yelling and screaming with passion and hatred, while Hall's Dexter is pure calm and disconnection in the middle of the storm. It's as if Hall wasn't even in the scene at all, but digitally added in later. I'm not sure how he did it, but he really pulled off something remarkable here.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 10. "The Giving Tree" Eric finds his teenage daughter in bed with her boyfriend, Joe McCoy tries to keep his teenage son away from a potential girlfriend, Buddy loses the trust of his teenage daughter and Landry tells Tyra a few things about the way she uses him.

A powerful and wonderful episode. Except for the (weak) Tyla/Landry stuff this is all about parents and parenting: Buddy makes a mistake and tries to recover from it, Joe is a total jerk and Eric & Tami have to deal with Julie's growing up.

When Connie Britton started to cry I started to cry, too. I honestly couldn't hold back the tears (they came in a flood) as I watched Tami and Julie have 'the sex talk'. Connie Britton is amazing. That's a given. The sun rises every day, the earth is round and Connie Britton is amazing. Some things are just obvious. But, even so, I was still amazed by what she was able to do with this material. Likewise: Aimee Teegarden. They were both wonderful in this scene/story. It was such a minimalist moment (if that is the correct way of saying it). Very little dialogue, or acting, or anything. Just a wave of emotion being channeled by the actresses.

And there were the guys: Kyle Chandler and Zach Gilford were superb. Their big scene was a very different kind of scene, but nonetheless I feel like the show managed to capture something very real and portray it in a way that did it justice. And touched the heart.

Yet, for all the tears and emotion, there was lots about the Eric-finds-Julie-having-sex storyline that was hilariously funny. It provoked nervous giddy laughter on many occasions. Matt is usually at the center of these comedic moments (offering to meet Julie at the movies, or entering the Taylor household to meet Coach).

The McCoy family had it's share of drama in this episode. For me, the jury is still out on these characters. They seem a bit one-dimensional for a show like FNL. Hasn't Joe got anything else in his life, except his son's football career? Is that it for this guy? His wife has been even more bland until the final scenes of this episode, where she becomes much more interesting when it becomes clear that she's more concerned that their son have a girlfriend and a normal life.

The casting, however, is superb. D.W. Moffett, Janine Turner and Jeremy Sumpter are three of my favourite performers from previous projects and (except for Turner, who only really got a chance to shine with this episode) they have been having a good season.

The Buddy-loses-Lyla's-money storyline was just as heartfelt and heartbreaking as everything else in the episode.

Only the Tyra/Landry stuff left me lacking. Landry's right: she uses him. So what? Let's move on. Quickly. Tyra works best in storylines that have nothing to do with romantic cat and mouse. Put them together, or split them apart, but stop writing about it. Create a status quo. Leave it be. And write about Tyra's efforts to make something of her life. Please!

That aside, this was a special and wonderful episode of FNL.

Prison Break: The Final Break. "The Old Ball and Chain" Sara goes to prison.

Wow. If this is what they had planned for Season Five then we were in for a great ride, had it gone ahead. This hour of TV is one of the best that Prison Break has offered. The show finds clever ways to include established characters (like Krantz, T-Bag and Gretchen), introduces several great new characters (Daddy, Wheatley and Simms) and - with the new prison - creates a fascinating new milieu.

Lori Petty was superb. And so was her character. Sara is such a lovely and sweet person that it is a stroke of genius to send her to prison. Man, I wish this was a full season deal.

Flashpoint. Episode 13. "Between Heartbeats" The son of the guy shot in the pilot comes after Ed. And the team. And he's an expert in urban warfare.

This time the bad guy knows what he is doing, really knows what he is doing, and we get one of the most intense episodes of this great show.

One of the main regulars gets gunned down in this one. I really wasn't expecting that.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 13. "Outside The Box" Brent and Karen set out to find out what Lacey is keeping in a mysterious box. Oscar and Wanda start to crash funerals. Food food. Meanwhile the rest of the regulars take sides as a call centre is proposed in town.

It starts off very strong (with one of the funniest every Hank scenes and one of the funniest ever pre-credits gags) but it runs out of steam well before the end. The exploits of Oscar and Wanda are particularly unfunny. The Hank/Davis stuff is mostly good, but goes nowhere. Only the story of the mysterious box keeps inventive and manages to deliver a nice punchline (a similar box in a similar small town in Scotland.)

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (Connie Britton)
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Sat, May 2, 09 - In Plain Sight, Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, The Office

02.30 In Plain Sight
07.00 Scrubs
07.30 Dexter
08.30 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
10.30 The Office

In Plain Sight. Season 2, Episode 2. "In My Humboldt Opinion" A psychologist follows Mary around, while she deals with a witness who is afraid to speak... to anyone!!

Wow. Another superb episode. IPS tells stories you won't find on any other shows, and it's got a fantastic lead character/actress to boot! Kevin Rankin turns in a superb guest performance, Marshall gets some fantastic one-liners ("It's more a case of laughing AT her") and the story has a genuinely clever/wonderful resolution (the cartoon face on the microphone).

When the psychologist told Mary she had never met anyone who was as good at her job, I felt like cheering out loud. Mary was always likable, but she seems much more sympathetic this season. Brandi and Jinx, in contrast, are less likable this season. Season One seemed to tell their side of the story a little bit more, but - so far this season - they are both coming across as selfish and short-sighted.



Nichole Hiltz had a couple of great scenes, however. Her phone conversation scene would have been the comedy highlight of the episode, were it not for the fact that Marshall keeps delivering killer one-liners ("What happened? Did Mary yell at someone already?")

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 11. "My Waste of Time" JD and Elliot team up to search for an ex-patient, while The Brain Trust take over the office of Dr. Kelso.

Episode #150, and the final episode produced for NBC, shows how much the show has evolved, while still staying true to it's roots. Half the episode is devoted to four 'new' characters, who came to major prominence over the seven seasons, while half the episode is devoted to JD and Elliot, who have always been the central characters/relationship of the series since the pilot.

The Janitor, Ted, Todd and Doug get some great scenes, as Ted (my favourite of the group) finally grows a backbone and starts standing up to... everyone!! Meanwhile, JD and Elliot have another of those moments where they are reminded (remind one another) that they really enjoy being in each other's company. Aw...

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 9. "About Last Night" Dexter realises that Miguel murdered Ellen Wolf, and - worse - has been playing him like a fool from the very start...

Wow. A real kick in the pants, for Dexter and the audience at home. The revelation that the blood on the shirt didn't belong to Miguel was superb. The one moment tied up the events of the first eight episodes in a tidy little bundle and sets the scene for the three episodes to come.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 9. "Game of the Week" Tyra gets in trouble in Dallas and calls Mrs. Taylor for help, Matt has to deal with his mother and grandmother, while Tim seems about to try and get into college.

Now that the Jason Street story arc is over, the show seems a little less dramatic. I'm not a huge fan of the Tyra-falls-for-a-bad-boy storyline. There are better things they could be doing with that character. However, having said that, it's still hard to see her suffering like that (and very scared, too). Fact is, the show makes us care about these characters a lot. And, while the actual storyline might be a tad pedestrian, this is an example of a situation that millions of young women in small towns across the world find themselves in. Knowing that the show has captured something very real with this storyline is what keeps me watching/engaged.

FNL has captured my imagination. About two days before the next new episode I start thinking about the show and wanting to see a new episode.

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 19. "S.O.B." Linc blindly chases Scylla into a diabolical trap, while Michael captures Christine (except it turns out that she planned/allowed for all of this).

A peculiar episode. It appears that the brothers have been completely outwitted by their mother, but I'm not sure I understand how she did it. And I'm not sure I like it very much.

Part of me now wishes the show had ended at the point where Michael had completely outwitted The General. That was satisfying. This? Not so much. We are at the end of the story now, and I'm not a fan of the revelation that Michael and Linc aren't brothers (hope that's false) and I don't like seeing the brothers in a situation where they have been so completely outwitted.

Having said that, I'm sure the writers have a logical way for Michael to win. I just hope that it is satisfying. Michael has always been the cleverest one in the game (with Alex a close second) and I hope that that is the way the show goes out.

In other news, there were several strong scenes for T-Bag as he found himself forced to kill in cold blood, as a means towards getting in good with The General.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 24. "Casual Friday" Michael has to fire either Pam or Ryan, while Toby deals with several inappropriate outfits on Casual Friday.

It's always great to see Toby getting lots of screentime. All of the Toby scenes are fantastic in this episode.

Everything else in the episode is more dramatic, but a logical extension of the events of the story arc that led to this point.

Highlight? In Plain Sight (the cartoon face on the microphone)
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Sat, Apr 25, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break

09.00 Scrubs
09.30 Dexter
10.30 Friday Night Lights
11.30 Prison Break

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 10. "My Dumb Luck" Kelso sits on a bench outside the hospital and thinks back on all the (bad) times inside.

Solid. Another episode about growing up/old. It's amusing and bittersweet in equal measure and there's a nifty twist at the end, where Kelso takes his fate into his own hands.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 8. "The Damage a Man Can Do" Dexter guides Miguel through his first kill. But not his second...

Another gripping episode. Nice balance between the insanity of Rita at home, and the male bonding stuff between Dexter and Miguel (as they plan and commit a murder).

The final scene was a chilling twist. Is Miguel about to do what I think he's about to do? Damn.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 8. "New York, New York" Tim and Jason hit New York, as Jason tries to make his dream come true. Matt finds that Julie is a great asset in his attempts to get through to Coach Taylor.

A great episode. Jason's story ends in a heartfelt and exhilarating manner. The fact that it is as much Tim's story is a stoke of genius. He gives Jason the advice that sets him right and - in the end - we feel as much for him as we do for Jason, as the two friends part ways forever.

Meanwhile, the Matt/Julie stuff was adorable and cute and sweet. Seems like the show is back on track with regard to making them a miniature version of Eric and Tami. I'm fine with that.

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 18. "Versus" Michael and Linc go head to head, after Alec does some cool stuff.

Lots of opportunity for Alec to do lots of cool stuff in this one, and Michael gets to be very clever and figure out stuff. And I loved the way Michael still managed to be in control at the very end, even after losing that guy who came off the plane. Whoever he is.

It's a bit all over the place, really, but I'm still having fun watching.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (Jason's story ends)
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Sat, Apr 18, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Caprica, The Office

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 Dexter
08.00 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
10.30 Caprica
12.30 The Office

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 9. "My Princess" Cox tells a fairy tale.

It's a kooky and wonderful episode this week, but I found the constant switches between reality and fantasy to be both jarring and pointless. I mean, we're all smart enough at home to be able to figure out what's really going on, right?

Best bit? The downbeat ending. Scrubs does that really well. Makes you laugh all the way through, and then kills off the patient.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 7. "Easy as Pie" Miguel wants Dexter to kill the nice lawyer lady, and Dexter's old friend asks that he end her life to end her suffering/pain.

A solid episode where both plots have Dexter being asked by friends to try something new and grew outside his previously defined boundaries. Clever rewarding stuff.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 7. "Keeping Up Appearances" Jason fights with the others for the chance to try and sell the house his way, Billy enlists his help in making a show reel for Tim and Coach and Tami help a family see their son in a new light.

Lots of cool stuff in this one, with solid storylines for everyone.

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 17. "The Mother Lode" Michael and Sara cross the country, while Linc meets with his mother.

I love the crazy twists and turns on Prison Break as much as the next guy, but there are several surprises in this episode that really do not bear too much thinking about. It's a fun ride, yes, but not PB at it's best. The first half of this season has seen PB at it's best, no question, but everything now seems like a freefall to end the story and that's not quite as satisfying. Just yet.

Great cliff-hanger.

Caprica. "Pilot" A dead girl left a replica of herself in cyberspace, which leaves her genius father with a conundrum: how does he make her real? And how close is it to the real her?

Wow. Though-provoking opening chapter with lots of grey characters, no obvious good guys and several interesting plot threads that I very much want to see coming to fruition.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 21. "The Michael Scott Paper Company" This story-arc at the end of season has seen some of the freshest and most enjoyable Office episodes ever made. There is great pleasure in seeing Jim constantly come up badly in front of the new boss (even if the "what is a rundown?" gag is stretching things a lot. How dumb is Jim supposed to be?).

Highlight? Caprica (thought-provoking)
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Sat, Apr 11, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Friday Night Lights

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 8. "My Manhood" An episode about all things male.

Nicely done. Scrubs isn't subtle, but it is accurate and insightful. And funny.

Best gag? Ted being invisible to those around him. Man, that made me chuckle.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 6. "Sí Se Puede" Miguel plans a murder for Dexter.

After an episode dominated (in a way) by Rita and her impact upon Dexter's life, the show (wisely) puts her completely in the background and opts to focus on the deepening friendship between Dexter and Miguel. The fact that they do this, but showing Miguel's part in the murder of an evil Nazi convict makes for a truly thrilling episode. It's not the usual type of Dexter murder. He's not in control so, for once, there is an element of tension and suspense surrounding the crime.

Nice.

As for the deepening friendship. I have no idea where this is all going. Hopefully the show won't simply turn Miguel and Dexter into enemies and force Dexter to kill him. So, what else is there? Miguel is murdered, and Dexter must avenge him?

Or will they be really brave? And leave Miguel in the show for another season...

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 6. "It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy" Jason and the guys work on flipping a house, Matt and Julie kiss, Tyra meets Cash's ex.

The Jason storyline is the winner here. It's wonderful and funny and scary. The final scene (where he sings to his child over the phone) is magical. It should have been mawkish and phony. It should have fallen flat and been utter rubbish, but this is Friday Night Lights. So, as the other three guys stood around and listening to Jason singing on the phone, it sent an abundance of shivers up and down my spine. Magical, magical, magical.

Even before that amazing climax, this was a doozy of a storyline. Very funny. The cast is amazing, but Kevin Rankin steals the show. The man is a star.

In other news, it was cute seeing Matt and Julie back together. She's no longer behaving like a spoiled brat. There seems to be no obvious for this, other than the fact that she's getting older. And the fact that she would reach out to Matt when he's at his lowest ebb says volumes about her maturity and ability to see the real man inside. If the show plays this right, they could deliver a really great love story in the seasons ahead.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (Jason on the phone to his child)
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Sat, Apr 4, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 Dexter
07.30 Friday Night Lights

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 7. "My Bad Too" Turk learns Spanish, JD asks for Elliots advice but doesn't like it.

Typical episode. The space-invaders gag was fantastic. It looks like this is/was a great show to make.

Scrubs manages to tell good stories, make you laugh and get away with making the characters learn 'life lessons' without it ever becoming mawkish or false. In this one, when JD and Elliot learn their little lesson about 'friendship'... it works.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 5. "Turning Biminese" Rita goes to hospital, Dexter goes fishing.

Dexter feels the pressure to sell his apartment, and buy a new house with Rita, now that they are getting married. He may be a serial killer, but his thoughts/fears/anxieties are the same ones that ever guy faces. The narration from this episode could have been used on thirtysomething, or Once And Again. And this is one of the great things about the show.

The plots advance, too, in this one. Debra convinces a kid to talk about Freebo, but somebody is watching them...

And, in a very exciting - very surprising - final scene: Miguel guesses Dexter's secret.

So, all in all, a very well balanced episode. The first third was mostly about Dexter's fears, the middle third advanced the plots and the final third showed Dexter's killer side and gave him a confidant.

What next?

One suspects that it will end badly (for Miguel) but, since that's just a rethread of last season (with Lila) I hope they find something else to do with the idea.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 5. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" Jason makes his first appearance this season, and Matt gets some bad news from Coach Taylor.

The pre-credits sequence for this episode had as much tension and excitement as a typical full episode of anything else on TV right now. The show opens in the middle of a game and Coach is trying hard to keep Matt in the game as much as possible, even though JD is emerging as the star of the team. In a very clever (and incredibly heartbreaking) conclusion: Matt is outstanding and - basically - wins the game, but the praise still goes to JD. Matt walks off the pitch, pretty much invisible, and then, finally, the opening credits roll.

Honestly, I felt as upset/enthused as I would be at the end of an episode of anything else.

The Matt storyline dominates the episode, as Coach Taylor is forced (by the other coaches, and common sense) to ask Matt to 'step down', as it were, and let JD lead the team. Watching Matt and Eric deal with their emotions through this painful transition was/is some of the best dramatic storytelling to be on television anywhere. The show is an incredibly accurate depiction of real life pains and joys. And it resists the temptation to turn it's content into Soap Opera at every turn. It's exceptional.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (exceptional)
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Sat, Mar 14, 09 - Cavemen, Scrubs, Friday Night Lights, Battlestar Galactica, Office, Bilko, Road Runner

06.30 Cavemen
07.00 Scrubs
09.00 Friday Night Lights
10.30 Battlestar Galactica
12.00 The Office
12.30 The Phil Silvers Show
01.00 Road Runner

Cavemen. Episode 12. "Hunters And Gatherers" Nick competes with Maurice for the attentions of Heather.

Very funny. Nick and Joel both get storylines and both are funny. Race issues are not used to fuel the comedy (for once) and - instead - it's a tale about gender roles and different types of men.

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 6. "My #1 Doctor" Some nice stuff in this one. Elliot's patient wants to end her own life, on her own terms and - in the final seconds - we see that Elliot is going to keep her mouth shut and respect her wishes. Interesting. Among the other storylines, the best was probably the one about the janitor slowly letting his new girlfriend know about his very, very odd hobbies and interests.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 4. "Hello, Goodbye" Smash gets his big chance, Tami loses her battle and Tyra tells Landry how she feels about him and it's not good...

Another strong episode. The best scenes are the Smash ones. His storyline is heartwarming and wonderful and the final goodbye between him and Coach Taylor almost had me in tears.

The climax of the Tami vs. the JumboTron storyline comes not in a heated debate, but in a small intimate scene between Tami and Eric in their home. She knows she is going to lose and he - finally - tells her that she is right and they are wrong and she was right to fight this battle.

It's a wonderful scene and a wise storytelling choice. At the end of the day, we - the audience - are more interested in Tami and Eric than in anything else. So, the information about the JumboTron is given to us in a scene between them. A scene that shows how they function as a couple. (There's another similar scene later on, when he tells her about his dilemma over Matt and JD.)

The only weak link in the episode is the Tyra storyline. I like Tyra. In fact, I love some of the stuff they have done with the character. Her story, in terms of her place in small town life, is almost as interesting as Smash's. However, they are back to writing about her love life again. I wish they would just leave her with Landry and find something else for both characters to do. Leave them together, I say, and let her stories be about her struggle to make something of her life. That's ultimately more interesting that the while will-she-and-Landry-get-back-together thing?

Matt has a good storyline at the moment (with his mom - Kim Dickens - coming back) and I like the way they are having Julie in all his scenes without making their relationship (or lack of relationship) the focus of the storyline.

Battlestar Galactica. Season 4, Episode 19. "Daybreak, Part One" Adama gets the crew ready for one final mission: the rescue of Hera.

It's the first third of the last ever BSG episode and they decide to fill it with flashbacks?!! What the frak? Now, all the scenes were interesting and all, and they certainly did wonders for all the characters that were featured but I strongly feel that this is a waste of an episode. The final chapter of an epic such as this should be plot-driven, I feel. Now is not the time to be telling us stuff about the start of the journey. The journey is almost over, so let us savour every possible moment with the characters as they are now.

For instance: we get a glimpse of Tyrol behind bars, while we get several scenes about Baltar's relationship with his father.

What a crock!

The flashbacks were good, but this is not the time to show this stuff.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 17. "Golden Ticket" Michael's idea backfires, will Dwight take the fall for him?

This was wonderful because every joke in it was derived from the established characters of Michael and Dwight. It wasn't just comedy, it was poetry. I laughed and laughed and laughed. It deserves to be considered the best episode ever because (basically) it's just Michael and Dwight in a room fighting. No external element is needed. Just the characters.

Best line? Dwight explained that he has a diary to keep secrets from his computer.

The Phil Silvers Show. Episode 1. "New Recruits" Bilko is low on funds and he's put in charge of a squad of innocent young recruits.

Right from the very start, everything wonderful about the Bilko show was in place. He's very smart, able to con anyone and he's got a heart of gold. Everything you would ever need to know about this TV icon is on display in this first episode.

Road Runner. Film 1. "Fast and Furry-ous" Perfect template for the series that would follow. Best gag? RR holds up the "Road Runners can't read" sign.

Highlight? The Office (absolute comedy perfection)
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