Two Tivos To Paradise 9.18.09: The Pre-Emmy Edition

Posted by Al Norton on 09.18.2009

A guide to Sunday's Emmy Awards, Robert De Niro & Spike Lee team up for Showtime, The Vampire Diaries sets ratings records, a preview of Oxygen's Naughty Kitchen, a full rundown of the busiest week of the year for season/series premieres, tons of news & notes, the TV Pick of the week and more, all in the latest edition of Al Norton's Two Tivos To Paradise.

Hello Friends. Finally, an uneventful week; after birthday parties and hospitalizations, it was nice to have seven days filled by regular, day-to-day life stuff. The twins are this close to walking and providing more and more entertainment every day. Harry has shown a major passion for music (just like his Dad) and was dancing wildly during the Gold Digger scene on Glee.

A couple of quick personal shout outs; Happy 40th Birthday to my big brother Walter and a hearty welcome to the world to Reed Berman, the newest member of the TTTP family!

This is obviously a few years old but I just saw it for the first time last week and loved it so much I had to share....



You can use the links at the bottom of the page to find the interviews I had that ran this week with Mark Schwahn (One Tree Hill), Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13), and Jasika Nicole (Fringe).

Any Massachusetts folks out there should make plans to see official TTTP singer/songwriter Will Dailey and his band The Rivals at the Middle East in Cambridge on October 21st. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com

Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find news.

All The Gold In California Is In A Bank In The Middle of Beverly Hills Under Somebody Else's Name
This Sunday night is the 61st Annual Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Awards – aka The Emmys!!! This year the biggest night in TV will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, who could mime the entire evening and still be better than last year's hosting quintet. Here is a rundown of the major categories (since I have already written extensively in previous columns about who I would have voted for and the mistakes I think the Academy made in their nominations, I'll stick to quick picks here. Use the links below to find those older columns).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Kevin Dillon, Entourage (HBO)
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Jack McBryer, 30 Rock (NBC)
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock (NBC)
Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC)

Should Win: Neil Patrick Harris, hands down.

Will Win: Neil Patrick Harris, finally!!!!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daises (ABC)
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock (NBC)
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (Showtime)
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC)
Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Should Win: Kristin Wiig

Will Win: This is tough because the two SNL ladies could split the vote, leading to Jane Krakowski taking the award. Still, I am going out on a limb and predicting Kristin Chenoweth for the win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal (ABC)
Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC)
William Hurt, Damages (FX)
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC)
John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC)

Should Win: Aaron Paul

Will Win: Michael Emerson. The Academy makes up for last year's mistake.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Rose Byrne, Damages (FX)
Hope Davis, In Treatment (HBO)
Cherry Jones, 24 (Fox)
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO)
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

Should Win: Chandra Wilson

Will Win: Chandra Wilson. I am going with the continued theme of making up for past mistakes, with Wilson joining NPH and Michael Emerson as people who should have won previously who finally get some gold.

BEST LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
Steve Carell, The Office (NBC)
Jermaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA)
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Should Win: Steve Carell,

Will Win: Alec Baldwin

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC)
Toni Collette, The United States of Tara (Showtime)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime)
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central)

Should Win: Christina Applegate

Will Win: Tina Fey

BEST LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Simon Baker, The Mentalist (CBS)
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment (HBO)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Michael C Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
Hugh Laurie, House (Fox)

Should Win: Bryan Cranston

Will Win: Bryan Cranston

BEST LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU (NBC)
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT)
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT)

Should Win: There are at least 3 or 4 women who gave stronger performances than anyone listed above, but based on this group I would say Kyra Sedgwick.

Will Win: I am pretty sure that the Academy will make the same mistake it did last year and give the award to Glenn Close but I am holding out hope for the trend mentioned above to continue so my official prediction is Kyra Sedgwick.

BEST SERIES, COMEDY
30 Rock (NBC)
Entourage (NBC)
Family Guy (Fox)
Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The Office (NBC)
Weeds (Showtime

Should Win: How I Met Your Mother

Will Win: 30 Rock

BEST SERIES, DRAMA
Big Love (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Damages (FX)
Dexter (Showtime)
House (Fox)
Lost (ABC)
Mad Men (AMC)

Should Win: Mad Men, which was even better in its second season than in its Emmy winning first.

Will Win: Mad Men. While I could see a potential Breaking Bad upset, I think it's Mad Men's to lose.

Winner's at last Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys included Intervention (Best Reality Program), South Park (Best Animated Program), Justin Timberlake (Outstands Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, SNL), Tina Fey (Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, SNL), Ellen Burstyn (Outstanding Guest Actress in Drama Series, Law and Order: SVU), and Michael J Fox (Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Rescue Me).

The pre-show starts on E! and the TVGuide Channel at 6 pm on Sunday, with the ceremonies themselves getting started on CBS at 8 pm.

Let's Dance In Style, Let's Dance For A While, Heaven Can Wait, Were Only Watching The Skies
Spike Lee and Robert De Niro are developing a new series for Showtime set in the Manhattan neighborhood Alphabet City. The show, titled Alphaville, will take place in the 80's, when the area was populated with a diverse group of people including musicians, artists, and many black and Puerto Rican families. During that time the neighborhood also dealt with high drug activity and violent crime. Lee will direct the pilot, written by John Ridley, and the two of them will produce with De Niro. Alphabet City in the 80's was the setting for the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Rent, and two of De Niro's movies (Taxi Driver and Flawless) used the area as a backdrop.

That is certainly a lot of talent gathered in one place, and in my mind this easily rivals the prestige of HBO's upcoming Boardwalk Empire. Lee and De Niro's resumes speak for themselves, and Ridley wrote Three Kings, (the highly underrated) U Turn, and (the funnier than you might think) Undercover Brother. My guess is that actors will line up for a project like this, and I can't imagine how much fun the soundtrack will be.

The only thing that keeps me from getting too excited about this is how much I was looking forward to dramas Showtime had in development last year (Matthew Perry and Peter Tolan's End of Steve, Tim Robbins series set in the world of pharmaceutical drug manufacturing), only to get burned when the network didn't pick up either show.

There Is No Political Solution To Our Troubled Evolution
The Bio Channel debuts their new series Celebrity Ghost Stories on Saturday October 3rd, the first of nine episodes where famous folks tell their personal stories of supernatural encounters. The premiere includes one of the last interviews that David Carradine did before his death, where he talks about a haunted closet as well as his take on life-after-death. Other celebs taking part include Joan Rivers, Scott Baio, John Waters, Carnie Wilson, Greg Grunberg, Lisa Rinna, Jeffery Ross, Carrie Fisher, Sammy Hagar, Traci Lords, Anson Williams, Ali Landry, and Ernie Hudson.

Take a look at that list; you could have the best celebrities-living-in-a-house-together roster of all time right there, and I only gave you about half of them. Ghosts are clearly hot on cable right now with two different versions of Ghost Hunters (and a third on the way), A&E's successful Paranormal State, and a host of lesser shows as well. Carradine specifically talking about a haunted closet is pretty damn creepy but I don't blame Bio for using the footage; hey, they didn't kill him!

The show will be using reenactments while the celebrities narrate their stories, although it's not clear if the recreations will feature actors playing the celebs or the celebs playing themselves. Either way could lead to a highly entertaining camp factor.

Get Into That Kitchen, Make Some Noise With The Pots And Pans
Oxygen's newest reality series, The Naught Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck, premieres Tuesday night at 10 pm, following the goings on in Chef Beck's Dallas restaurant Central 214. Recently I caught up with Chef Beck to discuss the show.

TTTP: How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a chef? Was there a specific moment of clarity? What other careers did you go through before you ended up in the culinary arts?

Chef Beck: In college, I studied PR, philosophy, French, English and Miller Lite before earning a degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management with a minor in business administration. I never cooked growing up — in college I was The Queen of Take-out. One day, I called for a to go order, went to pick up my food, and the manager told me I had a great voice and was very polite. She offered me a job, which I wasn't interested in until she said it could be beer money. So I accepted a job as hostess. It was my first job in the restaurant business, and I instantly fell in love.

TTTP: What does "naughty" mean when it comes to the kitchen? How did you come to this as your cooking philosophy?

Chef Beck: The Naughty just came to me when one day on my first job as an Executive Chef. Someone asked me to describe my style and I said it's food you ate growing up, but I make it naughty — meaning people can recognize my food -- it's not intimidating, but welcoming.

TTTP: Did you set out to hire as diverse and outspoken as staff as you ended up with or was that just how things ended up?

Chef Beck: I didn't seek out this staff — I inherited them when I was hired as the Executive Chef of Hotel Palomar. I'm blessed and thrilled to work with them every day. They keep it fun and exciting.

TTTP: Why do you think shows about food have become so popular over the last few years?

Chef Beck: Food is universal and is the one thing everybody can relate to.

TTTP: Speaking of all those food shows on TV, what makes yours stand out? What can viewers expect from The Naughty Kitchen?

Chef Beck: My show is different because I'm on a quest. I'm a chef with a vision, and I'm on a mission to take over the world diner by diner, dinner by dinner.

Don't miss The Naught Kitchen with Chef Blythe Beck, Tuesday at 10 pm on Oxygen.

So Go On, Let It Be, If There's A Feeling Coming Over Me, Seems Like It's Always Understood This Time Of Year
The fall TV season is here! For the next few weeks we'll be using this section to let you know about the week's premieres. Shows with an "*" are series premieres.

SUNDAY
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), 9 pm
I have seen the first three Curbs of the season and while it starts out pretty average (still funny but nothing special), the second episode is fantastic and the third, which kicks off the Seinfeld reunion, is pretty special as well.

Bored To Death* (HBO), 9:30 pm
The highest compliment I can give a new show is immediate season pass status, and Bored To Death had it before I was even halfway through the first three episodes that HBO sent over. Sure, the tone of the comedy isn't going to work for everyone, and Jason Schwartzman can be a love-him-or-hate-him kind of guy, but I was into this from the get go. With the red hot Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) as well as Ted Danson in the cast, there is plenty of laughter to go around.

Let's take a minute to appreciate the second act of Danson's career. Sure, Cheers was his high point, but Becker was actually pretty funny, and his work the past two seasons on Damages was a revelation. Bored To Death continues that hot streak.

MONDAY
Dancing with the Stars (ABC), 8 pm
Does anyone really make their decision based on who the contestants are? Are there any readers who don't normally tune in who will be giving this season a shot because of Chuck Liddell? Or Donny Osmond? This episode is the first of three nights in a row for DWTS.

Heroes (NBC), 8 pm
How many years can NBC try to market the show as returning to what made it great in the first place before people give up? Actually, they seem to have generated some buzz with the Claire-kisses-a-girl rumored storyline. Having the potential to impact the show in a greater way is the addition of Robert Knepper (Prison Break's T-Bag) in a pivotal role.

House (FOX), 8:00 pm
While I am not fully back on the House bandwagon, the idea of a two hour episode highlighted by Hugh Laurie and Andre Braugher going head-to-head is my definition of must-see TV.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 8:00 pm
The season premiere is a great example of what the show does so well, mixing real laughs with genuine sweetness. Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smoulders really stand out this Monday.

Accidentally On Purpose* (CBS), 8:30 pm
How you feel about Jenna Elfman will probably determine how you feel about Accidentally on Purpose. While some find her grating, I have always enjoyed her work (Dharma and Greg, Keeping the Faith, Ed TV) and was amused enough by the first episode of this new show. It's not anything earth shattering but I did laugh a few times.

Two and a Half Men (CBS), 9:00 pm
Ladies and gentleman, the top rated comedy on TV. I don't get it at all – it's not that the show is bad, I just think the premise played out about halfway through the first season – but America has spoken and they do love them some Charlie Sheen.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS), 9:30 pm
Ok, I know, many of my readers love The Big Bang Theory, and based on the ratings this Summer, that bandwagon is getting mighty large. Again, I don't think it's a particularly bad show; it just doesn't do anything for me.

Castle (ABC), 10:00 pm
I am torn; on the one hand I am thrilled that Nathan Fillon has a show that got picked up for a second season, and on the other I just wish it was one that I liked more.

CSI: Miami (CBS), 10:00 pm
10 million+ viewers each week and I don't know a single one.

TUESDAY
NCIS (CBS), 8:00 pm
After multiple years of very strong ratings, NCIS is finally getting a little respect from critics for being a better than average show that goes out of its way to avoid formula. America also loves Mark Harmon. Hey, if you ever put the two of them in a series together, look out!

NCIS: Los Angeles*, (CBS), 9:00 pm
At this point I find it hard to believe that CBS could put on a decently made crime procedural that wouldn't do well in the ratings, and with familiar faces Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J up front, I am betting this is a clear hit from week one.

The Forgotten*, (ABC) 10 pm
If you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em, or so ABC seems to think with this Jerry Bruckheimer crime procedural. Christian Slater stars as a former cop who leads a team of folks who help solve old murders where the victims are unidentified. Slater is a charismatic actor who might be better prepped for series TV after last year's failed My Own Worst Enemy.

The Good Wife*, (CBS), 10 pm
The Good Wife is much better than you might think, mostly because of a very strong lead performance from Julianna Margulies as the wife of a jailed politician who goes back to work practicing law to support her family. Chris Noth recurs as the husband, and Josh Charles is her old friend/biggest fan at the law firm. There are weekly cases to be dealt with – I mean, it is still CBS – but the emphasis here is on the who and the why and not so much the what.

WEDNESDAY
Mercy* (NBC), 8 pm
Based on the pilot I have nothing good to say about Mercy so I am giving NBC some of the title and moving on.

The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS), 8 pm
The best comedy you are not watching, and certainly the most underrated cast on TV right now. While I would like to see Christine become just a little more self aware, I don't want to change what is a successful formula.

Gary Unmarried (CBS), 8:30 pm
One of the more surprising renewals of last year, Gary Unmarried returns for a second season with new showrunners, meaning a slightly different focus for the show. Not sure exactly sure how that will translate to what we see on the screen but the truth is I found the first season to be a good way to waste 22 minutes (perfect to watch while ironing and getting dressed in the morning) and Jay Mohr finds ways to get more laughs than the material deserves.

Criminal Minds (CBS), 9 pm
Criminal Minds seems to have settled quite well into the post-Mandy era, with hardly a blip in the ratings or the overall quality. Still wondering why people are so interested in serial killers but that's a discussion for another day.

Law and Order: SVU (NBC), 9 pm
Here is what you can count on from L&O: SVU; high quality guest stars in very well written parts. Ellen Burstyn was just the latest in a long run of Emmy winners from the show (15 guest stars have received nominations for the series, including 4 w inners), and this season starts off with Eric McCormack and Wentworth Miller in the first couple of weeks. I am still smarting from the major letdown that was last spring's finale (despite all the hype it was a VERY minor character that got killed off) but I will do my best to get over it.

Modern Family* (ABC), 9 pm
Easily the best reviewed new show of the year, with a stellar cast to boot. This is the show I am most looking forward to this week.

Cougar Town * (ABC), 9:30 pm
While some may be disappointed that the show is much less sexual in nature than the title may imply, the combination of Courtney Cox and series creator Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) make me think Cougar Town should be good for some laughs.

CSI: NY (CBS), 10 pm
Rather than disparage what by many accounts is a decent show I will choose to be happy for Gary Sinise, who makes quite a bit of money headlining the shows, which allows him to do all the theater and charity work that occupies his free time.

Eastwick* (ABC), 10 pm
I know I don't watch a ton of commercials thanks to Tivo's fast forward feature but I don't feel like I have seen a single ad for this show, which leads me to wonder how they expect it to do well, especially with two hours of new comedy as its lead-in; a full night of new programming does not strike me as a smart way to go. Actually, didn't ABC try this two years ago with no success?

THURSDAY
Flash Forward* (ABC), 8 pm
While Modern Family is the show I am most looking forward, Flash Forward might be the one I am more excited for, in that it just looks really cool.

CSI (CBS), 9 pm
The first full season of the post-William Peterson era begins with promises from the producers that Laurence Fishburne's character will be much more fleshed out this time around.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC), 9 pm
This is a big year for the folks at Seattle Grace as TR Knight is gone and both Ellen Pompeo (pregnancy) and Katherine Heigl (movie) will be missing multiple episodes. Look for new characters to be introduced as the show tries to find its legs in this new, second stage.

The Mentalist (CBS), 10 pm
There is no reason to think that The Mentalist's ratings will cool off in year two, especially after moving to the coveted post-CSI timeslot. Add in that Terry Kinney (Oz) has joined the cast and there should be no sophomore slump here.

But You Were Up To Your Old Tricks In Chapters Four Five And Six
All you need to know about the Nielsen's for the past week (or so)…The Vampire Diaries became the most watched series premiere in the history of The CW, totaling 4.91 million and topping the entire night in the 18-34 women demo…NBC's coverage of the Steelers-Titans game – the first regular season NFL game of the year – dominated the ratings on Thursday, with a total of almost 30 million viewers, making it the most watched primetime program since the American Idol finale last May…5.1 million tuned in for the season finale of True Blood, not another season high but a sharp increase from the season premiere…Hung finished up with a strong 2.9 million…The MTV Video Music Awards drew 11 million, up 21% from last year and the most watched version of the awards since 2002…Both One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl were down in their season debuts, although GG did top last year in their target female demos…18.4 million were in front of their sets watching the premiere of The Jay Leno Show on Monday night, major increases from the numbers for Leno's last night as host of The Tonight Show…Leno's numbers dropped 34% for Tuesday…90210 held on to its week one ratings while Melrose Place had a big adult demo drop…The Biggest Loser returned to very strong numbers…Sons of Anarchy dropped 14% in week two but FX is still thrilled with the 3.7 million totals...The season/series finale of Shaq Vs was up 13% from last week…More To Love signed off in front of 4.3 million, pretty much what they have been averaging the last few weeks…The finale of America's Got Talent was up 22% from last season, and the total audience was the largest in series history…Night three of The Jay Leno Show gave NBC it's best Wednesday at 10 performance by a series in over a year and the 13.1 million who tuned in was far and away tops in the timeslot…So You Think You Can Dance? dropped 10% from its premiere last week, as was Glee. This is not a huge drop and also not an unexpected one since last week Fox was the only network not showing President Obama's address…The season premiere of Spike's Ulitmate Fighter was up 130% from last year, with the female audience increasing over 200%. The biggest explination is the presence of Kimbo Slice...

All The Young Dudes, Carry The News
Industry News, Notes, and Hot Rumors…Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner Helen Hunt is in talks to take over Maura Tierney's role on Parenthood. Tierney dropped out of the show last week after scheduling conflicts with her treatment for breast cancer…Brent Forrester (The Office) and Oscar winner Ron Howard are teaming up for a new Fox comedy set in an IRS office…Arianna Huffington and How I Met Your Mother's Greg Malins are executive producing a new ABC comedy about three freshman member of Congress who live together…Craig Ferguson is close to signing a two year extension with CBS to stay as host of The Late Late Show. His current deal expires next spring…TBS ordered a nine episode 4th season of My Boys…ABC Family picked up an additional 10 episodes as part of 10 Things I Hate About You's first season, which will air in January. Shockingly, they cancelled Ruby and the Rockits, a series that we here at TTTP found to be very cute and a fine example of quality family comedy…Look for Gavin Rossdale on an episode of Criminal Minds this fall…Julian Sands will play Jor-El on Smallville this season…William Hurt and Ethan Hawke have signed on for the upcoming Moby Dick mini-series…Big week for Eric McCormack; not only did he sign to star in a Lifetime movie about con artist Clark Rockefeller but his latest series – a comedy about a widower trying to adjust to his new life surrounded while surrounded by his crazy family – is a hot property that is being shopped to networks in the next week or two…Ray Romano will be the focus of the second season of Golf Channel reality series The Haney Project, with golf coach Hank Haney trying to improve the comedian's game. The first season featured NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley…David James Elliot will star in the Hallmark Channel original movie Man of the House opposite Sharon Case…Betty White will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at January's SAG Awards…Jill Scott (The # 1 Ladies Detective Agency) will star in the Lifetime Movie Network Sins of the Mother, an adaptation of Carleen Brice's novel Orange Mint and Honey…Jasmine Guy is joining the cast of The Vampire Diaries…Dollhouse's cast gets better and better, with Ray Wise (Reaper) the latest to sign on for a multi-episode arc…ABC announced they will not be giving Defying Gravity a second season…Look for the new season of Dirty Jobs to premiere on October 6th…TLC has picked up a 12 episode first season of Flowers Uncut With Jeff Leatham, a reality series that follows floral designer to the stars in his job as the Artistic Director for the Four Seasons Hotels…E! On Line is reporting that Kate Gosselin is in talks with Telepictures to co-host a View-esque talk show with a focus on motherhood. Chef Paula Deen is also discussing coming on board the project…USA is close to picking up a ninth season of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, with EW.com reporting that Saffron Burroughs (My Own Worst Enemy, Boston Legal) is coming on board as Jeff Goldblum's new partner, meaning Julianne Nicholson is out…Comedy Central is reviving The American Comedy Awards, which were presented from 1987-2001 over various networks...

Turns Out Not Where But Who You're With That Really Matters
The top thing I watched since the last column went to press AKA The Best Of What's Around…In tribute to Patrick Swayze, who passed away this week from pancreatic cancer, I give this space over to his classic Chippendale's sketch from SNL. Sorry it's a weird copy of a copy but this is the best I could find on the web.



People Say I'm Crazy Doing What I'm Doing. Well, They Give Me All Kinds Of Warnings To Save Me From Ruin
What's flashed before my eyes the last seven days…Three episodes in and The Jay Leno Show isn't really anything out of the ordinary. Much as I suspected, if you liked his version of The Tonight Show then you will like Jay's newest venture, and otherwise you'll probably steer clear. They are trying more comedy segments, even if they aren't working that well so far. The interviews with Kanye West and Michael Moore are the highlights of the week, and the 10 at 10 segment was the worst handled, with the delay in the satellite feed stopping any and all momentum...The opening scene of Parks and Recreation was more than worth the price of admission. Overall the show seemed funnier than last season and also a bit warmer; the show seemed a little less negative in tone and Tom was much less of a jerk this time around. Considering that was the show's major flaw last spring, this bodes well…The Office produced some quality comedy despite it being a not-particularly memorable outing. Average Office is still a good way to spend your time…Sons of Anarchy's return was the same extremely high quality they signed off with last season. A great mix of reminding you who everyone is and where they are in the story while laying the groundwork for what we will be seeing the next couple of months. Sons really is one of the best shows on television...When it comes to Top Chef: Las Vegas, I am a HUGE Kevin fan, although there are five or six folks (Kevin, Jennifer, the brothers, Michael) that could hold their own with any group of finalists in series history. The chefs they got together for the French food challenge last week was about as much cooking talent as you will ever see in one room…My love affair with Glee has not waned in any way with these new episodes. Sure, the show is over the top – it's by the same guy who created Nip/Tuck, so what would you expect?!?!? – but I am fully caught up in the stories, the characters, and the fantastic music…The scene with Ray on the phone with his ex-wife in the hotel hallway (with her in the room inside) during Hung's season finale was really quite amazing in that I really had no idea where it was going. Great acting by both Anne Heche and Thomas Jane. Also loved the visual of Ray sitting in the chair by the water eating honey…One Tree Hill had a strong season premiere, doing a good job establishing new characters while not ignoring that Lucas and Peyton are no longer on the scene. Also, I am fascinated by this new version of Dan, although history makes me wonder how genuine he could possibly be…I must admit that Gossip Girl did not annoy me anywhere near as much as it did towards the end of last season, I think the reason being that the majority of the main characters are no longer in high school so they are ever-so-slightly less unrealistic. It may be residual good will from his performance on Kings but I found Sebastian Stan's Carter Baizen to be much more interesting than before …Warehouse 13's first season is finishing up quite strongly, with high quality guest spots from TTTP faves Joe Morton and Mark Sheppard…Web Soup was back from a couple of weeks of vacation with another great watermelon moment….I tried to watch The Beautiful Life but could only make it about 15 minutes before coming to the realization that I found neither the characters nor the subject matter to be in the slightest bit interesting…

TV Pick Of The Week
President Barack Obama will be the only guest on The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday night. While I am not a huge Dave fan these days, there is no question he excels with guests from the world of politics, and I expect some quality back and forth between the two. Obviously health care and the economy will be on the agenda but I am guessing that Letterman finds a way to bring Joe Wilson into the conversation, and maybe even Kanye West.

Don't miss The Late Show with David Letterman, Monday at 11:35 pm on CBS.

Hope You Need My Love, Babe, Just Like I Need You
Here is some other noteworthy programming of the next seven days (although most of it can be found in the season/series premiere section above)…

*The last episode of TV's longest running soap airs today as Guiding Light (CBS) signs off for good at 3:00 pm (check your local listings).

*College football fans will want to check out Tennessee at Florida, Saturday at 3:30 on CBS.

*The talent collective talent assembled for the Lifetime Original Movie Georgia O'Keefe (Saturday, 9 pm) is at a level not found in many feature films; Academy Award nominee Joan Allen and Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons co-star, with Academy Award nominee Bob Balaban directing a script by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cristofer…Seriously, this is about as top notch a crew as you will see on this or any other network.

*Warehouse 13 (Syfy) brings its highly entertaining first season to a close Tuesday at 9 pm with a cliffhanger.

*TLC's Table For 12, TV's best reality show about a large family, returns with new back-to-back new episodes Tuesday at 10 pm.

*VH-1's Behind The Music takes on Bobby Brown Thursday at 10 pm.

*Thursday night finds some quality late night guests making the rounds, including Joel McHale (The Tonight Show, 11:35 pm. NBC), Lisa Lampanelli (The Late Show, 11:35 pm, CBS), and Jason Schwartzman (The Late Late Show, 12:35 am, CBS)

Two Tivos To Paradise
30 Days, 30 Rock, The Academy, American Idol, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Antiques Roadshow, Being Human, Best Week Ever, Better Off Ted, Big Love, Bones, Bored To Death, Breaking Bad, Brothers & Sisters, Burn Notice, Celebrity Apprentice, Cake Boss, Chopped, The Chris Isaak Hour, Chuck, The Closer, Community, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Daddy's Girls, Damages, The Deadliest Catch, Desperate Housewives, Destination Truth, The Dish, Entourage, Eureka, Flipping Out, Gary Unmarried, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Glee, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, The Hills, House, How I Met Your Mother, Hung, Iron Chef America, Jon & Kate + 8, Last Restaurant Standing, Law And Order, Law And Order: Criminal Intent, Law And Order: Special Victims Unit, Lost, Mad Men, Make Me A Supermodel, Man v. Food, Medium, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, Next Food Network Star, Nip/Tuck, The Office, One Tree Hill, Paranormal State, Party Down, Private Practice, Project Runway, Psych, Real Time With Bill Maher, Rescue Me, Royal Pains, Rules Of Engagement, Run's House, Sanctuary, Saturday Night Live, Scrubs, Shark Tank, Shear Genius, Skins, So You Think You Can Dance?, Sons of Anarchy, The Soup, Southland, Sports Soup, Supernatural, Table For 12, Top Chef, Top Design, Torchwood, True Blood, Ugly Betty, The Vampire Diaries, Warehouse 13, Web Soup, Will Work for Food

People Love You When They Know You're Leaving Soon
Here ends another edition of Two Tivos To Paradise. We'll be back next week with a rundown of all the winners and losers from Sunday's Emmy Awards, the latest news, and a visit from Flipping Out's Jenni Pulos.

Don't forget to come back next Friday for all the news, and while you're at it, why not just bookmark the movies/TV page here at 411mania.com and make it that much easier for you to find your entertainment industry hook up! You can also follow us on Twitter!

Feedback is encouraged at [e-mail] as well via the comments section below.

Sources for this week's column include Daily Variety, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, and Hollywood Reporter (plus the web sites for those publications) as well as Aintit.cool.com.