New season so far...

Not every show of the new season has debuted yet, but most of them have. So what am I watching and what do I think?

Monday
I catch "How I Met Your Mother" from time to time. I know it's funny and clever, but there is still something about the show that prevents me from watching it regularly. The humour is a bit too cringing for me to watch every week. However, Neil Patrick Harris is quickly entering God status for his acting in the show.

I want to like "Heroes", I really do. And I really like the geeky Japanese guy. But there are too many characters I don't give a damn about or are outright annoying. That makes it a bit hard to enjoy the rest of the show. I might try it again later, but for right now, it's a miss.

Studio 60 is beginning to worry me. The last two episodes were much worse than the first two. The writing was clunky and the show has, to quote a "West Wing" episode, yet to bring the funny. If you're doing a show about a comedy show, at some point you have to make the comedy show funny. Hasn't happened yet. The show is also bleeding viewers. It started with about 14.5 million. The last episode had less than nine. It's going to be canned if the ship isn't righted soon.

Tuesday
"NCIS" is a guilty pleasure and there is no damn good reason to keep watching it, especially since Gibbs' moustache is freaking the hell out of me. The mysteries are mostly crap, but the characters are fun. Which is why I stick around, I guess. But the show is hitting a bit of a rut this season.

"House" is what it is. Which is fun, but there doesn't seem to be as many cutting House-isms this year. Also, the whole deal with his leg and drug addiction seems to have been cleared up too quickly. Still, it's off to a better start than last year and is better than 90 per cent of what's out there.

I'm actually watching my favourite TV show this year. I love "Veronica Mars", but have always watched it on DVD sets. It's the best show on TV (the writing leaves most shows far, far in the dust), but the mysteries work better when watching all at once. Watching it over a season, with lots of repeats, is maddening. But we're going to give it a try this season.

Look, it's on the verge of cancellation. Go watch it, for the love of God.

I liked "Smith". It's been canned. Ah well.

"Boston Legal" is something I can take in dribs and drabs. The in-jokes are a bit too much to take in concentrated doses.

Wednesdays
I gave up on "Lost" last season. Just got bored with it. I recognize it's a superior drama, but that doesn't mean I can't get bored with it.

I'm still watching "Bones" which is a touch of a surprise, but again the character interactions are working for me. Which again is a bit of a surprise since I'm pretty sure I said last year about half the cast needed to be canned. As it stands, it's the supporting cast that's proving to be entertaining. The mysteries, again, are a bit silly and the science being used might be based in reality, but occasionally feels more like magic to me.

"Justice" is on its last legs and is actually being moved to Monday nights. It's one of those shows I can watch if it's on, or miss it and not particularly care. But it's a harmless enough treat. Plus, there is some amusement at seeing how the justice system can be circumvented, if only the kind of amusement that comes from feeling happy that you've just stopped banging your head on a wall. Plus, they use Warren Zevon's "Lawyers, Guns and Money." Got to give them props for that.

"The Nine" is a bit too young to comment on yet, other than I was intrigued and I'm curious to see what happens over the next few episodes. The show is on what happens to nine people who were hostages in a failed bank robbery. The show flashes back to what happened to the people while they were inside. It could work and it's being called on the best new shows of the year. Alas, it's getting ratings similar to Studio 60. So that isn't good.

Thursday
The big night on TV and I watch next to nothing. Gave up on "Survivor" when the big twist last all of three episodes. Whoopee. I catch "CSI" sometimes and it falls under the "catch it if I can" area. I won't be out of the loop if I miss one episode. Cathy is a big "Grey's Anatomy" fan, but I loathe the show so I just go in the bedroom and putter while it's on. The mere sound of the characters is like nails on a chalkboard.

Still giving "Shark" a look, even though it's a watered down, less fun "House". It's a pity you couldn't put "Justice" and "Shark" on back to back on the same network. Different sides of the legal profession in LA. It would be kind of amusing.

Friday
Nada, except the occasional episode of "Numbers", which is hit and miss with me.

Saturday
I'll give the devil its due and say I was appropriately blown away by the season premier of "Battlestar Galactica". Any show in which the heroes are basically Iraqis and using suicide bomber tactics to get themselves free of their ruling oppressors has got some balls. It was two solid hours that flew by and I was engaged the entire time. Can't say that of too many shows this year.

If I have reservations about the show is that in previous years it has slumped badly after the first episodes, which normally resolve the cliffhanger from the previous season. It picks up again when they're building to the next cliffhanger, but in-between it slumps terribly. I understand not every show can be brilliant all year, but they need to avoid the depths of that slump this year to keep me engaged. I like the show a lot, but I'm not as head over heels and I want to be.

Sunday
The only reality show worth watching, "The Amazing Race." Sad to see the gay guys go this week, but that was predictable as they were finishing near the bottom too much. I'm really surprised at how long the single moms and the couple from Kentucky have lasted. I thought they would have been long gone, but I'm happy to see them still there.

Now if only the cheerleaders and the fighting couple would go. Kind of routing for the Korean brothers right now. I like the woman who is getting around only using one leg, but if her boyfriend isn't a complete idiot, then the producers are doing quite the hack job on him. I suspect it's the former as she doesn't look too happy with him.