TV Departments

Tuesdays are a busy night for me, TV-wise.

Below average Girls department: According to Marc Berman,

In season-premiere news, the CW’s Gilmore Girls opened on a below average note with a 4.0/ 6 in the overnights (#4), 4.56 million viewers (#4) and a 2.0/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 8 p.m. Compared to its year-ago opener on the WB (Overnights: 5.3/ 8; Viewers: 6.22 million; A18-49: 2.8/ 8 on Sept. 13, 2005), that was a decrease of 26 percent in the overnights, 1.66 million viewers and 29 percent among adults 18-49

Presumably most of that decay was from people who didn't like the way last year ended, but some (at least I'd like to think) must be people who don't want to see the Amy Sherman-Palladinoless GGs. And then there's me, who's both.

I didn't watch the SP, but I admit I dipped in during House commercial breaks. What I saw seems to go along with the gloomy assesments I'm seeing online.

Speaking of which department: House will be in repeats and such for the month of October, which is good (for me) because it means it won't be opposite Veronica Mars. Starting next week VM will be getting its last chance to win and keep the love of me and a few other million viewers.

For any latecomers: I thought the first season of Veronica Mars was one of the best shows out there. Well-acted, smartly written; layered. But the writing on the second season spun wildly out of control, with time-wasting episodes focusing on characters I didn't care about.

I'm coming back, though. And one of the reasons I am is because writer/creator/producer Rob Thomas has been apparently candid in interviews and such about mistakes he thinks they made last year.

This is infinitely preferable to the impenetrably smug "we meant to do that" attitude taken by some other producers whose series have spun out. I'm hoping it means they've learned.

Weird coincidence department: I decided to try Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which I've never seen before, and as luck would have it, found a guest star this week was Anton Yelchin, formerly Byrd on Huff. So nice to see him on a good script again.

When a pretty face just isn't enough department: I've also been trying to keep an eye on Smith, zapping back-and-forth with Boston Legal.

After two episodes watched in this admittedly not wholly satisfactory way, I find myself reminiscing about something I said regarding the recently deceased That '70s Show.

Why do they waste valuable camera time shooting anyone who isn't Laura Prepon?

One of the stars of Smith is Virginia Madsen.