Farm-Raised Cuckoo Bird Angela No Jet-Setter on "Project Runway"

Okay, so I was wrong about the challenge this week having to design outfits for Delta Airlines flight attendants... but I was right about the Delta Airlines part. I loved the looks on the designers' faces when they were told to get the eff off the runway, pack their bags for an unknown destination, and get to the airport in their newly minted ensembles... to see how well the "jet setter" outfits they designed would hold up after they stepped off that other runway. Classic and clever.

Even better that they ended up in Paris, one of the world's fashion capitals (if not THE fashion capital) though half of me was hoping they'd end up somewhere truly un-exotic and mundane. You know, completely take them out of their element altogether and force them to dress the people of St. Olaf or something. To really see if they can design for the runway and the masses. But I'll take Paris any day, as they were all so excited to be there. Even if I did think it was so completely mean-spirited to fly someone across the Atlantic, have them pull up to Parsons Paris, get eliminated and then fly right back to the States. Runway producers, you are cruel!

Speaking of eliminations, it had to happen eventually as Project Runway nemeses Angela and Jeffrey finally faced off both on the runway and in the studio, after last week's disastrous pairing of Jeffrey with Angela's mom in the challenge. (Could the producers have picked two less matched people than the two of them?) Eye rolling and name calling ensued, but it was all rather too tame compared to what I thought would happen. Point to Jeffrey for mentioning Angela's "weird, sad eyes." Though I do have to sort of admire Angela for not sinking to his level. As much as I don't admire her skills as a designer, she has managed to pretty much avoid getting dragged into the fray. But it was at Parsons Paris that the dreaded twosome ended up on completely opposite spectrums. Angela's "jet-setter" design consisted of messy brown linen shorts that were creased and wrinkled by the time she stepped off the plane, complete with hideous granny florets on the bum, a classic kooky Angela top, and some ill-matched boots. A disaster by all accounts.

Jeffrey, on the other hand, had the winning design with a rock and roll outfit that looked like it cost thousands of dollars more than the $75 budget they were given: a gorgeous purple jacket that looked like sumptuous leather, paired with a fish eye t-shirt, and tighter-than-tight pin-striped pants with some sort of crotch detail that seemed vaguely dangerous after one too many drinks. I was really torn between his design and Michael's: a hip-hop Harlem-meets-the-Hamptons ensemble that was as comfortable and wearable as it was stylish, consisting of a modern take on the classic white button-down shirt and *amazing* white seersucker cargo pants that were classy and cool at the same time. Plus, he looked impeccable, even after trans-Atlantic travel. (Hard-to-please Michael Kors even loved it; he's turned into quite the Michael fan.) In the end though, I am glad that Jeffrey won as his outfit was not only perfect for him, but also stylish and fashion-forward.

I really liked Laura's dress as well, which was more of a departure for her than usual. It wasn't 1940s at least and the knotting was very beautiful. Plus it held up well, once she moved the knot to the front. And I have to give her credit for being so game about the whole thing, despite being pregnant. Meanwhile, what was with the judges giving Uli such a hard time about her dress? I thought she looked amazing and comfortable and very stylish. They pointed out that her outfit would look great in Miami, LA, Hawaii, or St. Tropez but not really anywhere else. But wasn't the entire point of the exercise to design something for a jet-setter? And aren't those popular destinations for the Paris Hilton set? Color me confused, because I didn't really understand what the judges wanted then. Uli was stylish and her patterns beautifully balanced and while she doesn't always deviate from that sort of breezy aesthetic, her stuff is consistently gorgeous and wearable.

Oh, Kayne. Where to begin? You need to tone down the pageant queen within a little bit and stay away from the whole Dollywood influence because the judges outright HATED your design this week. I want you to make to the final three, but you're not going to have a shot in hell unless you stick to couture and not country.

Finally, I am still baffled as to why Vincent is still there. This week, he took off his pants to copy them into a pants pattern and created the most boring outfit I've seen on Project Runway thus far. (Yes, even more boring than poor Robert Best's designs.) His jet-setter ensemble consisted of black pants and a charcoal grey v-neck shirt that looked like something he picked up at the GAP on the way to the airport. And was it just me or did the top seem oddly ill-fitted. It kept bunching up at the shoulders and was very unflattering. Yet somehow, guest judge Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein called Vincent's design an "intellectual" response. Um, excuse me? Did I just hear you correctly? I'm completely gobsmacked. How is his laziest design yet an intellectual response to the jet-setting task? Am I the only one baffled as to why the judges seem to be coddling him?

Yet it was only fitting that it was sketch-phobic Angela who was the one to be sent packing (literally) back to the States. I've never been a fan of her designs and she's managed to crest by so far because there were other weaker designers. But besides for her "whimsical" florets, was there anything that she'd done that stood out as being original or visionary? I can't think of anything. (And side note: what was up with that extended exchange between Jeffrey and Vincent about Angela coming in to smoke and waking Michael up?) Fortunately, guest judge Catherine Malandrino wasn't too impressed with Angela's sloppy "Holly Hobby" design and sent her home.

Only six contestants remain from the original fifteen and the competition is only going to get more fierce as we narrow it down to the final two. Who will be the next to go? I can only hope it's Vincent, but the judges seem to disagree with me on this one..

Next week on Project Runway: the designers remain in Paris while part of their challenge (is it another shocker?) involves attending a party, only to find themselves pelted with eggs by unhappy locals. Everyone's a critic...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 7: All-Stars (CBS); My Name is Earl/The Office (NBC); Smallville (WB); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Celebrity Duets (FOX; 8-10 pm); Everybody Hates Chris/Love, Inc. (UPN)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); The Office/The Office (NBC); Supernatural (WB); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Eve/Cuts (UPN)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Windfall (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: My Name is Earl.

On tonight's repeat episode ("The Bounty Hunter"), Earl's ex-girlfriend (guest star Juliette Lewis) returns to town to exact some revenge against Joy for making Earl leave her. Can anyone say, Catfight?

8:30 pm: The Office.

On a repeat episode ("The Dundies"), it's that time of year again as Michael forces the Dunder-Mifflin employees to suffer through the annual office awards ceremony at a local Chili's restaurant.

9 pm: The Office/The Office.

Wow, NBC, two more episodes of The Office tonight! I might just have to add you back on my Christmas card list. On the first episode ("Take Your Daughter to Work Day"), Michael becomes friends with Toby's five-year-old daughter and the gang learns about Michael's past as a "child TV star." Afterwards, it's the "Conflict Resolution" episode where Michael takes on responsibility of conflict resolution from Toby and causes all sorts of chaos in the office.

10 pm: Murder City on BBC America.

Continuing tonight on BBC America: a 2004 Brit mystery series starring Amanda Donahoe (L.A. Law) and Kris Marshall (My Family) as pair of terribly mismatched police partners. In tonight's episode, a corpse found at the city dump is identified by some rather unusual undergarments. Seriously.

Second Helpings: FOX's "Vanished"

One of my favorite annual pastimes is going through the following season's pilots and trying to figure out which ones I'll watch and which ones I'll skip. There's certainly no science to it and much of it is really just my gut reaction to the material and that little voice in the back of my head asking me whether or not I'd watch the series.

But the true test of a series isn't necessarily the pilot. In fact, more often than not, it's the second episode that's the real indication of whether or not I plan on investing my time with a particular series. On that note, I sat down Monday evening to watch the second episode of FOX's missing woman conspiracy drama Vanished. Longtime readers of this blog will remember that I ended up liking the pilot, which--like its second episode--was directed by Mimi Leder.

Here's what I had to say about the original pilot I watched back in June: "Created by Josh Berman (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and directed by Mimi Leder (John Doe, Deep Impact), the pilot is beautifully shot and gripping. While I had initially thought that Sara's disappearance would turn into a 24-style political/espionage thriller, the Da Vinci Code-esque religious clues scattered throughout take this series into an entirely surprising and unexpected direction. Something bigger is going on here than mere political vendettas and I wonder if Vanished will wrap it up in one season (a la the aforementioned 24) or if the Berman and Co. have plotted the series beyond Year One."

Hmm. I appear to have liked it. But then I tuned in Monday night...

As I said earlier, a second episode is always the true test of a series and here Vanished failed miserably. Instead of a smart, slick conspiracy caper, I found a sodden mess of histrionics and cheesy dialogue. Obviously, none of these serialized dramas are based in any way in reality and one must take these series with a huge ball of salt, but still, I want some resemblance to the logic of the universe to take shape. Or, at the least, I'd like to make it through a supposedly "serious" drama without laughing my butt off.

In Vanished, CSIs find valuable forensic information--a bloody handprint here, a torn scrap of dress there--in the record time of five whole seconds within arriving at the scene. One little shine of an ultraviolet light and--BOOM!--we're in business and up and running. A look at the blueprints of a labyrinthine tunnel network reveals there's a passageway right where they're standing and before you know it Graham (Gale Harold) takes off without a so much as a by-your-leave from his superior officer to play last action hero. (The less said about the fact that, following an explosion, he doesn't even bother to check on his colleagues the better.)

While Graham struck me as a bit of a cipher in the pilot, producers haven't done anything here to make him a more fully developed character and Harold sort of sleepwalks through his scenes in a short sleeve shirt and tie combo that held more amusement for me than the entire episode itself. Remember that missing mayor's wife who turned up at the end of the pilot seemingly frozen for the last few years? Her husband shows up to identify the body, Graham accuses him of killing her (he owns an orchard with refrigeration units!) and he promptly blows his brains out. But Graham doesn't seem all that perturbed by the suicide; in fact, his reaction is more akin to being rather frustrated at all the paperwork he's going to have to deal with...

Meanwhile, the Senator's bratty daughter Marcy (Margarita Levieva) suspects that her boyfriend Ben (Christopher Egan) may be involved in the disappearance of Sara Collins (Joanne Kelly) and therefore drives around Atlanta in a daze, refusing to go see her father, and even sleeping in her car (why exactly, we're not sure, when she has plenty of money to check into a hotel), before stopping off for a lemonade when she thinks that she's being followed by secret service... or FBI... or someone else. And--quelle surprise!--we're treated to that old familiar scene where someone gets into their car only to discover (shock, horror!) that there's someone else in there! Someone who takes that large bag of cash Marcy left sitting on the passenger seat (she's never heard of a trunk?), but not the bloody shirt that she so desperately hopes doesn't contain the blood of her missing step-mother. The goon issues an appropriately cryptic remark before departing, leaving Marcy shaken but not so scared that she, you know, locks the car doors or anything.

The willing suspension of disbelief is one thing but trying to suspend a belly-aching paroxysm of laughter? Not so easy. Vanished gives us a number of so cheesy it's fondue-like flashbacks that portray new cast member Josh Hopkins meeting Sara Collins for the first time back in 1994. They meet cute when she randomly steals his lunch on a dock and consumes half his sandwich in a flirtatious manner intended to make us forget why exactly this woman is wandering around the docks stealing hard-working fishermen's lunches. But Mr. Sensitive Fisherman doesn't seem to care about the innate criminality of her actions and instead wants to see her again. This being 1994, everyone is dressed in grunge and listening to the Spin Doctor's "Two Princes" (seriously!) as Mr. Sensitive Fisherman explains how when he owns his own boat someday, it will be a thing of beauty. But that's before the woman who will one day become Sara Collins vanishes the first time. While one hopes that these flashbacks are just intended to establish the connection between Sara and Josh Hopkin's character, they are so laughably bad that they instead became the televisionary equivalent of a pocketful of kryptonite.

Sorry, guys, but this is one show that just Vanished right off of my TiVo's Season Pass list.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Rock Star: Supernova (CBS); Most Outrageous Moments/Most Outrageous Moments (NBC); Blue Collar TV/Blue Collar TV (WB); George Lopez/George Lopez (ABC); Bones (FOX); Everybody Hates Chris/All of Us (UPN)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Scrubs/Scrubs (NBC); One Tree Hill (WB); 20/20 (ABC; 9-11 pm); Justice (FOX); Girlfriends/Half and Half (UPN)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

I'm still shocked over Vincent's win last week, I am still excited about another new episode of my new reality fix, Project Runway. On tonight's episode, another "shocking" surprise for the designers as they are tasked to design something for a trendy jetsetter (Delta flight attendant uniforms?) while Jeffrey and Angela finally have that showdown that Runway's editors trick us into believing is going to happen each week.

Bravo Sets Launch Date for "Top Chef"

Mark your calendars, culinary fans, and sharpen your knives.

Bravo has officially announced the debut date of Season Two of gastronomic showdown series Top Chef, which will premiere October 18th at 11 pm ET/PT, right after the season finale of fellow Televisionary reality TV fave, Project Runway. But if you're not a night owl, don't fret. The following week, Top Chef will move into its regularly scheduled timeslot at 10 pm on October 25th once Runway wraps its third season.

As previously announced, Food Network personality and cookbook author Padma Lakshmi has replaced outbound Katie Lee Joel as the Top Chef's host and Tom Colicchio will return as a judge.

While Televisionary was lucky enough to obtain some exclusive advance pics of Top Chef Season Two, the wait for next season is going to be a long one...

Promicin Exchange: Sinners and Saints on "The 4400"

Plus ca change, plus ce la meme chose. The more things change, as they say...

I can't believe that this season of USA's abductee drama The 4400 has come and gone already. I spent the entire summer catching up on what has now become one of my favorite shows (though I sorely miss Lily and Kyle, but more on that in a bit) and can't believe I've reached the end of the road... for now anyway. I already miss Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) and Diana Skouris (Jacqueline McKenzie) and I don't know about you but that ending made me a little... weepy. (In the most manly way, of course.) Putting aside that three-hanky ending, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up some of the momentous, um, moments in this week's finale ("Fifty-Fifty").

I love the little 4400 cabal created by Jordan (Billy Campbell). Or at least its inner circle comprised of Jordan, Tess (Firefly's Summer Glau, here magnificently lucid), and Kevin Burkhoff (Jeffrey Combs). This little troika, I think, has the potential to become next season's power villains. Or heroes. Depending on your point of view and definition of "grey." Speaking of which, Jordan is totally off his rocker. At least, I think so.

One of the series' strengths has been its knack at keeping you guessing as to the motivations and machinations of its most enigmatic character, Jordan Collier, who has transformed from ruthless capitalist to cult leader to Messiah, who might just be the savior of the so-called 4400... or their damnation. (Jesus? Or Judas? Take your pick.) Was he resurrected to save humanity or end it altogether? And how exactly was he resurrected? (And which future faction wanted him dead?) And better still: what exactly is Jordan's 4400 ability? It was a fantastic twist that Jordan went after the promicin itself and plans to distribute the entire stockpile to any willing human volunteers. Of course there is that pesky fifty-fifty chance that volunteers will develop abilities... or they'll die within 48 hours.

I think I'd opt not to take the promicin, even if a diluted version seems to have had no permanent effects on mad scientist Kevin Burkhoff, the "father" of 4400 technology. But Devon wasn't so lucky. The first volunteer and president of the I Heart Jordan Collier Fan Club, Devon ends up having a massive aneurysm and dies in Shawn's arms as even his healing abilities can't save her. Poor, poor Devon, going from bedding Jordan to becoming his first sacrifice. I've missed seeing her this season and think that she should have become a larger part of the show, becoming Shawn's right-hand, er, woman.

Diana's sister April (Pasadena's Natasha Gregson-Wagner) seems to have no such qualms about taking the promicin, especially after Diana stole her boyfriend Ben (Brennan Elliott). Jordan's whole plan hinges on the fact that the volunteers are lost souls that he's saving and offering a second chance at life as 4400s and no one seems to be quite as lost as April. Other than Kyle Baldwin (Chad Faust), that is. I can only hope that Kyle's presence at the end of the episode signifies his return to the series (he's sorely missed). That shot of him holding a syringe containing promicin makes me believe that he injects himself; he was almost a 4400 (no thanks to glory-hog Shawn) and has been used and abused by nearly everyone since he emerged from his coma in Season One. Kyle as a willing 4400 just makes sense. And it also puts him squarely on the opposite side of a battle from dear ol' dad, Tom. The lines of combat are swiftly being drawn...

Speaking of combat, I am glad that Tom had the stones to finally take down Isabelle (albeit in a less-than-permanent way). While I wish that Isabelle's arc from naive insta-adult to psychotic would-be child-killer was a bit smoother, I think that the end result was worth a little choppiness. Tom does his best to take her down but it's Richard (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali)--using his newfound telekinetic ability--who administers that mysterious future injection into his beloved (and freaky) daughter. And then Tom hesitates for a second before shooting her. Isabelle's powers may be gone (for now, anyway) but it doesn't mean that she's any less dangerous than before. If anything, she now truly has nothing holding her back from destroying the 4400. Not even Shawn (Patrick Flueger), whom she ruthlessly put into a coma after "interrogating" him at Dennis Ryland (Peter Coyote)'s behest. I can only wonder what Lily would have done and who she would have supported, given this turn of events. (Something tells me that she would have sided with Isabelle, even though she's clearly EVIL.)

After Isabelle's attack on the 4400 Center, where she nearly killed everyone inside (including the cutest little precog ever, Maia), Diana decides that she's going to leave the Pacific Northwest and head someplace safer. Namely Spain. Ben has been offered a job there and Diana is taking Maia (Conchita Campbell) away from the madness of Jordan, Isabelle, Dennis Ryland, and the 4400s. She and Tom have a truly bittersweet moment on the steps of his house as she says goodbye and I couldn't help but get a little teary... especially as Diana has truly grown on me in the last three seasons of the show. I may have thought she was a "wet blanket" originally, but she has become the heart and soul of The 4400. But fret not, Diana and Maia will be back next season, though I had no idea that Maia's heart-breaking prediction about Alana would already come true...

With Shawn out of commission and Kyle wandering the country, the only family Tom truly has left (discounting, yes, the sister and kooky nephew) is his girlfriend Alana (Karina Lombard). United by an eight-year relationship they had in an alternate reality of her creation (yes, you read that correctly), Alana and Tom have had their ups and downs (doesn't help your relationship when your girlfriend is a fugitive), but no sooner does Tom say goodbye to partner and friend Diana then Alana is disappeared (again!) but a shimmering ball of light that whisks her off of her suburban street into the ether. Why has she been taken again? By whom? And for what purpose? Tom was able to bring Maia back into the timeline before, but something tells me that the future is not going to help him on this one. I'm curious as to why Alana was taken at this moment and whether or not Tom (or the audience) will be seeing her next season. I hope so because I don't want Tom to become a dour loner again...

But then again, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Even for Tom Baldwin.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother: All-Stars (CBS); Fear Factor (NBC); Gilmore Girls (WB); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); Celebrity Duets (FOX; 8-10 pm); Major League Baseball (UPN)

9 pm: Rock Star: Supernova (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Gilmore Girls (WB); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC)

10 pm: 48 Hours (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Eureka on Sci-Fi.

The whimsical new sci-fi drama that's more Northern Exposure than Stargate. On tonight's episode ("Blink"), Zoe meets Allison's son (remember him?) while Stark pits two research teams against one another. Like you'd expect anything less from him...

11 pm: Love Soup on BBC America. (10 pm ET)

The whimsical British romantic drama, starring Black Books' Tamsin Greig and Lois & Clark's Michael Landes and written by Jonathan Creek creator David Renwick, returns with another new installment tonight. In tonight's episode ("Take Five"), Alice's neighbor develops a crush on her, but he already has a live-in girlfriend; meanwhile, Gil arranges a date with a fellow writer.

Tempest in a Tea Cup: An Emmy Weekend Round-up

So I succumbed just a little bit to the Emmy mania that was sweeping through Los Angeles last night. Just a little bit, anyway. It all started Saturday with the Fourth Annual BAFTA Emmy Tea Party at the Park Hyatt Hotel, where the red carpet was walked by some of my favorite American, British, and Commonwealth television actors (more on that to come).

However, I will say that I didn't watch much of the actual Emmy telecast last night but instead stuck to my time-honored tradition of getting the winners from the internet and tuned in to some random moments whilst doing some other things (like trying to get drunk off of the drinks at a certain show's post-Emmy bash at The Highlands, where people watching the tape-delayed telecast seemed deliriously unaware of the award show's outcome). So then, which Emmy awards worked for me and which ones just didn't?

Megan Mullally for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.

Gawd, seriously? Yes, it was Will & Grace's swan song this past season but that show stopped being relevant (and funny) years ago. (While Mullally's Karen may have once been hysterical, she'd become a cartoonish shrew of a character.) I really had my heart set on seeing Jaime Pressley accept that particular award, especially as Pressley was My Name is Earl's only shot at taking home one of the major awards. But alas...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Best Actress in a Comedy.

I was thrilled to see Louis-Dreyfus win and her weepy acceptance speech about the "reality" of certain post-Seinfeld curses was as hysterical as it was touching. Her performance in Old Christine is fun, fierce, and outright funny AND she remembered to thank her hubby, Brad Hall. Well, only after Debra Messing prompted her, anyway. If Lisa Kudrow couldn't take home the prize for her stunning turn as Valerie Cherish on The Comeback, I'm glad that it was Louis-Dreyfus who did. (Though poor Valerie: always a bridesmaid and never a bride.)

"The Amazing Race" for Best Reality Program.

Um, as if there was ANY doubt...

Helen Mirren for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

I adore Helen Mirren and while I was rooting for Bleak House's Gillian Anderson to take home the prize, she lost to undeniably one of the very best actresses in the business. I thought that Mirren's acceptance speech walked just the right line between the silly and the serious and her message to writers thanking them for realizing all of their characters was touching, as was her insistence that there are actresses of every age and race waiting for more incredible characters to play. Sadly, it's a message that most people at the Shrine Auditorium need to hear.

Jeremy Piven for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

Freddie called and he wants his ascot back.

Tony Shalhoub for Best Actor in a Comedy.

Okay, here's where things get really weird. I love Tony Shalhoub, absolutely adore the guy. But over The Office's Steve Carell? Seriously? There's no contest whatsoever. To me, this was Carell's year, between The Office and Little Miss Sunshine on the big screen and he was ROBBED. I nearly ripped out my hair when I heard about this one. But it also cemented the notion in my head that the Academy would choose to recognize the series as a whole and not a particular performance or episode. (While I would have liked Michael Schur to win for Writing, I still don't think that "Christmas Party" was the series' strongest episode this past season.)

Kiefer Sutherland for Best Actor, Drama, and "24" for Best Drama

If Lost couldn't even get on the nomination list, I'm glad that Sutherland and 24 took home the top prizes last night for delivering another taut, gripping season of geopolitical terrorism in this kooky post-9/11 world of ours. Though I'd still rather have seen another "Jack" take the stage last night...

"The Office" for Best Comedy

Thank the Lords of Kobol that The Office actually did win, though there was still the slightest possibility in my mind that somehow the dearly missed Arrested Development would be crowned again. However, I was as pleased as punch that my current favorite comedy series was awarded the top prize last night and that the entire cast and crew, all looking exceptionally gorgeous in fact, took to the stage to celebrate. Everyone that is, except for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who mysteriously remained in their seats. Ricky and Stephen, while The Office has taken on a life of its own in its sophomore season, the series' existence in the first place is all down to you two and your own effingly brilliant Slough-based Office. And David Brent would have wanted you up there...

Meanwhile, the day before, I had the pleasure of meeting Gervais and Merchant. And, not only is Stephen Merchant seriously tall (I mean *really* tall) but he's also apparently quite press-shy. I tried to make him walk the red carpet press line on Saturday at the BAFTA Emmy Tea Party, but he remained stubbornly resistant, choosing instead to wait for Ricky to make it down the press line before entering the party together. (I do have to say though that both Gervais and Merchant are charmingly down-to-earth, considering the fact that I consider him to be a comedy genius and general all-around god.)

Also almost devishly nice is the adorable Lucy Davis (The Office's Dawn Tinsley) who was gorgeously tan and super-cute and who arrived with the equally gracious Owain Yeoman, late of FOX victim Kitchen Confidential, who shows up this fall as a hostage-taker on The Nine.

Another adorable pair was The 4400's Joel Gretsch and his lovely wife Melanie who were on hand with fellow 4400'ers Jacqueline McKenzie (drop-dead stunning in an orange dress), Richard Kahan, and an almost-unrecognizable Patrick Flueger, who showed up in full rocker mode with black, spiky hair, a nose ring, and striped, tight pants, accentuated with a silver chain. No sign of Chad Faust, however. (Though come back tomorrow for some thoughts on last night's simply jaw-dropping finale of The 4400.)

I chatted with a super-friendly Tahmoh Penikett about next season's Battlestar Galactica and he was thrilled to talk with someone who had actually seen the first five episodes of the series' third season (that would be yours truly) and had some very kind words to say about fellow BSG actor Michael Hogan (that would be Colonel Tigh), whom he hadn't really gotten to share a scene with before the upcoming season. As for what those scenes deal with, you'll have to wait until this fall.

But the best moment at the BAFTA event had to be when I recognized one of my favorite actor/writers, Simon Pegg, wandering around the red carpet in oversized sunglasses and denim shorts, clearly unnerved by the glitziness of the entire affair. Apologizing for not wearing long trousers, Pegg was clearly hoping to slink in unobserved (or slink out), but I made him walk the press line (I had failed with Merchant, so here was my chance to make up for it), only after chatting with him about how much I loved Shaun of the Dead and Spaced (shame on you if you've never seen it) and how I couldn't wait for his follow-up to Shaun, Hot Fuzz. Pegg seemed stunned that I knew who he was, much less was excited about his next film. It was quite simply one of the very best birthday presents I could have asked for.

And it almost made up for the lack of Lost on the Emmy bill. Well, almost...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Two and a Half Men/How I Met Your Mother (CBS); Katrina: The Long Road Back (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Wife Swap (ABC); Prison Break (FOX); Major League Baseball (UPN)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Medium (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Wife Swap (ABC); Vanished (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Medium (NBC); Supernanny (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Vanished.

It's the second episode of FOX's new serialized drama Vanished (reviewed originally here). On tonight's episode ("The Tunnel"), some new clues open up the scope of the investigation. Meanwhile, the senator's ex-wife (Penelope Ann Miller) tries to reconnect with her family. I smell a red herring...

10 pm: Life on Mars on BBC America.

It's the sixth episode of this brilliant (and British) mind-bending mystery series that stars State of Play's John Simm as Detective Sam Tyler, a modern-day copper who wakes up in 1973. On tonight's episode, Sam finds himself confronting a hostage situation but for that hostage-taker things just got very personal...

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

Season Two of Showtime's suburban-set pot dramedy is in full swing. On tonight's episode ("Last Tango in Agrestic"), Nancy faces some, er, growth problems with younger son Shane, while Celia enroles Isabelle in boot camp and Heylia has a suitor.

11 pm: Lovespring International on Lifetime.

The improvised comedy returns with a brand new episode tonight. On tonight's installment, a Lovespring client falls in love with a homeless woman (guest star Alanis Morissette) that Burke smuggled in to Lovespring HQ to paint his office. Ain't love grand?

Ambivalence, Rather than Anticipation, Over the Emmys

I can't say that I'm really all that excited about the Emmy awards this year, especially after getting all worked up about the mere possibility that traditionally undervalued shows like Battlestar Galactica, Everybody Hates Chris, Gilmore Girls, and Veronica Mars might actually be represented next to 24, The Sopranos, and Grey's Anatomy.

Instead, we all know too well how the latest voting overhaul scheme went (love that Ellen Burstyn still walked away with a nom for a 9-second performance) and it still smarts that Lost was virtually quarantined from the high-profile nominations. (I blame Dharma Foundation nomination-fixing.)

Sure, I'm rooting for The Office to take home the top comedy prize, and according to those mysterious "TV pundits," the gang at Dunder-Mifflin is the "heavy favorite" to do just that, along with Steve Carell for actor in a comedic performance. And wouldn't it would be just desserts if Lisa Kudrow walked away with the top prize for her role has the oft put-upon Valerie Cherish in HBO's cancelled mockumentary series, The Comeback? Not to mention Will Arnett taking one home for the Bluths.

But those bright spots aside, it's hard to work up enthusiasm for an awards show which, while taking place a few scant miles away from my house (literally), is tape-delayed by three whole hours. (Unlike the Oscars which smartly air everywhere simultaneously.) I do believe that Al Gore invented the internet for just these very scenarios, so something tells me I won't be tuning into the telecast at all, not even via my beloved time-altering TiVo.

Also, Sunday is my birthday and, although I was invited to a certain after-party thrown by a certain Emmy-nominated series, I'm toying with the notion of boycotting the Emmys this year altogether. If the Gilmores, the 09'ers, the Colonial Fleet, and those darn castaways aren't invited to sit at the adults' table, I think I might just have to sit this one out.

Besides, it's the season finale of The 4400, which I promise will have more twists and turns (and outright drama) than the entire duration of the Emmy telecast. Trust me on this one.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The Unit (CBS); Dateline (NBC); What I Like About You/Twins (WB); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC); Men in Black II (FOX; 8-10 pm); WWE Friday Night SmackDown (UPN)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Las Vegas (NBC); Reba/Living with Fran (WB); Kyle XY (ABC)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: The Kumars at No. 42 on BBC America.

The hilarious semi-improvised sitcom/talk show hybrid returns with a new season of celebrity interviews. In the studio tonight: rock legend Alice Cooper and legendary Brit comedian Ronnie Corbett.

10:40 pm: Little Britain on BBC America.

If you missed this outrageous sketch comedy's third season, here's your chance to catch it from the beginning. Roman gets more than he bargained for at a health spa, thanks to ex-wife Bubbles deVere...

The Fix Is In: Vincent Has the Winning (Yes, Winning) Design on "Project Runway"

Project Runway has always had that certain sniff of authenticity. Unlike other reality shows, it seems important to the judges (and one would imagine the producers) which contestants actually have talent and which ones just don't have what it takes.

But lately things have gotten a little, um, ugly on the supposedly "reality-based" fashion competition. Last week, Allison was kicked off the show without an iota of consideration about the consistent work she'd done every other week (unlike Robert who had been kept in the running because the judges saw his "talent") and then this week? Vincent wins this week's competition?

Am I alone in thinking what the hell is going on over there?

The fact that Vincent won this week makes me completely irate for several reasons. First, Vincent can't seem to design his way out of a crap-festooned paper bag and his designs are consistently off-the-wall or entirely lazy, showing no imagination, reach, or skill. His dress, designed for Uli's mom, was a bland-and-boring rendition of a black dress with a hideous beige lapel-style collar. In no way did it even warrant being on the same runway as the amazingly gorgeous printed tunic Uli made for Kayne's mom to wear; not only does Uli have an eye for pattern (because she does) but her design was so instantly wearable and casually elegant that Kayne's mom lit up from inside as she was walking down the runway. The judges appeared to *LOVE* the design and instantly began talking about Uli's genius and skill. And then they went and awarded the top prize, not Uli (nor to Michael, whose reversible shirt-dress was a clear runner-up to Uli for me), but to... Vincent?

The decision to crown him the victor seems to come from left field. It seemed such a forgone conclusion that Uli would win that I actually fell off of the couch when Vincent's name was called. (Uli seemed pretty shocked too. Was it just me or did she seem pretty close to tears after the announcement?) Uli's outfit was not only flattering, it was age-appropriate, stunning, and wearable by a "real woman," the very definitions of the challenge. Vincent's design was okay, certainly not his worst, but it didn't come close to capturing the essence of Project Runway.

Vincent's win last night also means that there's a 99 percent certainty that he'll have immunity next week, which means it's going to be another two weeks before he even has the opportunity of getting booted off the Runway. Here is a designer who consistently lands in the bottom 3 week after week and who was saved from elimination at the expense of a more talented (if less "controversial") competitor (read: Allison). Vincent's sole purpose seems to be that he makes the series more "wacky" and "offbeat" and less "predictable."

I keep asking myself: why has Vincent somehow managed to squeak through elimination time and time again? I happened to pause my TiVo during the show's closing credits last night and read the statement that was printed there: "The judges considered both their scores and input from the Producers and Bravo in reaching their elimination decisions."

Um, excuse me?

The producers and Bravo wouldn't want Vincent to continue to stick around, would they? It almost gives credence to those rumors floating about the internet for the last few months about the final three. So to recap: Allison is gone and Vincent wins. In Hell, someone just reached for a designer parka...

I was also stunned last night by Jeffrey's casual cruelty to Angela's mom last night. Granted, he didn't choose her as his model (his name was called last) and her inspirations/guidelines were mind-numbingly boring but at no point did this Ohio housewife ever deserve to be treated in that fashion. Jeffrey humiliated and belittled her on national television, with her daughter standing a few feet away, and then blamed her for his loss. Yes, the colors she mentioned would have been hideous but what he designed for her was so inappropriate and unflattering (and looked like judicial robes, in fact) that he should have been called out for it. (I don't disagree with the elimination, however. Robert has been consistently lackluster every week and it was well past time for him to be sent home.) But to treat this woman--someone's MOM for god's sake--this way was completely inexcusable, even if you are an ex-junkie with a penchant for "layered" clothing. And to tell the judges that she discussed being "body-conscious" as part of the brief? Complete and utter lies. I wanted to smack Jeffrey upside the head for his behavior and boorishness last night. He far exceeded Project Runway exile Keith in that department. (And where did Jeffrey's tears come from upon Robert's dismissal? That was... odd.)

So, Laura is pregnant with her sixth child? Did anyone else think that was totally bizarre? Besides for the way that it came out, that is. I still can't imagine her having a brood of five sons at home and managing to look as pristine as she does, but six? Six kids? In this day and age? Even her mom was a little shocked, to say the least; she didn't seem so keen to be made a grandmother a sixth time over. I'm actually surprised that Jeffrey didn't make a comment, upon learning of Laura's state, about her bitchiness stemming from an excess of hormones... but then again, Jeffrey proved that he's not above making moms cry at the drop of a hat.

Not to sound like a broken record, but can I just say again how angry I am about Vincent winning? It just seems to me, on a show that so prides itself on the stringency of its rules and regulations, that the fix, as they say, is in.

Next week on Project Runway: another "shocking" surprise for the designers as they are tasked to design something for a trendy jetsetter (my guess: flight attendant uniforms, heh) while Jeffrey and Angela finally have that showdown that Runway's editors trick us into believing is going to happen each week.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 7: All-Stars (CBS); My Name is Earl/The Office (NBC); Smallville (WB); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); The Simpsons/Malcolm in the Middle (FOX); Everybody Hates Chris/Love, Inc. (UPN)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); The Office/The Office (NBC); Supernatural (WB); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Malcolm in the Middle/The Simpsons (FOX); Eve/Cuts (UPN)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Windfall (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: My Name is Earl.

On tonight's repeat episode ("Dad's Car"), Earl tries to give his mom a long overdue Mother's Day present but she instead asks him to do something nice for his long-suffering dad (guest star Beau Bridges).

8:30 pm: The Office.

On a repeat episode ("Michael's Birthday"), Michael takes all of his employees ice skating to celebrate his birthday but the event coincides with the day that Kevin is due to receive news if he has skin cancer. What a downer, Kevin, today's supposed to be about Michael.

9 pm: The Office/The Office!

Wow, NBC, two more episodes of The Office tonight! I might just have to add you back on my Christmas card list. On the first episode ("The Secret"), Jim is forced to pretend to be Michael's best friend after telling him about his crush on Pam. Afterwards, it's the "Drug Testing" episode where Dwight finds a smoked joint in the Dunder-Mifflin parking lot and everyone is under suspicion.

10 pm: Murder City on BBC America.

Continuing tonight on BBC America: a 2004 Brit mystery series starring Amanda Donahoe (L.A. Law) and Kris Marshall (My Family) as pair of terribly mismatched police partners. In tonight's episode, a skull is found buried underneath a city road and a grandmother is stabbed on her 81st birthday. Again, shouldn't that day have been about HER? That's all I'm saying...

"Kidnapping an Heiress": Patty Hearst Heads to Neptune

Call it a case of Stockholm, er, Neptune Syndrome.

Heiress and former kidnapping victim Patty Hearst (granddaughter of magnate William Randolph Hearst) is set to guest star in a November sweeps episode of Veronica Mars, portraying, coincidentally, the granddaughter of the founder of the show's fictional university, the conveniently named Hearst College, who vanishes the night before an important Board of Trustees vote regarding the school's future. No word on whether the Symbionese Liberation Army is involved in the heiress' disappearance this time...

Veronica Mars returns to the airwaves this fall on the CW with the premiere of Season Three scheduled for October 3rd. The episode featuring Patty Hearst is slated to air November 21st.

(Ten points to the first person who first correctly identifies the musical reference in this posts title. Starting... now.)

BBC America Adds Five Series to Slate, Causing My TiVo to Explode

Digital cabler BBC America has announced five series which it plans to launch this fall, including one from that irascible Mr. Alan Partridge, comedian Steve Coogan (Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story).

First up is comedy Saxondale, which stars Steve Coogan (I'm Alan Partridge) as Tommy Saxondale, a former roadie with anger management issues who runs a pest control business dealing with rodents and people. Ruth Jones (Nighty Night) co-stars as Saxondale's Welsh anarchist girlfriend Magz who owns a t-shirt business called "Smash the System" selling politically radical clothing. The series' seven-episode run premieres October 13th at 11 pm ET (8 pm PT). Rumor has it that NBC, which has a deal with Coogan's production company (Baby Cow) is developing an American version of Saxondale. Let's hope that it's along the lines of The Office and not, say, Coupling.

Hell's Kitchen's Gordon Ramsay returns to BBC America with Gordon Ramsay's F Word, in which the tantrum-prone chef and restaurateur shares his love of all thing gastronomic with celebrity guests as his restaurant (the conveniently named F Word) and works with aspiring chefs in the kitchen. (Any sign of Virginia?) He'll also tackle hot-button food issues, including the slaughter of two beloved pigs--named after What Not to Wear's Trinny and Susannah--in an episode which recently aired in the UK. Gordon Ramsay's F Word is set to premiere October 22nd at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT).

Next up is the dramedy Fat Friends about the trials and tribulations of eight people who meet at a regular weight loss club in Leeds. Four seasons of the dramedy, which stars Alison Steadman (Worst Week of My Life), Gaynor Faye, Ruth Jones (there she is again!), and Lisa Riley, have aired in the UK on ITV from 2000 to 2005. Fat Friends premieres November 2nd at 10 pm ET (7 pm PT).

Season Two of comedy series The Worst Week of My Life picks up the unfolding comedy of errors of newlywed couple Howard (Ben Miller) and Mel (Coupling's Sarah Alexander). While the previous season charted their rocky relationship during the week from hell leading up to their nuptials, this season will chart the week before they have their first child. Hilarity is sure to ensue... Alison Steadman and Geoffrey Whitehead also star. The Worst Week of My Life will premiere December 1st at 9:40 pm ET (6:40 pm PT).

Sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive is set in the year 2151 and follows the crew of spaceship HMS Camden Lock as they travel the galaxy protecting British interests. The series stars Shaun of the Dead's Nick Frost (he of sadly missed Spaced), Kevin Eldon (I'm Alan Partridge), Miranda Hart (Nighty Night), Stephen Evans, Dan Antopolski, and Petra Massey. The series' first season, consisting of six episodes, is set to launch early next year. (A second season is blasting off on BBC2 next year.)

I don't know about you, but the fall season is getting busier and busier with every passing day. Set your TiVos now... or at least add the above to your ever-expanding Wish Lists. There are quite a few of the above that I'll be tuning into regularly.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Rock Star: Supernova (CBS); Most Outrageous Moments/Most Outrageous Moments (NBC); Blue Collar TV/Blue Collar TV (WB); George Lopez/George Lopez (ABC); Bones (FOX); America's Next Top Model (UPN)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Scrubs/Scrubs (NBC); One Tree Hill (WB); George Lopez/George Lopez (ABC); Prison Break (FOX); All of Us/Half and Half (UPN)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

Despite crying foul over last week's inexcusable booting of Allison (apparently Tim Gunn was pretty miffed as well), I am still excited about another new episode of my new reality fix, Project Runway. On tonight's episode, another "shocking" challenge for the designers and Angela reaches her breaking point with Jeffrey.

USA Picks Up Fourth Season of "The 4400"

The announcement is official. The returnees will be, well, returning.

As alluded to earlier today by yours truly, USA Network has ordered a fourth season of The 4400 consisting of thirteen one-hour episodes. The series is scheduled to return to USA Network in summer 2007 with production slated to begin in Vancouver early next year. The current season (the series' third) wraps up on Sunday at 9 pm.

"This show continues to thrive creatively from year to year," said USA's executive vice president of original programming Jeff Wachtel, who made the announcement. "We're looking forward to another season filled with intriguing characters, unique twists and incredibly suspenseful storylines."

And there you have it. I'll be tuning in to see The 4400's season finale on Sunday. That is, unless I'm somehow able to obtain a copy of the finale a little earlier...

Televisionary Side Note: Fash and Kristen Bell

Is it just me or are you totally creeped out by the Old Navy "Fash" commercials that are currently airing in cineplexes around the country?

Starring Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell (with a cameo from former Veronica Mars co-star Tessa Thompson), the commercials revolve around the adventures of Fash, a diminutive marionette who happens to be a serious ladies' man.

The two spots currently airing, entitled "Football" and "Date," involve Fash's rebellious nature. The first involves Kristen Bell and Tessa Thompson swooning over Fash on the well-manicured campus of an unnamed university. (Hearst College, perhaps?) The second spot features Fash picking Kristen Bell up for a date and ruffling the feathers of her overprotective "parents" before kissing Kristen and speeding off in a vintage car.

Both "Fash" spots completely weird me out. And not in a David Lynchian "Calvin Klein Obsession" commercial kind of way. I'm not sure if they're supposed to be ironic... or just cheesy. But they are most definitely irritating beyond belief.

Sorry, Kristen. I'm not sure what Old Navy is selling, but I'm not buying... The ads themselves can be viewed online but be forewarned: they are not for the faint of heart. I'm just glad I could get this off of my chest finally...

BBC America Sets "Street" Date

BBC America has finally set a street date for its new drama series, The Street.

From creator Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, Liam, Priest), The Street is set in the north of England and can boast an all-star cast including Jim Broadbent (Iris, Bridget Jones' Diary, and about a zillion other film credits), Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous), Sue Johnstone (Waking the Dead), and Timothy Spall (Secrets and Lies). Each segment will focus on a different house on the same street. (The series, which aired on BBC One in the UK earlier this year, will return next year with a second season.)

Digital cabler BBC America announced the acquisition back in June but has now revealed that the series will premiere on Tuesday, October 3rd at 10 pm. Considering the pedigree of both the creator and the actors, I'm setting my TiVo now and urge you to do the same...

"Stargate" Closed: Sci Fi Opts Not to Renew Long-Running Series

After ten seasons (and two different cable networks), drama Stargate SG-1 will be taking its final leap at the end of the current run.

According to an announcement made yesterday, cabler Sci Fi has opted not to renew the series, which recently aired its 200th episode and is scheduled to return in March with the second half of this season. However, the decision to wrap production on the longest-running sci fi series in TV history was, in the words of exec vp of original programming Mark Stern, "not a ratings-driven decision. We're actually going out on a high note." In fact, Sci Fi has given the series' producers enough leeway to wrap up the series at the end of the season.

Stargate SG-1 spin off Stargate: Atlantis will continue, however, as the cabler has renewed that series for a fourth season. And it's possible that some familiar faces from SG-1 might migrate over to its sister show, at least according to Sci Fi.

While I never watched Stargate SG-1 or its companion series, I know that both have an extremely loyal fanbase that must be saddened by the cancellation. However, an inside source tells me that another sci-fi series--one of my favorites--has been picked up for another season. Expect an announcement later today or tomorrow... But in the meantime I am simply jumping with joy. More on that to come...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: JCPenney Jam: The Concert for America's Kids (CBS); Fear Factor (NBC); Gilmore Girls (WB); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); House (FOX); Major League Baseball (UPN)

9 pm: Big Brother: All-Stars (CBS); Gilmore Girls (WB); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); Vanished (FOX)

10 pm: Rock Star: Supernova (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Eureka on Sci-Fi.

The whimsical new sci-fi drama that's more Northern Exposure than Stargate. On tonight's episode ("Dr. Nobel"), the gang enlists the help of an aging scientist to prevent a catastrophe. It better not be the same catastrophe from The 4400, because that's seeming more and more likely...

11 pm: Love Soup on BBC America. (10 pm ET)

The whimsical British romantic drama, starring Black Books' Tamsin Greig and Lois & Clark's Michael Landes and written by Jonathan Creek creator David Renwick, returns with another new installment tonight. In tonight's episode ("They Do No Move"), Alice attempts to find a new apartment but instead reaches an epiphany, while Gil is set up with an actress.

Casting Couch: Paul Giamatti; Lili Taylor; Kal Penn; Abigail Breslin

Giamatti Takes On Founding Father

Paul Giamatti (Sideways) has signed onto Playtone's John Adams project for HBO in which he'll play (you guessed it) the titular John Adams, the second president of the United States.

However, Giamatti will not play President Adams in HBO's seven-episode mini-series (based on the David McCullough bio "John Adams"); instead he'll portray Adams as a Massachusetts lawyer fomenting revolt among the colonists. As McCullough's biography was based in part on correspondence between Adams and his wife Abigail, their relationship will comprise a crucial part of the mini-series.

HBO will air the seven hour-long episodes, written by Kirk Ellis, beginning in March 2008. Giamatti can currently be seen in the ethereal feature film The Illusionist (and if you haven't seen it, I advise you to play hooky today and catch a matinee).

Lifetime Has Taylor in "Mind"

Elsewhere, former Six Feet Under co-star Lili Taylor has been cast in Lifetime's drama State of Mind.

Production is scheduled to begin next month in Los Angeles on the pilot, from Warner Horizon and executive producers Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin (Nip/Tuck). In the pilot, written by novelist Amy Bloom, Taylor will play a married therapist who learns that her husband is sleeping with their marriage counselor.

Project is one of several that Lifetime has in development, including: Younger, based on a book by Lizzy Weiss; The Funeral Planner, a drama about an event planner who arranges funerals as though they were elaborate celebrations; and female superhero skein Firebrand.

Kal Penn: "24"-Hour Man?

On the network side, Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) has signed on to FOX's serialized action drama 24 in a recurring role. Penn will play a man involved with an Islamic guru at a local mosque... and could be a key player in an unfolding terrorist plot.

Penn is currently on the big screen in Superman Returns (sadly his screen time is limited to mostly silence) and is attached to Harold & Kumar's in-development sequel, Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam.

"Little Miss" Abigail Breslin Checks into "Grey's Anatomy"

Ten-year-old Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) has been cast on an upcoming episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy entitled "Sometimes a Fantasy," the third episode scheduled to be shot for the medical drama's third season (set to return September 21st).

Breslin can currently be seen in indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine, co-starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, and Greg Kinnear. (And if you haven't seen it, seriously play hooky and make it a double-header with The Illusionist at your local google-plex.)

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Two and a Half Men/How I Met Your Mother (CBS); Treasure Hunters (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Wife Swap (ABC); Prison Break (FOX); One on One/All of Us (UPN)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Treasure Hunters (NBC); 7th Heaven (WB); Wife Swap (ABC); Vanished (FOX); Girlfriends/Half and Half (UPN)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Medium (NBC); Supernanny (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Vanished.

The fall TV season has officially begun with the launch of FOX's new serialized drama Vanished (reviewed originally here). On tonight's premiere episode ("Pilot"), the young wife of a Georgia senator, um, vanishes and an investigation into her disappearance unveils a sweeping conspiracy. Watch it before you get it confused with NBC's similarly kidnapped-themed show, um, Kidnapped.

10 pm: Life on Mars on BBC America.

It's the fifth episode of this brilliant (and British) mind-bending mystery series that stars State of Play's John Simm as Detective Sam Tyler, a modern-day copper who wakes up in 1973. On tonight's episode, Sam's use of modern crime-solving techniques is put to the test when a football (read: soccer) fan is murdered and no motive is discovered. Really? Why I could think of dozens of reasons why someone might murder a footie fan...

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

Season Two of Showtime's suburban-set pot dramedy is in full swing. On tonight's episode ("Cooking with Jesus"), Nancy comes to a decision about her relationship with DEA agent Peter, Silas' girlfriend Megan gets accepted to Princeton, and Nancy, Doug, and Andy attend a marijuana-growing convention.

11 pm: Lovespring International on Lifetime.

The improvised comedy returns with a brand new episode tonight. On tonight's installment, Reno 911's Kerri Kenney guest stars as a psychic who can tell that Victoria (Jane Lynch) is hiding something after she fakes a burglary in order to collect an insurance payout. All I can say is: hello, Kerri Kenney! Reason enough to set your TiVo.

Webisodes Lead to Legal Showdown

I have to say that I've really been enjoying the webisodes that The Office gang put together this summer. They're punchy and quirky little vignettes that are helping to (somewhat) tide me over until the show returns this fall.

Greg Daniels and the Office crew have very cleverly created a mystery that pits the accounting team of Angela (Angela Kinsey), Oscar (Oscar Nunez), and Kevin (Michael Baumgartner) against the rest of the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin in order to find $3000 that went missing. All while managing to avoid any resolution to the cliffhanger Jim-Pam kiss from the "Casino Night" season finale.

Lately, it seems as though webisodes are everywhere. Every time you open the trades, there's another article about another series launching webisodes or Verizon-based mobisodes (that's mobile-based episodes, for the uninitiated) for Entourage. But what if you found out that the showrunners of these series (Greg Daniels, in the case of The Office) didn't want to be making them? If they were, in fact, actively opposed to the endeavor? It sort of makes the whole webisode craze seem a little too much of a "jump on the bandwagon" sort of studio mandate and less of a creative practice. If you were a showrunner on one of these shows, would you participate in the process?

And that's just what's happening. According to Variety, NBC Universal Television has filed a complaint against the WGA with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the guild is telling showrunners not to cooperate in the production of webisodes. The studio believes this act is illegal because NBC U's contracts with the showrunners includes the creation of content for the internet. (The series in question include The Office, Battlestar Galactica, Crossing Jordan, and the upcoming fall drama Heroes.)

"NBC Universal has a contract in place with its TV series producers to create promotional, made-for-internet content, which include Webisodes," an NBC Universal spokesperson told Variety. "We're asking our producers to fulfill their obligations in creating these materials, and we're taking appropriate legal action to discourage the WGA's interference."

The move comes at an increasingly tense time of active hostility between the networks and the WGA. The guild is currently involved in an ongoing dispute with fledgling net The CW over its refusal to allow the WGA jurisdiction over reality series America's Next Top Model. Writers from that show have been on strike for several weeks now over the issue but The CW maintains that their strike will have no impact on the show, which wrapped Cycle 7, debuting this fall, earlier this year. (Cycle 8 is currently casting and expected to begin production next month; The CW says that they have a contingency plan if the writers' strike continues.)

Additionally, CBS set tongues wagging earlier this week when they announced plans to stream several of their shows (the wholly owned ones anyway) on their new broadband platform, Innertube, without notifying the WGA, SAG, or DGA in advance. (You can check out their joint statement on the hot-button issue here.)

If NBC U has their way, they'd like the National Labor Relations Board to force showrunners into jumping on that speeding bandwagon and providing services in connection with the creation of webisodes. But to me, that's a simplification of the entire issue. On a show like The Office, producing 22 episodes a season is already a strain on the extremely tight budget that the studio provides. Add into that additional costs for webisodes, which are usually shot during the production schedule, and it's telling--not asking--showrunners to drain already limited resources.

As for me, I like my Office webisodes but I like my Office episodes even better, and I'd hate to see this issue bring about a full-blown strike. I think that if stu