Um, wow. I don't often find myself speechless after an episode of most television series but after last night's installment of Lost ("The Constant"), I had to sleep on it before I could gather my thoughts together.

In a brilliant episode linked thematically and narratively with last season's groundbreaking Desmond-centric episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes," we got a few answers to some looming questions and were posed a few new queries as well. Like its predecessor, "The Constant" didn't actually feature any flashbacks or flash-forwards, instead showing the effects of poor Des getting "unstuck" from time (to borrow the phrase used by the past-tense Daniel Faraday and "Slaughterhouse Five").

The episode picks up from when we last saw Sayid and Desmond, as they boarded the helicopter bound for the mysterious freighter. Frank, under strict instructions from Faraday, is told to fly directly along the same vector as when they flew in, one which takes them right into the heart of the thunderhead.

And that's where everything goes wrong. We've always known that the island has some pretty unique properties, including the ability to remain hidden and nigh unbreachable, and that time is completely out of whack in this particular sphere of the world. (As evidenced that for Jack and the other castaways, nearly a day has past, and Faraday's time experiment on the island.) Add to that the fact that Desmond was pummeled with massive amounts of electromagnetic energy (when the Swan imploded at the end of Season Two) and you have a recipe for disaster... or the Casimir effect. Desmond's consciousness begins to drift back and forth between the "present" (read: island) and the past, where he finds himself back in the military and estranged from Penny.

Time. Desmond's relationship to time has always been tenuous at best. Just look at his experiences with Mrs. Hawking in "Flashes Before Your Eyes." According to her, Desmond has to turn the key and has always turned the key. Time is fluid but the outcome is always the same and the universe has to course-correct itself. Desmond is the embodiment of course-correction, keeping doomed Charlie alive long enough to have him wind up sacrificing himself in the Looking Glass in order to (A) contact Penny and (B) discover that the freighter staffers are not what they appear to be.

It's only fitting that it's newcomer/physicist Daniel Faraday who gives Desmond the information necessary to free himself, sending him on a path towards Daniel's past-tense self, then a brilliant if misunderstood researcher at Oxford University exploring the boundaries of time. In order to prove that Desmond has been to the future, Farrday gives him a frequency 2.342 (those cursed numbers again) and tells Desmond to tell his past self that he knows "what happened to Eloise."

Eloise is, of course, the lab rat that Faraday is using to test his theories. Thanks to Desmond, he manages to unstick her from time and have her run a maze that he hasn't yet taught her how to run. The maze is a particularly apt metaphor for the plot of this story: complex, labyrinthine, and potentially confusing; the characters have to get from point A to point B but naturally get lost (heh) along the way when they end up on the island... which seems to remove them completely from the linear nature of time. It's now as if they can be plucked from their present state and plonked down at whatever point in their history seems fitting (the flashbacks). Which begs the question: has Time itself become unfettered?

Faraday exposed himself to massive amounts of radiation during his experiment (twenty times a day, in fact) and, in a nifty final act reveal, has managed to unstick himself from time. Which explains quite a lot: his crying fit in "Confirmed Dead" when authorities uncovered the "remains" of Oceanic 815, the need for his caretaker in Essex, Massachusetts, what Naomi referred to as his "head case" status, and his apparent memory loss on the island (see his card "game" with Charlotte). Daniel Faraday, like Desmond, is unstuck from time and he left himself an entry in his journal to use Desmond Hume as his "constant" should this occur.

The Constant. I love the idea of the constant in this entire scenario; it somehow makes the entire head-spinning notion of time travel (whether physical or subconscious) more palatable and mathematic: instead of an abstract concept, it's rather like an equation. Both sides need to balance against each other and to do so there needs to be a constant. For Desmond, that constant is Penny, who is clearly aware of the island (most likely via her father) and waits for eight years (like her namesake Penelope from "The Odyssey") for Desmond to call her on Christmas Eve. That call is what saves Des from the effects of the time disease (for lack of a better term), which is driving Minkowski (guest star Fisher Stevens) insane and eventually kills him, like Eloise, from a massive brain aneurysm. (The sickness was why Regina and the freighter crew members didn't want him getting on the phone.)

So could Desmond, who has appeared in several characters' flashbacks, be the constant for all of them? Cue the Twilight Zone music...

Questions. As for the other questions this episode raised: who is Ben's man aboard the freighter (it's obviously not Minkowski) and did they sabotage the communications equipment aboard the vessel? Who left the door of the sick bay open for Sayid and Desmond to escape? Where is Regina aboard the vessel? Why were they expressly forbidden from answering Penny's communique? Curious.

Finally: who is the captain of the freighter?

The Numbers. Recurrent numbers are once again popping up on the series. In addition to the use of the cursed numbers in Faraday's experiment (2.342) those same numbers turn up at the auction house where lot #2342 is being auctioned. Not so coincidentally, the lot is a journal belonging to the Black Rock's first mate that is on offer, from seller Torvar Hanso. (Thank God, a Hanso reference!) The winning bidder? Charles Widmore, of course, who uses his bidding number of 755 to win the auction; 755 is the same numbers as the ratio Farraday discovers between Desmond's catatonic state and his perception of past time (75:5).

Lost Guest Star of the Week: Fisher Stevens, who finally appeared on-screen as communications officer Minkowski... only to get offed by the end of the episode. But given his unsticking from time, I fully expect to have him turn up at some other point this season.

Freighter staffer Keamy was played by Kevin Durand, who appeared in the film Smokin' Aces with Matthew Fox. He's also had roles on Touching Evil, Dark Angel, and Stargate: SG-1.

Finally, before you ask, it wasn't a coincidence that after the Black Rock lot at the auction house, an item belonging to Charles Dickens was up next. If Lost has taught us anything (besides quantum mechanics, the use of literary allusions, and interwoven narratives), it's that nothing on this series is a coincidence. Dickens' novel, "Our Mutual Friend" (a very apt title indeed) is the book that Desmond brings on board his boat and which he claims will be the very last thing that he reads...

Next week on Lost ("The Other Woman"), it's a Juliet-centric episode (yay!).Juliet gets a visit from someone from her past and gets orders to prevent Charlotte and Faraday from completing their mission, while Ben offers Locke an enticing deal. I can't wait!

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Poor, poor Scrubs.

The struggling NBC sitcom is at the heart of a battle between the Peacock and ABC Television Studios, which produces the series. ABC is said to be in talks to pick up 18 episodes of the comedy for the 2008-09 season. One little problem: NBC isn't letting go.

Their relationship over the years involving Scrubs has always been fraught with complication; it didn't help that many believed NBC treated Scrubs like its bastard step-child, shifting the series through no less than 17 timeslot changes over the last seven years.

This was widely believed to be Scrubs' final season. However, following the production shut-down brought on by the WGA strike, the episodic order for Scrubs this season was cut back to 12 episodes (down from 18) and Scrubs still has five episodes in the can.

NBC hasn't yet made a decision about whether to order additional as-yet-unproduced episodes and air them, order a final original episode (to serve as the series finale), or shoot the remaining episodes and dump all or some of them onto DVD, a rather unceremonious ending to a comedy that has earned several kudos in its day.

NBC claims that they have the first right of refusal in the matter and have the option to (A) renew the series or (B) cancel it before ABC Television Studios can shop the series elsewhere. If ABC is actually in talks with the studio regarding Scrubs, then they are in breach of contract.

"NBC has a license agreement with ABC Studios, which includes a right of first negotiation and first refusal to extend the series term beyond this season," NBC Entertainment C0-Chairman Marc Graboff told Variety. "We're living under the terms of this license agreement, and we expect ABC Studios to do the same."

Which places the series in limbo at the moment: NBC seems unwilling to commit to an additional season (or, indeed, additional on-air episodes) and ABC would rather like the series as it is in desperate need of half-hour comedies (as evidenced by its willingness to explore another season of According to Jim).

In the meantime, Scrubs returns to NBC's lineup on April 10th.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Price is Right (CBS); Amnesia (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Dateline (NBC; 9-11 pm); 20/20 (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-11 pm: BBC America.

If you happen to be staying in after a long work week, why not do it in true Anglophile style with back-to-back episodes of Coupling and new sketch comedy series That Mitchell and Webb Look, from the stars of Peep Show?

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It's rather like a high-stakes game of musical chairs these days around the studio lots, what with numerous behind-the-scenes changes on some of your favorite series.

The latest news: Sarah Fain and Elizabeth Craft, late of ABC's Women's Murder Club (until they were let go just the other day, that is), have already been hired. Their new home? Why, none other than the new drama project, Dollhouse, from Fain and Craft's former boss, Mr. Joss Whedon.

Let's just say it was an offer they couldn't refuse. Craft and Fain, who cut their teeth as story editors on Whedon's Angel, got the gig two days after getting the boot from Women's Murder Club when Whedon offered them staff writer gigs on Dollhouse.

“Joss emailed and said ‘I’m really sorry — and is it too soon to ask you to work on Dollhouse?’” Fain told TV Barn's Aaron Barnhart.

Dollhouse, of course, already has a seven episode order from FOX. It stars another Whedonverse alum, Eliza Dushku, as Echo, a member of an elite team of secret agents, each of whom has the ability to be imprinted with various personalities and abilities; those gifts are cruelly stolen back by the facility--nicknamed the Dollhouse--when they return from their missions.

Echo slowly becomes aware of her situation, causing some massive problems for the overseers of the facility.

Yes, before you ask, I am trying my damnest to get my hands on the treatment Joss wrote and the script... once it's written.

Stay tuned.

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I had more than an inkling as to how last night's penultimate episode of Project Runway would play out.

You couldn't have picked two more drastically different designers than Rami Kashou and Chris March and seeing them go head to head was a virtual lesson in aesthetics, unfettered creativity, and determination. After all, only one of them would get the opportunity to advance to the final round and show at New York Fashion Week. Or would do so AND remain in the competition. After all, both of them (along with Sweet P) put on shows. Reward or red herring? You decide.

In any event, Tim Gunn flew around the country to check in with the four remaining designers in the weeks leading up to Fashion Week, visiting the Manhattan-based teeny-tiny closet/sewing room/studio/bedroom Christian calls home (though why exactly didn't he meet any of Christian's friends or family?), checking in with Rami and his fantastic studio in Los Angeles, having dinner with Jillian's family on Long Island (after checking out her fabulous Manhattan flat's view), and critiquing Chris' designs before entering the surreal baroque funhouse belonging to one of Chris' friends.

I always find these episodes to be pretty interesting; it gives Tim (and us) an opportunity to see the designers outside of Parsons and in their regular lives and allows the audience a preview of their collections to come. I thought that, as always, Tim's advice was spot on: edit, edit, edit. All of them were guilty of having a little too much "look" and each seemed open to taking on board Tim's advice as long as it gelled with their own unique vision.

I am in utter awe of Christian's stuff. It's very avant garde, very runway-appropriate, and very Dior. How this 21-year-old kid can construct these garments and have his singular of a vision at such a young age is astounding to me. Jillian also had some really strong pieces. That jacket, inspired by paintings of 15th century armor, was absolutely breathtaking in its detailing and construction; it was strong but feminine, hard-edged and yet soft at the same time.

But while it was nice to catch up with our four remaining designers, what this episode was really about was the final showdown between Rami and Chris for that spot in the final three. So what did they end up showing? Let's discuss.

Chris: I was really shocked and more than a little horrified by his inclusion of human hair on the trim of many of his garments. Was it unexpected and completely original? Absolutely. It also showcased the fact that he was willing to take risks and step outside his comfort zone in order to provoke a reaction. (But was activating Tim's gag reflex too much of a reaction?) The three pieces he selected to show the judges were all a little somber, in my opinion. I understand that he wanted to keep the pieces in the same color palette but I wanted to see something a little brighter as well. Still, I thought the dress with the safety-pins was brilliant, as was the floor-length gown; there was a dark energy to his work and I definitely saw the dark, gothic influence Chris was speaking of but didn't really feel that there was a story or cohesion to his work.

Rami: I was blown away by Rami's selections, which showed a complete departure from his obsession with draping. Rami specifically selected three pieces to showcase different techniques and feels and together they all complemented one another beautifully. The black and white pointillistic dress was gorgeous, a fantastic reveal after the model removed her beautifully tailored jacket. The blue coat was a little too much look for me but displayed amazing construction and wasn't at all that loose, draped effect Rami loves so much. And his final piece, a floor-length tiered black gown, was simply stunning.

Ultimately, I do understand why the judges had a hard time narrowing down the competition in this round. Both of them definitely challenged themselves to do something different than we've seen thus far in the season but ultimately I do have to agree with the judges' decision to keep Rami in the competition, as much as I adore Chris and his out-there designs.

So there you have it, the final three: Christian, Jillian, and Chris. Who do you think will win the season's top prize? Whose collection are you dying to see on the runway? And who will throw a tantrum moments before the show begins? Find out next week.

Next week on the season finale of Project Runway, the final three designers show off their brand new collections, encounter some well-edited and demanding pitfalls before the big shows, and face the judges--along with guest adjudicator Victoria Beckham--one last time before one is crowned the winner of Project Runway 4.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Survivor: Micronesia--Fans Vs. Favorites (CBS); My Name is Earl (NBC); Smallville (CW); Lost (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Celebrity Apprentice (NBC); Reaper (CW); Lost (ABC); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Lipstick Jungle (NBC); Eli Stone (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Lost.

Missed last week's episode of Lost ("Eggtown")? Here's your chance to catch it again before this season's fourth episode at 9 pm!

8 pm: Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America.

Season Four of the original UK Kitchen Nightmares begins tonight. On this week's installment ("The Granary"), Gordon Ramsay heads to rural Hampshire, where an upscale restaurant--which intimidates locals with its exclusive reputation--is losing $8000 a week and is danger of closing. Can Gordon save the restaurant? Find out tonight. (A hint to those with some major DVR conflicts: the episode also airs at 5 pm and 10 pm PT AND at 11 pm ET.)

9 pm: Lost.

On tonight's episode ("The Constant"), Desmond and Sayid experience some severe turbulence during a stormy flight to the freighter, but that pales in comparison with Desmond's strange side-effects. Lost time, anyone?

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There is justice in the world, after all.

I'm speaking of course of this week's episode of the highly addictive BBC America reality series, Last Restaurant Standing. When we last left the remaining eight couples--each on a quest to open their own eatery with celebrity restaurateur Raymond Blanc--three teams had been pushed into the challenge after yet another disastrous weekend. For Martin and Emma, Sam and Jacqui, and Nicola and Tom, one of their restaurants would be closed forever and their dreams dashed.

The challenge this week: to feed a potential crowd of 800 rocket scientists at a laboratory canteen outside Oxford during the lunch crush... and to make profit doing so. In order to achieve this end, they would have to carefully price out each portion, determine food costs, and maximize their profit-taking at every turn. Or that's what they were meant to be doing, anyway. In their inimitable style, Sam and Jacqui once again managed to miss the point of the task at hand and devised some incredibly elaborate (and ultimately vastly misguided) rubric for determining their potential profit.

I do have to say that over the last few episodes, Jacqui has managed to grow on me a little bit. Say what you will about her preening need to be in the spotlight (rather than have it placed on the food), but she always tries her hardest to get the job done and does genuinely want to see The Ostrich flourish. Her husband Sam, on the other hand, is once again oblivious to time constraints, profit-taking, and organization and seems to lack any leadership skills whatsoever. It's absolutely clear to me that these two should not be in the restaurant business; Sam is meant to be running the kitchen but once again leaves his team to fend for itself. The Yellow Team ends up carrying Sam along and wastes precious time trying to get Sam to focus on completing little tasks, as he cannot and will not look at the big picture. Nor does he write up a timeline for the day, give his team members any direction, or seem to appreciate the fact that they have a very limited amount of time to prep and cook that much food.

They also neglected to buy any sugar, needed for their Mexican-themed apple crumble, and have to buy it off another team. Their marketing campaign did seem to pay off: they had a long queue throughout the lunchtime rush to try out their Mexican specials and Jacqui's personal appearances--armed with free lime cordial and the promise of free nachos--did get the punters to show up. Still, they probably would have done better had they actually, you know, costed the food as they made very little profit in the end, something that Raymond fortunately called them out on.

I was really pleased with Nicola and Tom's progress this week. After another disastrous service, Nicola seemed to crumble into a shell of her former self and couldn't seem to maintain any order in her kitchen. This week, Nicola did a complete 180 degree and took the reigns of her team, was organized, efficient, and led by example. The result: her team, which opted to serve a lunchtime roast (succulent roast pork, crackling, roast potatoes, veg, and a crumble), won the challenge. They were smart with their marketing, placing hundreds of fliers advertising the food and a special deal (main and pudding for £4) all over the lab, and an offer that caught on with the scientists. Plus, who doesn't love a roast?

Bravo to Nicola for showing the most improvement in such a brief spell. While she could have crumbled under the weight of the challenge, she definitely used it as an excuse to change her behavior and step up to the role demanded of her. And, when asked by Raymond and his inspectors for their cost, they were able to effortlessly answer the question, unlike Sam and Jacqui. Well done, guys.

As for Emma and Martin, I really did think they were sunk this week. While they seemed to do everything right at the beginning--and had prison cook Martin and military cook Jeremy on the team--they seemed to be the least busy during the lunchtime rush. Not helping things was the fact that their food, while well-prepared, seemed the most like what these scientists would be eating on a daily basis: chicken chasseur, rhubarb crumble. What Emma and Martin had on offer seemed like catering food rather than the hearty pleasure of tucking into a roast or a specialty like Mexican food. Plus, they had actually set their price point lower than the rest of the teams (which kept theirs at the £3.50 maximum allowance), guaranteeing them less profit in the end, despite keeping their costs at an astounding 80 pence per portion.

Still, in the end, Raymond chose to keep Emma and Martin's restaurant open another week and closed The Ostrich for good. It was a tough decision for the Manoir aux Quat' Saisons owner but I definitely believe that he made the right choice. While Emma and Martin clearly need to step it up in the coming weeks and turn a profit, they do at least seem to genuinely care about their restaurant and this experience. Sam, meanwhile, wanted to play drums in his restaurant and have someone else run the place and cook the food. Clearly delusional about how much work (and love) have to go into making a restaurant hum along, Sam isn't cut out for this profession at all. Au revoir!

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing, the seven remaining couples fight it out to lure in more customers to their restaurants, attempting every marketing ploy from balloon releases to free gifts. They are also tasked with creating a special children's menu with entertainment (too bad Jacqui's not there anymore), which quickly transforms their smart eateries into absolute chaos.

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Despite comments made yesterday by CBS topper Les Moonves that pilots were "overrated" and that he would vow to do fewer expensive pilots, CBS announced its first post-WGA strike pilot order.

The Eye has handed out a pilot order to The Mentalist, about a psychic who works as an independent detective in concert with the police, using his unique skills to solve crimes.

Project, from Warner Bros. Television, is written and executive produced by Bruno Heller (Rome). David Nutter (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is said to be in negotiations to direct the pilot and come on board as an executive producer.

* * *

Meanwhile, ABC is circling According to Jim... yet again. The beleaguered sitcom appears to have nine lives: after it fell off of ABC's fall schedule last May, the network then ordered 18 episodes a month later.

Once again, ABC is deliberating about whether to put the sitcom out to pasture or to bring it back for yet another season. The Hollywood Reporter is quick to point out that, while ratings are way down on the series, studio ABC Television makes a mint from syndication sales for the sitcom, which appears to have run about 3000 episodes. Or at least it seems that way to me.

* * *

Elsewhere at the Alphabet, Miss/Guided will finally launch next month after lingering in the limbo section of the network's lineup.

Series, which stars Judy Greer as a hapless wannabe who returns to her high school alma mater as a guidance counselor but still can't fit in, is scheduled to launch on March 18th at 10:30 pm, immediately following the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars.

Miss/Guided will then move to its regular timeslot on Thursdays at 8 pm later that week, where it will air back-to-back episodes.

* * *

Finally, the writers strike has claimed its first official casualty: NBC's long-running drama Las Vegas will not resume production now that the strike has ended.

NBC has decided not to restart shooting the series, currently in its fifth season, despite having its last original installment end on a "to be continued."

Ouch.

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I don't know about you but I am hooked on Bravo's reality series Project Runway and cannot wait for tonight's season finale. While I'm rooting for wunderkind Christian to win this competition, I know that there are quite a few Jillian fans out there as well; we're all winners at the end of the day with talent like these two in the finals.

With only a few more hours to go before the season finale, I thought we could take a sneak peek at what's in store for our finalists on tonight's penultimate episode and that eleventh hour showdown between Rami and Chris. Which one will go on to New York Fashion Week (well, both, but you know what I mean) and which will fall by the wayside? Find out tonight.



Project Runway's season finale kicks off tonight with Part One at 10 pm ET/PT on Bravo.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 9 (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-9:30 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious (CW); Supernanny (ABC); Back to You (FOX; 9:30-10 pm)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Law & Order (NBC); Men in Trees (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

Cycle 1o officially begins tonight, following last week's casting episode, with a brand-new episode ("New York City, Here We Come"), as the 14 finalists move into their new digs in Manhattan and get critiqued by new judge Paulina Porizkova. (You can read my advance review of the first two episodes here.)

10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

On Part One of the two-part season finale, the finalists return to New York to finish their collections and then head to the runways, where their solo collections will determine who will be crowned the winner of Project Runway 4. Come on, Christian!

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My position on Gossip Girl is slowly changing into something akin to--dare I say it?--amused appreciation. Will it ever blossom into the fullness of love experienced by the future Mrs. Televisionary (recounted in a post about her love for Gossip Girl here)? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I do have to say that I was completely sucked in by this week's repeat installment of Gossip Girl ("Dare Devil"). Maybe it was the complete and utter lack of Chuck (still a little too creepily smarmy for me) and Nate (far too whiny pretty-boy), but I actually really enjoyed this week's episode, which put the spotlight on little Humphrey, Jenny, and on the burgeoning friendship/repeated strolls-down-memory-lane between Rufus and Lily.

Jenny dished it out as good as she got it when she was on the receiving end of Blair's "generosity," snagging an invite to the annual Waldorf slumber party and falling victim to a mean-spirited game of Truth or Dare in which the stakes kept climbing. Not one to fall victim to Blair's machinations, Jenny proved that her claws are just as sharp as Miss Waldorf's: after getting locked inside Blair's mother's shop (with the police en route), Jenny pulled her best Blair impersonation and convinced the police to let her walk. Which she did, with that coat in the window display. But the very best bit: her decision not to spend the night at Blair's and to keep the jacket. Looks like B. has some new competition...

Additionally, I love the relationship between jilted Rufus and embittered Lily, even if it took weeks to finally let Lily relax a little around him. (Not helping: her insistence on keeping Eric in the hospital, even after he appeared at Ivy Week, but that's a moot point now.) Considering this series typically focuses on the mores of the young and rich in Manhattan, it's a nice change of pace to see their parents getting some three-dimensional storytelling as well. And when has Kelly Rutherford looked so luminous or had such a rich and complex role? It's brilliant to finally see her in a part worthy of her talents.

As for Serena and Dan, they are absolutely adorable together... which makes me feel that the producers will find some overly scripted way of keeping them apart in the next few episodes. Maybe some pressure put on them by the sudden appearance of one of Dan's Brooklyn friends, perhaps, in an echo of that old The OC storyline with Ryan and Theresa? Which is too bad, really, if that's coming sooner rather than later. (A quick look at next week's listings says it's coming now.) Sigh. I like the class warfare embedded into Dan and Serena's romance; the bit with Serena thinking Dan got a Vespa for their date (rather than the chauffeured car) was priceless without being precious. I'm dreading the addition of angst to the mix.

Still, the fact that I was glued to my television set last night was major progress in my crusade to learn to appreciate the charms of Gossip Girl. From what I hear (a la the sweet whisperings of the future Mrs. Televisionary), the series just gets better and better. And I am quite content to be the one catching up on an existing series for a change.

Next week on Gossip Girl ("The Handmaiden's Tale"), Dan's childhood friend Vanessa returns to Manhattan and hopes to be more than just BFFs; Dan and Jenny sneak into Blair's costumed ball.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser (NBC; 8-10 pm); Reaper (CW); Just for Laughs/Just for Laughs (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-9:30 pm)

9 pm: Big Brother 9 (CBS); One Tree Hill (CW); According to Jim/Carpoolers (ABC); Back to You (FOX; 9:30-10 pm)

10 pm: Jericho (CBS); Quarterlife (NBC); Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Last Restaurant Standing on BBC America.

On the fourth episode of this addictive British import, Sam and Jacqui, Nicola and Tom, and Martin and Emma must battle to keep their restaurants open as they are tasked with serving a large-scale lunch for hundreds of scientists; as one team discovers they've forgotten some basic ingredients and another bemoans the lack of oven space, the pressure is on to make the most profit... or give up their dreams of owning their own restaurant.

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Was it just me or was Tina Fey the perfect vehicle to welcome back scripted television to the airwaves?

Fey's winning turn as host this weekend on Saturday Night Live, the sketch comedy series on which she served as its first female head writer, was hilarious, inspired, and completely appropriate, after the long, dark months of the WGA strike. (It also earned SNL its highest overnight ratings in two years, scoring a 6.1/15 share.)

From the opening moments--in which she referred to the lack of any hard feelings amongst the crew for the writers strike (and then had to duck several times from a boom being dropped on her head)--to an unexpected cameo from Steve Martin, advising her that she had to stop being a writer and start being a performer (complete with a lesson on the comedy rule of three), Fey proved why 30 Rock is such a critical success: she's funny, sexy, and not afraid to poke fun at herself, even when it means getting bitchslapped by Martin on stage.

But it was her rapturous return to Weekend Update that had me cheering, as she took the stage next to former Update co-host Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers, this time as a women's news correspondent. "I think we can all agree it's a great time to be a lady in America and not just because of that new yogurt that helps you poop," said Fey. "Although, on the serious, thank you for that yogurt. Now let's take a look at the stories affecting your daughters and mothers and the grouchy ladies in your office."

(So when are we finally going to see Amy Poehler drop by the set of 30 Rock for a guest turn? 'Cause I would pay to see Poehler show up at The Girlie Show as, say, Liz Lemon's stalker.)

It's funny how a late-night sketch comedy series can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. But after the tension and division of the strike, it was wonderful to see the show actually go on, for a change, to see the writers and the crew back at work, delivering content to the public and making them laugh, instead of wondering why all of their favorite series have been replaced by American Gladiator all of the sudden.

Still, nothing could ever replace Fey's Weekend Update signoff: "What bothers me most, people say Hillary's a bitch. And let me say something about that. Yeah, she is. And so am I. And so is this one. Bitches get stuff done. That's why Catholic schools use nuns as teachers and not priests. Those nuns are mean old clams, they sleep on cots. They're allowed to hit you. And at the end of the school year, you hated those bitches, but you knew the capital of Vermont. It's not too late Texas and Ohio! Get on board. Bitch is the new black."

I think I'm in love.

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Looks like the fat lady hasn't quite sung yet for midseason drama Lipstick Jungle.

NBC has ordered six additional scripts for the struggling freshman drama, which launched to virtually no online buzz, despite a massive marketing and PR campaign behind the series and leads Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price.

Lipstick Jungle, based on Candace Bushnell's book, follows a troika of high-powered Manhattan execs who try to balance their professional and personal lives. (It should, of course, not be confused with ABC's Cashmere Mafia about FOUR high-powered Manhattan execs who also try to balance their professional and personal lives.)

If shot, the six scripts would boost the series' episodic count to thirteen, thus fulfilling its initial order on NBC. If the numbers rate, especially in the female demos, look for Lipstick Jungle to return next season.

In other female-driven drama news, ABC has hired Robert Nathan (Law & Order) as showrunner on struggling freshman drama Women's Murder Club. The hiring comes on the heels of the departure of executive producer/showrunners Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, as well as exec producer Scott Gemmill.

Nathan will oversee three additional episodes of Women's Murder Club this season. Production is expected to ramp up on the drama in the next few weeks and additional installments could air as early as April.

Just don't look for Nathan to make any improvements to the series. “There are no plans to revamp the series dramatically or shift the emphasis in any way,” said a 20th Century Fox TV spokesperson in a statement. “It remains a procedural focused on the four women leads who partner together to solve crimes.”

Darn.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/Welcome to the Captain (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Gossip Girl (CW); A Raisin in the Sun (ABC; 8-11 pm); Moment of Truth (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad (NBC); Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (CW); Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)

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

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Gossip Girl.

It's another chance to catch up on the teen soap. On tonight's repeat episode ("Dare Devil"), Dan tries to impress Serena on their first official date, Jenny snags an invite to Blair's exclusive sleepover party but finds herself caught up in a high-stakes game of Truth or Dare, and Lily turns to Rufus for help when Eric disappears from the treatment center.

8:30 pm: Welcome to the Captain.

It's not the best series out there, but there's something winsome about this low-key comedy. (And, hell, at least it's scripted.) On tonight's episode ("The Wrecking Crew"), Josh tries to get over Hope with some help from the guys, while a lonely Hope tries to make new friends.

9 pm: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

On tonight's installment ("The Demon Hand"), Sarah tries to track down a missing cyborg arm and breaks into Ellison's apartment and discovers a file on Dr. Silverman (guest star Bruce Davison), a psychiatrist who made her hospital stay unbearable, while Cameron tries to track down Dmitri through his sister.

9:30 pm: Old Christine.

On tonight's episode ("Traffic"), Christine promises to go to an important function with Mr. Harris but leaves him stranded when Ritchie's soccer game runs into overtime.

10 pm: No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on Travel Channel.

It's a brand new season of No Reservations on the Travel Channel; follow enfant terrible chef Anthony Bourdain as he travels the world in search of good food. In tonight's installment, Tony heads to Romania, where he helps his friend Zamir celebrate his 50th birthday and tracks down some stories about vampires and Communists.

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Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation.

This week, I was underwhelmed by Knight Rider, entranced by this week's episode of Lost ("Eggtown"), and hungry for more of BBC America's addictive culinary competition, Last Restaurant Standing.

I also took an advance look at the first two episodes of the new season (sorry, cycle) of America's Next Top Model and gave out awards to the designers on the reunion episode of Bravo's Project Runway.

Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of the TV Blog Coalition were discussing the following items...

• Buzz wondered if a movie version of The Wire would be a good idea. (BuzzSugar)
• Sandie shared a preview clip from the new season of FX's DIRT. (Daemon's TV)
• The return of live American Idol makes Mikey nostalgic for the TV of yesteryear. (Mikey Likes TV)
• Marcia considered whether Ashes to Ashes was a worthy successor to Life on Mars. (Pop Vultures)
• Rae dissected what she liked and disliked about the Knight Rider movie and admits she'd probably still give it a shot if NBC picks it up. (RTVW)
• Dr. Abbott, Ed Stevens, Ms. Hendricks, Mac’s roommate, The Shredder, Uncle Phil, and George Michael? Sign Scooter up for more episodes of Eli Stone even if ABC won't. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)
• Cover your ears, TV fans. Jennifer couldn’t contain her anger and ranted against NBC for canceling Las Vegas. (Tube Talk)
• The TV Addict helps pitch FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS to the CW, TNT and SCI FI (the TV Addict)
• Vance LOVES Lost even though he is completely lost while trying to follow the show. (Tapeworthy)
• Dan dug up some reality show contestants' porno past, including folks from Survivor and American Gladiators. (TiFaux)
• Raoul interviewed Mary from Survivor (TV Filter)

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Wow. Is it just me or is Season Four shaping up to be a brilliant season already?

Within just four episodes, we've learned some tangible answers to some intriguing propositions and Damon & Carlton have managed to parcel out bits of future reveals while keeping the pace on the island moving fast and furious. This week's episode of Lost ("Eggtown") was yet another stunning installment, which gave us some insight into the status of Kate in the future and answered a question that many fans have been pondering since last year's jaw-dropping finale ("Through the Looking Glass").

Just who was the "man" that Kate told beardy-weirdy Jack was sleeping at home when she reluctantly met up with him at the airport? Why none other than baby Aaron, that's who. Which makes a lot more sense now (why she snuck out, why she had to get back) than if it were a lover/husband. But why does she have Claire's baby and why is she passing him off as her own son? I'm not entirely sure. But her tears as she watched Aaron wake up speaks to Kate's feelings about her adoptive son, especially contrasted with her behavior on the island... when Claire asked her to pick him up and Kate refused.

I had an inkling that Kate's baby may have been Aaron based on this scene (though what happened to Claire having to raise the baby herself?) and I am glad to know that I'm still suspicious enough of everything on this series to pick up on the clue and not on the red herring of Kate's pregnancy. Kate too reveals this to Sawyer in a slaptastic scene that finds her refusing his sexual advances and leaving him for the beach and Jack.

Speaking of Jack, it still doesn't seem like he knows in the future that Claire is his sister and therefore Aaron his nephew... or he feels so guilty about leaving his lil' sis on the island that he can't bear to see his nephew. (Only time will tell on that front.) Also intriguing: Jack's oft-repeated story about there being only eight survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 (and Kate's heroism in saving them), another attempt of the castaways to conceal the truth about what happened after the crash. Looks like they are keeping up the pretense of that downed plane in the Sunda Trench in order to divert everyone's attentions from the island. But who were those two other survivors... who are either dead or not considered part of the Oceanic Six? My guess: Michael and Walt.

Sayid and Desmond seem to have encountered another example of "lost time" as they attempt to fly with Frank to the freighter... and have disappeared altogether. Nearly a day goes by between them taking off and Regina revealing that they haven't been in contact. Cue Twilight Zone music... So have they slipped out of the timestream? Have they gone off the course that Daniel indicated to Frank? And why isn't Minkowski answering the phone?

On the subject of the Losties' "rescuers," why can't Daniel remember the three cards? And was this connected to him being in a professional nurse's care in his flashback? Just what is wrong with Daniel, a man Naomi dismissed as a "head case"? And how is his remembering two cards "progress," according to Charlotte?

Loved the scene between Miles and Ben in the basement while Locke went on a wild goose chase back to the boathouse. Clever girl, Freckles. Not entirely sure why Miles tries to extort exactly $3.2 million from Ben in order to lie to his employer about Ben being alive, but the figure seems (A) pretty damn specific and (B) possible for Ben to pull together in such a short time. We know Miles is the very definition of mercenary (as seen in his flashback by the way he casually charges that poor woman $200 and only hands back $100 after he waltzes off with a wad of blood money) but I was surprised by the way he was willing to flip so easily. As for taking care of Charlotte, that made my blood run cold. He's clearly willing to sacrifice any of his team in order to achieve his own agenda.

Still, I was amazed at how quickly Locke is pushing himself into the role of the brutal dictator, exiling Kate without so much as an explanation (after all, he's done far worse in his time than she did) and--in a oh-no-he-didn't twist--placed the pinless grenade in Miles' mouth. Miles opens his mouth to talk, he goes boom. I didn't expect Locke to be so ruthless, especially as his buttons are still so easily pushed by his other prisoner Ben (again, with the throwing of plates, John?). Still, when the chicken isn't producing any eggs, the beast needs to be slain, and that's just what John does with Eggtown's golden goose. As they say, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs...

As for the episode's title, Eggtown is a historical term from the Great Depression about bartering, which seems to be going quite a lot in this episode, from Miles trying to extort Ben to ensure his silence, Kate's mom bargaining with her in order to see her grandson, Locke cooking the Barracks' last two eggs in an attempt to butter up Ben during his interrogation, to the deal that Kate finally accepts, one which makes it legally impossible for her to return to the island.

Lost Literary Allusion of the Week: Sawyer reads "The Invention of Morel" by Adolfo Bioy Casares, which is about a fugitive hiding out on a deserted island; Ben declines Locke's offer of a book, which in this case is "VALIS" by Philip K. Dick. The title's acronym stands for Vast Active Living Intelligence System. Hmmm, could that be what the island is?

Lost Guest Star of the Week: Big Love's Joey Henrickson himself, Shawn Doyle, here playing Kate's attorney in the future. And nice to see that Beth Broderick's character, Kate's mom, is still alive four years after she found out she had six months to live. (Curious, that.) So just how much time has past then since the crash and Kate's trial? Judging by Aaron's size, two years maybe?

Best line of the episode: "You just totally Scooby Doo'd me." - Hurley, to Kate after she got him to fess up to Miles' location.

Next week on Lost ("The Constant"), Desmond and Sayid experience some severe turbulence during a stormy flight to the freighter, but that pales in comparison with Desmond's strange side-effects. Lost time, anyone?

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The US adaptation of UK limited series Eleventh Hour has found its leading man.

Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist) has been cast as the lead in CBS drama pilot Eleventh Hour, where he'll play Jacob Hood, a science adviser to the US government who investigates and saves people from science-related abuses, along with his trusted female bodyguard, a role that has yet to be cast.

Sewell's character was originally played by Patrick Stewart in the UK limited series; his bodyguard was played by Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen. The US drama pilot was written by Mick Davis and will be directed by CSI pilot director Danny Cannon.

While Sewell has gone on to appear in many film and television projects, I'll most likely remember him best for his turn in Dark City... and the 1995 adaptation of Stella Gibbons' novel Cold Comfort Farm, where he played Seth Starkadder opposite such luminaries as Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Fry, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen, and Miriam Margolyes.

Bonus points to the reader who can recall Ada Doom's oft-repeated words in the book and the film...

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More drama behind the scenes at CBS' Moonlight.

Showrunner/executive producer Chip Johannessen has left the series; network won't announce another showrunner unless the series is renewed for a second season.

In the meantime, exec producer Joel Silver and the series' writing staff will collectively oversee showrunning duties on Moonlight's four additional episodes that remain to be shot this season.

The freshman series has weathered more than its share of drama since it was picked up to series last May, including scrapping the pilot's entire cast (save lead Alex O'Loughlin) and the hiring of David Greenwalt, who quickly left the series, only to be replaced by now outbound Chip Johannessen.

Still, it pales in comparison to the creative revolving door that was NBC's Bionic Woman. Talk about whiplash...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Price is Right (CBS); 1 vs. 100 (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Amnesia (NBC); 20/20 (ABC; 9-11 pm); House (FOX)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Dateline (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-11 pm: BBC America.

If you happen to be staying in after a long work week, why not do it in true Anglophile style with back-to-back episodes of Coupling and new sketch comedy series That Mitchell and Webb Look, from the stars of Peep Show?

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I have to say that I really quite enjoyed last night's reunion episode of Project Runway. While I am not usually a fan of the overly packaged clip-laden specials that Bravo typically airs (especially when irritating Andy Cohen presides over them), Runway usually does offer a classier affair and last night's installment was no exception.

It was fantastic to see the entire 15-member cast come together again one final time though I had to refresh my memory in order to remember some of them. (Simone, we hardly knew ye!) Still, it was a reunion filled with some interesting and hysterical asides (Michael Kors' uncharacteristic laughing jag during the WWE Diva challenge), predicable filler (a clip package featuring Ricky crying the entire time), and a collection of Christian's best "fierce" moments.

Worst Reunion Moment: Carmen telling Heidi Klum (Heidi Effing Klum!) that she had enough already from her when she made a comment about the menswear challenge, in which Carmen sent her model down the runway without a shirt. Oh, get some perspective, Carmen, and don't blame Heidi for your failure in that challenge and subsequent challenge, especially as all of the judges agreed it was the most difficult to date.

Best Reunion Moment: a toss up between Michael Kors' laughing fit, the clip package of the designers in their wrestler alter egos, and Chris March's maniacal laughter.

Designer Who I Would Have Liked to Hear More From: Kit, who seemed strangely quiet throughout the whole special. I think she's got enormous talent and I thought it was cool that she had inspired many young girls to become designers.

Designer Most in Need of Lightening Up: Victorya. What the hell was up with her somber attitude throughout the special? It was abundantly clear that she didn't want to be there, had pulled together her own runway show during Fashion Week, and seemed to resent several of the other contestants, the judges, and quite possibly the cameramen too.

Surprise Winner of the Fan Favorite: Christian. I thought for sure it was going to be Chris March, but I was completely wrong on that account. Tim says that Christian won by a landslide. Don't get me wrong: I'm rooting for the cubist-hairstyled wunderkind to win this thing but wasn't sure his sometimes abrasive personality would catch on with the audience at large. But the boy is fierce.

Most Missed Designer: Jack. I would have loved to have seen what he would have done in the final challenge and in his own runway show but it was good to see that he was okay after the terrifying health scare that forced him to pull out of the competition.

Best Wha Huh? Moment: A tie between Michael Knight (no, not that Michael Knight) handing Christian the giant check and then saying that he was releasing his first fragrance (where was the footage of his most recent fashion work?) and finding out that Jack Black watches Project Runway and apparently prefers Sweet P.

The ET Phone Home Award: Without a doubt it goes to the spit-marking, backwards-journaling, energy-imbuing Elisa. But you knew I was going to say that.

Best Lost in Translation Moment: Heidi's "who will eat the sausage?" exchange that was so blatantly hysterical. Her German-to-English expressions are just absolutely priceless.

All in all, a fun diversion before the main event: next week's season finale which features the final sartorial showdown between the remaining designers. Still, I am a little confused by the emphasis on whether Rami or Chris will get to show their work during Fashion Week, as we know that all four designers (plus also-ran Sweet P) got their own runway shows.

Next week on the season finale of Project Runway, the finalists return to New York to finish their collections and then head to the runways, where their solo collections will determine who will be crowned the winner of Project Runway 4. Come on, Christian!

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Friday Night Lights may return to NBC next season... as well as another network.

NBC Universal, the studio behind Friday Night Lights, is looking to keep the beleaguered drama on the air in any way, shape, or form and is in serious discussions with several broadcasters in an effort to fashion multiple windows for the series and thus ensure it would return for a third season.

Studio is said to be chatting up the likes of CW, Comcast (that would be E! and G4), TNT, and DirecTV (a disastrous choice, if true) about coming on board as a second broadcaster, in an arrangement similar to that of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which NBC shares with sister network USA.

It should be noted, however, that Law & Order: Criminal Intent's NBC-USA arrangement was greatly simplified because both NBC and USA are owned by NBC Universal; sharing Friday Night Lights with a network that it doesn't control could prove to be a hell of a lot trickier, especially given the hefty price tag involved.

Still, for fans of the struggling sophomore drama, any news is good news at this point. NBC, meanwhile, will announce their primetime 52-week schedule in April.

Stay tuned.

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ABC announced the return dates for several current series that have gone off the airwaves during the protracted writers strike and while it's good to see scripted series--including Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Samantha Who?, and Brothers & Sisters--return to the networks, I am a little apprehensive about one small thing.

ABC is moving Lost to 10 pm again.

It's rare that such a breakout hit should have so many timeslot changes over the past few seasons but I have to say that I was thrilled when Season Four of Lost launched in the 9 pm hour. It wasn't so early (8 pm) that those of us who don't work 9 to 5 hours would miss the start of, but not so late that those of us who have to get up super early the next day couldn't stay awake for (10 pm). No, 9 pm seemed the perfect compromise, the ideal hour for such a thought-provoking, complex, and challenging series.

I can understand why ABC would shift Lost behind the return of ratings powerhouse Grey's Anatomy. Doing so forms a juggernaut of a three-hour block of first-run programming that includes Ugly Betty at 8 pm, Grey's at 9 pm, and Lost at 10 pm, a lineup which will launch on April 24th and run for five weeks straight to the end of May sweeps.

But will the audience of Grey's soapy romantic entanglements really gel with Lost's more obsessive fan base? Does ABC expect Lost do experience an uptick in ratings post-Grey's or will it find less viewers in the more challenging 10 pm timeslot?

That's, ultimately, what concerns me. Not that the fate of the series is in jeopardy (ABC has already renewed the series for the 2008-09 season and the 2009-10 season), but that it will dent the momentum Lost has in its fourth season as it moves to yet another timeslot.

Still, one thing is for certain: I'll be watching Lost, no matter where ABC slots this series.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Survivor: Micronesia--Fans Vs. Favorites (CBS); My Name is Earl (NBC); Smallville (CW); Lost (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Celebrity Apprentice (NBC); Supernatural (CW); Lost (ABC); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Lipstick Jungle (NBC); Eli Stone (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Lost.

Missed last week's episode of Lost ("The Economist")? Here's your chance to catch it again before this season's fourth episode at 9 pm!

8 pm: Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America.

Season Four of the original UK Kitchen Nightmares begins tonight. On this week's installment ("The Curry Lounge"), Gordon Ramsay heads to Nottingham, where he attempts to save a once-busy Bollywood-themed Indian restaurant from closing. Will he succeed? Find out tonight. (A hint to those with some major DVR conflicts: the episode also airs at 5 pm and 10 pm PT AND at 11 pm ET.)

9 pm: Lost.

On tonight's episode ("Eggtown"), Kate attempts to pry information out of hostage Miles, a move which could jeopardize her standing with Locke and Sawyer. Plus, a flash-forward featuring Freckles herself, Kate, reveals her newfound celebrity status.

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I know I am going on and on about BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing like a broken record, but you would not believe the number of emails I've gotten from readers who have tuned in to the new reality series (airing Tuesdays on the digital cabler) and fallen under its spell.

This week's episode found the eight remaining teams trying to turn a profit on their new restaurants by introducing some special cocktails and desserts. For some teams, like twin sisters Laura and Jess, it was an opportunity to prove themselves to mentor/head judge Raymond Blanc after he called them out for not challenging themselves in the first installment. Together, these two managed to sell their specialty cocktails (which looked amazing) to no less than 71 out of 73 customers that night. And they played it smart by using simple, inexpensive ingredients to keep the per-portion price way down and then made £3.50 profit on each dessert. Bravo, girls. It was no surprise that Laura and Jess walked away with the Restaurant of the Week award; I was dead impressed with the two of them throughout the episode as they managed to be smart, economical, and creative and front of house and the kitchen were beautifully in sync, unlike many of the other eateries this week.

Speaking of which, Sam and Jacqui once again proved their ineptness, delivering inedible food to the customers (which most refused to pay for), ghastly cocktails and desserts (two of which had to be scrapped as they were vile), and basically making another mess of it again this week. To add insult to injury, Sam once again neglected his duty as the restaurant's chef to focus on setting up his drum kit, disappeared from his station at the pass, failed to prep any ingredients (he had to run to the supermarket two hours before service to buy everything) and then fired his sous chef for failing to keep it all together without proper supplies, help, or guidance. Smart one. I do have to give Jacqui credit for trying to hold everything together in the front of the house and for realizing that they had to price out each portion of dessert in order to, you know, make a profit, a question to which Sam just shrugged and asked "why?" Need I say more?

Also disappointing: Martin and Emma, who failed to follow the brief and did not create any cocktails or desserts ahead of time. Emma was saved by her Italian waitress, who quickly concocted three specialty cocktails, complete with winning names, but Martin outright refused to offer desserts. Even more shocking was that he seemed to think that Raymond wouldn't call them out for this, a bizarre oversight that made them ripe for sending through to the challenge next week.

Also placed into the challenge are mother and son team Nicola and Tom. Poor Nicola can't seem to gain the upper-hand in her own kitchen and her confidence has been sorely dented by last week's performance. Instead of rallying behind making improvements and implementing change in the kitchen, she's become subservient to her own sous chef and hired even more staff, driving their overhead even higher and sending profits plummeting. I really want to see them make this work and with a beautiful space for their restaurant (a centuries old former monastery) I would hate to see them give it up so soon.

While Jess and Laura walked away with Restaurant of the Week, the unofficial prize for most improved has got to go to Lloyd and Adwoa whose Ghanian restaurant showed the biggest signs of 180 degree transformation from the opening weekend. Their restaurant was convivial, buzzy, and the punters were genuinely happy to be there. Well done!

But for previous winners, Jeremy and Jane, this week was a wake-up call as things in the kitchen hummed along beautifully but the front of the house was falling apart at the seams. Poor Jane did her very best to keep it all moving along, but--thanks to sub-standard staff (who did little more than stand around gossiping while Jane did all the heavy lifting) and lack of support from chef Jeremy--they found themselves nearly sent into the challenge. These two have got to find a way to work together better and complement each other's domains if they have hopes of regaining their lost title.

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing, Sam and Jacqui, Nicola and Tom, and Martin and Emma must battle to keep their restaurants open as they are tasked with serving a large-scale lunch for hundreds of scientists; as one team discovers they've forgotten some basic ingredients and another bemoans the lack of oven space, the pressure is on to make the most profit... or give up their dreams of owning their own restaurant.

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You can't keep an obsessive-compulsive disorder suffering detective down, apparently.

USA has ordered a seventh season of drama Monk, with production to begin straightaway on 16 episodes to air as early as July. The first half of the season will air this summer, with the back half being held until January 2009.

"You might say we were 'obsessed' with making this deal," USA's EVP of Original Programming Jeff Wachtel said in a statement. "Let's face it: It's not easy to 'wash your hands' of a show like Monk. We have high hopes that this summer it will once again 'clean up' in the ratings."

Ahem.

Set to return for Season Seven of Monk: Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford.

Plans call for the cabler to once again pair Monk with its recent timeslot companion Psych, which was previously renewed for a 16-episode order, also to launch this summer.

In the meantime, USA will launch new original drama series In Plain Sight, starring Mary McCormack, Lesley Ann Warren, and Frederick Weller, on April 24th. And the cabler also has plans to launch new seasons of The Starter Wife, Burn Notice, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent this summer.

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While one detective announced he'd be back for another round of mysteries, another has vowed to retire for good.

According to Digital Spy, David Suchet--who has played Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot for nearly twenty years--has announced that the upcoming Appointment with Death will in fact be his last outing with as the fastidiously mustachioed gumshoe.

"After filming Appointment With Death in Jordan, I'm going to end it there," Suchet is quoted. "I'm told it's quite warm in Jordan, so I'll be very hot in all my padding. But I've decided that I will hang up my spats when I finish that story."

Sexagenarian Suchet has appeared in more than 60 (no, that's no typo) feature-length television movies as Poirot since 1989. His portrayal of the finicky Art Deco-era detective will be missed.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 9 (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious (CW); Supernanny (ABC)

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

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

Cycle 1o begins tonight with a brand-new episode ("Welcome to Top Model Prep"), in which 35 aspiring models enter a modeling prep school were they are quickly culled down to fourteen finalists after being instructed by the Jays in runway walking and posing.

10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

On tonight's episode ("Reunion"), it's time for the pre-finale reunion special as Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum gather together the designers from Project Runway's fourth season for a little look back at the season's highs and lows. Just what has Jack been up to since he withdrew from the competition? Why was Ricky always crying all the damn time? Answers are on the way.

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Confession: I came to Top Model pretty late in the game, despite some people (ahem, you know who you are!) telling me that I had to tune in for several seasons (sorry, cycles). I'm glad that I did end up succumbing to its twisted spell; the series is pretty darn addictive, if only for its unintentional humor, surreal photo shoots, and the high drama and (sometimes) high fashion of its abrasive contestants.

So I was overjoyed to take a sneak peek over the holiday weekend at the tenth cycle's first two episodes and look at some of the drastic changes in store for the CW-based reality series. It's definitely hard for a series like Top Model to sustain the same energy and drive of earlier seasons, but so far this season proves to have a new spark, perhaps due to the series moving production from Los Angeles to that fashion epicenter, Manhattan.

The first hour, which airs on Wednesday evening, is the typical casting special we've come to know and love from previous cycles. This year's theme is slightly overdone but pretty darn fun: model prep school. (Hey, at least it's not the model boot camp again.) Miss Jay and Mr. Jay handle the tutorials as they coach the 35 girls in all things model-y, from critiquing their runway walk and bearing to dressing them up in schoolgirls' uniforms for a photo shoot for their "senior class picture." This being Top Model, a wide swath of them is cut from pack in this first installment, so don't get too attached to some of the girls.

So what worked in these first two episodes? Let's take a look.

I Heart New York. Call me crazy, but I really do think one of the best things for the series was to shift it from LA to NYC. For one, it gives the reality statesman a new patina of both newfound respectability and some much-needed grit. What better place for their new homebase than the heart of American fashion? And right away, the effect is felt: a Times Square runway show for designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka pushes the girls in their very first challenge as finalists. Some are incredibly confident, others completely clueless. But it's clear from the open segments in Manhattan, that the pressure is on for these model wannabes.

Girls, Girls, Girls. I really like this new crop of fourteen girls, even though there are some (cough, Marvita, cough) that I could have done without. But Top Model insists on letting previous semi-finalists come back again for another shot, so this cycle we've landed ourselves another second chancer in the form of abrasive Marvita who lacks the humility of Jaslene (who was herself overlooked prior to her winning run on ANTM). Completely confused by awkward punk artist Lauren who is so completely ill-at-ease in her body, in heels, and in high fashion, but if Tyra & Co. do manage to craft a model out of her, I will be beyond impressed. Amis already irritates me to no end and Hawaiian surfer girl Anya wouldn't bother me so much if she just stopped talking. As for baby doll Kimberly and her constant whining about how she thinks spending money on expensive clothes is wasteful? What on earth did you think the modeling/fashion business was all about?

On the plus side, I am totally intrigued by Somalian-born genital mutilation-survivor Fatima; she is a dead ringer for Iman and I can't wait to see what they do with her hair. The girl is gorgeous and has the perfect face for modeling; she's clearly the one to beat. I think Dominique is reminiscent of Journeyman's Moon Bloodgood, but the judges insist on telling her that she looks like a drag queen. Cornell graduate Katarzyna is another one to watch; her polished Polish looks make her a virtual lookalike for supermodel Paulina Porizvoka.

Speaking of which...

PAULINA! Top Model's newest judge first turns up at Elite Model Management as part of their "teach" in the second week. There she offers critiques of the models' looks and offers suggestions on what to avoid and what to play up as the move forward in the competition. And before you know it, the former face of Estée Lauder turns up at judging panel in a gorgeous purple gown and takes her place of honor at the table.

I'll be blunt: I don't miss Twiggy one bit. While the "fashion icon and living legend" was fun at first (and softened the judging table after the departure of catty Janice), she quickly began to get on my nerves in recent seasons as she seemed to "love" anything and everything that the girls did and often picked her favorites from the bottom of the pile. In her first appearance, Paulina appears gentle but critical and, unlike Twiggy, more of a realist about the girls and their abilities.

Me, I've always loved Paulina and can't wait to see how she interacts with the girls and the other judges. In her first outing, she proves a worthy opponent to Nigel Barker himself, so you've got to give the woman credit for not being afraid to shake things up.

In the end, Top Model is back with a new look, new locale, and new judge Paulina Porizvoka. Me, I couldn't be happier.



America's Next Top Model airs Wednesday evenings at 8 pm ET/PT on the CW.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser (NBC; 8-10 pm); Reaper (CW); Just for Laughs/Just for Laughs (ABC); American Idol (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Big Brother 9 (CBS); One Tree Hill (CW); According to Jim/Carpoolers (ABC)

10 pm: Jericho (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Last Restaurant Standing on BBC America.

On the third episode of this addictive British import, the pressure is on for the remaining eight couples to make their restaurants as profitable as possible in their second week open by adding pricey cocktails and desserts. The pressure is on and it pushes some couples to their breaking points.

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