[Televisionary]

To echo that long-famous quotable, Sarah Connor will be back next season. FOX yesterday handed the freshman sci-fi drama a second season pickup, with thirteen episodes currently slated to air this fall. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was considered a dead cert for a renewal (along with Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton comedy Back to You ) at the network, especially as it was the only one of FOX's crop of new series to make any impact creatively or ratings-wise this season. The drama could also get a back nine order relatively quickly, especially since the McG-helmed Terminator film (starring Christian Bale) will be released theatrically in May. Look for major synergy going on between the TV series and the aforementioned film as FOX continues to mine this franchise for all its worth. But while The Sarah Connor Chronicles will return this fall rather than mid-season 2009, don't look for it to remain in the Mondays at 9 pm timeslot it occupied earlier this year; Sarah

Okay, now that the second season finale of Torchwood has aired on BBC America, we can finally get down to what I've been wanting to talk about for the last week or so: that ending! If you read my original review of the sophomore season ender of Torchwood ("Exit Wounds") the other day, you know that I was kind enough to dance around a few issues rather than spoil the entire episode, but the spoiler warnings are off now, so beware! Sniffle. I was completely heartbroken by Toshiko's death. We all knew that not everyone from Torchwood 3 would make it out of this episode alive but I didn't really expect them to kill off both Tosh and Owen in the same episode. I understand that Owen's story has really come full-circle at this point--dying, being brought back and discovering he can't truly die, and then, well, disintegrating--and there really wasn't anywhere else for the series' writers to take his character. His "King of the Weevils" status p

There might only be three all-new installments of 30 Rock left this season (the truncated season is, of course, due to the strike), but that doesn't mean I can't get behind NBC's decision to shift the hilarious and subversive comedy series to a later timeslot. Beginning this week, 30 Rock will move from its 8:30 pm home to a 9:30 pm berth, directly behind The Office . I am sure NBC is hoping that the ratings of the (lately) inferior Office will create a halo effect for 30 Rock and viewers will stick around for the travails of Liz Lemon and the TGS staffers. I am also sure that NBC was a little concerned that the return of original episodes of Ugly Betty over on ABC might, er, unduly influence the ratings and put 30 Rock in a precipitous position. Sure, the timeslot change puts them opposite ratings powerhouse Grey's Anatomy , but I feel like that series' audience is different than that for 30 Rock . Personally, I think it's great news. I've been saving

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. Holy Joss Whedon! This week, I had everyone buzzing with my advance review of the "brilliant" and "gripping" pilot script for Joss Whedon's new FOX drama Dollhouse . I also had an advance review of the second season finale of Torchwood on BBC America, reviewed the US premiere of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures , and shared gleeful news about Amy Acker joining the cast of the aforementioned Dollhouse . What else? I celebrated Rob Thomas' decision to leave the 90210 spin-off pilot and focus on his other (superior) projects at ABC, pondered the mini- Arrested Development reunion going on with Mitch Hurwitz's new animated comedy pilot, and wondered if I was well and truly over The Office . Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of

Like all good things in this life, 30 Rock only seems to get better with age, finding a self-assurance and absurdity that were only touched upon way back when in the original pilot episode (yep, the version with Rachel Dratch as Jenna). It seems to be following the opposite trajectory as fellow NBC comedy companion The Office, which seems to be getting creakier and feeling more and more tired by the day. Last night's episode of 30 Rock ("Subway Hero"), while not quite reaching the comedic heights of last week's installment, was a half-hour overflowing with non-sequiturs, throwaway lines, and blink-and-you-miss-it sight gags. This is comedy of a level previously only attained by, say, Arrested Development . (If you know me, you also know that this is inherently my kind of comedy.) Once again, 30 Rock takes a series of plots that, in the hands of any other series, could have been mundane: Jack tries to find a new celebrity face of the Republican Party, an aging TV

Sigh. While there were a few funny moments during last night's episode of The Office ("Chair Model"), like Michael calling a local Wendy's restaurant to ask Wendy out on a date and Andy's victory dance, I couldn't help but feel that my patience with the series has run out. What was once my favorite comedy on television has become more or less a chore to watch and this uneven episode, from writer B.J. Novak, didn't allay any of my fears that the series has plateaued. The American version of The Office never quite got a handle on the talking heads, which their British counterpart used to such great effect. In fact, the quality of these segments has been sliding considerably in recent seasons and the writers have begun to use a hell of a crutch with each of them: having the characters repeat an "unheard" question from the documentary crew before answering it. (Sample from last week: "Was I upset that I wasn't invited to Michael's dinn

Less than a day after posting my glowing review of Joss Whedon's pilot script for his upcoming FOX series Dollhouse , the network has announced further casting on the project. The talented Harry Lennix ( 24 ) has been cast in the role of Boyd Langton, a former cop who serves as "handler" to Echo, Eliza Dushku's character. Within the confines of Dollhouse , Boyd seems to offer a (gruff) voice of reason, feeling morally at odds with the treatment of the Actives (or Dolls, as they're sometimes known) yet willing to lay down his own life to protect them. While reading the script, I kept picturing Waking the Dead 's Trevor Eve as Boyd but I am pleased as punch to see that Lennix has been tapped for this role; he'll bring a real sense of gravitas and moral uncertainty to a complex and compelling role. Lennix's hiring means that there's only one other major role to be cast (other than the recurring role of November, another Active at the facility who does