Could we take a minute to talk about what a good actor Mark Harmon is?

If you want to see a terrific example of economic acting — few words, underplayed expression — look at the one on in the "NCIS" season finale where Gibbs calls Ducky with the news that Shepard is dead. I have this image stuck in my head of Harmon going through scripts and trimming lines, constantly thinking, "Too many words. Don't need 'em." It's not a tic in the show's writing overall; other characters get to yak. But Gibbs doesn't, and with Harmon playing him, he doesn't need to.

It was no great surprise that Shepard, played by Lauren Holly, was the dead character; what was, was how she died. It had already been established that the director was gravely ill, so it was a nice touch to let her go out in a hail of bullets — and take down four bad guys before she bought it herself. And the way the other characters handled her passing was very nicely done; I really liked the scene with Pauley Perrette talking about the way Shepard dressed — and expanded that into touching, funny thoughts about the other characters' wardrobes.

As for the big cliffhanger, with a new director and the team split up, I'm not getting overly worried. I am sure we'll see more of the new director (well played by Rocky Carroll), although I don't know if he'll become a series regular. Could that shredded document indicate trouble? As for the team being split, well, this is a show that ended a season with Gibbs quitting — and he came back. And "House" found a way to break up its core group and still keep them in the show's mix.

"Reaper" certainly set the stage for a lot of stuff when it comes back midseason. The closing shot of Sam's parents certainly suggested that Sam's powers may not come from being the devil's son; other forces are on the loose. But there has been a shift in Sam's relationship with the Devil. And we got another taste of what it will mean to have Andi in on Sam's secret — can't wait to see her keep pushing for more method in the madness. (Sort of reminds me of when Cordelia went to work for Angel.) The show really feels as if it has a roadmap for next season and beyond, and a good map at that.

Before I leave Tuesday's shows, I have a long post below about "American Idol" and why I think David Archuleta sealed the deal. Which makes the analysis over at Dialidol.com very intriguing, since it has David Cook winning easily. Not sure if I trust the numbers, but I wouldn't mind being wrong on this one.

Sliding back to Monday night, "House" finished its two-part finale and I thought it did very well something I absolutely hated them for doing. Amber had become a strong character, especially because she was so much like House; her ending up with Wilson was precisely on point — giving Wilson a romantic partner with the qualities of his best friend. And there was no question that Amber and House had some chemistry (and boy, was the chemistry flying in House's fantasy). But if the show felt the need to add to the characters' suffering, it did so with considerable skill. I just wish the need hadn't been there.

Disappointing finales from "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men." The best thing in either episode was Marshall's battle with lice — silly, but inspired silliness. Beyond that, not much to offer, and the Stella melodrama was implausibly stretched. As I said after last week's "Men," we've already seen plenty about Charlie's women and Charlie's mother issues; the finale just played out a bit that probably shouldn't have been bothered with.

By the way, Susan Blakely — who played Angie — is 55 or 59, depending on the reference. Seeing her did provide some measure of nostalgia — "Rich Man, Poor Man," anyone? — although judging from IMDB she's been working fairly regularly, just in shows I don't pay much attention to.

I've got a fever, and the only cure is more Kober…

"Reaper" just gets more and more confident every week, building on its devil/demon subculture (with this week's great addition of a burnout scrounger played by Jeff Kober, above, as well as more details about Gladys). And the Lucy Davis subplot has continued to have good little bits; it was in some ways more entertaining than the main plot. (Didn't we all immediately sense that Andi's ex-boyfriend was the chainsaw maniac?) This is a show that has found its voice, hit its stride and any other compliment your inner Paula Abdul can generate. "You're so you, you know yourself …"

"House," meanwhile, was amusing but seemed to show too many cracks in its basic setup. I know that every week involves House et al. making a series of mistaken diagnoses before hitting the right one, but it seemed especially annoying and wrong-headed in this episode. Maybe having the inspector in the hospital heightened my sense as a viewer that things were going wrong. I did enjoy House's obsession with the soap actor, at least for a while, and the discussions with Cameron.

I've been recording "NCIS" just because of the "ooh! someone will die!" hype
(and because it's one of those shows that I like when I find an hour for it). Have to say that they're certainly playing the audience well, with the whole opening segment having a team member in jeopardy. It was also genuinely suspenseful. And I just like the way Mark Harmon plays Gibbs, especially his no-words-wasted style. ("Lose the skates," for example.) It's a solid show even when there's no plot gimmick brought into play.

Nice to see Lucy Davis again. Even better to see that she was still around at the end of the episode.

Trying to catch up on things I've missed. Am sampling the "Costas Now" town meeting, including the Bissinger rant/debate.(Good gosh, Braylon Edwards, what did you think you had walked into?) But here I'm going to talk a bit about some of the Monday/Tuesday dramas that I finally grabbed some time to watch today. After the jump. ….

Good "Reaper" last night. Nice mix of horror and humor, a fun runaway soul (played with great aplomb by Ian Gomez), a good introduction of Lucy Davis as Ben's wife (and better yet that they set it up so she will be around for a bit). The demon-devil war isn't over, and Sam has been put in a great spot in it. And, possibly best of all, Andi is now in on Sam's secret, so we don't keep suspending disbelief that he could keep it hidden. This was yet another episode that said this show still has a lot of stories to tell, and I would love to see what else it tells.

Kind of blah episodes of "House" and "Bones," and neither is one something I would point people to if I wanted them to watch the show more than once. The domestication of Temperance was mildly interesting, but only in the context of what she's been for dozens of episodes. And how freakin' rich must she be if she can afford to build a bridge? She must have gotten a pile for the movie rights.

"House" felt disjointed, although I liked the ending — the patient discovering something that he did not like, with the question of what else he won't like left hanging. Since I haven't seen "House" in some time, I am wondering if its rhythms were off because of the strike, or if my viewing is off because I haven't felt its rhythms for some time.

As I said in a previous post about "Grey's Anatomy," the absence of a connection to a show for weeks may make it that much harder to enjoy it again, especially if it has a particular voice. Comedies, I suspect, are less likely to have that impact than dramas, because a good laugh is a good laugh even if you haven't chuckled in weeks. But the stuff I've been talking about here, or something like last week's "CSI," which also felt off-kilter, have me thinking once again that the damage of the strike is much deeper than anyone thought when it was over.

Bits of this and that …

– You may have seen the report of Randy Quaid's bad behavior. Considering all the stories told over the years about stars acting up, I've wondered how far someone would have to go to be punished. I guess we now have some idea of how far that is. And it's pretty freakin' far.

– Is Bruno ruining his team on "Dance War"? He is taking a beating from Carrie Ann's team, and my bride — a "Dance War" devotee — wonders if it's fan backlash. Bruno, she observes, is much nastier about the dancers than Carrie Ann is, and viewers may not like it.

– I tried to get through the post-Super Bowl episode of "House," but it was kind of a snore. (And I did.) Interesting stunt — diagnosis by long distance — but not one that kept my interest. Tuesday's episode was better, not only because it brought the show back to one of its favorite themes — challenging House's cynicism with displays of strong faith — but because of Wilson's romance with Amber. She was a bracing presence when in contention for House's team, and she looks even more entertaining now; loved her declaration that she could call House by his first name because they are now social equals.

– A&E has set the date for a new season of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." Here's some of the announcement:

Legendary rock star Gene Simmons and his unconventional family are back and better than ever for an all-new season of A&E’s hit Real-Life series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, premiering with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, March 11th at 10:00 PM ET/PT. The 24 episode season kicks off with Gene preparing for the ultimate challenge – a lie detector test to determine if he has been faithful to Shannon Tweed, his “Happily UNmarried” companion of 24 years and the mother of his two children, Nick and Sophie.

A true test for the legendary ladies man, Gene will have to answer questions put forth by Shannon, as fans will find out if the 4,800 women Gene purports to have been with all occurred before 1983 – the year he and Shannon’s relationship began. In addition to revealing the truth behind the rock star’s storied sex life, the new season will feature a Gene Simmons Roast in which Gene gets verbally assaulted by friends and today’s hottest comedians, the first ever KISS concert where the band performs as a trio, behind the scenes with Gene on NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice, Gene and Shannon’s official “Happily UNmarried” honeymoon in Hawaii, Nick and Sophie abroad in Mexico and much, much more.

Not sure what the big deal is supposed to be about Simmons's fidelity. In her memoirs, Tweed drew a distinction between "emotional cheating and sexual cheating," indicating the latter was OK as long as it did not also include the former.

– Malcolm X Abram and I have completed our fourth "American Idol" video podcast, wrapping up the auditions. I expect to post a link later today.

I've been trying to muster some deep thought about the "American Idol" auditions in Omaha, but it wasn't a very interesting telecast — and sent relatively few people to Hollywood. But the blahs from that were made up for by "House," even if it was a Christmas episode airing off-season (since Fox obviously hoarded some episodes for later use if the strike dragged on — as it has). …

The central case was all right, but even better were the funny bits (lots of nice throwaway lines, so many that the promos didn't waste them all). And a fine soundtrack — "Trim Your Tree," one of my faves. Staple Singers. Made me wish for more episodes, although this might not have seemed so fine if I had been seeing "House" week in and week out. But still good.

Well, considering how many people may not have watched yet, I'm not saying until after the jump …

Here's the official announcement, with thoughts about the episode following.

After conducting an uncoventional competition that started with 40 fellowship candidates, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) has officially closed the case on who will join his diagnostic team. His final decision was revealed in Tuesday night’s HOUSE episode “Games.” HOUSE airs Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

House’s Diagnostic Medicine team:
Dr. Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn) – His specialty is rehabilitative and sports medicine. He is the most enthusiastic of all the potential fellows, but his enthusiasm could be dangerous. A radical thinker, he is the only one who doesn’t think House’s crazy moves aren’t crazy enough.
Dr. Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson) – His specialty is plastic surgery. He is both shallow and inciteful. Taub left a successful practice for unknown reasons, which only made House more determined to figure out why.
Thirteen (Olivia Wilde) – Her specialty is internal medicine. She’s a competent young doctor who plays her cards extremely close to the vest. She is an enigma wrapped in a riddle – and House loves a good mystery.
Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) – Neurologist who quit at the end of last season because he didn’t want to end up like Dr. House. But after he’s fired from his next job and no other hospital will hire him because of his “House-like” reputation, Hospital Administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) placed him back on the diagnostic team to watch over the brilliant but unpredictable House.

The show did keep me guessing about the new team to the very end of the episode, and I did care about who would stay and who would go. (Unlike my buddy Sepinwall but apparently like a lot of viewers, I had managed not to notice who was hired before watching the show.)

In fact, like House, I don't think I wanted to get rid of any of them. I will miss Amber because she was so House-like in a lot of ways. Indeed, where the old team provided a counterpoint to House, the new one feels as if it consists of different parts of House himself, even if the characters don't want to be thought of that way.

(Foreman has already been burned by his affinity for House behavior. And while it was noted in the episode that neither House nor Foreman wear doctor's coats, Foreman has still distanced himself from his old mentor; where House is sloppy to a T (shirt), Foreman dresses to the nines.)

But the newish characters have given us a chance to see House interact with different people, and people we don't know so well that we can anticipate their reactions to different cases. Not that I want to see House playing only with the new guys; the show did a good job Tuesday with House and Wilson, and you knew both Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard were game-on in their scenes together.

It's all enough to make me ignore the weakness of Tuesday's case, and the show's inability to get out of the rhythms of mysterious-ailment, misdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, potentially fatal misdiagnosis, diagnosis. Although I know that medicine drives the interaction among the characters, I wouldn't mind an episode that forced them to deal with each other without talking around a hospital bed. With the new cast, it has been bold enough to shake some things up. I'd like to see the basic plot structure shaken, too.

Since writing the above, I've caught up with last week's "CSI," and it showed some of what could be done with a slow day at the office. To be sure, it was still "CSI"-ish in that the staff used a slow day to create and solve hypotheticals, but it was also playful and entertaining — AND let us see the characters in a somewhat different context.

Best thing on "House" tonight: The shout-out to "Nip/Tuck." …

(I know, some people are saying it was the firing of Michael Michele. I stand by my pick.) Best thing on "Bones": the ongoing presence of John Francis Daley, who is not only fun on its own but an interesting catalyst in the Bones/Booth relationship.

Beyond that, though, both episodes were a bit blah. "House" even fell back on the tired device of having the cast being followed around for a documentary. OK, it did some fun things with the device, including how the documentary turned out. But it still felt a little too conventional.

As for "Bones," I enjoy it generally but didn't feel enthralled by this episode. Even the relationship-advancing conversation about humiliation was leaned on too often. But the Smurfs thing at the end was somehow cute, endearing and a little hot. Or at least that's how Emily Deschanel seemed to be playing it.

I may post about "Nip/Tuck" later, although I'm still trying to get over that opening scene. You want to talk about humiliation…

The scene that persuaded me to watch "Pushing Daisies" at least once more.

(You know, after listening to Chip Caray declare "Here come the Yankees" too many times, it was kind of nice just now to hear Joe Buck punctuate a Cleveland rally with "Here come the Indians." But that's not what I'm here to talk about.)

I think it's "Mad Men" fatigue. That show was so good, other hours are having a hard time measuring up …

To start with the show that has the video selection above, "Pushing Daisies" is just too cutesy — and painfully slow because it is so busy being cute, and sometimes just not all that cute. (A burly guy who knits. Not too inventive, that.) Yet the whole Kristin Chenoweth/"Hopelessly Devoted"/dancing-with-the-dog segment was indeed amusing and sweet and charming. If the show could feel more like that more often, I might begin to enjoy it. As it is, that bit was, as I said at the beginning of the post, enough to get me back one more week.

I don't think I have another week of "Dirty Sexy Money" in me. Not that I hate it. More that I am just bored by it. The show certainly tries, and it's wittier than the old prime-time soaps that it both recalls and gently parodies. But the plots and schemes just do not interest me. If I was trapped in a mountain cabin that only got one channel, and the only show on that channel was "Dirty Sexy Money," and I was snowbound, and I had absolutely nothing else to do, then I would watch it and not mind very much. But I'm not likely to devote more DVR space to it.

I didn't hate either "Private Practice" or "Grey's Anatomy" this week, and I suppose that's a sign of improvement. That, or I was watching at a point when I was too tired to get emotional. In any case, "Private Practice" moved along without excessive offense, though it didn't give me any big reason to come back, either. I'm still waiting for some sign of the old Addison, and this week just found her squishy-soft again.

As for "Grey's," my feelings are more complicated. I see hints of the old "Grey's," of humor and of good character interaction. But there's still the Izzie Problem. She's a terrible person and a worse doctor. Her treatment of the old guy, and the business with the tubes, were still more proof that she shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a patient. As for Alex's slagging of George, unless I missed a moment where he realized that Izzie and George are together again, it just seemed petty and jealous. To be sure, that's the old Alex. But that Alex was put aside last season and the beginning of this one, so a sudden and public re-emergence of his old self felt out of character. But "Grey's" modus operandi is people going out of character.

I do like "House," but this week's was pretty blah. I think the finding-a-new-team thread has gotten pretty thin, and none of the new characters work as well with House as the old ones did. And we've seen House confronted before about faith-vs.-medicine, and this confrontation didn't add anything.

The Foreman scenes had some oomph, because they showed Foreman trying to be the anti-House — praising people, for goodness sake — but having to fight his own, inner House. And when he took a House-like risk, it bit him in the backside. The only way he is going to be the doctor he wants to be is while working in a place that tolerates the antics of his mentor — and, so, presumably would tolerate someone else acting the same way.

But it's not "Mad Men."

Resumes a new season tonight on Fox.

I've been worried about spoilers for tonight's season premiere of "House." But the network's promos spoil one good joke, as well as giving away the closing scene of the episode, so there's not a lot left to spoil. And I suspect that tonight's promo for next week's episode will have a spoiler or two. So I'll just press on, albeit after the jump …

In June, after "House" seemed to let three characters go, I posted this:

Although I liked those characters, the idea of putting "House" with a new team next season is an appealing one. So much of the show depends on House's interaction with other people, and we've seen just about every possible variation in his dealings with Foreman, Chase and Cameron. A new team would force House to operate in a different way (although he would probably start off as his usual bullying self), as well as allowing us to see how other people would deal with the irascible doc.

I know, part of the show's appeal is that House is so nasty. But it still requires that such nastiness be balanced by people who know House's behavior is appalling — not only his associates, but Wilson, Cuddy and the guest actors. And where the show has played with the idea of Foreman as a younger House — and Foreman's departure is based on his rejection of that role — how would viewers react to, say, a new, young doctor who is every bit as brilliant, abrasive and obnoxious as House himself? Especially if such a doctor could not be fired?

I ended up voting for a new team. I was probably being wildly optimistic, because Tuesday's season premiere of "House" acknowledges how important his sounding boards are to him — and does so in a funny way. In fact, "House" is reminding us again that the good doctor is not nearly as brilliant as he thinks he is, at least not without some help.

In making that acknowledgment, the show tips the casting balance in favor of Foreman, Chase and Cameron. Also, the Old Guard appeared on a panel for the show during July's TCA tour. So even if House looks a little bit adrift tonight, don't expect it to last long.

Yes, there will be other, new characters, and that's important, too. House's bullying doesn't really work anymore with the Old Guard; they're used to it, and know a bluff when they hear one. So a New Guard lets House unearth his old tricks.

But the show has also found fresh fodder in the continuing characters' knowing House's tricks — not only his three sidekicks but Wilson and Cuddy — and so being cagier with him, and forcing him to new deviousness. And that's good, too, because it gives Hugh Laurie a chance to play some different notes.

All of this is a long way toward saying that tonight's episode is fun as House tries to get by without his team. And it's smart in knowing that he really shouldn't be without one.

My review of "High School Musical 2" is here. My review of "Superbad" is here.

After the jump, Barry Corbin, and the perils of magazine deadlines … and a new part 2, with "Damages," "Mad Men," "Rescue Me" (so beware of spoilers if you haven't caught up)…

Barry Corbin finally appear as Brenda's father on "The Closer," and what fun it was. He is such a solid actor, able to play the comedy and drama in a character, sometimes within the same scene. He can, as he did on "The Closer," intimidate another character (in this case, Fritz), then make it a joke — and still make you remember the intimidation even as he is smiling. All that, and him playing off both Kyra Sedgwick and Frances Sternhagen. TV heaven, dropped in a sturdy episode. (The elevator scene!)

Talking to some of the "Closer" fans around my office, though, reminded me of the varieties of viewing habits. They were surprised to see Corbin's bald head, since they remembered him in the main from "Northern Exposure," where he had hair. But I;m sure there are other viewers — like my bride – who think of him the way he looked on "The Closer," because it is close to the way he looks on "One Tree Hill."

I made a magazine run last night, mainly to check on the Allure and OK! pieces about Britney Spears. (This is, after all, part of my pop culture mandate.) And while doing so, I began thinking about an item for tomorrow's HeldenFiles, probably to be called "Fun at the Newsstand."

And what was that fun? Well, there was Lindsay Lohan on the cover of the September issue of Elle, with the quote "I'm glad I went to rehab." But, as the magazine notes in the article, it's from an interview done just before her Memorial Day disaster, and the ensuing trip to rehab (which are at least described in the text with the interview) — and therefore well before her most recent troubles and her current reported stint in a Utah facility.

Then there's the Summer 2007 issue of In Style Weddings. Jennifer Morrison of "House" on the cover. Lovey-dovey pictures inside of Morrison and co-star/fiance Jesse Spencer. Description of wedding plans, discussion of The Dress.

They called off the engagement this week.

Part 2: I've been doing some catchup this weekend, for the past week's "Damages," "Rescue Me" and "Mad Men." I also have a couple of upcoming "Mad Men" I may get so, although our Viewing Of The Day is the forthcoming DVD of "Heroes."

I'm still watching "Damages" because I keep expecting it to get better. And every now and then there's something I like a great deal, like the look on Ted Danson's face when he talks about the cost of shipping a grenade. But I still think it's mainly implausible melodrama, and a clunky one at that. The time shifts from the present day (post killing) to the past (case in progress) and even to the deeper past (Florida) are just distracting; once the killing was established in the first episode, it should have settled for a more linear narrative from the case to the present day. The everybody's-got-secrets subtext is overworked, too, mainly because the secrets so far just aren't that interesting. But Glenn Close is growing on me, her behavioral tics seeming more understandable — at least, if we accept the idea that she is crazy as a bedbug. "Damages" has come one of those big potboiler novels that I'm determined to finish, even if doing so isn't all that enjoyable.

"Mad Men," in contrast, is just plain terrific. It also involves a world full of secrets, in particular those of Don Draper (the superb Jon Hamm), who has changed his name and abandoned his old life — including, we now know, an adoring younger brother. The story of Don and his wife Betty (January Jones) by itself is enough to carry a pretty good show, but the weaving in of other characters and stories remains strong. And unlike "Damages," where I feel as if I'm constantly having to fit someone new into the fabric, "Mad Men" does not overburden us in a given week by trying to tell too many stories.

Then there's "Rescue Me." For a moment this week, it had me — in the scene where Tommy is sitting on the rooftop and talking about what it means to bury your child. coming after we've gotten to the depth of Mike the ex-probie's pain. There was also the sheer amusement of the looks on Lou and Franco when they finally see what the new chief has been rumored to have. But I'm still not feeling that great old "Rescue Me" vibe. The intervention scene never quite worked. The baby-kidnapping — or was it a baby-un-kidnapping? — felt fake. The Gina Gershon scene, pointless. More and more this seems like one of those shows that had a season or two of greatness and now just can't figure out how to quit.

A coy announcement about some new actors, after the jump …

Here's what Fox is telling:

Five actors have been cast in Season Four of the Emmy Award-winning series HOUSE, which premieres Tuesday, Sept. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

HOUSE stars Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant diagnostician who thrives on the challenge of solving medical puzzles to save lives. In the Season Three finale, the set-in-his-ways House was confronted with a series of major changes to his team – neurologist Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) left Princeton Plainsboro because he didn’t want to turn into House; House randomly fired old-money intensivist Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), claiming he learned everything he’s going to learn during the past three years, or nothing at all; and immunologist Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) resigned, knowing House will be completely unaffected by her decision. But any effects of this “house-cleaning” on House, or the changes it may bring to House professionally or personally, remain to be seen.

Didn't get to the "House" season finale until the weekend …

but I have to say I was mightily impressed by the (seeming) decision to jettison three of the series regulars. Now I dare them to stick to it.

For those of you tuning in late, the telecast left House without a team — Foreman making good on his threat to leave, Chase fired, Cameron resigning. But it also made a point about House — and, by extension, the television audience — that change is inevitable and we should not fear it.

Although I liked those characters, the idea of putting "House" with a new team next season is an appealing one. So much of the show depends on House's interaction with other people, and we've seen just about every possible variation in his dealings with Foreman, Chase and Cameron. A new team would force House to operate in a different way (although he would probably start off as his usual bullying self), as well as allowing us to see how other people would deal with the irascible doc.

Still, while cast upheaval can continue a long run ("Law & Order," "Cheers"), it does pose a risk for a series, especially when you're getting rid of a likable character. In "House's" case, you could argue that they're dumping three likable people — since just about anyone can seem pleasant when dealing with House.

I know, part of the show's appeal is that House is so nasty. But it still requires that such nastiness be balanced by people who know House's behavior is appalling — not only his associates, but Wilson, Cuddy and the guest actors. And where the show has played with the idea of Foreman as a younger House — and Foreman's departure is based on his rejection of that role — how would viewers react to, say, a new, young doctor who is every bit as brilliant, abrasive and obnoxious as House himself? Especially if such a doctor could not be fired?

Could be fun, now that I think about it.

But we'll see soon enough if "House" is really going to clear the decks, or if it will just let the viewers think something dramatic has happened (a la Gibbs's seeming to leave "NCIS" a season ago) before settling back into the old groove.

I vote for a new groove.

"Lost" fatigue, some possible spoilers from last night's telecasts and proof that I am a sentimental fool, after the jump …

I watched tonight's hey-we're-back episode of "Lost" a week or so ago. It was OK. Some questions are answered, and even intriguingly. The overall story puts at least a comma on the saga of Jack, Sawyer and Kate on the small Island of Dr. Moreau, or whatever it is, so that in a week we can get back to seeing more of the core characters back on the big Pleasure Island, or whatever it is.

But here's the thing: I don't want "Lost" to be just OK. I want that feeling where I could talk for an entire week, from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next, about what is going on. I want to feel as if I'm getting closer to something; even when "Lost" gives me info now, I know that it is holding back far more than it is giving. Lately, it's been more like a very long book that I am determined to finish even if it's not that much fun to read.

Still, I watched it. It was OK. Just keep your expectations low.

As for the sentimental fool thing, both "Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars" choked me up.

Loved the "Veronica" line about "Footloose" — and overall I liked the way "VM" was absolutely respectful of its TV-evangelist character; in a way, it was a continuation of last week's don't-misjudge-the-prostitute story. The ending was very nicely done (although, were I Veronica, I probably still would have cubed Madison's car), but even better was the scene with Veronica and the preacher in his office. Tissues, please.

Not so thrilled with the deterioration of Logan, even if he carried off the cell-phone monologue. You pretty well knew Veronica wasn't going to listen past the insults. Interesting, though, that both "VM" and "Gilmore Girls" built key scenes around cell-phone monologues. Anyway, I just wish they would settle this whole Veronica-Logan thing once and for all. It's just toxic for the storytelling to keep dragging it out. And even as we're moving closer to resolution of the dean-murder story, I am tending to forget it's there. Right now the self-contained stories are much stronger.

"Gilmore," then. Big sweepsy thing with Richard's heart attack. Hard to believe Christopher would be AWOL so long, except that — as I was saying to someone after last week's show — leaving is basically something Christopher does, much the way Luke's thing is showing up. The rhythms of Lorelai's jokiness felt off in the early going. And still …

Kelly Bishop as Emily Gilmore was a marvel, from her grand entrance through her gift-shop meltdown. She did not hit a wrong note, and in the last hospital scene with her and Richard you saw a couple who really had figured out a loving partnership. And do not for a moment forget that it is loving. Superbly done, at least to this old fool.

"House" was fine enough, and one where the medical case hardly mattered. But here's one example of why I like the show: When "House" has to negotiate the wheelchair from the observation area down to surgery, I thought sure he would realize that he had to end the bet. After all, being in the wheelchair cost him precious time when someone's life was at stake. But that sort of caring epiphany would not be "House." Even when he briefly abandoned the wheelchair, it was not so much about saving the patient as about proving he was right. And after that, he still thought he could win the bet. House is that kind of rat, after all — and a rat worth watching just about every week.

Thanks to the completion of a couple of projects and weather that makes me want to stay indoors, I've been keeping better pace with my TV faves of late. …

First of all, loved the use of Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep" on "Veronica Mars." Good blending of a song I like with a show I like. Beyond that, thought this "VM" had a better handle on the self-contained story than last week's. And the hooker-and-the-geek story was handled rather well; we knew they were doomed, but it kept defying our cynicism about the hooker.

On the other hand, Veronica's antennae should have gone up when Madison appeared, and should have been vibrating like a theremin when Logan said he had been with someone who disgusted him. And the soapy nature of Logan-Veronica is beginning to wear me out.

Also felt a little tired about "Gilmore Girls," even though I am a longtime member of the Lorelai Belongs With Luke Association. Christopher's reaction felt excessive, and Lorelai failed to make the most obvious point — that Christopher is not the second choice, he was the first choice, long before she knew Luke. Jackson's non-vasectomy was sort of funny but, even by "GG" standards, tough to buy: Sookie would have known that she was pregnant, for one thing, and Jackson would have had clear signs of a vasectomy if he had really had one. On the plus side, though, we'll always have Paris — who can make even an inspiring speech about friendship sound hostile. …

Speaking of hostile, I can understand why "House" did this week's episode, even if I found it slow and a little labored. Still, the show has to remind of periodically of a couple of things. First, that he's a good doctor (underscored every time they figured out a mystery case) even if he is an awful human being. Second, that he's an awful human being for a reason — because, if we don't understand that, then he becomes just a nasty piece of work and not nearly so amusing to watch. Coming off an arc that ended with House having conned the court and his friends, continuing to see House as an unprincipled slave to his addictions, the point about rotten-for-a-reason had to be made in a forceful way. Hence the abuse excuse — wonderfully acted by Hugh Laurie, if not all that well written.

Finally, last night's "Friday Night Lights" actually allowed some good cheer at the end of the episode — the drunken dad's making amends, Slash back in the game, the coach realizing that he had pushed too hard — albeit with some sadness — Saracen's stupid lie and damage to his relationship with the coach's daughter. And I continue to like the way Kyle Chandler plays the coach as audibly unsentimental — the no-hug-coming finish to Slash's reinstatement made the moment.

I have been talking around some of the plot developments in tonight's season premiere of "House" (including in a new podcast you can find at www.ohio.com) because it does make a difference to see the early scenes without preconceptions.

But several of my colleagues have already blabbed, so I might as well do likewise. And if you don't want to know, then stop reading here.

OK, moving on: The surgery House had at the end of season two proved successful, giving him the mobility he had longed for. That's interesting enough (although it's possible the transformation won't be permanent). But even more interesting is the way House changes emotionally — and how that affects all the people around him.

Since he has lost a continuing reason for his anger, House suddenly seems milder. And since his happiness is rooted in what amounted to a gamble, he is more willing to take risks with a patient based not on his medical knowledge but on pure instinct.

As a result, his colleagues are not only dealing with a happier House — a puzzling spectacle by itself — but one whose medical skills may have been twisted in a dangerous direction. Indeed, the opener seems to be sending House down the road to a colossal mistake.

The change of heart will disorient some viewers. But unlike "Bones," which has also softened its central character but hasn't given a strong dramatic justification, "House" has made its change rational. And it has thought out the implications of that change. Concerned at first with the direction the show had taken, I've come to see all the interesting places the show could go — that it's still looking closely at its characters instead of drifting into routine.

By the way, my detailed fall-preview package is also available now on www.ohio.com, as is a second podcast about MyNetworkTV, which begins its soapy wanderings tonight. Both podcasts include me and Amy Carlson Gustafson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

This weekend was a "House" triple-header: finally catching up to the DVR of last week's episode, followed by the two-part telecast airing this week (at 9 p.m. Tuesday and then 8 p.m. Wednesday).

There is one link between last week and this week — the intersection of faith and medicine. Last week, of course, that was in the story of House (Hugh Laurie) and team trying to cure a young faith healer. I didn't think the show handled the topic very well, as it reached a compromise — medicine working some, faith working some — that felt too much like something designed to pacify all segments of the audience. The new episodes embrace faith through Foreman's father (played solemnly by guest star Charles Dutton) during a medical crisis after Foreman picks up a mysterious and potentially very dangerous ailment from a patient. It feels with faith more sure-handedly. Foreman's father comes across as someone who not only believes in God but believes in what people can do — particularly people who know more about a topic than he does.

But the episodes are really a showcase for Foreman (Omar Epps) and, to a lesser degree, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison), as her conflict with Foreman remains unresolved going into these shows. There's also a glimpse of the warmer side of House. All right, so he doesn't really have a warmer side. Let's say a glimpse into the conscience of House, since he does have one of those, and the show does well in dealing with why it's often better that House not care about his patients.

Not a perfect pair of episodes. After all, we all know that, if a story is in two parts, then what looks like a solution near the end of part one is probably not going to work out. But as character pieces they're highly enjoyable. The idea that Foreman is in many respects House Jr. gets a real workout here, and more than once you will look at him and think, yeah, House would have done the same thing. And Cameron gets to show some elements of her character that are a departure from what we usually see, while consistent with Cameron as we know her.

Well, it's Super Bowl morning and they're talking about the game on ESPN's 'Sports Reporters" (today's lineup: Albom, Wilbon, Lupica). But I'm still thinking about "House." The bride and I wound down last night by watching a disc of two new episodes, including the one airing Tuesday.

In some ways, it's very familiar "House" — complicated medical mysteries and glimpses of the personal side of the doctors. And, in more than a glimpse, House's complicated relationship with his ex-wife takes a couple of new turns.

But what's also interesting about the show is that the way the characters seem to be talking about the show itself as well as themselves. In one episode, as a doctor tries to explain a medical condition, House objects — insisting that metaphors are his territory. (You can almost hear the same conversation happening in the writers' room.)

Even more pointed are remarks by Wilson to House about his irascible friend's emotional state: "You're afraid if you change, you'll lose what makes you special."

That's said in the context of House's overall unhappiness, and it illuminates the ongoing challenge for "House" and for other TV shows. If you establish a character the audience likes, and keep the character exactly the way the audience likes him, then eventually everyone gets bored. But if you change the character, you risk alienating the viewers who liked him exactly the way he was.

We're not just talking about characters, of course. We're talking about physical appearance — when a cute little kid in the first season of a show has the gall to grow older, bigger and less cute — and relationships — when romantic tension between a couple is charming at the beginning but over time either becomes redundant or has to be resolved. "Grey's Anatomy" has proved very smart in dealing with the whole Meredith/McDreamy situation, which looked like a huge cliche at the beginning of the series; of course, "Grey's" is also is in just its second season, and it seems to have settled in for a long run.

Before Wilson makes that comment to "House," he says something else: "You don't like yourself. But you do admire yourself. It's all you've got, so you cling to it." The show constantly faces the problem of not clinging too much to House's self-loathing and the way it affects his dealings with others. But if it stops clinging, where does it go?

We've already seen times when House was indeed likable; he has been very good with children, for instance. How many moments like that will we see before House becomes a different character? While watching those two episodes, I wondered if "House" would have been better off as a British series, making only a handful of episodes every year, and so under less pressure to keep the story going; I also wondered if there were times when the producers, writers and cast wished they could just give a big farewell after a couple of seasons — sending "House" to a logical narrative point and then not having to drag it out long after their (and the audience's) patience had worn out.

Playboy magazine will have a "20 Questions" session with "House's" Hugh Laurie in its February issue (on sale tomorrow). Here are some excerpts the magazine sent along:

On being a Clint Eastwood fan: “I grew up in the shadow of Dirty Harry. Yes, I can’t deny it. House has elements of Dirty Harry in the medical world. There was that line ‘That’s the one thing about Harry: He doesn’t play favorites. Harry hates everybody.’”

On which American makes the worst attempt at an English accent: “I suppose at the top of every Englishman’s list would be Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. That would have to be construed as a virtual act of war. I think every Englishman assumed that the only justification for hiring someone that unsuitable to play a cockney chimney sweep was that he could dance like the wind. Sure enough, he did; the chimney-sweep sequence is magnificent. Years later I learned that Van Dyke had never danced before that movie.”**

On why so many characters on House have convulsions and what gives him real life convulsions: “Convulsions are cinematic, whereas strokes are silent, deadly assassins that simply result in, well, basically nothing. I’m going to stand up for the convulsion. Too much politeness gives me convulsions. I think of myself as a reasonably polite person. I say please and thank you; I try to be on time and dress appropriately for the occasion—you know, the basics. But too much politeness makes me jittery- oppressive politeness, people springing to their feet every time someone comes in, people over apologizing. I start to twitch.”

**Laurie's history is off here. Van Dyke not only danced on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," he starred in "Bye Bye Birdie" — all before "Mary Poppins."

As was the case with Simon Cowell's rumored departure from "American Idol," talk about Fox moving around telecasts of "Idol" proved premature. Cowell is back, as is noted below, and "Idol" will remain a Tuesday/Wednesday fixture.

Fox planned changes in January because it is bringing back "Idol" and "24," and they eat up time slots. So changes are being made: "Bones" moves to Wednesday, "Killer Instinct" is done, "Prison Break" will return in March and reality gets yet another watch-stars-fall-down show with the premiere of "Skating With Celebrities."

Sorry, I needed a moment. That title always makes me giggle.

Anyway, here's the Fox lowdown for early 2006, first on a nightly basis, then show by show.

Mondays — "Skating With Celebrities" at 8 p.m. from Jan. 23 into March, when "Prison Break" returns. "24" will be at 9 p.m. as of Jan. 23 but will have a four-hour premiere before that.

Tuesdays — "American Idol" at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 17 (two-hour telecast), "House" remains in the 9 p.m. slot (except for that Jan. 17 pre-emption, obviously).

Wednesdays — "American Idol" audition episodes at 8 p.m. beginning Jan. 18. Special premiere of "Skating With Celebrities" follows on Jan. 18; "Bones" gets the 9 p.m. slot as of Jan. 25, for the weeks when "Idol" is still running hour-long audition shows on Wednesdays; when "Idol" goes to half-hour results shows, "Bones" will probably drop to 8 p.m., with "Idol" at 9 and something else at 9:30. (Fox still has some half-hour backup shows in the wings.)

Thursdays — "The O.C." at 8 p.m., with "Reunion" at 9 p.m. until its series finale on Feb. 2. (Fox is calling it a season finale, but it hasn't ordered more episodes of the show beyond its original 13.) The 9 p.m. hour will then probably go to specials during February sweeps, with "That '70s Show" and "Stacked" taking over 9 p.m. as of March 2.

Fridays — "Bernie Mac," "Malcolm in the Middle" and, as of Jan. 6, "Trading Spouses." "Killer Instinct" has its last telecast on Friday.

Saturdays — Still "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted."

Sundays — Comedy reruns at 7, followed by "King of the Hill," "The Simpsons," "The War at Home," "Family Guy" and "American Dad."

I know, a lot of that is confusing. I had to call a Fox rep to sort some of it out and fill in a few blanks. To make it clearer, here's a show-by-show breakdown of those making moves. ("House," "The O.C.," the early-Friday comedies and the Saturday and Sunday lineups stand pat.)

– "24" comes back with a four-hour premiere on Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan.16, before settling into the 9 p.m. Monday slot on Jan. 23.

– "American Idol" has a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, followed by a new hour at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18. It will then settle in at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the audition shows. Once it goes to half-hour results shows on Wednesdays, those will probably move up to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

– "Bones" will move to 9 p.m. Wednesdays as of Jan. 25, as long as "American Idol" is doing one-hour telecasts at 8 p.m. Wednesdays. When "Idol" goes to half-hours, "Bones" will probably move to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

– "Killer Instinct" is done after this Friday's telecast.

– "Nanny 911" does not have a time slot in the early '06 lineup but may pop up as filler on occasion, and will be available if another show falters.

– "Prison Break" will be back at 8 p.m. Mondays with a replay of the "fall finale" on March 13, followed by new episodes beginning March 20.

– "Reunion" will stay at 9 p.m. Thursdays until Feb. 2, when it will have its finale.

– "Skating With Celebrities" will have a special premiere at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, following "American Idol." It will then air at 8 p.m. Mondays beginning Jan. 23.

– "Stacked" takes a break from mid-January to March 2, when it returns at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays.

– "That '70s Show" takes a break from mid-January to March 2, when it returns at 9 p.m. Thursdays.

– "Trading Spouses" moves to Fridays at 9 p.m. as of Jan. 6.

Well, that cold I mentioned is a persistent creature, and one I'm getting very tired of. It's been hanging on today, so after a brief stop at the office, I came home to work. Which proved more difficult since my cable was out for a couple of hours, not only knocking out the TV but also my Internet connection. I've missed chatting here.

Still, I caught up with last week's "House" and then watched a preview of tomorrow night's episode, which ends with one of those twists so good that I dare not reveal it to you here. But even before the episode gets to the twist, it's yet another "House" tour de force, moving back and forth in time, inserting characters into scenes in inventive ways, operating like an especially dizzying stage play — and on top of that, throwing in an emotional kicker that hit me especially hard. Plus a guest-starring role by Allison Smith, who seems to be everywhere lately.

This is a show that has become so sure of itself, it is absolutely fearless. Last week's episode, with Cameron trying out meth, was one example. (This week, it's Chase at the center of the pinwheel.) It wasn't the main plot, but it forced you to look at a character in a different way, while not going so far that you found her actions unbelievable. And the show is just nervy. A reader had already e-mailed me to take a look at the address of House's home, and there it was, 221B. Same as Sherlock Holmes.

Besides "House," I finally got around to last week's "Veronica Mars," if only to be ready for the stunt telecast this week. Once again, the show juggled an incredible number of stories, character expansions and even social issues in a single hour, without feeling overstuffed. I'm not sure about it all — Logan's turning hero, Duncan's nightmares — and I am really missing Wallace, who's important in terms of how we see Veronica. And I missed several bits of dialogue thanks to Channel 43's kicking off the sound during its superfluous weather alerts. (By Wednesday night, everyone of at least modest intelligence knew the weather was getting tricky.) But I still really like it and am glad I waited to watch. "Veronica" just isn't a show to watch while fighting sleep or allowing distractions.

While I was watching those things, though, the lack of cable/Internet connections kept me feeling isolated. Yes, technological breakdowns can force us to consider things from different perspectives. Thanks to a previous cable TKO on Sunday, I listened to the first part of the Browns game on the radio — but they didn't sound any better than they looked once the TV was back. But it was just weird not having the usual access to things. It's another reminder about one of my pet themes, that the advances in technology create gaps for the people who can't afford to keep up. And if you feel behind for a day, how will it feel if you're behind every day?

The networks, of course, are rushing forward so fast that they're already creating gaps in the interest of profit. That exclusive "CSI: Miami" scene available only on the Internet, for instance. (A scene, by the way, that was also a huge promotion for a car company.) Or the plan to make some new "Lost" content available only through a cell-phone company and then on the "Lost" second-season DVD. And that's just what's happening in entertainment.

But, as I've said, I have ranted about that before. And will again, probably tomorrow, when I give a talk at the University of Akron. So I'll give it (and me) a rest now, except to say that it's good to be back.

Hugh Laurie is such a powerful presence on "House" that it's sometimes easy to ignore the show around him. And in the early going, I think the show leaned on that idea — letting the character's appeal carry the day when the plots were not as strong as they should be.

Now, there are times when House almost seems too much for "House." That doesn't mean the character has gotten worse. It means the show has gotten better.

I have seen the episode airing Tuesday night, and the one on Nov. 8, as Fox wants folks like me to remind viewers like you that the World Series is over and the regular programs are back. In tomorrow's episode, there were moments when House seemed a little too jokey, a little too deliberately annoying, as if the balance between anger and humor in the character had been thrown off-kilter.

My mistake. In fact, it turned out that House's extreme behavior was part of a larger point — to remind us that House is a deeply flawed person. We can at times forgive his bluntness, even his cruelty, because — to borrow an old phrase from Barry Goldwater — in our hearts we know he's right. But these two episodes will argue that there are limits to what House can do even when he is right — and sometimes he isn't remotely right. He is petty, he is capable of jealousy, he really is that angry man.

And while reminding us of that, the show is giving more insight not only into House but into the people around him. In the Nov. 8 episode, you're going to get to see House's parents and find out something about that relationship; but House's dealings with his father also provide a look at his feelings about Cameron, giving that relationship new complexity. In fact, the episode — called "Daddy's Boy" — is a wrenching consideration of the relationship between fathers and sons (both because of House's parents and because of a patient's case), between lies and truth and between the lies and truth that fathers and sons tell.

The Nov. 1 episode, meanwhile, establishes a character that brings out House's bad side — which makes me hope we might see more of him. (The episode leaves that possibility open.) It is a good and noble doctor, played by Ron Livingston, who at first seems to designed to put House's limitations in a bad light. He is Lance White to House's Jim Rockford, or Richard Stone to House's Martin Tupper. The new doc is also more complicated than he at first appears, although not so complicated that House comes off as any better a person.

In other words, the show is not taking it easy. I do worry sometimes that we are learning too much about House — that the more we understand him, the less we fear him, and House's ability to inspire fear is one of the things that makes him so interesting. But when he is not in the middle of things, the show still tells a good story. And those stories make it all the more interesting when House is in the middle of things.