When CBS yanked "Smith," there was considerable speculation that "3 LBS" would be the replacement. Lo and behold …

3 LBS, a new drama about a team of top New York Cityneurosurgeons who explore the brain — the core of intelligence, the center of emotion and spirit and the last great medical frontier — premieres Tuesday, Nov. 14 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

3 LBS stars Stanley Tucci ("The Devil Wears Prada") as Doug Hanson, a brilliant neurosurgeon, with a sharp wit, who compares the workings of the brain to wires in a box.  On the other hand, his thoughtful highly skilled protégé, Dr. Jonathan eger (Mark Feuerstein, "The West Wing"), who honors the mysteries of the mind, and feels that in order to operate on someone's brain, he needs to know a little bit about the person first.  While Hanson prefers to focus on the intricacies inside peoples' craniums instead of the people themselves, Seger uses his charm, instinct and intuition to balance the emotional and psychological needs of his patients. 

These doctors have opposing points of view on how to treat their patients. However, this doesn't get in the way of their shared obsessions about the brain, and their growing, sometimes secret mutual respect for each other's talents and approaches which includes a healthy dose of humor that is also needed for these jobs.

A part of this gifted medical team is Dr. Adrianne Holland (Indira Varma, "Rome"), a coy calculating neurologist. Armando Riesco ("Garden State") also stars.  Peter Ocko ("Boston Legal") is the executive producer of 3 LBS for CBS Paramount Network Television.

I've been hearing from fans of "Smith" (including one in a comment below) who don't understand why it was dropped. Short answer: Bad ratings. It wasn't because the show was about a criminal, since CBS knew that going in. And, given the people involved with the show, CBS probably looked for compelling evidence to keep it around. But the numbers didn't provide any. Sure, the similarly themed "Sopranos" worked for HBO, but HBO can get by with far fewer viewers than a broadcast network show requires — if only because HBO viewers put cash directly in its pocket by subscribing to its programs.

I hope you give "30 Rock" a chance tonight. I have seen two episodes, watching each more than once, and there's a lot of wit and dry humor, as well as a terrific performance by Alec Baldwin and a very good one by Tracy Morgan. (Tina Fey is a better writer than actress, but she's not bad at either.) The Jane Krawowski/Rachel Dratch switch is also an improvement. It's not as fall-down-funny as "The Office," but in time it could be.

As for "Twenty Good Years," you're on your own. As much as I like Akron's John Lithgow, the series pilot didn't make me want to come back for more.

Comments welcome on both shows.

Last night I fell asleep during "Gilmore Girls." No obvious fault of the show. Nor, in spite of a shot from a co-worker, did it have to do with my being old. Just tired, and still running hard. In fact, the "Gilmore Girls" nap gave me enough energy that I could finish watching a screener of "Before the Music Dies," a documentary being shown here on Saturday.

Yep, I am easing ever more into movies, as well as keeping a hand in TV. This morning I hit the office early before heading up to Cleveland for a preview screening of "Shortbus." (More about it later.) It should have felt odd to sit in a darkened theater at 10 o'clock in the morning, but it didn't really. I've been watching TV shows at odd hours for years — prime-time previews in the morning, recordings of daytime shows at night — so I don't have much of a sense of time dislocation. I just have to remember to stay awake.

Last week less than 7.2 million people watched the premiere of "Friday Night Lights," which ranks among the best new shows of the season. As I have said before, it was my favorite pilot for a new series. I know that the 8 p.m. hour (on the East Coast, at least) is a brutally competitive one for TV fans. The DVR will certainly be clicking in my house at that time. But even if you have to record something else for later viewing, give "Friday Night Lights" a chance. I have seen tonight's episode and it is still good, thoughtful, emotional — a deft portrayal of a small town that goes far beyond its football trappings. These are not patient times at the networks, with all five — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the new CW — having already made changes in their fall plans. So let's not push NBC's patience by waiting awhile to watch "Friday Night Lights." It deserves a look now.

I had already seen last night's "Heroes" but paused again for the shot of the cheerleader on the slab, because it's such a great "holy cow" closer. Can't wait to see what they're going to do with her next — especially since Matt Lanter, who plays the evil quarterback, is going to be around for more episodes, and I suspect some creepy payback awaits.

I interviewed Matt last week, by the way, since he's a local guy and he also has a recurring role on "Shark" starting this week. You can find my story about him here. He was a little surprised that I had seen this week's episode — which had been sent to critics some time ago — and I was frustrated that we couldn't talk more for publication about the twists, both in his character and in the final scene. But I didn't want to spoil it all for readers.

Getting back to the episode, I'm thinking that from here on out, the best way to watch "Heroes"  may be to record it and then just watch the sections about characters I'm entertained by — cheerleader, Hiro, mind-reading "Alias" guy — while skipping the rest. Unfortunately, they're promoting the intertwining of all their destinies, and there is that Overarching Plot, which also interests me a lot less than some of the characters.

Looking ahead, by the way, there's a pretty good little twist in tonight's "Nip/Tuck" involving Monica Wilder, the character from Akron. Even when I had an idea what was coming, I jumped when it happened.

In Northeast Ohio, you can find old episodes of "Smallville" in HD thanks to HDNet. But you can't see the current ones in that format yet.

The reason: Local CW affiliate WBNX (Channel 55) still hasn't gotten its HD signal up and running. That may change in a few weeks, but even that's not dead cert.

Station manager Lou Spangler told me today that it took the station 3 1/2 years to get a permit for its digital channel because of a Canadian TV station feared transmission conflicts. Once it got over that hurdle, it hoped to have the digital signal — and HD with it — running by Aug. 1, and tweaked into readiness for viewers by Labor Day, before the new TV season began.

But there have been problems that Spangler — an admitted non-techie — summed up as "computers that won't talk to computers."

Now, he's hoping for a tests in late October and a formal launch by Nov. 1.

But even that will just be a signal for the likes of the cable companies to pick up. WBNX doesn't expect to have its over-the-air digital antenna in hand until late this year, when winter would interfere with construction, so it will probably be April before WBNX has over-the-air digital transmissions.

Since Thursdays are turning into a quite interesting fight, I'm offering you some different spins on the numbers from that night. First, ABC's release:

For the second straight week, ABC qualified as the #1 network on Thursday night
among Adults 18-49, beating out CBS (6.2/16 vs. 6.0/16).  ABC was also the No. 1
network on the evening with Adults 18-34 (5.7/17) and in all key women
demographics: W18-34 (8.1/22), /W18-49 (8.7/21) & W25-54 (9.8/21). 

* ABC's new Thursday lineup is already delivering impressive returns, as the
Network is up by 9.5 million viewers (17.1 million vs. 7.6 million) and by 205%
in Adults 18-49 (6.7/18 vs. 2.2/6) over the first two Thursdays of last season. 

“Ugly Betty” (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
From 8:00-9:00 p.m. ABC's debut telecast of “Ugly Betty” opened as the most-
watched new show of the season (any network), with 16.1 million viewers and a
4.9 rating, 14 share in Adults 18-49, taking a very strong second to CBS' time
period veteran “Survivor” on both counts.  From start to finish, “Ugly Betty”
saw its audience soar by 3.2 million viewers (14.5 million to 17.7 million) and
by 33% in Adults 18-49 (4.2/12 to 5.6/15)…edging out “Survivor” at 8:30pm in
viewers (17.7 million vs. 17.5 million) and Adults 18-34 (4.6/13 vs. 4.5/13). 
Incidentally, against “Betty” “Survivor” was down from last week in both viewers
and young adults.  “Ugly Betty” won its time period, beating “Survivor,” across
the women demographics: W18-34 (5.9/17 vs. 4.9/14), W18-49 (7.0/18 vs. 6.7/17) &
W25-54 (8.3/19 vs. 8.1/19). 

* The debut of “Ugly Betty” attracted ABC's largest audience with a scripted
program in the time period in nearly 11-1/2 years - since 4/27/95, with an
episode of “Matlock.”  No other regular scripted program has delivered a higher
Adult 18-49 rating for ABC in the Thursday 8 o'clock hour in more than 12 years
- since 8/25/94, with the series debut of “My So-Called Life.”

“Grey’s Anatomy” (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
For the second straight week, ABC's “Grey's Anatomy” beat CBS' “C.S.I.” to rank
No. 1 in the time period across the key adult demographics: AD18-34 (8.7/23),
AD18-49 (9.4/22) & AD25-54 (10.3/22).  In the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic,
“Grey's” beat “C.S.I.” by 19% (9.4/22 vs. 7.9/19). 

* For the second week in a row, ABC’s “Grey's Anatomy” stood as Thursday night's
No. 1 TV program in all key adult and women demographics.
 
* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, “Grey's” is producing ABC's strongest
scripted series numbers in the time period in at least 15 years - since at least
September of 1991, the start of the Nielsen electronic database.

“Six Degrees” (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's “Six Degrees” outpaced its CBS' drama
competition (“Shark”) among young adults (AD18-34/AD18-49) and across the key
women demographics.  In Adults 18-34, “Six Degrees” beat out “Shark” by 57%
(4.4/13 vs. 2.8/8). 

* On average in its first two telecasts, “Six Degrees” has improved ABC's
performance in the hour by 5.1 million viewers (11.7 million vs. 6.6 million)
and by 133% in Adults 18-49 (4.9/13 vs. 2.1/6) over the same nights last season.

Now here's CBS's treatment of the same night.

In the second match up of the season, CSI beat "Grey's Anatomy" in viewers and was the night's most watched program, SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS topped the highly promoted premiere of "Ugly Betty," and SHARK took a bite out of its competition, placing ahead of "ER" and "Six Degrees," leading CBS to a first place finish in viewers and adults 25-54, according to preliminary Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Sept. 28.

CSI was first in viewers (23.49m), second in households (14.1/21), adults 25-54 (9.7/21) and adults 18-49 (7.9/19).   Compared to last week, CSI was up +3% in both households (from 13.7/21) and adults 18-49 (from 7.7/18), +2% in adults 25-54 (from 9.5/21) and added +910,000 viewers (from 22.58m, +4%). 

CSI moved ahead of "Grey's Anatomy" by +180,000 viewers (after trailing by -2.83m last week) and is now trailing the ABC drama by –0.8 rating points in households (from -2.1), -0.6 rating points in adults 25-54 (from -2.3) and -1.5 rating points adults 18-49 (from -3.3).   

        The third episode of SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS won its time slot in viewers (16.60m), adults 25-54 (7.1/18), adults 18-49 (5.8/16) and adults 18-34 (4.2/13).  Compared to last week and against the heavily promoted premiere of ABC's "Ugly Betty", SURVIVOR retained 98% of its household delivery (from 9.8/16), 93% of adults 25-54 (from 7.6/19), 89% in adults 18-49 (from 6.5/18), 93% in adults 18-34 (from 4.5/14) and 95% of viewers (from 17.43m).   

SURVIVOR: COOK ISLAND increased its delivery in the second half-hour:  +9% in households (10.0/16 from 9.2/15), +17% in both adults 25-54 (7.7/18 from 6.6/18) and adults 18-49 (6.3/16 from 5.4/16), +18% in adults 18-34 (4.5/13 from 3.8/12) and added +1.81m viewers (17.51m from 15.70m, +12%). 

At 10PM, SHARK won its time period in viewers (14.72m), was tied for first in households (9.5/16, with NBC), second in adults 25-54 (5.5/13) and third in adults 18-49 (4.2/11, -0.2 behind ABC).   Compared to last week's premiere, SHARK was up +2% in adults 18-49 (from 4.1/11) and even in adults 25-54 and viewers (from 14.74m).

For the night, CBS was first in households (11.1/17), viewers (18.27m), adults 25-54 (7.5/18) and second in adults 18-49 (6.0/16, -0.2 behind ABC).   

Update: For those of you tracking the ratings war on Thursday, "CSI" edged "Grey's Anatomy" in total viewers last night, while "Grey's" again had a sizable lead among viewers 18 to 49 years old. Both "CSI" and "Grey's" are still sizable hits, with close to 23.5 million viewers for the CBS show and about 23.3 million for "Grey's."

Going back to at least "China Beach," Marg Helgenberger has had a great face — beautiful but with a care-worn quality that doesn't hide the fact that she can also be tough as nails. "CSI" has been putting that look to good use in the two episodes this season, especially in Thursday's wrenching hour.

Over the years, "CSI" has been for me the kind of show "Law & Order" is for a lot of other people: something you don't necessarily seek out, but that you stop in for, have a good hour, then move on. But I've been watching "CSI" to see how it's doing as it battles "Grey's Anatomy," and getting drawn deeper into it,  even when it does things I don't like.

For one thing, did they really have to gun down Sam? ( A digression: If you're a fan of Scott Wilson, who has played Sam, check out "Junebug." It's pretty much Amy Adams's movie — and drags when she's not part of the action — but Wilson is wonderfully understated in a supporting role.) On the other hand, there's the elaborate, serialized mystery, the acting and the bursts of humor — I loved the singing of the cause of death. I don't need another hour of television, especially not in the overstuffed lineup on Thursday nights. But I'm not ready to give this one up yet.

When I mentioned in last night's post all the things I was watching or recording, I knew I had left something off the list. And it was "Shark," the James Woods drama that had its second airing last night. Woods is still great fun to watch, and the show emphasizes his nervous energy by having him and the camera in seemingly constant motion. It was also amusing to put Shark in the context of real-life Hollywood big shots, with Robert Shapiro and Wolfgang Puck in his poker game, and to see how the character is being molded more closely to Woods. The actor, for example, is a very serious poker player in real life.

But when you get past Woods, it's still not much of a show — way too glib in the way it wrapped up the case last night. If I was casting about for a show at 10 p.m. Thursday, I might check in with it again. But all the stuff I've recorded earlier in the evening is still sitting in the DVR as 10 o'clock arrives, so I don't really need another show in that hour.

Last spring, NBC announced it was holding "Crossing Jordan" for midseason. Then, as part of a schedule overhaul, it decided to bring it back after all, with the return planned for Oct. 20. Now that return has been put on hold while NBC tries to improve its ratings with … another game show. Here's the announcement:

One contestant will battle "the mob" of 100 others in an attempt to win $1 million in NBC's newest international game show import "1 vs 100," from Endemol USA, premiering its five-week run on Friday, October 13 (9-10 p.m.) following an original episode of "Deal or No Deal" (8-9 p.m. ET).

Following the series premiere, "1 vs 100" will air in its regular time slot on Fridays at 8 p.m. beginning October 20, leading into the return of "Las Vegas" (9-10 p.m. ET).  As a result, "Crossing Jordan" will rejoin the NBC schedule at a date to be announced later.   

The announcement was made today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"This entertaining game is a proven winner from Europe that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as the pressure builds with every question and the financial stakes grow higher," said Reilly.  "Bob Saget is the perfect host to keep things percolating without letting the excitement of so many people spin out of control."

Reilly continued:  "The introduction of this new show also allows us the luxury of saving such a proven and versatile series as 'Crossing Jordan' for use later in the season." (end announcement excerpt)

I'm not a fan of "Crossing Jordan," but I hear from a lot of them because its scheduling has been erratic. In fact, I was about to answer an e-mail about the show today — and to mention the Oct. 20 return, which NBC still had on its consumer Web site. Fortunately, a couple of brain cells remembered clicking past the "1 vs 100" release.

I am sitting here waiting for a conference call to start. Because I can't just sit for any length of time — you should see the ever-changing book stack in the bathroom — I have also been flipping through  Phil Rosenthal's book "You're Lucky You're Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom." Good book, no matter where you read it.

Rosenthal is, as the book's cover points out, creator and executive producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond," which was based not only on Ray Romano's life but on those of Rosenthal and the other writers. That should tell you he is funny. The book is also conversational — including swearing — and extremely informative about what it's like to write for television. Highly recommended. The book is from Viking, lists for $25.95 and is due in stores on Oct. 23.

Thanks for all the recent comments. Didn't get to much TV on Tuesday night — life keeps getting in the way — except for  "Dancing With the Stars." But that did raise a few questions:

What's with all the hostility toward Emmitt Smith?

Did they seriously think Sara Evans danced well, or were they just blinded by her cleavage? (It was quite a night for heaving bosoms, and not just hers.)

I know the show is deliberately kitschy, but what was going on with the women's costumes?

Have any of the judges actually seen pictures of Dorothy Dandridge?

In the end, last night felt like one where the judges — between cries of "no lifts!" — were trying to balance out the field, to keep the likes of Smith and Joey Lawrence from running away with the competition, and to bring Willa Ford and Evans back into serious contention. But they may just have been trying to fire up the audience — mobilizing the base for contestants either through ire (the judges slagged our favorite!) or enthusiasm (the people were like were called good tonight!). Then you get more votes and a bigger tune-in.

But come on, the lowest score of the night for Smith?

I've been working my way through some of last night's TV, which I missed because of a meeting and a need for sleep. The only thing I saw in real time was "Two and a Half Men." Funny still, good cameo from Mr. Tyler. (For some recent news about Tyler, see here.)

Caught up with "How I Met Your Mother." Some good parts — Barney is still one of TV's great characters — but mixed feelings about other things. Not a fan of the dramatic moments, as I have said before. And there was a point last night when I began to wonder if they've made Marshall the new Ted — writing all this wistful stuff for him because Jason Segel might manage to make it interesting. So far, not so good. Oh, and I had already watched "The Class," which still isn't giving me a reason to turn on the TV at 8.

And so to "The New Adventures of Old Christine," which went for a big jaw-dropping ending where Old Christine's date turns out to be the father of New Christine. Might have been funnier if I hadn't started thinking, didn't "Two and a Half Men" do something like this last season? In fact, it did a version that, if memory serves, was even more insanely complicated — Alan's ex dated the father of Alan's current girlfriend, whose mother spent some time (see how nicely I can do euphemism?) with Charlie.

I know that sitcoms borrow notions from each other all the time, but there should be some kind of rule about not grabbing an idea that's been done by the comedy that airs right before yours — especially when the lead-in comedy has been around longer and is more successful, so its viewers are probably yours, too.

Oh, well. Still waiting from last night: "7th Heaven." And it may wait awhile, since the TV and the DVR will be rolling tonight. ("House," "NCIS," "The Unit," "Dancing With the Stars," "Smith" …) Also, at some point I am going to have to come up with a new title for this blog, as it more clearly expands into pop culture. The best thing I have come up with so far is "Beacon Pop, Caffeine-Free." So, yes, I have to work on that…

I didn't get around to "Help Me Help You" for this morning's Beacon Journal for a couple of reasons. One, I felt a greater need to file a column about the season premiere of "Gilmore Girls" (which was a variation on what I had already posted in this blog). Two, I forgot about it.

And that's pretty much my review of "Help Me Help You." It wasn't memorable enough or provocative enough or funny enough. Not that it isn't funny in spots. And it does provide a reason to consider the TV career of Ted Danson, an actor who often gives off the air of likability while playing characters whose flaws are deep. So I'll do that now.

Sam Malone, after all, was a recovering alcoholic who at times fell off the emotional wagon, too. He seemed relatively stable because he was surrounded by far more twisted characters — Cliff, Carla, Diane and so on. He added to his abrasiveness in the briefly seen "Ink" (opposite his wife, Mary Steenburgen) and then let all the edges show as the star of "Becker." In that context, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," where he plays himself, is a breath-catcher, a chance to let someone else carry the neurosis bag. (Hello, Larry David!)

But Danson is back in his discomfort zone in "Help Me Help You," playing a therapist who could use some help himself — especially when it comes to his former marriage, which he refuses to admit is former.

If this was just a show about Danson trying to reclaim a wife (Jane Kaczmarek) that he has all but certainly lost, that might have been a decent comedy. But "Help Me" isn't content to do that alone, so it veers off from the Danson story into tales of his patients. You've seen some of this before, on the old "Bob Newhart Show" and in Judd Hirsch's "Dear John." The latter involved a support group for singles but had its band of wackos, and Jere Burns is part of the group in both "Dear John" and "Help Me Help You."

I won't argue that some of the wackiness on "Help Me" isn't funny. I especially like Suzy Nakamura's character, a woman hilariously lacking in social skills. But I'm not going to tune into this show every week just to wait for a good Nakamura scene. That would be like watching "Two and a Half Men" just for the scenes with Conchata Ferrell. Who is, by the way, very good. But if the show wasn't funny in other places, she would have to be very good without my weekly attention.

Still, getting back to "Help Me," the occasional giggle doesn't compensate for the long stretches where the laughs are nonexistent. (A patient in denial about being gay is especially unamusing.) I have seen two episodes, and that's more than enough.

This from NBC today:

NBC announced today that Emmy winner and comedy superstar Chevy Chase ("Caddyshack," "Fletch") begins filming this week on NBC's "Law & Order."  Chase guest stars as a television celebrity who is pulled over for drunk driving while wearing blood-soaked clothes, and whose religious prejudice comes out after his arrest.   The episode titled "In Vino Veritas" is slated to air on Friday, November 3, 10-11 p.m ET/PT. 

Obviously, some details will be changed so it isn't exactly about Mel Gibson — just the way last week's episode wasn't exactly about Britney and K-Fed. (For one thing, "L&O's" K-Fed variation was smart.) But you don't have to look very hard to see which headline was ripped for the episode.

The following was written for today's paper, but didn't get in. So …

Even if heroes are hard to find, a new television show has probably found too many.
Heroes, premiering at 9 tonight on NBC, not only has an array of characters but also begins with them spread around the world. Although it quickly becomes clear that their destinies are intertwined, serving them all can make for some disjointed storytelling.
The core of the show is that ordinary people are discovering that they have special powers.
A Texas cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere) recovers immediately from any harm, no matter how extreme (and she keeps trying new ways). A New York artist (Santiago Cabrera) has visions of the future. A Japanese office worker (Masi Oka) can stop time ` and maybe even move through space.
And that's just some of what you learn in the first hour. What may not be clear is the power held by a brooding young man (Milo Ventimiglia) and how that will affect his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar). The second episode introduces yet another character, a police officer (Greg Grunberg) who can read minds.
Nor is it certain that all the characters are using their powers for good. Still other characters are aware of this outbreak of new abilities, and do not all have benign intentions in dealing with the heroes.
As you can see, the show offers a great deal to talk about. In fact, the watching sometimes pales in comparison to talking about what you have watched, since the show is steeped in fantasy culture. Oka's character is a Star Trek fan. The comic-book style of the show becomes even more self-referential when a comic book becomes part of the story, too.
All of that will create endless online debate. Still, my enthusiasm for the show is limited.
  Oka's character is a real crowd-pleaser, and Panettiere's offers plenty of opportunities for amusement as well as carnage. (There's a scene with both at the end of the third episode.)
On the other hand, I'm not all that interested in Ventimiglia and some of the other characters. The something-for-everyone casting ` I haven't even mentioned the stripper ` also means you're going to have to wait through scenes of people you don't care about to see the ones you do.
And, frankly, the show's ambitions may be its biggest drawback. At its best, Heroes recalls the best of The Greatest American Hero, the TV series starring William Katt as a regular guy dealing with new powers. But the show wants the onset of powers to be part of a larger design and conspiracies, and it drags when addressing those issues.

This is from a recent report in Advertising Age:

Marketers will pony up as much as $700,000 for a 30-second spot in Fox's midseason hit, "American Idol," according to an initial survey of media agencies, conducted annually by Advertising Age. The Tuesday-night singing competition, returning in January, is the most expensive show for the third year in a row. Back in 2003, when NBC's "Friends" topped the list, "American Idol," didn't even make the top ten. The going price for 30-second spot on Fox's wildly popular 'American Idol' ranges from $500,000 to $700,000.  … Others at the top of the heap include Fox's "House," ABC's "Desperate Housewives," and ABC newcomer "Brothers and Sisters."

You can find the full report here.

Update: "Grey's" outdrew "CSI" in the overnight ratings…

We wait months for new episodes of our favorite shows, so it's not easy to approach their return without feeling a little overamped. Will it be as good as we remember it? Will we love it the way we did before? Tonight: A mixed reaction.

"The Office," for starters, was sheer genius. The payoff to Jim and Pam was well done, with both actors wonderful in their longing looks. (And we even were forced to feel sympathetic toward Pam's now-ex-fiance.) Michael's struggle to appear sensitive about Oscar was hilarious while making us entirely aware of how uncomfortable events were for all the characters. It was a terrific half-hour.

"Grey's Anatomy," not such an unambiguous success. Some good things: Sara Ramirez, both at the door and in the kitchen scene. Izzie's meltdown. Kate Walsh in just about everything. James Pickens Jr. and Loretta Devine, working so well together. And, of course, Chandra Wilson as Bailey, who can take even some overwrought business and sell it. (Ditto on that score for guest star Steve Harris.)

Not so good: The labored use of the flashbacks (although I did grin when I saw whom Alex left the party with). McDreamy's speech to Meredith. Meredith generally. Chris O'Donnell, whose fatal flaw — as a character and as an actor — is that he's kind of a bore. The baby storyline, which the bride — who has done a lot of volunteer work in hospitals — noted was implausibly drawn out. Especially when we saw which character was the mother; hard to accept that someone that young and small went through the extended interrogation period without noticeable pain or bleeding. Basically, though, I think this episode faltered because it was the first of the season, and it felt dual weight of starting well and setting things in motion for later in the year; it just couldn't manage to do it all.

I've got "CSI" in the DVR and will get to it at some point, but I did manage to catch most of "Survivor" including the pivotal stuff at the end. I was infuriated, though not by the racial design, which hasn't added up to much so far.

Rather, I have never liked the idea of throwing a challenge, and it felt really stupid tonight. It's too early to be jettisoning people, for one thing, even if you feel that the one to be dumped — Billy tonight — is useless. And, as a viewer, I resented the distasteful sham involved. When another tribe has a chance to celebrate a victory, the members should be able to feel it was a legitimate win — and that their joy is honestly achieved. The contempt a challenge-throwing tribe has for the other groups is disgusting; the smug comments that followed it tonight made it even more so. And that's not a matter of race. That's about general human decency.

I caught up to "CSI" this morning and right off the bat it reminded me of something that had struck me during "Grey's Anatomy": the perils of improved TV technology. I watch shows on my HD set for the most part, and last night's "Grey's" was absolutely brutal about Ellen Pompeo's skin. "CSI" reminded me of that because it was visually dazzling (the sound's pretty great, too) in that Cirque du Soleil opening and beyond. The attention to lighting, the sharpness of the picture — I kept having to pull myself back into the story because I would be admiring the visuals.

Beyond that, it was clear at a "CSI" press conference this summer that the show was ready to rumble with "Grey's," and it sure did tonight. The Cirque stuff. John Mayer. The Danny Bonaduce stunt. Setting up two more storylines for continuation. How good Marg Helgenberger was in that last series of scenes. Brass's tattoo.

And, for everyone still amazed at the end of last season, the show is gleefully playing with the audience regarding Sara and Grissom. Nothing explicit said by either but they're sure hitting the notes, not only in the meal business but in that "bye" scene. It's not exactly sexual tension — since we know they've crossed that bridge — but it sure is tension, and great fun to watch. 

One more from today's mail (bold type the network's):

USA Network will air the 100th episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Friday, September 22 at 8pm in memory of Mickey Hargitay who passed away on Monday. Hargitay was the father of Emmy award winning actress Mariska Hargitay who plays Detective Olivia Benson in the popular Law & Order franchise . Hargitay, a body-builder, won the 1955 Mr. Universe Contest before he became an actor.  He was briefly married to Jayne Mansfield and they starred in a number of films together including "The Loves of Hercules" "Promises! Promises!" and "Primitive Love."

The episode in which he guest-starred was titled "Control."  Below please find a synopsis of the episode.
The mutilation of a subway commuter leads the detectives to discover their "victim" may be the perpretator in abducting women and forcing them to live in his dungeon for several years as his bride. As the detectives prepare to arrest their victim turned suspect, Benson arrives ahead of the other detectives to find their perp murdered and is crucified in court as a result of turning away one of his victims four years ago because she did not believe the report

I've been chewing on this item from ESPN. (Bold type in the release is the network's.)

For the second week in a row, Monday Night Football on ESPN delivered the network’s largest audience ever. The Jacksonville Jaguars 9-0 shutout of the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers – the lowest-scoring game in MNF history (561 games) – was seen by an average of 9,809,000 homes (13,325,000 viewers, P2+), based on a 10.6 rating.  Also for the second week, MNF was the force behind a day of tremendous ratings for ESPN and a major boost to ESPN.com and its new "Monday Night Surround" content.  ESPN’s three MNF games so far are cable television’s best ratings and largest audiences of the year.

ESPN’s MNF telecast was simulcast on local over-the-air channels in Pittsburgh (33.9 rating) and Jacksonville (23.7 rating), boosting the network’s audience to an estimated average of 10,353,000 households.  Adding in the pre- and post-game shows, ESPN delivered 22.1 gross ratings points. 

In addition, ESPN.com NFL and "Monday Night Surround" content viewed on computers and wireless devices generated more than 32.2 million page views Monday, up 53 percent over page views last year according to Web measurement tool HitBox.

“ESPN’s presentation of Monday Night Football – an immersive all-day experience on television and online—clearly demonstrates the impact of ESPN’s multiple assets at work." said Artie Bulgrin, ESPN senior vice president, research and sales development.  "Considering last night’s debut of the new season on broadcast television, delivering cable’s second-biggest audience in history is very impressive."

The record set last week was 9,177,000 homes for Minnesota at Washington, based on a 9.9 rating (12,570,000 viewers – P2+).   Last night’s telecast also supplants last week’s game as the second largest audience in cable television history (behind CNN's NAFTA debate in November 1993 between Al Gore and Ross Perot – 11,174,000 households). (end excerpt)

Now, you can look at this as evidence that football is doing very well for ESPN on MONDAY nights [Thanks, Fred], and that's fine. But I have been pondering the old issue of cable vs. broadcast TV.

If the largest audience for a single cable telecast is indeed roughly 11.2 million households for the Al Gore-Ross Perot debate, then cable still hasn't become destination television for many, many viewers.

Now, measuring by households is pretty dubious on its own, since almost no one in the television industry looks seriously at that number — unless it works to the individual's advantage. You can look at total viewers, or — even more common — you can look at the audience within a specific age group, which is how advertisers are more likely to consider things.

Still, I will play fair and use households. The cable record is, again according to ESPN, the 11-million plus for Gore-Perot. In last week's Nielsens, three shows were watched in more households — "Dancing With the Stars," "NBC Sunday Night Football" and the "Dancing" results show. Nor was this some big record-busting week for broadcast television; in fact, a lot of popular shows were still in rerun.

Now let's look at the total-viewer number ESPN had, more than 13 million viewers, its largest audience ever. I counted eight broadcast shows last week that had more viewers, according to Nielsen estimates, with more than 20 million just for "Dancing With the Stars."

I do love some cable shows, and I am glad cable is there. And ESPN can pop all the champagne corks it wants to for the historic success it is having. Let's still remember that the numbers that so impress one TV entity are not necessarily impressive in the world of TV as a whole.

Today's official announcement, with the regular cast four paragraphs in…

"Saturday Night Live" continues its extraordinary run and returns for its 32nd season on September 30 (NBC, 11:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. ET). 

The season premiere will be hosted by red-hot standup comedian Dane Cook, who returns for his second hosting stint.  An inventive and electric performer, Cook will soon be seen starring opposite Jessica Simpson in the comedy "Employee of the Month."  The comedian has built an impressive following through relentless touring (as chronicled on HBO's "Tourgasm" and standup special "Vicious Circle" and his pervasive online presence on both his own website (danecook.com) and MySpace.com (where he has over one million "friends.")  Cook continues to enjoy the success of his certified platinum comedy album "Retaliation," which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, making him the highest-charting comedian in 25 years.  Future projects for Cook include the features "Dan in Real Life" with Steve Carell and "Good Luck Chuck" opposite Jessica Alba.

Also returning to "SNL" are The Killers, performing from their eagerly awaited sophomore release "Sam's Town."  The new album is the follow-up to the band's five million-selling debut "Hot Fuss," which garnered four hit singles and seven Grammy nominations.  Named "Band of the Year" by Spin magazine in 2004, the Killers' record was the longest-running rock record to remain in the Top 50 for the same year and their new single "When You Were Young" is already Top Five at alternative radio and one of the most played videos on MTV.

Returning to the SNL repertory cast are Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson and Kristen Wiig.

Amy Poehler will return to the "Weekend Update" desk with a new partner to be announced later.  Also returning, Seth Meyers returns for his second season as head writer, sharing the position with Emmy winners Andrew Steele and Paula Pell.

Another new addition to the show is director Don Roy King.  The Emmy Award-winning live television veteran takes the helm of "SNL "with a wide range of credits running the gamut, from 14 years at CBS' "The Early Show," six years at "Good Morning America" and the first four live "Survivor" finales to "The Mike Douglas Show" and numerous Broadway productions for television.

A couple of things happened last week that will give you a glimpse at part of this job works, for good or ill.

The first thing explains why you've seen me popping up on Channel 5 lately. It actually started the week before last, when Channel 5's Stefani Schaefer called, asking to interview me for some pieces she was doing on Channel 5's fall lineup. I said yes. Schedule permitting, I usually say yes to such requests, and I've been on almost every station at some point. In fact, in the days of the old "Morning Exchange," my colleagues and I had an annual appointment to talk on the air about the coming TV season.

Anyway, Stefani called. Since our schedules — and the idea of my driving to Cleveland — didn't mesh very well, we finally agreed that I would be interviewed from the Beacon Journal offices. (Channel 5 has an office here, as part of a news partnership with the Beacon Journal.) Stefani would be in Cleveland, talking to a camera. I would be in Akron, watching Stefani on a monitor and talking to another camera. Earpieces would let us hear each other. It's a weird process — your impulse is to look at the monitor, where you see the other person, when you should be looking at the camera, where the audience is — but it's functional enough.

We were going to do this last Monday. Then things changed. There was some problem setting up the live hookup between me and Cleveland — probably an outbreak of real news. After calls back and forth, Stefani ended up writing out her questions; the list was sent to me. I went to a meeting room here, Channel 5's Joe McGee set up a camera (and tried not to make me look too much like, well, me) and I gave my answers to the camera. It wasn't the tidiest process, since my answer to one question might include the answer to something two or three questions down the list, but I hit the topics.

And apparently hit them enough that Channel 5 keeps running stories with my mug in them; they sure have made efficient use of my monologue. I haven't seen any of the stories yet — I don't like to look at myself on TV, especially after a long hiatus from the gym — but I've heard from people who have.

"Pimping for Channel 5!" one co-worker declared. That's not it, of course. I happen to like several shows on ABC — just as I like shows on CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW.