A Television Viewer's Diary: 1/22-1/28: 24

Welcome back to Diary! I am still trying to cut back on all the shows that I watch, but have found it increasingly difficult to trim. Each show I am ready to give up on displays some reason, no matter how slim, to continue coming back. I have to do something, perhaps some sort of drastic reduction, some way of forcing myself to stop.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Here I am, before my audience (you are there, right?), admitting I have a problem. Thank you for your continued support, together, I think, I will be able to get through this.

Best show I watched this week: 24
Worst show I watched this week: Crossing Jordan

Sunday 1/22.

• Crossing Jordan (NBC 10pm). I'm starting to lose interest in this. One of the triggering factors was the introduction of the reporter/love interest, I just do not care about this character at all. That and the less screen time for the colorful supporting cast are conspiring to kill my interest. It would not surprise me to see this dropped from next seasons schedule. **
• Desperate Housewives (ABC 9pm). Gaby and Carlos argue some more about a baby, and Gaby has a face off with the returning nun from a few months back. Susan needs an operation, which would be her doctor/boyfriend's first, not exactly reassuring. This is another show that has lost some of its luster. **.5
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC 10pm). An episode of lies, lies I tell you! Cristina lies about moving in with Burke and Meredith lies about her renewed relationship with Burke. Alex also, after much delay, found his positive exam results. This series seems to gain some ground each week, it has a nice mix of wry comedy and emotional drama. ***

Monday 1/23.

• WWE: Monday Night Raw (USA 9pm). Last Raw before the Royal Rumble. ***
• 24 (Fox 9pm). The so-called non-stop season moves into its 5th hour, and the drama never stops. Jack is back in his old stomping grounds, where he finds Audrey leading to a reunion of sorts. Meanwhile Curtis is tracking the nerve gas and Logan agrees to institutionalize his wife, not to mention the assassin that is let into CTU. If only all shows could be as exciting as this. ****
• Las Vegas (NBC 9pm). This one keeps you coming back beyond all reason. The Monticito almost loses its license when $2 million is found to be missing, and Monica may have been involved. Mike finds a new side gig as the weekend weatherman after being pressed into service. This is what pop TV is all about. ***

Tuesday 1/24.

• Scrubs (NBC 9pm). Scrubs reaches its 100th episode in this pair. JD, Turk and Carla are questioned in a panel investigating their potential involvement in the death of a patient. Great to have this series on, I know I've said that a lot, but I mean it. ***.5
• Love Monkey (CBS 10pm). Tom Cavanagh's new series is pretty good, probably too good to last. It is quirky and funny and smart, just not what crowds typically flock to, when they can just as easily flip on the latest American Idol. Anyway, Cavanagh loses his job and girlfriend in the same day, forcing him to attempt a self reinvention. He takes a job at a small record label, where he tries to convince his former employers to lend them their top pop star for their fund raiser. This is a good show and I hope it is given a chance to attract an audience. ***

Wednesday 1/25.

• Bones (Fox 9pm). This week our stars head to Hollywood, so they can track down a murderer, and also so Bones can talk to a movie producer, played by Penny Marshal, about adapting her book. I like this series, it has a strong base in characters with plot secondary. I fear for its future going against Lost, I doubt we will see season 2. ***
• Veronica Mars (UPN 9pm). Duncan disappears with Meg's baby, leaving Veronica as the suspect in sight. She is targeted by Sheriff Lamb and a pair of FBI agents, who set out to make life very hard for her. It turns out that she is involved in the abduction, which doesn't go well with her father. This is a great show that I hope survives the network merger. ***.5
• Lost (ABC 9pm). Charlie is having hallucinations about Claire and her baby. This leads to some sleepwalking/kidnapping incidents. Then there is his potential drub problem which leads to a confrontation with Locke. This show is becoming increasingly frustrating, it is spinning its wheels and going nowhere. I can feel my interest dropping. **.5
• Invasion (ABC 10pm). Alien intrigue kicks it up a notch. Despite more waning interest, this show is on the fringes of keeping me coming back. This episode has the Sheriff shot and his consciousness slipping between the incident that brought him to the town and the present, meanwhile, will his secret be exposed? Could be interesting to see how this plays out. **.5

Thursday 1/26.

• Smallville (WB 8pm). Episode 100 features a death of a regular, and they tease it really well. The show starts with a trip to the fortress, the revelation of a secret and a proposal. That is followed by Jonathan's state senate win, which sends Lana to Lex's side, and ultimately to her death in a car accident. A distraught Clark gets Jor-El's help, and relives the day, but with key changes. He saves Lana, but cannot save his father. This was a twist that was sprung and sure to tick of purists. ***.5
• CSI (CBS 9pm). A young man is killed at an upscale party which has Catherine's father as a guest, and now a suspect. The show plays out in an interesting way as the story is slowly revealed as different suspects are exonerated after offering another piece to the puzzle. ***
• That 70's Show (Fox 8pm). Mary Tyler Moore guest stars as a local TV host who Jackie sees herself working with. Meanwhile, the new guy (what's his name?) takes Donna to a remote cabin. Plus, Hyde goes out with Red and the boys for a night of boredom. Better than last year, but better to end while you're still ahead. **.5
• Four Kings (NBC 8:30). Barry meets an old crush, sets up a date, and proceeds to chase her right into the arms of Ben. He does that by showing her a video he made back in high school professing his love. I like the characters, but this has an overall feeling of mediocrity. **.5
• My Name is Earl (NBC 9pm). Randy decides he needs to find his purpose, and proceeds with a job search. One of Earl's subjects is set to go to prison, so he tries to make things right with him. Great new series. ***
• The Office (NBC 9:30). Somebody left a "present" for Michael on his office floor. This forces him to take over Jim's desk and Jim moves to the back, where he gets stuck in some office relation-o-politics. The rest of the crew try to figure out who left the deposit. ***.5

Friday 1/27.

• WWE: Friday Night Smackdown (UPN 8pm). Again, the details have slipped away, but I do remember enjoying it!
• Stargate SG-1 (Sci-Fi 8pm). Ba'al is back causing trouble, kidnapping members of the Jaffa council and brainwashing them, under the guise of turning back the Auri. Mitchell finds one of his friends is dying, so sets out to try and keep his spirits up. ***
• Stargate: Atlantis (Sci-Fi 9pm). McKay is trapped in a jumper that has crashed in the ocean outside of Atlantis. The rest of the team is searching for a way to find and save him. McKay is frantically trying to find a way to get to the surface, and has the most bizarre encounter with SG-1's Sam. He is fast becoming a favorite character of mine. ***
• Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi 10pm). The new commander of the Pegasus is assassinated, and Baltar is a potential suspect. Lee has made friends with a prostitute on Pegasus, looking for a replacement for a lost love. That relationship and his investigation into the commander's death leads him to a confrontation with the leader of the black market. Not much Cylon action, but another winner. ****

Saturday 1/28.

• TNA: Wrestling Impact (Spike 11pm). Sting's return to primetime ends with him saying goodbye. Is this the last we will see of the Stinger?

To be dropped from the "To Watch" list:

Shows on the bubble:

• Crossing Jordan
• Invasion
• Bones

That is all for this week.