Texting about Television: HIMYM Season 9 Series Finale

Sure, I could write a long torturous post about how disappointed I was with the finale of 'How I Met Your Mother' and how my life is practically over and MY GOD how could the showrunners do that to me?! But, you know, everyone's doing that.

Instead, here's a summation of my feelings about the finale expressed via frantic text message.

The Shocking Plot Twist in "Dramatics, Your Honor", 'The Good Wife' S5Ep15

***Warning: Extensive Spoilers Below***

I had the most peculiar reaction to the big plot twist on last night's episode of 'The Good Wife'. I laughed.

Did I find Will Gardner's sudden death funny? Of course not.

Characters have died on shows before, but typically that death is written and packaged in such a way that emotions are heightened and tears are falling before the character takes his last breath. The music. The slow pan. The tears of the other characters on screen. We, as viewers, are shoved toward devastation. A prime example of this is Mark Greene's death on 'ER', a death set in the beauty of Hawaii with the soundtrack of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.


Last night's episode of 'The Good Wife' gave us something else. Shock.

And so I laughed.

Because I couldn't believe it. Because even as the screen showed us Will's desperate client Jeffrey eyeing the guard's gun, even as we heard shots ring out, even as Kalinda and Diane stilled in shock outside the courtroom, it didn't seem quite real.

Everything was fairly fine for the first half of the episode. And then it just wasn't.

This, I believe, was the Kings' point. Death doesn't always warn you. It's often brutal and sudden. Death isn't always an episode that threatens the main characters but then kills the supporting ones instead. In reality death can destroy people who are central to our lives and leave us alone in an instant.

The episode was made more powerful by the actors' reactions to Will's shooting. Even when Kalinda and Diane discovered Will's body, bloody and covered by a sheet in the corner of the emergency room, they didn't break down in tears. Emotional music didn't play. They just stared and then began to call the people who mattered.

This death wasn't designed to be overly emotional. It wasn't an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy'. Sure, I sobbed for Lexie and Mark and George.

But I laughed for Will. I stared at the screen in increasing shock. I, like the characters on the screen, could not believe he was really dead. Tears come later.

Twitter exploded in response. People refused to believe that he was really dead, a reaction that echoes death in the real world.

The show prepared itself beautifully for this genuine reaction by barely preparing the viewers at all. We had been forewarned that this episode was an important one and a plot twist, but it seemed likely that it would have to do with the Federal case against Peter of which Will's potential testimony was a key component. The promo insinuated that Will betraying Alicia would be the turning point of season five.

Instead, Will's death will impact every major player on the show, it also shakes up the main plot of the first half of the season. The federal case against Peter was the major threat this season, yet it was insinuated that Will's testimony was essential. What will happen to that plot now that Will is dead?

I think it's also interesting to note that the first person after Will's sisters that Kalinda and Diane thought to call was Alicia. Regardless of the fallout between Alicia and Will, it is recognized that she need to know immediately. She is essentially his loved one.

Throughout the show a recurring joke (and truth) has been that Alicia is a handholder. She understands clients emotionally and helps them get through court. Lockhart/Gardner lost that when Alicia left to start her own firm. Will has never, throughout the show's history, been portrayed as being particularly good at handholding.

What if Alicia hadn't left? Would she have recognized the emotional distress of the client? Would she have sat next to him and talked him through his panic? Moments before Jeffrey Grant shoots the gun we see him reacting poorly to the prosecution and defense arguing and laughing with the judge. He shoots, in part, because he is alone. In prior seasons of the show Alicia would have been next to him.

Speaking of Alicia's involvement, it will be interesting to see what degree of guilt she feels. As a gesture of goodwill and loyalty to Will she did not meet with Jeffrey's parents when they requested a second opinion. If she had, there's a likelihood she would have taken the case. That she would have been in that courtroom and been the one shot. Or that her very presence would have caused Jeffrey to react differently.

At the end of season three of 'Downton Abbey' we had a similar plot twist. The show seemed all happy and content and then Matthew crashed his car and died. But even that didn't have quite the emotional impact of this death. Of course it was shocking and done with little advanced fanfare. But still, as I watched Mathew joyously drive his car down on empty road for an extended period of time my roommate leaned over and whispered, "something bad is going to happen".

In this episode of 'The Good Wife' we saw the client reach for the gun. It put me on edge, waiting anxiously to see what would happen. But ultimately we saw nothing. The camera had cut away to the courthouse hallways, following Kalinda, and so we weren't in the room when the shooting occurred. That distance. Hearing shots but not seeing anything that was happening, made the moment all the more shocking. Sometimes less is more.

HIMYM: The Lighthouse S9Ep8

As evidenced by the number of times it's discussed on this blog, 'How I Met Your Mother' is one of my favorite sitcoms.

Of course, when I say that I'm talking about the early years; the magic of Robin Sparkles, the joy of the slap bet, the novelty of watching entire relationships unfold and then fail (hey Robin and Ted!) or shockingly succeed (hello again Robin and Barney!).

I can't remember exactly when HIMYM began to lose its spark, though I am completely willing to rewatch the entire series to find the answer. I love it enough to watch it all over again, even as I'm frustrated by what it is today.

I do remember, and I think this is evidenced by my blog posts, that I found season eight very uneven. For me that season was plucked out of obscurity by the last couple of episodes. In particular "The Final Page", the season finale that finally felt like HIMYM again. Barney manipulating people by being simultaneously cruel and hilarious, with just the right amount of heart? That felt like HIMYM. Robin being typically indecisive, torn between her desire and her head and her past traumas? Yeah, that's HIMYM. Ted Mosby whiny and dissatisfied? HIMYM. Lily and Marshall inseparable and ridiculous? Ditto.

But then there was season nine.

The Goodwin Games: Yay or Nay?

Execs at CBS certainly didn't think 'The Goodwin Games' had the "it" factor. After all, the show wasn't picked up the fall schedule, even though CBS chose to pick up four other new comedies.

Now that the show's been relegated to the summer line-up it seems like it's a lost cause. So why watch it?

Thank God for Summer Television

I spent shockingly little time watching television this past year. 

 

Since we all know that's a blatant lie let me rephrase--my commitment and enthusiasm for watching shows live declined dramatically. The only shows that I watched as they aired were 'Castle' and 'How I Met Your Mother'. Don't ask me why those specific shows won out, because I honestly don't have an answer.

Now, however, it's finally summer and while (since adulthood) that doesn't mean my workload is any less than it is during the rest of the year, the annoying heat and rampant mosquitoes will encourage me to watch more TV as it airs. Lucky you!

What shows am I planning on watching and/or already watching?

HIMYM & Castle Give Us the Same Episode: Bro Mitvah vs. Lives of Others

Barney’s bachelorette party and Castle’s birthday party were basically the same event...

.

‘How I Met Your Mother’ is known for often over the top comedy, while ‘Castle’ is a mix of crime, drama and comedy. Apart from the comedic link, the shows normally couldn’t be more different.

How I Really Feel About 'The Big Bang Theory'

Or Why Pseudo-Intellectualism and Laugh Tracks Annoy Me

I've been anti-'Big Bang Theory' since...well, pretty much forever.

From the get-go the show just annoyed me. Sheldon's annoying quirks, Leonard's annoying quirks, Kothrappali's annoying quirks...there were a lot of quirks and I couldn't find the humor in it. Or rather, I couldn't deal with the "humor" being pounded over my head with an increasingly grating laugh track.*

'HIMYM' Breaking News: Renewed or Cancelled?

Wait, what?

No, WHAT?

'HIMYM' breaking news!!

The show has officially been renewed for a final ninth season.

Jason Segel was originally hesitant to resign to the hit show, but now that he has acquiesed the rest of the cast is on board.

That means we get another year to meet the mother. Or, as many loyal viewers and fans hope, a year to see the mother acually become a part of the group.

Hopefully fans of the CBS hit comedy will be pleased.

First an engagement, now this, it's certainly been a good 'HIMYM' week.




The cast nine years ago, when they were BABIES.





HIMYM: The Over-Correction (S8Ep10)

'How I Met Your Mother': "The Over-Correcting" (S8Ep10)

Tonight's vocabulary:  'Over-Correcting' (vb)--when you've been hurt by someone you've dated so you date their complete opposite.

Tonight 'How I Met Your Mother' showed that it can still deliver.

The episode shifted the group dynamic but somehow managed to be better aligned with the general tone of the show than the last several episodes.

In last night's episode, "The Over-Correction", Robin's worst fears were realized. Barney was actually dating Patrice.

Or was he?

Robin's determination to discover whether Barney really had feelings for her co-worker (and arch-nemesis) carried most of the plot.

HIMYM: Lobster Crawl..."But he's her lobster!"

You know how sometimes something is really, really stupid but it makes you laugh anyway?

That describes last night's HIMYM in a nutshell.

"Lobster Crawl" (S8Ep9) opened with an exchange that was so ridiculous that I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or turn off my TV.

Since this season of "HIMYM" has been incredibly uneven (both in quality and in tone) I decided to bear with it.

I still can't decide if I'm pleased with that decision.

The episode opened with the gang (plus baby Marvin) hanging out at the bar.

People's Choice Awards 2013!

The People's Choice Awards are in! Apparently that's all the motivation I need to update this blog. I don't need anything as major as the Emmys to get my act together. A meaningless ceremony (otherwise known as a popularity contest where those who win are those who understand the internet and tweens best) is all it takes. So, I guess take note or something?

Anyway, GET EXCITED.

The televised show isn't until January 9th, 2013 but you can vote for the nominees now.*

*If you voted before you weren't actually casting a "ballot" (that seems too serious a term for this event) but rather indicating who you wanted to be nominated. Now that they actually are nominated they need your vote again to actually win. Aww, democracy at work.

 Since this blog focuses on television, here are the TV nominees (along with some slightly snide commentary)...

HIMYM Season 8 Premiere: Farhampton

The premiere of 'How I Met Your Mother' once again disappointed. Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are well-known for dropping tantalizing hints only to snatch them away a moment later. Unfortunately, this time they may have led us on for an entire summer which, to mix my analogies, may be the last straw.

Eh, who am I kidding. Obviously I'm going to keep watching this season of 'HIMYM', but I was seriously frustrated by the premiere.

First things first, we once again began with a flash forward, and we were once again at Barney and Robin's wedding. It's in a little town called Farhampton (way to be obvious that this moment's far away

HIMYM: The Magician's Code

Lots of exciting things happened on tonight's 'How I Met Your Mother'. Some of them were very expected, and at least one of them was a little less expected. If you haven't seen the episode yet, don't read what follows, because it has massive spoilers.

Robin & Barney

With the big two-part season finale of 'HIMYM' happening one week from tomorrow (yep, that's right, it's a full hour!), there's one thing on everyone's mind. Or at least, one thing on the mind of everyone who watches the show and has a vague investment in what happens to the characters:

Will Barney marry Nora Quinn? I'm sorry, they've been dating for such a short amount of time I couldn't remember which girl it was. But seriously, will he marry Quinn?

See, there was this flashback at the beginning of the season. Barney was getting ready to get married, and he turned to Ted and asked him if he was making the right decision. Now, I would say he's simply marrying

HIMYM: The Broath

Barney makes Ted swear a "broath" (bro oath, obviously) while wearing a "brobe" (bro robe, for those who haven't caught on). You see, Barney really likes Quinn, and he is going to invite the gang to meet her during dinner. However, he's worried about how the gang is going to react to the fact that Quinn is a stripper, so he asks Ted to promise not to tell them. Of course, Ted promises and then immediately tells the gang.

The group decides that they will try to figure out if Quinn is really trying to take advantage of Barney and his money. During the dinner they discover a couple of things. 

1. Quinn is super controlling of Barney. Or, at least, the gang sees it that way. Is it possible that they have just never seen Barney take anyone else's opinions under consideration. Remember the past episode when Robin was dating Kevin (Kal Penn) and we saw the gang from his perspective? My point is, on this show you never know if what you're seeing is "real".

2. Quinn is moving out of her rent-controlled apartment. Since Robin and Ted let Marshall and Lily have the apartment, they haven't had a place to live. Of course, they can't live together because of the whole "Ted still loves Robin, and for both their sakes they can't live together" thing. Both Robin and Ted are living in awkward situations (Ted's living in student housing, and Robin is staying with her controlling co-worker), so they really want to sublet Quinn's apartment. It instantly becomes a competition.

3. Marshall loves to tell sex stories. Unfortunately, the only woman he has ever had sex with is Lily, so that makes it a little...awkward...for the rest of the gang.

4. There are tickets for an expensive trip to Hawaii in the apartment.

5. Quinn and Barney are moving in together.

Per usual, the gang holds an intervention (make that a "Quinntervention") to tell Barney that he is making a big mistake moving in with Quinn. In the middle of the intervention ("Quinntervention"), right when the gang is telling Barney that Quinn is clearly taking advantage of his money (note: the Hawaii trip), Quinn walks in. It turns out she bought him the trip as a surprise.

But, when Quinn hears that Barney made Ted promise to hide the fact that she is a stripper, she decides that maybe they are moving too fast. She believes that Barney isn't accepting of who she really is. And she does sort of have a point. 

Quinn and Barney's relationship may be ruined, but Robin and Ted are more devastated about the fact that they've lost the sublet. The break-up does cause Robin and Ted to address their problems. Robin admits that she really misses Ted's friendship, and that she is super stressed at work and may be losing her job. She explains that she lost everything in one day.

The gang feels horrible about ending Quinn and Barney's relationship, and they go to apologize. He makes them do a "broath", while wearing robes, in a darkened room lit with candles. He even makes Lily and Robin kiss, and Marshall and Ted kiss. But, at the end of the "broath", the lights turn on and Quinn is standing there. 

It turns out Quinn and Barney orchestrated the whole thing. Quinn purposefully acted like a bitch, Barney purposefully acted submissive, and they purposefully decided to make Ted and Robin fight. (That last one was really all Quinn, as Barney said, she's "as evil" as he is). 

At the end though, Barney and Quinn decide that they really do want to move in together. Barney admits that he is not necessarily okay with Quinn stripping, and he asks what would make her stop:

"Hypothetically, what would make you stop?"-Barney

"Hypothetically, I would stop stripping if I ever got married."-Quinn

'HIMYM' stop taunting us with the whole "who is Barney's wife" storyline. We already have a "who is Ted's wife" storyline. Must you be so annoyingly convoluted?

Robin and Ted talk, and realize things have gotten really weird between them. They meet at the bar to discuss. Robyn informs Ted that she just got a big promotion, and that she is now Sandy River's co-host. So, yay! Robyn is not fired. Because she is now making more money, she can afford a nicer apartment, and lets Ted take Quinn's sublet. Ted admits that he does miss their friendship, and promises that things will go back to normal. Robyn smiles and thanks him, but things quickly become awkward and she gets up to leave. As he is walking away, Ted's voice-over states that this was the last time he saw Robyn for a long time. But why? Where is she going? I don't think 'HIMYM' would be any good without Cobie Smulders!

Anyway, there is a sweet moment between Lily and Marshall where she gives him permission to make up a third-base thing with a different woman. Believe me, it's sweeter than it sounds. 

So, what's going to happen next week? Will we find out if Robin is gone, or if she and Ted are just estranged? Will Quinn feature as prominently as this week? Becki Newton, who plays Quinn, is only signed up for a short episode arc, so who knows!

It's Season 7, Episode 19 and Lily is still pregnant!

HIMYM: Karma

I was thrilled with last week's episode for one reason: Ted and Robin did not get back together. Thank God! I could maintain the illusion that Barney and Robin were going to rekindle their relationship. Unfortunately, that illusion was short-lived. In tonight's episode Barney moved closer to a serious relationship with Quinn (Becki Newton), and further away from Robin. No! Say it isn't true!

Oh, wait, look...they're kissing. Okay, so it's true. For now. My guess is that the Quinn/Barney relationship will continue during the rest of this season, but that it will by over by the time the season ends. After all, Becki Newton is one of the lead roles in the new FOX comedy pilot 'The Goodwin Games'. Take that, Quinn! I suppose it should be said that the creators of 'HIMYM' (Craig Thomas and Carter Bays) are also the creators of this new show, so they never designed Quinn to be long-term. I hope this also means that they didn't design her to be Barney's wife (remember that flashback from earlier this season, where we found out that Barney was tying the knot?). Finally, I hope that if 'The Goodwin Games' gets picked up it is less circuitous and irritating than 'HIMYM'.

In tonight's episode, Barney found out that Quinn was a stripper. Not only that, but she was a stripper at the strip club that he frequents.

WHAT?! Eh, it makes sense. I never look at their faces.

"Everywhere I go I see her...I see her dancing on that pole!"-Barney
"I see her dancing on that pole too"-Ted

Quinn manipulates Barney into paying her for multiple lap dances ($900 worth!), while he impatiently waits to see if she will go out on a real date. He refuses to see the manipulation, even though Ted sees it (and come on, it's Ted. He never notices anything). Instead, Barney emphatically states that he is "in love" with Quinn. Ted's a tad shocked, mainly because Barney is stealing his line, but also because Barney has never openly admitted to loving anyone. In his shock, Ted manages to break a chair. But it's all good, because he can probably make the empty bedroom into a woodworking shop. See, ever since Robin left he has been trying to come up with another use of the room...he's already steamed meat, so maybe woodworking is the next logical move.

Barney believes that he is dating Quinn for most of the episode, despite the fact that she pulls almost every move from his own playbook. At the end of the episode, they run into each other at a coffee shop, and have their first real date.

In other news, Robin is living with Lily and Marshall now, since she had to leave her former apartment since she isn't actually in love with Ted, and living with a guy who loves you that you don't love? Awkward. 


Despite the fact that Robin hates Long Island, she feels herself trapped there. Mainly because Lily and Marshall are doing everything in their power to keep her there. Turns out they really hate Long Island, and they just wanted a friend to move out there with them. Robin points out that she'd rather set herself on fire.

At the end of this episode there actually is a twist that will make the whole series look different: Ted moves out of his apartment. But don't worry, the apartment isn't gone! Instead, he gives the apartment to Lily and Marshall, and sets Robin's old room up for their baby. Pretty adorable.

Huh, guess that girl I slept with really is a stripper!

HIMYM: No Pressure

On tonight's 'HIMYM', Marshall agreed with me (first time I've ever written that in a sentence). He explained to Ted that his big 'platonic friendship' gesture with the Christmas tree lights was really an admission of his love of Robin.

And Ted did admit to both Lily and Marshall (and to a certain extent even Barney) that he really did love Robin. Of course, Robin found that out too, because he told her.

But by the end of the episode we'd learned a couple of things:

1) Marshall and Lily have been betting on their friends' lives for years. Writing bets on pieces of paper like, "Marshall bets Lily Ted will go bald and he'll pull it off", or "Lily bets Marshall that Ted and Robin won't end up together".

2) Marshall and Lily made a sex tape one time, and even though Barney found it, he couldn't decide if he wanted to watch it or not, so the obvious answer was to break Ted's VCR.

To the sex tape!

3) Robin told Ted that she doesn't love him, they ended their "if we're still single at 40 we'll get married" pledge, and she moved out of the apartment.

4) Ted told Barney that Robin was in love with him. Barney admitted the heartbreak he'd experienced (how he broke up with Nora for Robin, and then she stayed with Kevin). Ted told Barney that Robin and Kevin broke up, but he didn't react with a lot of emotion. I think that goes to show how much Barney really does care about Robin, and how hurt he was. Barney then even went so far as to tell Ted that if Ted ended up with Robin, it would be all right, because he just wanted her to be happy. (Or as he said, "Bros before Hos. And Robin's my bro"). Ted tells Barney he has really grown, and he's right.

5) Robin clearly still cares about Barney too, because when Ted confronted her and stated that she loved Barney, she protested a little too abruptly.

6) The worst part of this episode was the end. Ted, in voice-over, made a statement about how he was glad to be able to permanently close the door on any possiblitiy of ending up with Robin. And I thought to myself, thank god that potential plot is gone. But no, the writers/producers have to never ever make anything concrete, and the episode concluded with Lily trying to get Marshall to pay her because of the bet ("Lily best Marshall that Ted and Robin won't end up together") and he states: "not yet".

Seriously, writers? At a certain point you need to stop playing with loyal fans of the show. It is legitimately getting to the point where I may stop watching. Allow us some progression, you seem to always make small promises regarding plot development and then snatch them back. Stop it. Thanks.

Oh good, we're not getting back together.

HIMYM: The Drunk Train

Tonight's episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' wrapped up loose ends and introduced new characters. In other words, it was pretty damn important.

Once again, Marshall and Lily were relegated to the sidelines. I can only assume this is because once the baby comes they will be the central characters in several episodes. The show normally does a good job of focusing on a few members of the gang at a time, and this week definitely belonged to Barney and Robin.

Unfortunately, it didn't belong to Barney and Robin. (I'm really never going to get over wanting those two to get together).

The Robin storyline wrapped up loose ends. We all knew that Robin and what's-his-name (just Googled it: Kevin!) played by Kal Penn were going to break-up soon. After all, Penn had only signed on for a limited number of episodes. The storyline dealing with Robin's infertility was brought up again too.

Kevin proposed to Robin, and she told him about her infertility. He told her he wanted to marry her anyway. But then Robin explained that it wasn't just that she couldn't have children, she didn't want children. Even though Kevin had always wanted children, he said he wanted to marry her anyway. However, Robin was sensible (for once!) and after some coaxing Kevin admitted that he did want children. So, they broke up.

Meanwhile, Barney and Ted decided to ride the drunk train together (aka the last train from NYC back to the suburbs). The only reason Ted agreed to accompany Barney was that he had made Barney go on a double-date with him, and Barney claimed it was horrible. He could not stop complaining about a girl named Quinn.

It turned out that Quinn (Becki Newton) had noticed all of Barney's normal tricks and shot him down every time. Eventually, though, she had agreed to sleep with him. Barney was clearly obsessed with her, especially since he complained about her often (much as he used to complain about Robin).

So, the Barney storyline introduced new characters: We've been told all season that Barney will have a new love interest who will be as much as a player as he is. Quinn is clearly that person. If we were in any doubt, the fact that it turned out she was a stripper at Barney's favorite strip club (a fact that she had hidden from him, and that he still doesn't know) highlights it.

The Robin storyline concluded with her being depressed in front of Ted (this is becoming a bit of a pattern). She was upset, and admitted to Ted that she wasn't sure she would be able to find anyone who wanted to be with her. Ted then told her that he wanted to be with her, and that he loved her.

Ugh. Okay, so I've actually seen this coming for a while. I even suggested it during my long rant about the episode that cruelly told us that Robin wasn't pregnant and could never have babies. Ted was the only one Robin told about her infertility during that episode, making him her person. He also did a big gesture (decorating the apartment with lights), and in Ted's world big gestures always seem to be romantic.

Even if Robin and Ted do get together for a bit this season, they clearly won't last. For one thing, Ted's children always refer to her as Aunt Robin. And he has two children. Unless, of course, the whole series has been a fake-out like Robin's pretend children were.

(Please no, I want Barney and Robin together! Ted is my least favorite, so he can end up with whoever).

People's Choice Awards

The awards start in fifteen minutes! Switch on over to CBS to watch the show.

Read the nominee list HERE.

I Hate Hiatuses

If you’re read my blog before you know that there’s one thing I really, truly hate: hiatuses.

Obviously, I completely support the fact that people in the television industry deserve holidays too, and I can even be persuaded that it makes sense for TV shows to not be on the air for a bit. After all, it would be pretty tricky for me to watch a show live if I was in an airplane flying to visit family. I’m assuming the same is true for all of us!

That being said, now that I’ve been back at work since the end of last week, it would be nice to have a favorite show to look forward to at the end of the long day. I wish that TV shows didn’t disappear from our screens for such an extended period of time (sometimes as long as three weeks!). Most people working average, run-of-the-mill jobs would never get that long off work.

Lucky for me (and you!), there are a few shows returning, and new shows starting, tonight:

CBS has new shows starting at 8/7C, so ‘NCIS’ and ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ are both new.

NBC is also new starting at 8/7C, with a brand-new season of ‘The Biggest Loser’ starting off the night (for two hours!), followed by a new ‘Parenthood’.

ABC starts with ‘Last Man Standing’ at 8/7C, followed by the premieres of ‘Work It’ and ‘Celebrity Wife Swap’ (Gary Busey, anyone?).

FOX is only airing re-runs.

In a weird sort of twist, just because four networks are airing new shows tonight, do not expect all of your shows to be back on this week. I’m not sure what in the world most of the networks are thinking, but for the next two weeks some days they’ll have all new shows, some days they’ll have all re-runs, and some days they’ll do (what seems to me to be) a random mix.

Tomorrow (Jan 4^th) and Thursday (Jan 5^th) NBC and CBS are both once again airing reruns, and ABC will be the only channel airing all new shows.

Friday (Jan 6^th) NBC, CBS, and ABC will all air new shows again, but FOX will still be showing re-runs.

Monday, NBC and ABC will be new, but don’t expect anything from CBS or FOX.

Finally, starting next Tuesday (Jan 10^th), almost all of the networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC) except for FOX (why do you keep holding out on us?) will have new episodes.

After which, on those channels at least, your shows are most back. Oh, except for Wednesday (Jan 11^th), when CBS shows the ‘People’s Choice Awards’ instead of their normally scheduled programming.

Thursday, January 12^th is really the day to look forward to: FOX finally has shows on the air again, and ’30 Rock’ returns to NBC from its extended hiatus.

Happy New Year!