'Tis the Season for Giving Thanks! What TV Shows are We Most Grateful for?

As the first half of the television season comes to a close and the holiday season picks up, I thought it would be in the spirit of the season to reflect on the first half and make a list of all of the things in television that I'm thankful for this year. Yes it is the season for giving, so it seems only fair that we give thanks to the shows that give us so much. Here's a list of the TV things that I'm thankful for:

-I'm thankful that CBS giveth and then taketh away the Josie Sutton character on Cold Case. The show has been running so smoothly since her departure, proving that the current group didn't need the "Sutton" change.

-I'm thankful to UPN for its continued belief in Veronica Mars. The network moved it against Lost, which many thought was sudden death for the show, but it has actually gained viewers this season.

-I'm thankful for Gabby and Carlos on Desperate Housewives, for without them, I might have given up on the show right before it got excellent again. And their latest storyline just keeps getting better and better!

-I'm thankful for Medium's Allison and Joe Dubois for showing us a real relationship and family. Somehow refereeing kids and juggling schedules seems a lot closer to my family memories than the usual family treatment on TV.

-I'm thankful for Law & Order: SVU's great storytelling. With gripping, emotional cases that often leave you shocked in its 7th season, this show gets better with age.

-I'm thankful for the hatch on Lost. This thrilling storyline is keeping me at the edge of my seat, and the hatch-centric episodes earlier this season were so riddled with mythology that the episodes played out more like works of literature than a television show. That's good writing!

-I'm thankful for the character Veronica Mars. She's easily one of the smartest, best written characters to come from a television set in the history of the medium. With a quick wit, charm, and smarts this girl proves she can play with the big boys and still have time for the teenage stuff too.

-I'm thankful for Marshall on Alias. Some things may change, but other remain the same and Marshall is still the gadget-loving geek who brings the humor on an often dark show.

-I'm thankful for Dr. Brown and Dr. Abbott's love/hate relationship on Everwood. These two never fail to make me laugh with their constant game of one-upmanship.

-I'm thankful for Lilly Rush because without her, Cold Case would be missing that extra spark. Her outer strength and inner vulnerability facilitate her interrogations, and her tremendous compassion mixed with her too-quick-to-judge mentality create an interesting dichotomy. And this season she's dealing with a lot of residual effects after her encounter with serial killer George Marks, so the character just gets more and more interesting.

-I'm thankful for Veronica Mars' Logan and Weevil teaming up to combat a greater evil. This storyline has Bosom Buddies written all over it! New episodes can't come soon enough!

-I'm thankful for CSI's ability to not take itself too seriously. The show deals with serious crimes, but still finds a way to lighten them up, such as an episode that aired on Thanksgiving about a man who literally eats himself to death. It also has its more serious moments like the episode where an entire family, save the young daughter, was murdered in their suburban home. After a tears-inducing episode like that, we're always thankful for the lighter one that follows.

-I'm thankful for Without A Trace creator Hank Steinberg for getting the show back on track this season. This show went from a low priority on my list last season to a top one this year. It's nice to see compelling cases again, less office soapiness, and the addition of Elena Delgado.

And finally...

-I'm thankful for wonderful writing, brilliant acting, creativity, and all around greatness in television this season. Shows such as Veronica Mars, Cold Case, Everwood, Lost, Law & Order: SVU, and Without A Trace have been showing us how excellent television shows can be when they combine the attributes above. The bar has been set very high.

So there you have it. A list of a few of the things that I'm thankful for from television so far this season. What TV shows, characters, storylines, etc are you thankful for? Leave a comment with your picks.

About Last Night... ABC won the first hour of the night with Wife Swap (football on the West Coast), followed by CBS comedies King of Queens (r) and How I Met Your Mother (r) and NBC's Elton John special. The ratings troubled Arrested Development didn't get any help last night, it finished behind WB's 7th Heaven and tied for fifth with UPN. At 9, ABC continued to lead with Monday Night Football, followed by CBS comedies Two and a Half Men (r) and Out of Practice (r) and NBC's Las Vegas (r). The final hour of the night went to CBS's CSI: Miami, followed by football on ABC and Medium (r) on NBC. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - On CBS, the NCIS team investigates the murder of a reality show contestant. Over on NBC, it's a 90-minute episode of Fear Factor that features a special "Blind Date" theme. Contestants will be matched up with partners that they have never met.

@9 p.m. - It's the two-hour season finale of CBS's The Amazing Race. The final three teams race to the finish line and the million dollar prize. Just a reminder, immediately following the West Coast broadcast, you can log onto to CBS.com and watch the second and third place teams compete in a mini-race for a new car. Over on Fox, Cynthia Nixon guest stars on House as a patient who has cried wolf in the past, but might have a deadly disease.

@10 p.m. - Alan Shore asks the firm's financial expert to help his secretary get out of credit card debt and the firm works a case of a man impersonating an FBI agent on ABC's Boston Legal.




Bones - Brennan, Booth, and the Jeffersonian crew spend their Christmas quarantined in the lab after skeletal remains release a deadly virus. 8 p.m. Fox

According to Jim - Cheryl and Dana's mother visits for the holidays and the two couples compete for her affection. 8 p.m. ABC

Hope & Faith - Faith surprises everyone with personal, extravagant Christmas gifts. (Special night and time) 8:30 p.m. ABC



QUICK CUTS

*Sci Fi Channel is coming to the rescue of fans of ABC's canceled Night Stalker. The cable network purchased the rights to air all 10 episodes of the series, including the 3 that never aired. The show ended on a cliffhanger that ABC never resolved. Look for the episodes to start airing on Sci Fi next summer.

*Actor Jason Bateman will guest star on an upcoming episode of NBC's Scrubs. The Arrested Development actor will complete the trade that started with Scrubs star Zach Braff guesting on Arrested several months back. Bateman will play a domestic ostrich farmer who doesn't thank J.D. (Braff) or Turk after receiving treatment at the hospital. J.D. and Turk are upset by the lack of gratitude and decide to track down the patient, but they end up going to toe-to-toe with the ostriches. There is no airdate yet for the episode. Scrubs returns to NBC on January 3rd.

*And finally, as I reported in today's Special Edition, the Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. On the television side, sophomore shows Desperate Housewives and Lost walked away with nominations in Best Comedy and Best Drama, respectively, as well as many of the acting categories. Freshman series Prison Break also came away with a lot including nominations for Best Drama and Best Actor (Wentworth Miller). If you missed today's earlier edition regarding the announcement and reaction, be sure to scroll down or click the link above to check it out.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for The Amazing Race finale (will the Linz missteps keep them from the million?)! Plus, all the latest television news!

NEWS ALERT: The Golden Globe Nominations

Nominations for the 63rd Annual Golden Globes were announced this morning for both movies and television. Here are the television nominees (to see the movie nominees, click here):

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

a. COMMANDER IN CHIEF (ABC)
Touchstone Television

b. GREY’S ANATOMY (ABC)
Touchstone Television

c. LOST (ABC)
Touchstone Television

d. PRISON BREAK (FOX)
Original Film and Adelstein/Parouse Prods.

e. ROME (HBO)
HBO Entertainment i.a.w. BBC



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

a. PATRICIA ARQUETTE MEDIUM

b. GLENN CLOSE THE SHIELD

c. GEENA DAVIS COMMANDER IN CHIEF

d. KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER

e. POLLY WALKER ROME



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

a. PATRICK DEMPSEY GREY’S ANATOMY

b. MATTHEW FOX LOST

c. HUGH LAURIE HOUSE

d. WENTWORTH MILLER PRISON BREAK

e. KIEFER SUTHERLAND 24



BEST TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

a. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
HBO Entertainment

b. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
Touchstone Television

c. ENTOURAGE (HBO)
Leverage and Closest to the Hole Prods. i.a.w. HBO Entertainment

d. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (UPN)
Chris Rock Enterprises, Inc. and 3 Arts Entertainment i.a.w Paramount Network Television

e. MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
Acme Prods. i.a.w. 20th Century Fox Television

f. WEEDS (SHOWTIME)
Lions Gate Television i.a.w. Tilted Prods.



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

a. MARCIA CROSS DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

b. TERI HATCHER DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

c. FELICITY HUFFMAN DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

d. EVA LONGORIA DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

e. MARY-LOUISE PARKER WEEDS


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

a. ZACH BRAFF SCRUBS

b. STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE

c. LARRY DAVID CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

d. JASON LEE MY NAME IS EARL

e. CHARLIE SHEEN TWO AND A HALF MEN



BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. EMPIRE FALLS (HBO)
Mark Platt Prod., Aspetuck & Stone Vialleg Picturs Prod. i.a.w. HBO Films

b. INTO THE WEST (TNT)
DreamWorks Television

c. LACKAWANNA BLUES (HBO)
Bellah Films, Good Shepard Prods. i.a.w. HBO Films

d. SLEEPER CELL (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Anne Kindberg Prod.

e. VIVA BLACKPOOL (BBC AMERICA)
BBC/BBC America

f. WARM SPRINGS (HBO)
Mark Gordon Prod. i.a.w. HBO Films



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. HALLE BERRY THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD

b. KELLY MacDONALD THE GIRL IN THE CAFÉ

c. S. EPATHA MERKERSON LACKAWANNA BLUES

d. CYNTHIA NIXON WARM SPRINGS

e. MIRA SORVINO HUMAN TRAFFICKING



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. KENNETH BRANAGH WARM SPRINGS

b. ED HARRIS EMPIRE FALLS

c. JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS ELVIS

d. BILL NIGHY THE GIRL IN THE CAFÉ

e. DONALD SUTHERLAND HUMAN TRAFFICKING




BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. CANDICE BERGEN BOSTON LEGAL

b. CAMRYN MANHEIM ELVIS

c. SANDRA OH GREY’S ANATOMY

d. ELIZABETH PERKINS WEEDS

e. JOANNE WOODWARD EMPIRE FALLS



BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

a. NAVEEN ANDREWS LOST

b. PAUL NEWMAN EMPIRE FALLS

c. JEREMY PIVEN ENTOURAGE

d. RANDY QUAID ELVIS

e. DONALD SUTHERLAND COMMANDER IN CHIEF



What they got right... Zach Braff, Everybody Hates Chris (I can't contain my excitement over this one!), Eva Longoria (finally!), Lost, Naveen Andrews just to name a few.

What they forgot... Veronica Mars, Everwood, Kathryn Morris, the cast of Everwood, Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Cold Case, Mariska Hargitay (last year's winner!), Jason Dohring, Without A Trace and a host of others.

The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards air live January 16th on NBC. What do you think about the nominations? Did your favorites make the cut? Leave a comment with your thoughts. And, be sure to tune in later today for the regular edition of Pass The Remote with a list of TV things I'm thankful for this season!

These TV Specials and Movies Bring Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

They come around every year at this time and they help spread the holiday spirit. No, I'm not talking about the big sales at your local mall or the carollers outside your door. I'm talking about the ubiquitous Christmas specials and movies. For some reason, there are some of these annual specials and movies that we just can't get enough of, so we watch them year after year until they assimilate into our holiday traditions. Here's a list of some of my all time favorite holiday specials and movies.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Who can resist the story of the little reindeer that could? Not only does he have a nose that glows, but in this holiday classic, he also has an interesting noise to go along with that shiny nose. Plus, you have to love the fact that those snooty reindeer that wouldn't allow him to join in any reindeer games got theirs when good old Rudolph ended up leading that sleigh. It's the classic misfit story set to a Christmas theme. What could be better?

Frosty the Snowman - How awesome is this take on the classic holiday song? Not only do we have an animated Frosty, but also a mean magician and his rabbit sidekick! And don't even lie to me and tell me that you didn't have tears running down your face when you thought Frosty had melted in that greenhouse! I was so relieved when he came back to life.

A Charlie Brown Christmas - It really isn't the holiday season until I've seen Charlie Brown pick out that poor tree. Plus, this special highlights an ongoing theme for the Christmas season: What is the true meaning and how does it get so lost in the commercialism? No one does it better than Charlie Brown. And how great is it that Snoopy represents all the commercialism with his heavily decorated, prize winning dog house?

It's A Wonderful Life - This movie reminds us all how lucky we are, and yet, how much we take the important things in life for granted. The story of George Bailey and his feelings of ending his life on Christmas Eve takes on the sometimes dreary undertones to the holiday season. As the movie progresses, though, we get a sense of the value of a life and we end on a heartwarming note that reminds us all to hug our loved ones. It's no accident that this movie is a classic.

Mickey's Christmas Carol - This has to be one of my top holiday favorites. Charles Dickens' classic story has been told over and over again, but my favorite features Mickey and the gang. Scrooge McDuck is perfect for the role, and Mickey and his poor struggling family just break your heart. I love the Goofy ghost as well. This special does a nice job of telling the classic tale.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Sometimes you just want to watch a holiday movie and laugh over and over again. This movie is still funny to me, and I've seen it every year since it came out (1989). In fact, some parts get funnier as I get older and get even more out of it. This movie has so many classic moments, but some of my favorites are when Clark takes his family out to the middle of nowhere to get a tree and ends up under a tractor trailer, Clark's light fiasco, and Clark's sledding adventure. Just a hilarious holiday movie.

One Magic Christmas - The story of the family about to lose it all because of financial problems and an angel named Gideon that comes to their rescue is always one of my favorite holiday heartwarmers. It's just the quintessential Christmas movie because it reminds us all what truly matters.

Elf - This is the newest member of my holiday favorites club. This movie does a nice job of blending comedy with a Christmas message. I love watching the adventures of Buddy in the big city, but I also enjoy the journey he makes in finding his father and building a relationship with him. Plus, you've gotta love the Christmas spirit in the park at the end.

Those are just some of my holiday favorites. Which Christmas specials and movies do you watch every year when they light up our televisions? Leave a comment with your picks.

About Last Night... CBS won the first hour of the night with the first hour of its 2-hour Survivor finale, followed by the first half of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC and The West Wing on NBC. At 9, the second hour of Survivor on CBS came in first, followed by the second half of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and NBC's Law & Order: CI (r). The final hour of the night went to a tie between ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS's Survivor reunion show. NBC's Crossing Jordan came in third. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Michael reaches out to Lucille after his break up with Rita, but learns a disturbing secret about her. Meanwhile, George Sr. makes some plans in the "Prison Break" episode of Fox's Arrested Development. Over on NBC, Elton John's Las Vegas show comes to television in the special Elton John: The Red Piano

@10 p.m. - CBS's CSI: Miami borrows a page from fellow Bruckheimer crime show Cold Case's playbook tonight as the CSIs investigate a cold rape case after new technology reveals the true rapist.




7th Heaven - The Camdens help out during the holidays by taking part in a living nativity scene at the church, Eric dresses up as Santa at a convalescent home, Ruthie volunteers at a hospital, Lucy works with Habitat for Humanity and Kevin considers adopting a dog from the local shelter. 8 p.m. WB

Related - It's Christmas time in the Sorelli house and Ginnie is thrown for a loop when she learns at the last minute that her in-laws are coming into town for the holiday. 9 p.m. WB



QUICK CUTS

*Which new shows receive the most buzz? Well it's not NBC's Inconceivable or Fox's Head Cases, which might be why both shows are now canceled (the "buzz" factor was measured before each show's demise). According to research firm Bandimensions (which used its propriety technology to round up written comments from Internet chatrooms, message boards, blogs, etc) NBC's My Name is Earl gets the most buzz of any new show, followed by Fox's Prison Break. Overall, CBS's new slate of shows received the collective best buzz. For more on the study and Brandimensions research, visit Yahoo! News.

*In case you didn't see it or haven't heard, 30-year-old Danni Boatwright is the latest Survivor to outwit, outplay, and outlast them all. The sports radio host from Kansas walked away with a 2006 Pontiac Torrent SUV in addition to the million dollar prize. Boatwright is a former Miss Teen and Miss USA contestant.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the fifth season of Gilmore Girls on store shelves tomorrow in time for the holiday season. Also making debuts tomorrow, The Simpsons (season 7), Miami Vice (season 2), and The Dukes of Hazzard (season 5). For a complete list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a list all the wonderful things on television that I'm thankful for this year. Plus, all the latest television news!

Postcards for Amy to Ponder! And a Double Dose of Emotion on 'Trace'

We were treated to two powerful hours of television last night. First, there was an excellent episode of Everwood, followed by a moving Without a Trace. So many developments on last night's Everwood that it's hard to know where to begin! Let's start with Harold and Rose. After taking a trip to Africa and witnessing all of the famine first hand, Rose wanted to sponsor a child, which seemed like a good idea to everyone but Harold. I loved how Irv explained Rose's need to help to Harold. It made perfect sense and it's how we all react after witnessing a tragedy. He's absolutely right about how we react at first and then life takes over as time passes and we go back to living our own life. I wasn't prepared for Rose's shocker, though, at the end. I wonder if she will follow though with this adoption idea? Next, we have Jake and Nina. So, we finally know the truth about Jake and his past pain killer addictions and now, so does Nina. She really didn't take it too well. I'm still predicting that she and Andy end up together, especially after we saw her go running to him after she found out about Jake. It's just a matter of time, people. Speaking of people running to others, how about Amy and Ephram??! Sure, they slept together, but more importantly, Amy now knows that Ephram still loves her! How sweet was that moment when he told her and gave her the postcards that he wrote in Europe and never sent? This is why I will not rest until these two realize that they are made-for-each-other and finally get together for good! And finally, this brings us to Bright and Hannah who shared one of the most amazing scenes I've ever seen on television. How beautiful was that scene where he locked her in the bathroom? I know it doesn't sound that way to those of you who didn't see it, but trust me, it was amazing. He didn't let her out until she finally saw herself the way that he does. I love these two! Such an amazing hour of television, and I'm so sad that it's not returning until March (last night was its "Winter Finale" to make room for an eight-week showing of Beauty and the Geek)! Boo WB!

The second fantastic hour goes to Without a Trace, which managed to blend two very consuming storylines without sacrificing either of them. Tackling the amnesiac woman first, I really liked the way this show mixed it up a bit with this storyline. The agents weren't searching for a missing person because they had her, they were searching for her identity, and as we later found out, why she had blood all over her coat. The agents quickly concluded that she was blocking out whatever tragic event took place, and therefore, lost her memory. They only had a few pieces of the puzzle, but it was enough to slowly unravel the mystery of this young woman. I thought all of the agents were utilized well, and it was nice to see a Sam-centric episode. I love how she and Elena work together so well because the writers could have gone the more cliche route and had these characters have the cat-fight type of relationship. My concern for Martin is growing, especially after I saw him down the remainder of the bottle of pills. Someone is going to have to intervene here and fast! The second well done story was Jack's struggle with his father's failing health. Now, I'm not a huge Jack fan, although, the writers do a nice job presenting us with a very realistically flawed character. But, this storyline was very well done. I found myself struggling on the inside right along with Jack on whether or not to force his father to receive the kidney work that would save his life. Complicating everything was his rapidly deteriorating Alzheimers condition. Just when Jack thought everything was going to be okay because his father finally agreed to the treatment, he went back to his father's room and found that he had passed on. The thing that got me was that he went back to tell his father that he loved him. Yeah, the tears were flowing when he took his father's hand. It's difficult for a show like Without A Trace to tackle two emotional storylines, but they sure pulled it off last night.

About Last Night... CBS claimed the first hour of the night with Survivor, followed by NBC comedies Joey and Will & Grace and ABC's movie Head of State. At 9, CBS's CSI got one of its biggest audiences of the season and managed to beat all five other networks combined for the hour, followed by The Apprentice on NBC and ABC's movie. The WB's Everwood landed in fourth. The final hour of the night went to CBS's Without a Trace, followed by ER on NBC and ABC's Primetime. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Melinda helps a deceased mother (guest star Sonia Braga) reunite her husband and son on CBS's Ghost Whisperer.

@9 p.m. - Annabeth prosecutes a murder-for-hire case involving a drug lord on CBS's Close to Home. Over on NBC, it's the final episode of Three Wishes and the team arranges for a boy to meet his idol Bill Gates.

@10 p.m. - Don investigates the murder of a researcher who found a controversial skull on Native American land on CBS's Numb3rs.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - CBS's Survivor wraps up another edition with a two-hour finale that whittles the competition down to the final two. Over on NBC, President Bartlett manages to bring peace between China and Russia and his daughter gets married at the White House on The West Wing.

@10 p.m. - Jordan works to close an old case and a mob hit man is suspected of murdering his brother's wife on NBC's Crossing Jordan. Over on CBS, Survivor hosts its reunion show and the winner is revealed.




Prancer - A young girl finds a wounded reindeer that she believes is part of Santa's sleigh in this 1989 feature film. Friday 8 p.m. ABC Family

I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown - This holiday special tells the tale of ReRun (the younger brother of Linus and Lucy) and his quest for a dog for Christmas. Snoopy's brother shows up and the trouble begins. Friday 8 p.m. ABC

Dear Santa - This one-hour special features Clay Aiken and Raven Simone as the U.S. Postal Service helps answer some children's letters to Santa. Friday 8 p.m. Fox

It's a Wonderful Life - This 1946 holiday classic follows the story of George Bailey who is visited by an angel on Christmas Eve. Through the angel, he learns what life would have been like if he had never been born. Saturday 8 p.m. NBC

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - This live action film featuring Jim Carey brings to life the story of Whoville and the Grinch who tries to ruin Christmas for the Christmas-loving town. Saturday 8:30 p.m. ABC

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Back-to-back episodes feature families from past episodes trying to reach out to others in their communities in an effort to "Pay it Forward." Look for appearances by First Lady Laura Bush, James Denton, Wayne Newton and Brian Wilson. Sunday 8 p.m. ABC

Grey's Anatomy - A young boy needs a heart transplant, but doesn't seem to want one and Alex needs help as he prepares to re-take his exam. Meredith works to remind Izzie of the true spirit of Christmas. Sunday 10 p.m. ABC



QUICK CUTS

*Fox is closing the doors on Kitchen Confidential. The comedy aired its last episode last week and will be replaced with a double dose of Arrested Development on Monday nights. A measly 3.38 million viewers tuned in for the show's return last Monday. In total, the show only aired 4 of its original 13 order. Look for reruns of Development to follow new episodes starting next week.

*Survivor host Jeff Probst will continue extinguishing the torches of the reality show's contestants for at least a couple more years. He signed a deal with CBS to remain as host of the show until the 16th season, which takes him through 2008. Prior to the announcement of the deal, Probst had considered hanging up his torch. Survivor airs Thursday nights on CBS.

*Actress Justine Bateman will make an appearance on brother Jason Bateman's show later this season. The older sibling will guest star on an upcoming episode of Fox's Arrested Development. In the episode Michael (Jason Bateman) believes that he may have a long lost older sister (Justine Bateman) and decides to track her down. The episode is scheduled to air January 9th on Fox.

*And finally, ABC is releasing the identity of the next crop of ballroom baulkers for its upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. Actress Tia Carrere, journalist Giselle Fernandez, actor George Hamilton, WWE diva Stacy Kiebler, singer Drew Lachey, ESPN personality Kenny Mayne, actress Tatum O'Neal, former NFLer Jerry Rice, actress Lisa Rinna, and singer Romeo are all the latest entertainers to pair up with professional dancers and compete for viewers' votes. The new season starts January 5th with the results show premiering the following night, January 6th, on ABC.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for my picks for the best holiday movies and specials. Plus, all the latest television news!

'Veronica' Reports for Jury Duty! Plus, the Return of 'Alias!'

So maybe it wasn't the most shocking twist in Veronica Mars' short history, but Meg's death does set up a surprising future storyline: Veronica's promise to her that she would ensure that the baby not go to the scary religious adoption place or to Meg's parents. I'm not sure how our dear Veronica is going to pull this off, though. We know how crazy Meg's parents are, which is precisely why poor Meg didn't want them raising her daughter. Keeping with my motto for this show, I will "expect the unexpected" when it returns next year. Can you believe we have to wait until next year to see new episodes?? One thing that definitely surprised me last night was Wallace's return! Yay! I thought it was going to be Duncan at the door because of the sad news regarding Meg until I remembered that he was in Sun Valley with his parents for the break. This brings up an interesting point, though, why didn't Veronica or Duncan contact each other after hearing about her death? I wonder if Duncan has even heard yet. It's very possible that he hasn't. I thought Veronica took the Meg's-pregnant-and-it's-Duncan's news very well. You could tell that she was very upset, but she was also supportive of not only Duncan, but also Meg. Duncan is hard to read, though. I can't figure out how he feels about Veronica.

Veronica's jury duty was a nice way of continuing with the overall theme of the show: the class differences between the rich "09ers" and the rest of Neptune. Most of the jury, including Veronica, was easily able to accept the defense's story that the Mexican victim was a prostitute whose pimp got angry. The wealthy jury member who elected Veronica foreman, but decided to be extra vocal turned out to be so horrible. He refused to consider the other side because the victim was Mexican and her alleged attackers were kids "from good families." It's disgusting to know that things like this really go on. I knew when Veronica switched to the other side that there was no way she was backing down. Mr. CEO had no idea what he was up against! Interesting development with the juror who approached V about college next year. I know Creator Rob Thomas has said that he has some plans for next year when V goes to college, so I wonder if this was a bit of foreshadowing. I'd love to see her stay right in Neptune.

I understand why Logan did what he did so that the tapes would never end up on the internet, but he just seriously hampered the prosecution's case. Plus, how many more years of therapy is he going to need after watching his father and his former girlfriend together? I really felt bad for him while he was watching them (in order to testify to their content) and then erasing their content. How classic was it having Keith investigate the sheriff's office? It was like his own form of poetic justice! Sheriff Lamb is such a tool! I didn't see the Deputy Leo thing coming, but his explanation made sense. I liked the way Keith didn't write the entire truth in order to spare Leo. I wonder if he's gone or just suspended. Another strong episode, and it's going to be a very long wait for January!

It was nice to have Alias back last night and off of crowded Thursday night! Rachel's little tryst with Sark ended up working for them rather than against them. Not only were they easily able to locate him, but he was willing to work with APO to find Jack and Jack's old MI-6 agent friend. I'm really liking Rachel, so I'm curious to see how she and Syd work together once Syd has the baby. Next week's episode is the one that we have all been waiting for, though!

About Last Night... NBC took the first hour of he night with E-Ring, followed by ABC comedies George Lopez and Freddie and UPN's America's Next Top Model finale. At 9, ABC landed in first with Lost (r), followed by Trading Spouses on Fox and The Apprentice: Martha Stewart on NBC. UPN's Veronica Mars landed in fifth, ahead of the WB's Related (r). The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order, followed by CSI: NY (r) on CBS and ABC's Alias. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Johnny tells Marissa how he really feels on Fox's The O.C. Over on NBC, Joey's best friend from high school (guest star Adam Goldberg) comes to visit on Joey.

@9 p.m. - Rose gives Harold some startling news, Delia falls in with the popular crowd, Nina begins to suspect something is up with Jake, Bright helps Hannah work on her self-esteem, and there's a major development between Amy and Ephram on the WB's Everwood. Over on CBS, the team investigates the kidnapping of a boy from a local park on CSI.

@10 p.m. - Sam agrees to do a favor for a friend and she and the team try to help a young woman who has lost her memory. Meanwhile, Jack is forced to make a decision about his father's (guest star Martin Landau) failing health on CBS's Without A Trace.





Will & Grace - The gang spends the holidays at Will's mother's and Grace warms up to Will's brother. Meanwhile, Jack helps Will's gay nephew organize a Christmas show. 8:30 p.m. NBC

ER - Abby and Kovac exchange Christmas gifts, but Abby's gift to him is bigger than expected. Meanwhile, nurse Haleh holds chorus auditions and everyone is surprised to see who she picks to sing the solo. 10 p.m. NBC


QUICK CUTS

*Next week's Amazing Race finale on CBS is not the final leg, at least not for the two teams that finish second and third. Those teams will continue in a mini-race for a 2006 GMC Yukon XL. But, you won't be watching this Race on your television set because CBS will stream the competition on its web site immediately following the show's West Coast broadcast on December 13th. The mini-race will require teams to recall challenges and places from this season's journey. This is the first time the second and third place finishers have had a chance to win a prize. The two-hour Amazing Race finale airs next Tuesday on CBS.

*And finally, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker's paycheck just got a little larger. The man behind all three CSIs inked a reported eight-figure deal with Paramount Television that will keep him as executive producer of all three and calls for him to develop new programs for the production company. The pilot episode for CSI was Zuiker's first television script.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for Everwood (what will happen between Amy and Ephram?) and Without A Trace (how will another Jack episode go over?). Plus, all the latest television news!

It's Down to the 'Amazing' Final Three! And a 'Law' to Ponder

It seems last week's Phil-on-the-Fence was nothing more than a ploy to catch us off guard (which many of us weren't considering the fact that the show has used this little trick before) and set up basically another non-elimination round for the second episode in a row. That's okay, though, because those bickering Godlewski sisters would have been eliminated, and then where would we get our drama fix from? Oh that's right; we'd still have the Weavers. Cue the Weavers who were keeping to themselves in their camper at the overnight non-pit stop Pit Stop complaining about the way they get treated and how everyone hates them. You know the drill by now. I'm at my saturation point with their constant complaining, but no worries because the Godlewskis were ready to resume the drama position as soon as the sun came up and the Turtle Ranch opened its gates. At this Turtle Ranch, teams encountered the Detour of the leg: Pioneer Spirit or Native Tradition. In Pioneer Spirit, teams had to assemble the wheels on a wagon, round up some horses and ride for 1/4 mile. In Native Tradition, teams had to build a teepee using the materials and tools provided. The Linzes and the Bransens chose the former and the Weavers and Godlewskis chose the latter. Just as he did last week, Wally saved his team with his impressive strength and skill on the wagon task while the Linz brothers also breezed through it. Both teams got their next clue, which directed them to the Irma Hotel (named after one of Buffalo Bill's daughters) in Cody, Wyoming where they would have to dress up in period clothing and have their picture taken with Buffalo Bill. Meanwhile back at the teepee, things were not going too well for the Godlewskis. Their bickering and constant over thinking slowed them down while the Weavers ardent teamwork propelled them ahead and finished before the Godlewskis. And then the skies cleared, the ground shook, and viewers everywhere smiled as a rare moment in The Amazing Race: Family Edition occurred. The Godlewski sisters actually used teamwork and completed the task! Stay with me for a moment because the next bit is going to knock your socks off! It was poor picked on Chrissy and her worst offender Sharon who completed the task by working together! Yeah, I would have thought it fiction too had I not seen it for myself.

Nothing really monumental happened at the Irma Hotel. Each team took its turn and got its picture taken. It was all very mundane, until the Godlewskis arrived. Now, you would think that a team that's in last place would hurry through the task and move on to the next challenge, but not the sassy sisters from Illinois. Yes, I said sassy because these girls decided to pour it on big time on poor Buffalo Bill. They were dancing and using their boas in a seductive manner. The look on Bill's face was priceless. I think he thought these girls were crazy. Can you imagine what he would had thought had he seen Chrissy's bayckpayck crisis or Sharon's Austin Powers-like driving moment or really anything else these sisters have done. Anyway, the teams were all making their way to a golf course in Montana where they encountered the Roadblock of the leg. Two members of each team had to pick a colored flag and ride in a Buick golf cart equipped with OnStar (because The Amazing Race spares no opportunity to plug a sponsor, whoops I mean no expense) and find the four balls dispersed over nine holes that matched the color of their flag. The Linzes set out first, but the Bransens were close behind. Wally's methodical thinking of checking the holes to find the balls allowed the Bransens to slip past the Linzes and receive their next clue, which directed them to Larry Arnold's Green Meadow Ranch and the Pit Stop. The Linzes soon discovered the ball-is-in-the-hole-trick, which wasn't much of a trick, Linzes, when you consider the fact that you're at a GOLF COURSE! Oh well, I guess it was their turn to do something dumb. The two teams raced to the Pit Stop, with the Bransens landing in first and both teams earning spots in the final three as Phil and his trusty cowboy friend informed us.

Back at the Roadblock, the Weavers quickly completed the task and the Godlewskis made the big mistake of choosing the antagonizing Sharon for the task. She and sister Michelle fought the entire time and struggled to find balls as the Weavers finished and headed to the Pit Stop. Things got so bad between the two sisters that Sharon jumped off the cart and decided to walk the course. The two finally agreed to disagree in order to complete the task and head to the Pit Stop. On their way there, the sisters hoped that the Weavers either broke down or ran off the road. I guess getting lost was out of the question even though it seemed the most likely possibility. Man, these Godlewskis really do over think everything! Cut to the Weavers who are pulled over on the side of the road with a break down, no, I 'm only kidding! They were pulled over, but it was for speeding. The family used their charm and they got off with a warning, but it did set them back some. Was it enough for the Godlewskis to catch up and snag the third and final place in the final three? Nope. The Weavers raced to the mat and learned that they would be racing for the million dollars next week during the 2-hour finale. It seemed like the most likely place for a Chrissy breakdown, complete with tears, but alas it was the one moment during the race that she decided to spare us the waterworks. I have to say I found myself a little disappointed in Sharon's assessment that she loves her sister, but they'll never be close friends. This is the first team in recent memory that didn't say the experience brought them closer.

Just a quick note on last night's Law & Order: SVU. It was another surprising and compelling hour of television. It pulled you in different directions and you were never sure what to believe. It didn't seem that Mama Zoe would molest Emma, but the evidence was so compelling that I fell right into the trap. It was a nice victorious moment when Casey learned that it was Emma's grandparents' lawyer who had planted the idea of molestation into the heads of the grandparents. What I like about this show is that there are no simple answers. Zoe deserved to raise Emma, but I also wanted the grandparents to have access to her as well. Hopefully, the two sides will work it out.

About Last Night... CBS claimed the first hour of the night with NCIS (r), followed by ABC's holiday showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas and the return of NBC's Fear Factor. At 9, NBC's My Name is Earl and The Office took the hour, followed by Commander In Chief (r) on ABC and The Amazing Race on CBS. The final hour of the night went to NBC's Law & Order: SVU, followed by ABC's Boston Legal and CBS's special Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.


~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - UPN's America's Next Top Model ends its fifth season tonight and announces the winner of the competition.

@9 p.m. - Steve Guttenberg returns as Veronica gets called to jury duty over her Christmas break. Plus, the usual twists and turns at every corner on UPN's Veronica Mars. I don't want to resort to begging people, but this is a golden opportunity to check out this show if you haven't already. Lost is a repeat, CBS is airing the second part of that Pope movie that nobody watched Sunday night, and NBC has The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, which as Edie put it the other night on Desperate Housewives, pretty much says it all. So, tune in to UPN at 9 p.m. EST tonight and enjoy the best show on television!

@10 p.m. - Sark returns and he has a thing for Rachel on ABC's Alias. Over on NBC, a man is mysteriously killed after desecrating a treasured edition of the Hebrew Torah on Law & Order.




Santa Claus is Coming to Town - This animated Christmas special features the voice of Fred Astaire as a mailman who explains the ins and outs of the man in red. 8 p.m. ABC Family

E-Ring - JT works a humanitarian relief mission in an Afghani village on Christmas Eve, but their efforts are hindered by bad weather and an advancing Taliban force. 8 p.m. NBC

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys - The "most famous reindeer of all" and his friends work to save Christmas after Santa's toys are stolen. 9 p.m. ABC Family

QUICK CUTS

*CBS is jumping on the wireless bandwagon and offering content from some of its popular primetime line-up through Verizon Wireless's V CAST service. The network will offer content from CBS news as well as Paramount owned Entertainment Tonight and preview clips from all three CSIs, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The King of Queens, and Late Show with David Letterman. Plans are in the works to offer behind the scenes glimpses and interviews with the casts of the network's primetime programs. Look for the content to begin this month.

*And finally, it's Nielsen Wednesday! CBS once again dominated the week in total viewers, but ABC took the coveted 18-49 year old crown. CBS was led by a CSI rerun (#2), Survivor (tie #6), CSI: Miami (tie #6), and NCIS (#8). ABC was led by Desperate Housewives (#1), Monday Night Football (#3), Lost (#4), Grey's Anatomy (#5), and NFL Monday Showcase (#9). NBC's Law & Order: SVU (#10) rounded out the Top 10. For the complete list of the Top 20 shows last week, click on over to USA Today.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the Veronica Mars edition! Yes, it's the last new episode before the holidays, which does not mean that those of you who missed the beginning of this season, and you know who you are, should take a break from this show until after the holidays. In fact, UPN is giving you and the rest of us a wonderful Christmas present: reruns (in order!) of the episodes you missed/want to catch again from this season starting next Wednesday! If you haven't seen them or if you want a refresher, tune in every Wednesday on UPN! That means all of you Lost fans who don't watch Veronica have an opportunity to check it out. I'll remind you guys again as these wonderful episodes draw closer. I'll also have thoughts on the return of Alias and all the latest television news tomorrow!

'Desperate' Times Call for a Desperate Gabby! Plus, all Tonight's Holiday Highlights!

I titled this edition a desperate Gabby, but in reality, all four of those hilarious housewives were pretty desperate the other night on Desperate Housewives. I'm going to save Gabby's storyline for last because it was my favorite. I'm actually finding myself liking Bree lately, and this is a big deal because I used to despise the character (not as much as George, though). Ever since she came to her senses and realized what a psycho George was, she has been fun to watch. I felt bad for her the other night when Andrew was planning his revenge. And how (even more) sick is George??!! He had a life-sized doll that resembled Bree! I love how she walked out of the house with her head held high and that doll right behind her. Classic Bree! As exciting as it is to be enjoying Bree and her recent storyline, it's even more exciting to be doing the same with Susan. She was my favorite character last season, but the writers had reduced her to an annoying mess earlier this season. Now, she's back to her likeable self, and she has a great storyline! She was so desperate to get Addison to act like her father that she ended up getting assaulted by groceries in the store! How classic was it when Edie drove up to find Susan standing outside her garage door that was painted with the word "Whore" in red paint?! I loved her response to Susan's question about whether she had anything to say ("No, that pretty much says it all"). I'm glad Carol knows about her husband and Susan, even if she had to find out the hard way. I'm interested in seeing how the writers develop the Susan/Addison storyline in the future.

Lynette, Lynette, Lynette, you sure don't quit until you get what you want, do you? How hilarious was her daycare plot??! She had me cracking up when she took poor Mindy and locked her in that glass office. I think I understand now why Ed is such a workaholic! His wife puts the "tight" in uptight. Just when you thought that the daycare plan was dead in the water, Ed goes and does something stupid like taking Mindy without telling his wife (although, he did leave a sticky note), and it leads to that holy grail of workplace perks! What I love about Lynette is the way she selfishly manages to get what she wants, but she goes about getting it by selling her idea as a completely non-selfish one. She has an amazing ability to manipulate, and you've got to admire that about her! Speaking of manipulating, Gabby versus Sister Mary just gets funnier and funnier! I love the looks they exchange whenever they come in contact with one another. Gabby's "generous donation" so Sister Mary could go along to Africa was so great until it backfired. I really didn't know how she was going to get Carlos to stay home. That scene in the doctor's office was classic Gabby ("He's allergic to fish eggs"). It looks like she got what she wanted as Carlos is too sick to travel to Africa for missionary work. Gabby 1, Sister Mary 0. That was until a fevered Carlos uttered Sister Mary's name when Gabby was taking care of him. So, Gabby 1, Sister Mary 1. We're all tied at one, and I can't wait to see round 2.

About Last Night... ABC landed on top for the first hour of the night with Wife Swap (football on the West Coast), followed by CBS comedies King of Queens (r) and How I Met Your Mother (r) and NBC's Las Vegas (r). At 9, ABC stayed on top with Monday Night Football, followed by CBS comedies Two and a Half Men (r) and Out of Practice (r) and NBC's Las Vegas. The final hour of the night went to CBS's CSI: Miami (r), followed by football on ABC and Medium (r) on NBC. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC's Fear Factor returns with the highest and fastest helicopter stunt ever, and it's all to retrieve a set of keys for the final stunt. Over on Fox, it's the 2005 Billboard Music Awards with performances by Carrie Underwood, Green Day, Toby Keith, and R. Kelly.

@9 p.m. - One teammate strikes out on their own during a task and gets the rest of the team out of a potential jam on CBS's The Amazing Race.

@10 p.m. - A severely injured 12 year old boy is dumped outside a hospital, leading to a courtroom debate over same-sex parents' rights on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. Over on ABC, an unknown pedofile kidnaps a boy and Denny Crane shoots a homeless man -- with a paintball gun on Boston Legal. CBS airs its annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.




A Charlie Brown Christmas - This holiday classic finds Charlie complaining about the materialization of Christmas as the gang participates in a Christmas pageant. 8 p.m. ABC

My Name is Earl - Earl works to cross off "always ruined Joy's Christmas" from his list by entering a contest to win a car, but winds up paying her back in a completely different way in order to not ruin another one of her Christmases. 9 p.m. NBC

The Office - An office Christmas party takes a bad turn when Michael suggests that everyone swaps Secret Santa gifts and they all vie for the iPod. 9:30 p.m. NBC



QUICK CUTS

*NBC is joining rival ABC and making some of its shows available for download through Apple's iTunes program. Starting today, you'll be able to download single episodes (or entire past seasons) of Law & Order, Surface, The Office, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien to watch on your computer screen or the new iPod Nano. Fellow NBC/Universal channels USA Network and Sci-Fi channel also have programs available for download. USA offers its hit comedy Monk and Sci-Fi its popular series Battlestar Galactica along with some classics. Each episode will set you back $1.99. With today's announcement, there are 16 shows available on iTunes, the world's most popular video download store.

*Stephanie March is joining the cast of the new Dick Wolf NBC legal drama Conviction. She'll reprise her role as ADA Alexandra Cabot that she played for three seasons on fellow Wolf show Law & Order: SVU. Cabot will head a bureau of young ADAs after spending time in witness protection courtesy of a drug cartel on SVU. Wolf's latest drama will focus more on the characters and their personal lives will have a less procedural feel. Conviction is set to premiere midseason on NBC.

*And finally, WB's hit reality show Beauty and the Geek is returning sooner than expected. The show, which pairs beautiful women with socially-challenged "geeks," will debut its second season in January during Everwood's Thursday night slot. That show will take a "midseason break," as it did last season, for eight weeks while Beauty and the Geek completes its run. Beauty will add an extra "beauty" and "geek" this time, bringing the total to 8 each. Look for the next season of Beauty and the Geek to premiere January 12th on the WB.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on The Amazing Race (only two more episodes to go!) and Law & Order: SVU (will the episodes continue to wow? Yeah, I know, the answer's a no-brainer). Plus, all the latest television news!

Holiday Tidings on Your Television! Plus, it's TV on DVD Monday!

I know I promised some thoughts on last night's Desperate Housewives, but human error led to a TiVo error, and needless to say, I missed it (yeah, I forgot to record it, but never fear it is season passed now). I'll be downloading it tonight from iTunes for $1.99 (and people laughed at iTunes and ABC when they struck this deal!), so I'll bring you my thoughts tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought it would be the perfect time to bring you a guide to some of the holidays' television offerings. So, here's a handy schedule of the classics, the newer offerings, and some holiday themed episodes of your favorite shows that you can catch in between the shopping, decorating and wrapping (all times are EST).

Monday, 12/5
Jack Frost - (movie) 8 p.m. ABC Family

Tuesday, 12/6
Charlie Brown Christmas - 8 p.m ABC
My Name is Earl - (special Christmas themed episode) 9 p.m. NBC

Wednesday, 12/7
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - 8 p.m ABC Family
E-Ring - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. NBC
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys - 9 p.m ABC Family

Thursday, 12/8
Will & Grace - (special Christmas themed episode) 8:30 p.m. NBC
ER - (special Christmas themed episode) 10 p.m. NBC

Friday, 12/9
Prancer - (movie) 8 p.m. ABC Family
I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown - 8 p.m. ABC

Saturday, 12/10
It's a Wonderful Life - (movie) 8 p.m. NBC
Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas - (live-action movie) 8:30 p.m. ABC

Sunday, 12/11
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. ABC
Grey's Anatomy - (special Christmas episode) 10 p.m. ABC

Monday, 12/12
7th Heaven - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. WB
Related - (special Christmas themed episode) 9 p.m. WB

Tuesday, 12/13
Bones - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. Fox
According to Jim - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. ABC
Hope & Faith - (special Christmas themed episode) 8:30 p.m. ABC

Wednesday, 12/14
George Lopez - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. ABC
Freddie- (special Christmas themed episode) 8:30 p.m. ABC
One Magic Christmas - (movie) 9 p.m. Hallmark

Thursday, 12/15
The Santa Clause - (movie) 8 p.m. ABC
Everybody Hates Chris - (special Christmas themed episode) 8:30 p.m. UPN
The O.C. - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. Fox
Joey - (special Christmas themed episode) 8:30 p.m. NBC (an episode airs before this one that is not holiday themed)
Reunion - (special Christmas themed episode) 9 p.m. Fox

Friday, 12/16
Jingle All the Way - (movie) 8 p.m. ABC Family

Saturday, 12/17
Robbie the Reindeer - 9 p.m. CBS

Sunday, 12/18
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - (movie) 9 p.m. NBC
The Simpsons - (special Christmas themed episode) 8 p.m. Fox
The Christmas Blessing - (movie) 9 p.m. CBS

Monday, 12/19
Two and a Half Men - (special Christmas themed episode) 9 p.m. CBS

Wednesday, 12/21
A Home for the Holidays - (special) 8 p.m. CBS

Saturday, 12/24
I'll Be Home for Christmas - (movie) 8 p.m. ABC
It's a Wonderful Life - (movie) 8 p.m. NBC

Well, that's the list thus far. I'll try to keep you as up-to-date as possible, so be sure to check Primetime Pass everyday because starting today, you'll notice a special holiday section.


About Last Night... CBS started out on top with the second half of 60 Minutes and the first half of Cold Case (rerun), followed by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC and Fox comedies The Simpsons and The War at Home. At 9, ABC landed in first with Desperate Housewives, followed by NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the second half of CBS's Cold Case (r)/movie Pope John Paul II. The final hour of the night went to ABC's Grey's Anatomy, followed by Crossing Jordan on NBC and the conclusion of CBS's movie. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Michael plans to marry Rita (guest star Charlize Theron), but George Sr. worries that she's after the family's money on Fox's Arrested Development. At 8:30 on Fox, Michael Vartan guest stars on an all-new Kitchen Confidential.

@9 p.m. - A televised national poker tournament takes over the Montecito and Danny and Mike get the feeling that someone might be cheating on NBC's Las Vegas.




Jack Frost - Michael Keeton stars in this 1998 Christmas movie. Keeton plays a man who dies on Christmas eve, but returns to his family one year later as a snowman. 8 p.m. ABC Family



QUICK CUTS

*There's even more bad news for fans of Fox's Reunion. Last week, you read here that Fox was canceling the freshman murder mystery series, and now comes word that the show's mystery will not be resolved before it goes off the air. Creator Jon Harmon Feldman says that the structure makes it impossible to wrap up the story in the remaining few episodes that will take the show through January. The last episode will leave viewers in 1998. For more from creator Feldman, click on over to Zap2it.

*Actor Kerr Smith is joining the cast of NBC's E-Ring. He'll reprise his earlier role of Bobby Wilkerson, the gung-ho member of the Pentagon's Special Ops team. Smith also starred in Dawson's Creek. He'll begin his regular role on E-Ring immediately.

*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the fourth season of 24 (with a special season 5 prequel) to hit shelves tomorrow along with Everybody Loves Raymond (season 5), Full House (season 2), Law & Order (season 4), Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica (final season), The Rockford Files (season 1) and The West Wing (season 5). For a complete list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Desperate Housewives (finally!) and more holiday programming! Plus, all the latest television news!

Crossover Madness! Plus Find out What's New this Weekend in Primetime Pass!

Well, sweeps ended Wednesday night and the reruns commenced. Yes, it's that time of year where new episodes become scarce because your favorite shows go into winter hibernation. Many left off with shocking revelations that will have to wait until January in order to further explore their implications. It's officially the slow time of the television season. So, to fill the void of new episodes, let's talk crossovers. They're a favorite features of sweeps months, but here's a list of some shows that I think would make for interesting crossovers if things such as network loyalties and such did not exist. This list is (of course) just in jest.

Cold Case/Without A Trace - This crossover actually makes sense considering the similar nature of both shows, plus the fact that they have CBS in common and Philly and New York are only a short drive apart. I can just see a missing persons case that starts on Trace until they discover that the missing person is involved in a cold case from Philly. Cue part two on Case as the FBI works with the cold case squad in Philly to find the missing person and solve the cold murder. Works for me. And as an added bonus my TV boyfriend Danny Taylor (Trace's Enrique Murciano) and my favorite detective Lilly Rush can start a relationship made in television heaven!

Medium/CSI - Only because I would love to see Gil Grissom's (William Petersen) science specific mind mixing with a medium like Allison DuBois. You can feel the friction already! CSI is so science based, and Medium is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Can you imagine Allison trying to tell Gil that she had a dream and she thinks some of the elements of it are clues to finding out who killed the John Doe found in the alley? I can just imagine his witty comeback. I think the two would set up an interesting dynamic.

Desperate Housewives/Veronica Mars - I know this sounds crazy, but don't you think the ladies of Wisteria Lane could use someone like Veronica in their lives? She could go through all their dirty laundry and sort it out before the hour was even up! No more misunderstandings and hidden truths because my girl V would make sure everyone was on the same page. She would have figured out that George was responsible for Rex's death long before Bree did last week, and that would have saved Bree the psychopath/boyfriend/fiance/stalker ordeal she just went through for a few months. Meanwhile, Gabby could help V realize that Duncan is boring and not right for her.

Surface/CSI:Miami - He has tackled crocs, gators, and sharks without even a scratch to those famous sunglasses, so who better to take on the mysterious gigantic creature on Surface? In fact my entire reasoning for these two shows crossing over is based on Horatio Caine (David Caruso). I'm thinking that Ho could just stand over the creature, remove his ever-present sunglasses from his eyes, place his hands tightly on his hips, and say, "Here's what I need, I need you to submit a DNA sample to prove you weren't responsible for the dead fisherman. IF I find out you are, then that will be very bad for you." After completing this brilliant line, Horatio would then promptly lift the sunglasses to his eyes, nod and walk away. I really think one of the creatures needs to turn up in the Everglades with that genetically engineered shark from a few seasons back.

Everwood/Grey's Anatomy - Dr. Brown (Treat Williams) has been trying to go back into surgery, and we all know he is a very gifted surgeon. Who better to teach the young interns of Seattle Grace the ins and outs of surgery? Oh, and can you imagine all the drama that these two shows would each bring to the table? They're both very character heavy and filled with daily human struggles. Amy could meet a whole new batch of Reids and Edna can help whip the interns into shape fast.

So those are a few of my crossover picks. What do you think? What shows do you think would make for an interesting or fun crossover event? Leave a comment with your ideas.

About Last Night... CBS easily won the first hour of the night with Survivor, followed by NBC comedies Joey (rerun (r)) and Will & Grace (r) and ABC's movie Have No Fear: The Life of John Paul II. At 9, CBS remained at the top with CSI (r), followed by The Apprentice on NBC and ABC's movie. The final hour of the night had a tie between NBC's ER and CBS's Without a Trace (r), followed by ABC's Primetime. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Harry Connick, Jr lends his voice and music to a new holiday special on NBC. The Happy Elf follows the story of Eubie the Elf who is sent to spread Christmas joy in a town called Bluesville. Keeping with the holiday theme, ABC is airing the classic Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Over on Fox, a church retreat drives the Mac family further apart on The Bernie Mac Show.

@9 p.m. - NBC airs a holiday edition of Three Wishes. The team travels all over the country playing Santa Claus to different kids, including one who wants to help her cousins recover from losing everything in Hurricane Katrina. Over on CBS, the cul-de-sac is back together on the special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again. Cast members William Devane, Michelle Lee, Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Kevin Dobson, and Ted Shackelford reunite for this trip down memory lane.

@10 p.m. - USA's Monk airs a special holiday special tonight. Monk and Natalie try to get to the bottom of the death of a cop who drank from a poisoned bottle of wine intended for Captain Shottlemeyer.

SUNDAY EDITION
@8 p.m. - ABC Family airs an original Christmas movie as part of its "25 Days of Christmas." In Chasing Christmas, a man (Tom Arnold) decides to forgo Christmas after his wife breaks his heart during the holidays. Over on NBC, Santos faces an African-American family whose son was shot by a Latino police officer on The West Wing.

@9 p.m. - Carlos wants to be a missionary in Africa (just writing this has me laughing already) and Bree brings Andrew home on ABC's Desperate Housewives.

@10 p.m. - Woody gets accused of planting evidence at a murder scene on NBC's Crossing Jordan. Over on ABC, Rosanna Arquette guest stars on Grey's Anatomy as Izzie lets a philandering ex get the better of her.



QUICK CUTS

*A lot of you tuned in and watched David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey bury the hatchet last night on CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman. The meeting of the two talkers drew more than 13 million viewers and beat both NBC's The Tonight Show and ABC's Nightline. The show got its best ratings since February 1994.

*And finally, the final numbers are in and both CBS and ABC came away from sweeps with a lot to be thankful for. CBS walked away with the most viewers for the important ratings period, averaging just over 14 and a half million viewers a night. The coveted 18-49 year old group was a virtual tie between most watched CBS and ABC. NBC landed in third place in total viewers and Fox came in fourth. Both fifth place UPN and sixth place WB lost viewers compared to the same period last year.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in Monday for Desperate Housewives (Carlos the missionary?? I can't wait!!) and all the latest television news!

'Veronica' Throws us Some Curve Balls and Kate Loses her Mind!

Wow! I'm not sure I've ever had the pleasure of watching two different shows on the same night that were both outstanding! Both Veronica Mars and Lost gave us a lot to think about, while also answering some big questions. After last night's episode of Veronica, I've decided to surrender to the TV gods because I am now certain that this is, without a doubt, THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION! Seriously, many shows pale in comparison! Just when I think it can't get any better, it goes and airs something like last night's outing. Man, I love me some Veronica Mars! So many twists and turns last night, and also so many more things to ponder. It was good to see Trina back in Neptune. Her little showdown with Kendall was hysterical. Those two are so similar it's scary! Anyone else still undecided about what happened between Kendall and Duncan? It kind of seemed like they maybe did something they shouldn't have, but I try to never assume anything with this show. He certainly didn't seem very interested in her or her Maserati last night. Veronica's quest to uncover her mother's secrets took a lot of unexpected turns. I never imagined that the prom baby would turn out to be Trina or that her mother is "Lunch Lady Doris" (Mary) and her father is the (former) principal! I loved Trina's reaction when she thought that Celeste Kane might be her mother ("Well, there's worst news you could have given me. They're worth billions!"). And then she has Veronica spread it all over the tabloids and entertainment shows. Classic! Speaking of classic, how awesome is this Weevil/Logan teaming up storyline?? Their scene in the men's room was HILarious! Logan is so witty and Jason Dohring's delivery is spot on. I'm really glad Veronica found out that her mother was a good person in high school. The girl needed some good news!

Now to the most pivotal moment from last night's episode. Meg's pregnant??!!?? And awake??!! I definitely didn't see this coming! I guess we're to assume the baby is Duncan's, but what about that mysterious letter? And how did good-as-gold Meg end up pregnant? Well I know HOW, but you know what I mean. I love how everything on this show is important, even if you don't think it is at the time. Last night's interactive baby assignment was all leading up to the shocking revelation at the end, but it also served as a realistic high school storyline. They threw the "Guess what? Meg's pregnant!" curve ball at us just as the show was ending, and I thought we had gotten all the shocking news that we were going to get for the hour. I have to admit, though, it was an awesome way to end the episode! Speaking of endings, if you haven't logged on to aol.com and watched the alternate ending, don't read any further if you don't want to know. The whole thing runs more than 9 minutes long, but most of it is the exact same as we saw in the broadcast last night. The difference comes during the last couple of minutes. After Veronica discovers that Meg is pregnant, she hears a woman coming to the room. She hides in a door while the woman starts babbling about her baby (the meaning is ambiguous). We never see the woman, but after she leaves, Veronica exits the door area where she was hiding and we hear the heart monitor beeping quickly. Veronica walks over to the bed and there is a pillow over Meg's face. She picks it up and a nurse enters to check the suddenly flatlining heart monitor. She looks at Veronica and says, "What did you do?!" Does this ending foreshadow next week's stunning revelation that one of the characters will die? Or is it nothing more than a red herring meant to throw us off track? Either way, I can't wait for next week! Remember to log on to aol.com and vote for which ending you like better. The results will be revealed during next week's episode.

While we're on the topic of excellent television, how awesome was Lost last night??!! Is it just me or is this show giving us more answers this season than last? I liked the parallel between Kate's drunk stepfather/real father and Sawyer. The whole thing was too much for her to bear and she started to go out of her mind. I think she kissed Jack just because he is the opposite of her father and Sawyer seems to be so similar, so kissing Jack was a way for her to suppress and deny any feelings that she may have for Sawyer. What do you think about Jack and Kate's kiss last night? Leave a comment with your thoughts. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't blame Kate for what she did. I felt so bad for her when her mother sold her out to the U.S. Marshall. Anyone else surprised when Sawyer said he loved "her?" I'm not sure whether he was delusional or telling the truth. I'm really not up for a Jack/Kate/Sawyer love triangle, though. I'm not sure where the whole black stallion thing fits in, but the horse did save her when the U.S. Marshall caught her. Maybe the island lets you see what you want to see (and apparently those around you as well), which would explain Shannon's and Sayid's sightings of Walt and all the other crazy things that the survivors have witnessed since they crashed landed there.

The hatch mythology continued last night, much to my happiness. I see a beautiful friendship beginning with Locke and Mr. Eko. They both seem to be men of faith. How weird that the film had been spliced and the missing frames hidden in a book on the other side of the island where there is another structure similar to the hatch. The frames didn't contain anything earth-shattering, other than a strong reinforcement that the computer is not to be used for anything other than the code that restarts the countdown to whatever everyone is trying to prevent. The frames did make special mention of not using said computer to try to communicate. Was the film splicing the work of sabotage? Did someone remove the frames, hoping that those who didn't view them would not fully know how important it is to not use the computer except for the code? And if someone did do this, why? Just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder, Michael gets an IM from............Walt???!!! Perhaps this is just another mind game as well or maybe "The Others" are more involved in all of this than we first expected. Either way, it's going to be a long wait for January!

About Last Night... CBS won the first hour of the night with its holiday special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, followed by fellow holiday program Christmas in Rockefeller Center on NBC and ABC comedies George Lopez and Freddie. At 9, ABC took the lead with Lost, followed by Criminal Minds on CBS and Trading Spouses on Fox. UPN's Veronica Mars landed in fifth, ahead of a Gilmore Girls rerun on the WB. The final hour of the night went to CBS's CSI: NY, followed by Law & Order on NBC and Invasion on ABC. For more on last night's ratings, click on over to Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - College fever takes over Newport Beach as the seniors decide what path to take next year on Fox's The O.C. Over on CBS, Danni attempts to break the alliance and the survivors get some surprise visitors on Survivor.

@9 p.m. - Fox takes us back to 1992 with a Thanksgiving episode of Reunion.

@10 p.m. - Gallant is back from Iraq and he and Neela get married on NBC's ER.

QUICK CUTS

*Fox is leaving American Idol right where it was for its upcoming season. The reality competition will remain on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for its fifth season. To make way for Idol, Fox is moving comedies That '70s Show and Stacked to Thursdays after The O.C. beginning March 2nd. The network will leave House in its Tuesday slot, and it will likely get a boost from its post-idol timeslot as it did last season. Freshman forensic drama Bones will move to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. starting January 25th, but it will move again in the spring when Idol's results show moves to the slot. Fox has not yet released plans for the rest of Wednesday night once that happens. Finally, the network announced a return date for its freshman hit Prison Break. The show will be paired with 24, and it will premiere (for the second half of its season) on Monday, March 20th. The new season of American Idol premieres January 17th.

*Fox isn't the only network announcing midseason plans, NBC is also releasing its new schedule. The network is returning to its Must-See-TV roots with a two-hour comedy block on Thursdays that will include Will & Grace (at a new time), new show Four Kings, My Name is Earl (on a new night) and The Office (also on a new night) beginning January 5th. Current Thursday night shows Joey and The Apprentice will return after NBC's coverage of the Olympics in February. The critically acclaimed new show The Book of Daniel starring Aidan Quinn will premiere on Friday, January 6th with back-to-back episodes. The show will continue to air on Friday nights as a limited series until February 3rd. Scrubs will finally return in January to its usual Tuesday night slot. The show will air back-to-back new episodes every Tuesday (running from 9-10 p.m.) starting January 3rd. For more on NBC's midseason schedule, visit The Futon Critic.

*And finally, as a general rule here at PASS THE REMOTE, I don't report on the personal lives of the actors who make up our favorite shows. After all, this is a television blog, not a celebrity gossip one. But some news is just too good to not pass on, especially when it concerns one of our favorite actresses from one of our favorite shows. Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay is expecting her first child with her husband of more than a year Peter Hermann. Hargitay's publicist confirmed the news as did Mariska herself on her official web site. No word from the show or NBC on whether or not the pregnancy will be written into the show (see, I related it back to television). Congrats to Mariska!

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for some crossover ideas (shows that were meant to be crossed over, but more than likely will never be). Plus, Primetime Pass, About Last Night and all the latest television news!