Off to a Great Start . . . What do you think is the best series premiere ever?

Most of the great TV shows weren't born that way. They got better with time.

Sex and the City, Friends, The Office, Friday Night Lights and Buffy the Vampire Slayers are just a few of the shows that improved with age. Their pilot episodes showed merely a glimmer of what they would become -- a rough draft of their future greatness. As the episodes continued, the shows tweaked what wasn't working (say goodbye to Carrie addressing the camera or the way to shaky camera work in Dillon, Texas) and began to figure out the story lines and character interactions that worked best for their shows.

But every so often there's a series premiere that is pure perfection. Most of the kinks have been worked out and the show runners have already found their groove. The O.C. and Lost come to mind as some recent examples. (Of course with an excellent series premiere, the show also has to live up to the promise of its pilot. Not an easy task, but that's a topic for another time).

Today's topic is: What do you think is the best series premiere of all time? I think I'm going to go with NYPD Blue. Sure, many viewers took note because of the nudity and language the first time we met the members of the 15th precinct. But the hour, which introduced an already world weary Andy Sipowicz (who in my opinion may be the best TV character of all time) already had many of the show's signature beats down. From the music, to the shots in between the scenes, to the fractured personal relationships and questionable interrogation tactics. After the pilot, I never missed an episode of NYPD Blue.

So what do you think is the best series premiere of all time? Talk about it below.

Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, How does your garden grow?

Every so often I receive an email from a reader that exactly sums up how I'm feeling about a show.

Let's take a look at what TV Gal reader Ellen wrote me last week. Please tell me what is up with Weeds this season. I feel like its turning into mediocre slapstick. The heart of the show was that Nancy was relatable, this single mom trying make ends meet and raise her kids right. Now she abandons her kids at a moments notice and acts nasty and spacey to them on the rare occasions they actually have a scene together. Plus, I just can't get into the humor behind the Celia/Isabelle story line. The nastiness between them has gone beyond anything normal; it's almost painful to watch a mother being cruel and abusive to her daughter. . . and I can't even talk about Silas and the cheese lady.

Oh Ellen, I couldn't have said it better myself. I believe it is time for me to officially break up with Weeds. And I mean a clean break up, not the kind where I have to go back a week later because I left my sweater behind. Honestly, to me, Weeds seems to have gone the way of Nip/Tuck and is now so far removed from reality and so preposterous that, like Ellen, I find the whole show painful to watch. A show about a soccer mom drug dealer needs to have something the audience can connect to and I find that I connect with absolutely nothing that is happening on the screen. The Nancy I knew wouldn't want to sleep with a dangerous drug lord. The Nancy I knew wouldn't so haphazardly pay attention to her children. Parker's performance is now as if she's sleepwalking through the role. To me, the worst is what the show has done to Celia. Every scene with her, as she becomes more and more of a hapless drug addict, is worse than the one before. I certainly hope we aren't supposed to find it funny because it really is just pathetic.

Are you ready to break up with Weeds? Do you agree with Ellen? Or are you liking this season? Talk about it below.

Where Have I Seen Them Before?

Before we get to this week's familiar faces, I wanted to address the issue of why I have this section every Wednesday in my column. Since I began writing TV Gal (all those many years ago), Where Have I Seen Them Before (WHISTB as you all have come to dub them) have always been one of the most popular sections of my column. It always used to drive me crazy when I was watching a TV show and couldn't remember how I knew an actor or actress. I created the WHISTB section of the TV Gal column so others wouldn't feel that same frustration. And while I know that now episode guides on Zap2it and other websites often point out what shows guest stars have appeared on before, my hope is that this section is still the one stop shopping for familiar faces. So as long as you continue to send me WHISTBs, I'll continue to have this section in my column. Sound good? Okay on to this weeks's WHISTB!

Ryan recognized Alan Ruck as Dr. Hood on Eureka. He was, of course, Cameron on Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart on Spin City. Most recently, however, we've enjoyed him as Dean Bowman on Greek (where inside jokes about Ferris Bueller have been plenty).

Maureen was the first of many readers to recognize Jennifer Coolidge as the woman plotting to kill her husband on The Closer. Among her many roles, Coolidge was Joey's agent Bobbie on Joey, Paulette on Legally Blond and Stifler's mom in the American Pie movies. Ginni recognized Vasili Bogazianos as the car dealer whose wife was plotting to kill him on The Closer. He was Benny Sago on All My Children.

Mindy, Terri and MJ recognized Mark D. Espinoza as Andres, the Spanish government agent on Psych. They remembered his as Andrea's husband Jesse on 90210. He was also on Moonlight and Big Shots last season.

DJ and Michelle recognized Pat Crawford Brown as the woman who picked up Laurie while she was hitchhiking on Swingtown. Brown was Ida on Desperate Housewives and Mrs. Storch last season on General Hospital: Night Shift.

Jeanine recognized Erick Avari as Lord Jeremiah Purcell on The Middleman. We saw him last season as Chandra Suresh on Heroes and we just saw him as a counterfeiter who could duplicate security badges on Burn Notice. Jeanine also recognized Kevin Sorbo, Hercules to you and me, as Guy Goddard on The Middleman. Sorbo was also Frank Atwood on The O.C.

Will McCormack was the FBI agent investigating Mary's disappearance on In Plan Sight. He was Leo on Dirt and, fun fact, the brother of Mary McCormack.

Brian George was Ricky's foster father on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Among his many roles, he is probably best known as Babu Bhatt on Seinfeld.

Fun link

You can get a recap of the first season of Gossip Girl by clicking here.

That's all for today. I'm back on Friday with quotes of the week and to check in on The Cleaner, In Plain Sight and Mad Men. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com. Talk to you on Friday.

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