Life is good on NBC

Sometimes a show can survive and thrive by the sheer force of the lead actor's performance.

Such is the case with the two new NBC shows returning tonight for their sophomore season. They are both good series built on the foundation of two terrific performances.

It works.

That's the answer to the big lingering question about Desperate Housewives, which returns Sunday at 9 p.m. on ABC. Did the five year jump the show took in the fourth season finale work?

A TV show shouldn't make you angry. Yet that's exactly the emotion I experienced while watching the opening minutes of the two hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy (Thursday, NBC, 9 p.m.). I won't give away anything but I will say that I found the scene simply ridiculous.

Premiere week is finally here!

I'm so happy that I'm not even going to talk about how awful the Emmys were last night. Really they were the worst ever and I think blatantly highlighted the lingering hostility between reality TV and scripted TV, but I digress.

Somewhere along the way many of us officially broke up with the Emmys.

And now we feel apathy for the annual TV award show. The yearly fete has disappointed us too many times for too long for us to treat the show as having any significant validity.

I don't want to sound too dramatic but last night was the most perfect television experience of my entire life.

We've now entered the time of year where every day new DVDs arrive. It is still the epic battle of me vs. the clutter and yes the clutter is still winning. And in case you're wondering NBC has yet to send out any of their new shows. I'm going to start some sort of vigil. Like it's Day 36 of NBC DVD Watch '08. Maybe I'll do something like not eat dark chocolate until they arrive. It will be difficult but my protest must be heard.

Sure we had our complaints about House last season.

Specifically that the original cast was kicked to the curb in favor of the "Survivor"-like search for House's new team.

Let's get the Bones debate started.

Niecy Nash is a funny woman. Anyone who has seen Reno 911! knows that.

Jerry O'Connell is a funny guy. You need to look no further than his on-line spoof of Tom Cruise.