A combination of baseball and pre-sweeps repeats made for a bit of an odd week. Repeats don’t mean there aren’t numbers of note however. We had Jay Leno’s first shot against CSI: Miami and NY repeats, and a look at what running repeats on Friday does for FOX. That is, nothing good for Dollhouse season 3. Also interesting this week — The Mentalist finally topped CSI in viewers and the demo, and even a repeat Gibbs appearance is worth 16 million viewers.

FOX - Having the baseball playoffs paid off big for the network when NY joined the party. The three contests last week included  ALCS Game 6 (15.48m/5.2) on Sunday, and World Series Game 1 (19.51m/6.3) and Game 2 (18.9m/5.8) on Wednesday and Thursday.  Needless to say, those were some serious gains over the usual occupants.

Elsewhere, So You Think You Can Dance (5.85m/2.6) was well off the usual House number in it’s one-time stop on Monday. On a brighter note, with CBS in repeats, it still finished #2 in the hour. Lie To Me (6.33m/2.4) struggled without the House lead in. There were similar numbers for the first SYTYCD competition episode (6.47m/2.5) on Tuesday. The only other number of note came from the House (3.4m/1.1) repeat on Friday, which topped the usual Brothers, Til Death, and Dollhouse combination.

ABC - The week got off to a steady start with Sunday’s Extreme Makeover (10.59m/3), Desperate Housewives (14.18m/4.7), and Brothers & Sisters (9.97m/3.3). On Monday, Dancing With The Stars (17.38m/3.6) was steady in the demo. That’s positive news for Castle (9.99m/2.5), which was up a tenth. There were more gains on Tuesday, as Charlie Brown (8.8m/2.8) easily bested the usual performance of Shark Tank. DWTS (15.2m/3) was down in the demo over the previous week, but The Forgotten (8.26m/2) still managed to grow.

Charlie Brown (6m/2) also proved to be an improvement over Hank on Wednesday. The rest of the night, including The Middle (6.49m/2.2), Modern Family (9.33m/3.7), Cougar Town (7.54m/3.2), and Eastwick (5.02m/1.8), was up as well. Less exciting, FlashForward (8.92m/2.7) managed to find series lows on Thursday. Grey’s Anatomy (13.74m/5.2) was down week-to-week, but still the highest rated scripted program for the night. Private Practice (9.16m/3.6) continues to hold up well.  Friday, Ugly Betty (4.5m/1.2) was steady, if not impressive.

CBS - The week started with a reasonably steady full slate on Sunday, featuring Amazing Race (11.22m/3.4), Three Rivers (7.78m/1.7), and Cold Case (9.3m/1.8). Then, there were a whole lot of repeats as the network took Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off. Of note among those was the Monday 9-10 comedy block winning the hour in the demo. Tuesday, NCIS (16.7m/3.3) was the most watched show of the night. And CSI: Miami and NY both won their hours outright.

New programming picked back up Thursday with Survivor (12.19m/3.7), CSI (15.24m/3.4), and The Mentalist (15.53m/3.6). That is of particular note, given that it’s the first time The Mentalist has beaten CSI in viewers and demo this season. Friday was down week-to-week, but the network still won all three hours with Ghost Whisperer (8.28m/2), Medium (7.69m/1.8), and Numb3rs (7.74m/1.8).

NBC – It was, for the most part, a fairly steady week. Sunday Night Football (14.98m/5.9) was off a bit facing baseball, but still a huge winner for the network. Heroes (5.72m/2.5) was right on pace with last week. Oddly enough, Trauma (5.78m/1.9) was actually up for the week in which it was canceled. The Biggest Loser (9.67m/3.7) continued to cruise on Tuesday. And NBC got an animation boost of their own as Monsters vs Aliens (6.24m/2.2) improved on the Mercy demo on Wednesday.

Law & Order SVU (8.24m/2.8) was down in viewers, despite the Criminal Minds repeat. I suppose we can chalk that up to baseball. Thursday, Community (5.32m/2.1) was the only show that was actually up week-to-week. Parks & Recreation (4.8m/2), The Office (8.21m/4.2), and 30 Rock (6.1m/3.1) were all down, but close enough to expected averages. Friday, Law & Order (7m/1.4) continued to struggle.

Leno didn’t have a good week. Before the premiere, one of the network’s talking points was that while the show will get beat by originals, wait until it airs against repeats. We’ve seen what that looks like, and it’s not good news for Jay. Not only is Leno still being beaten by repeats, the numbers are still dropping. This week, Leno against a repeat CSI:Miami finished below Leno against a new CSI:Miami last week. Friday also brought the lowest demo in the series.

Mon – 4.74m/1.3
Tue – 6.06m/1.8
Wed – 5.03m/1.5
Thu – 4.41m/1.5
Fri – 5.14m/1.2

CW - The little network had a very good week. They took Tuesday off, but the other four nights were all up over the previous week. One Tree Hill (2.67m/1.3) and Gossip Girl (2.31m/1.2) took advantage of the missing House and repeat comedies. Next Top Model (3.51m/1.6) actually faced much stiffer competition with World Series Game 1, but looks to have gained some of those displaced SYTYCD viewers. Vampire Diaries (4.18m/2) and Supernatural (2.92m/1.4) were at the highest levels we’ve seen since the premiere. Smallville (2.6m/1.2) wrapped the winning week on Friday.

CABLE – The shine has worn off The Jeff Dunham Show (2.33m/1) rather quickly, as week two had less than half the viewers of week one. The other notable bit from the cable world was the premiere of FX’s new comedy, The League (.99m/.6), which is much better than its ratings might lead you to believe.

From the previous Friday, 10/23, here are a few of the cable numbers:

• Stargate: Universe (2.02m/.8)
• Sanctuary (1.69m/.5)
• Monk (5.42m/1.5)
• White Collar (5.4m/1.4)
• Wizards of Waverly Place (4.39m/.8)

And from the week just completed:

• Mad Men (1.72m/.6)
• Dexter (1.68m/.8)
• Greek (.77m/.4)
• Sons Of Anarchy (3.39m/1.8)
• Nip/Tuck (2.2m/1.1)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.05m/.4)
• Californication (.77m/.4)
• Bored To Death (.65m/.3)
• South Park (2.57m/1.3)
• Secret Girlfriend (1.38m/.7)
• It’s Always Sunny (1.35m/.8)
• Top Chef (3.04m/1.7)
• Project Runway (3.24m/1.4)
• The Hills (2.05m/1.2)
• Dirty Jobs (2.31m/.9)
• Mythbusters (2.56m/1)
• Ghost Hunters (3.06m/1.4)

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We do often get caught up in the big numbers from the big networks. It is, after all, hard to overlook the fact that NCIS is still growing its audience in the 7th season. There are still some very interesting stories happening on the little network, CW. When it was announced that Vampire Diaries would be paired with Supernatural, while Smallville was shuffled off to Friday, many people expected that was the end.

The show wouldn’t be able to come back from a year grinding away on Friday nights. After a few weeks looking at the numbers though, that’s not the case at all. Clark and the gang can celebrate good times, despite taking a hit from the move. In fact, this week Smallville topped new episodes of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210, and Melrose Place. It’s far from done. Elsewhere, we had our first sizable crop of repeats this week, which brought some interesting results.

CW – With Smallville getting the lead, we’ll start with CW this week. The week got off to a slow start with One Tree Hill (2.21m/1) and Gossip Girl (1.98m/1.1) both down. Things picked up, if you can call it that, on Tuesday with 90210 (2.25m/1.1) remaining steady and Melrose Place (1.5m/.7) gaining in viewers. Next Top Model (2.99m/1.4) was steady as well. Vampire Diaries (2.27m/.9) and Supernatural (1.83m/.8) were repeats, but it is worth noting given that the Vampire Diaries repeat had more viewers than all of the Monday and Tuesday originals. Smallville (2.52m/1.1) closed out the week with the best performance for a scripted show on the network, and also managed to finish tied for third in the demo on the night.

ABC – It was something of an uneventful week for the network. Sunday’s performance was steady with Extreme Makeover (10.33m/3), Desperate Housewives (13.68m/4.6), and Brothers & Sisters (9.72m/3.2). Likewise, Monday finished very much like the previous week with Dancing With The Stars (16.82m/3.6) and Castle (9.69m/2.4). It is worth noting that the Castle numbers have been good enough that the network has picked up the back 9.

Things started to change on Tuesday, as Shark Tank (5.92m/1.8) and DWTS Results (14.92m/3.4) both saw gains. Unfortunately, that didn’t do anything for The Forgotten (7.3m/1.9), which slipped to the lowest numbers of the season. Those 10PM struggles were repeated on Wednesday, with Eastwick (4.78m/1.6) also finding new lows. That came on the heels of a night of comedy that was down across the board with Hank (5.78m/1.5), The Middle (6.53m/2), Modern Family (8.66m/3.4), and Cougar Town (7.31m/3.1). Things really don’t look good for Hank.

There were more changes on Thursday, although they really weren’t that surprising. FlashForward (9.87m/3.1) gained in viewers while holding steady in the demo. Grey’s Anatomy (15.06m/5.3), on the other hand, posted big week-to-week gains. Of course, that was against a repeat CSI. Surprisingly though, it didn’t translate into gains for Private Practice (9.93m/3.7). The show was down without the crossover element, despite facing a repeat Mentalist. Friday, Supernanny (4.7m/1.1) returned above the year ago premiere, and Ugly Betty (4.55m/1.2) limped to a third place finish in the hour.

CBS - The week started off with shenanigans as the football overrun bumped Cold Case for the night. Amazing Race (10.92m/3.3) and Three Rivers (7.38m/1.9) didn’t see any benefit from that. Monday was mostly par for the course, with one notable exception. Accidentally On Purpose (8.25m/3.3) actually beat How I Met Your Mother (8.07m/3.4) in viewers. Did anyone see that coming? Later, the duo of 2 ½ Men (14.07m/4.8) and Big Bang Theory (13.47m/5.3) continued to dominate the 9PM hour. CSI: Miami (13.16m/3.9) finished the night on a winning note.

Tuesday was up across the board, on the back of NCIS (21.25m/4.7) continuing to impress. That led to good things for NCIS:LA (16.48m/3.9) and The Good Wife (13.26m/2.8). Wednesday remained steady. Old Christine (6.58m/2) and Gary Unmarried (6.76m/2.2) seem to have fought off the ABC comedies, while Criminal Minds (14.27m/3.8) and CSI:NY (13m/3) easily win their hours. Survivor (12.9m/4) was the lone new entry on Thursday, but it is worth noting that The Mentalist (11.79m/2.8) beat CSI (10.14m/2.2) in repeats. Friday was again an easy victory for Ghost Whisperer (8.46m/2.1), Medium (8.43m/2.2), and Numb3rs (8.05m/1.8).

NBC - Overall, it was actually a good week for NBC, relatively speaking. Sunday Night Football (18.17m/7.2) continues to be huge. And Heroes (5.72m/2.5) was actually up. With Mercy (7.18m/1.9)  getting a full season, things don’t look good for Trauma (5.46m/1.8). Tuesday, The Biggest Loser (9.82m/3.9) was also up. There were more gains to be had on Wednesday, as L&O: SVU (9.15m/2.8) continued to grow. There is still the very real possibility that it could compete with Criminal Minds in the demo by the end of the season.

Thursday continues to be a mixed bag. Technically, Community (5.04m/1.9) and Parks & Recreation (4.93m/2.1) had the 8PM hour up over last week. But really, if Kath & Kim are looking down at your numbers, that’s really bad. The Office (8.73m/4.4) and 30 Rock (6.84m/3.3) took advantage of the CSI vacation. Friday, Law & Order (7.17m/1.5) continued to struggle, while Dateline (7.91m/1.8) continued to make the case for canceling Southland.

Leno… didn’t have a good week.The numbers continue to shrink, slowly. Two nights below five million, and two below 1.5 in the demo. Most troubling might be the fact that despite nice gains from The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday, and facing a repeat Mentalist, Leno was actually down.

Mon – 4.74m/1.4
Tue – 5.46m/1.8
Wed – 5.14m/1.5
Thu – 4.97m/1.6
Fri – 6.15m/1.4

FOX - The week started off with one of the most interesting repeats of the week. An old Family Guy (8.13m/4.2) was stuffed in with new episodes from The Simpsons (8.69m/4.1), Cleveland (7.62m/3.8), American Dad (6.25m/3.1) but still managed to be the highest rated. Monday, being pushed back by baseball didn’t do any favors for House (11.65m/4.4) and Lie To Me (7.79m/2.9). The news was better from baseball (10.3m/3.4) on Tuesday. Wednesday, So You Think You Can Dance (6.91m/2.6) and Glee (7.15m/3.3) were steady. I’m curious to see what happens as SYTYCD gets into the competition.

Baseball (11.85m/3.7) returned Thursday, offering a boost to the usual numbers. Friday was more of the same. The only semi-surprise was that  Til Death (1.97m/.7) managed to fall below 2 million viewers. Yikes. It’s pretty bad when you lose viewers from Brothers (2.35m/.8). Dollhouse (2.15m/.8) slipped again, marking its second worse performance ever.

Cable – Ryan asked for numbers from Stargate: Universe and Sanctuary last week. I don’t usually include them because unless Syfy sees fit to issue a press release over the weekend, the post is up before they come out. So, the next best thing is week old numbers. For the 10/16 broadcasts the numbers were Stargate: Universe (2.1m/.9) and Sanctuary (1.77m/.6). That same night, USA had Monk (3.98m/1) and Psych (3.68m/1.2). The interesting premiere this week was The Jeff Dunham Show (5.34m/2.2). That’s impressive, given the overwhelming hatred of the show from critics. It’s also worth noting that Sons Of Anarchy (3.7m/2) beat both Leno and The Forgotten in the demo. Other interesting cable numbers for the past week:

• Monday Night Football (13.47m/5.5)
• Hannah Montana (5.72m/1)
• Mad Men (1.61m/.5)
• Dexter (1.51m/.7)
• Californication (.77m/.3)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.08m/.5)
• Bored To Death (.66m/.3)
• Project Runway (3.02m/1.3)
• Real Housewives Of Atlanta (2.97m/1.6)
• It’s Always Sunny (1.52m/.9)
• Lincoln Heights (.92m/.2)
• Greek (.68m/.3)
• The Hills (1.83m/1.1)
• Dirty Jobs (1.86m/.9)
• Mythbusters (2.28m/1)
• Top Chef (2.86m/1.5)
• South Park (2.58m/1.4)
• Secret Girlfriend (1.29m/.6)
• Nip/Tuck (2.23m/1.2)
• Ghost Hunters (3.07m/1.4)

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Wouldn’t you know it … as we head into a Dollhouse-free month, the show goes out with the best episode of the season. It was so good, I was left wondering why the season didn’t start out on this note. Priya’s story not only gave us the history of Sierra, but also offered a very bleak look behind the scenes at the Dollhouse. All that while advancing a number of the bigger picture plot points.

Update: (Because it has become a Saturday tradition) Proving once again that the quality of the episode doesn’t have a lot to do with the ratings, Dollhouse was down this week. 2.15 million viewers with a .8 demo.

Let’s start with Priya, as well we should, since Dichen Lachman’s performance was outstanding. I didn’t think there was a lot of revelation in how she came to be in the Dollhouse. The fact that Nolan basically put her there after she turned him down had already been given away long ago. The big revelation came in finding out who knew what, and when.

That’s the part of the episode I find most intriguing. The writers continue to blur the lines, trying to paint some kind of grey area for Adelle, Topher, and Boyd to walk in. The shining example of that came in Adelle’s confrontation with Nolan: “You have made me an accomplice in something vile.” While that’s true… he had… she must have cut her feet with all of that broken glass everywhere. This was far from Adelle’s first trip into the vile arena.

Which brings us to my second favorite part of the episode, Harding (Keith Carradine). He cuts right to the chase, calling Adelle on her bullshit. When she asks, “What does this make us?” he answers with the question, “What are we already?” He then goes on to make the point of the night with the line, “If feeling that you’re somehow decent and moral helps you get through your day, that’s your business.”

That’s really what it comes down to. The fact that Adelle and Topher have finally found something that they don’t agree with, and felt a little guilt, doesn’t erase any of the other horrid things they’ve done. They are the same as Harding. Harding just accepts what he is.

I’m still puzzled by the idea that Topher and Adelle somehow think they were on the side of right by kidnapping a mental patient and making her their slave. Clearly, the goal was never to do anything to try and help Priya. It took Topher what, five minutes, to restore Priya with no mental problems? No, they found a hot girl, that wouldn’t be missed, and kidnapped her to do their bidding. It’s not a grey area, and it puts them on the same side of the scale where Nolan was making camp.

And really, it only got worse. After everything that happened, they finally had the opportunity to do right by Priya. Nolan was gone, and they could have reset her to the day she came to the Dollhouse, erasing the last year of torment, and let her get on with her life. Wake her up in a hospital in Australia and tell her she’s been in a coma for a year. Instead, it’s business as usual.

Elsewhere, we’re starting to see a lot of little signs pointing toward what is to come. Certainly Topher’s new-found morals are a factor in how things play out in the future. We also saw him continuing his work on the remote wipe technology, with a nice hat-tip to Alpha. Meanwhile, downstairs, Echo continues to evolve and Boyd has taken to enabling her. Just a hunch, but this can’t end well, right?

All things considered, “Belonging” is a fine example of just how good this show can be. With any luck, we’ll get to see more episodes on this level when the show returns in December.

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My first thought when I heard the news was that Whedon was being brought in to kill someone off  (In fact, my words were literally “What…  They want to kill off a beloved, unsuspecting character already?”). Apparently I’m not the only one who had that reaction, so much so that Joss actually jumped onto Whedonesque.com to deny the “rumors” (that I may have started) about a death.

Whom will I kill? When will that go away? Is death really the only thing I’m known for? I’d hope not. You know how many people in the world actually die? ALL OF THEM. You know how many I’ve killed? Statistically, somewhat fewer. Can’t we focus on another element of my work? Having said that, probably Principal Figgins. (No! I kid! God.)

Is the first season too early to kill someone off? I don’t think so. Angel saw Doyle leave after nine episodes. Heck, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a character we were lead to believe was a main member of the cast didn’t make it to episode three. I think fans of Glee everywhere could get behind the death of a certain not-pregnant character, right?

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Last week I went on about how I think Dollhouse should be shown the door. Dollhouse fans have their petitions at the ready, and their Twitter avatars changed, in support of the show. Then you’ve got people like me who say the show deserves to be canceled, thinking, “what the hell is FOX thinking, keeping such a low-rated show on the air?” Yet, on the air Dollhouse remains. In fact, FOX has just stated that it will air the full 13 episodes it ordered for the season, despite how awful the ratings have been.

People not digging this season of Dollhouse probably think FOX is out of its mind for allowing it to stay on. Hell, I even think it’s weird. Though I continue to think Dollhouse deserves the ratings it’s getting, I commend FOX for keeping the show on for the fans.

In a way I feel bad for FOX. No, really, I know it sounds like complete lunacy, but I do!

FOX is known for axing cult favorite shows, and the ratings have shown that, from a business standpoint, they did the right thing. Firefly: gone. Terminator: gone. Oh, I know there are more, but those are some of the recent biggies.

Now FOX is actually doing the unthinkable: they’re throwing the fans a bone. Standing by Dollhouse not once (with picking it up for a second season in the first place), but twice, is remarkable. The thing is, people aren’t going to remember that FOX gave the ailing Dollhouse a chance by allowing it to show all 13 episodes; they’re going to remember that FOX canceled it. There will be no blame from the fans toward anyone but FOX, and that’s where I sorta feel sorry for them.

Where I do NOT feel sorry for FOX is that it chose to do this for a show that deserves the plug, from a quality standpoint. T:TSCC and Firefly were good, quality shows, yet they were not chosen to be saved by the network. Now that we have a quality and ratings stinker, FOX decides to let it hang on a bit longer. I sort of wonder if the network is doing this so it can point back and say to us all, “See?! We did throw you guys a bone once, but it didn’t matter — the show still tanked. So Sit Down, Shut Up… SaturdayNightsAtMidnightEasternStandardTimeCheckLocalListings.”

So, to you FOX: thanks for giving the Dollhouse fans more episodes to watch, but next time think about doing it for a show that deserves it at the time you plant the CANCELED stamp on the renewal forms.

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It was a strange week for ratings. Brett Favre playing against Green Bay made for a huge Monday Night Football (21.84m/9) audience on ESPN. And then the baseball playoffs ran through the rest of the week, calling a lot of the seemingly odd drops in viewers into question. Despite that increased competition, there was some good news to be had. The Biggest Loser, Bones, The Office, Lie To Me, Castle, and The Simpsons all managed to make gains week-to-week. Dollhouse also got in the game, stopping a four episode streak of series lows. On the other side, it’s starting to look like ER took all of it’s viewers with it when it left. The premiere numbers for Three Rivers were not good, and NBC’s dueling medical dramas continue to struggle.

FOX - Animation Domination got the week off to a great start, with The Simpsons (9.38m/4.4), Cleveland (8.86m/4.4), Family Guy (9.86m/5.1), and American Dad (7.14m/3.6). Food for thought: In the demo, that makes Family Guy the #1 comedy of the week. On Monday, House (13.74m/5.4) looks to have taken a hit from football. The good news though, is that Lie To Me (8.06m/3.1) was up, despite the drop from House.

Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly steady with Hell’s Kitchen (7.43m/3.3), So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday (5.47m/2.5), SYTYCD Wednesday (6.22m/2.5), and Glee (7.28m/3.3). Thursday was another example of just how solid the Bones (10.29m/2.9) audience is. No matter the night, or the competition, it gets its numbers. And it is getting very close to passing up FlashForward in the demo as well. Unfortunately, Bones being up, and the appearance of Nimoy, didn’t help Fringe (5.83m/2.1). For now, let’s blame a special episode of The Office and see what happens next week.

Friday brought very similar results, with Brothers (2.35m/.8), Til Death (2.36m/.8), and Dollhouse (2.25m/1). If your glass is half full, those Dollhouse numbers are a win, because the streak of series lows that stretches back four episodes to last season was ended. If your glass is half empty … it was still the second lowest rated episode the series has had.

CBS - The Amazing Race (9.8m/2.8) was down to start the week, which didn’t offer much help to Three Rivers (8.97m/1.9). That’s really not good for the premiere. Cold Case (10.05m/2.2) was steady, if not impressive. Monday was down across the board with How I Met Your Mother (8.08m/3.4), Accidentally On Purpose (7.16m/2.8), 2 ½ Men (13.3m/4.4), Big Bang Theory (12.52m/4.7), and CSI: Miami (13.43m/3.9). I’m willing to chalk that up to football, but the AOP demo is something to keep an eye on.

Tuesday’s lineup, NCIS (20.7m/4.3), NCIS:LA (16.31m/3.6), and The Good Wife (13.69m/2.9) was also down every hour, but still far and away #1 for the night. There were gains on Wednesday as Old Christine (6.86m/1.9) and Gary Unmarried (6.84m/2.2) were both up. Criminal Minds (14.05m/3.6) and CSI:NY (12.43m/2.9) were both down slightly, but Criminal Minds did take back the number one spot in the demo from ABC.

Thursday was another night of decreases, with Survivor (11.69m/3.4), CSI (14.89m/3.5), and The Mentalist (14.7m/3.3) all down. On the plus side, all were the most watched programs in their slots. Friday was again a cake walk, with Ghost Whisperer (8.6m/2.1) and Medium 8.3m/1.9) up week-to-week. Numb3rs (7.13m/1.6) was slightly down in viewers, but did win the hour.

NBC – As always, Sunday Night Football (18.42m/7.4) is solid. The Biggest Loser (9.25m/3.7) also did well, gaining week-to-week and winning the 9PM hour in the demo. More good news came from the big wedding episode of The Office (9.42m/4.8). That is higher in viewers and demo than every episode from last season. Elsewhere, it was a very NBC week.

Heroes (5.46m/2.4) continues to explore new lows. And that isn’t helping Trauma (5.37m/2.7). Mercy (7.43m/1.8) is doing slightly better, but that’s still not what you would call a real success, given the weak Wednesday competition. Community (4.87m/1.9) made the big move to 8, and managed less viewers than SNL Thursday. It did, at least, provide a boost for Parks & Recreation (4.75m/2.1). Things were slightly brighter for L&O SVU (8.29m/2.6) and Law & Order (7.23m/1.5), but both are not even close to doing what they once did.

Leno? He had a tough week. The numbers continue to slowly grind down to a level, with this week finding two nights dropping below 5 million viewers. Tuesday remains his most successful night.  The only nights where he isn’t last in both measures are Tuesday (2nd in demo) and Wednesday (2nd in viewers).

Monday (4.45m/1.5)
Tuesday (6.22m/2.1)
Wednesday (5.72m/1.7)
Thursday (4.84m/1.7)
Friday (5.33m/1.4)

ABC – Things got off to a nice start Sunday as Extreme Makeover (11.63m/3.4), Desperate Housewives (14.64m/5), and Brothers & Sisters (9.46m/3.2) were all up. A return to the 5s in the demo is very encouraging for Desperate Housewives.  With Monday, the network started suffering many of the same drops the other networks saw. Dancing With The Stars (16.35m/3.5) was down, but still strong. On the plus side, despite that drop, Castle (9.23m/2.2) was up just a bit.

DWTS (12.42m/2.6) was down on Tuesday as well, while Shark Tank (5.15m/1.5) and The Forgotten (7.55m/1.9) both saw small viewer gains. Wednesday was one of those very curious nights, with Hank (6.45m/1.6), The Middle (6.79m/2.1), Modern Family (8.82m/3.4), Cougar Town (7.84m/3.2), and Eastwick (5.14m/1.8) all suffering large losses. We’ll have to wait for next week to see how much of that sticks. The best news there is probably for Castle, which is now well above The Forgotten and Eastwick.

Thursday remains a strong night for the network with FlashForward (9m/3), Grey’s Anatomy (14.13m/5.4), and Private Practice (9.5m/3.6). Those numbers still have FlashForward ahead of where Ugly Betty was last season, but it has now fallen to third in viewers and second in the demo. It will be interesting to see where it plateaus. Private Practice is notable because it remains ahead of The Mentalist in the demo, which is an unexpected win.

CW - One Tree Hill (2.13m/1.1), Gossip Girl (2.08m/1.1), and 90210 (2.09m/1.2) were all down in viewers this week, with 90210 gaining a tenth in demo. Melrose Place (1.6m/.9), on the other hand, was up in both measures. I believe the gains come from starting the episode with Katie Cassidy in her underthings, and look forward to the network taking that into account as they film new episodes.

With Next Top Model (3.15m/1.5), Wednesday was down just a touch in viewers, and up a whole bunch in WTF? Seriously, why is there a repeat of Melrose following the number two show on the network? The spot is open, and Smallville would obviously do better Wednesday at 9. Thursday, Vampire Diaries (3.52m/1.7) continues to lead the network, and Supernatural (2.47m/1.2) had a small drop in viewers. Friday, Smallville (2.3m/1) was down year to year, but still managed more viewers than OTH, GG, 90210, and MP.

Cable - Monday Night Football (21.84m/9) took full advantage of all of the Favre craziness, topping everything on the broadcast networks for the week in viewers and demo. Other highlights this week included the Entourage finale (2.49m/1.5), Sons Of Anarchy (3.67m/2), and Project Runway (3.22m/1.5). Also of note, the Seinfeld reunion was able to add an extra half million viewers to Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.56m/.7). In really crazy drop numbers, remember that Jon & Kate premiere with 10 million viewers? All of their shenanigans have resulted in the latest episode managing just 1.71 million. Some other cable numbers to peruse:

• Army Wives (3.33m/1.1)
• Drop Dead Diva (2.79m/.9)
• Dexter (1.37m/.6)
• Californication (.77m/.4)
• South Park (2.67m/1.3)
• Secret Girlfriend (1.55m/.8)
• WWE RAW (4.71m/1.6)
• The Ultimate Fighter (2.76m/1.6)
• It’s Always Sunny (1.51m/.9)
• Mad Men (1.91m/.7)
• Bored To Death (1.08m/.5)
• The Hills (2.3m/1.4)
• The City (1.61m/.9)
• Lincoln Heights (.75m/.2)
• Greek (.72m/.3)
• Top Chef (2.76m/1.5)
• Mythbusters (1.89m/.9)
• Ghost Hunters (2.74m/1.3)
• Destination Truth (2.04m/1)
• Sherri (.44m/.1)
• Rita Rocks (.28m/.1)

Related posts

• Ratings Clack – Is Dollhouse about to get pulled?
• Ratings Clack – Should FOX switch Fringe and Lie To Me?
• Ratings Clack – V gets off to a great start

It seems that everyone on the planet is talking about Dollhouse’s ratings these days. I’ve decided that, since this is a post about Dollhouse the show, and not necessarily the TV landscape, I will refrain from discussion about the how the ratings better improve quickly, because no one is watching this show. Nor will I talk about how, if the show was better, more people would be watching. Because I think we all could use a break from talking about how much trouble Dollhouse is in.

(The previous paragraph was brought to you by tonight’s episode’s sponsors, the Sarcasm Police)

Seriously, though, folks, as disappointed as I have been in this show since the season started, there is a lot of good going on.

Update: Ratings are up this week. 2.25 million viewers and a 1 in the demo.

I am constantly impressed with the ability of the actors playing the dolls, to create and inhabit a different character each week. Eliza Dushku does an outstanding job each week managing the different personas. Enver Gjokaj proved tonight that he’s got the range to do just about anything the writers throw at him (and really, give this guy more to do, stat). His work tonight as KiKi was just hilarious.

The episode also brought back some of the funny that I think we’ve been without. I’ve put bits and pieces of some of the funniest stuff below. Joss has a way of writing humor that makes you think, and the deadpan delivery of some of the lines tonight was taking good writing to the next level.

Both engagements were fairly interesting as well, and I liked the way that they were related. A literature professor teaching (though I use that word very loosely) about Chaucer and his characters that find empowerment through sex. Then we have a serial killer so completely intimidated by women and their sexuality that he has to imprison and control them. In the end, the show’s definition of the empowered woman, the latent Caroline character, showed up to help the women through.

Other stuff:

• The creep’s (what, that wasn’t his character’s name?) mannerisms, especially with the hair, reminded me of Crispin Glover’s character from Charlie’s Angels.
• Shopping or killing?
• Joss might be preaching to the choir, but I was damn excited to see Michael Hogan.
• A lesser man would have been greatly affected by the glamour shot that was Echo looking in the mirror, as she was prepping for the engagement (yes, Brett, I’m looking at you).
• Just once, Hogan’s character talking about Ballard fraking a Cylon would have been too much to ask?
• “He’s got his own private room. And we’ve kept him very … clean.”
• Boyd’s response to Topher’s description of what was going on with Victor was perfectly played.
• As was Ballard’s, “You got a problem?”
• Speaking of Ballard … to me, the ending was ambiguous, but do you think he killed the guy?

Related posts

• Dollhouse – Can we ever connect with the “real” characters?
• Screw saving Dollhouse! Save Joss Whedon!
• Dollhouse – The Omega is just the Alpha

Unless you’ve been living under a rock that doesn’t have the internet, you get why I’m kicking this thing off with Dollhouse. After premiering with 2.56 million viewers, episode two fell to just 2.09 million in the overnights. That would suggest episode three could fall below 2 million, but I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that.

This week has brought with it an increased fan campaign, and some nice appearances on the chat shows for Eliza Dushku. The Jimmy Fallon appearance, in particular, was excellent. So, I’m looking for the show to bounce back a little this week, and setting the over/under right in the middle at 2.33 million viewers. Vote in the poll, and if you want to try your hand at prognosticating, leave a guess for what the viewer total will be in the comments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

No prizes in this trial run, but if it seems like something everyone likes, we’ll continue playing the game with other shows and dig into the prize closet for some goodies. For now, your best guess gives you bragging rights, and you can pick the show that leads off the weekly ratings post. We’ll be basing this on the overnight numbers that will come out on Saturday. As soon as I see them, I’ll attach them to the weekly Dollhouse review. Make your guesses to two decimal places (ex. 8.94 million).

Update: The ratings are in and the 60% of readers that took the under were correct. Episode 3 was up from the series low of episode 2 with 2.25 million viewers and a 1 in the demo. That means the winner of the first CliqueClack Ratings Game is bsgfan2003, with an amazing prediction of 2.23 million.

Related posts

• Dollhouse – Evil to the core
• Dollhouse – Can we ever connect with the “real” characters?
• Dollhouse – It’s better to burn out, than fade away

Even months before FOX’s Dollhouse premiered, campaigns to save the show appeared on the Internet. Still haunted by the memories of the treatment their beloved Firefly received by the very same network, Whedon fans were desperate to see their master’s new work last. In some ways they were right to be scared. News of the pilot being reshot caused alarm bells to sound, especially when it seemed to be against Joss’s plans. Yet, the show did make it to not only air, but it carried out the complete season and got a surprising renewal.

During its first season, those “Save Dollhouse” campaigns were little heard from. Apparently, even the ratings not being so hot — and the show in danger of not getting a second season pickup — didn’t worry the fans. The renewal was granted, and there was much celebration. And Dollhouse was no longer in need of being saved.

Jump to season two, and after only two episodes, the Save Dollhouse campaigns are at it again. Petitions are posted and Twitter avatars are changed in hopes they’ll change the minds of the FOX powers-that-be, should they be sharpening their hatchet. There’s good reason for them to think it might be in danger: it IS in danger. I mean, come on, those are pitiful ratings. And you know what? It deserves those ratings.

Yes, I said it. It deserves those ratings. Because it stinks. Don’t blame its position on Friday night. Don’t blame FOX. Because, until we hear evidence to the contrary, you can blame Joss Whedon for this.

Dollhouse getting a second season was a surprise to many. Hell, I know I was surprised, but I was happy. I was happy that, with a new season ahead of him, Joss could make this show what he wanted it to be. He wouldn’t be forced to do what the networks wanted him to. Since its first season was iffy in the ratings, and more time had been put into understanding what a Friday audience likes to see, I had full faith that Joss could bring season two in with a BANG. I had faith it would excite fans and would give reason for new viewers to see what all the fuss was about. And he failed us.

That first episode of the second season was Joss’s (and FOX’s) chance to bring new life to the show. They had a prime opportunity to deliver a season premiere that kicked all kinds of major ass and kept people on blogs, Twitter and in lunch rooms talking for days. Instead it went ahead and showed the talented Amy Acker the door and nearly put people to sleep. Are you kidding me?

Close your Dollhouse petition books. Change back your avatars to something with a more noble cause. Dollhouse does not deserve saving. I say that Joss Whedon needs saving, because whatever alien that is eating that man’s brain has caused him to allow Dollhouse to taint his otherwise awesome resume. He shouldn’t be pushing out stuff like this! He cannot be. He’s been kidnapped and a doppelganger is in his place, I tell you. There’s an alien disguised as a hoodie attached to his back, or Topher wiped the man’s mind and forgot to flip the funny bit when he reflashed his brain.

Somebody, please save Joss Whedon from Dollhouse. FOX, go ahead and swing that ax so that it cuts the alienesque umbilical cord from the creature in Joss’s head that it’s feeding, and allow him to give us what we know he’s capable of, like Buffy, Firefly and Dr. Horrible. If there is hope for Joss — and all the rest of us — this Friday will be the last we see of a show that just needs to be sent to the attic.

Related posts

• Why Dollhouse should be renewed
• Dollhouse season 2: Is Whedon preaching to the choir?
• Epitaph One – Why we all should be happy Dollhouse was renewed

The attendance for these chats have been hit or miss, so we’d like to get some feedback from you, the readers, as to what shows you’d like to see us post chats for. We can’t promise anything, but it helps us figure out where to concentrate our energies.

Here’s a list of some of the more popular shows on TV this fall and those we’d be able to cover, if there was interest. Vote on those you would most likely attend, not those you’d just like us to post. Also, let us know in the comments if there’s a show we’re missing or anything else you have to add about the chats. Your feedback is much appreciated!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related posts

• Heroes – Season finale (live-blog/chat)
• Heroes – You got my Sylar in my Nate! You got your Nate in my Sylar! (live-blog/chat)
• Heroes – So… about that bomb (Live-blog/chat)

One of the highlights of “Instinct” was the return of Miracle Laurie as Madeline. If nothing else, it at least suggests that this season isn’t going to be all Echo all the time. Something that I think could play a part in the mysterious disappearance of another 500,000 viewers. In addition, the Mellie/November/Madeline character still has a lot of story to tell.

I’m totally guessing at what that story might be, but I keep coming back to the fact that she’s still a doll. She’s simply been returned to sleeper-agent status on a mission we’ve yet to be let in on. The explanation that she’s been let out of her contract and is now a free woman just makes no sense. To believe that, we have to believe that the powers that be at Dollhouse HQ are too stupid to remember to breathe.

Let’s establish one thing right off the top. The Dollhouse, and everyone that works for the Dollhouse, are evil at their core. Topher and Adelle can prattle on all they want about the good of humanity or doing great scientific work. Screw that. That all goes right out the window the moment you start pimping unknowing girls to have all manner of things done to them, hiring out assassins, doing corporate espionage, and kidnapping and imprisoning government agents. There’s also that pesky bit of business that some of them may not be there by their own choosing. Something we’ll find out more about in “Belonging.” So … evil, right?

Now, if we take the fact that the Dollhouse is evil at its core as a given, we first have to ask, “Why would anyone ever be let out of their contract?” Fear of a lawsuit? Again, they kidnapped a government agent. The Dollhouse operates completely outside of any laws. To appease Ballard? What kind of bargaining position did he really have? And even if they did want to make that deal, what’s to stop them from transferring her to another branch? Most importantly, if an asset is already bringing in millions of dollars, why would the Dollhouse cut it loose?

Even if you can make that jump that those contracts will be honored (because Adelle really is a caring soul who just happens to be cool with slavery, kidnapping, and rape when they suit her needs), why in the world would anyone let out of their contract leave with full knowledge of the operation? That’s not how a secret underground organization stays secret. Sure, they apparently gave her a boatload of cash, but what’s to guarantee she doesn’t also accept another boatload from an upstart rival? It just makes no sense. That’s the kind of mistake that is just too stupid to be believable.

I’m also wondering about all of those fake identities that Ballard turned up for Mellie. The life those suggested doesn’t really mesh with the life that Madeline seems to be under the impression that she lived. It leaves me believing that Madeline is just the latest persona for November. She’s been given this ‘out of contract’ story as a way to keep jerking Ballard’s chain, but will be operating outside the Dollhouse on whatever her real mission is. Thoughts?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related posts

• Dollhouse – Can we ever connect with the “real” characters?
• Dollhouse – You realize, that’s the beginning of the end
• Dollhouse – Give them what they need

Week two of the full-tilt-boogie season brought with it some interesting things, including premieres for Animation Domination, The Amazing Race, Trauma, Hank, and The Middle. We also saw more huge numbers from House, NCIS, and Grey’s. But after all of that, the most interesting story again comes from the show with the worst ratings on all of the big four networks, Dollhouse. After season two premiered to a series low last week, things got even worse. Episode two just barely cleared the 2 million viewer bar, while falling below a 1 in the demo. Reached for comment, my BFF Jill said, “OMG! RLY!?”

Yes, really. The situation is dire. Even the hardcore Whedonites are now at DEFCON 1. Someone has got word that the show could be in danger of being pulled from the air. I don’t know anything more than they do about that, but I would expect it to get one more shot this Friday, before baseball takes over. If episode three doesn’t show some sort of improvement though, I wouldn’t be surprised if baseball makes way for a series of House and Bones repeats on Fridays at 9.

FOX - Since Dollhouse (2.09m/.8) led things off, let’s start there. That is absolutely terrible. To put it in perspective, 6 of the 7 new hours on the CW last week beat it in viewers and the demo. And the 7th, Melrose Place, still managed to tie it in the demo. It also again fell short of its Friday partners, Brothers (2.42m/.8) and ‘Til Death (2.29m/.8). Fortunately for FOX, while the end of the week was a disaster, the beginning was the complete opposite.

Things got off to a great start with the premiere of Animation Domination. The Simpsons (8.31m/4.3) was off just a touch from last season’s premiere, but The Cleveland Show (9.51m/4.9), Family Guy (10.11m/5.2), and American Dad (7.14m/3.6) all brought year-to-year increases to their spots. The good news continued Monday, with House (14.71m/5.8). That is more than 2 demo points above second place Dancing With The Stars. From there, things were more mixed.

Lie To Me (7.73m/2.9) was a solid third in viewers and demo, but those numbers are all too close to where it was while airing at 8 last season. I expected more of a boost, given the post-House slot. Wednesday and Thursday were a mixed bag, with Hell’s Kitchen (6.64m/3.1), So You Think You Can Dance (5.18m/2.4 – 6.81m/2.7), and Glee (7.4m/3.3). Hell’s Kitchen and Glee are solid, but SYTYCD could be doing better. I’m curious to see what happens when the all too-long audition episodes end. Finally, Thursday was a repeat of last week with Bones (9.43m/2.7) holding strong, and Fringe (6.03m/2.3) getting crushed by the heavyweight Thursday competition.

CBS - The Dollhouse kerfuffle trumped NCIS (21.37m/4.8) for my before-the-jump spot, but just barely. Surprising just about everyone, NCIS not only held on to all of the demo from the premiere, but also increased in viewers. That led to a great Tuesday. Combined with NCIS: LA (17.39m/4.1) and The Good Wife (13.69m/3.2), the network was up in viewers and demo in every hour year-to-year. Earlier in the week, The Amazing Race (10.4m/3.4) returned to solid numbers on Sunday, followed by Cold Case (9.19m/2.1).

Monday was also a big success, overall. How I Met Your Mother (8.71m/3.6), 2 ½ Men (13.86m/4.8), Big Bang Theory (13.27m/5.3), and CSI: Miami (13.96m/4.1) all did great. We’re getting very close to Big Bang taking over as the outright #1 comedy on television. The only real misstep was Accidentally On Purpose (8.03m/3.1). That’s not bad, but it does stand out compared to the rest of the night.

The rest of the week proceeded as expected. Old Christine (6.65m/1.9) and Gary Unmarried (6.65m/2.2) remain the weak spot in the lineup, while Criminal Minds (14.24m/3.8) and CSI: NY (13.16m/3.3) own the rest of Wednesday. CSI (15.94m/4.1) narrowly edged Grey’s in viewers, but is now getting hammered in the demo. The other two hours on Thursday have much more intriguing battles shaping up. Survivor (11.54m/3.7) and FlashForward are very close, and that one could go either way each week. And at 10, The Mentalist (15.75m/3.8) couldn’t match the Private Practice premiere demo, but the two should be very interesting to watch going forward. Finally, it was another easy win on Friday; despite everything being down, the perfect combination of Ghost Whisperer (7.63m/1.7), Medium (7.72m/1.8), and Numb3rs (7.73m/1.6) won every hour.

ABC - Things were a little less exciting on ABC. There was some good news. Grey’s Anatomy (15.69m/6.1) remains huge, and led to a great premiere for Private Practice (11.58m/4.6). Desperate Housewives (13.64m/4.7), while down, is still a legitimate hit. And Brothers & Sisters (9.38m/3) is solid following it. The network also has to be excited about the week two performances of Modern Family (9.99m/3.8), Cougar Town (9.25m/3.8), and FlashForward (10.73m/3.7). All three held up very well and look to have greatly improved their places on the schedule.

Things weren’t quite as good elsewhere. Dancing With The Stars (17.03m/3.7 – 13.02m/2.7) is still a viewer machine on performance night, but it was more than two full demo points behind House. The results show has now fallen to second in viewers and third in the demo. The show is still strong, but not nearly what it once was. Elsewhere, Castle (9.15m/2.2) remains rather soft, although comparisons with The Forgotten (7.45m/2), and Eastwick (6.57m/2.3) may help it. Finishing the week, Hank (8.33m/2.1) and The Middle (8.71m/2.6) had disappointing numbers, considering they were premieres in a fairly weak hour. They’ll have their hands full with Gary and Christine in coming weeks. And finally, Shark Tank (4.75m/1.5) has now fallen below Opportunity Knocks from this time last year. And we all know how that ended.

NBC – The good news, as usual, comes from Sunday Night Football (17.47m/6.8), The Biggest Loser (9.18m/3.7), and The Office (7.41m/3.9). The bad news starts with Heroes (5.72m/2.5), and continues to SNL Thursday (5.02m/1.8), Parks & Recreation (4.67m/2), and Law & Order (6.68m/1.2). Somewhere in the middle, we find the dueling medical dramas, Trauma (6.68m/2.2), and Mercy (7.39m/2.1). Those are iffy demos, especially considering Mercy’s competition, but the fact that they are both getting more viewers than Heroes, and three of the four Thursday comedies, is at least a small positive.

Community (5.86m/2.9) rebounded slightly after the Grey’s and CSI premieres last week, but those numbers don’t bode well for its debut at 8 next week. I’d be shocked to see it match Earl from this time last season (7.09m/2.7). Finally, the most curious result of all has to be Law & Order SVU (8.09m/2.5). The show has been a huge winner for the network for years, and I really expected a battle with Criminal Minds. Getting beaten by 6 million viewers and 1.3 demo points has to come as a surprise.

CW - Overall, you’d have to call it a positive week. One Tree Hill (2.51m/1.1) and Gossip Girl (2.36m/1.2) were both up after last week’s big House special delivered quite a blow. Likewise,  90210 (2.21m/1.1) and Next Top Model (3.28m/1.5) were both up as well. Vampire Diaries (3.53m/1.6) and Supernatural (2.6m/1.2) were both down slightly, but continue to be the strongest night in viewers and the adult demo for the network. Monday remains strongest among younger viewers. Smallville (2.39m/.9) even got in on the game; despite being obviously down from last season, it did manage to beat both hours on FOX on Friday. The real problem on the schedule is now Melrose Place (1.42m/.8), which has fallen behind where Privileged was at this time last season.

Cable – The shocking stat from the cable list this week is that I managed to turn up at least 13 shows with more viewers than Dollhouse. Really, those numbers are that bad. The real standout on cable though, was The Ultimate Fighter (5.31m/3.1) on Spike. Sons Of Anarchy (3.76m/1.9) also remains very strong for FX, especially considering it is airing during the regular network season. Some other cable numbers to ponder:

• Stargate: Universe (2.35m)
• Mad Men (1.73m/.6)
• Entourage (1.87m/1.1)
• It’s Always Sunny (2.02m/1.2)
• Drop Dead Diva (2.52m/.8)
• Project Runway (2.8m/1.3)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.05m/.6)
• Bored To Death (.71m/.4)
• Army Wives (3.38m/1.1)
• WWE RAW (4.5m/1.6)
• Monday Night Football (15.7m/6.6)
• The Hills (2.36m/1.5)
• The City (2.03m/1.3)
• Ghost Hunters (2.89m/1.2)
• America’s Best Dance Crew (2.25m/1.2)
• Lincoln Heights (.86m/.3)
• Greek (.74m/.4)
• Kourtney & Khloe (2.23m/1.3)
• Real Housewives of Atlanta (2.72m/1.5)
• Destination Truth (2.33m/1)

Related posts

• Ratings Clack – Favre and Baseball create havoc
• Ratings Clack – Where is FlashForward headed?
• Ratings Clack – V gets off to a great start

Dollhouse

“The human mind is like Van Halen. If you just pull out one piece and keep replacing it, it just degenerates.” — Topher

Big Bang Theory

“I’m not crazy, my mother had me tested.” — Sheldon

“Just fine … ah dude, the fourth Harry Potter movie was just fine!” — Raj
–
“[fine is] a perfectly good word. You put in front of wine or dining and you’ve got something!” — Penny
“Let me ask you this: How was last night for you?” — Leonard
“It was … OK” — Penny
“OK?” — Leonard
“Its a perfectly good word … If you put in front of dokey and you’ve really got something!” — Penny

“Sex is never the way I dream  it’s gonna be.” — Howard
“It’s because in your dreams you’re a horse from the waste down.” — Raj

Quotes from the Ether

“Yeeesh. Our numbers weren’t good last night… ” — @MoTancharoen

That’s the positive spin. The negative spin comes from TheHollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd.

“Dollhouse punches through rock bottom, finds Fox ratings netherworld” — @TheLiveFeed

“Take it slow,in the Dao. Easy skankin. good vibes into the ether. Tonight watch my balls burst into FLAMES SUNNY FX @ 10 PM est” — @Danny_Devito, with your weekly words of wisdom

Mercy

“OK, I’m just going to throw this out there … Do you think we might actually win sometimes if we didn’t drink during the game?” — Garcia [during a softball game]
“That is the dumbest thing you have ever said.” — Callahan

Cougar Toun

“You know, people can’t unhear the things you say.” – Grayson to Jules

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

“I like vampires I can be afraid of, not some douchebag with his hat on backwards.” — Craig Ferguson on the Twlight kids

Grey’s Anatomy

“Nice pin.” — Meredith
“His name is Mr. Bear. He eats children.” — Cristina

Vampire Diaries

“What’s so special about this Bella girl? …. I miss Anne Rice.” — Damon

Modern Family

“Am I attracted to her? Yes. Would I act on it? Absolutely not! As long as my wife was alive.” — Phil, on his feelings for a new neighbor

“My dad’s great with tools. He can get the wheels off a car in less than a minute.” – Manny

“In my culture, we take great pride in doing physical labor.” — Gloria
“I know, that’s why I hire people from your culture.” — Jay

“I know, tone down my natural gifts, dance like a straight guy.” — Cameron
“No slapping your own butt.” — Mitchell
“But that’s how I make my horsey go!” — Cameron

“We’re gonna drink some wine, eat some good food…. Y’know, we would do something like this a lot more often if it wasn’t for, y’know, Manny.” — Jay
“He’s good. He keep us grounded.” — Gloria
“Yeah … like fog at an airport.” — Jay

Glee

“You guys look like the world’s worst Benetton ad.” – April to Glee club

“I want you to be in the Glee club. We’ll get you sobered up … Buy you some underwear.” — Will

“Do I have to put my fingers in the holes? Couldn’t there be diseases in there or something?” — Rachel
“Aw, no, ball-sharing’s half the fun.” — Fin

“When I heard Sandy wanted to write himself into a scene as Queen Cleopatra I was aroused …And then furious.” — Coach Sylvester

Castle

“You know, if this one of those super sciency forensics shows, we’d stick some electrodes in this fish’s brains. Get a fish eye view of whatever they saw.” — Castle

How I Met Your Mother

“I once fantasized about that silhouette chick you see on a truck’s mudflaps. It took me less than a mile.” – Barney

Bones

“When did teenager’s start having sex?” — Cam, asking about her adopted daughter Michelle
“Hello!” — Angela
“If they could, they’d start in the morning and go ’till they dropped.” — Hodgins

Community

“Hey man. My name’s Jeff. I’m trying to lock down the rest of my schedule before the deadline. I heard this class was a cakewalk. Are you passing it?” — Jeff
“…” — Student
“Do you like Dane Cook?” — Jeff
“Yeah he’s awesome.” — Student
“So far so good.” — Jeff

“Choo!” — Troy
“Hey Troy sneezes like a girl!” — Jeff
“And how ’bout I pound you like a boy  – that didn’t come out right.” — Troy

“I’ll have to make some adjustments to my film. Jeff, I think you should play the role of my father.” — Abed
“… I don’t want to be your father.” — Jeff
“That’s perfect, you already know your lines.” — Ahmed

The Mentalist

“Its not like we killed him, his neck was broken in the crash.” — Lisbon
“We got a confession.” — Jane
“Suppose you didn’t. Suppose you’d been wrong. Have you any idea of the vastness of the crapstorm that would follow?” — Minelli

Greek

“Old people having old people sex.” –Rebecca’s summation of Private Practice

“What’s with the pink bowtie?” — Rusty
“Oh, just feeling fancy today.” — Cappie

House

“Who’s the broad?” — House’s Asian cooking partner
“Missionary.” — House
“If she’s a missionary, why does she dress like a hooker?” — partner
“I meant the position.” — House

“Bed is for sissies. Unless you’re having sex, in which case… no, bed is still for sissies.” — House to Wilson, on staying up all night cooking obsessively

“How hard are you trying not to make a ball joke right now?” — Wilson
“They’re smoking.” — House
“…?” — Wilson
“Your balls.” — House
“Oh! No no no! They’re browning way too fast.” — Wilson
“Blue’s the color you have to watch out for.” — House
“Enough! They’re still raw inside. By the time they cook through the outside will be burnt.” — Wilson
“I think there’s a medicated powder for that.” — House

“House, you’ve got no reason to …” — Cuddy [with Wilson, accusing House of still using]
“Et tu, bootay?” — House

the Simpsons

“Sufferin Steve Ditko!” — Comic Book Guy

“So, do you want to see me naked” — Homer
“There’s no nudity in this movie” — Hollywood Executive
“What movie?” — Homer

Supernatural

“Hoard toilet paper. Hoard it like it’s made of gold.” — Future Chuck’s investment advice for Present Dean

“Rhonda Hurley. She made us try on her panties. They were pink … and satiny … and we kind of liked it.” — Present Dean convincing Future Dean that he’s from the past

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Fridays are actually a much needed break for me when it comes to how many shows I put on my plate. Well, that is, when Psych is taking a break and now that Battlestar Galactica isn’t on anymore. However, I’ve gone and done it again and helped myself to another helping from the TV buffet by adding one of the best sci-fi shows this fall … and I’m going back for seconds.

Stargate Universe — I’ve got to be honest: I’ve never watched the other Stargate shows. I saw the first movie long ago, but something about it turned me off in the end and I just assumed the shows would follow suit. Whether it did or not (I really don’t know), it doesn’t matter anymore, because Stargate Universe, so far, makes up for it.

It appears that you don’t need to have any background knowledge of the Stargate saga to get right into SGU. They actually give the viewer a very brief introduction to what a Stargate is and all of that in a rather clever way. I’m definitely glad I put my differences with the Stargate movie aside and gave SGU a chance. You should too.

Cougar Town — “What? Cougar Town is on Wednesday night, not Friday!” Yeah, I know. And usually I would never add a DVR’ed show to my list, but in this case I wanted to throw in a show that I actually preferred watching over the only other “live” show I watched Friday night, which we’ll get to next.

Cougar Town still doesn’t beat Modern Family in my book, but it’s definitely a solid comedy and shouldn’t turn people off just because the title appears to say it’s about a 40-year-old woman trying to have sex. If you liked Scrubs, there’s a good chance you’ll dig Cougar Town.

Dollhouse — This is a distant third and is added only because it’s the only other show I watched last night. Ivey had it right in his review, that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to relate to the main characters of this show, when we’re supposed to be getting into them more! What’s more, I’m still annoyed that the intro video for the show is ALL about Eliza Dushku’s Echo and barely shows the others at all, when I had hoped the show would start focusing on the others more this season.

Seriously, I hate to say it, but I may be out of the Dollhouse camp after this week. The ratings tank every week and, after this week and it being up against other, better shows, it’s not looking pretty again for its ratings this week. I see no reason to stick around at this point, and that makes me sad.

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I know you’ve heard it before, but when Dollhouse was renewed I think even the person that made the decision was surprised by it. Put nicely, the ratings didn’t support a renewal. More directly, they sucked. Last week’s premiere’s ratings were down from last season’s average, so things aren’t looking good. What’s the problem then? Has Joss Whedon forgotten how to write good television (quick answer: probably not)? Are these episodes actually good, and we just can’t appreciate it (quick answer: again, probably not)?

The second half of last season was pretty darn good. The “unaired” episode, “Epitaph One,” was pretty damn close to amazing. The problem with what we’ve seen so far this season, however, is the same thing that drove people away from a decent premiere ratings number last season: It’s the Characters, Stupid.

Ratings Update: Yikes. 2.1 million viewers and 0.8 in the demo.

I know I’ve gone on ad nauseum about how great characters are, so I won’t hammer that point home again, other than to say this: television is a great medium for developing characters, letting them grow, and thus letting the viewer connect to them. In the case of this show, we’ve got very few characters that are “the same” each week, and frankly, most of them are kind of boring (Ballard, I’m looking square at you). Topher is the exception to that rule, but, frankly, that’s not enough.

Echo, Sierra, and Victor (remember him?) change personalities each week. They are different people, with different background and histories and experiences; they are different characters. Eliza Dushku gave a hell of a performance in the police station in tonight’s episode, but at the end of the day, I wasn’t connected enough to her “mother” persona to truly care about what was happening. I knew it was all fake, not just for the audience, but it was fake for Echo.

Granted, Echo is beginning to bank all of these experiences, and to become aware of all of them. Instead of making her a distinguishable, developed character, we’re getting what is quickly becoming a schizophrenic mess. This really isn’t an improvement, because while she might be becoming a more sympathetic character, it’s not one that’s necessarily more likable. Whedon needs to find a way to get us involved and connected with these blank slates.

Last season saw a interesting thread with Sierra and Victor that has only been hinted at once this season. The most interesting developments this season have come from non-regular cast members (Amy Acker’s Whiskey and Miracle Laurie’s November). If the audience cannot connect to the characters that are on-screen week after week after week, then they are going to (continue to) stop watching.

(I almost feel the need to add this: I am a Whedon fan. I gave up on Buffy too early, I gave up on Angel too early, and I never watched Firefly when it aired, but found them all again after the fact, and became a fan. I won’t give up on Dollhouse for those reasons, but I do want this show to live up to the potential we saw in episodes like “Man on the Street,” “Omega,” and “Epitaph One.”)

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Holy smokes. After a summer without a lot of numbers to really be excited about, last week was just stuffed to the gills. There were season and series premieres everywhere, bringing in ratings that ran the gamut from outstanding to horrible. The big winners were House, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy. On the other end of the scale? The Beautiful Life, Brothers, Dollhouse, and just about all of NBC.

FOX - We’ll start here, as they had the best — and worst — ratings story of the week. Things got off to a great start with the two hour return of House (17.13m/6.7). It was just edged out in viewers by Dancing With The Stars, but tied with Grey’s Anatomy for the best demo of the week.

The middle of the week was what I would call successful. No records set, but no real damage done. Hell’s Kitchen (6.78m/3.2 – 6.98m/3.5) held strong, despite facing DWTS and the NCIS tandem. So You Think You Can Dance (5.5m/2.5) and Glee (6.64m/3.1) were close to last week, even with one time appearance of DWTS. And Bones (9.11m/2.8) remained solid against the premiere of FlashForward. Fringe (5.73m/2.3) did fall to a series low, but it remains to be seen how much of that had to do with the dueling premieres from CSI and Grey’s. This week should be much more telling.

And then, there’s Friday. Brothers (2.82m/1) got off to a horrible start, placing a distant fourth in viewers and tied for fourth in the demo. However, it did do better than Dollhouse (2.56m/1). Seriously, that’s horrible. Some people were quick to go to the excuses on that one, noting that DVRs will be a big deal, and there is revenue from streaming and iTunes to think of, etc. I’m quick to say: fuck that. The premiere was down over 30% in viewers and demo from the season one averages. And the season two premiere is down 50% in the demo and 44% in viewers from the season one premiere. There aren’t enough DVRs in the world to not make those numbers horrible.

CBS - While House and Grey’s tied for the week’s demo crown, the most watched show was NCIS (20.6m/4.8). That kicked off what was a great Tuesday night, also featuring the premieres of NCIS: LA (18.73m/4.4) and The Good Wife (13.71m/3.1). Earlier in the week, Monday was also successful. How I Met Your Mother (9.09m/3.6), Accidentally On Purpose (8.91m/3.3), 2 ½ Men (13.63m/4.5), Big Bang Theory (12.96m/4.7), and CSI: Miami (14.2m/4.3) all performed well. Two things to note: I’m not convinced AOP is going to maintain those numbers, and things are looking very good for Big Bang Theory becoming the #1 comedy on TV this season.

The only real stumble of the week came Wednesday, with Old Christine (7.17m/2.2) and Gary Unmarried (6.86m/2.3). Both were on pace with last season, but it does remain the weakest hour on the CBS schedule, and you have to wonder how much longer the experiment is going to last. Things picked up again at 9, with Criminal Minds (15.84m/4.4) and CSI: NY (15.06m/4).

Thursday brought Survivor (11.66m/3.7), CSI (16.01m/4.1), and The Mentalist (15.07m/3.6). Surprisingly, Survivor was actually up for the week, even while finishing second to the FlashForward premiere. I would expect it to be back to number one in the hour before too long. It will be interesting to see what The Mentalist does facing Private Practice instead of the extended Grey’s.  Finally, as has become the norm, CBS easily won Friday night with Ghost Whisperer (8.58m/2.2), Medium (8.78m/2), and Numb3rs (7.92m/1.8). For the record, that Medium viewer number is higher than every non-football hour on NBC for the week.

ABC - Dancing With The Stars led off the first three nights, and proved that, while down year to year, it’s still a huge draw on Monday (17.79m/4.1), Tuesday (15.37m/3.5), and Wednesday (15.36m/3.3). Castle (9.27m/2.3) and The Forgotten (9.54m/2.6) both took advantage of the boost, and landed in second place. The real winners in the DWTS sweepstakes though, were Modern Family (12.61m/4.2) and Cougar Town (11.28m/4.4). We’ll have to see what happens when Hank and The Middle enter the picture, but it could be then end of the ABC comedy black hole. Eastwick (8.5m/3) followed, also putting up decent premiere numbers.

It wasn’t the highest rated show of the week, or the night, but the most impressive premiere might have been FlashForward (12.47m/4). It won the hour against Bones and Survivor, which is no small feat. That led to the huge return of Grey’s Anatomy (17.03m/6.7), which totally dominated the night.

NBC - The good news is that Sunday Night Football (24.82m/9.8) is still huge. The bad news, is pretty much everything else. To give an idea, not only did Medium have more viewers than everything but football … the most viewed series of the week (Mercy (8.38m/2.3) was below every new episode on ABC. Yikes. Heroes (6.11m/2.8) didn’t do very well kicking things off. The Biggest Loser (7.56m/3.1) was better on Tuesday, but is down a fair bit from where it finished in the spring.

Mercy (8.38m/2.3), surprisingly enough, was the most watched show on the network, and that was with the one-time appearance of DWTS. Law & Order (8.36m/2.5) followed, and did increase the demo, but the premiere was off a good two million viewers and a full demo point from what it was regularly doing last season.

There was one more bright spot on Thursday, with The Office (7.46m/3.9). Holding at nearly a 4 in the demo against the CSI and Grey’s premieres is great. Unfortunately, the rest of the Thursday comedy block is imploding. SNL (4.54m/1.7), Parks & Recreation (4.09m/1.8), and Community (5.39m/2.7) were all off. Did the Grey’s and CSI premieres sink Community? Or did people get a look last week and not come back?

Friday, Law & Order (6.29m/1.3) got off to what was a slow start, placing third in the demo behind Ghost Whisperer and a repeat of FlashForward. And Leno? The week averaged 5.98 million viewers and 1.9 in the demo. That’s not great, but good enough for the network, given the costs. The real story will be told when the show goes up against repeats.

CW - It was a bit of a mixed bag this week. One Tree Hill (2.29m/1.1) actually stood up well to the premiere of House. Gossip Girl (1.97m/1) didn’t. The good news is, of course, that Gossip Girl won’t be facing House after this. So it looks like that schedule change is already working out.

Tuesday remains an issue as the weakening 90210 (2m/1) leads in to the sinking Melrose Place (1.44m/.8). Heather Locklear can’t show up soon enough. The news was slightly better Wednesday, with Top Model (2.82m/1.3). That made for the second best hour of the week for the network, but Top Model does remain curiously down year to year. Still, that was worlds better than The Beautiful Life (1.05m/.5). That’s so bad that the show has been canceled.

The night of the week was again Thursday, as Vampire Diaries (3.79m/1.7) and Supernatural (2.66m/1.2) remained relatively steady despite the premieres from FlashForward, CSI, and Grey’s. The news was also good for Smallville (2.5m/1) on Friday. Those numbers are well below what the show was doing on Thursday, but also an improvement over last season’s Friday lineup. And really, the show should be knocking Fox into last place sooner, rather than later.

Finally, a few cable numbers from the week.

• Mad Men (1.57m/.6)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.12m/.5)
• Bored To Death (1.03m/.5)
• Entourage (1.83m/1.1)
• Drop Dead Diva (3.06m/.9)
• Army Wives (3.28m/1)
• Warehouse 13 (2.23m/.7)

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Dollhouse is in a bit of a weird place. To call the renewal a surprise would be an understatement. In his letter to critics, Whedon himself called it  “a hilariously unexpected non-cancellation.” That leads to a choice between two very different paths. Should the powers that be down at Dollhouse HQ try and reinvent the show, hoping to finally attract those eyeballs that eluded them last season? Or should they look at season two as playing with house money (pun intended), and make the show for the audience they already have, as small as that audience may be? It gets right back to the question I asked when the various casting announcements started coming out. Is Whedon preaching to the choir? Yes, he most certainly is.

Update: The numbers are not good. 2.57m/1 Lowest rated episode of the series. Worse? It was beaten by Brothers.

Watching the premiere, it’s just expected that viewers understand who Alpha is, and what he did in uploading all of Echo’s personalities into her at once. You should also know about Ballard’s history with the FBI, the deal he struck that brought him into the Dollhouse, why Victor is having surgery to reconstruct his face, and the complicated history of Saunders/Whiskey. Really, nothing is explained. They didn’t even go into a brief intro of how the Dollhouse works.

For someone that is already on board, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s more a continuation of the story, and you don’t waste any time bringing the new kids up to speed. However, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that the show is going to be able to attract much of a new audience. It’s really not welcoming in any way.

Getting to the episode itself, I’m left thinking mostly positive things. It did lack the big bang of a premiere event, but continuing the story right where we left off has offered a solution to what was one of my biggest pet-peeves in the first season. I long ago passed my threshold for blank slate Echo. A heroine with no personality is, as one would expect, dull as hell. Seeing the lights get turned on, and Echo actually becoming aware, is worlds more interesting. The quicker she gets up to speed, the better, in my book.

The engagement was also a winner. Along with the choir-pleasing casting choice of Jamie Bamber, I really liked the twist to it. It did kind of throw Boyd’s disgusted protestations under the bus, but finding out that Ballard was “the client” and Echo was working deep cover was unexpected. It also led to the funniest line of the night. DeWitt, summing up Ballard’s current place: “You work for the betterment of mankind. Fighting crime by listening to Echo have sex.”

Meanwhile, back at the Dollhouse…. Everything between Whiskey and Topher was at once fascinating, and disappointing. The reality of the show’s situation crept on screen as you realized Whiskey is taking a powder because Amy Acker has another gig to get to, rather than because she really should be leaving. That’s all that much more disappointing given that this was as good as she’s been through the whole series. I could watch her all day.

It wasn’t all candy and nuts though. I did have one small issue with the premiere. There was a decided lack of Sierra and Victor. It’s a problem that carries over from the first season. There is, on occasion, too much focus on Echo. And, truth be told, given my choice of actives to see on an engagement, she’s third. The very brief bit with Sierra shows why. And really, Ivy got more focus than Sierra and Victor. What’s up with that?

So, at the end of the day, there are two ways to look at things. The premiere, and those little bits of information we know about the coming season, give me every confidence that it’s going to be a successful one. That is, successful where fans of the show are concerned. Great guest stars, Echo becoming aware, political intrigue, and all manner of hell possibly breaking loose inside the Dollhouse. That’s good stuff.

Meanwhile, the prospects for those pesky ratings don’t look good at all. Saturday’s will once again be welcomed by a curious tapping of the foot as we wait to see what the numbers look like. Given the direction of the show, the ridiculous lead-in, and the increased competition on the night, I expect more of the same. It doesn’t bode well for a miracle comeback, but those low ratings were good for a renewal once, so who knows?

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I know for a fact that a lot of you have been eagerly awaiting this moment: the season two premiere of Dollhouse! Fellow Clacker Ivey did a preview post on the episode already, and I have the opportunity to give it an early look as well. Don’t worry — I won’t go spoiling it for you here or in tonight’s chat.

Tonight I’ll be hosting a live-blog/chat of the Dollhouse season premiere. Make sure you come on by at 9 PM and join in. See you back here then!

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You didn’t think that Dollhouse was coming back. I didn’t think Dollhouse was coming back. Brett surely didn’t think that Dollhouse was coming back. If you took that bet to Vegas, however, you lost big. Thankfully, we were wrong. Joss Whedon’s latest drama premieres its second season on Friday, September 25, despite disappointing in the ratings. But, as Joss said this week, “I don’t make hit shows; I make shows that stick around.” Fortunately for us, Dollhouse is back.

As per usual, Spoiler Warnings in effect!!!

When we last left our heroes (except … heroes … that totally doesn’t work for this show at all, does it?) most were dead, we were all in the future, and it was the end of the world as we know it. But that’s only if you purchased the DVD and were privy to the amazing unaired “Epitaph One.” If not, you probably remember Alpha trying to stuff Echo chalk-full-o’ personalities, Ballard making a deal with the devil, Whiskey finding out she wasn’t who she thought she was, and Langton taking over for Mr. Dominic.

The premiere is good, but it’s a bit bittersweet from my perspective. The best story told, and the most interesting character dynamic, is one that will unfortunately get so little airtime over the course of the season. Amy Acker’s Whiskey/Dr. Saunders is now dealing with being aware of who, or at least what, she is. Her struggles with Topher — who created her personality — are especially poignant because, seriously, who ever gets to question their maker like that? Unfortunately, Acker is only going to be around for three episodes, so the story will most likely simmer on the back-burner most of the season.

Echo is still in action, though her first client was a little bit of a surprise. The mission is to take down an arms dealer (BSG’s Jamie Bamber), and the active has to get close … a little more close than Ballard is actually comfortable with. It’s the deeper connection between the two of them, however, that leads to the eventual success, which prompts Ballard to make his relationship with the Dollhouse a bit more … official. Echo, on the other hand, is dealing with becoming a different kind of self-aware.

We only get quick glances of the rest of the Actives in the main cast. Victor is just about healed, and shares a telling moment with DeWitt. Sierra is there too, but only enough to remind us that she is there, and is still connected to Victor is some mysterious way. November is gone, but presumably not for long. Joss teased her return, but no details, other than since it was his show, you can be sure some kind of pain would be involved. Alpha also isn’t around, so Victor’s new face is safe … for now.

We got a quick introduction to one of the other guest stars in store this season. Alexis Denisof (Angel) plays a politician on a mission that doesn’t bode well for the Dollhouse. We’re also going to see Ray Wise (Reaper) as the director of another Dollhouse, and Summer Glau (Firefly) as someone in his employ. Micheal Hogan (BSG) will also stop by, but all of these genre has led Brett to wonder if their casting will actually bring new viewers. My perspective: I just think its pretty darn cool that they’ll be on the show, so I must be sitting in the choir that Joss is preaching to.

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Friday is an interesting night. Despite being a night of dramatically lower ratings for so many shows, it’s still one of the most fascinating nights where the numbers are concerned. Last season, that had much to do with the performance, or lack thereof, we saw from Dollhouse, Terminator:TSCC, and Prison Break on FOX. Dollhouse will still figure in heavily this year, but the other networks have also made some interesting moves. The big questions: Has anything changed for Dollhouse? Does the move to Friday spell the end for Betty and Clark? And has CBS finally found a solution for 9:00 with Medium?

There are no surprises at the top spot at 8:00. Ghost Whisperer will continue to dominate the night, although the task won’t be quite as easy as it has been in the past. Law & Order presents a legitimate challenge. Unfortunately, as we saw with the Law & Order numbers last season on Wednesday, the show just isn’t what it once was. This will be a marked improvement for NBC (roughly doubling Howie’s numbers), but not enough for first place. Supernanny should hang around to take third. And then we have a very interesting battle for fourth.

I’m still not sure why CW decided to move Smallville to Friday, but if they have to put any show there, it probably has a better chance of bringing along some viewers than most do. And really, it’s not like the bar was set very high last season. 2.5 million viewers and a 1.3 in the demo would be a huge improvement for the network. And it just might be enough to knock FOX into last place. Does anyone think there is an audience to be found for Brothers and ‘Til Death? Even more troubling, an audience for them on Friday night? If Terminator could fall as low as 3 million viewers in this spot, the new comedy hour will hit the 2s, with a demo under 1. And I’ll actually applaud that. Viewers have repeatedly shown FOX that they have no interest in ‘Til Death, but it goes on, and on, for no other reason than the syndication dollars to be made. ‘Til Death is the new According To Jim, with less laughs.

The real fun though, starts at 9. All of a sudden everybody wants to come out and play. The four big networks all have original scripted programming. Who’d have thought? You could actually bend the numbers to make a case for Ugly Betty, Southland, or Medium to win the hour with a little fudging. When the season gets up and running though, Medium will be the clear winner. One thing the show has proven in it’s haphazard run on NBC is that no matter what night, or what time, they put the show on, the Medium fans show up. And they’ll show up to CBS at 9:00. It doesn’t hurt that it also serves as a great bridge between Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs either.

Southland and Ugly Betty should be pretty close in the battle for second. Based just on averages, Southland has a slight edge, but that’s an awfully limited sample. And viewers quickly abandoned the show towards the end of it’s run in the spring. It fell from 9.72m viewers and a 3.2 to 6.45m and a 1.9. That ending number opens the door for Ugly Betty and it’s all going to come down to how much of the audience makes the transition to Friday. I’ll give the slight edge to Southland, more for the nature of the show than anything else, but it will be a close battle. Neither will be very impressive though, and to see them make another season following this would be shocking.

Shocking like, a season two for Dollhouse. This is the show that I am most interested in seeing ratings numbers for. Because, really, there is a pretty convincing case to be made against the show seeing any improvement.  The conventional wisdom is that the show got better as the season went along. And I agree, it did. The problem is that the ratings just kept getting worse. The finale was actually the lowest rated episode of the season. The unaired 13th episode was also very good, and I suppose you could make an argument that it will draw in viewers. But given that it was only on the DVD, how many people actually saw it that weren’t already watching? And if it struggled when paired with Terminator, how much help do you think the Brothers/’Til Death hour is going to offer?

Despite all that, I’m actually picking the show to improve year to year. Partly because, seriously, it really can’t get a lot worse. But also because I think the hype of the new season will boost the premiere above where the show finished off last season. And given what we saw in “Epitaph One,” I like the possibilities for where season two is headed. With that as a destination, there should be less of a viewer exodus over the course of the season. It will still drop from the premiere, but we can put the days of less than three million viewers and 1.0 demos behind us. And, insane good news, that was good enough to get it renewed once….

Wrapping up the week at 10, Numb3rs should make it a clean sweep for CBS. There may be some week to week shenanigans where 20/20 and Leno are concerned, based on the sensational story of the week or a really big guest. When it all averages out though, the Eppes brothers will get the job done.

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