Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks in "The Good Guys"

On Tuesday morning Fox released its summer line-up, and it includes a few mixed blessings.

First things first: among the announcements was news that “Glee’s” season finale will air on June 8 at 9PM ET/PT — a great way to kick off the summer, don’t you think? “Glee” will air in repeats at 8 PM Wednesdays starting on June 16.

Summer stalwart “So You Think You Can Dance” returns to the schedule with a two-hour premiere on May 27, and “Hell Kitchen” begins its off-season cycle with a two-hour premiere on June 10.

Here’s where things get interesting. Remember when Fox confused viewers with its wan commitment to “Lie to Me” by ordering more episodes right before disappearing it from the midseason schedule?  The network was saving it for a summertime run, it seems.  “Lie to Me” will be paired with the new hour-long comedy from “Burn Notice” creator Matt Nix, “The Good Guys,” on Mondays starting June 7.

Audiences will have an opportunity to see a preview of “The Good Guys” (formerly known as “Code 58“) on Wednesday, May 19, which is smack dab in the middle of sweeps and the final rounds of “American Idol.”  You may recall that Fox reaped huge rewards by using the same strategy to introduce us to “Glee.”

But this is why we mentioned “mixed blessings” in that first paragraph — that preview is in the 8 o’clock slot, which means it won’t be getting any benefit of an “Idol” lead-in. (Not that having “Idol” as a lead-in guarantees success anyway; it worked for “Glee,” a musical comedy, for obvious reasons. It has not worked for a number of canceled Fox experiments, including this one. )

That means “The Good Guys” and “Lie to Me” must succeed or fail pretty much on their own, which is a difficult enough task during the regular season. During the summer, when viewership is lower?…Well, we’re just glad Shawn Ryan,  “Lie to Me’s” incredibly talented showrunner (who previously executive produced “The Shield” and “The Unit“) has another cop series in the pipeline called “Ridealong.”

On paper, summertime has the benefit of lower competition. Reality series thrive during the warmest months, largely due to their relatively lower production costs. But it’s still a tough place for scripted programs to find a foothold. Even if networks and audiences are changing their attitudes about summer scheduling, it is still the season for burning off episodes of  series that didn’t work during the regular season.  That’s why a handful of “Past Life” episodes are being dumped on to Fridays starting May 28.

Keep reading for the full schedule, as listed on the official press release.

MONDAY

Mondays, beginning June 7:

8:00-9:00 PM              LIE TO ME (Summer Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM            THE GOOD GUYS (Series Premiere)

****************************

TUESDAY

Tuesday, June 1:

8:00-9:00 PM              SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

9:00-10:00 PM            GLEE

Tuesday, June 8:

8:00-9:00 PM              SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

9:00-10:00 PM            GLEE (Season Finale)

Tuesdays, beginning June 15:

8:00-10:00 PM            SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

***************************

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, May 19:

8:00-9:00 PM              THE GOOD GUYS (Series Preview)

9:00-10:00 PM            AMERICAN IDOL

Wednesdays, June 2 and 9:

8:00-10:00 PM            SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

Wednesdays, beginning June 16:

8:00-9:00 PM              GLEE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)

9:00-10:00 PM            SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Time Period Premiere)

***************************

THURSDAY

Thursdays, beginning May 27:

8:00-10:00 PM            SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (Season Premiere)

Thursdays, beginning June 10:

8:00-10:00 PM            HELL’S KITCHEN (Season Premiere)

***************************

FRIDAY

Friday, May 28:

8:00-10:00 PM            PAST LIFE (Two-Hour Summer Premiere)

Fridays, June 4 and 11:

8:00-9:00 PM              PAST LIFE (Time Period Premiere)

9:00-10:00 PM            HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)

Fridays, beginning June 18:

8:00-9:00 PM              BONES (Time Period Premiere) (Encores)

9:00-10:00 PM            HOUSE (Encores)

***************************

SATURDAY

Saturdays (no change to lineup):

8:00-8:30 PM             COPS

8:30-9:00 PM              COPS

9:00-10:00 PM            AMERICA’S MOST WANTED

11:00 PM-Midnight     THE WANDA SYKES SHOW

Midnight-12:30 AM     ANIMATION DOMINATION (Encores)

***************************

SUNDAY

Sundays, beginning June 6:

7:00-9:30 PM              ANIMATION DOMINATION

9:30-10:00 PM            SONS OF TUCSON

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This week some of our favorite TV shows are  highlighting the joys of romance in their storylines.

Leave it to “Modern Family” to deftly illustrate all the hilarious ways that love, American style, can go awry. We adore this show.

Read on for the recap of  “Modern Family’s” viewer Valentine as well as our other Wednesday night faves:

“Modern Family”: My Funky Valentine
“American Idol”: Hollywood Round: Part 2
“Criminal Minds”: Public Enemy
“Cougar Town”: When a Kid Goes Bad
“Leverage”: The Three Strikes Job

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(If you haven’t seen last night’s “Lost” episode, please stop reading now.  Really. We mean it.)

Confession time:  I am not one of those people who scours each “Lost” episode for hidden meanings, Easter eggs and the rest of that frimfram sauce. I would rather munch on cookies and watch it in peace, then read all the various comb-throughs of said episode the next morning.

Lots of people have been thinking deep thoughts about this show for several seasons now and frankly, they’re much better at spotting the hidden meanings and symbolism and frimfram sauce ingredients than I am.   So if that’s the kind of “Lost” post you’re looking for, I recommend reading this column, or this blog post, or this one. Or read this one for the entertainment value.

I will say this, however: “What Kate Does” was an interesting episode not because of the action between Kate and Claire in the parallel universe, or the idea that Claire has assumed Rousseau’s role on the island.

(Keep reading, or scroll to the bottom to go straight to our recaps.)

I was not even blown away by the revelation that Sayid might not be “Jacob Uploaded” but has probably been “claimed.”  That I kind of expected, especially having noticed the look on Miles’ face after Dogen and Lennon broke the news that Sayid was dead.  I’m assuming Miles either didn’t hear Sayid say anything, which surprised him, or he did hear something, but what he heard was so unbelievable he’s keeping it to himself.

Or it could be that entire line of thinking is a dead end and Ken Leung was merely “being in the moment.”

God…I’m doing that thing I said I wouldn’t do, aren’t I?

At any rate, what intrigued me about last night’s bridge episode was not so much what Kate did, or what she does (which has interesting implications about the connections between the two storylines…swear to God, I’ll stop) but the portents of what Sawyer is going to do.

Even when Sawyer was at his most heroic and loving, “Lost’s” writers never let us forget that the man has a dark soul. This does not mean that he can never be the hero; he has played the savior several times since we’ve known him, and we’re expecting significant heroics from him before the end. But my heart sank when Sawyer revealed the engagement ring he was going to give to Juliet before throwing it off of that Dharmaland Bay dock, because that ring seemed to represent his last glimmer of hope and faith in anything good.

As we saw in the teasers for next week’s episode, Dark Locke will be taking advantage of Sawyer’s sorrow. And that ain’t good.

“Lost’s” end will be painful now matter how you look at it, but that pain is sharpened by the fear that James Ford will not get the happy ending many of us want for him.

Oh yeah, and one other thing: Hey, how nice to see Mac from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” make a reappearance! (BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!) Whoops, sorry he couldn’t stay. See you back at Paddy’s, Rob McElhenney!

Here’s the IMDb’s “Lost” recap in addition to the rest of our Tuesday night synopses.

“Lost”: What Kate Does

“NCIS”: Jack Knife

“American Idol”: Hollywood Round, Part 1 (Ellen is in the hizz-ouse!)

“The Biggest Loser” Working Out with Olympians

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Chuck and Sarah: A couple worth (show)killing for?

Those who keep up with the daily happenings in TV Land are likely aware of  the “Chuckopalypse.”  If you’re not, check out our recap of the episode (“Chuck vs. the Mask“) or continue reading after the jump for a brief explanation.

The rest of our Monday night recaps are linked at the end of this post if you’d rather skip the conversation about the “Chuckopalypse.”  And you can always find the IMDb’s round-up of TV recaps the day after an episode airs by scrolling about midway down the IMDb homepage.

Ready? Here we go:  A significant portion of “Chuck’s” devoted viewership is up in arms — on the verge of mutiny, really — at what they consider to be a major pollutant to the delicate Chuckosphere.

These folks, who some would call “shippers” (i.e., people who believe a series flies or dies based on what happens in a central romantic relationship, usually of the “will-they-or-won’t-they” variety), believe that the producers betrayed them by having Chuck (Zachary Levi) and his usually-off-but-only-on-for-a-tantalizingly-short-time love interest Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) pair off with other people.

It’s perfectly fine for Chuck’s eyes to wander, mind you; he tried to make it work again with his ex-girlfriend — alas, she was a spy! — and another the girl at the mall’s sandwich shop, but he always came back to Sarah.  To a nerd like Chuck, Sarah is the ultimate unattainable girl: sexy, smart, skilled with weapons and hand-to-hand combat.  Why on Earth would she be interested in a Buy More employee? Doesn’t matter; she just is.

The sticking point, Sarah has been keen to remind Chuck, is that they’re both spies and co-workers; ergo, they can’t do anything about it.  Sarah has said it dozens of times: Spies do not fall in love. Therefore, Sarah must remain unattainable, and if anyone is to do the attaining, it must be Chuck.

A couple of weeks ago Chuck meets nice girl Hannah on a plane, they hit it off, she finds him in Burbank, and sparks fly.  Fine so far. Where things get problematic, in the eyes of some fans, is that Sarah appears to be ready to pair off with fellow super-spy Shaw, who is not only her superior but has often reminded her not to fall in love with her charge, Chuck.

(Once also can’t help noticing that those upset fans are perfectly fine with Chuck getting busy with others while Sarah isn’t allowed the same perk. Hello, and welcome to the Buy More! My name is Double Standard. How may I assist you today?)

It does not matter that Chuck and Sarah’s distractions happen to be played by the adorable Kristin Kreuk and handsome Brandon Routh. The problem is that Chuck and Sarah are supposed to end up together, dammit.  That was the implied promise, understand. Three seasons in, Chuck and Sarah have almost had sex and almost ran away together.

The complaints don’t just in there. Chuck is almost a spy but can’t quite give up the training wheels; the adventures of Morgan, Jeff, Lester and the Buy More gang are almost baked to the point that they can stand alone each week;  and the series almost seems to have hit its stride but this season’s episodes haven’t quite cleared the bar between solid and outstanding.  All this, and an Olympics-forced hiatus, too.

That’s a lot of “almosts” to put up with, and the extended tease appears to have pushed some fans to the breaking point. Next-day viewer reaction has ranged from the merely peeved to really ticked off to “let’s stop watching to force the producers to write the show we want” (see comments in that last link) tough talk.

Let’s put that last idea to rest right now, especially if you happen to be one of the viewers who worked very hard to save “Chuck” last season. “Chuck” has never been one of the shiniest examples of the Golden Age of the Scripted TV Hour and, frankly, you’ll find better espionage action over on USA during an episode of “Burn Notice.” But what it is, and has always been, is the kind of good fun that’s in short supply on network television.

If you stop watching it, there will be no script rewrites. There will only be a cancellation announcement.

As NPR’s Linda Holmes reminds us (via an effective metaphor) in her blog post on this topic, “When you like a show, you’re effectively on a bus with everyone else who likes it, and you’ve got to let the driver do the driving…But if you get up there with everybody else on the bus and start trying to grab the wheel, you will find yourself tumbling down the side of a ravine, and at the bottom of that ravine, there will be nothing to watch except ‘Deal or No Deal‘.”

Sure, you might not have love love LOVED “Chuck vs. The Mask“  and yes, the Chuckster left us in a tough place to wait until March 1,  but can we please refrain from calling for the head of Mr. Bartowski?  Honestly, did you stick around to watch the mess that went down after that “Chuck” episode?

I agree with Holmes and our pals Alan Sepinwall and Mo Ryan, whose various calls for calm on the subject are far more eloquent than this one.

And, in case you need a reminder of what a truly bad episode of television looks like, we have plenty of episodes of “Heroes” available on for viewing on IMDb. That includes the season finale, which would work perfectly well as a series finale in my opinion.  (Just an observation.)

Now consider that NBC could be quicker to renew that hot garbage than give Casey, Sarah and Chuck a fourth season of missions if  “Chuck’s” post-Olympics ratings take a dive. Yep. That’s right.

So please…simmer down, my friends. Simmer down now.

The full recap of the “Heroes” finale is below along with the rest of our Monday night coverage.

“Heroes”: Brave New World (Season finale)

“How I Met Your Mother”: Rabbit or Duck

“House”: 5 to 9

“The Bachelor”: Meet the Families

“The Big Bang Theory”: The Large Hadron Collision

“Damages”: Flight’s at 11:08

“Secret Diary of a Call Girl”: Fantasy vs. Reality

“24″ Day 8: 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m

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Different as “Lost” and “Supernatural” may seem to most, there are actually a number of thematic parallels — as our good friend Mo Ryan, aka The Watcher, points out in this post.

There’s really no excuse for any genre fan not to have seen at least one episode of this show.  Honestly, folks, it’s on TNT every weekday.  In fact, the only thing that gets me to the gym in the morning is knowing I can switch on those “Supernatural” repeats while I do my cardio.  Gotta prepare for the coming zombie apocalypse, right?  Next goal: Limber up!

But this is not a discussion about “The End.” Rather, it is a short take on what to expect from this week’s episode “The Song Remains the Same,” previously titled “Back to the Future II.”

The new episode (airing Thursday at 9 ET/PT) marks the return of Anna Milton (Julie McNiven), the fallen angel who recovered her grace with the Winchesters’ help. As part of the adventure, Dean and Anna had a “last night on Earth” romantic encounter that was scored to a rock ballad so awful it could peel paint.  Anyway, Anna evaded capture for several episodes but sadly, she was being hauled heavenward last time we saw her.

This time,  according to the official episode summary,  Anna jumps through time to Sam and Dean’s past. Her purpose: to hunt down the young versions of the boys’ parents, John Winchester (Matt Cohen) and his wife Mary (Amy Gumenick), and make sure Sam never comes into existence.  Let’s see, time travel and seeking to change the past in order to alter the present.  Hmm — are we sure this isn’t “Lost”?

Click on the photo at left to see a tasty video clip from tonight’s episode, or go here.

We have plenty of photos from “The Song Remains the Same” available here,  and check IMDb’s homepage on Friday for the recap.

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Matthew Fox. Photo courtesy of ABC.

Dear Mr.  Fox: First off, congratulations to you and the rest of the “Lost” cast and crew for making six seasons of a drama that will leave the TV landscape noticeably poorer when it ends. Not every actor can say he was part of such a revolutionary experience.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, can we talk about this “I’m done with TV” business?

Granted, any person can understand your desire to take a break from the TV industry. The production schedule is  grueling.  The publicity merry-go-round, probably quite draining. We know you appreciate your fans,  but you seem like a guy who dreams of the day he can peacefully enjoy a meal at a diner somewhere in Oregon.  We’d want to pull out of the Hollywood scene too if we were as famous as you are.

But publicly declaring that you’re done with TV and ready to try films? Please. One would think you would have learned from the walking lesson in hubris that is David Caruso.

Here’s the thing, Matt: We get the sense that the movie cameras won’t appreciate you in the same loving way that the small screen does. Your career was born on TV and, provided you want to stay in the entertainment industry after this, you will likely hear the boob tube jungle calling to you once more someday.  When that happens you should turn to your loved ones, tears in your red-rimmed eyes and yell,  “I gotta go baaaack!”

Of course, this all depends on what you mean by trying films.

Are you hoping to become the next George Clooney or Bruce Willis? Nope. Not going to happen overnight. Might not ever happen. Keep reading for a few reasons why:

We have yet to see that certain je ne sais quoi in you. All Hollywood’s children are especially lovely one-of-a-kind snowflakes, but there’s a reason Clooney and his kind sparkle more than others: There’s a bubbly layer of mystery and mischief present in almost everything he does, even his most serious roles. That’s why he can easily transition between playing a haggard CIA operative in “Syriana” and smooth criminal Danny Ocean (“Ocean’s Thirteen”), and throw in a stint in his goofy misfire “Leatherheads” for good measure.  That’s also why women of all ages still swoon at the sight of him.

You haven’t used your TV spotlight to carve out a character territory that is uniquely yours. Before Bruce Willis was an action star,  he was a multifaceted man-of-action – and  a very funny one at that – as David Addison, Jr. on “Moonlighting.”  Willis’s detective could have remained a one-dimensional, wise-cracking meathead, and the actor could have allowed producer Glenn Gordon Caron’s writing to carry him. Instead, Willis made the most out of the dramedy’s soft, serious moments and ran off with the laughs as well.

Contrast that, Mr. Fox, with your two biggest roles: Charlie from “Party of Five,” and “Lost’s” Jack.  They aren’t terribly different (although we have to say, you really nailed conveying Jack’s plight in last night’s “Lost” premiere). Granted, those roles also made you perfect material for  “We Are Marshall,” but a string of films like that won’t set your career on fire.  If they could, you’d be smelling the smoke right now…bringing us to our next point…

If you were huge movie star material, you would have starred in a huge movie by now. Clooney stuck with “ER” until the reviews were in and box office receipts counted for “Out of Sight.”  Mere months after his last episode came “Three Kings”…and he was off. Willis hit the jackpot slightly earlier, snagging the lead in a little flick called “Die Hard” a full year prior to “Moonlighting’s” cancellation. Mind you, it’s certainly possible to transition into a successful film career without having starred in a blockbuster movie.  I mean , look at Mr. Caruso. Oh, wait…

Do not lose hope, Matt, because there’s always a place for you in the indie kingdom.  If we were your managers,  here’s what we’d be telling you to do right now.

Hook up with edgy directors who can create a challenging role tailor-made for you. Try Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, or Guy Ritchie – somebody who sees shades in you that TV audiences have not.   Even David O. Russell could bring out some unexpected colors. You might end up wanting to punch him, but give him a call!

Go local. Call us biased, but the Northwest has a thriving film scene that could use a well-known face to bring it back to the pop cultural fore. Call up Gus Van Sant! We’ve always thought “Gerry” needed a sequel.

No More Mr. Nice Guy. Impose a ban on doctors, football coaches, or thoughtful big brothers.  Enough with the heroes, already.  You already showed that you can play the part of the burnout with nothing to lose very effectively so…go bad, Matthew.   We mean crazed-killer-cracked-out-soldier-turned-mercenary-abusive-pervert bad.  And try to throw a sense of humor in there along the way.

Play up your strengths.  According to our trivia, you’ve been horseback riding since you were six years old. Why haven’t we seen you on a horse?  Surely there’s a Larry McMurtry story out there what needs updatin’, and heaven knows you have the stubble for it.

Pick up an accent. The All-American guy act will only take you so far.  Want us to take you seriously? Get a coach and master a Slavic accent or a heavy brogue. Then revisit our third suggestion.

Make no mistake, Matt, we’re pulling for you, and we’re sure you’ll make plenty of films. We’re just betting they’ll be for arthouses — or HBO, Showtime, AMC or Lifetime.  Here’s hoping that you embrace those TV opportunities when they present themselves.

Otherwise, see you in CBS’s 2015 fall lineup.

IMDb Editor Michelle Bryant contributed to this report.

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Last night, however, our old pal Golden seemed hung over before he even hit the door.  The telecast felt like the longest three hours in the history of broadcasting and – here’s saying something – may actually have been outdone by the most recent Emmys telecast. There’s something very wrong when an Emmys show, even one hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, outshines a Globes telecast hosted by Ricky Gervais.

Indeed, Gervais is bound to take some of the blame here, which is what happens when an awards show that has been host-less for many years decides to make a ringmaster out of a guy whose claim to fame is an especially  uncomfortable brand of humor. We still love Gervais to bits, and we’re definitely going to check out his new HBO series.  Even so, Gervais may not have been the best fit for Hollywood’s annual orgy of high-spirited self-congratulation and drunkenness.  Mind you,  he didn’t detract horribly from the night, but he didn’t add a whole lot to it either.

The acerbic Brit got in a few great jabs after a shaky opening monologue, no question — and the pint of beer he half-heartedly tried to hide behind the podium only emboldened him. The high point came when he stopped pretending to hide his booze and introduced a presenter by observing,   “I like a drink as much as the next man. Unless the next man is Mel Gibson.”

But even those of us who have matters more pressing than worrying about Paul McCartney’s divorce settlement cringed mightily when Gervais made that joke about the Beatle spending a lot of money last year.  And introducing Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler as “Rachel from ‘Friends’ and that bloke from ‘300,’” came off as a little arrogant and lazy.

Then again, what could we expect from The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards telecast other than a good share of discomfort? It appeared on a network in the midst of a PR quagmire, and was hosted by a guy who a) clearly doesn’t care about being hired for the job again, and b) recently came down decisively on the side of Conan O’Brien, NBC’s problematic red-headed stepchild. The evening was destined to be beset by weirdness even if everything came off without a hitch, and even if “Avatar’s”  Best Picture win in the Drama category hadn’t caused a small uprising on Facebook .

“30 Rock’s” Tina Fey acknowledged that on the red carpet moments before the show kicked off when she explained away the drizzle by quipping,  ”It’s not rain, it’s just God crying for NBC.”

Having said all of that, the Globes telecast had its share of golden moments, including a few of our favorites listed below. (The complete list of winners can be found here. )

Say what you will about the telecast, but there’s just no taking away from the evening’s best acceptance speeches.  Listening to “Up” director Pete Docter cite his family as inspiration for the soul-stirring elements of the storyline was simply beautiful, as was “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman calling his wife  “the fuel to my creative fire.” Mo’Nique, however, set the bar high with an acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for “Precious,”  that simultaneously touched our hearts and enabled us to forgive her for agreeing to star in “Phat Girlz.”

We cannot decide if Chloe Sevigny decided to gather anemones from a reef to make her dress, or if the Juniper Creek Quilting Circle fashioned her something out of their finest Sunday napkins.

–We also appreciated the lesson in Hollywood hierarchy. The orchestra allowed the great Meryl Streep to go on and on (at least she used the time to say loving words about her mother and favorite charity), but being Ivan Reitman’s son will get you nowhere; Jason’s speech was cut short.  The executive producers of “Grey Gardens” deserve credit for talking over the playing-off strains long enough for their “thank you” speech to be deemed a musical number.

George Clooney can pull off a beard at black tie functions. Jon Hamm cannot. Shave, Mr. Hamm…please shave.

Drew Barrymore has an underdog complex.  Clearly she didn’t expect to win for “Grey Gardens” although anyone who saw her performance  would tell you that she completely deserved that award. But her long, rambling stammerfest became as odd (sweet too,  but stilll…) as it was inscrutable after about 10 seconds.

–And, can we talk about that dress? What was it with that spiked growth on her shoulder? On Twitter the fabulous Lizz Winstead theorized that it was just evidence of Drew being sensible: “It’s awesome that Drew can go home, take off the dress and scrub the tub with it,” she tweeted.

–Julianna Margulies, who won for her performance on “The Good Wife,  thanked CBS, Les Moonves and Nina Tassler for believing in the 10 o’clock drama. That’s what you get for launching her career on a 10 o’clock drama on your network, NBC.

Could someone please tell me if Cher’s dress sparkles unnaturally in the sunlight and has an obsessive attraction to Kristen Stewart?

Three cheers for “Glee” breaking the apparent stranglehold that “30 Rock” was assumed to have had on the Best Comedy category.  To drive home creator Ryan Murphy’s dedication of the award to “anybody and everybody who  got a wedgie in high school,” every single member of the cast wore flawless gowns and suits.  Nicely done, Gleeks!

–Yours truly is not a Beatles fan (I know…don’t kill me….) but even I wanted to spend time with Paul McCartney, who became the de facto elder statesman of the telecast after Harrison Ford did his best to force America into a coma while presenting.  McCartney was darn charming in the audience, and he genuinely made us laugh when he reminded us that “animation is not just for children. It is also for adults who take drugs. ”

If only the Globes were animated.  Oh well…on to the Oscars!

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Fringe, Momentum Deferred

Now that the fall TV season is in full swing, it’s impossible to watch it all… even with your trusty DVRs.  Lucky for you, we have full recaps of all your favorite shows.  Here’s the line-up for last night.  But remember, they are full of spoilers!

“Fringe”: Momentum Deferred (aired 10/8)

“Grey’s Anatomy”: Tainted Obligation (aired 10/8)

“FlashForward”: 137 Sekunden (aired 10/8)

“Bones”: The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (aired 10/8)

“Project Runway”: A Fashionable New Beginning (aired 10/8)

“The Mentalist”: Red Badge (aired 10/8)

“CSI”: Working Stiffs (aired 10/8)

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Zac Posen to model-in-waiting: "Wait...wait...never mind, show's over."

Oh Mischa Barton, we were so looking forward to seeing you on our TV screens again.  Just not in this tragedy.

The CW decided to spare us more episodes of “The Beautiful Life,” the Ashton Kutcher-produced series about models pursuing their big break. That makes “TBL” the first casualty of the 2009-2010 season, and makes me glad that I didn’t put money into an office pool.  Having seen Fox’s “Brothers,” which makes its hideous debut this evening,  I thought for sure that it would win that honor. But alas, “TBL” couldn’t even survive long enough for other U.S. viewers to make that discovery for themselves.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Wednesday night’s “TBL” episode, its second (and last), only attracted about 1 million viewers. Now, in seasons past, low opening numbers weren’t enough to make The CW cancel a show so early on…but Kutcher has nearly 3.7 million devoted followers on Twitter. Clearly the math was never going to add up. The announced pick-up of “Fly Girls,” the reality series following Virgin Air flight attendants, and a docu-soap following the life of celebutante Tinsley Mortimer,  didn’t help “TBL’s” situation either.

Besides, the network’s higher-ups appear to be throwing their mojo behind the “Melrose Place,” which is  struggling in the ratings as well.  But as of this week, the new “MP” hooked Heather Locklear for a guest star arc that starts November 17, in the midst of sweeps.

Other late-breaking news on Friday: Vincent D’Onofrio confirms that he’s leaving “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”

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Post-show photos of Emmy host Neil Patrick Harris, courtesy of Wire Image

Neil Patrick Harris’s Emmy conquest is now official: The overnight Nielsens indicate that the ratings were actually up over last year’s telecast. That’s significant, because the award show’s numbers have been in decline for several years now.

Barney Stinson’s alter-ego did not defeat football on NBC, which walked away with 18.5 million that night, but an estimated 14.5 million tuned in  to the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, keeping it in second place throughout the evening. (Which, truthfully, isn’t that surprising when one considers that every other broadcast network pretty much got out of its way.)

Of course, a number of viewers would never watch the Emmys — even if Angelina Jolie played host and promised numerous costume changes, all of them involving bikinis. Exhibit A:  Today’s IMDb poll. More than 46 percent of respondents did not watch. Geez, what does ol’ NPH have to do to get a witness? (Or  few million?)

It’s important to give a credit to all the people who made Harris look good, starting with executive producer Don Mischer, who along with the other producers had the good sense to reorganize the ceremony by genres.  Not only did breaking up the telecast by category help it move along more smoothly, but the order of the awards made sense for once — although it would have been nice to see the Emmy for Best Comedy revealed during that category’s turn instead of at the end of the show. You know, to toss us a bone early on.

But Harris took the spotlight to the point of making the overall repeats in all the major award categories palatable, and scored big among the critics.

“Neil Patrick Harris? So. Much. Better,”  opined USA Today’s Robert Bianco.

“There’s no reason that Harris should not have the Emmy hosting gig for life,” said  Chicago Tribune’s Maureen Ryan, aka The Watcher.

“Let’s hope Neil Patrick Harris enjoyed hosting Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, because there’s a good chance he’s going to be asked to do it again,” said the Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd.

Then again, there’s always somebody who poops on the parade; to that end, here’s the account from Tom Shales.

What did you think? Did NPH nail it?

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