TV Times Updated

**Is the 'MENTALIST' starting to annoy anyone else but me? I am finding most of the REAL cops characters to be pretty much irrelevant when Patrick can solve all the crimes with elaborate sting operations that work EVERY TIME in the last ten minutes. The last episode I watched with the high school reunion was the hardest time I had getting through an hour of TV in years AND I watched it without commercials. Never have I gone from liking a show to hating it in so short a time. I may have to just build up some episodes for the next couple of months before I ruin this show for myself entirely. They aren't doing anything new with the formula but it does seem to be working my last nerve.


**To bad that more people aren't watching two great Canadian shows like 'THE BORDER' and 'FLASHPOINT'. Both are police dramas. The first documents the efforts along the Canadian/US border from the Canadian side of things. Grace Park of 'Battlestar Galactica' plays the US agent assigned to work with our people. It's very true to life and accurate as far as showing what intelligence agencies can and cannot do in this day and age. If you think of '24' season one and '24' season eight then you will understand the difference. FLASHPOINT I have discussed before. Its a terrific drama about a big city S.W.A.T team that really gets into the personalities and mechanics of doing that job. Sometimes it breaks my heart but I am always riveted.


**Speaking of '24', poor Jack was THIS CLOSE to getting away with his adorable granddaughter and hostage of the week Kim when he got drawn back into the shit. I do, however, love the high tech look of CTU NY and the East Coast setting. Of course I trust no one but Cloe and Freddy Prinze Jr. who for all time will be known as 'Captain America' since that is what one character called him. Think of a young Jack Bauer without the baggage of 7 really crappy days behind him.

Speaking of baggage, I gotta say I dig that over the shoulder 'man purse' that Jack has to carry all his 'day saving' stuff in. Darius, I take back everything bad I ever said about your desire to have one. I am sorry it took Jack to show me the value of such a 'carry-all'.


Katee Sackoff of 'Battlestar Galactica' is statuesque and beautiful and brings her own baggage to the 'day'. I will resist my better instincts and get attached to her anyways. I also am liking the work of Anil Kapoor as the leader of the Middle Eastern country du jour. You should remember him from 'Slum Dog Millionaire'. He played the host of the game show at the center of that movie. The first two hours heavily involve a plot to assassinate him before he can sign a critical nuclear reduction treaty with the US. I hope they keep him alive so that he and Jack get to interact since those closest to him can't be trusted.

Ah Jack - every time you think you are out, they PULL you back in. I am sorry that I will enjoy so much what the next 22 hours have in store for you.




**I have also heard talk about taking away the laugh track on 'The Big Bang Theory' and upon seeing two scenes with and without the canned laughter I was shocked to see how much I am addicted to needing the cues to laughter when something is funny in order to give the appropriate chuckle at the appropriate moment.. Here I was thinking that canned laughter insulted my finely tuned sense of humor and then I find I am just as Pavlovian in my responses as everyone else. It is disturbing.