Having no life is finally about to pay off! Thanks to today’s announcement courtesy of ABC that the remaining episodes of some of your favorite brilliant-but-cancelled series will burn off their final batch of episodes throughout the summer on Saturdays at 10PM. With PUSHING DAISIES airing on Saturday May 30th through Saturday June 13 at 10PM, ELI STONE airing from June 20 through July 11, and DIRTY SEXY MONEY from July 18 through August 8.

Good News: On the subject of the now-cancelled PUSHING DAISIES, ELI STONE and DIRTY SEXY MONEY, ABC president Stephen McPherson revealed that he “really loved the shows.” Bad News: Just not enough to give the respective showrunners enough time to craft proper series endings or to make room on the schedule to air their remaining episodes.
[Source]

Good News: NBC has given early season pickups to THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK and THE BIGGEST LOSER. Bad News: While the fates of LIFE, LIPSTICK JUNGLE, CHUCK and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS hang in the balance. [Source]

Good News: After far too long a hiatus, tonight marks the beginning of the end for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Bad news: It’s the beginning of the END! What the Frak are we all going to do when the show is over?

Good News: TERMINATOR THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES delivered two fairly shocking reveals in last night’s can’t miss episode. Bad News: With a season low 4.62 million viewers, most of you missed it! Begging the question, what’s the deal? [Source]

Good News: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA unveils an epic final season promo. Bad News: There’s still 49 days until the Frakkin’ season premiere! [See Video]

Good News: Horatio Sanz reveals his weight loss secret. Bad News: Turns out eating better and exercise are kind of a big deal. Which is a shame, because this TV Addict was sort of hoping his ’secret’ didn’t involve eating less burgers, pizza and hot dogs. [Source]

ABC has officially pulled the plug on PUSHING DAISIES, ELI STONE and DIRTY SEXY MONEY.

And while the Alphabet Network has yet to ‘officially’ cancel the shows — most likely to avoid the deluge of lipstick that NBC is currently accumulating as a result of their shoddy treatment of LIPSTICK JUNGLE. Entertainment Weekly, E! Online and The Hollywood Reporter have all gone ahead, and ‘exclusively’ reported that all three shows will not be shooting any episodes past their initial 13 episode order.

That said, there is a silver lining to this troubling trifecta of cancellations. In what will undoubtedly be seen as a futile attempt to cushion the blow, ABC has announced that they’ve ordered four more episodes of the season’s best new show LIFE ON MARS in addition to confirming that SCRUBS will make its Alphabet Network debut on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 9 p.m.

Once again, this Awfully Bad Cancellation News not to mention incredibly lame acronym has been brought to you by ABC. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

THE BAD: Amy Brenneman
You know how ABC incessantly ran ads all week long promoting the fact that the new season of PRIVATE PRACTICE would bring fans the Addison “you loved from GREY’S ANATOMY.” Well, maybe next week, creator Shonda Rhimes will bring fans back the Amy Brenneman we loved from JUDGING AMY. Because right now, her character, Dr. Violet Turner is single handedly managing to bring down what was actually a fairly entertaining and emotionally charged season premiere.

THE UGLY: PUSHING DAISIES
Now I know what you’re thinking. Television’s most visually stunning show, ugly? Has the TV Addict lost it? Has the insanity that is the new fall season finally gotten to him? But before you jump to conclusions by paging Dr. Walter Bishop, hear me out. While last night’s PUSHING DAISIES premiere certainly had its high points. Most of which involved the brilliant and adorably high pitched Kristen Chenowith in a nun outfit. The first half of the episode was a confusing mess as showrunner Bryan Fuller tried to cram an entire season’s worth of ‘previously on…’ into twenty minutes. A mess which wasn’t helped out by an unnecessarily confusing mystery of the week involving Kentucky Fitz and Betty’s Bees that left my head, well buzzing. In other words, not the stellar and coherent season opener this TV Addict would have chosen to get potential new fans hooked on a show that so richly deserves more fans.

When ABC’s DIRTY SEXY MONEY debuted last season, nobody wanted to love it more than I did. After all, some of my favorite shows of the past few decades have been the grand, glorious primetime sudsers of yore: DYNASTY, DALLAS and of course, my all-time favorite, KNOTS LANDING. The kind of wonderful, layered after-dark soaps we just don’t get any more.

To say MONEY was a disappointment would be akin to saying John McCain is middle-aged.

Now comes word that ABC is basically re-inventing MONEY, so with that in mind, I’d ask the new execs (as well as anyone in the industry looking to reinvigorate the practically dead genre of primetime soaps) to do what I did today: Go back and watch the first episode of DYNASTY.

Because it’s all right there.

In the first ten minutes, we meet Krystal, the secretary who is about to marry a gajillionaire and become our guide into his world. The gorgeous music plays as the camera lovingly shows us the estate we mere mortals could only dream of ever living upon. The entire premise of the first few episodes is summed up when Krystal tells the gals gathered in her tiny apartment for a bachelorette party, “I won’t change”… only to receive a set of gorgeous diamond rings as the gals all silently mutter “Yeah, right you won’t.”

One of the secretary’s opens her mouth to insert a foot by saying, “That other one would never have given her diamonds!” just before we cut to the “other one”, Krystal’s ex-lover, Matthew, being tossed out of a country where people carry signs saying “It’s Our Oil, America! Go Home!” (Sound familiar?) as his dream literally goes up in smoke following an oil rig explosion.

Did I mention we’re still in the first 10 minutes?

We haven’t even met Blake’s bisexual son or trampy daughter. And the entrance of Joan Collins’ Alexis (who did for DYNASTY what Heather Locklear’s Amanda would later do for MELROSE PLACE) is still a full season away.

From that point until the show would lose its focus in later years, DYNASTY always remembered that we were viewing the world of the mega-rich through the eyes of our lone representitive, Krystal. Should we ever forget that Krystal was one of us, Alexis would be there to trash talk her nemesis by reminding her that she’d risen from — and could always return to — the secretarial pool.

Sadly, too many modern attempts at primetime soaps (including MONEY) give us unrelatable characters and forget that the appeal for most viewers is being granted access to a world they could only dream of. In MONEY, viewers were granted access to the world of the Darling clan via an attorney who wasn’t exactly hurtin’ for cash. Instead, the show should have introduced us to the Darling’s via someone far more down to earth. Maybe the family’s limo driver (another of the “have-nots” who populated DYNASTY) or wry, all-seeing maid.

MONEY would also be well-advised to make the characters people we can actually like or relate to on some level. Yes, Blake Carrington had more money than God, but he also had a weakness: His undying love for family, which in itself provided endless story when Blake would do what he believed to be in their best interest… whether they saw things his way or not. The Darling patriarch (as played by the delightful but woefully underused Donald Sutherland) does little more than sit back and shake his head as his family behaves in ways that are unrealistic, unrelatable and, perhaps worst of all, not very entertaining.

This fall, ABC is giving MONEY something it probably wouldn’t have gotten were it not for the writers strike: a second chance. If done right, the show could help to bring back a genre that once dominated the primetime landscape. (Let’s not forget that DALLAS was a show so popular with viewers that millions of them stayed home on Sunday night, which is now widely considered a dead zone by broadcasters!)

If you write it, they will come. Or at least I will.

What if fans who had just begun to fall for the romantic comedy have, like the lead character, developed a case of amnesia, forgetting over the past few months that it even exists?

What if DIRTY SEXY MONEY’s prolonged absence sent those who’d begun to get into the primetime soap’s groove feeling shopping elsewhere for entertainment?

It’s long been said that the daytime soaps — which have been in a downward spiral for years — lost their momentum after being bumped for endless weeks by coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. Eventually, viewers who’d spent years making daily visits to places like Pine Valley and Genoa City found other ways in which to spend their time.

That’s exactly the situation currently facing execs as the writers strike finally seems to be wrapping up. Established shows such as UGLY BETTY or LAW & ORDER will have less trouble luring viewers back, seeing as the channel surfers already have had time to develop loyalty to the characters and storylines.

But will shows like SAMANTHA WHO?, which was one of the biggest hits of the fall season before the strike left the brain-addled beauty with no more scripts to memorize, be able to regain their momentum? And how will what remains of this season play out, given the odd situation developing in which new scripted fare — which will no doubt be rushed onto the screen as fast as possible — finds itself competing with offerings such as BIG BROTHER, which is usually reserved for the summer (read: rerun) season? Can BIONIC WOMAN come back better, stronger, faster and, more importantly, with better ratings? Will PUSHING DAISIES wind up six feet under, while LIFE receives a premature death sentence?

If the networks find themselves struggling to lure viewers back, I’d like to offer up a reminder that they brought this situation upon themselves. By attempting to have their cake (”Let’s create new shows for the internet and stream all our existing ones there as well!”) and eat it too (”Sure, we’re only doing this in the hope of making more money, but you can bet your ass we’re not paying the writers a dime more!”), the execs created a scenario that could really only end as it did. There was never any doubt that the writers would, in the end, prevail.

Here’s hoping that the fall’s most promising shows didn’t fall prey to the winter of the writers’ understandable discontent.

Apparently, I’m not the only TV Addict addicted to DEXTER this season. Showtime is reporting today that Sunday’s episode averaged 1.23 million viewers, the best numbers ever for a single run series on Showtime since 2004. Proving yet again, that when it comes to television — theTVaddict.com knows what’s best for you.

With that in mind, may we also take a moment to humbly suggest tuning into DIRTY SEXY MONEY tonight on ABC at 10PM. Trust us, with the holidays around the corner, it’s never a bad thing to be reminded that there are far more dysfunctional families than the one you’re sitting down to Thanksgiving Dinner with!

No…. not to me… ‘paying attention’ is the secret.

It’s become apparent that DAISIES isn’t the type of the show that you can watch while making dinner, checking your email and attempting to teach your dog to be more like Digby. Thanks to its brilliant visuals, lighting fast — often double-entendre laden dialogue and a cast so popular likable you can’t help but fall in love with them. DAISIES is most definitely a show that demands your full attention.

Which is exactly what I gave it last night and why I’m proud to say that I’m officially back on the DAISIES bandwagon. The magical moment at the end of the episode, where Chuck went up to her two aunt’s house hidden behind a Halloween Costume. That’s why PVR’s were invented.

The same can’t be said for ABC’s snooze inducing installment of PRIVATE PRACTICE. Let’s just say, that unlike DAISIES, I’ve already emotionally checked myself out of Oceanside Medical. With the one caveat being, I’m physically sticking around until David Sutcliffe makes his first appearance. Hoping that he’ll inject a little Stars Hollow magic into this floundering practice.

And finally. when it comes to DIRTY SEXY MONEY, this TV Addict is curious. Curious as to Simon Elder’s true motivations, who really killed Dutch and most importantly — how I just learned about this fantastic Pancake secret! Who says television doesn’t teach you anything.

Welcome to THE TV ADDICT’S WEEK IN REWIND A look back at last week’s good/bad/ugly in the world of television.

BEST EPISODE OF THE WEEK: DIRTY SEXY MONEY
Let me preface this by saying that I have yet to watch DAMAGES incredible season finale [I'll be watching it on Tuesday]. So with that in mind, this TV Addict’s best episode of the week goes to ABC’s DIRTY SEXY MONEY. And while the category is best episode of the week, it should also be noted that DIRTY SEXY MONEY is also the week’s most improved new show.

What started out as a shallow and forgettable mockery of the Hilton/Lohan/Trump’s of the world has quietly evolved into an unforgettable and hilarious mockery of the Hilton/Lohan/Trump’s of the world. Five episode in, we’re not only laughing at the ridiculousness of Brian trying to pass off Brian Jr. as ‘Gustav,’ but sympathizing with him as he begs his wife for forgiveness. Realizing that being born into billions may not be the greatest blessing in the world [although we're willing to give it a try] and getting even more and more intrigued by the mysterious circumstances surrounding Nick’s father’s death. Add to that the recent cast addition of billionaire Simon Elder and the endless comic relief courtesy of television’s real wonder-twins Jeremy and Juliet Darling [with apologies to HEROES Maya and Alejandro], DIRTY SEXY MONEY is simply dirty sexy fun.

FUNNIEST MOMENT OF THE WEEK: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. No idea what I’m talking about? That will teach you to miss yet another fantastic installment of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. Don’t make the same mistake this week. Tune in to an all new episode Monday at 8PM on CBS.

WHO SAYS SIZE MATTERS: THE OFFICE
After four weeks of hour long OFFICE mediocrity, it should come as no surprise that this TV Addict thought Thursday’s thirty minute installment was the perfect amount of Scrantonicity. Thirty minutes was just enough time to introduce us to Dwight’s hilarious Second Life, a Michael Scott ‘Joint’ destined to become a classic and yet another priceless line courtesy of Meredith — “I’m excited about doing the ad but I’m not really used to doing videos with so many people around.” Thirty minutes ensured that Michael didn’t go over the edge and take a pizza boy hostage or drive his car into the lake. It was the perfectly paced episode and most importantly, managed to do what the previous four hour long episodes couldn’t. Left us wanting more.