90210’s Shenae Grimes
What started out as an interesting way to handle a poorly conceived character that never really connected with viewers continues to get well less so, after yet another week went by with Shenae Grimes’ Annie Wilson on the outside looking in. Seriously, we can’t recall the last time (if ever) a character that started out the series front-and-center was pushed so far back into the periphery. Hey 90210 EP Rebecca Rand Kirshner, care to explain?

The handling of Barney and Robin
After a season of build-up, anticipation and hype, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’s  Barney and Robin are officially (spoiler alert!) no more. And while disappointment may not be exactly how we’d characterize the relationship that we believe is at least partially to blame for HIMYM’s somewhat less than stellar start to the season, we can’t help but be somewhat surprised that the same writers who gave us the genius that is the ’slap bet,’ ‘Robin Sparkles,’ and one of the cleverest sitcom hooks in recent memory (See: The mystery surrounding the titular mother) handled the pairing up of ‘Robney’ so poorly.

The controversy surrounding Monday’s GOSSIP GIRL
Popular USAToday Blogger Whitney Matheson took the words right out of our mouth when she tweeted, “I can’t believe folks are crazed over the ridiculous Gossip Girl threesome. Next to Skins, that show looks like Dora the Explorer.”

The People’s Choice Award Nominees
Yesterday’s announcement touting the nominees for January’s People’s Choice Awards which include Blake Lively for TV Drama Actress, THE HILLS and THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER for TV Obsession, HEROES for TV Sci-fi, THREE RIVERS and THE FORGOTTEN for New TV Drama, ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, HANK and BROTHERS for New TV Comedy has this TV Addict wondering, People’s Choice or Network Marketing Executive’s Choice Awards? And by that we mean, HANK, seriously?!

Forget her multi-platinum selling albums and endless string of sold out tour dates. What separates last night’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE host (and musical guest!) Taylor Swift from the seemingly never ending string of “it” girls and overhyped “next big things” that for better or worse SNL loves to hitch its wagon to, is that the artist formerly known as Joe Jonas’ girlfriend did what so many others have tried and failed so-very-miserably to do: Keep this TV Addict awake until 1AM.

No joke.

From her adorable play-to-her-strengths opening musical monologue (see above video), her spot-on Kate Gosselin and Shakira impersonations or her multitude of characters in between (Our personal favorite, “Crazy Roommate” after the jump), Swift not only demonstrated genuine comic chops and like-ability off the charts — but more importantly — that rare ability (Cut to Neil Patrick Harris’ hosting gig waaaaay back in January) to raise the game of every cast member around her (Kenan Thompson actually made us laugh!)

Just how entertaining was Swift — both fearless and funny we’re even willing to forgive the show’s somewhat sad pandering to Twilight fans with the digital short (see below) that spoofed the inexplicably popular franchise and Executive Producer Lorne Michael’s continued insistence on ruining Weekend Update (Made all the more special thanks to an unexpected Amy Poehler cameo!) with self-proclaimed political “comedian” Nicholas Fehn (Seriously people, what are we missing?)

Joe Jonas, eat your heart out.

Good News: Proving that no politician on either side of the aisle is safe, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE delivered a scathing (and fairly accurate) assessment of President Obama’s progress (or lack-their of) over his first 10 months in office. Bad News: We’re still waiting for Fred Armisen to deliver a convincing Obama impersonation. [ZonTV]

Good News: Thanks to the tweet heard ’round the world, BONES gets some much deserved publicity. Bad News: All it took was a production shutdown due to a rumoured case of swine flu. [TVMoJoe]

Would You Rather: Be fired from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for being too fat or not funny? That’s the question Casey Wilson is probably pondering this week after her SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE contract was not renewed. [TheWrap]

Full Hearts: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS will return to October 28 on DirecTV [THO]

Good News Mom: According to a study paid for by theTVaddict.com carried out jointly by the universities of Surrey and Illinois, television shows such as THE SIMPSONS, LOST and 24 helped viewers have a better understanding of political issues and make viewers more receptive to new information and ideas. [Telegraph]

Friday Funny: Kathy Griffin in KATE IS ENOUGH: THE KATE GOSSELIN STORY. [YouTube]

Proof that dreams do come true: Heather Locklear is in talks to reprise her now iconic role as conniving ad executive Amanda Woodward in the CW’s upcoming MELROSE PLACE re-boot. [People]

Lifetime made PROJECT RUNWAY work, with Thursday’s season premiere netting 4.2 million viewers, and a practically unheard of 45% jump from last season’s premiere [The Live Feed]

Reports are flooding in that Megan Fox will open the 35th season of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In related news, we’ve already got a feeling we know what co-star Andy Samberg’s opening night gift will be! [Life&Style]

Is the CW’s non-existent marketing push for the new season of SMALLVILLE forgiven with this killer trailer for season 9. In a word, “Yes!” [EW Ausiello]

FYI: By clicking this link for a chance to win a trip to the Emmys you are automatically accepting the fact that should you win, this TV Addict is totally coming with you! [Enter]

Forget sexy, in his third trip to Studio 8H, Justin Timberlake brought something far more important back to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The Funny (with a little help from friends, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson.) All of whom can be seen after the jump.

NEW & NOTABLE:
BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN (8PM ABC)
I can’t help thinking the world would be a much better place if we all just took an hour out of our lives tonight and spent it with the Peanuts gang.

GREY’S ANATOMY/PRIVATE PRACTICE (9PM ABC)
In case you didn’t catch it Thursday night. Or on ABC.com. Or iTunes. Or if you thought this “crossover event” was so big, it’s worth seeing again. Whatever the case, your friends at ABC have got you covered.

COPS (8PM FOX)
Holy crap, this show is still on? I’d have thought by now they’d have caught everyone!

LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (8PM NBC)
Five words, people: Special Guest Star Joan Jett. Oh, fine, six: Rerun.

AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (9PM FOX)
Feeling lonely this Valentine’s Day? Hey, you could be the now-late girlfriend of the Fresno fugitive who murdered his babe back in 1999. You could also take comfort in the fact that if you’re single, you’re not the poor woman he’s currently hooked up with, wherever he might be.

IT’S ME OR THE DOG (9PM Animal Planet)
In a Valentine’s Day-themed episode, our hostess tries to match up two dog owners, each of whom has a problematic puppy on their hands. Because two pooper-scooper’s are more effective at cleaning up the sidewalk than one.

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS (9PM SOAPnet)
One of the great things about this show is that it plays every beat of a story. Phyllis is having a rough go of it lately, what with her husband sleeping with his ex-wife and all. So what does she do? (No, no, before the plotting and the scheming!) Confide in her best pal, Michael. These two have been pals since way before either was rehabilitated, and it’s nice that the show hasn’t forgotten that.

IRON CHEF AMERICA (11PM Food Network)
Did someone say “Battle Chocolate?” Happy Valentine’s Day indeed!

Good News: Zac Efron is getting set to host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on April 11. Bad News: Vanessa Hudgens is still waiting on that callback for an Arby’s commercial. Awkward. [Source]

Good News: It’s official! Rob Thomas will pitch Warner Bros. Studio on the highly anticipated VERONICA MARS movie next week. Bad News: For actor Michael Muhney. RIP Sherrif Lamb. [Source]

I’d like to get excited about the fact that ONE TREE HILL creator Mark Schwahn is in negotiations to head up the new incarnation of MELROSE PLACE… but let’s not forget that it wasn’t all that long ago that VERONICA MARS mastermind Rob Thomas was being talked about as the man who would update 90210. Wonder if that show would be better if he’d actually stuck around that zip code? In any case, I’m of two minds where the Schwahn/MP talk is concerned. On the one hand, TREE HILL is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, which is pretty much all I want out of a new versionof MELROSE PLACE. On the other hand, um, doesn’t the fact that TREE HILL is so great kind of negate the need for MELROSE? Especially since Schwahn would, like Thomas, only have him penning the initial script before handing the whole thing over to someone else. And by “someone else” we mean people far less talented. Like those writing 90210 now.

So AMERICAN IDOL is pulling the plug on IDOL GIVES BACK because the economy is in the toilet? Isn’t that rather like not feeding a bulimic because they’ll just vomit it up anyway? Oh, and don’t worry about those pesky rumors that the judges will be nicer this season. Executive producer Ken Warwick tells USA TODAY the comments of the judges (read: Simon) won’t be softened. “If they’re mean, they’re mean.” When the producer says he will “do his best to offset” the drop in ratings, why do I hear, “Simon will be meaner, we’ll feature more folks who can’t sing and don’t be surprised if we do a special tribute to Paula’s dead stalker!”

To the people getting their panties in a wad about SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE making fun of New York’s (blind) Governor Patterson: Lighten up! Then again, I was probably the only person laughing back in 1991, when GOOD & EVIL — a not-particularly funny sitcom from Susan Harris (of SOAP and GOLDEN GIRLS fame) starring Terri Garr and margaret Whitton — featured a blind character who broke, fell on or felt up every object he came into contact with.

I was a little disturbed by his week’s episode of THE OFFICE, in which the staff had an intervention for Meredith after she accidentally lit her hair on fire during the annual Christmas bash. Not because I thought it was over the top and uncomfortable… heck, that’s what THE OFFICE does on a weekly basis. But more importantly, it just wasn’t very funny. There were moments, but most didn’t involve the actual intervention. (Although Kevin pointing out how Meredith’s drinking had impacted him in a positive way was pretty fantastic.)

Good News: Sci Fi has announced that Robert Carlyle (24: REDEMPTION) has signed on to lead the new STARGATE UNIVERSE. Bad News: For Robert Carlyle’s career. I mean correct us if we’re wrong, but is STARGATE not where careers go to die? [Source]

Good News: Saturday marked Amy Poehler’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE swan song. Bad News: For SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, who just lost the only cast member worth staying up to 11:30 for.