The Television Critics Association has officially begun the gearing-up process for its 25th annual awards, which will honor the finest work of the 2008-09 season as selected by the association’s 200-plus member critics and journalists. One of those members is yours truly, and I figured I’d see what the readers of Premium Hollywood had to say about the nominations and who they’d like to see win the various categories. I’ll have to submit my votes by June 10th, but since the winners won’t be announced until August 1st (the ceremony takes place at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, CA, with Chelsea Handler opening the ceremony), so speak up quickly. There are a couple of things I’m on the fence about, and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts before I make my final selections.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

* “Battlestar Galactica� (SciFi Channel)
* “Lost� (ABC)
* “Mad Men� (AMC)
* “Saturday Night Live� (NBC)
* “The Shield� (FX)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

* “30 Rock� (NBC)
* “The Big Bang Theory� (CBS)
* “The Daily Show� (Comedy Central)
* “How I Met Your Mother� (CBS)
* “The Office� (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

* “Breaking Bad� (AMC)
* “Friday Night Lights� (NBC/DirecTV)
* “Lost� (ABC)
* “Mad Men� (AMC)
* “The Shield� (FX)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT MOVIES, MINI-SERIES AND SPECIALS

* Summer Olympic Coverage (NBC)
* “24: Redemption� (Fox)
* “Generation Kill� (HBO)
* “Grey Gardens� (HBO)
* “Taking Chance� (HBO)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

“Fringe� (Fox)
“The Mentalist� (CBS)
“No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency� (HBO)
“True Blood� (HBO)
“United States of Tara� (Showtime)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

* Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock�)
* Steve Carell (“The Office�)
* Tina Fey (“30 Rock�)
* Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother�)
* Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory�)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

* Glenn Close (“Damages�)
* Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad�)
* Walton Goggins (“The Shield�)
* Jon Hamm (“Mad Men�)
* Hugh Laurie (“House�)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

* “Camp Rock� (The Disney Channel)
* “The Electric Company� (PBS)
* “Nick News� (Nickelodeon)
* “Sid the Science Kid� (PBS)
* “Yo Gabba Gabba� (Nickelodeon)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION

* “60 Minutes� (CBS)
* “The Alzheimer’s Project� (HBO)
* “Frontline� (PBS)
* “The Rachel Maddow Show� (MSNBC)
* “We Shall Remain� (PBS)

HERITAGE AWARD

* “ER� (NBC)
* “M*A*S*H� (CBS)
* “Saturday Night Live� (NBC)
* “The Shield� (FX)
* “Star Trek� (NBC)

It’s 2-for-1 day with the upfronts, with NBC following ABC in announcing their fall schedule. The National Broadcasting Company was already in a crap ratings position even before they decided to try the radical maneuver of giving Jay Leno the 10 PM timeslot, so they really can’t lose very much by trying such an experiment. It still sucks for fans of scripted television, though. Fortunately, the people at the Peacock have still found it in their heart to offer up a few new series, and they’re also trying the shared-timeslot concept in earnest, as you’ll see below.

Monday

8:00 PM – Heroes

9:00 PM - Trauma

From executive producer Peter Berg comes the first high-octane medical drama series to live exclusively in the field where the real action is. Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, the show is an intense, action-packed look at one of the most dangerous medical professions in the world: first responder paramedics. When emergencies occur, the trauma team from San Francisco General is first on the scene, traveling by land, by sea or by air to reach their victims in time. From the heights of the city’s Transamerica Pyramid to the depths of the San Francisco Bay, these heroes must face the most extreme conditions to save lives — and give meaning to their own existence in the process. Starring are Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia, Kevin Rankin, and Jamey Sheridan.

10:00 PM – The Jay Leno Show

Tuesday

8:00 PM – The Biggest Loser
10:00 PM – The Jay Leno Show

Wednesday

8:00 PM - Parenthood

From the executive producers of the box-office hit “Parenthood,” Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and writer/executive producer Jason Katims, this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family - four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches, and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Mae Whitman. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif., after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Whitman) and Drew (Miles Heizer), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings — sister, Julia (Christensen), and brothers Crosby (Shepard) and Adam (Krause) — all struggling with issues of their own, it’s clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life.

9:00 PM – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

10:00 PM – The Jay Leno Show

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- Fox released it’s fall schedule. “Dollhouse” was renewed and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” wasn’t. President Kevin Reilly said it wasn’t an either/or situation, but that the bet on “Dollhouse” was a bet on its producer Joss Whedon. I want to hear from people who watched both shows — was “Dollhouse” better? Because “Terminator: TSCC” was damn good down the stretch. (On a side note, how long do you think it will take Summer Glau to find another role? Hint: Not long.)

- Fox prez Kevin Reilly is apparently a big fan of Tyler Labine (who plays Sock on “Reaper”). Labine is set to star in the comedy “Sons of Tuscon,” which debuts in January. Clearly, this is not good news for “Reaper” fans.

- Ponderously, ABC renewed “Scrubs,” which only plans to have Zach Braff for six episodes. What’s the point?

- NBC renewed “Chuck” for 13 episodes, but it came at a price. There were significant budget concessions, so fans might notice that parts of the supporting cast may disappear at times. I stopped watching early in the season because it was getting kind of silly (and that whole Chuck/Sarah dance was getting tiresome) — did it get significantly better down the stretch?

- According to creator Noah Hawley’s Twitter page, “The Unusuals” won’t be back for another season. However, CBS did renew “Cold Case” for another season.

- Fox has renewed “Bones” for not one, but two years, according to Variety.

- CBS picked up a Chris O’Donnell-led spinoff of “NCIS” which is going to “focus on undercover ops instead of forensics.” Wait, wasn’t that the premise of “The Unit”?

- If no one watches “Samantha Who?” and it gets canceled, does it make a sound? Juuuuust kidding. (Not about it being canceled.)

- “The Office” creators (and I’m talking about the original UK version), Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, inked a deal with HBO to produce an animated comedy based on their podcast about their unusual friend, Karl Pilkington, whom they seem to think is the most fascinating man in the world. (And coming from those two, that’s high praise.)

Brian Lowry of Variety lauds the fact that the writers of “The Office” have kept the Jim/Pam dynamic from going stale.

Much of the credit goes to the writers and performers involved, and it’s a testament to their talents that Pam and Jim have recently enjoyed a relatively stable, even happy relationship — despite her impulsive decision to join boss Michael (Steve Carell) in his stand-alone business endeavor — without sending that key aspect of the show toppling into disarray.

In most instances — and “The Office” hasn’t been immune to this — taking the romantic plunge has subsequently required erecting some arbitrary impediment to again pull the same characters apart, usually with varying degrees of credibility. Mindful of the fact that happy couples are hardly the fixings for good drama (and can be equally challenging in comedy), writers thus find themselves dismantling romances that they have meticulously labored to inspire the audience to root for — as evidenced by the visceral thrill of the “Office” second-season finale, when Jim finally let Pam know how he felt about her.

Lowry mentions “Moonlighting” and “Cheers” as shows that suffered after the two leads finally got together, but doesn’t go into much detail about how “The Office” has been able to avoid the usually inevitable staleness.

To me, “The Office” is much more than Jim and Pam. I don’t know that you can say the same thing about “Cheers” (Sam/Diane) and certainly not “Moonlighting” (David/Maddie). “Cheers” featured a strong supporting cast, but Sam and Diane were still the central figures. On “The Office,” one could argue that Michael Scott is the main lead. Jim and Pam are up there, but the whole show doesn’t revolve around them. Once they got together, the writers deftly transitioned the more romantic storylines over to Michael, who continues to struggle to find companionship in his life. By doing this, the writers are able to check back with Jim and Pam from time to time and highlight the best (and funniest) things about being in a secure, committed relationship, while continuing to mine Michael’s love life — as well as the whole Dwight-Angela-Andy love triangle — for consistent laughs.

The bottom line is that, at heart, “The Office” is an ensemble comedy, and by spreading around the wealth, the writers can spread around the risk. If handled correctly, this characteristic can make a show “jump the shark”-proof (or at least “jump the shark”-resistant), which is one reason “The Office” has been so strong for so long.

If you’ve checked out Bullz-Eye’s TV Power Rankings for April 2009, then you’ve already seen the site’s picks for the top 20 shows currently airing, several honorable-mention entries, and what series they’re most excited to see return. Given the way new programs are popping up constantly throughout the year, however, it was always inevitable that the voting for the Power Rankings would close just as a few promising series were making their debuts but before their consistency could be properly gauged. Here, then, are five shows which, at least as it stands right now, look like they have the potential to be ranked next time around.

1. “Party Down,” Starz. It’s a longstanding Hollywood tradition for producers to build themselves a gaggle of go-to actors who they can always count on to make an appearance in one of their projects, and although it’s Joss Whedon who has one of the most recognizable posses on television, it’s clear that Rob Thomas is building a pretty solid one, too. In “Party Down,” which focuses on a Hollywood catering company helmed by aspiring actors and actresses, you can’t go more than a few minutes without seeing someone who once appeared on “Veronica Mars.” Ryan Hansen is the only “Party Down” regular who held the same status on “Mars” as well, having played Dick Casablancas, but Adam Scott (”Stepbrothers”), Ken Marino (”The State”), and Jane Lynch, who most recently proved hilarious in “Role Models,” all made visits to “Veronica” at some point or other. Enrico Colentoni had an unforgettable nude scene in the first episode of “Party Down,” and it looks like Kristen Bell will be turning up in the season finale.

Paul Rudd is one of the other co-producers of “Party Down,” and it’s clear he had a hand in bringing some of his favorite talent onto the show as well. Martin Starr, late of “Freaks and Geeks,” is here, and after scoping out IMDb, it looks like Ken Jeong will be turning up in a future episode. With all this talent, you won’t be surprised to learn that this is arguably the funniest new show of the spring season…if seasons even still exist, that is…and is already shaping up to be the place for cool comedians and actors to guest-star. “Crash” may have been a bust as Starz’s first original series, but count on “Party Down” to do for the network what “Mad Men” did for AMC.

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With the writers’ strike finally behind us, the television industry has sprung back remarkably well. Granted, it isn’t all puppy dogs and ice cream for all of our favorite shows, but after the strike forced us to cancel the spring edition of our semi-annual TV Power Rankings, it’s nice to be able to show some love for those series that had been gone for far too long. A quick look at our Winter 2008 list may suggest that a major shakeup has occurred in our new Top 20 below, but seven of the shows from last November are either on hiatus or cancelled. Likewise, nearly every eligible show previously on hiatus has snuck its way back into the Top 20, while five new shows have also cracked the list. Most of these are experiencing some of their best seasons ever, and though “Heroes” continues its mighty fall, the return of “24″ only further cements the notion that TV is back and better than ever.

Below you’ll find a few entries, but be sure to check out the full list, where we’ve also included links to DVD reviews and interviews, as well as a host of Honorable Mentions and our list of favorite shows currently on hiatus.

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Judging by the first two episodes of the second season of “Flight of the Conchords,” there will be no sophomore slump from the New Zealand folk duo struggling to make it big in New York City. In the second-season premiere, “A Good Opportunity,” Bret and Jemaine fire their manager, Murray, because he’s too busy dealing with another (more successful) band. They immediately get a gig writing a jingle for a commercial and hilarity ensues. Literally.

The second episode — “New Cup” — might have been the best yet. It focuses on all the repercussions of Bret’s decision to purchase a $2.79 mug so that the duo could both have a cup of tea at the same time.

Thus far, it appears that there is a bigger focus on the writing and less of a focus on the music in the second season. The humor was always there, but the writing seems sharper and more directed. While in the first season the musical interludes were quite memorable, they’ve been sort of an afterthought this season. Murray seems to be getting more screen time, and given the hilarious dynamic between he and the duo, it’s definitely not a bad thing. Hell, I chuckle whenever he says the word “Bret.”

If you haven’t checked out “Flight of the Conchords,” the first season is available on DVD. To me, it just may be creeping up on “The Office” as the best comedy on TV.

Wait, didn’t I just go to one of these press tours…?

Actually, that was back in July, when the networks were busy pimping their new fall schedules; this time, they were presenting us with an idea of what we can expect to see on our favorite broadcast and cable channels from now until they premiere their next fall schedule.

Going out to L.A. in January was a new thing for me, though. It was my first winter tour since becoming a member of the Television Critics Association in 2007 – last year’s was canceled due to the writers’ strike – and, if the rumblings throughout the ballrooms at the Universal Hilton were any indication, it may well prove to be my last January tour. I’m hopeful that this presumption turns out to be inaccurate, but given the current economic climate and an increasing tendency for newspapers and publications to only send their TV critics out for one tour per year, there’s every reason to suspect that the networks will join suit and only be willing to pamper those critics once per year.

Sorry, did I say “pamper”? Of course, I meant, “Treat with the utmost respect.”

It feels a bit odd to be doing a wrap-up of my experiences at the tour before I’ve even had a chance to write up all of the panels I attended while I was out there, but, hey, when you get a good spot on the calendar, you make it work however you can. So still keep your eyes open for my ongoing pieces on the various shows you can expect to find on the broadcast networks during the next few months, but in the meantime, here’s a look at some of the best and worst bits from the January ‘09 tour as a whole.

Most enjoyable panel by a cable network: “Rescue Me,” FX.

I’ve been a big Denis Leary fan every since No Cure for Cancer, so I knew the guy was inevitably going to go off on a profanity-filled rant before the end of the panel. What I didn’t expect, however, was that Peter Tolan - who co-created the show with Leary - would start the proceedings by telling Leary to watch his mouth, adding, “If you were going to say ‘cunt,’ don’t.”

From there, the two of them seemingly battled each other in an attempt to offer up the most memorable line. Leary complained about his salary. (”I had a crazy idea of getting paid, like, $250,000 an episode. They put limits on that, let me tell you. That’s Kiefer Sutherland money right there.”) Then Tolan claimed that he was at fault for the show’s fourth-season slump, blaming it on a drug problem and that “I was heavy into a kazillion hookers that year.” Then Leary bitched about how Michael J. Fox was going to guest on “Rescue Me” and get the Emmy that Leary himself has yet to earn. (”Five fucking episodes, he comes in. God damn, $700 million from ‘Spin City.’ He never asked me to do the show. He’s going to walk away with the fucking Emmy. That son of a bitch.”) Then Tolan started mocking Hugh Laurie’s American accent by talking about how he could do a British accent. (”Aye, pip, pip, mate, aye! ‘Allo, Mary Poppins!”) And…well, as you can see, there was really no contest: this may well have been the greatest panel ever.

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Angela Bromstad, President of Primetime Entertainment, and Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President of Alternative Programming, just popped up on stage to offer the following tidbits of information, some of which were announced awhile ago but which we haven’t yet covered on Premium Hollywood:

* “Southland,” the new drama from John Wells (which was formerly known as “Police”), will premiere on April 9th, Thursday at 10 PM.

From Emmy Award winners John Wells, Ann Biderman and Chris Chulack comes a raw and authentic look at the police unit in Los Angeles. From the beaches of Malibu to the streets of East Los Angeles, “Southland” is a fast-moving drama that will take viewers inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. Michael Cudlitz plays John Cooper a seasoned Los Angeles cop assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman. Cooper’s honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer. Cudlitz and McKenzie are joined by other cast members including Regina King who plays Detective Lydia Adams. Adams lives with and is the primary caregiver of her mother. Her partner, Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) is an unhappily married father of three. Michael McGrady plays Detective Daniel “Sal” Salinger. Sal oversees fellow gang detectives Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy). Arija Bareikis plays as patrol officer Chickie Brown, a single mom who dreams of being the first woman accepted into SWAT.

* They have ordered 3 more episodes of “ER,” bringing the season total to 23. The series finale will now air on April 2nd, with a one-hour retrospective preceding the two-hour finale. Why the additional episodes? “Why not?” asked Bromstad. She then clarified, however, that it allows John Wells time to get “Southland” ready.

* They have officially signed on for additional seasons of “The Office” and “The Rock”

* NBC has signed Don Cheadle and his company, Crescendo Productions, to a two-year, first-look television development deal.

* Due to its success up against “American Idol,” they will indeed be picking up another season of “Biggest Loser” for next season.

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Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to put together a list of my favorite television moments before the end of 2008, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the tube. (Come to think of it, maybe my television addiction was the reason I didn’t have the free time to write about the best of 2008. Hmm.)

Anyway, here is a list of seven terrific shows that seem to be flying under the proverbial radar.

1. “True Blood” (HBO)
Alan Ball, the writer of “American Beauty” and the creator of “Six Feet Under,” brings us a series based on vampires in the Deep South. The series is based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series of books and stars Anna Paquin — whom I argued, under the moniker of Eli Cash a few years back, would have made a better Penny Lane than Kate Hudson — as a mind-reading waitress in a small town in Louisiana. The first season was excellent, though it got off to a bit of a slow start. Paquin is the key, but her best friend Tara (played by Rutina Wesley) often steals the show.

1. “Lost,” ABC

After two seasons of listening to viewers bitch about everything from too many characters to plots not moving fast enough, the “Lostâ€� writers whomped us all over the head with a run of episodes that was better than anything fans had seen since Season One. Many of the show’s most important riddles were answered – or at least what we thought were its most important riddles, because now there’s a whole new list of them to answer. Not even that damn writers’ strike was enough to put much of a dent in this season of “Lostâ€� — and not even the new Fray single playing in the background is enough to keep us from geeking out over the Season Five promos that ABC recently started airing.

2. “The Office,” NBC
Few network shows – and zero sitcoms – have played as fast and loose with their casts as “The Office�; whether it’s Oscar going on “gaycation,� Andy entering anger management counseling, Jim transferring to Stamford, Toby fleeing to Costa Rica, or Pam wandering off to art school in New York, you never know who’s going to move off-canvas for a spell – kind of like your actual workplace environment. It’s this grounding – along with one of the best casts and some of the strongest comedy writing on television – that helps keep “The Office� from getting stale, and allows it to transcend such stereotypically show-killing plot devices as the star-crossed couple (in this case, Jim and Pam) that finally gets together. Of course, it helps when said couple isn’t even the hottest pairing on the show: this season, Dwight and Angela’s secret warehouse liaisons have proven that even a Second Life-playing, beet-farming paper salesman can get his mojo rising every once in awhile.

3. “Friday Night Lights,” DirecTV
Unless you have DirecTV, you haven’t seen any of “FNL’s� third season – and you won’t until early 2009, under the terms of a unique cost-sharing deal that saved the show from cancellation…for now, anyway. It certainly remains to be seen how non-DTV fans of the show will deal with this arrangement – if, for instance, they’ve managed to keep from spoiling the entire season in advance with recaps posted on the Web – or whether NBC will deign to promote content that’s already aired elsewhere. In the meantime, however, here’s what we can tell you: the third season of “Friday Night Lights� packs all of the addictive small-town drama and pulse-pounding gridiron action of Season One, minus the unwelcome addition of stupidly soapy ingredients that weakened Season Two (in other words, nobody’s throwing any bodies off bridges). We’ll be very surprised if “FNL� returns for a fourth season – on any network – but we’ve still got our fingers crossed.

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It’s been nine months since the writers’ strike shook up the entertainment industry – forcing some shows to shut down production for the rest of the season and leaving others to scramble for survival – and television still isn’t the same. Many of our favorite shows have yet to return to form (here’s looking at you “Heroesâ€�), while some (like Power Rankings newcomer and new #1, “Mad Menâ€�) have risen to the occasion and helped fill the void. If there’s any pattern to this year’s TV Power Rankings, however, it’s that there is none. While NBC’s reign in the top 10 continues, a dozen of the 20 shows below didn’t make the cut last year, and nine of those 12 are making their Power Rankings debut (”The Shield,” “The Daily Show” and “Family Guy” have popped up in previous editions). Still think the writers’ strike didn’t have a lasting effect? Think again.

Below you’ll find some sample entries, but be sure to check out the full list, where you’ll also find links to DVD reviews and interviews, as well as some Honorable Mentions and our list of favorite shows currently on hiatus.

1. Mad Men

In any sane world, Matthew Weiner’s “Mad Men� would not be on any “power ranking,� much less in the #1 spot. This supremely stylish drama about the alcohol-soaked, nicotine-stained, sexual harassment and adultery-friendly lives of early ‘60s advertising execs started out as a low-profile curiosity from a former member of the writing staff of “The Sopranos.� Still, with some help from ecstatic reviews and the Emmys, the show has emerged as first-class appointment TV and a launch pad for at least one potential superstar in Jon Hamm. As the metaphysically secretive Don Draper, Hamm knocks back too many Old Fashioneds while casually invoking the sort of grown-up masculine charisma of classic era film stars Gregory Peck and William Holden. Better yet, Season Two saw the show’s large and very strong cast of supporting characters become even stronger and more layered as the subject matter grew bolder. A semi-surreal late-season left turn with a roving band of wealthy Euro-bohemians was just the tip of the iceberg as rape, nuclear annihilation, religion and the meaning of existence were broached, with vaguely disturbing yet highly entertaining and sexy results. “Mad Men� cannot be pegged, and that’s the best thing about it.

11. How I Met Your Mother

We were close. We were so damned close. Creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas had teased us for three years, but we were sure that Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) had finally found the mother of his kids in Stella Zinman (Sarah Chalke). Of course, as we now know, we were wrong, but it was a hell of a ride getting there. Last season, “How I Met Your Mother� found the largest audience of its history as a result of scoring a pair of guest appearances by the superstar train wreck that is Britney Spears. And, even more impressively, she was really funny. Greeted with these new viewers, the series rose to the challenge of keeping them on, offering us Ted and Stella’s courtship, Robin’s rebound relationships, Marshall looking for work, Lily dealing with her credit crisis, and Barney banging as many babes as possible. We’re still not sure about this new wrinkle that Barney’s pining for Robin, but we trust that Bays and Thomas won’t turn it into a jump-the-shark situation. Or if they do, they’ll do it with a knowing wink and a smile.

17. Sons of Anarchy

If you took all the best parts of “The Sopranos� and “The Shield� and smashed them into one show, you’d have something that looks a lot like “Sons of Anarchy.� Created by “The Shield� co-writer and executive producer Kurt Sutter, the series is more Shakespearean than anything on television. It’s essentially a retelling of “Hamlet,� but instead of Danish royalty, they’re a California biker gang. There’s Jax (Charlie Hunnam), the second-in-command; his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), the very definition of a queen bee; and his step dad Clay (Ron Perlman), the club’s hard-nosed president and best friend of Jax’s deceased father. Heck, there’s even an Ophelia in the group – Wendy (“The Sopranos� alum Drea de Matteo), the drug-addicted mother of Jax’s newborn son. The theme of family and brotherhood is something that was explored in great length in both “The Sopranos� and “The Shield,� and it’s the driving force behind “Sons of Anarchy.� Add to that a supporting cast made up of some of the best tough guy character actors in the business (Tommy Flanagan, Mark Boone Junior and Kim Coates) and a multi-episode guest stint by Jay Karnes and you’re looking at a top nominee for Best New Show of the Season.

In nature, the weaker members of a species are often ostracized so they cannot reproduce and dilute the gene pool. Lions, for example, do not keep an omega male around to be the butt of the joke for the rest of the pride, like we humans tend to do. And while that makes sense in a Darwinian way, our way is a lot more fun. It may be cruel, but imagine how boring life would be if we lived in a world without the human equivalent of a punching bag. Admit it: you all know someone who fills this role in your life, and you relish it. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t.

The world of television has a near-inverse proportion of punching bags as there are in nature, and this makes sense; it is much easier – and fun – for the writing staff to designate one character as the target for random acts of misfortune and malice, though not necessarily in that order. If you ever wondered why every show features at least one character that the other characters would likely never associate with in real life, now you know.

So bring us your sad, your weak, your insecure; your clueless, your obnoxious, your desperate, your slow-witted, and we will celebrate them for their inherent loserness. Get your boxing gloves on as we present to you Bullz-Eye’s all time favorite TV punching bags.

You may (or may not) have noticed that I didn’t blog “The Office� the last couple of weeks. This is due in part to a relative lack of things to write about. With Jim and Pam getting along swimmingly, there really wasn’t a “will they or won’t they?� vibe going on anymore and I found myself simply scribbling down my favorite lines and transcribing them for you. It is much easier to blog a serialized drama where there are obvious things to talk about – season-long storylines, cliffhangers, mysteries to solve, etc. – but comedies can be tough. (I know, cry me a river, right?)

But tonight’s episode definitely warrants a post. It was the season finale, and the writers didn’t let us down. Once Pam and Jim got together, I was worried that the show would lose that heartwarming feel that offsets some of the mean-spiritedness of some (or most?) of its characters. But this season has been just as funny, and one of the season-long story arcs was Jim’s decision to propose. This almost came to a head tonight, but Andy beat him to the punch. I wish I could say that I was surprised, but they sort of hid Andy for most of the episode, and as soon as I saw him sitting there at the party with that big, goofy grin, I knew he was going to ruin Jim’s moment.

I didn’t like the fact that Pam was a little upset (or was it disappointed?) with the fact that Jim didn’t propose. Does it not run through her mind that, once Andy makes an ass of himself, Jim may have wanted to propose but couldn’t because Andy just stole the show?

A while ago, I pondered (on this blog) about the reason why Michael hates Toby so much and I hoped that they’d eventually reveal the back-story. A reader wrote that he thought it was simply because Toby is the HR guy and his role is to tell Michael when he’s crossed the line, essentially sucking the fun out of working at Dunder-Mifflin (as far as Michael was concerned). I honestly thought that there was more there, but tonight’s episode revealed no new information on that front, so I guess I was wrong. I will say that Michael’s song parody of Supertramp’s “Goodbye, Stranger� was pretty cool. (And I’m aching to hear “Beers in Heaven� as well, even if it is a bit sexy.)

But back to the romance angle, it was a disappointing episode for Michael, who finally found a girl that seemed to like him for him. By the way, Holly, the new HR rep, was played by Amy Ryan, who recently finished up her role as Beadie on “The Wire.� She also has a burgeoning film career, with recent roles in “Gone Baby Gone� and “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,� as well as “Dan In Real Life,� in which she co-starred with Steve Carell. Was that how she came to be on “The Office�? Hmmm.

Anyway, there I am, rooting for Michael not to mess it up with Holly, and Jan rears her ugly head. Don’t get me wrong, I think Jan is hilarious, but how she manages to rope Michael back into her life after refusing to use his sperm to get pregnant is beyond me.

As we look forward to next season, I wonder if Holly will be a recurring character and if that romantic triangle will be a season-long storyline. If so, I think it has potential.

In other news, it was great to see Jim messing with Dwight at the beginning of the episode. I think there should be a rule that every other week, the show has to open with Jim playing some sort of prank on Dwight. That’s great stuff. I also enjoyed Kevin the Mentally Challenged Accountant. Holly’s interaction with him was hilarious.

Lastly… Moes!

Now, for a few great lines:

Michael: “I should make you a mix.�

Ryan: “Congratulations. Congratulations on doing your job. Now enter the order on the website.�

(By the way, it was hilarious to see the cocky Ryan being escorted out of the DM HQ in handcuffs.)

Michael: “I think I love her.�
Jim: “You can think that, but you don’t say it out loud and you definitely don’t tell her.�

Pam: “Don’t tell him this, but I always thought that Toby was kind of cute.�

And then, of course, the tag…

Dwight and Angela hooking up in the office!

Tonight’s episode (which was a little bit of a letdown after last week’s terrific return) had three major storylines:

1) Newly-single Michael looks for a date. (hilarious)
2) Andy and Kevin try to get their parking spaces back. (filler, though I did enjoy Andy’s dance in the parking lot)
3) Jim and Pam might take the next step. (touching)

Classic lines:

Creed: “Then I’ll have two chairs. Only one to go.�

Michael: “Would an average size rowboat hold her without capsizing?�

Michael: “Hmmm. Wendy – a feisty redhead.�

Jim: (on bended knee) “Hey, Pam. Will you…wait for me for one second while I tie my shoe?â€�

That last one was a beauty.

“The Office� is back and right out of the gate it re-established itself as the best comedy on TV. All due respect to “30 Rock,� “South Park,� “Reno 911� and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,� nothing beats Michael Scott and his gang of misfits. Exhibit A: the dinner party.

Only Michael would (and would have to) trick his employees into committing to a late night of (fake) work just to ensure that they didn’t make any plans and would be free to attend a dinner party at his place. Once the setup was in place – Michael, Jan, Pam, Jim, Angela and Andy, all at the Scott residence for a night of good food and good company - I knew we were in for a treat.

The list of funny moments is simply too long to mention all of them. It’s like the writers came back from the strike with a million great ideas that they tried to stuff into the episode’s 22 minutes. The jokes were coming fast and furious, but I managed to scribble down a few of my favorites: Jim’s face as he first smelled Jan’s candle room, the video camera in the bedroom, Michael’s plasma TV, Hunter’s CD, Jim’s flooded apartment (along with Pam’s smile when she accepts his brilliance and ensuing shock when she realizes that he’s prepared to leave her there), and last but not least…

“You have no idea the physical toll that three vasectomies has on a person!�

Jan and Michael were great as the constantly bickering couple who seem to despise each other but are, in fact, so dependent on each other that they’ll probably never split. I nearly wet myself when Michael screamed, “That is a $200 plasma TV!�

Great stuff.

Welcome back, people. We missed ya.

What were your favorite moments?

Michael Franti once described television as “the drug of the nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.� As such, we’re guessing he isn’t nearly as excited as we are that we’re finally beginning to see the fruits of Hollywood’s writers at last being able to put pen back to paper. CBS clearly got the jump on everyone else with the premiere of their new episodes, but as you can see, the other networks will soon be joining in the fun as well, offering up all the fresh new comedy and drama we’ve been craving for so very long. Okay, maybe it hasn’t been that long – as soon as the strike wrapped up, you probably noticed how some series magically “found� a few episodes they’d unabashedly been sitting on – but it’s damned sure been long enough.

Check out our coverage here, then head back over to tell us what shows you’re most psyched to see return!

Yes, I know, it’s cutting it pretty darned close to wait until the last couple of days of January 2008 to run a Best of 2007 list, but that’s the problem with these TV DVD sets: there’s a whole lot of viewing involved to get through them, and you don’t want to give anyone the short end of the stick just because your schedule didn’t allow you to give their set a look. With the confidence that I’ve had a chance to check out the majority of the cool stuff that came out in ’07, however, I hereby present my personal picks for the Top 20 TV DVDs of last year. And when you’ve read through my list, check out Bullz-Eye’s Best of the Best staff picks for 2007! (Oh, and don’t forget to pop back by to tell us if we missed anything!)

Given that the TV season generally runs from September to May, it always feels a little strange doing a year-end wrap-up of the best in television, since you end up bringing in bits and pieces from two separate seasons. Still, between the second half of the 2006 – 2007 season and the first half of the 2007 – 2008 season, we’ve certainly been given plenty of material to work with. Six of our most prolific TV writers have provided their opinions of both the best and the worst that the small screen has had to offer, and while they do occasionally concur on a show, it’s a safe bet that no two people on the Bullz-Eye staff have identical season pass lists on TiVo.

Head over to the homepage by clicking here, but don’t forget to swing back by to offer your own opinions!

Michael Scott is great under oath. Not great in the way that he answers questions correctly, but great as in hilarious. I loved all the little interjections he had:

“That’s what she said.�
“They hang off m’lady’s chest.�
“I will allow it.�
“I throw myself at the mercy of the deposition.�

I feel bad for Toby. He tried to open up at lunch but Michael responded by pushing his tray off the table. I still don’t know why Michael hates him so much, though it probably didn’t help that Toby asked for a copy of Michael’s journal. I hope that they do a flashback episode someday that explains the vast chasm between them. There is some good comic potential there.

Back at the office it was all about ping-pong. Kelly was this episode’s Most Valuable Character with all of her smack (not trash) talk and her version that Avril Lavigne song:

“Hey Hey I I don’t like your boyfriend / be-cause he he can’t play any ping-pong�

Of course, when she and Pam took over the table, they couldn’t even rally for serve.

All in all, it was a pretty good episode. The thought of Michael under oath still makes me laugh.

Was that Dwight and Moes playing table tennis at the end?

“All of my heroes are table tennis players.�