Two great shows come back this week: One is a smash hit, and the other is woefully, woefully underwatched and under-appreciated.
First up, "Lost" returns at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC, and you can bet national productivity will sharply decline Thursday as co-workers, mine included, do the next-morning discuss.
Which is why I want to smack ABC down for deciding to take it away after only six episodes and making us wait until February for the rest of the season. (Don't hate me. I'm just the messenger.)
Mitigating my pain of knowing I have only a few, sweet weeks with Kate and Jack is the knowledge that I can stop doodling I (heart) Logan all over my notebooks when "Veronica Mars" returns at 8 p.m. Tuesday on The CW, right after "Gilmore Girls." (If you're not a fan of the mother-daughter duo, don't let that stop you from giving this a try. The shows fit nicely together, but "Mars" definitely has a darker, slightly disillusioned vibe.)
This show stars Kristen Bell as a sort-of modern-day Nancy Drew. Sounds corny, but it's not. "Mars" is whip-smart, funny and cynical enough to make me believe its writers actually went to high school.
It found a small but loyal audience during its first two seasons on UPN (yup, that UPN. Who knew?). But it's on the bubble unless "Gilmore" fans stay tuned. I happen to be one of those fiercely devoted fans who discovered the fabulously addictive charms of "Mars" during its first season.
So here's where I get shameless: I am begging you to watch this show. Begging.On my knees. I will even give you a dollar if you e-mail me with your favorite line to prove you watched. (Well, actually not, but I will give you a blow-by-blow account of what I love about the show if you're not convinced.) It's engaging, believable, entertaining and has some of the best one-liner delivery on television.
And it's not just me. "Mars" got renewed because the network president and critics across the country are as in love as I am.
Tonight's big new show is "Ugly Betty," which airs at 7 p.m. on ABC. In the dramedy, based on a ridiculously popular telenovela that's been remade for audiences the world over, America Ferrera plays an unattractive member of a glamazine's staff. Television critics couldn't find enough synonyms for "endearing" and "likable" when this screened for them.
Two other shows that are raising some critical buzz will also be having premieres.
First is "Friday Night Lights," which debuts at 7 p.m. Tuesday on NBC. This show mines the 2004 movie of the same name to create serialized drama. I'm betting it finds an audience because it's so unlike anything else we're seeing this season.
Next is "The Nine," which follows nine people who are taken hostage during a bank robbery. The stories are told partly in flashbacks, so expect a "Lost"-like reveal-the-plot-over-time setup. Critics put this right at the top of the list of good new dramas. "The Nine" debuts at 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
One last suggestion: If you've got the time, and you're into the whole shows-that-revolve- around-apocalypses thing, check out "Supernatural" — airing at 8 tonight on The CW.
Despite the sometimes laughable demons, "Supernatural," which follows two brothers as they crisscross the country killing various incarnations of evil, is oddly engaging.
