PUSHING DAISIES “Circus Circus”: I Think That Human Cannonball Was Meant for Us!

Maybe people aren’t tuning in to Pushing Daisies because the complex mythology, the loving relationships, the layered visual jokes, and the wonderful language all roll into and connect with each other in ways that are so tangled and looped that they feel like reading. Maybe our long-winded entreaties to get you to watch the prettiest, wittiest show on TV require too much reading, too. So we’re going to make our begging short this time:

Don’t miss out on watching a show that, when a clown car drives into a swamp, spends the next several minutes on the same shot as stretcher after stretcher…after stretcher…after stretcher…after double stretcher to accommdate stilts crosses the screen while the exposition continues. If you watch this show, you will laugh, sniffle, tingle, marvel, and want to hug someone. If you miss clowns on stretchers and a cynical PI looking for his daughter through a pop-up book, you will regret it.

Avoid that regret next week. Previews show people shouting, “Nun on the run! Nun on the run!” And I’m pretty sure that nun is dead. There’s gonna be a joke in that–you don’t want to miss it.

Splattered Cops the Way They Were Meant to Be Played: Marathon of BBC’s LIFE ON MARS Sunday

I confess to feeling grim–grim–as the premiere for ABC’s Life on Mars approaches this week. The new version rips off the basic premise of the BBC’s original–modern police detective is hit by car; wakes up in the 1970s unsure if he’s trapped in his own injured brain or in the genuine past. In addition to main character Sam Tyler’s dizzying predicament, this set-up allowed for an examination of a world without political correctness or ethics committees. The BBC version was so perfectly cast, so perfectly realized, and so perfectly short (shuffling off the screen before it could wear out its welcome) that it’s hard to imagine ABC won’t screw it up.

Someone at BBC America either feels the same way or is feeling cheeky, because the expat channel is showing a mini-marathon of their version on Sunday, October 5, in anticipation of ABC’s attempt. Episodes selected from both short seasons include Sam (John Simm, terrific as a man caught between longing for home and coming to consider the 70s his home) finding himself in 1973; Sam finding out supervisor Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, who steals the entire show as a corrupt cop who might be persuaded to go clean–if you can convince him it’s his idea) and the rest of the precinct are on the take; Sam facing the real reason his father left the family; Gene accused of murder after a bender; and Sam and Gene as swingers. Yeah, baby. Catch it in its original mindbending, eerie, and often moving glory before it gets screwed up later this week. Starting at 1pm Eastern on BBC America.

PUSHING DAISIES “Bzzzzzzzzz!”: Flibbertigibbit Is a Title of Respect

While Pushing Daisies may have garnered 12 Emmy nominations, it may also have been one of the shows most hurt by last year’s writer’s strike. A story that is not only quirky but that is built on a dense and complicated–if entirely charming–mythology, Daisies didn’t really have the luxury of disappearing from our screens for an extended period and emerging unscathed. Built around a murder committed by bees, the season premiere sagged for the first third as the convoluted set-up–piemaker gifted with the touch of life; nature’s balance requires life for life; piemaker’s mom/Chuck’s dad/Chuck’s mom/homeopathic mood enhancers…you get the idea–was spelled out for viewers who might have forgotten it over the 10 months since we had a new episode.

Luckily, both the basics of the show (the glorious visuals; the warmth and connections between lonely people) and the new twists (moving Olive to a new setting; moving Chuck out of Ned’s apartment) are strong, and the rest of the episode shone. There might always be a corpse, but this isn’t CSI–this show is about both overcoming and incorporating grief to build yourself into something new. The identity of the killer hiding in a whacked-out version of Bert’s Bees isn’t the real story here–the point is Ned realizing how his home expanding is about making something new; it’s Aunt Vivian being able to get on a bus for the first time (having gotten over her feeling that public transportation is too intimate). The disconcerting thing about procedurals is that their obsession with death makes life seem so disposable. Pushing Daisies reminds us over and over through its obsession with death that life is glorious. While the mystery wasn’t terribly difficult to figure out, the way Ned and Chuck’s relationship is growing and maturing reflects what the show is really about.

As charming as Ned and Chuck might be, Kristin Chenoweth and Chi McBride are really the stars of this show. Chuck and Ned’s sweet romance might become entirely too sticky if not cut with the lemony comedic bite Olive and Emerson bring to the pie. We’re eaten up with curiosity wondering what secret tragedy has severed Emerson’s daughter from his life and where the story will take Olive and her new animal friend, Pigby. Pigby. If Chenoweth and Swoosie Kurtz in teal nun’s habits don’t make you laugh, I don’t think we’ll find anything that will.

Last year, we started keeping track of all the Hitchcock references Daisies was throwing at us. While I’m not sure I caught any of those tonight, having Chenoweth spin and sing in the Alps and make direct references to Sound of Music lyrics is almost as funny as having Ned pop up at Betty’s Bees as a temp from Happy Time, the temp agency in creator Bryan Fuller‘s previous brilliant and underappreciated medidtation on death, Dead Like Me. None of those, however, can top the prettiest, most color-saturated show on television stashing the incandescent Chenoweth in a nunnery straight out of Black Narcissus–I nearly fell off the couch when they revealed that long shot of the abbey, the well, and the gates.

There’s no other show on television that’s so gorgeous (hexagon-tiled floors at a honey-products company), so well thought-out to every last detail (bee-magnet Chuck dressed in florals), or so clever (Black Narcissus! Are you kidding me?), but there are a lot of shows getting better ratings. Susannah begged you the other day to tune into Life, reminding you of the tragic fates of other quality shows that reward attention and devotion. After seeing Wednesday’s ratings, I’m coming on bended knee to beg you to give Pushing Daisies a chance. Give yourself a chance to fall in love with a lonely piemaker and a dead girl and a knitting PI and a waitress who is a gun loaded with truth buckshot–and with the idea that love really can conquer death. You won’t be disappointed.

CHUCK “Chuck versus the First Date”: Single White Female Pining for The Beastmaster

Oh, John Casey–that single white female would be me.

The story of a big box employee who accidentally uploads a CIA supercomputer into his head, Chuck had an extremely charming first season. With adorable actors crafting lovable characters, silly but fun plots punctuated by cleverly chosen music, and ridiculous jokes, our only concern–other than the less-than-stellar ratings–was that the high-concept setup wouldn’t be able to support a long-term show.

The first episode of Season 2, however, seems to suggest that Chuck‘s creators are aware of these risks, too. The spy plot, while well executed, contributed nothing we haven’t seen before, and the typical Buy More antics, while always good for a chuckle, are (happily) more of the same. They even had more brilliant music, using Flight of the Conchords’ “Foux du Fafa” to accompany yogurt porn. But floating the possibility that Chuck might be replaced by a new supercomputer provides not only a vision of Chuck’s endless potential both in the spy world and spy-free, but also new depth to Adam Baldwin‘s operative Casey. The idea that Casey has grown to like the nerd he protects has been percolating for a while, and the big streak of humor that finds him apologizing to a photo of Ronald Reagan or eagerly running to watch someone die trying to eat 90 Twinkies has always been part of his appeal. But watching the realization dawn on Casey that killing Chuck is perhaps the kindest thing he can do is the best example yet of our favorite thing about Chuck–its giant heart. They don’t have to persuade us to pine for the Beastmaster in the Crown Vic.

Tuesday Night Showdown: Network Calcification

Although the fall development season was truncated by the writers’ strike, leading to fewer new shows this fall than in previous years, the networks in their infinite wisdom have decided to put three of their shiny new offerings up against one another. Interestingly, each of these new shows is a pretty good representation of the parent network:

Fox seems to have three modes: Sunday night animation, cheap (in all meanings of the word) reality programming, and action-packed dramas that are swamped under by increasingly convoluted mythologies. Joining its Monday night siblings (Prison Break and The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Fringe has unfathomable consipiracies and dark corners. If that sounds like your gig, Fox is home for you.

CBS cranks out traditional middlebrow comedies and interchangable procedurals. The Mentalist slots right into that lineup, using a team of mildly quirky but definitely pretty people to hunt down increasingly baroque murderers. While the fake psychic schtick has been done with more zest elsewhere (if you find star Simon Baker even remotely appealing, your mileage may vary on that point), The Mentalist is the kind of disposable, unchallenging detective show that makes up the bulk of CBS’s considerable bread and butter. If you want to come home, put on some slippers, be mildly distracted from the real world for a couple of hours, and then shuffle off to bed with nothing on your mind, the CBS lineup is for you.

The CW, on the other hand, targets a demographic more interested in stilettos than slippers, focusing on the very young, very attractive, and very rich. They have not one but two reality shows set in the fashion world, and not one but three shows about super-wealthy teenagers. The best of these is Privileged, which we have subtitled Rory Gilmore Faces Her Future. Imagine a world where Rory can’t make it in journalism and is shoehorned into a job tutoring twin granddaughters of a society matron. Now imagine that one of the twins in Paris and one is Lane (both with fancier clothes). Privileged is what it is–it’s on the CW for a reason–but it’s sharply executed and manages to carve endearing characters out of a slab of cliche, which is more than you can say for the competition. If you’re looking for escapist fantasy where everyone wears amazing clothes and always has a witty retort, the CW has just the show for you. Of the three, this is the one we’ll tune to.

Of course, you could always turn to ABC and NBC’s chestnuts, Dancing with the Stars and The Biggest Loser. Just don’t tell us if you do.

Guide to October 2008 Series Premieres

THE EX LIST (CBS)
Premieres: Friday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 PM
Time slot: Fridays at 9:00 PM
A comedic drama about a woman (Elizabeth Reaser, Grey’s Anatomy) who begins to revisit her past relationships after she’s told by a psychic that she’s already dated her future husband and if she doesn’t find him in the next year, she’ll remain alone forever. Co-starring Rachel Boston (American Dreams), Adam Rothenberg (Mad Money), Alex Breckenridge (Dirt), and Amir Talai (Campus Ladies). From executive producers Diane Ruggiero (Veronica Mars) and Jonathan Levin (Charmed), although Ruggiero has recently exited the series.

SANCTUARY (Sci Fi)
Premieres: Friday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 PM
Time slot: Fridays at 10:00 PM
This science fiction drama centers on a scientist (Amanda Tapping, Stargate SG-1) who tracks strange and mysterious creatures living among us. The series, which began as a high-definition web series, is shot entirely against a green screen, in the vein of movies like 300 and Sin City. Exec produced by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1) and Martin Wood (Stargate Atlantis) and co-starring Emilie Ullerup (Battlestar Galactica), Robin Dunne (Dead Like Me), Christopher Heyerdahl (Stargate Atlantis) and Ryan Robbins (Battlestar Galactica).

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Cartoon Network)
Premieres: Friday, Oct. 3 at 9:00 PM
Time slot: Fridays at 9:00 PM
In the signature style of Lucasfilm Animation, this series chronicles the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and other favorite Star Wars characters as they struggle against the dark side during the divisive, action-packed Clone Wars. Each week, a new story in the galaxy-changing Clone Wars comes to center stage, brought to the screen by supervising director Dave Filoni and executive producer George Lucas.

IN HARM’S WAY (The CW)
Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 5 at 6:00 PM
Time slot: Sundays at 7:00 PM
This reality series from Craig Piligian (Dirty Jobs, Ultimate Fighter, American Chopper, Survivor) looks at the lives of people doing dangerous jobs. Each unscripted episode will follow the brave individuals who risk their lives in a multitude of life-threatening jobs, including war photographers, oil well cappers, Coast Guard divers and minesweepers.

VALENTINE (The CW)
Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 5 at 8:00 PM
Time slot: Sundays at 8:00 PM
This one-hour romantic comedy stars Jaime Murray (Dexter), Kristopher Polaha (North Shore), Autumn Reeser (The O.C.), Patrick Fabian (Veronica Mars), Greg Ellis (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) and Robert Baker (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) as a family of Greek gods whose purpose is to bring soulmates together, while keeping their own identities secret. Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Reaper, Ed) serves as executive producer/creator for the series along with executive producer Courtney Conte.

EASY MONEY (The CW)
Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 5 at 9:00 PM
Time slot: Sundays at 9:00 PM
This one-hour drama about a family that runs a modern, legitimate version of loan sharking–an advance payday operation–features Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) as the matriarch of the brood and Jeff Hephner (The O.C.) as her middle son, who’s brilliant at his job but conflicted about the nature of the family business. Judge Reinhold (The Santa Clause), Nick Searcy (Rodney), Jay Ferguson (Sleeper Cell), Gary Farmer (Moose TV) and Katie Lowes (The Ghost Whisperer) co-star. Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider (Northern Exposure, The Chris Isaak Show, The Sopranos) serve as executive producers.

KATH & KIM (NBC)
Premieres: Thursday, Oct. 9 at 8:30 PM
Time slot: Thursdays at 8:30 PM
This series is based on the successful Australian comedy series about the most dysfunctional mother/daughter duo in suburbia. Kath Day (Molly Shannon, SNL) is the mom, a foxy, 40-something divorcée who finally has time for herself and her valiant search for love. Kim Day (Selma Blair, Hellboy) is the daughter, a self-absorbed princess recently separated from her husband who finds consolation in stuffing her face. The executive producer/writer is Michelle Nader (The King of Queens) and the executive producer/director is Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, The Office).

ELEVENTH HOUR (CBS)
Premieres: Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10:00 PM
Time slot: Thursdays at 10:00 PM
Based on the British miniseries by acclaimed writer Stephen Gallagher, this adaptation from producer Jerry Bruckheimer follows Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell, John Adams), a biophysicist and special science advisor to the government, as he investigates scientific crises and oddities. Co-starring Marley Shelton (Grindhouse), the series is executive produced by Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon, Cyrus Voris, Ethan Reiff and Mick Davis.

LIFE ON MARS (ABC)
Premieres: Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10:00 PM
Time slot: Thursdays at 10:00 PM
October Road’s Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg have stepped in for David E. Kelley as showrunners of this American adaptation of the acclaimed BBC drama about a 21st century detective (Jason O’Mara, Men in Trees) who, following a car crash, mysteriously finds himself working as a cop in the 1970s. Co-starring Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs), Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), Gretchen Mol (3:10 to Yuma), and Jonathan Murphy (October Road). Lisa Bonet (Enemy of the State) also appears as a recurring guest star.

TESTEES (FX)
Premieres: Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10:30 PM
Time slot: Thursdays at 10:30 PM
This comedy series from writer/creator Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny), stars Canadian newcomers Steve Markle  and Jeff Kassel as two best friends and roommates in their early 30s who work as test subjects for “TESTICO,” a less-than-normal product testing facility. In each episode, Peter and Ron are given a new experimental medication or treatment to test, with usually ridiculous and almost always negative side effects.

MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC)
Premieres: Monday, Oct. 13 at 10:00 PM
Time slot: Mondays at 10:00 PM
Henry Spivey (Christian Slater, Bobby) is a middle-class efficiency expert living a humdrum life in the suburbs with a wife, two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward Albright is an operative who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill with his teeth. Henry and Edward are polar opposites who share only one thing in common — the same body. When the carefully constructed wall between them breaks down, Henry and Edward are thrust into unfamiliar territory where each man is dangerously out of his element. Jason Smilovic (Kidnapped) is the executive producer; David Semel (director of the American Dreams, Heroes and Life pilots) is the director and executive producer.

CRUSOE (NBC)
Premieres: Friday, Oct. 17 at 8:00 PM
Time slot: Fridays at 8:00 PM
Based on the legendary novel by Daniel Defoe, this is the tale of Robinson Crusoe, a young man who leaves his true love to embark on an adventure — only to end up shipwrecked on a remote tropical island for 28 years. His desire to return to his wife and his strong and unlikely friendship with Friday are the only things that keep him sane. While stranded, Crusoe encounters enemies and braves the elements. Equal parts MacGyver, Castaway and Pirates of the Caribbean, this series is an inspirational tale of survival rife with action and comedy, starrin Philip Winchester (Thunderbirds), Anna Walton (Hellboy II), Sam Neill (The Tudors), Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), Mia Maestro (Alias), Tongayi Chirisa, and Joaquim De Almeida (24).

CRASH (Starz)
Premieres: Friday, Oct. 17 at 10:00 PM
Time slot: Fridays at 10:00 PM
Dennis Hopper stars in the first original drama series from Starz Entertainment, based on the Academy Award-winning Best Picture. Set in Los Angeles, the series explores the complexities of social and racial tolerance and the meaning of the American dream through characters whose lives intersect and collide. The drama features a disparate group of Los Angelenos, including maverick record producer Ben Cendars (Hopper); impulsive cop Kenny Battaglia (Ross McCall, Band of Brothers); his actress-turned-police officer partner Bebe Arcel (Arlene Tur); frustrated Brentwood mom Christine Emory (Clare Carey, Jericho); her pre-bust real-estate developer husband Peter Emory (D.B. Sweeney, Jericho); former gang member-turned-EMT Eddie Choi (Brian Tee, Grey’s Anatomy); Ben’s street-smart driver Anthony Adams (Jocko Sims, Dreamgirls); illegal Guatemalan immigrant Cesar Uman (Luis Chavez, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles); and cocky, hot-tempered detective Axel Finet (Nick E. Tarabay, The Sopranos).

STYLISTA (The CW)
Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 9:00 PM
Time slot: Wednesdays at 9:00 PM
Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts vie for a much-coveted editorial job with Elle magazine in this reality series. They work as assistants to Elle‘s Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, a demanding but well-respected fashion icon, who fires one contestant every week. From executive producers Tyra Banks, Ken Mok, Eli Holzman, Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha.

Get Lost with THE AMAZING RACE 13

Susannah and I often speculate about how we would run The Amazing Race. We feel pretty good about our chances as long as we don’t hit a task that requires running or eating four pounds of eyeballs. Perhaps you join us in having an even better time watching from the couch and debating which Detour option is best, since a new season starts tonight on CBS (8pm Eastern). As we wrote last year, it’s time for the I Am Almost Always Wrong About This Amazing Racers Preconceived Notions Hate/Love-A-Thon. Last year we were pretty good about guessing who was reprehensible (one of the dating couples was delightful, but other than that…) and somewhat less successful in picking the lovable teams (grandfather and grandson were crudely adorable; the Goths couldn’t have been more fun). This year’s tally:

Couples Testing Their Relationships–Again. Still.: TAR‘s most enduring–and most annoying–category. Almost certainly cast for their ability to call each babe seconds before accusing each other of never really caring, these teams work on their couples’ therapy while taking up spots that could have gone to interesting people. One will almost invariably make it to the final three, which at least means there will be someone to root against.

Couples Testing Their Relationships, Your Cheating Heart Division: Creatively labeled “ex-NFL star” (well, he played) hopes to use the race to reconnect with the wife he cheated on. I’m hoping she dumps his cheating behind in the Outback somewhere and runs away with Phil. Yuck.

People Lookng to Jump-Start Their “Acting” or “Pretty Face” Careers by Appearing on TV: In the unfortunate tradition of Seacrest’s ex, we have an aspiring broadcaster, an aspiring actress (testing her relationship, no less!), the off-Broadway hoofer (The Fantasticks. Oof.)/Dallas Cowboys cheerleader team, and yet another cheerleader. Who is more annoying–the pairs working through their relationship issues, or the ones batting their eyelashes at the camera while they fail at milking a moose?

Isn’t there anyone with potential?

The Comic Book Geeks: Thaaaaaaaank you. While they may not be the most athletic team, one of these competitors helps run Comic-Con, and what task are they going to come up against that is more complicated or difficult than getting all the *&@!! Heroes fans out of a *&@!! room so the rest of us can see the *&@!! Battlestar Galactica panel?

Team Superbad: Like the pink Goths last year, this team is hard to pin down. Their dry geekitude could be a delight–if it’s real. Can you actually be Team Superbad if you’re so self-aware that you call yourself Team Superbad? The jury is out.

Hippie Beekeepers: No, seriously. Since we have to make room for more dating couples and famewhores, this team also serves as the token mature pair of the season.

Team Apron Strings: A single mom and her (apparently) only child look to the race as an opportunity to bond since college has come between them. Here’s hoping there’s lots of Mom getting in the way of flirting with the multiple cheerleaders.

LIFE: Everything the Same, Everything Distinct

NBC has their very own House, and they don’t even know it. You probably don’t either, given how very few people tuned in to watch the extraordinary Life last season.

So how exactly is cop show Life like medical drama House? Well, aside from the monosyllabic nomenclature, they’re both shows that take tired television genres and revitalize them with clever writing, surprisingly complex plots, and singularly talented and charismatic leading men (who both happen to be Brits doing a remarkable job faking their American accents) playing characters who are broken on the inside.

Life stars Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) as Charlie Crews, a homicide detective back on the force after spending 12 years in prison for some murders he didn’t commit. His time in the clink has left Crews slightly unhinged, a condition he attempts to quell by spouting Zen wisdom at odd moments, much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone around him. He’s also obsessed with fruit. But more importantly, he’s got a brilliant mind for detective work and a gift for looking at a crime scene (or a suspect) and seeing what others don’t.

Unsurprisingly, Crews really wants to know who set him up for murder. And here’s where Life does House one better, because its murder-of-the-week format is framed by a compelling, Veronica Mars-style mytharc. The clues are doled out in tantalizing dribs and drabs throughout season one (which was abbreviated to only eleven episodes due to the strike), culminating in a startlingly revelatory two-part finale. And if you think the mystery ends there, well, you must not watch much TV. But don’t worry, you don’t have to understand the intricacies of the central mystery to enjoy Life, you just have to show up.

Another area in which Life tops House is that its male lead is matched by an equally impressive female lead. Crews’ tough-as-nails partner, played by the stunning Sarah Shahi (The L Word), is a perfect foil for her kooky counterpart. She may not like him much, but her immediate and unshakable loyalty to her damaged partner is a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s the bottom line, people: you need to watch this show. No, really, you do. Season two debuts Monday in the post-Heroes slot before Life is shuffled off to its regular Friday berth, and I promise you it’s ten times better than Heroes. Don’t want to wait for Monday? You can watch a sneak peek of the premiere on Hulu right now. Right now! Plus, if you’ve got TiVo, it’s available free on Amazon Unbox this week (along with Chuck). Also, season one is available on DVD for those who want to catch up on what they missed (even if NBC’s cheap-ass accountants have replaced the show’s outstanding music selections with cheaper, lamer fare for the DVD release).

This show needs you. For the sake of good television everywhere, I beg you to watch Life before NBC pulls the plug. Remember what happened to Veronica Mars? Do you want that to happen again? Do you?

THE OFFICE Returns for Season Five Tonight

I’ve got a confession to make. I’m a little nervous about tonight’s season premiere of The Office. Not that I’m not happy to have one of my favorite shows back on my television. It’s just… what if it’s not as good as it used to be?

See, last season started out strong–incredibly strong. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that they were having their best year yet, with episodes like “Launch Party,” “Money,” and “Local Ad” (we’ll just pretend “The Deposition” never happened) . And then the strike struck. When The Office finally returned to the airwaves after a five-month hiatus, most of that momentum had evaporated. After all that anticipation we were subjected to the torture of “Dinner Party” and, well, things just weren’t quite the same at Dunder-Mifflin after that.

But, hey, tomorrow is another day and tonight is the start of a new season. Despite my objections to the second half of season four, the finale left us with some pretty tantalizing cliffhangers. Things were going almost frighteningly well between Michael and Amy Ryan’s nice, normal HR rep… and then he found out Jan was pregnant. Jim was all ramped up to propose to Pam… and then Andy hijacked his moment. Angela accepted Andy’s surprise proposal… and then Phyllis caught her hooking up with Dwight.

And for the first time in the show’s history, tonight we’ll actually get to see what happens in the Scranton branch over the summer. Tonight’s episode, “Weight Loss,” takes place over the course of eight weeks as the office participates in a Dunder-Mifflin weight loss initiative. Even better, it’s written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who can generally be counted on to deliver a solid ep.

I’d say it sounds pretty promising, but I don’t want to jinx it.

WORST WEEK: Week After Week?

CBS’s new comedy Worst Week is pretty much exactly what you’d expect. It’s pretty much exactly the show that would run promos with its lead in a giant diaper made from a garbage bag. It asks veterans Kurtwood Smith and Nancy Lenehan to do pretty much exactly what they’re known for doing. It puts the female lead pretty much where you’d expect it to–over in a corner while her funny boyfriend gets to do all the pratfalls.

And yet…this farce about an everyguy trying to impress his would-be in-laws and getting unluckier by the minute isn’t terrible. While Smith and Lenehan are asked to do the same old, they’re really good at it. Lead Kyle Bornheimer is charming and believable, even as his circumstances become increasingly ridiculous. The show is well-staged, a key to any farce (for some reason, Smith draped artfully over an airbag is one of the funnier moments of the pilot). Even its predictability–Smith collapses in front of an funeral home; could wacky misunderstandings ensue?–is comforting because it’s predictable. Compared to a couple of other grievously bad sitcoms to debut this fall, Worst Week is that old-fashioned, middle-of-the road comedy that used to make up a big chunk of America’s TV viewing–undemanding and disposable chuckles.

We wonder how long it will stay that way, however, as it’s difficult to imagine the show being able to maintain its pace. The show is based (like nearly every other new show this year) on a British series that featured seven episodes representing the last seven days before the leads’ wedding (a later season had seven episodes leading up to the birth of the couple’s first child). Worst Week might be the best example yet of why it’s not easy to translate British shows for US TV–presumably, the makers of the new version would like to see the show be successful enough to, oh, hit syndication, which will take substantially more than seven episodes. The pilot had hapless hero Sam convincing everyone his girlfriend’s father was dead, crashing a car into said father, peeing on a brining goose, setting a rare and expensive gift on fire, and showing up wearing a giant diaper. Where will they be by just the end of this season?