What's on your must-see-TV list?

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Oct 17, 2006 | by ANDREW WINEKE Gazette TV columnist

Do you have time for prime time?

If you get home from work at 6, throw together a quick dinner and try to get to sleep by a decent hour, how many minutes can you spare for Dr. McDreamy and Jack Bauer?

I ask because we're at the midpoint of the fall season, when shows start dropping like flies.

"Smith" was the first to go, NBC put "Kidnapped" on death row, and Fox is sharpening the knives for "Vanished" and "Happy Hour."

And it raises the question, how many hours a week can we comfortably devote to television?

This fall, the networks bet heavily that serial dramas such as "Lost" were the ticket to audience loyalty. Serials slowly unspool a story that makes no sense at all if you miss an episode or are tardy getting back from the fridge after a commercial break.

Trouble is, viewer loyalty only works when you have enough time to make the commitment. The ratings for "Lost" are down sharply this season. And the new serials the networks built their fall schedules around? Not doing so hot either.

ABC's "The Nine," which follows "Lost," is tanking, NBC's "Friday Night Lights" needs an extension cord, and the CW's "Runaway" can't even be seen on a milk carton.

Now, on the plus side, two of the three new shows that have earned full-season orders from the networks are serials: NBC's "Heroes" and CBS' "Jericho." ("Ugly Betty," the third, isn't a serial but has a soapy sitcom plot to make viewers stick around.)

But back to the point -- how much TV can you fit into your week? What's your magic number?

Here's an example from Gazette entertainment editor Warren Epstein: "Desperate Housewives," "Heroes," "The Nine," "Jericho," "Friday Night Lights," "Lost," "Prison Break," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "The Office."

That's 8 1/2 hours.

Warren's list is pretty heavy on new shows -- probably because he has to listen to me jabber about them constantly -- and he's got a digital video recorder, so he can time-delay. But still, he's got a job, wife, two kids, a dog and eight-plus hours of tube time he's absolutely committed to. That's a lot to balance.

Drop me a line and tell me what your magic number is. Four? Eight? Twelve? A real-life 24? And also, tell me what program you dropped to make room for a new show this season. Call 636-0275, e- mail andy.wineke@gazette.com, or leave a comment on the TV Talk blog, springs tvtalk.blogspot.com.

DEAD-POOL WINNER

We finally have a winner for the Dead Pool. I started the contest way back at the beginning of September to predict the first fall TV show to be canceled.

Well, CBS' "Smith" got the ax, but no one earned the prize -- its star-studded cast scared off potential doomsayers.

In its place, I asked readers to write about their favorite new fall shows.

After sorting through an inbox full of musings, our Dead Pool/ Favorite Fall Show winner is Mary Betka, who wrote about "Heroes." An excerpt:

"The other night, while I was watching 'Heroes,' my sons (ages 15 and 17) were doing their nightly ritual of cruising the fridge when they stopped by the couch, watched a few seconds, and plopped down and watched the entire episode with dear old boring Mom and Dad. No cell phones, Game Boys, headphones, iPods, laptops or locking themselves in their rooms for the night. They stayed right there and (gasp) even discussed the plot during commercials."

You can read Betka's entire entry at springstvtalk.blogspot.com.

For her troubles, Betka will receive the official "Heroes" comic book from NBC, a football from the Weather Channel, "The Biggest Loser" cookbook, Season One of "My Name is Earl" and "The Complete How to Kazoo User's Guide and Practitioner's Manual" by Barbara Stewart.

Um, congratulations?

Find more TV commentary and news on the Web at springstvtalk.blogspot.com