'Scrubs' Finale - Perhaps

Tonight marks the possible series finale of one of my favorite sitcoms, "Scrubs" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) I say possible, because there have been reports that ABC, which produces the show, will pick it up for one more season since NBC has officially dropped it.

I hope ABC does. Tonight's finale is a tribute to both "The Princess Bride" and "Monty Python" as Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) tells his son Jack a bed-time story involving members of the cast. It's something completely different, but for the "Scrubs" cast and crew, different is pretty normal.

What tonight's episode isn't is the series finale that creator Bill Lawrence had dreamed up before the strike. Because of the shortened season and production time, Lawrence wasn't able to put into effect what he wanted to do. So a move over to ABC would allow the series to wrap up on its own terms.

"Scrubs" has never been ratings gold, in part because it's never been a traditional sitcom. More accurately, the show could be described as a dramedy in the vein of "M*A*S*H," mixing comedy with drama. It's developed a rich and talented cast that perfectly complements each other.

If tonight is indeed the finale of "Scrubs," there is a silver lining. Sarah Chalke, who plays Elliott on the show, would be free to expand her work on "How I Met Your Mother," in which her character of Stella would almost certainly be revealed as the unknown mother in the title. In the ideal world, the scheduling would work out where Chalke could do both shows, helping "Scrubs" wrap up on ABC while integrating herself with the terrific "HIMYM" cast.

GOOD NEWS FOR "BAD": AMC made it official by renewing its other breakout hit "Breaking Bad," giving the network one of the best one-two punches in original drama along with "Mad Men." "Bad" revolves around a dying high school chemistry teacher (an Emmy worthy Bryan Cranston) who turns to making crystal meth in order to provide for his family after his death. This could be my favorite new show of the season, and one I strongly urge you to catch when AMC starts reruns.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Scrubs" isn't the only sitcom wrapping up tonight; "30 Rock" (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) also ends its second season with the return of Edie Falco. "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.) and "The Office" (NBC, 9 p.m.) are both new, but both will be on for at least another week. They are followed by a new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Clark (Tom Welling) must find out who carved Kryptonian symbols into Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) on "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.), while the Winchester boys must split up to tackle two cases on the criminally underrated "Supernatural." (CW, 9 p.m.)

Tonight's "Lost" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is Locke-centric, giving Emmy winner Terry O'Quinn yet another chance to shine as we finally meet the mysterious Jacob. Perhaps. It follows new installments of "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy."

On CBS, there's one guy and four women left on "Survivor" (CBS, 8 p.m.) Hmm, I like those odds. Meanwhile, the writers of "2 1/2 Men" get to return the favor to "CSI" by penning tonight's episode, in which a sitcom star (Katey Sagal) is murdered and everyone is a suspect. It's followed by "Without A Trace" at 10 p.m.

Elseworlds

DC Comics used to have special issues called "Elseworlds," in which various characters would find themselves in different circumstances than what we were used to seeing them in. The idea was that these stories never happened in the continuity of their various titles, but rather, what if something different happened.

What if Batman was a 16th century pirate? What if Superman's rocket had landed in communist Russia during the 1940s? Etc.

When I wrote my spec script for "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) a couple of years ago, it was entitled "Elseworlds." Through a bit of technology, Clark (Tom Welling) was able to see what life would have been like had he been adopted by Lionel Luthor rather than the Kents. Let's just say I brought the idea of sibling rivalry to a whole new level between Clark and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum).

Clearly, that script was never bought, because I'm still here doing this blog for you guys, but "Smallville" does finally visit an Elseworlds scenario for tonight's 150th episode, directed by Welling. As Brainiac (James Marsters) flies back to Krypton of the past to assassinate the young Kal-El, Clark wonders if the world might not be better off without him. The spirit of his father gives him a slice of what that might be like.

Lex is President, with Brainiac as his chief of staff and Kara (Lauren Vandernoot) as his enforcer. Lois (Erica Durance) is a Pulitzer Prize winner investigating Lex's sinister plans.

As a comics enthusiast, I've always enjoyed the Elseworlds ideas that the writers have come up with over the years (Marvel Comics has a similarly themed series called "What If?") While "Smallville" is hardly the first series to tackle the "It's a Wonderful Life" dilemma, at least it can fall back upon the DC Comics tradition of Elseworlds to justify it.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Smallville" isn't the only CW series to play with an alternate reality; Dean Winchester experienced his own version last season on "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) Tonight, Dean gets a visit from a spirit claiming to be that of his father.

Addison (Kate Walsh) makes a one-night return to "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) from her spinoff "Private Practice," no doubt sending "Grey's" fans into a frenzy. It follows a new "Ugly Betty" at 8 p.m. and precedes a new "Lost" at 10 p.m. as Jack falls gravely ill, and Kate and Juliet rush to save him. Ah, to be nursed back to health by Kate and Juliet...

"CSI" (CBS, 9 p.m.) must be investigating Vulcans, because several victims turn up with green blood, followed by a new "Without A Trace," which presumably has no Vulcans.

Earl is finally awake on "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.), which kicks off the network's terrific comedy lineup of "Scrubs," "The Office" and "30 Rock," followed by a new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) wraps up tonight.

Too Much TV!

Everything on Thursday is back and it's all new. Get those VCRs and DVRs fired up.

In fact, it's been such a long time that we've seen some of these shows that I can't remember where we left off.

For example, how did we leave things on "Ugly Betty?" (ABC, 8 p.m.) I remember Bradford Meade dying and Betty trying to choose between Gio and Henry, but other than that, it's all a blank. The networks might have done a better job with a few reruns here and there after the strike.

I suspect there will be some fans of "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) in the same boat, especially which couples are still together and which aren't, and who kissed whom most recently. Of course, that's a scorecard that changes seemingly every week on that show, so maybe they aren't as badly off.

Of course, "Lost" (ABC, 10 p.m.) last aired a new episode last month, and had a pretty memorable ending of Ben's surrogate daughter Alex being menaced by a sniper. ABC also showed the rerun last week.

Another favorite of the TV Guy, "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) is back after a long absence and follows a new "Smallville" at 8 p.m.

The CBS lineup - "Survivor," "CSI" and "Without A Trace" - is all-new, as is the NBC comedy lineup and "ER." Note that "Scrubs" and "30 Rock" have flip-flopped on the schedule - the former is now at 8:30 p.m. behind "My Name Is Earl" while the latter follows "The Office" at 9 p.m.

Finally, Fox is airing a two-hour "Fifth Grader" beginning at 8 p.m. (thank goodness I have other choices). More of note is "Great Performances" (PBS, 10 p.m.), featuring Antony Sher's one-man show "Primo," which tells the tale of a survivor of Auschwitz.

'Eli's' Coming, With The Season Finale

ABC has cornered the market this season on whimsy, offering viewers the likes of the delightful "Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

Right up there has been the ever-improving "Eli Stone" (ABC, 10 p.m.), which wraps up its first season tonight with Eli (Jonny Lee Miller) in a coma after the surgery to remove his aneurysm goes wrong.

I'm pulling for both Eli Stone the character and "Eli Stone" the series to survive next season. It's one of those bubble shows that hasn't gotten a full commitment from ABC for next year.

(For a list of other shows and their chances, check out TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello's list here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Favorite/800037719)

It's been an interesting ride with Eli as he tries to cope with his visions, which include a plethora of George Michael songs, and his cases. The writers do a good job of making us care each week whether Eli and his law partners win such cases as the rights of prisoners or even two gay chimps who want to live together.

The supporting cast is also first-rate, especially the always-terrrific Victor Garber as Eli's boss and father figure. (Note to producers: include more musical numbers for Garber next season.)

And credit the producers for moving the story along. They could have dragged out Eli's secret being revealed or his relationship with his ex (Natasha Henstridge), and destroying the Golden Gate Bridge (through CGI) last week was particularly inspired, because it let the viewers know anything can happen. As a viewer, you don't expect to see something like that, so it proved to be a delightful surprise to me.

I always pull for shows that have a true sense of originality, and they don't come more original than "Eli Stone." Here's hoping we get a lot more George Michael numbers in the future.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: It's like a conspiracy that all of the networks get together and decide to put their best stuff on Thursdays. In the end, it's a victory for we, the viewers (and helps make up for crappy Wednesdays.)

In case you need a refresher for the return of "Lost" next week (at its new 10 p.m. time slot), ABC is running the last two episodes from a few weeks ago from 8-10 p.m. The first deals with Sun's pregnancy, making for one of the most poignant moments of the season, while the second one tells us what happened to Michael after leaving the island.

NBC's comedy lineup is all new, beginning with "My Name Is Earl." (NBC, 8 p.m.) Please let Earl get out of the coma, already. Jack tries to recruit Tracy to join the Republican Party on "30 Rock," while "The Office" gang fights for their parking spots, finishing with an all-new "Scrubs" before an all-new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Someone is definitely supposed to die soon on "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) No spoilers here, but if I were a betting man, I'm guessing Lionel Luthor. It's followed by a rerun of "Supernatural," but it's the best episode of the season - Dean is killed over and over and over in the show's tribute to "Groundhog Day." If you have never seen this series before - and it's one of the most underrated shows on TV - this is the episode to catch, folks.

Quick Tidbits

It appears that NBC's high asking price to other networks may be a sticking point to bringing back "Friday Night Lights" for next season.

Variety is reporting that the network has been talking with The CW, E!, G4 and TNT about sharing "FNL," airing it first on one of those networks, then re-airing them on NBC (similar to the arrangement NBC has with its sister network USA for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent.")

Leave it to NBC to try and milk a show for all its nickels even when it is considering cancelling said show. The irony is, despite its small ratings, "FNL" does extremely well with the groups advertisors most covet.

Whatever happens with "FNL," "Bionic Woman" won't be joining it. Though it's not official, insiders say the disappointing NBC action series is kaput.

Meanwhile, "Law & Order" will be back on NBC next season, but Jesse L. Martin won't be. After nine years, he's stepping away from his role as one of the long line of NYC detectives featured. One rumor Variety is floating is that Anthony Anderson is being considered as a replacement, even though Anderson's "K-Ville" has yet to receive an official cancellation from Fox (though it's very likely).

Over at ABC, the network has announced the remainder of its lineup for this season. Both "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy" will return for five new episodes apiece, beginning April 24, the same night "Lost" switches to 10 p.m.

"Desperate Housewives" will run five new episodes, plus a two-hour finale, beginning April 13. On April 20, it will be joined on Sundays by the first of four new "Brothers & Sisters." "Samantha Who?" returns April 7 and "Boston Legal" April 8, each for six new episodes. "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" will all be back next season.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: As if watching "Lost" (ABC, 9 p.m.) isn't reason enough, in of itself, tonight's episode is Kate-centric, reportedly featuring both flashbacks and flash-forwards. Will we learn identity of who Kate is living with in the future? It's followed by a new "Eli Stone" at 10 p.m.

"Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.), which paid a brilliant tribute to "Groundhog Day" last week, looks to tackle "Assault On Precinct 13" this week as the boys are trapped in jail as a town has zombies attacking it.

On the so-called reality front, "American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.) announces the winners and losers from the first round of voting, Piers Morgan and Lennox Lewis mix it up on "Celebrity Apprentice" (NBC, 9 p.m.) and fans battle favorites on "Survivor" (CBS, 8 p.m.)

'Dexter' On CBS

You can make a strong argument that Showtime has surpassed HBO in producing quality TV among pay-cable networks, especially with "The Sopranos" no longer on the air.

If you make that argument, "Dexter" would be at the top of the list.

Based upon a series of novels, "Dexter" stars Michael C. Hall as a police lab tech who moonlights as a serial killer. His victims? People in Miami who have committed crimes but somehow skirted the law. Dexter is a one-man judge, jury and executioner, trained by his late adoptive father to channel his latent homicidal instincts into a force for good.

Thanks to the strike, you can catch "Dexter" on network TV, when CBS begins airing the first season of the series Sunday night at 10 p.m.

There's been a little controversy over this, since obviously being on a network, the producers will have to cut out the strong language and nudity, as well as some of the gore that is one of the hallmarks of the series.

Can I recommend a watered-down "Dexter"? Yes. Though I think the series is best-presented in its Showtime format, there is enough great about the series that watching it on CBS won't affect the average viewer.

Hall is fantastic as Dexter, a total opposite to his character on "Six Feet Under." He is Emmy-worthy in his performance. His supporting is solid as well, although many fans of the series wish the whole thing was about Dexter and wouldn't go off into the various subplots.

"Dexter" isn't for the faint of heart, but it's a great mix of storytelling, acting and even humor.

THURSDAY RECAP: DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS ABOUT "LOST!!!"

SERIOUSLY!

OK, still here? Good.

Man, oh man, assuming the "Lost" producers have every subplot figured out, the ending of this series in a couple of years will be a humdinger, given all the little clues and twists they are leaving for us with the flash forwards.

Sayid (Naveen Andrews) becoming Ben's (Michael Emerson) personal hitman? Didn't see that one coming. And, of course, it begs the question about who the Germans were that Sayid was dispatched to infiltrate.

I can't wait to find out who the final two "Oceanic Six" survivors are.

Meanwhile, the one bad thing about "Lost" is that it's opposite "Supernatural," which might have aired its best episode ever. What could have been a simple ripoff of "Groundhog Day" as Dean (Jensen Ackles) is killed over and over while Sam (Jared Padelecki) is trapped in the same day turned out to be a brilliant mix of humor and pathos. This continues to be TV's most underrated show.

Finally, "Celebrity Apprentice" continues to be bizarrely entertaining, though enough is enough with Omorosa. She was beyond ridiculous last night and should have been booted off the show because of her behavior, no matter which team won.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: NBC, which sends me DVDs for nearly everything it does, did not send me the DVD for the "Knight Rider" TV movie airing Sunday at 9 p.m. So I can't tell you if it's any good or not, but my expectations aren't high. In fact, the one reason why I really wanted to see it - "Arrested Development's" Will Arnett voicing KITT - is gone as Arnett was replaced by Val Kilmer. Justin Bruening takes over the role as the son of Michael Knight, who fights crime in a Mustang supercar. And yes, David Hasselhoff does make an appearance in the movie, which may serve as a pilot if it's successful. It follows the finale of "American Gladiators."

"Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.) begins its two-part season finale as Adrian (Tony Shalhoub) is arrested for the murder of his wife's killer and becomes a fugitive. It's followed by the season finale of "Psych" at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.)

And I was remiss last week in forgetting to mention that one of TV's best new shows, "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 10 p.m.) is all-new Sunday.

Stay Out Of This 'Jungle'

One of the purposes of this blog is that I watch bad TV so you don't have to. No need to thank me; just send in your cash donations.

I did it earlier this week when I had to sit through the awful pilot of "Welcome To The Captain" and I did again for tonight's debut of "Lipstick Jungle," (NBC, 10 p.m.), the network's answer to ABC's "Cashmere Mafia" and HBO's "Sex & The City."

Since NBC sent me about a dozen copies of the pilot, I spread them around the office. The most positive review I got was from Belle Magazine editor Stephanie Hartley, who said "Jungle" isn't as bad as "Mafia." Since ABC didn't even bother to send me "Mafia" and has done little to promote the series, I'm guessing that's probably a pretty good assessment.

But boy, is "Jungle" not good. I mean, I wasn't just bored by the content; I actually found it insulting to my intelligence.

"Jungle" follows the adventures of three women in New York: A powerful publisher (Kim Raver), who feels trapped in her dull marriage; a movie executive (Brooke Shields), trying to balance career and family; and a fashion designer (Lindsay Price), coming off a disastrous show.

Written by "Sex & The City" author Candace Bushnell, it's supposed to show these women in a light where we are supposed to feel some empathy for them, but wow, I hated them all quite a lot.

The Raver subplot, about a woman hitting the glass ceiling at work, feels like it would have been dated material a decade ago, particularly with the dialogue from the men. Shields' husband (Paul Blackthorne) is nothing but whiner with an inferiority complex about his wife's success, and the subplot in which Shields saves a movie deal for her company is beyond ridiculous. And Price's character is made to look vapid, though the subplot where she is romanced by a billionaire (Andrew McCarthy) manages a few moments of charm.

NBC sent me two more episodes of "Jungle," but there's no way you could make me sit through them. And since there is quite a lot of good stuff on Thursday nights, you the viewer have much better options. If you find yourself missing "Sex & the City," buy the DVDs.

"SCRUBS" UPDATE: TVGuide's Michael Ausiello has an interview with "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence, who says he thinks he can get five more episodes done assuming the strike ends this month. Whether or not he's allowed to is up to NBC head honcho Ben Silverman. Ausiello is asking fans of the show to post comments on his blog to support the show. You can do so here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Scrubs-Creator-Lawrence/800032637.

I also suggest going to NBC.com and posting comments there. I'd love for this show to end on the right foot.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: As I said, viewers tonight have much better options than "Lipstick Jungle."

To wit, Episode 2 of "Lost" (ABC, 9 p.m.), in which we meet the new cast members, AKA the boat people - Jeff Fahey, Jeremy Davies, Rebecca Mader and Ken Leung. "Lost" has been a bit hit-or-miss with its cast editions; for every Mr. Eko or Ben Linus or Juliette, we've gotten an Ana Lucia or a Nikki & Paolo. (Of course, when they kill off even the bad characters, it has made for great TV.) Personally, I'm excited about the changes. If you missed last week's season premiere, it's being repeated at 8 p.m.

It's followed by a new episode of the promising "Eli Stone" (ABC, 10 p.m.)

Equally exciting tonight is "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.), which features the return of Green Arrow (Justin Hartley). And what would Green Arrow be without Black Canary (Alaina Huffman)? I'm hoping for the fishnets...

It's followed by arguably TV's most underrated series, "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.)

Preceding "Lipstick Jungle" is "Celebrity Apprentice" (NBC, 9 p.m.) which has bordered on the bizarre this season, no more so than last week's showdown between Piers Morgan and Vincent Pastore. What the hell was that about?

Finally, speaking of so-called reality, "Survivor" kicks off its newest season by sticking 10 fan favorites against 10 superfans in Micronesia.

Michael Emerson Interview, Part 2

Wednesday's blog had our interview with "Lost" star Michael Emerson, who plays Ben Linus, villainous leader of The Others. Emerson talked about the effects the strike had on the show.

In today's posting, Emerson gives the viewers a little bit of insight into the end of Season 3 and the eight completed episodes of Season 4. "Lost" debuts tonight with a one-hour recap (ABC, 8 p.m.), followed by the season premiere at 9 p.m.

TVGuy: Where do we pick up the action? At the end of Season 3, you had just gotten beaten up by Jack (Matthew Fox).
Michael Emerson: It picks up exactly there. It's the next tick of the clock. By no means has Ben reached the bottom yet. It's an interesting season for Ben. He's always been accustomed to having resources - guns, people to do his bidding. Now, he's just a beaten refugee with nothing to play with except his own wits.

TVG: Do we learn about the people on the boat?
ME: It's going to be a violent Season 4. I like the show when it's darker, bloodier. It was about these two opposing camps, the Losties and the Others. Now, a third camp is introduced. We have five new series regulars. It's excellent, certainly very dangerous. ... Scarier people (than Ben) are coming, and it becomes the villain we know rather than the villain without. There's going to be a softer attitude toward Ben in Season 4.

TVG: We're going to be seeing more flash forwards as we did in the Season 3 finale. You said (during our spring interview) you had no idea about the flash forward.
ME: It was a great idea. All our scripts, everyone but the people involved Matt and Evageline (Lilly), we all had blank pages for those scenes. I got to see it at the same time as the rest of America. I thought it was a stroke of genius. Matt said, "Now 'Lost' is the show we all hoped it would be," and I think I agree with him. Showing there's no happy ending post-island, it's very grown up.

TVG: There's the scene in the Season 3 finale where Jack goes to a funeral, but we don't know who is in the coffin. There's been some speculation that it's Ben.
ME: Who is in the coffin is one of the great mysteries of Season 4. It wouldn't occur to me that it's Ben. The way the scene has power, it's someone who we care about, someone Jack feels loyalty to but Kate doesn't. Whoever it ends up being I think it's someone we care about, and I don't currently think that's (Ben).

TVG: There are rumors of the return of cast members previously killed off.
ME: Yes, we see the return of more than one dead character. There are a lot of characters we know who appear in flashbacks. People keep cycling back from the past.

TVG: Some people were disappointed that it was revealed to be on an island and not purgatory.
ME: Well, it's not a literal purgatory, it's a figurative one. It's very much purgatory. This is a place where people revisit the sins of the past and try to find atonement or redemption. It still is purgatory. It works on all levels.

TVG: Last season, your wife (Macon actress Carrie Preston) guest-starred during the episode that gave Ben's story. Will we see more flashbacks involving Ben?
ME: Not in the first part of Season 4 (the eight completed episodes). But I've been told by the producers the events in episode 320 will be revisited in the future and recontextualized.

TVG: Last year, we talked about how from a certain point of view, Ben is the hero of the piece, not the villain.
ME: Will we see Ben in a heroic light? That's a thought to hang onto.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: Following the "Lost" recap and season premiere, ABC is also debuting the new quriky drama "Eli Stone" at 10 p.m. Jonny Lee Miller plays the title character, a lawyer who suffers from a brain aneurysm and begins to see things that others don't. Is he a nutcase or a modern-day prophet? The series has been compared to the likes of "Ally McBeal" and "Pushing Daisies" in its whimsy. The talented supporting cast includes Victor Garber ("Alias") as Stone's boss and Natasha Henstridge ("Species") as his girlfriend, so it might be worth a look.

NBC is countering "Lost" by running a two-hour "Apprentice," (NBC, 9 p.m.) which involves some sort of convuluted subplot in which Vincent Pastore pretends to go over to the women's team after a falling out with his teammates, but is really a double-agent. ... Yeah, I didn't get it, either.

An additional belated birthday present for moi is an all-new CW schedule tonight, including a new "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.), featuring the return of Braniac (James Marsters), and a new "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.), one of TV's most underrated shows.

Golden Globes List

Nominees for the 65th Golden Globes were announced this morning. Since I'm sure our Reel Fanatic will do something on the movie picks, here are the TV ones:

Series, Drama: ‘‘Big Love,’’ HBO; ‘‘Damages,’’ FX Networks; ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy,’’ ABC; ‘‘House,’’ Fox; ‘‘Mad Men,’’ AMC; ‘‘The Tudors,’’ Showtime.

Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, ‘‘Medium’’; Glenn Close, ‘‘Damages’’; Minnie Driver, ‘‘The Riches’’; Edie Falco, ‘‘The Sopranos’’; Sally Field, ‘‘Brothers & Sisters’’; Holly Hunter, ‘‘Saving Grace’’; Kyra Sedgwick, ‘‘The Closer.’’

Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, ‘‘Dexter’’; Jon Hamm, ‘‘Mad Men’’; Hugh Laurie, ‘‘House’’; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, ‘‘The Tudors’’; Bill Paxton, ‘‘Big Love.’’

Series, Musical or Comedy: ‘‘30 Rock,’’ NBC; ‘‘Californication,’’ Showtime; ‘‘Entourage,’’ HBO; ‘‘Extras,’’ HBO; ‘‘Pushing Daisies,’’ ABC.

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Christina Applegate, ‘‘Samantha Who?’’; America Ferrera, ‘‘Ugly Betty’’; Tina Fey, ‘‘30 Rock’’; Anna Friel, ‘‘Pushing Daisies’’; Mary-Louise Parker, ‘‘Weeds.’’

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, ‘‘30 Rock’’; Steve Carell, ‘‘The Office’’; David Duchovny, ‘‘Californication’’; Ricky Gervais, ‘‘Extras’’; Lee Pace, ‘‘Pushing Daisies.’’

Miniseries or Movie: ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,’’ HBO; ‘‘The Company,’’ TNT; ‘‘Five Days,’’ HBO; ‘‘Longford,’’ HBO; ‘‘The State Within,’’ BBC America.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Bryce Dallas Howard, ‘‘As You Like It’’; Debra Messing, ‘‘The Starter Wife’’; Queen Latifah, ‘‘Life Support’’; Sissy Spacek, ‘‘Pictures of Hollis Woods’’; Ruth Wilson, ‘‘Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre).’’

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Adam Beach, ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’’; Ernest Borgnine, ‘‘A Grandpa for Christmas’’; Jim Broadbent, ‘‘Longford’’; Jason Isaacs, ‘‘The State Within’’; James Nesbitt, ‘‘Jekyll.’’

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Rose Byrne, ‘‘Damages’’; Rachel Griffiths, ‘‘Brothers & Sisters’’; Katherine Heigl, ‘‘Grey’s Anatomy’’; Samantha Morton, ‘‘Longford’’; Anna Paquin, ‘‘Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee’’; Jaime Pressly, ‘‘My Name Is Earl.’’

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Ted Danson, ‘‘Damages’’; Kevin Dillon, ‘‘Entourage’’; Jeremy Piven, ‘‘Entourage’’; Andy Serkis, ‘‘Longford’’; William Shatner, ‘‘Boston Legal’’; Donald Sutherland, ‘‘Dirty Sexy Money.’’

One thing that has always bothered me about the Golden Globes has been the way they lump together actors from TV movies/miniseries with those of regular TV series in the supporting categories. How can you compare Anna Paquin's work in "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" for example with that of Jaime Pressly in "My Name Is Earl?" Talk about your apples and oranges.

Yet the Golden Globes are also the awards that get it right when it comes to movies, separating dramas and comedies into separate categories. There's really no rhyme or reason to it.

Anyway, looking at the list, here are few names that struck me:

--It was good to see the love for "Pushing Daisies," getting noms for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Lee Pace) and Best Actress (Anna Friel). I would have loved for Chi McBride and Kristin Chenowith to have gotten nods as well, but three nominations for a series still in its first year is pretty good. (Any series that can work in the phrase, "homeopathic drug mule," into the narrative deserves a nomination). And I have no doubt Digby the dog would have been a clear cut winner were animals eligible.

--Also rewarded for excellence was the fantastic "Mad Men," up for Best Drama and Best Actor (Jon Hamm, with the year's breakthrough performance).

--"Dexter" didn't get a nom for Best Series, losing out to other cable fare such as "The Tudors" and "Big Love," but at least Michael C. Hall got a deserved nomination. (Are you paying attention, Emmys?)

--Sometimes, the Golden Globes try to be a bit too hip, giving a nomination to David Duchovny for "Californication." Duchovny is a fine actor, but "Californication" is an absolute joke. There were plenty of others more deserving. "Curb Your Enthusiasm," for example.

Still, the GGs do a better job than the Emmys in spreading around the nominations and at least taking a look at series not on regular networks and which are fairly new. That said, the GGs did nominate Patricia Arquette in Best Actress for "Medium," yet not a single entry in any category for "Battlestar Galactica."

(Of course, if I picked all the awards, they'd be perfect and I'd never get to complain, and where would the fun be then?)

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: One show that is remarkably consistent in its quality but will never get nominated for anything is "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) In tonight's all-new episode, Dean prepares for what might be his last Christmas by tracking an evil St. Nick who yanks his victims up the chimneys. It follows an all-new "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.)

"Survivor" (CBS, 8 p.m.) leads up to its big, three-hour finale on Sunday with a new episode tonight. Didn't CBS learn already that no one wants three-hour finales to reality shows? It's followed by new episodes of "CSI" at 9 p.m. and "Without A Trace" at 10 p.m.

Finally, "30 Rock" (NBC, 9 p.m.) is also new with a Christmas-themed episode.