Bullet points about last night’s 30 Rock after the jump:

Speaking of The Office, last night’s episode, with the return of Rashida Jones, reminded me of the spirited Team Pam versus Team Karen debates we had back in the day. Why is it so irresistible to argue over fictional—and for that matter, real—love triangles? I think because we believe that you can tell something about [...]

Brief spoilers for last night’s Office coming up after the jump: 

Forget the swimming suspension. Now Phelps’ very expensive bong hit is costing him commercial endorsements.  Isn’t there a way for Phelps to turn bongwater into lemonade here? Surely there’s a product for whom he’s now a more appropriate spokesman. Something munchy. Doritos, maybe? Or Combos. Dude. I could totally go for some Combos right now.

My review of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, which debuts a week from tonight, is in this week’s print edition of TIME. Short version: I’ll be watching, but with reservations. Another short version: I’m impressed, but so far find myself admiring the show more than liking it. I’ve seen three episodes so far, and the two following [...]

“‘Extra’ sources hear that a couple of clubs in Las Vegas are aggressively pursuing and trying to contact ‘Bikini Girl’ to host a party at one of the nightclubs — and she could get up to $20K for the gig.” For some people, it’s never a recession. (h/t tvtattle.)

Before I write about Discovery’s new series, The Detonators, I should disclose that I have a friend who writes for the show. But even if I didn’t, I believe I’d have to take some notice of it, simply because it is perhaps the perfect concept for Discovery in its adrenaline-driven, Old-Spice-manly, Deadliest Catch era. The [...]

In the latest issue of TIME magazine, former TIME managing editor Walter Isaacson (and the guy who hired me) makes the argument that for newspapers to survive, they need to begin charging for their online content.  You can read his article for free here.  Yeah, it’s a cheap shot, but everyone’s going to make it, [...]

It’ll be a while before I catch up on last night’s Damages, so I’ll leave this thread for any fans to discuss it. In last week’s (spoiler alert, if you’re behind) Tom and Ellen took a road trip and we discovered the killer of Daniel Purcell’s wife—not, because it turned out he was a volunteer [...]

SPOILER ALERT: Before you read this post, grab the gun stashed in your box of chocolates and watch last night’s Lost. 

…and I did not. But better late than never. This will be the first season 5 episode I haven’t seen in advance. It’s called “The Little Prince.” (A classic children’s book that, embarrassingly, I have never read, so I leave the extrapolation to you.) Jeff Jensen holds forth here. It appears to be Kate-and-Aaron-centric, and [...]

Your delicious, delicious brain… no, actually, this isn’t a Alec-Baldwin-for-Hulu brain-eating request. I’m writing a piece for the magazine about the various ways to watch TV other than televisions + cable/satellite/antenna–e.g., on your computer, on iPods or similar devices, via iTunes, Hulu, DVD rental, cellphone, downloads via Xbox Live, etc. We talk about this stuff [...]

Last night, American Idol entered the Hollywood round, otherwise known as the period when the show actually becomes watchable, yet the ratings drop off. Probably the biggest watercooler argument from last night’s culling was the fact that Katrina “Bikini Girl” Darrell advanced to the next round. Personally, while she annoys the hell out of me, [...]

“I screwed up.” If you needed more evidence that we had a new President, that admission to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, regarding the collapse of Tom Daschle’s nomination over unpaid taxes, should remind you. The Bush administration, from the top down, was adamant in its refusal to acknowledge mistakes, operating on the theory that certainty = [...]

I’m going to be on NPR’s All Things Considered this evening talking about the news that CBS has signed up a reality show involving arranged marriages from Magical Elves, the production team behind Top Chef (and, formerly, Project Runway). According to the Hollywood Reporter, on Arranged Marriage, four adults from 25 to 45 in age [...]

Brief thoughts on last night’s Heroes after the jump:

Belated thoughts on Friday’s Battlestar Galactica (and, sort of, Friday Night Lights) coming up after the jump: