Has there been a show more fun than this season's "True Blood"? It reminds me how ponderous some of my other favorite dramas can get. Meanwhile, Jason Stackhouse is trying to figure out if Sam could turn into a chicken and lay and eat his own eggs. He also questioned Sam's sexual behavior as a dog. As I giggled watching him, I realized how much I had missed having a show that was pure daffy fun. Not since "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which got rather heavy-handed in its later seasons, has there been a show that reveled so much in its own silliness.

HBO

Maryann, you were fun for a while, but now it's time for you to go.

This season was even better than the first. The rise of Eric to lead character status was a savvy move. I'm certainly on Team Eric these days. Bill, who was such a dangerous character in season 1, now seems positively stately and safe compared to Eric. Is it wrong to want Eric and Sookie to end up in bed together?

Godric's short visit to season 2 was also fascinating. More peace-loving than even the staid Bill Compton, Godric just wished everyone could get along. Well, they couldn't. And his exit, with Sookie looking on and Eric's howl of pain was a season highlight. It also makes me wonder if we will see more vampire suicides in future shows, which makes me think of Jessica.

Her relationship with Hoyt is something out of ever girl's adolescent nightmares. Is there a woman out there that doesn't groan at the thought of every time being just like her first time? Oy. Her adolescent angst has fangs and superspeed to amp it up to crazytown. Talk about a no-win situation. Though, I would argue that Hoyt's evil mom had that little bite coming. Will these crazy kids be able to work it out?

And speaking of crazy kids. It's not looking good for Tara's beau Eggs. Actor Mechad Brooks just landed a role on ABC's midseason replacement legal drama "The Deep End." Looks like he may not survive the epic battle with Maryann.

I'm feeling about done with Maryann. It's amazing how even an orgy can start to feel repetitive if you have one every single week. So seeing her vanquished will feel satisfying. I do love that her storyline has brought some other characters out of the background.

Who would have thought Detective Andy Bellefleur would become the voice of reason, one of the few able to resist Maryann (and how does he do that exactly?), and a perfect foil for Jason. And I am so glad that Lafayette lived to see season 2. His post-traumatic vampire disorder combined with his usual sass makes for a more dimensional character. I'm hoping we get to see more interaction with Eric if Lafayette makes it through season 2.

And who will survive? The likely dead include Maryann, Eggs and maybe even Terry.  Is there someone I'm missing?  What do you think will happen with the finale? Who would you like to see bite the dust and who should survive? And how do you feel about some of the new characters, such as Evan Rachel Wood's vampire queen and the anti-vamp fanatics, Steve and Sarah Newlin?

Wow, have I ever been missing "Project Runway." Heck, I even watched Bravo's pale imitation, "The Fashion Show," which mostly just made me realize how much Tim Gunn adds to "Runway." Kelly Rowland, you're no Gunn. 

AP file

Tim Gunn, it's been way, way too long since you've told a contestant to "make it work."

In any case, "Runway" returns Thursday at 10 p.m. on its new home on Lifetime. I'm hoping the change of address doesn't change this nearly perfect show.

We start with an all-star challenge that features Daniel Vosovic (season 2), Santino Rice (season 2), Jeffrey Sebelia (winner, season 3), Uli Herzner (season 3), Mychael Knight (season 3), Chris March (season 4), Sweet P (season 4) and Korto Momolu (season 5).
I hate an all-star challenge ("Survivor," this means you), but dang, if "Runway's" going to do one, they should at least include all the winners:  Jay McCarroll (season 1), Chloe Dao (season 2), Leanne Marshall (season 5), and most especially, my personal favorite and the designer who's arguably gone on to the most fame, season 4's "fierce" Christian Siriano. Maybe they were asked and refused? Hard to believe that Jay and Leanne were that busy. TV editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper still raves about McCarroll's one-episode Bravo show, "Project Jay."
Heck, I'm such a "Runway" fan, I even watched Kayne Gillaspie's "Gown Crazy" special on TLC, and loved every minute of it. This man knows his pageant dresses. And what about including the fabulous Austin Scarlett of season one, who I last saw on an episode of "Say Yes to the Dress"? Or mother-of-six, yet super-sophisticated Laura Bennett? Or even the completely bitchy Kenley Collins, whose dresses I adored, even if her personality wasn't exactly winning? I'm also missing Kara Saun (season 1), Nick Verreos (season 2), Malan Breton (season 3) and the cut-far-too-soon Terri Stevens (season 5).

But moving on to the new cast. The only things we know about them come from Lifetime's Web site. So far I'm intrigued by the vintage style of Louise Black, self-proclaimed king of feathers Nicolas Putvinski and "I Love Lucy" fan Shirin Askari, who hates Crocs and Uggs as much as I do.

Personality-wise, it's hard to resist Qristyl Frazier, who described her bedroom as "I should call it a love nest, but…"; Christopher Straub, who actually owns one of the My Scene Barbie's that Nick created for a challenge;  and Malvin Vien, who picked himself as his favorite designer, and thinks everyone should own a big comfortable sweater. Amen, brother!

If I had to pick a winner, simply going off the Web site info, I would go with Gordana Gelhausen. First of all, if her clothes are half as well- designed as her house, she should do well. She also showed the judges in the casting session some really chic dresses. Could she be this season's winner? Stay tuned, look at the Web site, and share your thoughts below.

They were obnoxious, yet they were fascinating. The handsome yuppies of "thirtysomething" are finally coming to DVD. The show went off the air in 1991, yet was hardly ever rerun, and wasn't available for home viewing until now. The first season box set comes out Aug. 25.

Shout Factory

I wasn't even close to "thirtysomething" in age when the show was on, and I remember it made adulthood look kind of frightening. How did these people have the money to own these giant Philadelphia homes, to stay home with their kids, to take risks and start their own companies? Not to mention that everyone seemed to have secrets even from their dearest friends, cheating was rampant, and don't forget all the cancer and death. (Nancy! GARY!)

But the show was still fascinating, and I look forward to watching it now that I've actually passed "thirtysomething" by and have a house and child of my own. It's weird and interesting to watch a show again decades later and relate to it from a completely different place.

This release started me thinking about other shows that haven't been released on DVD, yet should be. Some have rights issues, due to music or other reasons. I'd love the entire 10-year run of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," but know that the movie rights have to be negotiated individually.

Sometimes it's a show that had only a season or two, or not even one whole season, but earned a cult following nonetheless. ("Reunion" and "Close to Home" are on my list here.)

Others have had a couple of seasons issued but then seem to have been dropped -- "Facts of Life" has three seasons out, but that 1980s cheeseball classic really didn't get good until after those three preachy seasons ended. (George Clooney, with a mullet!) And I also have some guilty-pleasure shows I'd like to see again for my own reasons (who else remembers MTV's voyeuristic "Sorority Life" and "Fraternity Life"?)

In the comments on this post about the joys of watching TV on DVD, readers suggested quite a few shows they'd like to get on DVD. Here are some of the shows mentioned.

"'All in the Family' was released by Sony, but they stopped after season 6. FOX released 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' and stopped after season 4. The shows I want are hung up by ownership and other legal matters, will probably never make it to DVD or Blu-ray because by the time those legal matters are resolved, most of the fans of those TV shows will have passed away. Too bad, Hollywood, its producers, etc. are so greedy that because of these legal matters, those TV shows will make no income for any of them because they are not on the market."  --Fred

"Sadly, the one TV show I have waited for for nearly a decade just can't seem to get released.  NBC's 'Ed.' I yearn to visit Stuckeyville without my old fuzzy VCR tapes."  --Ellie

"I am waiting -- in vain, I fear -- for the Adam West 'Batman' series from the '60s to hit DVD. That show is one of my greatest childhood TV memories, and I will spare no expense in acquiring it."  --Doug

"How come 'China Beach' has never been released?  One of my all-time favorites and it can't be found. I heard there were issues with the rights to all the incredible music that was played, but come on.  Someone get on the ball and put that wonderful show on DVD."  --Trace

"Now if they would just release the final season of the unfortunately cancelled 'Life' starring Damian Lewis and included a final episode that I would entitle WHO DONE IT? to solve the conspiracy I would be the very first in line to buy."  --Liz

Throw out some more in the comments, and maybe the studios will pay attention.

I still remember a birthday party I had when I was about 10. VCRs were brand new, and of course no one had heard of DVD players. We went to what was then a brand-new concept, a video store, and rented a giant clunky VCR (had to leave a $500 check as a deposit, if I recall correctly) so my little guests and I could watch a movie. (I'd give anything to remember what it was. Disney? The original "Freaky Friday"? "Grease"?)

FX

Oh, Shane and Vic. I already know what's coming for you, even though I have yet to watch "The Shield" series finale.

How times have changed. Today, I'd argue that many television shows are best watched on DVD. It's how I got caught up on such gems as "The Shield," "The Wire," "Gilmore Girls," "House" and "My Name Is Earl."

Before I get too excited about TV on DVD, I admit, there are some drawbacks. First off, there's no practical way to hide from spoilers. I have yet to see the series finale of "The Shield," a show I adore, but yes, I already know about the dramatic finish.

And there's less of a sense of community about watching a show years after it aired. It's harder to find someone eager to talk about a convoluted twist on the second season of "24" when most who watched it have forgotten it. (Web sites, such as Television Without Pity, are welcome finds for cases like this.)

I still find DVD sets pretty expensive, but between Netflix, libraries, and friends' collections, you can cut costs if you're smart, especially for shows that have been out for a while.

But overall, I find the pros of watching shows on DVD far outweigh the cons. Who has time to mark out an hour in their calendar to watch a certain show every week? With the DVD sets, I pick the time to tune in. I can watch one episode, or gorge on five, all with no commercials. And with all today's serial dramas ending on a cliffhanger, I get instant satisfaction by just letting the next episode in the sequence roll. No more missing an episode and finding yourself lost in "Lost."

Some sets have better extras than others, but if I really love a show, I find the blooper reels, deleted scenes, and director/actor commentaries a lot of fun.

And when people who watch shows on DVD find out you do the same, the recommendations come flying fast and furious. Fans are eager to introduce you to their favorite shows, especially if you missed them the first time around.

So let's do just that: Share thoughts about the TV on DVD-watching experience in the comments, and offer up the names of the shows you think are great to watch this way. I'll start updating my Netflix queue ASAP.

Sometimes when a TV show starts to go bad, I just can't look away. It's a mystery that demands to be solved. What went wrong? How did a show that was once fresh and new grow tired and clichéd? "Entourage," I'm talking to you.

This show notoriously went off the rails last year when Vinnie Chase's (Adrian Grenier) career took a nose dive and the guys ended up living in Drama's (Kevin Dillon) condo. The show's sense of fantasy fun was lost and reality took over.

But talk about your over-corrections. This season, Vinnie isn't just successful, he's richer than ever. He moved back into his Beverly Hills mansion, which he now only shares with Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), he also bought Turtle an over-$200,000 Ferrari for his birthday. In this economy, there's just something distasteful about openly flaunting that kind of wealth. And it's especially strange for someone who just lost everything a year earlier.

HBO

The bright spot of this season is Ari (Jeremy Piven) and Lloyd (Rex Lee).

Why would his advisors, Eric (Kevin Connolly) or Ari (Jeremy Piven), even let him move back to that mansion? It's as though either: 1) amnesia has hit this whole crew and they can't remember last season's money woes or 2) no one on the show has a lick of sense.

The creators obviously wanted to restore the show's sense of "boys with their toys" fun, but they went way too far.

The second problem, which has been well-documented, is that the show is behind the times. First, Andrew (Gary Cole) was proud to have signed the creator of "My Name is Earl," which has been canceled, and then Vince went on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to promote his Martin Scorsese "Great Gatsby" movie. One whole episode was devoted to Turtle obsessing over the idea that Seth Rogen could have landed Katherine Heigl in the 2007 film, "Knocked Up." (Rogen's response was classic).

Yes, these shows are shot in advance, but the Leno move was a known issue, the "Earl" cancellation was written on the wall, and there's just no explanation for "Knocked Up." This once-hip show feels dated.

The third problem is the characters themselves. This happens on sitcoms. A character becomes a caricature and stops feeling like a living, breathing person. Vince seems more vacant than ever. It's incredibly difficult to believe that Scorsese would hire him for any movie, let alone something as complex as "Gatsby." Drama, frankly, seems like an idiot – how in the world did this performance score an Emmy nomination? Turtle, with his happy relationship and his Vince envy, is just plain dull. And Eric, we are supposed to believe, is suddenly a ladies' man. Really?

The bright spot of this show remains Ari, who, between torturing Lloyd (Rex Lee) and trying to get Andrew to stay faithful to his wife, makes time to cuddle in bed with his son while giving advice to Eric on how to lie in what was one of the best moments so far this season.

But these glimmers of former glory are few. Do you watch "Entourage"? Do you agree that it's gone downhill? Share your thoughts below.

As if summer weren't delightful enough, it's also the season of my favorite reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance." Each year, much to the amusement of my co-workers, I get totally involved with this show about dancers trying to become America's favorite (not best) dancer. Now that we're down to eight dancers, I've have a few favorites I'm rooting for.

As evidenced by last week's all-girl Bollywood number, this is a great year for women on "So You Think You Can Dance." Melissa has brought the beauty of ballet to the competition, while Janette adds the spice of salsa, and Kayla proves that even aspiring models are worth rooting for. But getting closer to the end, Jeanine has really started to catch my eye as the dark horse who could take it all.

Fox

Jason and Jeanine surprised everyone when they came together for a contemporary dance on July 15.

Jeanine was handicapped by having to dance with Phillip for most of the competition, and I'm amazed that America and the judges were able to see past her goofy partner to recognize that she has real talent. She finally, finally got a chance to show it during her contemporary dance with Jason. It was certainly one of the best dances of the season. (And one that was choreographed by former "SYTYCD" runner-up Travis Wall.) Who knew that she had that much passion and emotion in her dancing? Not me. But I do now and I'm going to pick Jeanine as my winner. 

Janette and Melissa have been consistently wonderful. As a recent ballet convert, I love watching Melissa up on her toes, bringing some classical flavor to her dances. As for Janette, the woman could out hip-shake Shakira, yet I'm amazed how easily she goes from style to style.

As for the guys, my hands-down favorite is Ade. Brandon is a great dancer, but Ade has pure passion.  Who else could realistically hypnotize a woman with his hair pick? His solo last week showed why solos are vital to the show. For a tall man, can he ever fly through the air! I was shocked when he was in the bottom two of the men last week. Who are all the people pulling for Evan?

Brandon quickly follows Ade.  Especially since he managed so completely to prove that Lil C and Mia Michaels were completely wrong about him. One of the most gratifying nights was seeing his tearful reaction after finally receiving Mia's positive critique.

And I have to admit, because he was such a surprise last week, I'm becoming more of a Jason convert. Plus, he is, along with Ade and Brandon, incredibly fun to look at, though no one's body touches last season's Will Wingfield – deep sigh.

Enough daydreaming! Jeanine is my pick with Ade and Janette quick on her heels. Who are you rooting for this season?

A year or so ago, my parents were singing the praises of CBS's Monday night comedy lineup, most notably "Two and a Half Men," and their new favorite show, "The Big Bang Theory." Not being a big fan of the "Men," I was dubious about "Bang" as well. But one Monday night, I decided to give it a try. Mom, Dad ... I will never doubt you again (well, except for "Men.").

This tale of uber-nerds struggling to function in the world outside of astro-physics has slowly been winning over converts like me -- and rising in the ratings -- in its second season. So, for those of you who think a show about scientists, where the storylines center around trips to the comic book store, Dr. George Smoot (look him up on your Google-nets, kids) and a waste-management module for the International Space Station, couldn't possibly be funny, take it from my Mom and Dad, it is. It also features some of the smartest writing in television. Period.

At the center of this nerd-fest is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, brilliantly played by Jim Parsons. Parsons gives depth and humanity to what could have become an Urkel-esque caricature of a nerd. Despite his many obsessions and insufferable personality ticks, Parsons still makes Sheldon likable.

So, when it comes to the nominees for best lead actor in comedy you don't need to play a game of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock to come up with the winner -- it's Parsons.

And while you are at it, Academy, please don't forget "The Big Bang Theory" and Kaley Cuoco when you announce the nominees for best comedy and lead comedic actress on July 16. The writing and the cast make this the funniest show on TV. And Cuoco's Penny is more than just a pretty face. 

Here are the other nominations I'd like to see. With any luck, the Academy will agree.

Best comedy
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Flight of the Conchords" (HBO) 
"Family Guy" (Fox)
"How I Met Your Mother" (CBS)
"30 Rock" (NBC)

Lead actor in a comedy
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Jemaine Clement, "Flight of the Conchords"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"

Lead actress in a comedy
Kaley Cuoco, "The Big Bang Theory"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Eva Longoria Parker, "Desperate Housewives"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

And one more thing, Academy, make sure Craig Ferguson is among your nominees for best host of a comedy or variety show. "The Scottish Conan guy," who is on after David Letterman, is the brightest light on late-night TV. No band, no sidekick. Just his own imagination. And singing puppets.

Which shows and stars make you laugh? Who do you think is Emmy-worthy this year?

The main problem I've always had with the Emmys is that there's almost a force of habit when it comes to the nomination picks. Once a show gets in, it stays in. A great show can have a crappy season, but Emmy never seems to realize it.

Last year's best drama series picks were "Boston Legal," "Damages," "Dexter," "House," "Lost" and "Mad Men." I have no problem with "Mad Men," "Dexter" and "Lost" sticking around, and thankfully, "Boston Legal" is off the air. As for "Damages" and "House," neither of these great shows had a strong season.

FX

Walton Goggins and Michael Chiklis gave acting lessons on "The Shield."

I would add "The Shield," "Breaking Bad" and "Big Love" to the list. "The Shield's" final season was one of the more satisfying conclusions a series has ever had. Creator Shawn Ryan took Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) to an end I never would have dreamed of for the tough cop – life in a cubicle. And the show, which thrived on electric tension, just never let up.

"Big Love" broke my heart this season, with Barb's (Jeanne Tripplehorne) parting from the church, Sarah's (Amanda Seyfried) miscarriage, and Nicolette (Chloe Sevigny) realizing that she could have had another life. The show's best episode was "Come, Ye Saints," which featured the most uncomfortable road trip ever. "Big Love" proves the best writing for women is on TV, not in the movies. 

"Breaking Bad's" second season was even stronger than its first. And if I could add a seventh show, it would be the revitalized "Rescue Me."

Last year, the best actor nominees were James Spader, Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne and Jon Hamm. These actually aren't bad. Spader is out, so I'd replace him with Bill Paxton from "Big Love."  Though I love Hugh Laurie, I'd replace him with Denis Leary in "Rescue Me."

FX

Is it wrong that I like Tommy better when he's drinking on "Rescue Me"?

I was ready to give up on "Rescue Me" last season, but it came back strong, re-embracing its 9/11 origins and letting Tommy (Leary) develop new delusions about his love life and his drinking. He's almost the dramatic version of Larry David's character from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," because he's constantly making decisions that make you wonder how in the hell he'll deal with the consequences. It's a fierce, fearless performance.

Though Hall is wonderful on "Dexter," I'd actually put Chiklis in his place. And speaking of "Shield" actors, I must make a heartfelt plea for Walton Goggins, who played Shane Vendrell, for best supporting actor. I can't think of a more heartbreaking demise for a character than Shane's, who when he felt pushed into a corner, killed both his wife and child, before taking his own life. It was positively Shakespearian.

In the lead actress category, last year's nominees were Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay and Holly Hunter.  This category needs a makeover in the worst way.  Sedgwick can stay, but she should be in the company of "True Blood's" Anna Paquin, "Big Love" actresses Sevigny and Tripplehorne and two of "Mad Men's" ladies, Elizabeth Moss and January Jones.

AMC

January Jones breaks down wifely stereotypes on "Mad Men."

Jones especially deserves the recognition. She's an actress that Alfred Hitchcock would have drooled over – the beauty of "Rear Window's" Grace Kelly combined with the savvy quality of "Vertigo's" Kim Novak. She's the mom who would rather be horseback riding than spending time with her kids, the wronged wife who gets revenge on her husband by having anonymous sex she doesn't even tell him about. And she's bored out of her mind. Before "Mad Men," Jones was doing movies like "American Wedding" and "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights." Never again. This woman is a true acting powerhouse.

What would you pick for the drama categories? Share your favorite potential nominees below.

Emmy nominations come out on Thursday, so over the next three days, we'll offer our thoughts on who should be nominated for the major awards in the reality, drama, and comedy categories. First up: The most controversial category of the three, reality shows. Love them or hate them, they're here to stay.

ABC

Tom Bergeron's contributions to "Dancing With the Stars" shouldn't be overlooked.

Last year featured the first-ever Emmy for a reality-show host. Nominees were Tom Bergeron of "Dancing With the Stars," Heidi Klum of "Project Runway," Howie Mandel of "Deal or No Deal," Ryan Seacrest of "American Idol," and Jeff Probst of "Survivor." Probst won, and deservedly so.

But look at those five names again. Which of these things is not like the other? Come on, Emmys! Any grade-schooler can tell you that "Deal or No Deal" is a game show, not a reality show, so Mandel should not even be in this grouping. And where's Phil Keoghan of "The Amazing Race"? That show has won the outstanding reality show Emmy ever since the award was created. Keoghan needs to be among the nominees this year.  Probst and Keoghan would both be deserving winners, and Seacrest has to juggle a lot and think on his feet. But I think the overlooked nominee in this category is "Dancing's" Bergeron. Even when the celebs are sniping or Bruno Tonioli is calling rapper Lil' Kim trampy, Bergeron manages to keep things smooth, family-friendly, and entertaining.

Only one show has ever won the outstanding reality competition award, and that's "The Amazing Race." (Which makes it even stranger that host Phil Keoghan was passed over last year. He's at the heart of that show.)

Now I love "The Amazing Race," you love "The Amazing Race," but come on, isn't it somebody else's turn? Nominated last year along with "TAR" were "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Project Runway" and "Top Chef." And yes, while Jeff Probst won for best host, his show, "Survivor," wasn't nominated. Does this make sense to anyone? So the Emmys team thinks "Race" is a great show, but that it's no thanks to Keoghan, and that Probst is a great host, but his show isn't even worthy of a nomination? "Survivor" isn't exactly my cup of boiled jungle water, but every time I catch an episode I'm reminded how solidly entertaining it is. The casting is always outstanding and surprising, Tribal Council is smartly edited, and even the reward and immunity challenges somehow stay fresh. The tribe has spoken.

There were rumors that the Emmys would add a category for outstanding reality-show judge, but that didn't happen this year. I believe it's inevitable, and if the first award doesn't go to "American Idol's" Simon Cowell, the fix is in. You can say good things about "Dancing's" Carrie Ann Inaba and Mary Murphy of "So You Think You Can Dance" (a show that should probably get its own nomination). Still, no one soars above their show in the same way Cowell does. The "Idols" nod and smile at the comments from the other judges, but it's Cowell who counts, and everyone knows it.

Any thoughts on reality shows and personnel who should be recognized? Should "Amazing Race" continue to win every year? Does "So You Think You Can Dance" deserve a nomination? Are Bergeron and Keoghan deserving hosts? And is a judges' category a good addition to the show? Share your thoughts in the comments. Dramas and comedies are coming up next.

I'll miss Dr. George O'Malley on "Grey's Anatomy." And yet, I won't miss Dr. George O'Malley on "Grey's Anatomy."

ABC

By George, the old O'Malley will be missed.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello revealed Wednesday that actor T.R. Knight won't be returning to the ABC medical drama. I suspect my divided feelings about this are shared by many "Grey's" fans, for a very simple reason. The George O'Malley who ended up disfigured and possibly dying on the show's season finale hadn't been the original George O'Malley for quite some time.

Remember back when the show started? George was kind of a puppy-dog character. He was the guy friend that all the show's beautiful women turned to instinctively, yet when he became romantically involved with them, it was always a disaster. Who doesn't know someone like that?

Part of George's charm was that he made mistakes. In romance, in friendship, and also, professionally. He was dubbed "007" for his "license to kill" when he choked while performing surgery. Later in the third season, he failed his intern exams and had to go through the mortification of repeating the internship while his friends all moved on.

One of my favorite George plots involved his family. The O'Malleys weren't used that much on the show, but they lit up the screen whenever they appeared. Unlike Meredith's wrenching family life, with an Alzheimer's-stricken mother who never seemed to care for her and a father who started a new family without her, George came from a close-knit group. His brothers, Jerry and Ronny, teased him like crazy, but it was revealed that they respected him as the family hope, the one smart boy who was making good. His dad, played by the delightful George Dzundza, was always entertaining, and his death felt more wrenching than most losses on "Grey's."

Despite a strong start, George's plotlines wavered and stumbled. First he slept with Meredith, his big crush -- what was that about? Then he ran off with Callie Torres, a plot that seemed to exist mostly so she could refer to herself as "Callie O'Malley." But the Callie relationship was a hundred times better than the real disaster, the George-Izzie love affair, dubbed "Gizzie" by viewers. While I could buy that George and Callie found comfort in each other, George and Izzie never rang true as a couple to me, and from then on, Knight's character was just kind of lost. Even his dramatic (presumed) death scene felt cribbed from that "ER" episode where Dennis Gant's beeper goes off and the other doctors realize the mangled body on their table is their co-worker and friend.

Show creator Shonda Rhimes told Ausiello that she intentionally cut back on George's plotlines in this last season to make her final-episode twist work. Her theory is supposedly that fans were used to not seeing George, so when he didn't show up much in the episode, no one would make the leap that he was the disfigured John Doe who saved a woman from death by bus.

Yeah, I'm not buying it. If George's character had been as integral a part of the show as, say, Sandra Oh's Cristina, there's no way his role would have been cut back for a shocking twist. It's sad that a character with so much promise ended up fizzling out. I'd say I'll miss him, but I've already been missing him for several seasons now.

Should "Grey's Anatomy" have killed off George? And what should happen to his fellow dying doctor, Izzie? Share your thoughts in the comments.

I'm not going to lie. I watch a lot of television. But even with cable and my DVR, it's simply impossible to watch everything. But this being summer, I decided to give four shows that I never normally watch a chance to impress me. Here's what happened:

"Supernatural" (The CW)
It's a bit hard to jump into this show without ever having watched it, but I have to say, I enjoyed it. The episode I watched had sort of a "Back to the Future" plot about Dean (Jensen Ackles) going back in time with help from an angel, to stop the yellow-eyed demon that would eventually kill his parents. This was a two-part episode and I really want to see part two. The show reminded me a bit of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." But the one thing that worried me about this show was that there wasn't much humor. The boys (although Sam, played by Jared Padalecki, was hardly in the episode) seem to be on the same "I'm tortured, but I'll just keep going" path that David Banner was on in the "Incredible Hulk" episodes of my youth. I may keep watching, but tell me why I should. Is there ever any humor in this show?

CBS

Mark Harmon and Cote de Pablo prove to be much more interesting than I thought they'd be on "NCIS."

"NCIS" (CBS)
Maybe it was my long-standing aversion to Mark Harmon, but I really wasn't expecting to like this show. But was I ever surprised. Of the four shows, this is the one I will definitely keep watching. I loved all the characters, especially former Mossad badass Ziva (Cote de Pablo) and the gothy Abby (Pauley Perrette). Heck, I even thought Harmon was kind of gruff and interesting. I actually watched two episodes – one from 2006 and one from this past season – and even though I had never seen this show before, I was able to jump right in. My question for readers is: What is the best season of this show? My Netfix queue is calling.

"The Mentalist" (CBS)
When I first heard about this show, I was intrigued, but I never got around to watching it until this past week. And I was disappointed. Patrick (Simon Baker) is nice to look at, but so smug that I kept waiting for someone to hit him. It was puzzling, because I love "House," but House is so flawed that there's a certain amount of irony in his smugness – his narrow skill set is the only thing he has going for him. And he's pretty tortured. Conversely, Patrick seems to blithely glide from murder scene to murder scene like a game show host. The show is not helped by the ever-irritating Robin Tunney; oh, how I cheered when she was killed off "Prison Break." Yet, this show is incredibly popular. Why?

"Two and a Half Men" (CBS)
When it comes to comedy, I'm definitely more of an "Office" or "30 Rock" person. "Two and a Half Men" is like a throwback to another time. In fact, watching it, I kept being reminded of "Three's Company." It has that same "what kind of misunderstanding will fuel this week's episode" feel, with tons of double entendre humor thrown in to boot. There is a certain gentleness to the humor. No one is ever going to feel uncomfortable watching "Two and a Half Men." It's the opposite of something like "Curb Your Enthusiasm," where I find myself giggling and cringing simultaneously. But what really struck me was that "Men" wasn't all that funny. I only laughed twice, and I rolled my eyes more than a few times. It's one of those sitcoms where you can easily play the "guess the next line" game. Is it the gentleness that keeps people watching?