I was honestly surprised by the number of responses we got to the call for nominees for The Brought to You by TV Squad Awards. It turns out that a LOT of people are as irritated by blatant product placement as I am. Hurray! Is this the wave of the future? And if it is, can we get advertisers to eliminate commercials? Because if I have to endure ads tucked within my shows, then I don't want even to have to speed past them with my TiVo. Let's have one or the other, shall we? Because I'd hate to start boycotting Krispy Kreme and Stride gum just because I've been bombarded.

As it turns out, there were four stand-out nominees; I will tell you who they are after the jump, and then you will have a chance to vote for the Reader's Choice winner (which, in this case, is actually an obnoxious loser). But I did want to mention two runners up: 30 Rock gets an honorable mention for its mention of Verizon, but it doesn't quite make the cut because of the humorous way it handles the mention, and the show's ability to poke fun at itself. The other honorable mention goes to Ugly Betty for its hour-long ad for Wicked, but it still didn't quite make the cut.

So, the nominees for the most obnoxious abuse of product placement within their episodes are ...

In the wake of reports that The 4400 had been axed, Ausiello over at TVGuide.com is reporting that The Dead Zone was struck a killing blow in that same swing. Two good shows gone just like that. And just before the holidays. Man, that's gotta suck. So it looks like just as Johnny Smith sees that he's still going to have to address that impending Armageddon, the series ends. I always thought the ratings were pretty good on these shows; were they starting to show their age? Losing viewers?

I hate it when a show is canceled between seasons like this, especially when they don't resolve everything in the Season/Series Finale. It leaves a bad taste in the mouths of viewers, and makes them more and more jaded to new shows. Why do you think the serialized drama glut of last season failed so miserably. Because everyone knew we'd never see the end of The Nine.

(S06E13) You have got to be kidding me. They spent an entire season piddling around and then introduced about fifty different things into the season finale? They could have built an entire season around what was contained in this episode, but they didn't. I have no idea what the writers of this show are thinking half the time, and part of me is really hoping that tonight's episode was the last. No, I know it was the last in this season. I mean I hope it was The Last. But if you are fan of the show, I won't put any spoilers before the jump, and you should really watch the final episode.

• At 7, NBC has a new Football Night In America, followed by the Giants/Cowboys game.
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, followed by a new Iron Chef America.
• At 9, PBS has a new Mystery!
• HBO has the series premiere of Tell Me You Love Me at 9, then the season premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
• Lifetime has a new Side Order of Life at 9, then a new State of Mind.
• There's a new episode of The 4400 on USA at 9, followed by a new Dead Zone.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 9.
• VH-1 has a new Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.
• WE has a new Bridezillas at 9.
• Also at 9: HGTV has a new Design Star.
• At 10, A&E has a new Two Coreys.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S06E11) This episode didn't tick me off the way last week's did (and several more have this season). It actually had a context, some neatly turned connections, and not too much obnoxious product placement. The only thing I really noticed was the closeup of Johnny's Tylenol bottle and I groaned and thought, "Here we go again," but there must not be many places to use your Visa card in Indiana, because it wasn't bad from there. I did go take two Excedrin, though, just to counteract the Tylenol ad.

(S06E05) This episode was fine. It was interesting, had some urgency and thrills. It had some humor and some pathos. But it feels an awful lot like starting over. And I am just not sure why at this point. Especially if they are killing the Stillson storyline. I have liked the show, and I think the show showed some promise earlier in the season. But it feels a little old and a little tired.

I wish they would move forward with the information about why Sheriff Turner is investigating Walt. They haven't really touched upon that, though, to look at the show's website, you would think this investigation was going to be plastered all over every episode.

(S06E04) Last season, I was ready to throw this show out the window. It was a sad, tired, droopy show, and I thought it had run past its time. I don't know whether they have a new pack of writers this season or whether they all just found a personal muse, but this season is already so much better than last season. The show seems to have regained some of the air of the first year, when I was so smitten with it.

So, perhaps it was appropriate this episode revisited the very carnival of the first episode, the carnival after which J.J. was conceived. It was also very fitting that some of the revelations of this episode took place in such a setting.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 7.
• At 9, PBS has a new Mystery!
• USA has a new episode of The 4400 at 9, then a new Dead Zone.
• There's a new Next Food Network Star at 9.
• HBO has a new John From Cincinnati at 9, then new episodes of Entourage and Flight of the Conchords.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 10.
• E! has a new Simple Life Goes To Camp at 10.
• Showtime has a new Meadowlands at 10.
• Also at 10: Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia, followed by the premiere of American Body Shop.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S06E02) Well, it would seem that the folks who predicted last week that the apocalyptic storyline featuring Greg Stillson was over are right. At least for now. The tagline for this season is "The Season That Changes Everything." I think they are telling us loud and clear that we are headed in a new direction. I think this might be a good thing. After all, Johnny stopping Stillson ends the movie and the book. The TV show has made many departures from the book and movie, so why not take that further? I was very frustrated last season because I thought the show had really lost that focus and was now disparate, unconnected episodes in which Johnny did nothing more than solve cases. But if the show changes its focus to having that happen, then fine.

New TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• Chappelle's Show - Best Of
• CHiPs - Season 1
• The Cosby Show - Seasons 3 and 4
• Dark Angel - Seasons 1 and 2 (Thin)
• The Dead Zone - Season 5
• Doctor Who - Stories 115, 116 and 117
• The Fall Guy - Season 1, Volumes 1 and 2 and also a Season 1 set
• The Henry Rollins Show - Season 1
• Hex - Season 1
• Hogan's Heroes - Season 6
• Mission: Impossible - Season 2
• The Outer Limits - Vol. 1
• Rescue Me - Season 3
• Robin Hood - Season 1
• Seinfeld - Season 8
• SpongeBob SquarePants - Bikini Bottom Adventures
• Survivorman - Survivorman
• The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson - Best of Standup Comedians and The King of Late Night
• Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - Season 1
• What's New Scooby Doo? - Season 2

Former Thief star Malik Yoba will return to TV on the new Jeff Goldblum drama for NBC, Raines. He'll play the former partner of Goldblum's detective character.

Oh, what's this one about? It's about a guy who solves crimes by...speaking to the dead! What an original concept!

Seriously, what's up with that? Medium isn't enough? And Ghost Whisperer? And doesn't the guy on The Dead Zone see people who are dead? Heck, even the blonde on Cold Case sees a "ghost" of the victim at the end of every episode.

I don't remember Columbo or Banacek or Barnaby Jones having to talk to the dead to solve crimes.