boston legal

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, then a new Boston Legal.
• CBS has a new Big Bang Theory at 8, followed by new episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Worst Week, and CSI: Miami.
• FOX has new episodes of Sarah Connor Chronicles and Prison Break.
• NBC has the season premiere of Chuck at 8, then a new Heroes and the season premiere of Life.
• There's a new Gossip Girl on The CW at 8, followed by a new One Tree Hill.
• At 8:30, ESPN has Monday Night Football, the Ravens vs. the Steelers.
• At 9, USA has a new Monday Night RAW.
• Food Network has a new Unwrapped at 9.
• At 10, TNT has a new Raising the Bar.
• Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at 10.
• MTV has a new episode of The Hills at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

I think I mentioned a week or two ago that it was good that I didn't have to spend any money on DVDs. Well, it looks like we're getting into a time when they're releasing something every single week that I want. This week it's Game Show Moments Gone Bananas, which looks like a lot of fun.

The first season of This American Life is finally out in general release after the Borders-only version from last year.

• Alvin & The Chipmunks - Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration and Holiday Gift Set
• Ax Men - Season 1
• Boston Legal - Season 4
• Brothers & Sisters - Season 2
• CSI: NY - Season 4
• Cashmere Mafia - Complete Series
• Friday The 13th - Season 1
• Games Show Moments Gone Bananas
• iCarly - Season 1, Vol. 1
• Peanuts - Peanuts Holiday Collection
• Rob & Big - Season 3
• Samantha Who? - Season 1
• Schoolhouse Rock - Election Collection
• This American Life - Season 1
• Two and a Half Men - Season 4

• At 8, NBC has the Heroes Countdown special at 8, followed by the two-hour Heroes season premiere.
• ABC has the two-hour season premiere of Dancing with the Stars at 8, then the season premiere of Boston Legal.
• FOX has a new Sarah Connor Chronicles at 8, followed by a new Prison Break.
• CBS has the season premiere of Big Bang Theory at 8, then the season premieres of How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men, the series premiere of Worst Week, and the season premiere of CSI: Miami.
• The CW has new episodes of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.
• E!'s Fashion Police discuss the Emmy dresses at 8.
• At 8:30, HGTV has a new Curb Appeal.
• Food Network has a new How'd That Get On My Plate at 8:30, then a new Unwrapped.
• At 9, USA has a new Monday Night RAW.
• At 10, TNT has a new Raising The Bar.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

Good morning, everyone! This time we've got three copies of Boston Legal - Season Four on DVD for three lucky, random commenters. The DVD is available in stores starting tomorrow.

To enter, leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, September 26 simply telling us why you'd like to own this DVD set. As always, we'll randomly choose three winners amongst the eligible entries. Some other details:
Click here for complete Official Rules.

I have a problem. Well, I actually have many problems, but none of them pertaining to this site. What I am talking about is an issue I have with a rating given to Denny Crane in his duties as a lawyer. Okay, I see you're confused (don't ask me how I can see you. It's just one of my superpowers), so let me pontificate further.

Over at Avvo.com, which allows users to search for and rate real-life lawyers, there is a profile of Boston Legal's Denny Crane. Smack dab in the middle of this profile is the rating given to Denny for his experience and professional conduct. For experience he is given three points out of five. This seems weird, considering he's been an attorney since the late 1950s. Yet, it's reasonable given his most recent cases. What really bothers me is his professional conduct rating: five points out of five.

It's coming. The table is set, the players are on the field, the sails are raised, and the pretty maids are all in a row. Of course, I speak of the 2008-09 television schedule. In just a few short weeks viewers will be able to dine on a number of favorite and new dishes that are being served by the networks as well as the increasing number of cable channels who are delving into original programming.

While other fall seasons have come and gone with nary a whimper, this season may be different. Due to the prolonged Writers Strike many shows ended their seasons quite early. Programs like Life, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, and Heroes haven't aired original episodes since the end of 2007. Heck, there hasn't been a new episode of The Shield since June of last year! So, the beginning of the 2008-09 season will be a second chance for some of these shows, particularly the ones that premiered last season, to show their worth to fans and the networks.

With Rescue Me's fifth season finally (kinda, sorta) getting closer, we're getting more and more news about what's in store for Tommy and the gang. In addition to the minisodes, we've also got some exciting potential casting news: Michael J. Fox may be joining Rescue Me for a multi-episode arc. Fox is set to play a love interest for Tommy's (Dennis Leary) on-again/off-again ex, Janet (Andrea Roth).

Rescue Me may seem like an odd show for the former Spin City and Family Ties star to pop up on, but Fox and Leary are longtime friends. This friendship means that even though the deal isn't completely finalized, there's very good chance that Fox will be seen on the FX drama next summer.

Another day, another list of 10 semifinalists from the Emmys. This time, it's the Best Actor in a Drama.

There are a lot of the usual suspects on the list (which will be knocked down to five nominees in the next round), including actors from Dexter, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, and House. One show that's not represented is Lost. I thought Matthew Fox did some great work this season, especially his drunk/screwed-up scenes.

After the jump, the list of the ten semifinalists (also check out those in contention for Best Actress - Comedy, Best Supporting Actor - Drama, Best Comedy, and Best Drama).

As the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences tries to whittle the submissions down to actual nominees, it's interesting to take a look at who has made it to the semifinals. It's not a nomination, but it's one step away. Today comes word of the finalists for best comedy actress and best supporting drama actor. There are some surprises.

Chief among those for me is Sarah Silverman. I honestly hadn't even considered her in the running. I'm not much of a fan, but I do like that she is being considered for the simple fact that the base the nominees are drawn from can always use some expansion. And if she is the most surprising inclusion, the most surprising snub just might be Teri Hatcher. Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross, and Felicity Huffman all made the cut, but not Hatcher. Ouch. The rest of the finalists, and the supporting actors from a drama, after the jump.

The cast of Boston Legal is now moving to children's toys. This only seems like a joke, but it's not. William Shatner, James Spader and Candice Bergen are among the celebrities and artists who will be designing new versions of "My Little Pony", the toy from the 1980's which launched an animated television series and movie.

(UPDATE: Stacey Luchs, a spokeswoman for the show, said Thursday that Shatner and Spader were unaware of the venture and would not participate.)

The special ponies will be auctioned off by Hasbro as a charity fundraiser. Other pony-designing celebrities include LeAnn Rimes, Debbie Gibson and Danny Aiello. Artists designing ponies include illustrator Catalina Estrada from Spain, New York graffiti artist-turned-designer Claw Money and Japanese manga artist Junko Mizuno.

Still, it beats having to redesign Planet Unicorn.

To many people, William Shatner is a beloved TV icon. To others, he's a shameless self-promoter, a commercial pitchman for everything from margarine to hotel rooms. Few feel neutral about Shatner, so this story may come as something of a surprise. William Shatner rarely watches himself on TV and film. Like a lot of actors, when he works, he's in the moment and doesn't go back and study what he did and why. It's been working for him. As Denny Crane on Boston Legal, he's won two Emmys in the last three years.

After more than twenty years at 20th Century Fox TV, Emmy-winning writer-producer David E. Kelley is packing his bags.

One of the longest and most succesful collaborations in television history is coming to an end as Kelley announced that he is entering into a three-year partnership with Warner Bros. TV.

(S04E20) "Shirley, it was good that we oppose." - Carl Sack leaving himself wide open.

Shatner and Spader's celebratory dance upon learning they were accepted into the Coast Guard may have been the best acting I have seen out of the two of them all season.

When I read the synopsis of the season finale I really didn't know what to think. At first glance, of course, the idea of one city seceding from the United States seems ridiculous. However, this being Boston Legal I knew there had to be more to it.

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• At 8, FOX has the two hour season finale of American Idol.
• CBS has a new new Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular at 8, followed by the season finales of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY.
• TCM has the original Ocean's 11 at 9.
• At 9, TNT has the NBA Playoffs.
• At 9:15, HBO Family has The Return of Maxwell Smart.
• At 10, ABC has the season finale of Boston Legal.
• NBC has the season finale of Law and Order at 10.
• Bravo has a new Top Chef at 10.
• Also at 10: MTV has a new Real World.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S04E19) It wasn't until I saw George Segal that I realized how much I missed seeing him on TV. It made me long for the days when he and Finch made me laugh out loud and lament the fact that David Spade hasn't done anything funny since.

While the thought of Denny Crane being President of the United States is certainly funny, the idea that he would be chosen for his electability is ludicrous. Aside from the more obvious problems, the Republicans would never nominate a single man with multiple divorces and an embarrassing arrest record. Let's be honest.