(S01E03) If there was any doubt that this show's goal was too be completely authentic and realistic, I think a discussion about how many creams Owen uses on his ass just about seals the deal. I can only imagine what the waitress thinks of the bits and pieces she overhears of the boys' various conversations. But it does make it perfectly clear why that diner table has become the symbol of the show.

These boys have been a part of each other's lives for so long now that they're family. The fact that they're able to have conversations like we see each week, that certainly go deeper and more intimate than most "guy" friendships would ever be allowed, is a testament to that.

I've been hearing good things about Men of a Certain Age, the new TNT series starring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher as three best friends in their 40s dealing with middle age. With those guys in the lead, I was thinking it would be funny, but it's really not. In his review of the pilot, Jason mentioned that it was "painting a pretty bleak picture of middle age," although both Jason and Allison have liked it in their reviews. I dunno. It might be a little too depressing for me.

I'm not sure I want to watch guys dealing with real-life stuff like the rest of us -- divorce, illness, family issues and the like. I can just look around me for that. After pondering the question, I decided that I watch TV to escape from the day to day realities of life. A lot of times life, you know, sucks. And it seems to suck especially bad for the three guys on Men of a Certain Age.

I'll watch a few more eps before I throw in the towel (or decide I really like it). What about you? Are you watching and liking Men of a Certain Age?

(S01E02) There's a possibility that Men of a Certain Age could become grumpy old men of a certain age. But I don't think that's going to happen because there's still enough irony and levity to keep the show from wallowing into a miserable experience. These guys aren't grumpy all the time and when they are, it feels justified. It's hard not to share their feelings. These are every American men in a lot of ways, well-off, spoiled to an extent, wondering what's going on in the world that's suddenly not as young as it used to be.

This was an episode about injustice and fairness, and it's not surprising that our men feel like they've been subjected to too many slights, too many instances when they've been dumped upon, and too many things that have them pissed off. Read on for more about how our three mess-keteers handled the weekly travails.

(S01E01) I'm not even sure what I just watched. Here was a show about guys being guys, and yet there were no sexual exploits, and no drinking, watching sports or tinkering with cars. It's as if someone took all the stereotypes about men and threw them out the window. Instead what we got was a raw and honest look at manhood.

It was a revelation. More importantly, it was wonderful.

Ray Romano joined forced with one of his Everybody Loves Raymond cohorts, Mike Royce, to write and develop Men of a Certain Age. As if that wasn't a strong enough pedigree, he got the likes of Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula to join him as the three men at the centerpiece of this exploration of middle age.

'Men of a Certain Age' (10PM, TNT) series premiere
While a chick flick-ish take on middle-aged men might not sound so appealing, 'Men' does feature a likable cast: Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher are pals Joe, Terry and Owen, friends since college who are now bonding over their mid-life crises. Nice guy party store owner Joe finds himself suddenly single and ready to mingle after a divorce, while struggling actor Terry is tiring of his lackluster career and much younger girlfriend, and Owen is a family man who's stressed out by working for his father's car dealership.

Ray, we're not in Queens anymore.

Ray Romano's' 'Men of a Certain Age' debuts 10 Monday, Dec. 7 on TNT and it's a decidely darker, more introspective show then Romano's CBS hit 'Everybody Loves Raymond.' Yet the dramady -- also featuring Scott Bakula ('Quantum Leap' and 'Star Trek: Enterprise') and Andre Braugher ('Homicide: Life on the Street') -- has tons of warmth and wit as it articulates the desires and fears of the Flomax generation. 'Men' follows the travails of three male friends in Los Angeles as they navigate the fearful '40s.

"I don't know that there are many shows that kind of go to those places with these guys,'' Romano said. "You know, we like to think of the movie 'Sideways' as kind of the tone and something that's similar. These guys are just kind of searching for something.''

If you ever watched Everybody Loves Raymond -- or currently watch the reruns -- you might wonder what would Raymond become after a while. What would happen if he didn't have Deborah yelling at him and his family keeping him from being a self-indulgent slob who only thought of himself. Men of a Certain Age shows you the dark side of Raymond, only here Ray Romano is called Joe. Joe and his college buddies, Owen and Terry, are on the wrong side of 40 and they know it.

After the success of The Closer, you can't blame TNT for going with a proven formula.

The cable network is close to greenlighting two police drama pilots, a project from Jerry Bruckheimer about young undercover officers and Bunker Hill starring Donnie Wahlberg (which actually already received an a pilot order).

TNT's certainly been a busy little bee, stacking up new series left and right. Besides these two pilots, they've got Time Heals, starring Jada Pinkett Smith as a hospital nursing director; Night and Day, with William Fichtner playing an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and Men of a Certain Age, a dramedy featuring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher.

I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from serious 24 withdrawal. Like, to the point where I'm ready to start watching the entire series from the beginning again.

But maybe there's a little glimmer of light there. I'm not talking about the 24 movie this fall to tie us into next year -- although that certainly qualifies. I'm talking about the new series, Night and Day, from 24 co-creator Joel Surnow and Todd Robinson.

TNT has just given the green light to the series, a fast-paced, gritty drama about the life of an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Hmmm, sounds strangely familiar...

Scott Bakula is Ray Romano's new best friend. Bakula is the latest addition to the cast of Men of a Certain Age, a pilot for TNT. The drama focuses on three men in their forties that have been friends since college; Bakula is one of the leads. His character, Terry, is an "intelligent, but struggling, actor." Terry's best friends have struggles of their own. Joe, Romano's character, is a divorced father who runs a party supply store. Owen, played by the supremely gifted Andre Braugher, is a family man who works at his father's car dealership.

This recent bit of casting news just made the TNT pilot a must-see for me. Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and Andre Braugher seem like an unlikely group of buddies, but I suppose it depends on the chemistry between the three actors.

Back in April, Allison reported that Ray Romano was working on a pilot for TNT. Romano is playing the lead, and now Andre Braugher has been added to the cast of Men of a Certain Age. The series, a dramedy along the lines of Sideways, focuses on lives of three middle-aged friends. Braugher will play Owen, a car salesman and family man. Ray Romano and Mike Royce (Everybody Loves Raymond) are writing and producing the show together.

I've been an Andre Braugher fan since Homicide: Life on the Street, and I'm excited to see him get a promising role like this. Braugher is more of a dramatic actor, but he's definitely capable of getting some laughs. No word yet on who's playing the third friend. The character has been described as an aspiring actor.

Welcome back, Raymond.

TNT has signed Ray Romano for a new one-hour comedy/drama pilot, Men of a Certain Age. After the success of Everybody Loves Raymond for CBS -- 1996 -2005 -- Ray Romano left television sounding very much like a guy who wasn't interested in another show. After all, he could have kept Everybody Loves Raymond going for years. It was an Emmy-award winning, Nielsen champ. The show is doing great in syndication.