thementalist

Don't blame Jay Leno. NBC's risky experiment, gutting its 10PM drama slate to air Leno's low-budget variety hour five nights a week, may not have paid off in ratings, and the move may have made NBC an easy target for scorn and ridicule. But Nielsen ratings numbers suggest that no one could have slowed the slide during the final hour of primetime.

According to the Associated Press, the 10PM hour has become the time when viewers catch up with the shows on their DVR queues. So viewership of first-run shows at 10PM is down at all of the big three broadcast networks.

There's a new Jane joining The Mentalist, a Jane of the female variety. Aunjanue Ellis will be the new CBI head on CBS's The Mentalist, attempting to reign in the unconventional -- yet highly productive -- antics of Patrick Jane.

Ellis will be a new character -- still unnamed -- who is assuming the leadership position left vacant when Virgil Minelli resigned. Minelli was played by Gregory Itzin, who is returning to 24 to resume the role of disgraced former president Charles Logan.

Minelli's exit has already been set up on the show; he announced his resignation following the Red John instigated bloodbath in the CBI offices that resulted in Bosco's death and two other agents. In the last episode, Minelli assumed responsibility for the deaths and the breach in security.

USA Network is losing Monk this year, but it's not about to let Psych go. The adventures of Shawn and Gus will continue. USA announced today that Psych is coming back for season five, with 16 new episodes ordered up.

This, my friends, is a no-brainer. Psych is one of USA's more reliable hours, a comedy-mystery series that has a loyal following. This past summer season -- which will soon be completed in the winter when the second half of the episodes air beginning in late January (the date hasn't been confirmed yet) -- the show performed especially well in younger demographics.

Okay, I couldn't resist the nod to Abbott and Costello's Who's On First. But the fact is that Sports Illustrated has spread the word that The Who will star in the Super Bowl big, overblown half-time pageant. This follows the safe pattern the NFL has been employing since the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake costume malfunction; that is, stick with classic rock stars who are guaranteed to do their hits and not disrobe. That's why we've had Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and now The Who. All superstar acts, no controversy.

(S02E07) "This man ... I don't even know what he is. He is an accident waiting to happen." - Bosco about Jane

Don't adjust your computer screen. The picture above was not tempered with: Jane and Bocso are in the same area and are not at each others' throat! As Bob hinted at the end of his review of last week's The Mentalist episode, the "Jane and Bosco having to work closely together on a case" episode we've been expecting since Bosco joined the show has finally arrived!

Did the USA Network decide not to buy the Simon Baker series The Mentalist for syndication because it would conflict with their own psychic detective show Psych?

You have to wonder, because The Mentalist has been snatched up by TNT in a lush syndication deal. How lush? About $2 million per episode, a broadcast series record. (The overall record is HBO's The Sopranos going to A&E for $2.5 per episode.)

(S02E05) "Spooky!" - Patrick Jane

As soon as the introduction sequence played out, I was excited at the thought of seeing how Patrick Jane and more down-to-earth Lisbon would deal with a spooky case.

I knew Lisbon would not believe in ghosts but what about Jane? Would he believe in them for real or would he fake believing in them for the case or would he not believe in them at all?

This spooky episode, perfect for Halloween time, also finally (!) gave us some relationship advancement between Rigsby and Van Pelt.

Rules are meant to be broken... especially for these ten television characters. For them, the rest of the world has one standard to live by and they have another. It makes them interesting and fun to watch... you just wouldn't necessarily want to be the person having to deal with them because they could drive you to distraction. Here's my ten pack of characters who live in a world of their own, according to no rules except their own. From the not-too-bad to the really bad.

10. Patrick Jane, The Mentalist
You would think that as a consultant to the CBI -- California Bureau of Investigation -- Patrick Jane would be compelled to uphold the rules and regulations of the department. However, Jane is a free spirit when it comes to office protocol. He does his own thing. For instance, bugging the office of a CBI higher-up is definitely not kosher. Jane doesn't care; he did it anyway and will probably get away with it.

After last season's success of The Mentalist, I made a point of watching the show this season. I wanted to see if vox populi was right and this was must-see TV. Well, now that I've tuned in for a few episodes, my opinion of the show remains the same as when I previewed the pilot in 2008. It's a star vehicle for Simon Baker. He's wonderful in the role and commands the screen.

However, since watching this season, there's one major thing about The Mentalist that's ticking me off. Aretha Franklin sang about it: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

TVGuide.com recently polled its users to find out which TV duos are in most need of a hookup.

Normally, we root for the happy ending. But for some TV couples, love just isn't the answer.

See our list of seven TV couples who should never hook up -- ever.

Megan Mullally to play an ex-wife on 'Parks and Recreation,' Marlee Matlin and Mario Cantone join a new Showtime comedy series and more of today's top TV casting headlines.