While I love all of the stations and choices we have now, I sometimes wish we could go back to just having a handful of channels to choose from. It was so much easier back then: shows started in September and ended in May, and the summer was for reruns, specials, and going outside. But now it's hard to keep track of it all. We have 300 networks and 1000 shows that start, well, basically anytime they want to.

Like The Showbiz Show. The Comedy Central celeb/gossip/news satire hosted by David Spade returns on March 15. Head on over to TV Filter to check out some video with Spade talking about Britney Spears.

Also note that not only is this show returning for its third season, Spade also has a Top 20 show over on CBS, Rules of Engagement. Not a good time to be a David Spade hater. I've always liked the guy. (And if you didn't see it, he live blogged the Oscars last night.)

Several years back, long before TV Squad or most other TV-related web sites, there was a terrific magazine called Television Chronicles. It was basically the ultimate publication for the serious TV fan, and I was really hoping to write for it at some point. But after a few years it ceased publication, but now I'm happy to report that it's back in online form (God bless the internets)!

Publisher Bill Groves and editor Ed Robertson are back at the helm, and their first issue (August) has a lot of great stuff, including a long feature on the 70s adventure drama The Magician, with Bill Bixby (a favorite of mine when I was a kid) and the short-lived 80s series Sable (I had completely forgotten that Rene Russo costarred in that!). Plus they have other features, including an audio hello from Larry Cohen (The Invaders, Coronet Blue, Branded), and podcasts.

Welcome back, Television Chronicles.

[via Lee Goldberg]

TV Predictions has a regular column where they discuss High-Def. Not just the positive aspects of HD, but also a list of what looks good and what looks bad in HD.

I've noticed this too. Back in the old days of television (and by "old days" I mean two years ago) you would see attractive people on television and not give it a second thought. Or maybe even not so attractive people and not give it a second thought. But now with HD, you see everything oh so clearly, and it's not always a good thing. Guys who had some wrinkles are now revealed to have Grand Canyon-like crevices in their face. Women who you'd look at and say "hmm, she might have had plastic surgery" now leave no doubt that they have. Even soap opera stars, who are almost all uniformly beautiful and/or studly are revealed to be either craggly or wearing so much makeup they look like a wax figure.

Progess isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think Dave said that on NewsRadio once.

We'll have live blog coverage of the red carpet arrivals tonight, starting at 6. Just in case Scarlet Johansson's nipple accidentally slips out while being interviewed or someone on E! says something really stupid. We'll blog until 8, and then Cinematical takes over for the rest of the night with their live blog of the awards show. See you then!