I saw someone wanting to campaign for Angel to be returned to the WB after Levin's departure, and kept thinking, "please, please, stop shoving a high voltage wire up the ass of a rotting corpse to see it jump."

From all reports Boreanaz is glad to be free of the series. He's repeatedly said it was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, and has, since the moment the axe fell. It is ridiculous to keep up any sort of campaigning at this point, imo. It's a waste of money, talent, and enthusiasm, and it makes the fandom look (to me) more than slightly ridiculous.

I want new things out of Whedon, Minear, Fury, Espenson, Goddard brains.

Yes please, but I have little confidence they are going to get the opportunity to work on the kinds of properties they deserve.

I'd like to be with Allyson. But I'm not so optimistic about the intelligence of network suits.

Neither am I. I am not optimistic that they know how to promote, schedule, and foster smart shows. I am even less confident in the business model. It doesn't pay for them to foster a smart show 'til it takes off. A respectable hit doesn't bring the advertising dollars or publicity that a smash hit does. It seems to me that (especially lately) the smash hits have all been the less expensive shows. So it's like a double no-brainer for them. Lots of money. Little work.

The earth is doomed.

Perhaps the Jossverse, Minearverse, et al, have instilled this pessimististic optimism in me. I think that Angel's brilliant writers will move to other shows. They will improve the shows until we may actually have some watchable TV. Then the suits will cancel them all and we'll be left with dreck.

The tide will turn. Oddly, network television is becoming more and more perverse, while cable just keeps getting better.

I love USA's shows, Monk, Touching Evil, and Dead Zone. FX has the Shield and Nip/Tuck. Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and even TNT have some tasty goodness going on, as well.

Networks have sports, the same old sitcoms, and increasingly sleazy reality programming. I can't differentiate between the networks anymore, aside from UPN and their "urban" branding. "Urban" seems to be a code word for, "our shows have Black folks!"

Networks have sports, the same old sitcoms, and increasingly sleazy reality programming. I can't differentiate between the networks anymore, aside from UPN and their "urban" branding. "Urban" seems to be a code word for, "our shows have Black folks!"

And the same old sitcoms are mostly going "bye, bye" as well. What's left next year that counts as an old sitcom? Raymond and its clones. That's about it that I can think of.

Also, don't forget the L&O/CSI tribbles for network shows, as well.

And the same old sitcoms are mostly going "bye, bye" as well. What's left next year that counts as an old sitcom? Raymond and its clones. That's about it that I can think of.

Scrubs is up to its fourth season, I think. That might count. I'm stuck beyond that.

I have no one to blame but myself. I'm just too cheap. I wouldn't mind paying for some additional cable channels, but can't see paying an extra $40 for 50 more channels when I only want 3-5.

Scrubs almost counts for cable. It's actually kind of clever.

And the same old sitcoms are mostly going "bye, bye" as well.

Trying to see a down side here...

Scrubs got through by the skin of its teeth. But old sitcoms are disappearing, and precious few new ones being picked up.

I love Scrubs when I watch it but I can almost never remember to.