Just like in the real world of medicine, there's been an over-supply of doctors in primetime for years but a severe shortage of nurses fronting their own shows.

That will change next month as Showtime raises the curtain on Edie Falco as"Nurse Jackie" while TNT delivers Jada Pinkett Smith as "Hawthorne"

I haven't seen either show yet, but on paper they sound awfully similar. She's a tough, talented, dedicated, compassionate RN who's willing to buck the medical bureaucracy to do what it takes to help their patients. Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, who seems to have more of a home life with her oncologist husband and daughter; Falco is Jackie O'Hurley, described as a lapsed Catholic with an occasional weakness for Vicodin. (I'm guessing O'Hurley uses more anatomically specific language.) 

We know the casting is great for both shows. "Hawthorne" hails from seasoned scribe John Masius, with Jamie Tarses and Glen Mazzara among the exec producers for Sony Pictures TV. "Nurse Jackie" was birthed by Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem and Evan Dunsky for Lionsgate TV.

So it'll come down to execution. The half-hour "Nurse Jackie" arrives first, on June 8. Hourlong "Hawthorne" bows June 16. I'm writing myself a prescription to track down screeners for both, STAT. Here's hoping that one or both will be worthy of a refill.

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My all-time favorite TV nurse? The husky voiced, no-nonsense Miss Julie London as the husky voiced, no-nonsense Nurse Dixie McCall from the under-appreciated 1972-1977 NBC drama "Emergency."

London usually played opposite her real-life husband, musician Bobby Troup (of "Route 66" fame), as the head nurse in the hospital frequented by paramedics Gage and DeSoto and their clientele. Interesting too that London was cast in the series by her ex-husband, and Troup's longtime pal, producer Jack Webb.

Bob Clark had a perplexing career in film.

The multihyphenate made one timeless, flawless picture that will run forever -- 1983's "A Christmas Story."

He also made a whole lot of other movies. Some were successful ("Porky's," "Porky's II"), some became notorious over time ("Black Christmas," "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things"), and some were just plain stinkers ("Rhinestone," "Baby Geniuses," "The Karate Dog").

How could the same guy who gave us a contemporary classic, a perennial holiday fave, also be responsible for talking tots and a Dolly Parton-Sylvester Stallone romance? Well, that was the peculiar, strangely endearing genius of Clark, friends and colleagues say in a new docu on the helmer.

"ClarkWorld," produced and directed by Deren Abram, is set to bow Nov. 29 in Cleveland as part of a two-day, 25th anniversary salute to "A Christmas Story," which was shot in and around Cleveland back when areas of the city could reasonably pass for the 1940 time period of the pic with only a little bit of dressing.

The movie about a 9-year-old Ralphie Parker's determination to secure the Christmas present of his dreams -- a Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle (aka a BB gun) -- is so beloved that the house used as the boy's home in the pic is now a tourist attraction and Cleveland is home to an annual "Christmas Story" celebration.

What makes "Christmas Story" so special? It starts with the source material, a story penned by radio humorist Jean Shepherd that so deftly captures the spirit of the season for a kid -- the good and the bad, the crass and the commercial, the sweet and the saccharine, the nobody-understands-me angst and the nervous excitement that borders on madness as the Big Morning approaches.

Clark's movie captures every bit of the sweetness and the edge in Shepherd's story. Thanks to a stellar cast --anchored by Peter Billingsley as Ralphie and Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon as his parents -- the movie can completely transport you back in time, not merely to an America on the cusp of World War II but to a time and a place that exists entirely out of time, but in our collective subconscious under the rough heading of "childhood."

It works as a sentimental journey even if you didn't grow up in the Midwest at a time when Dec. 25 was the day "around which the whole kid year revolved," as the narrator puts it in the movie.

Nothing says TCA like stars in awkward situations. (See pic at left of "House" star Hugh Laurie in a bumper car at Fox's TCA party on the Santa Monica pier last summer.)

Yep, the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour is upon us, starting Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The January TCA gathering was scuttled by the writers strike, so undoubtedly there will be pent-up excitement (agitation? irritation? ultra-obnoxious lines of questioning?) than usual among the scribes, execs and stars who make TCA go 'round.

As we did last year, On the Air will offer team coverage of this fortnight of frothing about shows to come and the strike-interrupted season that just was, and any other issues that crop up between Tuesday and July 22. Variety's Stuart Levine plans to park himself at the BevHilton for the duration, while our TV leader, Michael Schneider, reporter Daniel Frankel and myself will also be availing ourselves of the hotel's free Wi-Fi to cover the events...and drink. I'm guessing it's a safe bet that the tradition of TCA bingo (in which attendees track the over-use of buzz words by panelists) will include the phrase "writers strike" this year.

It all starts Tuesday with a heavy rotation of cable presentations, including Hallmark Channel, HD Net, BBC America and E! nets.

Wednesday's lineup includes: AMC and WE; MTV Networks; A&E Networks

Thursday: Discovery Networks; ESPN; Sundance Channel; HBO

Friday: Turner Broadcasting; Fox Reality Channel; Starz; Lifetime

Saturday-Sunday: PBS -- whose talent roster includes none other than Sir George Martin, plugging his series "On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives."

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Being a huge fan of "NYPD Blue" -- yeah, I watched all 261 episodes over 12 seasons -- it was nice to see at least some of the folks from the 15th Precinct back on Steven Bochco's new TNT series, "Raising the Bar."

Caught the pilot last night, in preparations for Turner's presentation at TCA next week, and I'm on board. Leading the charge is Mark-Paul Gosselaar, a young and impressionable public defender and an actor who was an underrated "Blue" standout and a great partner for Dennis Franz' Andy Sipowicz. Then there's Currie Graham, who arrived on "Blue" during its final season as a mostly incompetent leader, and here plays a sexist boss in charge of the district attorneys. And in a couple of scenes, "Blue" alum Michael Harney shows up as a cop doing whatever he can to put someone away.

It was also a pleasure to catch the fabulous Jane Kaczmarek back on the air, and not screaming this time. On "Bar," she's a judge with a chip on her shoulder, and a boy toy for a clerk. Her vocal chords needed a few years to heal after all those years harping at the kids on "Malcolm in the Middle."

Legally speaking, this is familiar turf for Kaczmarek. She got her first big TV break working with John Houseman in "The Paper Chase" in 1983, and only a year later, was Officer Clara Pilsky on a little thing they called "Hill Street Blues"; hence, the Bochco connection.

This is a family affair for the Bochcos, as Steven exec produces and wrote the first episode; his wife, Dayna, produces; and son Jesse directs and co-exec produces. It was that way a lot on "Blue" as well, and if "Bar" can merit only a fraction of the success and longevity of "Blue," they'd all take that in a heartbeat.

And lets make sure to give co-creator and TV newcomer David Feige due credit, as he pitched the idea for the show to Bochco and co-wrote the pilot.

I'll let my colleague and Variety TV critic Brian Lowry give a more exact take on what he thinks, but count me in. It's rare that pilots wow right off the bat — "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "Friday Night Lights" might possibly be the last few that absolutely blew me away — and this one didn't, but that's OK. Every show needs to find its footing, and I see no reason why "Bar" can't succeed from its solid, if unexceptional, start.

Turner Entertainment boss Steve Koonin has caught the industry's attention this week by storming into broadcasters' upfront week with its programming presentation this ayem at Gotham's Hammerstein ballroom.

Now the Turner cablers have really caught the creative community's attention by unveiling a slew of new projects in development with such notables as George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Joel Surnow and Jon Avnet.

TNT has upped the ante in the cable vs. broadcast race by promising Madison Avenue that it will be all original in primetime Monday-Wednesday by 2010. Guided by Koonin (pictured right) and Michael Wright (pictured below right), programming chief for TNT, TBS and TCM, TNT already has three new skeins set to preem later this year and early next  -- Steven Bochco's "Raising the Bar," Dean Devlin's "Leverage" and Madison  Avenue drama "Truth in Advertising," starring Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh (pictured above) -- to augment its existing hits "The Closer" and "Saving Grace."

Here's the proof that TNT has a formidable development slate for next year and beyond.

DELTA BLUES (working title) tells the tale of an outstanding but unusual Memphis cop: an Elvis impersonator who lives at home with his mother. Delta Blues comes to TNT from Warner Horizon Television and SmokeHouse and is executive-produced by George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Grant Heslov (Good Night, and Good Luck), Abby Wolf-Weiss, Liz Garcia and Josh Horto. The series is written by Garcia and Horto.

MORSE CODE (working title) is a crime drama about a young war hero/Drug Enforcement Administration officer who works in his hometown of Boston.  The pilot is from Warner Horizon Television and is expected to star Donnie Wahlberg (Boomtown).  It will be produced by Wahlberg, Jon Avnet (Boomtown, The Starter Wife) and Walon Green (Law & Order, ER), with Green writing and Avnet anticipated to direct.

UNTITLED JOEL SURNOW PROJECT is a fast-paced, gritty drama about the life of an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The pilot is being executive-produced and written by Joel Surnow (co-creator of 24) and Todd Robinson.

ANGEL CITY (working title) features six cops in three cars during one shift, in the spirit of such classic dramas as Adam-12 and Hill Street Blues. The show, conceived by Los Angeles police officer Will Beall, will be written by Beall and Barry Schindel (Law & Order) and directed by Steve Schill (Dexter). ANGEL CITY comes to TNT from Mandalay Television.

TOUGH TRADE is a dramatic but humorous look at the Nashville music scene. The show, which focuses on a family of country stars who live like the lyrics to a country song, comes to TNT from Lionsgate Television. It is written by novelist Chris Offutt and executive-produced by Offutt, Sean Furst and Bryan Furst.

UNTITLED ROB ULIN PROJECT is a quirky yet authentic family drama in the mold of Little Miss Sunshine. It is is executive-produced by Rob Ulin (Roseanne, Malcolm in the Middle).

TBS, meanwhile, announced a bunch of new comedy projects in the hopper:

UNTITLED WILLIAM H. MACY/STEVEN SCHACHTER PROJECT is a single-camera, half-hour comedy series that comes to TBS from Sony Pictures Television.  It is written and executive-produced by William H. Macy (Fargo, TNT’s Door to Door) and Steven Schachter (Door to Door).  Schachter will direct the pilot, while Macy will star.

UNTITLED HERVEY/SIMMONS PROJECT is a primetime, scripted comedy pilot, executive-produced by Russell Simmons (co-founder of Def Jam Recordings), Stan Lathan (The Steve Harvey Show) and Winifred Hervey (The Steve Harvey Show).  The series stars Joey “Run” Simmons (of Run-DMC), who also serves as a producer, and is written by Hervey.

NATIONAL BANANA ALREADY IN PROGRESS (working title) is a late-night comedy sketch show being executive-produced by Jerry Zucker (Airplane!, My Best Friend’s Wedding).

And for latenight on TBS:

UNTITLED BUNIM/MURRAY PROJECT is a late-night comedy/reality show that takes a group of middle-aged men back to their fraternity days.  It is executive-produced by Jonathan Murray (The Real World) and Gil Goldschein.

UNTITLED JAMIE FOXX/MARCUS KING PROJECT is a late-night sketch and improvisational show executive-produced by Jamie Foxx (Ray, The Jamie Foxx Show) and his longtime collaborator, Marcus King.

TOP TEN (working title) is a late-night show that pits comedians against each other.  The show is executive-produced by Mad Cow Productions and Madeleine Smithberg (co-creator of The Daily Show).