Posted by Brian Cochrane

Since its debut four seasons ago, CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" has been distinguished by its ability to meld witty characters, biting wordplay and genuine romantic touches with a storytelling style that routinely whips from present to past and into the future. Now, with Ted's marriage plans to Stella having gone belly up on the Jersey shore, the series again ponders who'll be "the one" for Ted Mosby, future dad.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg as Season Pass readers posed their questions to "HIMYM" creators-showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, right. Topics ranged from the Barney-Robin prospects to the recollection of Victoria, one of Ted's earlier loves, who still seems to hold a warm spot in the hearts of "HIMYM" fans. And, not surprisingly, there were plenty of questions that delved into the show's intricacies, its timeline and the trail of clues laid out so far.

Reflecting the banter that characterizes the show's writing, Bays and Thomas clearly relished the chance to have some fun with this Q&A session. Read on for their answers, revelations and their favorite question:

Q. What does Barney do, exactly? Will you ever actually state it in the show? — Jeremiah
A. We love never quite saying what Barney does -- although, as of episode 2 of season 4, we now know his mega-corporation, Altrucel, has merged or somehow overtaken Goliath National Bank (and now Barney and Marshall work together, or at least in the same building). That’s probably the most specific thing we’ve ever said about it. We just like maintaining the mysterious world that Barney inhabits. We had a friend in NYC who, if you asked him a question he didn’t wanna answer, would dismissively say, “Please,” and move on. That’s what Barney says if you ask him about what he actually does. This vagueness allows us to make weird intimations that his company is involved with very, very bad things, which often seem to involve the North Koreans. Remaining vague throughout the series about what Barney does is part of our master plan, in the very last "HIMYM" episode, to reveal that Barney is an international spy, and then spin that off into its own hour-long action drama. Cha-ching! You know where to reach us, networks!

It’s going to be legend … wait for it … ary.

“How I Met Your Mother” creators-exec producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (pictured at right) have awesomely agreed to answer your questions right here, as part of Season Pass’s ongoing Q&A series.

We’re big fans of the witty, quirky and romantic comedy that has built a devoted following on CBS and introduced both the Barney Stinson lexicon and popstar Robin Sparkles to hipsters everywhere.

As “HIMYM” hits the middle stretch of its fourth season, fresh twists abound, including the collapse of Ted and New Jersey-ite Stella’s wedding plans and the apparent return of Robin into both Barney and Ted’s romantic sphere. The questions surrounding just who the titular “mother” will ultimately be are again percolating.

It’s clear that everyone involved with the show puts in a great effort to make every episode pop, and we’re looking for Season Pass devotees to do the same with their questions. In other words, let’s not ask about things you can find just by going to the show’s Television Without Pity recap or Wikipedia.

Here are the guidelines:
1) Click on the comment link below and leave your question by the end of Sunday, Oct. 26.

2) Check other people’s comments so you aren’t repeating a question that’s already been asked.

3) It’s OK to ask more than one question, but doing so won’t boost your chances of seeing questions answered. In the interest of fairness, we’ll give plenty of folks a chance to weigh in.

4) On Tuesday, we’ll choose the best questions to present to Carter and Craig, who will then answer at least 10 of them.

5) We’ll post the answers on Monday, Nov. 3, giving you all a chance to read the responses before watching that night’s episode.

6) Of course, if there are any changes to the posting schedule due to unforeseen circumstances or conflicts, we’ll keep you informed  right here.

Have fun and follow the guidelines and we won't need an intervention.

— Brian Cochrane

Whenever the new competitors for "Amazing Race" (or "Survivor," "Big Brother" or any other returning reality competition for that matter) are unveiled, you can easily envision how the producers and casting directors worked out the potential mix of personalities. ("Let's see, we need two teams of screwed-up couples. Gimme a nerd herd, at least a couple of hotties with issues and throw in a mother-son act. Oh, and don't forget the zany siblings. Also, be sure to give us some bonded bad boys.")

The thing is, I'm pretty sure that most of the teams on "AR" don't have a clue which category they're in. Certainly, the dysfunctional teams never seem to think they're dysfunctional. If they did, they'd knock it off, wouldn't they?

The part that, yes, amazes, me is that the dysfunctional doofs usually thrive -- at least in the race's early going. Episode two finds the socially and emotionally challenged in top form:

Between Nina Tassler's tantalizing promise that CBS would "push the envelope" and the Parents Television Council's early condemnation of the program as "one of the most sexually indulgent shows we've seen on broadcast television in a long time," you'd had thought "Swingtown" was the Sodom and Gomorrah of summer television, wall to wall with hot bodies and steamy sex.

Ironically, the PTC actually oversold the show's salaciousness. And a wary CBS seems to have undersold the sizzle it did have.

But apart from Lana Parrilla's eye-catching retro swimwear and the recurring nods to amorous air crews, "Swingtown" turned out to be a compelling family drama -- not exactly for the family, but about the family.

While its opening credits breezily flipped through the iconic images of the decade (from Jimmy Carter campaign buttons to Farrah Fawcett's famous poster) "Swingtown" at its core has been all about reflective pauses: a suburban couple who married early and wonder about the roads not taken; a pair of wedded traditionals buffeted by the changes in society and their own gender roles; teens looking to find their own path while their parents veered from the traditional one. Adding further irony -- given all the hype about the show's presumed assault on mainstream morality -- even the show's swinging adventurers, Tom and Trina, ended up heading down the road toward conventionality as they pondered the responsibility of having a child.

Our friends at the Paley Center for Media and TV Guide will co-host fall preview parties at the Paley’s BevHills location. The weeklong series of free public screenings offer a sneak peek at the new and returning shows of the fall season prior to their broadcast premieres.

The Fall Preview Parties begin at 6 p.m. with Q&A sessions beginning at 7 p.m. and screenings to follow. Screenings and parties are free with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hey, this may be the only way anyone’s going to get to screen the NBC shows before their debut dates!

Here’s the sked:

Friday, Sept. 5 Fox ("Fringe"; "Do Not Disturb")

Saturday, Sept. 6 CW ("Privileged" (pictured, right); "90210")

Monday, Sept. 8 NBC ("My Own Worst Enemy"; "Kath & Kim"; "Crusoe"; "Knight Rider')

Tuesday, Sept. 9 CBS ("Gary Unmarried"; "The Ex List"; "Worst Week"; "The Mentalist")

Wednesday, Sept. 10 ABC ("Pushing Daisies"; "Private Practice"; "Eli Stone"; plus a preview of "Life on Mars")

*Please note the schedule is subject to change*

For a perspective on why some people are having a hard time with the content of CBS' "Swingtown," check out this interview with Shannon C. Barry of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., from Variety.com's On the Air blog.

"Swingtown" opened at 10 p.m. to 8.6 million viewers and 2.7 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demo, per prelim Nielsens (in the final nationals "Swingtown" went up a tick in the demo to 2.8/8). The '70s-centric drama built ever so slightly on its 9 p.m. lead-in, a "CSI" rerun (9.4 mil, 2.3/7) in the demo and held most of its viewers.

"Fear Itself" opened to 5.2 million viewers and 2.0/6 in 18-49, coming out of the last hour of a 90-minute "Last Comic Standing" (5.3 million, 2.4/7).

Given the sexy subject matter and heavy promotion CBS has given "Swingtown," the initial sampling might've been a little stronger, but the Lakers and Celtics probably took a bite out of the potential male aud for the show. It'll be interesting to see if "Swingtown" gets much of a bump when the Live Plus 7 DVR viewing numbers are factored in.

As for the opening salvo of the NBA championship, which saw the Celtics handily beat the Lakers 98-88, reliable national estimates for ABC's live game coverage won't be available until later today. Prelim numbers indicate a solid, if not spectacular, turnout for the game. Friday afternoon update: Yep, it was solid if not eye-popping. Lakers-Celtics bout drew 13.4 million viewers and 5.4/17 in adults 18-49.

"Swingtown" gets points for originality and an ambitious premise.

But it took episode two to convince me of this. The pilot that so many critics have praised left me kinda cold. I didn't buy the storyline that unfolded for the primary character, suburban Chicago homemaker Susan Miller, played by Molly Parker.

During the the bicentennial summer of '76, she's drawn semi-reluctantly into a fast-lane life of bed-hopping and Quaalude-dropping after she and her stock broker husband, Bruce (Jack Davenport), and their two children, teenager Laurie and preteen B.J., move to a swankier part of the suburbs. The new neighbors there are a more stereotypically '70s types: Grant Show's Tom Decker sports a  handlebar mustache and loud-print shirts unbuttoned to his navel; Lana Parrilla is the former flight attendant Trina  (Tom is a successful pilot) who now lives it up in a fancy house and a kid-free "open" marriage.

I found it hard to believe in the pilot that beautiful-but-frumpy Susan, a woman depicted as being torn about moving away from the family's old house and old neighborhood pals, would be so easily and quickly drawn into the unconventional world (and bed) of her sex-addled new neighbors. I think that was mostly pilot-itis and the need to fire up the plot engine for the remaining first batch of episodes.

Without giving anything away, our second visit with the Millers addresses some of my complaints by bring more depth to the storytelling. And it does a much better job of harnessing its period-piece potential in examining the bigger-picture of a moment in recent history when social norms and mores were very much in transition (sound familiar?).

The show does not hinge on the titillating sex (which is more suggested than shown, natch) in the pilot. The characters and setting are a prism for reflecting on how gender roles and stereotypes have changed, or not, during the past 30 years; how women deal with the marriage-kids-career juggling act; how men and women are expected to relate to one another; and how bad parenting, really bad parenting, is painful to watch in any era.

(Pictured above from left, Molly Parker, Jack Davenport, Lana Parrilla and Grant Show)

First off, I'm a huge champion of "How I Met Your Mother." The cast is terrific, the writing consistently funny and the direction by Pam Fryman is stellar. So speaking from a fan's perspective, last night's episode left me disappointed.

The first time Britney Spears appeared on the show a few weeks back, it was a great piece of stunt casting as showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas integrated her character just enough so that we knew it was Britney but it didn't interfere with how smoothly the rest of the actors work together and it didn't take anything away from the storyline.

Not so much last night. It wasn't that Britney's character -- a young woman who has a crush on Ted but sleeps with Barney to get even -- was involved too much in the episode but, rather, Britney just plain can't act. Period. She looked stilted and foolish in scenes with TV pros such as Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor.

Ratings for "Mother" shot up for Britney's first appearance, and for a show this good that has never received the high ratings it should — series just got the OK from CBS for another season, yeah! — any way to push the Nielsen meter is smart, but last night's episode felt to me as if it had crossed a line in pimping to get viewers.

From Britney's perspective, coming on as a guest star is a smart move. By working on "Mother's" tight sitcom schedule, it helps keep her life straight -- or straighter than usual -- and makes her seem a bit more like a "normal" person and not just tabloid fodder.

But her exposure and rehab felt like it came at the expense of "Mother." I'm hoping it doesn't happen again next season.

— Stuart Levine

Our friends at the Paley Center for Media are giving away five pairs of tickets to Season Pass readers for the world premiere of CBS’ Western miniseries “Comanche Moon.”

Based on the book by Larry McMurtry, the six-hour miniseries will air Jan. 13, 15 and 16. The prequel to “Lonesome Dove” follows Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow F. Call (Karl Urban) in pursuit of three outlaws.

A screening on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. of part one of the miniseries will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s cast and creative team including screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and stars Val Kilmer, Steve Zahn, Adam Beach, Keith Robinson, Linda Cardellini and Ryan Merriman. Additional panelists to be announced.

The first five to click on the comment link and answer the following question correctly, will win tickets:
What 2005 film did Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana share screenwriting credit on?

(Pictured above Karl Urban, Val Kilmer, Rachel Griffiths and Steve Zahn)

— Kathy Lyford

It's official. The hypothesis offered by all the Season Pass contributors who gave two thumbs up to "The Big Bang Theory" has been upheld by America. Show's a hit.

It's not a "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond"-size hit, at least not out of the box. But it has held up solidly in its six airings to date (last night averaging 8.9 million viewers and 3.6 rating/9 share in adults 18-49) and is ranking No. 2 in its time slot behind ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." "Big Bang" builds on its "How I Met Your Mother" lead-in -- probably not as much as CBS would like to see, but for a new show, anytime the numbers are going up rather than down, it's a victory.

Most of all, "Big Bang" is funny, with an ensemble (Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar) that is getting better by the episode. Gee, maybe there's hope for the multi-camera comedy format after all. Kudos to series co-creators and showrunners Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and all the other hard-worker staffers on the Warner Bros. TV skein. Here's hoping that the course of human events and WGA-AMPTP negotiations don't conspire to shut them down any time soon.

--Cynthia Littleton

Season Pass is teaming up with one of our favorite places, the Paley Center for Media to give away tickets for the Center’s “Cane” event on Monday, Oct. 29.

You’ll attend a screening of an upcoming episode of “Cane,” about the power struggles in a Cuban-American dynasty working in the rum and sugar business. Following the episode, KCBS news anchor Laura Diaz will moderate a Q&A with the show’s stars and creative team.

The first five people to respond to this post will receive a pair of tickets to what should be a fun and informative night for any fan of the show. Just hit the comment link and tell us what you love about “Cane.” We will contact the first five commenters by email to tell you how to get your tickets. No need to leave your email in the comment; we know where to find you!

Scheduled to appear are stars Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno, Nestor Carbonell, Paola Turbay, Eddie Matos, Michael Trevino and Lina Esco and exec producers Jonathan Prince and Cynthia Cidre.

Event begins at 7 p.m. at the Paley Center at 465 N. Beverly Drive, in Beverly Hills. For information, call the Paley at 310.786.1091 or visit its website.

Keep checking back with Season Pass for future Paley Center giveaways.

— Kathy Lyford

UPDATE: We have our five winners. But please continue to add comments and you will be placed on a waiting list in case a spot opens up. Thank you for reading Season Pass. We will be offering tickets to future Paley events.

The last fall skein to bow is the first to bow out. CBS' music-drama hybrid "Viva Laughlin" has been axed after just two episodes. The network moved swiftly after both outings of the series — and only one in its official timeslot — performed dismally.

There's no way to spin these numbers. "Viva Laughlin" was a non-starter for America.

Skein's first airing in its regular Sunday 8 p.m. time slot drew 7.6 million viewers and 1.2 rating/3 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, per prelim Nielsens. That was coming out of 11.1 million viewers and 2.2/6 for "60 Minutes." The worst stat was how fast the "Laughlin" numbers fell at the half-hour mark, plunging from 7.6 million viewers and 1.4/3 in the first half to 6 million and 1.0/2 in the 8:30-9 p.m. leg.

This has to be a tough one for the folks toiling over at CBS TV City, particularly CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler, who went out on a limb in championing the show. Chalk it up to an experiment that didn't work, but good for the musical theater-loving Tassler for having the courage of her convictions and having the guts to take a flier on something she believed in.

NBC's football and Fox's baseball coverage upset the usual Sunday apple cart ratings-wise, but one success story that's emerging on the night is ABC's drama "Brothers and Sisters" in its sophomore sesh. The 10 p.m. drama is holding a good chunk of its "Desperate Housewives" lead-in (last night "Brothers" averaged 11.9 million viewers and 4.8/11 to "Housewives'" 17.7 million and 7.1/16), and IMHO is a whole lot more watch-able than its flashier companion.

--Cynthia Littleton

"Women's Murder Club" lured most of its members back in the ABC drama's second outing Friday, while Fox's "The Next Great American Band" played to less than a capacity crowd in its two-hour debut.

ABC's femme gumshoe ensembler (pictured left) averaged 9.7 million viewers and 2.0 rating/6 share in the adults 18-49 demo, per prelim Nielsens. That was down about 1 million viewers and one-half of a demo point from "Murder's" strong (by Friday night standards) preem last week. Perhaps the most important sign of life for "Murder" was that it once again jumped noticeably from its 8 p.m. "20/20" (6.8 million, 1.7/6) lead-in.

"Murder" tied with CBS' 10 p.m. anchor "Numbers" (9.7 million, 2.7/9) for bragging rights as the night's most watched program, though CBS' egghead hour won by a wide margin in the demo. And CBS' frosh 9 p.m. drama "Moonlight" (7.8 million, 2.1/7) topped "Murder" by a razor-thin margin in adults 18-49 for the hour.

Fox's "The Next Great American Band" didn't throw off too many sparks, finishing out its 8-10 p.m. opener with an average of 3.6 million viewers and 1.5/5 in adults 18-49.

Inexplicably, the single-best drama on TV (IMHO, until "Lost" comes back and then it's probably a tie), NBC's "Friday Night Lights" (5.5 million, 1.9/6), continues to pull only modest numbers. But thankfully, on a night when the ratings bar is set pretty low, show's demos are respectable enough, and reviews glowing enough, to keep hope alive.

So far this season, Brad Leland (pictured right), who plays "FNL's" garrulous car dealership owner and self-appointed No. 1 high school football booster Buddy Garrity, is shining particularly bright amid the stellar constellation of thesps on this show as his character is enduring all kinds of emotional torment and mid-life crises. Can't wait for next week's installment.

--Cynthia Littleton

(No kidding folks, it was one of those days around the ol' Variety newsroom and I'm only now getting the time to peek at last night's ratings.)

While "Samantha Who?" ranked low on most Season Pass-ers list of new show picks, America disagreed, or at least there was plenty of curiosity to see whatever became of Kelly Bundy. The ABC comedy starring Christina Applegate premiered very well Monday in the 9:30 p.m. slot behind a 90-minute "Dancing With the Stars."

Laffer made the most of its strong lead-in to finish out with 14.4 million viewers and 4.5 rating/10 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, coming out of 19.4 million and 4.7/12 for "Dancing," per Nielsen.

Interesting to also see in the 8 p.m. competish that NBC's "Chuck" (8.4 million, 3.3/9) and CBS' 8:30 p.m. frosh "The Big Bang Theory" (7.9 million, 3.1/8) seem to have have found a comfortable level of respectable ratings -- even against the wild card factor of Fox's primetime coverage of the American League championship series between the BoSox and Cleveland Indians (go Cleveland!). Gee, maybe there's hope for broadcast TV after all...

--Cynthia Littleton

"Women's Murder Club" drew a crowd for ABC in its Friday premiere. Gumshoe drama starring Angie Harmon, Paula Newsome, Laura Harris and Aubrey Dollar (pictured left) opened to a strong (by Friday night standards) 10.8 million viewers and 2.5 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demo in the 9 p.m. hour, per prelim Nielsens.

"Murder Club" didn't get much help from its 8 p.m. lead-in, newsmag "20/20" (5.6 million, 1.6/6) and it appeared to out-perform Fox's coverage of the American League Championship series (reliable national ratings figs for the live sports telecast won't be available until Monday.) It also picked up about 350,000 viewers at the half-hour mark.

CBS' vampire-detective skein "Moonlight" (7.3 million, 2.0/6) felt the competition from ABC's lady sleuths as it dropped by nearly 2 million viewers in its third outing. The debut of "Murder Club" and the baseball post-season action also put a dent in the turnout for NBC's "Friday Night Lights" (5.4 million, 1.7/5) which dropped from last week's solid sophomore season preem. ("FNL's" Zach Gilford pictured right)

The momentum from "Murder Club" didn't help ABC's sophomore drama "Men in Trees" (7.05 million, 1.9/6), which slipped to third place at 10 p.m. behind CBS' "Numbers" (9.1 million, 2.5/8) and NBC's "Las Vegas" (7.13 million, 2.1/6).

--Cynthia Littleton

"Pushing Daisies" held up pretty well in its second outing Wednesday, but it's "Private Practice" that's really looking like a hit for ABC. NBC's "Bionic Woman" dipped in week three, but not precipitously.

Meanwhile, Fox's "Back to You" and CBS' "Kid Nation" had a tough time in the 8 p.m. hour. "Pushing Daisies" (10.1 million, 3.6 rating/11 share) led the hour in the adults 18-49 demo and held the majority, if not vast majority, of its premiere aud last week (13 million, 4.3/13). NBC's "Deal or No Deal" (12.5 million, 3.1/9) regained some of the aud it lost last week to "Daisies" (pictured left). Same could not be said for "Back to You" (6.5 million, 2.2/7) or "Kid Nation" (7 million, 2.0/6).

At 9 p.m., "Bionic Woman" (10.1 million, 3.8/8) improved in the demo on its "Deal" lead-in. CBS' "Criminal Minds" (14.5 million, 3.8/8) led the frame in viewers but "Practice" (12.2 million, 4.8/12) won the demo by a comfortable margin, up slightly from its second outing last week. CW's "Gossip Girl" (2.9 million, 1.7/5 in adults 18-34) got lost in the fray but no matter; the frosh sudser earned a full season pickup from CW on Wednesday. Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" (6.5 million, 3.0/8) was in its regular zone of the past few weeks.

At 10 p.m., it looks like time is running out on NBC's drama "Life" (8.1 million, 2.8/8). ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" (8.9 million, 3.4/9) is better off, but it also has a better lead-in. CBS' "CSI: NY" (13.3 million, 4.0/11) easily took the hour.

For the nightly bragging rights overall, it was ABC in 18-49 (3.9/11) and CBS in viewers (11.6 million.)

--Cynthia Littleton

Tuesday is proving a tough slog for the season's newcomers. ABC's "Cavemen" (pictured left) and "Carpoolers" took a tumble in their second outings. CBS' "Cane" is still slippery and CW's "Reaper" can't catch a break against the flames of Fox's "House."

After last week's respectable opening, ABC's 8-9 p.m. comedy duo dropped by about 2 million viewers apiece in week two and two 18-49 demo share points. "Cavemen" finished out at 8 p.m. with 7 million viewers and 2.5 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demographic (compared to last week's 9.2 million, 3.5/10), while "Carpoolers" rallied a tiny bit at 8:30 with 7.3 million and 2.8/8 (compared to its debut at 9.1 million, 3.5/9), per prelim Nielsens.

CBS' "NCIS" had no trouble taking the 8 p.m. hour in viewers (16.1 million) and 18-49 (3.4/10). Fox topped  the night overall with 9 p.m. inferno "House" (17.7 million, 7.3/18), though ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" (16 million, 4.0/10) was competitive in the hour in viewers. CW's "Reaper" (pictured right) managed 2.7 million and 1.5/4 in adults 18-34. At 10 p.m., CBS' "Cane" was on par with last week at 9.1 million and 2.3/7, but still off its lead-in from "The Unit" (11.1 million, 3.0/7).

--Cynthia Littleton

What'er the only two new shows to crack TiVo's top 50 Season Pass (no relation) rankings?

Surprise, surprise: "Private Practice" and "Bionic Woman." ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Practice" (pictured left) ranks No. 18 on TiVo's ranking of most its most popular Season Pass settings, in which the whiz-bang DVR grabs all original segs of a designated series."Bionic" (pictured below) ranks No. 43 on the list.

TiVo's Season Pass top 10, not surprisingly, closely corresponds to the Nielsen top 10: "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "House," "Lost," "CSI," "Heroes," "American Idol," "24," "The Office" and "CSI: Miami." Pretty sad to see only one comedy on the list; god bless "The Office."

A little surprising to see ABC's big buzz show "Pushing Daisies" not make the top 100, particularly after last night's solid preem. NBC's "Journeyman" ranks head-scratchingly high at No. 54, followed by ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" (No. 55); Fox's "Back to You" (No. 65); CBS' "Cane" (No. 70); NBC's "Chuck" (No. 75); PBS' Ken Burns mini "The War" (No. 76); CBS' "Kid Nation" (No. 89); and ABC's "Big Shots" (No. 95).

Last fall the only newcomer to crack the top 50 was NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," and we all know what happened there...

--Cynthia Littleton

"Cavemen" and "Carpoolers" opened respectably on Tuesday in the 8 p.m. hour. It's always a tough assignment for two new shows to lead off the night, especially for shows that have been beaten up pretty good by crix.

The dawn of "Cavemen" (pictured left) brought in 9 million homo sapiens and 3.3 rating/10 share in the adults 18-49 demo, per prelim Nielsens. At 8:30 p.m., "Carpoolers" (pictured below) held the crowd, averaging 9 million commuters and 3.4/9 in the key demo, and that was enough to keep the ABC comedies in second place for the hour behind CBS' ever-popular "NCIS" (16.3 million, 3.6/10).

ABC's fortunes perked up at 9 p.m. with the "Dancing with the Stars" results show (15.7 million, 4.3/10) but Fox topped the hour with another strong perf from "House" (17.3 million, 7.1/17). Sadly, CW's much-loved 9 p.m. entry "Reaper" (2.8 million, 1.6/4 in adults 18-34) isn't scaring up much business in its tough  time slot, though it is a positive sign that "Reaper" ranked No. 2 to "House" for the hour in the dude demos of men 18-24 (2.3) and male teens (1.7).

At 10 p.m., CBS' "Cane" (9.2 million, 2.5/7) was pretty soft against NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" (11.7 million, 4.5/12), which is also off its usual game, and ABC's "Boston Legal" (10.9 million, 3.1/8).

With the aud transfusion supplied by "House," Fox had no trouble winning the night overall in viewers (12.6 million) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13).

--Cynthia Littleton

Theoretically, writers have plenty of time to put together a script for their pilot. They can tinker all they want, right up to the taping, so it should be a grand effort. There's no excuse for a lazy or poorly executed finished product.

It's episode No. 2 that often gives viewers a more accurate sense of the quality of the series, of what they're going to see for the next 21 episodes. And that's why I was so excited to see "The Big Bang Theory" hold up incredibly well creatively.

While the pilot made me laugh, there was little, if any, letdown last night. With the story by exec producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, and the teleplay by Robert Cohen and Dave Goetsch, the characters were delivering one zinger after another, and not necessarily the kind where you could see the jokes coming from a mile away.

Maybe more than any other new show, the casting is spot on. Johnny Galecki has been a pro since his "Roseanne" days but relative newcomer Jim Parsons has comedic timing that would seem virtually impossible to teach. Either you have it or you don't, and he's got it. Big time.

Their buddies — Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar — add just the right notes as well and 21-year-old Kaley Cuoco, who feels like a TV vet at this point after turns on "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" and "Charmed," plays ditzy with more charm than most actresses would.

Ratings held on strong in week two as well (read Rick Kissell's story here), which is a good sign this one will be here for awhile.

And don't forget to pause the Tivo and read Lorre's rants on the title cards at the very end of the show. Hilarious.

If these geeks are around for years to come, that's fine by me.

— Stuart Levine

"Moonlight" slid nicely into CBS' drama block in its debut Friday in the hammock slot between "Ghost Whisperer" and "Numbers."

Show's numbers were nothing to shout about, but by the low standards of Friday night it had a credible debut. Skein starring Alex O'Laughlin as a vampire-slash-detective opened to 8.6 million viewers and 2.5 rating/8 share in adults 18-49, per prelim Nielsens. "Moonlight" didn't move the needle one way or another from its "Whisperer" lead-in (8.7 million, 2.4/9), which for a new show is a victory of sorts. It hung tough at the half-hour mark in terms of audience retention and was competitive with the first hour of NBC's two-hour "Las Vegas" and the introduction of Tom Selleck into that show, which finished out with 8.2 million viewers and 2.4/8 average from 9-11 p.m.

The cutie-moody factor of "Moonlight" star O'Laughlin undoubtedly helped the show draw femme sampling in its debut. "Moonlight" delivered its highest demo marks (outside of the 55-plus crowd) with women 18-49 (3.1) and women 25-54 (4.1). For all the drama that's gone on behind the scenes of this show in the past few months, CBS has to be pleased with its opening night perf.

--Cynthia Littleton

Thursday was a big night of big shows and a not-so-big debut for ABC's "Big Shots." (pictured left)

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" returned to their familiar duel positions at 9 p.m., with "Grey's" leading the night in adults 18-49 while "CSI" had total-viewer tonnage. Both "Grey's" and "CSI" flexed their muscles by spiking from their 8 p.m. lead-ins.

"Grey's" (pictured below left) finished out with 20.5 million viewers and 8.7 rating/21 share in 18-49. "CSI" (pictured below right) brought in 24.9 million viewers and 8.0/19 in the key demo, per prelim Nielsens.

"Survivor: China" was soft, by the show's past standard, but still dominated in the 8 p.m. hour with 14.2 million viewers and 4.6/13 in 18-49. ABC's "Ugly Betty" (11 million, 3.8/11) was a solid No. 2 in the hour, posting its best figures since February.

At 10 p.m., "Big Shots" (inevitably) slid from its "Grey's" lead-in to open with 11.6 million viewers and 4.7/13 in 18-49. The return of CBS' "Without a Trace" (16.7 million, 4.8/13)  to its longtime home adjacent to "CSI" did wonders for that show, allowing it to squeak past the "Big Shots" preem by the slimmest of margins in 18-49.

Click here for the lowdown on the entire night from Variety's Rick Kissell.

--Cynthia Littleton

There was "House," and then there was everything else in primetime last night.

CW's much-loved "Reaper" (pictured left) and CBS' "Cane" (pictured below) fell into the solid-not-sensational category in their Tuesday debuts. "Reaper's" job was made much tougher by having to go head to head at 9 p.m. against the heat of Fox's "House" which was a strong draw among the same 18-34 demo targeted by "Reaper."

CW's devilish dramedy bowed to 3.2 million viewers and 1.8 rating/5 share in the 18-34 demo. (By contrast, the withering sneer of Hugh Laurie as Dr. House brought in 18.1 million viewers and 7.5/20 in adults 18-34. In 18-49 "House" pulled a 7.7/19.)

At 10 p.m., CBS' "Cane" came in ahead of the final hour of ABC's 90-minute "Boston Legal" season preem. Jimmy Smits and Co. drew an average of 11.1 million viewers and 2.9/8 in adults 18-49, which CBS was quick to note marked the Eye's best preem in that time slot since "Judging Amy" in 1999.

As has become a regular feature of ratings releases, CBS is predicting that "Cane's" numbers will bump up by about 9% in adults 18-49 when DVR playback is factored in during the next few days.

Click here for the lowdown on the entire night from Variety and Season Pass' hard-working Rick Kissell.

--Cynthia Littleton

The big winners of Monday: ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and NBC's "Heroes."

NBC's "Chuck" and CBS' "Big Bang Theory" (pictured left) qualify for OK starts -- not terrific but not terrible.

On the not-so-hot side, NBC's "Journeyman," which didn't make much of its "Heroes" lead-in. And CBS' "CSI: Miami" was surprisingly sluggish in its premiere, though it did still win its 10 p.m. time slot by a comfortable margin.

The 8-9:30 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars" was the night's most-watched program with 21.2 million hoofers tuning in. "Dancing" was also second for the night in the adults 18-49 demo derby to NBC's "Heroes" ("Heroes" pulled 6.5 rating/15 share and 14.1 million viewers; "Dancing" scored 5.8/15 in the demo.)

"Chuck's" maiden voyage at 8 p.m. averaged 9.3 million viewers and 3.6/9 in 18-49. At 8:30 p.m. "Big Bang Theory" grew from its "How I Met Your Mother" lead-in to finish out with 9.6 million and 3.7/9, coming out of "Mother's" 8.3 million and 3.2/9.

"Journeyman" fell from its "Heroes" lead-in to 9.5 million viewers and 3.7/9. "CSI: Miami" was off its usual game in its sixth season opener with an average of 14.8 million viewers and 4.6/12.

Bragging rights for the night went to ABC in both key measures of viewers (15.4 million average for the night) and adults 18-49 (4.7/12, narrowly beating NBC's 4.6/11).

Click here for a complete rundown of Monday night ratings follies from Variety ratings guru and Season Pass contributor Rick Kissell.

--Cynthia Littleton

Here's a handy way to kill time at work. Yahoo's TV page is offering streaming vids of a smattering of new and returning shows. Most notably, they're giving people a sneak peek at the sophomore season opener of NBC's glorious "Friday Night Lights."

I'm a latecomer to "FNL" fanaticism but I've been hooked ever since Season Pass maven Kathy Lyford thrust the season one DVD set in my hand and said "watch!" I don't have the time to gush properly here about how fabulous the show is on every level: writing, cast (leads Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton were robbed this year of Emmy noms, that's just a fact), directing, pacing, setting, tone -- I could go on. And on.

I can't wait to see the season opener but first I've got about five segs to go from last season. Kathy sez the opener is apt to be a little controversial among the "FNL" faithful, so click here to watch it via Yahoo, and if anyone has an opinion, let us know right here....

Other shows on Yahoo's free streaming vid menu include:

Aliens in America -- CW

The Big Bang Theory -- CBS

Blood Ties -- Lifetime

Brotherhood -- Showtime

Chuck -- NBC

Dexter -- Showtime

Life is Wild -- CW

--Cynthia Littleton

Wednesday's newcomers got off to fair-to-middling starts, per the prelim Nielsens. (Click here for a full rundown of the night by Variety ratings guru and Season Pass contributor Rick Kissell.)

Fox's "Back to You" won its 8 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49, but didn't have the kind of opening night drawing power you'd expect for the combo of Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Sitcom averaged 3.1/10 ratings share in the key demo and 9.5 million viewers overall.

For all the advance hoopla, CBS' "Kid Nation" didn't do a whole lot of business for the Eye in its 8 p.m. debut, pulling in about 9 million viewers and 3.0/9 ratings share in adults 18-49.

Gordon Ramsay's numbers also cooled off after his hot summer in "Hell's Kitchen." Chef's new show "Kitchen Nightmares" followed Fox's sitcom block at 9 p.m. with 6.6 million viewers and 3.1/8 in the demo.

CW had something to talk about with the 9 p.m. bow of "Gossip Girl." Show wasn't so hot in overall viewers, drawing about 3.7 million, but scored in its target demos of women 18-34 (3.2/9) and femme teens (5.3/17).

--Cynthia Littleton

Tonight, finally, after all the hubbub is the the first episode of the controversial CBS series "Kid Nation." We'll finallly get to see -- through the prism of editing, of course -- how these tykes and teens adapt to a no-parents environment.

Now, I know the network has taken a ton of flack for the way the show has used kids for entertainment and ratings purposes. Much of the criticism is probably deserved but parents who send their children seem to be as much to blame as CBS and the producers.

Looking over the 21-page contract that parents had to sign for their kids to participate, there are clauses that include "hazards and conditions that may cause death … injuries arising from equipment failure or defect …loss of orientation in primitive areas." There's tons more disclaimers, each more frightening as you go along.

I understand parents were paid a $5,000 stipend, plus the possibility of other monies depending upon how their children fared at certain games and challenges, but at what price do you risk your child's life? Is $5,000 the current number?

Understandably, that's a lot of money to many people but I can't get around the fact that a mother would sign this document with the possibility — certainly a remote one, but that's not the point — that their child could be in harm's way for the sake of a reality show.

Lets see if all the negative publicity will translate into ratings, or will the hype be much about nothing and, like many reality shows, this one will come and go in a matter of weeks.

One part of me wants to watch, the other part makes me feel icky about tuning in and giving this "Lord of the Flies" concept credibility. Can't wait to hear the reaction Thursday morning.

— Stuart Levine

I know I'm supposed to dislike "Viva Laughlin," since that's the popular opinion that's been spreading around town for a couple of months.

And those who don't think it's very good can make a compelling argument — the singing seems awfully out of place, the characters are one-dimensional, the dead body makes it feel too much like a procedural and then there's Melanie Griffith (and that's all I say on that) — but it has one huge ace up its sleeve.

Its got gambling at its core. I don't know, maybe it's the start of football season and winning parlays dancing around in my head, but there's always room on my TV for series that focus on a roll of the dice or turn of the cards. And that these shows take place in casinos … even better.

NBC's "Las Vegas" is nothing more than a showcase of beautiful women and handsome guys strutting around a casino, and the show's been on the air since 2003. "CSI" takes place in Vegas.... and it's been one of the most popular shows for years. 'Nuf said.

The singing didn't bother me either, only because I like the tunes they played in the pilot. Now, if the music turns into the top 10 at KIIS-FM, I'm a goner.

Hopefully, exec producer Hugh Jackman will appear in more episodes than not, since he brings a certain panache as the bad guy casino owner trying to monopolize the local gambling business.

For now, all things considered, I'm on board. Lets talk in November, though, after a few weeks have passed and see if "Viva" has crapped out.

— Stuart Levine

When are we going to see the first rays of "Moonlight"?

We've been bugging CBS about getting a look at the new drama it for a few weeks now. It's usually not a great sign when the pilot screeners are this long delayed. Back in May when the Joel Silver-produced vampire-detective skein was picked up, CBS offered only a 15-minute-or so glimpse of the show on its post-upfront screener mailer. Warner Bros. TV show stars Alix O'Laughlin as immortal private eye Mick St. John, who fights his natural vampire tendencies to help the living fight off the blood-thirsty attacks of  his fellow vamps. We know that it's undergone some recasting during the summer (Amber Valletta out, Sophia Myles in as the beautiful and ambitious reporter trying to get to the bottom of a string of unusual murders), so we'll continue to give 'em the benefit of the doubt until we get a chance to see the finished product.

As of this writing, CBS is saying it'll arrive early next week. Show's set to preem on Sept. 28 in the spooky Friday night hammock slot between "Ghost Whisperer" and "Numbers."

--Cynthia Littleton

Readers in Gotham and L.A. don't have to take our word(s) for it. The Paley Center for Media (aka Museum of Television & Radio) is offering a sneak peak at fall's new shows through its pilot screenings series at its Manhattan and BevHills branches.

The TV party starts tonight at 6:30 p.m. in BevHills with a slate of Fox shows: "K-Ville," "Back to You," "Nashville" and "Kitchen Nightmares."

CW pilots unspool on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. with "Reaper," "Gossip Girl," "Aliens in America" and "Life is Wild." NBC takes over at 6:30 p.m. with "Chuck," "Life," "Bionic Woman" and "Journeyman."

On Monday evening it's ABC's turn: "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Samantha Who?" and "Big Shots."

CBS rounds out the slate on Tuesday evening with "The Big Bang Theory," "Moonlight," "Cane" and "Viva Laughlin."

Screenings have already been underway for a few days at the Gotham facility, but as of this posting TV junkies there can still catch the same slate of CBS pilots on Monday and the CW sked on Tuesday.

For further details click here for the Paley Center website. For clips of some of the above, scroll down to the Variety Video link on this home page, and check out On the Air blog's Clip Madness. 

(Pictured above: CBS' "The Big Bang Theory")

Welcome to Season Pass, Variety.com’s blog for dishing about fall’s new scripted TV shows.
We wanted to give readers a wide range of opinions on the fall fare so eight of us spent a good chunk of our summer watching all of it. We like to complain, but it was really kind of fun.

Each of us has rated all the shows using four categories:

Love it, setting a season pass now

Worth another try

OK, but not for me

Won't watch again

"Reaper" (below) was one show that took us all by surprise. I did not expect to like it and it ended up being one of my favorites

The shows that rated the highest (one or two thumbs up) among our group of TV junkies were: ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” (seven season passes), NBC’s “Chuck” (four season passes), the CW’s “Reaper” (six season passes), CBS’ “Big Bang Theory” (three season passes), the CW’s “Gossip Girl,” (one season pass), Fox’s “Back To You” (one season pass) and CBS’ midseason entry “Swingtown” (one season pass).

See the chart for more details.

Our opinions are meant as a guide only. We encourage you to give all the shows a try and see for yourself what shows speak to you.

We’ll be blogging after each episode to track the shows’ progress. And we’ll weigh in on topics related to the season.

Have fun and happy channel surfing!