“The Big Bang Theory” co-creator/executive producer Bill Prady answered every one of the questions that was submitted before the deadline. He even addressed the questions that Jim Parsons’ couldn’t answer.

With the season finale of the CBS comedy looming Monday, it seemed like the perfect time to post the results.

Before "TBBT," Prady (far left in the picture to the right, flanking the cast with Chuck Lorre) wrote for shows such as "Dharma and Greg" "Gilmore Girls" and began his Hollywood career working for Jim Henson Productions. He is a fan of many things the characters on the show like, particularly "Star Trek." He was previously a computer programmer and said he worked with people who were very bright but couldn’t fit in well in the world and that this was the genesis for the characters we’ve come to love

Before we get to your questions, I'd like to share with you some tidbits we gathered at the “Big Bang” panel at the Paley Festival, which my colleague Cynthia Littleton moderated.

• The original working title of the show was “Lenny, Penny and Kenny.”
• The show was not “pitched” in the traditional way. Normally a writer would go to the network with an outline of the premise, the characters and a vision for where the show would go in the future. For what eventually became “The Big Bang Theory,” Prady and Chuck Lorre wrote a script, hired some actor friends and “put on a show” for CBS honcho Leslie Moonves. “It was crazy,” Lorre said. But it worked.
• Kaley got teary-eyed every time someone on the panel or a guest in the audience gave her a compliment. It was really quite endearing. My favorite line of the whole panel — from Jim Parsons to Cuoco — “Did you think these people were going to throw fruit at us?”
• Asked why the show works so well, Lorre and Prady agreed that everyone, no matter how confident they may seem, at some point feels as if they are on the outside looking in and so the audience can easily identify with the characters.
• The staff calls the scenes between Penny and Sheldon “Peldon" or “Shenny" scenes
• Parsons, told by his manager that he was being asked to audition for a Chuck Lorre pilot, thought it was a Chuck Woolery pilot.
• Musing about how difficult it is to find the perfect actor for even one role in a pilot, Lorre said he felt they'd captured "lightning in a bottle five times" with the "Big Bang" gang. We couldn't agree more.

And now, on to your questions. I’ve chosen the elevator question as my favorite because it made me giggle. Nicola, I will contact you about your prize.

Q. As much as I love the awkward staircase conversations in “TBBT” I want to know if the elevator will EVER be fixed? It would be so funny to watch someone get trapped in there with Sheldon. (Nicola)
A. Our broken elevator does two wonderful things for us. First, it eliminates the traditional sitcom L-shaped apartment building hallway and second, it allows us to do “walk and talk” scenes without having to create a city street or similar set. We’re proud of the set, which required we jackhammer a hole in the floor of Stage 25 (to make room for the stairs going down). I can’t tell you whether it will ever get fixed, but if it does, I’m sure things won’t go well.

One of our favorite Q&A subjects, "The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons has a new video at Funny or Die.

In it, he plays a guy who does his best to punch up eulogy speeches, with questionable results. Very dark, and very different from Sheldon.

Check it out here:

It's that annual time to reflect on what worked on TV over the past year… and what didn't. Here is my personal list.

BEST

"Mad Men"
This intricately woven tale of 1960s ad men's work and home lives captured the imagination of an obsessively loyal fanbase. It's also one of the few things Emmy got right, awarding the show its outstanding drama trophy. And creator Matthew Weiner has become one of our favorite people this year. See our Q&A here.

DirecTV's deal for "Friday Night Lights"
A shared window plan between the satellite provider and NBC bought the critical darling another season. Those lucky few who subscribe to DirecTV have had the privilege of enjoying a season that approaches the greatness of the show's epic first season.

"Big Bang Theory"
This comedy about socially awkward geniuses has emerged as a surprise hit this fall after garnering fair ratings in the strike shortened 07-08 season. Creatively the show's never been better, with the razor sharp ensemble now firing on all cylinders and auds propelling it to season high numbers week after week. See our Q&A with star Jim Parsons here.

"Desperate Housewives"
Fast forwarding the ladies' lives five years added a much needed jolt to the flagging drama. See our Q&A with creator Marc Cherry here.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Priceless

"Privileged"
A sweet dramedy that's too smart for the CW's core audience. More people ought to be watching.

"Worst Week"
Consistently laugh-out-loud funny.

"Dexter"
Jimmy Smits proved a suitable friend, then foil, to our favorite sociopathic hero. See our Q&A with exec producer Clyde Phillips here.

“The Office”
Anyone who works in an office has got to appreciate this painfully accurate laffer.

“The Biggest Loser”
As reluctant as I am to include a reality show in any best of list, I have to admit, this one hits on every emotion.

"The Capture of The Green River Killer"
This Lifetime mini was an engrossing and emotional account of the 20+ years search for a serial killer with stellar performances from Tom Cavanaugh and Amy Davidson. It's too bad the broadcast nets have given up on movies and minis.

WORST

The Emmy Awards
An embarrassment to the television community. Everyone involved should be ashamed. If you've blocked out how truly awful it was, read my review from that night here.

"Do Not Disturb"
Auds mercifully checked out early from this dreadful Fox comedy.

"Grey's Anatomy"
This show has lost whatever charm it once had and now just feels desperate.

"Knight Rider"
A bad idea, executed horribly.

"Crusoe"
Unwatchable.

"ER's" final season
I've been a fan for most of this hospital drama's 15 seasons but this last gasp has been a slow painful death.

"Boston Legal"
Someone needs to explain to me how this ever attracted an audience. I've never been so happy to see a show end its run.

Those are mine. What are yours?

For more best of lists, visit TVGuide.com's list of best shows and best TV moments. TV.com weighs in here. Our pal Mo Ryan of the Chicago Tribune has her say here.

Did you see other lists that resonated with you?

— Kathy Lyford

The Wall Street Journal has an entertaining feature today on one of Season Pass' favorite shows: CBS' "The Big Bang Theory."  If you missed my video Q&A with Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, check it out here.

I'm really looking forward to Monday's episode (the last orignal one of the calendar year) after reading this description in the WSJ piece:

"In 'The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis,' the episode taped the week of Thanksgiving, the duo's neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco) proposes an exchange of Christmas gifts. Sheldon debunks the holiday he describes as 'the ancient pagan festival of Saturnalia,' and tries to shun her present, which will require from him 'a gift of commensurate value and representing the same perceived level of friendship,' he says. 'It's no wonder suicide rates skyrocket this time of year.' Sheldon is then forced into alien territory -- a bath and body store -- to shop for gift baskets with Spock-like logic."

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Posted by Kathy Lyford

Here are the answers to your questions for “The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, who plays neurotic genius Sheldon Cooper on the CBS comedy, which is one of my favorite shows and one of the few comedies that qualifies as appointment TV for me.

For this Q&A we’re trying a little something different: All your questions were answered via video. It seems actors aren’t as camera shy as showrunners.

Many of you were curious about how much Jim has in common with Sheldon. Well, the answer is not much. Let’s see. They look alike. They sound the same, right down to the Texas twang. They’re both adorable. They’re both smart, but in different ways. They both excel in their chosen professions.

The differences are more profound. Jim dresses better. (Although if you dig Sheldon’s wardrobe, visit this fan site devoted to his t-shirts). Sheldon is socially awkward to the point of ineptitude. Jim is personable, charming, outgoing and witty. Sheldon is seemingly interested only in science, video games and comic books. Jim's hobbies don't include any of those. And while I would never pretend to know about his interests after a two-hour meeting, I can tell you that Jim and I chatted before and after the interview about many topics of interest to both of us: Theater, the state of the economy, the recent election, L.A. real estate, ping-pong (he plays; there's even a "BBT" cast and crew tournament), poker (I try to play), crosswords, blogs and chatrooms, documentaries, the changing television business, critics, movies, restaurants and “Friday Night Lights” (I can bring that series up in any conversation. I’ve now proved it.)

Jim made my job very easy. He not only answered the questions he read them too (sometimes with comments directed toward the person asking). So I got to just sit there and enjoy his delightful company and giggle. Of course, I did have to edit and upload the videos — hence the slight delay. Turns out I’m more of a Penny than a Sheldon when it comes to technology.

Before we start the questions, here’s a short thank you from Jim for all of you who participated plus a special announcement about which one of you won the autographed season one DVD set.

Season Pass has never been about a roundup of TV news around the Web. We figure savvy TV lovers can peruse the Net on their own. But today we'd like to give a shoutout to our favorite TV sites — some are old friends and a few are newly discovered.

Amuse yourselves while you wait for the latest posts in our Q&A series. Coming up shortly are “Friday Night Lights” showrunner Jason Katims, who is still trying to work us into his busy schedule, and “The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, who is scheduled to sit down with me on Friday to answer your questions. Look for that post next Wednesday. For more upcoming features, have a look at the menu there on the right side of this page. And we are open to suggestions from readers as well.

Our favorite sites (in no particular order):
Cynthia Littleton’s On the Air blog: Our Variety colleague blogs about all things TV.
TV Series Finale, which remarks on the last episodes of your favorite (or not so favorite) shows. Recent posts include “The Riches,” “King of the Hill” and the MRC slate for the CW. I look forward to their take on the last ep of the venerable NBC series “ER,” which is on its its 15th and final season.
By Ken Levine, from the Emmy-winning vet sitcom scribe and baseball announcer. Hard for me not to dig someone who loves TV and baseball!
What’s Alan Watching?, by New Jersey Star-Ledger tube critic Alan Sepinwall. His “Mad Men” recaps left us feeling inadequate. We bow to his genius insights.
Television Without Pity for their snarky, in depth recaps of our favorite shows
Pop Candy, Whitney Matheson’s fun pop culture blog for USA Today
Coaxial, the TV page on fanboy fave site Ain’t It Cool News
The Watcher, our pal Mo Ryan’s TV blog on the Chicago Tribune site. Check out her funny comments on those silly CNN election night holograms. That ridiculous bit of technology reminded us of watching the NFL on Fox, where there are so many gimmicks and graphics you can scarcely see the play on the field.
Project Rungay, for a laugh-out-loud take from a couple of witty gay guys on one of our favorite reality shows and more
TV Tattle, a roundup of TV news and criticism

And there are many others. Check out our list of links on the bottom right-hand side of this page. Are there any we missed? Please clue us in.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

"The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons is set to answer your questions right here on Season Pass and we couldn't be more thrilled to get to know him better.

We're expanding our Q&A series to include actors and we're starting with a thesp whom we at Variety are big fans of. Parsons plays neurotic, socially challenged scientist Sheldon Cooper on CBS' hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," co-created by Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre.

My colleague Brian Cochrane and I were lucky enough to attend a taping of "Big Bang" last night on the Warner Bros. lot. Parsons and the entire cast are every bit as talented as we expected, reeling off the show's special brand of peculiar, rapid-fire scientific dialogue with very few dropped lines or re-takes.

Although we love the whole cast, Parsons has been a particular favorite of ours ever since we saw the pilot episode. He seemingly came out of nowhere - at least he was not on our radar - and became an instant star. He has great comic timing, excels at physical comedy and, let's face it, he's adorable.

If you're a fan too, this is your chance to learn more about this intriguing actor. Be clever and please don't ask things that you could learn from a simple search of his IMDB bio.

Here are the rules:

1) Hit the comment button below and ask your question. You have until Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.
2) You may ask more than one question but we are looking for quality, not quantity. Asking more will not guarantee that you'll see your queries answered. In the spirit of fairness, we try to give plenty of folks a chance.
3) Read through the other comments to make sure you're not repeating something that's already been asked.
4) On Friday, Nov. 7, I will have coffee with Jim and present him with the 20 best questions. He's agreed to answer between 10 and 20.
5) Visit Season Pass on Wednesday, Nov. 12 for the answers.
6) There are no restrictions on what you can ask but keep in mind actors are not always privvy to future story arcs.
7) Any change to this schedule due to unforseen circumstances or conflicts with Jim's schedule will be updated right here on this post.

Have fun and thanks for reading Season Pass. While you wait for the answers to this Q&A, please read our completed sessions with showrunners from your favorite series. Check out the menu there on the right for links.

Posted by Kathy Lyford

P.S.

We have lined up a Q&A with "Big Bang's" co-creator Bill Prady. So if you're a real fan of the show, keep checking back. We're aiming for late November or early December on that one. Bill had some fascinating stories about the show's development process, which we'd love to share with you.

I'm mostly a drama girl. I'd say my drama to comedy ratio on my season pass list is about 8 to 1.

It's not that I'm opposed to laffers, it's just that so few of them meet my standard of, you know, elicting laughs. But CBS' "Big Bang Theory" can always be counted on for its laugh-out-loud moments.

I was a little wary before watching last night's second season opener because more than one show I've liked in the past has suffered from a serious sophomore slump. But I'm happy to report that Sheldon and the boys are back with, well, a bang.

The series really comes to life when Jim Parsons' Sheldon is onscreen. As my colleague Brian Cochrane put it, he's the comedic particle that gives the "Big Bang" atom its positve charge. He had several great moments last night: The laundry room scene; counting catwomen, then X-Men mutants; trying to control his ticks while keeping Penny's secret; spilling the beans after Wolowitz drugged him.

The cast of the Chuck Lorre/Bill Prady sitcom is strong across the board. Johhny Galecki as Leonard and Kaley Cuoco as Penny have a great chemistry and Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar are perfectly cast as sidekicks Wolowitz and Rajnesh. That bit where those two tried to guess what Leonard had done to push Sheldon over the edge cracked me up: "What did you do? Cook with cilantro? Touch the thermostat? Pronounce the 't' in often? Say somthing negative about trains?" But what really made that funny was that you believe everything on that list would annoy Sheldon, because Parsons has done such a fantastic job of creating this character as a neurotic, socially inept genius.

Why did it take so long for this kid to land on a hit show?

By the way, if you want a shirt-folder like Sheldon's, check eBay!

— Kathy Lyford

I ... just don't know.

For many, the post-strike return of CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" and "How I Met Your Mother" was long-awaited. For my part, I'll go as far as to say they were welcomed, even mildly anticipated. I don't live and die with these shows, but they have had their moments of sweetness and light.

However, even by those less-than-exacting standards, tonight was a disappointment.

I expect the people who really do love "Bang" will be happy with tonight's airing; it had the show's typical silliness.  My problem was that it was all-too-typical. I stared at the screen blankly for almost the entire half-hour.

Doesn't it get old after a while that Leonard has bad clothes and things to be embarrassed about, that Sheldon is anal-retentive, that Penny is nonplussed by their behavior?  The same behavior is mined, and the situations don't change all that much. The one twist that tonight's episode did have going for it – the fact that Penny's meddling was actually undermining Sheldon and Leonard's friendship – was barely exploited.  Even the fight between Sheldon and Leonard was undercut by stock reactions from Howard. Though there was a good moment when Leonard outlined all his insecurities before insisting Sheldon was worse, I was never really won over.

It's weird because "Bang" truly is likable - I almost always sit down expecting to enjoy it more than I do. It says something about the show that I'll watch it even when I'm not laughing, but I don't know if I'd want to do that indefinitely.

"How I Met Your Mother" usually delivers for me more than "Bang" does, but I was even more mystified by its comeback outing.  The A story had Ted repeating the same joke – wow, he's being a bad guy, but it's working out great – and the payoff?  Hey, being a bad guy doesn't work out great. Okay. ... The B story, involving an apartment with a slanted floor, was even more flimsy.

These episodes just felt very by-the-numbers.

– Jon Weisman

Me, I cut loose on "Dirty Sexy Money" weeks ago. Just wasn't rewarded enough by the good parts to sit through the grating parts, though others have argued that the show has coalesced nicely since I dropped it.

Of the frosh broadcast shows, all I have left on Season Pass now are "Pushing Daisies," "The Big Bang Theory," "Reaper" and "Aliens in America." And I'm only caught up on the first two, even though the strike has been going for a month. And if they all got canceled, I wouldn't lose any sleep. I wanted to like things more, but it's been a rough year.

— Jon Weisman

Between wrapping gifts, sending out cards and catching up on some screeners, I cleared out my Tivo Now Showing menu the other day. I watched everything on there — "ER," "Friday Night Lights," "Grey's Anatomy" and an episode of "Inside the Actors Studio" — but when it came to "Dirty Sexy Money," I sat through 10 minutes, hit the delete button and canceled the Season Pass.

I don't cancel Season Passes lightly, not without much inner discussion and debate. And while there were several elements of the show I enjoyed — most anything to do with Peter Krause, and pros Donald Sutherland and Jill Clayburgh — I couldn't get past the annoying twins, Karen (Natalie Zea) and her constant assault on Krause's marriage and most of the Billy Baldwin scenario.

Nothing against the actors, of course, but the characters were so grating at times, I had to ask myself if it was worth the time and energy, when I could — aghast!! — actually do something more productive with limited down time, such as reading a book or spending a few quality moments with my teenage daughter.

As for the rest of the broadcast shows that have launched this fall, they've been mostly duds, except for two. Despite the look of bewilderment among a few of my Variety colleagues, I remained devoted to "Life," where Damian Lewis is the season's breakout star, and "The Big Bang Theory," which continues to make me laugh on a weekly basis, thanks to not only leads Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons, but the supporting nerds as well.

— Stuart Levine

I'm not as unabashed a fan of "The Big Bang Theory" as some of my colleagues, but there is definitely something beguiling about the show, even when it's not laugh-out-loud funny. As goofy as the show's four braniacs are, there's a winning sincerity about them.

And though praises have been thoroughly sung for Jim Parsons as Sheldon, the actor who keeps me tuning in is Johnny Galecki as Leonard, who so charmingly yearns for something more in his life without ever abandoning his friends or even his own identity.

But I don't think any episode made me feel more upbeat about the "Bang" than this week's, when a single sip of alcohol* unleashed Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar), who for the show's entire run had been unable to utter a word to any woman. The way he suddenly opened up to Penny (Kaley Cuoco) was just the kind of unexpected comic surprise you hope for from a show that occasionally telegraphs its jokes a bit too much.

The clever twists didn't stop there, as Sheldon, without even being aware what he was doing, unexpectedly wooed Rajesh's date, foiling the marriage that Rajesh's parents were attempting to arrange. Without it even being the main part of the show, we got a glimpse of how Sheldon might actually connect with someone and how funny that could be.

While Leonard's relationships with Sheldon and Penny have been plenty nifty throughout the run of "Bang," other aspects of the show, such as Penny's one-note exchanges with the rest of the cast, were starting to feel like dead weight. Monday's episode renewed hope that there will be more "Bang" for the buck — assuming that the labor dispute sidelining its writers can ever be solved.

— Jon Weisman

*Speaking of vices, "Aliens in America" had its best episode in weeks as well, keyed by Raja's affinity for smoking (as well as a smart twist on the Veterans Day holiday). It was nice to see "Aliens" get away from the rut of pitting Raja and Justin against each other.

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

(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

Most of my fellow Season Passers didn't care for the pilot of "Carpoolers." Five of nine SPers panned the show; three of us (including myself) offered guarded praise in the form of one thumbs up. Only Variety ratings guru Rick Kissell granted the show a full, double-thumbed vote of confidence.

After watching tonight's second episode, it must be said: Kissell was right. I really dig the "Carpoolers." So much so, I'm adding it to my Season Pass list (though my lame Time Warner Cable DVR calls it a "series recording".)

What some critics wrongfully dismissed as misogynist and dull-- the New York Times called it "'Bewitched' with tollbooths"-- is actually shaping up as the most unexpected surprise of the season. The four lead characters are all being fleshed out well, and are emerging as more than just cliches. All roles are well played by the cast, particularly the should-be-more-famous Fred Goss and the subtle Jerry Minor.

Most of all, "Carpoolers" has a loopy spirit about it that just makes it fun to watch. There's the adult son named Marmaduke. A woman who only dates married men. The guys belting out "Come On, Eileen" with abandon.

At its best, "Carpoolers" comes close to channeling the spirit of the late, great "Arrested Development" (really). Part of that stems from the fact that the pilots of both shows were directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who find a way to make even the most mundane shots interesting.

It's been a pretty pathetic season for new comedies. NBC didn't have the guts to try a single new sitcom, while CBS's "Big Bang Theory" and Fox's "Back to You" just haven't gotten me excited, despite their solid pedigrees and winning casts. CW's "Aliens in America" is very good stuff, but it's on the CW, which means I've got to try extra hard to remember it's on....and with "How I Met Your Mother" and "Chuck" airing against it, it's never gonna be my first choice for the night.

But with "Carpoolers," ABC got it right. One more episode like Tuesday's, and I might just be ready to declare it the best new comedy of the year.

--Josef Adalian

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

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

With the 2007 Emmys behind us, the obsessed among us are free to wonder (and then seek psychological help thereafter) which actors from the crop of new network shows are most likely to grab nominations in 2008 .

Not an easy question to answer -- especially because the coming TV season will bring even more one-hours that could submit as comedy or drama, such as ABC's "Pushing Daisies" or CW's "Reaper."

For example, what happens with Lee Pace of the heralded "Daisies"? There are spots opening up in both the drama and comedy actor categories now that "The Sopranos" (James Gandolfini) and "Extras" (Ricky Gervais) have concluded their series runs. Putting aside the competition from returning actors who got passed over this year (ahem - Kyle Chandler), where would Pace best fit in? The show and his role might just be a 'tweener.

The most likely actor nominee from a new network series might be Peter Krause of "Dirty Sexy Money," another ABC show. If "Dirty" finds traction with viewers, Krause will benefit from a juicy role and his past nominee track record (three nods for "Six Feet Under," though no wins).

On the drama actress side, Edie Falco of "Sopranos" drops off the nominee list next year, but the category had an atypical six official candidates in '07, so that doesn't exactly free up a spot. Still, by stepping out of the popular but crowded "Grey's Anatomy" cast, Kate Walsh has the clearest path among network contenders to Emmy success via spinoff "Private Practice." 

Walsh's main challenges: The show needs to convince voters that it is better than de facto first episode last spring, and Glenn Close will carry big support from her towering presence on FX's "Damages." If "Practice" doesn't make perfect, perhaps Michelle Ryan of NBC's "Bionic Woman" will gain some voter momentum.

Among the laffers, there's no getting away from vets Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton of "Back to You" as the most likely to step into the '08 Emmy race. But keep an eye on Johnny Galecki from CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" and, if it were to submit as a comedy, Anna Friel of "Daisies."

Obviously, there are many more worthy possibilites than listed here -- including those on midseason replacements -- but as we go from Emmys to season premieres, I couldn't resist thinking out loud.

— Jon Weisman

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!