'TIL DEATH - and Beyond

In a week when I was planning on discussing the return of 24 and AMERICAN IDOL, FOX is rocking the world with news that is completely unexpected.

'TIL DEATH has been renewed.

Not just renewed, mind you. 'TIL DEATH has been given a full 22 episode order for a fourth season.

Huh?

'TIL DEATH was never a brilliant sitcom. It was marginal at best, but the original premise had promise. A pair of newlyweds move in next door to a couple that has been married for 25 years.

Unfortunately, that premise got tossed to the curb, along with the actors playing the newlyweds during the writer's strike. When 'TIL DEATH returned from the strike hiatus, it was a completely different show - and not for the good.

Seven episodes from the current season remain unaired. The last time we saw Brad Garrett was in an embarrassing YouTube video. The last time we saw him in 'TIL DEATH was back in October. Ratings were too poor for the show to get any airings during the all important November sweeps.

So the questions is "For the love of God, why?"

The answer is remarkably simple. Sony, the producer of the show, offered a drastic cut in the licensing deal for the show for a fourth season. Even with marginal numbers, the economics of the show suddenly become much more attractive for FOX. And with the 22 additional episodes, Sony has a product available for syndication that will have 83 episodes instead of 61.

Never mind the fact that it's really a library of 31 episodes of the original sitcom and 52 episodes of the lesser version.

Oh well. You get what you pay for.

Random Thoughts: 041207

Some random TV thoughts....

It took 17 hours for Jack Bauer to shake off whatever it was the Chinese did to him. I was feeling a bit disappointed with this season of 24 - until Jack killed this season's bad guy with his bare hands. 24 has 'unjumped' the shark and The Jack Bauer Power Hour is back

Starting to get pumped up about DRIVE. Captain Tightpants (Nathan Fillion from FIREFLY) and ANGEL's Fred (Amy Acker) headline a pretty good looking cast in another Tim Minear project - that FOX will probably toss on the ash heap before its time. I hope not.

'TIL DEATH has had its season finale. It's still not a great show, but it's getting better. My guess is that it will be back next year.

Last Friday the History Channel aired PLANET OF THE APES. Huh? It worked. I watched the whole thing - plus the special about Giganticus/Sasquatch that followed.

There a marathon of Eddie Izzard's THE RICHES on FX this weekend. Check it out.

I'm going to wait one more episode to comment on THE SOPRANOS.

Next week - Sanjaya WILL be in the bottom three. But he won't go home until we're down to the Top 5.

I've started pulling for Blake.

It's been a long haul over the past month - no new episodes of GILMORE GIRLS, SMALLVILLE or HEROES. If it weren't for the new subscription to HBO - and all the movies I don't have time to watch - my TiVo would be very bored.

What's going on on your set? What are you watching? What are you NOT watching?