Uh oh.

TV’s new No. 1 network (sorry, CBS) announced its new lineup at yesterday’s upfronts and it’s pitting “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” against NBC’s “Chuck.”

That’s bad news for sci-fi/action fans who like both shows and good news for ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars,” which crushes almost everything in its path, and CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother,” which often scored higher ratings than “Terminator” or “Chuck’s” 8 million some-odd viewers. Without a shift in time slot and because the fall run of “Chuck” rarely if ever conflicted with the spring run of “Terminator,” I’m guessing one of those action shows will be canceled by season’s end.

There’s interesting news for “Idol” fans, who have been abandoning the No. 1 show in droves lately. The Wednesday night results show has mercifully been reduced to a half-hour. It’s one thing to keep an audience wondering; it’s another to bore them to tears. Long overdue move there.

As for new fall shows, the network is debuting only two. “Fringe” (pictured right) is a one-hour sci-fi drama by an up-and-comer by the name of J.J. Abrams. Slated to air Tuesdays this fall before “House,” “Fringe” stars former “Mighty Duck” trilogy/”Dawson’s Creek” star Joshua Jackson as a scientist who investigates paranormal activity with a female FBI agent.

The other fall debut is “Do Not Disturb” (formerly called “The Inn”), a half-hour Wednesday comedy starring recent “Carpoolers” star Jerry O’Connell as the general manager of a hotel and “Reno: 911’s” hilarious Niecy Nash.

Like any J.J. Abrams project (see: “Lost” and “Cloverfield”), “Fringe” has a lot of buzz. And it’s hard to frown upon anything affiliated with an “Arrested Development” alum, who in this case is Jason Bateman; he directed the “Do Not Disturb” pilot.

In the spring, expect more debuts: The Joss Whedon project “Dollhouse,” starring Eliza Dushku, whom I’m convinced is most famous for being hot; the animated “The Cleveland Show,” a “Family Guy” spinoff; and another animated series, “Class Dismissed” (or “Sit Down, Shut Up,” depending on the source) featuring voice-overs by “Arrested Development” stars Bateman and “30 Rock” regular Will Arnett. Also in the mix is “Secret Millionaire,” a reality show version of “The Prince and the Pauper.”

Beyond that, expect a lot of familiar fare (”Idol,” “House” and the 20th[!] season of “The Simpsons”), including a ton of reality programming ranging from the inane (”Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader”) to the insane (”The Moment of Truth”). And if someone wants to tell me why “Prison Break” is still on the air, I’d be willing to listen.

Among the shows not to return this fall are two sitcoms with great stars but poor execution: the Parker Posey-Lauren Ambrose vehicle “The Return of Jezebel James” and the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton-led “Back to You.”

After the break, check out the full Fox fall schedule for 2008. (Thanks to BuddyTV and E! for making this easy for me.) Read more of this entry »

Poor Pam, poor Jim.

Ah hell, they’ll get over it.

Sorry, I don’t mean to be callous. But even as the final five minutes or so of “Goodbye, Toby”, last night’s season finale of The Office, left me with mixed emotions about what was a stellar episode, I’m still not worried about Jim and Pam.

They’re as good as engaged, even if Andy did steal Jim’s thunder—and his fireworks, Ferris Wheel and mood music. And as heartbroken as Pam looked, she was anything but. Disappointed, sure. Jim, too. But he’s been carrying that ring around for nine months. He’ll find his moment again, and they’ll get started on that family Pam mentioned.

That’s right, Pam talked about her and Jim having a family. Stick that in your Casino Night and smoke it.

Michael, on the other hand, is the heartbreaking one. True love stares him in the face, in the form of the lovely, captivating and surprisingly playful Holly Flax (Oscar nominee Amy Ryan’s wonderfully named HR rep). But he can’t turn his back on his dreams of fatherhood, even if the real father of his love child is an unnamed donor whose, umm, specimen meant more to Jan Levenson than Michael’s own.

Yesterday I predicted Jan would be pregnant and Kevin would steal the show, and I’m claiming bragging rights on both counts. I was wrong about Toby staying and about Jim and Pam getting engaged. But I did say Ryan would be demoted or deported, and I’m thinking his arrest for corporate fraud makes me at least half-right.

Fine, this was no “Casino Night”. It might not even surpass “The Job”. But it was an amazing capstone to an uneven season, the second half of which saw a return to form by my Office. It was a clinic of awkward pauses, documentarily appropriate settings, believable twists and heartbreaking turns that concluded with neither a tidal wave of angst nor a sickly sweet porridge of fairy tale endings or sitcom-efficient tidiness.

I don’t feel great about everything that happened, but I won’t confuse my feelings about the characters I’m so invested in with the direction of the show I’m passionate about. I’m worried about the former, but I enter the summer hiatus feeling better than ever about the latter.

So step back from the ledges, Jammmers, while I try and sort out Toby’s last day.

Quote machine Andrew D’Ambrosi pretty much did nothing right when he made his sushi roll boxed lunch for the Chicago Police Academy, but I was still hoping that somehow Lisa Fernandes’ almost-as-terrible dish and unsportsmanlike behavior at the judges’ table might be reason enough to send her home instead.

But as much as Andrew might have been my favorite contestant from a personality standpoint, Lisa appears to be the better chef, so I can’t be too upset with the judges’ decision to kick out the guy who unintentionally (on the Elimination Challenge) and intentionally (in all other contexts) went “against the grain.”

Or can I? I thought things were a bit off (and forced) when Antonia Lofaso described Lisa as “strong female competition,” especially because Lisa would be in the bottom bracket for the last four Elimination Challenges by the end of that episode. Compare that to Andrew, who had been in the top Elimination Challange bracket for the previous three. Hmm.

Plus, I happen to agree that as nutso as Andrew is, he wouldn’t have thrown Lisa under the bus at the judges’ table; after all, not only did he did mention to her in the kitchen that her shrimp might have too much cholesterol for a health-oriented challenge, but he didn’t mention it until provoked.

Regardless, I’ve always had fun watching Andrew. Whether he was wearing a too-tight football helmet for the Bears tailgate challenge, proposing an Oompa-Loompa presentation for the movie challenge, cursing for no apparent reason, expressing his culinary (love) for staying up to cook for 14 hours straight or just being awesome, Andrew was the most entertaining contestant since C.J. Jacobsen in Season 3.

I mean, how could you not love a guy who gave us this sound byte at the beginning of what wound up being his last episode?

I woke up today with a f***ing fire inside my stomach, like, either I’m going to stab somebody or I’m going to make some amazing food.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, meet the Oceanic 6.

And please, immediately start poking holes in their cover story.

Wow, anyone else literally jumping up in down in frustration when you realized that we have to wait TWO weeks to find out what was teased so brilliantly last night?

“Lost” always presents questions, of course, and I’m sure the show’s final two hours on May 29 will leave us with some hum-dingers. But it seems that the finale will indeed answer a few things that have been killing us since the season began—heck, since last season ended.

How do the Oceanic 6 make it off the island? Why were these six castaways the chosen ones? And why do they have to tell a boatload of lies about the crash?

It’s like we’re about to finish the second leg of a triathlon: We’re so excited about completing most of the race, but the finish line is still way off in the distance.

Anyway, let’s kick off our recap with a rundown of what happens to each of the Oceanic 6 after they’re rescued.

The episode opened with the group in the back of a cargo plane, on their way to a military base in Hawaii. Jack tells an Oceanic flunky that they’ll talk to reporters when they get there, and once she leaves, he turns to the rest to get their stories straight.

Earlier in the season, I thought that Widmore’s people or another shadowy organization may have forced the O6 into their cover story, possibly by threatening those left behind on the island.

But now it seems that Jack is the one urging everyone to lie, and they’re all happy to go along. Which is way creepier than if they didn’t have much of a choice. What on earth happened to them to make them seemingly betray their friends?

Once at the base, the reunion scene was poignant. First, the relief to be home was so evident on all the Sixers’ faces.

And the fact that no one was there to greet Kate and Sayid was heartbreaking. But they seemed to be embraced by the others as part of their families: Hurley dragging Sayid over to meet his parents was sweet.

Bittersweet, though, because as the episode went on, you realized that all this togetherness, this friendship, is eventually going to go terribly, terribly wrong.

Been a bit remiss about blogging BSG lately, other than my musings on Starbuck (during which I completely forgot that we’re dealing with a 40-year time period that’s passed, so it’s unlikely – though not impossible – that Starbuck was that young blonde girl in “Razor”) and the blog carnival.

But we learned that Eric Stoltz has joined the Caprica prequel cast to play the yin to Esai Morales’ yang.

Stoltz plays Daniel Graystone, the patriarch of the other major family at the heart of this prequel movie/back-door pilot. Alessandra Toressani plays his daughter, Zoe. Morales plays Joseph Adama, daddy to William. (Everything you need to know about Caprica is in these posts.)

Then, we have this really fabulous interview the Boston Globe did with Edward James Olmos. He shares a lot about the feelings on the set without spoiling anything at all.

Take this comment:

It is bleak. And it is getting darker. This last season has gotten to the point where we end up crying a lot. Emotional breakdowns. It’s human drama. And when you perform in it, you’re inside of it. A lot of people are dead. I’m not going to say who, because why ruin it for people, but a lot of us die.

Here’s a peek ahead at tonight’s episode, “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner”:

Download:

Then, we have the What the Frak recap of “Faith”:

Download:

Come back tonight about 11:30 p.m. or so for my insta-recap/analysis of “Guess Who.”

Photo courtesy of NBC Universal. 

For about two months now, it was only a matter of who would finish third leading up to the all-David finale for which the producers and judges have shamelessly shilled.

That meant comeback kid Syesha Mercado—the drop-dead gorgeous victim of seemingly endless bottom 2’s and 3’s and the kind of unwarranted judges’ criticism matched only by Carly Smithson—finally bid adieu at the end of last night’s results show.

But what a run it was. From moment one, I knew Syesha had potential. When the Top 24 was revealed, I wrote, “Fine, I’ll say it. If there’s any justice, she’s the ‘American Idol’ for Season 7.”

More than three months later, I’m not quite as sold on what I wrote then. David Cook’s been the season’s most buzz-worthy and consistent contestant, albeit just shy of the innovative Blake Lewis in terms of commentary worthy of the water cooler. David Archuleta’s “Imagine” might have been the best performance of the season, despite it happening so soon in the voting process that he peaked with that song among viewers older than 16. And since Elliott Yamin, I don’t think I’ve rooted harder for any contestant more than I have for Carly, whose brilliance was dulled only by the occasional poor song choice and the frequent malaise of Judges’ Row.

But other than those three, I challenge you to name a better performer and pure singer to grace the “Idol” stage this season. The only song from Tuesday’s show to circle through my head was Syesha’s sexy, solid and fully choreographed version of “Fever,” which she selected for herself without the burden of a weekly theme (what a concept!). Upon first glance, viewers might have seen it as an easy way for the actress to land parts in Broadway productions; but a more savvy fan might realize that with every swayed hip and crossed leg, she was making a point of reaching a demographic that worries not about boyish sensibilities or pop-friendly rock. She was selling herself as a sexy R&B star in a much more viable way than the lame song from “Happy Feet” ever could. (Note to producers: Forcing two out of three songs upon contestants in the second-to-last week seems more unfair than fair; yes, even more unfair than picking a “hit” from the Neil Diamong songbook.)

This is not to say Syesha didn’t have her faults. Read more of this entry »

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states it simply:

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Problem is, sometimes the bad guys aren’t actually bad. Take Audrey Raines’ estranged husband: he hadn’t actually done anything wrong, it just appeared that he had a connection to the bad guys. Or how about when Jack held Audrey off the floor by her neck, thinking she was a mole? Only Jack’s love for her and disbelief that she could be involved with the bad guys stopped him from really hurting her.

I’ve read many articles by rabid fans of 24 who wonder how they can enjoy it so much when they feel so strongly that torture is wrong.

But the thing is, how often does Jack actually get decent intel out of the torture? Even when his brother, Graeme, confessed to being behind the assassination of David Palmer and other nefarious crimes, he still didn’t confess the whole truth, or give up his dad as the mastermind behind it all.

The suspense is killing me as much as the dread of those final credits rolling is chilling me.

I think I can safely say I speak for The Office fandom when I say I can’t wait for it to get here, and I don’t want it to be over. So with less than five hours to go, I leave you these tidbits of Office-ness to get you through the homestretch.

TVGuide.com caught up with Melora Hardin (in Scottsdale, Ariz., presumably), and she dishes on the finale. Did you know Melora’s going to be in the upcoming Hannah Montana movie?

TVGuide.com: Have you ever had a relationship with someone you worked with?
Hardin: I have, and I in fact I met my husband at a wrap party of a movie I starred in, so I guess you could consider that an office romance, being that wrap parties are part of my office setting.

TVGuide.com: So what’s next for Jan and Michael?
Hardin: I can’t tell you very much. But the season finale is when people need to tune in, because there’s lot of surprises, but we may see Jan. Jan’s not going away.

Here’s my favorite, from “Sexual Harassment”…

Michael: Toby is in HR, which technically means he works for Corporate. So he’s really not a part of our family. Also, he’s divorced, so he’s really not a part of his family.

“Life was his sentence,” defense attorney Contance Griffiths (Brooke Langton) says of exonerated client Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) on NBC’s “Life.” “And life was what he got back.”

But fans of the drama — which returns this fall in the 10 p.m. Friday time slot, where it has the potential to become the Peacock Network’s “House” — have to ask themselves, What kind of life is it?

As we commemorate Human Rights’ Day, we’re regularly confronted on the news with real-life Charlies — men, and women, who’ve serious time for serious crimes they didn’t commit and who were finally exonerated thanks to the new forensics technology. (My favorite recently was Cynthia Sommer, who was convicted of poisoning her Marine hubby, basically because she slept around and got a boob job with the insurance money after he was gone. The case is known on the Web as the Boob Job Murder. Hey, just because you act like a hussy doesn’t make you a killer.)

I don’t have to tell you that few of the exonerated get the sweetheart deal Charlie did — a $50 million settlement from the Los Angeles Police Department, where he was a uniformed officer, plus his job back with an upgrade to detective, and all that $50 million can buy — the mansion, the orange grove, the parade of cool, soon-to-be-discarded cars and cool, equally disposable girlfriends. Then there’s the also-beautiful, also-damaged partner; the sympathetic roomie; the eager stepmom-to-be; the tough but fair-minded boss; the guilt-ridden ex-partner. Sounds like a solid support system, right? This is, after all, TV.

But the truth is Charlie lost the life he knew— the lovely wife he had, the children he might’ve. Indeed, he is not the man he used to be, no man could be after being so brutalized.

Sunday, Nov. 24.

8 to 10 p.m.

Set your DVR now.

At today’s upfront (full coverage by Chris to come later today, but I had to jump in w/the news now, I mean, c’mon!), it was announced that the two-hour Season 7 prequel (known to Blogs4Bauer as Season 6.5) would air on that weekend before Thanksgiving. Just so we have something to be thankful for.

Here’s what Fox had to say about it:

Shot on location in South Africa, Jack Bauer battles an international crisis, while here at home the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking place just a few months before the new day dawns, the prequel will set the stage and raise the stakes for Season Seven. “We’re excited about the prequel because it explores Jack’s complex emotional state of mind and still has all the signature excitement and suspense that fans have come to expect from 24,” commented executive producer Howard Gordon. “Shooting in South Africa affirms everyone’s commitment to making this season especially memorable for our fans.”

Here’s the official description of Season 7:

Set in Washington, DC, “Day 7″ finds CTU dismantled and Jack Bauer on trial. Bauer’s day takes an unexpected turn when former colleague TONY ALMEIDA (Carlos Bernard) returns. Meanwhile, President ALLISON TAYLOR (Cherry Jones) leads the country alongside White House Chief of Staff ETHAN KANIN (Bob Gunton) and First Gentleman HENRY TAYLOR (Colm Feore). A national security crisis prompts an investigation by a team of FBI agents including Agent JANIS GOLD (Janeane Garofalo), Agent RENEE WALKER (Annie Wersching), Agent LARRY MOSS (Jeffrey Nordling), Agent SEAN HILLINGER (Rhys Coiro) and security specialist MICHAEL LATHAM (John Billingsley). Although CTU is no longer, CHLOE O’BRIAN (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and BILL BUCHANAN (James Morrison) are back for another momentous day of shocking events.

When fellow RA’er Amy Vernon brought the idea to me to use our little TV Blog as a platform to help raise public awareness about human rights, my reaction was rather Grey’s Anatomy-esque.

I thought, seriously?

I mean, I’m all for human rights—I know, who isn’t?—and I knew Amy wouldn’t have suggested it if it wasn’t a good idea.

But I write about the antics of Tracy Jordan and Dwight Schrute. When I get serious I delve into the heart of Jim and Pam’s relationship or Sarah Connor’s dilemma as a single mom raising the leader of the resistance against a futuristic army of homocidal cyborgs.

My point is, I don’t deal a lot with reality in this blog. And it doesn’t get more real than human rights. But if vigilance is the best, perhaps the only defense against rights abuses, then I figures even a humble TV blog ought to play its part. Read more of this entry »

I don’t want it to be over, not so soon after it finally came back.

The Office began the season not only with high hopes for a return to its former greatness after a wayward third season but also flush with an embarrassing wealth of 30 new half-hour installments.

Jim and Pam were happy finally. Ryan leap-frogged Michael and shook up the corporate hierarchy. Dwight and Angela hit the skids. Sure, Michael drove into a lake, but for the most part things were copasetic.

Then the strike hit. For 100 days we waited, and when a deal was reached between the writers and the studios, we waited another 58 days while production ramped up again. Read more of this entry »

I’ve been SO far behind in my blogging on Jericho that I’m dreadfully embarrassed. I don’t even have an entry in this week’s edition of the Blog Carnival, hosted wonderfully by Erika/kricka over at Short Story Life.

I’d been saving up so many links that I’ll give you a carnival-day bonus, a quick linkapalooza.
• Join in the Second Annual DVDs For The Troops Campaign. What’s that? Simple: help purchase Jericho Season 2 DVDs to send to the troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year’s campaign was such a success that Amazon.com is helping out with pooled donations. Click on the above link for all the details. In addition, Jericho4Kids is doing a raffle of cast autographs for those who donate.
• The efforts to find a new home for Jericho continue to get press. Besides the SciFi Channel and Comcast, which previously had been cited, the afore-linked-to article mentions the Hallmark Channel.
• OK, we knew this already, but Jericho was one of the top time-shifted programs on broadcast television in January, February, March and April. Not that that mattered to CBS.
• Nice post about the keep Jericho alive movements.
• Great video on YouTube.
• About the Nuts to Nielsen movement.
• The Jericho page on a South African network’s website.
• Where you can see Sprague, April and other Jericho actresses elsewhere on the dial.
• Students in Boca Raton learned about civics and economics using Jericho as a real-life case study.
• Variety gets shelled. The nuts are yummy, they say!
• CBS may have canceled Jericho, but the net couldn’t cancel Jerichon! (May 23, 24, 25, & 26 in Oakley, Kansas.)
• Another Nuts To Nielsen! article, from The Tampa Tribune. NorsU is interviewed.
• And another, Nielsen is based near Tampa. This one’s from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
• Jericho4Kids interviews J.D. Streett from the Jericho special effects team.
• Dan Shotz and Jon Steinberg talk to IFMagazine.
• More on Nuts to Nielsen, from BuddyTV.
• And here’s one more.
• And a last one, from Forbes.com, not about nuts or Nielsens, but about News Corp.’s president, Peter Chernin, who wants to bring Hollywoood kicking and screaming into the Internet age.

Just for kicks, I transcribed Dwight’s Schrute’s letter in response to John McCain’s recent offer to make him vice president (refresh your memories here), which Rainn Wilson read aloud on The Tonight Show last night.

My fellow Americans and select Canadians,

My name is Dwight K. Schrute. Recently it was brought to my attention that a presidential candidate has selected me as his vice president, or as I prefer to call it, assistant president of the United States. I was not surprised by this information because I am the only suitable choice. As for Mr. Jonathan McCain, I will accept your offer old man, but before I do certain terms must be agreed upon.

• One, I may pilot Air Force One whenever I want, and while I’m doing so I’m only to be addressed as Ice Man.


• Effective immediately Jack Bauer is promoted to Secretary of Defense.


• I demand full government financing of research programs into the beet as an alternative energy source. Beet juice is cheaper than gasoline and better tasting.


• My bunker must contain a foosball table and be zombie-proof.


• Secret Service members are to be armed with nun-chuks, throwing stars and flamethrowers.


• I would like a flamethrower.


• I would like an Iron Man outfit.


• My current employer Michael Scott has asked to be ambassador to Hawaii or the governor of Florida or King of Tahiti, whichever.

All of the above items are negotiable except for the flamethrower. Basically if you give me a flamethrower, I’m on board.

In conclusion I will display complete loyalty to my president and America. And at 3 a.m. when the phone rings in the White House, I won’t even hear it. I’m a very sound sleeper.Vote Schrute!

Dwight K. Schrute.

Photos: Rainn Wilson (NBC Universal); Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, host Jon Stewart during a taping of The Daily Show May 7 (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

So you may have heard that producer Damon Lindelof was quoted awhile back saying there would be a “spectacular kiss” in this season’s finale.

And that smooch is one of his favorite moments so far in the entire SERIES!

Later, ol’ Lindy spilled that the kiss wouldn’t happen on the island.

Then your feverish little brains probably went haywire, trying to figure out who the fantastic couple could be.

Jack and Kate?

Faithful Jaters seem to think so, especially after the recent flash-forward episode had the couple engaged and playing Mommy and Daddy to Aaron (although that didn’t seem to end so well).

Sawyer and Kate?

Skaters have pointed to the same episode, when Kate confessed to a secret promise made to Sawyer. That showed our Southern boy—even though he’s presumably back on the island—still had the power to come between Jate.

I say: No way!

Be honest: Would either of those scenarios truly blow your mind? Been there, done that.

But what about Claire and Aaron?

I’ll admit I was on board with this possibility at first. Big emotional moment, a total sobfest as Aaron gets taken away from his mommy, right?

But that was before Claire went all undead on us, abandoning Aaron to hang out with Ghost Daddy Christian and act creepy in Jacob’s cabin.

Now here’s who I REALLY think will lock lips before the season ends on May 29.

Are you ready?

PENNY and DESMOND!!

Yes, I’m thinking that our star-crossed lovers—she’s his constant, yay!—will reunite and that’s going to be one of the whiz-bang moments that “Lost” loves to leave us with.

Read on to find out why…

For the past few weeks, some of you may have noticed the badge in our blog’s sidebar that declares today as the day that Bloggers Unite for Human Rights.

We at Remote Access decided to join in, writing about topics that relate to some of the shows we watch and write about.

First off, at 12:30 p.m., Brian Howard uses The Office as a springboard to talk about the inherent right people have to work and earn a living to support their families.

At 3 p.m., Georgette Gouveia discusses Life and what society owes the wrongly imprisoned.

Finally, at 5 p.m., Amy Vernon addresses 24 and the issue of torture. Just because it works for Jack Bauer, does that make it right?

We’ll update this post as the day goes on to hyperlink to each of the aforementioned posts.

Please feel free to join in the discussion throughout the day.

Well, this just bites it, doesn’t it? CBS has decided to put a stake through the hearts of scores of “Moonlight” fans by axing the romantic vampire detective series from its fall offerings. This after the show was beginning to garner that all-important four-letter quality — buzz — turning up regularly in magazines like  TV Guide and People.

I have no doubt that Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles and company will live to act another day. But still, what a disappointment. And for what? For shows about phony psychics and uncompromising investigative scientists and klutzy family guys and equally clumsy guys in love and destination weddings from hell and, oh, why even bother. We’ve seen it all before.

Honestly, I would gladly sacrifice “How I Met Your Mother” and “Rules of Engagement” (mid-season replacement) for “Moonlight.” Both suffer from “Friends”-itis. You know, the whole is supposed to be greater than the sum of its parts. Only on “Mother” and “Rules,” the whole is as uninspired as the parts.

That said, I’m happy to see Rufus Sewell (the uncompromising investigative scientist) and Simon Baker (the phony psychic) in the Eye Network’s lineup on “The Eleventh Hour” and “The Mentalist” respectively.

Sewell is a character actor trapped in the body of a Byronic leading man, which is probably why he blows hot and cold and never became a big star. Still, if you ever saw the miniseries “Middlemarch,” you know just how compelling he can be.

Baker has been a favorite ever since he galvanized CBS’ underappreciated “The Guardian.” There he was near-perfect as an incredibly self-centered lawyer and convicted cokehead — the product of  a disastrous marriage — who was forced to develop some compassion while doing community service as a children’s advocate. The show was often heart-breaking TV, but it never got the traction it deserved.

Now Baker’s starring as a sham psychic-turned-detective, a role he’ll ace since he’s great at playing amoral men. But really it sounds suspiciously like “Psych” meets “Monk,” while “The Eleventh Hour” sounds like “House” meets “Bones” meets any of the “CSI”s.

Paging Yogi Berra.