With television schedules becoming year-round events, Fox has gotten an early jump on the network competition by announcing their mid-season lineup... and if you're a fan of Joss Whedon, prepare to be disappointed. Mr. Whedon's latest series, the Elisha Dushku-starring spy-thriller Dollhouse, has been stranded on Friday nights at 9 p.m. If that time slot sounds familiar to you, that's probably because it's where shows generally go to die (just ask CBS' The Ex-List) and where Mr. Whedon saw his last Fox venture, Firefly, meet an early grave.

Dollhouse has been a cursed endeavor for a while now.  read more »

The People's Choice Awards (a.k.a. the most meaningless of awards ceremonies) aired last night, although nobody watched it and actors received their awards like they were pox-diseased blankets from the pilgrims. Because celebrities refuse to cross the Writers Guild of America's picket lines, a "newsmagazine" version of the original ceremony aired. "Host" Queen Latifah giddily introduced the winners' previously recorded acceptance speeches. Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl, who plays the bleeding-heart baker Izzie Stevens, was named favorite female star, while Patrick Dempsey, "McDreamy", was the favorite male star; Chandra Wilson, who plays the feisty Miranda Bailey, won favorite scene stealer.  read more »

MONDAY

While the WGA is back at the negotiating table, locked up in some undisclosed location—e.g. not the Beverly Wilshire—and avoiding the press, the show must go on! (But keep those fingers crossed.) Tonight is the final round of competition in Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 9 PM). Marie Osmond has completely co-opted the fifth season of the reality series, what with her fainting, her father passing away, and her being the oldest woman to ever make it to the finals. (I bet she just loves that stat.) So just give the darn trophy to her and let’s go back to acting like this isn’t one of the most popular shows on television.

For some real competition, Samantha Who? (ABC, 9 PM)—which has been bumped up a half hour to make way for Notes From the Underbelly (ABC, 9:30 PM) making its second season debut—will go to head to head with Two and a Half Men (CBS, 9 PM)—the most popular half hour of comedy on TV, despite not being the least bit funny.

Bonus: a gaggle of hot models—Heidi Klum, Marisa Miller, Adriana Lima—do a bit of DVR hijacking for Victoria’s Secret on How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8 PM).   read more »