How to stay safe during sweeps week

Sweeps week is finally here. Delayed by the DTV transition that didn’t happen, the networks are ready to pull out all the stops to bring in huge ratings. And while many shows will use casting coups and gimmicks to pull in viewers, the following programs will be watched because they’re excellent.

What to watch
SHOW: “House”
EPISODE: “The Social
Contract”
WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday
on FOX
With all the complaining about the Foreman-Thirteen pairing and the lack of Chase and Cameron, you’d think “House” has taken a downward spiral into a creative abyss, but that is far from the truth. This season of the show has been the best since its second season. Even with the extra focus on characters most fans don’t care about, the writing is stronger than ever. This episode will see House look into something that Wilson and the best member of the new team, Taub, are hiding from him, so be on the lookout for some fun.

SHOW: “30 Rock”
EPISODE: “The Funcooker”
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Thursday on NBC
Though this season got off to a rough start with the overabundance of guest stars that didn’t quite work – hello, Jennifer Aniston – “30 Rock” recovered in the middle of the season with extremely strong episodes. This episode is a must-watch because there looks to be an emphasis on the writing staff of “TGS,” something that has been lacking since the show went broader with its humor this year. And another appearance by Chris Parnell’s Dr. Spaceman is bound to be awesome.

What to TiVo
SHOW: “Supernatural”
EPISODE: “Death Takes a Holiday”
WHEN: 9 p.m. Thursday
on the CW
I know people use the “best show you’re not watching” tag too often, but “Supernatural” is a sure-fire candidate for that moniker, no question. It might seem like it appeals only to the small audience that loves to be spooked, but the show is much more. Powered by one of the best writing staffs and a high self-awareness, no show mixes genres better. I say TiVo this one because it begins the final arc centering on the battle of demons and angels, and you must catch up online before. Seriously, do it right now.

SHOW: “United States of Tara”
EPISODE: “Abundance”
WHEN: 10 p.m. Sunday on Showtime
This isn’t one of my favorites, but everyone should check out “United States of Tara” at least once. This Showtime series deals with serious issues like dissociative identity disorder, but it does so in a touching yet somewhat humorous way. Toni Collette will most likely win numerous awards for her portrayal of Tara, and the rest of the cast brings its “A” game as well. This episode will see the return of Alice, the June Cleaver side of Tara, which means more emphasis on her relationship with her homosexual son Marshall.

Rant of the week
Not to beat a dead horse, but the CW made headlines again this week by picking up six shows for next season, including “One Tree Hill.” Now, I have no problem with “OTH” – in fact, I like the show. However, the CW has decided to bring the show back next year without locking up star Chad Michael Murray, which forced co-star Hilarie Burton out due to their story-line relationship.
Though the network is attempting damage control and said they’ll be back, Burton posted a video on her production company’s Web site more or less saying she’s gone. So why in the world would the CW bring the show back, now without 40 percent of its main cast and the clear heart of the program?
Because the CW sucks, that’s why.