They are questions I get all the time, including in today's TV Q&A column: How much TV do you watch? How can you watch everything?

There's no set answer on the number of hours, but now that the 2005-2006 TV season is in full swing, I've settled into a prime-time viewing routine. I can't see everything, but I do make time for many prime-time programs.

Here's what I watch most weeks:

Sunday

It's so rare for a once-great TV show to recover from creative stumbles, but NBC's "The West Wing" has done just that. The show's return to greatness began last season with the start of the Santos and Vinick campaigns, and it's continuing this year with compelling episodes on the campaign trail and in the White House, particularly with Toby (Richard Schiff) and his fall from grace.

The "Desperate Housewives" backlash has begun, and though I agree with much of the criticism of the ABC show -- not enough of the women together; no story to unite them; Alfre Woodard should have been incorporated into the Wisteria Lane coffee klatsch before viewers learned she's got a guy locked in the basement -- I haven't given up it yet.

I continue to watch "Rome" on HBO even though it's confusing for anyone without a strong background in ancient Roman history (myself included). I also catch occasional episodes of HBO's "Extras" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."

Monday

Fox's "Arrested Development" and CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" make a don't-miss comedy block at 8 p.m. After that, I sometimes watch Fox's "Prison Break," but I find it even more ludicrous than "24" (empty space behind cell walls?).

Occasionally I record "Surface," but the only story line I seem to care about is the "ET" rip-off with the kids. I also keep tabs on "7th Heaven" and "Two and a Half Men" now and then.

Tuesday

I'm tired of the Lorelai-Rory (Lauren Graham-Alexis Bledel) estrangement. Without their banter (full of smart, witty dialogue), Bledel's shortcomings as an actress really show, but I still tune in for The WB's "Gilmore Girls."

At 9 p.m. I watch ABC's "Commander In Chief" and tape NBC's excellent comedies, "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office."

I like "Commander," but the writers need to make Geena Davis' president occasionally fallible, and Donald Sutherland's speaker of the house needs to become more multidimensional and quit twirling his nonexistent mustache in a cliche of evil. I also keep tabs on Fox's "House," tuning in when I can.

At 10 p.m. I watch "Boston Legal" on ABC and FX's "Nip/Tuck," ridiculous show that it is.

Wednesday

Not much worth watching at 8, but at 9 p.m. I tune in to ABC for "Lost," excellent in its second season, and catch UPN's "Veronica Mars" later on my DVR. I've already given up on ABC's "Invasion," which gave little story advancement in the two episodes that followed the promising pilot.

At 10, I watch new episodes of "South Park," and every night I record "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central.

Thursday

I tried to stick with NBC's "Joey" but gave up in frustration; I am much more satisfied watching UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris." I'm still sticking with "Will & Grace," although last week's snoozer-of-an-episode has me rethinking that decision.

I've quit ABC's "Alias" and am on and off with "The O.C." (Fox) and "Smallville" (The WB) in my ongoing effort to limit the number of tapes of shows that stack up and require my attention on weekends.

"Everwood" remains my Thursday-night favorite, a touching, sometimes-dramatic, sometimes-comedic character-driven drama that's the buried gem in The WB's prime-time lineup.

Friday and Saturday

Those are my nights off, at least until new episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" return to Sci Fi Channel's Friday lineup in January.

Though I don't watch them regularly, I do check in on some of TV's longest-running hits -- "Survivor," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Law & Order" -- from time to time, but one person can't watch everything every week.

Shameless plug

TV Guide unveiled its new, larger format earlier this month, and in case you're a disgruntled TV Guide subscriber, here's a comparison of listings in the new TV Guide with those in the Post-Gazette's TV Week, found in the Sunday PG.

TV Guide has dropped its 24-hour listings and no longer offers local market editions, so there's no way to know what's airing on network affiliates outside of prime time. TV Guide also dropped the VCR Plus numbers.

TV Guide has 55 channels listed in daytime, 35 in late night and early morning and 80 in prime time.

The Post-Gazette's TV Week continues to offer 24-hour listings (including VCR Plus numbers) of 59 channels in daytime and late night, and 90 channels in prime time.

WTAE promotes WPXI

As of yesterday, when you pointed your browser to WTAE's Web site, you could read a promo for WPXI's "Desktop Alert".

	WTAE As of yesterday afternoon, when you pointed your browser to WTAE's Web site, you could see this display about WPXI's "Desktop Alert". Click photo for larger image.

A co-worker discovered the blooper and wondered how it could have happened. Web sites for both WPXI and WTAE are managed by a company called Internet Broadcasting, and I suspect somewhere along the line, wires got crossed.

TV themes cabaret

Thousands of Pittsburghers took in a U2 concert at Mellon Arena Saturday night, but I was perfectly happy to be among a smaller crowd for "Christine Laitta's TV Toons Sing-a-Long!" at the CLO Late Night Cabaret, Downtown.

The show was a fun time, and the talented Laitta was a pitch-perfect host, dressing up as the lead character from "Alice," wearing a "Golden Girls" T-shirt and inviting audience members to re-enact the checkerboard opening of "The Brady Bunch."

Here's hoping Laitta and her talented music ensemble will be invited back to get additional audiences singing classic TV tunes.

Channel surfing

WTAE meteorologist Don Schwenneker was interviewed by "Inside Edition" (7 p.m., WTAE) for a piece to run today about the Nicolas Cage movie "The Weather Man." ... Pittsburgher David Conrad, who stars in CBS's "Ghost Whisperer" (8 tonight, KDKA) will be running in the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend in Washington, D.C., to raise funds for Destination Cure, a no-profit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for multiple sclerosis.

TV Q&A

This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "Missing" on Lifetime, local TV stations and their early winter weather obsession, and reruns turning up in October. Click here to read it now.