Jonathan Storm: Good morning, everybody. Rob Owen and I got up at 6 a.m. to do all our work before starting on this at 8 a.m. in sunny Southern California where we're learning all about the new fall season. Post your questions and comments.

Comment From morales: Any update on when HBO's Boardwalk Empire will debut? Thanks

RobOwen: HBO execs said they're waiting to see a cut of the pilot and if they like it, they're ready to proceed to series production in Sept. So it's a ways before it actually airs. I would guess late summer or fall 2010 at the earliest.

Jonathan Storm: The execs were all hot and lathered about it, though. Martin Scorsese directing, and unless he comes in with some three-hour monstrosity (which he has been known to do), it should be a go and worth waiting for.

Comment From morales: Appreciate it, looking forward to that show, my sister works with the guy who wrote the book.

Comment From billy: Hey guys, anything on a new season of Nip/Tuck?

Jonathan Storm: I don't know a blessed thing, except that there is one.

RobOwen: I think there are two more rounds of episodes yet to air. I know production wrapped this summer. No air dates yet.

Jonathan Storm: I think Nip/Tuck the surgically enhanced shark a couple of years ago.

Jonathan Storm: It jumped the shark.

Jonathan Storm: Like I said, it's early, and it's getting pretty exhausting keeping up will all these network folk.

Comment From dean: when is curb your enthusiam starting ?

RobOwen:

Sept. 20.

Comment From Jamie: What do you know about the next season of One Tree Hill?

Jonathan Storm: It will skeevy and unblievable. Lots of sex.

RobOwen: I know it will have some new stars -- Robert Buckley and Austin Nichols -- since Chad Michael Murray and one of the women (Hillary Burton, I think) left the show. Don't know much beyond that.

Jonathan Storm: That show mystifies me, but then I have absolutely nothing to do with the audience it seeks.

Comment From jamie: was that sarcasm?

Jonathan Storm: Yes. Sarcasm. One Tree Hill is not my cup of tea.

Jonathan Storm: Too bad Ellen Gray is in Ireland on vacation. She likes it and always sticks up for it as "a guilty pleasure."

RobOwen: Really? I would not have guessed Ellen to be a fan.

Jonathan Storm: Ellen has weird taste. But she thinks the same of me. And we love each other.

Comment From aud: so you've been out there in LA-LA Land with all the heavy hitters...who's hot, who's not

Jonathan Storm:

Poor NBC is trying desperately to pretend that these are the good old days. Though it does have a couple of new shows I like, Community in the fall (sitcom) and Parenthood, dramatic remake of movie and sitcom, in the winter.

CBS is as hot as CBS can be. No. 1 and all that. And their "The Good Wife" is one of the best new pilots.

RobOwen: It's L.A., so just about everyone is hot, as in attractive. In terms of hot TV shows, I'm not sure there have been many. Warm, yes. Hot, not so sure. I'll be interested in what the "Glee" panel says today. about upcoming episodes That show certainly has a following online, but will it get enough viewers to survive?

Jonathan Storm: I love Glee. It is a new show, but it's premiere was last May so I tend to forget it. It will be fun this afternoon to see all the kids again.

Comment From Jordan: Thanks for taking my question...how do you feel about how Entourage is progressing this season and where it's going the balance of the season...

Jonathan Storm: Another one that's jumped the shark, IMHO.

RobOwen: Meh. I'm kind of over "Entourage." I keep watching but the concept ran out of gas a few seasons back.

Jonathan Storm: We're not exactly being totally helpful to all our loyal chatters. Sorry.

Comment From sam: When does the new Family Guy start?

RobOwen: Sept. 27.

Jonathan Storm:

Aha!

Comment From jaden: Hello, Any True Blood Spoilers? This has been the best show of the summer in my opinion. what do you guys think of it?

RobOwen: All I know is Rachel Evan Wood is coming in as some sort of vampire queen late in the season. I had mixed feelings about "True Blood" in its first season but I think it is much more entertaining and leaps better this year. I still find myself uninterested in Bill and Sookie but adding Jessica to the mix makes Bill and Sookie a lot more interesting. Love the supporting cast, especially Tara.

Jonathan Storm: I don't deal in spoilers. Because they spoil things. I don't even look at the previews at the end of every episode because I don't want to know what's going to happen in advance. I adore True Blood. And this is no spoiler, but Evan Rachel Wood, who used to be a little kid but is now about as hot as they come, is going to play Queen of the Vampires.

RobOwen: Oops, meant Evan Rachel Wood.

Jonathan Storm: Great minds.....

Jonathan Storm: I love the wicked step-daughter vamp.

Comment From john: Anything on the new Fox show brothers?

Jonathan Storm: The brothers will be here in a couple of hours. I'm suspicious about casting a football player as a sitcom star.

RobOwen:

We'll have a panel on it this morning. The pilot was not as awful as I feared. Not great either but it was fun to see CCH Pounder do comedy and I do like Darryl "Chill" Mitchell.

Jonathan Storm: Those are actors. Michael Strayhan or whatever his name is ... I don't think so.

Comment From john: You guys are the worst!!!

RobOwen: The pilot had too many jokes about the gap between his front teeth.

Jonathan Storm: We are the worst. What are you going to do?

Comment From dean: any big shows being cancelled for the fall season we should know about?

Jonathan Storm: I think all the cancellations have been announced long ago. Any specific shows you're interested in?

RobOwen: "The Unit" and "Without a Trace" won't be back despite a sizeable followings for "Trace." It was cheaper for CBS to bring in a new show.

Comment From aud: Strayhan is going to be on a SITCOM???

Jonathan Storm: Yeah, he plays an ex-football player.

Jonathan Storm: Big stretch.

RobOwen: He returns home to help his brother run a restaurant. They don't get along. Hilarity supposedly ensues.

Jonathan Storm: I wouldn't mind if it was Brian Dawkins, but a Giant? Fooey.

Comment From aud: oh gee what a stretch

Comment From aud: i hated him as a player (naturally. we don't like no Giants around these parts). i'll pass ;)

Comment From atall64: with good writers anything can be funny.....almost

Jonathan Storm: Not Michael Strayhan.

Comment From chuck s: Have either of you seen the pilot from Fox, Human Target, it got a great reception at Comicon

RobOwen: If it was 1976, "Human Target" would be highly innovative. Too bad for the show it's 2009. But I know of several critics who loved it. Just seemed a little plain to me. Interesting cameo in the show's closing moments though.

Jonathan Storm: I liked it a lot. Not sure if they can keep up all the FX. But lots of familiar faces doing fun stuff. Sort of like one of the CBS procedurals on steroids.

Jonathan Storm: Oh, yea! We disagree. Finally.

Jonathan Storm: But I've been living in 1976 for 33 years.

Comment From Andrew: Do you see the new Leno show having success in that time/format?

RobOwen: Initially, I thought it was a terrible idea. I still think it's bad for prime time scripted programming. But I'm mellowing on the terrible idea part. I'm starting to think it may do better than conventional wisdom suggests.

Jonathan Storm: I think, as I have said many times, it will make money for everybody involved. But I also think it's sort of sad that a major network is programming a show specifically to pick up the leftover viewers from the actually interesting series.

Comment From jaden: What new shows are you guys most looking forward to this fall?

Jonathan Storm: Human Target!!!! (Just getting a poke in at my western state colleague).

RobOwen: I liked "The Good Wife" pilot a lot. Really interested in "Modern Family" and the new take on "V," a favorite when I was in 7th grade.

Jonathan Storm:

Actually, probably Parenthood, which doesn't start until winter.

Jonathan Storm: Now you're living in 1976. All little boys like lizards, which is what V is about.

RobOwen: Closer to 1983.

Jonathan Storm: I was, like, 45, when the original was on. So I liked that the lizards turned into sexy women.

Comment From jaden: anything new on the upcoming season of friday night lights? I think this show is excellent and does not get the credit it deserves as far as award nominations.

RobOwen: Agreed. The show was especially good last season (season two, not so much). I know it will air on DirecTV this fall but not on NBC until next summer.

Jonathan Storm: All the critics love Friday Night Lights (except me). The NBC folks yesterday said they see at as an excellent summer series.

Comment From ken newtown: Any details on a new sitcom about a community college starring Joel from the E show The Soup?

Jonathan Storm: I think it's one step short of great, one of the funniest new sitcoms (there have been hardly any) in a few years.

RobOwen: I liked the pilot pretty well. Good supporting cast, including Pittsburgh native Gillian Jacobs.

RobOwen: She plays McHale's love interest.

Jonathan Storm: ABC's Modern Family is also funny, so that makes two in one season. Uneard of. Is Gillian that blonde? She's purdy.

RobOwen: Yes, she is.

Comment From dean: is lie to me coming back for a full season in the fall? along with friday night lights as well? what is the status of that show?

RobOwen: Yes, "Lie" is back in the fall (not sure if the order is 13 or 22 episodes). See above re: "FNL"

Jonathan Storm: Already commented on FNL. Lie to Me is indeed coming back, and that's no lie.

Jonathan Storm: Lie to Me will be on Mondays.

Comment From jaden: With Ben Silverman's Departure from NBC do you think fan favorites but low rated shows such as Chuck and Friday Night Lights may be in trouble?

RobOwen: I think "Chuck" needs to get more viewers if it wants to survive, that's for sure.

Jonathan Storm:

Short answer: yes. But there's a lot more to it.

Jonathan Storm: NBC has such crappy ratings, it almost has to stick with things that get at least mediocre numbers. Both those shows, arguably among the most entertaining on TV (like a lot of the NBC sitcoms) benefit from the lack of interest generally in the network.

RobOwen: Agreed.

Comment From Andrew: Is Dave still beating Conan in the ratings?

RobOwen: In households, I think Dave has won quite often in recent weeks. In the young demo, Conan is generally on top.

Jonathan Storm: Yes. Like a drum. But Conan gets more younger viewers, so NBC calls him "the king of late night."

Comment From aud: for me, the networks at 10pm have been a wasteland. i bet Leno works.

Comment From aud: see, now I was going to skip Parenthood since I'm sick of recycled stuff (though i liked the movies). but if Jon says to watch, I'll give it a shot...

Jonathan Storm: Smart person. Very discerning.

RobOwen: Jonathan definitely liked "Parenthood" more than I did. For me, it was a bit of a downer and not funny enough. But I liked the movie and NBC sitcom that immediately followed and I know they've added a producer with comedy chops, so I'll give it another chance. The cast is quite impressive.

Comment From Richard Butler: My wife reminded me of a recent CBS miniseries -- "Harper's Island"; another NBC venture you mentioned today was "Kings". Might this not be the best we can expect in today's world? And really, weren't they actually both pretty decent?

Jonathan Storm: They were very decent. But I never really got into either one.

RobOwen: I liked "Kings" but NBC now says it was too complex to explain in a promo so they won't be doing shows like it in the future. I watched and mostly enjoyed "Harper's Island" until the nonsensical ending.

Jonathan Storm: I think there's a lot of good stuff on both the networks and cable.

Comment From dean: is this last season for lost?

RobOwen: Yes, it is. "Lost" returns early in 2010 for its last hurrah.

Jonathan Storm: Yup. And it turns out that the entire thing was just made up.

Comment From aud: impressive casts don't always work. See: Brothers & Sisters.

RobOwen: I liked "B&S" when it began but last season it just got too crazy and a lot less real.

Jonathan Storm: Which is why you aren't a TV critic. I adore Bros & Sisses.
You probably watch Keith Olbermann every night.

Jonathan Storm: The crazier the better!

Jonathan Storm: Except for %$#$*?@ Sally Field.

Jonathan Storm:

So, Rob, what has been your favorite Press Tour moment?

Jonathan Storm: I liked talking to my Cold Case buddies at the CBS party at the beautiful Huntington Library, where you could see the full moon coming up over the valley on the outside and Gainsborough's original Blue Boy on the inside.

RobOwen: I always enjoy the set visits. I feel like I get a much better understanding of the show. The "Dollhouse" set is always cool and Joss Whedon is fun to listen to because he's so smart. There was a huge gulf between that press conference and the one on the set of "Bones."

Jonathan Storm:

That is true. Felt like your were stuffed in a closet at 'Bones," and then you're in this palace two minutes later on 'Dollhouse." I enjoyed that too. Joss is fun.

Comment From jaden: Any ideas what direction House is going to take this year? With him being in a mental institution there is no way he can come out and practice medicine again this season. Did the writers paint themselves into a corner there?

RobOwen: You just watch. I bet "House" will be practicing medicine again by episode 5.

Jonathan Storm: It will turn out he wasn't really crazy. Just had some weird disease that he'll diagnose.

Comment From brian: jonanthan, you came to my tv critcism at temple a couple years back, and i asked if there was a worse actor on tv than david caruso. has anyone surpassed him since then?

RobOwen: Maybe Josh Jackson on "Fringe."

Jonathan Storm: Good one. I'm still angry at him for deflowering Katie Holmes. When I had my sights set on her. (I used to watch 'Dawson's Creek' on mute to look at her and avoid the excruciating dialog.) And then she runs to the arms of Tom Cruise. Imagine!

Comment From Richard Butler: "My Name is Earl" was a recent NBC casualty. Any chance of resurrection on a cable venue?

RobOwen: No. There was some talk of that but ultimately I think the show proved too expensive for a cable outlet to afford.

Jonathan Storm: 'Fraid not. Perfect example of a good show that never clicked with viewers.

RobOwen: Time to get down to a "Simpsons"-themed breakfast. Thanks for the questions and to Jonathan for inviting me to sit in for Ellen Gray of the Philly Daily News. This was fun.

Jonathan Storm:

Time to run off to the "So You Think You Can Dance" presentation. Thanks for joining us. After this, I'm on well-deserved vacation the next two weeks. Look for Ellen (maybe) Thursdays at noon, and she and I will definitely be back Aug. 27. Where did the summer go?

Thanks for sitting in, Rob. It was grand. And I hope we do it again soon.