The Sapphire Award goes to...

It's been nearly 3 weeks since the Fall TV lineup commenced and I've tried to keep up to date with as many of the new and returning shows on network TV as possible. And some CLEARLY stand out amongst the bunch! Here are my thoughts on some the best and worst - plus my pick for this season's Sapphire Award!

Mondays....I think it might the first time I like Monday TV!
Dancing with the Stars
I have to admit, I never watched this show prior to this season. I always got my fill of any reality talent shows by watching 3 months of "So You Think You Can Dance" during the summer. This season, I decided to tune in specifically to see Jennie Garth and Mark Cuban. The talent on this show is truly spectacular! Jennie "tripped up" at the beginning of the season, but I think she's made a great comeback - I'll probably never vote but it should be noted that she's my favorite. And the other end of the spectrum, we have Mark Cuban....I just had to see the celebrity zillionnare try to be graceful after years of banter with the Dallas Mavericks. It's been amusing to say the least!

Aliens in America
Perhaps, I expected too much from this show - with the innovative and untapped basis for a sitcom, I anticipated so much more than than the usual high school comedy about the unpopular, but thoughtful kid. The acting is impressive and comical, but the characters are far too familiar and story lines are predictable. Despite the humorous tidbits, I don't think I'll be tuning in every Monday for this show. Nevertheless, I would like to see newcomer, Adhir Kalyan, showcase his skills in other productions.

The Bachelor
I just don't understand how this show is on every season - it's always the same! Let's spice it up, ABC...throw some ex-girlfriends in the mix of choices or better yet, let's see what a bachelor would do if presented with 25 super intelligent and career-minded women looking for a companion rather than girls looking for a sugar daddy.

Two and Half Men
I just got into this show due to the late night re-runs on CW. Love it! Light and amusing - it's brilliant. Enough said.

The Game
What an unexpected suprise. I tuned in randomly last season but caught the season finale, which had me looking forward to the premiere this season. It has been a great source of short entertainment, somewhere between a purely comedic sitcom and a primetime drama. Above all, I've been blown away by Tia Mowry's acting ability. I'm guessing she has truly experienced the reality of the cheating boyfriend - there's no other way to explain how she can act out the pain and frustration so well! Emmy-worthy if you ask me!

Tuesdays...the night of the familar shows we all have grown to love!
Boston Legal
Always a treat - love the cases. This week's case about the 15-year-old girl suing her school because she had unprotected sex and contracted HIV and winning - brilliant! But I want to know how many teenagers are now seeking out legal advice about how to mimic that in reality. Simply put, Boston Legal is David E. Kelley's not-so-new, but improved version of The Practice.

Law & Order: SVU
Love it! And the cases this season have been so much more compelling and eerie. Like a bad car accident, you don't want to look, but you can pull your eyes away.

Wednesdays...might just be the new Thursdays!
Dirty Sexy Money
It's so familiar, yet I can't quite place my finger on it. Why does it seem like we've seen other primetime dramas that are similar? Nevertheless, I'm hooked! (Most of) The characters are deep, fascinating and shocking. There is the underlying secret of "who killed the father" that is the premise for the story, but it's not the only driving factor or storyline in the show. The individual storylines are quick to be uncovered instead of being drawn out over weeks. This is one of the few shows that I will actually watch on abc.com if I miss it during the original broadcast.

Gossip Girl
Spotted: The highlight of my Wednesdays! What a great show - and this is where I'm going to contradict myself...yes, it's familar and we've seen it a million times in shows like Laguna Beach, The OC and The Hills. But, it's different somehow. And the fact that's it set in the very neighborhood where I live, the Upper East Side...well, perhaps that's biased my opinion, but I've definately become an avid Gossip Girl watcher. Until next time: I need to go back and read the books! I hear they make a great light read for that boring commute to work.

Private Practice
I never expected this show to do well, but I also never expected to be such a drag! It's horrendous - I mean, Taye Diggs is certainly my McChoclatey, but come on, Taye, seriously?!! With Dr. Addison as the lead, this show is as ready for cancellation as Cavemen (which I didn't even bother to review as it's no more than a 22-min weekly Geico ad).

Thursdays...ahhh, the infamous Thursday - need I say more?
Grey's Anatomy
I hate to say it, but it's been disappointing. Izzie's character is simply irritating. Meredith is more tolerable this season, but, the sister rivalry storyline is so last decade! Hasn't that been done way too many times. And how predictable is it that she'll likely hook up with McDreamy? Christina Yang - love her character and even moreso because I'm a Sandra Oh fan. She's so real and raw - it's refreshing. I hope they do more with her chanracter - that may just help salvage their ratings this season. And of course, George, I like him, but less and less as he moves away from Callie and closer to Izzie.

The Office
Always a pleasure! It was a bit much for the first 2 weeks with hour-long episodes. I've become too used to the 30-min quickie so I'm looking forward to going back to the usual pattern at some point. The comedy is still just as fresh and clever as ever although I am curious to see where they go with the Pam and Jim story! Hope they don't break-up. How sad would that be?!?!

Big Shots
Another great shocker of the season. Love the focus around the entrepreneurial men - wish they had thrown in a super successful woman in the mix to spice it up, but maybe that's an idea for a later episode. And Michael Vartan - how endearing is he?? Does he have to be the one who gets cheated on? I'm looking forward to seeing this show grow....although I am a little afraid of cancellation for this show - not sure why, just seems like it might be headed towards the chopping block for no apparent reason like The Nine last season.

Ugly Betty
Well, done, Salma, and thanks for bringing America to stardom in America! The talent is great and although predictable, a great source of comic relief every week.

Fridays...I would only watch TV on Friday if it was absolutely worth it!
Friday Night Lights
And this show makes it worth it! What a great show that attracts boys and girls! Boys like to say it's about football, when all of us girls know that it's really just another high school drama! But it's so well made with the perfect music, lighting, movement, etc. I don't have any experience in cinematagraphy, but if I did, I'd say this is how it should be done!

Saturdays....I got nothin! Does anyone watch TV on Saturday nights anymore? SNL, perhaps?

Sundays...since when did Sunday become a prime TV night?
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
I still like this show, but I'm finding myself less and less likely to tune in with my 100% attention. Better for just background noise and to see what amazing things they can do with rooms...and how far they'll go to design a room for a child who will likely grow to hate it in 3-4 months, if not less!

Desperate Housewives
It's better this season - it was starting to go downhill last season and I almost didn't watch the premiere. But I'm glad I did - impressed with the new twists and turns and introduction of serious events to the story line. I was a little disappointed that Edie didn't "leave the show" as they made us believe she would, but soon enough, I suppose.

Brothers & Sisters
I think I'd only seen 3-4 episodes last season, but this season has been great. I'm sort of caught up on what happened in the past, but nevetheless, I've never been a Calista Flockhart fan and she's somewhat bearable this time around. And of course, the best part is the eye candy in the form of Rob Lowe and Dave Annable! They are reason enough to stay home on Sunday nights!!

Now some of you may have noticed I've left out some of the usual suspects (i.e., Heroes, CSI, House, Las Vegas, 30 Rock, etc), but I somehow never got into those shows. At some point I may have to rent the first season DVDs and catch up, but that's certainly not going to happen anytime soon.

Ok, so with all that said, the Sapphire Award goes to..... Dirty Sexy Money! I really wanted to give it to Gossip Girl, but just couldn't do it because it's more of a guilty pleasure with little depth than well-made, all-rounded entertainment! So, until next time, enjoy the season...I know I certainly will!