Rick Kushman

Whatever else you think of local TV news anchors, they spend a lot of time in people's living rooms and, for better or worse, become almost as familiar as family.

Now this is why people love "24." There's the adrenaline rush, the vipers, vipers everywhere, the kinetic pacing and, of course, our man Jack Bauer, emotional wreck and hesitant but unstoppable hero.

It's still November sweeps and every episode is supposed to be a really big deal, but for my money, all the best action happens on Sunday.

No, no, no, no, no. Not this soon, not already. I'm a holiday-spirit guy. I love the Christmas season, the trees, the lights, the shopping and eating like a crazy man. But it is too freakin' early for Christmas commercials.

The elections are over, we're done with the World Series, and TV is back to having a normal television week. As normal as it gets, anyway.

While most people were paying attention to that little business of picking a president, our friends in the TV world have been busy.

Early on Tuesday night there was an odd disconnect while watching the election returns. This country was on the brink of history, a coming moment evident for days and heavy with emotion for big parts of America.

For anyone planning to watch election night TV coverage - and apparently, nearly everyone in America is - there are a couple things to know.

First the great news: "30 Rock" returns tonight, showing every one of the many reasons it won an Emmy for best comedy.

It's a rough time to watch TV right now. It's not that the shows are any better or worse than usual – though with "30 Rock" returning this week, the medium takes a small step up. It's because of the political ads.

These are busy TV times, starting with some complicated news about AMC's dazzling retro drama "Mad Men."

It's time for another warning: We're four months out from the most complete change in the history of television.

This season's most heavily promoted show – thank you, NBC Olympics – is "My Own Worst Enemy," which could also describes NBC's programming department.

It's a big TV Thursday we've got here, with some good new shows, one really bad one and CBS' "CSI" kicking off its season and its long goodbye to Grissom.

YOUNTVILLE – Michael Chiarello's voice is gone, ground to a whisper by three days of events, TV spots and a cold. It makes no difference.

This is why we can't complain too much that just about anything will get on TV, because sometimes "anything" does show up, and it's worth a look, if just for the weirdness factor.

It's a warm, still Friday night. The lights of the football stadium add a summery thickening to the air and a dreamlike look to the sharp white lines, the green grass and the black and green uniforms on the field.

Ratings for new TV shows are down, but part of that drop is technology. When folks record broadcasts to view later, they don't show in some ratings counts. Plus, online viewership is higher.
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Two good shows that got their rookie seasons messed up by the writers strike – NBC's solid "Chuck" and the even better "Life" – return tonight for a second chance.

That sizzle in the air? That electricity you feel just getting near your TV? That's because we're in the middle of fall season premiere week.

That was a pretty weird Sunday night we had. I mean more than usual for the Emmys. It just shows, reality TV can mess with anything.

I was leaving my doctor's office the other morning - back troubles, don't get me started - and hustling down the street feeling late for work, because that's what lots of us always do, feel late for work.
Video: Sacramento's 'Golden light'

It's Emmy time on Sunday (8 p.m. on Channel 10), and this year, some good shows even got nominated – with the major exception, as always, of "The Wire," but I don't want to start down that dark tunnel.

Next week at this time, we'll have the official start of the fall TV season, and piles of new and returning shows barreling toward us, which may or may not be a good thing.

Sacramento's fitness scene – its runners, cyclists, walkers, swimmers and the rest – spreads across this region, from the climbs and trails of the foothills to city parks and pools, to the roads and paths running south into the Delta and west toward the coast.

This weekend, "Saturday Night Live" starts Season 34 – I know, it just seems longer – and it's kicking things off with a splash.

The fall TV season is coming. New shows. New faces. New rounds of fave shows. Is this exciting or what?

The official start of the fall TV season is three weeks away, but already more than a dozen new and returning shows premiere this week. If you're looking for the good new stuff, most of it's on cable.

Aug. 28 is a big night for the Democrats, with presidential candidate Barack Obama set to speak. On Sept. 4, it'll be the same for the Republicans with John McCain. And these are two big weeks for all American voters, not that you'd notice on network TV.

With the Olympics finished, a lot of people will be feeling flush with free time. Or at least free TV time, and now is when you should catch up with those recordings or DVDs you've been holding, 'cause things will get busy soon.

We were hunkered down for a long drive, which means I had a CD cranked and my wife was patiently ignoring my witty cracks about drivers not using signals.

Before we get to anything important, and, yeah, there is important stuff in TV, I have to get this out.

This was going to be an Olympics-free TV column, just to see if I could do it. But looking at my first two items, apparently I can't.

We're talking Olympic TV today, because at the moment, what else is there?

NBC's sports biggies held a satellite news conference from Beijing with TV critics last month, and Bob Costas talked about the complicated anticipation for the Olympic Games that open Aug. 8.

Things are calm now, but starting with the opening ceremonies Friday night, the XXIXth Summer Olympics from Beijing will take over the television world.

I've got great news, and I know you're with me on this. The dog lives. No harm will come to the dog.

In one of the final news conferences last week of the TV critics press tour in Beverly Hills, football coach and commentator John Madden made a prediction. It was about "Dancing With the Stars."

The set of AMC's terrific retro drama "Mad Men" is, put simply, a trip.

BEVERLY HILLS – There's a constant, subtle drumbeat running through the press sessions here. Network execs keep saying that despite the hinky fall season coming at us with fewer new shows and a bunch of relaunches, broadcast TV is doing great.

If you hang around TV producers and stars for a couple of weeks, you actually get a few moments of candor and truth. Failing that, you at least get some good one-liners.

BEVERLY HILLS – The Oasis at the Beverly Hilton is a large outdoor courtyard surrounded by sleek hotel towers. It's decorated with a wide, flat fountain, palm trees, mood lighting. On Friday night it was also teeming with big-name stars.

The cable networks have been meeting with TV critics in Beverly Hills all week, and in their range – of both subjects and quality – it's a pretty solid tour of the TV universe.

T he TV world has a couple crazy weeks coming up. Starting Tuesday, television critics from the United States and Canada will be in Beverly Hills for press sessions and meetings with the people who make TV, and it's going to be a little wild.

It was a Fourth of July a couple of years ago, and the young guy – maybe 9 years old, maybe 10 – was on his bike and hauling down Carlson Drive in River Park, holiday streamers sparkling off his handlebars.

I really hate to bring this up, but the contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Hollywood networks and studios expires today, and there's no agreement in sight.

It's both a very cool and a very sad thing that "Saturday Night Live" this week will re-air its first episode ever because it was hosted by George Carlin.

We're starting something new today. As lots of people know, I've written a television column for more than a decade. And what a delight it is. Right? A delight? Well, today the horizon expands.

We're still getting the summer lightweights this week as the networks trot out every feeble reality show short of someone repeatedly getting hit with a pie. Though that I might watch.