This weeks episode of the soon to be canceled Crusoe is going to be the first in a few weeks not to feature mutineers, cannibals or Spanish pirates on the “deserted island.” It begins with Friday and Crusoe working McGuyver-style in the jungle on various traps. Crusoe improves upon one if Friday’s designs and Friday seems to resent the help. Its pretty silly as we’ve seen these to men bonded at the hip against all odds and now we’re meant to believe they are going to bicker like an elderly couple at the mall.

For the first time, the island antics seem to be the back drop of the story. Flashing back to England, Robin’s beloved wife and his malicious benefactor are communing about his fate. Looks like old uncle Blackthorn was trying to get to his wife’s knickers and family wealth. Crusoe’s ailing father is featured in some fairly oblique scenes as well. We also get some glimpses of the desperate times the led Crusoe to flee his home. It wasn’t just money but also Crusoe being pegged as a dissenter to the crown that caused his exodus.

Friday and Crusoe put each other to various challenges. Throughout Friday is flashing back to his childhood. and it turns out brave and smart Friday never past his “manhood challenges” and he’s been upset by it ever since. Crusoe tries to help Friday by setting up some of his own challenges, but its no use. This isn’t about Crusoe, its about how Friday feels about his father. Eventually, Crusoe is ensnared in one of own traps and Friday has to rescue him. Oddly, the trap reminds Friday of his failed manhood challenge and thus presents him with a catharsis overcoming his fear to save Crusoe.

Pretty lame episode again, Crusoe is just about on death row despite the big investment NBC made in it. The acting in Crusoe is actually pretty good, as is the setting and direction but the scripts are just train wrecks.

There aren’t going to be too many new episodes of your favorite shows on TV over the next week, but if you’re looking for some new “Star Trek” – then you have to check out the enormously popular “Star Trek Phase 2″. This amazing fan-made series, has all the quality an production values of the Original “Star Trek” (the only part that suffers at times is the acting…but even that isn’t all that bad).

The current episode is called “Blood and Fire” and deals with some controversial subjects, including homosexuality. If the idea of people of the same sex being treating as equal human beings gets under your skin for some reason, I encourage you to check out previous episodes like “To Serve All My Days” and “World Enough and Time” – these two are amazing episodes, and I’m sure that Gene Roddenberry would have been proud to see his show carried on in this way.

You can check it out here.

As i sit here typing this my daughter is watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” for about the 400th time this Christmas season. While she’s watching it she’s also holding onto a Rudolph plush toy. Don’t even get me started on the Rudolph ornaments, Golden Books, and (let’s not forget) the cookie cutters that make stand-up characters from the special.

My guess is, things in the Rudolph house-hold are going alright. The folks behind this 50 year old special are doing a-ok.

And yet, the doom-sayers at TV Week (who seem to all be collectively depressed based on recent posting) want to know “Where did all the broadcast TV viewers go during this time of year?” because ratings for the holiday specials we all know and love have fallen flat this year.

First, let’s keep in mind that “flat” still means they’re in the Top 20 shows on all of television…so that’s not exactly something to weep about to begin with…BUT…let’s a assume the ratings were bad (which they ARE NOT for shows that older than most of the people writing on the Internet) — can anyone figure out why?

Seems pretty clear to me.

DVD.

These specials are not only ON DVD – they are marked like crazy this time of year. There are holiday packs with these specials in almost every major store I’ve been in since the first week of November. A few years ago it wasn’t like this – but when the first Christmas specials started getting released on DVD EVERY other possible special soon followed (He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special, anyone?). The reason for that is simple – they sell like mad.

Ratings for these shows aren’t down because people are sitting in their houses too depressed to watch TV because of the economy, and the ratings aren’t down because TV is DOOMED. They’re down because people are watching these specials MORE THAN EVER in the privacy of their own homes, whenever the heck they want.

The sooner the television industry figures out that that’s how people want to view television (ANY TELEVISION – SAVE LIVE SPORTING EVENTS) the better off they’ll be.

NBC has decided not to air “Top Gear USA” as a mid-season replacement. The network, according to Jalopnik blames the production costs for the show, as well as the failure of “Knight Rider” as reasons for not airing the show.

Does that make sense to anyone? Anyone? No, I didn’t think so.

Still, this is actually good news for “Top Gear” fans. I love the UK show, and I’m still not sure that a US version is going to work, but it sounds like getting away from NBC is the best thing that could have happened to this show. If the network is stupid enough to think that “Knight Rider” and “Top Gear” are in anyway related simply because one show is about cars, and the other features A car – then they don’t need to be there.

The Top Gear blog says that this leaves the show free to head to another network, and to expect a deal shortly.

If you’ve ever seen or heard “Star Trek”, then you know who Majel Barrett-Roddenberry is – whether you realize it or not. She was the voice of the ships’s computer in every incarnation of the “Star Trek” franchise – even the fan film series “Star Trek: Phase II”.

She passed away yesterday at her home after a short battle with leukemia.

Majel played numerious roles on “Star Trek” from the very beginning of the series when she was cast as the first officer named “Number One”. Through the original series she played Nurse Chapel, and in the Next Generation Era she was Luwaxana Troy. Each character engaging and fun.

More than that, though, she was considered by many as “The First Lady of Star Trek”. Those of us here at TV Jab send our thoughts and prayers to her family, specifically her son “Rod”. It is our belief that she is “boldy going” to a better place, and we wish her well.

The excitement for the next season of “Lost” continues to build, and ABC has recently aired another promo. This one gives us a glimpse as to what Jack and Ben are up to at the start of the season, and I have to admit, I’m very intrigued.

“Lost” is a show I often don’t think about when it’s not on. When the show gets into gear, however, it’s a very compelling ride. I’m looking forward to “Lost” in 2009.

Yeah, I wish I was making that up. Really – this just gross.

On Wednesday night, Scarlett Johansson appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and sneezed into a tissue. The reason was because she was sick — and she blamed the cold on “The Spirit” co-star Samuel L. Jackson.

For whatever reason, that tissue is now on Ebay and is currently selling for $2,205. Thankfully the money is going to a charity called USA Harvest INc (which was the charity of Johansson’s choice). Still, one has to ask…what kind of person want’s Scarlett Johansson’s snot?

Seriously – that’s just plain gross.

Smallville has NEVER been as good as it is this season, and if Tom Welling decides not to return next year, this could be the end of the series. If so, it’s an amazing time to go out. Of all all the promos and trailers I’ve seen for what to expect on various shows next year, this new Smallville video gets me the most excited.

If this is the end of the series, I sincerely hope that Michael Rosenbaum can be convinced to return to the role of Lex one more time. It even looks like they might actually call Clark “Superman” when the Legion shows up.

EEEK! I’m loving this show!

Tom Cavanagh is heading back to “Scrubs” during the show’s eighth season. The actor has appeared more than once as Zach Braff’s brother on the series, and confirmed his return to TV Guide recently stating “The chances are 100%”.

Scrubs is a show that I often forget is still on – but once it starts back up, it’s always a great experience watching the show. Scrubs returns to the air on ABC in 2009.

(S02E09) “World’s Apart”

Thank God for January’s “new,” fresh, and supposedly exciting back to back episodes of Privates Practice and Grey’s Anatomy. After tonight’s pathetically over dramatic episode, they’ll be needing a new start.

So here’s my major beef, Violet gets reamed out for taking up fourth floor Doctor Lockhart’s offer to consult on his post-cancer patient that now wants to be a mom. The patient was not just impressed with how Dr. Lockhart helped save her life, but tremendously grateful. In short, he performed a miracle and feels he can do it again. Who wouldn’t be inspired by that. You can’t hate a woman that wants to rise to a challenge like that and be part of the next miracle in progress. Yes, Naomi did agree to work with the devil (or at least her Doctor), but that doesn’t make her a traitor, not yet. Sam and Addison need to calm the heck down and get off their high horses.

Which brings me to my next issue, Addison dropped a patient because she didn’t live up to the good Doctor’s opinions. The patient was a call girl paying her way into medical school. No, it’s not an ideal professional choice, nor a safe one even, but should that matter when a sick girl needs care? I think not. Most ignorant of all, perhaps, is that Addison enabled her and her lifestyle choice from day one when she agreed first to see all of the other call girls and then again provided the patient with advice to keep her life style choices a secret from her parents. It seems awfully cruel to do a roundabout when the girl obviously needed guidance and medical help the most. I’m disgusted.

In other, equally over dramatic news, Meg walked in on Violet and Peter gasping for air mid- make out session. Please tune into your favorite soap opera and compare. Does anything seem familiar here? Ooh and in addition to that little sad break up scene, Kevin the S.W.A.T. guy suddenly decided Addison was too high and mighty for his taste. Sounds like she got a taste of her own medicine if you ask me.