"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" LEAVES US HANGING!

First of all, I appreciate all of you who told me what YOUR favorite television show(s) is/are. I've seen every show you mentioned and I don't disagree with you. MY favorite show is "Brothers & Sisters" and they didn't disappoint me in their season finale last night.

But how about the way the season finale of "Desperate Housewives" ended? If you taped it and haven't seen it yet, you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph. We are left with the belief that one of the series' regulars became so distraught with Carlos having left her, that her response was to hang herself. Now we never saw her face, we can never forget that "anything goes" when it comes to a television show, but it looks like Ms. Sheridan is now available to steam up another TV show that's in need of a sexy trouble maker.

By the way, "Desperate Housewives" was believed to have been in a slump before this season began and I think they rebounded nicely.

In the "Brothers & Sisters" season finale we were given things that made us laugh (thank you Garry Marshall), things that made us think, things that surprised us, things that brought tears to our eyes and in the show's final scene, they gave us something that put a big smile on our faces.

Will "24" accomplish that when they have their 2-hour season finale tonight?

After a few episodes of "24" THIS season, a whole lot of complaining was done by loyal fans (including THIS loyal fan) who said (in essence), "WE WANT OUR JACK BACK!"

I don't think the slump began this season. I think it began in LAST season's final episode. A slump that continued into this season and the ratings, while initially high, showed that slump in a way that gets the attention of show producers, sponsors and the network (FOX). NEXT season, we're told that "24" will be different. HOW different? The only cast member who we know will return is Jack Bauer. And it appears that instead of showing us a 24-hour day, each episode will be a show about a different day.

Tonight, we're counting on Jack Bauer to save what has been THIS day and if the last couple of episodes (which have been encouraging) are an indication of what we can expect, we might see two hours of television that people will be talking about tomorrow. Fans of "24" are very passionate fans and if tonight's 2-hours is good, those fans will loudly sing the praises of "24". If tonight's 2-hours is perceived to be disappointing, "24" fans will give the producers of "24" a new definition for the word, "loud".

The season finale of "Heroes" will be on NBC tonight and it will begin when "24" will be beginning their second hour. Ratings watchers will REALLY be looking at THAT.

MOVIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

I saw three films on cable this weekend that I'd like to call your attention to if you haven't seen them yet.

"Beyond the Sea". This 2004 film on TMC is about the late singer Bobby Darin and it stars Kevin Spacey in the title role. Spacey did his own singing and was very good at sounding like Bobby Darin. Kate Bosworth was very good as Sandra Dee and other notable performances were turned in by John Goodman and Bob Hoskins. The critics weren't kind when this film first came out, but I respectfully disagree with those critics. "Beyond the Sea" is not a great film, but (to me) it was a very enjoyable film.

"Clay Pigeons":

I don't remember hearing about this film when it came out in 1998, but this is another film I saw on TMC and Jennifer Aniston's ex-squeeze, Vince Vaughn, plays one of the creepiest SOB's you're ever gonna see. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the guy who wishes he had never met the Vaughn character. Scott Wilson is very good as Sheriff Mooney and Janeane Garofalo is very good as an FBI agent. This film is not about pleasant subject matter, but it's very riveting.

"Running Scared":

I saw this on HBO after Bill Maher's show this past Friday. Another small film I hadn't heard of, but a film that featured a good performance by Paul Walker who plays a character you think is one thing and then is revealed as something totally different. Chaz Palminteri is good as a crooked cop and Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") is terrific as Paul Walker's wife. A number of people die in this film and there are two characters who play very believable sick creeps. One of the actors is Elizabeth Mitchell, but I didn't get the name of her equally creepy husband.

THE RETURN OF GORDON GEKKO:

Did you see the 1987 film, "Wall Street" that starred Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, among others? Douglas starred as Gordon Gekko who was a ruthless money player who ended up going to jail. A new film titled, "Money Never Sleeps" is about to be made that will show what Gekko, again played by Douglas, is up to now that he's been released from prison. The line about a leopard being unable to change its spots figures to be what we can look forward to seeing.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We post a new blog every morning between 7 and 7:15 Pacific time, Monday through Friday. If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up in a few minutes. If you have any comments, suggestions, etc., write to me at my home address; scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

Do you remember your FIRST time?