This was a good week for welcoming back familiar and much-missed talent to some very good shows. Let's start with one of cable's underdogs, TNT's gritty and gripping police drama Southland, which introduced Carl Lumbly (who'll always be Dixon from Alias to me) as the squad's militaristic new captain, Brucker. "Our job just got harder," grumbles one of the grunts. Bad for him, good for Southland. Pledging to command a pro-active patrol, with Mickey D applications at the ready for those who screw up, Brucker's mantra is: "We protect! We serve! And we kick a— till we smell s---!" Yeah, he's that kind of boss.
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Our top moments of the week:
15. Best Clean Slate: New year, new look for Walden (Ashton Kutcher). Though he's initially upset that Zoey wants him to shave and look presentable for a corporate shindig on Two and a Half Men, Walden finally gives in and does away with his hirsute hobo look. Later, however, Zoey comes over to apologize for forcing him to change and is stunned to see her clean-shaven and much younger-looking beau. You know Ashton couldn't have hidden the pretty for much longer.
14. Most Substantial Goodbye: After Agent McQuaid and her friend Laura are...
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Where would the world be without Wikipedia? Jon Stewart explores the situation that became a reality Wednesday, in light of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) protests.
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CBS is developing a pair of sitcoms for comedian Martin Lawrence, with an eye toward shooting one of them as a pilot.
Bernie Mac creator and The Daily Show contributor Larry Wilmore is behind one of the shows, while the other is from Rules of Engagement creator Tom Hertz and Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company.
In the Wilmore script, Lawrence would play a...
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