A Television Roundup

Most of you who turn on the TV might not think there is a lot going on in television. But look closer and you will find a variety of shows filling the primetime slots. Fans of Oprah should enjoy "Oprah's Big Give." The reality show airs on ABC on Sunday at 9 p.m. and once again showed Oprah in her quest to be the Mother Teresa of television. "Big Give" features contestants being handed millions of dollars. The catch: they have to spend the money to help other people.

In the first episode, Oprah hands each contestant an envelope with the name and picture of a person whose life they must change given their resources. Week by week contestants are eliminated until finally someone is crowned "The Biggest Giver." While this show promises to warm people's hearts, it also can appear boring especially considering "Extreme Home Makeover" promises the same do-good feel.

An interesting new game show is "Amnesia," Friday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. This show has contestants answer question about their own life, from the name of a teenage crush's band to a husband's tattoo. Sounds weird? Yeah, it is.

Question: do I think this show will survive? Answer: No. Especially considering that "Moment of Truth" has that same self test element to it (only more interesting), I doubt "Amnesia" will become anything more than a temporary time slot.

Then there was "Knight Rider." The two hour movie event aired, Feb. 22 on NBC. This remake of the original '80s classic provided an action-packed adrenaline rush and even a special appearance by original Rider, David Hasselhoff. It managed to keep audiences watching and waiting to know what happens in the end.

ABC has a new comedy airing, March 18 called "Miss Guided." The show follows Becky Freely, a guidance counselor working at the same high school she once attended. While working she attempts to guide students so they can deal with the issues of high school better than she could, while trying to handle teachers and the principal. The show looks like it has some potential, as long as it does not play too much on stereotypical high school comedy.

Fox aired "Unhitched" Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. The show is about a recently divorcee who finds himself a newcomer to the world of dating after his 10 year marriage ends. The show bolstered some laughs, helped by the comedic talents of actors such as Rashida Jones ("The Office").

Another Fox show is "Canterbury's Law," premiering March 10 at 8 p.m. The show follows defense lawyer Elizabeth Canterbury who is dedicated to protecting her innocent clients, even if it means bending the law. For fans of legal drama, the show looks like it may have some potential, but only time and viewership will tell.

A show definitely worth checking out is AMC's "Breaking Bad." In the show, Bryan Cranston ("Malcolm in the Middle") plays a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a drug-dealer after learning that he has lung cancer. The dark plot makes the show appealing and the comedic moments help to take the edge off an otherwise tense topic. "Breaking Bad" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC. But my pick for the week is "Dexter." CBS is airing season one of this Showtime show on Sundays at 10 pm, giving those of us without Showtime a chance to watch this amazing show.

The plot follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood splatter specialist who is called in to help investigate crimes. But this brainiac has a dark side as a serial killer who kills other serial killers. His foster father recognized that Dexter would become a killer from an early age, so taught him to only kill the bad guys as well as how to cover up his tracks.

Despite a seemingly normal appearance on the outside, he is a serious serial killer on the inside (he drugs his targets so they're alive and conscious while he kills them). I highly recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of drama; it does not disappoint.

New episodes of favorites such as "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs" are scheduled to come back in April. Still other shows are not so lucky. Since the writers have gone back to work, a number of shows have been up on the chopping block, including "Friday Night Lights" and "Bionic Woman."

Fans of these shows can go online to sign petitions to salvage these shows, but if history is any lesson, once a show is up to be cancelled, there is not much fans can do to save it.

Until new episodes air though, audiences can tune into watch any one of the new shows network are airing, and decide if they're worth having around for another season.