If you're bored...

It's a long weekend. A llllllooooooonnngggg one, especially if you have no beach (or as we call it here in Jersey, shore) to go to, and everyone else you know has gone somewhere fun. Of course, I may be the only lonely soul who's having that particular problem, but I want to assume that others are in my predicament as well. Makes me sleep better at night.

Anyway, if you're a little bored, take a gander at the NBC Fall Preview Show. Nikki Cox* is one of the hosts, which by itself is enough reason to take a look. But during the four-part show, you'll see previews of the entire NBC fall schedule, including returning shows like The Office. The show that preceeds it on Tuesdays, My Name Is Earl, looks interesting. It's about a drifter (Jason Lee) who, after winning the lottery then losing the ticket, tries to fix his karma by righting everyone he wronged in his life. Critics seemed to love the pilot, so it could be a winner for NBC. God knows they need the help. Still, this show has a bit of an odd premise, and The Office is a niche show in every sense of the word, so I don't know if this well-matched programming bloc is going to be a ratings blockbuster. However, now that Steve Carell is a bona-fide star, the ratings for The Office may get a bit of a boost. Hey, Scrubs finally got some Emmy nominations, so anything is possible, right?

*Odd Nikki Cox story: I was watching TV Land's Night Court marathon a few weeks back, and saw a circa 1990 episode where a pregnant Christine imagines what it would be like if the three men in her life (Dan, Harry, and Bull) raised her kid. In one segment, she imagines her kid as a "chip of the ol' block" 10-year-old girl. As soon as the girl came in view, I called out -- to no one in particular -- "Nikki Cox!" The credits confirmed it for me. Is it normal to be able to identify adult stars in their childhood roles? You tell me.