Life on NBC

This Wednesday, as Bones, Christine, Gary, K.I.T.T., the Criminal Minds and the CSIs of NY took a rest....

8 pm/ET
CBS' Rudolph shiny-nosed his way to the top of the pack, delivering 11.7 million total viewers and dominating the demos. NBC's coverage of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting came in second with 10.35 million.

Placing third was Fox's Secret Millionaire, which premiered to an audience of 7.37 mil. Pushing Daisies followed with 4.9 mil, a 10 percent bump from its previous outing.

9 pm
In a four-horse race, Life took advantage of Criminal Minds's absence by surging 52 percent, to a season-high 8.1 million viewers. Trailing Secret Millionaire's second hour, Private Practice (7.84 mil) saw a 26 percent gain. CBS' Grammy noms special placed fourth with 7.15 mil.

10 pm
Monopolizing this Wednesday's crime-drama audience, Law & Order soared 80 percent week-to-week, claiming a season's best 11.27 million viewers. It was followed by CBS' Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (8.73 mil, up 17 percent year-over-year) and Dirty Sexy Money (up a hair, to 5.7 mil).

The splashiest newcomer is So You Think You Can Dance boss Nigel Lythgoe's Superstars of the Dance — fancied as an internationally flavored "Olympic dance-off" and hosted by Michael Flatley — which premieres Sunday, Jan. 9, before moving to Mondays. There, it will air for several weeks from 8 to 10 pm/ET, bumping both Chuck and Heroes ... read more 54 Comments

TV Guide's Senior Critic Matt Roush takes your TV questions. Have a rant, rave or burning question about your favorite show you'd like addressed? E-mail him here!

Question: Sometimes I ask God why it was decided that I should be a sci-fi geek. I don't know about anyone else, but I have been impressed with the character development on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It is clear that Fox asked the producers to cut back on special effects to save money, so the writers had to actually (gasp!) write. I think they've done a wonderful job. I am enjoying the development of John and Cameron the most, but also of Sarah, Derek and Ellison. And then Fox pulls a Firefly on me and moves it to Friday along with Dollhouse. I don't understand how Fox and other networks cannot get this ...

See the rest of this question, Matt's response, and questions on Grey's Anatomy, Life, Brothers & Sisters, Pushing Daisies, Ghost Whispere, Kath & Kim and more after the jump read more 24 Comments

Top Chef: New York
10 pm/ET Bravo
Order up! The culinary-arts competition series gets cooking with its Season 5 opener, served up in a supersize ration no less.

Read on for previews of Bones, the 42nd Annual CMA Awards, Life and Stylista. read more 2 Comments

Life has received a sentence from NBC — for a full season.

The network has ordered the back nine episodes of the quirky cop drama, giving it a full 22-episode season pick-up.

The ratings-challenged sophomore series has ...
read more 48 Comments