Welcome to another edition of TV or Not TV where I’m actually impressed by THE LISTENER.

In case you haven’t caught this quirky little sci-fi/mystery/drama put on every Thursday at 10:00 PM on NBC it’s the story of EMT Toby Logan happens to have the ability to read minds. He can’t probe them, he can’t get into your thoughts, but he can pick up on what you are thinking at that moment. Most of the time he filters out the voices in the heads around him, but at times the thoughts are so strong that he just can’t shut them out. Usually these thoughts are what get the story going.

As far as mystery drama shows go the show itself pretty much sticks to the formula that most similar shows follow: mystery introduced, investigation begins, investigation heads in the direction of a red herring, mystery solved in a suspenseful final few minutes of the show. Bones, Law & Order: SVU and even Psych use the same formula and each does it in a way that is still effective to their show. The Listener does this as well. Just like all of those other shows The Listener pulls it off by the strength of it’s cast. This show has the EMT side kick for comic relief, the former girlfriend doctor and the tough-as-nails female detective who is appreciative and suspicious of his ability and motive in aiding with investigations.

Another item that the show employs is the unresolved backstory of the shows hero. In each episode Toby remembers a bit more about his life prior to being delivered to college professor Ray Mercer for help. Early on the details of this life as sketchy as he has very few memories of this mother. This is another device that has been used by several shows and again it is done very well in The Listener, so much so that I find myself tuning in again to see what else will be revealed in the memories of this trailer in the middle of nowehere.

The Listener has already aired in several other parts of the world and is having a relative neck-and-neck run on NBC as well as CTV, the network which created the show. The ratings have declined since the premiere, but I’m hoping the cost of the show is deferred enough that we may see it return next summer since it is the kind of TV I’d definitely recommend.

Now that you’ve listened about me talk about The Listener let’s move on to the few viewing choices we really have available this week.

MONDAY

ABC FAMILY – 8:00 PM: The light weight teen drama is back with the season premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

TLC – 8:00 PM: Tonight there’s a “special announcement” on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Divorce? Quitting their show? Asking the media to finally mind their own business? We’ll find out tonight, I just hope it’s not that they are having another kid.

BRAVO – 10:00 PM: Kathy Griffin hooks up with Paula Deen tonight on My Life on the D-List. 10 to 1 Deen tries to deep fry Griffin or smothers her in butter. Why not, she does with just about everything else?

TUESDAY

NBC – 9:00 PM: Let’s face it, America’s Got Talent is really hoping to find the USA version of Susan Boyle. I’ll probably not watch and just let YouTube tell me if they find one or not.

A&E – 10:oo PM: The Cleaner returns for another season, with Whoopi Goldberg in a recurring role as Benjamin Bratt‘s ex-sponsor.

WEDNESDAY

MTV – 10:00 PM: Yet again seven strangers are picked to live in a house in The Real World: Cancun. I’m sure the producers are leaving the house fully stocked with alchohol in the hopes of ratings grabing debauchery. What? I’m just sayin’.

NBC – 10:00 PM: A rich kid grows a conscience and wants to help those in need in the new series The Philanthropist. A modern day The Millionaire or will it just be the new Juan to a Million? Only the ratings know.

THURSDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: John Taylor of Duran Duran guests as a rock star that Samantha dates on Samantha Who?

SHO – 10:00 PM: It’s a brand new season of Penn & Teller: Bull$hit! and they start things off with the light and family friendly subject matter of orgasm.

FRIDAY

FOX – 8:00 PM: FOX hopes to cash in on a little Sci-Fi Friday with Ron Moore’s Virtuality. Earth’s first starship has to try to find salvation for mankind and the crew keeps sain by using virtual reality. Whackiness ensues.

CARTOON – 8:00 PM: Why not catch The Penguins of Madagascar? Seriously, there isn’t much else on.

SATURDAY

HISTORY – 8:00 PM: If you haven’t been watching the new season of Ice Road Truckers than you can take in three hours tonight to get all caught up.

ABC – 9:00 PM: Just a reminder if you didn’t set your DVR last week for the re-air of the first episode of Castle than you can at least catch the second episode tonight.

TBS – 9:00 PM: Just when you thought you needed more celebrity hosted variety shows there comes Ellen’s Bigger, Longer and Wider Show.

SUNDAY

COMEDY CENTRAL – 7:00 PM: It’s Van Wilder night with the original immediately followed by the abysmal Rise of Taj.

HBO – 10:00 PM: Once again an HBO original series about a high school gym teacher comes out, but this one is no Kenny Powers. Thomas Jane is apparently Hung and he turns his gift into money by moonlighting as a male escort.

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