Canceling Amy

CBS’ decision to cancel “Judging Amy” and “Joan of Arcadia” leaves me with just two shows that I watch regularly - “ER” and “Lost.”

A little over a year ago my viewing schedule looked like this:

Monday: None
Tuesday: Frasier; Judging Amy
Wednesday: Star Trek: Enterprise
Thursday: Friends; ER
Friday: Joan of Arcadia
Saturday: None
Sunday: None

Now all of those shows are defunct with the exception of “ER” which is probably in its next to last season.
Since then I’ve become a devoted fan of “Lost” and I may watch the “Friends” spinoff “Joey” on occasion, but not much else has changed.

The only new show I’ve heard about that I’m likely to check out next season is the new “Kolchak” series on ABC but I won’t have high hopes for it. I loved the old Kolchak: The Night Stalker series when I was a kid. It was a precursor to X-Files and starred an ink-stained wretch of a reporter who was always in trouble with his editors and the police. I imagine for the new series they will update the character to be a TV news reporter since that is the only kind people are familiar with anymore. But I will reserve judgment until I see it.

As for “Judging Amy,” at least this season is on an arc that could make for a good end to the series. They have had some story lines lately that have been irritating like having Amy dump her latest boyfriend (again) after suffering a miscarriage. Amy is currently considering leaving the bench to pursue a U.S. Senate seat. Maybe after the series is cancelled she can make guest appearances on “West Wing.” Also, they may finally let Amy’s mom, played by Tyne Daly, be happy for once and let her get married to the gardener played by Cheech Marin. I really like the characters that Cheech has been playing recently on this show and the old “Nash Bridges” show that I used to watch.