Now, on to Serious Business

OK, the big news tonight is the new host of "The Price is Right" is Drew Carey. Cleveland rocks, indeed.

For a kid who grew up watching Bob Barker everyday, cheering on hikers of some Alpine slope to not make it to the top, hoping to see a contest beat the odds and hit the center stripe on Plinko, and just begging for someone hit the $10,000 on the wheel or both showcases just to hear that "whooop-whooop-whooop .... whooooooop," this is major, major business. In fact, after I was stuck with homefront duties on Barker's last day -- instead of playing a prearranged 36 holes of golf -- one of the silver linings was catching Barker's farewell.

So, is Drew Carey the right choice? Dunno, but he's not the wrong one. I like a lot more than Rosie O'Donnell, for whatever that's worth. I kind of thought maybe Dan Patrick was going to sneak in there, and that would have been intriguing.

The question now is, does TPIR need Bob Barker, or will it stand up on its own? Will the joys of the Race Game and Dice Game still be charming, or outdated? Will it be charming when a Samoan hugs Carey, or just weird? Will people still wear crazy t-shirts? In short, is the game bigger than Bob Barker, or was Bob Barker bigger than the game.

I'll be interested to find out, but I get the feeling it'll be OK.

Oh, by the way, I'm copyrighting "Carey's cuties" right now.

While I'm rambling about TV, a total outrage (shockingly) in "Friday Night Lights" being snubbed in the Emmy nominations last week. "Boston Legal?" Please. And even though I left the room on Thursday nights, the stench of "Grey's Anatomy" followed me throughout the house. "FNL" and "Lost" should have been nominated as well. Not that matters, because the triumphant last season of "The Sopranos" was nine of the best contiguous hours in TV history.

Even worse than the show being skipped was Kyle Chandler and Connie Brittan getting snubbed in their categories. Brittan is fantastic as the coach's wife, and together they are brilliant. I stand in front of the mirror practicing the icy stares that Chandler uses on both running backs and potential suitors to his daughter (I have about 8 left to get them down). For them to be skipped -- by Kiefer Sutherland in another by-the-book-but-second-worst-season-of-"24" effort of all things -- is shameful.

There you go. You can go about your life now, completely no better fulfilled than you were five minutes ago.