Don’t forget, the smartest show on network television is back, with new episodes on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. Central Time on ABC.

Boston Legal

Sorry for the departure into pop culture, but the show “American Idol” is a cheap, pathetic joke. It’s also rigged, obviously.

We never watch the show because of that, but a certain member of the family is into it like a lot of people with nothing better to do in Birmingham, Alabama. Taylor Hicks from Birmingham just didn’t have the falsetto to pull off “You Are So Beautiful” by Billy Preston, made famous by one of the greats, Joe Cocker.

All the judges just say things like, “That was OK.” Or, “It was your best performance yet.”

Where’s the real criticism from anyone who knows enough about music to say something even marginally intelligent? You would think they could hire a few writers to come up with some lines that make it SOUND like they know what they are talking about. But that would take away from the multi-million dollar bottom line.

The first guy is all around weak. And the chick is one big walking cliche. She may win it though. She nailed “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” A perfectly silly cliche song for this low rent pop show.

Meanwhile, if you want to watch some real TV for adults on one of the networks, ABC’s “Boston Legal” is airing a two-hour season finale tonight.