My other item for today was on two TV shows I've been catching on Sunday nights. Go figure that Cooch and the Bruce have mentioned them first. I wrote something up anyway, only to lose it when I screwed up on which browser window I was on. So now you get the shorter version with no links.

The Dragnet revival on ABC (10 pm Sundays) is OK. Ed O'Neill is a pretty good Joe Friday, even if he seems to be even more job-focused (he's now street smart and reads relevant criminal justice literature on top of being a dogged detective). At no time did I picture Friday at home, off-duty, with his hand in his pants. Ethan Embry as Frank Smith is kind of a cypher, hopefully he'll become more than young and dedicated as we continue.

It's pretty plot-driven, being a Dick Wolf production. The intro says that the story is "inspired" by actual events. As long as I don't have the NBC voice-over guy intoning "ripped from the headlines" yet again, I don't care.

In any event, it's better than the laughable 1989 revival, and less grating than the self-hating purveyors of jurisprudence on The Practice.

If cops aren't you're thing but you're still looking for some bloodshed, tune in to the History Channel for Mail Call and Conquest. Mail Call is hosted by former D.I. R. Lee Ermey, who answers your questions about military life while using phrases like "numb nuts" and "grab ass." It's actually pretty informative, giving historical perspective and even some hands-on examples (such as when he had some guys dig foxholes, showing it ain't easy).

Conquest focuses mostly on the Middle Ages, as the host puts some average guys from today through the paces in how to wear armor, use a sword and other period weapons, and otherwise underscore that soldiering was no picnic. There's a certain level of humor here, too, as our modern-day Lancelots try to figure out how to use a mace without falling on their ass.

For those of you who want to try these shows but not wait another six days, both are on tonight from 8-9 pm (EST).