NBC's The Playboy Club: the first time Utah tv programming execs and Gloria Steinem have shared a revulsion. (ewwwww)

I have sampled the new season, and so far, it’s not pretty.

On Fox, I like X Factor, but am not finding it compelling enough to “must see.” Fringe is still brilliant and thrilling appointment viewing — in my house, but not enough others.

On NBC, what were they thinkin’ with their tacky  Playboy Club drama in primetime?  This  Mad Men clone doesn’t begin to shake a tail feather.

And ABC? The best thing about their clone, Pan Am,  was the hilarious impressions of the pilots by Dana Carvey filling as guest host of Regis and Kelly.  Craning his neck backwards, he showed how the Pan Am actors in the cockpit have to play to the camera.

On CBS, Charlie Sheen’s (character’s) funeral on “Two and a Half Men” scored big, as apparently did its newest star,  the freshly single Ashton Kutcher, which might stem the aging of their audience.

At 92, Andy Rooney just  left 60 Minutes, but now rumors are swirling that 69-year-old Charlie Rose will be the new anchor of The Early Show.  It’s not so much his age I’m noting, (as a former senior executive producer of the show.) As a student of the art of the interview, I can promise that Charlie Rose won’t be finished his first ever-so-thoughtful-and-complex sentence when his competitors are on their third news story of the morning.

In late night entertainment: yikes.  Kimmel shines, as does Jimmy Fallon.  But Letterman and Leno are going into their third year of getting their asses kicked by the little engine that could over on Nightline. 

He really wants to call it "Seducing Salahi"?: (ewwww)

And finally, rounding out the “what were they thinkin’?” list:

Tareq Salahi: reportedly shopping his own reality/dating show now that his wife, Michaele, left him to run off with the lead guitarist from Journey. (You may remember, the Salahi’s first gained national attention in November 2009 by  crashing a White House state dinner in honor of India‘s Prime Minister,  then were featured on  The Real Housewives of D.C.)

I can see the personal ads now: newly dumped, middle-aged, chubby-but-loveable man with questionable business background looking for attractive woman to dress in black tie, party crashing  and travel. Must love cameras.  Non-smokers preferred.

Anderson Cooper in daytime: always  likable, but starting to wear thin and seeming way too desperate so soon.  It was way too early to play the Mommy card with Gloria Vanderbilt, way too soon for  those shirtless shots. There’s been way too much talk of his brother’s suicide tragedy.  And it’s downright pathetic to be dipping into the old daytime bag of tricks for an hour featuring twins conjoined at the head.

What has so far just been the  scent of desperation, now has the appearance of true despair behind the scenes.  On Thursday, a teenage boy who was supposed to appear on Anderson,  instead wound up in intensive care, in a coma.  His segment, according to the show’s publicist, was based on a National Geographic article about the teenage brain.  Reportedly,  a producer had encouraged the teen to film himself doing the crazy stuff he likes to do.  The publicist denied the show gave him the camera.  The tragedy is still unfolding and the CNN newsman who once joyfully saved a boy from the earthquake in Haiti, has some damaging headlines this round.

These are my early random thoughts on the season.

Please add your own thoughts to my list.