How can I put this politely?

I just tried to sit through David (DEADWOOD) Milch’s new opus, JOHN FROM CINCINNATI. It is, I’m sorry to say, complete ass.

I was a fan of DEADWOOD’S first year, but the show declined steadily in years two and three, until it was barely recognizable self-parody. JOHN FROM CINCINNATI, like later-era DEADWOOD is an incomprehensible bore. Three generations of surfers, a traveling soothsayer, a “Lawyer for the surf community,” and Luke Perry may sound great on paper, but in practice it’s just a mess.

JOHN was added to the DVR subscription a week ago, and 13 minutes after starting the premiere, I cancelled that subscription.

I’ve argued this for awhile, but the more we like Dwight on the Office, the more Jim seems like a bully. This week’s fine episode proved it — when Roy came in to beat up Jim, Dwight saved the day. How can Jim go back to playing pranks on him, now? The meaner Jim and Pam are to Dwight, the more I don’t like them.

As an aside, Tina picked up some prints of separate fan paintings of Dwight and Angela over Christmas. They now hang on my office wall, watching disapprovingly as I work.

This year’s television season has been a bit of a mixed bag. With my girls taking so much of my time, I’m able to catch most of what I like (plus Dora the Explorer) on my DVR. I missed out on a lot of good stuff the first half of the season — Weeds and Dexter stand out the most — because of the girls. Now, I watch everything I want to see, just really really slowly.

1. Battlestar Galactica - This show used to be my favorite, but I think it’s run out of steam this year. The New Capcrica story was brilliant, a high water mark for the show, and it looks like they spent the bulk of their effects budget on it. The rest of the season has been dedicated to mostly effects-free stand-alones, many of which utilized only a few of Galactica’s standing sets. Season two dragged after the big Pegasus storyline, too, but season three has been considerably worse in that regard. Couple that with the fact Ronald Moore has lost what the show is about — thinking of it as a character drama, rather than a military scifi character drama — and spent much of the season making our leads (Kara, Lee) unlikable, I’m not sure the writing team really knew what to do after New Caprica. Things are starting to turn around, but Starbucks’ big episode, “Maelstrom,” lost a lot of its emotional impact because the writers made me hate her. The three-part finale is definitely turning things in the right direction, and I hope the lower episode count in season four will make the writers focus more on the story essentials and less on the soap opera.

2. Rome - Sheer balls to the wall brilliance. Knowing that they only have ten episodes to complete the series, the production team is going full tilt, cramming as much amazing stuff as they can into every 60-minute episode. The rise of Augustus Caeser is even better than the fall of Julius Caeser, and Mark Antony is one of the best characters in the history of television, standing toe-to-toe with other HBO favorites such as Al Swearagen on Deadwood. Vorenus and Pullo’s quest to save Vorenus’ children had one of the best pay-offs I’ve seen in a long, long time. I’m sad to see the show go, but what a way to end it. Great stuff.

3. The Office - funnier and more emotionally complicated than any show on television, the Office surpasses the best sitcoms of the past, including its British predecessor. Steve Carrell has made Michael Scott more than just a one-dimensional fool — there’s a whole host of reasons why he is the way he is, and he can be surprisingly kind and sympathetic. David Brent was funny, but Michael Scott seems to be really human. This is my pick for the best show on television — get the DVD’s if you haven’t seen it.

4. Heroes - I didn’t expect to like this one, even with the super hero theme, but it’s quickly become one of my favorites. Drawing from all the best comic book sources — X-Men, Watchmen, Squadron Supreme, even Marvel’s New Universe — Heroes is perhaps the best live-action portrayal of people with special powers. Yes, I know it apes Lost with its host of characters, but the it moves in deliberate arcs, answers questions, and has a lot of excellent plot momentum. This is easily on par with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I’m glad the writers are intent on making each season a finite arc, rather than following the failed open-ended model of Lost and Galactica. People complain about the blatant plagrism and plot holes, but I’m willing to forgive them for the overall experience. HRG, Hiro and Peter Petrelli are three of the best characters on television today.

5. Lost - I think they’ve really righted the ship since the six episode “mini-season” they released in the fall. Last year was a big disappointment, but with the return of most of the season one regulars, I’m glad to see the writers are starting to get a handle on the series. Not as brilliant as the first season, but I don’t feel like I’m going to work when I watch it, now. Jack’s experience with the others, plus Kate, Locke and Sayyid’s quest to save him, has been well-crafted thus far. I’m not sure any answers are coming, but I’m enjoying it, again.

6. 24 - I always lose interest in 24 about a third of the way through, and this season isn’t any exception. Yes, it’s basically recycling seasons past, and I think Manny Coto and Joel Surnow are slacking as they become the darlings of the far right. Still, they are dealing with the fact that Jack Bauer is now the empty husk of a human being, and they are fair about displaying corruption on both the right and the left. But you could have a drinking game centered around the torture sessions alone, and how many times can the terrorists go after LA? Enjoyable as entertainment, but stale in its lack of innovation.

It hardly seems necessary to refer to NBC’s “The Office” as “the American version,” anymore. We’re now two years into the series, and it has definitely evolved into its own creature. Ricky Gervais’ original seems a distant memory now, and in many ways, I think the American version surpasses its British forebear in almost every regard.

Watching NBC’s marathon of season two episodes last night, I’m struck not only by how real the show is, but how humane it is. Although the British show was complex and painfully real, it tended to view its characters with contempt. David Brent didn’t grow into a sympathetic character until the Christmas special, and Gareth was always portrayed as a sociopath. In contrast, Michael Scott, while being an asshole and boob, also has a sympathetic side, a humanity that David never had. Like David Brent, Michael desperately wants to be liked, but there’s a pathos to his character. There’s something infinitely relatable and sad about how Michael clings to his boss, Jane, a woman who he hooked up with just once, but clearly has feelings for, despite the contradictory attraction and repulsion Jane has for him.

The only element of the show that retains much of the flavor of the original is the Jim/Pam relationship. Unlike the sudden and pat resolution in the UK Christmas special, though, we see a long and natural evolution from their flirty friendship, to Jim’s awkward revelation of affection in the season two finale that we never really had in the BBC version. Dawn and Tim become a couple in the series finale, because it’s what the audience wants. And although there is some catharsis in the fact that they do get together, the two seasons of the UK show seemed determine to keep them in limbo forever, like in a classic sitcom. Jim’s revelation to Pam evolves more naturally as part of the overall season two arc, and there is no moment during the second season when the audience doesn’t know that something will happen between them. Good or bad, change in their status quo was inevitable.

I was particularly struck last night in rewatching the scene where a confused and overwhelmed Pam talks to her mom on the phone about Jim. She is elated by his revelation, but also terrified of the consequences. Her mother, unheard by the audience, asks her if she loves him. “I think I do,” Pam replies.

She is both vulnerable and empowered by finally admitting her feelings to herself. But how she chooses to deal with that revelation remains to be seen. Which is what’s so great about the show — that its characters, like people in the real world, make such terrible mistakes when presented with two choices. And the consequences of those choices lead to classic comedy, as well as moments of awesome tragedy.

“Entourage” is back on HBO next weekend. Along with “Weeds,” it was one of the two shows that helped get me through the early months of parenthood. Granted, I’ve been a fan since it debuted in the first season, but season two really brought a level of excellence. My favorite episode of the season was the one when Vince and his friends go to San Diego Comicon to promote “Aquaman” and have a run-in with a Harry Knowles-inspired online entertainment journalist played brilliantly by Rainn Wilson. Also, it was revealed thatVincent Chase’s hapless, hack actor older brother was once the star of a short-lived genre show, “Viking Quest,” and had a huge cult fan following. Drama effortlessly navigates Comicon like a seasoned pro, a star in a world unknown to Chase, Eric and Turtle. Great stuff.

The thing that works on the show, and what I think makes it resonate with people, is the unapologetic portrayal of male relationships. It really gets how men interact with each other — and does it in a way that avoids negative stereotypes. They also dispense with the usual contrived character conflicts so prevelant on television — first and foremost, “Entourage” is a show about a group of blue collar guys from Queens living big in LA. They know their success is temporary, but they’re all committed to enjoy it while it lasts. HBO ordered 20 episodes this time, and I hope the writing staff is able to keep up the quality. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should really consider catching up on Netflix.

Also returning is “Deadwood,” an old favorite of mine. But it’s bittersweet — the season reportedly ends on a cliffhanger, but series producer David Milch decided not to continue because he’d rather make a show about a surfer. What a way to get me excited about Deadwood’s third season. I’m not even sure I’m going to bother watching.