What with all the excitement of our 1980s Ashes To Ashes Week, the return of the mystery/drama/exhilarating/monster/romantic series Lost may have gone a little under-appreciated here. Only a little, mind - because for all its faults, and despite its infuriating nature, we just still don't seem to get bored of it.

This week's round of American Idol auditions pretty much followed the pattern of last week's (and yes, once again I forgot the Thursday night edition!), with less than 20 being selected out of the 10,000 hopefuls who attended the Miami event. What made last night different though, was that I didn't switch over soon enough and found myself caught up in this strange half hour window into the life of Paula Abdul.

Abdul (one of the American Idol judges who, as regular viewers will know, is apparently pronounced - at least by host Ryan Seacrest - Paula Abdoool) appears to be attempting to achieve the kind of notoriety enjoyed by Sharon Osbourne: allowing the cameras "unprecedented" access to the daily whirl of her life. And what a whirl it is, when a "day" consists of 48 hours.

When I, as a big fan of The Office, heard that there was going to be a American version of the show, I was pretty reticent about the whole idea - and I know that I wasn't alone. Gervais and Merchant's series is so perfect, so coherent, and so unique that it felt a bit cheap to then let it be re-made across the pond.

But now the accepted wisdom is that The Office: An American Workplace is a real triumph. It's very different from the original, UK version, of course, but the spirit of humanism is retained, as are those classic cringe-worthy moments. And the casting is almost uniformly perfect: Steve Carell was an inspired choice for the David Brent role, and John Krasinski, as Tim/Jim is as lovable as Martin Freeman - if not more so. So, if you've missed this US version, it will certainly be worth switching to ITV2 on Thursday and watching the first episode of the third series.

Paul's already shared with you some of the best examples of ludicrously bad auditions from Series 7 so far, and it's only three weeks old. Here's another couple. They couldn't sing either, but at least they found love and each other on the Idol message boards, and met up for the first time at the Charleston auditions. Depending on your point of view you're either reaching for the tissues or the sick bag right about now.

For some reason ITV2 has chosen this year to broadcast two hour-long audition programmes each week, which I still can't quite get my head round, but with a bazillion repeats throughout the week my pathological missing of the Thursday night show is not a problem. So compared to how crap The X Factor was last time around, what is it about American Idol that keeps me coming back for more?

I'm just going to do a short review of this new import for the first episode, as the US makes such sprawling series that they can afford to give the show a few episodes a bed in. Nevertheless, Reaper, (E4, Wednesdays 9pm) shows real promise, and I'll definitely be sticking with it.

The premise of the show is that a couple have sold the soul of their son, Sam, to the Devil (to keep the father alive) and now that Sam has reached 21, old Beelzebub has come to claim him. Sam has to act as a bounty hunter, returning escaped souls to Hell. Yes, it's a bit silly, but this could be great, as it's loads of fun, has a charismatic cast, and brings to mind so many brilliant sci-fi shows and films.

Yes, it may be nearly February, but over at the Guardian's Organ Grinder blog, they're still only just getting round to their review of 2007. But better late than never, and seeing as though the readers have put together an extremely credible list, I thought it was worth a mention. Not nearly as all-round wonderful as *our* Top 50 of 2007, you understand, but a good effort. Haha.

For the third year running, the readers have voted Doctor Who their number one show of the year. Here at TVScoop we absolutely adored certain episodes, and rather disliked others, so it only achieved 14th place; and our number one, Life On Mars, didn't quite reach the top ten over there. No accounting for taste, eh? TVScoop favourite BBC Four is a big winner, with Flight Of The Conchords and The Thick Of It making third and sixth place respectively, and I'm personally rather happy to see The Mighty Boosh sneak into to top ten. See over the cut for the full list...

Students. Brace yourselves. This Morning are setting up help-lines just like it was the Take That split all over again. Yessir, your post-modern ironic world is about to be blown apart. (Have I built this up enough? I know, but it's not that big news-wise y'know? Okay! Okay! I'm getting on with it Stop shoving me maan!) Legendary Neighbours actor Ian Smith, who plays Harold Bishop, is about to disappear from our screens. For a bit. But it was nearly forever! Anyway, Smith told producers that he wanted to quit at the end of last year, but was convinced to return for regular guest appearances.

"When they originally said they wanted me to stay, I said, 'I just don't think it's going to happen'. I'm awfully glad they did [talk me into coming back]. It would be very emotional if I was walking away for good," Smith told the Herald Sun. "I'll have four lovely months to myself, then come back for six weeks, then go away for another four months and it will go on and on like that. So I'm not retiring, but I am walking away from having to work 13-hour days, day after day." He's set to leave in March over in Australia... so I don't know if he'll make it to the switch over to Five.

With sets apparently consistingly mainly of disused multi-storey car parks and old abattoirs this was Blade on the cheap. The trademark vampire corpses exploding in fatal pyrotechnics were kept to a minimum (an expensive effect to reproduce, presumably), the fight scenes' choreography was clunky and the overall feel of the show a little claustrophobic, but the hardware looked good, the performances were believable and, for fans at least, the whole thing held up pretty well in an Adam West's Batman kind of way, only without the Kapows and the Oofs.

After the success of the movies it's easy to forget this is basically a comic strip show, so like Sin City, on one level it works best when it looks surreal and two-dimensional. All the signs of the series' failure to capture American audiences' imagination were there in the first episode (when shown on Spike TV viewing figures went almost immediately into decline, although the producer claimed the reason for cancellation was that the small network could not afford to keep making it) but for this viewer at least there were enough plot hooks in the first hour to keep me watching. My biggest criticism would be the show-to-advertisement ratio. Even on Virgin 1 there were two occasions where there was only five minutes air time between ad breaks.

With The X Factor over for another year you knew it was only a matter of time, and not very much time either. Yes it's here already. The Season 7 premiere of American Idol airs on Fox TV in the US over two nights, but ITV2's coverage starts here a week on Thursday with two hour-long audition shows sandwiching another hour-long programme highlighing Simon Cowell's AI journey. And that's not all! Auditions continue the following night for a further two hours.

With many fans of reality singing contests believing AI is far superior entertainment to X Factor (it has certainly provided many more successful artists, even among those like Chris Daughtry who don't make the finale), its return for an even bigger seventh season will be welcome news for many, while no doubt others will be glad it's tucked away on ITV2!

American Idol: ITV2, Thursday 17 January, 8pm (for three hours in total) and Friday 18 January, 10pm

Ooh this is quite a treat for me - here at TV Scoop we each have shows that we cover (no-one else has dared review The Mighty Boosh for example...) so it's good to look back at the year and have a little chat about shows I didn't get to review at the time.

Well, that's the theory anyway - in practice I usually ran to the computer as soon as a show I loved came to an end. So Cranford, Boosh and Peep Show are all involved, but with the added bonus of Doctor Who and Life On Mars! Woo!

You all heard about the Writers Guild of America right? Click here if you didn't. Well, talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America have broken down. Everyone was playing so nicely too. In a statement, the AMPTP said: "We’re disappointed to report that talks between the AMPTP and WGA have broken down yet again. Quite frankly, we’re puzzled and disheartened by an ongoing WGA negotiating strategy that seems designed to delay or derail talks rather than facilitate an end to this strike."

I think it's absolutely awful. Madeleine McCann, still missing, and presumably dead. It's gut wrenching and heart breaking... although... in saying that, it's heart breaking when ANY child goes missing. Sadder still is the media reaction to the case. Endless footage of police station doors (not opening) and people being accused willy nilly... it's the sign of a world going slowly mad. If the blanket coverage of the case hasn't already switched your heart into cold stone, the Americans are getting on the case too.

America's Most Wanted is coming to London to look for new evidence and will be broadcast from London on November 17, including a report from correspondent John Turchin in Praia da Luz, where McCann disappeared. Fox, makers of the show, said: "Turchin analyses the crime scene and breaks down possible scenarios of what may have happened to Madeleine in an investigation that brings him face-to-face with the first official suspect in the case." Is it me, or would this investigation have run more smooth and quick if the police were allowed to get on with their jobs without tripping over desperate news people and cameramen?

The bloke behind Family Guy... Seth MacFarlane... has criticised Fox and subsequently come up with the quote of the day after they said they'd press ahead with airing new episodes of the show that have not received his sign-off. MacFarlane has joined many other people in the industry refusing to cross WGA picket lines to work on getting new material finished. However, Fox is planning to air at least three more original episodes where final production tweaks are in progress - even if MacFarlane does not sign them off.

"It would just be a colossal dick move if they did that," MacFarlane told Variety. "They've never done anything like this before, in which they've said, 'We're going to finish a show without you'. It's really going to be unfortunate and damaging to our relationship if they do it." Colossal dick move... hilarious.

Being a critic (spit), you are, in essence, paid to pick holes in things. People all over the world spend so much of their time being creative and making things, only for someone like me to walk by and snidely shout "It's rubbish!" Mostly, it's a thoroughly unpleasant life as, for me at least, I only rant because I care. Usually, when something is picked up by the majority, us critics find ourselves in a difficult position. When I don't like something that is seemingly universally popular, I don't know what to do. I could lie and jump on the bandwagon... or I could stick to my guns and run the risk of looking like a bitter writer being awkward for awkward's sake. Thank God I don't have that when it comes to Heroes (BBC Two, Wednesday, 9pm)

Putting it bluntly, Heroes is making me shit with glee. I'm so hooked by each mechanical plot twist and character development that I have no idea... nor the inclination to find out... if Heroes is as bad as Buffy The Vampire Slapper. It may well be tacky sci-fi... I wouldn't know. I've lost all objectiveness and now find myself tensing my knuckles white at the mere mention of the show. The plot unravels... I know the ending (of sorts)... but how on earth do we get there? Naturally, I've taken to philosophising and speculating in an attempt to unlock the mysteries. I am also aware of the fact that, this is what those wrong'uns do at conventions and on internet message boards...

Tonight the glorious ‘Company Man’ episode hits terrestrial TV in the UK, but over in the States ‘Heroes’ is faring poorly in its second season. The NBC show came in third in its Monday night 9pm time slot, behind ABC’s double of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and new sitcom ‘Samantha Who?’ and CBS’s ‘Two and a Half Men’ and ‘Rules of Engagement.’ The show has sunk to its lowest viewing figures among its core audience of adults aged 18-49 and has caused many critics in America to speculate on a ‘sophomore slump.’

While this TV Scooper can appreciate the criticisms (I too have felt underwhelmed and frustrated by certain creative directions in season two), creator Tim Kring remains confident that this slump is a product of people watching online, or recording to watch later, a theory substantiated by similar drop-offs for other top shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. "People tend to look at last season and see things in it that were not in it," Kring told the LA Times. "We haven't deviated that much."

For those of you who might be a little blasé about Heroes (crazy fools) tomorrow night’s episode ‘Company Man’ is the one that will surely bring you back from the dark side and see the light. I understand that for many of you nay sayers, there has not always been enough action, that you want to know more about the mysterious Mr. Bennet and that you consider some characters such as Matt Parkman peripheral to the central story line. Worry no more, as ‘Company Man’ brings Claire’s mysterious father centre stage in a plot that takes us both past and present to reveal a man of unexpected emotional depth.

To say any more would be cruel, as this installment really is one of the highlights of the Heroes series, and so make sure your phone is off the hook, that you have a scary enough jack o’ lantern in the window to deter sugar-crazed trick or treaters and treat yourself to a master class in television.

I’m finding E4’s advertising campaign for their new crop of reality shows a little odd. The line-up includes ‘Beauty and the Geek’ where ‘hot’ women transform nerdy men into studs (Mondays 10pm), the Paris Hilton/ Nicole Richie nonsense that is ‘The Simple Life’ (also Mondays, 11pm) along with tomorrow night’s premiere of ‘Age of Love’ where women in their 20s battle those in their 40s for the affections of Aussie tennis star Mark Philippoussis (pictured right.) The promotions bill the shows as ‘no brainers’ with two perma-tanned and cheesy presenters talking about switching your brain off and indulging in trashy TV, and though I’m sure no grey matter is required to view any of the three programmes, it seems to insult and undermine its target audience.

I know that E4 have performed well with their tongue-in-cheek campaigns, but by telling viewers that only stupid people would watch such fare seems more of a deterrent than an honest and appealing invitation. No-one, however dense, wants to be called stupid and with little warmth shown for the shows it neglects the cheeky brashness of former E4 successes. If the adverts conceded that we have brains but sometimes might like a little silly distraction, that would be much better, but instead they effectively condemn their own products.

Although I am enjoying The Tudors on BBC2, the Showtime period drama hasn’t quite lived up to my (possibly too high) expectations and media hype. This oh-so-slight disappointment meant that when watching the onscreen posturing of the impossibly pouty Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII on Friday night, I became distracted by his background crony William Compton played by Kris Holden-Reid. This chum of the kings seemed to bear an uncanny resemble to falsetto warbler and hubby to Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

With their two pictures lined up, I am more convinced of the similarities: the beards, slightly messy hair and wide foreheads. Granted Chris Martin’s blue eyes are more boggly and scary than anything Holden-Reid could muster, while the actor is decked out in finery even Martin’s music royalties would struggle to finance – but the resemblance is there. Uncanny.