Hillbilly Handfishin'

Take a screenplay penned by David Milch, add in direction by Michael Mann, and then throw in actors of the quality that includes Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Jason Gedrick, Jill Hennessy, and Nick Nolte and you have the makings of a new hit series! Dustin Hoffman is not new to television but it's been a while since he won an Emmy for his Death of a Salesman Willy Loman role. He plays Chester "Ace" Bernstein, a dedicated gambler who's just been released from a four year stint in prison. He returns to his beloved race track and doing what he does best. Now more determined than ever to "beat the system" Ace learns his driver Gus (Dennis Farina of Midnight Run, Get Shorty, & Law & Order) is now owner of a race horse. Mob boss Turo Escalante (played by John Ortiz from Ransom, Narc) is the actual owner who now owns several horses and they all plan on winning big with the inside edge from race horse ownership. Sudden Luck makes them all rich and only adds to the twists and turns involved in this highly entertaining series.

With their sites set on the Olympic Games we follow along with the lives of three teen gymnasts who strive to be the best and reach the ultimate goal of Olympic medals. Popular with viewers and critics as well, Make It or Break It has captivated audiences with the high quality writing and acting on each weekly episode. Kaylie Cruz is played by Josie Loren ( ), Payson Keeler played by Ayla Kell ( ), and Lauren Tanner portrayed by Cassie Scerbo ( ) are three determined teens who have been on the road to the Olympics most of their lives and are determined to be the best they can be physically as well as mentally. They work out at the "Rocky Mountain Gym" which is a fictional place in Boulder, Colorado. The Rock as their gym is known by offers great equipment and a place for the youngsters to meet and compete as they train for their future in gymnastics. There are "no dating" rules which, being teens, is bound to be broken and each new member must pass inspection before they are allowed to join the ranks. Lauren is the devious one who intends to come out on top.

"Poker After Dark" invites questions about chickens and eggs: Did the show create the American poker craze, or did pokermania create the show? Filling the insomniac hours after NBC's languishing late-night line-up, "Poker After Dark" now is the drug-of-choice for let-the-cards-fly fanatics all over North America. For viewers immune to the thrilling contagion of Texas Hold "˜Em, "Poker After Dark" certainly must seem like snooze-fest supreme, because the show's drama and suspense live and flourish in the nuances, and they develop behind the hardest of hardcore poker faces. Unless the viewer knows the game, game theory, the identities and playing styles of the super-stars at the table, and the razor-thin line between skill and luck, "Poker After Dark" looks like nothing but six grizzled characters brooding over scraps of paper. For anyone with a working knowledge of "the flop," "the river," and "all-in," the subtle-but-intense drama is absolutely compelling, and "Poker After Dark" totally dominates its time-slot. In the show's fourth season, once it clearly had established a devoted following among poker addicts, "Poker After Dark's" producers began diversifying the program's format and content, pitting table players against online gamers, showing no-limit cash games, and scheduling head-to-head playoffs between seasoned professionals and dedicated amateurs. Texas Hold "˜Em, however, still has greatest hold on viewers' attention.

Rookies and pros alike can appreciate just how lasting the sport of wrestling is. Bare chested men grappling for the perfect hold to pin their opponent down for the count are reminiscent of Gladiators from centuries ago. Crowds root and scream for their hero as they yell words of encouragement to their chosen contender. This program, from World Wrestling Entertainment (the WWE) takes us behind the scenes of professional wrestling and combines reality television with scripts taken from live events. Watch to see who will emerge as the next super star of the sport and who will fade away into obscurity if they can't stand the heat of battle in the ring. Weekly matches and challenges test the skills and physical ability of rookies. Like other reality style shows they have to win contests and perhaps earn immunity from elimination in the next round. Contestants move up through the ranks much as they would in real competition but much faster through the magic of reality television. Winning contestants are usually rewarded with a career boost into stardom.

We all love to witness a successful comeback and when it involves the sport of boxing that usually means a punch drunk older fighter attempting to make it back into the ring and winning. The expression lights out generally infers someone has been punched out or unconscious, followed by a ten count, and then the match is over. Patrick Leary has the nickname "Lights" for a reason and even though he wants to make a comeback the odds may be stacked against him. With mounting bills and a family to support he needs to make up his mind if he should make a living as an intimidating debt collector or make good on his dream of the comeback in boxing. Either way his brain has been dulled by too many punches to the head and he suffers from pugilistic dementia. In other words Leary is punch drunk. Holt McCallany stars as "Lights" Leary and to prepare for the role he trained with Freddie Roach in an attempt to imitate some successful pugilists they know. It will be interesting to find how successfully he can make that comeback.

Football Follies TV show are collections of American football bloopers performed by National Football League players. Produced by NFL Films, these collections also spoof parts of popular culture. For every tight spiral, circus catch and textbook open-field tackle there are countless fumbles, bumbles and boneheaded goofs. Each episode shows that sometimes, even the best players screw up, coaches go ballistic, and fans find fresh ways to act wacky in the stands.