Inscaped week in TV

We're extending our vacation a bit, so no show this week. So here is my recap of this week's TV.

"Southland" returned for its third season premiere and immediately jumped back into action with the first scene featuring Regina King and her new partner in a car chase that turned into a foot chase.

We also saw Michael Cudlitz's Officer John Cooper continue to battle and hide debilitating back pain, while Ben McKenzie as Officer Ben Sherman stepped up to become more of partner to Cooper and not just his trainee.

This show is so much more than the usual crime drama or procedural. Its realistic portrayal of the LAPD sets a standard that no other police drama on TV can live up to. It has a grittiness to it that makes it feel like it should be on HBO or FX. It's reminiscent of early "NYPD Blue" and "The Shield."

Since it's on cable it won't get huge ratings, but a cable show doesn't need 13 million viewers every week to be considered a hit. In short it's really good, quality TV, which explains why NBC canceled it and TNT wisely picked it up.

"V" also returned to television this week with its second season premiere. This show had an underwhelming first season and was a surprise renewal. Producers and cast have been promising a more revealing and action packed season two.

However, the premiere didn't really live up to the hype. All that was revealed was that the visitors want to use humans for breeding and that Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell) may have been experimented on when she was pregnant.

Maybe the upcoming appearances of original stars Jane Badler and Marc Singer will add some much need excitement.

The original mini-series was ground-breaking and appointment TV, this show is neither and is not long for this world. The first night ratings were a very low six and half million, which were third behind Paula Abdul's ridiculous "Live to Dance" and the repetitive "The Biggest Loser."

I'm wondering if ABC will continue to air the last new episodes or pull it in the next few weeks and burn them off in the summer. My money's on the latter.