Louis C.K. in "Louie."

Credit: FX

A quick review of tonight's "Louie" coming up just as soon as I ask about Obama...

Ethan Suplee and Elijah Wood in "Wilfred."

Credit: FX

A quick review of tonight's "Wilfred" coming up just as soon as I break Shabbos...

The revamped cast of "Torchwood: Miracle Day," with Eve Myles, John Barrowman, Alexa Havins and Mekhi Phifer.

Credit: Starz/BBC

There are two different shows co-existing under the title “Torchwood: Miracle Day” (Friday at 10 p.m. on Starz). The first is a classic kind of science fiction story, built around a simple what if? question: what would happen if every person in the world suddenly became incapable of dying? The second is a familiar action thriller in which a rogue team of government agents try to find out who made everyone immortal, and why.

The second show is the one that Starz clearly signed on for when the pay cable channel became co-producer and American distributor of “Torchwood,” which had been a purely British series in its earlier seasons (and aired in these parts on BBC America). It’s a commercial, easy-to-sell idea, one featuring a few characters who will be familiar to hardcore fanboys and girls, as well as recognizable American faces like Mekhi Phifer and Bill Pullman. If this wasn’t a show about Torchwood was investigating the miracle, getting into gunfights and trading banter, it wouldn’t exist.

And yet, even as a fan of the 100% British incarnation of “Torchwood” (particularly the 5-part “Torchwood: Children of Earth” miniseries from 2009), I couldn’t help wishing that “Torchwood: Miracle Day” spent a little more time on the miracle and less on Torchwood.

Cy, E.B. and Al ponder news of the plague on "Deadwood."

Credit: HBO

We're continuing our trip back through the first season of David Milch's epic revisionist Western "Deadwood," and we're continuing to do it with two separate but largely identical posts: one for people who watched the whole series and want to be able to discuss it from beginning to end, and one for people who are just starting out and don't want to be spoiled with discussion that goes past the current episode. This is the former; click here for the newbie-safe version.

Cy, E.B. and Al ponder news of the plague on "Deadwood."

Credit: HBO

We're continuing our trip back through the first season of David Milch's epic revisionist Western "Deadwood," and we're continuing to do it with two separate but largely identical posts: one for people who watched the whole series and want to be able to discuss it from beginning to end, and one for people who are just starting out and don't want to be spoiled with discussion that goes past the current episode. This is the latter; click here for the veteran-friendly version.

Andre Braugher on "Men of a Certain Age."

Credit: TNT

"Men of a Certain Age" just wrapped up its second (and hopefully not final) season, and I have a review of the finale coming up just as soon as I punch the muffin...

Dan was traveling back from Canada in the early part of the week, so the Firewall & Iceberg Podcast makes a temporary Wednesday return, and a fairly busy one, as we discuss "Torchwood: Miracle Day," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the "Treme" finale, a new "Twin Peaks" and answer several letters. The run-down:

James Spader is joining the cast of "The Office."

Credit: NBC

"The Office" has found its new boss - sort of - and will be adding James Spader to the cast when the series begins is eighth season in the fall. An explanation of how this will work (which some may consider spoiler-y) and my thoughts on it coming up after the jump...

You can watch the UK series "Misfits" here in the US - just not on a TV.

I don't have a TV in my office.

This may sound strange, given that I watch TV for a living, but it's been the arrangement I've had for the last few months. Long story short, a few months back I moved into a new office space where it turned out that getting cable/satellite/Fios/etc. installed would be surprisingly complicated. This was near the end of the network TV season, and I was so busy writing about finales, upfront schedules, etc., that I put off figuring out a solution until things calmed down.

Things have calmed down, and yet for now, at least, I find myself not needing the thing in here.

April and Andy's wedding was a brilliant moment in a "Parks and Recreation" season full of them.

Credit: NBC

And now Fienberg and I come to the end of our longer-than-planned (in days, not posts) trip through some of the top Emmy categories, with our look at the contenders for Outstanding Comedy Series. The ballots are already in, but we wanted to get these last two categories done before the nominees are announced on July 14, at least.

As we have throughout this project, we're approaching the idea in two ways, with me as the optimist and Dan as the pragmatist. So while Dan has his usual exhaustive photo gallery of potential nominees (starting with the most likely and moving on down to longshots he wishes were favorites), I'm going to pretend that I was given an actual ballot to fill out in this category, and narrow it down to the six shows I'd most like to see make the cut.