Wednesday

By Neal Justin, Star Tribune

Last update: September 14, 2007 - 9:48 AM

º"Pushing Daisies": Think quirky: A piemaker who can bring back the dead, a girl named Chuck, plaster monkeys, Kristin Chenoweth. That kind of whimsy plays well in bedtime novels, but rarely blooms on the small screen. Alas. 7 p.m. Oct. 3, KSTP, Ch. 5. ***

"Back to You": This highly anticipated sitcom suggests that TV newsrooms spend more time whipping up sexual entendres than tracking down stories. Still, the high-pedigree team of Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, as well as director James Burrows, makes us want to stay tuned. 7 p.m. Wednesday, KMSP, Ch. 9. **½

"Kid Nation": CBS is not releasing a preview, largely because many critics believe the idea of youngsters running a town signifies an all-time low in reality shows. Maybe, but this appears to be a well-intentioned, well-supervised experiment that deserves a chance. 7 p.m. Wednesday, WCCO, Ch. 4.

"The Bionic Woman": The folks who revamped "Battlestar Galactica" have sucked the cheese out of another '70s series, leaving behind a leaner, meaner fighting machine in lead Michelle Ryan. A superhuman effort. 8 p.m. Sept. 26, KARE, Ch. 11. ***½

"Private Practice": All-star players, each of whom could headline a series, have decided to play nice to be part of this "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff. Smart choice, especially for Tim Daly, poised to be the next McDreamy. 8 p.m. Sept. 26, KSTP, Ch. 5. ***

"Kitchen Nightmares": Gordon Ramsay, a chef who touts the value of fresh ingredients, relies far too much on artificial sweeteners in his latest reality show, which casts him as a savior of struggling restaurants. Confrontations that are obviously staged spoil what could have been a tasty treat. 8 p.m. Wednesday, KMSP, Ch. 9. **

"Gossip Girl": The popular young-adult book series comes to vivid life, which means showing wealthy Manhattan teenagers puffing weed, drinking martinis and having sex. Those horrified by the show's honest depiction need to grow up. 8 p.m. Wednesday, WUCW, Ch. 23. ***

"Dirty Sexy Money": Minnesota actor Peter Krause and Minnesota playwright Craig Wright have teamed up for his decidedly un-Midwestern look at rich people behaving badly. Good filthy fun. 9 p.m. Sept. 26, KSTP, Ch. 5. ***

"Life": A disgraced cop (Damian Lewis) returns to the force with lots of money and lots of detachment. If he doesn't care about his life, why should we? 9 p.m. Sept. 26, KARE, Ch. 11. **

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WEDNESDAY
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
ABC	Pushing Daisies		Private Practice		Dirty Sexy Money
CBS	Kid Nation		Criminal Minds		CSI: NY
CW	America's Next Top Model		Gossip Girl
FOX	Back to You	'Til Death	Kitchen Nightmares
NBC	Deal or No Deal		Bionic Woman		Life
MyTV	Decision House		Meet My Folks