Monkey business

By NEAL JUSTIN

Last update: October 11, 2009 - 7:15 PM

Monkey business

Allie Whoops may not be the most charming name for a 5-year-old girl, unless she's living in the same world as "Curious George" (3 p.m., KTCA, Ch. 2). The new character befriends our nosy monkey, going so far as to climb a tree. Good for you, Allie, but take it easy on the banana splits. "George" is now in its fourth season and thanks to smart writing and the noble goal of educating preschoolers about physical fitness, it continues to be a delight.

Kiss off

How do you save a sinking series like "Heroes" (7 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11)? Some girl-on-girl action, perhaps? Hayden Panettiere, right, hinted during a recent talk-show appearance that her character might have a lesbian hookup with her college roommate. The stunt is unlikely to rescue this doomed series, unless, of course, her roommate is Lara Croft.

Another spin The death of "DJ AM" Goldstein isn't stopping MTV from showing his eight-episode series, "Gone Too Far" (9 p.m., MTV), in which the artist attempts to persuade young people to stop taking drugs. Unfortunately, Goldstein OD'd in August. In the clips I've seen, Goldstein is quite a forceful mentor. I'm not sure the message will be quite as effective now.

NEAL JUSTIN