When I was a kid, I watched a lot of TV. Raised as I was in that golden era of 80's television drama that included such gems as TJ HOOKER, THE A TEAM, THE FALL GUY, KNIGHT RIDER, and the little-known but much-loved TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY, how could I not love TV?

And now that Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (without a doubt, one of the best shows I've seen in years, especially when its creator, Joss Whedon, writes the episodes) is off until the next ratings season, I have to look further afield for televisual satisfaction. With that in mind, I thought that this week, I'd give my views on some of the TV fare out there that can take the Buffster's place until SMG and the Scooby gang return next year:

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

I like it. Like the stories, the uber-slick production values, the twists involving cool forensic science tricks, and I really love the quirkiness of the characters. William Petersen is awesome, but I particularly like the young actress, Jorja Fox (previously seen on ER and The West Wing), portraying another tough but intelligent - and because of that, really sexy -- character. If you haven't given this show a look yet, I'd say it would be well worth your while to do so.

JAMES CAMERON'S DARK ANGEL

Well, big things were expected from James Cameron's debut TV outing. To my mind, it's still kind of warming up, but I'm digging it. Like the mood, and the idea of the US as a Third World country. I can foresee a kick-ass Buffy-style show as it evolves, but they're going to need some baddies to match Max's abilities (much as the demons make Buffy lift her game).

FRIENDS

Haven't watched it for a while now. And no TV show can last forever. Not even M*A*S*H could do that.

DOCUMENTARIES

Now, if you didn't already know it, this is where authors get inspiration! Caught a couple of great documentaries last week. One was about the staggering cultural arrogance of The British Museum and its hoarding of other countries' treasures (African bronzes, and the Greek Marbles -- which the Museum boffins still shamefully call 'the Elgin Marbles', glorifying the thieving Lord Elgin who ripped them off the roof of the Acropolis!). Another great one was on grizzly bears -- during which I watched a bear chase down and catch a baby deer, cheetah-style. Never miss a good documentary if I can. [For those interested in Antarctica, a great documentary that I used in researching ICE STATION was 'Wolves of the Sea'; or for TEMPLE, check out 'Amazon: The Flooded Forest'.]