Bucs Game Sacks 'Boston Legal' Finale On Tampa Affiliate

"Boston Legal" fans take note: The series finale will not be aired in Tampa on Monday night.

ABC affiliate WFTS, Channel 28, is carrying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Carolina Panthers instead.

WFTS officials say the two-hour ender for David E. Kelley's legal dramedy will be tape-delayed and shown from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 14.

My guess is that taking the Bucs game (which also is being carried by ESPN) is a wise move because there probably are more football fans than there are followers of "Boston Legal."

The computer-savvy can see the finale on abc.com beginning Tuesday.

Coming to an end after five seasons, the quirky, nutty, testosterone-out-of-control series is known for unapologetically taking a liberal point of view on issues brought before the court.

It also featured one of television's greatest "bromances" between liberal Alan Shore (James Spader) and conservative Denny Crane (William Shatner). It was male bonding at its finest.

We will miss their end-of-the-show, cigars-and-booze-on-the-balcony scenes. On a recent episode, Denny says "I'll never be alone; I'll always have you," pondering the inevitability of aging with Alan.

Facing Alzheimer's disease, Denny worries about death.

"Hell, you'll probably outlive us all. We'll be dead and buried and you'll still be kicking, doing Priceline commercials," Alan assures him.

WFTS also is pre-empting "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for the Bucs game. The holiday favorite will be shown at 8 p.m. Dec. 16.

CBS PLANS: CBS' midseason programming plans include the return of "Flashpoint" and two new shows.

The schedule kicks off at 8 p.m. Jan. 3 with "Game Show in My Head," a new hidden camera series. Former "Fear Factor" host Joe Rogan asks ordinary people to perform five outrageous, embarrassing tasks for a chance to win up to $50,000.

"Flashpoint," starring Enrico Colantoni of "Veronica Mars" and "Just Shoot Me" fame, returns at 8 p.m. Jan. 9. Colantoni plays the leader of a group of SWAT-like officers in Toronto's Strategic Response Unit.

A new mystery drama, "Harper's Island," has been kicking around CBS for a while and it may be too late for this spooky, offbeat series to succeed now that shows such as "Heroes" and "Lost" are falling out of favor.

This 13-episode series tells the story of a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding only to be trapped. In every episode, a character is killed and every survivor is a suspect until the killer is revealed on the final episode.

YULE LOG: Subscribers to Bright House Networks' digital service will be able to bask in the glow of a continuously burning yule log, stare for hours at a snowy pine forest or watch snow flakes pelt a snowman.

Created by iN Demand Networks, these HD scenes will be available beginning Monday at HD Showcase On Demand on Bright House (channel 340).

The Yule Log features a crackling fire, Winter Green shows a snowy forest setting and Snowman features a snowman dressed in top hat, scarf and neckerchief (carrot nose included) regally withstanding a snowy storm. All three offerings are accompanied by holiday music.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 9 p.m., CBS

The story this week was inspired by the first black-owned casino in Vegas. Robert Guillaume, Tippi Hedren and Ralph Waite guest star.