I am far too young to have ever owned a lunchbox emblazoned with the likenesses of Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Jackie, so it was with great curiosity that I tuned into last night’s premiere of “The Jack5ons: A Family Dynasty.”  That’s right; “Jackson” is spelled with a “5.”

Who are these guys aside from a precursor to the New Kids on the Block? (My favorite is Jonathan!) Well, after investing two hours in the A&E series, I’m not sure that I came away with a lot of answers. I, will, however, share with you what I know for sure. Marlon is the one with the mustache. Tito looks like Muhammad Ali in a bowler hat and Jermaine is the one with the Muslim wife. And Jackie is ... well, he’s the other one.

The premiere started off innocently (zzzz!) enough, with the brothers making plans to record a 40th...

Reality shows make us feel better about ourselves. Let’s say you have a day from hell -- you know the kind I mean. You get diagnosed with an STD, can’t seem to get your parole officer off your back and the DVR somehow misses your “Degrassi” series recording. Well, you can just turn on an episode of “I Love New York” or “Cheaters” and instantly feel better about your lot in life.

This does not apply to all reality programming, though.

There are those shows that actually provide -- surprise! -- wholesome quality entertainment. I’m speaking of shows like “Extreme Home Makeover” and “Intervention.” OK, maybe “Intervention’s” not that wholesome; still, these shows remind us of what’s truly important in life (hint: it’s not getting wasted at the Jersey...

I’ve seen some outlandish reality show premises in my time - people with 18 kids, celebrities going through rehab, even women pretending to be attracted to the likes of Bret Michaels and Flava Flav. But whoever pitched “Steven Seagal: Lawman” deserves an Emmy.

I can hear it now: “It’s kind of like ‘Cops’ meets ‘Karate Kid’ meets crazy.” This show already has cult status in my book, and it just premiered last night!

Who knew? Steven Seagal, action star, is also Steven Seagal, Deputy Sheriff.  (I know this because in the opening credits he actually growls dramatically, “My name is Steven Seagal --THAT’S RIGHT -- Steven Seagal ... Deputy Sheriff.”)  Apparently Officer Steve has been serving the people of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, for the last 20 years.

If you didn’t...

If a network acquires a show that was taped almost a year ago and it airs the finale, did the season ever really happen?

I just couldn’t get fully invested in “Project Runway” this time around, and I blame the delay, among other things.  After all, fashion should be current by its very definition. (I should know; I shop at fashionista-friendly Target and once worked at the cutting edge house of style known as the Gap.)

One thing the finale had going for it, though, was that it was back in New York. And, let’s face it; the Big Apple is really the heart of “Runway.”  (That and Tim Gunn!)

The other component that makes the show so compelling is the personalities of the designers, which oftentimes overshadow the actual designs themselves. Past seasons have given us reality gold in characters such as Santino, Jeffrey...