What's working ... August 18

1. Death of the KCPT Auction. Looks like it wasn't working for a lot of folks. But who knew that a public TV station could actually summon the nerve to cancel a show?

2. "Architecture School." Boring title, stimulating Sundance/iTunes series about Tulane kids who hold a bake-off for best affordable house design and then build it in inner-city New Orleans. Would that all TV shows did and were this good.

3. Alex O'Loughlin re-ups with CBS. Instead of "Moonlight," the Aussie actor will make a new and hopefully longer-lived series.

... AND WHAT'S NOT

1. Olympic opening ceremony flim-flam. Three damaging revelations took the edge off that Bird's Nest visual spectacular (the use of non-minority actors in the march of 56 minority kids was the most appalling). China's and NBC's so-what responses didn't help. How much else that we saw from Beijing was a lie?

2. "My Own Worst Enemy" product placement. Not one but two Chevys are being promoted alongside Christian Slater for his upcoming NBC series. Because if giving a car co-billing says one thing, it's "quality TV show."

3. Leroy Sievers, RIP. The "Nightline" producer rolled into Baghdad with the Third Infantry Division, capping a career with Ted Koppel. Then he got cancer and kept an NPR diary about his successful treatment. Then it came back. He knew it would take his life, yet wrote about it anyway. That was a brave final act.