What's working ... August 11

1. Summer Olympic shockers. Thanks to the 13-hour delay between here and there, we can enjoy thrilling finishes in real time, whether the USA prevails (men's swim relay) or not (men's soccer).

2. NBCOlympics.com. Finally, a corporate website as good as promised. Olympic video is plentiful, super-sharp and almost as easy to navigate as a DVR.

3. "Treme." The producers of "The Wire" cast two of my favorite actors from that show (Wendell "Bunk" Pierce and Clarke "Freamon" Peters) for this HBO pilot set in New Orleans.

...AND WHAT'S NOT

1. Daytime "SportsCenter." The much-promoted live ESPN newscast signed on Monday without that fresh feeling: same blood-red graphics, same format, same endless recycling of headlines from last night's "SC." A rerun by any other name...

2. "Price Is Right" auditions. This cost-cutting move in disguise will give one lucky amateur a modeling job on the show (which has outsourced "Barker's Beauties" for years). One tryout was held at a plastic surgery clinic. Stay classy, CBS!

3. Bernie Mac, RIP. He took an edgy and culturally specific nightclub act and turned it into an edgy and culturally specific sitcom. Even Redd Foxx didn't do that. He may have offended Obama and feminists, but you had to love that Bernie stayed true to himself.