The more interesting storyline involves Barney's (Neil Patrick Harris) secret love for Robin (Cobie Smulders) — a story that's sweet, funny, surprising and hilarious.

"How I Met Your Mother" really is "Friends" for the 21st century.

Two and a Half Men (sixth-season premiere, 8 p.m., Ch. 2) wasn't made available to TV critics, but the season begins with something that had to happen eventually.

One of Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) many, many, many ex-flames has a son who looks a whole lot like him.

Worst Week (series premiere, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 2) is a mildly amusing new comedy about Sam (Kyle Bornheimer), a guy for whom everything goes wrong. And goes wrong in unimaginably terrible ways. In front of his future in-laws.

This show is more likely to make you smile than make you laugh. And the big question is whether the frenetic pace of the pilot can be repeated in future episodes.

CSI: Miami (seventh-season premiere, 9 p.m., Ch. 2) picks up right where it left off in May — Horatio Caine (David Caruso) has apparently been shot and killed.

Um, if you believe that, I've got some swamp land to sell you out by the Great Salt Lake. (And, no, I'm not giving anything away. Not only has it been widely publicized that Caruso isn't leaving the show, but the title of tonight's episode is "Resurrection.")

Anyway ... I don't watch "CSI: Miami" on a regular basis, and I quickly figured out what was going on here. And it's not like I'm such a genius, so it must be pretty obvious,

Boston Legal (fifth-season premiere, 9 p.m., Ch. 4) marks the start of the final season — a 13-episode season that's scheduled to wrap up in early 2009.

And from the looks of this episode, it's time for this show to go. Tonight's narrative involves yet another of Alan's (James Spader) former girlfriends; yet another court battle against a tobacco company; and an unfunny, excessive storyline about Denny's (William Shatner), um, male dysfunction.

"Boston Legal" aired what could have been a very nice final episode back in May. Maybe creator/executive producer David E. Kelley should have called it quits then.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com