We're watching more television than ever before

If anybody tells you TV is a dying medium, tell them they're out to lunch.

According to the Nielsen Co., during the 2008-09 TV season, Americans spent an average of 4 hours 49 minutes in front of the TV every day.

That's up 4 minutes from the previous season and up a whopping 20 percent from 1998-99.

Nielsen also reports that the average American household watches 8 hours and 21 minutes of TV per day, which is also an all-time high.

It's also, by the way, more than a third of the day. Which seems like a lot. Even to someone who watches TV for a living.

Nielsen attributed the increase to several factors. There are more TV sets in homes; we have access to more channels; and we're using our DVRs more than ever.

And you've got to wonder if more people aren't staying home to watch TV with the economy still struggling.

Whatever the reason, we sure are watching an enormous amount of TV.

"NUMB3RS" ON ITS WAY OUT: CBS has chopped six episodes off its order for "Numb3rs" this season — a move that almost certainly signals the end of the series.

Now in its sixth season, "Numb3rs" began the TV year with a standard, 22-episode order. Network executives have cut that back to 16.

The ratings, which were never fantastic, have fallen off this season. The show passed the 100-episode mark last season — it will be at 118 at the end of this season — and has already been sold into syndication.

CBS produces "Numb3rs" and, thus, has every reason to root for it. But the, ahem, numbers aren't good.

There is, however, good news for "Numb3rs" fans. The producers are already planning a series finale-ish episode for No. 16 this season — an hour that will give viewers a sense of closure.

They're also planning to make it open-ended enough so that the show could return.

They shouldn't hold their breath. And neither should the show's viewers.

A FEW MORE: What makes "Numb3rs'" fate all the more obvious is that CBS has been busy ordering extra episodes of its successful series.