Veronica Mars

Kristen Bell is finding it tough to let go of Veronica Mars, the wisecracking teenage TV sleuth she portrayed for three seasons.

By tvgal@seattlepi.com (Melanie McFarland) Weirdness is only a step or two away in "Hidden Palms." Across the street is the smart shy girl Liza (Ellary Porterfield), and the second episode brings a blast from Johnny's rehab past, Nikki (Thompson). Lots of the action takes place near pools but sorry, no brawling. Bummer.

By tvgal@seattlepi.com (Melanie McFarland) Not in Neptune. Not in the world of "Veronica Mars." Everything always ends up with a bitter kick to the gut. At the end of the first season, Veronica found love in the arms of her bitter enemy, Logan Echolls, only to discover her best friend, Lilly, was murdered by Logan's dad.

Surrender your boa, Veronica Mars. Congratulations, "Pussycat Dolls." You're still in the running to become The CW's next top programming model ... but it looks as if you didn't completely knock out Kristen Bell.

NEW YORK -- The CW network canceled the cult hit "Veronica Mars" and will try to pick up steam in its second year with series about the snobby rich, transplanted families and a bounty hunter for the devil.

By tvgal@seattlepi.com (Melanie McFarland) WEDNESDAY 8 p.m. America's Next Top Model 9 p.m. GOSSIP GIRL SUNDAY 7 p.m. ONLINE NATION 7:30 p.m. CW NOW 8 p.m. LIFE IS WILD 9 p.m. America's Next Top Model (repeats) CANCELED: ''7th Heaven," "Gilmore Girls," "Reba," "Runaway," "All of Us" ... and our dear "Veronica Mars."

By tvgal@seattlepi.com (Melanie McFarland) This is distressing news all around. One more piece of innovative. smart, family-friendly TV is gone -- in all likelihood, taking another series with resilient, intelligent female characters, "Veronica Mars," with it. But we'll address that another time.

By tvgal@seattlepi.com (Melanie McFarland) Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas has come up with an idea to fast-forward a couple of years and have Mars studying at the FBI Academy. (As a freshman at Hearst College, Kristen Bell's title character has been taking criminology classes looking to do an internship at the FBI.)