THE SKED RIP WATCH: "Men Of A Certain Age"

HBO can afford to keep little-watched shows like In Treatment and Treme around, because they're not selling advertising--they're selling a brand.  People who will only watch True Blood and Entourage feel better about being subscribers when they know they've got access to excellence at other hours too.  TNT, though, needs eyeballs that sponsors will pay for, and the excellent Men Of A Certain Age never supplied those in any numbers.  The show was virtually unmarketable, having no procedural hook and protagonists who, often foolishly, tried to make their ways through middle age; the only thing that might have saved it was a great deal of Emmy love, and a single nomination for Andre Braugher yesterday wasn't enough.  Ray Romano (who also co-created the show), Scott Bakula and Braugher gave performances as good as any on television--with one of the finest supporting casts as well--and the writing was superbly, quietly nuanced in a way that sadly will never draw a big crowd.