THE TINY SCREEN: “Lost” Heads Into Familiar Territory to Thrilling Effect.:

What is “Lost,” really, but a bunch of clichés thrown into one really great prime time show? In fact, the three-way love triangle between Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Jack (Matthew Fox) is the likes of which we haven’t seen since Luke wooed Laura away from Scotty on “General Hospital.” Sure, there are plenty of interesting plot twists currently running on the show but none more interesting than the bad boy vs. good boy triangulation with the girl who could go either way. How is it that “Lost” just keeps getting better and better? It would seem they’d long run out of stories to tell, yet, with the twists and turns and unsolved mysteries, it still feels like the first act.This past week inched the Sawyer character up to star status with an episode called “The Long Con.” Turns out, Sawyer is a real ladies man, a softie down deep but someone, like many of those on the island, with a shady past. Not only did he show that he was ruthless but he also showed no woman can resist his dark charms. This should be the beginning of Holloway’s utter and complete rise to stardom. Indeed, it is those gorgeous menfolk of “Lost” who are getting all the press. As Sawyer, Holloway recalls none other than Clark Gable, with his deep dimples and the twinkle in his eye. He is no great actor but he’s a magnetic presence and perhaps someone whom everyone knows is good down deep but also capable of doing bad things, and doing them almost always without his shirt on. Conversely. Fox’s Dr. Jack is all good, no bad. His only fault is that he is too honest, too kind, too interested in helping the sick. Both men are equally alluring and it will be a tough call to see which of these two men will win Kate’s heart ultimately. Things were starting to look up for Sawyer and Kate, or “freckles,” as she’s called by Sawyer. And immediate attraction equaled mostly repulsion for Kate. Even though the two were both ex-cons, Kate had her purty blues fixed on the good doctor. Sawyer remained a temptation. But once he almost died from fever and she nursed him back to health (strangely enough, reminding him of her abusive stepfather whom she murdered in a fire, you keeping up with this or what?) she bonded with him. And suddenly there was a connection between the two and it was looking like perhaps a love connection for reals? But there’s still the doctor (briefly distracted by Ana-Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez) who is the true apple of Kate’s eye.But knowing the triangle like we all do, Sawyer has got to win out. After all, when bad boy Pacey was up against good boy Dawson on “Dawson’s Creek” for the virginal Joey’s (Katie Holmes) affections it was Pacey who won out. With Luke and Laura, even after a rape of sorts, Luke STILL won out. Let’s face it, when up against a bad boy, nice guys finish last.Meanwhile, the ratings of this year’s Olympics was almost brought to a screeching halt with the very odd choice to televise an unattractive looking sport called “curling.” Curling is one of those things you can’t unsee. These poor players, scooting a broom-like object down the ice and prepping some kind of weird object that looks like a Dirt Devil in what appears to be a deliberate pattern is not the kind of thing viewers tune into the Olympics to see. No, we’re looking for fierce competitors – knee-whacking ice skaters, hard core snowboarders and ice racers. But curling? If I wanted to see something that weird I’d go watch giraffes mating. Notable TV This WeekThursday, February 9Legally Blonde (***), 8 p.m., FOX.Live and Let Die (***), 8 p.m., AMC. Olympics continue, 8 p.m., NBC.Reservoir Dogs (****), 8 p.m., IFC.Friday, February 10Trading Spouses: Meet your New Mommy, 8 p.m., FOX.You Only Live Twice (***), 8 p.m., AMC.In Justice, 9 p.m., ABC.Miller’s Crossing (****), 9 p.m., FMC.Saturday, February 11Castaway (***), 8 p.m., ABC.Jerry Maguire (***), 8 p.m., TBS.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (***), 8 p.m., FAM.Jaws (****), the masterpiece just gets better with time, 8 p.m., AETV.Sunday, February 12All About My Mother (***), 7:30 p.m., IFC. The Sixth Sense (***), 8 p.m., FAMILY.Spider-Man (***), 8 p.m., TNT. T2: Rise of the Machines, 9 p.m., CBS.Monday, February 13Personal Velocity (***), short stories by Rebecca Miller, 8 p.m., OXYGEN.Ruby in Paradise, 8 p.m., IFC.When a Man Loves a Woman (**), Meg Ryan as an alcoholic, 8 p.m., AMC.Top Hat (****), 8:30 p.m., TCM.Tuesday, February 14Coal Miner’s Daughter (***), 7:30 p.m., TCM.The Rose (****), 7:30 p.m., FMC.Rambo: First Blood (**), 8 p.m., AMC.Nashville (***), 9:30 p.m., TCM.Wednesday, February 15From Russia with Love (***), 8 p.m., AMC.Clear and Present Danger (***), 9 p.m., SPIKE. Happy Gilmore (**), you know, for a bit of levity, 9 p.m., USA.Sarah, Plain and Tall (***), 9 p.m., HALLMARK.Turner Classic Movvies’ dazzling “Salute to the Oscars” rolls on this week with extraordinary films – all Oscar winners or nominees – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all uncut and commercial-free. For the complete schedule, go to www.turnerclassicmovies.com