Nim, no girl is an island; Showtime, ‘Tudors’ rule

We’ll talk about: Walden Media. “Nim’s Island” comes out this week starring Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin. We’re not that interested in the film (Foster as a scaredy-cat novelist feels wrong; we kept thinking it was Helen Hunt in the trailer), but we are interested in the furious pace with which these Walden Media films have hit theaters. It’s furious! (Friday)

You will talk about: Subscribing to Showtime already. With the end of “The Wire” a few weeks ago, HBO is looking awfully skimpy on must-see TV these days. Sure they have that “In Therapy” show that people talk about, and “Big Love” is coming back, but these days it seems it’s the Showtime shows such as “Weeds” and “Dexter” that everyone is talking about. This week the second season of “The Tudors” premieres. We’re not saying you have to see it, we’re just saying, don’t you wish you could? (Tonight)

You could talk about: R.E.M. We have a love/hate relationship with this band. The video for “Nightswimming” may be our favorite ever, but Michael Stipe’s lyrics can really be . . . overblown. The group’s latest album is called “Accelerate” -- if you think R.E.M.’s best album is “Monster” (which you probably don’t), you’ll really like this effort. (Tuesday)

We’re interested in talking about: Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Unaccustomed Earth.” We have an insatiable appetite for South Asian literature and several theories as to why: First, we tend to love literature from warm climes -- there’s always a heavy, fragrant scent in the air. Also, we think that the Indian American experience and Jewish American experience are not entirely different. Lahiri’s latest book of short stories about the divide between Bengali parents and their American-raised children is receiving rave reviews. (Tuesday)

You should talk about: The re-ascension of “Saved by the Bell” stars. We’ve been following Mario Lopez’s career closely ever since we saw his name pop up as a potential host of “The Price Is Right,” and we’ve been enjoying his hosting work on “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew.” This week Bravo premieres “Step It Up & Dance,” a reality dance show hosted by Elizabeth Berkley. (Thursday)

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-- Deborah Netburn