TV characters frequently slip through some version of the looking glass and find themselves in strange places — a surreal island on Lost, an alternate universe on Fringe, an odd totalitarian landscape in AMC's recent remake of The Prisoner. So it's only natural that every now and then, TV tackles the stories that gave us the "through the looking glass" phrase in the first place, Lewis Carroll's tales about Alice in Wonderland.

What it’s about: Sorta like the Sasquatch, there have been mysterious sightings of a very famous and physically imposing actor dressed as a cop in Jefferson Parish — the suburbs around New Orleans — over the last couple decades. He is a cop. "For the past 20 years, I've been a cop. ... My name is Steven Seagal. That's right, Steven Seagal."

BURBANK, Calif. — Everybody may love Raymond except for Ray Romano himself. The star of the long-running hit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" has managed to stay the same guy he was when he was repairing futon mattresses for his best friend and living in Queens.

Who should replace Oprah Winfrey? You've seen these lists until your eyeballs have fallen out of your heads. Well, put them back in. We have a brand-new list for you. Not the usual names here — Ellen DeGeneres, Judge Judy, whomever — but the unusual names.

Not all voice-overs are created equal. Kristin Bell helps set the snarky tone of the CW's "Gossip Girl," and Brenda Strong adds gravitas to ABC's "Desperate Housewives." But neither is asked to do what Michael C. Hall, star of Showtime's "Dexter," does every episode: invite viewers to listen in on the thoughts of television's most sympathetic serial killer.

Donald Glover plays football jock Troy and Alison Brie plays goody two-shoes Annie on NBC's new comedy, Community, which airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Brie, who also plays Trudy on Mad Men, and Glover, who wrote for 30 Rock before joining the Community cast, indulge in a friendly, teasing, tete a tete of sorts, as they consider 20 Questions.

CHICAGO — Oprah Winfrey plans to tell viewers on Friday's live edition of her top-rated daytime program that she will retire the syndicated talk show that made her rich, famous and, if not a kingmaker, a maker of a media empire, several best-selling authors and perhaps even a U.S. president.

Reason To Watch: The Observers take center screen.

Reason to watch: Animated Christmas special starring the characters you know so well.

Have you seen the new version of The Insider? It calls itself "the breaking news with the opposing view." The infotainment show was due for a format change. For five years, it's served up the tepid celebrity leftovers from its sister show and lead-in, Entertainment Tonight.