Signs of life everywhere — except on ‘Grey’s’

Spring is a time for rebirth, reinvention. That’s not usually the case for television, which, paradoxically, experiences its spring in the fall.

But there are a few shows that just can’t wait for an infusion of creativity. If a show has burned through the spark that made fans love it but still has enough viewers to guarantee returning, then what it needs is a fresh start. Stat.

You know all this is headed straight for “Grey’s Anatomy,” don’t you?

Although still a smash in the ratings, “Grey’s’ bed-hopping, back-from-brain-dead cast is burning through believability like there’s no tomorrow. And if it keeps it up, there won’t be.

Broadly speaking, TV series can be formula shows (“CSI”) or soap operas (“ER”). It’s all well and good when formula shows add a little soap, but soap operas that become formulaic are in trouble.

It’s both a stroke of genius and desperation that the “Grey’s” creators plan to spin off Kate Walsh’s character, Addison Montgomery, for a new show — a development due to get rolling in tonight’s episode.

However, taking away one of the few sympathetic characters left at Seattle Grace allows viewers who like that side of the show to follow her. The suckers still stuck in soggy Seattle need to get their heads on straight if “Grey’s” is going to avoid flat-lining ratings. I predict the writers will try to address this with a few of those “very special episodes” “ER” is always throwing together.

“ER,” incidentally, is the case study for just the kind of reinvention “Grey’s” so desperately needs: Bring in new characters, ease out old ones, don’t be afraid to try new things, find new villains, crash the occasional helicopter.

A couple other shows in the same boat as “Grey’s” already have laid plans for big, big shake-ups next season.

I’ve written before about how tired the “24” formula has become. Executive Producer Howard Gordon recently told the Los Angeles Times that he’s already hard at work reinventing CTU. With any luck, the writing staff may actually start to think more than one episode ahead. This season, Jack lost cell phone reception. Next year, maybe he’ll have to use the bathroom.

Finally, a few words about “My Name is Earl.” This relentlessly likable sitcom started off with an ironclad formula: Reformed redneck ne’er-do-well Earl Hickey (played by Jason Lee) rights one of his past wrongs every week. A premise that airtight doesn’t leave much room for the characters to breathe, though. And increasingly, it’s the unreformed on “Earl” who have all the fun.

NBC sent me a copy of the season finale, which airs May 10. I can happily report that the writers are opening up a new realm for comedic explorations — not to mention leaving viewers with a cliffhanger that would do “Heroes” proud.

So take heart, TV fans. Flowers aren’t the only things coming back to life this spring.

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