Bad news about the current TV season: not only are there few new hits, but "many veteran shows are also performing poorly," writes Joe Flint. "So far this season, only a handful of returning programs are doing better than they were last season" -- including, of course, the hotter-than-ever "Big Bang Theory." Otherwise, such shows as Fox's "New Girl," CBS' "The Mentalist" and ABC's "Once Upon A Time" are tracking weak ratings. NBC did experience some rising ratings, but mostly in the fall.