Top 55 TV Programs for March 8-14, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of March 8:
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
◊“Breaking Bad” (9 p.m. on AMC): Series star Bryan Cranston (Walter White) directed the Season 2 premiere, in which Walt continues to straddle conflicting worlds — a ruthless swirl of drugs, murder and mayhem and a complex, emotionally fraught domestic life.
◊“Candy Girls” (9:30 p.m. on E!): This new series tracks the efforts of talent agent Danielle to manage some of the most sought-after women in the music video industry.
◊“The Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): Each team must create and costume a comic book character, and present it to the Zappos.com executive. From the beginning, the project manager for the men is caught in a battle of wills with one of his teammates. On the women’s side, one celebrity is uncomfortable in her role as the costume model, while another member of the team falls ill.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team reopens the 1976 case of a murdered 17-year-old after a newfound photo of her on the back of a motorcycle exposes her connection to a notoriously vicious gang. Jeff Fahey (“Lost”) guest stars.
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): Hannah and her dancers are desperate to find a replacement for their usual choreographer, Tina (Carrie Ann Inaba, “Dancing With the Stars”) after she injures herself.
◊“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (9 p.m. on E!): Life for the Kardashians in Season 3 is filled with ups and downs as each member struggles to find their place in the chaotic household.
◊“The L Word” (8 p.m. on Showtime): In the final episode of the series, what starts out as a celebration of friendship quickly ends in a web of betrayal and deceit. The girls find themselves in the slammer with Sergeant Duffy (Lucy Lawless, “”Battlestar Galactica”), and the investigation into Jenny’s death begins.
◊“A Night With Dwayne Johnson” (6 p.m. on Starz): This programming block features three of The Rock’s films — “National Treasure Book of Secrets” (6 p.m.), “The Game Plan” (8:10 p.m.) and “College Road Trip” (10:05 p.m.). Throughout the evening, an exclusive sneak peek at his newest movie, “Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain,” will air.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): Hurricane Ike, which hit Texas Sept. 13, 2008, and ranks as the third most-costly U.S. hurricane ever, drew national attention for the calamity it caused, especially in Galveston where many people had to face its wrath. First-hand experiences are told by a couple who barely survived before being air lifted to safety and a Coast Guard vet who was forced to swim for hours through debris-laden waters before being rescued by a National Guard helicopter.
◊“Tool Academy” (9 p.m. on VH1): The final two contestants face off for one last challenbge before taking final exams with resident relationship counselor Trina Dolenz.
◊“The Unit” (9 p.m. on CBS): While the Unit initiates a new team member, Jonas must coach his daughter before her military-ordered media tour. Julie Chen (“The Early Show”) guest stars as herself.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Texas in women’s college basketball action airing live at 2:30 p.m. on FSOK.
MONDAY, MARCH 9
◊“American Stamps” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This new documentary focuses on the designers and artists who create postage stamps. It also includes the history of stamps in America, the criteria for selecting stamp subjects and how stamp artwork gets checked for authenticity.
◊“Battles BC” (8 p.m. on History): This new series uses cutting-edge animation techniques and the expertiese of military historians to show leaders from the ancient world in some of the greatest conflicts in history. The premiere episode is “Hannibal: The Annihilator.”
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): A train trip to San Francisco takes a major detour when Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz and Raj discover that actress Summer Glau (”Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) is onboard. The episode also features a cameo by Nobel Laureate Dr. George Smoot, the father of the Big Bang Theory of Creation.
◊“Castle” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): This new series stars Nathan Fillion (“Firefly”) as Richard Castle, a successful mystery novelist with a mischievous streak. In the premiere episode, Rick is called upon to help Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), a New York police detective, on a case in which a serial killer is staging murder scenes as depicted in Rick’s novels.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): The CSIs make a shocking discovery about their murder victim, while Horatio tries to save his son from Julia’s erratic behavior. Elizabeth Berkley (“The L Word”) guest stars.
◊“Dancing With the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 8 of the ballroom dancing series returns with 13 new competitors. They include Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, (the youngest competitor ever), singers Belinda Carlisle, Jewel and Lil Kim, actors David Alan Grier and Gilles Marini, rodeo star Ty Murray and and Hall of Fame football player Lawrence Taylor.
◊“Heroes” (8 p.m. on NBC): When Sylar comes face-to-face with his long lost father (John Glover, “Smallville”), the reunion proves to be what he least expected.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): House and the team take on the case of Nick (Jay Karnes, “The Shield”), a book editor who loses his inhibition and starts insulting coworkers at a dinner party one night before falling ill.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Lily and Marshall are less than thrilled when Ted reunites with his ex-girlfriend (Laura Prepon, “That 70s Show”) from college.
◊“One Tree Hill” (8 p.m. on CW): Series star Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley James Scott) directed this episode in which Lucas wrestles with casting for his movie while Peyton tries to prepare for their wedding.
◊“Masters of Illusion” (7 p.m. on My Network TV): Featured are the magic illusions of Joe Monty (”Drill Through Head” illusion), Rick Thomas (”Levitation”), Arthur (”Hour Glass”), Nathan Gibson (Street Magic”), Dale Salwak (”Cabaret”), Taylor Hughes (”Into Box”) and Mac King (”Invisibility”).
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): After a long line of female assistants, Russell learns that a having a male assistant (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) can be very advantageous.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Grace’s niece, Sayre, is arrested after attending a Scavenger Party where teens share drugs they raided from their parents’ medicine cabinets. Whne the squad tries to figure out what combination of drugs landed Sayre’s best friend in a coma, they realize some of the drugs were laced with something potentially deadly.
◊“The Wonder Pets! Join the Circus!” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): It’s summer vacation and the Wonder Pets rescue a young circus lion named Cubby from falling off a circus train. The Penguin Ringmaster is so impressed with the Wonder Pets that he offers them jobs at the circus.
TUESDAY, MARCH 10
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The winning team of the 24-hour fitness relay race gets 24 hours of luxury, but some contestants have trouble resisting temptation during the getaway. Oklahoma City musician K.C. Clifford will be featured in a one-minute segment.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Former cast member Stephanie March reprises her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, who returns to the SVU team when a pediatrician found guilty of molesting patients is killed. She shows up at the crime scene after three years in the witness protection program.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): After two Marines are ambushed, the NCIS team finds the investigation leads back to Gibbs’ hometown, where secrets about his past are revealed. Ralph Waite (“The Waltons”) guest stars as Gibbs’ father.
◊“WCG Ultimate Gamer” (9 p.m. on SCI FI): This new series showcases 12 contestants competing in challenges that include traditional video game play as well as real-life video game simulations. The winner will get $100,000 cash and the ultimate Samsung electronics package, as well as become a VIP representative of the WCG (World Cyber Games).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team investigates when the teenage son of a Secret Service agent disappears and discovers a long festering secret that set in motion a deadly chain of events. Steven Weber (”Brothers & Sisters”) returns as Clark Medina, the New Head of the Missing Persons Squad.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
◊“The Chopping Block” (7 p.m. on NBC): In this new cooking competition series starring chef Marco Pierre White, eight couples compete to open a restaurant in New York City. The series will expose the unseen pitfalls and behind-the-scenes madness that goes into opening a restaurant in the most competitive city in the world.
◊“Clean House Comes Clean” (10 p.m. on Style Network): Through bloopers, never-before-seen footage and commentary from the cast and show participants, viewers get a chance to witness favorite moments from an new perspective in the show’s fourth season.
◊”Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): Agent Prentiss has a personal connection to one of the victims in a series of deaths with religious overtones. Walton Goggins (“The Shield”) guest stars.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): Season 5 kicks off with a trip to Philadelphia to investigate the historic – and allegedly haunted – building that was once the home of famous seamstress Betsy Ross.
◊“Life on Mars” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): When two air hostesses end up dead, Sam and Annie go undercover. Gina Gershon (“Snoops”) and Mark Linn-Baker (“Perfect Strangers”) guest star.
◊”The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine is initially flattered when another scatterbrained mother at Ritchie’s school considers her a “rock,” but quickly tires of the responsibility of being responsible. Kristen Johnston (”3rd Rock from the Sun”) guest stars as Christine’s new friend.
◊“Scrubs” (7 p.m. on ABC): Dr. Kelso’s beautiful but unethical replacement, Dr. Maddox (Courteney Cox, “Friends”), shakes things up at Sacred Heart, while J.D. struggles to manage a new crop of incompetent interns and Carla helps Elliott put her ego in check.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): When Liz can’t scheme her way out of jury duty, the “”TGS” cast and crew are left unmanaged. Chris Parnell (“Saturday Night Live”) guest stars.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Series star David Boreanaz (Seeley Booth) directed this episode in which a bungee-jumping couple plunges off a bridge on their wedding day only to come face-to-face with a corpse lying at the bottom of a gorge.
◊“Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): In this new series, Bridget Marquardt (“The Girls Next Door”) sets out to immerse herself in the local cultures at some of the most beautiful beach destinations in the world.
◊“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House” (9 p.m. on VH1): After 30 days of therapy and sober living, it is time for the cast members to leave. Watch as Rodney King, Seth Binzer, Amber Smith, Andy Dick, Steven Adler, Nikki McKibbin and Mary Carey make their final steps toward recovery with the help of Dr. Drew.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Langston and Riley are taken hostage during the aftermath of a shootout in a normally quiet Las Vegas neighborhood. Denzel Whitaker (”The Great Debaters”) guest stars.
◊“ER” (9 p.m. on NBC): Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle, “The Librarian”) gets a surprise visit from an old friend while waiting for his kidney transplant.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): After learning at a deposition that more of his patients have died than survived, Derek decides to quit, even as Meredith refuses to give up on him. Loretta Devine (“Boston Public”) guest stars.
◊“Private Practice” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Addison is attracted to a colleague at St. Ambrose Hospital who turns out to be more than she bargained for. Josh Hopkins (“Swingtown”) guest stars.
◊“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): Linda Lake (Tori Spelling, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) returns to Metropolis and threatens to expose Clark’s secret unless he promises to give her exclusive information on the red-blue blur so she can become a star reporter again.
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Betty meets Matt’s mother (Christine Baranski, “Happy Family”), but things don’t go as she expects. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina gets creative to solve a cash flow problem.
◊“Warriors With Terry Schappert” (9 p.m. on History): This new series travels the globe with Green Beret Terry Schappert as he experiences the training, rituals and weapons of history’s most iconic warrior cultures.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
◊“Dollhouse” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Imprinted as a visually impaired woman, Echo must infiltrate a heavily guarded cult in order to rescue a woman held against her will.
◊“The Electric Company” (4 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new episode titled “Dirty Laundy,” Manny steals a Skeleckian meteorite in order to power his letter-stealing gizmo. Making guest appearances are designer Marc Ecko, R&B star Mario and Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda.
◊“Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m. on CW): Chris reluctantly agrees to hold onto a stash of marijuana for a criminal on the run, but he finds it difficult to find an appropriate hiding place that won’t get him in trouble. Tisha Campbell-Martin (“Rita Rocks”) guest stars in the episode directed by Debbie Allen (“Fame”).
◊“The Game” (7:30 p.m. on CW): With encouragement from Melanie and Kelly, Tasha realizes she’s finally ready to introduce Malik to his father, Chauncey (Michael Boatman, “Spin City”).
◊“Most Haunted” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): The investigative team visits England’s Jedburgh Castle, which has a history of strange sightings, odd happenings and sounds of phantom pipe music.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team has only hours to investigate a last-minute tip that could exonerate a dangerous mob boss on the eve of his execution. Gina Gershon (”Snoops”) guest stars as Los Angeles police detective Danielle Hill.
◊“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (7 p.m. on Fox): Jesse flashes back to a life-altering mission aboard her submarine, the Jimmy Carter. Sarah and John decide they can’t continue living in their house and make plans to leave.
◊“Wife Swap” (7 p.m. on ABC): After five years and 198 families, the series celebrates its 100th episode by swapping two fan favorites from past episodes. The families selected for the special swap are the storm-chasing, science-obsessed Heene family from Colorado and the psychic, performing arts-loving Silvers from Florida.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
◊“The Graham Norton Show” (9 p.m. on BBC America): British talk show host Graham Norton brings together the best of trends, current stories and celebrity culture for a fifth season of his multi-award winning show.
◊“Relative Stranger” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Following the death of his father, a former football star (Eriq LaSalle, “ER”) is forced to return home to the family he left six years earlier. But his return opens old wounds that must be addressed in order for the family to heal.
◊“Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush” (8 p.m. on HBO): This special taped during the show’s run at Broadway’s Cort Theatre finds the comedian inhabiting President George W. Bush, one of his favorite characters from “Saturday Night Live.” He provides insights into Bush’s Texas-Connecticut childhood, his academic and social career at Yale, his stint as a major league baseball co-owner, his emergence as a political figure and governor, and his tenure as president.
–Penny TV
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Sorry to be accurate, but a fatal flaw in this posting is on the Friday 13th March, Travel Channel, Most Haunted. Jedburgh is in Scotland not England. Shame a travel channel can’t get geography right.