Top 55 TV Programs for
April 12-18, 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 April 12:
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
◊The 17th Annual Trumpet Awards (7 p.m. on TV One): Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”) and Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) co-host the event honoring black achievement in fields such as law, religion, politics, public service, sports and entertainment. This year’s honorees include Raven-Symonè (“That’s So Raven”), Earvin “Magic” Johnson (former NBA player) and Pastor Paula White.
◊“Bear Attack!” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In a six-week time period, three people were mauled by a bear near Anchorage, and many more Alaskans have had dangerously close bear encounters. Using forensics, technology, and even DNA analysis, researchers launch an investigation into these incidents.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): Series star Danny Pino (Scotty Valens) co-wrote this episode in which the team investigates the murder of a former Cuban baseball star who escaped to the U.S. to provide for his family after the Cuban government fired him for talking to a U.S. sports agent.
◊“Dirty Jobs” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Mike Rowe travels to Big Lake, Alaska, and pays a visit to Happy Trails Kennels to discover what it takes to breed and train Alaskan Huskies for sled dog work. He takes on the daily task of cleaning the dogs’ living area and feeding them with a special blend of ground meat and hot water. He then hits the trail to learn the art of sled dog mushing.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The team fulfills the dying wish of a father who wanted to provide a safe home for his wife and their special-needs children adopted from China. Gammy-winning singer Stevie Wonder performs a private concert for the family at their new home.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): Judgment Day arrives and David fights to get his brother’s case heard before King Silas. Macaulay Culkin (“Party Monster”) guest stars as the king and queen’s nephew, who returns to the kingdom after years in exile.
◊“National Heads-Up Poker Championship” (11 a.m. on NBC): The fifth annual event, which was taped at the Caesars Palace Poker Room March-6-8, features 64 top poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of No Limit Texas Hold’em) matches to determine the best heads-up poker player in the world. Annie Duke (“The Celebrity Apprentice”) and Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) are paired off in the tournament’s first round.
◊“Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels” (8 p.m. on VH1): It’s down to the final two women on the season finale. Each will let their guard down and open their hearts to Bret during some romantic time in the Dominican Republic.
◊“Sonny With Chance” (7 p.m. on Disney): Sonny is asked on a date by suave “MacKenzie Falls” guest star James Conroy (Kelly Blatz, “Aaron Stone”), who also happens to be Tawni’s ex-boyfriend. Once James reveals his true colors, Sonny and Tawni enlist Chad to help turn the tables on James.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): An unrelenting spate of thunderstorms blankets the majestic Havasupai region of the Grand Canyon for three days last August. As Brian Codde and eight of his friends sleep at their campsite, waters rise from a flooded dam. They are at grave risk of being swept over the nearby 200 ft waterfall, or being trapped in a deep canyon with no way out.
◊“Witch Hunt” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): Sean Penn (“Milk”) narrates this documentary film that tells the story of dozens of parents in Bakersfield, Calif., who were falsely accused and convicted of child molestation in 1984. Almost all of the children now say they were coerced to lie about their parents. Subsequently, their parents served anywhere from six to twenty years in prison, with the last person acquitted in 2004.
◊“World’s Funniest Office Commercials” (7 p.m. on TBS): Mike O’Malley (“Yes, Dear”) hosts this new special that highlights the best workplace ads. Among the office mayhem featured are Bud Light’s “Swear Jar” (United States), Cadbury’s “Reply All” (Canada) and Mikado’s “Copier” (France).
MONDAY, APRIL 13
◊“24″ (8 p.m. on Fox): Jack Bauer endures the elements and fights on to prevent an attack that could change the country forever. Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert, (“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”), who was last seen in Season 5, returns.
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Benjamin Bratt (“The Cleaner”) narrates the five-part installment “We Shall Remain” that spans some 300 years to chronicle key moments in American history from an American Indian perspective. A companion OETA documentary focusing on Oklahoma’s native history is scheduled to premiere in May.
◊“Artic Roughnecks” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This special focuses on Alaska’s all-terrain vehicle, the CATCO, and the hardworking crew as they brave blizzards, white-out conditions and extreme temperatures to deliver fuel, freight and equipment in the farthest reaches of the Alaskan North.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): After Chuck’s father (Scott Bakula, “Quantum Leap”) is kidnapped by Fulcrum, Chuck learns the only chance he has to find him is by putting his trust into the hands of his ex-girlfriend (Jordana Brewster, “The Fast and the Furious”).
◊“Closet Cases” (9 p.m. on Fine Living Network): In this new series, “Style Guy” spokesperson Lloyd Boston will lend practical fashion advice to the wardrobe challenged, helping both men and women revitalize their closets to help them rediscover their most stylish selves. He will explain how to shop smart, combine outfits and do more with less.
◊“College Life” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This new series follows students as a Big Ten University in Madison, Wisc., as they embark on their freshman year of school and document their stories with a video camera in hand.
◊“Confessions of a Superhero” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This new documentary chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): A murder case involving extreme plastic surgery leads Horatio to Ron Saris, who is alive and seeking revenge on Julia (Elizabeth Berkley, “The L Word”).
◊“Doing daVinci” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series puts a modern twist on the classics, taking viewers through the build process to determine whether Leonardo daVinci’s designs can be constructed to function as he had envisioned. Using materials only available in daVinci’s time, the team works each week to construct his inventions — from a futuristic armored tank to a towering three-story siege ladder to a scythe chariot -– to determine how realistic each design really is.
◊“Escaped” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new series tells the stories of ordinary people who have escaped from extraordinary circumstances. The series premiere focuses on a woman held captive in a killer’s cellar for months.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): When Casey discovers that Cappie is taking the same women’s studies class — taught by Professor Freeman (Janeane Garofalo, “24″) — she knows that it will complicate her relationship with Max. So she enlists the help of her new professor to help Max and Cappie get along.
◊“Nightly Business Report” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): The news program kicks off a three-part series titled “Native American Entrepreneurs” that explores the growing role American Indians are playing in the country’s commerce. Today’s installment focuses on Dave Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Q Restaurants and the Rainforest Cafe restaurant chains. The final installment on April 20 profiles the Oklahoma City-based Bank2, which is owned by the Chickasaw Tribe.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): When Timmy (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) grows tired of dealing with Russell’s demeaning demands and Audrey has had it with her terrible assistant, the two find a possible solution in working together.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 2 finale, Leon Cooley’s execution date arrives. Grace, who has discovered that Leon once helped her sister and was invited to a family birthday party, struggles with whether or not to lend a hand towards stopping the execution.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
◊“400 Years of the Telescope” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new special takes viewers on a journey from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind’s place in the galaxy, to today’s quests to discover new worlds in the infinite universe.
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): On March 14, the “90210″ cast helped Habitat for Humanity raise the walls of its 100th house in Pacoima, CA. In today’s episode, the students of West Beverly use their spring break vacation as an opportunity to build a home with Habitat for Humanity. Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) returns as Donna Martin.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Fashion guru Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) helps the final seven contestants look their best after everyone gets salon makeovers from guest hair stylist Tabatha Coffey (“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”).
◊“Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Season 3 presents renowned chef and food writer Andrew Zimmern with some of the most bizarre cuisine he has yet to come across, including squirrel brain, iguana eggs, shark head, boa constrictor, turtle intestines, blood soup, juicy cheese worms and garlic ice cream.
◊“Cupid” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): A bullied teenager wants Trevor’s help in matchmaking his mom with his boxing instructor (Lee Tergesen, “Life on Mars”), who also happens to be the boy’s sperm donor father. Julie Hagerty (“Airplane”) guest stars.
◊“Deadliest Catch” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The seas are rougher, the stakes are higher and the intensity has never been stronger when the 2008 King crab season opens. Captains Sig Hansen (Northwestern), Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit), Phil Harris (Cornelia Marie) and Keith Colburn (Wizard) are all back for another season of crab fishing.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on KWTV-9): Former “Live With Regis and Kathie Lee” host Kathie Lee Gifford returns to the show to talk about her new memoir, “Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities.”
◊“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In September 2008, nine amateur hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts put their lives on hold to tackle the challenge of a lifetime. After a three-day crash course in basic survival skills, they were flown to Ttsusena Lake in the rugged Alaskan interior and given the first piece of a rudimentary map, a compass and a few basic tools and told to hike to civilization.
◊“WCG Ultimate Gamer” (9 p.m. on SCI FI): In addition to controlling players in the video game “NBA Live 09,” the remaining contestants take part in a slam-dunk competition being judged by Spud Webb (former NBA player) and Lisa Leslie (WNBA player).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team tries to locate the son of a billionaire who disappears after piloting a small plane that crashes in the woods. Vanessa Marcil (“Vegas”) returns as Kim Marcus.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
◊“10 Grand in Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): In this new series, licensed contractor and host John DeSilvia helps budget-conscious homeowners make their renovation dreams a reality and save up to $10,000 per project. With a wealth of expert advice and cost-cutting tips, he takes the fear out of home improvement, giving homeowners the confidence to forego hired help and pick up the hammer and nail.
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): The remaining girls freak when Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ciara shows up at their apartment to offer some words of advice. The girls then join Ciara on the musical stage for a photo shoot.
◊“The Cougar” (9 p.m. on TV Land): Vivica A. Fox (“Missing”) hosts this new series that follows Stacey Anderson, 40, as she searches for love among a pool of 20 eligible twenty-something men.
◊“Great Performances at the Met” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko headlines a production of ‘‘Lucia di Lammermoor,” Donizetti’s 1834 opera about an ill-fated Scottish lass who is forced into an arranged marriage, then kills her bridegroom and goes gloriously bananas in one of the most famous mad scenes in all of opera.
The Second Annual A-List Awards (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy Griffin (“My Life on the D-List”) hosts the event celebrating the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. Scheduled to appear are Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Paris Hilton (“The Simple Life”), Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”), Laurel Holloman (“The L Word”), Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) and Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”).
◊“Pitchmen” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series introduces viewers to the dreamers, tinkerers and inventors who believe they have created the next must-have product. If these everyday geniuses can enlist the help of pitchmen Anthony “Sully” Sullivan and Billy Mays to sell their goods, they may stand a chance of turning their products into household names.
◊“Mythbusters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The MythBusters team heads north to test some Alaskan myths, including whether it can get so cold that your urine freezes before it hits the ground and whether a golf ball will go further if you tee-off on a frozen lake.
◊“True Hollywood Story: LL Cool J” (9 p.m. on E!): Offered a recording contract while still in high school, LL quickly shot to the top of the rap game. This installment tells the story of the hip hop artist through new interviews and never-before-seen footage.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
◊“Alaska: Most Extreme” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Everything is extreme in Alaska: the weather and climate that make each day a new and often menacing adventure; the ways in which many Alaskans earn a living; and the basic skills that everyone must learn and know simply to survive in this harsh environment.
◊“Around the World for Free” (8 p.m. on WGN): Alex Boylan, winner of “The Amazing Race 2,” attempts to circumnavigate the globe without a penny in his pocket and with only a backpack and the help of the online community. The series was filmed in 16 countries over 159 days.
◊“The Beast” (9 p.m. on A&E): The case that haunted Barker for his entire career resurfaces and all the pieces finally come together in the Season 1 finale.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): When Sweets asks Dr. Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry, “Kingdom”) for input on the book he’s writing about Booth and Brennan, Dr. Wyatt lends Sweets an interesting perspective on the pair’s unique relationship.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Hodges and Wendy run into each other at a science fiction convention for one of their favorite classic television shows, they end up investigating the murder of one of their beloved actors. Kate Vernon (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest stars as Dr. Penelope Russell.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): The admission of a death row inmate to Seattle Grace divides Derek, Meredith and Cristina. Jessica Capshaw (“The Practice”) and Eric Stoltz (“Mask”) guest star.
◊“The Price is Right” (10 a.m. on CBS): Former host Bob Barker returns to the game show that made him famous to promote his new autobiography, “Priceless Memories.” Barker will participate in the Showcase Showdowns and will give the book away to everyone in the audience.
◊“Samantha Who?” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): While with her parents in Vegas attending a real estate seminar, Samantha loses a huge sum of money at the craps table and finds herself in debt to the casino. But a chance meeting with her ex-boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane, “Titanic”), could be the answer to her financial trouble.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Charlie Chaplin was born on this day in 1889, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing 11 of his films, including 1923′s “A Woman of Paris” (9 a.m.), 1940′s “The Great Dictator” (1:15 p.m.) and 1959′s “The Chaplin Revue” (5 p.m.).
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): When Miley returns home after finishing work on her new movie, she discovers that Lilly and Oliver are dating, and soon they put her in the middle of an argument and ask her to choose sides. Meanwhile, Jackson pretends to be a philanthropist to impress a college recruiter (Cheryl Hines, “In the Motherhood”).
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and his team are called in to help a veteran FBI agent track down a con man who has eluded him for years. Henry Winkler (“Happy Days”) and Nora Dunn (“Saturday Night Live”) guest star.
◊“Prison Break” (8 p.m. on Fox): Michael and Sarah learn the dangers of hitchhiking as they make their way to Miami, and Lincoln meets with Christina who informs him of her plans to take over the Company.
◊“Untamed Alaska” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Predators such as the grizzly bear and gray wolf roam over 50 million acres of Alaskan wilderness. Temperatures drop to 100 degrees below and the coastline is battered by freezing storms and giant waves. “Caught-on-tape” footage and interviews with eye witnesses showcase this perilous world.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): SpongeBob and his friends search for Jack Kahuna Laguna (voiced by Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) to teach them the gnarly surf moves to hit the elusive wave.
◊“Stranger Among Bears” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): For more than 20 years, Charlie Vandergaw has been living with wild bears in the Alaskan wilderness. For the first time, Charlie has allowed cameras to capture an entire season at “Bear Haven.”
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: William Holden was born on this day in 1918, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing seven of his films, including 1950′s “Sunset Boulevard” (7 a.m.), 1955′s “Picnic” (12:45 p.m.) and 1968′s “The Devil’s Brigade” (4:45 p.m.).
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
◊“Cultivating Life With Sean Conway” (11:30 a.m. on WGN): Demonstrating easy-to-do projects and inspiring ideas, host Sean Conway explores trends and provides simple solutions and timely ideas for outdoor living, cooking, gardening, and entertaining.
◊“Flying By” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): A real estate developer (Billy Ray Cyrus, “Doc”) goes to his 25th high school reunion and finds his old teenage band playing. They get him on stage for a couple of songs and convince him to come to rehearsal.
◊“Grey Gardens” (7 p.m. on HBO): Inspired by a 1975 documentary, this TV movie spans 40 years as it chronicles the relationship between ‘‘Big Edie” and ‘‘Little Edie” Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore), who were related to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Tulsa-born actress Jeanne Tripplehorn) yet spiraled from high society to living in squalor in a decaying Hamptons mansion.
◊“Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” (9:30 a.m. on Food Network): Anne Burrell prepares some of her favorite dishes, transforming basic ingredients into restaurant-worthy stars. In the season premiere, she shares her techniques for a rich and silky spaghetti carbonara.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Baylor in college softball action airing live at 1 p.m. on FSOK.
–Penny TV
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment