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Top 55 TV Programs for Sept. 6-12, 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 Sept. 6:
(NOTE: Times are CST. For EST, add one hour)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 6, 2009
◊“2009 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon” (8 p.m. Sunday to 5:30 p.m. Monday on CBS): MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis will be joined on stage by cohosts Jann Carl, Nancy O’Dell, Alison Sweeney, Ace Young and Billy Gilman. The 44th annual event will feature interviews with adults and children with muscular dystrophy and related diseases; medical and scientific research updates; and performances by entertainers, including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Tony Orlando, Charo, Wynonna, Train, Bo Bice, Terry Fator and Lee Greenwood.
◊“Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): As the team intensifies their quest to find the person behind the 2005 slaying of a female cadet, Rush relives painful memories of when she forged her own difficult path as the first female homicide detective in the Philadelphia Police Department. Joe Penny (“Jake and the Fatman”) and Jessica Tuck (“Judging Amy”) guest star.
◊“Defying Gravity” (9 p.m. on ABC): It’s Halloween aboard the Antares and the forces of darkness are revealed in more ways than one, as feverish hallucinations jeopardize the lives of the crew just as they’re about to embark on a promotional event for which the whole world is waiting.
◊“Friday Night Lights” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): The parent movie of the NBC series came out in 2004 and stars Billy Bob Thornton as the coach determined to make his high school football team the best it can be. Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw and Connie Britton co-star.
◊“HGTV Design Star” (9 p.m. on HGTV): The three remaining designers face off as they decorate a home office for Kathy Griffin, a guest bedroom for Tiffani Thiessen and a baby nursery for Jason Priestley. With 30 hours of work time and a budget of $20,000, only two designers will survive to compete for a 50-50 chance at winning their own show on HGTV.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The worlds of no-rules boxing, Oxford dons and Cold War intrigue surround the death of a prominent don in “Inspector Lewis, Series II: Music to Die For.”
◊“Nick News: $tre$$ed Out! The Economic Crisis and You” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Host Linda Ellerbee and psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere listen to a group of children from across the country who represent the spectrum of economic struggles many families face today. They also offer coping strategies to get through this difficult time.
◊“Ruby” (7 p.m. on Style Network): Season 2 concludes Ruby Gettinger visiting a teen weight-loss camp in the Poconos.  She goes to share her story and to inspire the campers, but in the end, the young campers inspire her.
◊“Shark Tank” (8 p.m. on ABC): Three of the Sharks go in on a deal together for an innovative internet company with two brothers from Brazil. But just before the deal is sealed, a battle ensues and one of the Sharks is ousted.
◊“Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): This new two-part documentary tells the story of the Federal Writer’s Project of the 1930s, which was one of four arts programs under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
◊“SportsCenter” (10:30 p.m. on ESPN): Mixed into the sports news of the day will be a variety of segments celebrating ESPN’s 30th anniversary. Chris Berman, Bob Ley and John Saunders will host the 90-minute special edition that includes a look back at great moments in sports over three decades and the trio’s careers at ESPN.
◊“Too Fat for 15″ (8 p.m. on Style Network): This documentary follows Georgia Davis, 15, on her quest to lose hundreds of pounds at Wellspring Academy. She spent nine months in the weight loss program where she lost more than 200 pounds, learned how to live a healthy life and turn her life around.

MONDAY, SEPT. 7, 2009
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): The CSIs investigate the case of a man boiled alive, Julia spirals out of control, and one of the team’s darkest secrets comes to light. Elizabeth Berkley (“The L Word”) guest stars.
◊“Dance Your A– Off Reunion” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): This reunion special is a celebration of the transformation made by the 12 contestants who starred in the network’s first dance/weight-loss competition series. It will catch up with the contestants to see how they have changed, physically and emotionally, since they shook and rattled their rolls away.
◊“Dinosaur Train” (7 a.m. on OETA-13): This new animated preschool series follows Buddy, a preschool age Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his adoptive Pteranodon family on their adventures with all kinds of dinosaurs, creatures and reptiles. Young viewers will join the travelers on a fantastical journey through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans as they learn how to compare and contrast different dinosaurs.
◊“Durham County” (9 p.m. on ION): In this dark Canadian import, Hugh Dillon (“Flashpoint”) stars as Mike Sweeney, a police detective who moves his wife (Helene Joy), a cancer survivor, and their two daughters to the suburbs, where he encounters his former high school nemesis Ray Prager (Justin Louis).
◊“The Electric Company” (4:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This season, the series expands from Fridays to weekdays, giving young viewers a daily dose of literacy superheroes and wily pranksters. Series stars Hector, Jessica, Lisa and Keith outwit their scheming neighborhood prankster-counterparts in a way that reinforces strong literacy skills and teaches kids that reading isn’t just for school—reading is cool.
◊“Greek” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): When the fathers of ZBZ House members arrive for the Daddy/Daughter weekend, they wind up getting pulled into an explosive sisterhood fight. Tom Amandes (“Everwood”) and Kadeem Hardison (“A Different World”) guest star.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investigated include a penny stamp that may be connected to a landmark civil rights case and meta sheets that look like printing plates for Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train” performed by Duke Ellington.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Ted breaks Barney and Marshall’s “three days rule” by having a “text” relationship with a girl he just met, they play a cruel joke on him by pretending to be her. Rebecca Budig (“All My Children”) guest stars.
◊“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” (8 p.m. on HBO): This documentary focuses on the final months of a General Motors assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio, which shut its doors on Dec. 23, 2008. The employees share poignant moments, such as the day every worker must remove his or her toolbox and give up their GM ID card. The special closes with footage of the actual “last truck” to be produced at Moraine Assembly.
◊“Law & Order: Criminal Intent ” (7 p.m. on NBC): A hunky posterboy with a million-dollar torso has what others crave: sex appeal. When he shows up dead after a night of sex and drugs with an elusive woman, detectives Goren and Eames uncover the sexual paranoia behind the murder.
◊“Manson” (8 p.m. on History): This two-hour special chronicles the nine months leading up to “Helter Skelter,” as cult leader Charles Manson dubbed his 1969 crime spree in which his young followers committed one of the most horrific mass murders in American history, with pregnant actress Sharon Tate among the victims. Cult member Linda Kasabian, later the star witness for the prosecution, provides an insider’s perspective on the nightmarish event.
◊“Paint Over” (3 p.m. on HGTV): Jennifer Bertrand, the Season 3 champion of “HGTV Design Star,” will reprise her role as host and designer for this five-part series airing today through Friday. She will use her design and paint skills to makeover two rooms for a homeowner who is going through a personal life transition.
“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Anson Williams (“Happy Days”) directed this mid-season finale, in which Anne goes into labor and may not make it to the hospital in time.
“The Water Project: Bahrain” (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary examines the shortage of natural water resources in the Kingdom of Bahrain caused by overdevelopment and dredging. The cost, obstacles and debates over how to solve this shortage are explored by interviewing water plant workers and everyday Bahrainis.
“Were the World Mine” (8 p.m. on Logo): This new interpretation of the classic Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” tells the story of Timothy, a bullied gay student at an all-boy private high school struggling to fit in with his peers while helping his mother accept his sexuality. Timothy is cast as “Puck” in the school’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” allowing him to get closer to his crush Jonathan, a straight jock who is cast as one of the play’s lead roles.
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (noon on KOCB-34): A new addition for Season 8 is “Tournament of Ten,” which will feature the 10 best contestants playing to win the show’s top prize of $1-million.  Players earning a spot for the tournament will be seeded, based on how much money they won and how quickly they answered their questions.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 8, 2009
◊“90210” (7 p.m. on CW): Summer school is out at West Beverly High School, and the students hit the Beverl Hills Beach Club. Trevor Donovan (“Days of Our Lives”) guest stars.
◊“America’s Got Talent” (7 p.m. on NBC): The votes are in and four acts from the previous night move on to the finals for a chance at the $1 million prize and becoming the most talented person in America.
◊“Celebrity Rides: Jay’s Duesenberg” (8 p.m. on DIY): This six-part series provides an in-depth look at the restoration of Jay Leno’s famed “Last Duesenberg.”
◊“Chopped” (9 p.m. on Food Network): In the first installment of a special four-part series, previous episode winners return to compete again.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): A former client and undercover narc for the FBI calls on William to save his drug-addicted girlfriend, who happens to be the daughter of a powerful Mexican drug dealer. William finds himself in over his head, though, when dealers threaten his family and team as they look for a cache of drugs stolen by the former client.
◊“Curious George,” (7 a.m. on OETA-13): Season 4 of the Emmy Award-winning series finds America’s Favorite Little Monkey introducing preschoolers to the concepts of health and fitness and welcoming a brand new character, Allie Whoops­, as his newest partner in curiosity.
◊“Hell’s Kitchen” (7 p.m. on Fox): The chefs are invited to show off their international flair when both teams are asked to create crepes. While the winning team enjoys an afternoon at a French restaurant, the losing team faces a setback when one of their own is injured during preparations for dinner service.
◊“Melrose Place” (8 p.m. on CW): The 1992-99 Fox nighttime soap opera gets a reboot on a new network, with Laura Leighton reprising her original role as Sydney Andrews, who now is the landlady of the titular Spanish-style Los Angeles apartment building. Original cast member Thomas Calabro also reprises his role as Dr. Michael Mancini.
◊“POV” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new documentary “The English Surgeon,” celebrated neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh faces obstacles and archaic medical conditions in the Ukraine as he treats desperate patients.
◊“Shaq VS” (8 p.m. on ABC): NBA standout Shaquille O’Neal will challenge championship fighter Oscar de la Hoya to a five-round heavy-hitting matchup exhibition. Leading up to the challenge, Shaq will get boxing tips and be coached by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, while Oscar “The Golden Boy” de la Hoya gets trained by “the Executioner” Bernard Hopkins for this contest between speed and power.
◊“Sons of Anarchy” (8 p.m. on FX): With the motorcycle club divided in the wake of Donna’s death, Clay sets up a new gun deal with the IRA. Meanwhile, a white separatist group takes root in Charming. Adam Arkin and Henry Rollins join the cast.
◊“Starz Inside: Comics on Screen” (9 p.m. on Starz): Thsi new special explores how many comedians transitioned from stand-up to the big screen. Those interviewed include George Lopez, Cedric the Entertainer, Tim Allen, Dane Cook, Rosie O’Donnell, Andrew Dice Clay, Frank Caliendo, Tom Arnold, Judah Friedlander, and actor/director Harold Ramis. 
◊“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): “Today’s Search for the Lost Symbol” is a weeklong countdown to the release of bestselling author Dan Brown’s new novel “The Lost Symbol.” The segment concludes with host Matt Lauer’s interview with Brown on Sept. 15.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on KOCO-5): Meghan McCain, daughter of former GOP presidential candidate John McCain, is this week’s featured guest co-host. She is sitting in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is currently on maternity leave and is scheduled to return to the show in mid-October.
◊“Yellowstone: Land to Life” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Filmed over two years through all seasons, this film presents a lyrical interpretation of the sweeping geologic story of the famous national park.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9, 2009
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): Season 13 will features contestants all 5-foot-7 and under. Guest judges this season include Chanel Iman, Lauren Conrad, Jaime Rishar, China Chow, Josie Maran, Jessica White, Kim Kardashian, Kirsty Hume, Marisa Miller and Ann Shoket. The winner will receive a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics, a contract with Wilhelmina Models and a cover and six-page spread in Seventeen Magazine.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): Series star Melina Kanakaredes (Stella) wrote this episode in which Stella discovers that New Yorkers are being murdered over ancient Greek artifacts. She hands over her badge to follow a clue that leads to Greece and, together with Mac, she uncovers one of the greatest mysteries in history.
◊“The Day Before” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This four-part series goes behind-the-scenes in the final hours leading up to major fashion shows — Sonia Rykiel (today), Proenza Schouler (Thursday), Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld (Friday) and Joean Paul Gaultier (Saturday).
◊“Destination Truth” (9 p.m. on Syfy): World traveler and intrepid explorer Josh Gates will return to host nine all-new episodes – each an off-the-map adventure in search of the answers to some of the world’s most intriguing unexplained mysteries.
◊“Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Al Roker (“Today”), Deborah Roberts (Al Roker’s wife) and Elmo (“Sesame Street”) hosts this special that aims to help families with children, ages two to eight, experiencing difficult economic circumstances by offering strategies and tips that can lead to positive outcomes for their children’s physical and emotional well-being during this tough economic climate.
◊“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): The Glee Club performs in front of the school for the first time and pushes their performance to the limits. When Quinn realizes Rachel’s realizes her feelings for Finn, she goes to great lengths to keep her man.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Detective Stabler’s daughter is called in to help when a teenager is brutally beaten after her nude photos are spread throughout her high school.
◊“Leverage” (8 p.m. on TNT):  In the summer finale, the Leverage team helps the director of a charity get her rightful benefit. Jeri Ryan (“Star Trek: Voyager”) guest stars as Tara, a grifter who helps out the team.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine’s plan to prove that she’s comfortable with Richard’s remarriage backfires when the date she’s supposedly “in love with” acts obnoxiously at the rehearsal dinner, and Matthew hooks up with New Christine’s sister. Lee Tergesen (“Oz) guest stars.
◊“Nostradamus Effect” (8 p.m. on History): This new series examines the most chilling prophecies of Nostradamus. The premiere episode “The Third Anti-Christ” explores how believers in the writings of Nostradamus think Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler were two of the Antichrists he predicted. Those same believers now are searching for evidence that the third is already here.
◊“Playbooks & Profits: Inside the NFL” (7 p.m. on CNBC): CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell reports live from Pittsburgh, the site of the NFL season opener, taking viewers inside America’s most popular and profitable game with the sport’s most powerful insiders.
◊“So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m. on Fox): It’s time to pop, lock and drop in to Season 6 of the dance show featuring new contestants and the best and worst of auditions. The first audition stop is Los Angeles.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on KOCO-5): Meghan McCain, daughter of former GOP presidential candidate John McCain, is this week’s featured guest co-host. She is sitting in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is currently on maternity leave and is scheduled to return to the show in mid-October.
◊“Your Life, Your Money” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Donald Faison (“Scrubs”) hosts this special that presents a broad range of fundamental financial information for young adults — from basic banking to credit debt.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 2009
◊“The Doctors” (3 p.m. on KWTV-9): Ryan O’ Neill and Alana Stewart  are joined by Farah’s oncologist, Dr. Lawrence  Piro, to discuss Farah’s courageous battle against anal cancer, her final hours, and the pivotal role of caregiver that Farah’s life-partner Ryan and best friend Alana assumed during Farah’s illness.
◊“Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): In a rebroadcast of the first season finale. Viewers find out more about the mysterious events surrounding the elusive William Bell (Leonard Nimoy, “Star Trek”). Season 2 premieres Sept. 17.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (7 p.m. on ABC): As preparations continue for Meredith and Derek’s wedding, Izzie receives a surprise hospital visit from her handful-of-a-mother, Robbie (Sharon Lawrence, “NYPD Blue”).
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): Season 6 opens with Dean and Sam watching as the Devil (Mark Pellegrino, “Lost”) emerges from Hell.
“The Vampire Diaries” (7 p.m. on CW): This series is adapted from L.J. Smith’s popular book series about a pair of vampire brothers, one good (Paul Wesley, “Fallen”), one evil (Ian Somerhalder, ‘‘Lost”), as they battle for the soul of a beautiful teenage girl (Nina Dobrev, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”) who recently lost both her parents in a car accident.
◊“Wicked Attraction” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): When teenagers Sarah Edmondson and Ben Barras meet in an Oklahoma commune, a tragic relationship is formed. Together, the two are a violent duo that travels across the country killing anyone in their path. The trail foes cold for nearly a year until the two start to brag about their exploits and investigators catch wind.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11, 2009
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” (7 p.m. on Fox): Astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize winner George F. Smoot III competes for $1 million by testing his elementary school knowledge in subjects ranging from art to geography and math to social studies.
◊“Freedom Songs: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This special documents how a few daring musical innovators stood at the vortex of two revolutions — one cultural, the other musical — and forever changed America and the world.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA Network): Monk’s phobias threaten to undermine a big murder case when an aggressive defence attorney targets the detective’s unconventional methods in court. Jay Mohr (“Gary Unmarried”) guest stars.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and the team investigate a string of copycat bank robberies and zero in on disgraced FBI Agent Roger Bloom (Henry Winkler, “Happy Days”) as a suspect when they discover he has been studying the files of some of the original bank heists.
◊“Southland” (7 p.m. on NBC): The day takes a turn for the worse when officers find a member of Marta’s Avenue gang dead in a trunk outside Dodger Stadium.
◊“20/20″ (9 p.m. on ABC): In the season premiere, La Toya Jackson, who signed Michael Jackson’s death certificate, will discuss her close relationship with her brother and reveal why she believes he was murdered. The no-holds-barred interview with Barbra Walters will cover topics including her impressions of Michael’s children and her insight into the Jackson family.
◊“Ugly Betty” (8 p.m. on ABC): The sudden death of a Mode editor leaves Betty and Marc competing for the same job. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina demands that Claire tender her resignation at a big awards ceremony. Christopher Gorham (“Harper’s Island”) guest stars.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 2009
◊“Adoption Diaries” (9 p.m. on WEtv): Each episode of this new series follows a different compelling story from the beginning stages, as a birth mother is faced with the daunting task of choosing her baby’s future family. Viewers follow along as a couple is selected and hear their own unique story, many of which include years of roller coaster emotions surrounding their infertility, the decision to adopt and the overall process itself.
◊“America’s Most Wanted” (8 p.m. on Fox): In the Season 23 premiere, host John Walsh tells the story of an incredibly brave girl who survived a vicious, near fatal attack and who as an adult, still waits for her attacker to be taken off the streets.
◊“Citizen Jane” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Ally Sheedy (“Noise”), and Meat Loaf (“Fight Club”) star on this true story of the lone woman who refused to let a killer escape.
◊“Cops” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the season premiere, an elderly couple leads officers on a dirt road car chase that ends in serious injuries.
◊“Lightning Strikes” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”) stars in this new original movie about a creature that rides lightning bolts to earth and attacks a small town.
◊“The Locator” (8 p.m. on WEtv): Enid native Troy Dunn continues his 19-year personal mission to reunite loved ones and reconnect lives. In Season 3, he helps New Orleans Saints football player Paul Spicer search for the father he has never known, a recovering-alcoholic father search for the daughter he was kept away from and a terminally ill cancer patient search for her father. There are many different outcomes, but at the end of every episode, there will be a much-needed discovery for the people wanting to find a missing piece of their history. 
◊“My Nanny’s Secret” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Haylie Duff (“7th Heaven”) stars in this new movie about a home invasion robbery that ends in tragedy when a member of the wealthy Tyrell family is killed. The family’s live-in nanny begins to secretly suspect that her troubled brother may be the murderer, but she is unwilling to share her suspicions until she is certain.
◊“Reel Impact: The Last Beekeeper” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): This special follows the lives of three commercial beekeepers over a year-long period as they struggle to come to terms with a worldwide shrinking of bee populations. The phenomenon threatens crops and the food supply, as well as the livelihoods of beekeepers. 
◊“Robin Hood” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Season three kicks off when Robin and his gang of outlaws return from the Holy Land. But now that he’s back, Robin wastes no time – Marian’s murderer, Guy of Gisborne (Armitage), is a marked man. Robin immediately breaks with his followers, and races to Locksley Manor to avenge her death.
◊“Sit Down, Shut Up” (11 p.m. on Fox): The animated show, which came and quickly went, will burn-off its nine remaining episodes. Upcoming talk/variety hour “The Wanda Sykes Show” will inherit the time period on Nov. 7.
◊“The Suze Orman Show” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Viewers ask if they can afford a tornado shelter. Also an aspiring actress digs deep to find out how she got into over $30,000 of debt.

–Penny TV

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