Top 55 TV Programs for Sept. 20-26, 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. 20:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20, 2009
◊“The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards” (7 p.m. on CBS): From the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) hosts ceremonies honoring excellence in TV programming. Oklahomans receiving Emmy nominations include Kristin Chenoweth from Broken Arrow (supporting actress in a comedy series for “Pushing Daisies”) and Jeanne Tripplehorn from Tulsa (supporting actress in a miniseries for “Grey Gardens”).
◊“About Our Children …” (6 p.m. on MSNBC): Bill Cosby (“The Cosby Show”) leads this live forum on poverty in America that focuses on the parenting, education and health issues facing the poor in the United States. MSNBC will also take online questions for Cosby and the panel at TheGrio.com and msnbc.com.
◊“The Antonio Project” (9 p.m. on HGTV): Antonio Ballatore, who won Season 4 of “HGTV Design Star” last week, tackles one more challenge: making over his own home and unveiling it to family and friends. The program also features unseen moments of Antonio’s journey to becoming the “HGTV Design Star” winner, and his new series will premiere in January.
◊“BBC Earth” (2 p.m. on BBC America): Sir David Attenborough presents five natural history documentaries airing back-to-back. The lineup includes “Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth,” “Great Natural Wonders of the World,” “The Life of Mammals,” “Grizzly: Nature’s Entrepreneur” and “Lion: Spy in the Den.”
◊“Bored to Death” (8:30 p.m. on HBO): Jas Schwartzman (“Funny People”) stars in this new series created by author Jonathan Ames. It follows the misadventures of a fictional Jonathan Ames as he pursues his dream of emulating his heroes from classic private detective novels.
◊“Countdown to the Emmy Awards” (2 p.m. on TV Guide Network): Marc Istook and Maria Sansone host three hours of live coverage from the Red Carpet, catching all the pre-show hoopla before the celebrity arrivals begin.
◊“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (8 p.m. on HBO): Season 7 finds Larry David continuing to cope with the aftermath of Cheryl’s departure, even as his life remains intertwined with the Black family.
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): When Miley and Lilly learn that Oliver has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the misguided pair become the “food police” at Traci’s Sweet 16 party. A prologue directs viewers to learn more about type 1 diabetes at www.JDRF.org.
◊“Holy Grail in America” (7 p.m. on History): This two-hour special investigates the possibility that the Knights Templar, a legendary Christian military order from the 12th century believed by many to be guardians of the Grail, stashed this relic somewhere on American soil – and that they did it more than 100 years before Columbus “discovered” the New World.
◊“The Last 10 Pounds Boot Camp” (9 p.m. on FLN): Trainer Tommy Europe and nutrition coach Nadeen Boman return for a third season of helping people through an intense fitness and nutrition regimen that transforms them physically and mentally in just four weeks.
◊“Live at the Emmy Awards with Carrie Ann and Chris” (5 p.m. on TV Guide Network): Carrie Ann Inaba (“Dancing with the Stars”) and Chris Harrison (“The Bachelor”) get up-close and personal with TV’s biggest stars as they make their way down the Red Carpet. In addition, TVGuide.com will bring fans online coverage of celebrity arrivals from the Red Carpet on starting at 4:30 p.m.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment “Inspector Lewis, Series II: The Great and the Good,” Lewis and Hathaway track down the prime suspect in the assault of a teenage girl, but he has a seemingly watertight alibi.
MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2009
◊“Accidentally on Purpose” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Golden Globe winner Jenna Elfman (“Dharma & Greg”) returns to series television as Billie, a film critic who breaks up with her commitment-phobic boyfriend, has a fling with a younger guy, ends up pregnant and decides to keep the baby — and the daddy.
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (7 p.m. on CMT): Jeff Foxworthy hosts this new, fast-paced half-hour syndicated version of the primetime show. The premiere week features country music artists playing for charity — Big Kenny (today), Heidi Newfield (Tuesday), Bucky Covington (Wednesday), Jack Ingram (Thursday) and Emily West (Friday).
◊“Between the Lions” (noon on OETA-13): In Season 9, the literacy-loving lion pride Theo, Cleo, Lionel, and Leona introduce new books, songs and diverse topics such as jobs, weather, seasons and celebration.
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 3 premiere, Sheldon flees back to Texas in disgrace when he learns the guys tampered with his arctic expedition data. That forces the guys to follow him and threatens Leonard’s hopes for a romantic encounter with Penny.
◊“Brick City” (9 p.m. on Sundance): This week-long docu-series takes an in-depth and no-holds-barred look at the challenges facing the city of Newark, NJ, and its outspoken and charismatic mayor, Cory Booker. It focuses on this inner city’s struggles and the resilient community leaders, civil servants and life-long residents committed to making Newark a model for urban renewal in America.
◊“Castle” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): As Season 2 begins, Castle is wrestling with how to repair his relationship with Beckett, while struggling to finish his soon-to-be-published bestseller, Heat Wave. Authors Stephen J. Cannell and Michael Connelly guest star as themselves in the episode.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): As Delko’s life hangs in the balance, Horatio flashes back 12 years to reveal how Miami’s CSIs first met and became a team. Eddie Cibrian (“Third Watch”) joins the cast for Season 8, playing a police officer from the Hollywood, Calif., Division, who joins Horatio’s team.
◊“Dancing With the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC): Hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris return along with judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. But the spotlight is on the “stars,” and the Season 9 lineup includes hoofers ranging from former teenage sitcom witch Melissa Joan Hart to Donny Osmond and scandal-prone former U.S. congressman Tom DeLay.
◊“Emmy Awards Fashion Wrap with Carrie Ann Inaba” (7 p.m. on TV Guide Network): Carrie Ann Inaba (“Dancing With the Stars”) and a team of fashion experts recount all the fashion highs and lows from the Emmy Red Carpet.
◊“Heroes” (7 p.m. on NBC): This season, “Volume 5: Redemption” begins with our heroes putting their lives back together. Claire is finding that her biggest challenges are forgetting her old life and starting college. Hiro Nakamura goes back to his old life in Japan, but discovers that he has a terminal illness.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the Season 6 premiere, House begins a detox program at Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital to get the vicodin out of his system in an attempt to control his hallucinations. Andre Braugher (“Thief”) guest stars.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When the gang finds out that Barney and Robin are hesitant to define their relationship, Lily forces them to confront their biggest fear…becoming boyfriend/girlfriend.
◊“Independent Lens” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): In his documentary “Our Disappeared/Nuestros Desaparecidos,” director Juan Mandelbaum investigates what happened to those who were kidnapped during the 1976-1983 military dictatorships in Argentina and never heard from again.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on KWTV-9): Winners for the 2009 Relly Awards will be revealed all week long. With the elimination of the best host chat category, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa are not guaranteed the take home an award.
◊“Madventures” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): This new series from Finland features the most outrageous practices found in the most off-the-beaten-path destinations on
earth. With no limits to their daring and imagination, backpackers Riku Rantala and Tuomas “Tunna” Milonoff pair up as the show’s two-man-crew to bring viewers a raw and unscripted definition of extreme travel.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 7 premiere, Charlie must decide between his fiancee, Chelsea, and his old flame, Mia. Rock Superstar Eddie Van Halen makes a cameo appearance as himself.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2009
◊“Epitafios” (10 p.m. on HBO2): In Season 2 of this series presented in Spanish with English subtitles, Detectives Renzo Marquez and Marina Segal team up to track a killer who replicates previous slayings as if they were works of art, capturing the crimes for posterity in photo sequences.
◊“the forgotten” (9 p.m. on ABC): In this new drama, a team of dedicated amateurs – The Forgotten Network — work on murder cases involving unidentified victims. After the police have exhausted all leads, a group of volunteers led by Alex Donovan (Christian Slater), must first solve the puzzle of the victim’s identity in order to then help catch the killer.
◊“The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): This new drama stars Julianna Margulies as a wife and mother who boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband’s very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail. She starts over by pursuing her original career as a defense attorney.
◊“Hell’s Kitchen” (7 p.m. on Fox): Chef Gordon Ramsay surprises the contenders with a glimpse into what could become their new home when he gives them a tour via satellite of The Araxi in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The chefs must then use 15 local ingredients that were flown in from Whistler to create three unique dishes. Guest judges for this challenge include Olympic gold medal-winning ice skater Sasha Cohen and skier Jonny Moseley.
◊“Joe Buck Live” (9 p.m. on HBO): Panelists taking part in this new installment of HBO Sports’ quarterly sports series include four of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers), Dan Marino (Dolphins), John Elway (Broncos) and Joe Namath (Jets), who collectively made 11 Super Bowl appearances and won seven world championships.
◊“The Naughty Kitchen With Chef Blythe Beck” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Chef Blythe Beck, a fiery young chef and Texas native, shows off her distinctive sexy American cuisine, her cutting edge Dallas restaurant, Central 214, and her loud and flamboyant staff in this new series.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): As the hunt for Ziva’s replacement begins, Gibbs and his remaining team members must head back to work with the past still weighing heavily on their minds in the seventh season premiere.
◊“NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m. on CBS): Newly located in a Los Angeles mission, the NCIS Office of Special Projects (OSP) welcomes Callen back to the team and races to solve a kidnapping case on the series premiere.
◊“POV” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): This new documentary tells a coming-of-age story about a Bronx-bred teenager who rebels against her mother and flees to her father in Ghana.
◊“Ruby & the Rockits” (7:30 p.m. on ABC Family): .Ruby and Jordan compete for the attention of the same girl, Ruby’s best friend, who becomes Jordan’s girlfriend. Lucy Hale (“Privileged”) guest stars.
◊“Starz Inside: Comics on Screen” (9 p.m. on Starz): This special explores how many comedians transitioned from stage to the big screen. Among those interviewed for the special are George Lopez, Joan Rivers, and Harold Ramis.
◊“Stephen Fry in America” (9 p.m. on HDNet): In this six-part documentary series, the British actor drives a London cab through each of the 50 states, visiting landmarks and exploring each state’s unique customs.
◊“Warehouse 13″ (8 p.m. on Syfy): In the first-season finale, the team discovers MacPherson is auctioning artifacts he’s siphoned from the warehouse shelves.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2009
◊“Cougar Town,” 8:30 p.m. on ABC): This new series stars Courteney Cox as Jules, a recently divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): Hotch’s unexplained absence quickly becomes apparent when the team is called back together to profile a killer who is targeting an emergency room doctor on the Season 5 premiere.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): Following a spray of machine gunfire, the CSI team rises from the chaos. But when one member’s life is significantly changed, it proves to be the emotional motivation they need to piece together their lives and ultimately find the shooter on the Season 6 premiere.
◊“Eastwick” (9 p.m. on ABC): In the seaside village of Eastwick, three very different women are about to discover some bewitching talents they never knew they had in this new series starring Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Jaime Ray Newman. It is based on John Updike’s classic and the movie of the same name.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 2 premiere, Gary tries to set an example for his son, Tom, by pursuing his own dream of becoming a radio sportscaster. Keegan-Michael Key (“Mad TV”) and Brooke D’Orsay (“Drop Dead Diva”) join the cast.
◊“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Kurt takes center stage when he tries out for the football team in order to impress his dad. Sandy and Sue join forces to carry out their plans for destroying the Glee Club. ◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8 p.m. on NBC): Officer Nate Kendall (Wentworth Miller, “Prison Break”) aids a woman in trouble and becomes roped into helping detectives Benson and Stabler solve a series of rape cases.
◊“Mercy” (7 p.m. on NBC): Taylor Schilling stars in this new series as a nurse who has just returned to work at Mercy Hospital after a tour of service in Iraq. She’s not afraid to bend the rules to save her patients, but her outspoken attitude might wind up costing her her job.
◊“Modern Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): This new comedy takes an honest and often hilarious look at the complexities of modern day families. Ed O’Neill (“Married With Children”) and Julie Bowen (“Boston Legal”) star.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): After Barb was thrown in jail by immigration during Richard’s and New Christine’s disastrous wedding in the cliffhanger season finale, Christine and Matthew head to the Bahamas to try to get her an illegal visa in the Season 5 premiere.
◊“The NEW Age of Walmart” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This special offers an inside look at how the world’s largest retailer is trying to reinvent itself. CNBC’s David Faber investigates whether new leadership, aggressive green policies and a full-scale store overhaul signify real change for the controversial powerhouse.
◊“Whatever, Martha!” (8 p.m. on FLN): Hosts Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Koppelman return for a second season of dissecting Martha Stewart in her old shows. They comment on Martha’s performance, appearance and projects from old episodes of “Martha Stewart Living.”
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 2009
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): The CSI team, with the unexpected but welcome return of Sara, comes together to investigate the death of a famous young actress killed in a dubious traffic collision on the Season 10 premiere.
◊“FlashForward” (7 p.m. on ABC): In this new series, everyone on Earth blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds and is given a glimpse of their future. It forces everyone to come to grips with whether their destinies can be fulfilled or avoided.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): In the two-hour Season 6 premiere, the hospital staff is left to deal with the aftermath of George’s passing. Hitting the staff hard, they all find unique ways to get through the various stages of grief.
◊“The Mentalist” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Jane and Lisbon learn that the Red John case has been reassigned to a new CBI team led by the straight-shooting officer Sam Bosco (new cast member Terry Kinney) on the Season 2 premiere.
◊“Nightline” (10:35 p.m. on ABC): In a new segment, the program’s anchors and correspondents take an in-depth look at the Ten Commandments, looking at what they mean, and how they apply to life in the 21st century. The series launches with Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery.
◊“Parks and Recreation” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): Leslie holds an all-night stakeout to find out who planted marijuana in the pit. Louis C.K. (“Lucky Louie”) guest stars.
◊“PBS Special Report on Health Care Reform” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The PBS programs “Now on PBS,” “Tavis Smiley” and “Nightly Business Report” are collaborating to provide a timely and much-needed in-depth look at health care reform in America and the latest government proposals to address the issue.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 2009
◊“Brothers” (7 p.m. on Fox): Michael Strahan (“Fox NFL Sunday”) stars in this new sitcom as Mike Trainor, a former NFL star who is forced to make a fresh start under his parents’ roof. Carl Weathers (“Rocky”) and CCH Pounder (“The Shield”) play his parents, and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed”) plays his brother.
◊“Dollhouse” (8 p.m. on Fox): In the Season 2 premiere, Echo weds a wealthy British businessmen tied to one of Agent Ballard’s open FBI cases. Jamie Bamber (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest stars.
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 5 premiere directed by series star Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melinda gives birth to a baby boy who also has the gift of seeing spirits, but with one important difference which will have far-reaching consequences.
◊“Jeff Garlin: Young and Handsome” (11 p.m. on Comedy Central): Best known as Larry David’s manager in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Jeff Garland touches on personal foibles, innermost secrets and heartfelt belief in his youth and handsomeness in this new standup comedy special.
◊“King of Clubs” (8 p.m. on Playboy TV): This new reality series chronicles the non-stop adventures and steamy shenanigans inside a legendary Las Vegas strip club trying to reinvent itself.
◊“Law & Order” (7 p.m. on NBC): When a war veteran is found dead in a parking garage, all signs lead to a law professor whose past work as a lawyer for the Department of Justice unveil torture during wartime.
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): Allison and her family deal with the outcome of her brain surgery and its possible lasting effects on the Season 6 premiere. Natalie Zea (“Dirty Sexy Money”) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (“Deadwood”) guest star.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 6 premiere, Don and the team must protect high-profile activist Benjamin Polk at a political rally, but it soon becomes a manhunt when they search for a sniper trying to kill Polk.
◊“Phineas and Ferb” (7 p.m. on Disney): Phineas and Ferb travel to the future to find a tool that hasn’t been invented yet. There they encounter future Candace, who follows them back through time and finally busts her brothers as they’re building their rollercoaster. Guest stars include Jennifer Stone (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) as future Candace’s daughter, Amanda; Moises Arias (“Hannah Montana”) as future Candace’s son, Fred; and Jennifer Grey (“Dirty Dancing”) as the Librarian.
◊“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): In the Season 9 premiere, Clark tells Jor-El he’s ready to start his training, but Jor-El sends him back to Metropolis to cut ties with Lois before he can begin.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 2009
◊“Cheaters” (midnight on KOCB-34): Host Joey Greco is back for Season 10 of this reality show that delivers more couples in jeopardy.
◊“Children of the Corn” (8 p.m. on Syfy): A couple on the verge of divorce gets stuck in a remote Iowa town where fanatically religious children kill those over 18 so the town can remain pure. David Anders (“Heroes”) and Kandyse McClure (“Battlestar Galactica”) star.
◊“My Neighbor’s Secret” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): When Jason and Casey Hess are befriended by their grieving neighbor, recent widower Brent Cavanaugh, they offer as much support and comfort as possible. But, Brent is far from the innocent widower. Starring in this new movie are Nicholas Brendon (“Criminal Minds”), Chandra West (“90210″) and Vincent Ventresca (“Complete Savages”).
◊“Saturday Night Live” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Megan Fox (“Jennifer’s Body”) hosts the Season 35 premiere, which features musical guest U2. Joining the cast of featured players this season are Nasim Pedrad, who trained with the Los Angeles improv comedy troupe The Groundlings; and Jenny Slate, who is an alumnus of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
◊“Sit Down, Shut Up” (11 p.m. on Fox): When a tropical storm threatens the town of Knob Haven, the high school gym is turned into an emergency shelter.
◊“Yearbook Chronicles” (1 p.m. on MTV Tr3s): This documentary that examines the disproportionate rate of young Latinos dropping out of high school. In response to this national increase, the special offers insight into why high school students drop out as well as shows the positive influence that four students have over their fellow classmates.
–Penny TV
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I can’t wait till the 21st ‘The Big Bang Theory’ & ‘Two and a Half Men’. YES