The latest television news from NewsOK.com

“Whitechapel,” “American Horror Story” and “The Walking Dead” among top choices for Halloween-related viewing

 

My three top choices to get the Halloween goosebumps going for the Halloween television viewing season are as follows:

- BBC America delivers some pre-Halloween chills with the U.S. premiere of the series “Whitechapel” at 9 p.m. Wed., Oct. 26.

“Whitechapel” is set in modern day East London where the police are trying to solve murders that echo cases from the past, including those involving Jack the Ripper and the 1960s crime twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray.

The six part series, from the producers of “Downton Abby,” stars Rupert Penry-Jones (“MI-5,” “Persuasion), Phil Davis (“Sherlock,” “Bleak House”) and Steve Pemberton (“The League of Gentleman).

- “American Horror Story” continues its bloodcurdling run at 9 p.m. Wed. Oct. 26 on FX, with the first of two “Halloween” episodes: Part 1 features the  line between the living and the dead blurring on Halloween and two of the house’s previous residents giving the Harmons decorating advice. Part 2, airing at 9 p.m. Wed., Nov. 2, involves Tate coming face-to-face with his past and Ben and Vivien being haunted by one of the house’s newest guests.

Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton and Jessica Lange star in “American Horror Story.”

- “The Walking Dead,” which has just been renewed for a third season, airs its third spine-chiling episode of its second season at 8 p.m. Sun., Oct. 30 on AMC, in which the group desperately awaits Shane’s return as he finds himself trapped in a school surrounded by zombies, while Daryl and Andrea search for someone in the woods.

Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn and Steven Yeun star in “The Walking Dead.”

– Melissa Hayer

mhayer@opubco.com

Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer

 

Other various Halloween-related viewing options include:

- “Ghost Adventures” airs at 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28 on the Travel Channel – Zak, Nick and Aaron have come to Letchworth to unlock “The Village of Secrets.”

- “Iris Johansen’s The Killing Game,” based on the bestselling crime novel of the same name and starring Laura Prepon (“How I Met Your Mother”), airs at 7 p.m. Sun., Oct. 30 on Lifetime Movie Network.

- “Martha Stewart’s Haunted House” re-airs at 9 a.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on the Hallmark Channel, actor Justin Long is a guest.

- “The Sing-Off” airs at 7 p.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on NBC and features an opening medley of “This Is Halloween,” “Werewolves of London” and “Ghostbusters.”

- “Watch What Happens Live” airs at 10 p.m. Mon., Oct. 31 on Bravo – live Halloween party hosted by Andy Cohen in the Bravo Clubhouse.

- The Sundance Channel is offering some movies to whet your Halloween appetite, including “Dream Home,” airing at 10:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 28, which centers on the story of a newlywed couple who wanted the American dream but end up in the middle of a nightmare. Gary and Jessica have moved into a suburban home in the rural countryside when Jessica begins to  have strange, haunting visions of a mysterious woman wandering the halls and the shady locals hint at a morbid and tragic back story to the house; and “One Missed Call,” which airs at 9 p.m. Sat., Oct. 29, and is about college student Beth Raymond, whose friends have all been dying in droves and the one connecting factor between all of the incidents is that just before their deaths, each of the victims received a message in which they heard themselves being killed. Beth receives her own terrifying phone call and has only three days to solve the mystery and cheat death.

- If you’d like some humor instead of horror, ABC’s Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 25 and 26) night comedies, including “Last Man Standing” (7 p.m. Tues.), “The Middle” (7 p.m. Wed.),” “Suburgatory” (7:30 p.m. Wed.), “Modern Family” (8 p.m., Wed.) and “Happy Endings” (8:30 p.m. Wed.) have Halloween themes.

- NBC’s Thursday (Oct. 27) night comedies featuring Halloween episodes include “Community” (7 p.m) “Parks & Recreation” (7:30 p.m.) and “The Office” (8 p.m.)

- Additionally, “The Simpsons’” 22nd annual installment of “Treehouse of Horror” airs at 7 p.m., Sun., Oct. 30, on Fox.

 

(Information on programs provided by BBC America, FX, AMC,  Sundance, ABC, NBC, Fox, Travel Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Hallmark Channel and Bravo.)

 

 

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Oklahoman contestant on Bravo’s “Work Of Art: The Next Great Artist” tonight

Jamie Lynn Henderson, 25, of Lawton is a contestant on the reality competition series “Work Of Art: The Next Great Artist” airing tonight, June 9, at 10 p.m. on Bravo.

The series gathers fourteen of the art world’s most talented, up-and-coming artists to compete for a solo show at the Brooklyn  Museum and a cash prize of $100,000, according to a news release.

In the premiere, the artists are randomly put into pairs for the first elimination challenge.

They learn that after only one night together their mission is to create a piece of art that captures the essence of a fellow competitor.

China Chow is host and judge, along with judges Bill Powers, New York gallery owner; Jerry Saltz, senior art critic for New York magazine and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, gallerist at Salon94 gallery in New York City.

Henderson is a recent graduate of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in Painting and Drawing and went to undergrad at the University of Oklahoma.

She has won “Best in Show” at the Skin Exhibition in Oklahoma City in 2007 and “Best New Artist Working on Paper” at the Around the Coyote exhibit in Chicago, Ill. in 2009.

Drawing, painting with gouache, acrylics and watercolors are her artistic media forms.

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TV Premieres and Finales airing May 2-8, 2010

  
    Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
   And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of May 2.
   If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.
 
(NOTE: All times are CT. For ET, add one hour)

BEGINNINGS
••“Funk Flex Full Throttle,” 1 p.m. Sunday on MTV2 (series premiere).
••”Best Food Ever.” 9 p.m. Monday on TLC (series premiere).
••”The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” 9 p.m. Monday on Bravo (second-season premiere).
••”Freezing,” 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on Sundance (series premiere).
••”Sweat Equity,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on DIY Network (seventh-season premiere).
••“10 Grand In Your Hand,” 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on DIY Network (third-season premiere).
••”How’d You Get So Rich?” 9 p.m. Wednesday on TV Land (second-season premiere).
••“Worst-Case Scenario,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“The Imploders,” 7 p.m. Thursday on TLC (series premiere).
••”The Dudesons in America,” 9 p.m. Thursday on MTV (series premiere).
••”Ultimate Parkour Challenge,” 9:30 p.m. Thursday on MTV (series premiere).
••”Heavy Haulers,” 9 p.m. Thursday on TLC (series premiere).
••”The Imploders,” 7 p.m. Thursday on TLC (series premiere).
••”Friday Night Lights,” 7 p.m. Friday on NBC (fourth season begins).
••”Need to Know,” 7:30 p.m. Friday on OETA-13 (series premiere).

ENDINGS
••Cold Case, 8 p.m. Sunday on CBS (seventh-season finale).
••Fly Girls, 8 p.m. Wednesday on CW (first-season finale).

Pictured above: ”Almost Paradise” — Guest actor Nicki Aycox, left, and Det. Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) on the CBS series COLD CASE, Sunday, May 2, on the CBS Television Network Photo: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

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Top 55 TV Programs for May 2-8, 2010

 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 May 2:
(NOTE: All times are CT. For ET, add one hour)

SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2010
••”Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. pm NBC): Both teams are assigned the task of creating three radio commercials for Clockwork Home Services. To impress the executives, the teams must create original commercials for the company’s plumbing, electrician and heating & air conditioning services, and one team may have pushed the envelope too far.
••”Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the two-part Season 7 finale, Rush tries to ignore her father’s appeals to give her troublemaker sister (Nicki Aycox, “Dark Blue”) another chance after she suddenly resurfaces. Music by The Rolling Stones will play throughout the second hour.
••”The Emeril Lagasse Show” (7 p.m. on ION): Chef Lagasse and guest Chef Mario Batali (“Mario Eats Italy”) prepare the ultimate Italian feast. They show viewers how to make homemade ravioli, eggplant parmesan and fresh mozzarella.
••“Family Guy” (8 p.m. on Fox): In the milestone 150th episode, Brian and Stewie get locked in a bank vault where they are forced to deal with each other on a whole new level. The one-hour event also includes never-before-seen musical footage.
••“Funk Flex Full Throttle” (1 p.m. on MTV2):This new series  takes viewers along for a high-adrenaline ride as Flex switches lanes from interviewing the hottest names in hip-hop to creating the freshest rides at his car customization shop. Drake will kick off the premiere episode by talking about the whirl-wind experiences he has encountered as the one biggest artists leading in to the release of his freshman album. Other entertainers stopping by the shop to chop it up with Flex this season include Juelz Santana, Fabolous, Mike Epps, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, Young Money, Trey Songz, Jim Jones, Maino, Red Café, Jadakiss and Ludacris.
••”Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): As “Foyle’s War” returns for another season, the war in Europe is over and Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) hopes his crime-fighting days are, too. But murder knows no respite in the seaside town of Hastings, and the chief must solve a trio of his most challenging cases yet.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): Increasingly frustrated by his role campaigning for war bonds, Basilone convinces the Marines to allow him to train troops headed for combat.  Transferred to Camp Pendleton, he enjoys a whirlwind romance with an initially reluctant female Marine, Lena Riggi.
••”The Real Story: Silence of the Lambs” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): This special reveals the inspiration for “Silence of the Lambs” writer Thomas Harris. While researching for his book, Harris spent time in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, immersed in the case-files of serial killers. This unit’s researchers are interviewed and reveal some gruesome details about real-life killers Ed Gein, Ted Bundy and others.
••”Seeing vs. Believing” (7 p.m. on TLC): This special features soap star Ricky Paull Goldin (“All My Children”) and his skeptic friend Jeff Gurtman as they journey across America to seek the truth behind great stories of unexplained phenomena.
••“Til Death” (6 p.m. on Fox): When Joy loses her job at Eddie’s school, she accepts a position as Stephen’s (Kevin Nealon, “Weeds”) executive assistant. The new gig leaves her miserable, leading Eddie and Mr. White (Martin Mull, “Roseanne”) to scheme a way to get Joy her old job back. Series star Joely Fisher (Joy) directed the episode.

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2010
••”10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Kat enlists Cameron’s help to spy on Patrick, who is upset when he finds the duo in disguise watching him outside an office building. Rachel Hunter (“Gravity”) guest stars as herself.
••”American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Roads to Memphis” tells the disparate yet fatefully entwined stories of assassin James Earl Ray and his target, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is told through eyewitness testimony from King’s inner circle and the officials involved in Ray’s capture and prosecution following an intense two-month international manhunt.
••”Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Items appraised in Hour 3 from Phoenix include a violin made by the Gagliano family in Naples in the early 1800s and a violin bow made in France in the shop of Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.
••”Anxious” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special chronicles the journey of two people battling severe anxiety disorders as they attempt to control their anxiety to ultimately reclaim their lives.
••”Best Food Ever” (9 p.m. on TLC): John Goodman (“Roseanne”) hosts this new series that takes viewers on a coast-to-coast journey to uncover the best places to satisfy any craving. It locates the USA’s tastiest treasures to discover the brains behind the mouthwatering methods and innovative ingredients used in each amazing meal.
••”Castle” (9 p.m. on ABC): A high profile chef is found frozen to death in the kitchen of a hot New York restaurant. Complications ensue when Castle and the restaurant owner, an old high school girlfriend of Beckett’s, share an attraction. Rocco Dispirito (“The Restaurant”) guest stars in the episode as a fan of the dead chef and a fan of Castle’s books.
••”Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): Chuck and Sarah are assigned to train under Craig and Laura Turner (Fred Willard, “Anchorman,” and Swoosie Kurtz, “Pushing Daisies”), a married CIA team. Despite their impeccable record, the Turners hate one another.
••”CSI: Miami” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): After a seemingly perfect jewel heist ends in murder, Delko returns to look for the culprit when evidence in the case is stolen from the lab. Christian Campbell (“Casino Jack”), Kathleen Robertson (“Tin Man”), Tim Russ (“iCarly”) and Kevin Weisman (“Alias”) guest star.
••”Enraged” (9 p.m. on Discovery Health):  This special follows the daily lives of two individuals whose intense, uncontrollable anger has wreaked havoc on their lives — and on their loved ones.
••”Fame and Recovery” (8 p.m. on A&E): This special provides a look at addiction, survival, recovery and redemption through the eyes of Hall of Fame football player Lawrence Taylor and former Miss USA Tara Conner.
••”Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. on CW): Will’s return to the Upper East Side continues to stir up problems for Serena, Lily and his long-standing rival, Rufus. William Baldwin (“Dirty Sexy Money”) guest stars.
••”High Score” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary takes a look at die-hard gamers who refuse to abandon the classic arcade games of yesteryear.  The 80′s live on for these enthusiasts, who compete against each other and history to record the world’s highest scores.
••”House” (7 p.m. on Fox): The team takes on the case of an ailing groom-to-be (Adam Garcia, “Hawthorne”) with secrets from a previous relationship and a fiancee with many questions. And during a boys’ night out, House, Chase and Foreman visit a karaoke bar and perform a Gladys AKnight & the Pips classic.
••“King of Dirt” (8 p.m. on DIY Network): Host Gino Panaro and his brother Ralph travel tp Tennessee’s Dollywood to create a special landscape for the 25th anniversary of the Dolly Parton-themed amusement park.
••”Law & Order” (9 p.m. on NBC): When the body of a young model is found burning in an alley, Detective Cyrus Lupo and Detective Kevin Bernard go in search of her killer. They quickly discover that just before her death, Brenna crashed an upscale political event, hosted by Senator Peterson (Tony Roberts, “The Thorns”) and his wife, Camille (Kathy Baker, “Boston Public”).
••”The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Season 2 follows sisters Caroline and Dina Manzo (who happen to be married to brothers), their sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita, long time family friend Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub. Whether they are throwing a family function, out for a night on the town, or just gossiping with the girls, the ladies always find a way to be over the top and stay true to their own Jersey style.
••”Romantically Challenged” (8:32 p.m. on ABC): Perry’s struggle to fire his enthusiastic but lousy assistant, Erin (Anna Camp, “True Blood”), lands him in an unwanted relationship with her. And Shawn is reluctant to watch Lisa’s coworker’s cute dog until he realizes what a great chick magnet the little guy is.
••”Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Audrey pushes it too far with a surrogate mother (Jaime Pressly, “My Name Is Earl”) who she and Jeff are considering paying to have their baby.  Meanwhile, Russell shamelessly pokes fun at Jennifer and Adam’s wedding Web site.
••”Ultimate Chili Challenge” (9 p.m. on TLC): This special showcases the art of making red chili (did you know that red chili has no beans, pasta or other fillers?) and gives viewers the chance to follow five contestants as they create culinary masterpieces with help from their secret ingredients. Watch as the contestant’s battle the heat- both in and out of the kitchen- to make their perfect chili.
••”The Woman With 15 Personalities” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special spotlights a person living with dissociative identity disorder, a condition in which a person displays several distinct identities, each with its own perception of the environment. It reveals how this often misunderstood illness affects their daily lives, and provides insight into what it is like to manage multiple personalities who all want a voice.

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010
••”30 on 30″ (7 p.m. on ESPN): The new installment “The 16th Man” features actor Morgan Freeman (“Invictus”), producer Lori McCreary (“Invictus”) and director Cliff Bestall (“Passing the Message”) telling the story about what it meant to South Africa’s healing process when the country played host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
••”90210″ (7 p.m. on CW): Teddy invites a nervous Silver to meet her father, Spence (Ryan O’Neal, “Paper Moon”), for the second time, and the meeting doesn’t go quite as planned. Adrianna records a duet with Javier Luna (Latin recording artist Diego Boneta), a famous young pop singer.
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The remaining six contestants get $1,000 shopping sprees before heading to the salon to meet celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin (“Blow Out”) and begin their makeovers. Then it’s time for amazing reveals and emotional reunions with loved ones. Later the contestants and their guests are treated to a concert from recording artist Ashanti, who shares her inspirational music.
••”Born Schizophrenic” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special examines the world of children with schizophrenia through the eyes of the Schofield family, whose 7-year-old daughter January is one of only two children ever to receive this diagnosis.  In spite of her genius IQ and typically soft-spoken manner, Jani regularly battles vivid hallucinations, delusions and uncontrollable violent rage.
••”Freezing” (8:30 p.m. on Sundance): Elizabeth McGovern (“Ragtime”) and Hugh Bonneville (“Iris”) star in this British miniseries about a London couple that find themselves slipping from the top rungs of their glamorous professions. The miniseries will premiere on three consecutive nights.
••”Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): “College, Inc.” looks at the promise and explosive growth of the for-profit higher education industry. Through interviews with school executives, government officials, admissions counselors, former students and industry observers, it explores the tension between the industry that says it’s helping an underserved student population obtain a quality education and marketable job skills and critics who charge the for-profits with churning out worthless degrees that leave students with a mountain of debt.
••”Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Sue Sylvester is mortified when a video of her rendition of Olivia Newton-John’s classic “Physical” is unearthed. Guest stars include Olivia Newton-John (“Grease”) and Molly Shannon (“Saturday Night Live”).
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): DiNozzo finds himself increasingly captivated by a woman he’s never met while investigating the murder of her brother. Ashley Scott (“Jericho”) guest stars as ZNN reporter Tricia Hutton, the victim’s missing sister.  Rena Sofer (“24,” “General Hospital”) reprises her role as attorney Margaret Allison Hart.
••”Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Over the course of 30 years, plant and animal life has returned to the barren landscape of Mt. St. Helens after the erruption in 1980. But there’s a new threat — the mountain, too, is coming back to life.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2010
••“10 Grand In Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): This series, back for Season 3, shows homeowners how to cut up to $10,000 from their renovation and remodeling projects.
••“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): Special guest judge and “Lord of the Rings” actress Sarah McLeod welcome the remaining models to the Hobbiton in New Zealand, where the girls do a quick five-frame photo shoot.
••”The Big Bang Theory” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Sheldon winds up in traffic court when he gets a ticket because of Penny. Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) guest stars.
••”CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): Mac is determined to seek justice when a 14-year-old boy is shot in front of his 12-year-old brother. Madchen Amick (“My Own Worst Enemy”) guest stars.
••”Fly Girls” (8 p.m. on CW): In the Season 1 finale, Jon moves to Los Angeles to work things out withy Nikole. During a layover in Miami, Mandy and Louise fall for the same guy, causing a rift between the best friends.
••”How’d You Get So Rich?” (9 p.m. on TV Land): Joan Rivers (“The Celebrity Apprentice”) returns for a second season to take viewers on a journey to meet mega-rich millionaires who worked hard and struck gold.  As she tours the most lavish and extravagant homes, she introduces viewers to folks who made a lot of money in out of the ordinary, fascinating ways and asks all the questions no one else would – in the way only Joan can.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8 p.m. on NBC): When a woman form a growing lesbian community is found dead, Detectives Benson and Stabler must work with a local activist (Kathy Griffin, “My Life on the D List”) to uncover the truth behind the woman’s death.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): When a pregnant woman is raped, Detectives Olivia Benson and Eliot Stabler arrive at the hospital to find that she has fled. Even when someone is arrested for a similar offense, assistand district attorney Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone, “Bobby”) says she doesn’t have a case in court unless they find the victim and get a statement from her.
••”Live From Lincoln Center” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”) hosts “Perlman, Ax and Ma at The Penthouse.” It features longtime friends violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform Felix Mendelssohn’s popular Piano Trios together.
••”Mercy” (7 p.m. on NBC): When a friend from their Iraq days shows up unexpectedly, Veronica and Sands are suddenly faced with a life-altering decision. Meanwhile, a former flame (Jennifer Esposito, “Jules Fattore”) comes back into Briggs life, with dangerous consequences.
••”The Middle” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): Mother’s Day for Frankie is anything but serene when she finds herself doing more for Mike and the kids and less for herself. But she learns that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when she escapes the family for a few hours to go to her mom’s (Marsha Mason, “The Goodbye Girl”) and ends up acting like a child by making her mom wait on her hand-and-foot.
••”My Strange Addiction” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special refines the blurry line between normal behavior and compulsions, showcasing four individuals battling obsessive behaviors that are on the verge of taking over their lives. It presents the firsthand accounts of the fixations of a woman who eats chalk, a fanatical runner, a compulsive shopper and an excessive tanner.  
••”The New Adventures of Old Christine,” 7 p.m. on CBS): After a good-looking cop, who Old Christine assumes is a stripper, alerts her that there is a prowler in the neighborhood, she convinces Matthew to stay over.  Meanwhile, New Christine goes into labor — on Old Christine’s birthday. Tim Meadows (“the Bill Engvall Show”) returns as New Christine’s and Old Christine’s OB/GYN. 
••”Sweat Equity” (8 p.m. on DIY Network): Licensed contractor Amy Matthews helps homeowners determine which home improvement projects are the smartest. Season 7 will also provide how-to information so that homeowners can do some of the basic work themselves.
••“Worst-Case Scenario” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new six-part series based on the best-selling series of books features survival expert Bear Grylls (“Man vs. Wild”) portraying potentially life-threatening situations to demonstrate how to survive in a worst-case scenario.

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010
••”30 Rock” (8:30 p.m. on NBC): Liz Lemon meets her mother’s (Anita Gillette, “The War at Home”) old flame, while Jack Donaghy’s mother, Colleen (Elaine Stritch, “The Ellen Burstyn Show”), gets tangled in his relationships with Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks, “Scrubs”) and Nancy Donovan. Jenna’s mother, Verna (Jan Hooks, “3rd Rock from the Sun”) returns, while Tracy learns a lesson from his “mom” (Novella Nelson, “The Starter Wife”). Also guest starring are Buzz Aldrin (“Dancing With the Stars”), Cheyenne Jackson (“United 93”) and Patti Lupone (“Oz”).
••”Bipolar Mysteries: Families in Crisis” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): In this special, cameras follow a small community of mothers of bipolar kids as they juggle their multitude of medications, mood shifts and far-flung scheduling routines.  Once isolated and completely helpless, these mothers of bipolar children are for the first time finding solace—in each other.
••”The Dudesons in America” (9 p.m. on MTV): Four Finnish extreme stuntmen and pranksters want to take over America as they try to win over local townsfolk and whatever authorities they’ll likely encounter while doing the dumbest things imaginable. Among their pranks are walking on stilts into a bullring with a very angry bull and trying to reach Uranus in their self-built space rocket.
••”FlashForward” (7 p.m. on ABC): Demetri and Agent Banks (Alex Kingston, “ER”) attempt to track down a killer as questions arise about the universe course-correcting itself, when people who thought they’d escaped their fates are found dead. James Callis (“Battlestar Galactica”) also guest stars.
••”Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): Peter teams up with Sheriff Mathis (Martha Plimpton, “Parenthood”) on a serial murder investigation with ties to Newton (Sebastian Roche, “General Hospital”). Meanwhile, Walter copes with the possibility of being sent back to St. Claire’s.
••“Heavy Haulers” (9 p.m. on TLC): This new series documents the dangerous and dirty exploits of Jeremy Patterson and his larger-than-life family as they move superstructures across America for a living.
••“The Imploders” (7 p.m. on TLC): This series follows the Idaho-based Kelly family as they struggle to manage family life on the road while running a dangerous demolition business.
••“The Marriage Ref” (9 p.m. on NBC): Celebrity panelists Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man 2”), Greg Giraldo (“Last Comic Standing”) and Jerry Seinfeld (“Seinfeld”) offer their wit, wisdom and unique opinions to couples in marital tiffs.
••”The Martha Stewart Show” (2 p.m. on KSBI-52): On this special Mother’s Day show, guests Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Chef Marco Canora (Hearth & Terrior) are joined in-studio by their moms to cook and craft in front of an audience filled with mothers and their sons.
••”The Mentalist” (9 p.m. on CBS): Patrick Jane and the CBI team investigate the death of a mathematical genius by a gun-wielding clown. Lucy Davis (“The Office” and wife of series star Owain Yeoman) guest stars.
••”The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Michael suspects Donna (Amy Pietz, “Aliens in America”) is cheating on him and puts Dwight Schrute on the case. Meanwhile, Andy is frustrated when no one takes his customer’s complaint seriously.
••”Sergio” (7 p.m. on HBO): This documentary tells the story of the dashing diplomat who served in the United Nations for more than 30 years. He was considered by some a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy. In 2003, just after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Sergio reluctantly agreed to serve as the Secretary General’s special representative in Baghdad.
••”Ultimate Parkour Challenge” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This new series showcases the growing extreme sport of parkour.  In each episode, athletes challenge themselves and each other as they put their parkour skills to the test in different urban environments. In parkour, athletes move as efficiently as possible from point A to point B.  They must jump, roll, climb, leap, sprint, flip and fly, flowing over walls, cars, stairs, railings and 10-foot rooftop gaps between 5 story buildings.
••”The Vampire Diaries” (7 p.m. on CW): Isobel (Mia Kirshner, “The L Word”) returns to town and stuns Alaric with her attitude and her demands that he arrange a meeting with Elena. When mother and daughter finally meet, Isobel refuses to answer most of Elena’s questions but reveals that she will stop at nothing to find the mysterious invention Jonathan Gilbert (David Anders, “Heroes”) has been searching for.

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
••”Friday Night Lights” (7 p.m. on NBC): Season 4 had its first run on DirecTV, but now everyone with a television can enjoy the drama set in Dillon, Texas, where high school football brings the community together. As season four opens, a redistricting plan has left Dillon a town divided.  After being ousted from his role as head coach at Dillon High School, Coach Taylor finds himself faced with the daunting task of building a football team from scratch as well as motivating and disciplining the unmanageable East Dillon Lions.
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are Mika, Bloc Party and La Roux.
••”Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): A distressed Ariel begins to lose hours and then years of time in her life and must look to her future self to find out how to get back to the present. Michael Rady (“Melrose Place”) guest stars in this episode directed by series star Miguel Sandoval (district attorney Manuel Devalos).
••”Miami Medical” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Miami’s Calle Cubana celebration turns violent, the Alpha Team finds themselves battling an increased workload.  Meanwhile, Dr. Zambrano takes special interest in a young teenager left for dead on the hospital’s driveway. Chad Faust (“The 4400″) guest stars as Todd, a trauma patient.
••”Need to Know” (7:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Peabody Award-winning broadcast journalist Alison Stewart and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will co-anchor this new weekly primetime news and public affairs series. It will cover five primary beats — the economy, the environment and energy, health, national security and culture.
••”The Oprah Winfrey Show” (4 p.m. on ABC): Joining Oprah Winfrey for this broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall is five-time Grammy-winning artist Christina Aguilera. She will perform the single “Not Myself Tonight” from her forthcoming album “Bionic” (in stores June 8) and also open up about motherhood and her career during an exclusive interview.
••“Primetime: What Would You Do?” (8 p.m. on ABC): Using hidden cameras and actors to see how people react when placed in provocative situations, this special report takes real-life situations and records the everyday dilemmas that test character and values. Two more installments will air over the next two weeks, with more scheduled for June and July.
••”Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): Much to Clark’s surprise, Martha Kent (Annette O’Toole, “The Huntress”) returns to Smallville with her new boyfriend, Perry White (Michael McKean, “Laverne & Shirley”) in tow.

SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2010
••”Loni Love: America’s Sister” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Opening with a unique dance number, the performance chronicles Loni’s hilarious observations and adventures from her travels around the globe. She covers everything from illegal immigration, reality TV, religion and pirates.
••”Meet My Mom” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): When a recently divorced mom (Lori Loughlin, “90210”) is paid a surprise visit by her son’s army pen-pal (Johnny Messner, “Killer Instinct”), it might just be love at first sight.  
••”Mongolian Death Worm” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Sean Patrick Flanery (“Young Indiana Jones”) and Victoria Pratt (“Day Break”) star in this new movie as a treasure hunter and United Nations aide worker who find themselves battling local bandits while searching for Genghis Khan’s secret tomb in central Mongolia. The crypt is guarded by man-eating Mongolian death worms, who grow very angry at being disturbed.
••”Rescued” (7 p.m. on CNN): Soleded O’Brien hosts this special that chronicles the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake through the eyes of two orphans, Cendy and Marc Kenson. They were abandoned years ago by their parents but later taken in at the orphanage of an American missionary family. Musical artist Wyclef Jean, a son of Haiti, will provide voice-overs of the Creole translations in the program, along with award-winning Haitian novelist Edwidge Danticat.
••”Saturday Night Live” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Betty White (“The Golden Girls”) guest hosts the show for the first time, partly as a result of a grass-roots campaign from fans using social networking sites such as Facebook. Jay-Z will make his third appearance as musical guest in studio 8H.
••”The Suze Orman Show” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Financial advisor Suze Orman gets a surprise “Can I Afford It?” call from celebrity chef Paula Deen (“Paula’s Party”).

–Penny TV

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Singer/songwriters wanted for Bravo’s ‘Hitmakers’ — auditions underway

  
   Bravo is looking for the next Toby Keith.
   Actually, you don’t have to sing country music or be from Oklahoma like Toby Keith, but you do have to be a singer/songwriter and audition to be considered for the show “Hitmakers.”
   There are two ways to try out for the weekly music competition series:
   (A) Send in an audtion tape. Perform two of your best originals songs — about a minute of each and mail it along with a complete application form (available online at www.hitmakerscasting.com) to Hitmakers Casting, 10061 Riverside Drive, P.O. Box 749, Toluca Lake, CA 91602. Submissions must be received by May 17 (but the earlier the better).
   (B) Attend an open casting call. Casting producers will be in Atlanta on May 2, Nashville on May 9 and New York City on May 16. For audition applications and more information, go to www.hitmakerscasting.com,
   “Hitmakers” will spotlight undiscovered singer-songwriters and talented newcomers from all genres of music battling through a series of innovative songwriting challenges to find out who’s ready for the top of the pop charts. The winner of the series will receive a cash prize and a publishing and development deal with The Writing Camp for Sony’s RCA/JIVE.
–Penny TV

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Top 30 Guest Stars on TV Shows airing April 25-May 1, 2010

  Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of the top guest stars (and all the premieres and finales, see separate blog) appearing on TV next week.
   And here are 30 (or more) celebrities making special TV appearances the week of April 25.
   If a well-known personality was missed, feel free to add his or her name in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.

NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)

GUEST STARS
••Christine Baranski (“The Good Wife”) on “The Big Bang Theory,” 8:31 p.m. Monday on CBS.
••Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) on “Lie to Me,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.
••Shari Belafonte (“Hotel”) on “Miami Medical,” 9 p.m. Friday on CBS.
••Billy Baldwin (“Dirty Sexy Money”) on “Gossip Girl,” 8 p.m. Monday on CW.
••Matthew Brodereick (“The Producers”) on “The Marriage Ref,” 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
••Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”) on “House,” 7 p.m. Monday on Fox.
••Kristin Chenoweth (“Pushing Daisies”) on “Glee,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.
••Nick Chinlund (“Desperate Housewives”) on “The Mentalist,” 8 p.m. Saturday on CBS.
••Tim Conway (“The Carol Burnett Show”) on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
••Snoop Dogg (“Soul Plane”) on “Brothers,” 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Fox.
••Chris Elliott (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) on “How I Met Your Mother,” 7 p.m. Monday on CBS.
••Bill Fagerbakke (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) on “Til Death,” 6 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
••Mike Farrell (“M*A*S*H”) on “Miami Medical,” 9 p.m. Friday on CBS.
••Jim Gaffigan (“My Boys”) on “Law & Order,” 9 p.m. Monday on NBC.
••Greg Germann (“Ally McBeal”) on “Medium,” 8 p.m. Friday on CBS.
••Penn Jillette (“Dancing With the Stars”) on “Desperate Landscapes,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on DIY.
••Richard Kind (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) on “Til Death,” 6 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
••Josie Loren (“Make It or Break It”) on “10 Things I Hate About You,” 7 p.m. Monday on ABC Family.
••Michael Madsen (“Reservoir Dogs”) on “24,” 8 p.m. Monday on Fox.
••James Marsters (“Angel”) on “Lie to Me,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.
••Malcolm McDowell (“Entourage”) on “The Mentalist,” 9 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
••Lena Olin (“Alias”) on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on NBC.
••Eric Christian Olsen (“Fired Up!”) on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on CBS.
••Mike O’Malley (“Yes, Dear”) on “Glee,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.
••Ryan O’Neal (“Miss Match”) on “90210,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.
••Amy Pietz (“Aliens in America”) on “The Office,” 8 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
••Marion Ross (“Happy Days”) on “Brothers & Sisters,” 9:01 p.m. Sunday on ABC, and “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.
••Cassie Scerno (“Make It or Break It”) on “10 Things I Hate About You,” 7 p.m. Monday on ABC Family.
••Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) on “The Emeril Lagasse Show,” 7 p.m. Sunday on ION.
••Martin Short (“Damages”) on “The Marriage Ref,” 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
••Jonathan Silverman (“In Case of Emergency”) on “Medium,” 8 p.m. Friday on CBS.
••Sarah Silverman (“The Sarah Silverman Program”) on “The Marriage Ref,” 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
••Rena Sofer (“Blind Justice”) on “Criminal Minds,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.
••Joe Spano (“NYPD Blue”) on “NCIS,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on CBS.
••Sharon Stone (“Bobby”) on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on NBC.
••D.B. Sweeney (“Eight Men Out”) on “24,” 8 p.m. Monday on Fox.
••Jennifer Tilly (“Out of Practice”) on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS.
••Suzanne Vega (singer/songwriter) on “9 By Design,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo.
••Cynthia Watros (“Lost”) on “House,” 7 p.m. Monday on Fox.

Pictured above: GLEE: Kristin Chenoweth guest-stars as April Rhodes in the GLEE episode “The Rhodes Not Taken.” CR: Carin Baer/FOX

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Top 55 TV Programs for April 25-May 1, 2010

 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 25:

NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010
••2010 Nadia Comaneci International Invitational (8 p.m. on KAUT-43): Olympic gymnastics champ Nadia Comaneci hosts this event along with her husband, Olympic champion and for University of Oklahoma gymnast Bart Conner. The competition taped February at the Cox Arena in Oklahoma City features future gymnastics stars from around the country, as well as athletes from the top clubs in Romania, the Ukraine, Australia, Peru, Canada, Israel, Venezuela and Mexico.
••”The Amazing Race” (7 p.m. on CBS): When teams face two roadblocks in a single leg for the first time on the series, two teams discover just how costly cab rides can be.
••”America the Story of Us” (8 p.m. on History): Liev Schreiber (“Taking Woodstock”) narrates this new 12-hour series that chronicles the story of how America was invented. It covers 400 years of American history, looking at the moments where Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress.
••”Brothers & Sisters” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): More than one member of the Walker family suspects she might be pregnant, Nora offers to take her aging mother in (Marion Ross, “Happy Days”) when it’s discovered she has dementia, and Luc gets an exciting delivery in the mail.
••”Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): Donald Trump mixes up the teams and assigns them to create an original celebrity workout for 24 Hour Fitness and bring in donations.
••”Deadly Honeymoon” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Two young Denver newlyweds, Lindsey (Summer Glau, “Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles”) and Trevor Forrest (Chris Carmack, “Drop Dead Diva”) embark on their honeymoon cruise. What begins as a dream vacation devolves into a night of wild partying, infidelity and strange encounters with a group of passengers.
••”The Emeril Lagasse Show” (7 p.m. on ION): Chef Emeril Lagasse and special guest Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) enjoy a Hawaiian-themed celebration on this “Staycation” episode.
••”Girl Meets Gown” (9 p.m. on WE): This new series reveals what it truly takes for a bride-to-be to find the perfect gown that will compliment her style and make her shine on the most important day of her life. The creative and hard-working team at Stardust Celebrations in Dallas, one of the largest bridal boutiques in America, help the brides in their quest.
••”Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking” (8 p.m. on Discovery): In this four-part series, viewers will gain access to the mind of professor Stephen Hawking, who is physically confined but mentally free to explore the mysteries of the universe.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): The Marines, including the newly christened “Sledgehammer,” continue the battle of Peleliu against an enemy determined to fight to the last man.  Devastated by the loss of a revered leader, and witnessing unimaginable barbarity on both sides, Sledge veers to the very edge of moral collapse.
••”Ray Johnston Band: Road Diaries” (7 p.m. on HDNet): This eight-part series follows Ray Johnston, a cancer survivor and former Dallas Maverick point guard, as he and his band travel across the country trying to make it in the music business. The true focus and backdrop is the uplifting, behind-the-scenes story of the band’s leader, Ray Johnston, and his heroic battle with leukemia.
••”The Real Story: The Exorcist” (9 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): Perhaps the scariest part of thye 1973 movie “The Exorcist” is that it’s not a work of complete fiction. This is the story of the ritual that took place in 1949 to rid a boy of demons, culled from witness accounts and written records. The events that inspired the film are detailed along with interviews of top neuroscientists who try to determine whether the forces at work were supernatural or psychological.
••”River Monsters” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): Extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade goes on a worldwide mission to solve freshwater fish mysteries. Season 2 will take him to such locations as the Congo, Thailand, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Alaska and Florida to try to capture some amazing creatures and tell their tales.
••”TV Land Awards ’10″ (8 p.m. on TV Land): Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”) hosts the eighth annual event dedicated to reuniting and celebrating some of the most memorable TV performers of the past. Among the schedule honorees are the casts of “Glee,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
••”When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story” (8 p.m. on CBS): Spanning more than 30 years, this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation is based on the true story of the enduring but troubled love between Lois Wilson (Winona Ryder, “Mr. Deeds”), co-founder of Al-Anon, and her alcoholic husband Bill Wilson (Barry Pepper, “Saving Private Ryan”), co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010
••”10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Bianca plans to take first place in Padua High’s talent show. That is, until Chastity steals her song. Josie Loren and Cassie Scerno from “Make It or Break It” guest star.
••“24” (8 p.m. on Fox): With only six hours left, the clock races toward the series finale as President Allison Taylor faces impossible choices and much to the dismay of CTU, she enlists a private security firm to complete a sensitive task led by Mark Bledsoe (D.B. Sweeney, “Eight Men Out”).  Meanwhile, Jack calls in a favor to his old friend Rick Vickers (Michael Madsen, (“Reservoir Dogs”) before he embarks upon a crucial mission of his own.
••”American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The documentary “My Lai” examines one of the darkest chapters of the Vietnam War: the 1968 My Lai massacre, its cover-up and the soldiers who broke rank to halt the attrocities.
••”Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Items appraised in Hour 2 from Phoenix include a 1982 bronze maquette by renowned sculptor Henry Moore and an heirloom amethyst jewelry collection.
••”Beyond Conviction” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary follows the courageous journey of three individuals as they face their assailants and hope to find peace and salvation.
••”The Big Bang Theory” (8:31 p.m. on CBS): A visit from Leonard’s mother (Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”) delights Sheldon and horrifies Leonard.
••”Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Host Andrew Zimmern’s appetite for the most unique foods is never satisfied. In the Season 5 premiere, he travels to Thailand to sample whole-roasted bamboo rat, cow bile and dung beetles, among other local delicacies.
••“Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. on CW): When Lily’s ex-husband, Dr. William van der Woodsen (Billy Baldwin, “Dirty Sexy Money”), shows up unexpectedly in Manhattan, Serena finally gets the reunion she has so desperately wanted with her father, but the circumstances turn out to be far from ideal.
••“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): House and the team take on the case of a woman Julia (Sarah Wayne Callies, “Prison Break”), who is in an open marriage and becomes ill during a date with her on-the-side boyfriend. Meanwhile, House tests Wilson’s relationship with Sam (Cynthia Watros, “Lost”).
••”How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): Barney freaks out when Marshall bequeaths a “slap bet” slap to Ted and Robin. Meanwhile, Lily’s estranged father (Chris Elliott, “Everybody Loves Raymond”) shows up for Thanksgiving.
••”Law & Order” (9 p.m. on NBC): When a mother of 10 adopted special needs children is found dead, the detectives uncover an affair and a reality TV show offer. Jim Gaffigan (“My Boys”) guest stars.
••”Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When Audrey forces Jeff to give up his hockey tickets and go to her boss’s party with her instead, he spends the night trying to avoid learning the score of the game. At the game, meanwhile, Russell is mortified when Timmy roots against the home team.
••”Runaway Squad” (9 p.m. on A&E): In the series finale, New York City provate investigator Joe Mazzilli continues to hunt down runaways and reunite them with their families.

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010
••”9 By Design” (9 p.m. on Bravo): With the birth of their seventh child, Bob and Cortney Novogratz invite friends and family to their home to celebrate baby Major’s christening that will include a live performance from their good friend, singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega.
••”30 for 30″ (7 p.m. on ESPN): The documentary “Run Ricky Run” features footage of NFL running back Ricky Williams recorded during his time away from football. He became a media punching bag when he left the sport in 2004, but he has since redeemed himself as a father and a teammate.
••“90210” (7 p.m. on Fox): The gang is preparing for the SAT’s when Silver disagrees with Teddy’s decision to skip college to focus on his tennis career and things grow even more tense when she meets his movie star father, Spence (Ryan O’Neal, “Miss Match”).
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The remaining seven contestants head to Dallas to inspire Texans to get healthy and join them as they run a 5K at the Cotton Bowl. Sesaon 8 fan favorite Abby Rike makes a special appearans and invites Jillian to speak at her old high school.
••”The City” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): In Season 2, Whitney Port, Roxy Olin, Olivia Palermo and Erin Kaplan continue to traverse the New York City fashion industry and their relationships with each other.
••”Dinner With the Band” (9:30 p.m. on IFC): Hosted by New York City chef Sam Mason, this new cooking show combines culinary delights, musical performances and conversations with select acclaimed indie music artists. Artists scheduled to appear include Rufus Wainwright, The Devil Makes Three, The Mountain Goats, Andrew WK, My Brightest Diamond, Murder City Devils, Lightspeed Champion, Theophilus London and Vega.
••”Explorer” (9 p.m. on National Geographic): The new episode “Fatal Insomnia” looks at an extremely rare disease passed down through generations. The primary symptom of FFI — fatal familial insomnia — is sleeplessness, but with a tragic twist: Victims are dead within months.
••”Food Party” (9 p.m. on IFC): Brooklyn fringe artist Thu Tran created and hosts this series, which returns for a second season., Shot on location in Brooklyn in a handmade, technicolor cardboard kitchen, Thu interacts with a cavalcade of puppets, humans, baked goods and vegetables, as the gang embarks on journeys to bizarre and unexpected lands. 
••”Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment looks at the vaccine war, in which scientific medicine and the public health establishment are battling a coalition of paents, celebrities, politicians and activists over wther vaccines are a great achievement or a scourge on health.
••”Future Food” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): The staff at MOTO restaurant in Chicago let a bunch of youngsters come up with menu ideas, which include eyeballs, deep fried deer head with tree bark utensils and dirty socks with rocks — all made out of vegetables.
••”Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Kurt sets his dad (Mike O’Malley, “Yes, Dear”) up with an unexpected partner, and Sue demands that the Cheerios go on a crazy diet in preparation for a big interview with “Splits” magazine. Meanwhile, April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies”) returns to save Will and the glee club.    
••”The Hills” (9 p.m. on MTV): In the seventh and final season, fans can expect to see Audrina Patridge dating singer Ryan Cabrera and Kristin Cavallari dealing with rumors of drug abuse. But will former star Lauren Conrad return for the big goodbye? Maybe.
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): Gibbs and Special Agent T.C. Fornell (Joe Spano, “NYPD Blue”) try to uncover the truth when a polygraph specialist’s night job takes a dangerous turn that leads to murder.
••”NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m. on CBS): NCIS investigates the murder of a Navy officer entangled in the world of Hollywood glitz and glamour as the team is joined at Hetty’s request by LAPD liaison Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen, “Fired Up!”).
••”Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Mind Over Money” delves into arguments about the world of finance and explores behavioral economics, which aims to incorporate human psychology into finance.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010
••”Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): When a grief-stricken Hotchner takes a leave of absence from the Behavioral Analysis Unit to ponder his future career, Rossi and the team must regroup to solve a home invasion case. Rena Sofer (“Blind Justice”) guest stars.
••”Desperate Landscapes” (9 p.m. on DIY): Host and licensed contractor Jason Cameron visits the Las Vegas home of magician Penn Jillette (“Dancing With the Stars”) for a landscape renovation. It took Jason Cameron and his team 16 hours of sweat to turn Jillette’s 10,000 square foot front yard into an oasis complete with artificial turf, desert plants and more.
••”Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): David Tennant (“Doctor Who”) reprises his role as the melancholy Dane in this television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed 2008 stage production of “Hamlet.” The presentation also stars Patrick Stewart (X-Men”) as King Claudius, the murderer of Hamlet’s father.
••”Happy Town” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): This new drama focuses on the residents of Haplin, Minn., also known as “Happy Town.” They have enjoyed an uneasy peace for the past five years, but that is about to change. Still haunted by a number of unsolved kidnappings, Haplin now faces a disturbing new crime that brings all of its unresolved fears to the surface.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): When a man is accused of murdering his daughters, detective Stabler’s former partner (Sharon Stone, “Bobby”) takes the case.
••“Lie to Me” (7 p.m. on Fox): Zoe enlists the Lightman Group to investigate a star college football player accused of statutory rape. Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) and James Marsters (“Angel”) guest star.
••”The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Matthew and Richard try to evict an elderly lady (Marion Ross, “Happy Days”) from the apartment they want to rent.
••”Sunset Daze” (9 p.m. on WE): This new reality series set in a retirement community in Surprise, Ariz., reveals seniors reconnecting with their youth and having the best time of their lives.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2010
••“Ask a Lawyer 2010” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This annual community service provided by the Oklahoma Bar Association gives the public the opportunity to call in during the live broadcast and speak with attorneys on various areas of the law.
••”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): A legendary comic from the good old days of Las Vegas is set to reunite with his partner on stage for one night only, until one half of the famous duo is found dead. Tim Conway (“The Carol Burnett Show”) guest stars as legendary comic Knuckles Pratt and Jennifer Tilly (“Out of Practice”) guest stars as his wife.
••”Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): While Walter deals with some upsetting news, he tells Olivia’s niece a fairy tale that includes musical performances by Olivia and Angent Broyles.
••“The Marriage Ref” (9 p.m. on NBC): Celebrity panelists Matthew Broderick (“The Producers”), Sarah Silverman (“The Sarah Silverman Program”) and Martin Short (“Damages”) offer their wit, wisdom and unique opinions to couples in marital tiffs.
••”The Mentalist” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a media mogul is murdered, Patrick Jane and the CBI team investigate cult leader Bret Stiles (Malcolm McDowell, “Entourage”), who may have had an axe to grind following the publication of a critical story about his group.
••”The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Pam and Jim work on their first sales pitch together to Donna (Amy Pietz, “Aliens in America”), the manager of a local restaurant. But Michael keeps misreading the signals she’s putting out.
••”True Crime With Aphrodite Jones” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): In this installment, journalist and bestselling author Aphrodite Jones sets out to prove that the allegations of child abuse against Michael Jackson were as responsible for his early death as sleep-inducing drugs.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010
••“Bill Moyers Journal” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): In his final program, host Bill Moyers reports on people  working for a chance and has a “World of Ideas” conversation with a leading public thinker.
••”I Shouldn’t Be Alive” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): A former special forces man travelled to the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to go on a solo hiking expedition. The trip takes a turn for th4e worse when he is swept off a ledge by an avalanche.
••”The Life & Times of Tim” (8:30 p.m. on HBO): In the Season 2 finale, Tim loses his job when the Chairman of Omnicorp flies in from the United Kingdom.
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are The Killers, Chairlift and Florence and The Machine.
••”Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): After a neighbor (Jonathan Silverman, “In Case of Emergency”) is murdered, Allison’s fears for her own family prompt her to install a high-tech talking burglar alarm, which she later suspects may be communicating with Marie.  Also, Ariel meets a ghost (Greg Germann, “Ally McBeal”) who could help her get into the college of her choice.
••”Miami Medical” (9 p.m. on CBS): In order to show the importance of their facility, Dr. Proctor is forced to give a speech proving just how vital he and his team are in the minutes following a major accident. Shari Belafonte (“Hotel”) guest stars as Kimberly Davis, a hospital donor and Mike Farrell (“M*A*S*H,” “Providence”) guest stars as Dr. Carl Willis, a hospital administrator.
••”Who Do You Think You Are?” (7 p.m. on NBC): Director Spike Lee (“Do the Right Thing”) learns about his ancestors in the Season 1 finale. The one question that he wanted answered — “Who owned my family?” — takes him to Texas, where he comes face to face with an unlikely relative.

SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010
••”10 on Top” (10 a.m. on MTV): Lenay Dunn hosts this new show that countdowns the Top 10 most texted and talked about young celebs of the week. Viewers will get the very latest on their favorite superstar entertainers, what deals they landed, whose hearts they broke and whose star is shining brightest.
••”Accused at 17″ (8 p.m. on Lifetime): When 17-year-old Bianca’s two best friends find out that Bianca’s boyfriend cheated on her with a classmate, all three play a prank on the girl that goes horribly wrong. Nicole Gale Anderson (“Jonas”) and Cynthia Gibb (“Fame”) star.
••“Brothers” (11:30 p.m. on Fox): Mike and Chill hire their cousin Kenny (Snoop Dogg, “Soul Plane”), a shady lawyer who specializes in debt and fraud, to recover Mike’s laundered assets. But when Kenny is only able to locate funds donated to a children’s charity, Mike wrestles with a tough decision.
••”Dov Davidoff: The Filthy Operation” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Dov Davidoff’s urban flavor, Jersey accent and ADD comedic style brings out the funny in such issues as prejudice in politics and school lunches, gay rights, the relationship between transvestites and transformers and why men don’t stop for directions.
••”The Mentalist” (8 p.m. on CBS): While Jane and the team examine a crime scene where a baseball scout was found murdered, Jane is clocked in the head by a ball and flashes back to his childhood with his overbearing father (Nick Chinlund, “Desperate Housewives”).
••”When I Was 17″ (10 a.m. on MTV): In this enlightening new series, each episode will focus on the lives of three uniquely different celebrities. It will explore their family life, friendships, romantic relationships, part-time jobs and the things they did, or didn’t do, to get them to where they are today.
••”Made Presents: Kiss & Tell: The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating” (11 a.m. on MTV): The experts of “Kiss & Tell” teach an insecure high school boy how to become a more confident and romantically successful individual. Viewers will also hear firsthand from teenage girls about what they look for in a boyfriend.

–Penny TV

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TV Premieres and Finales airing April 11-17, 2010

Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of April 11.
If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.

(NOTE: All times are CT. For ET, add one hour)

BEGINNINGS
••”Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business,” 8 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (series premiere).
••”The Tudors,” 8 p.m. Sunday on Showtime (fourth-season premiere).
••”Army Wives,” 9 p.m. Sunday on Lifetime (fourth-season premiere).
••”Basketball Wives,” 9 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (series premiere).
••”Treme,” 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO (series premiere).
••”What Chilli Wants,” 9:30 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (series premiere).
••”Extreme Forensics,” 8 p.m. Monday on Investigation Discovery (second-season premiere).
••”VH1 Tough Love Couples,” 8 p.m. Monday on VH1 (second-season premiere).
••”Deadliest Catch,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (sixth-season premiere).
••”Glee,” 8:28 p.m. Tuesday on Fox (first season resumes).
••”The Big Gay Sketch Show,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Logo (third-season premiere).
••”Construction Intervention,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (series premiere).
••”Tiny & Toya,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on BET (second-season premiere).
••”9 by Design,” 10 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo (series premiere).
••”Doctor Who,” 8 p.m. Saturday on BBC America (fifth-season premiere.

ENDNGS
••“Life Unexpected,” 7 p.m. Monday on CW (first-season finale).
••“Melrose Place,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on CW (first-season finale).
••”The Millionaire Matchmaker,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo (third-season finale).
••“Human Target,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox (first-season finale).
••”Ugly Betty,” 9:01 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (series finale).
••”Project Runway,” 9 p.m. Thursday on Lifetime (Part 1 of season finale).
••”Models of the Runway,” 10 p.m. Thursday on Lifetime (Part 1 of season finale).
••”Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” 9 p.m. Friday on Starz (first-season finale).

Pictured above: Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves, Joely Richardson as Catherine Parr, Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII, Tamzin Merchant as Katherine Howard, Annabelle Wallis as Jane Seymour, and Maria Doyle Kennedy as Queen Katherine (Season 4-keyart) – Photo: Courtesy of Showtime/Showtime

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Top 55 TV Programs for April 11-17, 2010

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 11:

(NOTE: All times are CT. For ET, add one hour)

SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2010
••”Army Wives” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): Season 4 returns to follow the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women – and one man – living with their spouses and families on an active army post. The season opens with Denise and Frank coming to terms with the decisions that their son, Jeremy, made in last season’s finale.
••”Basketball Wives” (9 p.m. on VH1): In this new reality series, seven closely knit women who are either the wives, ex-wives or girlfriends of superstar players of the National Basketball Association lean on one another for support as they try to juggle their responsibilities as mothers and businesswomen.
••”Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business” (8 p.m. on VH1): This new reality series follows musical siblings Brandy and Ray J Norwood as they try to take over the reins of the family business (Rn’B Productions) from their mom Sonja as she steps down.
••”Brothers & Sisters” (8 p.m. on ABC): In an effort to get to the root of the secret that William’s nemesis, Dennis York, holds over their heads, the Walkers recall their memories, both good and horrifying, of their family’s days at Ojai Foods in 1986. Then, as they continue to flashback to their younger days, they finally recall the shocking secret and the shameful cover-up that led to York’s power play, and are forced to deal with the remorse of a tragic event. Guest starring as the young Walkers are Colin Egglesfield (“Melrose Place”), Kay Panabaker (“Summerland”), Anna Wood (“Nice Guy Johnny”), Cody Longo (“Make It or Break It”), Kasey Campbell (“Weeds”) and Dylan Larsen.
••”Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): Both teams are tasked with creating a commercial for Right Guard while dealing with various setbacks. NBA standouts Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen guest star.
••”Cowboys in Tall Grass” (6:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Prior to Euro-American settlement in the 1820s, one of the major landscape features of North America was 240 million acres of tallgrass prairie. But between 1830 and 1900, the tallgrass prairie was transformed to farmland. This program highlights prairie preservation efforts and explores how the tallgrass prairie ecosystem may serve as a model for a sustainable agriculture of the future.
••”Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Celebrity volunteer Jeff Gordon (race car driver) travels with Ty Pennington and his team to South Carolina to assist Amanda and Derrick Suggs, who had just started their own family when they took in Amanda’s younger siblings to keep them from being separated in foster care. WWE Divas The Bella Twins and WWE superstars Big Show and R-Truth also appear.
••”Life” (7 p.m. on Discovery): The new installment “Hunters and Hunted” includes a mother orca that steals elephant seal pups from a nursery pool to teach her calf a brand new form of predation. It is followed by the new installment “Insects,” which includes Japanese red bug juveniles eating a rare fruit, which their mother collects from the forest floor.
••”Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Airing on Holocaust Remembrance Day, this new adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” aims to be the most faithful rendering of Anne’s (Ellie Kendrick, “An Education”) account of her family’s two-year ordeal of hiding from the Nazis.
••”Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Moment of Impact: Jungle” looks at the bio-engineering of jungle residents, both on the ground and in the forest canopy.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): Basilone’s celebrity grows as he travels across the country on the war bonds tour.  On Pavuvu, Sledge, assigned to the 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, is briefly reunited with Phillips.
••”Panda Breeding Diary” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): This special tells the story of the gentle giants of China’s Wolong Panda Research and Conservation Center and the dedicated researchers who’ve cracked the code to keep this species alive.
••“Til Death” (6 p.m. on Fox): With Eddie’s brother, Charlie, and his new boyfriend, Terence, coming to visit, Eddie isn’t exactly looking forward to a weekend of wine-tasting and antiquing. Much to Eddie’s surprise, though, he hits it off with Terence as they both opt to watch football over participating in the planned weekend activities. When Charlie breaks up with Terence, Joy sides with Charlie and ends up questioning her relationship with Eddie. Richard Kind (“Mad About You”) and Bill Fagerbakke (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) guest star.
••”Treme” (9 p.m. on HBO): This new series is set in New Orleans three months after Hurricane Katrina, as residents try to rebuild their lives in the wake of the storm. The cast includes Steve Zahn, Melissa Leo, Khandi Alexander, Kim Dickens, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce and John Goodman.
••”The Tudors” (8 p.m. on Showtime): In the fourth and final season, King Henry VIII is 30 years into his reign. He takes a fifth wife, teen queen Katherine Howard (Tamzin Merchant, “Princess Kaiulani”), in the season premiere. Katherine, 17, is different from earlier wives in more ways than age. Far from being nobility, she was discovered by some of the King’s friends in a boarding house for wayward young ladies.
••”What Chilli Wants” (9:30 p.m. on VH1): Music star Chilli turns to relationship expert Tionna Smalls in her quest to find a man who measures up to Chilli’s demands, which include good looks, fondness for kids, a sense of humor and abstinence from smoking, drinking and eating pork.

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010
••”Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust in Arab Lands” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Narrated by Robert MacNeil (“The Robert MacNeil Report”), this new documentary follows the eight-year journey of Robert Satloff, head of a respected Washington, DC policy center. He traveled four continents to find an Arab, who in the face of the German and Fascist occupation of North Africa, took action to save his Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust.
••”Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Items appraised in Hour 3 from Denver include two circa 1958 prototype chairs, a salesman’s sample canoe and a 1941 Martin guitar.
••”The Big Bang Theory” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): A fight between Leonard and Penny threatens their relationship, while Sheldon battles his nemesis Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) in a bowling alley.
••”Castle” (9 p.m. on ABC): When Castle appears on a late-night talk show to promote his book, Heat Wave, host Bobby Mann (Tom Bergeron, ••”Dancing With the Stars”) leans in during a commercial break and whispers, “They want me dead.” When Mann dies later that night, seemingly of natural causes, Castle has to convince Beckett that there was foul play. Also guest starring are Bill Bellamy (“Fastlane”), Kelly Carlson (“Nip/Tuck”), Dan Cortese (“Surviving Suburbia”), French Stewart (“Misconceptions”) and Fred Willard (“Back to You”).
••”Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): Chuck must go on his first solo mission to Paris, but he’ll be lucky to survive the flight. Stone Cold Steve Austin (“WWE Smackdown!”) and Kristin Kreuk (“Smallville”) guest star.
••”CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Spring Break raises the body count in Miami when the CSI team splits up to solve three different murders. Chelsea Hobbs (“Make It or Break It”) guest stars.
••”Extreme Forensics” (8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): Season 2 returns with more cases involving suspects that try to outsmart authorities, only to be captured due to the use of forensice science.
••“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): When a newborn disappears from the nursery, Princeton Plainsboro goes on lockdown, preventing anyone from entering, leaving or moving within the hospital. While House and his team members are trapped in various parts of the building, new insights about the team’s personal histories, relationships and regrets surface. David Strathairn (“Temple Grandin”) guest stars in the episode directed by series star Hugh Laurie (Dr. House).
••”The Last Supper” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary follows a former prison inmate chef who creates final meals for convicts on death row. The film also looks at the discrepancy between historical meaning and contemporary use of the “last supper” tradition that has lost its connection with the past.
••“Life Unexpected” (7 p.m. on CW): With her wedding fast approaching, Cate must confront her true feelings for the two men in her life, Baze and Ryan.  To complicate Cate’s already conflicted feelings, on the day of the wedding, Lux reveals something that threatens to change all of their lives forever.
••”The Price Is Right” (10 a.m. on CBS): Today’s episode features a wedding shower for engaged couples. Model Rachel Reynolds and new husband, baseball player David Dellucci, sport the wedding attire to be bid on by contestants.  Special prizes offered to competing engaged couples include honeymoon trips, a heart-shaped tub, registry gifts, his and her items — and one couple will win $10,000 in cash.
••”Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Grace reunites with a childhood friend who is in jail for killing her husband, but things aren’t what they seem. The squad investigates the disappearance of a young woman, and Grace begins to wonder if Earl has been watching over her since she was a girl.
••”Trauma” (8 p.m. on NBC): Nancy and her father clash over his new role as the head of the Trauma center. Elsewhere, Ira (Richard Kind, “Mad About You”), known for his tendency to call in repeatedly for medical assistance, resurfaces.
••”Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Jake’s new friend, Eldridge, is a bad influence but Alan really likes his hot mom. Courtney Thorne-Smith (“According to Jim”) guest stars as Eldridge’s mom.
••”VH1 Tough Love Couples” (8 p.m. on VH1): Back for a second season, matchmaking mother and son team Steve and JoAnn Ward welcome six couples who are all on the brink of deciding whether to get engaged or break up. Over the course of eight weeks, Steve and JoAnn will put these couples to the test to see if they are truly a perfect match.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010
••”9 by Design” (10 p.m. on Bravo): This new reality series follows Bob and Cortney Novogratz, who run a Manhattan renovation and design firm. They are also are busy raising six children and have a seventh on the way.
••”30 For 30″ (7 p.m. on ESPN): In the new installment “No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson,”  filmmaker Steve James returns to his hometown of Hampton, Va., to take a personal look at a bowling alley brawl in 1993 and examine its impact of future Allen Iverson, a high school standout at the time who went to jail because of the incident.
••“90210” (7 p.m. on CW): Liam receives a surprise visit from his father, Finn (Scott Patterson, “Gilmore Girls”), just released from prison.
••”The Big Gay Sketch Show” (9 p.m. on Logo): Season 3 is back with laugh-out-loud antics, sassy celebrity impersonations and twisted sketches that will appeal to anyone who’s a little askew.
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): This week’s pop challenge finds the contestants piling quarters, each worth $10, on to platters and then trying to balance the platters as long as they can to win the money they’re holding. Afterwards, financial expert Suze Orman talks with the contestants about their financial health, along with Season 8 winner Danny Cahill, who she predicted would win.
••”Construction Intervention” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In this new series, 20-year construction veteran Charlie “The Bulldog” Frattini and his crew use their engineering expertise – and passion for the business – to transform botched construction jobs and rebuild dreams.
••”Deadliest Catch” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Season 6 takes viewers through some of the roughest situations the captains and crews have ever had to face on the high seas.  From treacherous weather conditions to crew conflict to the death of beloved Captain Phil Harris, each of this season’s 16 episodes bring viewers into the intimate world of these crab fisherman.
••”Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment goes behind closed doors at the White House, in Congress and the boardrooms of the giant healthcare lobby to examine the political battles and costly compromises that defined the Obama administration’s efforts toward healthcare reform.
••”Glee” (8:28 p.m. on Fox): The spring premiere picks up as New Directions is fresh off their win at Sectionals and feeling on top of the world. With an extra spring in their step, they get to work on new numbers for Regionals, incuding a rendition of The Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye.” Idina Menzel (“Wicked”) and Jonathan Groff (“One Life to Live”) guest star.
••”The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): After a popular high school quarterback dies of an overdose of painkillers, Alicia represents the physician (Russell Hornsby, “Lincoln Heights”) who prescribed the medication.
••”Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Joan Allen (“Face/Off”) narrates the documentary “Blessed Is the Match” about Hannah Senesh, the World War II-era poet and diarist who became a paratrooper and resistance fighter and was captured, tortured and ultimately executed by the Nazis.
••“Melrose Place” (8 p.m. on CW): In the Season 1 finale, Amanda fires Ella from WPK.  However, not one to go out without a fight, Ella searches for anything to blackmail Amanda.  Unfortunately for one of the ladies, the end result is worse than she could have ever imagined.
••”The Millionaire Matchmaker” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the Season 3 finale, Patti Stanger is not too happy to hear that the millionaire she will be helping is returning client Zagros Bigvand, who last season broke her rules and created quite a scandal that he was booted from the club.
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): A dead Marine’s day job at a government think tank leads Gibbs and the team into the life of a 12-year-old prodigy who may be the killer’s next target. Lisa Sheridan (“Invasion”) guest stars as Facilities Coordinator Krista Dalton. Francis Capra (“Veronica Mars”) guests as Gang Member Eddie Castillo.
••”Parenthood” (9 p.m. on NBC): Adam juggles his family’s schedules while Sarah’s relationship goes to the next level. Minka Kelly (“Friday Night Lights”) and Jason Ritter (“W”) guest star.
••”Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This episode investigates the universe’s distant past and the dark matter and dark energy that constitute the vast majority of the stuff in the unierse.
••”Tiny & Toya” (9 p.m. on BET): Season 2 of this reality series delves deeper into the lives of Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, former member of Xscape and girlfriend of rapper T.I., and best friend Antonia “Toya” Carter, ex-wife of Lil’ Wayne, as they continue to balance motherhood, family, fame and creating businesses of their own.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010
••”Cougar Town” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Jules is thrilled for the chance to take care of Travis after his first big break-up. But when Jules discovers the truth about the break-up, she comes to an unwelcome realization about herself. Sheryl Crow (Grammy winner) guest stars.
••”CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): A death row inmate’s (Harold Perrineau, “Lost”) final request brings Dr. Hawkes to a Pennsylvania prison and face-to-face with a tragic incident that he has kept secret for many years, just as a prison riot erupts and traps Hawkes inside. Ozzy Osbourne’s new song “Let Me Hear You Scream” will have its world premiere during the episode.
••“Human Target” (7 p.m. on Fox): When Chance’s former boss makes a move to bring him back into the fold, flashbacks reveal the events that lead to Chance, Winston and Guerrero’s unlikely partnership in the Season 1 finale. Armand Assante (“Breaking Point”), Lee Majors (“The Fall Guy”) and Amy Acker (“Happy Town”) guest star.
••”In Plain Sight” (9 p.m. on USA Network): Agent Wade Guthrie is shot during an undercover weapons deal. When he wakes up, he learns he has been protected by Witsec’s Mary Shannon during nhis three-year coma. Rita Moreno (“Cane”), Allison Janney (“The West Wing”) and Tess Harper (“Crash”) guest star.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Officer Nate Kendall (Wentworth Miller, “Prison Break”) is called in to help detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler solve a series of rape cases along with executive assistant district attorney Sonya Paxton (“Christine Lahti, “Chicago Hope”).
••”Making The Crooked Straight” (7 p.m. on HBO2): This documentary tells the story of an American doctor who serves the sick and poor of Ethiopia. In addition to offering hospital care, Dr. Rick Hodes shares his home with more than 20 children, providing them with a loving environment, an education and medical treatment.
••”Modern Family” (7 p.m. on ABC): After reconnecting on Facebook, Phil invites his old high school girlfriend (Judy Greer, “27 Dresses”) to drop by the house. But this friendly visit quickly turns into trouble. Meanwhile Jay accidentally kills Manny’s beloved pet turtle, then goes to extremes to cover his tracks.
••”The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Old Christine takes a cranky, very pregnant New Christine to a fancy salon to prepare her for the impromptu wedding that Richard is secretly planning. Scott Bakula returns as Old Christine’s ex-boyfriend and New Christine’s father, Papa Jeff.
••”Ugly Betty” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): In the series’ finale, which features appearances by familiar faces from the past, Betty finds it hard to tell Daniel important news about her future. When she does, his reaction surprises her, but not Claire.
••”When Families Grieve” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Katie Couric (“CBS Evening News”) and the “Sesame Street” muppets are featured in this special that presents families’ personal stories about coping with the death of a parent, as well as strategies that have helped these families move forward.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010
••“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): The team’s latest case takes Brennan back to her alma mater, Burtonsville High School, where she and Booth investigate the discovery of an unidentified skull and upper torso. Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) guest stars.
••”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Hodges and Wendy take a group of high school CSI Explorer Scouts on a field trip, they embellish their role in solving cases and take their assignment a little bit too far. Lucas Grabeel (“High School Musical”) guest stars in the episode written by series stars Liz Vassey (Wendy Simms) and Wallace Langham (Hodges).
••“Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): When passengers aboard a commuter train appear to have died a still death, it seems that a switch was flipped because all cell phones, mp3 players, laptops, batteries and bodies have been drained of power. When the investigation leads them to Alistair Peck (Peter Weller, “RoboCop”), a very powerful man who has tremendous energy with severe consequences, an ironic set of circumstances surface.
••”Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): After learning of Richard’s drinking problem, Derek confronts him for the sake of his friend and the hospital, Izzie returns, hoping to reconcile with Alex, and tensions run high between Teddy, Cristina and Owen in the aftermath of Cristina’s startling confession. Kim Raver (“24″) guest stars.
••”Models of the Runway” (10 p.m. on Lifetime): In Part 1 of the second-season finale, the three finalist models prepare for the walk in Bryant Park.
••”Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again” (8 p.m. on NBC): This behind-the-scenes documentary chronicles the highs and lows of the comedy show. Among those interviewed are creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels and many of the stars of the show, including Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Bill Hader, Chris Kattan, Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler. Also offering insight are some of the show’s most memorable hosts, including Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken and Justin Timberlake.
••“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): In the show’s 100th episode, Dean begins to think the only way to stop Lucifer is to say yes to Michael, but the angels decide they don’t need him anymore.
••“The Vampire Diaries” (7 p.m. on CW): While Stefan struggles to control his new situation, Elena and Jeremy are surprised by a visit from their uncle, John Gilbert (David Anders, “24”).

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are Gossip, The Mars Volta and Friendly Fires.
••”Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): Allison fears the worst about Ariel’s new boyfriend when she suspects him of murdering a man.  Also, Bridgette posts embarrassing videos of a man on the Internet and gets into trouble. Amy Pietz (“Caroline in the City”) guest stars in the episode directed by David Arquette (“In Case of Emergency”).
••”Miami Medical” (9 p.m. on CBS): The Alpha team finds surprising connections between themselves and the victims of a tent collapse they are treating.  Meanwhile, Dr. Deleo and Dr. Zambrano’s playful flirtation begins to draw attention from the hospital staff. Sarah Drew (“Everwood”) guest stars as Emily, the bride.  Valente Rodriguez (“George Lopez”) guest stars as Fortunato, a patient who bonds with Dr. Proctor.
••”Secrets of the Mountain” (7 p.m. on NBC): Family business leads to an adventure of a lifetime for single mom Dana James (Paige Turco, “The Agency”) and her three kids when the family faces a series of mysteries and a dark secret that drives them deep into danger. Barry Bostwick (“Spin City”) and Shawn Christian (“Days of our Lives”) in the two-hour backdoor pilot.
••“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): An explosion rocks the lab, and Lois is rescued by John Corben (Brian Austin Green, (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) who was a subject of multiple experiments.
••”Spartacus: Blood and Sand” (9 p.m. on Starz): In order to get his revenge, Spartacus enlists the help of an accomplice in the Season 1 finale.
••”What Not to Wear Awards Show” (8 p.m. on TLC): Hosts Stacy and Clinton hosts this special that looks back at the most shocking transformations, biggest breakdowns and most moving stories from the show. They fondly and fearfully reminisce over the fashion fiascos and the dazzling transformations of hundreds of contributors.
••”Wizards of Waverly Place” (7:30 p.m. on Disney): Alex, Justin and Max are shocked to discover that their Uncle Kelbo (Jeff Garlin, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) has transformed into international music sensation Shakira (Grammy winner guest starring as herself) after he failed to follow the Main Eleven Wizards Rules.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010
••”Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installments of the locally-produced series spotlights Norman’s Birdie’s Nest and the Tallgrass near Pawhuska.
••”Doctor Who” (8 p.m. on BBC America): In the Season 5 premiere, the Doctor has regenerated into a brand-new man (Matt Smith, “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”). But danger strikes before he can even recover – his time machine, the Tardis, is wrecked, and he has just 20 minutes to save the world.
••”Patricia Cornwell’s The Front” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): In this second adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s Win Garano novels, Massachusetts D.A. Monique Lamont (Andie MacDowell) gets state police investigator Garano (Daniel Sunjata) to help her tie a 40-year-old Watertown murder case to the Boston Strangler.
••”Strikeforce Saturday Night Fights” (8 p.m. on CBS): Mixed martial arts (MMA) returns to primetime with three title fights featuring five of the top MMA fighters in the world from their respective weight classes. The event will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
••”The Suze Orman Show” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Suze Orman returns from her visit to “The Biggest Loser” ranch with financial concerns for the contestants. Season 8 winner Danny Cahill from Broken Arrow talks about his past hevay debt and its connection to his weight.

–Penny TV

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TV Premieres and Finales airing April 4-10, 2010

   Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
   And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of April 4.
   If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.
 
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)

BEGINNINGS
••”Two Wheel Oklahoma,” 8:30 a.m. Sunday on OETA-13 (series premiere).
••”Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” 6 p.m. Sunday on Animal Planet (eighth-season premiere).
••”Sunday Best,” 7 p.m. Sunday on BET (third-season premiere).
••”Good Luck Charlie,” 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Disney (series premiere).
••”Adventure Time With Finn & Jake,” 7 p.m. Monday on Cartoon Network (series premiere).
••”Little People, Big World,” 7 p.m. Monday on TLC (fifth season resumes).
••”Runaway Squad,” 9 p.m. Monday on A&E (series premiere).
••“Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on TV Guide Network.
••”Top Chef Masters,” 10 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo (second-season premiere).
••”LisaRaye: The Real McCoy,” 8 p.m. Thursday on TV One (series premiere).
••”Gator 911,” 8 p.m. Friday on CMT (series premiere).
••”Garage Mahal,” 8 p.m. Friday on DIY Network (second-season premiere).
••”Danger Coast,” 8:30 p.m. Friday on CMT (series premiere).
••”Private Chefs of Beverly Hills,” 9 p.m. Thursday on Food Network (series premiere).
••“Renovation Realities,” 8 p.m. Saturday on DIY (fourth-season premiere).

ENDINGS
••”How to Make It in America,” 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO (first-season finale).
••”Southland,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on TNT (spring finale).
••”Being Erica,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on SoapNet (second-season finale).
••”Shear Genius,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo (third-season finale).

Pictured above: GOOD LUCK CHARLIE – Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie” stars Eric Allan Kramer as Bob, Bradley Steven Perry as Gabe, Bridgit Mendler as Teddy, Jason Dolley as PJ, Leigh-Allyn Baker as Amy and Mia Telerico as Charlie. (DISNEY CHANNEL/CRAIG SJODIN)

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