TV Premieres, Finales and Marathons airing June 28-July 4, 2009
"Hung" (HBO Photo)
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 June 28.
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.
BEGINNINGS
••“Built to Shred,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Fuel TV (second-season premiere).
••“HGTV Showdown,” 9 p.m. Sunday on HGTV (third-season premiere).
••“Hung,” 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO (series premiere).
••“Dance Your … Off,” 9 p.m. Monday on Oxygen (series premiere).
••“Stager Invasion,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on TLC (series premiere).
••“18 Kids and Counting,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on TLC (third-season premiere).
••“NOVA scienceNOW,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on OETA-13 (fourth-season premiere).
••“Monsters Inside Me,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on Animal Planet (series premiere).
••“Moments of Impact,” 8 p.m. Thursday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“Bathtastic,” 8 p.m. Friday on DIY (second-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on Style Network (first-season finale).
MARATHONS
••“Burn Notice,” 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday on USA.
••“Twilight Zone,” 7 a.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. July 5 on SCI FI.
••“Mantracker,” 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday on Science Channel.
••“Martin,” 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday on TV One.
••“Deadliest Catch,” 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Saturday and July 5 on Discovery.
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
Top 55 TV Programs for June 28-July 4, 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 June 28:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
◊The BET Awards ’09 (7 p.m. on BET): Jamie Foxx (“Ray”) will host the ninth annual event that celebrates the achievements in music, sports and entertainment. The O’Jays will be honored with a lifetime achievement award.
◊“Built to Shred” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV): In Season 2 of this build-and-ride sports show featuring top skateboarders, BMXers and surfers, host Jeff King works with pros to design, build and try out a new obstacle.
◊“Celebrity Rides: Hollywood Speeding Bullitt” (6 p.m. on DIY): Chad McQueen, son of actor Steve McQueen, helps build a 1968 GT Fastvack Mustang made famous by the movie “Bullitt.”
◊“Comedy You Can Believe In With David Alan Grier” (9 p.m. on TBS): David Alan Grier (“Chocolate News”) will perform his own stand-up and introduce comedians Bruce Bruce, Jo Koy, Mark Curry, Aries Spears and Marina Franklin.
◊“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” (8:30 p.m. on A&E): While Gene Simmons rings the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and spreads the word about investing in America, Shannon does some spending of her own when she gets addicted to late-night infomercials.
◊“HGTV Showdown” (9 p.m. on HGTV): A new line-up of challengers and celebrity guests take the design stage for Season 3 of the show. Host Jamie Durie will guide viewers through the action as two teams of expert designers and builders compete to design and execute a winning room makeover for one lucky homeowner. The homeowner also will win a professional design plan and $10,000 toward the redesign of a room in their home.
◊“Hung” (9 p.m. Sunday on HBO): In this new and very adult comedy, Thomas Jane stars as Ray Drucker, a high school basketball coach and divorced dad who sets out to change his fortune.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment “Mrs. McGinty’s Dead,” crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) joins Poirot (David Suchet, “Henry VIII”) to save a man who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of his landlady.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): The witch Nimueh casts a spell with a monster that poisons Camelot’s drinking water, spreading a sickness throughout the city. When Gwen’s father falls ill, Merlin disobeys Gaius’ orders and tries to help.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Bobby Flay tests the remaining seven finalists by having them out their culinary point of view on a classic American dish — the burger. Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”) surprises the finalists and challenges them to create a dish using a basket of international ingredients for a group of returning American soldiers.
◊“Prehistoric New York” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Travel back in time through the lost worlds of New York City’s past, when mammoths once trampled down Fifth Avenue and some of the world’s first dinosaurs roamed where the New York Giants now play.
◊“Waging War on Cancer With Paula Zahn: The Future” (1:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This program seeks to demystify cancer by explaining where it comes from. In many cases, it has to do with chronic injury to tissue.
MONDAY, JUNE 29
◊“Blood, Sweat + Gears: Racing Clean to the Tour de France” (9:30 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary follows the journey of an American cycling team seeking to compete in its first Tour de France, the French bicycle race that covers over 3,500 kilometers in 22 grueling days. The 2009 Tour de France runs from July 4-July 26.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): Brenda and her squad are temporarily deputized into the FBI when a missing person case turns into a full-blown murder investigation involving drug trafficking at gay dance parties. The case gives Brenda and Fritz the chance to work together again, but her investigative tactics don’t exactly fit FBI protocol.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a murderer kidnaps an innocent baby, Horatio and the team must find him before the child becomes his next victim. Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents”) guest stars in this of the show’s 150th episode.
◊“Dance Your … Off” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Marissa Jaret Winokur (“Hairspray”) hosts this new dance/weight-loss competition series featuring full-figured contestants who struggle with their weight and dance to unleash their inner thin.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on an invention that may have been used in the atomic bomb, a 23-pound block of beeswax with strange markings and a French manuscript kept by an American family for 160 years.
◊“JoMoPro 2009″ (7 p.m. on Fuel TV, 265 on Cox Digital Cable, 536 on U-verse, 618 on DirecTV): This BMX event in Joplin, Mo., offers a $20,000 prize purse and features a best-trick contest that awards the winning rider a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy seeks out Paris Hilton. The new BFFs spend the day buying trendy clothes on Robertson Blvd., pose for hundreds of photographers trailing their every move and make a call to Snoop Dog.
◊“NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” (5 p.m. on OETA-13): The segment “A Future That is Bright and Green” features Nathan Wright and Casey Wenzel, who are among the first students at Oklahoma State University to participate in a new degree program in wind turbine technology. They are hopeful about finding jobs that are not only close to home, but that are safer, cleaner and more stable than those in the oil and gas industry.
◊“Operation Emeril” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): In this special, chef Emeril Lagasse visits the Army Center of Excellence Subsistence (ACES) at Fort Lee in Richmond, VA, and meets service men and women training to become military cooks. He shows the soldiers how to mix new combinations of food while in the kitchen and prepare healthy and delicious meals for the masses.
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): When an innocent picture of a little boy in a bathtub winds up on a child pornographer’s Web site, Jerry has his hands full defending the father against Balco’s aggressive prosecution.
◊“Shouting Fire: Stories From the Edge of Free Speech” (8 p.m. on HBO): In collaboration with her father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus, Oscar nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus explores the social and political trends that have shaped America’s attitudes about free speech and how they can threaten the very tenets upon which the country was built.
◊“Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This film looks at the life and music of Arthur Russell, a little-known composer, producer, cellist, singer and songwriter who died of AIDS in 1992.
TUESDAY, JUNE 30
◊“18 Kids and Counting” (8 p.m. on TLC): Josh and Anna Duggar don’t know if their first child will be a boy or girl — but the “Today” show does. Watch as the Duggars are kept in the dark until it’s revealed live on national television via a special cake from the “Cake Boss.”
◊“The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (8:30 p.m. on Food Network): Food Network stars Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”), Duff Goldman (“Ace of Cakes”) and Aida Mollenkamp (“Ask Aida”) talk about their favorite foods made with bacon.
◊“HawthoRNe” (8 p.m. on TNT): Christina scrambles to create a makeshift ICU bed for a woman whose son isn’t ready to let her go. And Camille spends the day sneaking around the hospital when she’s supposed to be working on an English essay.
◊“NOVA” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Musical Minds” investigates the impact music can have on the human brain through case studies from neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks’ book “Musicophilia.”
◊“NOVA scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Neil deGrasse Tyson returns for Season 4, which is packed with provocative new stories from the frontlines of science, technology, and medicine. In the premiere episode, a blindfolded Tyson is led to a top-secret “diamond farm” to investigate breakthroughs in the engineering of artificial diamonds. Indistinguishable from the real thing, these glittering creations may one day replace silicon transistors in everything from super computers to high-speed electric trains.
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): The family of a French gay man who was brutally murdered by three neo-Nazi skinheads undergoes an astonishing personal journey as its members struggle to seek justice while coming to terms with their unthinkable loss in ‘‘Beyond Hatred.”
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Matthew (F. Murray Abraham, “Amadeus”), one of Earl’s fellow angels, hits a rough patch when it comes to winning souls, and he starts honing in on Earl’s territory.
◊“Stager Invasion” (7 p.m. on TLC): In this new series, professional stager Lisa Lynch visits houses that are on the market by homeowners but aren’t getting much interest. Lynch and a staging team help transform the homes – using mostly items already part of the decor – while battling 8-hour timelines to get everything ready for showings.
◊“Wake Steady” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV, 265 on Cox Digital Cable, 536 on U-verse, 618 on DirecTV): Catch wakeboarding and wakeskating champions attacking still waters worldwide.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1
◊“10 Grand in Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY, 111 on Dish Network, 171 on Cox Digital Cable, 230 on Direct TV, 454 on U-verse): This series shows homeowners how to cut up to $10,000 from their renovation and remodeling projects. It offers advice on new materials and technologies, as well as how-to info on doing some of the basic work themselves.
◊“American Masters” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This new 90-minute episode goes behind the scenes of the radio show ‘‘A Prairie Home Companion,” created by humorist and commentator Garrison Keillor. It follows Keillor and his crew of actors and misicians as they travel across the country broadcasting and recording shows.
◊“Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country” (8 p.m. on Style Network): In the first-season finale host Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) unveils 2009′s messiest home in the country and documents its full makeover. The home belongs to a detective, and it is crammed with suff in every room.
◊“Monsters Inside Me” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new series explores the shocking, gruesome and sometimes deadly details of a parasitic infection. Every episode is a constant battle for life as doctors and scientists attempt to unravel each case.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine and Barb are informed by the parent company of their gym franchise that they’ve broken a contractual clause and may lose the gym. Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”) guest stars as the corporate representative from the gym’s parent company.
THURSDAY, JULY 2
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (7 p.m. on CBS): When a series of victims are found deceased seemingly in the middle of everyday activities, the CSIs must determine what is causing them to remain upright after death. Alex Kingston (“ER”), Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) and Will McCormack (“Dirt”) guest star.
◊“The Listener” (9 p.m. on NBC): After witnessing a fatal shooting in Chinatown, Toby uses his telepathic gift to help a blind woman solve the murder of her brother. He discovers a cover-up involving a Chinese crime boss who has a lot to hide from the police.
◊“Moments of Impact” (8 p.m. on Discovery): From terrifyingly close calls on the jet way to a sudden avalanche to unexpected animal attacks, this new series provides a spectacular tour de force of real life spills and chills.
◊“Science of the Movies” (9 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): This installment goes behind the scenes of Sony Pictures Animation’s 3D feature “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.”
◊“Soundstage” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Sugarland presents a versatile set that includes pop songs, country sounds and soulful ballads.
◊“Twilight Zone” marathon: (7 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. July 5 on SCI FI): The network’s annual event, running Thursday through Saturday, features episodes from the 1980s version of the series, as well as the classic 1960s show.
◊“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic” (6 p.m. on TCM): This special was made in 1989, as it has actually been 70 years since ‘‘Oz” came out. Like the movie, though, it’s still enjoyable and will enhance your appreciation of the film, as actress Angela Lansbury (“Murder, She Wrote”) takes a look back at the production of the 1939 classic.
FRIDAY, JULY 3
◊“According to Jim” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Jim convinces Andy to play snow football even though Andy’s girlfriend, Mandy, warns him against it. Now injured, Andy has to hide his injury from Mandy, so Jim stages a freak accident for Andy in his home. Garry Marshall (“Race to Witch Mountain”) guest stars.
◊“Alex Haley’s Queen” (9 a.m. on TV One, 157 on U-verse, 167 on Cox Digital Cable, 328 on DirecTV): Halle Berry stars in the six-hour miniseries that chronicles the tale of Alex Haley’s paternal grandmother, Queen, who was the daughter of a black slave and a white plantation owner.
◊“Bathtastic” (8 p.m. on DIY, 111 on Dish Network, 171 on Cox Digital Cable, 230 on Direct TV, 454 on U-verse): Host Matt Muenster shares design tips, information on cutting-edge materials and know-how that will revitalize any bathroom, great or small.
◊“Good Evening Ev’rybody: In Celebration of Louis Armstrong” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This is a presentation of a never-before-released concert performance of Louis Armstrong and other musical greats at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival in celebration of Armstrong’s 70th birthday. Armstrong performs several of his greatest hits throughout the concert and rehearsals, including ‘Pennies From Heaven” and “Wonderful World.”
◊“Invitation Only” (10 p.m. on CMT): In this installment of the concert series, Darius Rucker performs before a small studio audience in Nashville, takes questions from fans and delivers revealing and candid answers.
◊“Margaret Cho: Beautiful” (10 p.m. on Showtime): Returning to her stand-up roots, Margaret Cho examines the nature of beauty and the importance society has placed on appearance.
◊“The Ultimate Power Lunch: 50 Years of The Four Seasons” (11 a.m. on CNBC): CNBC correspondent Bill Griffeth will speak one-on-one with the most powerful people in finance, media and fashion, asking them about the economy, the markets and their power lunches at the restaurant over the years.
SATURDAY, JULY 4
◊“Apollo 13″ (6:30 p.m. on Cinemax): Ron Howard, who was born in Duncan, directed this 1995 movie about the near-disastrous 1970 Apollo 13 mission. Headed for the moon, Cmdr. Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) and his crew, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert (Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon), experience an on-board explosion.
◊“Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (9 p.m. on CBS): Talk show host Craig Ferguson (“The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”) returns for his third year as host of the special broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. Grammy winner Neil Diamond will perform some of his classic hits with The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart. The final 21 minutes of the broadcast, featuring the spectacular fireworks display, will be presented commercial free.
◊“Burn After Reading” (7 p.m. on HBO): Brad Pitt, who was born in Shawnee, stars as a gym worker in this movie directed by Oscar-winners Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”). John Malkovich plays a newly resigned CIA agent whose secrets are swiped by his divorce-seeking wife (Tilda Swinton) and ultimately land in the hands of gym workers.
◊“A Capitol Fourth” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits returns to host this spe3cial live from the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. Barry Manilow will open and close the broadcast with a medley of hits and patriotic classics along with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. Others scheduled to appear are Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, Michael Feinstein, Andrew von Oeyen, the Tony Award-winning cast of “Jersey Boys” and the “Sesame Street” gang.
◊“Choking Man” (9 p.m. on Sundance): This film explores the immigrant experience, as it follows a near-mute dishwasher from Ecuador who is quietly nursing a crush on a radiant fellow immigrant in Queens.
◊“Detonators” (7 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): This series focuses on a specialized team that demolishes skyscrapers, blows up helicopters on movie sets and detonates 50-gallon drums of explosives to quell deadly oil well fires.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): King Silas sends David on a quest to recover a national treasure, the Charter of Gilboa. While on the mission, David discovers shocking information about his father’s death. Leslie Bibb (Confessions of a Shopaholic”) guest stars as Katrina, who is engaged to Jack.
◊“Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” (8 p.m. on NBC): “Today” correspondents Natalie Morales and Tiki Barber co-host the special live from New York City. The nation’s 233rd birthday extravaganza will include performances by rock singer Rob Thomas country singer Jewel and the cast from the 2009 revival of “West Side Story.” The fireworks display featuring more than 40,000 shells will be set of from six barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River.
◊“Mantracker” marathon (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): Terry Grant is an expert outdoorsman trained to track and retrieve missing persons in the deep wilderness. His mission in each episode is to track two contestants through rough country and capture them before they can reach the finish line.
◊“Sweet Land of Liberty” (5 p.m. on OETA-13): Music selections include “America the Beautiful,” “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “God Bless America.”
◊“Tribute to Liberty” (5:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Music selections include “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “This Is My Country.”
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for June 14-20, 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 June 14:
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
◊“Cool Tools: Builders Show 2009″ (6 p.m. on DIY): Chris Grundy (“Cool Tools”) and Matt Blashaw (“Project Xtreme”) provide viewers a behind-the scenes peek at the latest in industry innovations from the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, which is not open to the public.
◊“Hammertime” (9 p.m. on A&E): Take a peek inside the life of Stanley Burrell, who rapped and danced his way into the hearts of America in the 1990s as MC Hammer. Known for his thrilling stage shows, powerful dance moves, catchy pop hits and his community commitment, Hammer faced some very public financial woes and now lives a more economically balanced life in Oakland, Calif. with Stephanie, his wife and confidant of more than 23 years, and their family of six kids ranging in ages 4-21. In the series premiere, the Hammer family does some much needed Spring cleaning, uncovering lost memorabilia and wardrobe from Hammer’s closet.
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): “Killers in Eden” revisits the amazing relationship that developed between whalers and killer whales in the early 20th century. They were both after the same quarry — the humpbacks and other baleen whales that migrated north in the waters off Eden, Australia — and they learned to work together and share the spoils.
◊“Real Estate Intervention” (10 p.m. on HGTV): In this new weekly series, host Sabrina Soto and real estate expert Mike Aubrey will offer a reality check to hopeful home sellers as they navigate through the ever-changing real estate market. During each episode Mike will guide an eager-to-sell family on a tour of similar homes to help them learn from their competition and provide them with straightforward real estate advice. Sabrina will then check back with the homeowners a few weeks later to see if they listened to Mike’s advice.
◊“True Blood” (8 p.m. on HBO): In the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the mystery surrounding the serial killer has finally been solved. But just as things are settling down, deadly new twists threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her as Season 2 begins..
◊“Twins By Surprise” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This new special recounts the stories of four women who believed they were pregnant with one child — but actually gave birth to two.
MONDAY, JUNE 15
◊“America at a Crossroads” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Journalist and activist Asra Nomani tells a personal story in the new episode “Mosque in Morgantown.” India-born and U.S.-raised, Nomani moved to Morgantown, W.Va., with her family at age 10. She was working in Pakistan after 9/11 when a broken relationship, a surprise pregnancy and a friend’s murder drove her to return to her hometown, where she found her childhood mosque had been taken over by men she considered extremists.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): In the Season 2 finale, Casey is sent into an emotional tailspin, questioning her relationship with Max and her lingering feelings for Cappie.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Robin rediscovers the “Woo Girls,” a group of single girls who like to go out and party. Meanwhile, Ted pitches Barney a design for his company’s new headquarters. Jamie-Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) guest stars.
◊“It’s On with Alexa Chung” (11 a.m. on MTV): British television personality Alexa Chung hosts this new daily talk/variety show featuring interviews with celebrity guests and musical performances from mainstream and indie artists, along with Internet-found talent and topical pop culture news.
◊“Joe Buck Live” (8 p.m. on HBO): This new series hosted by sportscaster Joe Buck catches viewers up on the most interesting stories and personalities in sports. The first edition focuses on sports and celebrity.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy earns a Grammy nomination for best comedy album, so she begins calling former Grammy winners at their homes to solicit votes. Kathy’s obsession takes her all the way to Canada for a meeting with Lily Tomlin (“The West Wing”), one of only two women to have won a Grammy for best comedy album.
◊“Little Parents, Big Pregnancy” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special follows Becky and Craig Hennon, a dwarf couple awaiting the birth of their first child. With a 75 percent chance of giving birth to a dwarf, the Hennons have chosen to not know their child’s fate ahead of time — nor will they know what kind of dwarfism he may have.
◊“Zeke and Luther” (7:30 p.m. on Disney XD): This new series follows two fearless sidewalk surfers and best friends who put their right foot forward to master the art form of skateboarding (which is also their principle method of transportation). Along the way, they navigate the literal and figurative luge of teen years with all of its tricks, grinds, obstacles and occasional slams.
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
◊2009 CMT Music Awards (7 p.m. on CMT): Bill Engvall (“The Bill Engvall Show”) will host the eighth annual event live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn. Artists with Oklahoma ties who are nominated and/or scheduled to perform include Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire.
◊“Births Beyond Belief” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This new special introduces viewers to three mothers with unique, unconventional birthing plans. From the exotic to the extraordinary, these empowered parents will stop at nothing to pursue their dream births.
◊“Chopped” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Ted Allen (“Food Detectives”) hosts this new series that challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets “chopped” until the last man or woman left standing claims victory.
◊“Dance Your Ass Off” (10 p.m. on Oxygen): Tony Award-winning actress Marissa Jaret Winokur (“Hairspray”) hosts this new dance/weight loss competition series that gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of the contestants who have had issues with their weight and hope to dance to unleash their inner thin.
◊“Deliver Me” (9 p.m. on Discovery Health): Meet doctors Alane Park, Yvonne Bohn and Allison Hill — friends, mothers and partners in a busy OB/GYN practice. In Season 3, viewers will have a front-row seat for all the drama, emotion and challenges — both professional and personal — the doctors confront every day.
◊“The First 48″ (8 p.m. on A&E): For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called. Their chance of solving a case is cut in half if they don’t get a lead in the first 48 hours. Season 9 of the non-fiction investigative series takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, forensic processing, and interrogations.
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new report “Breaking the Bank,” producer Michael Kirk attempts to untangle how things went so wrong so quickly in the banking industry and what’s being done to stabilize the situation, focusing on one of the highest-profile institutions affected — Bank of America.
◊“HawthoRNe” (8 p.m. on TNT): This new series stars Jada Pinkett Smith as Christina Hawthorne, the chief nursing officer at a busy hospital who fights for her patients and helps the doctors, administrators and her fellow nurses keep their priorities straight.
◊“I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): Enid resident Elizabeth Hess explains how she did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth. The 19-year-old college freshman had put on some extra weight, but she simply attributed it to gaining the “freshman 15.”
◊“The Lazy Environmentalist” (8 p.m. on Sundance): In this new series, author, radio and television personality Josh Dorfman will seek out environmental skeptics who are experts in fields as diverse as fashion, food, architecture, business and design in order to prove that a green lifestyle can meet the demands of their professional and private lives.
◊“NYC Prep” (10 p.m. on Bravo): This new docu-series chronicles the lives of a group of privileged teenagers who are key players in Manhattan’s elite high school scene. Students who travel in packs – whether it’s on sophisticated vacations or to a townhouse for an exclusive midnight party, their lives intertwine as they network, shop, party, study, date and write college applications.
◊“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the season finale, all five housewives attend Teresa’s end of the year party. The night turns ugly as shocking secrets come out and alliances are revealed.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): When Grace tries to reach out to a young drug addict who shares visions of Earl, Grace winds up in the middle of what could be a plot by an anti-government group linked to the recent death of a police officer.
◊“Wedding Day” (7 p.m. on TNT): In this new series, deserving people in need get help making their wedding dreams come true. Hosts and wedding planners Alan Dunn and Diann Valentine make it happen with help from the couple’s family, friends and neighbors. In the premiere, they create a day to remember for Holli, who was involved in a near-fatal crash.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): When a young woman is abducted from an affluent neighborhood, the Behavioral Analysis Unit looks to area residents for answers to her disappearance. Michael Boatman (“Spin City”) guest stars.
◊“Gordon Ramsay’s F Word” (8 p.m. on BBC America”): In Season 4 of the series, the world-renowned chef shares his passion for great cuisine and gets people eating, cooking, thinking and talking about food. In addition to offering easy to make, healthy recipes, Gordon’s joined by a revolving cast of celebrities, their friends and families. He challenges them to prepare a three-course meal for 50 diners using recipes that anyone can cook at home. But the diners get to decide if the food’s up to scratch and if they’ll pay the bill.
◊“Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Josh Groban (“Ally McBeal”), Idina Menzel (“Wicked”) and Adam Pascal (“Rent”) headline this concert revival of the show “Chess” from London’s Royal Albert Hall. Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the male half of the group ABBA, scored the music for the 1986 project, which is a love story set during the Cold War as U.S. and Soviet chess champs faced off.
◊“I Survived a Japanese Game Show” (8 p.m. on ABC): Host Rome Kanda (“The Pink Panther”) returns for a second season of leading 12 American contestants through zany challenges in Japan. The winner will take home $250,000.
◊“Obese and Pregnant” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This new special introduces the stories of three expectant mothers experiencing the joy and fear of carrying a child — while also carrying more than 100 extra pounds.
◊“The Othersiders” (7 p.m. on Cartoon Network): This new reality-adventure series follows five friends on real missions to explore mysterious, reportedly haunted locations in search of evidence that will confirm or deny the existence of paranormal activity.
◊“The Queen and I” (7 p.m. on HBO2): Thirty years after joining the revolution to overthrow the Shah and the monarchy in Iran, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nahid Persson Sarvestani remains fascinated by the former queen, Farah Diba, whose fairytale life had intrigued her as a child. Now, disillusioned by the Islamic revolution that betrayed her dreams of equality and democracy and forced her into exile, Sarvestani turns her camera on this unlikely subject. This documentary chronicles their time together, the differences they bridged and the improbable friendship they forged.
◊“Survive This” (7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network): les Stroud (“Survivorman”) hosts this new reality series challenges teenagers ages 14 to 17 to push their limits, overcome fears and develop lifelong survival skills. Each episode aims to test endurance, wits and self-determination.
◊“The Unusuals” (9 p.m. on ABC): In the series finale, Beaumont and Cole go undercover to find a criminal who breaks into apartments and shoots adult films.
◊“Wipeout” (7 p.m. on ABC): Raging Rapids, Aqua Launch, Crazy Sweeper, King of the Mountain, Waterfall Turntables and Fender Bender are among the wild and outrageous new obstacles included in this week’s episode, as contestants go head to head through four rounds to win the title of “Wipeout Champion” and the $50,000 grand prize.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
◊“Freebirthing” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This new special chronicles the growing movement of women in the United States and the United Kingdom who are defying medical advice to give birth with no drugs, no midwife and no medical support. Supporters claim this is how having a baby was always meant to be — but doctors say “freebirthing” has terrible risks.
◊“So You Think You Can Dance” (8 p.m. on Fox): It’s elimination night on the competition series, and two of the final 18 dancers will be sent home.
◊“Soundstage” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): In this installment, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne performs tunes from his 2008 album, “Time the Conqueror,” as well as such classics as “Doctor My Eyes” and “Boulevard.”
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): In this episode, that will air in black and white, Dean and Sam investigate several murders at Oktoberfest. The first victim was found with bite marks on her neck, much like a vampire would leave, while the second victim has wounds that look like a werewolf attack. After a mummy rises from his crypt, Dean determines that a shape-shifter demon is terrorizing the town as iconic monsters from the old Hollywood movies.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
◊“Celebrity Rides: Hollywood’s Speeding Bullitt” (1 p.m. on DIY Network): Chad McQueen, son of actor Steve McQueen, builds his version of a 1968 GT Fastback Mustang made famous by the movie “Bullitt” starring his dad.
◊“The Chopping Block” (7 p.m. on NBC): This reality/competition series, which was pulled after three low-rated Wednesday telecasts in March, returns to NBC’s schedule today to air its final five episodes on Fridays.
◊“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the Season 2 finale, Deanna Della Cioppa, an Italian caterer and family restaurant owner, competes to help our her family.
◊“Double Identical Twins: Four Years Later” (7 p.m. on Discovery Health): This new special follows the latest adventures of the Morris family, who grew from three members to seven after the birth of a rare set of quads: two identical boys and two identical girls. It examines how this family navigates medical and life challenges, and manages to brave it all with a sense of humor.
◊“Jeffrey and Cole Casserole” (10 p.m. on Logo): In this new webcam-based series, Jeffery and Cole mix their stand-up comedy, traditional sketches, banter and musical numbers to bring the audience a serving of their outrageous comedic casserole.
◊“Mr. Troop Mom” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): George Lopez (“George Lopez”) stars as a single dad who must climb mountains, ford streams and more as “Team Mom” in order to bond with his tween daughter. The film also stars Jane Lynch (“Glee”) as camp director Ms. Hulka and features a special appearance by Nat and Alex Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”).
◊“Samantha Who?” (8 p.m. on ABC): After finally telling current boyfriend Owen (James Tupper, “Men in Trees”) that she lives with ex-boyfriend Todd, Sam discovers that Owen’s best friend is also his ex-girlfriend, Willow. But when a romantic spark ignites between Todd and Willow, Sam finds herself becoming jealous and must decide which man is most important in her life.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
◊“BrainRush” (7 p.m. on Cartoon Network): Host Lamorne Morris puts players to the test with questions and brainteasers all while strapped into an amusement park ride.
◊“Can You Duet” (7 p.m. on CMT): Viewers will witness the on- and off-stage drama in creating a dynamic musical duo in Season 2 of the country music competition series. In addition to critiquing each performance and deciding who will advance to the next round, judges Naomi Judd, Big Kenny of the multi-platinum duo Big & Rich and Big Machine Records’ President Scott Borchetta will serve as mentors to guide, groom and develop the duets along the way.
◊“Destroy Build Destroy” (7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network): Two teams, with the guidance and assistance of professionals, compete by destroying a large structure, rebuilding it into something different and then destroying it again. Host Andrew W.K. moderates the mayhem, as each week new teams face new challenges to build from the debris, with strategy, wits and teamwork deciding which team’s creation out-performs the other—and whose hard work goes up in smoke.
◊“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program showcases the Tulsa Talons and Oklahoma City Redhawks minor league baseball teams, the Guthrie Sports Museum and McGee Creek Lake.
◊“Dream Riders” (7 p.m. on Travel Channel): In this award-winning documentary film, Bill Roulston persuades his son Nico to make a 4,000 mile bicycle journey across the United States in a last ditch effort to rebuild their failing relationship.
◊“Eli Stone” (9 p.m. on ABC): When a news anchor from one of the biggest media corporations loses his job, Eli, Taylor, Matt and Maggie share an awkward car ride to Sonoma to question a witness. This is the first of the series’ final episodes scheduled to air over the next four Saturdays.
◊“The Singing Bee” (9 p.m. on CMT): Melissa Peterman (“Reba”) hosts this new version of the game show that tests contestants’ knowledge of lyrics to well-known country music songs and eliminates those who fail to accurately sing the song lyrics correctly.
◊“The Ultimate Fighter” (8 p.m. on SPIKE): Sixteen American and 16 British fighters will compete in middleweight and welterweight divisions in the live season finale.
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
12 TV Premieres and Finales airing May 24-30
Chris Vance: "Mental" (CBS Photo)
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 24.
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.
BEGINNINGS
••“Mas Sabe el Diable,” 7 p.m. Monday on Telemundo (series premiere).
••“Intervention,” 8 p.m. Monday on A&E (seventh-season premiere).
••“Jon & Kate Plus 8.” 8 p.m. Monday on TLC (fifth-season premiere).
••“Cake Boss,” 9 p.m. Monday on TLC (series premiere).
••“Obsessed,” 9 p.m. Monday on A&E (series premiere).
••“Here Come the Newlyweds,” 9:02 p.m. Monday on ABC (series premiere).
••“Hitched or Ditched,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on CW (series premiere).
••“Man Caves,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on DIY (third-season premiere).
••“Mental,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox (series premiere).
••“Science of the Movies,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Science Channel (series premiere).
••“The Little Couple,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on TLC (series premiere).
••“Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Oxygen (fourth-season premiere).
“Beautiful People,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on Logo (series premiere).
“Wipeout,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (second-season premiere).
“The Goode Family,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (series premiere).
“Your Worst Animal Nightmares,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on Animal Planet (series premiere).
“Tattoo Highway,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on A&E (series premiere).
“Nature’s Most Amazing Events,” 7 p.m. Friday on Discovery (first two installments of 6-part series).
“What Not to Wear,” 8 p.m. Friday on TLC (seventh-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“In Treatment,” 9 p.m. Monday on HBO (second-season finale).
••“Reaper,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on CW (second-season finale).
••“Ladette to Lady,” 7 p.m. Friday on Sundance (third-season finale).
••“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” 10:35 p.m. Friday on NBC (series finale).
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
Top 55 TV Programs for May 24-30, 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 May 24:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, MAY 24
◊“2009 National Memorial Day Concert” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): For the fourth time, Emmy winner Gary Sinise (“CSI: NY”) and Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) return as co-hosts for this concert honoring the men and women in America’s armed forces. Broadcast from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, this year’s 20th anniversary telecast includes appearances by Colin Powell and actors Katie Holmes, Dianne Wiest and Laurence Fishburne, as well as singers Katharine McPhee, Trace Adkins and Denyce Graves.
◊“Diamonds” (8 p.m. on ABC): In this new two-part TV movie, the daughter of U.S. Senator Joan Cameron (Judy Davis) is killed in a massacre at an African diamond mine. That starts a chain of events that uncovers the darkest secrets of the international diamond trade.
◊“Stand” (8 p.m. on TV One): This documentary chronicles a road trip taken by broadcaster Tavis Smiley and 10 black male friends. The journey took place around the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): A total of six tornadoes appeared throughout Oklahoma in February 2009, but the most powerful of these destroyed the entire town of Lone Grove.
MONDAY, MAY 25
◊“American Experience: Buffalo Bill” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s legendary exploits helped create the myth of the American West. This program draws upon rich archival materials of the period to explore the man behind the legend, revealing the complexity of Buffalo Bill’s extraordinary life.
◊“Cake Boss” (9 p.m. on TLC): This new series focuses on master baker Buddy Valastro as he struggles to make his bakery in Hoboken, N.J., a household name.
◊“Hallowed Grounds” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This Memorial Day special visits American military cemeteries in 23 countries, including England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Tunisia and the Philippines. It weaves historical elements with contemporary scenes of the cemeteries and features personal stories of the men and women who are buried there.
◊“Here Come the Newlyweds” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Comedian Pat Bullard hosts this new series in which nine just-married couples compete for a life-changing cash prize to help kick-start their new lives together and realize their dreams.
◊“In Treatment” (9 p.m. on HBO): In the Season 2 finale, Paul and Gina reach a crossroad in their relationship.
◊“Intervention” (8 p.m. on A&E): This Emmy-nominated series opens Season 7 with new profiles of individuals at the boiling point of a personal crisis. They are confronted by friends and family who have made the decision to plan an intervention.
◊“Jon & Kate Plus 8” (8 p.m. on TLC): Season 5 features more adventures of the Gosselin family, comprised of parents Jon & Kate, plus eight-year-old twins and a set of sextuplets. This season, the family celebrates the sextuplets’ fifth birthday and tackles training the new puppies.
◊“Mas Sabe el Diable” (7 p.m. on Telemundo): This new primetime novela tells the story of Angel, a young man who never met his father and grew up torn between his mother’s love and the wild world of his neighborhood streets.
◊“Obsessed” (9 p.m. on A&E): This new series profiles people suffering from extreme anxiety disorders and their efforts to overcome them.
◊“Our City Dreams” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This special visits the creative spaces of five women artists, each of whom possesses her own energy, drive and passion. The artists profiled are Nancy Spero, Marina Abramovic, Kiki Smith, Ghada Amer and Swoon.
◊Six Gun Birthday Salute to John Wayne: Encore Westerns (202 on Cox Digital Cable, 342 on Dish Network, 529 on DirecTV, 940 on U-verse) celebrates The Duke’s 102nd birthday by airing 28 hours of his movies, beginning with “The Undefeated” at 7 p.m. The marathon is interspersed with interviews with former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Senators John McCain and John Kerry, director Steven Spielberg, producer Norman Lear, Wayne’s son Ethan and others.
◊“Super Why! Hurray for Heroes” (7 a.m. on OETA-13): This special two-hour marathon includes two new interactive episodes featuring the page-turning storybook adventures of Super Why and his fellow reading superheroes as they unveil what the power of reading can do. In-between the episodes, youngsters will share their thoughts about what it means to be a hero.
TUESDAY, MAY 26
◊“Alice Neel” (6 p.m. on Sundance): One of the great portrait painters of the 20th century, Alice Neel reinvented the genre by expressing the inner landscape of her subjects, which included luminaries such as Andy Warhol, Bella Abzug and Allen Ginsberg as well as her neighbors in Spanish Harlem. Alice Neel’s grandson Andrew Neel directs this biography of an influential but emotionally troubled painter.
◊“Beautiful People” (9:30 p.m. on Logo): Inspired by the eccentric childhood of style guru Simon Doonan, this new series delves inside Simon’s youthful memories and his desire to escape suburban working class Reading, England.
◊“Gallery” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): OETA’s Emmy-winning arts and culture series travels to the nation’s capitol to share the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian with Oklahomans. The grand opening witnessed the largest gathering ever of Native American tribes to converge on our nation’s capital.
◊“Hitched or Ditched” (8 p.m. on CW): This new series focuses on couples in long-term relationships who have not taken the leap into marriage yet. Will they or won’t they say “I do”?
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment titled “Steal a Pencil for Me” focuses on concentration camp prisoner Jack Polak, who shared the same barracks as both his wife, Manja, and his new love, Ina. Manja objects to Jack and Ina’s relationship, so the two rely on writing love letters to each other to gain the strength they need to survive.
◊“Jail” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): Back-to-back episodes follow individuals from their initial booking through their first moments in a Tulsa slammer.
◊“The Little Couple” (9 p.m. on TLC): This new series follows newlyweds Bill Klein and Jen Arnold, who are both under four feet tall and share their unique perspectives on life, love, and marriage.
◊“Man Caves” (8 p.m. on DIY): In the Season 3 premiere, hosts Jason Cameron and Tony Siragusa build a free-standing, office-style man cave for “The Office” star Rainn Wilson.
◊“Mental” (8 p.m. on Fox): This new medical drama follows Dr. Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance), a young psychiatrist who serves as Director of Mental Health Services at a Los Angeles hospital. At work he must reconcile his unorthodox treatment methods with his conservative boss, hospital administrator Nora Skoff (Annabella Sciorra), a woman with whom he shares a romantic past.
◊“New World Order” (5:45 p.m. on IFC): This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the underground movement of people who want to expose “global elitists,” whom they claim are covertly masterminding a series of destructive events to cause a mass breakdown of the world’s economy and society.
◊“Reaper” (7 p.m. on CW): In the Season 2 finale, Sam and Andi try to find Tony (Ken Marino, “Party Down”) to help them translate the scroll Nina brought back from Hell.
◊“Science of the Movies” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): This new series explores the scientific world that exists behind the screen, spotlighting the visionary artists, entrepreneurial spirit, innovative technology and techniques responsible for creating unforgettable moments in blockbuster films.
◊“Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Actress Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, open their fourth season as they return to the pressures of living and working in Tinseltown, this time with the added stress of new parenthood.
◊“TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases” (7 p.m. on NBC): NBC and The Paley Center for Media count down 50 of the all-time funniest catch phrases said on television in this two-hour special. With great scenes from the shows and interviews with the stars who brought the lines to life, this program will celebrate the history and humor of catch phrases.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27
◊“American Masters” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In “Hollywood Chinese,” B.D. Wong (‘‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Nancy Kwan (‘‘Flower Drum Song”) and Joan Chen (‘‘The Last Emperor”) are among the artists sharing their perspectives on how Chinese people have been portrayed in film over the past 90 years.
◊“Criminal Minds” (9 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the kidnapping of a young boy in Las Vegas, Dr. Reid begins to have dreams that may help reveal some buried memories from his childhood. Jane Lynch (“Glee”) guest stars as Dr. Reid’s mother.
◊“George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert” (7 p.m. on CBS): Currently riding the crest of a 25-year career, ‘‘the king of country” is saluted by peers and colleagues at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Scheduled performers include Brooks & Dunn, Jamie Foxx, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
◊“The Goode Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): This new animated series from Mike Judge (“King of the Hill”) follows Gerald and Helen Goode, a couple determined to obliterate their carbon footprint on the planet. They’re zealous vegans, they drive a hybrid and they recycle everything possible.
◊“Joan Mitchell: Portrait of an Abstract Painter” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary reflects on the life and art of the late Joan Mitchell. She is revealed as a pioneering female artist and one of the only women who was part of the Abstract Expressionist circle in New York.
◊“The Nine” (9 p.m. on DirecTV): This series aired in 2000 on ABC but was cancelled after nine episodes. All 13 episodes that were produced, including four that were never broadcast, will air on DirecTV’s 101 Network over the next 13 weeks.
◊“Tattoo Highway” (9 p.m. on A&E): In this new series, master tattoo artist Thomas Pendelton and his wife-business partner, Monica, take a cross-country road trip in a 1970s tour bus they have transformed into a rolling tattoo parlor.
◊“True Hollywood Stories: 10 Greatest Stories Ever Told” (9 p.m. on E!): The 500th episode of this documentary series counts down the most memorable installments. The 10 subjects that made the cut were chosen for aspects of their stories that continue to have relevance today.
◊“Wipeout” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 2 returns with contestants competing on the world’s largest extreme obstacle course. New obstacles include Hurtles and Sweeper Gyro, Gears of Doom and the Motivator, a massive anvil that sneaks up on contestants.
THURSDAY, MAY 28
◊“The 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee” (7 p.m. on ABC): Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the Stars”) hosts live television coverage of the final championship rounds as 293 spellers from around the world compete. ESPN will air semifinal rounds from 9 a.m. to noon.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When the CSI team investigates a case involving the world of domination, Grissom pays a visit to Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke, “The O.C.”) to help find some answers.
◊“Guest of Cindy Sherman” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary is a snapshot of photographer Cindy Sherman through her relationship with artist-turned-cable TV-host, Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, aka Paul H-O.
◊“Kick Like a Girl” (5 p.m. on HBO): This documentary tells the story of a third-grade soccer team that defied gender prejudice to compete with the boys.
◊“The Oprah Effect” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This news special hosted by Carl Quintanilla goes inside businesses to explain Oprah Winfrey’s unparalleled impact on their bottom line, their secrets to getting on her show and how this so-called Oprah Effect continues to translate her brand and others into big business.
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): Sam and Dean are stunned when the spirits of Meg (Oklahoma actress Nikki Aycox, “Over There”) and Agent Henricksen appear and accuse the Winchesters of failing them.
FRIDAY, MAY 29
◊“Agnes Martin: With My Back to the World” (6 p.m. on Sundance): “I’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate,” says abstract expressionist painter Agnes Martin in this documentary about her. But it’s a lie, as she was full of ideas and dispenses them engagingly in the course of this film.
◊“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” (7 p.m. on Fox): Gary Dell Abate (“Baba Booey” from “The Howard Stern Show”) takes center stage to fill in missing lyrics in the hopes of raising $1 million dollars for LIFEbeat, a music industry charity that fights AIDS. When he gets stuck locking in his lyrics, Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) backs him up.
◊“Ladette to Lady” (7 p.m. on Sundance): It is the final week, and with it will bring the emergence of a lady. The three final ladettes are not only trying to complete their tasks with high marks, but get ready for the graduation ceremony.
◊“Nature’s Most Amazing Events” (7 p.m. on Discovery): This six-hour high definition series spotlights explosive events of nature triggered by seasonal change and vast climate change. The first two installments feature polar bears battling climate change and grizzly bear cubs emerging from winter dens. The remaining installments air Saturday and May 31.
◊“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (10:35 p.m. on NBC): “Tonight Show” heir Conan O’Brien is scheduled to be the final guest to sit on the couch during Jay Leno’s last show as host of the franchise. O’Brien, who has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” 16 times previously, will be taking over the hosting duties on June 1.
◊“Un-Broke: What You Need to Know Anout Money” (8 p.m. on ABC): This special takes an unconventional look at the fundamentals of everyday finance with all the facts about credit cards, mortgages and investing in a fresh new format combining information and humor. Will Smith (“Seven Pounds”) gets down to basics with a boardroom full of corporate finance executives while the Jonas Brothers teach screaming teenage girls the mysteries of the stock market.
◊“What Not to Wear” (8 p.m. on TLC): Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly return for a seventh season of makeovers that transform the fashion-challenged from the inside and out. The season premiere features Mayim Bialik (“Blossom”).
SATURDAY, MAY 30
◊“American Idol Rewind: Carrie Underwood Special” (5 p.m. on TV Guide Network, (4 on Cox, 117 on Dish Network, 237 on DirecTV): Through clips and interviews, find out what inspired the girl from Checotah to audition for Season 4 of ◊“American Idol.” She also reveals how she made her very first appearance before the judges a memorable one — by clucking like a chicken.
◊“Maneater” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Sarah Chalke stars in this miniseries as a shallow socialite with an elaborate plan to lasso a filmmaker to marry her. It concludes May 31.
◊“Nature’s Most Amazing Events” (7 p.m. on Discovery): The next two installments of this high definition series feature more than a million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrating on Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains and nearly a billion sardines arriving along South Africa’s east coast.
◊“OKC Metro” (5:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Gerry Bonds discusses the recent University of Oklahoma women’s basketball season with head coach Sherri Coale and freshman sensation Whitney Hand.
◊“Pete Correale: The Things We Do For Love” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Comedian Pete Correale discusses why gossiping, assembling IKEA furniture and going to nude beaches just wouldn’t be the same without his wife.
◊“Pushing Daisies” (9 p.m. on ABC): ABC has canceled this comedy series, but the network the remaining three unseen episodes. In this episode, Emerson and Chuck team up when Ned refuses to use his “gift.” Richard Benjamin (“Henry Poole Is Here”) and George Segal (“Just Shoot Me!”) guest star.
◊“Safe Harbor” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Treat Williams (“Everwood”) and Nancy Travis (“The Bill Engvall Show”) star in this true story of a Florida couple helping troubled boys chart a new course for their lives.
– Penny TV
TV Premieres and Finales airing May 17-23
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 17.
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.
BEGINNINGS
••“Sarah’s House,” 10 a.m. Sunday on DIY (series premiere).
••“Wonder Pets,” 9:30 a.m. Monday on Nickelodeon (third-season premiere).
••“4th and Long,” 9 p.m. Monday on SPIKE (series premiere).
••“The Bachelorette,” 8:02 p.m. Monday on ABC (fifth-season premiere).
••“Most Outrageous,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on NBC (third-season premiere).
••“Glee,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox (special preview)(Fox photo of cast above).
••“Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on Style Network (eighth-season premiere).
••“So You Think You Can Dance,” 7 p.m. Thursday on Fox (fifth-season premiere).
••“Crime 360,” 9 p.m. Thursday on A&E (second-season premiere).
••“Southern Belles,” 9 p.m. Thursday on SoapNet (series premiere).
••“Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” 7 p.m. Friday on Fox (third-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” 6 p.m. Sunday on ABC (sixth-season finale).
••“The Simsons,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Fox (20th-season finale).
••“Survivor: Tocantins,” 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS (18th-season finale).
••“King of the Hill,” 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox (13th-season finale).
••“Desperate Housewives,” 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC (fifth-season finale).
••“Family Guy, 8 p.m. Sunday on Fox (seventh-season finale).
••“American Dad,” 8:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox (fourth-season finale).
••“Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices,” 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO (first-season finale).
••“24,” 7 p.m. Monday on Fox (seventh-season finale).
••“Gossip Girl,” 7 p.m. Monday on CW (second-season finale).
••“How I Met Your Mother,” 7:30 p.m. Monday on CBS (fourth-season finale).
••“One Tree Hill,” 8 p.m. Monday on CW (sixth-season finale).
••“Two and a Half Men,” 8 p.m. Monday on CBS (sixth-season finale).
••“Rules of Engagement,” 8:30 p.m. Monday on CBS (third-season finale).
••“CSI: Miami,” 9 p.m. Monday on CBS (seventh-season finale).
••“NCIS,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on CBS (sixth-season finale).
••“90210,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on CW (first-season finale).
••“Dancing With the Stars,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on ABC (eighth-season finale).
••“The Mentalist,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on CBS (first-season finale).
“Without a Trace,” 9:01 p.m. Tuesday on CBS (seventh-season finale).
“American Idol,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox (eighth-season finale).
“The New Adventures of Old Christine,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on CBS (fourth-season finale).
“Gary Unmarried,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on CBS (first-season finale).
“Criminal Minds,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on CBS (fourth-season finale).
“Ugly Betty,” 7 p.m. Thursday on ABC (third-season finale).
“Southland,” 9 p.m. Thursday on NBC (first-season finale).
“Free Radio,” 10 p.m. Thursday on VH1 (second-season finale).
“Head Case,” 9 p.m. Friday on Starz (second-season finale).
“Party Down,” 9:30 p.m. Friday on Starz (first-season finale).
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour; for PST, subtract two hours)
Top 55 TV Programs for May 17-23, 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 May 17 (NOTE: Times are CST; For EST, add one hour; For PST, subtract two hours):
SUNDAY, MAY 17
◊“American Dad” (8:30 p.m. on Fox): Grammy winner Joss Stone provides a guest voice in the season finale, as Stan leaves Francine at home for a night out with the guys, but the evening keeps landing Stan in one compromising situation after another.
◊“Change of Face” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): The final installment of the three-part series follows a young girl who lives with a disfigured lip that only a risky operation can fix; a man with an aggressive cancer that has taken hold of his face in a matter of weeks; and a teenager who turns to facial surgery in the hope that her life will be transformed.
◊“Dane Cook: Isolated Incident” (9 p.m. on Comedy Central): This commercial-free stand-up special follows Dane Cook in a performance that was captured with a single camera using only one raw, unedited take. It includes brand new, cutting-edge material that pushes the envelope to its highest level.
◊“Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 5 two-hour finale, Lynette adapts to Tom’s decision to go back to school, Orson takes a beating that Bree cannot comprehend, Gaby’s niece moves to Wisteria Lane and Susan and MJ’s lives are in grave danger at the hands of Dave.
◊“Do You Know Me” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Rachelle Lefevre (“Twilight”) and Jeremy London (“Jason & the Argonauts”) star in this 2009 psychological thriller in which the truth becomes a lie and the familiar becomes the unknown as a woman’s terrifying investigation into her past leads to a secret that could kill her.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (6 p.m. on ABC): Season 6 wraps up with a special two-hour episode in which Ty Pennington and his team travel to Indianapolis to rebuild the deteriorating home of the McFarland family. The Indiana Pacers make a special appearance and donation.
◊“Family Guy” (8 p.m. on Fox): Peter has his palm read by a psychic who reveals that he had a fascinating past life as Griffin Peterson, a dignified gentleman who vied for the love of Lady Redbush in 17th century England and in the newly founded American colony of Quahog.
◊“How Bruce Lee Changed the World” (7 p.m. on History): This two-hour special looks at Bruce Lee’s legacy, revealing the story of his rise from the backstreets of Hong Kong and documenting his qualities that drove him to international stardom. His death at the age of 32 is shrouded in mystery.
◊“King of the Hill” (7:30 p.m. on Fox): When Boomhauer swaps homes with a Canadian family for the summer, Hank and the guys go out of their way to make the new family feel welcome in Arlen.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment titled “Wallander: Firewall,” a taxi driver’s murder, the inexplicable death of a systems analyst and the failure of power grid gradually weave a fiendish plot with a gripping countdown to an impending disaster.
◊“Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices” (9 p.m. on HBO): In the Season 1 finale, the finest young poets in America take center stage for the Brave New Voices National Youth Poetry Grand Slam Championship. Introduced and encouraged by host Idris Elba (“The Wire”), each team puts its best poetry foot forward over four rounds.
◊“Sarah’s House” (10 a.m. on DIY): This new series follows designer Sarah Richardson through the process of purchasing a house and renovating it room by room.
◊“The Simpsons” (7 p.m. on Fox): When nearby Ogdenville’s economy crumbles due to tainted barley discovered in Krusty’s veggie burgers, the unemployed workers of Ogdenville flock to Springfield. After Mayor Quimby closes Springfield’s borders and enlists private citizens to help patrol them, Homer organizes a border patrol group.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): In August 2007, Ruth Ross of Mount Vernon, Mo., is thrown from her car by flooding water and clings to a log. Kenneth Mills, who is driving by, pulls his vehicle over to lend a helping hand. However, the pair gets pulled under by a heavy stream and are then both fighting for their lives.
◊“Saturday Night Live Just Shorts” (8 p.m. on NBC): Andy Samberg (“I Love You, Man”) hosts this special featuring many of SNL’s most celebrated short films over the past 34 seasons, including “Synchronized Swimmers,” “TV Funhouse” and “Mr. Bill.”
◊“Survivor: Tocantins” (7 p.m. on CBS): The Season 18 finale begins with four remaining castaways vying for the $1 million prize and title of “Ultimate Survivor.” The finale is followed by a one-hour live reunion show hosted by Jeff Probst.
MONDAY, MAY 18
◊“4th and Long” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): In this new series, former NFL player Michael Irvin is on a mission to uncover the next gtreat Dalls Cowboy. He will oversee a 10-week training camp of 12 pro football hopefuls in which players will be cut each week. The eventual victor will head to training camp with the Dalls Cowboys.
◊“24″ (7 p.m. on Fox): Jack reaches an emotional climax as one of the most stressful days of his life — which has included widespread loss of lives, a White House siege, treachery and betrayal, not to mention the kidnapping and shooting of the president’s husband — ticks down its final two hours.
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This three-hour installment chronicles the history of the Kennedy family through photographs, archival footage, home movies and interviews with family members, friends and first-hand witnesses to the many chapters of the Kennedy story.
◊“The Bachelorette” (8:02 p.m. Monday on ABC): Thirty bachelors — includes Lawton MacArthur High School assistant football coach Bryan Vardeman — will compete for Jillian Harris’ affections in the Season 5 premiere.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Delko goes against Calleigh’s plea and helps his dangerous father, his life is put in jeopardy on the Season 7 finale. Brian Austin Green (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) guest stars as an alleged carjacking victim.
◊“Gossip Girl” (7 p.m. on CW): On the Season 2 finale, Gossip Girl decides to liven things up at the Constance Billard and St. Jude’s graduation by sending out a shocking and damaging email blast in the midst of the commencement ceremony.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When Ted pulls an all-nighter working on a pitch in an attempt to bring business to his fledgling architecture firm, Marshall tries to lure him to the roof for a surprise 31st birthday party on Season 4 finale.
◊“Medium” (9 p.m. on NBC): Series star Patricia Arquette (Allison Dubous) directs this episode in which Allison reaches out to a private investigator (Anjelica Huston, “The Royal Tenenbaums”) for help when she begins dreaming about a young woman (Rumer Willis “The House Bunny”), who years earlier was a kidnap victim rescued by the investigator.
◊“One Tree Hill” (8 p.m. on CW): Nathan is released from the Chiefs and is forced to face Haley and Jamie in the Season 6 finale.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 3 finale, Jeff wonders if he and Audrey are lacking spontaneity in the bedroom.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 6 finale, Charlie starts to question his relationship with Chelsea when he hears that his ex-flame Mia (Emmanuelle Vaugier, “Saw II”) is back in town.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on ABC): This week of hour-long “Hot Topics” will ignite roundtable discussions of current events and spark passionate conversations leading to colorful debates among the show’s five hosts — Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd.
“Wonder Pets” (9:30 a.m. on Nickelodeon): Season 3 of the Emmy-winning animated series for preschoolers opens “Save the Cool Cat and the Hip Hippo!” The late actress/singer Eartha Kitt is the guest voice of Cool Cat and jazz singer Jon Hendricks is Hip Hippo. Friday’s premiere episode celebrates the Wonder Pets’ 100th save.
TUESDAY, MAY 19
◊“2009 CMT Music Awards Nominee Special” (9 a.m. on CMT): This special co-hosted by Kellie Pickler (“American Idol”) and Lance Smith (“Delta Farce”) will feature the music and videos of country music’s elite as decided by fan voting. The 2009 CMT Music Awards will be handed out June 16.
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): Adrianna and Navid spend their prom night in the delivery room, and Brenda shows up to offer support.
◊“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): This special preview of the new musical comedy series follows a high school teacher as he tries to refuel his own passion while reinventing the high school’s glee club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential. The show will premiere in fall.
◊“Independent Lens” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new documentary “Stranded,” survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash recall how they beat the odds and managed to survive in the mountains for 72 days with no food, water or supplies.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): When Pamela Galliano (Sprague Grayden, “Joan of Arcadia”) seeks to have a restraining order reinstated against her ex-boyfriend, the assigned judge has something else on his mind.
◊“The Mentalist” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 1 finale, Lisbon fears that serial killer Red John is drawing Patrick Jane into a trap when the CBI team investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister. Alicia Witt (“Cybill”) guest stars as a witness in the case.
◊“Most Outrageous” (7 p.m. on NBC): Season 3 of the show features all new outrageous moments from home videos, newscasts, game shows and commercials from around the globe.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): Ziva’s homecoming to Israel with Gibbs and the team is not a happy reunion with her father (“Michael Nouri, “Damages”), the enigmatic and powerful head of Mossad. As tensions rise, Gibbs is forced to make a decision that sends shockwaves through NCIS.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): On the Season 7 finale, the team searches for a man who goes missing after a late night dive and try to zero in on who could be responsible for his disappearance. Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”) reprises his role as Frank Malone, Jack’s father. Adam Kaufman, Poppy Montgomery’s real-life boyfriend, reprises his role as Brian Donovan, the father of Samantha’s son, Finn.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
◊“American Idol” (7 p.m. on Fox): The top 13 contestants from Season 8 reunite onstage during the two-hour finale. Host Ryan Seacrest will milk the suspense before revealing who the newest “American Idol” is.
◊“Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country” (9 p.m. on Style Network): Host Niecy Nash (“Reno 911″) and her experts travel across the country to find the messiest home, stopping in various cities along the way to help other extreme cases of out of control clutter.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit tracks a serial killer who chooses junkies, prostitutes and the homeless off the streets of Detroit as his victims and takes them across the border into Canada on the two-hour Season 4 finale.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When Gary stops by Allison’s to fix her garbage disposal, their deprived love lives gets the better of them and they find themselves in Allison’s bedroom on the first-season finale.
◊“Loot” (7 p.m. on HBO2): During World War II, two young American soldiers on different continents looted valuable treasures amidst the chaos of combat and hid them before returning to civilian life in America. Sixty years later, both men set out to recover the stolen goods, only to discover that digging up the secrets of the past carries its own risks.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine learns some shocking news about New Christine’s father after the two of them rekindle their relationship at Richard’s and New Christine’s wedding. Scott Bakula (“Quantum Leap”) returns as Papa Jeff – New Christine’s father and Christine’s old flame. James Lesure (“Las Vegas”) guest stars as a wedding guest.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: James Stewart was born on this day in 1908, and TCM celebrates by airing six of his films, including 1938’s “You Can’t Take It With You” (8:30 a.m.) and 1959’s “Bell, Book and Candle” (5:15 p.m.).
◊“World War II: Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Using archive material only available since the fall of Communism, the new installment titled “Dividing the World” reveals the unknown forces that were tearing the Alliance apart just as victory was in reach.
THURSDAY, MAY 21
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Liz meets one of Jack’s old friends, eccentric businessman Gavin Volure (Steve Martin, “The Jerk”).
◊“Crime 360″ (9 p.m. on A&E): The forensic crime solving series that brings real criminal investigations to life returns for a second season. Cases involve investigations in Cleveland, Ohio; Rochester, NY; Little Rock, Ark.; and Indianapolis.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): The prime suspect in a murder case from 12 years earlier comes to the forefront of a new CSI investigation. Joshua Malina (“The West Wing”) guest stars.
◊“Free Radio” (10 p.m. on VH1): In the Season 2 finale, see what Lance Krall and the KBOM morning show staff have in store for celebrity guests Sugar Ray Leonard, Cheech & Chong and Zachary Levi (“Chuck”).
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): After two Marines are ambushed, the NCIS team finds the investigation leads back to Gibbs’ hometown, where secrets about his past are revealed. Ralph Waite (“The Waltons”) guest stars.
◊“So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m. on Fox): Season 5 kicks off with a two-night, four-hour season premiere. Hosted by Cat Deeley, the original dance competition series will inspire and amaze viewers as dancers skilled in styles ranging from hip-hop to ballroom compete to be named America’s favorite dancer.
◊“Southern Belles” (9 p.m. on SoapNet): Meet the sexy Southern Belles of Louisville as they struggle with life, love and careers in this new docudrama.
◊“Southland” (9 p.m. on NBC): The day takes a turn for the worse when officers John Cooper, Ben Sherman, Chickie Brown and Dewey (C. Thomas Howell “War of the Worlds”) find a member of Marta’s Avenue gang dead in a trunk outside Dodger Stadium.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Robert Montgomery was born on this day in 1904, and TCM celebrates by airing nine of his films, including 1937’s “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” (10:45 a.m.) and 1947’s “Lady in the Lake” (5”15 p.m.).
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 3 finale, Billie Jean King (Wimbledon tennis champion) guest stars as Victoria Hartley’s instructor at an exclusive tennis club where Wilhelmina tries to score match point with the high society matriarch.
FRIDAY, MAY 22
◊“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” (7 p.m. on Fox): Meat Loaf (Grammy winner) and his daughter, Pearl Aday, compete for charity on the Season 3 premiere episode.
◊“Good Morning America” (7 a.m. on ABC): Green Day (Grammy winners) kick off the 2009 Summer Concert Series airing live from New York City’s Central Park. Since their 1994 break-out album, “Dookie,” Green Day has sold more than 30 million records, scored their ninth No. 1 single at alternative radio and played to millions of people around the world.
◊“Head Case” (9 p.m. on Starz): Dr. Goode travels back to New York City to get Dr. Myron Finkelstein out of his “mistaken identity” trouble. While there, Dr. Goode sorts through some deep dark issues and sees new patient Jerry Seinfeld. Craig Bierko (“Unhitched”) and Melina Kanakarades (“CSI: NY”) also guest star.
◊“Party Down” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): In the Season 1 finale, the crew is thrilled to be hired to work the very exclusive and star-studded wedding of a Hollywood mogul. But Ron is crushed to discover his team really is just backing up another, better-looking crew led by his archrival (Kristen Bell, “Veronica Mars”).
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Laurence Olivier was born on this day in 1907, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of his films, including 1936’s “Fire Over England” (8 a.m.) and 1968’s “The Shoes of the Fisherman” (4:15 p.m.).
SATURDAY, MAY 23
◊“Deadliest Catch” marathon (noon to 3 a.m. on Discovery): Follow the boats on their quest for crab riches through high seas and sub-zero temperatures.
◊“Flying By” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Heather Locklear and Billy Ray Cyrus star in this 2009 movie about a real estate developer who attends his 25th high school reunion and reunites with his old teenage band.
◊“Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): John C. Danforth, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former U.S. senator from Missouri, serves as the keynote speaker for the foundation’s 23rd annual Academic Awards. The event honors 100 of Oklahoma’s top high school seniors as Academic All-Staters and five outstanding educators as Medal for Excellence winners. David L. Boren, founder and chairman of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, will serve as emcee for the event.
◊“What’s Love Got to Do With It” (6 p.m. on Lifetime): Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne earned Oscar nominations for their portrayals of Tina and Ike Turner in this 1993 biodrama based on Tina’s memoir.
–Penny TV
12 TV Premieres and Finales airing May 3-9
Eliza Dushku, "Dollhouse" (Fox Photo)
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 3.
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.
BEGINNINGS
••“The IFC Media Project,” 10 p.m. Sunday on IFC (second-season premiere).
••“Cook Yourself Thin,” 4 p.m. Monday on Lifetime (series premiere).
••“Belly of the Beast,” 8 p.m. Monday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“I Love Money 2,” 8 p.m. Monday on VH1 (second-season finale).
••“Yard Crashers,” 8 p.m. Monday on DIY (third-season premiere.
••“New York Goes to Work,” 9 p.m. Monday on VH1 (series premiere).
••“Gotti’s Way,” 9:30 p.m. Monday on VH1 (second-season premiere).
••“Apprentice UK,” 7 p.m. Tuesday on BBC America (series premiere).
••“Garage Mahal,” 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on DIY (series premiere).
••“The Fashion Show,” 9 p.m. Thursday on Bravo (series premiere).
••“Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends,” 9 p.m. Saturday on Travel Channel (second-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“Cold Case,” 8 p.m. Sunday on CBS (first installment of two-part season finale).
••“Tough Love,” 9 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (first-season finale).
••“The Real Housewives of New York City,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Bravo (second-season finale).
••“Scrubs,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (series finale).
••“The Millionaire Matchmaker,” 8 p.m. Thursday on Bravo (second-season finale).
••“Everybody Hates Chris,” 7 p.m. Friday on CW (fourth-season finale).
••“Dollhouse,” 8:01 p.m. Friday on Fox (first-season finale).
••“Ace of Cakes,” 8 p.m. Saturday on Food Network (sixth-season finale).
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for May 3-9, 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 May 3:
SUNDAY, MAY 3
◊“Brothers & Sisters” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): When Kitty and Robert reach a crossroads in their marriage, she is forced to reflect on her father’s (Tom Skerritt, “Picket Fences”) past indiscretions and decide what’s most important in life.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the first installment of the two-part sixth-season finale, Rush and the team delve into the 2005 murder case of the first female cadet of a local military school who didn’t live beyond her first semester. A total of 16 Pearl Jam hits will be woven throughout the two consecutive finale episodes.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The design team goes to Martin County, NC, helps a decorated disabled veteran who has worked with Congress to improve veteran’s benefits. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell presents Jeff Cooper and is family with a gift.
◊“Family Guy” (8 p.m. on Fox): When Brian discovers that his beloved Jillian (Drew Barrymore, “He’s Just Not That Into You”) is getting married to her new boyfriend, he hits the sauce to drown his sorrows away but wakes up with more than just a hang-over. After realizing that he has just pick-up “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad (voiced by herself) he wants to run and hide until he discovers that she is nothing like what she’s portrayed on TV. Jimmy Fallon (“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”), Craig Ferguson (“Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”) and Jay Leno (“The Tonight Show”) guest star.
◊“Hannah Montana” (7 p.m. on Disney): Miley inadvertently agrees to go to prom with Aaron, the school nerd. When the chance comes up to record a duet with David Archuleta (“American Idol”), Miley uses it as an excuse to flake on her date. However, guilt takes over and Miley does the right thing after realizing the importance of keeping a promise. The episode includes the debut of “I Wanna Know You,” by Miley Cyrus and David Archuleta.
◊“The IFC Media Project” (10 p.m. on IFC): Season 2 of this series hosted by Peabody and Emmy Award winning news correspondent Gideon Yago (CBS News, MTV) will bring a fresh first-hand perspective on a variety of important news stories that were inaccurately reported on from leading news outlets.
◊“Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the Charles Dickens tale “The Old Curiosity Shop,” a teenage girl (Sophie Vavasseur, “Northanger Abbey”) and her grandfather lose everything to a maniacal moneylender and flee his relentless pursuit.
◊“Steve-O: Demise and Rise” (9 p.m. on MTV): This special gives a first-hand account of Steve-O’s downward spiral to when he ultimately hits rock bottom and is saved by the intervention of friends and his own will to do whatever it takes to get – and stay – sober. It follows him right up until his first performance this year on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): In June 2008, melted snow and pouring rain flooded seven states across the Midwest. Panicked residents rushed to save their lives, as the worst flood in recent history washes away their livelihoods.
◊“Tough Love” (9 p.m. on VH1): Professional matchmaker Steven Ward has taught a relationship boot camp for eight single women over the last seven weeks. In the season finale, they will face their biggest challenge yet.
◊“The Unit”( 9 p.m. on CBS): While Jonas is tracking down a Russian terrorist cell, a kidnapped Molly is used as bait. Marika Dominczyk (wife of series star Scott Foley) guest stars as his informant.
MONDAY, MAY 4
◊“Belly of the Beast” (8 p.m. on Discovery): In this new series, host Rossi Morreale finds out what makes tanks, helicopters and giant trucks work, meeting with people who make them and the people who depend on them.
◊“Cook Yourself Thin” (4 p.m. on Lifetime): Culinary experts Harry Eastwood, Allison Fishman and Candice Kumai make a steak dinner, lasagna and vanilla cupcakes with half the calories.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Horatio and the team work to figure out why a seemingly normal family was targeted in a brutal grenade attack. Sprague Grayden (“Joan of Arcadia”) guest stars.
◊“Gotti’s Way” (9:30 p.m. on VH1): In Season 2, the family is shifting their focus on all ends of the spectrum, privately and professionally.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Casey’s grand-big sister, Kiki (Collette Wolfe, “17 Again”), is back at Cyprus-Rhodes University for her wedding and all the ZBZ girls are invited. Amidst all the wedding frenzy, Max decides it’s time to take his relationship with Casey to the next level and gets down on one knee.
◊“The Hip Hop Project” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary follows rapper Chris “Kazi” Rolle as he coaches, cajoles and inspires a group of at-risk New York teens to transform their experiences into rhyme. This film is also executive produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah.
◊“I Love Money 2″ (8 p.m. on VH1): In the second-season finale, the final five contestants will need to use everything they’ve learned so far in an anything-goes challenge testing brains, brawn and a fear of heights. One will leave Mexico with the grand prize of $250,000.
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on NBC): Allison leaves the district attorney’s office to pursue an offer from one of the world’s largest corporations. Tracy Pollan (“Natalee Holloway”) and David Morse (“John Adams”) guest star.
◊“New York Goes to Work” (9 p.m. on VH1): Tiffany “New York” Pollard (“I Love New York”) will work a different job each week in this new series. Viewers will select what she does, and she will work in all aspects of the job. If she can impress her new employers, she’ll receive a $5,000 bonus each week. But, if she quits, fails or gets fired, she gets nothing.
◊“The Oprah Winfrey Show” (4 p.m. on ABC): In their first U.S. interview, Kate and Gerry McCann — parents of missing child Madeleine McCann — join Oprah to discuss the two-year search for their daughter. For the first time, viewers will see an age progression that reveals what Madeleine might look like today. Plus, cameras go inside their London home, spending the day with them and their 4-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:31 p.m. on CBS): Confirmed bachelor Russell challenges his engaged buddy Adam and the married Jeff to a contest to see which of them has an easier time ‘‘sealing the deal” with women. Adhir Kalyan (‘‘Aliens in America”) guest stars.
◊“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): Hosts Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker, Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford will broadcast live from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. It is the first stop during “Today Takes a Vacation” week. The anchors will don cowboy boots and chaps and learn the ropes of the famed Dixie Dude Ranch, the country’s oldest working dude ranch. Grammy Award winner Lee Ann Womack will join in for a special performance and a little Texas two-step.
◊“Yard Crasher” (8 p.m. on DIY): Host Ahmed Hassan waits at home improvement stores looking for weekend warriors who could use his help. Once he finds his target, Ahmed and his team follow the shoppers home and completely transform their yards.
TUESDAY, MAY 5
◊“Apprentice UK” (7 p.m. on BBC America): Like the U.S. version, 14 young high-fliers battle it out through a grueling selection process while competing for a six-figure salary and a year-long job with self-made tycoon Sir Alan Sugar.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Past season winners cheer on the final four contestants as they face their toughest challenge of the season — running a full marathon. Those who finish the marathon will get $10,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.
◊“Garage Mahal” (8:30 p.m. on DIY): Licensed contractor brian Corsetti turns desperate garages into incredible living spaces in this new series. Projects include an entertainment garage complete with a flat-screen TV, copper-topped bar and dinning area; a rock and roll refuge retrofitted with a fold down stage, concert lighting and acoustic panels; and a home gym with monkey bars, punching bags and a climbing wall.
◊“Ice People” (9 p.m. on Sundance): Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Anne Aghion follows polar explorers across terrain of incomprehensible scale, as they brave extreme conditions and relinquish all modern conveniences in the name of science. During the four-month shoot, the geologists capture one of the most significant discoveries about the history of climate change.
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): In ‘‘Wings of Defeat,” filmmaker Risa Morimoto retraces the footsteps her her uncle, who trained as a kamikaze pilot but carried that secret to his grave. Morimoto landed rare interviews with surviving kamikaze pilots to explore their experiences, including the brutal training they underwent.
◊“Kiki Melendez’ Hot Tamales Live” (11 p.m. on Showtime): This special hosted by Host Kiki Melendez features performances by Amy Anderson, Kira Soltanovich, Nikki Payne, Valentino, Jill-Michelle Melean, Nadine Rajabi and Thea Vidal.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Detective Stabler’s daughter is called in to help when a teenager is brutally beaten after her nude photos are spread throughout her high school. Swoosie Kurtz (“Pushing Daisies”) guest stars.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on KWTV-9): Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa heads down to Miami, Fla., for four shows broadcast live from the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. In addition to spotlighting their luxe setting at the resort, Philbin and Ripa will sample the sights, sounds, food, culture and nightlife that make Miami one of the country’s hottest destinations for fun and sun.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): With the appearance of Mossad agent Michael Rivkin, Tony is forced to question Ziva’s loyalty to NCIS. Chris O’Donnell (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and LL Cool J (“In the House”) guest star.
◊“The Real Housewives of New York City” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Clashes, disagreements and conflicts abound as the ladies take care of the final details for Jill’s charity event that they are all planning together.
◊“State of Creativity” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Follow the journey of Whittier Middle School in Norman and Yellow Jacket Academy in Kingfisher as the teams create and program a robot to compete for the Botball championship.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Tyrone Power was born on this day in 1914, and TCM celebrates by airing four of his films, including 1938’s “Marie Antoinette” (7:45 a.m.) and 1957’s “Abandon Ship!” (1 p.m.).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team races against the clock to find a teenager who was last seen in an amateur video being psychologically tormented by her unseen captor in the new episode ‘‘Devotion.” Series star Anthony LaPaglia came up with the idea for this episode’s story line.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
◊“The Business of Being Born” (8 p.m. on Showtime): This documentary executive produced by former talk show host Ricki Lake examines America’s birth culture and current maternity care system. The film interlaces intimate birth stories and interviews with numerous obstetricians, experts and advocates about the history, politics and economics of childbirth.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team suspects that a series of vehicular homicides along a dangerous stretch of road in Oregon may be the work of a serial killer who is using his car as a lethal weapon. Nicholas Brendon (‘‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) guest stars.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): Mac informs an ex-con that he served time for a crime he didn’t commit, and Anna tells Danny “it’s time” for the first CSI baby to be born. Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”) and Mare Winningham guest star.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When his rambunctious half brother, Mitch (Rob Riggle, “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”), returns home from the war and decides to move in, Gary quickly loses control of his kids and his house and is forced to play the role of grown up.
◊“Lie to Me” (7 p.m. on Fox): Mekhi Phifer (“ER”) guest stars as Ben Reynolds, an FBI agent who partners with Lightman to track down a serial rapist terrorizing the Washington, DC area.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine’s plan to prove that she’s comfortable with Richard’s remarriage backfires when her date (Lee Tergesen, “Oz”) acts obnoxiously at the rehearsal dinner.
◊“Scrubs” (7 p.m. on ABC): When random furnishings from Elliot’s apartment turn up in J.D.’s place, it becomes clear that she finally plans to take their relationship to a whole new level on the series finale.
◊“WWII Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This three-part series shatters the myths of World War II. The first installment titled “Unlikely Friends” lays bare a history of secret allegiances that Joseph Stalin wanted to hide.
THURSDAY, MAY 7
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Liz and Tracy convince Jack to begin the search for his real father, Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”) and Steve Buscemi (“Fargo”) guest star.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Brennan decides she wants to have a baby and surprises Booth with a request to father her child. The stress of the situation, coupled with Booth’s undiagnosed health issue, paves the way for a surprise visit from Stewie, the youngest member of the “Family Guy” clan (voiced by Seth MacFarlane).
◊“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” (7 p.m. on HBO): On May 12, 2008, an earthquake hit Sichuan Province in rural China, killing nearly 70,000 people, including 10,000 children as poorly constructed school buildings crumbled and wiped out classrooms filled with students. This film visits parents of deceased children from several schools a few days after the disaster, sharing in their unimaginable grief at the loss of what was for most their only child.
◊“The Fashion Show” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Designer Isaac Mizrahi and Grammy winner Kelly Rowland share hosting duties and also serve as judges as 15 professional designers compete for a chance to have their designs sold in the retail market and win a $125,000 prize.
◊“Gallery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on Jon Burris, a private curator for Oklahoma businessmen who has traveled the world and skirted the bad guys to bring home mementoes worth millions. Now, this globe trotting, book publishing, photographing artist has turned his attention to home, as the executive director for an Oklahoma City art gallery.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): It’s Meredith and Derek’s wedding day on the the show’s 100th episode. But as they prepare to celebrate the big day, a group of college students are injured in a car crash on the way to their graduation ceremony and are admitted to the emergency room.
◊“Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): The former star of “Spin City,” who revealed in 1998 that he had been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease, travels across the globe to explore the enduring strength of hope. He talks to both famous and everyday people, venturing everywhere from the Far East to President Barack Obama’s inspiring inauguration.
◊“The Millionaire Matchmaker” (8 p.m. on Bravo): Patti ?? hits the town with her girlfriends who are visiting from Miami, and the girls dish out many good stories on her in the Season 2 finale.
◊“My Name is Earl” (7 p.m. on NBC): All of Camden County has gathered at the Crab Shack to learn about the dramatic conclusion to the story of Ernie Belcher’s disappearance. Geraldo Rivera (“Geraldo at Large”) guest stars.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Gary Cooper was born on this day in 1901, and TCM celebrates by airing four of his films, including 1932’s “A Farewell to Arms” (11:45 a.m.) and 1958’s “Man of the West” (4:15 p.m.).
FRIDAY, MAY 8
◊“Christian Finnegan: Au Contraire” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Comedian Christian Finnegan, one of the original cast members on VH1’s “Best Week Ever,” pushes the envelope as he recounts the purple shorts that have haunted him since middle school and the history of giving rabbit ears.
◊“Dollhouse” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Alpha’s reugn of terror continues as his obsession with Echo endangers Caroline’s survival, and one doll is permanently decactivated while another’s shocking past is revealed.
◊“Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m. on CW): During the last week of school, Chris is informed that if he gets one more tardy he will have to repeat the 10th grade. Chris does his best to make it to school on time, but one day he misses the bus and arrives at school late, forcing him to deliver the bad news to his parents .
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): As Melinda prepares for her wedding day, she takes time out to help a girl (Alexa Vega, ‘‘Spy Kids”) who believes that she is being lured into danger by vampires.
◊“Head Case” (9 p.m. on Starz): Tiffani Thiessen (“Good Morning, Miami”) has a session with Dr. Goode in which she suggests she get herself a “gay” to help her with all her life’s issues.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and the team investigate a string of copycat bank robberies and zero in on disgraced FBI Agent Roger Bloom (Henry Winkler, “Happy Days”) as a suspect when they discover he has been studying the files of some of the original bank heists.
◊“Party Down” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): In an attempt to get back at Casey for flirting with another guy, Henry flirts with a woman at a familly and friends party for Ricky, who turns out to be a mobster. Steven Weber (“Wings”) guest stars.
SATURDAY, MAY 9
◊“Ace of Cakes” (8 p.m. on Food Network): When the ABC series “Lost” needs a cake to celebrate its 100th episode, actor Jorge Garcia (“Hurley) calls the bakery to commission a unique cake creation.
◊“Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Host Samantha Brown takes viewers to places she found during her many travels and meets up with local people who make these places so unique.
◊“Saturday Night Live” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Grammy winner Justin Timberlake returns to studio 8H as host. Grammy winner Ciara will be the musical guest, and Timberlake will join her to perform her newest single “Love Sex Magic.”
◊“Talkshow With Spike Feresten” (midnight on Fox): Tulsa natives Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson of the pop trio Hanson perform an acoustic version of their single “Follow My Lead.”
–Penny TV
TV Premieres and Finales
airing April 12-18
"Tracey Ullman's State of the Union" (Showtime Photo)
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 12.
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.
BEGINNINGS
••“National Heads-Up Poker Championship,” 11 a.m. Sunday on NBC (fifth-season premiere).
••“Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union,” 9 p.m. Sunday on Showtime (second-season premiere).
••“Closet Cases,” 9 p.m. Monday on Fine Living Network (series premiere).
••“Doing daVinci,” 9 p.m. Monday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“Escaped,” 9 p.m. Monday on Investigation Discovery (series premiere).
••“College Life,” 9:30 p.m. Monday on MTV (series premiere).
••“Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Travel Channel (third-season premiere).
••“Deadliest Catch,” 8 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (fifth-season premiere).
••“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“Cougar,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on TV Land (series premiere).
••“10 Grand in Your Hand,” 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on DIY Network (series premiere).
••“Pitchmen,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on Discovery (series premiere).
••“Around the World for Free,” 8 p.m. Thursday on WGN (series premiere).
••“Stranger Among Bears,” 9 p.m. Friday on Animal Planet (series premiere).
••“Cultivating Life With Sean Conway,” 11:30 a.m. Saturday on WGN (fourth-season premiere).
••“Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” 9:30 a.m. Saturday on Food Network (second-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels,” 8 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (third-season finale).
••“Saving Grace,” 9 p.m. Monday on TNT (second-season finale).
••“The Beast,” 9 p.m. Thursday on A&E (first-season finale).
