TV Premieres and Finales airing June 7-13
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 7.
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
••“Bridezillas,” 8 p.m. Sunday on WEtv (sixth-season premiere).
••“The Next Food Network Star,” 8 p.m. Sunday on Food Network (fifth-season premiere).
••“Web Soup,” 8 p.m. Sunday on G4 (series premiere).
••“The International Sexy Ladies Show,” 8:30 p.m. Sunday on G4 (series premiere).
••“Amazing Wedding Cakes,” 9 p.m. Sunday on WEtv (second-season premiere).
••“Army Wives,” 9 p.m. Sunday on Lifetime (third-season premiere).
••“Brooke Knows Best,” 9 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (second-season premiere).
••“Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” 9 p.m. Sunday on A&E (fourth-season premiere).
••“How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” 9 p.m. Sunday on BBC America (series premiere).
••“Kendra,” 9 p.m. Sunday on E! (series premiere).
••“Denise Richards: It’s Complicated,” 9:30 p.m. Sunday on E! (series premiere).
••“Z Rock,” 10 p.m. Sunday on IFC (second-season premiere).
••“Ideal,” 10:30 p.m. Sunday on IFC (series premiere).
••“The Closer,” 8 p.m. Monday on TNT (fifth-season premiere).
••“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” 8 p.m. Monday on NBC (NBC premiere).
••“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,” 9 p.m. Monday on Bravo (fifth-season premiere).
••“Raising the Bar,” 9 p.m. Monday on TNT (second-season premiere).
••“Weeds,” 9 p.m. Monday on Showtime (fifth-season premiere).
••“Nurse Jackie,” 9:30 p.m. Monday on Showtime (series premiere).
••“Food Party,” 10:15 p.m. Tuesday on IFC (series premiere).
••“The Wrong Door,” 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on IFC (series premiere).
••“Top Chef Masters,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo (series premiere).
••“She’s Got the Look,” 8 p.m. Thursday on TV Land (second-season premiere).
••“Total Drama Action,” 8 p.m. Thursday on Cartoon Network (series premiere).
••“16 & Pregnant,” 9 p.m. Thursday on MTV (series premiere).
••“Raising Sextuplets,” 9 p.m. Thursday on WEtv (series premiere).
••“20Q,” 7 p.m. Saturday on GSN (series premiere).
••“The Money List,” 8:30 p.m. Saturday on GSN (series premiere).
ENDINGS
••“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery (first-season finale).
••“How to Find a Husband,” 8 p.m. Thursday on Fine Living Network (first-season finale).
••“Pushing Daisies,” 9 p.m. Saturday on ABC (series finale).
Top 55 TV Programs for June 7-13, 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 7:
SUNDAY, JUNE 7
◊“The 63rd Annual Tony Awards” (7 p.m. on CBS: Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) hosts the event live from Radio City Music Hall in New York. The musical “Billy Elliot,” based on the 2000 movie about a coal miner’s son with a passion for ballet, is nominated for 15 awards, tying 2001’s “The Producers” for the record. In the play category, “God of Carnage” has the distinction of having all its cast members nominated for acting honors: James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis.
◊“Amazing Wedding Cakes” (9 p.m. on WEtv): Season 2 takes viewers behind the scenes of seriously high-stakes cakes that are works of art. The series also captures how the bakers dip into new ventures, ranging from opening a new shop with new staff, to working with wealthier clientele, including unpredictable brides that change their minds last minute.
◊“Army Wives” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): In the Season 3 premiere, Frank gets ready lead mission in Iraq that could cause hurt for Denise.
◊“Bridezillas” (8 p.m. on WEtv): Season 6 introduces multiple women who will do anything to make their perfect weddings come true, no matter who they have to run over in the process. The premiere episode focuses on a California bride whose ego is matched only by her violent temper.
◊“Brooke Knows Best” (9 p.m. on VH1): Hulk Hogan’s daughter is back for a second season. While she has broken free from the family nest, she continues to deal with the pressure of adulthood including the advancement of her recording career as well as coping with family drama.
◊“Denise Richards: It’s Complicated” (9:30 p.m. on E!): From reconnecting with old friends to recharging her acting career, to supporting her dad’s new social life, Season 2 of the series will present a fresh look inside the hectic world of Denise Richards (“Starship Troopers”).
◊“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” (9 p.m. on A&E): Former Kiss rocker Gene Simmons and his unconventional family are back for Season 4 of their unscripted series. The 15-episode season kicks off with Sophie’s sweet sixteen party, giving viewers an all access pass to the milestone celebration.
◊“How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” (9 p.m. on BBC America): From all across the United Kingdom, thousands of singers and actresses audition in hopes of becoming Maria in the musical “The Sound of Music.” Graham Norton (“The Graham Norton Show”) visits with auditioners, and sitting at the judges table are Andrew Lloyd Webber (Tony and Grammy-winning composer) and John Barrowman (“Torchwood”).
◊“Ideal” (10:30 p.m. on IFC): British comedian Johnny Vegas stars in this eight-part series about Moz, a small-time dealer who lives in a run-down flat with his long-term girlfriend. Moz is content, but his girlfriend has aspirations for a better life.
◊“The International Sexy Ladies Show” (8:30 p.m. on G4): This new series features women in some of the funniest and most provocative television programming from around the globe with hilarious commentary from popular comedians.
◊“Kendra” (9 p.m. on E!): This new series follows the outrageous antics of the “Girls Next Door” star Kendra Wilkinson as she leaves her pampered world and adjusts to a new life filled with daily domestic duties. However Kendra’s adventures are only just beginning as she is busy planning her June wedding with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett at the Playboy Mansion.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): World War II-era sleuth Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) investigates the murder of a young doctor in the “Foyle’s War” mystery “Broken Souls.” The victim was quite unpopular, so there are plenty of suspects, and Foyle feels a strong empathy for one of them. Sam (Honeysuckle Weeks) helps a friend whose husband, an injured former prisoner of war, has trouble adjusting to changes on the home front.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Television’s most challenging food fight is back for Season 5. Ten hopeful TV chefs will compete for the ultimate dream job: his or her own Food Network show. Iron Chef Bobby Flay leads the selection committee that will decide the winner.
◊“The Sun” (7 p.m. on Discovery): Take a journey to the sun using the latest technology, advances in astronomy and cutting-edge CGI animation. See how the sun was born, exists today and how our world will end when the sun consumes us all.
◊“Web Soup” (8 p.m. on G4): Stand-up comedian Chris Hardwick hosts this new series that offers a fresh look at the best – and worst – moments from the week’s Internet mayhem and presents topical web videos and viral classics with sarcastic tongue-in-cheek commentary.
◊“World’s Tallest Children” (9 p.m. on TLC): What is it like to tower head and shoulders above all of the teachers at your school, let alone your classmates and all of the older kids? Find out whether these vertically challenged kids enjoy being the world’s tallest children.
◊“Yankee Doodle Dandy” (7 p.m. on TCM): James Cagney won his only best actor Oscar for his performance in this 1942 musical. It is the first of 13 films Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”) will present during “TCM Essentials Jr.” airing Sundays in summer. All films are ideal for parents to introduce to their children.
◊“Z Rock” (10 p.m. on IFC): The series loosely based on the real lives of a New York based rock band returns for a second season. Brothers Paulie and David Z. and friend Joey Cassata make up the rock band ZO2 by night and the children’s party band The Z Brothers by day.
MONDAY, JUNE 8
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The installment “The Living Weapon” chronicles the United States’ efforts to create a biological weapons program in the 1940s and ’50s in response to reports that Germany and Japan were developing their own.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): Brenda Johnson, the Los Angeles deputy police chief with the unconventional approach but excellent crime-solving record, is back for another season of cracking tough homicide cases. In the season premiere, she and the squad have their hands full investigating a quadruple murder that may be tied to a case the FBI is involved with.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When the CSIs investigate a murder in Miami’s hippest fashion boutique, Horatio discovers that Julia’s instability has turned her into a ticking bomb. Elizabeth Berkley (“Saved By the Bell”) guest stars.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): It’s Homecoming Week and the Kappa Taus’ team up with the ZBZ to go against IKI and the Omega Chis in the annual float competition. Tim Matheson (“Animal House”) directs this episode filled with homecoming floats fiascos and perilous pranks.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the Season 5 premiere, Kathy Griffin considers offering a bribe in hopes of getting her comedy album nominated for a Grammy. But she doesn’t need to bribe Bette Midler, who wants to give Griffin a cameo in her Las Vegas stage show.
◊“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the NBC premiere, Detectives Goren and Eames enter the steamy world behind the pulpit when a devout celebrity doctor is murdered.
◊“Nurse Jackie” (9:30 p.m. on Showtime): Edie Falco (‘‘The Sopranos”) plays the title character in this new comedy-drama series, a nurse in a busy New York hospital who’s not afraid to lie or bend the rules if she thinks it’s in a patient’s best interests.
◊“Private Screenings: Stanley Donen” (7 p.m. on TCM): He received an honorary Oscar in 1998 for his body of work, but director Stanley Donen never won the Academy Award for any of his films, which included “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Kismet.”
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 2 premiere, Jerry defends a man charged with abetting in the sale of crack.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Jake disappears with the daughter of Charlie’s neighbor, a former NFL player, and Charlie is left to cover his back. Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile”) guest stars.
◊“Weeds” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Following the events of her bombshell announcement, the Season 5 begins as Nancy digs deeper into the drug world and finds comfort in an unlikely family member.
TUESDAY, JUNE 9
◊“Food Party” (10:15 p.m. on IFC): Brooklyn artist Thu Tran hosts this new series shot on location in a technicolor handmade, cardboard kitchen. Each episode features Thu interacting with a cavalcade of puppets, humans, baked goods, vegetables and other critters as they embark on journeys to bizarre, unexpected lands.
◊“Live From Lincoln Center” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Silk Road Ensemble, a multinational group that shares music traditions from around the world, joins cellist Yo-Yo Ma for an outdoor show at the Damrosch Park band shell.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): The team must rely on information from some questionable individuals to stop a criminal bent on stealing government secrets. David Eigenberg (“Sex and the City”) guest stars.
◊“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” (9 p.m. on Discovery): It is the final leg of the group’s journey in Alaska. The snow has fallen, temperatures have plummeted, and they are out of food. The search for signs of civilization has grown ever more important if they want to make it out of the wild.
◊“Starz Inside: The Face Is Familiar” (9 p.m. on Starz): This new documentary features actors and filmmakers discussing the struggles and significance of character actors in Hollywood. Among those starring in the special are Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”), Joan Cusack (“What About Joan”) and Jane Lynch (“Glee”).
◊“Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” (9 p.m. on Style): The show’s 100th episode features wedding planner James Tramondo surprising a Dallas couple with an amazing – and totally free – dream destination wedding in Alaska. But there’s one big catch — they have only 100 hours to plan and pull off their perfect nuptials.
◊“The Wrong Door” (10:30 p.m. on IFC): This new Computer-Generated Imagery
enhanced British sketch comedy series is set in a parallel universe governed by the laws of comedy, not nature, where special effects seen in the movies and on television are part of everyday life.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10
◊“American Masters” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment titled “Neil Young: Don’t Be Denied,” the musical artist uses previously unseen footage from his own archives to trace his long career from his early success with Buffalo Springfield through his stardom with Crosby, Stills and Nash and Crazy Horse to his later forays into new-wave music.
◊“Dollars & Danger: Africa, the Final Investment Frontier” (8 p.m. on CNBC): CNBC correspondent Erin Burnett spent a year traveling to the world’s richest continent to find out why some investors are doubling down. This documentary focuses on Fortune 500 companies putting billions on the line and intrepid investors who say the reward is worth great risk.
◊“Mythbusters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): When hosts Adam and Jamie decide to find out if a sonic shock wave can shatter glass, they bring out the big guns — the Blue Angels. This episode also tests the myth on whether you can bend bullets around obstacles with a side-arm flick.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine agrees to go on a date with a children’s entertainer specializing in reptile parties in order to get Ritchie into the Reptile Club. Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) guest stars as Neil, the lizard guy.
◊“Pitchmen” (9 p.m. on Discovery): One of Billy Mays’ most successful products – the Awesom Auger – was developed by a pitch guy who lost his legs in a plane crash. Billy helped him sell his planting sensation and stay in the pitch game by re-vamping the advertisement.
◊“Top Chef Masters” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In this new twist on the ‘‘Top Chef” formula, 24 world-renowned chefs, including Oklahoma City-born Rick Bayless, are pitted against one another to see who’s the best of the best. In the first six episodes, they compete in groups of four, with each group’s winner advancing to the finals. The winner gets $100,000 for his or her favorite charity.
THURSDAY, JUNE 11
◊“16 & Pregnant” (9 p.m. on MTV): According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, more than 700,000 teenage girls in the U.S. become pregnant each year. This show will take an intimate look inside the lives of pregnant teenagers as they face the challenges that come with being a young parent and dealing with relationships, finance, school and other new responsibilities.
◊“How to Find a Husband” (8 p.m. on Fine Living Network): Sally Gray’s search for a husband forced her to warm up to the concept of dating multiple men at once, and now she’s found at least four men of potential husband quality. But now the problem is that she can’t decide which one she wants to take things further with in the Season 1 finale.
◊“Raising Sextuplets” (9 p.m. on WEtv): On June 11, 2007, Jenny and Bryan Masche became first-time parents…of sextuplets. This new series follows the marathon-running parents as they learn the hard way that no training can prepare you for parenthood with multiples.
◊“She’s Got the Look” (8 p.m. on TV Land): Season 2 returns with supermodel Kim Alexis as host and 10 new finalists – all over the age of 35 – competing to become the next great supermodel. In addition to a contract with Wilhelmina Models Inc., and a photo spread in SELF magazine, this season’s winner will also receive a check for $100,000.
◊“Total Drama Action” (8 p.m. on Cartoon Network): This new animated comedy series follows 14 contestants as they face thrilling challenges on an abandoned film studio backlot. It showcases all the elements of reality TV shows — romances and friendships, scheming and sabotage, death-defying stunts and stomach-curdling challenges — all within larger-than-life elimination competition.
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the death of a former pro surfer-turned park ranger, the team uncovers a shocking connection to another crime. Pro Surfer Brad Gerlach guest stars in this episode directed by Emilio Estevez (“The Breakfast Club”).
◊“Samantha Who?” (8 p.m. on ABC): In an attempt to find new direction in her life, Samantha decides to go to Africa and volunteer to help those in need. Her friends and family are convinced that she’ll chicken out – which she does after discovering the countless vaccinations and obstacles that she would face to make the journey. Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”) guest stars.
◊“Adam Ferrara: Funny as Hell” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central):Join comedian Adam Ferrara as he recalls his first night in jail and discusses the Italian-American medical term for a panic attack.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
◊“20Q” (7 p.m. on GSN): Cat Deeley (“So You Think You Can Dance”) hosts this new game show based on the handheld game that utilizes artificial intelligence to systematically divine a player’s chosen word based upon a series of questions. Contestants must battle each other to guess a mystery word based on a series of clues that help them reveal the answer.
◊“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program showcases rock climbing in Oklahoma City, a Tulsa culinary school for kids, Hinton’s Medicine Rock Ranch and Buffalo’s Selman Ranch.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): While Jack and David embark on a dangerous mission to Gath, King Silas acts quickly to prevent the outbreak of a deadly plague.
◊“The Money List” (8:30 p.m. on GSN): Fred Roggin (“GSN Live”) hosts this new fast-paced, high-suspense game of knowledge and teamwork. Players must quickly assess and trust their partners’ knowledge by predicting how many correct items they can come up with on a designated list.
◊“Pushing Daisies” (9 p.m. on ABC): In the series finale, the Darling Mermaid Darlings come out of retirement when one-half of the synchronized swimming duo The Aquadolls (Nora Dunn, “Three Moons Over Milford,” and Wendie Malick, “Jake in Progress”) meets with an unfortunate end that may have been murder-by-shark.
◊“Special Agent Oso” (5 a.m. on Disney): This four-hour marathon of the animated series for preschools will feature eight episodes, including the premiere of the new episode “The Living Flashlight / Sand Castle Royale” at 7 a.m.
–Penny TV
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
Top 55 TV Programs for May 10-16, 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 10:
SUNDAY, MAY 10
◊“The Amazing Race” (7 p.m. on CBS): The final three teams race from Beijing to Maui for the final leg and the chance to claim the $1 million prize.
◊“America’s Funniest Home Videos” (6 p.m. on ABC): Seven finalists compete for the last $100,000 video prize of the season. Videos include a little boy with a Lego stuck on his tooth; a kid retrieving his basketball from an overly friendly Labrador; a fake lotto ticket prank; friends dumping their roommate in the trash; a little boy who names the presidents and their famous quotes; and do-gooders saving a squirrel stuck in a tree.
◊“Brothers & Sisters” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): When the Walker family reaches out to Tommy, they’re devastated to find that he may be unwilling to accept their help on the third-season finale. Meanwhile, Robert and Kitty reach a crossroads in their marriage that they may not be able to successfully navigate.
◊“Celebrity Apprentice” (7 p.m. on NBC): Live from the Museum of Natural History in New York City, it’s the season finale. The two finalists must choose among former contestants to fill out their new teams. Then Trump reveals the final task: a pre-theatre VIP party for a Cirque du Soleil show.
◊“A Change of Face” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): In the premiere of this three-part series, cameras go into the operating room to follow three accomplished New York City surgeons who dedicate their lives to perfect, save and reconstruct the human face. They operate at the most critical moments, using cutting-edge medical science, working to transform their patients’ faces and lives.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the conclusion of the two-part sixth-season finale, the team intensifies their quest to find the person behind the 2005 slaying of a female cadet. Daniel Baldwin (“Grey Gardens”), Jesse Plemons (“Friday Night Lights”) and Joe Penny (“Jake and the Fatman”) guest star. Pearl Jam songs will be featured throughout the show.
◊“Family Guy” (8 p.m. on Fox): After Peter discovers the writing of Stephen King, he imagines his family and friends in three of King’s most famous works. First, Peter, Quagmire, Cleveland and Joe – as 12-year-olds – travel along a railroad track on a journey of self-discovery narrated by Richard Dreyfuss (guest-voicing as himself). Second, Brian is injured in a bad car crash only to be “rescued” by his “number one fan,” Stewie. Finally, Cleveland and Peter become fast friends in prison.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery! Wallander” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In his first recurring television role, Kenneth Branagh (“Valkyrie”) brings the scruffy Swedish sleuth Kurt Wallander to life for a trio of gritty cases. The three 90-minute whodunits begin with “Sidetracked” and continue with “Firewall” and “One Step Behind” — each adapted from one of Henning Mankell’s international best-selling novels.
◊“The Memory Loss Tapes” (8 p.m. on HBO): This installment of the four-part documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project” captures the devastating experience of memory loss from the point of view of the person with the disease.
◊“Meteorite Men” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): Modern day treasure hunters Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold have travelled the world for years to search as a team for remnants of ancient meteorites. In this special, viewers find the pair in Brenham, Kansas where for more than a century pieces of a large meteorite that fell thousands of years ago have been unearthed.
◊“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” (7 p.m. on HBO): When the agency is hit in a string of break-ins, Grace inspects the damage and reconstructs the crime. Meanwhile, Precious receives an unnerving phone call: Note Mokoti is back in town.
◊“Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” (11 a.m. on Food Network): In her new daytime cooking series, Sandra Lee (“Semi-Home Cooking”) features incredible budget-friendly recipes for every day of the week. To maximize cost-saving success, Sandra shares unique ideas for savvy supermarket shopping, proper pantry stocking and menu price points.
◊“The Simpsons” (7 p.m. on Fox): Marge and Lisa visit the nail salon where they engage in a spirited debate as to whether a woman can be smart, powerful and beautiful all at the same time. To prove their point, they spin four tales of famous women featuring famous Springfield faces: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I, Lisa as Snow White, Marge as Lady Macbeth and Maggie (guest voice Jodie Foster) as the idealistic architect protagonist from Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead.”
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): On February 3, 2009, a massive snowfall followed by melting and refreezing creates horrific driving conditions in Indiana. This sudden burst of snowfall, coupled with impatient driving, leads to what will become the biggest pileup in state history – 35 vehicles strewn across Interstate-69 just outside Indianapolis.
◊“Street Warrior” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): Army sergeant Jack Campbell (Max Martini, “Saving Private Ryan”) returns home from Iraq to visit his brother, who is clinging to life in a coma. Jack discovers that his brother was forced to fight in an underground fight club to replay a gambling debt, and he seeks revenge.
◊“The Unit” (9 p.m. on CBS): On the fourth-season finale, the Unit must locate and diffuse three sets of dirty bombs headed for unknown locations across the United States. Meanwhile, the team prepares for a wedding of one couple and the end of a marriage for another.
MONDAY, MAY 11
◊“24″ (8 p.m. on Fox): Innocent lives remain in the line of fire as this day draws to a close. Jack is faced with an unthinkable situation while his imperiled daughter (Elisha Cuthbert, (“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”), gets involved.
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 2 finale, Penny is conflicted when Leonard and his friends decide to spend the summer working at the North Pole.
◊“Castle” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 1 finale, Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a missing plastic surgeon who is found dead in the front seat of his car after a week of being parked curbside. As they delve into the twisted world of surgery obsessed patients and secret operations, Castle experiences a fatherly rite of passage as Alexis attends her first prom.
◊“Charm School With Ricki Lake” (8 p.m. on VH1): Host Ricki Lake (“Hairspray”) faces the challenging task of transforming thye outrageous women from “Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels” and “Real Chance of Love” into selfless angels through various acts of charity. The women will have to take on real responsibilities with non-profit organizations and contribute their time to a different charity each week.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): The CSIs investigate the case of a man boiled alive, Julia spirals out of control, and one of the team’s darkest secrets comes to light. Elizabeth Berkley (“The L Word”) guest stars.
◊“Gossip Girl” (7 p.m. on CW): This flashback episode introduces characters for a spin-off series involving the mother of Serena before she became a mom. Brittany Snow (“American Dream”) plays Lily Rhodes as a 17-year-old Valley Girl in the 1980s. The episode also features a performance by No Doubt.
◊“Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” (6:30 p.m. on HBO): This installment of the four-part documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project” was inspired by Maria Shriver’s children’s book “What’s Happening to Grandpa? and her own experience with her father, Sargent Shriver, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. She provides commentary and guidance in five lessons that offer advice on how grandchildren can cope with the experiences of having loved ones with the disease.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Cappie and the Kappa Tau’s scramble to return a stash of stolen goods from around the campus after an Omega Chi pledge breaks in and discovers the stockpile. Helen Slater (“Smallville”) guest stars as Dr. Stephanopoulos.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the season finale, House and the team take on a case of mind over matter as a patient’s right and left brain struggle for dominance. Meanwhile, when House refuses to make an appearance in the clinic, Cuddy takes an unconventional approach to force House to make up the time with a particular patient (Carl Reiner, “Ocean’s Thirteen”).
◊“Hubble Live: The Final Mission” (12:30 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): The network will air live coverage of the Space Shuttle Atlantis launch. This is the fourth and final mission to repair the Hubble telescope.
◊“Inside the Actors Studio” (6 p.m. on Bravo): Emmy and Golden Globe winner Danny DeVito (‘‘Taxi”) chats with host James Lipton about the production company (Jersey Films) he founded with wife Rhea Perlman (‘‘Cheers”), as well as his string of comedy successes that include his role in the FX sitcom ‘‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on NBC): Allison is distraught about the contract she signed at her new job which forbids her from sharing her dreams with anyone outside the company. Tracy Pollan ((“Natalee Holloway”) and David Morse (“Hack”) guest star.
◊“Momentum in Science” (7 p.m. on HBO): This installment of the four-part documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project” takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, revealing some of the most cutting-edge research advances.
◊“Ni Hao, Kai-Lan” (10 a.m. on Nickelodeon): Back for Season 2, this animated preschool series will take preschoolers on interactive adventures with Kai-lan and her friends as they learn new Chinese words and phrases. This season will also focus on more complex social emotional issues like hitting and separation anxiety, providing lessons to preschoolers on how to better express and deal with their feelings.
◊“Nursery University” (6:30 p.m. on Showtime): The new special explores current-day New York City where a post 9-11 baby boom has turned the pre-school admissions process into a blood sport. With more than 20 applicants for every available spot, parents exhaust contacts and bank accounts to secure application forms.
◊“One Tree Hil” (8 p.m. on CW): Peyton and Lucas’ wedding day has finally arrived and surprise guests attend.Haley plays an unexpected role in the ceremony while Nathan hopes to be called up to the NBA. Nick Lachey (“Charmed”) guest stars.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): While on a double date with Brad and his partner Jackie, Jeff gets annoyed when Jackie helps himself to his meal. Not wanting to hurt Jackie’s feelings, Audrey demands Jeff keep quiet about the incident. Sam Harris (“The Class”) returns as Brad’s Partner, Jackie.
◊“Weaponizers” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This new series combines creativity, military-like strategy and engineering as two teams of master builders — dubbed “Weaponizers” — turn ordinary vehicles into remote-controlled machines of destruction. Once all testing is complete, the teams command their vehicles for the two-round competition.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (noon on KOCB-34): Samantha Harris (“Dancing With the Stars”) will sit in as celebrity guest host this week. The host chair has been helmed by Meredith Vieira since the show’s syndication launch in 2002.
TUESDAY, MAY 12
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): West Beverly High School’s Hollywood-themed prom is full of surprises, but first Harry warns his students that any non-school sponsored parties after the prom will be met with serious consequences. The episode features a performance by The Veronicas.
◊“According to Jim” (7 p.m. on ABC): Jim uses his passion for sports to connect with son Kyle. But sports-challenged Kyle identifies more with fellow sci-fi nerd Andy, forcing a reluctant Jim to dress up as a Cyclops at a sci-fi convention in order to win his son back. William “Refrigerator” Perry (former Chicago Bears player) guest stars.
◊“American Idol” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the show’s 300th episode, the top three finalists from Season 8 take the stage for a live performance. Tune in to see who impresses the judges and who buckles under the pressure.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): In the live finale, all of the Season 7 contestants return for a special reunion and a chance to weigh in one last time. One of the three finalists will be named the biggest loser and win $250,000.
◊“Caregivers” (6 p.m. on HBO): This installment of the four-part documentary series “The Alzheimer’s Project” is a collection of five family portraits that illustrate caring for different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Each highlights the sacrifices, struggles and successes made by those experiencing their loved ones’ descent into dementia.
◊“Cupid” (9 p.m. on ABC): Trevor aims his Cupid love arrow toward Jack, a radio disc jockey with a love for classic rock n’ roll, and one of his listeners, a single mom named Sarah. On the couple’s first date, Jack and Trevor arrange a performance by Robert Harrison, the lead singer from the indie band Future Clouds and Radar.
“Fringe” (8:04 p.m. on Fox): Setting the stage for the Season 1 finale are a sudden and unexpected attack on someone with close ties to Fringe Division, the return of bioterrorist David Robert Jones and the disappearance of Walter. Find out more about the mysterious events surrounding our trio when questions are answered, observations made, loyalties are tested and the elusive William Bell (Leonard Nimoy, “Star Trek”) is finally introduced.
“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment titled “The Madoff Affair” unravels the complicated story of the world’s first global Ponzi scheme, a scam orchestrated by Bernard Madoff that began in the 1960s when he tapped money from Jewish businessmen with promises of steady returns on their investments. Despite repeated Securities and Exchange Commission investigations, Madoff kept running his scam until December, when he admitted it was all ‘‘one big lie.”
“Invention Nation” (9 p.m. on Planet Green, channel 102 on Cox Digital Cable, 194 on Dish Network, 286 on DirecTV, 465 on U-verse): Hosts Micah Donovan, Christopher Martin and Nobu Adilman drive their vegtable oil-powered bus across the U.S. in a quest to uncover earth-friendly inventions. Back-to-back premiere episodes are titled “Deep Fried Diesel” and “Human Powered.”
“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): After a security breach at the SecNav’s residence leads to the death of an ICE agent, Gibbs and the team are forced to work with ICE and the FBI to find his killer. Joe Spano (“NYPD Blue”) guest stars as senior FBI agent T.C. Fornell.
“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (10 p.m. on Bravo): In this new entry in the “Housewives” franchise, three of the five women are related by blood or marriage. While family remains a priority for each of these women, their shopping, decorating, dating and even fighting are all over-the-top.
TCM Birthday Tribute: Katharine Hepburn was born on this day in 1907, and TCM celebrates by airing six of her films, including 1938′s “Holiday” (8:45 a.m.) and 1956′s “The Rainmaker” (2:15 p.m.).
“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Jack grudgingly agrees to search for Hannah’s boyfriend, who disappears after he runs away from Chicago to be with her in New York. Series star Eric Close (Martin Fitzgerald) directed this episode.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
◊“America’s Next Top Model (7 p.m. on CW): In the 12th-season finale, the two finalists shoot their Seventeen magazine cover, then show the judges their fiercest moves when they crawl down the final runway. Upon announcing America’s Next Top Model, Tyra and the winner celebrate the moment with a photo shoot.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Stella discovers that New Yorkers are being murdered over ancient Greek artifacts, she hands over her badge to follow a clue that leads to Greece and, together with Mac, she uncovers one of the greatest mysteries in history. Series star Melina Kanakaredes (Stella) wrote the episode.
◊“Lie to Me” (7 p.m. on Fox): After a terrorist bombing outside of Washington, DC, FBI Agent Ben Reynolds (Mekhi Phifer, “ER”) calls on The Lightman Group to help identify those responsible and prevent more attacks. Zoe (Jennifer Beals, “The L Word”) helps Lightman with the investigation, and both are concerned about their daughter’s safety.
◊“Lost” (8 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 5 finale, Jack’s decision to put a plan in action in order to set things right on the island is met with some strong resistance by those close to him.
◊“Make Me a Supermodel” (9 p.m. on Bravo): The remaining models display items from Grammy Award-winning music producer Dallas Austin’s Rowdy fashion line and take part in a photo shoot with Patrik Andersson. Then they struggle through a catwalk elimination challenge that they must negotiate on wheels.
◊“One Life to Live” (1 p.m. on ABC): The Pussycat Dolls will perform their hit single, the English version of A. R. Rahman’s Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho” (“You Are My Destiny”), during the Llanview High School prom. Additionally, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger will act in scenes with Eddie Alderson (Matthew Buchanan).
◊“Rapper Wives: True Hollywood Story” (9 p.m. on E!): This special features new interviews and intimate access to women who’ve been front and center in the sexy and sometimes scandalous lives of hip hop artists DMX, Mos Def, Paul Wall, Luke Campbell and the late Big Pun.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (7 p.m. on CBS): After learning that his marriage is in trouble, Audrey agrees to allow their friend Steve (Tony Hale, “Arrested Development”) stay with her and Jeff. However, she soon regrets her decision after discovering Steve enjoys giving “inappropriate” hugs.
◊“Wa$ted” (8:30 p.m. on Planet Green, channel 102 on Cox Digital Cable, 194 on Dish Network, 286 on DirecTV, 465 on U-verse): Annabelle Gurwitch (“Pollock”) returns to host a second season of this show that take the average household full of eco-horros and turns it into a clean, green haven that saves participants cash in the process.
◊“World War II: Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Pragmatism prevailed in secret meetings held by Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during World War II, with each leader negotiating for the economic and political interests of his country. Historian Laurence Rees chronicles the unknown story of Stalin’s backroom dealings with both the Nazis and the Allies in the new episode ‘‘Cracks in the Alliance.”
THURSDAY, MAY 14
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Liz enjoys new found fame as a relationship expert. Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”), Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) and Clay Aiken (“American Idol”) guest star.
◊“Being Erica” (9 p.m. on SoapNet): On the Season 1 finale, Erica must face the death of her only brother, whom she lost without warning. Dr. Tom sends her back to the night of his death for one last chance to say goodbye. But Erica does the unthinkable, leading to a surprise ending that will change the fate of her and everyone around her forever.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Nearly everyone is a suspect when a corpse is discovered at a popular nightclub called The Lab in the season finale, ‘‘The End in the Beginning.” Former series regular Eric Millegan reprises his role as Dr. Zack Addy; Motley Crue, Ryan O’Neal and Brendan Fehr also guest star.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 9 finale, a cache of missing chips from a closed down casino turn up in Vegas and a string of murders follow. That leads Langston to use deadly force for the first time in his career as a CSI. Gerald McRaney (“Jericho”) and Cynthia Watros (“Lost”) guest star.
◊“CSI: NY” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): When transferring Robert Dunbrook’s son (Thad Luckinbill, “The Young and the Restless”) from prison to court, the NYPD is ambushed by a group of professional kidnappers who kill a member of the team. Also guest starring in the Season 5 finale are Craig T. Nelson (“Coach”) and recording artist Nelly.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): After soending time with a fellow cancer paient, Izzie contemplates whether or not to move forward with a risky surgery. In the second part of the Season 5 finale, George delivers stunning news to Bailey, sending shockwaves throughout the hospital.
◊“Hell’s Kitchen” (8 p.m. on Fox): Chef Ramsay offers the final two chefs some encouraging words of advice before they go head-to-head in the final dinner service. Creativity, consistency, determination and patience are key ingredients both chefs need in order to win and receive a head chef position at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J.
◊“My Name is Earl” (7 p.m. on NBC): When Dodge tells Joy he doesn’t want Darnell ro speak at career day, she enlists Earl to pretend to be his father. Norman MacDonald (“Saturday Night Live”) guest stars.
◊“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): On the Season 8 finale, Oliver tells Clark he must kill Davis, as Doomsday is a serious threat and must be stopped at all costs. However, Clark struggles with taking a human life, so the Green Arrow and his team decide to take matters into their own hands.
◊“Stateline: The People” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on Oklahoma efforts to preserve American Indian traditions, languages and sacred places.
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW ): The apocalypse is coming, and Sam and Dean prepare for the fight in very different ways in the Season 4 finale. Sam joins Ruby on a final run to kill Lilith, while Castiel and Zachariah tell Dean it’s time to play his part in stopping Lucifer.
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Betty teams with Matt and Marc for their all-important final YETI project, a photo shoot with Grammy winner Adele. But Matt’s slacking off could jeopardize everything they’ve worked for. Christine Baranski ((“Happy Family”) guest stars.
FRIDAY, MAY 15
◊“America’s Funniest Home Videos” (7 p.m. on ABC): This season’s three $100,000 video winners compete for the grand prize in the Season 19 finale. The winner of this year’s best video will receive a membership in Disney Vacation Club and enjoy a choice of vacations from hundreds of destinations around the world every year for 50 years.
◊“Don’t Tell the Bride” (7 p.m. on BBC America): This new series gives $20,000 to 12 cash-strapped couples to create the wedding of their dreams. But here’s the catch—the couple are spilt up for the month leading up to the nuptials, and the groom has to pull off the whole thing in secret. The bride will see the invitations when they come in the mail, the dress hours before she wears it up the aisle and the reception venue and meal when she arrives with the rest of her guests.
◊“The Game” (7 p.m. on CW): In the Season 3 finale, Melanie decides she wants to get married to Derwin right away before the baby arrives, even if it means giving up her dream wedding.
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): Melinda worries for her unborn child when she experiences a visit from a ghost on the Season 4 finale.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Amita is abducted, Don and the team’s frantic search for her leads them to a charismatic sociopath, but it is up to Charlie to discover what the suspect’s bizarre plans for her are on the Season 5 finale. Lou Diamond Phillips (“La Bamba”) and James Callis (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest star.
◊“Party Down” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): Ron forces the team to work his 20-year high school reunion in hopes of proving that he is not the irresponsible party animal he was back then. Jennifer Coolidge (“Legally Blonde”) guest stars.
◊“Prison Break” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the two-hour series finale, familiar faces return to help Michael with his last shot at getting Scylla in the proper hands and dismantling The Company once and for all.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Joseph Cotton was born on this day in 1905, and TCM celebrates by airing four of his films, including 1943′s “Shadown of a Doubt” (8:15 a.m.) and 1949′s “The Third Man” (9:45 a.m.).
SATURDAY, MAY 16
◊“Jim Jefferies” (9 p.m. on HBO): Starring in his first HBO solo special, this rising stand-up star unleashes his outrageous brand of comedy.
◊“MADtv” (10 p.m. on Fox): Fred Willard (“Back to You”) returns to bid a final farewell to the series by hosting “MADtv Gives Back.” Alumni Alex Borstein, Mo Collins, Will Sasso and Debra Wilson Skelton return to recreate their notable MADtv characters as the show takes a look back at the fan-favorite sketches that put this side-splitting sketch comedy series on the map on the series finale.
◊“Talkshow With Spike Feresten” (11 p.m. on Fox): Comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim of “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” visit Spike for late-night parodies and laughs on the show’s season finale.
◊“Beverly Hills Groomer” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This spinoff from “Groomer Has It” documents the trials and tribulations of 2008 groomer of the year Artist Knox as he recruits furry and fabulous clients, raises funds to open his own shop, balances the demands of being a single father and hopes to beat the odds of becoming a business success.
◊“Primeval” (8 p.m. on BBC America): In the Season 3 opener, Nick Cutter is still reeling from Stephen’s death and the extent of his wife Helen’s betrayal. As he fights to re-focus his embattled team, the anomalies continue to present an unrelenting series of threats.
◊“Saturday Night Live” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Will Ferrell, an “SNL” cast member for seven seasons, returns as a second-time host of the show for the season finale. Green Day will make their third appearance as “SNL” musical guest.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for April 26-May 2, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of April 26:
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team reopens a 1963 murder case of a nomadic pool hustler when the long-hidden murder weapon is found during the renovation of a pool hall where the victim played days before his death. Eion Bailey (“Band of Brothers”) guest stars.
◊“Daisy of Love” (8 p.m. on VH1): In this new series, Daisy De a Hoya, runner-up on “Rock of Love 2,” kicks off a quest for true love, She will have 20 men vying for her love and competing to win her heart.
◊“Guy’s Big Bite” (10 a.m. on Food Network): In the Season 6 premiere, Guy Fieri fires up the oven for a special pizza night at home. He whips up a refreshing salad and shares recipes for two flavor-packed pizza pies.
◊“Journey to the End of the World” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): Lester Holt (“Weekend Today”) narrates this special that documents the 2006 TARA Expedition that took a small band of scientists to the North Pole in dead of winter. Includes are CGI sequences depicting the world at the height of the last ice age 20,000 years ago when one-third of the planet was an ice ball.
◊“Last Cake Standing” (7 p.m. on Food Network): The final three competitors endure a 24-hour cake-making marathon.
Strategy, endurance and skills are tested and one talented cake artist is crowned the winner and gets $50,000.
◊“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (8 p.m. on USA Network): Jeff Golblum joins the cast as Det. Zack Nichols. In his first case, he teams up with Det. Megan Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson) to investigate the stabbing of an artist in a neighborhood rife with ethnic tensions.
◊“Leader of the Pack” (7 p.m. on HGTV): This new series will follow the trials and tribulations of a family in search for the perfect pet. Eight canines are in the running, and through a series of challenges, the family must decide whether a dog stays or moves on to another loving home.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): A back country ski trip at Mount Nemesis turns to tragedy when two skiers get caught in an avalanche in 2004. A rescue is performed by a helicopter crew flying in heavy snowfall and landing under circumstances so dangerous that it was uncertain if the helicopter could even lift off again.
◊“Tuba U: Basso Profundo” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This special follows an unusual 22-piece musical ensemble into the recording studio, across the U.S. and onto the stage of Carnegie Hall.
◊“TV Land Awards ’09” (7 p.m. on TV Land): Neil Patrick Harris hosts the seventh annual event that celebrates the best and the brightest from television history. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) will receive the Legacy of Laughter Award, while “Magnum P.I.” gets the Hero Award.
MONDAY, APRIL 27
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment titled ‘‘Trail of Tears” chronicles the 1838 forced march of thousands of Cherokee from their homes in the southeastern United States to eastern Oklahoma. More than 4,000 Indians died of disease and starvation along the way. Oklahoma born actor Wes Studi, a Cherokee, portrays Major Ridge.
◊“Animal Cops: Philadelphia” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This special episode revisits a puppy mill that was raided in summer 2008. It follows the fate of the kennel owner and the dogs that were rescued.
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): Leonard and Koothrappali take a heartbroken Wolowitz to Las Vegas, leaving Sheldon locked out of his apartment and forced to bunk with Penny. Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (“Prison Break”) guest stars.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 2 finale, Chuck must save his sister’s wdding and her life. Morgan Fairchild (“Falcon’s Crest”) and Bruce Boxleitner (“Babylon 5″) guest star.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a reality star is murdered, the CSIs delve into the scandalous, sexy world of a TV dating show. Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Kelly Overton (“The Ring Two”) guest star.
◊“For the Love of Ray J Reunion Show” (9 p.m. on VH1): Tune in to see the eliminated women give Ray J (and each other) a piece of their mind.
◊“Gossip Girl” (7 p.m. on CW): Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg, “17 Again”) returns to the Upper East Side after undergoing a major transformation. Chuck and Nate find themselves at a major crossroads in their relationship as it pertains to their mutual interest in Blair.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): When Frannie challenges the sisterhood of ZBZ girls, Casey retaliates by challenging the IKI’s to a game of dodgeball. Andrew J. West (“Rockville, CA”) guest stars.
◊“Heroes” (8 p.m. on NBC): As Volume 4: Fugitives comes to a close, the fight to stop Sylar has consequences that will change everything. Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) guest stars.
◊“Nightly Business Report” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): The news program concludes its three-part series titled “Native American Entrepreneurs” with a profile of the Oklahoma City-based Bank2, which is owned by the Chickasaw Tribe. Bank2 is focusing on the lending needs of the nation’s American Indian population, as well as the housing shortage that exists on many reservations.
◊“One Tree Hill” (8 p.m. on CW): Nathan questions his dreams of playing in the NBA while Haley receives an unexpected offer from Nick Lachey (“Charmed”).
◊“Pros vs. Joes: All Stars” (10 p.m. on SPIKE): The roster of pros for Season 4 includes gridiron greats Tim Brown, Simeon Rice, Priest Holmes, Adam Jones, Steve McNair and Rich Gannon and hardwood heroes Alonzo Mourning, Robert Horry, Antoine Walker, Shawn Kemp, Eddie Jones and Ron Harper.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Chelsea sets Alan up on a blind date with her new friend, who happens to be former Charlie-stalking neighbor Rose (Melanie Lynskey, reprising her former role).
◊“Wow! Wow! Wubbzy” (9 a.m. on Nickelodeon): Beyonce Knowles (“Obsessed”) guest stars as the voice of Shine, the lead singer of the Wubb Girlz. The four music-filled “Wubb Girlz” episodes, airing today through Thursday, will feature a new original song composed and performed by Knowles titled “Sing a Song.”
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
◊“According to Jim” (7:30 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 as the doctor.
◊“Dallas DNA” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new series chronicles a pioneering unit within the Dallas County District Attorney’s office where post-conviction DNA testing is being used to clear the innocent and confirm the guilty.
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This year, hundreds of thousands of prisoners with serious mental illnesses will be released into communities across America. This new report tited “The Released” looks at what happens when to the mentally ill when they leave prison and why they return at such alarming rates.
◊“Homestretch: Racehorse Rescue” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This new special documents the fates of losing race horses and the lifesaving rehabilitation they can share with prisoners on their way back to society.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): A young child goes missing and her young mother is the prime suspect. Hilary Duff (“A Cinderella Story”) and Gail O’Grady (“Living Out Loud”) guest star.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): The body of a Marine leads Gibbs and McGee to the NCIS division in Los Angeles, where a murder investigation quickly climbs to a matter of national security in which the two offices must work together to resolve. Peter Cambor (“Notes From The Underbelly”), LL Cool J (Grammy winner) and Chris O’Donnell (“Grey’s Anatomy”) guest star.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team searches for a missing journalist who recently graduated from reporting celebrity gossip to writing hard-hitting exposés for an on-line magazine and question whether the subject of one of her stories is to blame for her disappearance. Nicholle Tom (“The Nanny”) guest stars.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Lionel Barrymore was born on this day in 1878, and TCM celebrates by airing nine of his films, including 1933′s “One Man’s Journey” (6:30 a.m.) and 1944′s “Between Two Women” (4 p.m.).
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
◊“Better Off Ted” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): In the season finale, Veronica comes up with some novel ways for Veridian to boost employee morale when a survey reveals they’re miserable. But since the survey also showed that she’s too intimidating, she’s got to work on being more likable.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): When the team is sent a videotape from a serial killer detailing one of his crimes, they discover a hidden message asking them to help him stop his murderous ways. Alex O’Laughlin (“Moonlight”) guest stars.
◊“Cry For Help” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This special features first-person stories from adolescents who are confronting depression, anxiety and mental illness. It also explores treatments, mental health testing and community healing programs to give parents and educators a basis for recognizing the warning signs of teens in trouble.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): The most exclusive jewelry auction of the year ends abruptly when an appraiser is killed during the event. The investigation takes an emotional turn when the CSIs must confront one of the greatest tragedies in human history — the Holocaust. Edward Asner (“Mary Tyler Moore”) guest stars.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): Join the TAPS team as they travel to they travel to Newark, NJ, to investigate the Essex County Sanitorium and Hospital. After a century of use, the facility was abandoned in the 1990’s, and many wonder if the spirits of forgotten patients still roam the labyrinth of underground tunnels connecting the buildings.
◊“Lost” (8 p.m. on ABC): In the show’s 100th episode, the time of reckoning has begun when Daniel Faraday comes clean regarding what he knows about the island.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (7 p.m. on CBS): After learning that his marriage is in trouble, Audrey agrees to allow their friend Steve stay with her and Jeff. However, she soon regrets her decision after discovering Steve enjoys giving “inappropriate” hugs. Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”) guest stars as Steve, Audrey and Jeff’s friend who is going through a difficult divorce.
◊“Scrubs” (7 p.m. on ABC): Series star Zach Braff (Dr. J.D. Dorian) directed this episode, in which J.D. considers taking a new job so he can live closer to his son and Kim (Elizabeth Banks, “W.”), Turk begins his new role as chief of surgery, and Ted and Gooch take their relationship to the next level.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Oklahoma State in college softball action airing live at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
◊“Ask a Lawyer” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): In conjunction with the national celebration of Law Day, Oklahoma lawyers will take calls from viewers and offer free legal advice. The number to call during the show is 1-800-456-8525.
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Tracy and Liz stop receiving preferential treatment and experience the reality of what it means to be each other’s equal. Elaine Stritch (“One Life to Live”) and Steve Buscemi (“Fargo”) guest star.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): When a human body is found inside the strung up Otter mascot uniform of a rival school, Brennan and Booth investigate whether the body inside the costume was dead beforehand, or killed during a Middlesex University bonfire event. Meanwhile, Booth offers to help his brother Jared (Brendan Fehr, “Roswell”) find a new job after being dishonorably discharged from the Navy.
◊“Forbes 15 Hot Hollywood Moms” (9 p.m. on E!): From Oscar-winners to television tycoons to music moguls and models, these successful women are anything but matronly. With commentary from the folks at Forbes, plus interviews with the professionals who are hired by the stars, the special explores how much these moms are making, how they made it big and how they are spending those hard-earned dollars.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): As preparations continue for Meredith and Derek’s wedding, Izzie receives a surprise hospital visit from her handful-of-a-mother, Robbie (Sharon Lawrence, “NYPD Blue”).
◊“My Name Is Earl” (7 p.m. on NBC): A news show, “Inside Probe,” comes to Camden to investigate a missing person’s case in which Earl and Randy are the prime suspects. Geraldo Rivera (“Geraldo at Large”) and Michael Waltrip (NASCAR driver) guest star.
◊“Private Practice” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): As Violet chooses between Pete and Sheldon, a grief-stricken patient poses a danger to her in the Season 2 finale. Josh Hopkins (“Swingtown”) and Amanda Detmer (“What About Brian”) guest star.
◊“Run for the Roses: The Kentucky Derby and the Business of Horse Racing” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This new special examines the history, the champion horses, the owners, trainers and jockeys who have been a part of and turned Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby into American Icons.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Eve Arden was born on this day in 1908, and TCM celebrates by airing eight of her films, including 1941′s “Whistling in the Dark” (8:15 a.m.) and 1946′s “My Reputation” (3 p.m.).
FRIDAY, MAY 1
◊“Dollhouse” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Ballard’s investigation leads him to the agoraphobic designer of the Dollhouse (Alan Tudyk, “Firefly”), and the story of “Sleeping Beauty” foreshadows Echo’s future, while allowing her to help a young girl deal with her traumatic past.
◊“The Fairly OddParents: Wishology” (7 p.m. on Nickelodon): This new three-part movie, airing over the next three Fridays, pays homage to blockbuster Hollywood films by parodying classic such as “The Matrix,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars.” Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy”) provides the voice of Turbo Thunder, a trained warrior.
◊“Ladette to Lady” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Season 3 welcomes eight new ladettes — hard-partying, hedonistic and often ill-behaved young women to Eggleston Hall, a former 1950’s finishing school. After five intensive weeks of gourmet cooking, grooming, elocution, flower arranging and side-saddle horse riding, one ladette will be deemed as “lady” in a graduation ceremony with some of Britain’s aristocrats present.
◊“Ladies First: Bravo at the Kentucky Derby” (4 p.m. on Bravo): This special will feature the food, fashion and celebrity experience associated with Kentucky Oaks 135, as well as live coverage of the Derby’s sister race, the Kentucky Oaks.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Still feeling responsible for Don’s near-fatal stabbing, Charlie puts his focus into tracking down an unnoticed serial killer in the show’s 100th episode. John Rubinstein (“Desperate Housewives”) guest stars as Gene Evans, an amateur sleuth who helps Charlie’s investigation.
◊“Paul Rodriguez & Friends: Comedy Rehab” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Join Latino comedian Paul Rodriguez and his comedy cronies Shayla Rivera, Gene Pompa and Manny Maldonado for a night of muy caliente stand-up.
◊“Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded” (8 p.m. on Cartoon Network): All 22 episodes from Season 1 of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” have been enhanced with text boxes and other content from Lucasfilm Animation for a second run of the series. It will occupy this time period until Season 2 of the show begins in fall.
◊“Supernanny” (8 p.m. on ABC): The Season 4 finale features the Krolikowski family. Shannon and John both have high profile jobs at a large church, but their home is a far cry from a peaceful sanctuary with all four of their children fighting with each other frequently.
◊“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): The show kicks off its 2009 Toyota Concert Series with a comeback performance by No Doubt. It will be the Grammy Award-winning rock band’s first concert together in five years.
◊“Wife Swap” (7 p.m. on ABC): On the Season 5 finale, young parents who celebrate Halloween year-round swap lives with older parents who believe in strict, traditional values.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
◊“Jonas” (7 p.m. on Disney): This new series starring brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas (“Camp Rock”) follows the fictional Lucas Brothers through unexpected and unpredictable situations that confront these superstars as they try to live ordinary lives. The series features original Jonas Brothers songs created especially for the show.
◊“Living Out Loud” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Gail O’Grady (“American Dreams”) stars as a high school chorus teacher who is all about helping others achieve their goals. But a visit to the doctor throws her for a loop when she is diagnosed with breast cancer.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for
April 12-18, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of April 12:
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
◊The 17th Annual Trumpet Awards (7 p.m. on TV One): Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”) and Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) co-host the event honoring black achievement in fields such as law, religion, politics, public service, sports and entertainment. This year’s honorees include Raven-Symonè (“That’s So Raven”), Earvin “Magic” Johnson (former NBA player) and Pastor Paula White.
◊“Bear Attack!” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In a six-week time period, three people were mauled by a bear near Anchorage, and many more Alaskans have had dangerously close bear encounters. Using forensics, technology, and even DNA analysis, researchers launch an investigation into these incidents.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): Series star Danny Pino (Scotty Valens) co-wrote this episode in which the team investigates the murder of a former Cuban baseball star who escaped to the U.S. to provide for his family after the Cuban government fired him for talking to a U.S. sports agent.
◊“Dirty Jobs” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Mike Rowe travels to Big Lake, Alaska, and pays a visit to Happy Trails Kennels to discover what it takes to breed and train Alaskan Huskies for sled dog work. He takes on the daily task of cleaning the dogs’ living area and feeding them with a special blend of ground meat and hot water. He then hits the trail to learn the art of sled dog mushing.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The team fulfills the dying wish of a father who wanted to provide a safe home for his wife and their special-needs children adopted from China. Gammy-winning singer Stevie Wonder performs a private concert for the family at their new home.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): Judgment Day arrives and David fights to get his brother’s case heard before King Silas. Macaulay Culkin (“Party Monster”) guest stars as the king and queen’s nephew, who returns to the kingdom after years in exile.
◊“National Heads-Up Poker Championship” (11 a.m. on NBC): The fifth annual event, which was taped at the Caesars Palace Poker Room March-6-8, features 64 top poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of No Limit Texas Hold’em) matches to determine the best heads-up poker player in the world. Annie Duke (“The Celebrity Apprentice”) and Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) are paired off in the tournament’s first round.
◊“Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels” (8 p.m. on VH1): It’s down to the final two women on the season finale. Each will let their guard down and open their hearts to Bret during some romantic time in the Dominican Republic.
◊“Sonny With Chance” (7 p.m. on Disney): Sonny is asked on a date by suave “MacKenzie Falls” guest star James Conroy (Kelly Blatz, “Aaron Stone”), who also happens to be Tawni’s ex-boyfriend. Once James reveals his true colors, Sonny and Tawni enlist Chad to help turn the tables on James.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): An unrelenting spate of thunderstorms blankets the majestic Havasupai region of the Grand Canyon for three days last August. As Brian Codde and eight of his friends sleep at their campsite, waters rise from a flooded dam. They are at grave risk of being swept over the nearby 200 ft waterfall, or being trapped in a deep canyon with no way out.
◊“Witch Hunt” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): Sean Penn (“Milk”) narrates this documentary film that tells the story of dozens of parents in Bakersfield, Calif., who were falsely accused and convicted of child molestation in 1984. Almost all of the children now say they were coerced to lie about their parents. Subsequently, their parents served anywhere from six to twenty years in prison, with the last person acquitted in 2004.
◊“World’s Funniest Office Commercials” (7 p.m. on TBS): Mike O’Malley (“Yes, Dear”) hosts this new special that highlights the best workplace ads. Among the office mayhem featured are Bud Light’s “Swear Jar” (United States), Cadbury’s “Reply All” (Canada) and Mikado’s “Copier” (France).
MONDAY, APRIL 13
◊“24″ (8 p.m. on Fox): Jack Bauer endures the elements and fights on to prevent an attack that could change the country forever. Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert, (“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”), who was last seen in Season 5, returns.
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Benjamin Bratt (“The Cleaner”) narrates the five-part installment “We Shall Remain” that spans some 300 years to chronicle key moments in American history from an American Indian perspective. A companion OETA documentary focusing on Oklahoma’s native history is scheduled to premiere in May.
◊“Artic Roughnecks” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This special focuses on Alaska’s all-terrain vehicle, the CATCO, and the hardworking crew as they brave blizzards, white-out conditions and extreme temperatures to deliver fuel, freight and equipment in the farthest reaches of the Alaskan North.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): After Chuck’s father (Scott Bakula, “Quantum Leap”) is kidnapped by Fulcrum, Chuck learns the only chance he has to find him is by putting his trust into the hands of his ex-girlfriend (Jordana Brewster, “The Fast and the Furious”).
◊“Closet Cases” (9 p.m. on Fine Living Network): In this new series, “Style Guy” spokesperson Lloyd Boston will lend practical fashion advice to the wardrobe challenged, helping both men and women revitalize their closets to help them rediscover their most stylish selves. He will explain how to shop smart, combine outfits and do more with less.
◊“College Life” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This new series follows students as a Big Ten University in Madison, Wisc., as they embark on their freshman year of school and document their stories with a video camera in hand.
◊“Confessions of a Superhero” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This new documentary chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): A murder case involving extreme plastic surgery leads Horatio to Ron Saris, who is alive and seeking revenge on Julia (Elizabeth Berkley, “The L Word”).
◊“Doing daVinci” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series puts a modern twist on the classics, taking viewers through the build process to determine whether Leonardo daVinci’s designs can be constructed to function as he had envisioned. Using materials only available in daVinci’s time, the team works each week to construct his inventions — from a futuristic armored tank to a towering three-story siege ladder to a scythe chariot -– to determine how realistic each design really is.
◊“Escaped” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new series tells the stories of ordinary people who have escaped from extraordinary circumstances. The series premiere focuses on a woman held captive in a killer’s cellar for months.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): When Casey discovers that Cappie is taking the same women’s studies class — taught by Professor Freeman (Janeane Garofalo, “24″) — she knows that it will complicate her relationship with Max. So she enlists the help of her new professor to help Max and Cappie get along.
◊“Nightly Business Report” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): The news program kicks off a three-part series titled “Native American Entrepreneurs” that explores the growing role American Indians are playing in the country’s commerce. Today’s installment focuses on Dave Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Q Restaurants and the Rainforest Cafe restaurant chains. The final installment on April 20 profiles the Oklahoma City-based Bank2, which is owned by the Chickasaw Tribe.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): When Timmy (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) grows tired of dealing with Russell’s demeaning demands and Audrey has had it with her terrible assistant, the two find a possible solution in working together.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 2 finale, Leon Cooley’s execution date arrives. Grace, who has discovered that Leon once helped her sister and was invited to a family birthday party, struggles with whether or not to lend a hand towards stopping the execution.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
◊“400 Years of the Telescope” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new special takes viewers on a journey from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind’s place in the galaxy, to today’s quests to discover new worlds in the infinite universe.
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): On March 14, the “90210″ cast helped Habitat for Humanity raise the walls of its 100th house in Pacoima, CA. In today’s episode, the students of West Beverly use their spring break vacation as an opportunity to build a home with Habitat for Humanity. Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) returns as Donna Martin.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Fashion guru Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) helps the final seven contestants look their best after everyone gets salon makeovers from guest hair stylist Tabatha Coffey (“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”).
◊“Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Season 3 presents renowned chef and food writer Andrew Zimmern with some of the most bizarre cuisine he has yet to come across, including squirrel brain, iguana eggs, shark head, boa constrictor, turtle intestines, blood soup, juicy cheese worms and garlic ice cream.
◊“Cupid” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): A bullied teenager wants Trevor’s help in matchmaking his mom with his boxing instructor (Lee Tergesen, “Life on Mars”), who also happens to be the boy’s sperm donor father. Julie Hagerty (“Airplane”) guest stars.
◊“Deadliest Catch” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The seas are rougher, the stakes are higher and the intensity has never been stronger when the 2008 King crab season opens. Captains Sig Hansen (Northwestern), Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit), Phil Harris (Cornelia Marie) and Keith Colburn (Wizard) are all back for another season of crab fishing.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on KWTV-9): Former “Live With Regis and Kathie Lee” host Kathie Lee Gifford returns to the show to talk about her new memoir, “Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities.”
◊“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In September 2008, nine amateur hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts put their lives on hold to tackle the challenge of a lifetime. After a three-day crash course in basic survival skills, they were flown to Ttsusena Lake in the rugged Alaskan interior and given the first piece of a rudimentary map, a compass and a few basic tools and told to hike to civilization.
◊“WCG Ultimate Gamer” (9 p.m. on SCI FI): In addition to controlling players in the video game “NBA Live 09,” the remaining contestants take part in a slam-dunk competition being judged by Spud Webb (former NBA player) and Lisa Leslie (WNBA player).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team tries to locate the son of a billionaire who disappears after piloting a small plane that crashes in the woods. Vanessa Marcil (“Vegas”) returns as Kim Marcus.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
◊“10 Grand in Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): In this new series, licensed contractor and host John DeSilvia helps budget-conscious homeowners make their renovation dreams a reality and save up to $10,000 per project. With a wealth of expert advice and cost-cutting tips, he takes the fear out of home improvement, giving homeowners the confidence to forego hired help and pick up the hammer and nail.
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): The remaining girls freak when Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ciara shows up at their apartment to offer some words of advice. The girls then join Ciara on the musical stage for a photo shoot.
◊“The Cougar” (9 p.m. on TV Land): Vivica A. Fox (“Missing”) hosts this new series that follows Stacey Anderson, 40, as she searches for love among a pool of 20 eligible twenty-something men.
◊“Great Performances at the Met” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko headlines a production of ‘‘Lucia di Lammermoor,” Donizetti’s 1834 opera about an ill-fated Scottish lass who is forced into an arranged marriage, then kills her bridegroom and goes gloriously bananas in one of the most famous mad scenes in all of opera.
The Second Annual A-List Awards (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy Griffin (“My Life on the D-List”) hosts the event celebrating the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. Scheduled to appear are Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Paris Hilton (“The Simple Life”), Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”), Laurel Holloman (“The L Word”), Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) and Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”).
◊“Pitchmen” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series introduces viewers to the dreamers, tinkerers and inventors who believe they have created the next must-have product. If these everyday geniuses can enlist the help of pitchmen Anthony “Sully” Sullivan and Billy Mays to sell their goods, they may stand a chance of turning their products into household names.
◊“Mythbusters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The MythBusters team heads north to test some Alaskan myths, including whether it can get so cold that your urine freezes before it hits the ground and whether a golf ball will go further if you tee-off on a frozen lake.
◊“True Hollywood Story: LL Cool J” (9 p.m. on E!): Offered a recording contract while still in high school, LL quickly shot to the top of the rap game. This installment tells the story of the hip hop artist through new interviews and never-before-seen footage.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
◊“Alaska: Most Extreme” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Everything is extreme in Alaska: the weather and climate that make each day a new and often menacing adventure; the ways in which many Alaskans earn a living; and the basic skills that everyone must learn and know simply to survive in this harsh environment.
◊“Around the World for Free” (8 p.m. on WGN): Alex Boylan, winner of “The Amazing Race 2,” attempts to circumnavigate the globe without a penny in his pocket and with only a backpack and the help of the online community. The series was filmed in 16 countries over 159 days.
◊“The Beast” (9 p.m. on A&E): The case that haunted Barker for his entire career resurfaces and all the pieces finally come together in the Season 1 finale.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): When Sweets asks Dr. Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry, “Kingdom”) for input on the book he’s writing about Booth and Brennan, Dr. Wyatt lends Sweets an interesting perspective on the pair’s unique relationship.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Hodges and Wendy run into each other at a science fiction convention for one of their favorite classic television shows, they end up investigating the murder of one of their beloved actors. Kate Vernon (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest stars as Dr. Penelope Russell.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): The admission of a death row inmate to Seattle Grace divides Derek, Meredith and Cristina. Jessica Capshaw (“The Practice”) and Eric Stoltz (“Mask”) guest star.
◊“The Price is Right” (10 a.m. on CBS): Former host Bob Barker returns to the game show that made him famous to promote his new autobiography, “Priceless Memories.” Barker will participate in the Showcase Showdowns and will give the book away to everyone in the audience.
◊“Samantha Who?” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): While with her parents in Vegas attending a real estate seminar, Samantha loses a huge sum of money at the craps table and finds herself in debt to the casino. But a chance meeting with her ex-boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane, “Titanic”), could be the answer to her financial trouble.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Charlie Chaplin was born on this day in 1889, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing 11 of his films, including 1923′s “A Woman of Paris” (9 a.m.), 1940′s “The Great Dictator” (1:15 p.m.) and 1959′s “The Chaplin Revue” (5 p.m.).
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): When Miley returns home after finishing work on her new movie, she discovers that Lilly and Oliver are dating, and soon they put her in the middle of an argument and ask her to choose sides. Meanwhile, Jackson pretends to be a philanthropist to impress a college recruiter (Cheryl Hines, “In the Motherhood”).
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and his team are called in to help a veteran FBI agent track down a con man who has eluded him for years. Henry Winkler (“Happy Days”) and Nora Dunn (“Saturday Night Live”) guest star.
◊“Prison Break” (8 p.m. on Fox): Michael and Sarah learn the dangers of hitchhiking as they make their way to Miami, and Lincoln meets with Christina who informs him of her plans to take over the Company.
◊“Untamed Alaska” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Predators such as the grizzly bear and gray wolf roam over 50 million acres of Alaskan wilderness. Temperatures drop to 100 degrees below and the coastline is battered by freezing storms and giant waves. “Caught-on-tape” footage and interviews with eye witnesses showcase this perilous world.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): SpongeBob and his friends search for Jack Kahuna Laguna (voiced by Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) to teach them the gnarly surf moves to hit the elusive wave.
◊“Stranger Among Bears” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): For more than 20 years, Charlie Vandergaw has been living with wild bears in the Alaskan wilderness. For the first time, Charlie has allowed cameras to capture an entire season at “Bear Haven.”
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: William Holden was born on this day in 1918, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing seven of his films, including 1950′s “Sunset Boulevard” (7 a.m.), 1955′s “Picnic” (12:45 p.m.) and 1968′s “The Devil’s Brigade” (4:45 p.m.).
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
◊“Cultivating Life With Sean Conway” (11:30 a.m. on WGN): Demonstrating easy-to-do projects and inspiring ideas, host Sean Conway explores trends and provides simple solutions and timely ideas for outdoor living, cooking, gardening, and entertaining.
◊“Flying By” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): A real estate developer (Billy Ray Cyrus, “Doc”) goes to his 25th high school reunion and finds his old teenage band playing. They get him on stage for a couple of songs and convince him to come to rehearsal.
◊“Grey Gardens” (7 p.m. on HBO): Inspired by a 1975 documentary, this TV movie spans 40 years as it chronicles the relationship between ‘‘Big Edie” and ‘‘Little Edie” Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore), who were related to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Tulsa-born actress Jeanne Tripplehorn) yet spiraled from high society to living in squalor in a decaying Hamptons mansion.
◊“Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” (9:30 a.m. on Food Network): Anne Burrell prepares some of her favorite dishes, transforming basic ingredients into restaurant-worthy stars. In the season premiere, she shares her techniques for a rich and silky spaghetti carbonara.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Baylor in college softball action airing live at 1 p.m. on FSOK.
–Penny TV
18 TV Premieres and Finales airing March 8-14, 2009
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 March 8.
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
••“Breaking Bad,” 9 p.m. Sunday on AMC (second-season premiere).
••“Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” 9 p.m. Sunday on E! (third season premiere).
••“Candy Girls,” 9:30 p.m. Sunday on E! (series premiere).
••“Dancing With the Stars,” 7 p.m. Monday on ABC (eighth-season premiere).
••“Battles BC,” 8 p.m. Monday on History (series premiere).
••“Castle,” 9:02 p.m. Monday on ABC (series premiere).
••“WCG Ultimate Gamer,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on SCI FI (series premiere).
••“The Chopping Block,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on NBC (series premiere)(NBC Photo above).
••“Idol Tonight,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on TV Guide Network (fourth-season premiere).
••“Ghost Hunters,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on SCI FI (fifth-season premiere).
••“Clean House Comes Clean,” 10 p.m. Wednesday on Style Network (fourth-season premiere).
••“Warriors,” 9 p.m. Thursday on History (series premiere).
••“Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches,” 9 p.m. Thursday on Travel Channel (series premiere).
••“Most Haunted,” 9 p.m. Friday on Travel Channel (season premiere).
••“The Graham Norton Show,” 9 p.m. Saturday on BBC America (fifth-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“The L Word,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Showtime (series finale).
••“Tool Academy,” 9 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (first-sesaon finale).
••“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House,” 9 p.m. Thursday on VH1 (season finale).
Top 55 TV Programs for March 8-14, 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 March 8:
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
◊“Breaking Bad” (9 p.m. on AMC): Series star Bryan Cranston (Walter White) directed the Season 2 premiere, in which Walt continues to straddle conflicting worlds — a ruthless swirl of drugs, murder and mayhem and a complex, emotionally fraught domestic life.
◊“Candy Girls” (9:30 p.m. on E!): This new series tracks the efforts of talent agent Danielle to manage some of the most sought-after women in the music video industry.
◊“The Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): Each team must create and costume a comic book character, and present it to the Zappos.com executive. From the beginning, the project manager for the men is caught in a battle of wills with one of his teammates. On the women’s side, one celebrity is uncomfortable in her role as the costume model, while another member of the team falls ill.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team reopens the 1976 case of a murdered 17-year-old after a newfound photo of her on the back of a motorcycle exposes her connection to a notoriously vicious gang. Jeff Fahey (“Lost”) guest stars.
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): Hannah and her dancers are desperate to find a replacement for their usual choreographer, Tina (Carrie Ann Inaba, “Dancing With the Stars”) after she injures herself.
◊“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (9 p.m. on E!): Life for the Kardashians in Season 3 is filled with ups and downs as each member struggles to find their place in the chaotic household.
◊“The L Word” (8 p.m. on Showtime): In the final episode of the series, what starts out as a celebration of friendship quickly ends in a web of betrayal and deceit. The girls find themselves in the slammer with Sergeant Duffy (Lucy Lawless, “”Battlestar Galactica”), and the investigation into Jenny’s death begins.
◊“A Night With Dwayne Johnson” (6 p.m. on Starz): This programming block features three of The Rock’s films — “National Treasure Book of Secrets” (6 p.m.), “The Game Plan” (8:10 p.m.) and “College Road Trip” (10:05 p.m.). Throughout the evening, an exclusive sneak peek at his newest movie, “Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain,” will air.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): Hurricane Ike, which hit Texas Sept. 13, 2008, and ranks as the third most-costly U.S. hurricane ever, drew national attention for the calamity it caused, especially in Galveston where many people had to face its wrath. First-hand experiences are told by a couple who barely survived before being air lifted to safety and a Coast Guard vet who was forced to swim for hours through debris-laden waters before being rescued by a National Guard helicopter.
◊“Tool Academy” (9 p.m. on VH1): The final two contestants face off for one last challenbge before taking final exams with resident relationship counselor Trina Dolenz.
◊“The Unit” (9 p.m. on CBS): While the Unit initiates a new team member, Jonas must coach his daughter before her military-ordered media tour. Julie Chen (“The Early Show”) guest stars as herself.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Texas in women’s college basketball action airing live at 2:30 p.m. on FSOK.
MONDAY, MARCH 9
◊“American Stamps” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This new documentary focuses on the designers and artists who create postage stamps. It also includes the history of stamps in America, the criteria for selecting stamp subjects and how stamp artwork gets checked for authenticity.
◊“Battles BC” (8 p.m. on History): This new series uses cutting-edge animation techniques and the expertiese of military historians to show leaders from the ancient world in some of the greatest conflicts in history. The premiere episode is “Hannibal: The Annihilator.”
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): A train trip to San Francisco takes a major detour when Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz and Raj discover that actress Summer Glau (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) is onboard. The episode also features a cameo by Nobel Laureate Dr. George Smoot, the father of the Big Bang Theory of Creation.
◊“Castle” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): This new series stars Nathan Fillion (“Firefly”) as Richard Castle, a successful mystery novelist with a mischievous streak. In the premiere episode, Rick is called upon to help Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), a New York police detective, on a case in which a serial killer is staging murder scenes as depicted in Rick’s novels.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): The CSIs make a shocking discovery about their murder victim, while Horatio tries to save his son from Julia’s erratic behavior. Elizabeth Berkley (“The L Word”) guest stars.
◊“Dancing With the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 8 of the ballroom dancing series returns with 13 new competitors. They include Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, (the youngest competitor ever), singers Belinda Carlisle, Jewel and Lil Kim, actors David Alan Grier and Gilles Marini, rodeo star Ty Murray and and Hall of Fame football player Lawrence Taylor.
◊“Heroes” (8 p.m. on NBC): When Sylar comes face-to-face with his long lost father (John Glover, “Smallville”), the reunion proves to be what he least expected.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): House and the team take on the case of Nick (Jay Karnes, “The Shield”), a book editor who loses his inhibition and starts insulting coworkers at a dinner party one night before falling ill.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Lily and Marshall are less than thrilled when Ted reunites with his ex-girlfriend (Laura Prepon, “That 70s Show”) from college.
◊“One Tree Hill” (8 p.m. on CW): Series star Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley James Scott) directed this episode in which Lucas wrestles with casting for his movie while Peyton tries to prepare for their wedding.
◊“Masters of Illusion” (7 p.m. on My Network TV): Featured are the magic illusions of Joe Monty (“Drill Through Head” illusion), Rick Thomas (“Levitation”), Arthur (“Hour Glass”), Nathan Gibson (Street Magic”), Dale Salwak (“Cabaret”), Taylor Hughes (“Into Box”) and Mac King (“Invisibility”).
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): After a long line of female assistants, Russell learns that a having a male assistant (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) can be very advantageous.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Grace’s niece, Sayre, is arrested after attending a Scavenger Party where teens share drugs they raided from their parents’ medicine cabinets. Whne the squad tries to figure out what combination of drugs landed Sayre’s best friend in a coma, they realize some of the drugs were laced with something potentially deadly.
◊“The Wonder Pets! Join the Circus!” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): It’s summer vacation and the Wonder Pets rescue a young circus lion named Cubby from falling off a circus train. The Penguin Ringmaster is so impressed with the Wonder Pets that he offers them jobs at the circus.
TUESDAY, MARCH 10
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The winning team of the 24-hour fitness relay race gets 24 hours of luxury, but some contestants have trouble resisting temptation during the getaway. Oklahoma City musician K.C. Clifford will be featured in a one-minute segment.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Former cast member Stephanie March reprises her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, who returns to the SVU team when a pediatrician found guilty of molesting patients is killed. She shows up at the crime scene after three years in the witness protection program.
◊“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 as Gibbs’ father.
◊“WCG Ultimate Gamer” (9 p.m. on SCI FI): This new series showcases 12 contestants competing in challenges that include traditional video game play as well as real-life video game simulations. The winner will get $100,000 cash and the ultimate Samsung electronics package, as well as become a VIP representative of the WCG (World Cyber Games).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team investigates when the teenage son of a Secret Service agent disappears and discovers a long festering secret that set in motion a deadly chain of events. Steven Weber (“Brothers & Sisters”) returns as Clark Medina, the New Head of the Missing Persons Squad.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11
◊“The Chopping Block” (7 p.m. on NBC): In this new cooking competition series starring chef Marco Pierre White, eight couples compete to open a restaurant in New York City. The series will expose the unseen pitfalls and behind-the-scenes madness that goes into opening a restaurant in the most competitive city in the world.
◊“Clean House Comes Clean” (10 p.m. on Style Network): Through bloopers, never-before-seen footage and commentary from the cast and show participants, viewers get a chance to witness favorite moments from an new perspective in the show’s fourth season.
◊”Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): Agent Prentiss has a personal connection to one of the victims in a series of deaths with religious overtones. Walton Goggins (“The Shield”) guest stars.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): Season 5 kicks off with a trip to Philadelphia to investigate the historic – and allegedly haunted – building that was once the home of famous seamstress Betsy Ross.
◊“Life on Mars” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): When two air hostesses end up dead, Sam and Annie go undercover. Gina Gershon (“Snoops”) and Mark Linn-Baker (“Perfect Strangers”) guest star.
◊”The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine is initially flattered when another scatterbrained mother at Ritchie’s school considers her a “rock,” but quickly tires of the responsibility of being responsible. Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock from the Sun”) guest stars as Christine’s new friend.
◊“Scrubs” (7 p.m. on ABC): Dr. Kelso’s beautiful but unethical replacement, Dr. Maddox (Courteney Cox, “Friends”), shakes things up at Sacred Heart, while J.D. struggles to manage a new crop of incompetent interns and Carla helps Elliott put her ego in check.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): When Liz can’t scheme her way out of jury duty, the “”TGS” cast and crew are left unmanaged. Chris Parnell (“Saturday Night Live”) guest stars.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Series star David Boreanaz (Seeley Booth) directed this episode in which a bungee-jumping couple plunges off a bridge on their wedding day only to come face-to-face with a corpse lying at the bottom of a gorge.
◊“Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): In this new series, Bridget Marquardt (“The Girls Next Door”) sets out to immerse herself in the local cultures at some of the most beautiful beach destinations in the world.
◊“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House” (9 p.m. on VH1): After 30 days of therapy and sober living, it is time for the cast members to leave. Watch as Rodney King, Seth Binzer, Amber Smith, Andy Dick, Steven Adler, Nikki McKibbin and Mary Carey make their final steps toward recovery with the help of Dr. Drew.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Langston and Riley are taken hostage during the aftermath of a shootout in a normally quiet Las Vegas neighborhood. Denzel Whitaker (“The Great Debaters”) guest stars.
◊“ER” (9 p.m. on NBC): Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle, “The Librarian”) gets a surprise visit from an old friend while waiting for his kidney transplant.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): After learning at a deposition that more of his patients have died than survived, Derek decides to quit, even as Meredith refuses to give up on him. Loretta Devine (“Boston Public”) guest stars.
◊“Private Practice” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Addison is attracted to a colleague at St. Ambrose Hospital who turns out to be more than she bargained for. Josh Hopkins (“Swingtown”) guest stars.
◊“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): Linda Lake (Tori Spelling, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) returns to Metropolis and threatens to expose Clark’s secret unless he promises to give her exclusive information on the red-blue blur so she can become a star reporter again.
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Betty meets Matt’s mother (Christine Baranski, “Happy Family”), but things don’t go as she expects. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina gets creative to solve a cash flow problem.
◊“Warriors With Terry Schappert” (9 p.m. on History): This new series travels the globe with Green Beret Terry Schappert as he experiences the training, rituals and weapons of history’s most iconic warrior cultures.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
◊“Dollhouse” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Imprinted as a visually impaired woman, Echo must infiltrate a heavily guarded cult in order to rescue a woman held against her will.
◊“The Electric Company” (4 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new episode titled “Dirty Laundy,” Manny steals a Skeleckian meteorite in order to power his letter-stealing gizmo. Making guest appearances are designer Marc Ecko, R&B star Mario and Tony Award winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda.
◊“Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m. on CW): Chris reluctantly agrees to hold onto a stash of marijuana for a criminal on the run, but he finds it difficult to find an appropriate hiding place that won’t get him in trouble. Tisha Campbell-Martin (“Rita Rocks”) guest stars in the episode directed by Debbie Allen (“Fame”).
◊“The Game” (7:30 p.m. on CW): With encouragement from Melanie and Kelly, Tasha realizes she’s finally ready to introduce Malik to his father, Chauncey (Michael Boatman, “Spin City”).
◊“Most Haunted” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): The investigative team visits England’s Jedburgh Castle, which has a history of strange sightings, odd happenings and sounds of phantom pipe music.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team has only hours to investigate a last-minute tip that could exonerate a dangerous mob boss on the eve of his execution. Gina Gershon (“Snoops”) guest stars as Los Angeles police detective Danielle Hill.
◊“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (7 p.m. on Fox): Jesse flashes back to a life-altering mission aboard her submarine, the Jimmy Carter. Sarah and John decide they can’t continue living in their house and make plans to leave.
◊“Wife Swap” (7 p.m. on ABC): After five years and 198 families, the series celebrates its 100th episode by swapping two fan favorites from past episodes. The families selected for the special swap are the storm-chasing, science-obsessed Heene family from Colorado and the psychic, performing arts-loving Silvers from Florida.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14
◊“The Graham Norton Show” (9 p.m. on BBC America): British talk show host Graham Norton brings together the best of trends, current stories and celebrity culture for a fifth season of his multi-award winning show.
◊“Relative Stranger” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Following the death of his father, a former football star (Eriq LaSalle, “ER”) is forced to return home to the family he left six years earlier. But his return opens old wounds that must be addressed in order for the family to heal.
◊“Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush” (8 p.m. on HBO): This special taped during the show’s run at Broadway’s Cort Theatre finds the comedian inhabiting President George W. Bush, one of his favorite characters from “Saturday Night Live.” He provides insights into Bush’s Texas-Connecticut childhood, his academic and social career at Yale, his stint as a major league baseball co-owner, his emergence as a political figure and governor, and his tenure as president.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for March 1-7, 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 March 1:
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
◊“The Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): The lineup for the second celebrity edition of Donald Trump’s competitive reality series includes comedian Andrew Dice Clay, singers Brian McKnight and Clint Black, actress-model Claudia Jordan, red-carpet denizens Joan and Melissa Rivers, socialite Khloe Kardashian and former pro sports stars Herschel Walker and Dennis Rodman (he attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant).
◊“The Golden Girls” (7:30 a.m. on Hallmark Channel): The Emmy-winning series starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan (she was born in Healdton) joins the network’s lineup. And it kicks off with this 18-hour marathon. Beginning Monday, the show will air weekdays at 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m., Saturdays at 5 a.m. and Sundays at 7:30 a.m.
◊“High Stakes Poker” (8 p.m. on GSN): Season 5 of television’s richest cash game show in history will feature a minimum cash buy-in of $200,000. AJ Benza (“E! Mysteries & Scandals”) and Gabe Kaplan (“Welcome Back Kotter”) return as host and analyst, respectively. Among the world’s top professional, online and recreational players competing are Doyle Brunson, Phil Laak and Tom Dwan and Sam Simon.
◊“Jesse Stone: Thin Ice” (8 p.m. on CBS): Tom Selleck (“Magnum, P.I.”) reprises his role as Jesse Stone in the fifth installment of the mystery movie franchise based on the best-selling series of books by Robert B. Parker. In this new mystery, Paradise, Mass. Police chief Jesse Stone finds himself in trouble with the Town Council when he inadvertently becomes involved in a shoot-out on a Boston street.
◊“Running in Heels” (7 p.m. on Style Network): This new docu-series reveals what life is really like at the top and the bottom of a major fashion magazine.
◊TCM’s “31 Days of Oscar” film festival offers viewers a cinematic education. Today’s course offerings come from the Psychology Department and include 1952’s “Limelight” (6 a.m.), 1958’s “Vertigo” (2:15 p.m.) and 1957’s “The Three Faces of Eve” (7 p.m.).
MONDAY, MARCH 2
◊“The Ax Men” (9 p.m. on History): The first-ever non-fiction series about the treacherous life of Pacific Northwest timber cutters is back for a second season. Going deeper into the forest, high into the sky and even down into the sea, the new season follows two leading teams from last season along with three new companies, all racing to fall the most timber during logging’s most dangerous season.
◊“The Bachelor” (7 p.m. on ABC): Jason Mesnick, the first single dad in “Bachelor” history, will offer his last rose to one of the final two women he selected. The season finale will be followed by the hourlong special “The Bachelor: After the Finale Rose, Part 2” that includes updates on the couple and the woman Jason didn’t choose.
◊“BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” (6:30 p.m. on HBO): Tennis broadcasters Mary Carillo, Billie Jean King and John McEnroe will team up for live coverage of the inaugural event that pits four of the world’s top female tennis players – 2009 Australian Open Champion Serena Williams, 2008 Grand Slam champions Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, and 2008 year-end World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic – against each other in a one-night-only single elimination competition. The prize pool is $1.2 million.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When pirates take over a luxury yacht, Delko’s future as a CSI is threatened just as his relationship with Calleigh moves to the next level. Sean Combs (“A Raisin In the Sun”) guest stars as Defense Attorney Derek Powell.
◊“Forgotten Ellis Island” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This is the first film produced about the abandoned immigarnt hospital on Ellis Island, the largest port of entry in the United States. In an era before antiboitics, tens of thousands of immigrant patients were separated from family, detained in the hospital and healed from illness before becoming citizens.
◊“The Haney Project” (8 p.m. on Golf Channel): In the first installment of this new real-life series, golf instructor Hank Haney will attempt to fix the swing of NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley. The series will also visit some of the best golf courses around the country and feature golf tips for people who play the game.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When the gang suspects that Barney has a girlfriend after he mysteriously leaves MacLaren’s, they decide to follow him. Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”) guest stars as Barney’s mother.
◊“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (11:37 p.m. on NBC): “Saturday Night Live” alum Jimmy Fallon takes over the reins as “Late Night” host. He is the third host of “Late Night” since its inception in 1982 with then-host David Letterman. Fallon’s “Late Night” will depart from Letterman and O’Brien’s Studio 6A and cross the hall to Studio 6B in NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters in New York.
◊“Late Show With David Letterman” (10:35 p.m. on CBS): U2, the Grammy-winning rock band from Ireland, will perform an unprecedented five nights in a row on the show. On Tuesday’ the band will release its 12th album, “No Line on the Horizon.”
◊“Masters of Illusion” (7 p.m. on My Network TV): This new episode features the magic illusions of Tony Clark (“Bottle Thru Man” illision), David Williamson (“Needles”), Jeff McBride (“Rain Catching Bowls”), Nathan Burton (“Microwave of Death”) and Mark Cannon (“Handcuff Spikes Escape”).
“Medium” (9 p.m. on NBC): Devalos asks Allison to help his friends find their daughter, who seems to have left town with no explanation. Blythe Danner (“Huff”) guest stars.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): In the Season 3 premiere, Audrey discovers that Russell is a closeted fan of Broadway musicals, a fact she promises to keep secret in exchange for free theater tickets. Meanwhile, Adam and Jennifer take dancing lessons in preparation for their wedding. Bob Odenkirk (“The Larry Sanders Show”) guest stars.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Season 2 resumes with new episodes starring Holly Hunter as Oklahoma City police detective Grace Hanadarko. Guest star Christina Ricci (“Monster”) begins a three-episode arc as Abby Charles, a uniform cop and single mother making a rotation through the squad.
◊TCM’s “31 Days of Oscar” film festival offers viewers a cinematic education. Today’s course offerings come from the Journalism Department and include 1940’s “Foreign Correspondent” (7:15 a.m.), 1931’s “The Front Page” (1 p.m.) and 1940’s “The Philadelphia Story” (8:30 p.m.).
TUESDAY, MARCH 3
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito returns to take the contestants to a restaurant, where he teaches them how to make healthier choices when eating out.
◊“First Lady of Jamaica” (9 p.m. on WEtv, 128 on Dish Network, 260 on DirecTV): Journalist Daborah Roberts gets a VIP tour of the Caribbean island from Lorna Golding, the Jamaican Prime Minister’s wife.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Mia Lorimer (Clea Duvall, “Carnivale”) claims to have been raped in an attempt to hide neing abused by her husband. Their tennants are aware of the abuse, but in fear of being evicted, do not report it.
◊“Reaper” (7 p.m. on CW): Season two finds Sam wrestling with the recent discovery that he may be the son of the Devil. But Sam quickly learns that getting groomed to take over the “family business” comes with a whole new litany of headaches.
◊TCM’s “31 Days of Oscar” film festival offers viewers a cinematic education. Today’s course offerings come from the Geography Department and include 1962’s “Mutiny on the Bounty” (9 a.m.), 1949’s “Tulsa” (3 p.m.), 1955’s “Oklahoma!” (4:30 p.m.) and 1937’s “The Hurricane” (9:15 p.m.).
◊“Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Released in 1913 as prisoners of war, Sam and Blossom Haozous passed down oral traditions of the Apache people to their son, Allan Houser. These shared memories molded his artwork and helped him become one of the 20th century’s most important artists. Houser passed thee same experienced down to his sons who are fulfilling their destinies as the next generation of American Indian artists.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team investigates when the teenage son of a Secret Service agent disappears and discovers a long festering secret that set in motion a deadly chain of events. Guest star Steven Weber (“Brothers & Sisters”) returns as Clark Medina, the new head of the Missing Persons Squad.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Kansas State in men’s college basketball action airing live at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW, 10 p.m. on KOCB-34): Thirty-four finalists travel to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas where they take part in the first photo shoot for Season 12. Host Tyra Banks picks the final 13 contestants who will move to a New York City loft and compete for title of “America’s Next Top Model.”
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): A serial killer who disguises his victims’ demise by creating car accidents to mask their earlier deaths is the subject of a Behavioral Analysis Unit manhunt. William Mapother (“Lost”) and Wil Wheaton (“Numb3rs”) guest star.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): On Mac’s flight to D.C., an air marshal is found murdered shortly after take off. Mac is certain the killer is on board and searches for the murder weapon. Recording artist Nelly (“The Longest Yard”) guest stars.
◊“Kitchen Impossible” (8 p.m. on DIY, channel 111 on Dish Network, 171 on Cox Digital Cable, 230 on DirecTV): Dated kitchens are transformed into modern spaces in this new series hosted by Marc Bartolomeo, a carpenter and electrician. He helps homeowners get the job done right while demonstrating to viewers all the tips and tools needed for building the kitchen of their dreams.
◊“Life” (8 p.m. on NBC): A woman is found in a pool of blood sitting at a rable with a romantic dinner set for two. The investigation leads Crews and Reese to a support group for lottery winners full of eccentric characters. Erik Estrada (“CHiPs”) guest stars.
◊“Make Me a Supermodel” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Supermodel Tyson Beckford returns as host for Season 2 of the series that follows 16 models as they compete for a contract with New York Model Management, a fashion pictorial in Cosmopolitan magazine and a $100,000 cash prize. Australian supermodel Nicole Trunfio joins the show as mentor to the female models.
◊“Mantracker” (9 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 284 on DirecTV): This new series will introduce viewers to two weekend warriors each week. The challengers have 36 hours to reach a destination more than 22 miles away. Not only do they have to contend with the rugged terrain, but they must also outwit the “Mantracker,” who is using a horse to capture them before they reach the finish line.
◊“Tulsa Deco” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Film historian Jack Frank takes a tour of Tulsa’s art deco buildings that root in the 1920s oil boom as the city’s way of showing off its wealth. The special includes visits to Christ the King church, Will Rogers High School, the Fairgrounds Pavilion and J. Paul Getty’s “bunker” house near Sheridan and Virgin streets.
◊“Wonderland” (9 p.m. on DirecTV’s 101 Network): In the short-lived ABC show’s never-before-seen series finale, appropriately titled “Hello Goodbye,” Banger and Neil use truth serum on a murderer who wants to be deemed unfit to stand trial.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Missouri in men’s college basketball action airing live at 8 p.m. on KOCB-34.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Liz befriends a pregnant teenaged donut shop employee in an attempt to adopt her baby. John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”) guest stars.
◊“American Idol” (7 p.m. on Fox): This special “Wild Card” episode features the judges’ favorite remaining contestants. Each will perform, and then the judges will select the final three contestants who will round out the Top 12.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Nick pieces together three separate cases that occurred at the same motel during the course of one year. Musical recording artist Taylor Swift (“Hannah Montana: The Movie”) guest stars as Haley Jones, a teenaged girl whose family runs the seedy Vegas motel.
◊“Eleventh Hour” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Dr. Hood must root iut the source of a poison cluster that claims victims all over Philadelphia. Mariel Hemingway (“Manhattan”) guest stars as a mither exposed to the toxins.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): Addison (guest star Kate Walsh, “Private Practice”) returns to Seattle Grace to perform groundbreaking surgery. She is taken aback by all of the changes in her old co-workers’ lives.
◊“Kath & Kim” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): Kath and Phil get ready for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. Before going out on the town, Athena (Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”) gives Kath, Kim and Tina some of her special tea which leads to an interesting night.
◊“My Name Is Earl” (7 p.m. on NBC): Earl reminisces about the fun he and Randy had when they got to go to Chaz Dalton’s Space Academy as children. But when Earl decides to visit Chaz (Curtis Armstrong, “Van Wilder”), he soon realizes that his childhood hero is not what he remembers.
◊“Private Practice” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Addison and Charlotte work together to save the lives of a pregnant woman in a coma and her unborn child.
◊“Stateline: Television Pioneers, Part 2” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment of OETA’s award-winning documentaru series takes viewers back to a time before cable, when color television was a luxury and only a lucky few owned a remote. Stations in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Ada and Lawton filled the broadcast day with programs like “The Bud Wilkinson Show,” “Wallace Wildlife,” and “Lewis Meyer’s Bookshelf.” Teens tuned in to “Dance Party and “The Scene,” while late night viewers looking for a thrill stayed up for “Shock Theater” and “Mazeppa Pompazoidi’s Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting.”
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Texas A&M in women’s college basketball action airing live at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Oklahoma (FSOK).
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
◊“20/20: Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Returns” (8 p.m. on ABC): Elizabeth Vargas anchors this special edition that will feature exclusive interviews with Siegfried & Roy at their home in Las Vegas, highlights from the duo’s career and reports on Roy Horn’s recovery from the tiger attack in 2003. It also includes clips from the entertainers’ farewell performance on Feb. 28 at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
◊“Bret Michaels: The True Hollywood Story” (8 p.m. on E!): This all-access pass to the Poison frontman’s life story reveals his rise from rat-infested Hollywood apartments to stadiums packed with screaming fans. It includes rare performance video of Poison’s earliest incarnation called “Paris,” and never-before-seen photos and home video from Michaels’ childhood.
◊“The Electric Company” (4 p.m. on OETA-13): Grammy-winning musician Wyclef Jean guest stars in the new episode titled “Curricular Goals,” in which Jessica is set to face Danny in a chess tournament.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
◊“Ashes to Ashes” (8 p.m. on BBC America): This sequel to the hit British series “Life on Mars’ focuses on Detective Inspector Alex Drake, who is shot and lands in 1981. She comes face-to-face with Detective Chied Inspector Gene Hunt, the relic of old-fashioned policing she read about in Sam Tyler’s reports. Alex thinks she is in a coma and needs Hunt’s help to go after Layton, the man who shot her in 2008.
◊“Bound by a Secret” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Meredith Baxter (“Family Ties”) and Lesley Ann Warren (“In Plain Sight”) star as two old friends who share a life-long secret are forced to face the truth – and its consequences – when one is diagnosed with a terminal illness and wants to put all her affairs in order.
◊“The Essentials” (7 p.m. on TCM): Emmy winner Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) joins TCM host Robert Osborne for a new season of this weekly movie showcase. They will introduce “essential” classic films that everyone should see, beginning with 1935’s “A Night at the Opera.”
◊“Last Chance” (10 p.m. on weTV, channel 128 on Dish Network, 260 on DirecTV): Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) is writer, director and star of this film about a woman in a small town who’s been stripped of all aspirations. Cranston wrote the movie as a Valentine for his wife, Robin Dearden, who stars as the lead character.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Oklahoma State in men’s college basketball action airing live at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Chelsea Handler
Feb. 25, 2009 –Chelsea Joy Handler, who hosts “Chelsea Lately” (10 p.m. weekdays on E!), turns 34 today.
She will play Heather in the upcoming series “In the Motherhood” (premieres March 26 on ABC).
Her first acting role was as Ann in the 2001 TV movie “The Plotters.” She was 26.
Best wishes to Chelsea and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Chelsea Handler arrives at the 33rd Annual American Women in Radio & Television’s Gracie Allen Awards on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer).
