Top 55 TV Programs for July 5-11, 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 July 5:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JULY 5
◊“18 Pregnant Schoolgirls” (9 p.m. on BBC America): This documentary tells the story of what happened when an unusually large number of teenage girls in Gloucester, Mass., turned up for pregnancy tests at a school clinic. Officials announced that they would be investigating an apparent teenage “pregnancy pact” responsible for the fact that at least 17 girls in the high school were expecting babies, four times more than the previous year.
◊“Angel and the Badman” (8 p.m. on Hallmark): John Wayne’s grandson, Brendan Wayne, appears in a remake of the Duke’s 1947 classic. The Western also stars Lou Diamond Phillips and Luke Perry as a pair of rival outlaws, one trying to change his ways and the other which murder on his mind.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): Rush and team reopen the 2005 murder case of a young African-American politician who vowed to rid the lower-class neighborhood he grew up in of drug dealers who prey on young kids. Jonathan LaPaglia (”The District”) guest stars as Assistant District Attorney Curtis Bell.
◊“Hannah Montana” (7 p.m. on Disney): In the one-hour special titled “He Could Be the One?,” Miley tries to tell Robby that she’s dating Jake Ryan (Cody Linley, “Dancing With the Stars”) again. Brooke Shields reprises her roles as Miley’s late mother.
◊“Malcolm in the Middle” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Twentieth Television’s complete seven-season library of the award-winning series joins the network’s lineup. It centers on teen genius Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his dysfunctional family and originally ran from 2000-6 on Fox.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Julia McKenzie (”Cranford”) takes over the role of spinster sleuth Jane Marple in a new series of Agatha Christie-based mysteries that opens with “A Pocket Full of Rye.” She investigates the deaths of a businessman, his young wife and their housemaid under circumstances that bizarrely recall a nursery rhyme.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): Merlin barely escapes the attack of a magical winged creature when a young man, Lancelot, appears and fighhts the creature away. Merlin sets out of a mission to convince Arthur of Lancelot’s nobility and great fighting skills.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Rachael Ray (”Rachael Ray”) challenges the remaining six finalists to create kid-friendly dishes and convince a group of children to experiment with food they’ve never tried before.
◊“Ruby” (7 p.m. on Style Network): After capturing viewers’ hearts last season and after a 100-pound weight loss, southern sweetheart Ruby Gettinger continues her journey to lose weight and get healthy. Hard work and determination pay off as she passes below 350 pounds for the first time in her adult life (having once weighed 716 pounds).
◊“Untamed & Uncut” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): The second season of extreme animal stories takes viewers on a journey around the world to meet the people whose lives are forever changed by their heart-pounding encounters with animals. The season premiere includes an encounter between a hawk and a cockatoo and its handler.
MONDAY, JULY 6
◊“100 Concerts in 100 Days” (10 a.m. and 10 p.m. today through Oct. 13 on VH1 Classic): New and historically significant rock concerts and festivals will air over the next 100 days. The concert series kicks off with the “Us Festival” from 1983 featuring INXS, The Clash, Men at Work, and The English Beat. Additional highlights from the 100 days of programming include “Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same,” “Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in NYC,” “Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon” and “Iron Maiden: Somewhere Back in Time.”
◊“Desperate Landscapes” (8 p.m. on DIY): In Seson 5, licensed general contractor Jason Cameron visits a viewer’s home armed with a wheelbarrel full of creative solutions to the toughest lanscaping problems. In one day, Jason and his team transform the property into a show place.
◊“The Great Debate” (9 p.m. today through Friday on VH1): Boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer, famous for this catchphrase “Let’s get ready to rumble,” hosts this five-night event that will settle the most burning questions and heated debates of pop culture. Celebrities, including Gilbert Gottfried, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Springer and Perez Hilton, will appear to make their arguments regarding “Star Trek” vs. “Star Wars,” Beatles vs. Rolling Stones and boxers vs. briefs.
◊“Ham on the Street” (1 p.m. on FLN): George Duran, a young chef and comic, hosts this show that combines food facts and hiden-camera comedy. He also creates fast and easy dishes for the everyday cook.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items invedstigated include a gun that may have belonged to a member of Al Capone’s gang, a letter allegedly written by John Wilkes Booth’s father and a device meant to guard against grave robbers.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): After failing to win a Grammy, Kathy decides to try to reclaim the spotlight by writing a tell-all book about her friends and family. Michael McDonald (“MADtv”) and Nicole Sullivan (“Rita Rocks”) guest star.
◊“King of Dirt” (8:30 p.m. on DIY): Licensed landscape contractor Gino Panaro doesn’t use a computer or graphic technology to create an outdoor space. He uses his imagination and his hands to make high-end landscapes.
◊“SportsNation” (3 p.m. on ESPN2): This new series hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle invites viewers to weigh in on topics via e-mail, text, Twitter or telephone. Fans will determine what the topics are, and they can also interact with the hosts, producers, athletes and coaches appearing on the show.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Janet Leigh was born on this day in 1927, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of her films, including 1951’s “Angels in the Outfield” (9:15 a.m.) and 1953’s “Houdini” (3 p.m.).
TUESDAY, JULY 7
◊“10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): This new series inspired by the 1999 movie of the same name stars Larry Miller (reprising movie role) as the over-protective father to the Stratford sisters — Kat (Lindsey Shaw, “Aliens in America”), a feminist with a razor-sharp tongue, and Bianca (Meaghan Martin, “Camp Rock”), a girl with a plan to climb the social ladder at her new school. Ethan Peck (“Adopt a Sailor” and grandson of Gregory Peck) plays resident bad boy Patrick Verona (originated by Heath Ledger in the 1999 film).
◊“Fantastic Plastic Brain” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): This two-part special tells the story of people with braisn that have the capacity to adapt under extraordinary circumstances.
◊“Great American Road Trip” (7 p.m. on NBC): Comic Reno Collier hosts this eight-episode reality series in which seven families from Texas, Illinois, New York, California, Alabama and Connecticut take a memorable journey together along Route 66, competing in a series of challenges along the way that will reward one family with a dream prize.
◊“NOVA scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on the Kepler telescope, using computers to authenticate paintings and discovering genes for Alzheimer’s and autism.
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Promising guitarist Jason Crigler seemed to be on the fast track for stardom before he suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage during a 2004 performance date in Manhattan, leaving him in a near-vegetative state. His friend, filmmaker Eric Daniel Metzger, chronicles the journey that followed in ‘‘Life.Support.Music.”
◊“State of Creativity” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): To prove that Oklahomans are creative, the show’s producers picked one county in the state as the focal point for Season 2. The result is 10 stories from Noble County, from an innovative farmer to a unique prairie learning experience.
◊“Warehouse 13″ (8 p.m. on SYFY, formerly called SCI FI): Eddie McClintock (“Crumbs”) and Joane Kelly (”Vanished”) star in this new series that follows Secret Service agents who are reassigned to a strange warehouse in South Dakota that houses a wild collection of supernatural objects.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8
◊“Baseball Wives: True Hollywood Story” (9 p.m. on E!): This installment spends a “day in the life” of baseball wives to bring viewers the play-by-play of what their lives are really like. Among those featured are Heidi Hamels, wife of Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels; Carrie Proctor, wife of Florida Marlins pitcher Scott Proctor; and Katie Hamilton, wife of Texas Rangers player Josh Hamilton.
◊“The Conscience of Nhem En” (7 p.m. on HBO2): This documentary short revisits Cambodia 30 years after Khmer Rouge’s reign, when 16-year-old soldier Nhem En was instructed to photograph thousands of men, women and children as they passed through a processing center on their way to certain death. The portraits he took bear witness to the unspeakable suffering and loss endured by the country.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Gary learns the lesson of never mixing business with family when he’s is forced to lean on Allison’s brother (Matthew Lillard, “Scooby-Doo”) for financial guidance after he is faced with an audit from the Internal Revenue Service.
◊“Ghost Hunters International” (8 p.m. on SYFY): Season 2 returns with a squad of real-life “ghost-busters” — ordinary people who investigate and attempt to debunk claims of otherworldly activity. This summer, the team travels to Austria, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Argentina and the Czech Republic in pursuit of the truth behind bizarre supernatural claims.
◊“I’m a Major League Eater” (9 p.m. on BIO): This special uncovers the competitive world of professional eating and explores the preparation rituals of the eaters. There are currently 100 high octane competitive eating events in the United States and more than 9,000 active members in the sport of Major League Eating.
◊“Okie Noodling II” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): In 2002, filmmaker Bradley Beasley brought the strange subculture of bare-handed catfishing to TV audiences. In this sequel, Beesley returns to his home state of Oklahoma to chronicle the sport’s evolution over the last decade. Lee McFarlin, 2005 Okie Noodling Champion, is featured.
◊“Time Team America” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This new series takes viewers to major U.S. historical site with a crack archaeological team that has three days to make a discovery. The team of scholars and scientists must use their combined skills and knowledge to find out what time itself has buried. Dr. Joe Watkins, Director of the Native American Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma, is a member of the team.
◊“Top Chef Masters” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Chefs Anita Lo, Douglas Rodriguez, John Besh and Mark Peel must cook eggs with one hand tied behind their backs, then dazzle several high-profile guests including Neil Patrick Harris (”How I Met Your Mother”), with their culinary artistry.
◊“Wide Angle” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Heart of Jenin” recounts a tragic 2005 incident on the West Bank, where a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers who mistook his toy gun for a real weapon.
THURSDAY, JULY 9
◊“Big Brother” (7 p.m. on CBS): Julie Chen returns for an eleventh season as host, and a new group of strangers share a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move, 24 hours a day. One by one, the Houseguests will vote each other out of the house. At the end of three months, the last remaining Houseguest will receive the Grand Prize of $500,000.
◊“The Chicas Project” (6 p.m. on mun2): Crash and Yasmin are back for their fourth season of this reality lifestyle series. They once again criss-cross the Unites States finding thrills, spills and adventures. This time along the way, the chicas collect the thoughts and concerns of young Latinas across the country, head to Capitol Hill, and present their accumulated messages to the President & CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): During the course of an investigation, the CSIs discover that their victim, a young woman who was murdered and found with several different blood types in her system, is the daughter of a wanted criminal. Nicholas Turturro (”I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”) giest stars.
◊“In the Motherhood” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): In the series finale, Jane (Cheryl Hines) needs to prove to her boss that she still has what it takes to be a great employee and that motherhood isn’t getting in the way of her work. Meanwhile, Rosemary (Megan Mullally) makes Horatio choose between being friends with her or a fellow nanny.
◊“Inside Track: Refueling the Business of NASCAR” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This documentary takes viewers inside the garage of driver-turned-owner Tony Stewart and offers a never-before-seen look at how NASCAR sponsors are looking for business from each other.
◊“LA Ink” (9 p.m. on TLC): Tattoo artist Kat Von D returns to TLC for a third season of her reality series. While Kat is focused on expanding her product line and writing a new book, the shop faces unexpected – and unwelcome – changes. The introduction of new shop manager, Aubry Fisher, (from “Rock of Love” fame) is just one example.
◊“Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-Up” (9 p.m. on Starz): Doug Williams (”The Bernie Mac Show”) returns as host of the show that presents up-and-coming comics and established stars performing before a live audience.
◊“Samantha Who?” (7 p.m. on ABC): Samantha is shocked to learn that she has been kept in the dark about having an aunt (Christine Ebersole, “Grey Gardens”) and a grandmother (Florence Henderson, “The Brady Bunch”) because of a feud over a family heirloom between Regina and her sister.
◊“Soundstage” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Indie rock favorite-turned-mahor-label sensation Death Cab for Cutie presenst a set that includes songs from the band’s new EP “The Open Door” and the 2008 studio album “Narrow Stairs.”
◊“Wicked Attraction” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): The series returns for a second season of examining what happens in the mind of the average person when they fall under the spell of a sadistic predator.
FRIDAY, JULY 10
◊“Against the Grain” (1 p.m. on DIY): In this new series, master builder Jimmy DiResta brings his unique blend of function and artistry to even the simplest projects, such as barstools made from baseball bats and pool tables that concert to dining room tables.
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (7 p.m. on Fox): Larry the Cable Guy (“The Blue Collar Comedy Tour”) competes for $1 million by testing his knowledge in the subjects ranging from art to geography and math to social studies. There is a way for him to “cheat” in this classroom, as he can get help from real grade-schoolers who will offer what they think is the correct answer.
◊“The Assistants” (7:30 p.m. on The N): This new 13-episode series takes a comedic look at four showbiz assistants working for a big-shot producer as they strive to make it in Hollywood. Coffee runs, answering phones and helping actresses break out of rehab are just part of the glamorous and not-so-glamorous lives of these four 20-somethings.
◊“Crimson Tide” (7 p.m. on Bravo): This 1995 post-Cold War drama stars Gene Hackman as a submarine commander and Denzel Washington as his executive officer. When an unconfirmed order instructs the crew to fire the sub’s nuclear missiles, the two go head to head in a tense standoff.
◊“Eureka” (8 p.m. on SYFY): The second half of Season 3 picks up at the mid-season cliffhanger with Jack Carter being removed from his job as Eureka’s sheriff and Allison announcing that she is expecting her recently-deceased husband’s baby.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a vigilante group goes after a known criminal mastermind, Charlie is forced to turn to his rival for help. Also, Don wrestles with his emotions towards embracing religion. Colin Hanks (”Roswell”) guest stars.
◊“The River Wild” (5 p.m. on HBO): In this 1994 action thriller, Meryl Streep plays an unhappy wife and former white-water guide who takes her husband and son on a river expedition. After coming to the aid of two young rafters, the family is soon at the mercy of murderous thieves on a harrowing trip through some dangerous rapids.
SATURDAY, JULY 11
◊“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program visits the Rock Cafe in Stroud, the world’s highest hill near Poteau and the Ames Meteor Crater.
◊“Eli Stone” (9 p.m. on ABC): In the series finale, Eli’s visions leads him to believe someone close to him will die in a plane crash. As Eli tries to unravel the mystery of who among his friends may meet their fate on the doomed plane, he and Keith take on the case of a woman named Diane who’s in need of a heart transplant, but the religious parents of a donor refuse to give her their daughter’s heart to her because she is an atheist. Tom Cavanagh (”Ed”) guest stars.
◊“The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger” (8 p.m. on Hallmark): When con man Shea McCall (Dean Cain) wins ownership of half of a cattle ranch, he immediately butts heads with BJ Stoker (James Tupper), the hard-nosed owner of the other half of the ranch. But when the two uncover a secret Mexican invasion plot, they’ll have to put aside their differences in order to save the ranch, whoever’s property it is.
◊“Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design” (11 a.m. on A&E): In this new series, former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson tries to negotiate clients and a cast of assistants while tackling a variety of interior design dilemmas. From a master bedroom to a gourmet kitchen, Johnson and his team will show clients how to work within their budget to make choices that make sense.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): David finds out where his true loyalties lie when he goes on trial for treason.
◊“Primeval” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Abby’s visiting brother, Jack, persists in snooping around in an attempt to find out the truth about her job but only winds up being menaced by a giant and very lethal carnivorous insect from the future that chases him into an anomaly. That forces the team to enter a harsh futuristic world teeming with hungry predators to rescue him.
◊“Tombstone” (7 p.m. on History): In this 1993 adaptation of the O.K. Corral story, Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) gets out of Dodge and attempts to settle down in Tombstone, Ariz., with his brothers (Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton) and buddy Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). But Wyatt can’t hang up his six-shooters until he takes care of the outlaw gang that’s stirring up trouble.
◊“Viva Daisy!” (8:30 a.m. on Food Network): Host Daisy Martinez returns for a second season of giving viewers tips and tricks for creating quick, simple, mouth-watering meals inspired by her love of Latin cuisines.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for May 31-June 6, 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 31:
SUNDAY, MAY 31
◊“The 2009 MTV Movie Awards” (8 p.m. on MTV): Andy Samberg (”Saturday Night Live”) hosts the 18th annual event live from Universal City, Calif. The films “Twilight” and “Slumdog Millionaire” both received nominations in six categories.
◊“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” (10:45 p.m. on Cartoon Network): In the animated show’s first live-action episode, rapper T-Pain portrays the Auqua Teen’s roommate Frylock, whose animated form looks like a floating box of french fries.
◊“Breaking Bad” (9 p.m. on AMC): On the Season 2 finale, Skyler and Walt collide as her frustration with his secrecy finally comes to a head. Also, Jesse self-destructs after a personal blow, forcing Walt to come to his aid.
◊“HGTV’s $250,000 Challenge” (9 p.m. on HGTV): Drew Lachey (”Dancing With the Stars”) hosts this new winner-take-all design competition in which five neighboring families compete to create the best design in their own home. The winner gets a cash prize that can help them pay off their mortgage.
◊“Ice Road Truckers” (8 p.m. on History): Season 3 heads to Alaska, 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, where a group of elite truckers face their most perilous journey yet. They have less than three monthys to shuttle critical supplies to the oil camps of Alaska’s North Slope.
◊“Into the Storm” (8 p.m. on HBO): Continuing the story that began in 2002’s “The Gathering Storm,” this production finds Winston Churchill (Brendan Gleeson, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) reflecting on how he guided Britain through World War II as he, wife Clemmie (Janet McTeer) and their daughter spend a holiday in France awaiting word on whether he has been elected prime minister for a postwar term.
◊“Jesse James Is a Dead Man” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): Each week in this new series, Jesse James (”Monster Garage”) will take on a different challenge that could literally kill him. The challenge he faces in the premiere episode is riding a Nitro-fueled motorcycle.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Inspector Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) is stunned by the murder of three teenagers on Midsummer’s Eve and sent into a spiral of intense guilt when a colleague also is found dead in the final installment of the series titled “One Step Behind.”
◊“Nature’s Most Amazing Events” (7 p.m. on Discovery): The final two installments of this six-part high-definition series feature the Kalahari Desert at the peak of the dry season and the arrival of summer along the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia.
◊“Platinum Weddings” (9 p.m. on WEtv): Black tie glamour meets SOuthern charm at Mollie and Jason’s wedding. The couple’s 280 guests will be trated to an all-expense-paid weekend in Atlanta.
MONDAY, JUNE 1
◊“Deal or No Deal” (6 and 10 p.m. weekdays on GSN): Beginning today, the network will begin airing the first three seasons of the hour-long version of this game show hosted by Howie Mandel.
◊“Gossip Girl” (7 p.m. on CW): As the summer draws to a close in the Hamptons, Serena and Nate have everyone fooled into thinking they are a couple to cover up the fact that Nate has been hooking up with a married older woman (Madchen Amick, “My Own Worst Enemy”) and Serena has been secretly mourning her break-up with Dan.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Overwhelmed with loneliness since Max left for his internship, Casey finds herself latching onto her ZBZ sister’s social activities and interfering with Rusty’s new blossoming romance with Jordan. Gregory Michael (”Dante’s Cove”) guest stars.
◊“Here Come the Newlyweds” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): The eight remaining just-married couples get slightly embarrassed when famous psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth drops by to give them relationship tips.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): A gun-wielding man (Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages”) takes House, Thirteen and several patients from the waiting room hostage in Cuddy’s office. The man claims to be sick with a long undiagnosed illness and demands medical attention from the best doctor in the hospital.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): While out for dinner with the gang, Ted runs into someone from his past that prompts each of them to think about how they would handle bumping into someone they’d rather forget. Sarah Chalke (”Scrubs”) and Eric Braeden (”The Young and the Restless”) guest star.
◊“I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” (7 p.m. on NBC): Ten celebrities are dropped into the jungles of Costa Rica, where they undergo tests of their survival skills, with viewers deciding which player will be eliminated each week. Celebrities include Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (”The Hills”), Janice Dickinson (”The Janice Dickinseon Modeling Agency”), Stephen Baldwin (”The Usual Suspects”), John Salley (”Confessions of a Shopaholic”), Torrie Wilson (”WWF Smackdown!”) and former Sanjaya Malakar (”American Idol”).
◊“Kathy Griffin: The Footage You Weren’t Meant to See” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Relive all the good and bad time from the first four seasons of two-time Emmy-winning series “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” — all through Kathy’s comic eye. The special also includes unseen moments from the show.
◊“Medium” (9 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 5 finale, Allison dreams of a future where an unfamiliar man is comforting her after the loss of her entire family. She later meets the same unfamiliar man in her waking life whihc investigating a case.
◊“Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This film chronicles the boxer’s arrival in Miami in 1960. Over the next few years, Ali evolved both professionally and politically.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): Audrey discovers that Russell is a closeted fan of Broadway musicals, a fact she promises to keep secret in exchange for free theater tickets. Bob Odenkirk (”The Larry Sanders Show”) guest stars.
◊“The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Conan O’Brien, the dominant late-night host at 11:35 p.m. for the past 14 seasons, will succeed Jay Leno as host of the preeminent series on late-night television.
◊“TV411” (10 a.m. on OETA-13): Some 70 million adults in America cannot read, write or speak English well enough to seek a job promotion or help their children with homework. This program is full of useful tips, such as how to decipher a pay check, keep a family medical history and get the most out of reading.
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
◊“According to Jim” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): When Jim chokes on a shrimp puff, he dies and arrives at Heaven’s gate. As Jim attempts to prove his good works to God (Lee Majors, “The Fall Guy”), his sister-in-law, Dana, represents the Devil (Erik Estrada, “CHiPs”), arguing that Jim’s selfishness should mean a certain trip to hell.
◊“Earth 2100″ (8 p.m. on ABC): This ABC News special hosted by Bob Woodruff takes viewers on a journey through what the next century could have in store and shows viewers what can be done to avoid disaster.
◊“Is Your House Killing You?” (8:30 p.m. on Sundance): The network premieres the seven-part Australian reality series hosted by environmental scientists Dr. Peter Dingle and Cedric Cheong, who have extensive experience in the field of indoor air pollution. Each episode introduces an Australian family that has reason to suspect their homes may be endangering their health and well-being.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 10 finale, an error jeopardizes a murder case and the detectives rush to find more evidence before the killer takes revenge on the squad.
◊“Man vs. Wild” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Bear Grylls takes Will Ferrell (”Land of the Lost”) along with him for an extreme adventure in the Swedish hinterland.
◊“Mental” (8 p.m. on Fox): Director of Psychiatric Services Dr. Jack Gallagher and psychiatrist Dr. Veronica Hayden-Jones are called to the ER for a psych consult where they meet Melissa Ranier (Nicholle Tom, “(”The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman”), a woman presenting as seven months pregnant. However, the doctors are informed by the ER physician that the patient’s ultrasound did not reveal a baby.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): Dr. Reid embarks on his own investigation into the murder of a young boy years earlier in Las Vegas that he strongly believes has a connection to his own childhood. Jane Lynch (”Two and a Half Men”) guest stars as Dr. Reid’s mother, Diana Reid.
◊“Law & Order” (9 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 19 finale, the murder of a charity executive leads detectives on a trail of political intrigue. The investigation takes a turn when claims of stalking and blackmail surface.
◊“Make Me a Supermodel” (9 p.m. on Bravo): The final three models go head-to-head with two major photo shoots and an extended catwalk challenge. Fashion photographer Matthew Rolston joins the four judges for the final deliberation.
◊“Man Land” (10 p.m. on HGTV): This new series explores men’s design machismo and offers viewers ideas for “manspace makeovers.” It also reveals how the women in these men’s lives feel about their guy having a separate space and how that space has changed their relationship.
◊“Renegade Genius” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Meet Thomas Gold, an original thinker whose radical theories have transformed the way science views the origin of life, how we hear sounds and what we know about space.
◊“Smile Pinki” (6 p.m. on HBO): Recent Oscar winner for best documentary short subject, this program profiles the fairytale journey of Pinki and Ghutaru, two children in rural India born with cleft lips, who are given new hope to live normal lives through the generosity and dedicated efforts of local doctors and social workers.
THURSDAY, JUNE 4
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): A disastrous visit from Mrs. Hofstadter (Christine Baranski, “Cybill”) brings Leonard and Penny closer together.
◊“Burn Notice” (8 p.m. on USA): As Season 3 opens, Michael emerges from the ocean a free agent but one who is being investigated by the police as he takes on a new job extraditing a thug.
◊“General Hospital” (2 p.m. on ABC): Lexi Ainsworth from Oklahoma City will make her debut on the ABC daytime drama today. She has been cast as Kristina, the daughter of mob boss Sonny Corinthos and princess Alexis Davis.
◊“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (7 p.m. on ABC): The late-night talk show will air special half-hour primetime shows on each night ABC airs the NBA basketball finals. Each night, Jimmy will deliver up-to-the minute news addressing the hottest topics of the day in his monologue and welcome various guest stars.
◊“The Listener” (9 p.m. on NBC): This new series stars Craig Olejnik (”The Timekeeper”) as Toby Logan, a young paramedic who goes about his rounds helping people in crisis while keeping a big secret: He has telepathic powers, which he uses discreetly in both his job and his personal life.
◊“Royal Pains” (9 p.m. on USA): This new drama starring Mark Feuerstein (”Good Morning, Miami”) centers on a young, blacklisted doctor whose career is revived when he becomes a doctor for hire to the rich and famous in The Hamptons.
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): Dean is transported back in time and is shocked when he lands in Lawrence, Kan. Dean isn’t sure why he was sent back so he begins to enjoy the time with his parents and newfound grandfather (Mitch Pileggi, “The X-Files”), who may be hiding a secret that is key to Sam and Dean’s entire predicament.
◊“Tosh.0″ (9 p.m. on Comedy Central): In this twist on pop culture shows, comedian Daniel Tosh lampoons the latest videos, blogs, vlogs, websites and technologies, as well as offering “Web Redemption” to those who have already humiliated themselves online.
FRIDAY, JUNE 5
◊“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” (7 p.m. on Fox): Twins from Orlando compete. They are in for a real 80’s treat when surprise guest, Colin Hay from Men at Work, completes the lyrics to the pop hit “Who Can It Be Now.”
◊“Ghost Adventures” (8 p.m. on Travel Channel): In this series, paranormal investigators search for haunted locations. During their search, they interview locals about the hauntings and place themselves with evil spirits during overnight lockdowns.
◊“Good Morning America” (7 a.m. on ABC): John Legend (Grammy winner) performs during the 2009 Summer Concert Series airing live from New York City’s Central Park.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): While on a date, David catches a disappearing act at a magic show but quickly becomes involved in the performance when the magician really vanishes. Penn Jillette (”Dancing With the Stars) guest stars.
◊“Whale Wars” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society battle whalers, the elements and one another in the show’s second season that features new and returning crew members.
◊“Samantha Who?” (8 p.m. on ABC): Samantha teams up with her mother for a dance competition in order to beat Regina’s nemesis, Paula Drake (Cybill Shepherd, “Cybill”). The only problem is that “old” Sam could dance, whereas “new” Sam is gliding on two left feet. Mark Ballas (”Dancing With the Stars”) guest stars as Paula’s dance partner.
◊“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): The Dave Matthews Band (Grammy winner) performs during the 2009 Toyota Concert Series airing live from New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza.
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
◊“1 vs. 100″ (6 p.m. on GSN): Beginning today, the network will begin airing the entire series run of the game show hosted by Bob Saget. Episodes will also air at noon Sundays starting June 7.
◊“Come Dance at My Wedding” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): John Schneider (“Smallville”), Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”), Brooke Nevin (“Worst Week”) and Christopher Jacot (“Eureka”) star in this new movie about an estranged father and daughter who may be light-on-their-feet, but who still have a few moves to learn if they are to move forward as a family.
◊“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program showcases the UCO Jazz Lab in Edmond, the Wild Things Farm in Pocola, Tulsa’s Inn at Woodward Park and Keystone Ancient Forest.
◊“The Game Show Awards” (8 p.m. on GSN): Howie Mandel (”Deal or No Deal”) hosts the inaugural event aimed at celebrating excellence in the genre of games. The show includes special tributes to Bob Barker (“The Price is Right”), game show producer Mark Goodson and Monty Hall (“Let’s Make a Deal”).
◊“Housecat Housecall” (9:30 a.m. on Animal Planet): This show returns for a second season of helping cat lovers resolve their feline dilemmas, from unruly behavior to lifestyle adjustments.
◊“Iron Maiden: Flight 666″ (11 p.m. on VH1): On February 8, 2008, British heavy rock legends Iron Maiden embarked on an ambitious and adventurous tour. The band gave full access to a film crew to document their journey and this high-definition documentary is the result. With the entire touring crew and 12 tons of music and stage equipment on board, the band flew 50,000 miles and performed in 23 sold-out stadium and arena shows across Asia, Australia and North, Central and South America.
◊“Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This special explores the historical context of Johnny Cash’s concert album recorded Jan. 13, 1968 at Folsom Prison. It weaves interviews with archival photography to evoke the spirit of that day.
◊“Pushing Daisies” (9 p.m. on ABC): Emerson gets a lead in his daughter Penny’s whereabouts when he investigates the murder of millionaire Roland Stingwell. The prime suspect: Penny’s no-good mama, Lila Robinson (Gina Torres, “Standoff”), who ran off with the girl years ago. Meanwhile, an awkward Randy Mann (David Arquette, “In Case of Emergency”) tries to romance Olive.
–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
Happy Birthday, Melissa Gilbert
May 8, 2009 — Melissa Ellen Gilbert,
who played Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie” (1974-83 on NBC), turns 45 today.
She starred in the Hallmark Channel original movies “Thicker Than Water” (2005) and “Sacrifies of the Heart” (2007).
Her first acting role was as Spratt’s Child in a 1972 episode of “Gunsmoke” (episode titled “The Judgement”). She was 8.
Best wishes to Melissa and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Screen Actors Guild President Melissa Gilbert arrives at the 8th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards March 10, 2002 (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Happy Birthday, Roma Downey
May 6, 2009 – Roma Downey, who
played Monica on “Touched by an Angel” (1994-2003 on CBS), turns 49 today.
She plays Laura Williams in the upcoming Hallmark Channel original movie “Come Dance at My Wedding” (premieres June 6).
Her first acting role was as Lady Johanna Leighton on a 1988 episode of “One Life to Live.” She was 28.
Best wishes to Roma and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Roma Downey poses for photographers as she arrives for the finale and reunion show of CBS’s “Survivor: Palau”, Sunday, May 15, 2005 in New York. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg).
Hallmark Channel hosts Mom-O-Rama Week May 2-10
Mom–O-Rama Week on the Hallmark
Channel is much more than a bunch of great movies.
In addition to airing eight family-friendly films in primetime from May 2-10, the network is also inviting viewers to visit www.HallmarkChannel.com for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas and the opportunity to help provide free mammograms to women across the country.
It doesn’t cost anything to take part in “Click For a Cure.” And if the clicks total 200 mammograms in April, the Breast Cancer Site will donate $10,000 to help fund research for a cure through GreaterGood.org. Funding will also be provided to clinics throughout the U.S. to provide free mammograms for women in need.
As for the “Win a Trip” sweepstakes, simply fill out the online entry form fo a chance to win a 5-day/4-night trip for two to Las Vegas. The winner will receive roundtrip airfare, hotel accomodations, spending money and tickets to a Las Vegas concert. Deadline to enter is May 10.
And the Mom-O-Rama movie event begins at 8 p.m. May 2 on the Hallmark Channel with the premiere of “Living Out Loud” starring Gail O’Grady and Michael Shanks (”Stargate SG-1″). It tells the story of a woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer and the transformative effects it has on her and her family.
Mom-O-Rama continues weeknights at 8 p.m. through May 10 with these mom-tastic movies:
•• May 3: “A Season for Miracles” — When a young woman’s niece and nephew are threatened with foster care she flees with them until they land in the sleepy town of Bethlehem giving the trio a chance a happiness. Stars Patty Duke and Carla Gugino.
•• May 4: “Thicker Than Water” — An urban lawyer journeys to horse country to delve into her father’s past, where she finds an unexpected family, true love and her own unbridled spirit in this Hallmark Channel Original movie. Stars Melissa Gilbert and Lindsay Wagner.
•• May 5: “Bound By a Secret” — Jane Tetley (Leslie Ann Warren), a glamorous soap opera star, is coping with the fact that her recently-diagnosed cancer is indeed terminal. She knows she is going to die and wants to be with Ida Mae (Meredith Baxter), her best friend, for her final days.
•• May 6: “Candles on Bay Street” — A single mom returns to her hometown after a lengthy absence, posing a potential threat to the marriage of her old high school flame and his wife. Stars Alicia Silverstone and Annabeth Gish.
•• May 7: “Chasing a Dream” — As Cam Stiles (Andrew Lawrence) and lifelong buddy John Van Horn (Jake McLaughlin) compare athletic plans, victory seems within reach. But when tragedy strikes, Cam faces an unbearable loss that shatters his world.
•• May 8: “Living Out Loud” encore presentation.
•• May 9: “The Good Witch’s Garden” — Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Nightingale (Catherine Bell) has settled into Middleton and is busy making a home of Grey House. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Jake Russell (Chris Potter), and his kids are happy to have Cassie in the neighborhood, but she has yet to gain the trust of some people in town.
•• May 10: “The Note II: Taking a Chance on Love” — Having been reunited with Christine, the daughter she gave up for adoption 18 years earlier, Peyton MacGruder (Genie Francis) is still learning the ropes of parenting. She’s also busy writing her “Heart Healer” column, as well as managing a relationship with coworker and boyfriend King Danville (Ted McGinley). But when King asks Peyton to marry him, she’s too afraid to take a chance at a life she deserves.
–Penny TV
Hallmark Channel salutes Bea Arthur with best-of-Dorothy ‘Golden Girls’ episodes
Network News Release …
At the Studio City, CA, home of Hallmark Channel, fans of the classic comedy “Golden Girls” flooded the network’s Viewer Services department Monday with parenthetical appreciation for the channel’s weekend announcement of a Memorial Day Tribute to Bea Arthur, who died Saturday, April 25. The qualifier to the announcement included these sentiments: more, sooner, please.
Hallmark Channel responded by hand-selecting the “Best of the Dorothy Zbornak Episodes” which begin running Tuesday, April 28 (6 p.m.-8 p.m.) and continue, Wednesday, April 29 (6 p.m.-8 p.m.), Thursday, April 30 (6 p.m.-8 p.m.), Sunday, May 3 (5 a.m.-2 a.m.) and the previously announced schedule for Monday, May 31 (7:30 a.m.-2 a.m.).
A run down of episodes follows:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
••6 pm: “Forgive Me, Father” — Blanche and Rose plan a nice dinner at the house for Dorothy and her new boyfriend whom she later learns is a priest. She later gets another shock when she learns he plans to leave the church.
••6:30 pm: “Feelings” — Dorothy receives threats after failing a football star, which means he can’t play in an upcoming game.
••7 pm : “There Goes the Bride, Part 1 of 2″ — Dorothy has been sneaking around so that Sophia doesn’t discover that she’s been dating Stan. However, when Stan proposes, Dorothy must reveal the truth to Sophia.
••7:30 pm: “There Goes the Bride, Part 2 of 2″ — Totally against Dorothy and Stan’s impending nuptials, Sophia vows to not let the ceremony go off.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
••6 pm: “That Was No Lady” — Dorothy finds herself on the other side of the table when her latest boyfriend Glen gives her a shock when he tells her he’s married. She surprises herself when she finds herself sneaking around to be with him.
••6:30 pm: “Son-in-Law Dearest” — Dorothy’s daughter, Kate is coming for a visit and has a big announcement. However, when Kate arrives, her announcement is far from exciting. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose stay up and watch an “I Love Lucy” marathon.
••7 pm: “Love for Sale” — The girls prepare for the Children’s Hospital Bachelorette Auction and a reluctant Dorothy decides to participate. She is in for a surprise when Stan walks in and begins bidding.
••7:30 pm: “The Commitments” — Dorothy gets wrapped up in “Beatlemania” and begins dating a Beatle impersonator.
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
••6 pm: “And Ma Makes Three” — Feeling sorry for a lonely Sophia, Dorothy allows her to come along on a date with her. Pretty soon Sophia begins tagging along on every date.”
••6:30 pm: “Cheaters” — The married man whom Dorothy once dated re-enters her life and has news that he’s now divorced and would like to reconcile with Dorothy.
••7 pm: “The Monkey Show, Part 1 of 2″ — Dorothy gets a visit first from Stan with news that he’s over her and moving on with his life. Dorothy quickly discovers who he’s moving on with: Her sister, Gloria.
••7:30 pm: “The Monkey Show, Part 2 of 2″ — Dorothy is stunned to discover Gloria and Stan sleeping together in her bed. Dorothy is more stunned when she learns that Sophia pushed Stan and Gloria together.”
SUNDAY, MAY 3
••7:30 am: “Dorothy’s Prized Pupil” — One of Dorothy’s students has been doing very well in her class, so she decides to submit a paper that he wrote for a contest. However, this inadvertently signals to the INS that he is an illegal alien. Guest star Mario Lopez
••8 am: “The Operation” — During a tap dance rehearsal with Rose and Blanche, Dorothy injures her foot and later is hesitant about having foot surgery. Meanwhile, with Dorothy out of the recital, Blanche and Rose must re-work their act.
••8:30 am: “Guess Who’s Coming to the Wedding?” — Dorothy’s daughter, Kate, comes to Miami with an announcement: She’s engaged. Dorothy is thrilled but her happiness quickly turns to anger when she realizes that her ex-husband, Stan, is going to be invited.
••9 am: “Love Under the Big Top” — Dorothy is in a serious relationship with a lawyer who’s decided that he’s leaving law to become a circus clown. Guest star Dick Van Dyke
••9:30 am: “Dorothy’s New Friend” — Dorothy befriends a novelist, Barbara Thorndyke and she quickly infringes on Dorothy’s relationship with Blanche and Rose.
••10 am: “To Catch a Neighbor” — The girls invite their new neighbors over for dinner but later, after they leave, two police detectives arrive with some unsettling news: The girls’ new neighbors are really dealers in stolen gems. Guest star George Clooney.
••10:30 am: “All Bets Are Off” — Dorothy’s gambling problem re-surfaces after a visit to the race track and quickly begins falling in to debt and gaining an apathy to her job.
••11 am: “Stan Takes a Wife” — Stan breaks the news that he’s engaged to be married. However, after Sophia falls ill, Stan comforts Dorothy, which sparks old feelings.
••11:30 am: Golden Girls: “Questions and Answers” — Dorothy is excited when she learns the ‘Jeopardy’ is having tryouts in Miami. Meanwhile, Blanche and Dorothy give Rose a dog to cheer her up.
••12 pm: “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest, Part 1 of 2″ — Blanche needs someone to entertain her visiting Uncle Lucas. She persuades Dorothy into going out with him and the two later come up with a scheme to get revenge on Blanche. However, their scheme seems to become all too real, as Uncle Lucas’ “phoney” marriage proposal soon becomes sincere.
••12:30 pm: “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest, Part 2 of 2” — As Dorothy’s wedding day approaches, everyone is making preparations. In the end, Sophia and Rose decide to stay with Blanche and Dorothy says a tearful goodbye.
••1 pm: “Till Death Do We Volley” — Dorothy’s old friend, Trudy, comes for a visit and this revives the old rivalry between them. However, the visit turns tragic when Trudy suddenly dies.
••1:30 pm: “Comedy of Errors” — Dorothy finds a list of things that she wanted to accomplish and finds that she hasn’t accomplished many of them. So she decides to go after one of them: Entertaining people.
••2 pm: “Guess Who’s Coming to the Wedding?” — Dorothy’s daughter, Kate, comes to Miami with an announcement: She’s engaged. Dorothy is thrilled but her happiness quickly turns to anger when she realizes that her ex-husband, Stan, is going to be invited.
••2:30 pm: “To Catch a Neighbor” — The girls invite their new neighbors over for dinner but later, after they leave, two police detectives arrive with some unsettling news: The girls’ new neighbors are really dealers in stolen gems. Guest star George Clooney.
••3 pm: “Dorothy’s Prized Pupil” — One of Dorothy’s students has been doing very well in her class, so she decides to submit a paper that he wrote for a contest. However, this inadvertently signals to the INS that he is an illegal alien. Guest star Mario Lopez.
••3:30 pm: “The Operation” — During a tap dance rehearsal with Rose and Blanche, Dorothy injures her foot and later is hesitant about having foot surgery. Meanwhile, with Dorothy out of the recital, Blanche and Rose must re-work their act.
••4 pm: “Dorothy’s New Friend” — Dorothy befriends a novelist, Barbara Thorndyke and she quickly infringes on Dorothy’s relationship with Blanche and Rose.
••4:30 pm: “Love Under the Big Top” — Dorothy is in a serious relationship with a lawyer who’s decided that he’s leaving law to become a circus clown. Guest star Dick Van Dyke
••5 pm: “Sick and Tired, Part 1 of 2″ — Dorothy is sure she is ill, but all of the doctors she visits tell her she’s fine and that the problem is mental.
••5:30 pm: “Sick and Tired, Part 2 of 2″ — Dorothy continues to seek medical advice and meets Dr. Chang, who is finally able to put a name to Dorothy’s malady: Chronic fatigue syndrome.
••6 pm: “All Bets Are Off” — Dorothy’s gambling problem re-surfaces after a visit to the race track and she quickly begins falling in to debt and gaining an apathy to her job.
••6:30 pm: “The Case of the Libertine Belle” — The girls participate in a murder mystery weekend and Dorothy has a ball when she solves a mystery.
••7 pm: “Goodbye, Mr. Gordon” — Dorothy is contacted by a high school teacher she once had a crush on. They quickly begin seeing each other.
••7:30 pm: “Journey to the Center of Attention” — Blanche brings a lonely, Dorothy down to the Rusty Anchor for a night of excitement.
••8 pm: “Stan Takes a Wife” — Stan breaks the news that he’s engaged to be married. However, after Sophia falls ill, Stan comforts Dorothy, which sparks old feelings.
••8:30 pm: “Questions and Answers” — Dorothy is excited when she learns the ‘Jeopardy’ is having tryouts in Miami. Meanwhile, Blanche and Dorothy give Rose a dog to cheer her up.
••9 pm: “Till Death Do We Volley” — Dorothy’s old friend, Trudy, comes for a visit and this revives the old rivalry between them. However, the visit turns tragic when Trudy suddenly dies.
••9:30 pm: “Comedy of Errors” — Dorothy finds a list of things that she wanted to accomplish and finds that she hasn’t accomplished many of them. So she decides to go after one of them: Entertaining people.
••10 pm: “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest, Part 1 of 2″ — Blanche needs someone to entertain her visiting Uncle Lucas. She persuades Dorothy into going out with him and the two later come up with a scheme to get revenge on Blanche. However, their scheme seems to become all too real, as Uncle Lucas’ “phoney” marriage proposal soon becomes sincere.
••10:30 pm: “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest, Part 2 of 2″ — As Dorothy’s wedding day approaches, everyone is making preparations. In the end, Sophia and Rose decide to stay with Blanche and Dorothy says a tearful goodbye.
••11 pm: “What a Difference a Date Makes” — The man who stood Dorothy up for her senior prom contacts her and they make a date. After learning why he stood her up, Dorothy unleashes her wrath at Sophia.
••11:30 pm: “The Case of the Libertine Belle” — The girls participate in a murder mystery weekend and Dorothy has a ball when she solves a mystery.
••12 am: “Sick and Tired, Part 1 of 2″ — Dorothy is sure she is ill, but all of the doctors she visits tell her she’s fine and that the problem is mental.
••12:30 am: “Sick and Tired, Part 2 of 2″ — Dorothy continues to seek medical advice and meets Dr. Chang who is finally able to put a name to Dorothy’s malady: Chronic fatigue syndrome.
••1 am: “Journey to the Center of Attention” — Blanche brings a lonely Dorothy down to the Rusty Anchor for a night of excitement.
••1:30 am: “Goodbye, Mr. Gordon” — Dorothy is contacted by a high school teacher she once had a crush on. They quickly begin seeing each other.
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 19-25, 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 19:
SUNDAY, APRIL 19
◊“Cake Boss” (9 p.m. on TLC): After beginning a week completely jam-packed with cake orders, Buddy gets a call from a customer he cannot possibly turn down – a photo spread in Brides Magazine. But last minute changes mean Buddy has to crack the whip to make the deadline.
◊“The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler” (8 p.m. on CBS): Academy Award winner Anna Paquin (”The Piano”) stars in this fact-based drama as 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Irena Sendler, who is credited with saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children while she was working as a Polish Catholic social worker during World War II.
◊“Death of the Old West” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Just before sunrise on April 19, 1909, a mob of men — many believed to be community leaders in Ada — avenged the murder of a local rancher by lynching the four suspects in a livery stable behind the city jail. To mark the 100th anniversary of the event, this documentary examines the chain of events that preceded the hanging and the fallout that continues to stir emotions to this day.
◊“HGTV Green Home 2009″ (7 p.m. on HGTV): Craftsman Carter Oosterhouse (”Carter Can”) hosts this on-air tour of the eco-friendly home in Florida that is part of the second annual HGTV Green Home Giveaway grand prize package. In addition to the 2,430-square foot contemporary Spanish-style cottage, the winner will recive a new GMC Sierra Hybrid car.
◊“In Plain Sight” (9 p.m. on USA Network): Mary McCormack returns for Season 2 as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal working in the highly specialized branch of the witness protection program (WITSEC), who relocates Federal Witnesses – many of them career criminals and many others, just the innocents who have had the misfortune of witnessing a crime.
◊“Knights of Bloodsteel” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): David James Elliott (”JAG”), Natassia Malthe (”Elektra”) and Christopher Lloyd (”Taxi”) star in this four-hour, two-night movie event set against the backdrop of knights, sorcerers and dragons where heroes battle the forces of darkness. It concludes at 8 p.m. Monday.
◊“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (8 p.m. on USA Network): The stepdaughter of a powerful city councilman narrowly escapes death when her boyfriend is killed in what appears to be a drug-related shooting, but Detectives Goren and Eames soon discover the victim had been planning to blackmail the politician. Kathy Baker “Boston Public”) guest stars.
◊“Miss USA 2009″ (6 p.m. on NBC): Billy Bush (”Access Hollywood”) and Nadine Velazquez (”My Name Is Earl”) co-host the event live from Las Vegas. Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. Representing Oklahoma is Lauren Lundy.
◊“My Fake Fiance” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Melissa Joan Hart (”Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) and Joey Lawrence (”Dancing With the Stars”) star in this new romantic comedy about two people who can’t stand each but decide to get married for the money and gifts. Just as true love never runs smoothly, neither does true distain and despite their mutual commitment to fraud, these two unlikely partners begin to soften towards each other.
◊“Natalee Holloway” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Teenager Natalee Holloway vanished in 2005 while visting Aruba on a senior class trip. This new movie focuses on Natalee’s mom, Beth Twitty, and her work to solve the mystery that shattered her family’s life. It is based on Twitty’s book “Loving Natalee: A Mother’s Testament of Hope and Faith.”
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA): In the new installment titled “The Loneliest Animals,” scientists attempt to breed new generations of nearly extinct species, such as Yangtze turtles and Spix macaws.
◊“Robert Blecker Wants Me Dead” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): Cameras follow law professor Robert Blecker, one of America’s most impassioned crusaders for capital punishment, to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution outside of Nashville. There he meets Daryl Holton, who, in 1997, methodically lined up his four children in an auto shop and shot them to death. Sentenced to death, Holton has declined to file any of his permitted appeals as he prepares to die.
◊“Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels Reunion Special” (8 p.m. on VH1): Find out what’s happening in the lives of the women since their wild ride on the show. Will old feuds resurface? Has Bret’s search for love finally ended? Tune in to find out.
◊“Running in Heels” (7 p.m. on Style Network): As winter hits its peak, Joanna announces that they will be doing a Mexico shoot. But who among the staff at Marie Claire magazine will be chosen to go?
◊“Sit Down, Shut Up” (7:30 p.m. on Fox): The new animated comedy focuses on the dysfunctional faculty and staff at a high school in a small Florida fishing town as they strive to do anything but teach. The voice talent for the series includes Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”), Jason Bateman (”Arrested Development”), Kristin Chenoweth (”Pushing Daisies”), Will Forte (“Saturday Night Live”), Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”), Nick Kroll (“Caveman”), Cheri Oteri (”Saturday Night Live”) and Henry Winkler (”Happy Days”).
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): A combination of weather events in the Canadian Rocky Mountains created a weak snow base that lead to a number of fatal avalanches, the 2nd deadliest in Canadian history, on December 28, 2008. Sixteen men in total were killed, including one of the four mean on the rescue team. In an unbelievable story of survival, the three survivors make a heart wrenching decision to leave their buried friends until the danger of further avalanches is passed.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Texas A&M in college softball action airing live at noon on ESPN.
MONDAY, APRIL 20
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Part two of “We Shall Remain” focuses on Shawnee warrior Tecumseh and his brother, the prophet Tenskwatawa, who organized an ambitious pan-Indian resistance movement.
◊“Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): The Masked Magician reveals the secrets behind how to make a playing card pass through a glass windor and how to survive underwater while holding your breath for 18 minutes.
◊“Cash Cab” (5:30 p.m. on Discovery): Host Ben Bailey is is back for a fourth season of picking up unsuspecting contestants on the streets of New York City and giving them a chance to win big money on the way to their destination. New this season, random contestants are given the opportunity to double their winnings in the “double ride” portion of the show.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): When Chuck and Sarah go AWOL to rescue Chuck’s father, they discover that spending time together without any surveillance allows for unchartered chemistry. Tony Hale (”Arrested Development”) and Chevy Chase (”Saturday Night Live”) guest star.
◊“For the Love of Ray J” (9 p.m. on VH1): Fourteen women started out vying for the heart of singer Ray J. But after many romantic dates and intense challenges, Ray must now decide if he is ready to settle down with one of the remaining three.
◊“Heroes” (8 p.m. on NBC): Sylar continues his unusual partnership and begins to have an unexpected identity crisis. Clint Howard (“Frost/Nixon”) guest stars.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): After Stella and Ted make the spontaneous decision to get married in three days, the presence of their exes destroys what was to be the “happiest day of their lives.” Sarah Chalke (”Scrubs”) guest stars.
◊“One Tree Hill” (8 p.m. on CW): Victoria (Daphne Zuniga, “Beautiful People”) returns to lure Brooke back to Clothes Over Bro’s.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:31 p.m. on CBS): Jeff invites Audrey to watch him play softball, hoping to show her that he’s not an old fogy after he falls asleep while watching a movie. Orlando Jones (”MADtv”) guest stars.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Harold Lloyd was born on this day in 1893, and TCM celebrates by airing eight of his films, including 1920’s “High and Dizzy (5 a.m.) and 1932’s “Movie Crazy” (10:30 a.m.).
TUESDAY, APRIL 21
◊“The 12th annual Interactive Achievement Awards” (7 p.m. on IFC): Jay Mohr (”Gary Unmarried”) hosts the event that was taped Feb. 19 and recognizes the year’s best games, computer games, online entertainment, outstanding individuals and groundbreaking development teams. The big winner was LittleBigPlanet (Sony Computer Entertainment America) which won eight awards.
◊“90210” (8 p.m. on CW): Series star Rob Estes (Harry Wilson) directed this episode in which Donna (Tori Spelling, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) reveals details of her separation to Kelly (Jennie Garth, “Beverly Hills, 90210”), and the two search for locations so Donna can open a clothing store in Beverly Hills.
◊“Build It Bigger” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): Costing more than $1.1 billion, the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium will be the largest sports complex ever constructed in the United States. It covers 73 acres and features 80,000 seats, the largest operable glass door in the world and two 180 foot long HD video screens.
◊“Carbon Cops” (8:30 p.m. on Sundance): The reality-style show follows six families as they are led through a fascinating step-by-step process of auditing their current use of energy in order to lessen their carbon footprint and the effects of global warming on the planet.
◊“Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living” (8 p.m. on Sundance): Eco-adventurer David de Rothschild hosts this series that traces the eco-life of an everyday item (chocolate, light bulb, cell phone, etc.) from production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social and health effects along the way. Each episode leads to a world of greener alternatives presented by de Rothschild.
◊“Fringe” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): As a suicide incident occurs at New York’s Grand Central station, Agent Dunham simultaneously witnesses the event while asleep and dreaming in Boston. The episode was written and directed by Oscar winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”).
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment titled “Poisoned Waters,” correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the rising hazards to human health and the ecosystem, and why it is so hard to keep our waters clean.
◊“Life After People: The Series” (9 p.m. on History): This series picks up where the network’s January 2008 special left off. It will reveal the fate of the complex structures we’ve built, the creatures that take our place and the history we leave behind.
◊“The Phone” (9 p.m. on MTV): Justin Timberlake is an executive producer for this new competitive reality series in which players receive a phone call invitation to participate in a movie-like drama. If they accept, they become part of one of two teams confronted by a series of mental and physical challenges for a chance to win up to $50,000.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Anthony Quinn was born on this day in 1915, and TCM celebrates by airing six of his films, including 1955’s “The Naked Street” (8 a.m.) and 1962’s “Requiem for a Heavyweight” (5 p.m.).
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22
◊“As Seen on TV” (8 p.m. on CNBC): CNBC correspondent Darren Rovell takes a look at the world of infomercials. He speaks to the pitch people and the inventors and executives who produced the greatest products. He also shows viewers how the infomercial world works and explores various products and their claims.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): A man falls 52 stories to his death, and his body goes missing after it hits the ground. With no body to process, the CSIs must treat this strange development as a missing persons case. Craig T. Nelson (‘‘Coach”) and Thad Luckinbill (‘‘The Young and the Restless”) guest star.
◊“Dress My Nest” (10 p.m. on Style Network): Interior design guru Thom Filicia rescues desperate homeowners from their drab, unstylish and out-of-touch décor in Season 4. No project is too big, as Thom rolls up his sleeves to help roommates, single mothers, couples and even Audrina Patridge (”The Hills”) overcome daunting design challenges.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): Jason and Grant have enlisted the crew from “Ghost Hunters International” to investigate unexplained activity on their newly purchased property in Whitefield, N.H.
◊“Jean Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Chris Noth (”Sex and the City”) narrates this new two-hour installment titled “Call of the Killer Whale.” Jean-Michel Cousteau and his team examine the social connections between humans and Killer Whales. Included is footage from the two-and-a-half year ordeal Cousteau oversaw to rehabilitate and release the “Free Willy” whale into the wild.
◊“Law & Order” (7 p.m. on NBC): The murder of a plaintiff in a high profile lawsuit with a major airline leads detectives to a lawyer who will do anything to protect his big payday. Mercedes Ruehl (“Loving Leah”) guest stars.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8 p.m. on NBC): A young girl is kidnapped and Det. Elliot Stabler must work with an ex-convict (Ron Eldard, “Blind Justice”) to get her back.
◊“Lie to Me” (7 p.m. on Fox): Jennifer Beals (“The L Word”) guest stars as Asst. U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Lightman’s ex-wife and Emily’s mother. When she enlists Lightman to help investigate an arson case in which the only eyewitness is a 5-year-old boy, it becomes clear that she and Lightman still have feelings for each other.
◊“Lost: The Story of the Oceanic 6″ (8 p.m. on ABC): This special will explore what happened to the Oceanic 6 and the remaining island survivors during the three years after Ben moved the island.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Ex-husband Richard joins Christine on a dinner date with her new boyfriend, Patrick (Tim DeKay, ‘‘Tell Me You Love Me”).
◊“Scrubs” (7 p.m. on ABC): As J.D. plans to move closer to Sam, he reaches out to make peace with Kim (Elizabeth Banks, “W.”) and finds that she has a new boyfriend (Scott Foley, “The Unit”).
THURSDAY, APRIL 23
◊The 11th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards (7 p.m. on Telemundo): Aylin Mujica and Alan Tacher will co-host the event live from Coral Gables, Florida. Flex is up for 13 awards, while Enrique Iglesias is a finalist in 10 categories.
◊The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards (7 p.m. on Gospel Music Channel): Artists from every style of gospel and Christian music come together for a night of music and celebration. Nominees for artist of the year are Casting Crowns, Steve Curtis Chapman, Fireflight, Marvin Sapp, Third Day, Toby Mac and Chris Tomlin.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Catherine revisits one of the very first cases she worked as a CSI when the convicted felon in the murder (Henry Thomas, “ET”) claims the verdict was based on faulty evidence.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): As she endures aggressive treatment for her cancer, Izzie throws herself into planning Derek and Meredith’s wedding. Hector Elizondo (”Pretty Woman”) and Amy Madigan (”Carnivale”) guest star.
◊“The Millionaire Matchmaker” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Patty Stanger searches for a match for Farrah, former member of Destiny’s Child, who has been hurt in previous relationships and is very guarded in her dating life.
◊“The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Michael’s new company struggles to make early morning deliveries while the office tries to get their expense reports in on time after Angela enforces Dunder Mifflin’s policy. Idris Elba (”The Wire”) guest stars.
◊“Private Practice” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): When a pregnant woman starts to show signs of heart complications, Addison rushes her St. Ambrose where Noah is standing by to help. Josh Hopkins (”Swingtown”) and Idina Menzel (”Rent”) guest star.
◊“Samantha Who?” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): Sam wants to give Todd a fresh start and offers to go on a “first date” with him. But Todd doesn’t trust her boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane, “Titanic”), who continues his relentless quest to get “new” Sam to continue the affair they had before her accident.
◊“Southland” (9 p.m. on NBC): When officer Ben Sherman reveals details of his past to the department therapist and his training officer, John Cooper, the motivation behind his decision to be a cop becomes clear. C. Thomas Howell (“A Gunfighter’s Pledge”) and Tom Sizemore (“Crash”) guest star.
◊“Trouble the Water” (7:30 p.m. on HBO): Equipped with meager supplies and a camcorder, aspiring rap star Kimberly Roberts and her husband, Scott, filmed this documentary when they and their 9th Ward neighbors became trapped in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
◊“The Game” (7:30 p.m. on CW): Malik meets his half-sister (Lisa Tucker, “American Idol”) and sees an unmistakably familiar tattoo on her lower back, causing him to wonder whether they slept together before they knew they were related.
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): A soap opera “remote” shoot descends on Grandview, and Melinda unearths a story as soapy as the show it’s disrupting. Thad Luckinbill (”The Young and the Restless”) and Kellie Martin (”Life Goes On”) guest star.
◊“Hatching Pete” (7 p.m. on Disney): Pete Ivey (Jason Dolley, “Cory in the House”) is a quiet 16-year-old who must stand in for his outgoing best friend Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso, “Hannah Montana”) when Cleatus cannot complete his duties as their high school mascot, a chicken. The chicken mascot, with Pete anonymously behind the mask, soon becomes the main attraction at school.
◊“Iron Man: Armored Adventures” (6 p.m. on Nicktoons): This new series based on Marvel’s armored Super Hero follows a teenage Tony Stark as he attempts to balance the pressures of being a teen with his responsibilities as Iron Man. The rock band Rooney performs the show’s original theme song.
◊“Mighty Jungle” (4:30 p.m. on Sprout): This new live-action puppet series follows the adventures of three jungle friends — a meerkat named Babu, a gorilla named Bruce and a rhino named Rhonda. The silly situations that the friends find themselves in, the fantastical characters that they come into contact with and the mayhem that ensues are created or inspired by real kids.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): When the FBI is called in to investigate a series of home invasions, the team uses Charlie and his math skills to help profile the suspects. But when his calculations go awry during a raid, Don suffers a life-threatening injury. Alan Blumenfeld (”Heroes”) and Michael Gaston (”Fringe”) guest star.
◊“Party Down” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): Constance and Casey try to console the daughter of an angry Hollywood mogul (J.K. Simmons, ‘‘The Closer”) when only nerds show up for her birthday party.
◊“Return to Tarawa” (9 p.m. on Military Channel): Ed Harris (“Pollock”) narrates this special that documents World War II veteran Leon Cooper’s mission to preserve the hallowed ground at Red Beach on Tarawa Island. The battle at Tarawa was the U.S. Navy’s first major amphibious assault and more than 1,600 American servicemen died.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Shirley MacLaine was born on this day in 1934, and TCM celebrates by airing four of her films, including 1963’s “Irma La Douce” (10:30 a.m.) and 1961’s “The Children’s Hour” (5 p.m.).
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
◊2009 Nadia Comaneci International Invitational (noon on KFOR-4): Olympic champion Sandra Izbasa from Romania headlines the list of international elite gymnasts representing eighth countries and competing for team, all-around and individual honors at the event held in Oklahoma City. Calling the action are Bart Conner (1984 Olympic gold medalist) and Nastia Liukin (2008 Olympic gold medalist). The hourlong highlight show also includes a profile of Nadia Comaneci (1976 and 1980 Olympic gold medalist).
◊“Ashes to Ashes” (8 p.m. on BBC America): In the Season 1 finale, Alex reaches the day her parents were killed and believes that if she can prevent that fatal car bombing, she can escape her exile into 1981 and return to her daughter in 2008.
◊“Chasing a Dream” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): When a high school athlete’s dream is cut short, his best friend (Andrew Lawrence, “Oliver Beene”) throws himself into training for the race of his life. Treat Williams (”Everwood”) and Joanna Going (”Close to Home”) also star.
◊“I Want to Save Your Life” (9 p.m. on WEtv): In this new intervention series, nutrition and public health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin follows unsuspecting subjects on their daily routines to identify their negative patterns.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for April 5-11, 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 5:
SUNDAY, APRIL 5
◊The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (7 p.m. on CBS): Reba McEntire returns as host (for a record 11th time) for the event airing live from MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She is also scheduled to perform, along with Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Miley Cyrus. Artists with Oklahoma ties up for awards include Carrie Underwood (entertainer of the year, top female vocalist), Brooks & Dunn (top vocal duo, vocal event with McEntire), Miranda Lambert (top female vocalist, single of the year), Toby Keith (top male vocalist), Rascal Flats (top vocal group) and Trish Yearwood (vocal event with Josh Turner).
◊“Explorer: Inside Guantanamo” (8 p.m. on National Geographic): This two-hour special takes viewers inside one of the world’s most famous prisons for a look at day-to-day life. A film crew spent nearly three weeks inside the prison, chronicling the interaction between guards and detainees.
◊“Fast Machines With Funkmaster Flex” (9:30 p.m. on SPIKE): Funkmaster Flex, reknown car customizer in the music and sports world, hosts this new series that will showcase his talents in updating and modifying cars.
◊“Good Buy, Bad Buy?” (11:30 a.m. on HGTV): This new series features housing experts coming to the rescue of overwhelmed house-hunting families. Each episode will profile two different homebuyers as they struggle to determine which of their favorite two potential homes is the better buy.
◊“Hometown Heroes” (8 a.m. on DirecTV): Joan Lunden (“Wickedly Perfect”) returns as host of this special series that focuses on everyday people from across America whose extraordinary work and humanity are transforming the lives of those in their community.
◊“In Treatment” (8 p.m. on HBO): In Season 2 of the half-hour drama, which will premiere new episodes on Sunday and Monday nights, the newly divorced Dr. Paul Weston has relocated from Maryland to Brooklyn, and now runs his therapy practice out of the living room of his brownstone. Among his new patients are Mia (Hope Davis, “Six Degrees”), an attorney; Walter (John Mahoney, “Frasier”), a CEO; and April (Alison Pill, “The Book of Daniel”), an architecture student.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): When King Silas sacrifices Port Prosperity to reach peace with Gath, David Shepherd must decide where his true loyalties lie. Leslie Bibb (”Popular”) guest stars.
◊“Last Cake Standing” (7 p.m. on Food Network): This competition series throws six pastry chefs into a grueling four-round cake competition — from creating one-of-a-kind wedding creations to undergoing a 24-hour cake-making marathon. Each week, judges eliminate one cake artist, and the winner takes home $50,000.
◊“My Mother’s Garden” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): This new documentary offers a daughter’s eyewitness account of her mother’s compulsive disorder and the way in which one family comes together to cope with a mental illness that affects millions.
◊“River Monsters” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): Extreme angler Jeremy Wade explores the murky waters of the globe to debunk fish tales. His weekly quest catapults him in search of piranha, alligator gar, wels catfish and bullsharks, piraiba/candiru — all supposedly deadly creatures shrouded with mystery.
◊“Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices” (10 p.m. on HBO): Narrated by Queen Latifah, this new series focuses on six promising teams from New York, San Francisco, Ft. Lauderdale, Ann Arbor, Hawaii and Philadelphia as they prepare for a chance to compete at the 2008 Brave New Voices National Youth Poetry Slam Championship in Washington, D.C. It profiles hopeful poets and their coaches, revealing their personal struggles and triumphs.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): This episode recounts the August 2007 flood in Stockton, Minn., caused by the lingering effects of Hurricane Erin. It remains the worst on record in U.S. History.
◊“United States of Tara” (9 p.m. on Showtime): The family, now reunited for the first time since Tara checked into the hospital, decides to partake in a family tradition – bowling. But as Tara looks around at her family, she realizes she’s not who she is in spite of her alters, but because of them.
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (7:30 p.m. on Disney): The school principal enrolls Alex in the Sunshine Club after noticing her kindness to an elderly woman, Maggie. Alex quickly sees that the students in the club are only interested in helping others for their own good, and decides that charity without an agenda is the best way to live. Jo Anne Worley (“Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”) guest stars.
MONDAY, APRIL 6
◊“24″ (8 p.m. on Fox): As the day stretches into the middle of the night, Jack and the FBI formulate a plan to prevent further terror attacks.
◊“Antiques Roadshow UK” (9 a.m. on BBC America): This show, the basis from which the U.S. version was created, is part adventure, part history lesson and part treasure hunt.
◊“Catch 21″ (5:30 p.m. on GSN): Host Alfonso Ribeiro (”The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”) returns for Season 2 of the game show that will feature the addition of an extra “power chip” in the jackpot round that puts winning within reach for all players.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): Things are looking up for Chuck when he finds his father and lands his dream job — or so he thinks. Chevy Chase (”Saturday Night Live”) and Scott Bakula (”Quantum Leap”) guest star.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Fred Savage (”The Wonder Years”) directed this new episode in which rush week rivalries kick into high gear as the battle for the big man on campus begins. Jesse McCartney (”Summerland”) guest stars.
◊“The Hotel Inspector” (11 a.m. on BBC America): Renowned hotelier and author Ruth Watson looks to whip Britain’s struggling bed and breakfast owners and hoteliers into shape.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): Charlotte, an older woman who has spent the last six months taking care of her husband Eddie (Meat Loaf, “Rock & a Hard Place”), is rushed to Princeton Plainsboro for immediate treatment after collapsing from respiratory failure at Eddie’s deathbed.
◊“Indoors Out” (9:30 p.m. on DIY Network): Derek Steams and Dean Marsico are stonemasons and real-life cousins. Together, they host this series, now entering Season 2, that shows viewers how to expand a home’s square footage without expanding the home.
◊“King of Dirt” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): Landscape contractors Gino and Ralph Panaro host this new series that is full of big personalities and even bigger ideas on how to makeover outdoor spaces.
◊“Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): The Masked Magician reveals the secrets behind several illusions, including making a 5 ton elephant appear from out of the blue, levitating a woman with no hidden wires and making an assistant vanish while standing atop an elevated platform.
◊“Medium” (9 p.m. on NBC): Allison investigates the case of a mother gone missing and some very strange children. James Van Der Beek (”Dawson’s Creek”) and Amanda Detmer (”What About Brian”) guest star.
◊“The Newlywed Game” (5 p.m. on GSN):Carnie Wilson (”Outsider’s Inn”) will make her game show host debut on the new, modernized version of this classic series, which features an updated set and a new bonus round where the winning couple challenges a “Goldywed couple” (a couple that appeared on an original episode from the 1960s through 1990s series who have remained married ever since).
◊“Rock Solid” (9 p.m. on DIY Network): Derek Steams and Dean Marsico are stonemasons and real-life cousins. Together, they host this series, now entering Season 5, that is dedicated to showing viewers how to increase the value of homes by starting in the yard.
◊“Surviving Suburbia” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Bob Saget (“Full House”) and Cynthia Stevenson (“Men in Trees”) star in this new sitcom that takes a contemporary look at family life and the reasons one might have to question the system.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Doug’s relationship with Maggie (Kathy Baker, “Boston Public) kicks into high gear, with a wedding date already set. But their plans hit a snag when Maggie is attacked by an unknown assailant at Louie’s.
TUESDAY, APRIL 7
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): Jason Priestley (”Beverly Hills, 90210″) directed this episode. Kelly (Jennie Garth) and Ryan search the streets and show up at Jackie’s (Ann Gillespie, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) home looking for Silver, but the visit proves pointless when harsh words are exchanged.
◊“Deadliest Warrior” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): This new historical narrative series will pit the world’s greatest warriors against each other in a battle to determine history’s ultimate fighting machine. The premiere episode pits Apache vs Gladiator, and Ultimate Fighting Championship star Chuck Liddell guest stars as a combat expert.
◊“The Fix” (9 p.m. on FLN): This new makeover series melds craftsmanship and comedy as hosts Neil Davies and Jay Purvis surprise homeowners with absurd renovations before working to make it right with the ultimate home transformation.
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Black Money” reveals how multi-national companies create slush funds, set up front companies and make secret payments — all to get billions in business. But these practices are facing a new international crackdown, led by prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice and allies abroad.
◊“Fringe” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Just seconds before a building is demolished, a mysterious mute child that has been living alone underground is discovered. When the FBI’s Fringe Division investigates, the boy forms an unspoken connection with Agent Olivia Dunham.
◊“HGTV’s Top 10″ (7:30 p.m. on HGTV): Every week, this new series will reveal the best-designed rooms in America and showcase 10 examples of stellar style from the nation’s leading designers and architects. During the countdown of amazing spaces, viewers will see industry experts unlock the design secrets that make these rooms so unique.
◊“It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” (7 p.m. on ABC): The classic Emmy-nominated springtime special is back on network television for the first time since 1982. It will air along with “Charlie Brown All Stars,” in which Charlie Brown’s baseball team walks out on him after losing their 999th game in a row.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): The death of an artist leads detectives to a long string of murders by an untraceable serial killer. Delroy Lindo (”Kidnapped”) guest stars as a detective struggling to keep control of the case. Jeri Ryan (”Boston Public”) takes on the role of attorney Patrice Larue, and will reprise the character for two future episodes.
◊“The Mentalist” (8 p.m. on CBS): Patrick Jane and the team go to Hollywood to investigate the murder of a movie producer. Series star Simon Baker’s wife, Rebecca Rigg, guest stars as the victim’s widow.
◊“Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This is the last installment of the series that began in 1987 and followed seven students starting out at Harvard Medical School. This two-part update returns to reveal what kinds of doctors — and people – they have turned out to be.
◊“The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Preview Special” (10 p.m. on Bravo): The network’s “Real Housewives” franchise kicks off its latest chapter with a sneak peak at the ladies from The Garden State. The hair is big — and so is the drama — on the newest docu-series as five new housewives from New Jersey invite viewers into their inter-mixed and indulgent lives.
◊“Rescue Me” (9 p.m. on FX): The series created, executive produced and starring Dennis Leary returns for Seaosn 5. It revolves around the lives of the men in a New York City firehouse, the crew of 62 Truck, and examines the fraternal nature and relationships of firefighters.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: James Garner was born on the day in 1928, and TCM celebrates by airing six of his films, including 1961’s “The Children’s Hour” (7 a.m.) and 1965’s “36 Hours” (11 a.m.).
◊“Trust Me” (9 p.m. on TNT): On the Season 1 finale, the Mink group wins a huge account. Denise (guest star Donna Murphy, “Hack”) sees Mason as the true creative force behind the victory and offers him a big promotion.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Malone and his team look for the son of a billionaire who disappears after the small plane he was piloting crashes in a wooded area. Vanessa Marcil (‘‘Las Vegas”) guest stars.
◊“Whose Wedding It It Anyway?” (9 p.m. on Style Network): In Season 9 of the wedding series, viewers will once again witness what goes on behind-the-scenes of real life nuptials, as couples and their planners battle to pull off the perfect “big day.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): The girls are surprised to learn they will be working opposite guest judge Clay Aiken (”American Idol”) during an acting challenge. Cycle 11 winner, McKey, stops by to offer support while the girls prepare for their CoverGirl commercial.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit team travels to South Padre Island during spring break to find a serial killer with multiple personalities who is targeting co-eds on vacation. Jackson Rathbone (”Twilight”) and Roma Maffia (”Nip/Tuck”) guest star in the episode directed by Jason Alexander (”Seinfeld”).
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the shooting of a man in an empty theater, Stella realizes that the crime scene is oddly familiar and staged. Former ‘‘American Idol” contestant Katharine McPhee guest stars.
◊“Dinner: Impossible” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Robert Irvine attemps to overcome culinary obstacles in Season 6. In the premiere episode, he heads to Aspen, Colo., to cook for 200 action sports athletes at the Winter X Games.
◊“Jean Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Anne Heche (”Men in Trees”) narrates this new installment titled “Sea Ghosts” that features footage of white beluga whales swimming among icebergs in Alaska and Canada. In Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin is fighting the addition of the Cook Inlet Belugas to the endangered species List, while the indigenous hunters, who have ceased killing, agree that this is a necessary step to sustain the species.
◊“Life” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 2 finale, Crews must locate his partner Reese who has gone missing while on loan to the FBI. In the events that transpire, details about the conspiracy against Crews will be revealed.
◊“Mythbusters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Season 7 of the series that uses science to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends begins with a two-hour demolition derby special. Hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage tackle four fables of automotive mayhem, including the whether moving the passengers to one side of a bus can stop it from rolling during a sharp right turn (it worked in the movie “Speed”).
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): After one too many cheap shots on her by the mean moms at Ritchie’s private school, Christine decides to enroll him in public school — which is not as easy as she anticipated. Paula Newsome (“Women’s Murder Club”) and Kathleen Wilhoite (”ER”) guest star.
◊“Night” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): Animal trainer and expert Brandon McMillan hosts this new series that takes viewers into the darkness to experience the wonder and terror of nocturnal nature and all its animal activities.
◊“The Unusuals” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In this new series, detective Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn) has just been transferred to the NYPD’s Homicide unit from Vice and is instantly thrown into a setting of bullets and bodies. As she begins her new assignment, Casey finds that the force is full of secrets.
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
◊“American Chopper” (8 p.m. on TLC): The guys at Orange County Choppers, the world-famous custom motorcycle family business run by Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons, have their work cut out for them in Season 6. In the premiere episode, they tackle two new projects — a B-2 Bomber bike for Northrop Grumman and one for the NHL — and Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. go head to head in a no hold’s barred argument.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Booth and Brennan are on the case when shattered, pulverized human remains are found in a garbage bag at a photo shoot. Meanwhile, Angela’s father (Billy F. Gibbons, ZZ Top) comes to town to seek revenge on Hodgins.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Nick’s case of a deceased skydiver takes an interesting turn when Catherine discovers there may be a connection between the skydiver and a mysterious double murder case. Charisma Carpenter (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Greg Germann (”Ally McBeal”) guest star.
◊“Gallery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): OETA’s Emmy Award-winning arts and culture series takes viewers inside the studio and the mind of Jean Richardson. She is an Oklahoma artist whose work of painting the horse in abstract is well known nationwide. For Richardson, her horses are not horses; they are a metaphor for the human spirit.
◊“Harper’s Island” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): This new 13-episode mustery series follows a group of strangers who travel to a secluded island for a wedding and are killed off one by one.
◊“How to Find a Husband” (9 p.m. on FLN): In this new series 30-something career woman Sally Gray quits her job and gives herself 10 weeks to find a husband. She hopes that through road-testing everything from speed-dating to online-dating and meeting as many men as she can through family and friends, she will find Mr. Right and inspire single women everywhere to follow their hearts.
◊“Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire” (9 p.m. on Comedy Central): This new series is narrated by Chris Parnell (”30 Rock”) and chronicles the adventures of Krod Mandoon (Sean Maguire, “Meet the Spartans”) and his band of warriors as they take on the evil Chancellor Dongalor (Matt Lucas, Little Britain USA”).
◊“Parks and Recreation” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): This new series stars Amy Poehler (”Saturday Night Live”) as an optimistic town official who turns a construction pit into a park while trying to mentor a bored college intern.
◊“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): Series star Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan) directed this episode, in which Clark finds Tess in Lana’s (Kristin Kreuk) ransacked apartment and realizes Lana is missing.
◊“Southland” (9 p.m. on NBC): This new drama stars Michael Cudlitz (”A River Runs Through It”) as John Cooper, a seasoned Los Angeles cop assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman (Benjamin McKenzie, “The O.C.”). Cooper’s honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer.
◊“The Zula Patrol” (2:30 p.m. on ION): Wizzy and Wigg want to go to the moon to see the moon-ball championship game in the season premiere episode of this animated series that teaches viewers facts about science and astronomy.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): Hilary Duff (”Lizzie McGuire”) guest stars as Morgan Jefferies, a woman of mystery who may be involved in the death of a man who fell victim to a freak accident.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): The investigation into a professor’s death takes a dangerous turn when the team finds their lead suspect has ties to a radical animal rights group. Michael Stahl-David (”Cloverfield”) and Polly Walker (”Rome”) guest star.
◊“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (7 p.m. on Fox): The Connors come face-to-face with Weaver in a confrontation that shakes John to the core and changes his reality forever. Nothing will be the same after the “Born to Run” Season 2 finale.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
◊“Groomer Has It” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): Jai Rodriguez (”Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) hosts Season 2 of the series in which 12 skilled dog groomers compete against each other in a test of desire, creativity and affinity for animals. They shave, shear and shampoo their way through a series of challenges from grooming potbelly pigs to creating signature looks for a doggie wedding.
◊“Love Finds a Home” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Patty Duke (‘‘The Miracle Worker”) stars in the eighth and final film based on Jeanette Oke’s “Love Comes Softly” novels. Duke plays a headstrong nursemaid who clashes with a frontier doctor (Sarah Jones, “Big Love) while caring for her pregnant daughter-in-law (Haylie Duff, “7th Heaven”).
◊“Nora Roberts’ Tribute” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Former child star Cilla McGowan (Brittany Murphy, “King of the Hill”) buys her grandmother’s farmhouse in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and finds romance with her new neighbor, Ford Sawyer (Jason Lewis, “Sex and the City”). But her newfound happiness is tested when family secrets erupt into a real-life nightmare.
◊“Stories of Augusta” (1:30 p.m. on CBS): Jim Nantz (CBS Sports) hosts this special that gives golf fans an inside look at the Masters’ rich heritage and tradition. Avid golfer and Grammy winning singer Darius Rucker sings “Georgia on My Mind” during the closing montage of memorable moments.
◊“Thrilla in Manila” (7 p.m. on HBO): This new special chronicles the boxing rivalry between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. It also tells the previously unknown story of their final fight in the searing heat of the Philippines through the eyes of the “other man” in the ring – Frazier.
–Penny TV
