The latest television news from NewsOK.com

HBO’s “True Blood” renewed for fourth season

HBO has picked up “True Blood” for a 12-episode fourth season, which will debut next summer.

“I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew,” show creator Alan Ball said in a news release from HBO.

“True Blood” combines romance, suspense, mystery  and humor as it follows the relationship between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, and her boyfriend, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), who went missing at the end of season two, and is now being frantically looked for.

Vampires walk among humans in this story, since they no longer need people as a nutritional source due to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood.

The 12-episode third season of “True Blood” premiered June 13 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on HBO.

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HBO launches new “True Blood” Twitter microsite

HBO has launched a new “True Blood” Twitter microsite to provide an enhanced second-screen experience for fans.

The microsite uses Twitter to connect “True Blood” fans to live conversations while watching each new episode of Season 3 on Sunday nights, according to a news release.

If you want to be an active contributor or just observe, you can go to www.bloodcopy.com and find a place to share favorite moments, look at popular topics, win prizes and more.

Bloodcopy.com will feature weekly “hosts” that will live Tweet during each Sunday night episode, initiating conversations, interacting with fans and facilitating giveaways.

During the Season 3 premiere this Sunday night, June 13, the HBO official “True Blood” Twitter profile (@TrueBloodHBO) will be the site’s first host.

Fans will have the opportunity to win Ultimate Truebie prize packs and unlock virtual badges.

Through a first-to-market partnership with Tunerfish.com, a social discovery engine, fans will also be able to earn “Truebie” and “Maker’ badges by Tweeting while they watch and influencing friends to do the same.

The microsite will also feature customized Trending Topics (“Blood Topics”) of the most popular keywords in “True Blood” Tweets; the ability to sort, search and categorize the “True Blood” conversation; full Twitter functionality including sign-in and URL shortener directly from the site; and a spoiler alert pop-up screen warning visitors that crucial elements of the show may be revealed.

“True Blood” airs on HBO Sundays at 8 p.m.

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“Entourage” returns June 27 on HBO

“Entourage” returns for its ten-episode seventh season June 27 at 9:30 on HBO.

This season’s plotlines involve Vince’s new lease on life, which developed after an accident that occurred during the filming of his last movie and has made him even more difficult to manage, while the rest of the guys face the challenge of mapping out their own futures, according to a news release.

“Entourage” draws on the experiences of industry insiders, and stars Adrian Grenier as Vince, who is enjoying life in the limelight as a hot young actor; Kevin Connolly as Eric, Vince’s manager; Kevin Dillon as Vince’s half-brother Drama, whose own career has been eclipsed by Vince’s success; Jerry Ferrara as his pal Turtle; and Golden Globe® and three-time Emmy® winner Jeremy Piven as Ari, now heading an entertainment-industry behemoth.

Also featured on the new episodes of “Entourage” are series regulars Perrey Reeves as the long-suffering Mrs. Ari; Rex Lee as Ari’s former assistant Lloyd, who is now a full agent; Emmanuelle Chriqui as Sloan, Eric’s on-again, off-again girlfriend; and Scott Caan as Scott Lavin, Eric’s co-worker and Vince’s new partner in crime.

Returning guest stars include Gary Cole as Andrew Klein, Ari’s former mentor and current partner; Beverly D’Angelo as Babs, Ari’s other partner; and Debi Mazar as Vince’s publicist Shauna.  Other guests this season (some portraying themselves) include Nick Cassavetes, Jonathan Keltz, Stan Lee, Maria Menounos, Bob Saget, Jessica Simpson, Aaron Sorkin, John Stamos and Mike Tyson.

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“True Blood” begins third season June 13

“True Blood” will start its third season June 13 at 8 p.m. on HBO.

Sookie (Anna Paquin) begins her search for Bill (Stephen Moyer), who was abducted right after proposing to her in last season’s cliff-hanger finale.

Season 3 plot lines involve Sookie looking to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) for help to find Bill and Sam (Sam Trammell) getting in touch with his past. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) will get distracted from taking police exams and Tara (Rutina Wesley) will get charmed by a shady vampire, Franklin Mott (James Frain), according to a press release.

Other new cast members this season include Tulsa native Alfre Woodard as Lafayette’s (Nelsan Ellis) mother Ruby Jean Reynolds, Joe Manganiello will play Alcide, a werewolf bodyguard assigned by Eric to protect Sookie and Marshall Allman will portray Sam’s long-lost brother Tommy Mickens.

All of this appears to be just the tip of the iceberg for the upcoming season of “True Blood” – and if Season 3 is anything like the first two seasons, I’m sure it is.

– Melissa Hayer

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Top 55 TV Programs for May 2-8, 2010

 Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of May 2:
(NOTE: All times are CT. For ET, add one hour)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Penny TV

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“True Blood”: Online minisodes start today

 

 

 

(From an HBO News Release)

Six original minisodes of “True Blood” are dropping online, with the first one debuting today exclusively on Yahoo! at www.yahoo.com/tv.

The minisodes are written by “True Blood” creator Alan Ball, feature lead cast members and are entirely new, with scenes that can’t be found in past or future seasons.

After its debut on Yahoo! the first minisode will be available for streaming and sharing at www.hbo.com and the official True Blood Facebook page www.facebook.com/TrueBlood  beginning April 28 and can be seen on HBO starting May 2 and HBO On Demand May 3.

Subsequent minisodes will have exclusive debuts each week for five weeks on select online sites, followed by HBO.com. The minisodes will make their network premiere every Sunday night immediately after the “True Blood” season 2 encore presentations at 7 p.m., with HBO On Demand premieres each Monday.

“The minisodes provide a wonderful and rare opportunity to take a deeper look into Bon Temps and the characters that live in this colorful town,”  Alan Ball, creator and executive producer of “True Blood,” said in a press release. “The scenes are so much fun, and the performances as stellar as always.  I can’t wait to share them with everyone, old fans and new.”

The minisodes were shot on location by the show’s production team and will star lead characters Sookie, Bill, Eric, Tara, Sam, Jason, Lafayette, Jessica and Pam and play from 3 to 5 minutes.

The third season of “True Blood” will premiere June 13 at 8 p.m. on HBO.

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TV Premieres and Finales airing April 25-May 1, 2010

  
   Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
   And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of April 25.
   If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.
 
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)

BEGINNINGS
••”Ray Johnston Band: Road Diaries,” 7 p.m. Sunday on HDNet (series premiere).
••”America the Story of Us,” 8 p.m. Sunday on History (series premiere).
••”Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking,” 8 p.m. Sunday on Discovery (series premiere). 
••”Girl Meets Gown,” 9 p.m. Sunday on WE (series premiere).
••”River Monsters,” 8 p.m. Sunday on Animal Planet (second-season premiere).
••”Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern,” 9 p.m. Monday on Travel Channel (fifth-season premiere).
••”Food Party,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on IFC (second-season premiere).
••”Dinner With the Band,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on IFC (series premiere).
••”The Hills,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on MTV (seventh-season premiere).
••”The City,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on MTV (second-season premiere).
••”Sunset Daze,” 9 p.m. Wednesday on WE (series premiere).
••”Happy Town,” 9:01 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (series premiere).
••”When I Was 17,” 10 a.m. Saturday on MTV (series premiere).
••”10 on Top,” 10 a.m. Saturday on MTV (series premiere).

ENDINGS
••“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” 8 p.m. Monday on Logo (second-season finale).
••”Runaway Squad,” 9 p.m. Monday on A&E (series finale).
••”The Life & Times of Tim,” 8:30 p.m. Friday on HBO (second-season finale).
••”Who Do You Think You Are?” 7 p.m. Friday on NBC (first-season finale).
••“Bill Moyers Journal,” 7 p.m. Friday on OETA-13 (series finale).
••”I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” 8 p.m. Friday on Animal Planet (third-season finale).

Pictured above: Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking of England presents a lecture titled, “Out of a Black Hole” at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, Monday, April 5, 2010. His new series “Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking” premieres April 25 on Discovery. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

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

 Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of April 25:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Penny TV

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Top 55 TV Programs for April 18-24, 2010

   Sunday’s
Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of April 18:

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010
••The 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (7 p.m. on CBS): Reba McEntire, who was raised in Chockie, will host the Academy of Country Music’s awards celebration being broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Nominated for six awards are Carrie Underwood from Checotah and Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo.
••”Beauty & the Briefcase” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): In this adaptation of Daniella Brodsky’s book “Diary of a Working Girl,” Hilary Duff (“Lizzie McGuire”) stars as a New York fashion writer who sells a cover story to Cosmopolitan. Her assignment: Go undercover to find love in the business world.
••”Celebrity Apprentice” (8 p.m. on NBC): Both teams must make over the images of up-and-coming country singers Emily West and Luke Bryan in time for a People Country magazine interview, a photo shoot and live concert. Trace Adkins (“Lifted”) guest stars.
••”Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m. on ABC): Determined to derail son Preston’s marriage to Irina, Lynette discovers the truth about her future daughter-in-law.  John Barrowman (“Torchwood”) guest stars.
••”The Emeril Lagasse Show” (7 p.m. on ION, KOPX-62): This new series launches with a housewarming party-themed premiere featuring special guest Martha Stewart (“The Martha Stewart Show”). Singer Michelle Williams (formerly of Destiny’s Child) will add to the excitement by performing “Roxie” from “Chicago.” Each episode, Chef Lagasse will shaire his world, his friends and his passion for food with the studio and home audience.
••”Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Celebrity volunteer Xzibit (“The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call  —  New Orleans”) joins the design team in Connecticut to rebuild the small, fire-damaged and deteriorating home of the musical Hill family, who give the gifts of song and inspiration to their community.
••”Life” (7 p.m. on Discovery): The new installment “Plants” includes a look at the Boston ivy and cats-claw creeper that use other plants as a ladder to get to the light. It is followed by “Primates” that spotlights the Hamadryas baboons and Japanese macaques, and “Making of Life” that showcases the efforts by the LIFE filmmaking team to bring the breathtaking images of intimate animal and plant behavior to the screen.
••”Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Adapted from Andrea Levy’s best-selling novel, the new two-part story “Small Island” chronicles the moving saga of two couples — one Jamaican (Naomie Harris, David Oyelowo), one English (Ruth Wilson, Benedict Cumberbatch) — whose lives intertwine in both friendship and tragic misunderstanding in post-World War II Britain.
••”On the Case With Paula Zahn” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): While shooting the second season, host Paula Zahn traveled the country to talk directly to people touched by fascinating cases, resulting in interviews that reveal the raw emotions these tragedies have left behind. The premiere episode focuses on the case of Brooke Wilberger, a Brigham Young University student who mysteriously vanished from a parking lot in Corvallis, Ore., in 2004.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): The Marines attempt to capture the Peleliu airfield against a fortified enemy, despite 115-degree heat and a lack of clean drinking water.
••”Riverworld” (6 p.m. on Syfy): When a suicide bomber kills a war zone reporter and his fiance, they awaken separated in mysterious world where everyone who has ever lived on Earth seems to have been “reborn” along the banks of a seemingly endless river. The reporter joins forces with a 13th century female samurai warrior American novelist Sam ‘Mark Twain’ Clemens to find his fiance and search for the source of the river.
••”South Sea Pearls” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): This is an in-depth look at the industry of pearl farming in Northern Australia and the well-guarded technique of cultivating the only precious jewel made by nature.

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010
••”American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new episode “Earth Days,” filmmaker Robert Stone traces the origins of the modern environmental movement through the eyes of nine Americans who propelled it.
••”Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Items appraised in Hour 1 from Phoenix include a circa 1905 advertising display for waterproof baby pants, a 1797 Chippendale marriage chest and a collection of original Charles Schulz “Peanuts” artwork.
••“The Agronomist” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary features footage and interviews with Jean Dominique, a noted Haitian journalist who ran Haiti’s first independent radio station and spoke out against issues of corruption and negligence.
••”Baggage” (5:30 p.m. on GSN): Jerry Springer (“Jerry Springer”) hosts this new dating game show that reveals what people are willing to put up with in the name of finding love. In each episode, one dater chooses among three contestants who reveal quirky, embarrasing and shocking “baggage” that is typically kept under wraps to impress a first date.
••”Dhani Tackles the Globe” (10 p.m. on Travel Channel): NFL linebacker Dhani Jones continues his global sports odyssey to participate in beloved national pastimes of cultures around the world. In the season premiere, he trains with Olympic and professional cyclists to conquer Monte Grappe in Italy.
••”Explorer” (8 p.m. on National Geographic): Lisa Ling (“The View”) hosts this two-hour event that looks back on the quarter-century history of the “Explorer” series’ tradition of investigating unique stories around the world.
••“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): Dr. House and the team take on the case of Sir William, a “knight” in a closed-off community of men and women living according to the ideals of the High Renaissance. Meanwhile, Wilson starts over with an ex (Cynthia Watros, “Lost”).
••”How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Ted attends his mother’s (Cristine Rose, ‘‘Heroes”) wedding, he is disturbed by her overly affectionate relationship with her fiance.
••”The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist” (8 p.m. on MSNBC): Fifteen years after the Oklahoma City bombing, Rachel Maddow (“The Rachel Maddow Show”) brings viewers the inside story on the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil prior to the events of Sept. 11. Drawing from 45 hours of never-before-released interview audiotapes recorded during McVeigh’s prison stay, viewers will hear his confession in his own words.
••”The Newlywed Game” (5 p.m. on GSN): Carnie Wilson returns as host for Season 3 of the game show, which will feature a diverse line-up of newlyweds from all backgrounds, including one same-sex couple.
••”Romantically Challenged” (8:32 p.m. on ABC): This new comedy follows four friends trying to find love and happiness while navigating their way through today’s tricky world of dating. Alyssa Milano (“Charmed”) plays Rebecca, who is recently divorced after 15 years of marriage. Rounding out the group are Rebecca’s sister, Lisa (Kelly Stables, “W.I.T.C.H.”) Rebecca’s best friend Perry (Kyle Bornheimer, “Worst Week”) and Perry’s roommate Shawn (Josh Lawson, “Chandon Pictures”).

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010
••”30 for 30″ (7 p.m. on ESPN): The new documentary “Silly Little Game” examines the history of fantasy sports from their little-known origins to a $4 billion industry with more than 30 million participants.
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Contestants learn that the kitchen will be closed for a day and they’ll have to eat their meals from a buffet table offering both high and low calorie choices. Whoever eats the most calories will win a coveted prize — the only vote at elimination. Then it’s off to a circuit beach workout with pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.
••”Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country” (8:30 p.m. on HBO): This documentary takes a rare inside look at Burma’s 2007 uprising through the cameras of underground Burmese video journalists. They recorded historic events on handycams at great risk to themselves and smuggled the footage out of the country for broadcast worldwide via satellite.
••”Carbon Hunters” (9 p.m. on CNBC): This special takes viewers inside the controversial market-driven solution to pollution to meet a new breed of entrepreneurs cashing in on the “green rush.” From the Chicago Climate Exchange to Hollywood to “Garbage Mountain” in the Philippines, carbon trading is attracting investors and critics.
••“Cities on Speed” (7:30 p.m. on Sundance): This four-part documentary series journeys inside four cities — Cairo, Mumbai, Shanghai and and Bogota —to discover how these mega-cities are dealing with the challenges of modernity.
••”Deadliest Warrior” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): This non-scripted series that pits history’s greatest warriors against one another to determine who reigns supreme returns for a second season. The premiere episode pits SWAT vs. GSG-9. Upcoming showdowns include Attila the Hun vs. Alexander the Great, Jesse James Gang vs. Al Capone Gang and Comanche vs. Mongol.
••“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Mr. Schuester is concerned that the girls in the glee club are being disrespected and bullied by the guys. Looking to Madonna and her musical message of equality as inspiration, he challenges the entire team to choose Madonna songs as their next assignment. Idina Menzel (“Wicked”) and Jonathan Groff (“One Life to Live”) guest star.
••”The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): Tensions are high as Peter’s appeal trial begins and Alicia defends a wealthy client in civil court whose innocence she doubts, even after he’s found not guilty in criminal court of murdering his wife. Mamie Gummer (“John Adams”) guest stars as bumbling prosecutor Nancy Crozier.
••”Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Jamie Lee Curtis (“You Again”) narrates “DIRT! The Movie” that delves into the history of the lowly substance and shows how its mistreatment can result in natural disasters.
••”The Lazy Environmentalist” (7 p.m. on Sundance): In Season 2, eco-entrepreneur Josh Dorfman attempts to bring individuals from all walks of life — from fashion designers to exterminators to surfers and day care center operators — guidance towards a green lifestyle. Dorfman works to prove that eco-friendly living can be achieved with little sacrifice, and even make their professional and private lives easier.
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): When the enlisted son of retired Colonel-turned-preacher is found dead, the team believes he may be the victim of a hate crime.  Meanwhile, Gibbs’ father comes for a holiday visit. Joe Regalbuto (“Murphy Brown”) and Ralph Waite (“The Waltons”) guest star.
••”Parenthood” (9 p.m. on NBC): The Braverman family is on high alert when Amber’s ex-boyfriend Damien (Eddy Rioseco, “Related”) arrives from Fresno. Meanwhile, Zeek  takes Adam on a road trip for investment advice and some father-son bonding.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010
••”Accidentally on Purpose” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): After faking labor pains to get Zack out of a speeding ticket, Billie goes into labor — for real. Unfortunately, things take a turn when Zack gets busted by the officer they had initially lied to and is hauled off to the police station in the Season 1 finale.
••”American Idol: Idol Gives Back” (7 p.m. on Fox): Carrie Underwood, Checotah native and Season 4 winner, is scheduled to take part in this year’s event. So is David Cook, Tulsa resident and “American Idol” Season 7 winner. The event helps raises money for charities such as the Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America and Malaria No More. The prevois two specials raised more than $140 million.
••“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): Guest judge Whitney Port (“The City”) drops by the loft to surprise the girls before they put their personalities to the test during a runway challenge.
••”Cougar Town” (9 p.m. on ABC): Laurie needs a co-signer to buy her first condo and finds her less than stellar, absentee mother (Beverly D’Angelo, “Entourage”) no help at all. Meanwhile, Bobby is mugged by a woman and Travis comes to Barb’s aid after her latest cosmetic surgery procedure.
••”Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): In a rebroadcast of the show’s 100th episode, the Behavioral Analysis Unit races to help Hotch find the Reaper (C. Thomas Howell, “Southland”) and save his family. D.B. Sweeney also guest stars.
••“Fly Girls” (8 p.m. on CW): Tasha, Louise and Nikole spend an evening at a club dancing to a performance by Snoop Dogg.  Tasha has a disagreement with a passenger onboard a flight and accuses Farrah of reporting her to management.
••”In Plain Sight” (9 p.m. on USA Network): Mary and Marshall try to help FBI agent Mike Faber convince his informant to enter Witsec. Despite their best efforts, the informant refuses their protection and gets himself into a heap of trouble. Steven Weber (“Happy Town”) guest stars.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8 p.m. on NBC): After Eva Banks (Rosie Perez, “Lipstick Jungle”) makes a shocking discovery about her son’s behavior at school, she takes him to the doctor, only to find out that he has been the victim of sexual abuse.
••”The Locator” (9 p.m. on WEtv): Season 4 concludes with another compelling story, as professional people finder Troy Dunn continues his 20-year personal mission to help reunite and reconnect loved ones. Dunn grew up in Enid.
••”Mercy” (7 p.m. on NBC): Following the donut shop shooting, Veronica experiences a panic attack and continues to address her PTSD in therapy sessions with Dr. Cabe (Mary Stuart Masterson, “Kate Brasher”).
••”The Middle” (7 p.m. on ABC): Frankie and Mike are excited to discover that Axl has found the perfect girlfriend, Morgan (Alexa Vega, “Ruby & the Rockits”), and that he’s in love. But just as they start to get used to his new, sunny outlook on life, Morgan does the unthinkable and breaks up with him, leaving Axl completely heartbroken.
••”Modern Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): Claire feels slightly inadequate when her old friend, Valerie (Minnie Driver, “The Riches”), visits and is nothing like Claire remembered. Meanwhile Jay has an unsettling locker room moment when he and Cameron go play racquetball.
••”P.O.V.” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Filmmaker Robert Kenner’s Oscar-nominated ‘‘Food, Inc.” documentary reveals how sick animals, environmental degradation, tainted and unhealthy food, obesity and other health issues are just the more obvious problems with a mechanized and centralized system of food production.
••”Through a Dog’s Eyes” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): This documentary chronicles the work of Canine Assistants, a family-run nonprofit organization devoted to training assistance dogs for people with disabilities. It follows the life-changing journey of recipients as they go through the heartwarming and sometimes difficult process of receiving and being matched with a service dog.

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010
••”30 Rock” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): Liz Lemon starts making an effort to date by attending singles events with Jenna Maroney, and Jack Donaghy feels forced to choose between childhood love, Nancy Donovan (Julianne Moore, “Eagle Eye”), and news anchor Avery Jessup (Elizabeth Banks, “Scrubs”).
••”Amazing Plants” (8 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): See how predatory plants use rapdors and enticing beautiful flowers to trap prey, while others shrivel up or emit odors to dend off enemies. Experts investigate these traits and detail how human intervention affects these living organisms.
••”Beyond the Barrel: The Race to Fuel the Future” (7 p.m. on CNBC): This special will introduce viewers to more than a dozen potential game changing innovations to power our planet and showcase the bottled promises ready to be unleashed from the Middle East, South America, Asia and here at home. It will also take a critical look at why we are still years away from putting these ideas into practice.
••“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): When human remains are discovered in the belly of a shark, Brennan and Booth are brought in to identify the missing person. Rena Sofer (“Coupling”) and Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) guest star.
••”CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When a student is discovered murdered at Lindsey’s school, the investigation takes a sharp turn when the CSIs uncover an unlikely connection between the boy’s death and atrocities of the pas. Michael Kenneth Williams (“The Wire”) guest stars as the school janitor.  
••”Future Earth: Addicted to Power” (10 p.m. on MSNBC): Sam Waterston (“Law & Order”) hosts this special that examines the troubling issues that will confront us as we continue the struggle to power our world. It focuses on the most common fuel sources: oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, and the electrical grid, drawing upon the expertise of several prominent energy professionals, including U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.
••“The Marriage Ref” (9 p.m. on NBC): Celebrity panelists Adam Carolla (“The Man Show”), Gloria Estefan (“Music From the Heart”) and Doland Trump (“Celebrity Apprentice”) offer their wit, wisdom and unique opinions to couples in marital tiffs.
••”The Mentalist” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Patrick Jane’s sneaky conduct causes the case of a confessed hitman to be tossed out of court, his annoyed CBI team must start the investigation over from scratch. Aunjanue Ellis (“True Blood”) returns as the CBI’s new boss, Special Agent Madeleine Hightower.
••”SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): In the environmentally conscius episode “SpongeBob’s Last Stand,” SpongeBob and Patrick learn the “Shelly Super Highway” is coming to Bikini Bottom – right through Jellyfish Fields.  Devastated by the news, they launch a campaign to stop the construction.
••”True Crime With Aphrodite Jones” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): In this installment, journalist and bestselling author Aphrodite Jones talks with several people about the Menendez brothers, who murdered their wealthy parents. Authorities say it was for money. The brothers say it was out of fear, and some believe that the brothers say may be true.
••“The Vampire Diaries” (7 p.m. on CW): At the Founder’s Day Gala, Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Caroline (Candice Accola) compete for the title of “Miss Mystic Falls” against other girls from town, including Amber Bradley (Spencer Locke, “Resident Evil”).

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010
••”Garage Mahal” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): Host Bill Goldberg and the DIY experts team up with Wired Magazine to create an eco-friendly garage at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. A workbench tricked out with energy efficient tools, a recycling center views can build at home and a system t o convert cooking oil into fuel are just a few of the projects going into the space.
••”Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): Melinda lends a hand to Eli’s patient who thinks he’s being watched by his sister’s ghost.  Meanwhile, Melinda and Jim are concerned when Aiden talks about his shiny friends that aren’t ghosts but something else. Chad Lowe (“Life Goes On”) and Danny Weaver (“Greek”) guest star.
••”Gravity” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): This new series follows the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic exploits of a group from an eccentric out-patient program of suicide survivors. Krysten Ritter (“Breaking Bad”) plays a young woman who cannot connect to anyone until she dies, and Ivan Sergei plays a widower who becomes an Internet celebrity when his suicide attempt goes comically awry.
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are The  Enemy, Antony and the Johnsons and Paloma Faith.
••”Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): The police hunt a serial killer targeting innocent women, but when the prime suspect dies, his ghost contacts Allison to clear his name, contact his girlfriend and maybe help the investigation. Pablo Schreiber (“The Wire”) guest stars.
••”Miami Medical” (9 p.m. on CBS): As the team works to save the lives of a couple injured in a balcony collapse, they are shocked when the wife refuses treatment. Louise Lombard (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”) guest stars as Karen, a trauma patient.
••”Party Down” (9 p.m. on Starz): The show about catering team stuck serving others while still determined to make it to the top returns for Season 2. Megan Mullally (‘‘Will & Grace”) joins the cast as Lydia Dunfree, a middle-aged refugee from a lousy marriage who moves to Hollywood in hopes that her 13 year-old daughter will make it big.
••“Say Yes to the Dress” (8 p.m. on TLC): Season 5 opens with Kristi, a pageant queen who’s determined that on her wedding day all eyes will be on her, and bride Stacey, a self-proclaimed “Goth girl” who returns to the salon.
••“Smallville” (7 p.m. on CW): Lois and Clark each attempt to thwart the delivery of the photo and run into Maxwell Lord (Gil Bellows, “Ally McBeal”), a wealthy tycoon and Checkmate operative, who is trying to learn The Blur’s identity to eliminate him.
••”Smoke Jumpers” (9 p.m. on CMT): This special offers an inside look at the dangerous profession of smokejumpers. With hand tools, explosives and the ability to think fast on their feet, they work to contain the fire they are set to extinguish. But first, they must get there by parachuting into often unchartered territory and treacherous forests and mountains.
••”Who Do You Think You Are?” (7 p.m. on NBC): Susan Sarandon (“You Don’t Know Jack”) traces her Grandmother Anita’s roots to Italy where she tracks down the actual village in Tuscany that was home to Anita’s father.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2010
••The 24th Genesis Awards (11 a.m. on Animal Planet): This event, which took place March 20 in Beverly Hills, honors the news and entertainment media for their coverage of animal protection issues. Melanie Griffith made a heartfelt presentation of The Genesis Lifetime Achievement Award to her mother, Tippi Hedren, for her tireless advocacy on behalf of captive big cats.
••”Castle” (9 p.m. on ABC): A beloved former major league baseball player is found dead after a goodwill trip to Cuba. The investigation, which includes running into Joe Torre (guest starring as himself), leads the detectives into New York’s Cuban community to solve the murder.
••“Cops” (7:30 p.m. on Fox): Officers from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office stop two men for a routine traffic violation. But when they bust them for possession, the suspects start running.
••”Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installments of the locally-produced series spotlights Tulsa’s Garden Deva and Jump School in Frederick
••”Mothman” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Jewel Staite (“Firefly”) stars in this new original movie about a legendary West Virginia monster that returns to exact revenge on five childhood friends who covered up an accidental killing.
••”Spice & Easy” (8:30 a.m. on Food Network): In this new cooking series, Denver-based spice shop owner Janet Johnston takes classic recipes and demonstrates how to reinvent them with a creative use of spices.
••“The Wanda Sykes Show” (10 p.m. on Fox): Wanda Sykes’ personal take on everything from news, politics, sports and pop culture will be examined on the Season 1 finale. Guests include Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) and Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe).
••”The Wild Girl” (7 p.m. on Hallmark Movie Channel): In the Depression-era Sierra Madre Badlands, an unlikely team, including a struggling photographer (Brian Austin Green), a socialite (Matthew Edison) and an anthropology student (Kathleen Munroe), embarks on a rescue mission but are quickly put in harm’s way when they stumble upon an Apache girl abandoned in the wilderness. It is based on the 2005 novel “The Wild Girl: The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932″ written by Jim Fergus.
••”You Don’t Know Jack” (8 p.m. on HBO): Oscar and Emmy winner Al Pacino (‘‘Scent of a Woman,” ‘‘Angels in America”) stars as Jack Kevorkian, aka “Dr. Death,” who built his infamous “Mercy Machine” and started a media frenzy with his epic legal battles defending a patient’s right to die.

–Penny TV

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TV Premieres and Finales airing April 11-17, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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