Top 55 TV Programs for July 12-18, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of July 12:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JULY 12
◊“Addicted to Surrogacy” (9 p.m. on BBC America): This special follows the stories of the women who are addicted to giving babies away. Approximately one thousand surrogate babies have been born in the United Kingdom over the past two decades. In recent years, half of them have been born to serial surrogates: women who’ve been surrogates more than once.
◊“Amazing Octopus” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): Shot off the southern coast of New Zealand, this film tells the life story of a single female octopus, from birth to old age. that includes her encounters with squid, paddle crabs, sea eggs, anemones and cod.
◊“Big Daddy’s House” (12:30 p.m. on Food Network): Big Daddy creates a sandwich menu that includes a fall-off-th-bone braised short rib sandwich.
◊“Drop Dead Diva” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): This new series tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurface in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney. She must come to terms with inhabiting a curvier frame in the ultimate showdown between brains and beauty.
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): When Season 5 ended last year, Vince was on the verge of ending a prolonged career slump, thanks to an offer to star in Martin Scorsese’s next movie. Now, with “Gatsby” about to open, he’s a hot property once again.
◊“Expedition Africa” (8 p.m. on History): See the two-hour conclusion of this series following four modern-day explorers as they relive Sir Henry Stanley’s journey to find Dr. David Livingstone. They confront obstacles and dangers similar to those encountered by the explorers before them.
◊“Expedition Borneo” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): A team of explorers, biologists and filmmakers travel through Borneo’s swamps, caves cliffs and jungle in search of new species.
◊“I Survived …” (8 p.m. on BIO): Season 3 features eight new episodes exploring first person accounts of extraordinary true-life tales of those who found the strength and courage to endure when faced with unforeseen, life-threatening situations.
◊“Let’s Hear It for the Laurie Berkner Band” (6 p.m. on Noggin): This special features 17 music videos from the band, including a music video for the new song “My Family” and preschool favorites “Victor Vito” and “Pig on Her Head.” Noggin’s Moose and Zee serve as hosts and play interactive music and movement games throughout the special that promote creativity and foster an appreciation for music.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment “Murder is Easy,” Miss Marple investigates a string of murders in a peaceful village town.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): A mysterious man from the past arrives in Camelot and delivers a bunch of enchanted flowers to Morgana, and she becomes ill when a spider creeps from the boquet and enters her ear.
◊“Meteor” (8 p.m. on NBC): As smaller meteorites begin to lay waste to major cities around the globe, two scientists (Christopher Lloyd, Marla Sokoloff) discover that Kassandra, a giant slab of space rock three times the size of Mount Everest, is barreling straight toward Earth, but a military scientist (Jason Alexander) discounts their dire warnings.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): The remaining four finalists met Ted Allen (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) and learn of their next challenge: creating a dish for a restaurant at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
◊“Stories From the Vaults” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) hosts returns for Season 2 of the series that goes beyond exhibit halls for an insider’s tour of Smithsonian’s vast collections. The season premiere focuses on food in a fun but educational lesson in three different museum locations, concluding a visit to the National Museum of Dentistry to explore the effect of food on our teeth.
◊“Surprise Vacations With Karen Duffy” (7 p.m. on FLN): In this new series, one unsuspecting and deserving person is surprised by family, friends and co-workers with the vacation of their dreams. Edmond resident Amy Eldridge, who helped found the Love Without Borders organization, is featured in the premiere episode.
◊“Wild Pacific” (7 to 10 p.m. today and Monday on Discovery): These three-hour specials explore the largest ocean on Earth, the isolation of its islands and the
extraordinary journeys that wildlife and people have gone through to reach these specks of land.
◊“Z Rock” (9 p.m. on IFC): The band plays a wrestling-themed children’s party in which they get to dress up in tights and capes. Chris Jericho (professional wrestler) guest stars.
MONDAY, JULY 13
◊“The Blonde Mystique” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This Canadian documentary brings together three women — two natural brunettes and one natural blonde — for a series of real-world experiments that test blonde stereotypes.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): Brenda’s team investigates the shooting death of a popular online “hook-up king” who was in the process of putting together a television pilot for a men’s cable network. Meanwhile, Pope does a rotation as a regular member of Brenda’s squad.
◊“Here Come the Newlyweds” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): The final two couples learn that the seven newlywed couples they competed against will be the ones to decide who will win the life-changing grand prize. Host Pat Bullard also takes the two final couples to a retirement home where long-married couples tell them what makes a strong, successful marriage.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investigated include Navajo rug that features a controversial design and a 1933 Chicago World’s Fair souvenir silver baby cup.
◊“Immokalee USA” (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary chronicles the daily lives of migrant farm workers and their challenges and struggles to make a living in Immokalee, Fla.
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): Jerry takes on a pro bono case in which he defends a man arrested for running over his crooked lawyer with a car. But it looks like he’s going to have to rely on jury sympathy instead of facts to get an acquittal.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When Adam’s mother, Fay, comes to visit, Audrey warns Jennifer about the judgmental tendencies of a mother-in-law,
however, it’s Jennifer who discovers that she is the one who is critical of Fay and her kooky lifestyle. Peggy Lipton (“The Mod Squad”) guest stars.
◊“Teddy: In His Own Words” (8 p.m. on HBO): This documentary profiles U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, using his own words and previously unseen home movies. It chronicles his childhood and the 46-year Senate career that began in the shadows of his ill-fated brothers, John and Robert, culminating with his speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
◊“The Wendy Williams Show” (noon on KAUT-43): Radio personality Wendy Williams is known for being audacious, bold and original. She raises the talk show bar with her new nationally syndicated show that will combine the latest buzz and hot topics with a diverse mix of celebrities from the arenas of film, music, sports and television.
TUESDAY, JULY 14
◊The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game (7 p.m. on Fox): Play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and analyst Tim McCarver call the action live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
◊“Bob le Flambeur” (1 p.m. on Sundance): This 1956 French film follows an aging gambler plotting one final score. It is the first film in a triple feature dedicated to French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville and airing in honor of Bastille Day. The other films include 1962′s “Le Doulos” (2:45 p.m.) and 1969′s “Army of Shadows” (4:45 p.m.).
◊“Food Party” (10:15 p.m. on IFC): In the Season 1 finale, Thu is pregnant and plans on making a special dinner for her husband and two children. But, after cooking Tamarind soup and birthing a kitten, the night goes awry when a mysterious villain stalks her family.
◊“Great American Road Trip” (7 p.m. on NBC): The remaining families travel to Branson, Mo., where they perform skits in front of stars Andy Williams and Yakov Smirnoff.
◊“Hawthorne” (8 p.m. on TNT): Christina spends the day giving special attention to a young heart patient who is beginning to suffer from seizures, but the brash young surgeon called in to handle the case has an ego that rubs Christina the wrong way.
◊“Miami Social” (9 p.m. on Bravo): this new docu-series shows viewers what life is like in the energetic social scene of South Beach. It explores the lives of a group of hot, young professionals – corporate types by day and party animals by night – as they navigate the sometimes murky waters of Miami’s hottest locales.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): A slain sergeant’s private life is on full display as the team must determine if a suspected act of treason lead to his death. Chris Carmack (“The O.C.”) guest stars.
◊“NOVA scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment looks at two drugs that may aid children with muscular dystrophy, the demise of the dinosaurs and the danger of the northern lights.
◊“Oxygen’s 25iest: Celeb-U-Tots” (10 p.m. on Oxygen): This special counts down the offspring of celebrities, including Trey, Jaden and Willow Smith (Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s children), Emme and Max Muniz (Jennifer Lopez and and Marc Anthony’s children) and Suri Cruise (daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise).
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installnent “The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court” chronicles the work of the first permanent court created by more than 120 countries for the purpose of prosecuting crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): During a case that puts Grace’s spirituality to the test, the squad investigates the murder of a Hasidic Jew whose body is found near a herd of dead cows. Miyam Bialik (“Blossom”) and Michael Lerner (“Barton Fink”) guest star.
◊“Square Roots: The SpongeBob SquarePants Story” (8 p.m. on VH1): Commissioned by Nickelodeon to commemorate the anniversary of the series’ first episode, the documentary chronicles the beloved character’s journey to international pop culture icon status and showcases the series’ impact on everyone from President Barack Obama, children across the globe and San Quentin inmates who sing its catchy theme song.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): A Russian tourist is found stabbed to death and the CSIs come face to face with the frightening realities of human trafficking. Solving this case becomes personal when it directly affects a prominent member of the NYPD. Julia Ormond (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) guest stars.
◊“Dark Blue” (9 p.m. on TNT): This new series stars Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”) as Carter Shaw, who leads a team of undercover cops in Los Angeles. In the series premiere, he is determined to bring a gang leader down while ensuring that one of his officers has not switched loyalties. Oklahoma actress Nicki Aycox plays Jamie Allen, the newest member of the team.
◊“Gordon Ramsay’s F Word” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Chef Gordon Ramsay travels to Oklahoma for an extraordinary food adventure spent catfish noodling, in which he attempts to catch sharp-toothed catfish using nothing but his hands.
◊“The Kid: The Life and Death of Ted Williams” (9 p.m. on HBO): This documentary explores the life of Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who was a tireless fundraiser, expert fisherman and all-around outdoorsman extraordinaire. His final years were marked by ill health; following his death, the decision to have his body preserved in a cryonics facility inspired public disputes among his family and friends, sparking controversy and ridicule.
◊“Leverage” (8 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 2 premiere, Nate Ford reluctantly reassembles the team to pit the local Irish mob against a banker who is gaming a government bailout. Charles Martin Smith (“The Untouchables”) guest stars.
◊“Michael & Michael Have Issues” (9:30 p.m. on Comedy Central): Long-time comedic partners Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter star in this new twist on narrative and sketch comedies. Viewers will get a first hand look at issues that the two misguided stars wrestle with as they confront their own issues of insecurity and jealousy and attempt to undermine each other.
◊“Monsters Inside Me” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): In Oklahoma, a chemical sprayer’s cough is the result of parasitic worms that multiply in the human lung. Learn how these pests have manipulated reproduction to overwelm their host.
◊“Porn: Business of Pleasure” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This new CNBC original production takes an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look inside the multibillion pornography business, from the threats to its profitability to the one issue that could bring the adult industry to it’s knees.
◊“Time Team America” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Scientists travel to the swamps of South Carolina in an effort to discover when people first came to North America. Many experts think humans followed big game here about 13,000 years ago, but others think it may have been much earlier.
THURSDAY, JULY 16
◊The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations (7:35 a.m. on www.emmys.tv): Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) will join Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Chairman John Shaffner at NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live to announce the nominees. The Emmy Awards will be handed out on Sept. 20, and the ceremony will air live on CBS.
◊“Are We Alone?” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This new special ventures to Earth’s strangest, most extreme regions to uncover clues to the universe’s evolution. From Death Valley, California, to the glaciers of Chile; from the harsh desert climates of Africa to the lush seascapes of the Caribbean, the world’s top astrobiologists and astrophysicists examine the geological record and the biological influence of life forms that created and continue to sustain life on Earth.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Series star David Boreanaz (FBI special agent Seeley Booth) directed this episode in which a bungee-jumping couple plunges off a bridge and come face-to-face with a corpse lying at the bottom of a gorge.
◊“Gallery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Meet the man who saved Oklahoma City’s Paseo District and turned it into a vibrant arts community. It was built in 1929 as Oklahoma City’s first commercial shopping district, and it was almost torn down in the late 1970s.
◊“J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life” (7 p.m. on ABC): Timed to the release of the newest Harry Potter film, this hourlong documentary follows the author during the months prior to publication of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book in the series. Cameras also travel back to her hometown and discover where many of the Harry Potter characters originated.
◊“The Listener” (9:01 p.m. on NBC): After Toby witnesses a young woman revive a badly injured baby, he feels a strong kinship and curiosity about her gift.
◊“Stateline” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment of the locally-produced documentary series follows the men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Fires Brigade as they train at Fort Hood, Texas, for their mission in Iraq.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Barbara Stanwyck was born on this day in 1907, and TCM celebrates by airing three of her films: 1929′s “The Locked Door” (5 a.m.), 1940′s “Remember the Night” (6:30 a.m.) and 1944′s “Double Indemnity” (8 a.m.).
◊“Watch What Happens: Live” (11 p.m. on Bravo): Bravo programming executive Andy Cohen hosts this new interactive series. He will sit down with guests from some of Bravo’s most popular series, as well as from the world of entertainment, to chat about what has transpired on-air and in pop culture that week.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
◊“According to Jim” (8 p.m. on ABC): Jim uses his passion for sports to connect with son Kyle. But sports-challenged Kyle identifies more with fellow sci-fi nerd Andy, forcing a reluctant Jim to dress up as a Cyclops at a sci-fi convention in order to win his son back. Williams “Refrigerator” Perry (former NFL player) guest stars.
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (7 p.m. on Fox): Star Jones (“The View”) and Jack Hanna ((“ZooLife with Jack Hanna”) compete for $1 million for charity by testing their elementary school knowledge in subjects ranging from art and geography to math and social studies. Real students will offer to help them if they are unsure of an answer.
◊“Call 911″ (7 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This installment of the show, which features actual 911 recordings between operators and callers, includes a tornado survivor is pinned inside his truck that is surrounded by downed live electrical lines.
◊“Catch It Keep It” (9 p.m. on Science Channel): During each episode of this new series, three contestants test their scientific and engineering mettle against Science Channel’s “engineer of destruction” Mike Senese, who devises dastardly schemes uniquely designed to obliterate the prize of the week. The contestants must brainstorm, plan and construct a way to rescue the item within the span of 48 hours.
◊“Fats Domino: Walkin’ Back to New Orleans” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This special chronicles musician Fat Domino’s return to the stage after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation to his hometown of New Orleans. It features performances from a 2007 benefit concert for the city, as well as interviews with Domino and singers Robert Plant and Randy Newman.
◊“Flashpoint” (8 p.m. on CBS): After hearing on the radio that a talk show host is holding a prominent politician hostage, the Strategic Response Unit races to the station to talk the host out of killing him on the air.
◊“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.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don looks toward his newly found religious beliefs to help him contend with an escaped criminal bent on revenge. David Gallagher (“7th Heaven”) guest stars.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Nickelodeon kicks-off a 50-hour marathon with the premiere of “To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants”, which follows SpongeBob after his square pants have shrunk in the dryer. Unable to find a new pair, he tries round pants, but no one seems to recognize him as SpongeBob RoundPants. Patchy the Pirate hosts the marathon that will include 11 “SpongeBob” premieres.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: James Cagney was born on this day in 1899, and TCM celebrates by airing three of his films: 1935′s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (11:45 a.m.), 1936′s “Something to Sing About” (2 p.m.) and 1955′s “Love Me or Leave Me” (3:45 p.m.).
SATURDAY, JULY 18
◊“Barefoot Contessa” (12:30 p.m. on Food Network): Host Ina Garten showcases portable food with full flavor made for two desk-bound friends.
◊“The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m. on TBS): Bill and Susan are feeling the economic pinch, just as Lauren prepares to take an expensive trip for spring break. Bill is certain her disappointment in not being able to go will permanently scar their father-daughter bond.
◊“Discovery Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program visits Okmulgee State Park and Discoveryland.
◊“Dirty Sexy Money” (9 p.m. on ABC): While the Darlings are away for Thanksgiving, Clark the chauffeur offers his version of various Darling family rumors to a persistent reporter. This is one of the series’ final episodes scheduled to air over the next four Saturdays.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): After imprisoning Jack and Savid for treason, Silas continues with his plan to hand over Port Prosperity to long-time enemy Gath.
◊“Mamma Mia!” (7 p.m. on HBO): In this musical inspired by the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA, Amanda Seyfried plays a young bride-to-be who wants to know her father’s identity before she walks down the aisle. Her mother (Meryl Streep) isn’t much help on that count, so she invites the likeliest candidates (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard) to the nuptials.
◊“Mending Fences” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): When a Los Angeles journalist (Laura Leighton) visits her ailing mother (Angie Dickinson) and the farm she grew up on, she finds out that her mother’s vision is deteriorating and that her hometown has been struggling with a terrible drought that is forcing many residents to sell out to a casino developer.
◊“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): This 2002 comedy transfers writer and star Nia Vardalos’ stage show to film, thanks to producers Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. Vardalos plays a Greek woman who risks her tradition-bound family’s wrath when she falls for, then plans to wed, a decidedly non-Greek educator (John Corbett, ‘‘Sex and the City”).
◊“Outdoor Oklahoma” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): Produced by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, this series keeps Oklahoman informed about fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation, as well as policies and programs. Learn about the latest quail research, what’s happening with deer season or where fisheries personnel have found the biggest catfish in the state.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants” (9 a.m. on Nickelodeon): The marathon continues with the Top 10 most memorable “SpongeBob” episodes as picked by fans on Nick.com. The night will be capped off with “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” at 9 p.m.
◊“Tom Jones” (7 p.m. on TCM): This adaptation of Henry Fielding’s novel, which won the best picture Oscar for 1963, follows the adventures of the title character (Albert Finney), whose enjoyment of the earthly delights of 18th-century England almost get him hanged.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Jim Gaffigan
July 7, 2009 –Jim Gaffigan, who plays
Andy Franklin on “My Boys” (Season 3 episodes aired through May on TBS), turns 43 today.
He played Rusty Carnouk on “The Ellen Show” (2001-02).
His first acting role was in the 1997 movie “Fool’s Paradise.” He was 31.
Best wishes to Jim and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Jim Gaffigan performs to a sold out crowd, Friday, Feb. 2, 2007 at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. (AP Photo/Al Maglio)
Top 55 TV Programs for June 28-July 4, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which
includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of June 28:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
◊The BET Awards ’09 (7 p.m. on BET): Jamie Foxx (“Ray”) will host the ninth annual event that celebrates the achievements in music, sports and entertainment. The O’Jays will be honored with a lifetime achievement award.
◊“Built to Shred” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV): In Season 2 of this build-and-ride sports show featuring top skateboarders, BMXers and surfers, host Jeff King works with pros to design, build and try out a new obstacle.
◊“Celebrity Rides: Hollywood Speeding Bullitt” (6 p.m. on DIY): Chad McQueen, son of actor Steve McQueen, helps build a 1968 GT Fastvack Mustang made famous by the movie “Bullitt.”
◊“Comedy You Can Believe In With David Alan Grier” (9 p.m. on TBS): David Alan Grier (“Chocolate News”) will perform his own stand-up and introduce comedians Bruce Bruce, Jo Koy, Mark Curry, Aries Spears and Marina Franklin.
◊“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” (8:30 p.m. on A&E): While Gene Simmons rings the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and spreads the word about investing in America, Shannon does some spending of her own when she gets addicted to late-night infomercials.
◊“HGTV Showdown” (9 p.m. on HGTV): A new line-up of challengers and celebrity guests take the design stage for Season 3 of the show. Host Jamie Durie will guide viewers through the action as two teams of expert designers and builders compete to design and execute a winning room makeover for one lucky homeowner. The homeowner also will win a professional design plan and $10,000 toward the redesign of a room in their home.
◊“Hung” (9 p.m. Sunday on HBO): In this new and very adult comedy, Thomas Jane stars as Ray Drucker, a high school basketball coach and divorced dad who sets out to change his fortune.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment “Mrs. McGinty’s Dead,” crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) joins Poirot (David Suchet, “Henry VIII”) to save a man who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of his landlady.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): The witch Nimueh casts a spell with a monster that poisons Camelot’s drinking water, spreading a sickness throughout the city. When Gwen’s father falls ill, Merlin disobeys Gaius’ orders and tries to help.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Bobby Flay tests the remaining seven finalists by having them out their culinary point of view on a classic American dish — the burger. Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”) surprises the finalists and challenges them to create a dish using a basket of international ingredients for a group of returning American soldiers.
◊“Prehistoric New York” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Travel back in time through the lost worlds of New York City’s past, when mammoths once trampled down Fifth Avenue and some of the world’s first dinosaurs roamed where the New York Giants now play.
◊“Waging War on Cancer With Paula Zahn: The Future” (1:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This program seeks to demystify cancer by explaining where it comes from. In many cases, it has to do with chronic injury to tissue.
MONDAY, JUNE 29
◊“Blood, Sweat + Gears: Racing Clean to the Tour de France” (9:30 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary follows the journey of an American cycling team seeking to compete in its first Tour de France, the French bicycle race that covers over 3,500 kilometers in 22 grueling days. The 2009 Tour de France runs from July 4-July 26.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): Brenda and her squad are temporarily deputized into the FBI when a missing person case turns into a full-blown murder investigation involving drug trafficking at gay dance parties. The case gives Brenda and Fritz the chance to work together again, but her investigative tactics don’t exactly fit FBI protocol.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a murderer kidnaps an innocent baby, Horatio and the team must find him before the child becomes his next victim. Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents”) guest stars in this of the show’s 150th episode.
◊“Dance Your … Off” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Marissa Jaret Winokur (“Hairspray”) hosts this new dance/weight-loss competition series featuring full-figured contestants who struggle with their weight and dance to unleash their inner thin.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on an invention that may have been used in the atomic bomb, a 23-pound block of beeswax with strange markings and a French manuscript kept by an American family for 160 years.
◊“JoMoPro 2009″ (7 p.m. on Fuel TV, 265 on Cox Digital Cable, 536 on U-verse, 618 on DirecTV): This BMX event in Joplin, Mo., offers a $20,000 prize purse and features a best-trick contest that awards the winning rider a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy seeks out Paris Hilton. The new BFFs spend the day buying trendy clothes on Robertson Blvd., pose for hundreds of photographers trailing their every move and make a call to Snoop Dog.
◊“NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” (5 p.m. on OETA-13): The segment “A Future That is Bright and Green” features Nathan Wright and Casey Wenzel, who are among the first students at Oklahoma State University to participate in a new degree program in wind turbine technology. They are hopeful about finding jobs that are not only close to home, but that are safer, cleaner and more stable than those in the oil and gas industry.
◊“Operation Emeril” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): In this special, chef Emeril Lagasse visits the Army Center of Excellence Subsistence (ACES) at Fort Lee in Richmond, VA, and meets service men and women training to become military cooks. He shows the soldiers how to mix new combinations of food while in the kitchen and prepare healthy and delicious meals for the masses.
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): When an innocent picture of a little boy in a bathtub winds up on a child pornographer’s Web site, Jerry has his hands full defending the father against Balco’s aggressive prosecution.
◊“Shouting Fire: Stories From the Edge of Free Speech” (8 p.m. on HBO): In collaboration with her father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus, Oscar nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus explores the social and political trends that have shaped America’s attitudes about free speech and how they can threaten the very tenets upon which the country was built.
◊“Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This film looks at the life and music of Arthur Russell, a little-known composer, producer, cellist, singer and songwriter who died of AIDS in 1992.
TUESDAY, JUNE 30
◊“18 Kids and Counting” (8 p.m. on TLC): Josh and Anna Duggar don’t know if their first child will be a boy or girl — but the “Today” show does. Watch as the Duggars are kept in the dark until it’s revealed live on national television via a special cake from the “Cake Boss.”
◊“The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (8:30 p.m. on Food Network): Food Network stars Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”), Duff Goldman (“Ace of Cakes”) and Aida Mollenkamp (“Ask Aida”) talk about their favorite foods made with bacon.
◊“HawthoRNe” (8 p.m. on TNT): Christina scrambles to create a makeshift ICU bed for a woman whose son isn’t ready to let her go. And Camille spends the day sneaking around the hospital when she’s supposed to be working on an English essay.
◊“NOVA” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Musical Minds” investigates the impact music can have on the human brain through case studies from neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks’ book “Musicophilia.”
◊“NOVA scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Neil deGrasse Tyson returns for Season 4, which is packed with provocative new stories from the frontlines of science, technology, and medicine. In the premiere episode, a blindfolded Tyson is led to a top-secret “diamond farm” to investigate breakthroughs in the engineering of artificial diamonds. Indistinguishable from the real thing, these glittering creations may one day replace silicon transistors in everything from super computers to high-speed electric trains.
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): The family of a French gay man who was brutally murdered by three neo-Nazi skinheads undergoes an astonishing personal journey as its members struggle to seek justice while coming to terms with their unthinkable loss in ‘‘Beyond Hatred.”
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Matthew (F. Murray Abraham, “Amadeus”), one of Earl’s fellow angels, hits a rough patch when it comes to winning souls, and he starts honing in on Earl’s territory.
◊“Stager Invasion” (7 p.m. on TLC): In this new series, professional stager Lisa Lynch visits houses that are on the market by homeowners but aren’t getting much interest. Lynch and a staging team help transform the homes – using mostly items already part of the decor – while battling 8-hour timelines to get everything ready for showings.
◊“Wake Steady” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV, 265 on Cox Digital Cable, 536 on U-verse, 618 on DirecTV): Catch wakeboarding and wakeskating champions attacking still waters worldwide.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1
◊“10 Grand in Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY, 111 on Dish Network, 171 on Cox Digital Cable, 230 on Direct TV, 454 on U-verse): This series shows homeowners how to cut up to $10,000 from their renovation and remodeling projects. It offers advice on new materials and technologies, as well as how-to info on doing some of the basic work themselves.
◊“American Masters” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This new 90-minute episode goes behind the scenes of the radio show ‘‘A Prairie Home Companion,” created by humorist and commentator Garrison Keillor. It follows Keillor and his crew of actors and misicians as they travel across the country broadcasting and recording shows.
◊“Clean House: Search for the Messiest Home in the Country” (8 p.m. on Style Network): In the first-season finale host Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) unveils 2009′s messiest home in the country and documents its full makeover. The home belongs to a detective, and it is crammed with suff in every room.
◊“Monsters Inside Me” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new series explores the shocking, gruesome and sometimes deadly details of a parasitic infection. Every episode is a constant battle for life as doctors and scientists attempt to unravel each case.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine and Barb are informed by the parent company of their gym franchise that they’ve broken a contractual clause and may lose the gym. Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”) guest stars as the corporate representative from the gym’s parent company.
THURSDAY, JULY 2
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (7 p.m. on CBS): When a series of victims are found deceased seemingly in the middle of everyday activities, the CSIs must determine what is causing them to remain upright after death. Alex Kingston (“ER”), Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) and Will McCormack (“Dirt”) guest star.
◊“The Listener” (9 p.m. on NBC): After witnessing a fatal shooting in Chinatown, Toby uses his telepathic gift to help a blind woman solve the murder of her brother. He discovers a cover-up involving a Chinese crime boss who has a lot to hide from the police.
◊“Moments of Impact” (8 p.m. on Discovery): From terrifyingly close calls on the jet way to a sudden avalanche to unexpected animal attacks, this new series provides a spectacular tour de force of real life spills and chills.
◊“Science of the Movies” (9 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): This installment goes behind the scenes of Sony Pictures Animation’s 3D feature “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.”
◊“Soundstage” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Sugarland presents a versatile set that includes pop songs, country sounds and soulful ballads.
◊“Twilight Zone” marathon: (7 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. July 5 on SCI FI): The network’s annual event, running Thursday through Saturday, features episodes from the 1980s version of the series, as well as the classic 1960s show.
◊“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic” (6 p.m. on TCM): This special was made in 1989, as it has actually been 70 years since ‘‘Oz” came out. Like the movie, though, it’s still enjoyable and will enhance your appreciation of the film, as actress Angela Lansbury (“Murder, She Wrote”) takes a look back at the production of the 1939 classic.
FRIDAY, JULY 3
◊“According to Jim” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Jim convinces Andy to play snow football even though Andy’s girlfriend, Mandy, warns him against it. Now injured, Andy has to hide his injury from Mandy, so Jim stages a freak accident for Andy in his home. Garry Marshall (“Race to Witch Mountain”) guest stars.
◊“Alex Haley’s Queen” (9 a.m. on TV One, 157 on U-verse, 167 on Cox Digital Cable, 328 on DirecTV): Halle Berry stars in the six-hour miniseries that chronicles the tale of Alex Haley’s paternal grandmother, Queen, who was the daughter of a black slave and a white plantation owner.
◊“Bathtastic” (8 p.m. on DIY, 111 on Dish Network, 171 on Cox Digital Cable, 230 on Direct TV, 454 on U-verse): Host Matt Muenster shares design tips, information on cutting-edge materials and know-how that will revitalize any bathroom, great or small.
◊“Good Evening Ev’rybody: In Celebration of Louis Armstrong” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This is a presentation of a never-before-released concert performance of Louis Armstrong and other musical greats at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival in celebration of Armstrong’s 70th birthday. Armstrong performs several of his greatest hits throughout the concert and rehearsals, including ‘Pennies From Heaven” and “Wonderful World.”
◊“Invitation Only” (10 p.m. on CMT): In this installment of the concert series, Darius Rucker performs before a small studio audience in Nashville, takes questions from fans and delivers revealing and candid answers.
◊“Margaret Cho: Beautiful” (10 p.m. on Showtime): Returning to her stand-up roots, Margaret Cho examines the nature of beauty and the importance society has placed on appearance.
◊“The Ultimate Power Lunch: 50 Years of The Four Seasons” (11 a.m. on CNBC): CNBC correspondent Bill Griffeth will speak one-on-one with the most powerful people in finance, media and fashion, asking them about the economy, the markets and their power lunches at the restaurant over the years.
SATURDAY, JULY 4
◊“Apollo 13″ (6:30 p.m. on Cinemax): Ron Howard, who was born in Duncan, directed this 1995 movie about the near-disastrous 1970 Apollo 13 mission. Headed for the moon, Cmdr. Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) and his crew, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert (Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon), experience an on-board explosion.
◊“Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (9 p.m. on CBS): Talk show host Craig Ferguson (“The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”) returns for his third year as host of the special broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. Grammy winner Neil Diamond will perform some of his classic hits with The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart. The final 21 minutes of the broadcast, featuring the spectacular fireworks display, will be presented commercial free.
◊“Burn After Reading” (7 p.m. on HBO): Brad Pitt, who was born in Shawnee, stars as a gym worker in this movie directed by Oscar-winners Joel and Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”). John Malkovich plays a newly resigned CIA agent whose secrets are swiped by his divorce-seeking wife (Tilda Swinton) and ultimately land in the hands of gym workers.
◊“A Capitol Fourth” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits returns to host this spe3cial live from the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. Barry Manilow will open and close the broadcast with a medley of hits and patriotic classics along with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. Others scheduled to appear are Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, Michael Feinstein, Andrew von Oeyen, the Tony Award-winning cast of “Jersey Boys” and the “Sesame Street” gang.
◊“Choking Man” (9 p.m. on Sundance): This film explores the immigrant experience, as it follows a near-mute dishwasher from Ecuador who is quietly nursing a crush on a radiant fellow immigrant in Queens.
◊“Detonators” (7 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): This series focuses on a specialized team that demolishes skyscrapers, blows up helicopters on movie sets and detonates 50-gallon drums of explosives to quell deadly oil well fires.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): King Silas sends David on a quest to recover a national treasure, the Charter of Gilboa. While on the mission, David discovers shocking information about his father’s death. Leslie Bibb (Confessions of a Shopaholic”) guest stars as Katrina, who is engaged to Jack.
◊“Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” (8 p.m. on NBC): “Today” correspondents Natalie Morales and Tiki Barber co-host the special live from New York City. The nation’s 233rd birthday extravaganza will include performances by rock singer Rob Thomas country singer Jewel and the cast from the 2009 revival of “West Side Story.” The fireworks display featuring more than 40,000 shells will be set of from six barges positioned between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson River.
◊“Mantracker” marathon (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): Terry Grant is an expert outdoorsman trained to track and retrieve missing persons in the deep wilderness. His mission in each episode is to track two contestants through rough country and capture them before they can reach the finish line.
◊“Sweet Land of Liberty” (5 p.m. on OETA-13): Music selections include “America the Beautiful,” “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “God Bless America.”
◊“Tribute to Liberty” (5:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Music selections include “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “This Is My Country.”
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for June 21-27, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of June 21:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JUNE 21
••“Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life” (6 p.m. on BBC America): Marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his world-changing book, On the Origin of Species,” Sir David Attenborough (“Nature’s Most Amazing Events”) shares his personal insight on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, explaining why he believes it’s more important now than ever before.
••“Exodus Earth” (8 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): In this six-part series, Dr. Basil Singer investigates whether people could possibly call Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturns’s moon Titan or Jupitor’s moons Callisto and Gliese 581c home in the future. The series continues with airings at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
••“HGTV $250,000 Challenge” (9 p.m. on HGTV): Builder Carter Oosterhouse (“Carter Can”) will lend his expertise to help the final two families create captivating new curb appeal to the front of the house and an outdoor oasis in the backyard. Once the dust settles, viewers will find out who wins $250,000.
••“Impact” (8 p.m. on ABC): David James Elliott (:JAG”), Natasha Henstridge (“Eli Stone”), Steven Culp (“ER”) and James Cromwell (“Babe”) star in this two-part, four-hour movie, which concludes June 28. They play a small group of international astronauts, scientists and soldiers who band together in a race against time to save humanity when a meteor shower results in a direct hit to the moon, leaving it on a collision course with Earth.
••“Just For Laughs” (6 p.m. on ABC): Gags featured in the Season 3 premiere of the hidden-camera comedy series include a massage chair with a mind — and hands — of its own and a bike ride in the park that turns into a race to the finish line.
••“Killer Hair” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Maggie Lawson (“Psych”) stars as Lacey Smithsonian, a fashion columnist for a Washington, D.C., newspaper who ends up reporting on more than just style when dead bodies keep mysteriously crossing her path.
••“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): David Suchet returns as Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective Hercule Poirot for a new series of adventures. In the new installment “Cat Among the Pigeons,” he investigates a case involving a Middle Eastern princess who is hidden in an English girls school until someone starts killing the teaching staff.
••“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): This new drama updates the story of the infamous sorcerer of Arthurian legend. When Merlin, a young man with magical powers, arrives in Camelot, he quickly makes enemies with Prince Arthur. But he begins using his talents not just to survive but also to unlock Camelot’s mystical secrets.
••“Ruby: The First 100 Pounds” (7 p.m. on Style Network): This special looks back at Ruby Gettinger’s journey, as the severely overweight Savannah resident has lost more than 100 pounds since the first season of her reality show. Season 2 of “Ruby” begins July 5.
••“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): After many years without incident, Florida residents were reminded in August of l992 of just how destructive a hurricane can be. The experience is told through the eyes of a young couple expecting their first child who ride out Hurricane Andrew in a bathroom.
••“Somali Pirate Takedown: The Real Story” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In April, news of U.S. Navy snipers bringing a swift end to the Somalia pirate standoff captivated the world. However, the heroic stories of the Maersk Alabama’s crew and the U.S. Navy’s courageous maneuvers have not been shared fully, until now.
••“Timewatch: The Last Day of World War I” (9 p.m. on Military Channel, 104 on Cox Digital Cable, 195 on Dish Network, 259 on U-verse, 287 on DirecTV): This special goes to the places where American, British, French, Canadian and German troops were fighting as the war came to an end on Nov. 11, 1918. It tells the story of soldiers who were killed in the final minutes leading up to the cease-fire, as well as those who lost their lives after the Armistice had been signed.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
••“Aaron Stone” (8 p.m. on Disney XD): Xero captures the world’s most feared fighter, World Champion Billy “The Body Bag” Cobb, to teach them the moves necessary to program his combat suit. Chris Jericho (“WWF Smackdown!”) guest stars.
••“Cheat Sheet to the Mysteries of the Universe” (8 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): Dr. Michio Kaku demystifies the universe with credible and understandable explanations.
••“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): A man is found handcuffed and stabbed in his hotel room, while a prank at the lab causes a rift in the CSI team and threatens their investigation. Lucy Lawless (“Xena Warrior Princess”) guest stars.
••“Gimme Sugar: Miami” (9 p.m. on Logo): Charlene reassesses her life in Season 2. She leaves the hills of the west coast and heads down to Miami to face the vibrant club scene and some of the toughest challenges yet.
••“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Featuring a broad range of historical periods, multiple cultures and fascinating personalities, five super sleuths set out to prove that an object found in an attic or backyard could be anything but ordinary.
••“Make It or Break It” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): Gymnastics newcomer Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbs, “Lords of Dogtown”) has dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast. But when she shows up at The Rock gymnastics training center in Colorado, she inadvertently shakes up the gym’s status quo.
••“Nurse Jackie” (9:30 p.m. on Showtime): An elderly patient (Eli Wallach, “The Holiday”) treats his serious heart disease with chicken soup. And pharmacist Eddie learns he is being replaced by an automated pill despenser, which is bad news for Jackie.
••“Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): After a long line of female assistants, Russell learns that a having a male assistant (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) can be very advantageous.
••“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): In the Season 2 premiere, Anne is dealing with the surprising news of her own pregnancy, while Amy is slowly adjusting to motherhood and a new life filled with midnight feedings and diaper changes.
••“Storm Stories” (7:30 p.m. on The Weather Channel): This episode follows three sets of Galveston County residents as they struggled for survival last September when the storm surge from Hurricane Ike came earlier than expected.
••“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): One of Charlie’s old partners in crime dies, leaving Charlie to reevaluate his own reckless lifestyle. Emilio Estevez (“The Breakfast Club” and brother of series star Charlie Sheen) guest stars.
••“Weeds” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Just as Nancy gets strict instructions from her doctor to reduce her stress level, she gets an unexpected visit from her estranged sister, Jill (Jennifer Jason Leigh, “Synecdoche, New York”).
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
••“America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m. on NBC): The talent show is back for a fourth season with a new host — comic Nick Cannon — and returning judges David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan as contestants compete for a $1 million grand prize.
••“The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (8:30 p.m. on Food Network): Find out what food stars and chefs eat in their free time in this new series. In the premiere episode, Tyler Florence (“How to Boil Water”), Bobby Flay (“Iron Chef America”) and Ted Allen (“Food Detectives”) reveal the best places to get barbeque.
••“Better Off Ted” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Executives Ted and Veronica try mingling with workers and realize they might be better off staying in a boss/employee relationship.
••“Bite Me With Dr. Mike” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Extreme virologist and world traveler Dr. Mike Leahy knows first-hand how even the tiniest of earth’s creatures can create huge problems for unsuspecting travelers. In this new series, he makes it his mission to uncover everything that might want to bite, suck, sting or feed on unsuspecting travelers’ bodies, and he offers advice on how to avoid these encounters while traveling.
••“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): Whoopi Goldberg (“The View”) guest stars in the Season 2 premiere as William’s former sponsor, who resurfaces when an addict he is called to help is one she currently sponsors. The addict (Gary Cole, “Wanted”) is a high-profile national news anchor who is a spokesperson for recovery and is struggling with his sobriety.
••“Golf in America” (9 p.m. on Golf Channel): Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”) hosts this new series that will travel coast-to-coast to discover never-before-told stories, larger-than-life characters and inspirational people to capture the spirit of the game of golf.
••“Mental” (8 p.m. on Fox): The team encounters a movie star who suffered a psychotic breakdown on a nationally-televised talk show. Spike Feresten (“Talkshow With Spike Feresten”) guest stars.
••“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): While stuck working on a case over Christmas, the team searches for a suspect presumed dead…and begins to discover some startling personal revelations. Peter Coyote (“The 4400″) guest stars.
••“NYC Prep” (9 p.m. on Bravo): This new reality series chronicles the lives of a group of privileged teenagers who are key players in Manhattan’s elite high school scene. Whether it’s on sophisticated vacations or to a townhouse for an exclusive midnight party, their lives intertwine as they network, shop, party, study, date and write college applications.
••“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez converts to Islam and starts a new religious community in Pittsburgh, hoping to spread his message of faith through hip-hop, only to have the FBI raid his mosque. The new documentary
••“New Muslim Cool” chronicles his surprising spiritual journey through an ever-changing America.
“Primetime: Family Secrets” (9 p.m. on ABC): This limited series goes behind closed doors and reveals firsthand the secrets most families never tak about. Topics explored include teen pregnancy and child abuse.
••“The Real Housewives Of New Jersey Reunion” (8 p.m. on Bravo): The ladies sit down for an explosive reunion special, which concludes at 8 p.m. Thursday. Hosting the first-season reunion is Bravo programming executive Andy Cohen.
••“The Superstars” (7 p.m. on ABC): This new competitive reality series pairs eight professional athletes with eight celebrities for a series of grueling physical challenges. Competitors include athletes Jennifer Capriati, Brandi Chastain and Bode Miller and celebrities Dan Cortese (“Joey”), Julio Iglesias Jr. (“Gone Country”) and Ali Landry (“Bella”).
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
••“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit becomes involved in the case of a family working together to abduct young women. Emmy nominated actor Tim Matheson (“The West Wing”) directed the episode.
••“Criss Angel: True Hollywood Story” (9 p.m. on E!): This installment will expose the secrets of this illusionist and “Mindfreak” star through candid interviews and never-before-seen footage.
••“Gospel Dream” (9 p.m. on Gospel Music Channel): Season 4 features 37 contestants between the ages of 16 and 40 pursuing their dream of a musical career Gospel/Christian music. Celebrity judges, including Michelle William (“Destiny’s Child”) and Kimberly Locke (“American Idol”), will determine the winner, who will receive record and music video exposure, among other prizes.
••“I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here” (7 p.m. on NBC): The last remaining star will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle—winning the largest share of the prize for donation to charity.
••“Music Instinct: Science and Song” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This new documentary provides a groundbreaking exploration into how and why the human organism is moved by music. The program includes performances by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma.
••“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine cringes at her mother’s constant disapproval, but when she goes home for Thanksgiving, she’s able to thwart one of her criticisms when she discovers a secret they have in common. Brenda Blethyn (“Secrets & Lies”) guest stars as Christine’s mother.
••“The Philanthropist” (9 p.m. on NBC): James Purefoy (“Rome”) stars in this new drama series as billionaire playboy Teddy Rist, whose life is changed irrevocably after he rescues a boy during a hurricane. Buoyed by the experience, Teddy resolves to channel his power, passion and money into helping those in need, while exorcising his own demons in the process.
••“Primetime: Crime” (9 p.m. on ABC): This limited series goes inside real cases with access to the criminal process, new investigations and exclusive interviews. The series also retraces the twists and turns of some cold cases, providing new clues and forensic evidence.
••“The Real World: Cancun” (9 p.m. on MTV): Season 22 invades the sandy beaches of Cancun with eight roommates who work hard and play harder while living it up in Mexico’s hottest hotel, ME Cancun.
••“Top Chef Masters” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Chicago based chef and Oklahoma native Rick Bayless (“Mexico One Plate at a Time”)is among the third group of competing chefs on the series. He cooks off against Cindy Pawlcyn, Wilo Benet and Ludo Lefebvre, and the top chef moves on the the champions round.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
••“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): Derek’s mother, Carolyn (Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”), makes a surprise visit to Seattle and meets Meredith for the first time, as Mark tries to conceal his relationship with Lexie from her as well.
••“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Ted tells the gang Stella’s intimate secret, he must face the consequences of breaking her trust. Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) guest stars.
••“In the Motherhood” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): Jane begins to feel inadequate as a parent when boyfriend Shep shows off his parenting skills and quickly bonds with her children. This is the first of the series’ final episoes scheduled to air over the next three Fridays.
••“The Mentalist” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Lisbon fears that serial killer Red John is drawing Patrick Jane into a trap when the CBI team investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister. Alicia Witt (“Cybil”) guest stars.
••“Penn & Teller: Bull****” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Season 7 will continue to feature the notoriously outspoken pair on their crusade to expose the inherent hypocrisy of many of the popular beliefs and sacred institutions in our culture.
••“Samantha Who?” (7 p.m. on ABC): When Sam starts dating rock superstar Tommy Wylder (Duran Duran’s John Taylor) – an idol from a youth that she has no recollection of — she becomes so embarrassed by Andrea and Dena’s fan-like reactions that she unintentionally begins to alienate them.
••“Soundstage” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Grammy-nominated One Republic offers rousing performances of hit singles “Apologize,” “Stop and Stare,” “Say (All I Need)” and “Mercy,” as well as other tracks from their debut CD “Dreaming Out Loud.”
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
••“Build It Bigger” (8 p.m. on Science Channel, 101 on Cox Digital Cable, 193 on Dish Network, 258 on U-verse, 284 on DirecTV): Host Danny Forster takes viewers behind the scene at NASA where he explores the space organization’s next generation rocket, Ares.
••“The Chopping Block” (7 p.m. on NBC): The four remaining teams prepare an Italian feast for patrons and guest stars including chef Mario Natali and Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”).
••“CMT Crossroads: Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean” (8 p.m. on CMT): Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Bryan Adams will share the stage with platinum-selling and chart-topping country rocker Jason Aldean in this new installment of the critically-acclaimed series.
••“The Daily Habit” (8 p.m. on Fuel TV): The show;s 900th episode features a tour of Tony Hawk’s office in Carlsbad, CA, a skating session with Tony Hawk and friends on his secret ramp, interviews, a skateboard cake and more.
••“Let Freedom Hum – An Evening of Comedy Hosted by Martin Short” (9 p.m. on TBS): In this special taped June 18 at The Vic in Chicago, Martin Short (“Saturday Night Live”) will perform his own comedy and introduce five comedians: John Pinette, Kathleen Madigan, Greg Giraldo, Tom Papa and Jeremy Hotz.
••“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): The bombing of an influential charity’s headquarters forces the team to sift through various rumors about the true reach of the organization’s power. Paul Michael Glaser (“Starsky & Hutch”) guest stars.
••“Princess Protection Program” (7 p.m. on Disney): Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) and Demi Lovato (“Sonny With a Chance”) star in this adventure comedy about two girls, a princess from a small kingdom and a small town girl, who team up to help the would-be queen pass for a regular teen.
••“Virtuality” (7 p.m. on Fox): Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“New Amsterdam”) stars in this science-fiction thriller set in outer space and a seemingly limitless virtual reality. Aboard Earth’s first starship, the Phaeton, a crew of 12 astronauts is on the verge of embarking on an epic 10-year journey crucial to the survival of life on Earth. But as crew members go in and out of reality, they realize that a virus has entered their private world.
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
••“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment of the locally-produced program features a tour of Oklahoma City that starts with Nonna’s and Bricktown, travels down the Oklahoma River Trails and finishes at the National Memorial.
••“Doctor Who: The Next Doctor” (8 p.m. on BBC America): It’s Christman Eve in 1851 and Cyberman stalk the snow of Victorian London. When the Doctor (David Tennant, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) arrives to investigate a spate of mysterious deathes, he’s surprised to meet another Doctor (David Morrissey, “Viva Blackpool”) with his own sonic screw driver.
••“Ellen’s Bigger Longer and Wider Show” (8 p.m. on TBS): Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen”) hosts this variety show that was taped June 17 at The Chicago Thearte. It features live music, dancers and unique specialty acts.
••“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): King Silas takes David on a pilfrimage while Queen Rose tries to protect her children. Leslie Bibb (“Confessions of a Shopaholic”) guest stars.
••“The Most AddictingGames Showdown” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): In between new episodes of “iCarly” and “True Jackson, VP,” the winners of the best online games will be announced. “Pencil Racer 3: Drive It”, “50 States”, “Porta-Pusher” and “Bloons” are among the games nominated in 10 categories.
••“VH1 Storytellers: ZZ Top” (9 p.m. on VH1): The rock band that holds the record for the most enduring line-up of all original members celebrated its 40th anniversary with this performance taped at Chicago’s Congress Theatre. The Texas trio also took questions from the audience and told the stories behind such hits as “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man.”
–Penny TV
Chat with ‘My Boys’ cast
Want to find out what’s on the mind of “My Boys” star Jordana Spiro? Ask her during a live chat that will begin at 10 p.m. Monday (April 21) on www.TBS.com.
Spiro will take part in the online Q&A session that begins immediately following a new episode of the show. She is in her third season of playing PJ Franklin, a 20-something sports writer looking for love while trying to maintain a close connection with her guy friends.
Joining Spiro for the webchat will be her “My Boys” co-stars Kyle Howard (Bobby), Reid Scott (Brendan), Jamie Kaler (Mike), Mike Bunin (Kenny) and Kellee Stewart (Stephanie).
–Penny TV
Pictured Above: “My Boys” stars Kyle Howard, Jim Gaffigan, Jamie Kaler, Jordana Spiro, Michael Bunin, Reid Scott and Kellee Stewart barside (TBS Photo).
Happy Birthday, Kyle Howard
April 13, 2009 – Kyle Alan Howard, who plays Bobby Newman on “My Boys” (9:30 p.m. Tuesdays on TBS), turns 31 today.
He played Dave on “Grosse Pointe” (2000-01) and Chris Franklin on “Run of the House” (2003-04).
His first acting role was as Kyle in the 1996 movie “Trigger Happy.” He was 18.
Best wishes to Kyle and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Kyle Howard on “My Boys” (TBS Photo).
Top 55 TV Programs for
April 12-18, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of April 12:
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
◊The 17th Annual Trumpet Awards (7 p.m. on TV One): Anthony Anderson (“Law & Order”) and Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) co-host the event honoring black achievement in fields such as law, religion, politics, public service, sports and entertainment. This year’s honorees include Raven-Symonè (“That’s So Raven”), Earvin “Magic” Johnson (former NBA player) and Pastor Paula White.
◊“Bear Attack!” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In a six-week time period, three people were mauled by a bear near Anchorage, and many more Alaskans have had dangerously close bear encounters. Using forensics, technology, and even DNA analysis, researchers launch an investigation into these incidents.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): Series star Danny Pino (Scotty Valens) co-wrote this episode in which the team investigates the murder of a former Cuban baseball star who escaped to the U.S. to provide for his family after the Cuban government fired him for talking to a U.S. sports agent.
◊“Dirty Jobs” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Mike Rowe travels to Big Lake, Alaska, and pays a visit to Happy Trails Kennels to discover what it takes to breed and train Alaskan Huskies for sled dog work. He takes on the daily task of cleaning the dogs’ living area and feeding them with a special blend of ground meat and hot water. He then hits the trail to learn the art of sled dog mushing.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The team fulfills the dying wish of a father who wanted to provide a safe home for his wife and their special-needs children adopted from China. Gammy-winning singer Stevie Wonder performs a private concert for the family at their new home.
◊“Kings” (7 p.m. on NBC): Judgment Day arrives and David fights to get his brother’s case heard before King Silas. Macaulay Culkin (“Party Monster”) guest stars as the king and queen’s nephew, who returns to the kingdom after years in exile.
◊“National Heads-Up Poker Championship” (11 a.m. on NBC): The fifth annual event, which was taped at the Caesars Palace Poker Room March-6-8, features 64 top poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of No Limit Texas Hold’em) matches to determine the best heads-up poker player in the world. Annie Duke (“The Celebrity Apprentice”) and Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) are paired off in the tournament’s first round.
◊“Rock of Love Bus With Bret Michaels” (8 p.m. on VH1): It’s down to the final two women on the season finale. Each will let their guard down and open their hearts to Bret during some romantic time in the Dominican Republic.
◊“Sonny With Chance” (7 p.m. on Disney): Sonny is asked on a date by suave “MacKenzie Falls” guest star James Conroy (Kelly Blatz, “Aaron Stone”), who also happens to be Tawni’s ex-boyfriend. Once James reveals his true colors, Sonny and Tawni enlist Chad to help turn the tables on James.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): An unrelenting spate of thunderstorms blankets the majestic Havasupai region of the Grand Canyon for three days last August. As Brian Codde and eight of his friends sleep at their campsite, waters rise from a flooded dam. They are at grave risk of being swept over the nearby 200 ft waterfall, or being trapped in a deep canyon with no way out.
◊“Witch Hunt” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): Sean Penn (“Milk”) narrates this documentary film that tells the story of dozens of parents in Bakersfield, Calif., who were falsely accused and convicted of child molestation in 1984. Almost all of the children now say they were coerced to lie about their parents. Subsequently, their parents served anywhere from six to twenty years in prison, with the last person acquitted in 2004.
◊“World’s Funniest Office Commercials” (7 p.m. on TBS): Mike O’Malley (“Yes, Dear”) hosts this new special that highlights the best workplace ads. Among the office mayhem featured are Bud Light’s “Swear Jar” (United States), Cadbury’s “Reply All” (Canada) and Mikado’s “Copier” (France).
MONDAY, APRIL 13
◊“24″ (8 p.m. on Fox): Jack Bauer endures the elements and fights on to prevent an attack that could change the country forever. Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert, (“Are You Afraid of the Dark?”), who was last seen in Season 5, returns.
◊“American Experience” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Benjamin Bratt (“The Cleaner”) narrates the five-part installment “We Shall Remain” that spans some 300 years to chronicle key moments in American history from an American Indian perspective. A companion OETA documentary focusing on Oklahoma’s native history is scheduled to premiere in May.
◊“Artic Roughnecks” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This special focuses on Alaska’s all-terrain vehicle, the CATCO, and the hardworking crew as they brave blizzards, white-out conditions and extreme temperatures to deliver fuel, freight and equipment in the farthest reaches of the Alaskan North.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): After Chuck’s father (Scott Bakula, “Quantum Leap”) is kidnapped by Fulcrum, Chuck learns the only chance he has to find him is by putting his trust into the hands of his ex-girlfriend (Jordana Brewster, “The Fast and the Furious”).
◊“Closet Cases” (9 p.m. on Fine Living Network): In this new series, “Style Guy” spokesperson Lloyd Boston will lend practical fashion advice to the wardrobe challenged, helping both men and women revitalize their closets to help them rediscover their most stylish selves. He will explain how to shop smart, combine outfits and do more with less.
◊“College Life” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This new series follows students as a Big Ten University in Madison, Wisc., as they embark on their freshman year of school and document their stories with a video camera in hand.
◊“Confessions of a Superhero” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This new documentary chronicles the lives of three mortal men and one woman who make their living working as superhero characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): A murder case involving extreme plastic surgery leads Horatio to Ron Saris, who is alive and seeking revenge on Julia (Elizabeth Berkley, “The L Word”).
◊“Doing daVinci” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series puts a modern twist on the classics, taking viewers through the build process to determine whether Leonardo daVinci’s designs can be constructed to function as he had envisioned. Using materials only available in daVinci’s time, the team works each week to construct his inventions — from a futuristic armored tank to a towering three-story siege ladder to a scythe chariot -– to determine how realistic each design really is.
◊“Escaped” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new series tells the stories of ordinary people who have escaped from extraordinary circumstances. The series premiere focuses on a woman held captive in a killer’s cellar for months.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): When Casey discovers that Cappie is taking the same women’s studies class — taught by Professor Freeman (Janeane Garofalo, “24″) — she knows that it will complicate her relationship with Max. So she enlists the help of her new professor to help Max and Cappie get along.
◊“Nightly Business Report” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): The news program kicks off a three-part series titled “Native American Entrepreneurs” that explores the growing role American Indians are playing in the country’s commerce. Today’s installment focuses on Dave Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Q Restaurants and the Rainforest Cafe restaurant chains. The final installment on April 20 profiles the Oklahoma City-based Bank2, which is owned by the Chickasaw Tribe.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): When Timmy (Adhir Kalayan, “Aliens in America”) grows tired of dealing with Russell’s demeaning demands and Audrey has had it with her terrible assistant, the two find a possible solution in working together.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 2 finale, Leon Cooley’s execution date arrives. Grace, who has discovered that Leon once helped her sister and was invited to a family birthday party, struggles with whether or not to lend a hand towards stopping the execution.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
◊“400 Years of the Telescope” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new special takes viewers on a journey from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind’s place in the galaxy, to today’s quests to discover new worlds in the infinite universe.
◊“90210″ (8 p.m. on CW): On March 14, the “90210″ cast helped Habitat for Humanity raise the walls of its 100th house in Pacoima, CA. In today’s episode, the students of West Beverly use their spring break vacation as an opportunity to build a home with Habitat for Humanity. Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills, 90210″) returns as Donna Martin.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Fashion guru Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) helps the final seven contestants look their best after everyone gets salon makeovers from guest hair stylist Tabatha Coffey (“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”).
◊“Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Season 3 presents renowned chef and food writer Andrew Zimmern with some of the most bizarre cuisine he has yet to come across, including squirrel brain, iguana eggs, shark head, boa constrictor, turtle intestines, blood soup, juicy cheese worms and garlic ice cream.
◊“Cupid” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): A bullied teenager wants Trevor’s help in matchmaking his mom with his boxing instructor (Lee Tergesen, “Life on Mars”), who also happens to be the boy’s sperm donor father. Julie Hagerty (“Airplane”) guest stars.
◊“Deadliest Catch” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The seas are rougher, the stakes are higher and the intensity has never been stronger when the 2008 King crab season opens. Captains Sig Hansen (Northwestern), Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit), Phil Harris (Cornelia Marie) and Keith Colburn (Wizard) are all back for another season of crab fishing.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on KWTV-9): Former “Live With Regis and Kathie Lee” host Kathie Lee Gifford returns to the show to talk about her new memoir, “Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities.”
◊“Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In September 2008, nine amateur hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts put their lives on hold to tackle the challenge of a lifetime. After a three-day crash course in basic survival skills, they were flown to Ttsusena Lake in the rugged Alaskan interior and given the first piece of a rudimentary map, a compass and a few basic tools and told to hike to civilization.
◊“WCG Ultimate Gamer” (9 p.m. on SCI FI): In addition to controlling players in the video game “NBA Live 09,” the remaining contestants take part in a slam-dunk competition being judged by Spud Webb (former NBA player) and Lisa Leslie (WNBA player).
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team tries to locate the son of a billionaire who disappears after piloting a small plane that crashes in the woods. Vanessa Marcil (“Vegas”) returns as Kim Marcus.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
◊“10 Grand in Your Hand” (8:30 p.m. on DIY Network): In this new series, licensed contractor and host John DeSilvia helps budget-conscious homeowners make their renovation dreams a reality and save up to $10,000 per project. With a wealth of expert advice and cost-cutting tips, he takes the fear out of home improvement, giving homeowners the confidence to forego hired help and pick up the hammer and nail.
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): The remaining girls freak when Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ciara shows up at their apartment to offer some words of advice. The girls then join Ciara on the musical stage for a photo shoot.
◊“The Cougar” (9 p.m. on TV Land): Vivica A. Fox (“Missing”) hosts this new series that follows Stacey Anderson, 40, as she searches for love among a pool of 20 eligible twenty-something men.
◊“Great Performances at the Met” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko headlines a production of ‘‘Lucia di Lammermoor,” Donizetti’s 1834 opera about an ill-fated Scottish lass who is forced into an arranged marriage, then kills her bridegroom and goes gloriously bananas in one of the most famous mad scenes in all of opera.
The Second Annual A-List Awards (9 p.m. on Bravo): Kathy Griffin (“My Life on the D-List”) hosts the event celebrating the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. Scheduled to appear are Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Paris Hilton (“The Simple Life”), Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”), Laurel Holloman (“The L Word”), Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”) and Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”).
◊“Pitchmen” (9 p.m. on Discovery): This new series introduces viewers to the dreamers, tinkerers and inventors who believe they have created the next must-have product. If these everyday geniuses can enlist the help of pitchmen Anthony “Sully” Sullivan and Billy Mays to sell their goods, they may stand a chance of turning their products into household names.
◊“Mythbusters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The MythBusters team heads north to test some Alaskan myths, including whether it can get so cold that your urine freezes before it hits the ground and whether a golf ball will go further if you tee-off on a frozen lake.
◊“True Hollywood Story: LL Cool J” (9 p.m. on E!): Offered a recording contract while still in high school, LL quickly shot to the top of the rap game. This installment tells the story of the hip hop artist through new interviews and never-before-seen footage.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
◊“Alaska: Most Extreme” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Everything is extreme in Alaska: the weather and climate that make each day a new and often menacing adventure; the ways in which many Alaskans earn a living; and the basic skills that everyone must learn and know simply to survive in this harsh environment.
◊“Around the World for Free” (8 p.m. on WGN): Alex Boylan, winner of “The Amazing Race 2,” attempts to circumnavigate the globe without a penny in his pocket and with only a backpack and the help of the online community. The series was filmed in 16 countries over 159 days.
◊“The Beast” (9 p.m. on A&E): The case that haunted Barker for his entire career resurfaces and all the pieces finally come together in the Season 1 finale.
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): When Sweets asks Dr. Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry, “Kingdom”) for input on the book he’s writing about Booth and Brennan, Dr. Wyatt lends Sweets an interesting perspective on the pair’s unique relationship.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Hodges and Wendy run into each other at a science fiction convention for one of their favorite classic television shows, they end up investigating the murder of one of their beloved actors. Kate Vernon (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest stars as Dr. Penelope Russell.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): The admission of a death row inmate to Seattle Grace divides Derek, Meredith and Cristina. Jessica Capshaw (“The Practice”) and Eric Stoltz (“Mask”) guest star.
◊“The Price is Right” (10 a.m. on CBS): Former host Bob Barker returns to the game show that made him famous to promote his new autobiography, “Priceless Memories.” Barker will participate in the Showcase Showdowns and will give the book away to everyone in the audience.
◊“Samantha Who?” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): While with her parents in Vegas attending a real estate seminar, Samantha loses a huge sum of money at the craps table and finds herself in debt to the casino. But a chance meeting with her ex-boss, billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane, “Titanic”), could be the answer to her financial trouble.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Charlie Chaplin was born on this day in 1889, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing 11 of his films, including 1923′s “A Woman of Paris” (9 a.m.), 1940′s “The Great Dictator” (1:15 p.m.) and 1959′s “The Chaplin Revue” (5 p.m.).
FRIDAY, APRIL 17
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): When Miley returns home after finishing work on her new movie, she discovers that Lilly and Oliver are dating, and soon they put her in the middle of an argument and ask her to choose sides. Meanwhile, Jackson pretends to be a philanthropist to impress a college recruiter (Cheryl Hines, “In the Motherhood”).
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and his team are called in to help a veteran FBI agent track down a con man who has eluded him for years. Henry Winkler (“Happy Days”) and Nora Dunn (“Saturday Night Live”) guest star.
◊“Prison Break” (8 p.m. on Fox): Michael and Sarah learn the dangers of hitchhiking as they make their way to Miami, and Lincoln meets with Christina who informs him of her plans to take over the Company.
◊“Untamed Alaska” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Predators such as the grizzly bear and gray wolf roam over 50 million acres of Alaskan wilderness. Temperatures drop to 100 degrees below and the coastline is battered by freezing storms and giant waves. “Caught-on-tape” footage and interviews with eye witnesses showcase this perilous world.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): SpongeBob and his friends search for Jack Kahuna Laguna (voiced by Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) to teach them the gnarly surf moves to hit the elusive wave.
◊“Stranger Among Bears” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): For more than 20 years, Charlie Vandergaw has been living with wild bears in the Alaskan wilderness. For the first time, Charlie has allowed cameras to capture an entire season at “Bear Haven.”
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: William Holden was born on this day in 1918, and TCM celebrates the occasion by airing seven of his films, including 1950′s “Sunset Boulevard” (7 a.m.), 1955′s “Picnic” (12:45 p.m.) and 1968′s “The Devil’s Brigade” (4:45 p.m.).
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
◊“Cultivating Life With Sean Conway” (11:30 a.m. on WGN): Demonstrating easy-to-do projects and inspiring ideas, host Sean Conway explores trends and provides simple solutions and timely ideas for outdoor living, cooking, gardening, and entertaining.
◊“Flying By” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): A real estate developer (Billy Ray Cyrus, “Doc”) goes to his 25th high school reunion and finds his old teenage band playing. They get him on stage for a couple of songs and convince him to come to rehearsal.
◊“Grey Gardens” (7 p.m. on HBO): Inspired by a 1975 documentary, this TV movie spans 40 years as it chronicles the relationship between ‘‘Big Edie” and ‘‘Little Edie” Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore), who were related to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Tulsa-born actress Jeanne Tripplehorn) yet spiraled from high society to living in squalor in a decaying Hamptons mansion.
◊“Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” (9:30 a.m. on Food Network): Anne Burrell prepares some of her favorite dishes, transforming basic ingredients into restaurant-worthy stars. In the season premiere, she shares her techniques for a rich and silky spaghetti carbonara.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Baylor in college softball action airing live at 1 p.m. on FSOK.
–Penny TV
TV Premieres and Finales airing
March 29-April 4
Jill Scott in "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" (HBO Photo)
Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of March 29.
If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.
BEGINNINGS
••“Any Dream Will Do,” 7 p.m. Sunday on BBC America (series premiere).
••“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” 7 p.m. Sunday on HBO (series premiere).
••“Thrillbillies,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Fuel TV (series premiere).
••“G4 Underground,” 8 p.m. Sunday on G4 (series premiere).
••“The Mighty Boosh,” 12 a.m. Monday on Comedy Central (series premiere).
••“Atom TV,” 1:30 a.m. Monday on Comedy Central (second-season premiere).
••“Greek,” 7 p.m. Monday on ABC Family (second season resumes).
••“Osbournes: Reloaded,” 8:20 p.m. Tuesday on Fox (series premiere).
••“Cupid,” 9:02 p.m. Tuesday on ABC (series premiere).
••“My Boys,” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on TBS (third-season premiere).
••“Pretty Wicked,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on Oxygen (series premiere).
••“Rate My Space With Angelo Surmelis,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on HGTV (third-season premiere).
••“Reno 911!” 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central (sixth-season premiere).
••“Free Radio,” 10 p.m. Thursday on VH1 (second-season premiere).
••“Mistresses,” 8 p.m. Friday on BBC America (second-season premiere).
••“Bang for Your Buck,” 8:30 p.m. Friday on HGTV (series premiere).
••“Special Agent Oso,” 7 a.m. Saturday on Disney (series premiere).
••“5 Ingredient Fix,” 8:30 a.m. Saturday on Food Network (series premiere).
••“Cooking For Real,” 11 a.m. Saturday on Food Network (series premiere).
••“Giada At Home,” noon Saturday on Food Network (second-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“DEA,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on SPIKE (second-season finale).
••“Life on Mars,” 9:02 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (series finale).
••“ER,” 8 p.m. Thursday on NBC (series finale).
••“Eleventh Hour,” 9:01 p.m. Thursday on CBS (first-season finale).
Top 55 TV Programs for March 29-April 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 March 29:
SUNDAY, MARCH 29
◊“Any Dream Will Do” (7 p.m. on BBC America): Graham Norton (“The Graham Norton Show”) hosts this new series in which judges and British viewers search for someone with star quality to take on the lead role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Tony Award-winning composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is the head judge.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team reopoens the 1958 murder case of a successful newlywed real estate developer when new evidence indicates he may not have been killed were his body was found. Ken Howard (“The White Shadow”) and Johnathon Schaech (“That Thing You Do!”) guest star.
◊“A Conversation With … Lee Allan Smith” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): OETA broadcast journalist Dick Pryor talks to Lee Allan Smith about his life and some of the events he helped promote, including the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival and the Centennial Parade and Spectacular in 2007.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The team helps a family dedicated to protecting the wildlife community build a stronger and safer home, as well as an improved sanctuary for the dozens of animals they rescue. Justin Chambers (“Grey’s Anatomy”) helps welcome the family back on reveal day.
◊“G4 Underground” (8 p.m. on G4, channel 191 on Dish Network, 258 on Cox Digital Cable, 310 on DirecTV): Morgan Webb (“X-Play”) hosts this new documentary series examines controversial issues, tech phenomena and unique personalities that have impacted today’s pop culture.
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): Vicki Lawrence (“The Carol Burnett Show”) guest stars as Miley and Jackson’s Mamaw, who returns to keep an eye out when Robby heads off to his high school reunion.
◊“Jim Gaffigan: King Baby” (8 p.m. on Comedy Central): This new stand-up comedy special taped at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, proves that no other comedian working today can romanticize laziness and over-indulgence like Jim Gaffigan (“My Boys”).
◊“Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): “Little Dorrit,” one of Charles Dickens’ lesser-known novels, becomes a five-part miniseries set in a world of chronic debt and financial collapse. Matthew Macfadyen (“Pride and Prejudice”) plays hero Arthur Clennam, newcomer Claire Foy is Amy “Little” Dorrit and Tom Courtenay (“The Golden Compass”) is her father, who has been incarcerated for 25 years for insolvency.
◊“The Mighty Boosh” (midnight on Comedy Central): This new British comedy follows wannabe glam rocker Vince Noir and jazz aficionado Howard Moon, who are in a band and living alongside a freelance shaman and talking gorilla.
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment “Kilauea: Mountain of Fire,” filmmaker Paul Atkins witnesses the cataclysmic meeting of 2000 degree lava and 75 degree ocean water in Hawaii. The latest eruption of Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, began in 1983, and it hasn’t stopped since, creating 544 acres of new land and cosuming 200 homes.
◊“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” (7 p.m. on HBO): Grammy winner Jill Scott stars as
Precious Ramotswe, the sensible and wise proprietor of the only female-owned detective agency in Botswana. The new series is based on Alexander McCall Smith’s mystery novels and was filmed in Botswana.
◊“Predator X” (7 p.m. on History): This new special unveils the discovery of one of the largest ocean predatorsd ever found. Just 800 miles from the North Pole, a team of paleontologists unearthed the fossilized remains of a Jurassic-Age Pliosaur estimated at 50 feet long, 45 tons and 150 million years old.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel, 66 on Cox Cable, 214 on Dish Network, 362 on DirecTV): Storm reporter Lanny Dean and police officer Tim Buckman find themselves on the open road during the Greensburg tornado on May 4, 2007. For both men, spotting severe weather is part of the job, but the job that day involved dodging an EF-5 tornado packing 200-mile-an-hour winds.
◊“Thrillbillies” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV, 265 on Cox Digital Cable, 618 on DirecTV): This new action comedy series follows a group of redneck friends who are on a journey for the ultimate thrill.
MONDAY, MARCH 30
◊“Atom TV” (1:30 a.m. on Comedy Central): Returning for a second season is this comedy show featuring a selection of random and hilarious web videos, each one of them developed or handpicked by the network.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): When Chuck expresses his feelings about his complicated relationship with Sarah, a heartless female agent (Tricia Helfer, “Battlestar Galactica”) is sent to evaluate Sarah’s performance as Chuck’s handler.
◊“Greek” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): A secret sorority spy and a new freshman (Jesse McCartney, “Summerland”) stir up some trouble as classes resume at Cyprus-Rhodes University.
◊“Heroes” (8 p.m. on NBC): Now that Nathan’s ability has been revealed and he has lost control of his operation, he and Claire go into hiding in Mexico. With Emile Danko (Zeljko Ivanek, “Damages”) now in control of the government operation, his plan to destroy everyone with abilities is set into motion.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): Mos Def (“Be Kind Rewind”) guest stars as a man injured in a bicicyle accident who is unable to move or communicate verbally. The episode was shot predominantly from the patient’s perspective.
◊“Medium” (9 p.m. on NBC): Allison dreams about a game show that detects whether or not you’re telling the truth, and when she awakes a game show buzzer goes off in her head whenever someone lies to her. Her newly acquired talent becomes very useful during the murder investigation of a young couple. Mark Steines (“Entertainment Tonight”) guest stars.
◊“Rules of Engagement” (8:31 p.m. on CBS): After getting invited to a much cooler party, Jeff and Audrey lie to Jennifer and Adam to get out of a dinner they are hosting. At the party, Russell hits on the girlfriend of Jerry Rice (former NFL wide receiver).
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): While investigating the murder of a jogger, Grace worries for her nephew when his father starts dating again. Emmy winner Kathy Baker (“Picket Fences”) guest stars.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Warren Beatty was born on this day in 1937, and TCM will celebrate by airing five of his films, including 1978’s “Heaven Can Wait” (7 p.m.) and 1974’s “Parallax” (11 p.m.).
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Charlie joins Alan, Herb and his next door neighbor (Michael Clarke Duncan, “The Green Mile”) in a night of alcohol-fueled reminiscences after Chelsea finds nude pictures of another woman on Charlie’s phone.
TUESDAY, MARCH 31
◊“100 Greatest One Hit Wonders Of The ‘80’s” (9 p.m. today through Friday on VH1): Judah Freidlander (“30 Rock”) hosts this five-part special that revisits the era that brought songs that we can’t get out of our head. The special features new interviews with some of the 1980’s top one-hit wonders, including Stacey Q, Animotion, Musical Youth, Frank Stallone, The Mary Jane Girls, Nu Shooz, Thomas Dolby, Kajagoogoo, Bow Wow Wow, Toni Basil and A Flock of Seagulls.
◊“According to Jim” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): When Jim realizes that Cheryl has taken a strong interest in yoga with a male instructor she raves about, he joins her class to find out what the hype is all about. Penny Marshall (“Laverne & Shirley”) directed the episode.
◊“Bad Girls Club Reunion” (8 p.m. on Oxygen): All eight bad girls reunite for one final fling in this special hosted by gossip blogger Perez Hilton (www.perezhilton.com). Hilton does his best to referee as tempers flare and gummy bears fly when the girls rehash all their disagreements.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The contestants get a blast from the past this week with visits by Season 5 winner Ali Vincent and Season 6 winner Michelle Aguilar, both filling in as host while Alison Sweeney is on maternity leave. The contestants are also surprised by the arrival of some old friends, whose return promises to shake up the competition.
◊“Cupid” (9 p.m. on ABC): This new romantic dramedy stars Bobby Cannavale (“Will & Grace”) as Trevor Pierce, a larger than life character who may or may not be the Roman god of love, Cupid, sent to earth to bring 100 couples together before he is allowed to return to Mt. Olympus.
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): As the economy continues to spiral and a new administration promises to deliver comprehensive health care reform, “Frontline” correspondent T.R. Reid investigates the failures and future of the private insurance industry.
◊“My Boys” (9:30 p.m. on TBS): Get ready for a third round of good friends and good times. When the new season opens, P.J. will land her own newspaper column while also starting a new relationship that could finally prove to be “the one.”
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): Gibbs and the team must work with the shady CIA agent Trent Kort to put away one of NCIS’s most wanted. Christian Clemenson (“Boston Legal”) guest stars.
◊“Osbournes: Reloaded” (8:20 p.m. on Fox): This new series starring Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne will feature audience interaction, rowdy comedy and hilarious stunts that will shock and amuse. The show will also venture off-stage with recurring segments including “Osbourne in the USA,” where members of the family go to work in places such as a fast-food drive-thru; and “Osbournes Meet the Osbournes,” where the family goes cross-country and lives with other Osbourne families.
◊“Pretty Wicked” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): DariDee English (“America’s Next Top Model” Season 7 winner) hosts this new series in which 10 divas put their looks aside and compete to see who is the most beautiful on the inside for a grand prize of $50,000.
◊“Trust Me” (8 p.m. on TNT): When Cochrane’s group is allowed to join in the pitch for a beer account that Sarah brought into the advertising agency, Tony’s temper sends him into an uncontrollable spin. Donna Murphy (“Hack”) guest stars.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
◊“Babar” (2:30 p.m. on ION): The animated series starring the internationally renowned elephant king returns to television, premiering first on ION and then airing Saturday morning on NBC. In this new episode, Alexander learns a hard lesson about responsibility when he lets his rowing team down.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team must profile a self-confessed serial killer who turns himself in but sends them on a massive manhunt to find his latest victims before it is too late. Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Ali Landry (“Eve”) and Nicholas Brendon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) guest star.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): The murder of a corporate “fixer” takes the CSIs into the disparate worlds of political corruption, personal betrayal and silicone dolls. Mykelti Williamson (“Forrest Gump”) guest stars as Chief of Detectives Brigham Sinclair.
◊“Ethanol Maze” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): This special tracks a corn growing season with a Nebraska farmer who hopes the push toward more biofuel production will boost corn prices. It also takes a look at alternative fuels research at the Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago.
◊“The Final Inch” (7 p.m. on HBO2): This Oscar-nominated documentary chronicles the work, spirit and resilience of the millions of frontline workers in the Indian polio eradication program. More than 465,000 health workers go door-to-door every six to eight weeks, vaccinating more than 58 million children under age five, overcoming physical, logistical and sometimes cultural barriers to ensure every child takes the oral polio vaccine.
◊“I Get That a Lot” (7 p.m. on CBS): Celebrate April Fool’s Day with this new special featuring celebrities working ordinary jobs and confusing customers. Celebrity participants include Jessica Simpson (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) working at a computer repair store; Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”) working the counter at a pizza place; Jeff Probst (“Survivor”) running a cashier at a grocery store; Ice-T (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) posing as an athletic shoe salesman; LeAnn Rimes (“Northern Lights”) taking food orders at a Nashville diner; and Mario Lopez (“Extra”) selling hot dogs in New York’s Central Park.
◊“Jerusalem: Center of the World” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This new documentary delved into the historical facts and religious beliefs that have led so many thousands to live and die for this city.
◊“Life on Mars” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In the series finale, Sam Tyler’s past, present and future all confront him when he receives a phone call with instructions on how he can return to 2008. All he needs to do is complete three tasks, but a dizzying set of circumstances inside and out of the 1-2-5 makes him think twice.
◊“Rate My Space With Angelo Surmelis” (7:30 p.m. on HGTV): Host Angelo Surmelis returns with a third season of his big-budget makeover series. The premiere episode features an updated craftsman family room.
◊“Reno 911!” (9:30 p.m. on Comedy Central): Two new cops join the squad for Season 6. Sergeant Jack Delan (Ian Roberts) is a macho, by-the-book cop while Deputy Franky Rizzo (Jo Lo Truglio) is a big city cop who doesn’t play by the rules.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Lon Chaney was born on this day in 1883, and TCM will celebrate by airing three of his films: 1923’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” (5 a.m.), 1925’s “The Phantom of the Opera” (7 a.m.) and 1926’s “Tell It to the Marines” (8:45 a.m.).
◊“Washington Journal” (5:50 a.m. on C-SPAN): Starting today, the top 27 videos in the 2009 StudentCam competition will air — one each day — followed by an interview with the winning students. Three of the winners are Jenks High School juniors. Sheema Golbaba took second place for her video “The U.S. and Iran: Force or Diplomacy?”, while Kenzie Clark and Alexia Dickey placed third with their documentary “Crossing New Borders.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 2
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): The half-eaten body of Cam’s former fiancee is found in the tiger cage at the zoo, and Booth and Brennan determine the death was no accident. Chad Lowe (“24”) guest stars.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the show’s 200th episode directed by William Friedkin (“The Exorcist”), Langston is shocked when his former student is found murdered and becomes the focus of a CSI investigation into the world of Mexican wrestling.
◊“Eleventh Hour” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): When a psychotic woman accuses the Deputy Director of the FBI of stealing her baby and keeping her forcibly medicated as part of a cover up, Dr. Hood is the only one who believes she may be telling the truth. Helen Slater (“Supergirl”) and Melissa Sagemiller (“Sleeper Cell”) guest star.
◊“The Entrepreneurs” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Anchored by CNBC’s Donny Deutsch, this installment features celebrity chef Rick Bayless from Oklahoma City and his business partner Manuel Valdez, who turned a love of Mexican food into the multi-million dollar Frontera Foods empire with a highly popular line of authentic Mexican food products, a hit TV show on PBS, and a series of best selling cookbooks.
◊“ER” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the two-hour series finale, Gates works on a teenager with serious alcohol problems following a dangerous drinking game with friends. Old friends from County General show up to lend their support as Dr. Carter (former cast member Noah Wyle) opens a medical facility for the underprivileged in Chicago. Alexis Bledel (“Gilmore Girls”) and Ernest Borgnine (“From Here to Eternity”) guest star.
◊“ER Retrospective” (7 p.m. on NBC): As television’s most Emmy-nominated series comes to a close, this hourlong retrospective takes a look back at the past 15 seasons at County General’s ER. Clips from some of the most memorable episodes will be featured along with interviews with many of the past and present stars of “ER.”
◊“Free Radio” (10 p.m. on VH1): This series, back for a second season, chronicles the story of Lance, a fictitious radio show intern (Lance Krall, “The Joe Schmo Show”) who fills in as host of the popular L.A. morning show, “Moron in the Morning,” after the original host defects to satellite radio.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): Meredith, Cristina and Bailey come to Lexie and Sadie’s rescue when a routine surgery goes horribly wrong. Melissa George (“In Treatment”) guest stars.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Alec Guinness was born on this day in 1914, and TCM will celebrate by airing six of his films, including 1969’s “Our Man in Havana” (10:15 a.m.) and 1970’s “Cromwell” (4:15 pm.).
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
◊“Bang for Your Buck” (8:30 p.m. on HGTV): This new series will help homeowners find concrete answers to ensure a return on their remodeling investments. Each week, viewers will see how three different homeowners – all living in the same city – renovated the same room of their house for the same amount of money. Designers Monica Pedersen, Sabrina Soto, Lisa LaPorta and Lytel Young will help determine which homeowner has earned the most “bang for their buck.”
◊“Escape to Chimp Eden” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): South African chimpanzee rescuer Eugene Cussons returns for a second season, and cameras follow him to Angola and Sudan to liberate chimps locked within crates, tethered by a chain and inappropriately raised as human children.
◊“Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): Melinda reconnects with some high school classmates after one of them dies mysteriously.
Rachael Leigh Cook (“She’s All That”) as one of Melinda’s former high school friends.
◊“Mistresses” (8 p.m. on BBC America): As the series begins Season 2, twelve months have elapsed and fans find the friends in various states of joy and pain. Struggling to learn from their past mistakes, Katie, Trudi, Siobhan and Jessica face new dilemmas, though the root of their problems remains the same – men and sex.
◊“NUMB3RS” (8 p.m. on CBS): When eight people, including two police officers, are executed in a coffee shop, a Los Angeles police detective gets the team on the case, and they uncover a trail of blackmail, romance and corruption. Jonathan Silverman (“The Single Guy”) guest stars.
◊“Party Down” (9:30 p.m. on Starz): At a romance seminar for seniors led by Pepper McMasters (Marilu Henner, “The Celebrity Apprentice”), Constance is confronted by a lothario (Ed Begley Jr., “Gary Unmarried”) from her past.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Marlon Brando was born on this day in 1924, and TCM will celebrate by airing three of his films: 1960’s “The Fugitive Kind” (5 a.m.), 1954’s “On the Waterfront” (10:30 a.m.) and 1957’s “Sayonara” (12:30 p.m.).
◊“Yo Gabba Gabba!” (12:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Guest star Jack Black (“Tropic Thunder”) rides into Gabbaland on his mini-bike and runs out of gas. Lost and scared, Black meets each of the Gabba characters who become his friends and refuel the mini-bike so he can head home. Along the way he sings, dons DJ Lance’s orange jumpsuit and teaches the characters and the viewers at home a new Dancey Dance called the “Disco Roll.”
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
◊“5 Ingredient Fix” (8:30 a.m. on Food Network): Host Claire Robinson proves delicious dishes only need five ingredients or less, which makes cooking easier, faster and irresistible.
◊“Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change” (6:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Queen Latifah (“Chicago”), John Mayer (Grammy winning musicain) and Elmo (“Sesame Street”) are featured in this new special that salutes the extraordinary courage and strength of military families and offers the general public a glimpse into what they often must endure.
◊“Cooking For Real” (11 a.m. on Food Network): This new series hosted by Sunny Anderson elevates the everyday meal by taking affordable, easy-to-find, easy-to-use ingredients and infusing them with diverse influences and rich flavor.
◊“Giada At Home” (noon on Food Network): In the Season 2 premiere, Giada De Laurentiis celebrates the arrival of spring with an Easter egg hunt and a meal that includes a crispy rack of lamb and lemon thyme bars.
◊“Love Takes Wing” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): When a fatal illness breaks out in a small mid-Western town, everyone must put aside their prejudices and trust in the skills of the town’s new doctor. Lou Diamond Phillips (“Wolf Lake”) directed and co-stars in the movie, which also features Cloris Leachman (“Malcolm in the Middle”), Sarah Jones (“Big Love”) and Haylie Duff (“Backwoods”).
◊“Nora Roberts’ High Noon” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Emilie de Ravin (“Lost”) plays a hostage negotiator who gets a nice break from her demanding job and her duties as a single mom when a handsome bar owner (Ivan Sergei, “Crossing Jordan”) begins to court her. But her life takes a turn for the worst when she is attacked by an unknown assailant and begins to receive a series of threatening messages.
◊“Special Agent Oso” (7 a.m. on Disney): Sean Astin (“Rudy”) provides the voice of Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear who is a special agent-in-training. This new animated series for preschoolers emphasizes discovery, humor and organizational skills.
And the 2009 NAMIC Vision Awards go to …
Never heard of the NAMIC Awards? The event’s been around for 15 years. And it is the entertainment industry’s way to recognize quality multi-ethnic and cross-cultural television programming.
The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Commincations (NAMIC) singled out 35 networks for achievements in programming diversity. BET received the most nominations with six.
Here are the nominees for the 15th Anniversary NAMIC Vision Awards that will be presented April 17 at a luncheon ceremony hosted by Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson.
ANIMATION
“Handy Manny” (Disney Channel)
“Soy Mono: Words” (MTV TR3S)
El Tigre “The Grave Escape” (Nickelodeon)
BEST PERFORMANCE – COMEDY
Tracy Morgan – “30 Rock” (NBC)
LaVan Davis – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Demetria McKinney – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Keshia Knight Pulliam – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Larramie Doc Shaw – “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
BEST PERFORMANCE – DRAMA
Benito Martinez – “The Shield” (FX)
Felicia Pearson – “The Wire” (HBO)
Tristan Wilds – “The Wire” (HBO)
Raymond Cruz – “The Closer” (TNT)
Robert Gossett – “The Closer” (TNT)
CHILDREN’S
“Wizards of Waverly Place” (Disney Channel)
“Ni Hao, Kai-Lan” (Nickelodeon)
“Go, Diego, Go” (Nickelodeon)
“Dora The Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
“Degrassi: The Next Generation” (The N)
COMEDY
“Ugly Betty” (ABC)
“Somebodies” (BET)
“The Game” (CBS)
“Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger” (HBO)
“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
DIGITAL MEDIA – LONG FORM
“Americlef” (MTV On-Air Promotions)
“Time Warner Cable’s Futbol Mania” (Time Warner Cable)
DIGITAL MEDIA – SHORT FORM
“Ugly Betty Presents: Mode After Hours” (ABC.com)
“MTVU’s Stand In: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf” (MTVU)
“DIG: Lyrics Born” (MYX-ABS CBN International)
“Extra on Essence” (Telepictures Productions)
“Yes We Can,” Essence Election ’08 (Telepictures Productions)
DOCUMENTARY
“Nanking” (Cinemax Reel Life)
“CNN Presents: Black in America” (CNN)
“Fuga De Las FARC” (Discovery Latin America)
“Joe Louis: America’s Hero (HBO)
“VH1 Rock Doc: The Night James Brown Saved Boston” (VH1)
DRAMA
“Lincoln Heights” (ABC Family)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“Lost” (ABC)
“Private Practice” (ABC)
“In Plain Sight” (USA Network)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
“Futbol Mania” (Time Warner Cable)
“Sucker Free Latino Unscripted: Wisin y Yandel” (MTV TR3S)
“Asi Paso” (ESPN)
LIFESTYLE
“Fashion Blackout” (BET News)
“National Body Challenge: Twins Edition” (Discovery Health Channel)
“World in America” (Ebru TV)
Down Home With The Neelys – “Pass It On” (Food Network)
HGTV “Deserving Design” (HGTV)
NEWS / INFORMATIONAL
“Black in America: Suicide Survivor” (CNN)
“Anderson Cooper 360: Race in America” (CNN)
“CNN Special Projects: To The Top” (CNN)
“Showbiz Tonight: Black in Hollywood” (CNN)
“In Conversation: The Michelle Obama Interview” (TV One)
ORIGINAL MOVIE OR SPECIAL
“The Best Shorts” (BET J)
“Cheetah Girls: One World” (Disney Channel)
“The Africa Channel Presents: A Night of Tribute” (The Africa Channel)
REALITY
“College Hill: Interns” (BET)
“Spring Break Diaries: Spelman College” (BET News)
“The mun2 Hook Up: Frankie J” (mun2)
“Student Body” (The N)
“VH1′s The Cho Show” (VH1)
SPORTS
“C. Vivian Stringer’s Big Ten Legacy” (Big Ten Network)
“ESPN Outside the Lines: Dodgertown” (ESPN)
“The Secret Game” (ESPN)
“Our Heroes: A Black History Month Special” (Fox Sports North)
“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” (HBO)
VARIETY / TALK SHOW
“The BET Honors” (BET)
“Harlem to Hollywood: Diddy” (BET)
“Hip Hop vs. America” (BET)
“Sunday Best” (BET)
“TV One on One: Tyler Perry” (TV One)
