The latest television news from NewsOK.com

Bill Hader to host “TCM Essentials Jr.”

 

Tulsa native Bill Hader will be hosting Turner Classic Movies’ “TCM Essentials Jr.” showcase this summer, according to a news release.

Hader, who is a “Saturday Night Live” cast member, has also performed in movies including”Superbad” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and is a writer and producer as well.

During the showcase, he will present 13 films that are fitting for parents to introduce to children, starting at 7 p.m. June 5 with “The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.

Hader made an appearance on TCM last September as co-host of a night of his favorite films as part of the network’s “Guest Programmer”  offering.

“TCM’s Essentials Jr.” will air Sunday evenings throughout the summer, and movies featured in June include “The General,” starring Buster Keaton; “Stagecoach,” starring John Wayne; and “Singin’ in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly.

The following list, provided by TCM, is the complete summer 2011 schedule of TCM’s Essentials Jr., hosted by Bill Hader. Each Sunday’s installment will begin at 7 p.m.

June 5 – The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
June 12 – The General (1927)
June 19 – Stagecoach (1939)
June 26 – Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
July 3 – King Kong (1933)
July 10 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
July 17 – Horse Feathers (1932)
July 24 – The Thing from Another World (1951)
July 31 – Road to Utopia (1946)
Aug. 7 – His Girl Friday (1940)
Aug. 14 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Aug. 21 – Gunga Din (1939)
Aug. 28 – My Man Godfrey (1936)

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Turner Classic Movies to feature tribute to Tulsa-born filmmaker Blake Edwards Dec. 27

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to Tulsa-born director and writer Blake Edwards by featuring five of his memorable films Dec. 27.

Edwards died late Wednesday at age 88.

The complete movie schedule is as follows:

7 p.m.     “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) – starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen and Mickey Rooney.

9 p.m.     “Days of Wine and Roses” (1962) – starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick.

11 p.m.    “The Pink Panther” (1964) – starring Peter Sellers, David Niven, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale.

1 a.m.      “Victor/Victoria” (1982) – starring Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, James Garner and Lesley-Ann Warren.

3:30 a.m.   “Operation Petticoat (1959) – starring Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Dina Merrill.

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Turner Classic Movies to Pay Tribute to Tony Curtis Oct. 10

Turner Classic Movies will air a 24-hour marathon of Tony Curtis films on Sunday, Oct. 10.

Curtis died Sept. 29 at the age of 85.

Curtis made many appearances on TCM and was a participant earlier this year in the first-ever TCM Classic Film Festival, according to a TCM news release.

Here is the schedule for the Oct. 10 tribute to Curtis:

5 a.m.            Beachhead (1954) – with Frank Lovejoy and Mary Murphy
6:45 a.m.      Kings Go Forth (1958) – with Frank Sinatra and Natalie Wood
8:45 a.m.      The Vikings (1958) – with Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine and Janet Leigh
10:45 a.m.     Operation Petticoat (1959) – with Cary Grant and Dina Merrill
1 p.m.             Who Was That Lady? (1960) – with Janet Leigh and Dean Martin
3:15 p.m.       Sex and the Single Girl (1964) – with Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda
5:15 p.m.       You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970) – with Charles Bronson and Michèle Mercier
7 p.m.            Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – with Burt Lancaster and Martin Milner
8:45 p.m.      The Defiant Ones (1958) – with Sidney Poitier and Theodore Bikel
10:30 p.m.    Trapeze (1956) – with Burt Lancaster and Gina Lollobrigida
12:30 a.m.     The Great Race (1965) – with Jack Lemmon and Natalie Wood
3:15 a.m.       Don’t Make Waves (1967) –with Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate

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Turner Classic Movies to feature teen films in July

When do teens usually have the most fun?

Summertime – when they have the most free time, of course!

In honor of teens and summer, Turner Classic Movies will be celebrating teen movies every Thursday night in July, according to a news release.

Each week’s lineup will focus on a different theme, from juvenile delinquents to beach fun to teen romance to 1980s hit films.

“Rebel Without a Cause,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Gidget,” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” are just a few of the memorable movies included on the roster.

Here is the “TCM Spotlight: Teen Movies” schedule:

Thursday, July 1 – Juvenile Delinquents
7 p.m.    Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
9 p.m.    Blackboard Jungle (1955)
11 p.m.    The Delinquents (1957)
12:30 a.m.    Crime in the Streets (1956)
2:15 a.m.    Hot Rods to Hell (1967)
4 a.m.    The Wild One (1953)

Thursday, July 8 – At the Beach
7 p.m.    Gidget (1959)
9 p.m.    Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
11 p.m.    Bikini Beach (1964)
1 a.m.    Where the Boys Are (1960)
3 a.m.    Girl Happy (1965)

Thursday, July 15 – ‘80s Night
7 p.m.    Better Off Dead (1985)
9 p.m.    Sixteen Candles (1984)
11 p.m.    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
1 a.m.    Risky Business (1983)
2:45 a.m.    Fame (1980)

Thursday, July 22 – Teens in Love
7 p.m.    The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942)
9 p.m.    Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)
10:45 p.m.    Gregory’s Girl (1981)
12:30 a.m.    Lord Love a Duck (1966)
2:30 a.m.    The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)
4 a.m.    Palm Springs Weekend (1963)

Thursday, July 29 – Rock Movies
7 p.m.    Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956)
8:30 p.m.    Rock Around the Clock (1956)
10 p.m.    Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Midnight    Jailhouse Rock (1957)
1:45 a.m.    Go, Johnny, Go! (1959)
3:15 a.m.    Don’t Knock the Twist (1962)

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Top 55 TV Programs for March 28-April 3, 2010

 Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of March 28:

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2010
••“Amish Grace” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Kimberly Williams-Paisley (“According to Jim”) stars in this movie based on a true story about the aftermath that followed the 2006 schoolhouse shooting in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Penn. The film examines a mother’s personal journey as she copes with the loss of her daughter and struggles with her community’s belief of the transcending power of forgiveness.
••”Bubba’s World” (9 p.m. on Fuel TV): This new docu-series provides exclusive access into the daily life of motocross racer James “Bubba” Stewart, who completed a perfect outdoor national motocross season in 2008 and won the Supercross Championship in 2009. The premiere will be simulcast on Fox Sports Net, Speed Channel and Fox Reality Channel.
••”Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): When ballistics tie a recent murder case of Rush’s to a serial killer who was seemingly inactive for 27 years, a tough FBI agent with ties to Stillman shows up to enlist the team’s aid in finding the killer who has eluded her for 30 years. Susanna Thompson (“Once and Again”) guest stars.
••”Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Celebrity volunteer Clint Black (country singer) joins the design team in Daviess County, KY, to tell Steve and Melissa Mattingly that their single-wide trailer will be replaced by a newly constructed home built in just seven days.
••”How to Make It in America” (9:05 p.m. on HBO): While Ben is getting tight with Julie, Rachel is put off by Darren’s sudden offer to let her and Edie (Martha Plimpton, “Parenthood”) design a hotel.  To pay off an overdue debt to Rene, Cam and Ben agree to hand out Rasta Monsta samples at Union Square, but cut the job short to retrieve their tees from the silk screener.
••”Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In “Sharpe’s Challenge,” British soldier-heo Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean, “The Lord of the Rings”) comes out of retirement to quash a rebellion in British India and rescue his old friend. Padma Lakshmi (“Top Chef”) guest stars as Madhuvanthi, a schemer who is out to seduce Sharpe.
••”Merlin” (9 a.m. on Syfy): This series, which aired last summer on NBC, is set in the mythical city of Camelot where magic has been banned by the ruthless tyrant Uther Pendragon. All 13 episodes from Season 1 will air back-to-back in this 13-hours marathon, and Season 2 will premiere at 9 p.m. Friday on Syfy.
••”New Pollution” (7 p.m. on Fuel TV): Professional surfer Matt Beacham returns for a fourth season of introducing viewers to the next generation of action sports athletes no older than 16 who are proving their skills in the hills, waves, water and streets across the world.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): After their four-month ordean on Guadalcanal, Leckie and Basilone and thousands of their comrades land in Melbourne, where they are greeted by adoring crowds and hailed as the saviors of Australia.
••“Til Death” (6:30 p.m. on Fox): When Duffy dumps Whitey (Martin Mull, “Roseanne”), he moves in with Eddie and Joy as a way of coping, but he quickly overstays his welcome and Joy wants him out.

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010
••”10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): In the mid-season premiere episode, Kat and Patrick are caught skipping school and both get suspended. Meanwhile, Bianca has her own problems after a secret make-out session with Joey is caught on video.
••”Castle” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In “Boom,” the second part of the story begun in “Tick, Tick, Tick …,” the serial killer remains at large and is taunting Castle, Beckett and Jordan Shaw (Dana Delany, “Desperate Housewives”) to catch him.
••“Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. on CW): Chuck finds himself once again at odds with his uncle, Jack Bass (Desmond Harrington, “Dexter”).  Rufus attempts to get Jenny (Taylor Momsen) back on track by volunteering to have her help with Eleanor’s fashion show, but the opportunity takes a big turn for the worse when Jenny learns that Agnes (Willa Holland, “The O.C.”) will be one of the models.
••”Greek” (9 p.m. on ABC Family): In the Season 3 finale, the students of Cyprus-Rhodes University are on Spring Break in Myrtle Beach, which means the year is winding down and the seniors have big decisions looming over their heads. Martha MacIsaac (“Superbad”) guest stars.
••“Iraq In Fragments” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This 2007 Academy Award nominee for best documentary feature chronicles the challenging journeys of individuals living within the war-torn country of Iraq.
••”Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): To make Audrey happy, Jeff begrudgingly agrees to see a couple’s therapist (Alan Ruck, “Spin City”). Meanwhile, Russell develops a crush on Timmy’s fiance.
••”Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): Season 4 opens in the immediate aftermath of Grace and Neely’s survived fall from the top of a building. Grace, now known as “Angel Cop” by Oklahoma City residents, decides to have it out with God once and for all.  But a mysterious stranger (Gordon MacDonald, “”Law & Order”) might have something to say about that. Series creator Nancy Miller, an Oklahoma City native, says the final nine episodes of the show will be “a wild and exciting ride. I want (viewers) to come away thinking this was a series that constantly surprised them and gave them Holly Hunter in a character that broke new ground for women on television.”
••”Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (noon on KOCB-34): “Dancing With the Stars” host Tom Bergeron suts in as the featured expert this week, in which contestants will face questions about the “Dancing With the Stars” series in addition to general trivia. Assisting host Meredith Vieira in delivering questions will be “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancers Cheryl Burke, Mark Ballas, Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, Derek Hough and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, as well as judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010
••“90210” (7 p.m. on CW): Liam catches his stepfather (John Schneider, “Smallville”) with another woman and confronts him with his fist.  Debbie and her instructor, Kai (Greg Vaughan, “General Hospital”) share tea and conversation after yoga, but Kai oversteps his boundaries.
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The final nine contestants are delighted to learn from host Alison Sweeney that the game is now going to singles and they’ll all compete as individuals for the rest of the competition.
••”Future Food” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): This new series follows chefs Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche as they try to change the world one concoction at a time. In the premiere episode, they make creative seafood dishes using everything but fish.
••”Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): On Jan. 12, Haiti was leveled by one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history. Correspondent Martin Smith and his team arrived in Port-au-Prince within days, and this report bears witness to the disaster and the ill-coordinated relief efforts in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.  Drawing on interviews with key officials and humanitarian experts from Port-au-Prince to New York, “The Quake” asks, can the world do better?  And how?
••”The  Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): Alicia learns more information about her husband’s fall from grace when she represents the wife of State Attorney Glenn Childs in their divorce. Titus Welliver (“Deadwood”) and Craig Bierko (“Boston Legal”) guest star.
••”Independent Lens” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Whatever It Takes” documents the struggles and triumphs of the first year of an innovative public high school in New York City’s South Bronx.
••”Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m. on USA Network): Season 9 introduces Saffron Burrows (“Boston Legal”) as Detective Serena Stevens, a highly educated, worldly single parent with a broad range of life experiences to draw upon in solving even the toughest of cases. Teamed with Detective Zach Nichols (Jeff Goldblum), they create a partnership of challenging intellect and street-smart savvy. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio steps into the role of Captain Zoe Callas after an action-packed two-part series premiere.
••”Little Chocolatiers” (9p.m. on TLC): This new series explores the professional and personal lives Steve and Katie Hatch, a little people who are married and run a busy chocolate shop in Salt Lake City.  In the first two episodes airing back-to-back, the Hatches are challenged to build a life-sized chocolate desk and a giant chocolate boom box.
••“Melrose Place” (8 p.m. on CW): Ella discovers someone is embezzling from WPK and framing her for it.  Reuniting on this episode are original cast members Heather Locklear, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga.
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): With the team’s help, Vance faces his demons while uncovering a complex relationship with a killer that puts his whole family in danger. Penny Johnson Jerald (“24″) guest stars as State Department Official Joanne Torrence.
••”Parenthood” (9 p.m. on NBC): When Max re-joins the baseball team, Drew helps Adam connect with his son. Meanwhile, Sarah strikes up a friendship with Amber’s English teacher, Mr. Cyr (Jason Ritter, “Joan of Arcadia”).
••”The Real Face of Jesus?” (7 p.m. on History Channel): In this two-hour special, a team of graphic experts seeks to to create a living, moving 3D image of the man many believe to be Jesus Christ. The starting point of this journey is an ancient 14-foot linen cloth known as the Shroud of Turin, believed by millions to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ.  Imprinted on the fabric is a faint, ghostly image of a crucified man.
••”V” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In the mid-season premiere episode, Erica finds her life in danger when she’s attacked at home. Also, a dangerous new member is recruited for the Resistance, as the Visitors shore up their defenses.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010
••”Cougar Town” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Grayson introduces girlfriend Sara (Grammy winner Sheryl Crow) to Jules and company. Jules and Sara hit it off, but when Grayson is overly attentive to his new girl, Jules warns him to back off before Sara pulls away.
••”CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): In the culmination of a multi-episode mystery, Mac and his team uncover the dark lair of a murderous madman, the Compass Killer (Skeet Ulrich, “Jericho”).  But as they race to save his fourth victim, the sunrise presents one final surprise that no one ever expected.
••“Human Target” (7 p.m. on Fox): Chance travels to a remote Alaskan island to find a missing doctor and expose an industrial giant’s involvement in the death of a mining foreman. Moon Bloodgood (“Terminator Salvation”) guest stars.
••”In Plain Sight” (9 p.m. on USA Network): In the Season 3 premiere, U.S. Marshals Mary and Marshall, who work in the secretive branch of the witness protection program, search for the person who nearly killed Mary in the Season 2 cliffhanger.
••”It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” (7 p.m. on ABC): Charlie, Sally, Lucy and Marcie get ready for the big day by making several unsuccessful attempts to prepare eggs for coloring — by frying, waffle-ironing, toasting, roasting and finally making soup out of them — while Linus insists no preparation is necessary. Luckily, the Easter Beagle steps in to take care of everything.
••”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Officer Nate Kendall (Wentworth Miller, “Prison Break”) aids a woman in trouble and becomes roped into solving a rape case. While Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson believe that Kendall is not right for the case due to his unstable personality, Executive Assistant District Attorney Sonya Paxton (Christine Lahti, “Jack & Bobby”) brings evidence of a common thread among three other rape cases.
••”The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine begins seeing a therapist who shares office space with Matthew, although it’s unclear to both whether to pursue therapy or romance. Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) guest stars as Dr. Max Kershaw, the therapist/love interest.
••”Prison Wives” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This installment follows Juli Cummings, a glass artist from Seattle who is engaged to Richard Sipe, a man serving 71 years at Davis Correctional Center in Holdenville for manufacturing methamphetamine and other violations. Juli is fighting to get him out of prison and prepares to fly to Oklahoma to visit him.
••“The Street Stops Here” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This documentary offers a portrait of high school basketball coach Bob Hurley Sr. and his lifelong commitment to improve the lives of students at an inner city Catholic school in Jersey City, NJ.
••”Tavis Smiley Reports” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This special report delves into Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” that he delivered April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City. He made the speech exactly one year before the date of his assassination.
••”Wa$ted!” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): Host Annabelle Gurwitch is back for a third season of helping homeowners audit waste, energy, water and transportation cunsumption. Her tips help with the eco haven and save participants cash in the process.

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010
••”Adam’s Rib” (7 p.m. on TCM): This 1949 film stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as lawyers working on opposite sides of an attempted-murder case. Guest programmer Raquel Welch (“Thye Three Musketeers”) discusses the film with TCM host Robert Osborne during breaks. She also shares her thoughts on 1939′s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (9 p.m.), 1961′s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (11:15 p.m.) and 1944′s “To Have and Have Not” (1:15 a.m.).
••”Beasts of the Bible” (7 p.m. on Animal Planet): This documentary delves into the origins of mysterious Biblical animals and examines the scientific facts behind their existence. The experts debunk myths and uncover Biblical beasts, showing what they might have looked like and who their modern day descendents may be.
••”Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the spring premiere, a subway train is thrown off the track by 60,000 gallons of flood water and a partially skeletonized body emerges out of the overflow. Clea Duvall (“Carnivale”) and Carla Gallo (“Men of a Certain Age”) guest star.
••”Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This documentary tells the inside story of one of history’s greatest business scandals, in which top executives of America’s seventh largest company walked away with over $1 billion while investors and employees lost everything.
••“Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): In the spring premiere, Walter flashes back to 1985 while explaining Peter’s otherworldly origins to Olivia.
••”Fugitive Chronicles” (9 p.m. on A&E): This new docu-drama series brings to life compelling fugitive captures through archival footage, fugitive narrative recreated from real testimony and taped interviews with law enforcement officials. The premiere episode spotlights prison escapee Ralph “Bucky” Philips, a career criminal who spent most of his life in and out of prison.
••”Gallery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment of the locally-produced series spotlights The Culinary Institute at Platt College, where chefs who’ve worked all over the world are teaching the next generation what it takes to be the best in their field. The students are prepping for a regional competition that will put them head to head against other culinary schools from 15 states.  Last year, they took bronze.
••”The Mentalist” (9 p.m. on CBS): Patrick Jane, Lisbon and the CBI team brace themselves to finally meet their new boss, Special Agent Madeleine Hightower (Aunjanue Ellis, “True Blood.”
••”The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Pam’s contractions begin but she and Jim are determined to wait it out as long as possible so they can have more time at the hospital. Linda Purl (“Bones”) guest stars.
••”The Price Is Right” (10 a.m. on CBS): Host Drew Carey celebrates April Fools’ Day with special guest Kathy Kinney (“The Drew Carey Show”) As her character, Mimi, she will take over the show as executive producer and makes some unexpected changes, including adding four unusual looking male models and replacing announcer Rich Fields with a man in a monkey suit.
••”Private Practice” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): When famed neurosurgeon Dr. Ginsberg and her team pay a visit to St. Ambrose to save the life of Kayla, Addison is shocked to see Amelia Shepherd – Derek’s younger sister on the team. Caterina Scorsone (“1-800-Missing”) guest stars.
••”True Crime With Aphrodite Jones” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): In this installment, journalist and bestselling author Aphrodite Jones uncovers new information about the fall of music industry legend Phil Spector, who worked with some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Actress Lana Clarkson turned up dead at his home, and the music producer was charged with murder.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2010
••”Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m. on CBS): When comic book artist Damon Weaver begins drawing his own run-ins with ghosts before they happen, it is up to Melinda and Avery (Margaret Cho, “Drop Dead Diva”) to discover the secrets behind his art.
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are Yusuf, The Fray and White Lies.
••”Merlin” (9 p.m. on Syfy): In the Season 2 premiere, new servant Cedric (Mackenzie Crook, “The Office”) threatens Merlin’s position as Arthur’s right-hand-man, turning the Prince against his loyal friend.
••”Miami Medical” (9 p.m. on CBS): This new hospital drama follows a team of surgeons who thrive on the adrenaline rush of working at one of the premiere trauma facilities in the country while drawing upon their wit and irreverence to survive on the edge. As part of the Alpha Team, these professionals exclusively treat patients with life-threatening injuries.
••”A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism” (5 p.m. on HBO): Kate Winslet (“The Reader”) narrates this documentary debuting on International Autism Awareness Day. It charts the journey of a mother searching to unlock her autistic son’s mind. Traveling from Iceland to the United States and Europe, she learns how the brains of autistic children differ from “normal” children and discovers new techniques that could offer a promising future for children with autism, including her son.
••”The Pyramid Code” (7:30 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This 5-part series seeks to unlock the mysteries behind the ancient Egyptians, their technology and sacred cosmology by exploring the Egyptian pyramid fields and ancient temples.
••”Stargate Universe” (8 p.m. on Syfy): In the mid-season premiere episode, The Destiny crew discovers a piece of Ancient technology that transports Colonel Everett Young to an unknown alien vessel.
••”Who Do You Think You Are?” (7 p.m. on NBC): Brooke Shields (“Lipstick Jungle”) traves her father’s family history to one of European aristicracy and royal connections. She also uncovers a tragic secret on her mother’s side of the family that changes the way she feels about her grandmother.
••”Wife Swap” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 6 opens with a strict family in Alabama swapping moms with a New Jersey family that pampers their children and a collection of 14 plastic dolls they call reborn babies.

SATURDAY APRIL 3, 2010
••”30 for 30″ (3 p.m. on ABC): This installment of the ESPN film series is “Guru of Go” and coincides with the start of the NCAA Men’s Final Four. It documents the non-stop run-and-gun offensive system of Loyola Marymount’s men’s basketball team and the tragic death of star Hank Gathers.
••”Doodlebops Rockin’ Road Show” (9 a.m. on CBS): This new animated and music-filled comedy follows Deedee, Rooney and Moe Doodle on zany adventures through the Doodlenet as they help their young fans solve pre-school-relatable problems. Each episode features two original songs and encourages an understanding and appreciation of music, physical activity and health and promotes open-mindedness.

–Penny TV

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Top 55 TV Programs for March 21-27, 2010

    Sunday’s
Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of March 21:

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010
••”BBC Earth” (2 p.m. on BBC America): Sir David Attenborough (“The Blue Planet”) narrates five back-to-back documentaries from “The Life of Mammals” series that introduce viewers to the most diverse group of animals on Earth and tells their epic tale of survival.
••”Breaking Bad” (9 p.m. on AMC): Series star Bryan Cranston (Walt White) directs the Season 3 premiere episode titled “No Mas.” This season will explore the heightened battle and repercussions of Walt’s ruthless swirl of drugs, murder, mayhem and family.
••”Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): Vera goes missing, and his team members hope that a new twist to a 2006 arson case, which Vera was secretly obsessing about, might supply some quick leads to his whereabouts. Glenn Morshower (“24″) plays a fire marshal who partnered with Vera on the arson/homicide case in 2006, and Patrick Gallagher (“Glee”) portrays a bartender at a bar where Vera’s recently become a regular. Several songs by rock group Pink Floyd will be featured throughout the episode.
••”Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m. on ABC): Angie’s ex-boyfriend, Patrick (John Barrowman, “Torchwood”), emerges after her trip to New York. Meanwhile it’s game on between Gaby and Susan, as they go to shameless lengths to top each other’s kids. Julie Benz (“Dexter”) also guest stars.
••”Dora the Explorer” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): In the 10th anniversary special “”Swiper the Explorer,” Swiper attempts to swipe Dora and Boots’ ball and ends up helping them with a lost baby fox. The adventure is a big success and Swiper learns to say “thank you.” 
••”Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Celebrity volunteer Christian Slater (“The Forgotten”) joins the “Extreme” team in Hattiesburg, Miss., to help build a new home for an Army National Guard hero and his family. Celine Dion and the Jonas Brothers also make special guest appearances.
••”Gene Simmons Family Jewels” (8 p.m. on A&E): Season 5 begins with a terrifying moment for rock star Gene Simmons and his non-traditional family. Shannon has a health scare that makes the family rally and Gene is caught between two worlds – being there for the mother of his two children and being on tour with KISS.
••”Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Get a sneak peak at this new series in which chef Jamie Oliver starts a new cooking initiate that he hopes will change the way Americans eat. The series moves into its regular time period at 8 p.m. Friday, March 26.
••”Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” (9 p.m. on A&E): This new reality series chronicles the life of Golden Globe and two-time Emmy winner Kirstie Alley from her journey with her weight loss program to her life as a single mother trying to raise two normal teenagers in the Hollywood spotlight.
••”Life” (7 p.m. on Discovery): Oprah Winfrey narrates this 11-part wildlife series. The first episode titled “Challenges of Life” spotlights the ways in which animals have adapted to secure the food they need to survive.
••”The Pacific” (8 p.m. on HBO): Part 2 in this 10-part series finds Basilone (Jon Seda) and the 7th Marines arriving on Guadalcanal to reinforce Leckie (James Badge Dale) and the rest of the 1st Marine Division as they continue to defend the crucial airstrip.
••”Thin Ice” (6 p.m. on ABC): This competition for the world’s top professional figure skaters concludes. Hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck (“The View”) and Kurt Browning (Canadian skating champion) announce the winners of the event decided by viewer votes (50 percent) and a panel of judges.
••“Til Death” (6:30 p.m. on Fox): When Joy’s mother (Lainie Kazan, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) pays her daughter a visit, she drives Joy up the wall with her constant criticism, and Eddie makes a valiant attempt to ease the tension.

MONDAY MARCH 22, 2010
••”Be Good Johnny Weir” (9:30 p.m. on Sundance Channel): The final installment of this eight-part documentary series culminates with the U.S. Men’s National Figure Skating Championships in January, as Johnny Weir attempts to secure what may be his last chance at a place on the Olympic team.
••”The Big Sleep” (7 p.m. on TCM): This 1946 film stars Humphrey Bogart as Raymond Chandler’s classic detective Philip Marlowe, who becomes involved with a socialite, played by Lauren Bacall. Former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar discusses the film with TCM host Robert Osborne during breaks. He also shares his thoughts on 1941′s “The Maltese Falcon” (9 p.m.), 1976′s “The Shootist” (11 p.m.) and 1939′s “Stagecoach” (1 a.m.).
••”Castle” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): In this two-part episode that concludes March 29, Dana Delany (“Desperate Housewives”) guest stars as Federal Agent Jordan Shaw, an insightful and accomplished Federal Investigator who teams with Richard Castle and Detective Beckett to hunt down an elusive serial killer.
••”Dancing With the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC): A new cast of celebrities and their professional dance partners hit the floor for with two hours of dancing. Season 10 contenders are Buzz Aldrin, Pamela Anderson, Erin Andrews, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Evan Lysacek, Niecy Nash, Chad Ochocinco, Jake Pavelka, Nicole Scherzinger and Aiden Turner.
••”CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Horatio’s son, Kyle, returns from combat and promptly turns to his father for help in solving a murder.
••”Hardwood” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary follows the journey of Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, as he sets out to answer questions about his life. He uses personal interviews, archival footage and home movies to delve into his father’s past in the hope of finding a new direction for his own.
••”How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Ted ruins Lily’s birthday dinner celebration by bringing a date, Lily goes to great lengths to keep her out of the traditional photo she takes every year of the gang. Laura Prepon (“That ’70s Show”) returns as Karen, Ted’s ex-girlfriend and Anne Dudek (“Big Love”) guest stars as Natalie, one of Ted’s dates.
••”Let’s Make a Deal” (2 p.m. on CBS): Monty Hall makes television history with a sixth decade of appearances on the game show. He will appear with host Wayne Brady every day this week and play one game on his own with audience members of his choosing. Hall originally teamed with writer-producer Stefan Hatos in 1963 to create “Let’s Make a Deal,” which ran until August 1986.  In 1990, he returned to do the game show for another cycle.
••”Nurse Jackie” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Edie Falco returns for a second season as a New York nurse who struggles to balance her demanding job with a family and long-hidden secrets that could cost her both.
••”Rules of Engagement” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Jeff and Audrey get into an argument when she discovers he does not believe her claim that she saw her grandmother’s ghost.
••”Three Sheets” (9 p.m. on FLN): Host Zane Lamprey travels around the world in search of the world’s best drinks and bar scenes, and then he tests out the local hangover cures the next morning. Wacky hangover remedies featured in this week-long marathon include sucker-fish boiled in wine (today), acupressure foot massage (Tuesday), “Star Trek” wedding vow renewal (Wednesday), 300-foot canyon swing (Thursday) and deep-fried pizza (Friday).
••”Top Gear” (7 p.m. on BBC America): Jeremy, Richard and James attempt to save the planet by building their own electric car out ogf TVR chassis and milk float batteries. Michael Sheen (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”) is featured in the star in a reasonably price car segment.
••”Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Charlie has a return engagement with Chelsea’s best friend, while Alan has an unexpected effect on a new female patient. Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”) returns as Chelsea’s best friend and Francis Fisher (“Titanic”) guest stars as Alan’s chiropractic patient.
••”United States of Tara” (9:30 p.m. on Showtime): Toni Collette returns for a second season as a suburban wife and mother who struggles to handle the pressures of everyday suburban life while dealing with multiple personalities.
••”Unsung” (8 p.m. on TV One): Back with four new episosodes is this biographical series that celebrates the lives and careers of artists who, despite great talent, have been under-appreciated. Today’s installment focuses on Rose Royce, one of the top-selling groups of the 1970s. Upcoming episodes feature Sylvester (March 29), Stacy Lattisaw (April 12) and the Bar-Kays (April 19).

TUESDAY MARCH 23, 2010
••“90210” (7 p.m. on CW): Debbie confides in Kai (Greg Vaughan, “General Hospital”), her yoga instructor, about the arrival of Dixon’s birthmother. Meanwhile, Gia (Rumer Willis, “Sorority Row”) encourages Adrianna to audition for a new band.
••”The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The contestants return to their hometowns to visit family and friends. But with those happy reunions come the challenge of continuing to eat right and exercise despite all the distractions and temptations away from the ranch.
••”The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a judge overturns a straightforward plea deal arranged by Alicia, she and Kalinda delve into the jurist’s record in an effort to understand his motivation.
••”How Much is Your Dead Body Worth?” (9 p.m. on CNBC): The medical industry’s demand for human tissue has created a lucrative black market, and some people will do anything to get their hands on your dead body. This special looks at the value of each part and uncovers the story of Michael Mastromarino, a dentist turned body snatcher, who makes millions from stolen corpses, including the body of a legendary broadcaster.
••”NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): A murder investigation prompts Gibbs and the team to play family counselor to his former mentor, Mike Franks, in the hopes of preventing a bloody international conflict. Robert Patrick (“The Unit”) guest stars.
••”NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m. on CBS): Forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette, “NCIS”) joins the Los Angeles NCIS team when a murder case resembles the pattern for a serial killer she has been tracking.
••”V: The Arrival” (9:06 p.m. on ABC): Catch up on the visitors and their plan for the himan race in this special clip show from the first four episodes. The series returns March 30.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 24, 2010
••”Cougar Town” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Sheryl Crow guest stars as Sara, a confident wine representative who sets her sights on Grayson. Meanwhile, when Ellie tells Jules she can’t change past a certain age, Jules is determined to prove her wrong by giving up wine for a month.
••”Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit follows a trail of murders that seems to align with the tour schedule of a rock star. Gavin Rossdale (“Little Black Book”) plays a Goth performer who has become lost in the frightening alter-ego that he portrays on stage — an alter-ego the BAU team suspects may be a brutal serial killer.
••”CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): After a body falls from the 59th Street Bridge, the CSI team finds a compass near the body pointing east and realizes it’s the third victim of the “Compass Killer.” Skeet Ulrich (“Jericho”) returns as the “Compass Killer.”  Nelly (“The Longest Yard”) returns as an informant who helps Detective Flack.
••”Fly Girls” (8 p.m. on CW): This new series follows five Virgin America flight attendants as they jet from one glamorous location to the next, including Las Vegas, South Beach and New York City, while pursuing good times, great parties, adventure and love. 
••”Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The “Dance in America” production titled “NY Export: Opus Jazz” is a new adaptation of Jerome Robbins’ 1958 ballet in sneakers that was filmed on location all over the five boroughs of New York. The 16 characters are updated for modern times, but the story still embodies the same theme of being young in the Big Apple.
••“Human Target” (7 p.m. on Fox): Chance is knocked out when he meets the beautiful daughter of a former heavyweight champ in Vienna and must jump in the ring to protect a prize fighter on the run from a ruthless businessman. Grace Park (“Battlestar Galactica”) guest stars.
••”Mercy” (7 p.m. on NBC): Veronia begins the difficult process of confronting her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with her therapist (Mary Stuart Masterson, “Kate Brasher”). But she finds herself at odds with Dr. Sands over a patient’s treatment.
••”The Middle” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): Frankie fears her job at the car dealership may be on the line when hardcore motivational consultant Abby (Amy Sedaris, “Strangers with Candy”) is hired to whip the sales staff into shape.  Meanwhile, with Frankie putting in extra hours at work, Mike has to deal with issues at home.
••”Modern Family” (7 p.m. on ABC): Mitchell plants the seed in Jay’s head that he thinks one of Jay’s old buddies (Chazz Palminteri, “The Usual Suspects”)might be secretly gay.
••”Ugly Betty” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Betty is thrilled to get her braces off, courtesy of her chatty new orthodontist, Dr. Frankel (Kathy Najimy, “Sister Act”). But before this can happen, she gets knocked unconscious at a photo shoot of the “Million Dollar Bra” at the Guggenheim, spinning her into a dream sequence. Donna Murphy (“Trust Me”) also guest stars.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010
••“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): Hodgins, Sweets and Jeffersonian intern Colin Fischer (Joel David Moore, “Avatar”) take turns camping out for tickets to a movie premiere in “The Gamer in the Grease.”
••”FlashForward” (7 p.m. on ABC): Aaron delves deeper into why the black-ops Jericho unit is after his daughter and Mark continues to question Lloyd about a phone conversation that took place during their flashforwards. Tim “Timbaland Mosley (“Boogie”) guest stars.
••”The Real Housewives of New York City” (9 p.m. on Bravo): At a show during New York Fashion Week, LuAnn makes a snide remark to Bethenny, who launches into a verbal attack. Later, Bethenny hosts an event for a designer, and both Alex and Kelly show up to support her.
••”The Tiger Next Door” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): This special spotlights a man in Indiana who has been keeping, breeding and selling Bengal tigetrs from his backyard for more than 15 years. He claims to know exactly what they are thinking by the look in their eyes.
••“The Vampire Diaries” (7 p.m. on CW): Matt and Caroline are surprised by the sudden reappearance of Matt’s mother Kelly (Melinda Clarke, “The O.C.”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010
••”Chandon Pictures” (8 p.m. on Sundance Channel): This Australian comedy series follows a deluded documentary filmmaker, whose portfolio doesnt extend much beyond weddings and children’s birthday parties. But with the help of his loyal cameraman and producer, he manages to twist each client’s brief to match his creative dreams of making “films that matter.”
••”Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars” (7 p.m. on Disney): Based on the popular books by Louise Fitzhugh, this movie is a contemporary twist on the iconic character as Harriet “The Spy” Welsch (Jennifer Stone, “Wizards of Waverly Place”) vies to become the official blogger of her high school class. 
••”Imagination Movers” (8:30 a.m. on Disney): The Movers help famed blues musician T-Bone Crosby when, after years of writing songs, he seems to be out of ideas. Grammy Award-winning blues artist and actor Chris Thomas King (“Ray”) guest stars.
••”Live From Abbey Road” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Musical artists discussing their work and performing at London’s Abbey Road Studios are Counting Crows, Melody GArdot and Hockey.
••”Top Yam: The Louisiana Yambilee Queen Pageant” (9 p.m.on TLC): Take a behind-the-scenes look at this five-day festival in Opelousas, La. Every year, the town gathers to celebrate their main crop, the yam, by holding yam cook-offs, a Yam-i-mal contest, a carnival and the pageant featuring girls competing for $500 and the opportunity to be the community’s spokesperson.
••”Who Do You Think You Are?” (7 p.m. on NBC): Matthew Broderick (“The Producers”) discovers that his grandmother, Mary Martindale, was a descendant from a Civil War hero, Robert Martindale, who fought at Gettysburg and joined the historic march through Georgia.

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010
••”Believe in Oklahoma: Gone Country” (6:30 p.m. on KOCO-5): This special features music and interviews with several of the state’s top country music stars, including Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Black Shelton, Shauna Russell and Miranda Lambert.
••”Nickelodeon’s 23rd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Kevin James (“The King of Queens”) hosts the event live from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. The slime will flow for the no-holds-barred kudo/mess-fest on the night kids rule and get to honor their favorites from the worlds of film, music, sports and television. First time Kids’ Choice nominees President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will compete in the new cutest couple category.
••”Paranormal Court” (9 p.m. on TLC): This special follows Robert Hansen, a renowned psychic medium who steps in to help families get the answers they need because the death of a loved one has left them with questions and a lack of closure. It Hansen’s psychic abilities in solving disputes when two parties come together and agree to be bound by the ruling enlisted from the other side.
••“Victorious” (8:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon): This new comedy series follows Tori Vega (Victoria Justice, “Spectacular!”) as she unexpectedly finds herself navigating life at an elite performing arts high school. It features an ensemble cast of teens who act, sing, dance and perform to original music. The series will move into its regular 7 p.m. Sunday timeslot on April 11.

–Penny TV

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Alec Baldwin returns as co-host of Turner Classic Movies’ “The Essentials”

PRESS RELEASE PROVIDED BY TCM

Two-time Emmy® winner Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) is returning for a second season as co-host of “The Essentials” on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  In his first season, Baldwin displayed a deep knowledge of classic films.  Baldwin and TCM host Robert Osborne will return in 2010 with a new slate of “must see” movies each week.

“The Essentials” airs Saturdays at 7 p.m.  The 10th season will kick off in March 2010 with Elia Kazan’s 1951 version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Marlon Brando and Oscar® winners Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden.

The season will feature four Best Picture Oscar winners, including The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Gigi (1958), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Sting (1973), as well as Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner Black Orpheus (1959).

For the first time, “The Essentials” will include two special late-night installments, with the seminal 1970s films Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Serpico (1973).

Other titles for 2010 include the groundbreaking Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and The Graduate (1967); the delightful Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), with Alec Guinness in eight different roles; and the work of several top-name directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock (Strangers on a Train – 1951), Frank Capra (Meet John Doe – 1941), John Ford (My Darling Clementine – 1946), Stanley Kramer (Judgment at Nuremberg – 1961) and George Cukor (the newly restored A Star Is Born – 1954).

“I have enormous respect for TCM and Robert Osborne,” Baldwin said.  “TCM has stayed true to its mission, with a vast library of movies from many different decades.  I’m proud to be able to sit down with Robert again.”

“After we wrapped our first season together, I remember thinking how many more films I would like to discuss with Alec,” Osborne said.  “Now we have that chance.”

The following is a complete schedule of the films Baldwin and Osborne will be presenting for the showcase’s 10th season:

March 6 – A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
March 6 (late night) – Saturday Night Fever (1977)
March 13 – White Heat (1949)
March 20 – Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
March 27 – Gigi (1958)
April 3 – Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
April 3 (late night) – Serpico (1973)
April 10 – Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
April 17 – Strangers on a Train (1951)
April 24 – The Graduate (1967)
May 1 – A Foreign Affair (1948)
May 8 – The Lion in Winter (1968)
May 15 – The Blue Dahlia (1946)
May 22 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
May 29 – The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
June 5 – Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
June 12 – San Francisco (1936)
June 19 – A Star is Born (1954)
June 26 – The Snake Pit (1948)
July 3 – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
July 10 – My Darling Clementine (1946)
July 17 – The Road to Morocco (1942)
July 24 – Black Orpheus (1959)
July 31 – Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Aug. 7 – The Sea Hawk (1940)
Aug. 14 – Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
Aug. 21 – The Sting (1973)
Aug. 28 – Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Sept. 4 – The Graduate (1967)
Sept. 11 – A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Sept. 18 – Gigi (1958)
Sept. 25 – White Heat (1949)
Oct. 2 – Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Oct. 9 – Strangers on a Train (1951)
Oct. 16 – A Foreign Affair (1948)
Oct. 23 – Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Oct. 30 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Nov. 6 – Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Nov. 13 – The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Nov. 20 – San Francisco (1936)
Nov. 27 – A Star is Born (1954)
Dec. 4 – The Snake Pit (1948)
Dec. 11 – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Dec. 18 – Meet John Doe (1941)
Dec. 25 – The Lion in Winter (1968)
Jan. 1 – My Darling Clementine (1946)
Jan. 8 – The Road to Morocco (1942)
Jan. 15 – Black Orpheus (1959)
Jan. 22 – Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Jan. 29 – The Sea Hawk (1940)

Prior to co-hosting “The Essentials,” Baldwin appeared on TCM as part of the network’s “Guest Programmer” series.  In 2008, he hosted the TCM special “Role Model: Gene Wilder,” in which he interviewed the comic actor.

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TCM’s 15 most influential film sountracks

PRESS RELEASE PROVIDED BY TCM:

To celebrate the Jan. 31 Grammy Awards®, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has unveiled the network’s list of 15 Most Influential Film Soundtracks.  TCM’s list includes examples of orchestral scores, jazz, rock compilations and even disco, with music from such films as King Kong (1933), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), The Graduate (1967), Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Star Wars (1977).

“It is nearly impossible to think of certain films without remembering their music scores.  Casablanca, Laura, An Affair to Remember, The Magnificent Seven – the list is endless,” said TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne.  “Our list celebrates the most memorable and groundbreaking soundtracks, the ones which took the art of film music to new levels and made the most lasting impact on the world of movies.”

Musical artists from a variety of genres chimed in on TCM’s 15 Most Influential Movie Soundtracks.  Rap artist and actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who worked with Isaac Hayes on the film Hustle & Flow, said Hayes’ Oscar®-winning work on the movie Shaft continues to be influential.  “The soundtrack to Shaft was more than music being laid onto a film,” Ludacris said.  “It was the actual credible atmosphere of the film.  Isaac Hayes made you feel the relevance of black music culture within the film with his choice of sounds, instrumentals and words.”

Ludacris praised Hayes’ impact on other artists.  “When I make songs specifically for films, I want them to have the kind of impact the music did for Shaft,” Ludacris said.  “It defined the film and the times.  It was a black film, black music and black culture in perfect balance.”

Country music star Dierks Bentley said a specific score resonates with him.  “The music in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, to me, was just as big a part of the movie as the story itself,” he said.  “The main theme, with that shimmering electric guitar and vocal grunts, kills me even now when I hear it.  It’s perfectly suited for the movie.”

Chart-topping rock artist Rob Thomas said music contributes to film by developing a scene.  “There is a certain beauty in laying a musical bed and how it builds itself into the scene, creating a lasting moment,” Thomas said.  He also film music has had an influence on the concert hall.  “Classical presentations that people listen to will always include Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.  But as generations grow older, there will also be John Williams and Danny Elfman.”

Music has played a vital role in film since the earliest days of silent movies, when live accompaniment ranged from a single pianist to a music-hall ensemble.  By the latter half of the 1920s, it was possible to include recorded music on film, starting with the first synced sound score, which was used for Don Juan in 1926.  Later, Max Steiner’s groundbreaking work on 1933’s King Kong featured the first fully original score composed for a feature film.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, film music was dominated by a combination of songs from musicals and lush orchestral scores for dramas and comedies, often in a classic, romantic style.  As rock and roll arrived in the 1950s, movies started featuring new songs, notably with the 1955 drama Blackboard Jungle.  The use of pop-music compilations grew over the decades, with such movies as The Graduate (1967), Saturday Night Fever (1977) and The Big Chill (1983) proving to be groundbreaking.  Throughout all eras, full orchestra scores remained popular.  In the 1970s, such scores actually enjoyed a resurgence, thanks in part to the popularity of composer John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars).

In selecting the 15 Most Influential Film Soundtracks, several aspects were considered, including the impact they have had on how music is used onscreen to tell a story and on the methodology of song selection.  Their influence is also defined by their impact on pop culture.

Here are the films from TCM’s list of 15 Most Influential Movie Soundtracks, listed in chronological order:

King Kong (1933) – Composer: Max Steiner
Historians disagree over who wrote the first fully symphonic film score, but most credit Max Steiner for either the 1932 Polynesian romance Bird of Paradise or the legendary King Kong.  Certainly the latter film established Steiner as one of Hollywood’s top composers and demonstrated how much an original score could enhance a film’s emotional hold on its audience.  When penny-pinching executives at RKO insisted Steiner score the film with stock music, the film’s co-director, Merian C. Cooper, reached into his own pocket to provide $50,000 for the score.

Alexander Nevsky (1938) – Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Composer Sergei Prokofiev started working on his Alexander Nevsky score while the picture was still in the editing stage.  Prokofiev and Soviet auteur Sergei Eisenstein built the montages together, with the director even adjusting his editing to fit the score, particularly for the famous half-hour battle on the ice that would inspire such later films as Spartacus and The Empire Strikes Back.  Prokofiev and Eisenstein’s collaboration would inspire such later director/composer teams as Alfred Hitchcock/Bernard Herrmann and Steven Spielberg/John Williams.  Eisenstein had hoped to record the score for this legendary epic with high-fidelity techniques he had observed in Hollywood.  But when Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin rushed the film into release prematurely to help foster anti-German sentiments, the recording was substandard.  A year after the film’s premiere, Prokofiev turned his score into the 40-minute Alexander Nevsky Cantata.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Eerie and haunting, the score Bernard Herrmann created for The Day the Earth Stood Still set the style for future science fiction films, from It Came From Outer Space (1953) to Blade Runner (1982).  Although Miklos Rozsa in Spellbound (1945) introduced Hollywood to the electronic instrument known as the Theremin, Herrmann was the first to use it to create an all-electronic score.  He did so by combining two Theremins with electronic organs, vibraphones and amplified strings, among other instruments.  The jarring sounds perfectly captured the anxieties underlying this tale of a UFO landing in the middle of Washington, D.C.  Herrmann also recorded on multiple tracks, long before stereophonic sound was widely used in Hollywood.  He even played some cues backwards to create an unearthly masterpiece.

Blackboard Jungle (1955) – Music Adaptor: Charles Wolcott
MGM brought Hollywood into the rock ‘n’ roll era with Blackboard Jungle.  In search of the kind of music teens like the film’s potential delinquents were listening to, director Richard Brooks borrowed a few records from star Glenn Ford’s son Peter.  When Brooks heard Bill Haley and his Comets perform “Rock Around the Clock,” he found the perfect theme song, which also became the first rock song ever used in a Hollywood feature.  Thanks to Blackboard Jungle, the song hit #1 on the Billboard charts, eventually selling 25 million copies and becoming what Dick Clark called “The National Anthem of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) – Composer: Elmer Bernstein
When producer-director Otto Preminger set out to buck the Hollywood system, he went all the way.  Not only did Preminger challenge the censors by tackling the then-forbidden topic of drug addiction, he also defied the blacklist by hiring the politically suspect Elmer Bernstein.  Bernstein suggested that jazz was the perfect musical style to reflect leading man Frank Sinatra’s battle with addiction.  From the trumpet riff over the titles to a jittery motif as Sinatra falls back into drug abuse, The Man with the Golden Arm was the first Hollywood film with an all-jazz score, setting the style for future films set in the urban jungle of crime, drugs and despair.  Bernstein himself would return to the jazz score for The Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and A Walk on the Wild Side (1962), before staking a claim on Americana with To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), widely considered one of the best film scores of all time.

Psycho (1960) – Composer: Bernard Herrmann
It seems only natural that one of the most iconic sequences in film history – the shower scene from Psycho – should be accompanied by one of the screen’s most iconic musical cues.  Bernard Herrmann’s screeching violins have taken on a life of their own in the years since they heralded Marion Crane’s death.  Like John Williams’ Jaws theme, they have become an instant signifier of menace, quoted in everything from Psycho’s many imitations to episodes of The Simpsons.  Originally, director Alfred Hitchcock wanted to use a jazz score and show the shower scene in silence.  Herrmann showed him a better way to generate suspense, impressing the master so much that Hitchcock doubled the composer’s salary.  Later, Hitchcock said, “Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Musical Director: George Martin; Songs: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
With its mix of pop rock and kaleidoscopic visuals, the first Beatles movie set the tone for the swinging London films of the 1960s, inspiring everything from romantic comedies to social dramas to spy films.  Synergy had been an important factor in musical careers since Bing Crosby used his movies, radio show and records to sell each other in the ‘30s.  In the ‘50s, Hollywood developed starring vehicles for rockers like Elvis Presley and Fabian.  But it was the Beatles who found the perfect wedding of visual and musical styles, thanks in no small part to Richard Lester’s rapid cutting, hand-held camera effects and Alan Owen’s pseudo-documentary script.  Scenes cut to the rhythms of songs like “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “This Boy” paved the way for the MTV generation.

Goldfinger (1964) – Composer: John Barry
With the third James Bond film, Goldfinger, composer John Barry helped carry the screen’s most popular and long-lived series beyond box office success.  He created a musical soundtrack and hit song (the first of many for the Bond films) that dominated the charts for months.  As in two earlier films, Barry used Monty Norman’s James Bond theme, which he had first arranged for Dr. No (1962).  This anticipated such other iconic character themes as those in The Pink Panther and Rocky.  Barry also mirrored the action perfectly, going heavy on the brass to reflect the film’s metal-obsessed villain.  Barry capped it all with the title song, the first of three in the series sung by Shirley Bassey.  Her chart-topping performance set the standard for future Bond films.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Composer:  Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone scored Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965), but it was their third film together that brought Morricone international fame.  His spare arrangements, like the film’s two-note opening theme based on a hyena’s cry, as well as his use of such unconventional instrumentations as the ocarina, gunfire and wordless vocals, created a distinctive, frequently imitated style.  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was also the first film on which Leone and Morricone developed the main themes before shooting started.  Leone would play the music while shooting, helping the actors to find performing rhythms in sync with their character’s musical motifs and even developing camera movements in time to the score.

The Graduate (1967) – Composer: Dave Grusin; Songs: Paul Simon
Mike Nichols invented a new way to score a movie when he decided to use previously recorded songs from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel for this 1967 tragicomedy about aimless youth.  Although Nichols hired Simon to write three new songs for the film, most of the score consists of earlier hits like “The Sounds of Silence” and “Scarborough Fair.”  The only new song, “Mrs. Robinson,” was originally written as a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt and wasn’t even finished when the duo recorded it for the soundtrack.  The music helped The Graduate strike an emotional chord with Simon & Garfunkel’s many young fans.  The music provided, in historian Sam Kashner’s words, star Dustin Hoffman’s inner monologue.  Nichols’ use of the songs to underscore mostly silent scenes anticipated the development of music videos and inspired many filmmakers, most notably John Hughes (Sixteen Candles) and Cameron Crowe (Say Anything).

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Musical Consultant: Patrick Moore; Music Editor: Frank J. Urioste
Rockets revolve in space to the tune of Johann Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” waltz; light streams reflect on an astronaut’s helmet as he plummets through space to the otherworldly music of Gyorgy Ligeti; the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly to the thundering brass of Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra.  These are some of the most famous weddings of visuals and music in film history, and they happened by accident.  Stanley Kubrick had commissioned a score for his 2001: A Space Odyssey from Alex North, with whom he worked on 1960’s Spartacus.  But during filming, the director used classical recordings to set the mood, then incorporated them for a scratch track when MGM’s executives requested a sample reel.  The results were so spectacular that Kubrick decided to use a new type of film score composed entirely of commercial recordings of classical music.  With 2001’s success, the classical score became a cinema staple, something Kubrick himself would return to for A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Barry Lyndon (1975).

Shaft (1971) – Composers: Isaac Hayes and J.J. Johnson
From the first bars of the title theme – featuring rapid rhythm on the hi-hat cymbal and the trademark “wah-wah” guitar of funk music – the audience for Shaft knew it was in for something different.  Not only did the film re-set film noir conventions in the inner city, but Isaac Hayes’ score created the sound that would dominate the blaxploitation genre.  Some historians have even cited his title theme, with two and half minutes of instrumentals preceding Hayes’ vocals, as an influence on the development of disco.  Beyond producing a hit album – the first double album of original film music from an R&B star – Shaft and its chart-topping theme made Hayes the first black Oscar® winner in one of the music categories (and in any category other than acting).  This opened the door for future winners like Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie while creating an iconic theme that’s probably better known than the film that inspired it.

American Graffiti (1973) – Music Coordinator: Karin Green
With scenes written to feature rock classics from the likes of Billy Haley and His Comets, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, and The Platters, George Lucas’ coming-of-age comedy introduced nostalgia to the screen as never before.  The film used its golden oldies soundtrack to re-create the early ‘60s, contributing to what Roger Ebert called “a brilliant work of historical fiction.”  Lucas modeled his script on his memories and his own vintage record collection.  When the cost of music clearances for the 43 songs he wanted left no money for a traditional score, American Graffiti became the first film to boast a music coordinator rather than a composer.  Its success launched a wave of nostalgia that would inspire the TV series Happy Days and films like Grease and Animal House.

Saturday Night Fever (1977) – Composers: Barry, Maurice & Robin Gibb and David Shire
When John Travolta strode down the New York streets at the opening of Saturday Night Fever, the music and visuals captured a generation’s drive to “feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ and we’re stayin’ alive.”  The juxtaposition of the Bee Gees’ lyrical, rhythmic songs with the working-class angst of Tony Manero and his friends make the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever one of the most powerful in film history.  Thanks to a combination of perfect timing and astute marketing (this was one of the first films to use cross-platform marketing, so the soundtrack album and movie sold each other), the music achieved iconic status.  For years after the film’s release, popular songs like “How Deep Is Your Love” and “If I Can’t Have You” dominated the airwaves and record charts, and the hit soundtrack was the world’s best-selling record album.

Star Wars (1977) – Composer: John Williams
Before John Williams signed on for Star Wars, director George Lucas was planning to use classical music in the fashion of 2001: A Space Odyssey.  But when Lucas’ friend Steven Spielberg convinced him to go with Williams, the composer gave him a rich blend of familiar musical styles, with a title theme inspired by Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s intro to King’s Row (1942) and leitmotifs inspired by Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst and even Benny Goodman (the model for the Cantina Band).  The result went on to be voted the greatest score of all time by members of the American Film Institute.  Thanks to Star Wars, movie-going was once again a feast for the ears, paving the way for more lush, romantic scores from the likes of James Horner (Titanic), Ennio Morricone (The Mission) and Williams himself (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List).

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Jennifer Jones remembered with TCM movie marathon

   Oscar-winning actress
Jennifer Jones was born Phylis Lee Isley on March 2, 1919 in Tulsa. She attended Harding Junior High School in Oklahoma City.
   On Thursday, Jan. 7, TCM will pay tribute to Jones with a four-movie marathon. She died Dec. 17 at age 90.
   The movie marathon collection doesn’t feature her Oscar-winning performance in 1943′s “The Song of Bernadette,” but it does include her Oscar-nominated performance in 1946′s “Duel in the Sun” (7 p.m.). Her other films airing during TCM’s tribute are 1954′s “Beat the Devil” (9:30 p.m.), 1949′s “Madame Bovary” (11:15 p.m.) and 1954′s Indiscretion of an American Wife” (1:15 a.m.).
–Penny TV

TCM’s Jan. 7 Tribute to Jennifer Jones
••7 p.m. — “Duel in the Sun” (1946): David O. Selznick attempted to recapture the magic of “Gone with the Wind” with this sexually charged Western about a half-Native American woman caught between two brothers, played by Gregory Peck and Joseph Cotten.  King Vidor directed the lavishly colorful film, which also stars Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Herbert Marshall, Walter Huston and Butterfly McQueen.
••9:30 p.m. — “Beat the Devil (1954): Jones and Humphrey Bogart star in this send-up of film noir mysteries penned by Truman Capote and directed by John Huston.  Although dismissed by many when it was released, the film quickly obtained a cult following.
••11:15 p.m. — “Madame Bovary (1949): Vincente Minnelli directed this stunning version of Flaubert’s tragic love story about a woman who leaves her husband and social standing in order to pursue true love.  James Mason, Van Heflin and Louis Jourdan co-star in a film that features a memorable ball sequence considered by many to be one of Minnelli’s greatest set pieces.
••1:15 a.m. — “Indiscretion of an American Wife (1954) – Jones plays a married woman meeting her lover, played by Montgomery Clift, in a railway station in this melodrama directed by Vittorio De Sica. 

Pictured above: In this 1955 film publicity image originally released by 20th Century Fox, actress Jennifer Jones, is shown in “Love is a Many Splendored Thing.” Leslie Denk, spokeswoman for the Norton Simon Museum, says Jones, 90, died Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, at her home in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, file)

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Top 55 TV Programs for Jan. 3-9, 2010

   Sunday’s Oklahoman,
which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
   But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of Jan. 3:

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

SUNDAY, JAN. 3, 2010
◊“Durham County” (8 p.m. on ION): While the villain of the first season turned out to be the former high school classmate and neighbor of Homicide Detective Mike Sweeney, the evil threat in Season 2 comes from a brilliant but deeply troubled forensic psychiatrist Pen Verrity (Michelle Forbes, “True Blood”).
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion joins the design team to help repair the 100-year-old home of the Morris family in St. Paul, Minn. Kermit, Miss Piggy and the entire Muppet gang also volunteer to rebuild the home that also serves as a daycare in the community.
◊“Frank the Entertainer … in a Basement Affair” (7 p.m. on VH1): Frank Moresco, aka the “Entertainer” from “I Love New York 2” and “I Love Money,” is back and looking for love. Fifteen women traveled to New York for Frank, only to find out that they won’t be living in the elaborate mansion they expected – they will be living in Frank’s parents’ house. Each week at elimination, Frank will give the ladies keys to his basement, and those locked out will have to pack up.
◊“Giuliana & Bill” (8 p.m. on Style Network): Season 2 takes viewers inside the adventures of celebrity power couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic as they focus on the future, including trying for a baby and settling down in one city.
◊“Platinum Weddings” (8 p.m. on WEtv): The economic downturn hasn’t hurt the budgets of these “want-it-all” brides and grooms, as Season 4 features more one-of-a-kind weddings that come with price tags no less than six figures. The premiere episode showcases a Black-Eyed-Peas guitarist who treats his guests to a leisurely swim with sharks.
◊“Secrets of Aspen” (9 p.m. on VH1): This new docu-soap style series will explore the lives of six single women who live in America’s most renowned resort town – Aspen, Color.  Known as a playground for the rich and famous, Aspen has become one of the country’s most expensive zip codes to live in. However, not everyone living in this small town can afford to live the lavish lifestyle.
◊“Smucker’s Stars on Ice 2010″ (3 p.m. on NBC): Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi will host this special that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the tour, how it all began, the star skaters, emotional memories and a collection of standout performances. Among those featured are skating greats Scott Hamilton, Rosalynn Sumners, Brian Orser, Kurt Browning, Paul Wylie, Evan Lysacek and Sasha Cohen.
◊“Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event” (7 p.m. on Food Network): Food Network personalities Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse travel to the White House to take part in a culinary competition. Greeted by First Lady Michelle Obama, the chefs are joined by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and receive their challenge: create a meal for America using The White House Kitchen Garden’s produce as their secret ingredients.
◊“Worst Cooks in America” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Twelve of the most hopeless cooks in the country are put through a culinary boot camp led by chefs Anne Burrell (“Secrets of a Restaurant Chef”) and Beau MacMillan (executive chef at elements in Phoenix). At stake for the last two standing is the chance to cook for a panel of esteemed culinary critics and win the grand prize of $25,000.

MONDAY, JAN. 4
◊“All My Children” (noon on ABC): Mark Consuelos (“Killer Hair”) and Kelly Ripa (“Live With Regis and Kelly”) return to the daytime drama for the show’s 40th anniversary episodes, which air today and Tuesday. This will be the first time either actor has appeared on the show since they left in 2002. The milestone special episodes will air on January 4 and 5, 2010.
◊“Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The 14th-season premiere features a record-setting appraisal of four Chinese carved jade objects estimated to be worth as much as $1,070,000 – -the highest value appraisal ever featured on the series. The collection was discovered at the “Roadshow: event last june in Raleigh, N.C.
◊“The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love” (7 p.m. on ABC): Airline pilot Jake Pavelka, who was rejected by Bachelorette Jillian Harris, gets a chance to hand out the roses himself in the 14th edition of the romantic reality series. Kimberly, a Norman native and former NBA dancer for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is among the 25 women competing for his attention.
◊“Blood, Sweat & Takeaways” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): In this new four-part series, a group of young fast food junkies spend a month finding out the truth behind how their favorite foods are produced.
◊“Conveyor Belt of Love” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): In this fast-paced special, 30 men go by on conveyor belt and are given 60 seconds to impress one of five women. If a woman is interested in someone, that man will step aside and wait as the rest of the men go by. But if another man comes by on the belt who seems better than that woman’s first choice, she can swap out the man waiting off of the belt as many times as she wants until the last man has passed by. Each woman is left with her final choice as she embarks on a date in the hope of finding a true connection.
◊“Forensics: You Decide” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): The Season 1 finale presents both sides of the case involving Jeffrey Lamb of Florida. He is a suspect in the murder of his wife and attack of his own dogs.
◊“Make It or Break It” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): The series, which returns to complete its first season with 10 new episodes, is set in the world of competitive gymnastics. And while the girls celebrate their win at the National Gymnastics competition, Payson struggles with the ramifications of her back injury, becoming increasingly detached from her family and friends.
◊“This Emotional Life” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This three-part series, airing nightly through Wednesday, explores ways to improve social relationships and become more resilient while coping with depression and anxiety. The opening episode, ‘‘Family, Friends & Lovers,” explores the importance of relationships to a person’s emotional well-being. Tuesday’s episode is “Facing Our Fears,” followed by “Rethinking Happiness” on Wednesday.
◊“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): This drama, which returns to complete its second season with 12 new episodes, focuses on the relationships between families and friends and how they deal with teenage issues, including an unexpected pregnancy. In the premiere episode, Amy and Anne decide to take their babies and escape their problems by going on vacation — and things back at home start to fall apart in their absence.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Charlie must decide between his fiancée, Chelsea, and his old flame, Mia, on a rebroadcast of the seventh season premiere. Rock Superstar Eddie Van Halen makes a cameo appearance as himself.
◊“Welcome to Macintosh” (8:30 p.m. on CNBC): This CNBC special is the Apple story told by people who build, use, love, hate, and obsess over the company’s revolutionary products.  When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched Apple Computers in 1977, they had no idea the impact their company would have on the world.  Now, more than thirty years later, filmmakers Robert Baca and Josh Rizzo take an in dept look how Apple has created a cult fan base and how Steve Jobs has become a modern day hero.

TUESDAY, JAN. 5, 2010
◊“As the World Turns” (1 p.m. on CBS): Model Paulina Porizkova (a judge on Season 4 of “America’s Next Top Model”) makes her daytime debut as Clarissa, a character who has a history with Simon Frasier (Paul Leyden), who recently returned to the show.
◊“The Biggest Loser: Couples” (7 p.m. on NBC): Cheryl and Daris George from Ardmore are among the 11 family teams of two on Season 9 of the weight-loss competition series. Alison Sweeney hosts the series and contestants work out under the supervision of trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.
◊“ID Investigates: The Secret Life of Tiger Woods” (8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This special takes a comprehensive look at the Tiger Woods scandal — the details curently unfolding and the legal ramifications.
◊“Last Restaurant Standing” (8 p.m. on BBC America): World-renowned chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc returns for a third season with nine couples vying for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open a restaurant with him. The couples are working and living together 24 hours-a-day under enormous pressure, and only one will succeed.
◊“Maneaters” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new series tells the stories of people who have survived terrifying encounters with animals. The premiere episode is titled “Sharks.”
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): When a Navy pilot is found dead under strange circumstances in a secluded area, the team finds themselves battling a no-nonsense attorney with a hidden agenda. Rena Sofer (“General Hospital”) guest stars as attorney Margaret Allison Hart. Marcus Giamatti (“Judging Amy”) guest stars as aerospace engineer Victor Tillman.
◊“Nova: Killer Subs in Pearl Harbor” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment presents evidence that a torpedo fired from a Japanese midget submarine may have struck the USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Parks Stephenson was the lead investigator on the underwater expedition, and he says there are accounts that indicate one torpedo fired at the USS Arizona was a dud, but he believes another torpedo hit the USS Oklahoma.
◊“Wild Recon” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new 10-part series follows Donald Shultz, a venom expert, as he travels the world collecting bio specimens from the world’s deadliest animals. He’s the guy who approaches the animal, like a cobra, to extract the venom, or the 400-pound wild African lion to get a blood sample — all in pursuit of bio-specimens for research and potential new scientific discoveries.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, 2010
◊“The 36th Annual People’s Choice Awards” (8 p.m. on CBS): Queen Latifah (“Chicago”) hosts the event live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Fans cast more than 16 million votes to determine the nominees and winners in the fields of music, movies and television. Nominees with Oklahoma ties are Carrie Underwood (favorite female artist and favorite country artist), Brad Pitt (favorite movie actor) and Rascal Flatts (favorite country artist).
◊“Big Chef Takes on Little Chef” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): In this new four-part series, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has six months to help put an old-fashioned chain of roadside cafes back on the map.
◊“Building Your Future: Educational Opportunities in Oklahoma” (7 p.m. on KWTV-9): Oklahoma City TV personaliity Jennifer Eve hosts this special that is designed to engage high school students and their parents into thinking ahead about college. John Feaver, president of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma will appear along with two USAO alums, a faculty member and a current student.
◊“Conviction Kitchen” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): In this new series, chef Marc Thuet and his wife have three weeks to help 24 ex-cons with no culinary experience open a high-end restaurant from scratch.
◊“Cougar Town” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Despite fearing the meanest and most unrelenting dermatologist in town, Dr. Amy Evans (Lisa Kudrow, “Friends”), Jules and Ellie are willing to endure the harsh ridicule and wrath for an appointment with the best in the business. But when Jules learns Dr. Evans is seeing Bobby, she’s determined to stand up to her and protect him.
◊“Ghost Hunters International” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Season 3 will have the team traveling to a different international country each week in pursuit of the truth behind bizarre supernatural claims. In the premiere episode titled “Hitler’s Ghost,” the investigators venture to Miramar, Argentina, and set their sights on the Gran Hotel Viena, once the secret residence of many Nazi war criminals including rumored guest, Adolf Hitler.
◊“The Human Spark” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Alan Alda (“Scientific American Frontiers”) hosts this three-part series that examines paintings and carvings that date back 30,000 years in an attempt to determine when mankind developed the ‘‘human spark” that produced art, innovative technology and symbolic communication.
◊“I Get That A Lot” (7 p.m. on CBS, 2:37 a.m. on KWTV-9): This new special features celebrities tricking everyday citizens in a case of supposed “mistaken identity.”  Among the celebrities confusing customers who can’t decide if it’s the actual celebrity or a look-alike, are Julie Chen (“Big Brother”) working at a yogurt shop, Paris Hilton (“The Simple Life”) as a gas station employee, Snoop Dogg (hip-hop artist) as a parking lot attendant, Rachael Ray (“The Rachael Ray Show”) working at a dry cleaner, Gene Simmons (rocker of the band Kiss) as a psychic guru and Tony Hawk (skateboarder) working in a surf shop.
◊“Launch My Line” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Pop star Lady Gaga, known for her fashion-forward outfits, surprises the designers and provides inspiration. In this week’s challenge, the teams create an avant-garde outfit, but they must make sure they are pushing the boundaries of fashion without crossing the line of good taste.
◊“Man Vs. Wild” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Bear Grylls hits the global road for extreme adventures and invaluable lessons in survival. His locations this season include China, Panama, Montana, Guatemala and Poland.  No feat is too large, nor task too daunting as Bear climbs a 200-foot waterfall, gets bitten by aggressive weaver ants, encounters a deadly Green Pit viper snake and lands on an active volcano.
◊“Marriage From Hell: The Breakup of AOL Time Warner” (9 p.m. on CNBC): This special takes viewers inside the story of what has been called the worst deal ever made. In includes candid comments from one of the chief architects of the deal, former Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin, who underwent a stunning reversal of fortune.
◊“The Middle” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): Frankie fears that a confrontation with trashy neighbor Rita Glossner (Brooke Shields, “Lipstick Jungle”) is at hand when Sue has a run-in with her sons. Meanwhile, Axl tries to bribe Brick when he’s asked to teach his little brother how to kick a ball for a gym requirement, but it’s Brick who turns the tables on Axl and ends up bribing him for another favor.
◊“Modern Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): Gloria is less than pleased with Jay’s reaction to the arrival of Manny’s infamously unreliable dad, Javier (Benjamin Bratt, “The Cleaner”). Meanwhile, Phil is suffering from kidney stones and his dramatics leave Claire no other choice but to call for the hot firemen to rush him to the hospital.
◊“Nip/Tuck” (9 p.m. on FX): As the seventh (and final) season begins, the doctors are honored by their alma mater, the University of Miami, prompting Sean to recall their college years and past pains. Meanwhile, a man whose genetic disorder has led to self-mutilation wants it undone.
◊“Spectacle: Elvis Costello with Elvis Costello” (9 p.m. on Sundance): In this special edition, Elvis Costello slides from the host chair to guest chair for a revealing conversation with actress/music journalist Mary Louise Parker (“Weeds”). While it’s impossible to cover all of Costello’s 30 year plus musical journey in an hour, he performs a wide selection of his material.
◊“Ugly Betty” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Betty wants to spend some time apart from Matt, so she finds him something else to keep him occupied. Meanwhile, Hilda has a tough decision to make regarding her baby, and Mark’s fling looks to be heading towards something more serious.

THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 2010
◊“Bear Whisperer” (7 p.m. on Animal Planet): Every summer, tourits and black bears converge on the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. “Bear Whisperer” Steve Searles is fearless in his efforts to jeep the peace between man and beast.
◊“Best of the World Music Awards” (7 p.m. on My Network TV): This special looks back at over a decade of the most memorable World Music Award moments, including performances by Michael Jackson, Byonce, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.
◊“Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” (9 p.m. on VH1): Season 3 will follow the real-life experiences of celebrity patients undergoing detoxification and treatment at a center in the Los Angeles area.  The show will follow Mackenzie Phillips (“One Day at a Time”), Heidi Fleiss (“Alien 51″), Tom Sizemore (“Crash”), Dennis Rodman (“Celebrity Apprentice”), Mindy McCready (country singer), Lisa D’Amato (“America’s Next Top Model”), Mike Starr (Alice in Chains) and Joey Kovar (“Real World Hollywood”).
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Langston and Riley are taken hostage during the aftermath of a shootout in a typically calm Las Vegas community. Denzel Whitaker (“The Great Debaters”) guest stars.
◊“Duel in the Sun” (7 p.m. on TCM): Actress Jennifer Jones, who was born in Tulsa, earned an Oscar nomination for this 1946 Western about an American Indian woman caught between two brothers. It is the first of a four-film tribute to Jones, who died Dec. 17 at age 90. The other films are “1954′s ◊“Beat the Devil” (9:30 p.m.), 1949′s “Madame Bovary” (11:15 p.m.) and 1954′s “Indiscretion of an American Wife” (1:15 a.m.).
◊“The Newlywed Game” (8 p.m. on GSN): Game show host Bob Eubanks, who first began hosting “The Newlywed Game” more than 40 years ago, returns as guest host of the new version. This special episode features current host Carnie Wilson and her family as the celebrity contestants. Competing against Wilson and her husband, Rob Bonfiglio, are Wilson’s sister Wendy Wilson and her husband Dan Knutson, and Wilson’s mother, former singer Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, and her husband, Daniel Rutherford.
◊“Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution” (9 p.m. on CNBC): This special looks at the recent “app” explosion and how they have changed the way we live. It introduces viewers to some of the creators who are designing applications and striking it rich and explains just how the big business of apps really works.

FRIDAY, JAN. 8, 2010
◊“Bartender Wars” (9:30 p.m. on FLN): Three bartenders pair drinks with flavored popcorn, try to send psychic messages to their patrons and play a game of catch—with olives.  Guest judge Dan Aykroyd (“Ghostbusters”) asks them to impress him with their bartending skills and create a drink they’d be proud to put on their headstones.
◊“Big Band Blues” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This program presents performances from the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival. It also features commentary from the artists about the relationship between blues, boogie woogie, jazz and swing music.
◊“Big, Bigger, Biggest” (9 p.m. on Science Channel): This series follows the evolutionary engineering leaps that enable iconic structures to grow in size. The Season 2 premiere focuses on the largest submarine ever constructed by the U.S. Navy.
◊“Elvis on Tour” (7 p.m. on TCM): In honor of the 75th celebration of Elvis Presley, TCM host Robert Osborne is joined by Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling to introduce the 1972 concert documentary. They also comment on the 2001 re-edited version of the 1970 film “Elvis: That’s The Way It Is” (9 p.m.) and the 1957 film “Jailhouse Rock” (11 p.m.).
◊“John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): John Oliver (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) hosts this new series that features some of Oliver’s favorite comedians. In the premiere episode, Oliver ditches the suit to discuss his surprising affection for America, the upside-down Australians and the effects of voting under the influence. The episode also features sets from Maria Bamford, Nick Kroll, Greg Fitzsimmons and Eugene Mirman.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and the team try their luck at investigating the theft of scratch-off lottery tickets, but the stakes are raised when one of the culprits killed at a botched robbery turns out to be a former lottery winner. Guest stars include Michael O’Neill (“Transformers”) as California Lottery security supervisor Boyd Keene; Nicole Sullivan (“Rita Rocks”) as eccentric lottery agent Nancy Hackett; and Allison Smith (“Kate & Allie”) as Sara Lewis, a financial advisor working with lottery winners.
◊“Operation Wild” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): This new series follows the officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In the premiere episode, the officers are busy patrolling the annual Lobster Mini-Season as thousands of people put their lobster-catching skills to the test over a 48-hour period.
◊“Shark Tank” (8 p.m. on ABC): This series, back for Season 2, gives budding entrepreneurs a chance to make their business dreams come true and make them successful and possibly wealthy people. But first, the entrepreneurs must convince a panel of five ruthless, multi-millionaire tycoons – known as Sharks — to part with their own hard-earned cash to give them the funding they need to jumpstart their breakthrough business concepts, products, properties and services. The five Sharks are real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, “infomercial” industry pioneer Kevin Harrington, technology innovator Robert Herjavec, fashion icon Daymond John and financial expert Kevin O’Leary.

SATURDAY, JAN. 9, 2010
◊“Renovation Realities Best Freakin’ Moments” (8 p.m. on DIY): This special looks as some of the most compelling moments from the home renovation show — from big mistakes and injuries to major fights and meltdowns.
◊“The View Special Edition — All My Children: Moving Pine Valley” (5 p.m. on SoapNet): This encore presentation pays tribute to the daytime drama that is relocating to Los Angeles. The one-hour celebration features the show’s creator, Agnes Nixon, and cast members Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Rebecca Budig, Cameron Mathison, Michael E. Knight and Vincent Irizarry.
◊“The Wishing Well” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): When a city-bred journalist (Jordan Ladd, “Death Proof”) heads to small-town Illinois for a story, her one-day visit turns into a much longer stay with the toss of a coin. Sally Kellerman (“Open House”), Jason London (“All Roads Lead Home”), Tempestt Bledsoe (“The Cosby Show”) and Charles Shaughnessy (“The Nanny”) costar in the time-twisting story about finding answers in the most unexpected of places.
◊“World’s Greenest Homes” (5 p.m. on Planet Green): The Season 2 premiere spotlights a dome home in upstate New York. It has a spaceship-like exterior that rotates to make the most of the sun’s rays.

–Penny TV

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