Top 55 TV Programs for Nov. 22-28, 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 Nov. 22:
NOTE: Times are CT. For ET, add one hour.
SUNDAY, NOV. 22, 2009
◊“2009 American Music Awards” (7 p.m. on ABC): The 37th annual event will honor artists in the categories of Pop/Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Latin and Contemporary Inspirational. And for the third year in a row, winners will be determined by online voting. Nominees with Oklahoma ties are Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire for favorite female country artist and Rascal Flatts for favorite country band and album.
◊“Bill Engvall: Aged and Confused” (8 p.m. on Comedy Central): In this standup comedy special filmed at the Vic Theater in Chicago, the Blue Collar comedian moves away from discussing family life and what it’s like raising kids to discussing all the little everyday things that drive him nuts.
◊“The Cleveland Show” (7:30 p.m. on Fox): Cleveland celebrates his first Thanksgiving with his new family. However, the holiday gets complicated when Roberta and Federline decide to celebrate on their own. Musical artists Daryl Hall and John Oates guest star as themselves.
◊“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (8 p.m. on HBO): In the Season 7 finale, a returned favor costs Larry quality time with Cheryl.
◊“Did the Mob Kill JFK?” (7 p.m. on Discovery): Featuring an exclusive interview with a secret FBI informant, this special tracks the nexus of organized crime, the Justice Department, the CIA and attempts to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro culminating in that fateful day in Dallas.
◊“Future Earth: 100 Heartbeats” (7 p.m. on MSNBC): Wildlife expert Jeff Corwin hosts this two-hour special on the plight of endangered species and the environmental heroes around the world who are working to save them. At the current rate of extinction, scientists estimate that only half of the world’s animal species will remain by the end of the 21st century.
◊“The Haunted” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new series focuses on people whose animals act as mediaries to the afterworld. Often the subjects of the most intense paranormal hauntings, animals are commonly believed to be more sensitive to spirits than people. But when spirits afflict pets, the animals aren’t the only victims. Owners also fall prey to paranormal activity and will often stop at nothing to rid their homes and pets of paranormal spirits.
◊“JFK: The Ruby Connection” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This special sets out to answer this by recreating and restaging the Nov. 24, 1963, shooting of Oswald at the actual Dallas police station garage where Jack Ruby shot him. The same vintage cameras and lights will be used to illustrate minute-by-minute who was standing where and why.
◊“Meet the Natives USA” (10 p.m. on Travel Channel): This new series focuses on five tribesmen from the South Pacific island of Tanna who have come to the United States to see how Americans live and to deliver a message of peace from their supreme chief to the leaders of America.
◊“The Next Iron Chef” (8 p.m. on Food Network): The remaining two chefs walk into the hallowed halls of Kitchen Stadium to complete their final test with the Chairman looking on and host Alton Brown commentating from the side.
◊“The Simpsons” (7 p.m. on Fox): Fed up with Bart’s constant pranks, Principal Skinner tells him there is a former Springfield Elementary student (Jonah Hill, “Funny People”) who is hailed as the best prankster ever.
◊“Storm Chasers” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In the new episode “Fight or Flight,” University of Oklahoma graduate Reed Timmer isn’t satisfied after he launches a remote control plane to drop data-probes into a tornado, so he punches right into an erratic storm, only to find himself with no time to get out of the way of the powerful vortices that surround him.
◊“Vampires From the Abyss” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): Journey to depths of more than 13,000 feet as Science Channel searches the oceans off San Francisco for one of the most unusual organisms on the planet — the Vampire Squid.
MONDAY, NOV. 23, 2009
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): After he’s humiliated on National Public Radio, Sheldon vows to destroy Kripke, while Wolowitz tries not to destroy his new relationship with Bernadette. “Battlestar Galactica” star Katee Sackhoff appears as herself, offering Wolowitz some relationship advice.
◊“Bus 174″ (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This special documents the terrifying tale of what happened in Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 2000, when bus 174 was taken hostage by an armed man threatening to shoot all the passengers. The event played out live on over Brazilian TV networks. It became a shocking example of the incompetence by local law enforcement agencies to properly handle the situation, which appeared to be coming to a safe and peaceful conclusion until the misguided acts of a policeman changed everything.
◊“Elbert Hubbard: An American Original” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Liev Schreiber (“The Manchurian Candidate”) narrates this documentary about the life of Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), the flamboyant founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, N.Y. The voice of Hubbard, an influential author, publisher, lecturer and entrepreneur, is provided by Adam Arkin (“Baby Bob”).
◊“Find My Family” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): With the help of a dedicated team of researchers, hosts Tim Green and Lisa Joyner guide people searching for lost loved ones through emotional journeys that will change their lives forever.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): On the eve of Thanksgiving, the team treats a brilliant physicist (Esteban Powell, “The Cleaner), who traded his career for a job as a courier because he found intelligence to be a burden that led to depression and addiction. A myriad of strange symptoms nearly stumps the doctors, who also wrestle with strained personal relationships.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): Barney freaks out when Marshall bequeaths a “slap bet” slap to Ted and Robin. Meanwhile, Lily’s estranged father (Chris Elliott, “Everybody Loves Raymond”) shows up for Thanksgiving.
◊“Jon and Kate Plus 8″ (8 p.m. on TLC): On the Season 5 finale, Kate and the kids milk cows at a dairy farm and Jon and the kids learn about firefighting. Then, Jon and Kate speak about recent life events, the series and ups and downs of the last few years.
◊“Lie to Me” (8:01 p.m. on Fox): Loker investigates the origin of a deadly stampede at an electronics store on the day after Thanksgiving.
◊“Live With Regis and Kelly” (9 a.m. on CBS): Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa are in Las Vegas for a week of telecasts originating from the city’s new resort, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. In addition to a top-notch lineup of guests, the show will turn the spotlight on Las Vegas’ vibrant nightlife, elaborate stage productions and all of the sights and sounds of this unique oasis in the desert.
◊“The Martha Stewart Show” (2 p.m. on KSBI-52): Chef Emeril Lagasse joins Martha Stewart in the kitchen to prepare a Thanksgiving feast. And in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Martha will dedicate one segment per show to answer last-minute Thanksgiving questions via Twitter.
◊“Rita Rocks” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): When Rita’s PTA nemesis, Jennifer (Melissa Peterman, “Reba”), shows up at Bed & Bath Max blubbering about being broke and her husband running off with their maid, Rita helps her get a job at the store.
◊“Surviving the Holidays With Lewis Black” (7 p.m. on History): Armed with history and humor, Lewis Black (”The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”) explores the meaning of Kwanzaa, the history of Hanukkah, the real St. Nicholas and “interviews” ill-fated turkeys on a farm. Also appearing are Joy Behar, Bob Saget, David Alan Grier, Craig Ferguson and other comics.
TUESDAY, NOV. 24, 2009
◊“Apollo Wives” (7 p.m. on BBC America): This special looks at the wives of Apollo astronauts and what was required of them by their husbands, by NASA and by the media.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The five remaining contestants get a surprise visit from financial guru Suze Orman, who gives them tips on how toi be financially fit when they get home. Later, Hall of Fame football player Rod Woodson helps kick off an NFL challenge involving the weight they’ve each lost all season.
◊“Dancing With the Stars” (8:01 p.m. on ABC): The three remaining couples compete for the Season 9 championship. Singer Mya and her partner, Dmitry Chaplin, were early favorites to win.
◊“The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): Alicia deals with tricky office politics when she’s asked to represent the firm’s senior partner after he’s arrested. Meanwhile, Peter’s evidentiary hearing hits the skids, leading Alicia to suspect that he may, in fact, actually be guilty of corruption. Chelsea Handler (”Chelsea Lately”) guest stars as herself when she interviews Peter Florrick’s mistress on her show.
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): A look at our complex relationship with manufactured objects, the people who design them and the creative process behind their work.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): A dead Marine’s day job at a government think tank leads Gibbs and the team into the life of a 12-year-old prodigy who may be the killer’s next target. Lisa Sheridan (”Invasion”) guest stars as Facilities Coordinator Krista Dalton. Francis Capra (”Veronica Mars”) guests as Gang Member Eddie Castillo. Ray Mabus, the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy, will make a cameo appearance.
◊“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.
◊“Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This new installment follows heading dream researchers to witnes the experiments they use to investigate the world of sleep.
◊“Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” (9 p.m. on HBO): The 152nd edition profiles an organization for paralyzed football players, follows one man’s triumphant return to Ironman competition and revisits the NFL’s efforts to curb alcohol-induced fan misconduct.
◊“So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m. on Fox): The top 12 dancers twist, turn and tango for the chance to get a ticket on the “Hot Tamale Train.” This is the last week that the judges decide who goes home, and then it will be solely up to America.
◊“V” (7 p.m. on ABC): On the November cliffhanger, Erica looks to uncover a biological threat from the visitors, Anna befriends a special guest inside the mothership and Chad does an investigative report on the V healing centers. The series will return with new episodes in March.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 25, 2009
◊“American Masters” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment focuses on the music of folk singer Woody Guthrie, whose songs have been recorded by artists ranging from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to the Irish rock band U2.
◊“Ben 10: Alien Swarm” (6 p.m. on Cartoon Network): This new live-action movie based on the popular animated franchise follows Ben (Ryan Kelley, “Prayers for Bobby”) as he breaks ranks from the Plumbers — a secret organization that battles alien forces — to help a mysterious young woman from his past uncover an alien threat to our world.
◊“The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now?” (7 p.m. on NBC): This special will feature more that 40 contestants from seasons one through seven, showing how they look now and sharing what they’ve been doing with their lives since being on the show. Former players, some of whom will be surprised by visits from trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, will also share major milestones, from getting married to having children.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): On the show’’s 100th episode, the Behavioral Analysis Unit races to help Hotchner find The Reaper (C. Thomas Howell, “The Outsiders”) and save his family before it’s too late. D.B. Sweeney (”Jericho”) also returns as US Marshall Kassmeyer.
◊“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.
◊“Eastwick” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Thrilled when Darryl arranges an art show for her work at his mansion — and invites New York art maven Greta Noa (Rosanna Arquette) — Roxie forgets that his motives might be less than pure. Joanna turns to her power to get her life back on track, but swiftly discovers that every action, magical or otherwise, has its consequences.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): When Gary lets Louise attend the popular girls party, he tries to keep it a secret from Allison. Meanwhile, Sasha contemplates having more than a working relationship with Gary. Victoria’s Secret Model Marisa Miller guest stars as Brittney, a fashion store clerk.
◊“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Mr. Schuester and his glee club check out their hair-raising competition, but there’s even scarier stuff going on elsewhere, as Kurt gives Rachel a makeover. Eve guest stars as the rival glee club’s instructor.
“The Jazz Baroness” (7 p.m. on HBO2): This special documents the enduring relationship between British-born heiress Pannonica Rothschild (“Nica” for short) and pianist-composer Thelonious Monk. It was directed by Nica’s great-niece Hannah Rothschild and features the voice of Helen Mirren (”The Queen”), who reads Nica’s words.
◊“Man Shops Globe” (9 p.m. on Sundance): Keith Johnson, buyer-at-large for the innovative specialty retailer Anthropologie, continues his search for unusual good while on vacation in Argentina. In the Palermo area, he combs through the offerings at a flea market, checks in with his favorite fabric merchant, who sells hand-loomed pieces from remote parts of the country and takes in two stores specializing in 20th Century pieces.
◊“Man v. Food” (9 p.m. on Travel Channel): Host Adam Richman visits Little Rock, Ark., to taste the mammoth Quadruple Hubcap Burger and compete in the Shut Up Juice Spicy Pulled Pork Challenge.
◊“Modern Family” (7 p.m. on ABC): Claire and Mitchell’s mother, Dede (Shelley Long,” Cheers”), drops in for a surprise visit and is determined to make amends with everyone she offended during what has been deemed “the incident” at Jay and Gloria’s wedding.
◊“Secrets of the Dead” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The episode “Mumbai Massacre” revisits the events of Nov. 26, 2008, when a wave of orchestrated terrorism was transmitted live around the world via cell phones, the Internet, texting and social networks such as Twitter. That same technology enabled the terrorists to coordinate and plan their attacks.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Ricardo Montalban was born on this day in 1920, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of his films, including 1952’s “My Man and I” (9:45 a.m.), 1966’s “The Money Trap” (3:15 p.m.) and 1966’s “The Singing Nun” (5 p.m.).
◊“A Very Monkey Christmas” (7 a.m. on OETA-13): This holiday special finds Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat preparing for Christmas, when they encounter a dilemma–neither can figure out what to give the other for a present. It features classic Christmas carols, as well as three original songs –”Are You Ready?”, “Something As Special as You”, and “Christmas Monkey.”
THURSDAY, NOV. 26, 2009
◊“2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” (8 a.m. on NBC): “Today” show’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker will co-host the 83rd annual event, which has aired on NBC since 1948. More than 8,000 participants, including marching bands, celebrities, clowns, floats and giant helium balloons, will once again convene on the Upper West Side to bring the magic of the season to life. Joining the balloon team this year will be Spider-Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald and Sailor Mickey Mouse.
◊“2009 National Dog Show Presented by Purina” (11 a.m. on NBC): Three new American Kennel Club-recognized breeds — the Irish Red and White Setter, Norwegian Buhund and Pyrenean Shepherd — will be among more than 150 breeds competing for best in breed, group winner and best in show honors at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. America’s top-ranked show dog, a Scottish Terrier named Sadie, is also entered in the event, which is co-hosted by John O’Hurley (”Seinfeld”) and David Frei (expert analyst).
◊“Beyonce: I Am … Yours” (8 p.m. on ABC): An intimate performance of Beyonce’s appearance at the Encore at Wynn in Las Vegas last summer in which she tells the story of her career through music and dance. It includes never-before-seen footage of her off stage life and rare childhood video.
◊“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (7 p.m. on ABC): In this 1973 animated special, the pressure is on for Charlie Brown after Peppermint Patty decides she and the gang will have Thanksgiving dinner at ‘‘Chuck’s” house. The holiday classic is followed by “This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers,” in which Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew experience firsthand the lifestyle of the early settlers and celebrate the first Thanksgiving.
◊“CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” (8 p.m. on CNN): Anderson Cooper (”Anderson Cooper 360″) hosts the third annual event that spotlights everyday citizens changing the world. Culled from more than 9,000 submissions and selected by a Blue Ribbon panel that included Whoopi Goldberg,Elton John, Kirk Cameron and Ted Turner, the Top Ten Heroes will each be awarded $25,000. Also, Carrie Underwood will perform at the gala.
◊“Cool Tools Hardware Show 2009″ (7 p.m. on DIY): “Cool Tools” host Chris Grundy visits the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas to check out more than 850,000 square feet of the latest in tools.
◊“Kaleidoscope” (3 p.m. on Fox): This holiday variety special features Olympic skating champions and Grammy Award-winning music artists. Scott Hamilton, who will kake his first television performance since being diagnosed with a brain tumor five years ago, will skate to the music of fellow cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John. Also performing will be Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan and Olympic figure skating hopefuls Johnny Weir and Rachael Flatt.
◊“NBC’s People of the Year” (8 p.m. on NBC): Matt Lauer (“Today”) looks back at the year’s most memorable celebrities, politicians and pop stars and invites the public to vote on-line for the person of the year.
◊“Paul McCartney: Good Evening New York City” (9 p.m. on ABC): This special was taped last summer when Paul McCartney performed at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY. Also featured is footage of the Beatles concert at Shea Stadium 44 years ago, as well as an interview with McCartney talking about those early days and what it was like to return and sing many of those Beatles songs today.
◊“Punkin Chunkin 2009″ (8 p.m. on Science Channel): This special highlights the Delaware-based World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association (WCPCA) competition, in 110 competitors from 20 states try to launch a pumpkin one mile. “The Road to Punkin Chunkin” at 7 p.m. captures the high pressure blowups, breakdowns and sparks throughout the journey for chunkin glory.
◊“The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS” (8 a.m. on CBS): Maggie Rodriguez and Dave Price from “The Early Show” will anchor the event, which will feature the 83rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiivng Day Parade live from New York City, as well as a performance by country music artist Reba McEntire from Oklahoma. Additional performances during the parade include the Broadway casts of “West Side Story” and “Ragtime” and the off-Broadway cast of “Dreamgirls.” And Jamie Kennedy (”Ghost Whisperer”) will offer an additional viewpoint of the parade as the “Man on the Street” as he reports and interacts with the crowd.
◊“There’s a Rhino In My House” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): Safari park owners Judy and John Travers have devoted their lives to protecting black rhinos in eastern Zimbabwe. When a tragic turn of events leaves a baby rhino, warthog and hyena orphaned, Judy takes on the task of rasing all three in her home.
FRIDAY, NOV. 27, 2009
◊“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Best from the Road” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Host Guy Fieri takes a look back at some of his most memorable visits to joints across the country. The special highlights local favorites, good food and crazy characters.
◊“Great Performances” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Superstar Sting welcomes the holidays with an atmospheric musical celebration of wintertime.The special, taped near his hometown of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in northern England, features new songs, as well as Sting’s interpretation of classical favorites.
◊“I’m in the Band” (5:45 p.m. on Disney XD): This is a special preview of a new music-filled comedy series that follows teenager Tripp Campbell (Logan Miller, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”) as he joins his favorite “vintage” rock band, Iron Weasel, and sets out to help them make an epic comeback. The series is scheduled to premiere in January.
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): Allison slips into a coma during a murder investigation and her spirit inhabits the body of a man named Todd Emory (Jeffrey Tambor, “Arrested Development”), who may be a suspect in the case.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA Network): Monk returns to the place where he first heard about Trudy’s murder and kicks off an investigation of great significance. Casper Van Dien (“Starship Troopers”) guest stars.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team has only four hours to stop a group of hijackers who take a bus full of Hollywood tourists hostage. Fisher Stevens (”Early Edition”) guest stars.
◊“Say Yes to the Dress: Nightmares and Dreams” (8 p.m. on TLC): This special installment highlights some of the most entertaining, emotional and plain wacky moments from the previous three seasons, including loud bridal parties, opinionated moms, picky brides and extremely unusual requests.
◊“Shameless” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Season 5 of the award-winning British comedy series follows the lives of the Gallagher clan and their extended network of lovers, friends and foes at a public housing project in Manchester, England.
◊“Skyrunners” (4 p.m. on Disney XD): This new sci-fi adventure movie follows teenage brothers Tyler (Joey Pollari) and Nick Burns (Kelly Blatz, “Aaron Stone”) who commandeer a small UFO that crashes near their town. They soon learn the spacecraft is “alive” and there’s an alien plot to take over Earth.
◊“VH1 Storytellers: Foo Fighters” (10 p.m. on VH1): This special features a collection of the Foo Fighters’ greatest hits as well as a performance of their new single “Wheels.” Viewers will also get to hear the band members share their stories and inspiration behind each song.
SATURDAY, NOV. 28, 2009
◊“Big Time Rush” (7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon): This is a special preview of a new comedy series that chronicles the journey of four best friends who are given the opportunity of a lifetime when they get a chance to be part of the Los Angeles pop music scene. The series is scheduled to premiere in early 2010.
◊“Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure” (9 a.m. on ABC Family): This one-hour animated movie features Meaghan Martin (“10 Things I Hate About You”) and Jonathan Morgan Heit (“Bedtime Stories”) as the voices of Easton and Weston, two high-strung elves who monitor the North Pole Weather Center. It features the new song “When You Dream” by Tena Clark, music producer, songwriter and CEO/chief creative officer of DMI Music & Media Solutions.
◊“Magic of Audrey” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This special captures the allure and charisma of actress Audrey Hepburn and includes film clips and rare footage of screen tests and interviews.
◊“The National Tree” (7 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Evan Williams (”Degrassi: The Next Generation”) stars as a 17-year-old video blogger who submits the winning entry in a contest to find a new national Christmas tree. The Sitka Spruce was planted when he was born by his father (Andrew McCarthy, “St. Elmo’s Fire”), and the two of them drive it to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony with the President.
◊“Sandra Lee Celebrates: Holiday Homecoming” (7 p.m. on Food Network): Sandra Lee helps create a holiday homecoming part for Christina Sobiloff, a Peace Corps Volunteer stationed in Burkina Faso, Africa, who returns home to Creskill, N.J., for the holidays.
◊“The Suze Orman Show” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Host Suze Orman talks to “The Biggest Loser” trainer Jilian Michaels about the health-wealth connection.The episode also features never-before-seen clips of Suze’s one-on-one meetings with “The Biggest Loser” contestants.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Nov. 1-7, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which
includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of Nov. 1:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, NOV. 1, 2009
◊“Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team looks into the 1944 murder of the top pilot from the WASP program, a pioneering group of civilian women who volunteered to fly non-combat missions for the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII. Guest stars include Michael Learned (”The Waltons”) as a former WASP pilot, John Aniston (”Days of Our Lives”) as a WWII Army Air Force pilot veteran and Daniel Baldwin (”Grey Gardens”) as Moe Kitchener, who is out on bail awaiting his trial for running Lilly’s car off the road.
◊“Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): In this new primetime special, Dora continues her magical storybook adventure from last fall (“Dora Saves the Snow Princess”), when the magic crystal that the Snow Princess gave her are stolen by a greedy king (voiced by Richard Kind, “Spin City”). Dora and Boots must help locate the crystals and turn the pale gray kingdom back into a colorful wonderland.
◊“Duel with the Devil” (9 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary follows members of the special homicide task force in Guatemala City as they risk their lives solving thousands of homicides that occur every year.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Celebrity volunteer Clint Black (“The Celebrity Apprentice”) and the team travel to Daviess County, KY, to tell Steve and Melissa Mattingly that their small single-wide trailer will be replaced by a newly constructed home built in seven days.
◊“Food Network Challenge” (7 p.m. on Food Network): Four cake designers make cakes based on the four main characters from “The Simpsons.” The designers must team up with a “Simpsons” super fan to ensure that every detail of the cake is just right.
◊“Kristi Yamaguchi & Friends” (3 p.m. on NBC): Featuring the musical talents of The Backstreet Boys, who are touring in support of their new album, “This Is Us,” this skating exhibition will showcase Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi and her skating friends. Among them are four-time world champion Kurt Browning, eight-time British champion Steven Cousins and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva.
◊“Masterpiece Contemporary” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Juliet Stevenson (”Truly, Madly, Deeply”) stars as a TV journalist who reopens the unsolved 1963 disapperance of a 13-year-old girl in “Place of Execution,” a thriller adapted from a novel by Val McDermid (”Wire in the Blood”).
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Born Wild: The First Days of Life” follows the birth and first day of several species, from marmoset to moose and elephant to gorilla.
◊“Nostradamus Decoded” (7 p.m. on Discovery): This special exposes the truth about the world’s greatest prognosticator and offers insight into human nature itself.
◊“Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse” (7 p.m. on Documentary Channel): A tale of two brothers trying to piece together their family history amidst the mess of their deceased mother’s apartment. The saga involves baronesses and counts, stolen lovers and Nazi officers, lawsuits and counter lawsuits and lots of cats.
◊“Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew” (9 p.m. on VH1): Dr. Drew Pinsky and a team of experts on sexual addition guide eight patients through an extensive program in order to get to the root of their compulsive behavior.◊“Strange Sex” (9 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special explores the world of sexual medical anomalies, including a diagnosed sex addict trying to get her life in order and a woman who is allergic to her husband’s semen.
◊“Styl’d” (9 p.m. on MTV): This new series takes viewers inside the competitive world of fashion by following five junior stylists at the Margaret Maldonado Agency. Each week, they assist with the styling of celebrities for various events including music videos, movie premieres and red carpet events.
◊“Three Rivers” (8 p.m. on CBS): In order to save his life, Andy tries a risky new procedure on his wife’s partner who suffers from an aortic aneurysm. Lennie James (”Jericho”) guest stars as Dr. Timothy Maguire, a cardiologist.
MONDAY, NOV. 2, 2009
◊“For the Love of Ray J” (8 p.m. on VH1): R&B artist Ray J is back to find his soul mate. When things with Season 1 finalist Cocktail didn’t end well, VH1 found a new group of 18 women to vie for Ray J’s heart.
◊“Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. on CW): Olivia (”Hilary Duff, “Lizzie McGuire”) says something she regrets during her appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s talk show and tries to keep Dan from finding out.
◊“Ham on Turkey” (2 p.m. on Fine Living Network): George Duran, host of “Ham on the Street,” stages a Mayflower pizza party and unveils the hottest trend in turkey roasting — the bicycle-powered mega-rotisserie.
◊“Heroes” (7 p.m. on NBC): Hiro gets a second chance to save the love of his life. Elsewhere, H.R.G.’s past with his Primatech partner (Elizabeth Rohm, “Law & Order”) is revealed.
◊“I Want to Work for Diddy” (9 p.m. on VH1): Sean “Diddy” Combs returns for a second season in search of a new assistant. He will challenge 11 new hopefuls to see who has the talent and motivation to work for him.
◊“The People V. Leo Frank” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This program dramatizes the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan and the trial and lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory supervisor accised of her murder. The cast is led by Will Janowitz (”The Sopranos”) and Seth Gilliam (”The Wire”).
◊“Poliwood” (6:30 p.m. on Showtime): Academy Award winner Barry Levinson (”Rain Man”) directed this look at the collision and collusion between politics, Hollywood and the media. Among the celebrities featured are Annette Bening, Susan Sarandon, Hayden Panettiere, Matthew Modine and Tulsa native Alfre Woodard.
TUESDAY, NOV. 3, 2009
◊“90210″ (7 p.m. on CW): DJ Samantha Ronson guest stars as herself, offering dating advice to Navid. Rumer Willis (“Sorority Row”) also guest stars in the episode that features a performance by Pharrell and N.E.R.D.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): The contestants head to Washington D.C. for an unforgettable week that includes a visit to the White House kitchen and the biggest workout in the show’s eight-year history.
◊“By the People: The Election of Barack Obama” (8 p.m. on HBO): Filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams chronicle the presidential campaign of Barack Obama starting from nearly a year before he announced his candidacy. Interwoven with the drama of the campaign is never-before-seen footage of Obama behind the scenes, as well as interviews and candid moments with wife Michelle Obama, the couple’s young daughters, Malia and Sasha, and senior campaign staff, volunteers, reporters, supporters and opponents. Rice, who grew up in Oklahoma City, conceivced the idea of making the documentary when she saw Obama’s 2004 convention speech on TV.
◊“The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): As Alicia works with Will on the appeal of a death row inmate, she agrees to a conjugal visit with Peter in order to get information from him since her client was convicted under Peter’s regime as state’s attorney. David Paymer (”Mr. Saturday Night”) returns as Judge Richard Cuesta.
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Maggie Gyllenhaal (“SherryBaby”) hosts the new installment titled “Power Paths” that looks at traditional American Indian values regarding conservation and the earth that offer real solutions to America’s energy crisis.
◊“Kathy Griffin: Balls of Steel” (8 p.m. on Bravo): In her seventh original stand-up special for Bravo, two-time Emmy winning comedienne Kathy Griffin dishes about her experience at the Teen Choice Awards with her date, Levi Johnston, and offers her take on recent headlines including Jon and Kate Gosselin, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus.
◊“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 (”Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) guest stars as First Defense COO Colonel Merton Bell.
◊“Nova: Becoming Human” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This three-part special investigates new discoveries that are transforming the picture of how we became human. The first installment explores fresh clues about our earliest ancestors in Africa, including the stunningly complete fossil nicknamed “Lucy’s Child.”
◊“Rip-Off!” (8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This special profiles two of the most notorious white-collar criminals in recent memory — Dennis Kozlowski, chief executive of Tyco, and Marcus Schrenker, owner and operator of Heritage Wealth Management.
◊“State of Creativity” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): With strategic placement on I-35 and I-40, drugs are trafficked to all four corners of our country through the boarders of Oklahoma. Drug trafficking brought the street gangs from southern California here in the 1980s and they brought their culture with them. Violence. Robbery. Vandalism. OETA’s newest documentary series takes a look into the gangster lifestyle and discovers a solution that breaks the cycle of this dangerous culture.
◊“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Tabatha Coffey returns for a second season to help transform the lives and businesses of salon owners in the Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami areas. Fans first met her as an acerbic contestant on the first season of “Shear Genius.” Since that time, Tabatha has earned respect for her unapologetic, brutally honest approach.
◊“V” (7 p.m. on ABC): In this reimagining of NBC’s 1983 miniseries, a bunch of charismatic extraterrestrials led by Anna (Morena Baccarin, “Firefly”) captivates most of Earth’s population. But FBI counterterrorism agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell, “Lost”) suspects the aliens have a far more sinister agenda.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 2009
◊“Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize 2009″ (7 p.m. on OETA-13): A roster of top-flight American comics including Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock salutes the Emmy-winning actor as he becomes the recipient of the 12th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The special includes clips of his career highlights from stand-up appearances as well as his groundbreaking role on “I Spy” and the sitcoms that later bore his name.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit tracks a serial killer who keeps the eyes of his victims as souvenirs. Salli Richardson-Whitfield (”Eureka”) returns as the sister of a murder victim.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Allison is jilted when her new “friend,” Sophia (guest star Nadine Valezquez, “My Name Is Earl”), prefers Gary’s company over hers.
◊“Flowers Uncut” (9 p.m. on TLC): Jeff Leatham, one of the top floral designers in the world, moves from Paris to New York City to set up shop in the event capital of the world. One of his first jobs in an $80,000 floral presentation for the Shila Hotel in Korea.
◊“House of Payne” (8 p.m. on TBS): Kim Fields (”The Facts of Life”) directs two new episodes airing back-to-back. In “Where’s the Payne,” Curtis finds out that he’s being forced into retirement and Calvin discovers that Miranda is missing. In “Recurring Paynes,” Miranda’s mother arrives and confronts Calvin, who has become a suspect in her disappearance.
◊“Johnny Mercer: The Dream’s on Me” (7 p.m. on TCM): Clint Eastwood (“Gran Torino”) executive produced this profile of the gap-toothed composer from Georgia who penned the lyrics, music or both to some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century, including “Hooray for Hollywood,” “Moon River” and “The Days of Wine and Roses.”
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8 p.m. on NBC): When two young girls are similarly murdered a little over a month apart, Detective Odafin Tutuola decides to investigate the gruesome crimes. John Larroquette (“Boston Legal”) guest stars.
◊“Mercy” (7 p.m. on NBC): Sonia gets relationship advice from a patient and begins to question her arm’s-length approach to dating. Jerry Stiller (“The King of Queens”) and Ann Meara (“Archie Bunker’s Place”) guest star.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine considers herself popular by association when Ritchie is asked to a dance by the most popular girl in school, and Matthew and Richard try to evict an elderly woman (Marion Ross, “Happy Days”) from the apartment they hope to rent.
◊“Strange Sex” (9 p.m. on Discovery Health): This special explores the world of sexual medical anomalies, including a diagnosed sex addict trying to get her life in order and a woman who is allergic to her husband’s semen.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Gig Young was born on this day in 1913, and TCM celebrates by airing nine of his films, including 1950’s “Hunt the Man Down” (11 a.m.) and 1953’s “The Girl Who Had Everything” (4:15 p.m.).
◊“Top Chef All Stars Dinner” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Season 5 fan favorite Fabio Viviani hosts a get-together complete with a challenge as past chef’testants rehash their favorite moments on the series. Chefs taking part include Harold Dieterle (Season 1), Ilan Hall (Season 2), Hung Huynh (Season 3) and Lisa Fernandes (Season 4).
THURSDAY, NOV. 5, 2009
◊“30 Rock” (8:30 p.m. on NBC): While Liz and Pete try to rig the audition process, Tracy and Jenna decide it’s in their best interest to conduct their own search for a new “TGS” actor. Brian Williams (“NBC Nightly News”) guest stars.
◊“Broke and Famous: Willie Aames” (9 p.m. on VH1): This special chronicles the journey of Willie Aames, a once rich and successful celebrity who descended into poverty, as he works to transform and rebuild his life. Sarano Kelley, a financial guru and life coach, will be tasked with giving Willie the wake-up call he needs and helping him to reshape his financial future.
◊“Cold Blood” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This series, beginning its second season, presents competing versions of what may have happened as investigators follow forensic clues in search of the truth.
◊“Community” (7 p.m. on NBC): When the gang finds out Jeff is living out of his car, they offer their help. Eric Christian Olsen (”Fired Up!”) guest stars.
◊“The Doctors” (3 p.m. on KWTV-9): Brooke Burke (”Dancing With the Stars”) joins the daytime talk show as a “Mommy Correspondent.” She will make house calls and act as the liaison between mothers and the doctors — Dr. Travis Stork (E.R. physician), Dr. Lisa Masterson (obstetrician and gynecologist), Dr. Andrew Ordon (plastic surgeon) and Dr. James Sears (pediatrician).
◊“FlashForward” (7 p.m. on ABC): Mark, Demetri, Gough and MI6 agent Fiona Banks (Alex Kingston, “ER”) investigate a Blue Hand club and its possible connection to some recent suicides. Meanwhile, Demetri comes clean with Zoey (Gabrielle Union, “Life”) about his lack of a flashforward.
◊“Gallery” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): After months of painstaking work, Lego brick artist Kurt Zimmerle is back home in Michigan working on his Halloween haunted houses. What he’s left behind is a masterpiece that will benefit Oklahoma City’s poverty stricken children for years to come. Zimmerle constructed about 50 Oklahoma City buildings like the state capital, the Skirvin Plaza, Bricktown and the as yet un-built Devon tower. (The Lego version stands 9 feet tall) out of Lego bricks. Kurt hasn’t done an exact count because he says he does not have time, but he estimates he has used over 1,000,000 bricks to construct OK Cityscapes.
◊“The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Jim and Pam are out of excuses, so they have no choice but to go on a double date with Michael and Helene (Linda Purl, “First Monday”).
◊“The Real Housewives of Orange County” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In Season 5, the Southern California girls welcome Alexis Bellino to the group and say farewell to longtime housewife Jeana Keough. The series also takes a turn with shifting relationships and the tough economy hitting the women and their families hard.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Vivien Leigh was born on this day in 1913, and TCM celebrates by airing four of her films, including 1938’s “A Yank at Oxford” (6:45 a.m.) and 1941’s “That Hamilton Woman” (10:30 am.).
FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 2009
◊“Fanboy and Chum Chum” (8 p.m. on Nickelodeon): This new animated comedy spin-off from the Nicktoons Network series “Random! Cartoons” centers on a comic book-loving 11-year old named Fanboy and his best friend and trusty sidekick, Chum Chum, whose wide-eyed acceptance of the bizarre is the perfect complement to his friend’s enthusiasm and imagination. In every episode, Fanboy and Chum Chum, donning their tights and capes, embark on a daily quest to turn an average day into a fun one.
◊“Ghost Adventures” (8 p.m. on Travel Channel): The crew travels to Poveglia Island in Italy to investigate the cursed ground. Locals and tourists are forbidden from visiting this location.
◊“Ghost Adventures Live: Post Mortem” (7 p.m. on Travel Channel): One week after being locked down live in West Virginia’s Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum for seven hours, Zak, Nick and Aaron relive the best moments of the event.
◊“Greg Behrendt: That Guy From That Thing” (11 p.m. on Comedy Central): Best known for his book “He’s Just Not That Into You,” Greg Behrendt brings his blunt and humorous observations to this stand-up special. He leaves the self-help at home to take action against what Criss Angel did to magic, ponder the nature of God and explain why guys shouldn’t quote lines from porn movies.
◊“Live From Abbey Road” (10 p.m. on Sundance): The music series, back for its third season, features performances and interviews with musicians filmed at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Allison’s car is wrecked, the SUV she rents turns out to have some unusual features, including a satellite radio that allows her to hear other people’s conversations. Faith Prince (”Huff”) guest stars as Lauren Portman, whose daughter causes the damage to Allison’s car.
◊“SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Squared” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): Celebrity guest stars Rosario Dawson, Craig Ferguson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, LeBron James, P!nk, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and Robin Williams appear as themselves in live-action sequences throughout this special, which follows SpongeBob and the Bikini Bottom gang as they reminisce through a series of original, never-before-seen flashbacks. Ricky Gervais narrates the special and Cee-Lo Green (Gnarles Barkley) performs a cover of the SpongeBob theme song to an all-new stop-motion opening title sequence.
◊“Ugly Betty” (8 p.m. on CBS): Matt asks someone else to be his “plus one” at Wilhemina’s fund-raiser for Tibetan orphans. Meanwhile we learn the truth behind Nico’s (YaYa Dacosta, “All My Children”) dire straits.
SATURDAY, NOV. 7
◊“Handy Manny” (7:30 a.m. on Disney): Season 3 of this multicultural series for preschoolers will introduce 10 new tool characters. Guest stars this season include Rosario Dawson (“Gemini Division”) as a marine biologist, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a race car driver, Jim Belushi (”According to Jim”) as a drawbridge operator and Giada De Laurentiis (“Giada at Home”) as the owner of a pizza parlor.
◊“Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers” (8 p.m. on CBS): Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, the world’s top-ranked mixed martial arts heavyweight fighter, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. Also appearing on the live four-fight primetime card are middleweights Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem Miller, who will battle for the recently vacated Strikeforce middleweight title.
◊“Til Debt Do Us Part” (9 p.m. on CNBC): Financial author and columnist Gail Vaz-Oxlade takes a tough-love approach to getting couples in financial crisis to face reality. Some couples are on the verge of bankruptcy and others are just getting by. Either way, they all learn how to work their way out of debt and get the skills they need to plan for their financial future.
◊“Too Late to Say Goodbye” (7 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Rob Lowe stars in this new film inspired by the true story of an outwardly charming couple whose deceit and secret affairs result in fatal consequences. It is based on Ann Rule’s best-selling book.
◊“The Wanda Sykes Show” (10 p.m. on Fox): Wanda Sykes, fresh off her funny HBO special and her recurring role in “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” joins the late-night talk show arena with her own blend of comedy and topical commentary, which is set to include panels to discuss current events.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Oct. 18-24, 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 Oct. 18:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, OCT. 18, 2009
◊“Alex’s Day Off” (8:30 a.m. on Food Network): Alexandra Guarnaschelli, professional chef, working mom and passionate home cook, invites viewers to share her down-to-earth recipes. She shows how cooking her personal and playful style of American, French and Italian fare can be elegant and approachable, with a side of sass.
◊“Brothers & Sisters” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Having just returned from France, Sarah distracts Kitty through chemo treatments with tales of her intense romance with a French artist (Gilles Marini, “Sex and the City”).
◊“Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team delves into the 1970 murder of a musician who tried to keep his involvement with the Philadelphia Soul scene a secret from his strict preacher father for whom he was an organist. Loretta Devine (”Grey’s Anatomy”) guest stars.
◊“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (8 p.m. on HBO): Larry learns to embrace the upside of disability without actually being disabled, and looks to disprove the rumor that Rosie O’Donnell can kick his butt.
◊“An Engtlishman in New York” (9 p.m. on Logo): This film follows the life of famed writer and performer Quentin Crisp at the peak of his career in the late 1970’s. Upon the recent success of Crisp’s famous autobiography-turned-film, “The Naked Civil Servant,” Quentin (John Hurt) leaves the U.K. to offer lectures and performances in New York City. The film explores Quentin’s psyche as he faces the consequences of his casual quip stating that AIDS was “a fad,” leading to social rejection and obscurity.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The design team travels to Lancaster, Texas, to rebuild the home of Carlton Marshall, who lost most of his mobility and all of his hearing after being shot while leading a Dallas Police Department SWAT team. Country singer Trace Adkins is the celebrity volunteer for this build.
◊“Halloween Block Party” (7 p.m. on HGTV): Three families join forces with lifestyle experts and event planners Michael Russo, Kelley Moore and Eddie Ross to create a Halloween neighborhood bash. The special will offer up design tricks and treats on decor, food, pumpkin carving, floral arrangements, tablescapes and entertainment to help viewers get their haunt on this Halloween.
◊“Hannah Montana” (6:30 p.m. on Disney): Hannah fills in for Kara DioGuardi (”American Idol”) alongside judges Andy and Byron on reality show “America’s Top Talent.” Her stint as a guest judge turns complicated when Oliver auditions and delivers a knock-out performance.
◊“I Am a Champion” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This documentary follows three athletes in their quest to compete in the 40th annual Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games held May 13-15 in Stillwater.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The murder of a small-time criminal leads Lewis and Hathaway to a prominent Oxford don-turned-celebrity athiest in “Inspector Lewis, Series II: The Point of Vanishing.”
◊“Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)” (8 p.m. on IFC): This six-part documentary series airing today through Friday will feature interviews with the surviving Python troupe members, who tell their life story and reveal deeper truths alongside the more tried and tested Python history lessons.
◊“Occupation” (7 p.m. on BBC America): This new drama captures the lives of three British soldiers caught physically and emotionally in the cross-fire of the Iraq war. Amid growing sectarian conflict and a boom time fuelled by billions of dollars from the U.S., their dreams of riches, love and making a difference come to define not just their lives but also the occupation itself.
◊“On the Case With Paula Zahn” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): In this new weekly newsmagazine, Paula Zahn steps away from the traditional anchor chair and into the field to interview the pivotal figures shaping stories. Her interviews, including several exclusives where people are speaking for the first time, lift the secrecy on acts of deceit, malice and revenge.
◊“The Simpsons” (7 p.m. on Fox): “Treehouse of Horror XX” features three new tales of the strange, spooky and supernatural. It begins with a homage to classic Alfred Hitchcock movies, followed by a parody of the horror film “28 Days Later” and a nod to the Broadway musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
◊“Storm Chasers” (9 p.m. on Discovery): In Season 3, University of Oklahoma graduate Reed Timmer and his team return with their newly armored chase vehicle “The Dominator,” racing to be first on the storm scene ahead of IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey and his monster tank-like TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle).
◊“Three Rivers” (8 p.m. on CBS): In order to save his life, Andy tries a risky new procedure on his wife’s partner who suffers from an aortic aneurism. Lennie James (”Jericho”) guest stars as Dr. Timothy Maguire, a cardiologist.
◊“Timewatch: The Rebel Pharaoh’s Lost City” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): Archaeologosts in the central Egyptian desert make an extraordinary discovery of an ancient cemetery whee 1,000 people from the Pharaoh’s lost capital of Amarna are buried. The 3,500-year-old bones tell a remarkable new story about these peoplke and their city.
◊“Witness to Waco” (9 p.m. on MSNBC): This new documentary provides an in-depth look into the Branch Davidians, a religious cult led by David Koresh in the late 1980s and early 1990s that ultimately met with a tragic end. Featured are interviews with survivors of the tragedy and rarely-seen footage of David Koresh and other members of the group inside the compound throughout the siege of the property.
MONDAY, OCT. 19, 2009
◊“American Carny: True Tales from the Circus Side Show” (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): Magician Penn Jillette narrates this special that explores the world of American circus entertainers and features behind-the-scenes footage with some of the world’s most interesting acts.
◊“Arthur” (3:30 p.m. on OETA-13): When Lakewood Elementary’s lunch lady Mrs. MacGrady is diagnosed with cancer, Arthur and his friends all react differently to the news. Lance Armstrong (seven-time Tour De France winner) makes a special appearance to show Francine and the Elwood City residents how they can take a stand, or ride a bike, for cancer survivors.
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): While Sheldon settles a score with his nemesis, Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Wolowitz begs Leonard to get Penny to set him up with one of her friends.
◊“Bud Greenspan Presents: Beijing 2008 — America’s Olympic Glory” (6 p.m. on Showtime): With behind-the-scenes footage and a poignant narrative, this film features six American stories. Among those profiled are gymnast Nastia Liukin, swim team captain Jason Lezak and fencers Keeth and Erinn Smart.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander) and Eric Delko return to help the CSIs stop a deadly outbreak in Miami.
◊“Dr. G: America’s Most Shocking Cases” (8 p.m. on Discovery Health): Medical examiner Jan “Dr. G” Garavaglia opens the files on astonishing forensic investigations. She demonstrates how the impact of these deaths extends far beyond the morgues of their investigators.
◊“Extreme Paranormal: New Mexico State Penitentiary” (9 p.m. on A&E): Paranormal investigators Shaun, Nathan and Jason explore an abandoned maximum security lockup where visitors claim the tortured souls of inmates, who were violently murdered in the worst prison riot in U.S. history, still linger. The investigators want to see if there is any truth behind the legend in this potentially volatile paranormal environment and go as far as recreating moments of this horrific event, shedding their own blood, to provoke the violent spirits to show themselves to the cameras.
◊“Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. on CW): Dan invites Olivia (Hilary Duff, “Lizzie McGuire”) to meet Rufus and Lily, which leads to all sorts of problems for the new couple.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): The team takes on the case of a reckless police detective who has a family history of sudden heart failure that killed his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all at age 40. Jon Seda (“Close to Home”) guest stars.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): While Barney tries to convince Robin to become an American citizen, Ted and Marshall’s fabled road trip takes a wrong turn when Marshall invites Lily. Kenny Rogers (“The Gambler”) narrates the audio book played on Marshall and ted’s road trip.
◊“Latin Music USA” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The final two installments of this four-hour series focus on Mexican-Americans in California, Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest creating their own musical voice during the latter half of the 20th century, as well as the Latin pop explosion at the turn of the 21st century that introduced artists such as Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Shakira to the English-language market.
◊“Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags” (8 p.m. on HBO): For generations, New York City’s Garment District was the lifeblood of the city. But in recent years, with the increased globalization of clothing manufacturing, this once-thriving district has continued to shrink. This documentary tells the story of this vanishing industry through the voices of the people who experienced its highs and lows.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on ABC): Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who has been on maternity leave since Aug. 7, returns. “The View” creator, executive producer and co-host Barbara Walters said, “We’ve missed Elisabeth both on and off the air. We’ve missed her opinions and her good humor. I am so happy she is coming back.”
TUESDAY, OCT. 20, 2009
◊“18 Kids and Counting” (8 p.m. on TLC): The Duggars take a trip to Oklahoma to see what life is like working on a farm.
◊“90210″ (7 p.m. on CW): It’s Halloween at the Beverly Hills Beach Club and Adrianna channels Marilyn Monroe to help her deal with the end of her relationship with Navid. Silver and Kelly (Jennie Garth, “Beverly Hills, 90210″) continue to have differing opinions about caring for Jackie (Ann Gillespie, , “Beverly Hills, 90210″).
◊“Catch 21″ (5:30 p.m. on GSN): Contestants on today’s show are “Deal or No Deal” models Leyla Milani, Patricia Kara and Marisa Petroro.
◊“Eyes” (9 p.m. on DirecTV): In the first of seven never-before-seen episodes, Harlan works with a former colleague to uncover a counterfeiting scheme and with a reluctant Las Vegas detective (Stephen Baldwin, “The Usual Suspects”) to stop a burglary ring. The detective drama starring Tim Daly premiered on ABC in 2005 but was canceled after five episodes.
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In “The Warning,” producer-director Michael Kirk sifts through the ashes of the economic meltdown in search of pivotal moments when things might have gone much differently.
◊“The Good Wife” (9 p.m. on CBS): Alicia and Will have only 72 hours to find the smoking gun that proves the train company, and not the three engineers, is responsible for the crash, thus securing the widows their pensions the company is holding back. Martha Plimpton (”Parenthood”) guest stars as the train company’s very pregnant attorney.
◊“Shark Tank” (7 p.m. on ABC): In the season finale, an entrepreneur who sells customized Bobble Heads wants an investment from the sharks to create an extension of his already lucrative business. But it becomes a battle of wills when the Sharks won’t bite unless he gives up a stake in his successful business.
◊“Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?” (7 p.m. on ESPN): This documentary showcases the remarkable influence the United States Football League (USFL) had on football history and looks at what forced the league out of business.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21, 2009
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): The girls put their interviewing skills to the test as they interview Jessica Lowndes from “90210″ on the set of “The Insider.” Kim Kardashian is this week’s guest judge.
◊“CNN Presents: Latino in America” (8 p.m. on CNN): Soledad O’Brien anchors this two-part documentary that examines the growing diversity of America, revealing insight into a changing nation on the eve of the U.S. census that is expected to officially confirm that Latino Americans are the largest minority group within the country. It concludes Thursday.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team hunts a suspect who impregnates young women and has them give birth before murdering them.
Max Gail (”Barney Miller”), Hallee Hirsh (“ER”), Diana Scarwid (“Wonderfalls”) and Mae Whitman (“Acceptance”) guest star.
◊“Dodsworth” (7 p.m. on TCM): Walter Huston reprises his Broadway performance in this 1936 adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ novel. This is the firsy of four classic films picked by guest programmer Dennis Miller The other films Miller presents along with TCM host Robert Osborne are 1949’s “The Third Man” (9 p.m.), 1941’s “Suspicion” (11 p.m.) and 1948’s “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (1 a.m.).
◊“Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Join the opening night festivities for conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s inaugural gala concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
◊“Living With Ed” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): This series chronicles chronicles the lives of eco-activist/actor Ed Begley. Jr. and his frequently exasperated wife Rachelle Carson Begley. The third season will follow the couple as they embark on an unlikely trip to Vegas, a wedding anniversary getaway only Ed could organize and a major home renovation.
◊“Lock ‘N Load” (7 p.m. on Showtime): This new reality series offers viewers a fly-on-the-wall look at “The Shootist” gun store in Englewood, Colo., where expert gunslinger Josh T. Ryan interacts with customers. The hidden camera, revealed after the transaction is completed, insures a particularly candid and revealing take on why we buy guns.
◊“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.
THURSDAY, OCT. 22, 2009
◊“American Chopper” (8 p.m. on TLC): Life at Orange County Choppers is forever changed now that Jr. and Mikey have been squeezed out of the business. Even with all the drama, the guys in the shop must forge ahead as they build a bike for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
◊“Catch 21″ (5:30 p.m. on GSN): Host Alfonso Ribeiro welcomes three of his former castmates from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” to the show as contestants. Taking part in the challenge are James Avery, Tatyanna Ali and Karyn Parsons.
◊“The Jeff Dunham Show” (8 p.m. on Comedy Central): Comic-ventriloquist Jeff Dunham brings his suitcase posse of comedic cohorts — including Walter, Peanut, Bubba J, Jose Jalapeno on a Stick and Achmed the Dead Terrorist — to this new series featuring Dunham and puppets in performance before a live studio audience as well as interacting with people around Los Angeles.
◊“Nitro Circus” (8:30 on MTV): The cast put on the brakes long enough to spill their guts about all the jaw-dropping makes and laughter-inducing misfires from their risk-fuelled second season.
◊“Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory” (8 p.m. on MTV): In Season 2 of the show, where fantasies come alive inside, the adventures have been bigger and the action wilder.
◊“Stateline” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): The lawless black gold boomtowns of early 20th century Oklahoma were a fertile field for the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan’s power faded with the dust bowl but never completely disappeared from Oklahoma. Secret groups survive and operate in towns all over the state to this day.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Joan Fontaine was born on this day in 1917, and TCM celebrates by airing three of her films — 1938’s “Blond Cheat” (10 a.m.), 1952’s “Ivanhoe” (11:15 a.m.) and 1953’s “The Bigamist” (1:15 p.m.).
FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2009
◊“Brothers” (7 p.m. on Fox):Trainor’s newest hostess spreads some juicy rumors to help attract customers to Trainor’s, but when her gossip attracts Nancy O’Dell (“Access Hollywood”), Kim Kardashian (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians”) stops by the restaurant to set the record straight.
◊“Dollhouse” (8 p.m. on Fox): Sierra is forced to face her past as her connection to the Rossum Corporation leads to obsession and murder. Keith Carradine (“Complete Savages”) guest stars.
◊“Medium” (8 p.m. on CBS): On the show’s 100th episode, Allison investigates an infant’s kidnapping. But Joe worries when she becomes too attached to the little boy. Also, Bridgette and Joe are amazed when Marie plays the clarinet perfectly without one lesson while Bridgette struggles to learn to play.
◊“My Super Psycho Sweet 16″ (9 p.m. on MTV): This new original movie produced by MTV tells the story of Madison Penrose (Juliana Guill, “Friday the 13th”), a spoiled high school queen bee, and Skye Rotter (Lauren McKnight, “House of Fear”), the class outcast whose father committed a series of grisly murders. Madison’s plans for the ultimate birthday bash are ruined when Skye’s dad crashes the party.
◊“The Suite Life on Deck” (7:30 p.m. on Disney): When recording artist Jordin Sparks (”American Idol”) comes aboard the S.S. Tipton for a concert, Zack, Cody and Marcus write a song for her to sing.
◊“Supernanny” (7 p.m. on ABC): A dad at odds with his teenage daughter brings his family to the brink on the Season 5 premiere. Supernanny Jo Frost pushes the parents to closely examine their marriage.
◊“Til Death” (7:30 p.m. on Fox): When Doug’s father gives him and Ally a large sum of money, they struggle with the decision to keep it or give it back. Barry Bostwick (“Spin City”) and Richard Lewis (“Anything But Love”) guest star.
◊“Trading the Globe” (7 p.m. on CNBC): This special will teach viewers how to think about emerging markets as a source of returns, how to access these markets and how to incorporate trading them into the formula for success in the coming years.
◊“Ugly Betty” (8 p.m. on ABC): Betty fires on all cylinders to get a big scoop with Gucci’s new designer, Evan York (Hamish Linklater, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”). Meanwhile Daniel begins to attend a bereavement group, where he meets Natalie (Jamie-Lynn Sigler, “The Sopranos”), a sexy girl who takes him out for an interesting night on the town.
◊“White Collar” (9 p.m. on USA Network): Matthew Bomer (”Chuck”) and Tim DeKay (”Carnivale”) wstar in the new drama about an unlikely partnership between a con artist and an FBI agent. In the series premiere, they hunt an elusive and vicious counterfeiter known as the “Dutchman.”
SATURDAY, OCT. 24, 2009
◊“24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto” (9:15 p.m. on HBO): This four-episode, all-access series follows Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, two of boxing’s brightest stars, as they prepare for their Nov. 14 pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas. Pacquiao seeks to continue his reign as the sport’s pound-for-pound king, while Cotto looks to prove that his ring skills are ideal for derailing the Pacquiao express.
◊“The Academy: Orange County Fire” (8 p.m. on Fox Reality Channel): This new series will take viewers on a journey with 28 recruits of differing backgrounds as they endure 18 weeks of intense physical training for the Orange County Fire Authority in California.
◊“Always and Forever” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Rena Sofer (”24″) and Dean McDermott (”Tori and Dean”) star in this new original movie about high school sweethearts who reunite at their high school reunion. As they reminisce over old times, the memories and laughs lead to rekindled feelings from their abandoned relationship.
◊“America’s Cutest Dog” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This special counts down the most cuddly and aww-inspiring canine moments caught on camera.
◊“Blackboards and Bullies: Are Your Kids Safe?” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This special explores the roots of violent incidents in America’s school systems and tangible ways for communities to improve child safety. Using case studies and interviews with leading experts, it shows the consequences of American adolescent violence and provides information to families on how to protect their children.
◊“Extreme Sweets” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Adam Gertler (“Will Work For Food”) goes in search of America’s most unusual sweets, including worm-covered caramel apples and a treat so spicy that he has to sign a waiver to eat it.
◊“Ghost Town” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Gil Gerard (“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”) and Billy Drago (“Charmed”) star in this film about a busload of college students that takes a wrong turn on a back road and ends up in a town inhabited by the ghosts of outlaws who return to earth every 13 years to refight a shoot-out.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Oct. 11-17, 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 Oct. 11:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2009
◊“Army Wives” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): In the Season 3 finale, Michael and Claudia Joy prepare for Michael’s promotion ceremony although General Ludwig’s visit to Ft. Marshall could mean a big change that will significantly affect the lives of the entire tribe.
◊“Bored to Death” (8:30 p.m. on HBO): Jonathan falls for his latest client (Parker Posey, “The Return of Jezebel James”), the mother of a boy whose skateboard was stolen by a neighborhood bully. Bebe Neuwirth (“Frasier”) also guest stars.
◊“Breast Cancer Examined: An African American Perspective” (6 p.m. on TV One): This documentary probes into the areas of prevention, detection, treatment and empowerment for survivors, their families and friends. Celebrities interviewed include Gabrielle Union (“Night Stalker”), Diahann Carroll (“Dynasty”) and Alaina Reed Hall (“227”).
◊“Bridezillas” (8 p.m. on WEtv): Lacey Jordan insists on having an outdoor wedding ceremony during tornado season in Oklahoma and refuses to come up with a back-up plan. When the big day arrives, so does a major storm, but the bride still refuses to move the ceremony indoors.
◊“Californication” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Hank attends a university mixer hosted by Dean Koons and Felicia (Peter Gallagher, Embeth Davidtz) and consoles his jilted assistant, Jill, the best way he knows how. Charlie celebrates his first talent
signing and winds up in the arms of his new boss (Kathleen Turner).
◊“Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): The team reopens the 2004 case of a teen who was wrongly sent to a juvenile detention center where he was killed before Valens could make good on his promise to get him released. Steven Culp (”JAG”), Adina Porter (”True Blood”) and Cress Williams (”Prison Break”) guest star as employees of the faciloity where the victim was killed.
◊“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (8 p.m. on HBO): Larry rats out Christian Slater at Ted (Ted Danson) and Mary’s (Mary Steenburgen) anniversary party, but later gets his payback at a restaurant rendezvous with an old flame (Sherry Stringfield).
◊“Discovering Ardi” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This special documents the find and study of a 4.4 million-year-old female partial skeleton nicknamed “Ardi.” The scientific investigation that began in the Ethiopian desert 17 years ago opens a new chapter on human evolution, revealing the first evolutionary steps our ancestors took after we diverged from a common ancestor we once shared with living chimpanzees. “Ardi’s” centerpiece skeleton, the other hominids she lived with, and the rocks, soils, plants and animals that made up her world were analyzed in laboratories around the globe. The scientists have now published their findings in the prestigious journal Science.
◊“Drop Dead Diva” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): In the season finale entitled “Grayson’s Anatomy,” everyone at the firm is up in arms when they anticipate Parker is going to make an announcement of the newest partner. Jane finally decides to move on with her life, but when she receives an unexpected visit from a man from her past, she has to rethink all she knows about life and love. Paula Abdul (”American Idol”) guest stars.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): Ty Pennington and his team travel to Suffield, Conn., to rebuild the small, fire-damaged and deteriorating home of the musical Hill family, who give the gifts of song and inspiration to their community. Xzibit (“Gridiron Gang”) will be the celebrity volunteer for this build.
◊“Girls Next Door” (9:30 p.m. on E!): A new season of this reality series takes viewers behind closed doors of the Playboy Mansion to reveal the world of Hugh Hefner through the eyes of the women who live, play and party with him. Last season’s shocking break-ups send Hef on a search for love in all new places with current girlfriends identical twins Karissa and Kristina and Crystal Harris by his side.
◊“Leave it to Lamas” (10 p.m. on E!): This new series follows the antics of “The Bachelor” winner Shayne Lamas as she works, plays and navigates life in Los Angeles with her close-knit family. From her always meddling mother Michele Smith, to her famous father Lorenzo Lamas, to her opinionated siblings A.J. and Dakota, there’s never a shortage of fun, excitement or drama for this family.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Not all the melodrama is on the stage as Lewis and Hathaway sift through the motives of many suspects who may have murdered a young actor in a student production of “The Merchant of Venice” and subsequently strangled a campus critic in “Inspector Lewis, Series II: Quality of Mercy.”
◊“Unbelievable Flying Objects” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Network): This special highlights some ideas in the history of aviation that didn’t quite work — from the vertical “Pogo” plane to the disastrous Gobin nicknamed the “Flying Egg” to the efforts to build a submarine that flies.
MONDAY, OCT. 12, 2009
◊“The 100 Mile Challenge” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): This six-part series follows six families in Mission, British Columbia, as they take on the challenge to eat food grown and produced within a 100 mile radius for 100 days. As the kitchen cupboards are stripped bare, the families begin to panic as they soon discover it is not going to be as easy as it first appeared.
◊“Arthur” (3:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Capote”) lends his voice as director Will Toffman in the 13th season premiere “No Acting Please.” When Fern lands a role in the Elwood City community production of “It Began With a Whistle,” she fears she’s not talented enough to be a star actress. But Will Toffman teaches Fern how to have fun, be herself and truly shine.
◊“Broke: The New American Dream” (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This film by director and author Michael Covel brings America’s 2007-09 economic crisis into the forefront through interviews with Nobel Prize winners Dr. Harry Markowitz and Dr. Vernon Smith, Bill Miller of Legg Mason, David Harding of Winton Capital, and dozens of other Wall Street pros, real estate agents, professional poker players, reporters, athletes and ordinary citizens. The investigation breaks new ground in the field of behavioral finance and dispels the belief that government can solve personal money woes.
◊“Catch 21″ (5:30 p.m. on GSN): Season 3 of the game show hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro will feature a number of celebrity guest episodes, including appearances by Ribeiro’s former castmates on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and stars from “The Biggest Loser.”
◊“Gone Too Far” (9 p.m. on MTV): This new documentary series hosted and created by Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein chronicles young addicts between the ages of 20-25 in the grip of addiction who are offered a chance at recovery. Goldstein died Aug. 28 of an accidental drug overdose.
◊“House” (7 p.m. on Fox): A wealthy businessman brings his teenage son, who is suffering from inexplicable stomach pains, to Princeton Plainsboro and insists on having Dr. House handle the case. The father of the patient believes the karmic penalty of his financial success is that he is victim to personal tragedy, and that the answer to his son’s medical mystery lies in a reverse of fate rather than medical treatment. Lee Tergesen (“Oz”) guest stars.
◊“Latin Music USA” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Jimmy Smits (“The West Wing”) narrates this survey of American music that was forged from strong Latin roots. The first hour, “Bridges,” traces the rise of Latin jazz and the surging popularity of the mambo and the cha-cha. The second hour, “The Salsa Revolution” explores how New York Latinos reinvented traditional Puerto Rican styles by adding soul and jazz elements to create salsa.
◊“Little People, Big World” (7 p.m. on TLC): Season 5 features more heart-warming moments and real-life challenges for the Roloff family, which is comprised of both little and average height people. Matt and Amy start to explore new territory as their oldest children are ready to start their own lives. They are left with different ideas on how to fill their time and have to figure out what will be their next chapter in life.
◊“Million Dollar Listing” (10 p.m. on Bravo): Season 3 of this series takes viewers inside the high-stakes, cutthroat world of real estate, where Josh Flagg, Madison Hildebrand and Chad Rogers struggle to ink their million dollar deals during this economic downturn.
◊“The Rachel Zoe Project” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the Season 2 finale, Rachel is juggling a high fashion editorial photo shoot and the launch of the Rachel Zoe brand. But when Taylor threatens to walk out the door, the stress causes a relapse of Rachel’s vertigo.
TUESDAY, OCT. 13, 2009
◊“Frontline” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the Season 28 premiere “Obama’s War,” correspondent Martin Smith travels across Afghanistan and Pakistan to see how the president’s new strategy is taking shape.
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): The documentary series kicks off a new season with “Herb and Dorothy,” a profile of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a postal clerk and a librarian who built one of the most important contemporary art collections in history, proving that you “don’t have to be a Rockefeller” to collect art.
◊“The Newlywed Game” (5 p.m. on GSN): Today’s episode of the game show hosted by Carnie Wilson will feature George Takei (”Star Trek”) and his spouse Brad Altman, the first same-sex couple in the show’s history. Joining them are newlywed couples Christopher Knight (“The Brady Bunch”) and Adrianne Curry (“American’s Next Top Model”) and Damien Gurganius and Nicole Brewer (”The Biggest Loser: Couples 2″).
◊“Hell’s Kitchen” (7 p.m. on Fox): The three remaining chefs have to create one dish from various parts of the world in the Season 6 finale. At the end, one chef is crowned the winner and will receive a head chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Vancouver, Canada.
◊“NOVA: Hubble’s Amazing Rescue” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This special takes viewers on board the telescope for spacewalks and in depth behind the scenes coverage in. The five days in space were just the tip of the iceberg in a 7-year effort by a cast of thousands (instructors, designers and engineers) who made it possible for seven astronauts to risk their lives in a dangerous mission to save the world’s “eye on the universe.”
◊“Planet Mechanics” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): Engineers Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stansfield tame a fuel-guzzling grain dryer by turning cow manure into natural gas. But storing a vast amount of this gas is dangerous.
◊“ReCreating America” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The first installment of this three-part documentary series explores the importance of creativity in education. The four schools visited are a preschool in Tulsa, Flower Mound Elementary School in Lawton, Piedmont Middle School and Santa Fe South High School.
◊“Starz Inside: Zombiemania” (9 p.m. on Starz): Richard Roeper (”Ebert & Roeper”) hosts this special that traces the evolution of the Zombie from its roots in African folklore and Haitian Voodoo to its current role as pop culture icon. It uncovers what it is about these flesh-eating ghouls that appeals to millions of horror enthusiasts.
◊“VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2009″ (8 p.m. on VH1): Tracy Morgan (”30 Rock”) hosts the sixth annual event that commemorates the 25th anniversary of Def Jam Records, one of the most celebrated hip hop labels in the music industry. Performances and presenters include Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Kid Rock, Ludacris, Ashanti, Public Enemy, DMX, Redman, Method Man and Ja Rule.
◊“Yo Gabba Gabba” (noon on Nick Jr.): Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) teaches the Gabba gang the “Alligator Chomp” during the “Dancey Dance” segment.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14, 2009
◊“American Masters” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): “Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound” is the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle both the private life and the public career of the recording artist and political activist. Filmed during her 2008-09 world tour, it includes footage of Baez in concert, as well appearances by Bob Dylan, David Crosby, Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt.
◊“America’s Next Top Model” (7 p.m. on CW): This week’s photo shoot has a martial arts-inspired theme that has the girls hanging by a wire. Supermodel Jessica White appears as a guest judge.
◊“Mary Queen of Shops” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Sassy and straight-talking retail guru Mary Portas gives the ultimate insider’s guide on how to get the most out of shops and shopping and troubleshoots her way around the United Kingdom on a mission to help turn around struggling fashion boutiques – one shop at a time.
◊“Modern Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): Claire and Mitchell’s mother, Dede (Shelley Long, “Cheers”), drops in for a surprise visit and is determined to make amends with everyone she offended during what has been deemed “the incident” at Jay and Gloria’s wedding. Needless to say, no one is thrilled to see her and everything comes to a head when the whole family shows up to dinner at Claire’s house.
◊“Nature, Inc.” (9 p.m. on Planet Green): This new series explores the question of “what if?” and the ripple effect of a world without coral reefs, honeybees and other key species.
“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): After Barb has her lawyer send over divorce papers, Christine hires an aggressive divorce attorney (Corbin Bernsen, “Psych”) who convinces her that Barb owes her alimony.
◊“Nip/Tuck” (9 p.m. on FX): In the Season 6 premiere, Sean and Christian struggle to keep McNamara/Troy successful in this declining economy. Meanwhile, Matt and Kimber have mixed results in their career paths, as Sean keeps himself distant from Teddy.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Lillian Gish was born on this day in 1893, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of her films, including 1923’s “The White Sister” (6 a.m.), 1926’s “The Scarlet Letter” (10 a.m.) and 1946’s “Duel in the Sun” (4:30 p.m.).
◊“Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak” (6 p.m. on HBO): This documentary explores the life and works of celebrated children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, who does not believe in sugarcoating the truth when it comes to communicating with kids.
THURSDAY, OCT. 15, 2009
◊“30 Rock” (8:30 p.m. on NBC): In the Season 4 premiere, Jack informs Liz, Tracy and Jenna that “TGS” needs to make immediate adjustments to become more relatable. Steve Buscemi (“Fargo”) guest stars.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When a policeman kills another officer, the CSIs must look to the evidence to determine if the shooting was premeditated or an accident. Enrique Murciano (”Without a Trace”) guest stars.
◊“E! Investigates: Little Girl Gone” (8 p.m. p.m. on E!): This special tells the story of Riley Fox. 3, who was abused and strangled before her body was dumped in a river. In a shocking turn, Riley’s father, kevin, initially confessed to killing his daughter, but DNA evidence turned the case upside down.
◊“Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): The Fringe team travels to Seattle after learning of a mysterious incident involving a man who attacked his boss because he believed he was an evil ram-horned creature. Ravi Kapoor (“Crossing Jordan”) guest stars.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): The residents of Seattle Grace and Mercy West vie for surgeries and their careers as day one of the hospital merger begins. Meanwhile, Arizona stands by an enraged Callie when her father, Mr. Torres (Hector Elizondo, “Cane”), employs a priest to help convince her to date men.
◊“Los Premios MTV Latin America 2009″ (9 p.m. on MTV Tr3s): The eighth-annual event will feature artists performing in cities throughout Latin American and the United States. Scheduled performers include Alejandro Sanz, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, Miranda!, Nelly Furtado, Paulina Rubio and Wisin & Yandel.
◊“Mall Cops: Mall of America” (9 p.m. on TLC): This special features an action-packed day in the life of the Mall of America as seen through the eyes of the men and women assigned to guard its stores and shoppers.
◊“Nitro Circus” (9 p.m. on MTV): The Circus heads home to Utah to wrap up Season 2. Erik and some skydiving friends strap on their wings and engage in a down and dirty sky-scraping dogfight. The Utah Jazz Bear and his mountain bike take a mean hit on a colossal ski ramp. And a base jump from a 600-foot bridge turns into a near-epic disaster for some of the Nitro cast.
◊“Parks and Recreation” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): Leslie plays host to the Parks and Recreation department from Pawnee’s sister city, Boraqua, Venezuela, and is shocked at the cultural differences. Fred Armisen (”Saturday Night Live”) guest stars.
◊“Pranked” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This finale showcases the best pranks ever caught on camera and posted online. College Humor.com’s Streeter Seidell & Amir Blumenfeld provide commentary.
◊“Private Practice” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”) brings a kidney transplant patient to Los Angeles, and Addison isn’t the only Oceanside Wellness doctor pleased to see her.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on ABC): Kara DioGuardi (”American Idol” judge) will be seated alongside Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd during her second appearance on the show, but her first as a guest co-host. DioGuardi, who joined “American Idol” during the show’s eighth season, is a well-renowned singer/songwriter, record producer, music publisher and A&R executive.
FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 2009
◊“Bartender Wars” (9:30 p.m. on Fine Living Network): In each episode of this new competition series, three bartenders face off in a series of challenges. Host Egypt Sherrod rallies these contestants as they challenge each other from seeing who can get the biggest tips to the most phone numbers to creating the most unusual and delicious cocktails.
◊“Live at Gotham” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): This series, back for Season 4, tapes at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City and features six up-and-coming comedians and one all-star host each episode. The premiere is hosted by Jo Koy and showcases the talent of Deb DiGiovanni, Cory Fernandez, Andy Ritchie, Taylor Williamson, Reese Waters and Wil Sylvince.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA Network): To woo the lone holdout on the reinstatement committee, Monk accompanies Lt. Disher on a scouting trip with the man’s troublesome son. Wade Williams (”Prison Break”) and Alex Wolff (”The Naked Brothers Band”) guest star.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): Don and the team investigate a series of murders which they realize are being copied from scenes out of a soon-to-be-released movie. Adam Goldberg (”Entourage”) guest stars.
◊“Psych” (9 p.m. on USA Network): While working on a case involving an ice cream truck, Shawn stumbles onto something bigger and more deadly. It is up to Gus, Lassiter, Henry and Juliet to find Shawn when they discover he’s been kidnapped.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Angela Lansbury was born on this day in 1925, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of her films, including 1944’s “Gaslight” (6 a.m.), 1946’s “The Harvey Girls” (10 a.m.) and 1966’s “Mister Buddwing” (5:15 p.m.).
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 4 premiere, which was delayed from last week, Betty finds that everything is changing as she begins her new job as associate features editor. Lynn Redgrave (“Teachers Only”) and Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock from the Sun”) guest star.
SATURDAY, OCT. 17, 2009
◊“2009 Really Awards” (9 p.m. on Fox Reality Channel): Vivica A. Fox (”Curb Your Enthusiasm”) hosts the fourth annual event that celebrates the best in reality television.
“Head Games” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): This new trivia series hosted by Greg Proops (“True Jackson, VP”) and executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg (”The View”) uses humor and fascinating science facts to challenge the intellect of contestants and viewers and test their knowledge about peculiar, unexpected information from the natural and scientific world. Contestants go brain-to-brain to determine who knows more funky facts and in the end, the winner walks away with some cold hard cash.
◊“Jon Reep: Metro Jethro” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Jon Reed, the redheaded redneck who won Season 5 of “Last Comic Standing,” brings his energy, non-stop characters and clever writing to the stage in this new stand-up special.
◊“Phineas and Ferb” (7 a.m. on Disney XD): Baljeet takes a break from his intense studying to go around town inside a giant bubble with Phineas and Ferb. And Isabella, Adyson and the rest of the Fireside Girls go on an adventure to obtain a patch for sap collecting. Jane Leeves (“Frasier”)and Judd Nelson (“Suddenly Susan”) guest star.
◊“Saturday Night Live” (10:29 p.m. on NBC): Gerard Butler (”300″) makes his SNL debut as host. Musical guest is Shakira, who boasts a string of chart-topping hits in both English and Spanish and sales of over 50 million records.
◊“Sorority Wars” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): This original movie follows Katie (Lucy Hale, “Privileged”), a college freshman who has been groomed from birth to continue her mother’s (Courtney Thorne-Smith, “According to Jim”) legacy with the Deltas. An all out sorority war begins when Katie has doubts about the Deltas and pledges another house.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Sept. 13-19, 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 Sept. 13:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 2009
◊“2009 MTV Video Music Awards” (8 p.m. on MTV): Russell Brand (”Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) returns as host of the 26th annual event. Beyonce and Lady Gaga, who earned nine nominations each, are scheduled to perform along with Taylor Swift, Green Day, Jay-Z and P!nk.
◊“Defying Gravity” (9 p.m. on ABC): An impending solar flare threatens the crew of the Antares with dangerous radiation, while the strange force in Pod 4 finally sends out a siren call that proves utterly irresistible.
◊“Drop Dead Diva” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Jane is determined to see if she can get a boutique to drop its refusal to sell plus sized clothing after being told the store doesn’t sell that kind of clothing. Paula Abdul (”American Idol”) guest stars.
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): The guys step up their security following a suspicious break-in. And Drama follows up on an insider tip on Vince’s suspected stalker.
◊“Hung” (9 p.m. on HBO): In the first-season finale, Tanya ends up battling Lenore for control of Ray, who is worried about his future after hearing rumors from Mike about layoffs at school.
◊“HGTV Design Star” (9 p.m. on HGTV): The final two designers go head to head in making over an entire home for a deserving family. Even with the help of a crew of carpenters, it’s a daunting task that takes everything they’ve got. When the dust settles, the final two designers stand before the judges one last time, and a new Design Star is chosen.
◊“King of the Hill” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the series finale, Bobby becomes quite the ladies’ man when several girls in his class consider him a potential date for the Homecoming dance. And Hank is shocked when his mother announces she is marrying a man she has only known for a few weeks.
◊“Life After” (9 p.m. on TV One): Omarosa (”The Apprentice”), Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (”Brothers”) and Al Reynolds (Star Jones’ ex) participate in this new series that explores the turning points in celebrities’ lives.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new episode “Inspector Lewis, Series II: Life Born of Fire,” Lewis learns about a religious group that seems to be targeted by a serial killer.
◊“Mega Beasts” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Each episode of this new six-part series is a detective story, bringing back to life some of the biggest and most ferocious dinosaurs ever to roam the earth. Through fossil clues and modern analogues (animals with similar traits used to suggest the mega beasts’ behavior), scientists piece together what these mysterious creatures looked like, how they behaved, how they fought, what they ate…and what ate them.
◊“One Year Later: The Week That Shook Wall Street” (9 p.m. on CNBC): A look at the unprecedented events of last September that included the 158-year-old investment bank Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, the unexpected union of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch and insurance giant AIG on the brink of collapse before a government bailout.
◊“Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” (6 p.m. on Cartoon Network): This new live-action movie reveals the never-before-told story of how the Mystery Inc. gang first joined forces. The cast features Robbie Amell (”True Jackson”) as Fred, Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma and Nick Palatas as Shaggy. Frank Welker, a member of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! voice-cast, provides the voice of Scooby-Doo.
◊“True Blood” (8 p.m. on HBO): On the second-season finale, the mayhem in Bon Temps reaches a fever pitch as Maryann prepares for her ultimate bestial sacrifice, conscripting Sookie to be maid of honor at the bloody nuptials.
MONDAY, SEPT. 14, 2009
◊“Amazing Wedding Cakes” (9 p.m. on WEtv): In the second-season finale, the CakeGirls get an order for a simple white wedding cake. But what seemed like an easy cake ends up challenging Brenda when she starts to paint a quilted design.
◊“America’s Got Talent” (7 p.m. on NBC): The eight finalists perform live one last time for a chance at the $1 million prize and the title of most talented person in America. The Season 4 winner is revealed live Wednesday.
◊“Design Inc.” (11 a.m. on FLN): Host and designer Sarah Richardson is back for Season 3 of the show that offers an insider’s view into the hectic workings of an interior fine design firm.
◊“The Dr. Oz Show” (11 a.m. on KOCO-5): After five years and 55 episodes as an “Oprah” show regular, Dr. Mehmet Oz launches his own series in syndication.
◊“Dr. Phil” (3 p.m. Monday on KOCO-5): Dr. Phil McGraw will kick off Season 8 from New York City. He met with viewers in taxi cabs and at the famous Carnegie Deli.
◊“Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke” (9 p.m. on VH1): The comedian has eight children, five exes and an entourage of family and friends who make his life complete. Problem is, he is supporting them all. This new series will give viewers a chance to go along for the rollercoaster ride with Eddie as he struggles to manage it all.
◊“Gossip Girl” (7 p.m. on CW): As the summer is drawing to a close, Blair and Chuck are madly in love and adjusting to their new “in a relationship” status, breaking all traditional rules of dating as would be expected.
◊“Greek” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): As Rusty and Jordan are awkwardly deciding when to take their relationship to the next level, the Gotcha Game comes between them as the final two players left in the game. Nora Kirkpatrick (“Dorm Life”) guest stars as the Panhellenic President, Katherine.
◊“Have Fork Will Travel” (4 p.m. on FLN): Food lover and comedian Zane Lamprey travels the globe and tries to broaden his American sensibilities as he encounters a world of strange foods and customs.
◊“Inside the Actors Studio” (7 p.m. on Bravo): Join Peter, Lois, Brian the Dog and Stewie as they recount the years they’ve spent together on the Emmy-nominated animated series “Family Guy.” The actors who provide their voices — Seth McFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mike Henry and Seth Green — are interviewed by host James Lipton.
◊“Intervention” (8 p.m. on A&E): This episode titled “Intervention in Depth: Addiction in Uniform” focuses on three Iraq veterans who have fallen into substance abuse as a result of their wartime experiences.
◊“The Jay Leno Show” (9 p.m. on NBC): Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno moves to prime time for this weeknight talk-variety hour. His first guests are comic Jerry Seinfeld and musical artists Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna.
◊“Lincoln Heights” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): In Season 4 of the NAACP Image Award-winning family drama, the Suttons find themselves dealing with the aftermath of a major earthquake that rattled the town in last season’s finale and destroyed parts of their home. Lincoln Heights has always been a community in need of nurturing, but now with the devastation brought on by the massive quake, their community is struggling to come together.
◊“Martha Speaks” (1 p.m. on OETA-13): Season 2 starts with Martha putting a value on decor by dog when her beloved napping chair winds up on the set of “Antiques Roadshow.”
◊“The Martha Stewart Show” (2 p.m. on KSBI-52): For Season 5, homemaking icon Martha Stewart launches a new monthly segment, “American Treasures.” This unprecedented look at landmark locations across the country acts as an on-air companion to print stories that will appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine throughout the year. Skylands, Martha’s home in Maine, marks the first stop of the new series. Viewers will get Martha’s personal tour of this extraordinary home, whose previous owners were Edsel and Eleanor Ford.
◊“Monday Night Football” (6 p.m. on ESPN): Season 40 kicks off with two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady and the New England Patriots taking on wide receiver Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills. The commentator team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser will call the game.
◊“One Tree Hill” (7 p.m. on CW): Nathan learns of a shocking accusation that could threaten his career, much to the chagrin of his sports agent Clay (new series regular Robert Buckley, “Lipstick Jungle”).
◊“The Oprah Winfrey Show” (4 p.m. on KOCO-5): Oprah launches her 24th season with what she calls “the most anticipated music interview of the decade,” a must-see television event with singing icon Whitney Houston. This marks Houston’s first interview in nearly seven years and follows the release of her highly touted new album, “I Look To You” on Aug. 31.
◊“The View” (10 a.m. on KOCO-5): Today and Tuesday, Kate Gosselin (”Jon & Kate Plus 8″) sits in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is on maternity leave until mid-October.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2009
◊“90210″ (7 p.m. on CW): Naomi is still furious with Annie from prom night and contemplates sending out a sexually explicit text message of Annie as payback. John Schneider (”Smallville”) and Rumer Willis (”Sorority Row”) guest star.
◊“Big Brother” (8:01 p.m. on CBS): The series will cap its 11th season with a live two-hour broadcast where the winner will be revealed and the houseguests will then tell-all about their explosive summer for a special season-ending event.
◊“The Biggest Loser” (7 p.m. on NBC): Host Alison Sweeney and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels return for an eighth season of the hit weight-loss show, this time built around “second chances” for the 16 contestants which include Oklahomans Danny Cahill and Sean Algaier.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): William tries to help an old friend (Richard Lewis, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) commit to getting clean and kicking a habit that is jeopardizing his life with his wife and two kids. PK (Whoopi Goldberg, “The View”) tries to plan a surprise party in honor of William’s seven-years-sober anniversary.
◊“Eyes” (9 p.m. on DirectTV): This 2005 series, which which was canceled by ABC after five episodes, returns via DirecTV’s 101 Network, and all 12 episodes produced will air uncut, commercial free and in HD.
◊“More to Love” (7 p.m. on Fox): In the Season 1 finale, Luke has his final one-on-one dates with the two remaining women and is forced to make a difficult decision.
◊“P.O.V.” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): In “The Principal Story,” elementary school principals Tresa Dunbar and Kerry Purcell face similar challenges at their Chicago and Springfield, Ill., schools.
◊“Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” (9 p.m. on HBO): This installment looks at the deadly consequences of high school football concussions, the relationship between blacks and swimming and the decline of the sports section in U.S. newspapers.
◊“Retirement Revolution” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Paula Zahn (”Paula Zahn Now”) hosts this special in which experts analyze the financial problems of retirement and demonstrate ways to richer, healthier retirement years.
◊“Ruby & the Rockits” (7:30 p.m. on ABC Family): Shirley Jones (”The Partridge Family”) guest stars as David and Patrick’s mother, Shirley, visiting from Pittsburgh. Ruby and Shirley are off to a rocky start when Shirley insists Ruby call her Mrs. Gallagher instead of Grandma.
◊“Shaq VS” (8 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 1 finale, Shaquille O’Neal challenges 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps to a series of swimming races. Leading up to the challenge, Shaq learns the basics and get swimming tips from Michael Phelps’ swimming coach Bob Bowman.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16, 2009
◊“The Beautiful Life: TBL” (8 p.m. on CW): In this new series, modeling hopefuls quickly learn that behind the beautiful facade is a world of insecurity and cut-throat competition.
◊“Dark Blue” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the Season 1 final, Carter is the prime suspect in the killing of an undercover DEA officer, with Jaimie, Ty and Dean as witnesses to the shooting. But Carter’s recollection of the event involves a third person in a blue car, something none of the others remember seeing. Andrea Roth (”Rescue Me”) guest stars
◊“Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League” (7 p.m. on Showtime): This five-part documentary follows the birth of the only league to successfully rival the NFL from its innovative and wild beginnings to the most stunning upset in pro football history and the eventual powerhouse merger.
◊“Glee” (8 p.m. on Fox): Will forms the Acafellas, an all-male acapella vocal group, and spends more time building his own confidence than he does with the glee club. In Will’s absence, the glee club decides to hire a well-known choreographer to help coach them to Nationals. Victor Garber (”Alias”) and Josh Groban (musical artist) guest star.
◊“Great Performances” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): In the special “Vienna Philharmonic Summer Concert 2009,” conductor Daniel Barenboim leads the Vienna Philharmonic in an open-air performance that includes Mozart’s “A Little Night Music” Johann Strauss’ ‘‘1001 Nights Waltz.”
◊“Truth Be Told” (8 p.m. on TLC): Three different families reveal their innermost thoughts and moments as they let the cameras witness daily life coping with Autism, Down’s syndrome and Epidermolysis Bullose (a terminal disease that causes skin to blister and detach).
◊“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans coach the best up-and-coming mixed martial artists in the heavyweights division.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 17
◊“Bones” (7 p.m. on Fox): A psychic (Cyndi Lauper, “Vibes”) leads Brennan and Booth to an unmarked grave in the Season 5 premiere.
◊“Community” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): This new comedy focuses on a group of misfits at Greendale Community College. They form a study group and eventually learn more about themselves than their course work.
◊“Extreme Cuisine With Jeff Corwin” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Renowned for his expertise in wildlife and conservation, Jeff Corwin explores human culture through regional cuisine in this new series. With an open mind (and mouth), Jeff enjoys endless surprises as he learns from the natives and samples the exotic foods and local customs that mold each community.
◊“Fringe” (8 p.m. on Fox): Season Two opens with Olivia’s shocking return from a parallel universe, while Peter, unknowingly in a race against time with an ominous mobile force, pursues information about Olivia’s visit.
◊“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (9 p.m. on FX): In Season 5, Dennis, Mac, and Frank go into real estate, while Dee sets out to be a surrogate for a wealthy couple.
◊“The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): Michael feels left out as the rest of the office gossips about the summer interns. While Michael searched for the next juicy rumor to share, Andy struggles with heterosexuality.
◊“Parks and Recreation” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): When Leslie decides to marry two penguins to promote the local zoo, she inadvertently causes an uproar when both penguins turn out to be male.
◊“Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday” (7 p.m. on NBC): For the first two episodes of this new series, Amy Poehler (”Parks and Recreation”) reunites with ◊“Saturday Night Live” star Seth Meyers behind the anchor desk that they shared on “SNL.” They will skewer today’s top stories in primetime.
◊“Survivor: Samoa” (7 p.m. on CBS): In one of the most beautiful “Survivor” locations yet, 20 castaways will be left to fend for themselves among Samoa’s white sand beaches, lush green valleys and towering waterfalls. Despite the picturesque landscape, the castaways will face exposure to elements and wildlife living in the mysterious rainforests that cover rugged volcanic mountain peaks as they try to outwit, outplay and outlast one another to win $1 million.
◊“Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo” (6 p.m. on Cinemax): This documentary follows the lives of the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center women’s team from Taft and their journey as they prepare to compete in the Oklahoma Prison Rodeo against inmates from nine other male penitentiaries.
◊“VH1 Divas” (8 p.m. on VH1): Paula Abdul (”American Idol”) hosts this live concert event featuring singers Adele, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and Miley Cyrus. The special will raise funds for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 2009
◊“The 2009 Alma Awards” (7 p.m. on ABC): Eva Longoria Parker (”Desperate Housewives”) and George Lopez (”The Spy Next Door”) co-host the event that celebrates outstanding achievements of Latinos in entertainment. For the first time in the history of the show, the ALMA Awards will broadcast during National Hispanic Heritage Month, a month in which all Americans learn about the Latino community and celebrate the contributions that Latinos have made to this country throughout its history.
◊“The 2009 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards” (noon on E!): Kathy Griffin (”My Life on the D-List”) hosts the event where Emmys are handed out for technical and artistic achievement in television.
◊“Crash” (9 p.m. on Starz): Dennis Hopper (”Speed”) returns for a second season as record producer Ben Cendars, just out of rehab and searching for clues surrounding a personal mysterious death. Joining the cast this season are Eric Roberts (“Heroes”) as Seth, a billionaire entrepreneur who plans to give Los Angeles a long desired new professional football team; and Linda Park (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) as Maggie, a children’s book author who writes of a joyful life but has trouble living it.
◊“Diego’s Arctic Rescue” (9 a.m. on Nickelodeon): In this new hourlong episode, Diego and Baby Jaguar are visiting the Arctic Wildlife Rescue Center playing with the polar bears when they suddenly hear a cry for help from a Mommy Polar Bear.
◊“Guiding Light” (2 p.m. on CBS): This daytime drama, which has spanned 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes, broadcasts its final episode. Throughout its run, the show has won 69 Daytime Emmy Awards, including three for outstanding daytime drama series.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA Network): To woo the lone holdout on the reinstatement committee, Monk accompanies Lt. Disher on a scouting trip with the man’s troublesome son where nature isn’t the only thing the troop has to fear. Alex Wolff (”The Naked Brothers Band”) and Wade Williams (”Prison Break”) guest star.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Greta Garbo was born on this day in 1905, and TCM celebrates by airing seven of her films, including 1940’s “I Take This Woman” (12:15 p.m.) and 1939’s “Dust Be My Destiny” (3:30 p.m.).
◊“The Troop” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): This new series created by Oklahomans Max Burnett and Greg Coolidge centers on three ordinary high school students who are members of a secret society and faced with the extraordinary task of managing their town’s paranormal population.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19, 2009
◊“Busytown Mysteries” (8 a.m. on CBS): Inspired by the beloved works of best-selling children’s author Richard Scarry, this new series brings the popular adventures of Busytown to preschoolers with an educational, problem-solving twist. Children can follow classic characters such as Huckle, Sally, Lowly, Hilda, Pig Will and Pig Won’t while they scour around Busytown on fun-filled adventures looking for answers to life’s puzzles.
◊“Georgia O’Keeffe” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Joan Allen (”The Contender”) stars in the title role and also serves as producer for this new movie that not only looks at the artist’s provocative, ground-breaking art-work but also delves into her relationship with art dealer/editor Alfred Stieglitz (Jeremy Irons, “Reversal of Fortune”).
◊“Noonbory & the Super 7″ (8:30 a.m. on CBS): When trouble is brewing or super silly villainy is taking place in the whimsical world of Toobalooba, Noonbory and his sensational team of super-sensing problem solvers save the day. Each superhero “bory “has a super sense, including sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, and of course a little common sense and nonsense never hurts.
◊“Reel Impact: The 11th Hour” (7 p.m. on Planet Green): Leonardo DeCaprio (”Revolutionary Road”) narrates this documentary that explores how humanity has arrived at this moment, how we impact the Earth’s ecosystems and what we can do to change our course.
◊“Rollbots” (8 a.m. on CW): In the premiere episode of this new animated series about futuristic robots, Spin and the rest of the Flip City Police Department must deal with a bank robbery on Spin’s first day on the job.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Aug. 23-29, 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 Aug. 23:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, AUG. 23, 2009
◊“Cold Case” (8:59 p.m. on CBS): The team investigates the 1958 murder case of a newlywed Ivy League graduate who spearheaded the lucrative concept of developing suburban communities with affordable housing outside of Philadelphia. Ken Howard (”The White Shadow”) and Constance Towers (”General Hospital”) guest star.
◊“Defying Gravity” (9 p.m. on ABC): It’s a humbling moment for the crew of the spaceship, as each of them deals with a personal point of no return. The Antares itself crosses a critical boundary when going back to Earth is no longer an option.
◊“Drop Dead Diva” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Jane represents a woman whose daughter begins to get sick after following a diet guru’s “EZ Thin Plan.” Kathy Najimy (”Sister Act”) and Teri Polo (”The Wedding Bells”) guest star.
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): On his first day at his new job with a management company, Eric butts heads with one of the managers over who can close Bob Saget as a client.
◊“Fearless Planet: Great Barrier Reef” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): A team of marine biologists and geologists investigate the clues of how the Great Barrier Reef was born, what makes it thrive and how it may disappear within our lifetime.
◊“Life After Film School” (6:30 p.m. on Fox Movie Channel): Film students interview Phil Traill, director of the 20TH Century Fox release “All About Steve” that stars Sandra Bullock as an eccentric crossword puzzler convinced that a news cameraman is her true love. The movie opens in theaters Sept. 4.
◊“Miss Universe 2009″ (8 p.m. on NBC): Billy Bush (”Access Hollywood”) and Claudia Jordan (”Celebrity Apprentice”) co-host the 58th annual event airing live from the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. Artists Flo Rida, Heidi Montag, David Guetta and Kelly Rowland will perform during the telecast, which will conclude with Venezuelan native Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008, crowning her successor.
◊“Patton Oswalt: My Weakness Is Strong” (9 p.m. on Comedy Central): In this new stand-up special, Patton Oswalt (”King of Queens”) spins drab topics like depression and weight into laugh-out-loud anecdotes.
◊“Stories from the Vaults” (7 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): Host Tom Cavanagh (”Trust Me”) explores the crime “scene” in the Smithsonian’s vaults, including photographic evidence from the Crime of the Century.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Angela Lansbury is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1955’s “A Lawless Street” (8:30 a.m.), 1944’s “Gaslight” (7 p.m.) and 1978’s “Death on the Nile” (10:30 p.m.).
◊“What Would Brian Boitano Make?” (Noon on Food Network): In this new daytime series, Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano demonstrates his culinary skills and talent for one-of-a-kind entertaining.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): In the final installment of a special 10th anniversary run of the game show, host Regis Philbin receives a visit from Nancy Christie of Tulsa. She was the show’s first woman to win $1 million.
MONDAY, AUG. 24, 2009
◊“Burn on the Bayou” (8 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary follows a group of volunteers over the seven months of work following Hurricane Katrina. The volunteers, who came from the Burning Man event in the Nevada desert, converged in Biloxi and Pearlington, Miss. had in common the shared experience of collaborating and building in harsh environments and the strongly held belief that when people need help, you help them first, and ask questions later.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): Kevin Bacon (husband of series star Kyra Sedgwick) directed this episode in which Brenda and the squad investigate the stabbing death of a woman who was apparently killed by someone wearing a Ninja outfit. Xander Berkeley (”24″) and Barry Corbin (”One Tree Hill”) guest star in the summer finale, which is preceded by an 11-hour marathon of the show’s Season 5 episodes beginning at 9 a.m.
◊“Dating in the Dark” (8 p.m. on ABC): A former FBI profiler helps six new singles with finding love in the dark on the show’s Season 1 finale.
◊“The Fresh Beat Band” (11 a.m. on Nickelodeon): This new live-action music comedy series for preschoolers centers on four best friends in a band who attend music school. Children and their parents can sing and laugh along with The Fresh Beats as they tackle daily adventures in each episode.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investigated include a miniature painting that may depict President George Washington and a balloon scrap that may be a missing piece of a secret weapon.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Lily and Marshall hear that Ted’s college girlfriend, Karen, has moved to New York City, they finally reveal how much they hated her back then. Lauren Prepon (”That ’70s Show”) guest stars as Karen.
◊“Kamp Katrina” (9 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This documentary set in post-Katrina New Orleans follows a small group of people who have taken refuge in a garden transformed into a tent city. Their self-made tent community is in the backyard of Ms. Pearl, a 56 year old Upper 9th Ward resident and Native American, who ends up playing the role of bouncer, psychologist, nurse, mother, domestic abuse counselor and housing advocate.
◊“Make It or Break It” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): All of the girls’ hard work is put on the line as they compete in Boston for a spot on the National Gymnastics team. Leading up to the mid-season finale, viewers can catch up on all of the show’s drama, dismounts and deceptions with a nine-hour marathon beginning at 10 a.m.
◊“Out of Egypt” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Join Dr. Kara Cooney, UCLA Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture, as she bolts the lecture hall for tombs and temples around the world to bring a new perspective to the most fascinating riddles in history. In the premiere episode titled “Pyramids,” she takes a closer look at these iconic monuments.
◊“The Rachel Zoe Project” (9 p.m. on Bravo): The second installment of this fashion-forward drama delves further into the inner workings of Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe and her team as they jet from coast to coast throwing charity auctions, attending store openings and laboring to find the perfect gowns to adorn the red carpet during award season. The new season includes some of the world’s most influential and respected designers including Giorgio Armani, John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Giambattista Valli, Diane Von Furstenberg and Matthew Williamson.
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): In the summer finale, Jerry takes over one of Bobbi’s clients, a pregnant woman who is addicted to heroin. Michelle is determined to do everything she can to keep her in jail so she doesn’t continue shooting up with a baby in her womb.
◊“The Soup Presents: The Best Clips of ‘09 So Far” (9 p.m. on E!): This special counts down 20 of this year’s most outrageous television clips that range from “American Idol” to “The Bachelorette.”
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Fredric March is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1949’s “Christopher Columbus” (2:30 p.m.), 1935’s “Les Miserables” (7 p.m.) and 1935’s “Anna Karenina” (10:45 p.m.).
◊“Top Gear” (7 p.m. on BBC America): Jeremy Clarkson tests the new Porsche Cayman S. Soccer player Ian Wright makes a guest appearance as “the star in the reasonably priced car.”
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): Series star Jon Cryer (Alan) directed this episode, in which Charlie reluctantly agrees to let Chelsea move in as he mourns the loss of his bachelor pad.
◊“Where is Warehouse Mouse?” (7:25 a.m. on Disney): This new short-form series stars the puppet character from the Playhouse Disney series “Imagination Movers.” It spotlights Warehouse Mouse as he tries his hand at creative problem solving like his mentors.
◊“Which Way Home” (8 p.m. on HBO): This documentary follows several unaccompanied child migrants as they journey through Mexico en route to the U.S. on a freight train called “The Beast.” Each year, thousands of Latin American migrants travel hundreds of miles to the United States, and roughly five percent of those traveling alone are children.
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (5 p.m. on Disney): Series star Selena Gomez (Alex Russo) introduces her favorite episodes of the show in this 2-hour marathon.
TUESDAY, AUG. 25, 2009
◊“10 Things I Hate About You” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): When Bianca gets asked to Padua High’s Fall Fling by Beau Bradley, the captain of the soccer team, she sets out to convince Patrick to take Kat to the dance since their father has prohibited Bianca from dating until Kat does.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): While William watches his daughter Lula rehearse for a ballet recital, he begins to suspect that the star ballerina is addicted to drugs.
◊“Nova ScienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Topics explored include the repair mission for the Hubble space telescope, studies on the brain of an epileptic and using new data from the Mississippi riverbed to understand how and why earthquakes strike in the heartland.
◊“Shaq VS” (8 p.m. on ABC): NBA standout Shaquille O’Neal will challenge women’s beach volleyball gold medal Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh to a 2-on-2 match at the Hermosa Beach volleyball courts in California. Shaq will visit and train with his friend, Serena Williams, to understand the psyche of female athletes and prepare himself for the final volleyball challenge that will not have a handicap and will be played straight up to the finish.
◊“The $ports Take” (5:30 p.m. on Versus): This new series hosted by Rick Horrow (”The Sports Professor”) will offer insight about the hottest topics in sports business and will feature high-profile guests, including league commissioners, sportscasters, politicians and celebrities giving their candid opinions and analysis. The premiere episode features in-depth insight from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Bryan Trubey, key architect on the new 100,000-seat Cowboys Stadium.
◊“Starz Inside: Villainz” (9 p.m. on Starz): This special investigates the psychology behind classic villains and the often startlingly simple way in which they grind on the audience’s nerves while playing on their fears. Among those interviewed are James Cromwell (”Spider-Man 3″), Kristanna Loken (”Painkiller Jane”), Malcolm McDowell (”Heroes”) and Daryl Hannah (”Kill Bill”).
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Merle Oberon is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1948’s “Berlin Express” (5:30 p.m.), 1938’s “The Divorce of Lady X” (10:30 p.m.) and 1939’s “The Lion Has Wings” (midnight).
◊“The Universe” (8 p.m. on History): This installment titled “The Day the Moon Was Gone” examines the effects on Earth without the moon. If the moon disappeared, solar gravity would redirect ocean water, causing flooding in coastal spots around the globe. Sea currents would shift, resulting in freakish weather patterns. And Earth’s axis would begin to fluctuate, causing climate change to grow more extreme.
◊“Warehouse 13″ (8 p.m. on Syfy): Pete and Myka are dispatched to Las Vegas to retrieve an artifact that seems to grant good fortune to a couple of gamblers. But their mission gets complicated when Myka becomes trapped in Lewis Carrol’s mirror.
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (5 p.m. on Disney): Series star Jake T. Austin (Max Russo) introduces his favorite episodes of the show in this 2-hour marathon.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26, 2009
◊“Bad Girls” (7:30 p.m. on Logo): In the Season 7 finale, newcomer Miranda Miles joins G-wing. Julie J also returns to Larkhall still seeing ghosts of Jim.
◊“Billionaire Crime Scenes: Was It Murder?” (9 p.m. on E!): This special takes viewers behind the scenes of real life crimes of passion, revenge and greed to reveal the disturbing details of several billionaire murders and find out find out if justice was ultimately served.
◊“Crash Course” (8:02 p.m. on ABC): Orlando Jones (”Drumline”) and Dan Cortese (”Surviving Suburbia”) co-host this new automotive competition reality series. Each week, five teams of two will compete against each other for a chance to win $50,000. The show will put the couples’ navigating skills to the test and test drive their relationships and patience.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): Dr. Reid embarks on his own investigation into the murder of a young boy years earlier in Las Vegas that he strongly believes has a connection to his own childhood. Jane Lynch (”Glee”) guest stars as Dr. Reid’s mother, Diana Reid.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): Series star Melina Kanakaredes (Stella) wrote this episode in which Stella discovers that New Yorkers are being murdered over ancient Greek artifacts. She hands over her badge to follow a clue that leads to Greece and, together with Mac, she uncovers one of the greatest mysteries in history.
◊“Dark Blue” (9 p.m. on TNT): Carter taps into his collection of friends in low places to target a highly decorated, extremely corrupt cop. But working to bring down a fellow officer weighs heavily on Ty, especially after his wife drops a bombshell in his lap. Michael Biehn (”Aliens”) guest stars.
◊“Dinner: Impossible” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Host Robert Irvine heads to Six Flags Great America in Chicago to prepare a meal for 250 roller coaster fanatics. He has nine hours to create a menu using foods found only in the restaurants and stands within the park.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on Syfy): The team investigates two historic locales: Maryland’s Samuel Mudd House that is famous for being a pit stop for John Wilkes Booth on his escape route following Lincoln’s assassination and Virginia’s Edgewood Plantation that is the former home of U.S. Presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison.
◊“Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The 90-minute documentary “Harlem in Montmartre” tells the story of the jazz age in Paris between the first and second World Wars, exploring an often neglected era in black cultural history.
◊“Leverage” (8 p.m. on TNT): The team is forced to go head-to-head against another crew of thieves in order to retrieve their clients’ priceless artwork. Wil Wheaton (”Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and Griffin Dunne (”Trust Me”) guest star.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): After one too many cheap shots on her by the mean moms at Ritchie’s snotty private school, Christine decides to enroll him in public school — which is not as easy as she anticipated. Kathleen Wilhoite (”Gilmore Girls”) guest stars as a down-to-earth mom at the new school.
◊“Operation Valkyrie” (9 p.m. on Military Channel): Produced in collaboration with the official German Foundation dedicated to the memory of the conspirators, this special features testimonials and eyewitness accounts from all the aristocratic families involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler on Juloy 20, 1944.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Yul Brynner is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1967’s “Triple Cross” (2:30 p.m.), 1956’s “The King and I” (7 p.m.) and 1973’s “Westworld” (11:45 p.m.).
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (5 p.m. on Disney): Series star Jennifer Stone (Harper) introduces her favorite episodes of the show in this 2-hour marathon.
THURSDAY, AUG. 27, 2009
◊“Bully Beatdown” (8:30 p.m. on MTV): Pro MMA fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller is back for Season 2 of the show where bullies and their victims are brought together for the ultimate showdown. The bully is put up against a stronger person and challenged to withstand two rounds of fighting. There is $10,000 of prize money on the table, and all money lost by the bully is given to the victim.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Catherine revisits one of the very first cases she worked as a CSI when the convicted felon in the murder (Henry Thomas, “ET”) claims the verdict was based on faulty evidence.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (7 p.m. on ABC): After learning at a deposition that more of his patients have died than survived, Derek decides to quit, even as Meredith refuses to give up on him. Meanwhile Bailey and the Chief continue to bicker over her peds fellowship — until Adele (Loretta Devine, “Boston Public”) steps in to mediate.
◊“Guys ‘N Divas” Battle of the High School Musicals” (7:30 p.m. on Showtime): This documentary follows the drama, both on stage and off, at Indiana’s Floyd Central High School, New Albany High School and Jeffersonville High School as each school spends tens of thousands of dollars on musical productions in order to compete for admission to the prestigious International Thespian Festival.
◊“The Kennedy Brothers: A Hardball Documentary” (6 p.m. on MSNBC): Chris Matthews (“Hardball”) reports on the Kennedy brothers’ legacy. He sits down with key Kennedy insiders, including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, biographer Peter Canellos and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, to gain privileged access to their opinions on this enigmatic family.
◊“Marked” (8 p.m. on History): This new series will explore the world of tattoos belonging to the intense modern day tribes that operate at the edges of society, including motorcycle clubs, hardcore prisons, urban gangs and street culture. Tattoo artists, members and cultural experts will explain the technique and history behind the ink and the group it adorns, putting the personal experiences of the show’s main characters into perspective.
◊“Nitro Circus” (9 p.m. on MTV): Season 2 continues to center around freestyle motocross rider Travis Pastrana and his crew of top action-sport athlete buddies. Whether acting as human cannonballs, walking without a parachute on the wings of a plane thousands of feet above the surface of the earth or racing at speeds some car speedometers can’t even read, Travis and his crew provide viewers with adrenaline-fueled action each episode.
◊“Pranked” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): This new series showcases the best pranks ever caught on camera and posted online. Known for their seven part Prank War, which has received over 5 million views online, College Humor.com’s Streeter Seidell & Amir Blumenfeld provide commentary during each episode.
◊“Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory” (8 p.m. on MTV): Skateboarding standout Rob Dyrdek and his crew are back at the Fantasy Factory, the first indoor concrete skate plaza where anything Rob can imagine becomes reality. In Season 2, the ridiculousness reaches new levels as Rob purchases and then jockeys his own racehorse, teams up with musician John Mayer to write an apology song for Rob’s Mom and returns to the stage as Bobby Light alongside Travis Barker at a Blink-182 show.
◊“Royal Pains” (9 p.m. on USA): In the Season 1 finale, Hank treats a hallucinating woman. Samantha Mathis (?”A Stranger’s Heart”) and Bruno Campos (”Nip/Tuck”) guest star. Catch all Season 1 episodes during a 10-hour marathon beginning at 5 a.m.
◊“Stateline” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Oklahoma is not the most obese state in the United States, but that could change. Health officials contend there are many reasons for the shape of Oklahomans, and this installment of OETA’s Emmy Award-winning documentary series explores factors not limited to a lack of healthy diet and exercise.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Ida Lupino is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1955’s “Women’s Prison” (1:30 p.m.), 1956’s “While the City Sleeps” (5 p.m.) and 1942’s “The Hard Way” (9 p.m.).
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (5 p.m. on Disney): Series star David Henrie (Justin Russo) introduces his favorite episodes of the show in this 2-hour marathon.
FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 2009
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (7 p.m. on Fox): TV news reporter Deborah Norville, three-time NBA champion Rick Fox and actress Jennie Garth (“90210”) head back to the classroom to test their grade school skills for charity.
◊“CMT Comedy Stage Presents Terry Fator Live From Las Vegas” (9 p.m. on CMT): Filmed in high-definition earlier this year, this special features comedic impersonations, ventriloquism, an audience interaction segment and musical numbers by Terry Fator (”America’s Got Talent” Season 2 winner). Joining Fator on stage are six of his infamous puppets, including Winston the Impersonating Turtle; Maynard Tompkins; Vicki “the cougar”; and Walter T. Airedale, all collaborating with the ventriloquist on hit songs by Etta James, Sonny & Cher, ZZ Top, The Bee Gees and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
◊“Eureka” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Global undergoes a Sonic Cleaning while Tess records a databank of Eurekan’s memories when the town experiences a communal form of memory loss.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA): Natalie becomes convinced that a critic who panned her daughter Julie’s performance was responsible for a murder at the same time as the show. Dylan Baker (”Kings”) and Bernie Kopell (”The Love Boat) guest star.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Frank Sinatra is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1949’s “On the Town” (1 p.m.), 1959’s “Never So Few” (4:45 p.m.) and 1956’s “High Society” (9:30 p.m.).
◊“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): Miley Cyrus (”Hannah Montana”) will be the season-ending performer for the Toyota summer concert series. The performance marks Cyrus’s second live concert on the morning program. Her first performance in July 2008 was one of “Today’s” biggest concerts ever.
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” (7 p.m. on Disney): In this adventure-themed movie inspired by the series, Manhattan’s magical wizard siblings Alex, Justin and Max Russo accompany their parents on a Caribbean vacation where Alex’s inadvertent magic spell makes it so her parents have never met. When they learn the only thing that will reverse the spell is the magical Stone of Dreams, they embark on a quest through the jungle to find it.
SATURDAY, AUG. 29, 2009
◊“The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania — The World Television Premiere” (8 p.m. on NBC): This special will relive all the action and excitement of WrestleMania 25 held April 5 in Houston. More than 72,000 fans representing 24 countries and all 50 states packed Reliant Stadium for the event featuring WWE Superstars such as John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Big Show and the Undertaker.
◊“The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m. on TBS): After Susan grounds Lauren for three weeks for lying to her, Bill has trouble agreeing with the severity of the punishment. And Paul enlists the aid of Bryan and Trent to create an online profile that will make him look good to the ladies.
◊“Forbes Presents: Michael Jackson – Follow the Money” (9 a.m. on E!): In celebration of what would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday, this special will uncover the money trail left behind by the superstar. In 2006, Jackson held a meeting in a $9,000 a night luxury suite in Dubai. Surrounded by a huge staff, he spared no expense and yet was on the verge of bankruptcy.
◊“Incredible Story of Tap Dancing” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): This special traces the development of tap dancing from its beginnings, through the 20th century and up to the present where it is now enjoying a resurgence in popularity the world over.
◊“Jimmy Kimmel’s Big Night of Stars” (9 p.m. on NBC): Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel gets up close and personal with celebrities from the world of television, sports, film and music. It features interviews with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Oscar nominee Salma Hayek and comedian Tracy Morgan, as well as appearances by Jon Hamm (”Mad Men”), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Rachael Ray, William Shatner (”Star Trek”) and many more.
◊“Mayweather/Marquez 24/7″ (9:15 p.m. on HBO): Liev Schreiber (”The Manchurian Candidate”) narrates this new four-episode all-access series that spotlights a host of intriguing storylines leading up to the Sept. 19 pay-per-view boxing showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather (39-0 with 25 KOs) is back after a brief self-imposed retirement. Marquez (50-4-1 with 37 KOs) is moving up from the lightweight ranks.
◊“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (6 a.m. on Disney): This 3-hour marathon spotlights Mickey’s loyal pal, Pluto, and includes the premiere of the new episode “Pluto’s Playmate” at 8 a.m. that was inspired by the original 1941 Pluto cartoon of the same name that features Salty the seal.
◊“Outdoor Oklahoma” (6 p.m. on OETA-13): In this installment, learn about the latest quail research, what’s happening with deer season or where fisheries personnel have found the biggest catfish in the state.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Peter Sellers is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1966’s “The Wrong Box” (1:30 p.m.), 1962’s “Lolita” (7 p.m.) and 1962’s “Waltz of the Toreadors” (10 p.m.).
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Aug. 16-22, 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 Aug. 16:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, AUG. 16
◊“2 Months, $2 Million” (8 p.m. on G4): This new series follows four young online poker pros, who move to Las Vegas for the summer with the goal of collectively earning $2 million in two months. While Brian, Emil, Jay and Dani seem to eat, sleep and drink poker, they also take time out to explore the Vegas scene.
◊“Cracking the Ocean Code” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): Join genome pioneer J. Craig Venter on a globe-circling ocean voyage, seeking new life forms and genetic secrets that could help solve the planet’s most urgent energy and climate challenges.
◊“Defying Gravity” (9 p.m. on ABC): The crew of the Antares face their first major crisis when the ship inexplicably begins to shut down all of its operating systems, causing the sudden failure of power, heat and gravity controls and plunging everyone aboard into chaos during the desperate search for a solution.
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): Eric considers the management-company offer while trying to patch things up with Ashley following a Freudian slip.
◊“Hudson Plane Crash — What Really Happened” (8 p.m. on TLC): New footage and exclusive interviews wuth crew, survivors and rescuers tell the story of Flight 1549 that lost both engines over New York City and landed without a single death.
◊“Kourtney and Kloe Take Miami” (9 p.m. on E!): This new series follows sisters Kourtney and Kloe Kardashian as they leave Los Angeles and move to South Beach to launch a second DASH boutique.
◊“Mad Men” (9 p.m. on AMC): Change is in the air at Sterling Cooper, the ad agency at the center of this drama series beginning its third season. At the end of last season, the agency had new owners from across the pond, and Don (Jon Hamm) had just found out he and Betty (January Jones) had a baby on the way. A marathon of Season 2’s 13 episodes begins at 6 a.m., leading up to the Season 3 premiere that will be presented with limited commercial breaks.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the Inspector Lewis mystery “Old School Ties,” Lewis and Hathaway (Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox) are assigned to protect a former computer criminal (Owen Teale), now a successful author, when he comes to speak at Oxford. It’s a dull job until a student turns up strangled and the author is shot.
◊“One Tree Hill” (7 a.m. on SoapNet): Go back to school with the network’s five-hour marathon of the show’s school-themed episodes.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): When Arthur kills a unicorn, a curse descends on Camelot, threatening the destruction of the mythical city.
◊“My Antonio” (9 p.m. on VH1): This new series follows “General Hospital” star Antonio Sabato Jr. on his search for true love. Thirteen women will be competing for his affection, and Sabato’s ex-wife even shows up and asks him to take her back.
◊“The Pink Panther” (7 p.m. on BBC America): The network is devoting the next three Sundays to celebrating Peter Sellers’ work as Inspector Clouseau, beginning with the 1964 comedy written and directed by Tulsa native Blake Edwards.
◊“Reality Hell” (9:45 p.m. on E!): The subjects of this hidden-camera hybrid show think they are contestants on a real reality show. They gear up for their 15 minutes of fame, only to have it turn into a time of infamy.
◊“Shark Tank” (8 p.m. on ABC): The sharks consider biting into a gourmet food business, and the bidding for a life-saving idea reached $1 million.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Elvis Presley is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing on the 32nd anniversaey of his death are 1957’s “Jailhouse Rock” (noon), 1967’s “Clambake” (5:15 p.m.) and 1958s’s “King Creole” (9 p.m.).
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): Host Regis Philbin, back for a special 10th anniversary run of the game show, receives a visit from John Carpenter of Hamden, Conn. He was the show’s first $1 million winner who used “Phone a Friend” on his last question to call his dad that he knew the answer and was about to win.
MONDAY, AUG. 17
◊“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”) and Brooke Burns (”Miss Guided”) guest star.
◊“Cake Boss” (9 p.m. on TLC): In the Season 1 finale, a family-owned business asks Buddy and Carlo’s team to honor their patriarch by creating a special cake featuring their company’s product — fireworks.
◊“Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi” (8 p.m. on HBO): Ajmal Naqshbandi was a young Afghan hired as a translator by foreign journalists covering events in his homeland. In 2007, he was hired by an Italian journalist to secure an interview with a top Taliban commander, but it turned out to be his final job, ending in a highly publicized kidnapping and murder.
◊“Flipping Out” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Obsessive-compulsive house-flipper Jeff Lewis returns for a third season of his docu-series. The economy has taken its toll on his business, and Jeff hires some fresh new faces in hopes of turning things around.
◊“Glenn Martin, DDS” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): This new stop-motion animated comedy follows the offbeat adventures of dentist Glenn Martin and his family, who trade in the suburbs for a life on the road in an RV, which doubles as Glenn’s dentist office. The voice cast includes Kevin Nealon (”Weeds”), Catherine O’Hara (”For Your Consideration”) and Judy Greer (”Arrested Development”).
◊“Great American Road Trip” (7 p.m. on NBC): The competition intensifies among the remaining three families as they cross into California and fight to secure a spot in the final two.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investigated include a dagger that may have belonged to dictator Benito Mussolini, letters from a man who may have been part of the post-slavery exodus to Liberia and a device that could have had something to do with nuclear attack preparedness.
◊“Hoarders” (9 p.m. on A&E): This new series delves into the lives of people who fill their homes with stuff and can’t throw anything out. The premiere introduces Jennifer and Ron, whose house is so cluttered they’re afraid their children will be taken away.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): When Barney and Abby realize that they have one thing in common — their mutual hatred of Ted — the “couple” decides to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted’s face. Britney Spears (“Crossroads”) guest stars.
◊“Lloyd Boston’s Style at Any Age” (8 p.m. on FLN): Lloyd Boston (”Closet Cases” host) helps three women — a single girl in her 20s, a stay-at-home mother in her 30s and a career woman in her 40s — find their unique style self. Boston will address elements of fashion, as well as the tools each woman will need to help them go after their goals and achieve the lifestyle that they want.
◊“Objects and Memory” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Frank Langella (“Kitchen Confidential”) narrates this special that examines the response to items recovered or offered after 9/11 and other national tragedies.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Tulsa-born actress Jennifer Jones is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1964’s “Ruby Gentry” (9 a.m.), 1952’s “Carrie” (8:30 p.m.) and 1955’s “Good Morning, Miss Dove” (12:30 a.m.).
◊“Top Gear” (7 p.m. on BBC America): This British series enters its seventh season of taking extraordinary and ordinary cars to the limit and beyond to find out if they’re as good as their manufacturers claim. Celebrity guests, industry experts, racing drivers and car nuts join hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Jason May and Richard Hammond to give new cars a thorough examination.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): Host Regis Philbin, back for a special 10th anniversary run of the game show, receives a visit from Brian Fodera of Los Angeles. He was the show’s second contestant to get the first question wrong.
TUESDAY, AUG. 18
◊“Masters of Reception” (9 p.m. on TLC): In the series premiere, reception masters Robert and Jerry Frungillo have their work cut out for them with two big wedding extravaganzas in one weekend.
◊“Miami Social” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the Season 1 finale, George’s mom is coming to town for a visit and he is nervous about her meeing Lina, who infurieates George by not showing up for dinner with his mother and friends.
◊“Nova scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Neil deGrasse Tyson looks into personal genetic profiling. He also visits an algae farm in Texas where researchers are working on ways to harvest fuel from the organisms. Another segment goes beneath the Arctic Ocean in search of clues to whether one of Jupiter’s moons could sustain life.
◊“Shaq Vs.” (8 p.m. on ABC): In this new competition series, NBA standout Shaquille O’Neal will take his athletic prowess beyond the basketball court and strive to become a champion in a new sporting event each week. In the premiere episode, Shaq takes on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a football challenge. In upcoming episodes, Shaq will challenge Olympian Michael Phelps in swimming, Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in tennis, fighter Oscar de la Hoya in boxing, St. Louis Cardinals player Albert Pujols in baseball and Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in beach volleyball.
◊“Secret Lives of Women” (9 p.m. on WEtv): This series continues its fearless portrait of women facing out-of-the-ordinary situations. Season 5 opens with “Mothers of Murderers,” in which women whose children have killed try to come to terms with the pain, regret and forgiveness it takes to carry on with their lives. Other topics this season include extreme diets, cults, nast divorces and mail order brides.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: John Wayne is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1960’s “The Alamo” (11 a.m.), 1965’s “The Sons of Katie Elder” (7 p.m.) and 1969’s “True Grit” (9:15 p.m.).
◊“Time Team America” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The archaeologists have three days to map, dig and uncover what remains of Fort James, S.D. In 1865, a unit of cavalry soldiers were sent there to defend pioneer settlers against Sioux Indians.
◊“The Universe” (8 p.m. on History): With ground-breaking new discoveries and even more stunning high-definition computer animations, it’s a wondrous yet deadly adventure through space and time in Season 4. Topics this season include the lethal surprises of our ringed planets, quasars that burn with the intensity of a trillion suns and a countdown of the biggest blasts to ever rock the cosmos.
◊“Warehouse 13″ (8 p.m. on Syfy): Pete and Myka rejoin their Secret Service detail in Washington to intercept a samurai sword that’s about to be given as a gift to the president. CCH Pounder (”The Shield”) guest stars.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): Host Regis Philbin, back for a special 10th anniversary run of the game show, receives a visit from Doug Van Gundy of Elkins, W.V. He won $250,000 in 1999, which at the time was the largest amount of money won in a single network game show appearance.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19
◊“Black Gold” (9 p.m. on truTV): In Season 1, competing oil crews put everything they could into erecting their rigs and successfully drilling crude before the other crews could get to it. This season will focus on the roughnecks of Rig 28, who have a seemingly impossible job. Assembled by oilman Autry Stephens, they have only 50 days to try to save the lease on a very valuable piece of land before it expires.
◊“Bobb’e Says” (7 p.m. on Cartoon Network): In this new series, Bobb’e J. Thompson (”30 Rock”) hits the streets, malls and beaches to dispense invaluable advice to the masses by telling them what not to do. He uses his charm, wit and personality, along with video clips of other people’s mistakes, to illustrate his hysterical words of wisdom.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the kidnapping of a young boy in Las Vegas, Dr. Reid begins to have dreams that may help reveal some buried memories from his childhood. Jane Lynch (”Two and a Half Men”) guest stars as Dr. Reid’s mother, Diana Reid.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a man falls 52 stories to his death and his body goes missing after it hits the ground, the CSIs must treat this strange development as a missing persons case. Thad Luckinbill (”The Young and the Restless”) and Craig T. Nelson (”Coach”) guest stars.
◊“Dude, What Would Happen” (7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network): Armed with an insatiable thirst for answers and an unlimited access to anything and everything, hosts CJ, Ali and Jackson conduct extreme experiments that lead to some very outrageous results in this new series. The trio of friends have no labs and no limits to what they’ll think of next.
◊“Fastest Growing Companies of 2009″ (8 p.m. on CNBC): Each September, Fortune Magazine publishes its fastest growing companies and six stocks to buy now list. CNBC Managing Editor Tyler Mathisen and Fortune Magazine Managing Editor Andy Serwer co-host this special that profiles five companies that made it onto the list, including the company that owns the No. 1 spot. The companies are ranked on revenue, earnings growth, and their stock returns over the past three years.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on Syfy): The series chronicling the exploits of Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, plumbers by day and amateur paranormal investigators by night, resumes its fifth season. In this episode, they’re on the trail of an “Inhuman Entity.”
◊“Gordon Ramsay’s F Word” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Actress Jessica Hynes (“Doctor Who”) challenges chef Gordon Ramsay with her macaroni and cheese. And in the restaurant, the diners enjoy a three-course meal cooked by actor Christopher Biggins (“Revelations”) and family.
◊“In a Dream” (7 p.m. on HBO2): This documentary follows artist Isaiah Zagar and his muse and gallerist wife Julia who are fixtures in the South Philadelphia art scene. It was directed by their youngest son, Jeremiah, and offers a portrait of love and betrayal and the strength of family bonds.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Red Skelton is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1950’s “Watch the Birdie” (2:45 p.m.), 1941’s “Whistling in the Dark” (7 p.m.) and 1944’s “Bathing Beauty” (11:45 p.m.).
◊“Time Team Special Edition” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This special two-hour presentation from the United Kingdom’s archaeolgy series “Time Team” takes viewers on an expedition to Jamestown, Va. The trip yields some fascinating finds that offer insight into the settlers and their fates.
◊“Top Chef: Las Vegas” (8 p.m. on Bravo): Season 6 features two brothers among the 17 chef-testants. Cookbook author, actress and host Padma Lakshmi returns to preside over the judge’s table alongside judges Tom Colicchio, chef/owner of Craft Restaurants; Gail Simmons, Food & Wine magazine; and Toby Young, food critic. Also appearing in the premiere episode is chef Wolfgang Puck.
◊“Top Chef Masters” (9 p.m. on Bravo): In the first-season finale, three accomplished chefs stand to face their final challenge — the creation of a four-course meal, with each course inspired by a memoray from their past.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): Host Regis Philbin, back for a special 10th anniversary run of the game show, receives a visit from Dan Doody of Seattle. He was nicknamed “Doo dy” by Regis and won $1,000.
THURSDAY, AUG. 20
◊“Blog Cabin” (8 p.m. on DIY): Licensed contractor and home improvement expert Amy Matthews will host Season 3 of the interactive building series. Kevin “O’Connor (”This Old House”) will help create the mountainside vacation home, along with numerous DIY experts including Jason Cameron (”Man Caves”), Jimmy DiResta (”Against the Grain”). Once completed, the cabin will be given away to a lucky sweepstakes winner.
◊“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.
◊“Models of the Runway” (10 p.m. on Lifetime): This new companion series to “Project Runway” will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition – from the models’ perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.
◊“Most Popular” (9 p.m. on WEtv): This game show in which one woman braves a hailstorm of judgement and goes home with up to $10,000 just for being herself, ends its first-season run.
◊“Project Runway” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): Heidi Klum returns as host for Season 6. Also returning are mentor Tim Gunn (Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer) and judges Michael Kors (fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine), who will guide 16 new contestants as they show off their design skills to see who makes the cut for New York’s Fashion Week.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Miriam Hopkins is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1949’s “The Heiress” (5 p.m.), 1932’s “Trouble in Paradise” (8:45 p.m.) and 1935’s “Barbary Coast” (midnight).
◊“Wicked Attraction” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new installment focuses on Alicia Woodward and John Esposito, a young couple that traveled across the country and committed robberies in Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas and Alabama.
FRIDAY, AUG. 21
◊“Deadly Women” (8 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): Back for a third season, this series investigates the motives of female murderers and takes viewers on a journey into the world of women who kill for thrills.
◊“Eureka” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Eureka-fied baby gifts for Allison’s shower push the envelope of eco-friendly design and prove deadly when rival scientists are found drowned. Billy Campbell (“The 4400”) guest stars.
◊“Hard Rock Calling Festival” (8 p.m. on VH1 Classic): Hosts of “That Metal Show” take viewers back stage to the festival held June 12-14 in London. Headliners at the concert in Hyde Park include Bruce Springsteen and the E! Street Band, Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band and Ben Harper.
◊“Invitation Only: Reba McEntire” (8 p.m. on CMT): Country music star Reba McEntire, who was born in McAlester, performs before a small audience in Nashville, Tenn. She also takes questions from fans and delivers revealing and candid answers.
◊“Jockeys” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): As Season 2 starts, the jockeys are inching closer to their dream of riding in the Kentucky Derby. Crey Nakatani, who suffered an injury and was out for two months, is ready to fight his way back to the top.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA Network): Monk assumes the identity of a dead hit man in an effort to foil an assassination plot. Guest stars include Reed Diamond (“Dollhouse”), Tim Bagley (“Will & Grace”) and Eric Balfour (“Six Feet Under”).
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): When the FBI is called in to investigate a series of home invasions, the team uses Charlie and his math skills to help profile the suspects, but when his calculations go awry during a raid, Don suffers a life-threatening injury. Michael Gaston (”Fringe”) guest stars.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Gene Hackman is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1961’s “Mad Dog Coll” (5 a.m.), 1964’s “Lilith” (5 p.m.) and 1988’s “Mississippi Burning” (11 p.m.).
SATURDAY, AUG. 22
◊“Acceptance” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Joan Cusack (”Working Girl”) and Mae Whitman (”Arrested Development”) star in the new comedy about the pressures of today’s col;ege admissions process. It is based on the critically acclaimed book “Acceptance: A Novel” by Susan Coll.
◊“Ask Aida” (8:30 a.m. on Food Network): In the season premiere, host Alsa Mollenkamp perfects three different types of burgers — a bacon cheeseburger topped with chilo mayo, a canjun veggie burger and cheesey sliders — to satisfy all cravings.
◊“Can You Teach My Alligator Manners?” (5:25 a.m. on Disney): Season 2 of this short-form animated series has Mikey helping his pet alligator, Al, learn about using proper manners in a number of new situations, including at family meals, at the supermarket and on an airplane trip.
◊“Discover Oklahoma” (6:30 p.m. on KWTV-9): This installment focuses on Oklahoma connections in cartoons and comic strips, including the fact that Donald Duck is from Watonga, an Enid man created Dick Tracy and Yogi Bear camps in Eufaula.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Sterling Hayden is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1955’s “Battle Taxi” (5 a.m.), 1949’s “Manhandled” (9 p.m.) and 1952’s “The Golden Hawk” (12:30 a.m.).
◊“Without a Trace” (7 p.m. on CBS): Series star Eric Close (Martin Fitzgerald) directed this episode in which Jack grudgingly agrees to search for Hannah’s boyfriend who disappears after he runs away from Chicago to be with her in New York. Adam Kaufman (boyfriend of series star Poppy Montgomery) reprises his role as Brian Donovan, the father of Samantha’s son, Finn.
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Aug. 9-15, 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 Aug. 9:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, AUG. 9
◊“At Sea” (9 p.m. on Military Channel): This three-part miniseries airing today through Tuesday focuses on the new responsibilities of the Navy, as well as new technologies and training necessary to achieve success on the seas.
◊“Cold Case” (9 p.m. on CBS): Series star John Finn (John Stillman) directed this episode in which Rush and the team investigate the 1964 murder case of a young white woman who secretly travelled to Mississippi during Freedom Summer.
◊“Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers” (9 p.m. on Comedy Central): Kathy Griffin (”My Life on the D-List”) will serve as roast master for this event that pays homage to the career of comedienne Joan Rivers. Roasters include Brad Garrett (”Everybody Loves Raymond”), Carl Reiner (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”), Gilbert Gottfried (“Clerks”), Lily Tomlin (“Nine to Five”) and Richard Belzer (“Law & Order”).
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): At a charity golf tournament, Vince and Drama up the stakes with teammates Mark Wahlberg (“Rock Star”) and Tom Brady (New England Patriots quarterback).
◊“Great American Road Trip” (7 p.m. on NBC): The three remaining families take a detour off Route 66 to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas where they get a special performance by Penn and Teller. This leg of the journey also includes a trip to one of the man made wonders of the world – the Hoover Dam – where the families compete in The King of the Road challenge.
◊“Jesse James Is a Dead Man” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): Modern-day daredevil Jesse James takes on another death-defying challenge in the show’s first-season finale.
◊“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (8 p.m. on USA): In the Season 8 finale, detectives Nichols and Eams pursue a surviving member of the radical Baader-Meinhof gang as he stages a revolutionary terrorist campaign. An eight-hour marathon of the season’s episodes begins at 9 a.m.
◊“Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian” (11:30 a.m. on Food Network): Last week, stay-at-home mom and home cook Melissa d’Araboan was crowned the Season 5 winner of “The Next Food Network Star.” In her new series, she will show viewers how to incorporate creative and tasty meals into their budgets by sharing her tried-and-true recipes. And she keeps her $10 promise in every episode.
◊“Raging Planet” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This new series takes viewers right into the heart of the planet’s most amazing forces, revealing the speed of a twister, the lethal force of a lightning bolt, the power of a hurricane and the instant devastation of a flood.
◊“Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” (8 p.m. on MTV): Mario Lopez (”Saved By the Bell”) hosts Season 4 of the series in which dance crews of five to seven members perform their hottest moves for dance supremacy and a $100,000 cash prize. Each week, viewers will choose their favorite crews via text messaging and online voting (http://dancecrew.mtv.com). The two crews with the least number of votes will be up for elimination with the judges – JC Chasez, Lil Mama and Shane Sparks – making the final call on which crew will be sent home.
◊“Shark Tank” (8 p.m. on ABC): In this new reality series, budding entrepreneurs try to persuade five tycoons to invest in their business proposals in return for part equity in the company. On the panel of “sharks” are real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, infomercial pioneer Kevin Harrington, technology innovator Robert Herjavec, fashion icon Daymond John and financial expert Kevin O’Leary.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Cary Grant is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1964’s “Father Goose” (3 p.m.) and 1950’s “Crisis” (11 p.m.).
◊“There Goes the Neighborhood” (8 p.m. on CBS): In this new reality competition series, eight families in a suburban neighborhood in Georgia are enclosed by a massive 20-foot wall as they compete in family-friendly games for the grand prize of $250,000. Matt Rogers (”American Idol”) hosts.
◊“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (7 p.m. on ABC): Regis Philbin returns as host as the game show returns to primetime for a two-week, 11-night event celebrating the show’s 10th anniversary. The game show will air Sunday through Thursday, and finale on Aug. 23 will feature a visit from the show’s first woman to win $1 million — Nancy Christy of Tulsa.
◊“Z Rock” (10 p.m. on IFC): The band ZO2 gets the gig of a lifetime: a Bar Mitzvah. Technically speaking, it’s actually a “B-iz-ar Mitzvah” for a well-known black rapper, and it’s being filmed as the pilot episode of a highly anticipated reality series about crazy Bar Mitzvahs. Guest stars include Joan Rivers (”The Celebrity Apprentice”) and Gary Dell’Abate (“Howard Stern”).
MONDAY, AUG. 10
◊“The Bold and the Beautiful” (12:30 p.m. on CBS): Morgan Fairchild guest stars as a Beverly Hills socialite friend of Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery), who prompts a dueling fashion show between rival fashion houses Forrester Creations and Jackie M. Her character will appear in the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday episodes, as well.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): A large box with a body stuffed inside leads Brenda in search of suspects, and she winds up with several: a scripture-thumping stepfather, a disgruntled ex-girfriend, a buddy who was constantly being hit up for money and a landlord who simply hated the victim’s guts.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investigated include an instrument that may have been recovered from the Hindenburg, a book that may have beem a gift from President John Adams to his son and a home in the Bronx that may have been the birthplace of hip hop.
◊“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”) and Will Forte (”Saturday Night Live”) guest star.
◊“Jon & Kate Plus 8” (8 p.m. on TLC): While Jon overseas the installation of new cabinets in the kitchen, Kate and the kids get some fun in the sun at the beach. She allows them to body paint with pudding yet again, despite her natural desire for cleanliness and order.
◊“Lord of the Revolution” (7 p.m. on VH1): Richard Belzer narrates this five-part series airing today through Friday. Each hour-long episode celebrates the counterculture icons of the ‘60s and ‘70s – the legends who defied the social, political and cultural mores of their time — from the Black Panthers and Andy Warhol to Harvard professor turned psychedelic advisor Timothy Leary.
◊“The Nine Lives of Marion Barry” (8 p.m. on HBO): This new documentary profiles the controversial Washington, D.C. politician, viewed by some as a philandering, drug-addled disaster, and by others as a folk hero. It tells Barry’s improbable personal history through a wealth of archival footage of him as a young activist in the 1960s, a rising African-American political star in the 1970s, and his resurgence into D.C. politics with his most recent campaign in 2004.
◊“Obsessed” (9 p.m. on A&E): The Season 1 finale focuses on an extreme hoarder who can’t throw away anything that belonged to his deceased mother and a woman who pulls her hair out when she feels anxious.
◊“One Tree Hill” (7 p.m. on CW): When Peyton’s pregnancy is threatened, Lucas struggles to pick up the pieces. Victoria (Daphne Zuniga, “American Dreams”) returns to lure Brooke back to Clothes Over Bro’s.
◊“Popular Science’s Future Of” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): Author and comedian Baratunde Thurston hosts this new series that gives viewers a glimpse of the unbelievable scientific and technological innovations destined to shape our lives in five, ten, 15 or 25 years. Through in-depth interviews with maverick scientists and hands-on experience with breakthrough research and extraordinary prototypes, each episode examines how one important characteristic of human life will fundamentally change within our lifetimes.
◊“Raising the Bar” (9 p.m. on TNT): Bobbi defends a young woman accused of trying to smuggle a brick of cocaine, but her client’s appearance proves to be an issue. Michelle, who is prosecuting the case, has to rely on testimony by her cop boyfriend, but there’s something a little too coincidental about his involvement.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Dirk Bogarde is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1957’s “Doctor at Large” (2 p.m.) and 1950’s “The Blue Lamp” (7 p.m.).
◊“Teen Choice 2009″ (7 p.m. on Fox): The Jonas Brothers host and perform during the 11th annual awards show honoring the year’s hottest teen icons for contributions to television, music, film, sports and fashion. “Twilight” and its cast lead the pack with 12 nominations, followed by “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” and its cast, Miley Cyrus and “Gossip Girl” and its cast with 10 nods each.
◊“Twilight Weekly: Spotlight” (9 p.m. on REELZ, channel 238 on DirecTV, 299 on Dish Network): Correspondent Naibe Reynoso hosts this new series that gives viewers the most buzzed-about news, behind-the-scenes coverage of the “Twilight” sequels “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” as well as interviews with key cast members.
TUESDAY, AUG. 11
◊“90210” (7 p.m. on CW): In an attempt to get close to Liam (Matt Lanter, “Commander in Chief”), Naomi offers to be his math tutor, but she gets more than she bargains for when he takes her out for a wild night.
◊“America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the second week of live performance shows, 10 of the top 40 contestants perform for a chance to win $1 million and be named the most talented person in America. Judging is turned over to the American viewing audience.
◊“Better Off Ted” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 1 finale, a new Veridian invention accidentally reveals buttoned-up Veronica’s surprising “secret” life. Meanwhile, Linda decides that if Ted won’t date her, she’s going to fix him up with her old roommate.
◊“Chain Gang Girls 2” (8 p.m. on WE): This two-hour special focuses on America’s only female chain gang. The women have all committed crimes as varied as their backgrounds, but all are bound together by one thing — a 30-foot steel chain. This month-long rotation, part of an intense military-style reform program, forces the women to work together and come to terms with inner issues.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): Christine Lahti (“Chicago Hope”) guest stars as a mother who asks William and Swenton to retrieve her drug-addled son from jail in the Inland Empire. Whoopi Goldberg (”The View”) reprises her role as PK, William’s former sponsor.
◊“Daddy’s Girls” (9 p.m. on MTV): Season 2, which opens with back-to-back episodes, showcases Angela and Vanessa’s new life in Los Angeles and how they’ve adjusted to the West Coast — especially how their father, Rev Run, has dealt with giving his daughters room to grow.
◊“Great American Seafood Cook-Off” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This special highlights the fifth annual event held last August in New Orleans. Overcooked fish and other culinary calamities cause major stress for the contestants as they attempt to create a masterpiece in three hours.
◊“Hawthorne” (8 p.m. on TNT): Christina leaves Bobbie in charge of the entire hospital nursing staff while she goes into budget battles with Morrissey, who gives Christina until the end of the day to lay off six nurses. The order couldn’t come at a worse time for Kelly, who gets into trouble when she refutes Dr. Marshall’s treatment for a stroke patient.
◊“Medium” (9 p.m. on CBS): Allison is visited again by the ghost of FBI Agent Cooper (Kurtwood Smith, “That ’70s Show), who helps her investigate who the real killer is in a series of questionable murders, but she starts to question Cooper’s motives and wonders if she can trust his advice.
◊“NYC Prep” (8 p.m. on Bravo): In the first-season finale, the school year comes to a close and seniors PC and Jessie give their parting goodbyes — but not without a good fight.
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment “Made in L.A.” chronicles the remarkable and tireless efforts of three Latina garment workers in Los Angeles to secure better working conditions in factories that bear an uncomfortable resemblance to early 20th-century New York sweatshops. The women waged a three-year battle to bring a major clothing retailer to the negotiating table.
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): The squad investigates the death of a parole officer with secrets, while Grace and her brother Johnny finally track down Neely, the young addict who shares visions of Earl.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Audrey Hepburn is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1952’s “Secret People” (7 a.m.) and 1953’s “Roman Holiday” (9:30 p.m.).
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12
◊“Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification” (9:30 p.m. on Planet Green): Sigourney Weaver (“Aliens”) narrates this documentary produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that explores the startling phenomenon of ocean acidification, which may soon challenge the survival of thousands of marine species.
◊“The Bold and the Beautiful” (12:30 p.m. on CBS): Appearing in the next three episodes as celebrity judges at a fashion show will be Jim J. Bullock (“Too Close for Comfort”), who reprises his role as Sergei; Alan Thicke (“Growing Pains”), who returns as Rich Ginger; and Melissa Rivers (“The Celebrity Apprentice”), who plays herself.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): A serial killer who disguises his victims’ demise by creating car accidents to mask their earlier deaths is the subject of a BAU manhunt. William Mapother (”Lost”) and Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) guest star.
◊“Criss Angel Mindfreak” (9 p.m. on A&E): Illusionist Criss Angel returns for a fifth season of putting himself to the ultimate life or death test. Each week, he will perform a variety of different illusions and end with a never-before-seen demonstration (in the premiere episode, he is being buried alive in ice and snow).
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the shooting of a man in an empty theater, Stella realizes that the crime scene is oddly familiar and staged. Katherine McPhee (”American Idol”) guest stars.
◊“Dark Blue” (9 p.m. on TNT): Carter’s unit races against the clock to save a kidnapped woman, and it’s up to Ty as a gangbanger, Dean as a security guard and Jaimie as a potential victim to track down the woman’s whereabouts. But the situation is not helped by the fact that the FBI are involved in the case, dredging up a deeply personal grudge Carter has against the feds.
◊“Dinner: Impossible” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Robert Irvine and his team try to overcome culinary obstacles in this series, which returns for its seventh season. In the premiere episode, they cater a utensil-free meal for 250 Roller Derby women and their families.
◊“Ghost Hunters International” (8 p.m. on Syfy): The team investigates Chile’s famed El Bosque City Hall, which was once a retirement home for Catholic priests and doubled as a house of detention for the secret police during the reign of Augusto Pinochet.
◊“Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Cincinnati Bengals” (9 p.m. on HBO): HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Cincinnati Bengals will team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League in this sports-based reality series, which returns for its fifth season. The five-episode series will focus on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches as the Cincinnati Bengals prepare for the 2009 NFL season.
◊“Leverage” (8 p.m. on TNT): The crew dives into the paranoid world of government conspiracies to expose a heartless tabloid newscaster as a fraud.
◊“Live From Lincoln Center” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The 200th anniversaries of Franz Joseph Haydn’s death and Felix Mendelssohn’s birth are commemorated with performances by violinist Joshua Bell and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. The program includes Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and his popular concert work “The Hebrides”; Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 in D Major (”London”); and Mozart’s Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in C Major and Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E Major.
◊“Man vs. Wild” (8 p.m. on Discovery): In the Season 4 premiere, host and survival expert Bear Grylls navigates through the icy Arctic Circle where he tackles a frozen waterfall, hunts wild reindeer and battles against some of the coldest conditions on the planet.
◊“Meet the Browns” (8 p.m. on TBS): Attractive principal Mr. Hughes gives Cora a full-time job teaching at the high school, but she immediately runs into problems when a student shows up to class drunk. And the Colonel tries to find a job after losing his nest egg.
◊“The Philanthropist” (9 p.m. on NBC): Teddy has come to the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti with his partner, Philip, to try and solve an almost-hopeless food shortage. Philip, who was born in Haiti but left as a teenager, is locking horns with a powerful island senator named Jean Beauvais who also happens to be Philip’s estranged brother.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Clark Gable is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1954’s “Betrayed” (noon) and 1932’s “Red Dust” (7 p.m.).
◊“Truth Be Told” (8 p.m. on TLC): This new series focuses on compulsive hoarders who hold onto worthless possessions to the point where clutter makes their homes unlivable.
◊“TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases, Part 2” (7 p.m. on NBC): Host Jane Krakowski (”30 Rock”) celebrates the humor and history of television’s funniest phrases with this special, that will begin with the 24th most popular catchphrase from TV and will countdown all the way to No. 1. Also featured are the top three phrases of popular genres including science fiction and action adventure.
THURSDAY, AUG. 13
◊“30 Rock” (7 p.m. on NBC): C.C. (Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”) wants to go public with her relationship with Jack, but Jack is still very reluctant. Meanwhile, Liz continues to appease both Tracy and Jenna as stars of “TGS with Tracy Jordan.”
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (7:59 p.m. on CBS): Nick’s case of a deceased skydiver takes an interesting turn when Catherine discovers there may be a connection
between the skydiver and a mysterious double murder case. Charisma Carpenter (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Greg Germann (”Ally McBeal”) guest star.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): Bailey heads up a team of surgeons performing a “domino procedure” in which each surgery hinges on the one preceding it; Derek gets sole credit for the brain tumor study he did with Meredith; Lexie goes to great lengths to have George notice her romantically, and Sloan counsels a desperate Callie on the ways of love. Carl Lumbly (”Alias”) and Kevin McKidd (”Rome”) guest stars.
◊“Into the Pride” (7 p.m. on Animal Planet): In this five-part series, large predator expert Dave Salmoni heads deep into the African bush on a double mission – to return to his wild roots and save a rogue pride of lions from elimination.
◊“Special Ops Mission” (9 p.m. on Military Channel): In each episode of this new series, special forces operator Wil Willis must complete a nearly impossible mission. Each episode introduces a new “Op-For” team that will employ the latest military tactics to stop Willis.
◊“Stateline” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment titled “Buffalo Soldiers” takes viewers back into the past in order to recognize some of those who secured Oklahoma’s future. Native Oklahomans nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” protected Indians from white settlers and white settlers from hostile Indians. They also built forts, railroads, ran telegraph lines and mapped much of Oklahoma and Indian Territories. Many were eventually awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for various acts of heroism.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Gloria Grahame is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1953’s “The Glass Wall” (2 p.m.) and 1953’s “The Big Heat” (8:45 p.m.).
FRIDAY, AUG. 14
◊“Degrassi Goes Hollywood” (7 p.m. on The N): Old friends, flames and rivals reunite as the Degrassi gang takes over Tinseltown in the network’s first original two-hour movie. The only thing bigger than their dreams is the drama when they venture to Hollywood to score parts in a film, Mewesical High, directed by Jason Mewes (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). The movie also features guest appearances by Kevin Smith (“Clerks”), Perez Hilton (celebrity blogger), Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), Vivica A. Fox (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Kelly Carlson (“Nip/Tuck”) and Cassadee Pope (“Hey Monday”).
◊“The Doors: Live in Europe” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This special features performances from the American rock band’s 1969 European tour, including the songs “Light My Fire,” “Hello, I Love You” and “The Unknown Soldier.” It also offers a glimpse of life on the road for band members Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.
◊“Gown Crazy” (9 p.m. on TLC): Norman designer Johnathan Kayne Gillaspie, who finished fifth in Season 3 of “Project Runway,” is featured in this new special, which was taped as a pilot for a possible series. He has four days to design and sew five outfits for the Miss Oklahoma Pageant, put on a charity fashion show and design and complete a custom evening gown and wedding gown.
◊“Kai-Lan’s Great Trip to China” (9 a.m. on Nickelodeon): This new one-hour special takes Kai-lan, Yeye and friends on a trip to China to visit Kai-lan’s great aunt and attend the naming ceremony of a baby panda. Along the way, viewers will be asked to help Rintoo, Tolee, Hoho and the baby panda overcome their fears of trying something new so they don’t miss the special naming ceremony at sundown. Ming-Na (“ER”) guest stars as the voice of Kai-lan’s Great Aunt Gu Nai Nai.
◊“Kung Fu Panda” (7:15 p.m. on Cinemax): The title character doesn’t know martial arts when the movie begins, but that changes fast in this fun, animated comedy-adventure featuring the voice of Jack Black in the main role. The voice cast also includes Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Ian McShane.
◊“The Mom Show” (9 a.m. on WE): In the season finale, resident doctor Dave Greenberg joins the moms to talk about a growing epidemic — stress.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA): While investigating the high-profile murder of a maid whose assailant apparently tried to treat her wounds, Monk finds himself drawn to another case involving a visiting African man investigating his wife’s hit-and-run death.
◊“Neil Diamond — Hot August Night: NYC” (7 p.m. on CBS): This new concert special features performances from Neil Diamond’s latest sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York. He sings several of his classics, including “America,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am…I Said,” “Cherry, Cherry” and “Sweet Caroline.” In addition, Diamond reflects on a recent visit to his hometown, as he takes the audience on his journey from Brooklyn to Madison Square Garden.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): When Robin’s seemingly strong case against a weapons smuggler falls apart, the team decides to look into the jury who heard the case. James Marsters (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Ray Wise (”Reaper”) guest star.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Sidney Poitier is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1967’s “To Sir, With Love” (5 p.m.) and 1963’s “Lilies of the Field” (9:15 p.m.).
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (7 p.m. on Disney): Alex opts to plan a zombie-themed anti-prom, but she is unprepared for the real zombies that arrive for the ultimate prom dance-off.
◊“Woodstock: Now & Then” (8 p.m. on VH1): This documentary directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple (“American Dream”) examines the 1969 three-day music festival from the perspectives of not only the musicians who graced the stage, but the fans who gathered in mass and the concert promoters who risked everything. History Channel will air the 2-hour documentary on Aug. 17.
SATURDAY, AUG. 15
◊“The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m. on TBS): When Bill refuses to shave his beard after a fishing trip, Susan decides to teach him a lesson, and Paul winds up in the crossfire. Meanwhile, Bryan tries to join Trent in tormenting Lauren, but it’s unclear he has what it takes to be a prankster.
◊“Castle” (9 p.m. on ABC): Castle and Beckett investigate the murder of a missing plastic surgeon who is found dead in the front seat of his car after a week of being parked curbside. As they delve into the twisted world of surgery obsessed patients and secret operations, Castle experiences a fatherly rite of passage as Alexis attends her first prom.
◊“Househusbands of Hollywood” (8 p.m. on Fox Reality Channel): This new series follows the lives of five men and their high-powered, successful wives. The men live under a different set of circumstances, but they all have one thing in common –their wives are bringing home the bacon. The Hollywood husbands include former Los Angeles Dodger Billy Ashley (married to celebrity makeup artist Lisa Ashley), actor Darryl M. Bell (married to actress Tempestt Bledsoe) and former Marine Corps sniper Grant Reynolds (married to ‘Good Day LA” host Jillian Reynolds).
◊“My Sinatra: A Musical Tribute” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): New York crooner Cary Hoffman celebrates Frank Sinatra’s classic period from 1953 to the early ‘60s with his renditions of “Luck Be a Lady,” Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way” and others classics.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Deborah Kerr is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are
1942’s “The Avengers” (9:30 a.m.) and 1957’s “An Affair to Remember” (7 p.m.).
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for Aug. 2-8, 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 Aug. 2:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, AUG. 2
◊“Blood in the Water” (8 p.m. on Discovery): The network’s 22nd annual Shark Week opens with this two-hour re-enactment of the true events that inspired ‘‘Jaws” — a 1916 series of shark attacks along the New Jersey shore, which turned the waters near the beach into a killing ground and triggered a nationwide panic.
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): The team searches for a recently missing teenager while also investigating the five-month-old murder of the boy’s father, both of whom were in a witness protection program as the father prepared to testify against a mob boss. Steve Eckholdt (”The West Wing”) and Jason Gedrick (”Desperate Housewives”) guest star.
◊“Defying Gravity” (8 p.m. on ABC): This new space thriller is set in the very near future and follows eight astronauts from
five countries who undertake a mysterious six-year space mission covering eight billion miles. The series stars Ron Livingston (“Office Space”) as Antares flight engineer Maddux Donner, Laura Harris (“24”) as ship geologist Zoe Barnes, Malik Yoba (“New York Undercover”) as Antares commander Ted Shaw, Christina Cox (“Blood Ties”) as biologist Jen Crane, Florentine Lahme (“Impact”) as pilot Nadia Schilling, Paula Garces (“The Shield”) as on-board documentary producer Paula Morales, Eyal Podell (“24”) as psychiatrist and medical officer Evram Mintz and Dylan Taylor (“House Party”) as theoretical physicist Steve Wassenfelder.
◊“Entourage” (9:30 p.m. on HBO): With production on his next film delayed, Vince searches for ways to amuse himself, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) takes Turtle shopping for back-to-school clothes.
◊“The Ford HBCU Business Classic” (10:30 p.m. on TV One): Darryl Bell (”A Different World”) hosts this reality-style special that brings together some of the nation’s most talented young business minds from prestigious historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to compete for scholarship money while they hone their entrepreneurial skills in a business plan competition.
◊“Legally Blondes” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Reese Witherspoon (”Legally Blonde”) serves as producer for the third installment of the movie franchise, and she passes the blonde-baton to British twin sisters Becky and Milly Rosso (”The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”). They play Elle’s cousins Izzy and Annie Woods, who move to Californina to attend a posh prep school and end up becoming the target of the school’s wealthy “queen.”
◊“Megan Wants a Millionaire” (8 p.m. on VH1): Megan Hauserman, who had her heart broken by Bret Michaels in “Rock of Love 2 and lost out on the $1 million check on “I Love Money,” is back to find both love and money. Seventeen eligible multi-millionaires will vie for her heart in this new reality series.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): A mysterious black knight arrives in Camelot to reveal deep, dark secrets from the past that King Uther would rather keep buried.
◊“Mountain Gorilla” (6:15 p.m. on Documentary Channel): This is the first of 21 IMAX films that the cable network has scheduled for Sundays in August. Today’s line-up also features “T-Rex: Back to Cretaceous” (7 p.m.), “China: The Panda Adventure” (8 p.m.) and “Mission to Mir” (9 p.m.).
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): In the Season 5 finale, Alton Brown (“Good Eats”) spends one-on-one time with the final two contenders to learn more about their culinary points of view before directing their pilots. And all the finalists return and join a live audience to find out who will be the next Food Network star.
◊“Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew Top 10 Performances of All Time” (8 p.m. on MTV): Randy Jackson (”American Idol”) will count down the best crew performances from seasons past in this hourlong clip show. Season 4 of the show premieres Aug. 9.
◊“The Storm” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the finale to this two-part TV movie, scientist Kirk Hafner (James Van Der Beek) seeks to save the world from the potential devastation to be caused by billionaire Robert Terrell’s (Treat Williams) obsession with controlling the weather. As weather conditions continue to worsen, Hafner turns to Detective Devon Williams (Marisol Nichols) to help him maneuver his way through Terrell’s deadly game.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: James Mason is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1946’s “The Wicked Lady” (7 a.m.) and 1946’s “They Were Sisters” (9 a.m.).
◊“Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Grammy winner Tony Bennett performs duets of his greatest hits with other Grammy winners, including Barbra Streisand (“Smile”), Elton John (“Rags to Riches”) and Stevie Wonder (“For Once in My Life”). Woven throughout the special are narratives by special giests, including Billy Crystal, John Travolta and Robert DeNiro.
◊“Ty’s Great British Adventure” (7 p.m. on ABC): “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” host Ty Pennington crosses the Atlantic to help the seaside town of Portreath in southwest England bring life back to the town’s park. The once-thriving park suffered neglect and eventually became a rusty, muddy mess, and infighting and indecision amongst the town leaders and community members led to a stalled effort to get anything done.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): The team searches for a man who goes missing after a late night dive and try to zero in on who could be responsible for his disappearance. Oscar winner Martin Landau (”Ed Wood”) reprises his role as Frank Malone, Jack’s father.
◊“Z Rock” (10 p.m. on IFC): While the band is having difficulty being signed to a label, John Popper (Blues Traveler lead singer) helps ZO2 with the next best things – lunch, and an audition for Paulie for the lead on Broadway’s “Rock of Ages.” Constantine Maroulis (”American Idol”) and Joan Rivers (”Celebrity Apprentice”) also guest star.
MONDAY, AUG. 3
◊“Boy Interrupted” (8 p.m. on HBO): This documentary from director Dana Perry and her husband, Hart, tells the story of how their teenage son, Evan Scott Perry, ended his lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder in 2005 by jumping from his New York bedroom window.
◊“The Closer” (8 p.m. on TNT): A man (Bruce Davison, “Knight Rider”) who confessed to murder while Brenda was away on her honeymoon gets details of the crime wrong during his allocution, causing Brenda to reopen the case. Cynthia Watros (“Lost”) also guest stars.
◊“The Dan Patrick Show” (8 a.m. on DirecTV’s 101 Network): Syndicated sports talk radio host Dan Patrick’s new weekday series is more than just a simulcast of the radio hours. It will include behind-the-scenes antics and video segments as Patrick interacts with his production staff to create a unique blend of situational comedy and sports commentary.
◊“Day of the Shark 2″ (9 p.m. on Discovery): See what happens when a great white breaks through a 300-pound aluminum shark cage and traps the divers inside. Another shark tackles a former Navy Seal in shallow waters off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida. And a bull shark invades a spear-fishing trip in the Bahamas.
◊“Deadly Waters” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Survivorman’s Les Stroud is back for more nail biting – shark chomping action, and this time, he’s taking on the deadliest waters around the world. His quest is simple – which water is the deadliest? Starting from historical data from the Florida Museum Of Natural History’s famed “Shark Attack Files”, Les will begin his journey to test the waters in the world’s sharkiest “hotspots”
◊“Forensics: You Decide” (9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery): This new series shows how the prosecution and defense can reach two very different conclusions on what truly happened and allows viewers to decide for themselves whom they believe. The premiere episode focuses on the 2008 case of Lawton resident Greg Maurek, who stood trial for the murder of his brother, Peter.
◊“Get Down Tonight — The Disco Explosion” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Hosted by KC and the Sunshine Band, Karen Lynn-Gorney (“Saturday Night Fever”) and Denny Terrio (“Dance Fever”), this special includes performances by artists featured on the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack.
◊“Gimme Sugar: Miami” (9 p.m. on Logo): In the Season 2 finale, Charlene tries to convince her bosses Linda and Michelle to allow Charlene manage the “Truck Stop” launch event in Miami again after previous altercations with local Miami club promoters. As her entire future with the company rests on its success, Charlene relies on her newly found friends in Miami to offer the support she needs to make her career aspirations a reality.
◊“Indoors Out” (9:30 p.m. on DIY): Cousins Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns are back for a third season of this show dedicated to expanding homes with outdoor rooms — from fully outfitted kitchens to spa showers.
◊“Invitation Only: Brad Paisley” (8 p.m. on CMT): Country music artist Brad Paisley performs his greatest hits as well as new music from his album, American Saturday Night, in this new special. He also takes part in a laid-back question and answer session and talks about his interests outside of the entertainment industry, his family and how his marriage stays strong.
◊“Real Chance of Love 2: Back in the Saddle” (8 p.m. on VH1): Bachelor brothers “Real” and “Chance” are back and still eager to find the fillies of their dreams. These former “I Love New York” contestants are single again and ready to restart the dual search for Ms. Right with a new set of challenges that promise to be both outlandish and true tests for the new contenders.
◊“Rock Solid” (9 p.m. on DIY): Cousins Derek Stearns and Dean Marsico return to host Season 5 of this show dedicated to helping viewers increase their home’s value by starting in the yard. They are stonemasons, and they demonstrate how to create sturdy stone-top tables, outdoor shows, fire pits and more.
◊“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Everyone returns from their summer vacations, and george makes a big revelation to Anne. Prior to this new episode, viewers can catch up on the show with a six-hour marathon beginning at 1 p.m.
◊“Sugarland: Live on the Inside” (7 p.m. on ABC): The Grammy-winning country music duo made up of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Brooks takes fans behind the scenes of one of its concerts in this special that airs the day before the duo’s new CD and DVD hits music stores. Filmed with 20 cameras at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., the show features previously unseen footage of Sugarland performing hits such as ‘‘Settlin’ ” and ‘‘All I Want to Do.”
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Marion Davies is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1935’s “Page Miss Glory” (5:15 p.m.) and 1933’s “Going Hollywood” (11:30 p.m.).
◊“Ultimate Cake Off” (9 p.m. on TLC): Here’s a sneak peek at the new competition series that pits three cake artists against each other as they creaye edible masterpieces in hopes of winning $10,000 and and having their cakes featured at marquee events. The series premieres Aug. 31.
TUESDAY, AUG. 4
◊“Addicted to Beauty” (10 p.m. on Oxygen): This new reality workplace dramedy follows the outrageous staff at Changes Plastic Surgery and Spa, located in Southern California. Dianne York-Goldman, socialite and marketing expert, has brought her over-the-top employees from her previous spa to help with this new venture with well-known plastic surgeon Dr. Gilbert Lee.
◊“Big Ideas for a Small Planet” (7 p.m. on Sundance): Each week, this documentary series brings a different green theme into focus through the work of forward-thinking innovators. The Season 3 premiere looks at the music industry’s ideas of a green record label, sustainable stages and green guitars. Featured innovators include singer Jackson Browne, Emmett Malloy of Brushfire Records and Neal Turley of Sustainable Waves.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): Rebecca Gayheart (“Dead Like Me”) guest stars as a speed addicted nurse whose shares her addiction and a relationship with her surgeon. The hospital administrator reaches out to William to help the duo kick their problem before they embark on major heart surgery on a child.
◊“The Colony” (9 p.m. on Discovery): Volunteers manage to secure the basic necessities in order to survivea global catastrophe, but turning their focus to one creature comfort they really miss — a hot shower — proves to be costly as it leaves them open to a massive attack.
◊“Dolly: Live in London O2 Arena” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): Grammy-winning country singer Dolly Parton performs many of her classic hits to a sell-out crowd in London. She also sings selections from her recent release “Backwoods Barbie.”
◊“Hawthorne” (8 p.m. on TNT): Christina treats a female patient who may have been abused by her boyfriend, but things might be different than they seem at first. Sarah Lancaster (“Chuck”) and Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”) guest star.
◊“Hell’s Kitchen” (7 p.m. on Fox): Stopping by for dinner service are Drew Lachey (“Dancing With the Stars”), “John O’Hurley (“Dancing With the Stars”), Tom Green (“Grind”), Melinda Clarke (“The O.C.”) and Kristy Swanson (“Early Edition”).
◊“The Little Couple” (9 p.m. on TLC): In the Season 1 finale, Jen and Bill are anxious to start a family. But they have major concerns about Jen’s safety during pregnancy, so they’ve made an appointment with a doctor who is an expert on little people pregnancies.
◊“One Life to Live” (1 p.m. on ABC): Latin music star Frankie Negron will perform a unique version of his song “Holding on to Love” in both English and Spanish during a private rooftop performance for Todd (Trevor St. John) and Tea (Florencia Lozano).
◊“Saving Grace” (9 p.m. on TNT): The bizarre murder of a drug company whistle blower becomes a potential national news story for Butch’s reporter girlfriend, Kendra Burke. Grace’s brother Leo is convinced his next door neighbor is keeping a dead body in his house. And Johnny pressures Grace to arrange a chance for him to finally meet Earl.
◊“Scrubs” (7:30 p.m. on ABC): J.D.’s fantasy comes to life as he bids Sacred Heart Hospital a final farewell. Guest starring in “My Finale” are Christa Miller (”The Drew Carey Show”), Nicole Sullivan (“Rita Rocks”), Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”), Michael Learned (”The Waltons”) and Katheryn Joosten (”Joan of Arcadia”).
◊“Sharkbite Summer” (8 p.m. on Discovery): This new special revisits the attack sites and builds an exact picture of the bloody summer of 2001 using news archive, interviews with victims, witnesses, surgeons, family members and shark experts.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: James Coburn is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1967’s “The President’s Analyst” (7 p.m.) and 1975’s “Hard Times” (9 p.m.).
◊“Warehouse 13” (8 p.m. on Syfy): When a sculpture is stolen thanks to an American Indian artifact that allowed the thief to walk through the steel walls of a vault, Pete and Myka are sent to New York City to investigate. Joe Flanigan (“Stargate: Atlantis”) and James Naughton (“The Devil Wears Prada”) guest star.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5
◊“America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m. on NBC): Grammy winner Mariah Carey will perform her new single “Obsessed” on the first results show. “Obsessed,” written and produced by Carey, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, is the first single pick from her album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.”
◊“Country Bluegrass Homecoming” (8:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Country, bluegrass and classic gospel singers gather together in this musical celebration hosted by Bill Gaither. The special includes appearances by Vince Gill, George Jones and Marty Stuart.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): When Prentiss and Reid go undercover to investigate possible child abuse at an underground cult, they get trapped inside the compound when a federal raid goes bad. Luke Perry (”Beverly Hills, 90210″) guest stars as cult leader Benjamin Cyrus.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): When a former medical examiner is found murdered, a white powder found at the scene provides the CSIs with a major lead in tracking the killer when it is discovered that the powder is heroin made from human bodies. Pop Singer and Actress Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz (”Fall Out Boy”) guest star as “Bonnie and Clyde Wannabes.”
◊“Dark Blue” (9 p.m. on TNT): Ty and Dean go after a major Korean gang into everything from drugs to counterfeiting. Their target is known as President Lee, an old-school mob boss who doesn’t take lip from anyone. But their biggest problem might be more internal, as Ty and Dean butt heads over every aspect of the case, with Ty being too cautious and Dean throwing caution to the wind.
◊“Giuliana & Bill” (8 p.m. on Style Network): This new reality series looks inside the marriage of E! news anchor Giuliana Rancic and best-selling author Bill Rancic as they juggle high-profile careers and married life while traveling between homes in Los Angeles and Chicago.
◊“Great White Appetite” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Observe first hand the experiments that uncover the Great Whites unique eating habits. Cameras will travel the globe, stopping at three major Great White feeding grounds – Seal Island, South Africa; Adelaide, Australia and Guadalupe Island, Mexico to administer visual experiments in an effort to better understand the shark’s appetite.
◊“House Crashers” (9 p.m. on DIY): In this new series, host and contractor Josh Temple stalks the aisles of home improvement stores in search of daring weekend warriors willing to let him remodel a room in their home. With the help of his expert crew, Temple takes on top-to-bottom transformations, and trusting homeowners cash in the ultimate home improvement lottery.
◊“How’d You Get So Rich?” (9 p.m. on TV Land): In this new series, Joan Rivers (”Celebrity Apprentice” winner) explores the lifestyles of the rich and lucky. She takes viewers on a journey to meet the millionaires who
struck gold as she tours the most lavish and extravagant homes and introduces them to folks who made a lot of money in really interesting ways.
◊“Leverage” (8 p.m. on TNT): While trying to recover embezzled cash from a Madoff-like funds manager, the team finds themselves acting as unlikely fairy godparents to the mark’s lovable loser stepson.
◊“Make My Day” (9:30 p.m. on TV Land): This new comedic hidden-camera series provides a window into one day in the life of an unsuspecting participant. Tune in as cameras capture the action as they experience weird coincidences, extraordinary situations and surprise celebrity appearances for one whole day.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Harold Lloyd is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1928’s “Speedy” (7 p.m.) and 1933’s “Feet First” (10:30 p.m.).
◊“War Dogs of the Pacific” (9 p.m. on Military Channel): This program tells the story of the U.S. Marine war dog platoons of World War II, following the marines and their dogs through training and into combat.
THURSDAY, AUG. 6
◊“Bollywood Hero” (9 p.m. on IFC): Chris Kattan (”Saturday Night Live”) stars in this Bollywood musical-style miniseries, in which he fleas Hollywood and travels to India to star in the Bollywood film “Peculiar Dancing Boy.” The three-part, six-hour miniseries airing today through Saturday also stars Maya Rudolph (”Away We Go”), Julian Sands (”A Room with a View”), Neha Dhupia (former Miss India) and Pooja Kumar (former Miss India U.S.A).
◊“Burn Notice” (8 p.m. on USA): In the Season 3 finale, a recently widowed woman hires Michael and Fiona to get her away from a group of violent con men. Michael turns to Madeline for help, but he may ask her to go too far.
◊“Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This special is the essential collection of Celtic Woman’s most beloved and memorable songs. It showcases vocalists Lisa, Chloë, Órla, Méav, Hayley, Alex, Lynn and fiddler Máiréad, and all of the songs are intertwined using stunning scenic and landscape images of Ireland.
◊“Daniel O’Donnell: Hope and Praise” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This special, taped in November before 2,500 fans in Branson, Mo., features Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell performing multi-denominational hymns, up-tempo gospel and pop songs. He is backed by a 24-member young adult choir, a 12-member children’s choir, an orchestra and his band.
◊“Hawaii: Message in the Waves” (8 p.m. on Planet Green): This documentary features the wildlife of Hawaii’s famous surf zone and the surfers and scrientists who are fighting to protect it. Turtles, dolphins, monk seals and albatrosses all have to cope with the growing number of people using the island beaches, but now animals face a new threat from washed-up plastic.
◊“Police Women of Broward County” (8 p.m. on TLC): This new reality series follows the four tough-talking police women of Broward County in Florida as they battle crime. In the premiere episode, Andrea tackles a drug dealer twice her size, Ana outsmarts a stripper hiding drugs, Julie goes undercover as a prostitute and Shelunda investigates a bloody fight.
◊“Shark After Dark” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Sharks are most aggressive and most active in the dark, but the fact is, we know very little else about the nocturnal nature of these creatures. Now, armed with the latest in infrared thermography cameras and night vision technology, a team of divers travels around the world, and descends into the sharks dangerous after-dark hunting grounds.
◊“Skins” (8 p.m. on BBC America): This award-winning British series returns for a second season and continues to push boundaries and tell shocking and sometimes heartbreaking stories about the trials of adolescence. The Class of 2009 is headed up by the beautiful and mysterious Effy (Kaya Scodelario), returning as the new queen bee. Effy is as enigmatic and elusive as ever. She’s joined by best friend, Pandora (Lisa Backwell), sweet and kooky, she keeps the gang together.
◊“So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m. on Fox): Find out who will be crowned America’s favorite dancer live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Judy Garland is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1950’s “Summer Stock” (5 p.m.) and 1945’s “The Clock” (9 p.m.).
FRIDAY, AUG. 7
◊“Chefs vs. City” (9 p.m. on Food Network): Acclaimed chefs Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez test their food knowledge and competitive spirits in this new series. Each week, they will travel to a different city, where they will be pitted against two local foodies in a winner-takes-all race in five different challenges that could include eating spicy dishes and crab fishing in a gator-infested river.
◊“The Goode Family” (8:30 p.m. on ABC): Gerald thinks Trish and Mo (guest stars Julia Sweeney, Laraine Newman) want him as the sperm donor for their next child in the Season 1 finale. Meanwhile, when Ubuntu starts sprouting his first facial hair, Charlie decides it’s time to take his grandson under his wing and teach him how to be a man, much to Gerald and Helen’s dismay.
◊“Great Performances” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): This installment highlights Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration from Madison Square Garden. Joining the folk singer for the concert event taped in May are Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson and many others.
◊“Jeffery and Cole Casserole” (10 p.m. on Logo): In the Season 1 finale, Jeffery and Cole attempt to use their friend “Becky” to get to Boca Raton, Fla. — all for the love of vampires and musical theater.
◊“Monk” (8 p.m. on USA): When an attempt is made on the life of a former child star who recently publiushed her tell-all biography, Monk is thrilled to act as her bodyguard — until he learns how different she is from her TV alter ego. Guest starring in the Season 8 premiere are Rena Sofer (“Blind Justice”) and Elizabeth Perkins (“Weeds”).
◊“Mr. Friday” (8 p.m. on FLN): This new docu-series follows former model and jet-setter Derek Friday, who has never done a day’s work in his life. He is forced by his wealthy, philanthropic mother to switch places with a hardworking recipient and perform various tasks from cleaning and feeding reptiles to working in the circus in exchange for his weekly trust-fund check.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): A stolen pair of “kicks” leads the team into the world of sneaker collecting after a foreign Ambassador finds his prized pair missing.
Grammy winner Eve guest stars.
◊“Psych” (9 p.m. on USA): In the Season 4 premiere, Shawn and Gus outwit a notorious international art thief, Despereux (Cary Elwes, “The X Files”). When they travel to the ski slopes of Vancouver, they discover that he’s not an art thief but an insurance scam artist.
◊“Surviving Suburbia” (7 p.m. on ABC): In the Season 1 finale, Steve motivates Anne to break away from her manipulative mother after her parents abuse the new cell phones they gave them. And Dr. Jim counsels Henry after he reprimands Rhonda for glamorizing teen pregnancy in front of Courtney.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Glenn Ford is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1949’s “Mr. Soft Touch” (2 p.m.) and 1946’s “Gilda” (7 p.m.).
SATURDAY AUGUST 8, 2009
◊“The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m. on TBS): Bill invests a hefty chunk of money in his brother Dan’s (Stephen Dunham, “The Mummy”) latest sure-thing business proposition, something he’s done too many times before. Determined to put a stop to it, Susan pushes Bill to talk to his brother about being a responsible adult.
◊“Dirty Sexy Money” (9 p.m. on ABC): After being stabbed by Nola, the badly wounded Simon is secretly taken to the Imperial to recuperate. While there, Nick forces Simon to reveal how he is controlling Nola and why he had her prosecute Letitia for Dutch’s murder. Entanglements arise with Nick and the pregnant Karen’s budding romance when it’s revealed that his ex-wife, Lisa, is writing a tell-all book about the Darlings. Gary Collins (“Born Free”) and John Schneider (”Smallville”) guest stars.
◊“George Lopez: Tall, Dark & Chicano” (9 p.m. on HBO): Comedian George Lopez delivers an all-new stand-up show before a live audience at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Some of the hot topics he’s expected to cover are Latino perspectives on change in America, kids today, parenting and “rednecks” who date Latino women.
◊“Handy Manny” (7:30 a.m. on Disney): When Manny is the 100th customer at Mr. Diller’s (guest star Henry Winkler, “Happy Days”) Variety Store, he wins his choice of any item in the store and shares his prize with the tools.
◊“iCarly: iFight Shelby Marx” (7 p.m. on Nickelodeon): In this special hourlong movie, features Victoria Justice (”Spectacular”) as Shelby Marx, a female championship fighter who challenges Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) to meet her in the ring.
◊“Lars and the Real Girl” (8 p.m. on Showtime): Ryan Gosling stars as Lars, a loner who surprises everyone with his introduction of a girlfriend — actually a lifelike doll that others decide to treat like a living being. Patricia Clarkson plays his psychologist.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Bette Davis is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among her films airing are 1937’s “Marked Woman” (11:30 a.m.) and 1946’s “Deception” (9 p.m.).
–Penny TV
Top 55 TV Programs for July 26-Aug. 1, 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 26:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, JULY 26
◊“Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” (7 p.m. on BBC America): This special finds thre Doctor (David Tennant) trapped on a desert alien planet with a red double-decker bus but no Tardis. He soon discovers the mysterious planet holds secrets hidden in the sand and is forced to team up with thief Lady Christina (Michelle Ryan, “Bionic Woman”) to get back to Earth.
◊“Drop Dead Diva” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Jane’s past catches up with her when a case from the prior year is up for retrial. She has difficulty containing her emotions and is thrown in contempt of the court. Rosie O’Donnell (”The View”) and Chuck Woolery (“Love Connection”) guest star.
◊“Easy Money” (6 p.m. on CW): This canceled drama about a family of loan sharks and the mother (Laurie Metcalf, “Roseanne”) who heads up the company, returns to burn off its four unaired episodes.
◊“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m. on ABC): The Kadzis family’s hurricane-damaged home in Tallahassee, Fla., was rebuilt and modified in seven days to meet their special needs. Three days after the family received their new home, living father and husband George succumbed to brain cancer.
◊“Food Network Challenge” (7 p.m. on Food Network): “Sesame Street” turns 40 this year, and to honor the characters that have taught generations to play nice, four pastry chefs will create “Sesame Street”-inspired cakes.
◊“Masterpiece Mystery!” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new installment titled “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” the last words of a dying man lead the sole witness to team with a beautiful socialite to find out if foul play was involved. Miss Marple joins them as they land in a hotbed of homicide and intrigue.
◊“Merlin” (7 p.m. on NBC): Merlins is forced to choose between a young druid’s life and his sworn destiny to protect Arthur. What Merlin doesn’t know is that his decision will come back to haunt him.
◊“The Michael Jackson Story” (7 p.m. on TV One): This new documentary kicks off the networks’ “Forever Michael Week” that was originally scheduled to celebrate Michael Jackson’s highly anticipated London concerts. In addition to the documentary, which charts the superstar’s career from his days as a shy young child in Indiana through his last days as a closeted icon, the week will include “The Jackson: An American Dream” miniseries (8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday) and the “Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration” concert (8 p.m. Friday).
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The installment titled “Silence of the Bees” explores the international emergency researchy that is underway to uncover the cause of the massive die-offs of honeybees, which could be a potential ecological disaster.
◊“The Next Food Network Star” (8 p.m. on Food Network): The remaining three finalists lunch with Emeril Lagasse (”Emeril”) and learn that they must create a three-course menu for a group of culinary elite inspired by a screening of Columbia Pictures’ movie “Julie & Julia,” which opens Aug. 7 in theaters.
◊“One Hot Summer” (6 p.m. on Lifetime Movie Network): Attorney Margarita Santos (Vanessa Marcil, “Without a Trace”) has a good life in Miami. But it’s turned upside down when her ex-lover (Casper Van Dien, “Watch Over Me”) comes to town and is willing to do anything to get her back. The film is part of the networks’ best seller summer and is based on the novel by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera.
◊“The Storm” (8 p.m. on NBC): In this new two-part movie, a young scientist (James Van Der Beek, “Dawson’s Creek”) enlists the aid of a reporter (Teri Polo, “Meet the Parents”) to help him expose a billionaire’s (Treat Williams, “Everwood”) ill-advised attempt to control the weather, which has unleashed catastrophic storms around the globe. The conclusion airs Aug. 2.
◊“Stories from the Vaults: Nature’s Vault” (7 p.m. Sunday on Smithsonian Channel): Host Tom Cavanagh (”Trust Me”) goes behind the scenes to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama to track sloths.
◊“Thunderheads” (8 p.m. on Smithsonian Channel): This special takes viewers on a thrilling ride with scientists battling to better understand the role of thunderstorms in the climate change puzzle.
MONDAY, JULY 27
◊“The Bachelorette” (7 p.m. on ABC): Jillian Harris, who had her romantic dreams crushed when Jason Mesnick passed her over in the last season of “The Bachelor,” is the one making her choice for her ideal romantic mate as the reality series closes out its fifth season. The “After the Final Rose” special will air at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Horatio and the team go head-to-head with a defense attorney (Sean Combs, “A Raisin In the Sun”) who may be involved in a murder cover-up.
◊“Great American Road Trip” (7 p.m. on NBC): When the five remaining families hit the mid point of Route 66, a messy pie-eating contest ensues. It’s then on to the open road through the expansive Southwest, with stops in Albuquerque for a hot air baloon ride and Arizona to see the Meteor Crater.
◊“Hair: Let the Sunshine In” (8 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary examines the origins, impact and enduring power of the rock musical that opened off-Broadway in 1967.
◊“History Detectives” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Items investivated include a fragment that may have been a piece of Amelia Earhart’s plane, a Colorado home whose supports may have been constructed from a railroad boxcar and a letter from President Millard Fillmore commuting the death sentence of an American Indian.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7 p.m. on CBS): .When Barney loses his “mojo,” he attends the Victoria’s Secret Fall Fashion Show after-party to get himself back on track. But his smooth operating skills are put to the test when he meets supermodel Heidi Klum (”Project Runway”). Wayne Brady (”The Wayne Brady Show”) also guest stars.
◊“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (9 p.m. on Bravo): When Proposition 8 is passed in California, Kathy realizes that even though bshe has always been a gay rights activist, there is still work to be done. She stops by the home of Melissa Etheridge where the singer likens her to Sally Field in “Norman Rae” and christens Kathy “Norma Gay.”
◊“Making His Band” (9 p.m. on MTV): Viewers have seen Sean “Diddy” Combs create a hip-hop group, a female pop group and a male R & B group. Now he is creating a group to perform on what he is calling his last album. Those who make it through the early auditions will spend several weeks proving their worth and ultimately Diddy will choose the best of the best to be in his band.
◊“Rising Icons” (9:30 p.m. on BET): This new series highlights eight of the world’s most influential newfound artists. Each episode will take viewers on an up close and personal journey behind the scenes with the artists, giving viewers a glimpse into their road to stardom and revealing what it takes to be successful in music and entertainment today. Artists featured include Chrisette Michele, Hal Linton, Keri Hilson, Kid Cudi, Melanie Fiona, Ryan Leslie, The-Dream, and Wale.
◊“The Yes Men Fix the World” (8 p.m. on HBO): This documentary follows pranksters Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, aka The Yes Men, as they infiltrate the world of big business and pull off outrageous pranks in an effort to highlight the human toll of greed and profiteering.
◊“Way Too Early With Willie Geist” (4:30 a.m. on MSNBC): In this new morning talk show, Willie Geist (”Morning Joe”) will offer viewers everything they need to know to start the morning – from news and politics to sports and pop culture. he will continue to co-host “Morning Joe” that follows at 5 a.m.
TUESDAY, JULY 28
◊“America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m. on NBC): Contestants who made it through the first round of auditions descent upon Las Vegas. Judges David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne will deliberate, debate and determine which of the acts will make it into the elite Top 40.
◊“The Cleaner” (9 p.m. on A&E): Two identical twin sisters, seemingly polar opposites, discover that their paths to recovery may be intertwined.
◊“Deconstruction” (9:30 p.m. on DIY): Licensed contractor Matt Blashaw hosts this show that explores the science behind home improvement., such as how pressurized wood gets treated and if home insulation is really fire retardant.
◊“The Lazy Environmentalist” (8 p.m. on Sundance): The final episode of this series, which shows individuals that a green lifestyle can be achieved with little sacrifice, offers ecologically-sound options to a bartender in Brooklyn and the boss of Vox Entertainment in Los Angeles.
◊“More to Love” (8 p.m. on Fox): Supermodel Emme hosts this new series, in which 20 full-figured women compete for the attention of Luke Conley, 26, a college football player-turned-subcontractor and real estate investor who is seeking romance.
◊“NOVA scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Neil deGrasse Tyson looks at the oldest known organic molecules on Earth and neuronal processes that lead to producing sound.
◊“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): British filmmaker Kim Longinotto’s documentary “Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go” explores Oxford’s Mulberry Bush School for emotionally disturbed children. It’s an unusual school in which a patient and gentle staff counters extreme, sometimes violent behavior with consolation and mild restraint in a world where troubled kids trying to survive are given a glimmer of hope.
◊“The Superstars” (7 p.m. on ABC): After weeks of different challenges, the “Superstars” champion is crowned. The final events include kayak pursuit, tug-o-war and a triathlon
◊“Unforgettably Evil” (9 p.m. on Starz): Film critic Richard Roeper hosts this documentary that explores film’s many faces of evil. It includes interviews with Eric Roberts (“Heroes”), Kristanna Loken (“BloodRayne”), Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) and the late David Carradine (“Kung Fu Killer”).
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Joe E. Brown was born on this day in 1892, and TCM celebrates the occassion by airing 10 of his films, including 1932’s “Fireman, Save My Child” (8:45 a.m.), 1935’s “Alibi Ike” (3 p.m.) and 1936’s “Sons O’ Guns” (5:30 p.m.).
◊“Warehouse 13″ (8 p.m. on Syfy): Artie is kidnapped by a young woman who believes he is responsible for the death of her brother 12 years earlier. Artie learns there is more to the brother’s fate than he knew, and he might still have a chance to make things right. CCH Pounder (”The Shield”) guest stars.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29
◊“Favorite Child Stars: Where Are They Now?” (9 p.m. on E!): Who traded in their movie screen time for army boot camp? What child dtar is now a hit record-maker? Tune in to this special that will reveal the secret lives of former child celebrities.
◊“Holidate” (9 p.m. on SoapNet): This new reality series focuses on two different women each week who are both successful and dynamic bit unlucky in love. These women will switch cities and embark on a series of three dates hand-selected by the other woman.
◊“The Nine” (9 p.m. on DirecTV’s 101 Network): Viewers will finally have the opportunity to watch the previously unaired final four episodes of this 2007 drama that was pulled from the ABC lineup after nine episodes. The drama delves into the lives of nine people who forge a common bond when they live through a 52-hour hostage standoff during a bank robbery.
◊“The Philanthropist” (9 p.m. on NBC): Teddy and Philip’s college friend asks for their help to negotiate with both the Indian and Pakistani governments in an attempt to rebuild the region’s water system and reopen the line of control that divides the ancient land of Kashmir in two.
◊“Tattoo Highway” (10 p.m. on A&E): In the Season 1 finale, the bus travels to Phoenix to meet newlyweds who want matching bride and groom sugar skulls tattooed on their calves. Tommy gets agitated because the couple doesn’t like his sugar skull and makes him draw the design multiple times.
◊“Time Team America” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The team heads to the picturesque canyons of Utah to determine what went wrong for the Fremont Indians, who vanished 1,000 years ago.
◊“Top Chef Masters” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Top top six chefs, including Oklahoma-born Rick Bayless, advance to the finals and must now face-off for the ultimate title. Each is asked to produce their signature dish, only to find they must re-create their competitor’s unique dish.
◊“Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars” (9 p.m. on CNBC): Correspondent Scott Wapner travels to Germany for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first-ever event in mainland Europe. He also profiles a stable of skilled fighters who have helped the league grow from a dying franchise to a global sensation in less than a decade.
THURSDAY, JULY 30
◊“30 Rock” (7 p.m. on NBC): Jack turns to Kenneth for help when an aggressive West Coast NBC executive (Will Arnett, “Arrested Development”) declares that he is after Donaghy’s job. Al Roker (”Wake Up With Al”) also guest stars.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): Langston and Riley are taken hostage during the aftermath of a shootout in an usually calm Las Vegas community. Denzel Whitaker (”The Great Debaters”) guest stars.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (7 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. Jessica Capshaw (”The Practice”) and Eric Stoltz (”Mask”) also guest star.
◊“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Kandi Burruss is the newest housewife on the show, which returns for its second season. The series offers an up-close and personal look at five women from Atlanta’s social elite as they juggle their burgeoning careers and busy home lives with the whirl of city.
◊“Royal Pains” (9 p.m. on USA): Hank unexpectedly takes on a successful children’s book illustrator who has a serious heart condition, causing tension between him and Jill.
FRIDAY, JULY 31
◊“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (7 p.m. on Fox): Dean Cain (“Clubhouse”) heads back to the classroom to win big for chartiy. He will be able to “peek” and “copy” from the show’s fifth-grade students in order to determine the correct answer and graduate toward the top prize of $1 million.
◊“Eureka” (8 p.m. on Syfy): Tempers and tensions run high as Eureka hosts long-term rival Area 51 in their bi-annual Eureka-fied bowling tournament. Ever Caradine (“Commander in Chief”) guest stars.
◊“NUMB3RS” (9 p.m. on CBS): A feud between rival Chinese gangs leads to the kidnapping of an undercover agent and the re-appearance of the enigmatic Samuel Kraft. Kelly Hu (”Martial Law”) guest stars.
◊“Training Day” (7 p.m. on AMC): Denzel Washington earned an Oscar for best actor for this 2001 police drama. He breaks type memorably as a veteran of the Los Angeles narcotics beat who deals dirty in getting the goods on really bad guys. Ethan Hawke plays his new partner, a rookie who can’t believe much of what he witnesses as they make their rounds.
◊“Wizards of Waverly Place” (7 p.m. on Disney): Justin’s new vampire girlfriend, Juliet, gets the Russos to change their lifestyle by adding healthy foods and exercise. However, Alex is concerned about Juliet’s true intentions for Justin when she discovers that vampires like the taste of healthy blood.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
◊“Assault in the Ring” (9 p.m. on HBO): This documentatry revisits the ill-fated 1983 junior middleweight fight between Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto and its subsequent effect on both boxers. It was discovered that the padding had been illegally removed from Resto’s gloves by his trainer before the fight. Resto was subsequently incarcerated and banned from the sport, while the brutally beaten Collins went into a tragic downward spiral.
◊“Dirty Sexy Money” (9 p.m. on ABC): Patrick meets again with Congressman Whatley (John Schneider, “Smallville”) who hit on him, but this time it is the congressman’s wife, Dana (Krista Allen, “The Starter Wife”), who is making moves on Patrick.
◊“Face the Ace” (8 p.m. on NBC): Actor Steve Schirripa (”The Sopranos”) hosts this new seven-episode game show, in which amateurs take on world-class poker players in hope of winning $1 million. The amateur selects one of four doors, behind each of which is a seasoned poker pro such as Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren or Chris Ferguson. If the player beats the pro, he can take his winnings and leave or face another pro for a chance at higher winnings.
◊“Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith” (8 p.m. on Hallmark): A newly divorced woman (Cybill Sheperd, “The L Word”) returns to finish her degree, but she soon figures out the college scene has changed in the last 30 years. While her roommate may be only as old as her kids, they aren’t as different as they think, as both of them fall in love with the same professor (Jeffrey Nordling, “Dirt”).
◊Rocky Bal-Blowout movie marathon (12:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on SPIKE): The first five “Rocky” movies will air back-to-back, beginning with 1976’s “Rocky.” It will be followed by 1979’s “Rocky II” at 3 p.m., 1982’s “Rocky III” at 5:30 p.m., 1985’s “Rocky IV” at 8 p.m. and 1990’s “Rocky V” at 10 p.m.
◊TCM Summer Under the Stars: Henry Fonda is today’s star in this month-long celebration of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, and among his films airing are 1940’s “The Grapes of Wrath” (7 p.m.) and 1935’s “The Farmer Takes a Wife” (9:15 p.m.).
–Penny TV
