Top 55 TV Programs for May 24-30, 2009
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of May 24:
NOTE: Times are CST (for EST, add one hour)
SUNDAY, MAY 24
◊“2009 National Memorial Day Concert” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): For the fourth time, Emmy winner Gary Sinise (“CSI: NY”) and Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) return as co-hosts for this concert honoring the men and women in America’s armed forces. Broadcast from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, this year’s 20th anniversary telecast includes appearances by Colin Powell and actors Katie Holmes, Dianne Wiest and Laurence Fishburne, as well as singers Katharine McPhee, Trace Adkins and Denyce Graves.
◊“Diamonds” (8 p.m. on ABC): In this new two-part TV movie, the daughter of U.S. Senator Joan Cameron (Judy Davis) is killed in a massacre at an African diamond mine. That starts a chain of events that uncovers the darkest secrets of the international diamond trade.
◊“Stand” (8 p.m. on TV One): This documentary chronicles a road trip taken by broadcaster Tavis Smiley and 10 black male friends. The journey took place around the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
◊“Storm Stories” (7 p.m. on The Weather Channel): A total of six tornadoes appeared throughout Oklahoma in February 2009, but the most powerful of these destroyed the entire town of Lone Grove.
MONDAY, MAY 25
◊“American Experience: Buffalo Bill” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s legendary exploits helped create the myth of the American West. This program draws upon rich archival materials of the period to explore the man behind the legend, revealing the complexity of Buffalo Bill’s extraordinary life.
◊“Cake Boss” (9 p.m. on TLC): This new series focuses on master baker Buddy Valastro as he struggles to make his bakery in Hoboken, N.J., a household name.
◊“Hallowed Grounds” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): This Memorial Day special visits American military cemeteries in 23 countries, including England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Tunisia and the Philippines. It weaves historical elements with contemporary scenes of the cemeteries and features personal stories of the men and women who are buried there.
◊“Here Come the Newlyweds” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Comedian Pat Bullard hosts this new series in which nine just-married couples compete for a life-changing cash prize to help kick-start their new lives together and realize their dreams.
◊“In Treatment” (9 p.m. on HBO): In the Season 2 finale, Paul and Gina reach a crossroad in their relationship.
◊“Intervention” (8 p.m. on A&E): This Emmy-nominated series opens Season 7 with new profiles of individuals at the boiling point of a personal crisis. They are confronted by friends and family who have made the decision to plan an intervention.
◊“Jon & Kate Plus 8” (8 p.m. on TLC): Season 5 features more adventures of the Gosselin family, comprised of parents Jon & Kate, plus eight-year-old twins and a set of sextuplets. This season, the family celebrates the sextuplets’ fifth birthday and tackles training the new puppies.
◊“Mas Sabe el Diable” (7 p.m. on Telemundo): This new primetime novela tells the story of Angel, a young man who never met his father and grew up torn between his mother’s love and the wild world of his neighborhood streets.
◊“Obsessed” (9 p.m. on A&E): This new series profiles people suffering from extreme anxiety disorders and their efforts to overcome them.
◊“Our City Dreams” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This special visits the creative spaces of five women artists, each of whom possesses her own energy, drive and passion. The artists profiled are Nancy Spero, Marina Abramovic, Kiki Smith, Ghada Amer and Swoon.
◊Six Gun Birthday Salute to John Wayne: Encore Westerns (202 on Cox Digital Cable, 342 on Dish Network, 529 on DirecTV, 940 on U-verse) celebrates The Duke’s 102nd birthday by airing 28 hours of his movies, beginning with “The Undefeated” at 7 p.m. The marathon is interspersed with interviews with former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Senators John McCain and John Kerry, director Steven Spielberg, producer Norman Lear, Wayne’s son Ethan and others.
◊“Super Why! Hurray for Heroes” (7 a.m. on OETA-13): This special two-hour marathon includes two new interactive episodes featuring the page-turning storybook adventures of Super Why and his fellow reading superheroes as they unveil what the power of reading can do. In-between the episodes, youngsters will share their thoughts about what it means to be a hero.
TUESDAY, MAY 26
◊“Alice Neel” (6 p.m. on Sundance): One of the great portrait painters of the 20th century, Alice Neel reinvented the genre by expressing the inner landscape of her subjects, which included luminaries such as Andy Warhol, Bella Abzug and Allen Ginsberg as well as her neighbors in Spanish Harlem. Alice Neel’s grandson Andrew Neel directs this biography of an influential but emotionally troubled painter.
◊“Beautiful People” (9:30 p.m. on Logo): Inspired by the eccentric childhood of style guru Simon Doonan, this new series delves inside Simon’s youthful memories and his desire to escape suburban working class Reading, England.
◊“Gallery” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): OETA’s Emmy-winning arts and culture series travels to the nation’s capitol to share the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian with Oklahomans. The grand opening witnessed the largest gathering ever of Native American tribes to converge on our nation’s capital.
◊“Hitched or Ditched” (8 p.m. on CW): This new series focuses on couples in long-term relationships who have not taken the leap into marriage yet. Will they or won’t they say “I do”?
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): The new installment titled “Steal a Pencil for Me” focuses on concentration camp prisoner Jack Polak, who shared the same barracks as both his wife, Manja, and his new love, Ina. Manja objects to Jack and Ina’s relationship, so the two rely on writing love letters to each other to gain the strength they need to survive.
◊“Jail” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): Back-to-back episodes follow individuals from their initial booking through their first moments in a Tulsa slammer.
◊“The Little Couple” (9 p.m. on TLC): This new series follows newlyweds Bill Klein and Jen Arnold, who are both under four feet tall and share their unique perspectives on life, love, and marriage.
◊“Man Caves” (8 p.m. on DIY): In the Season 3 premiere, hosts Jason Cameron and Tony Siragusa build a free-standing, office-style man cave for “The Office” star Rainn Wilson.
◊“Mental” (8 p.m. on Fox): This new medical drama follows Dr. Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance), a young psychiatrist who serves as Director of Mental Health Services at a Los Angeles hospital. At work he must reconcile his unorthodox treatment methods with his conservative boss, hospital administrator Nora Skoff (Annabella Sciorra), a woman with whom he shares a romantic past.
◊“New World Order” (5:45 p.m. on IFC): This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the underground movement of people who want to expose “global elitists,” whom they claim are covertly masterminding a series of destructive events to cause a mass breakdown of the world’s economy and society.
◊“Reaper” (7 p.m. on CW): In the Season 2 finale, Sam and Andi try to find Tony (Ken Marino, “Party Down”) to help them translate the scroll Nina brought back from Hell.
◊“Science of the Movies” (8 p.m. on Science Channel): This new series explores the scientific world that exists behind the screen, spotlighting the visionary artists, entrepreneurial spirit, innovative technology and techniques responsible for creating unforgettable moments in blockbuster films.
◊“Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Actress Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, open their fourth season as they return to the pressures of living and working in Tinseltown, this time with the added stress of new parenthood.
◊“TV’s 50 Funniest Phrases” (7 p.m. on NBC): NBC and The Paley Center for Media count down 50 of the all-time funniest catch phrases said on television in this two-hour special. With great scenes from the shows and interviews with the stars who brought the lines to life, this program will celebrate the history and humor of catch phrases.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27
◊“American Masters” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In “Hollywood Chinese,” B.D. Wong (‘‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Nancy Kwan (‘‘Flower Drum Song”) and Joan Chen (‘‘The Last Emperor”) are among the artists sharing their perspectives on how Chinese people have been portrayed in film over the past 90 years.
◊“Criminal Minds” (9 p.m. on CBS): While investigating the kidnapping of a young boy in Las Vegas, Dr. Reid begins to have dreams that may help reveal some buried memories from his childhood. Jane Lynch (“Glee”) guest stars as Dr. Reid’s mother.
◊“George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert” (7 p.m. on CBS): Currently riding the crest of a 25-year career, ‘‘the king of country” is saluted by peers and colleagues at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Scheduled performers include Brooks & Dunn, Jamie Foxx, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
◊“The Goode Family” (8 p.m. on ABC): This new animated series from Mike Judge (“King of the Hill”) follows Gerald and Helen Goode, a couple determined to obliterate their carbon footprint on the planet. They’re zealous vegans, they drive a hybrid and they recycle everything possible.
◊“Joan Mitchell: Portrait of an Abstract Painter” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary reflects on the life and art of the late Joan Mitchell. She is revealed as a pioneering female artist and one of the only women who was part of the Abstract Expressionist circle in New York.
◊“The Nine” (9 p.m. on DirecTV): This series aired in 2000 on ABC but was cancelled after nine episodes. All 13 episodes that were produced, including four that were never broadcast, will air on DirecTV’s 101 Network over the next 13 weeks.
◊“Tattoo Highway” (9 p.m. on A&E): In this new series, master tattoo artist Thomas Pendelton and his wife-business partner, Monica, take a cross-country road trip in a 1970s tour bus they have transformed into a rolling tattoo parlor.
◊“True Hollywood Stories: 10 Greatest Stories Ever Told” (9 p.m. on E!): The 500th episode of this documentary series counts down the most memorable installments. The 10 subjects that made the cut were chosen for aspects of their stories that continue to have relevance today.
◊“Wipeout” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 2 returns with contestants competing on the world’s largest extreme obstacle course. New obstacles include Hurtles and Sweeper Gyro, Gears of Doom and the Motivator, a massive anvil that sneaks up on contestants.
THURSDAY, MAY 28
◊“The 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee” (7 p.m. on ABC): Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the Stars”) hosts live television coverage of the final championship rounds as 293 spellers from around the world compete. ESPN will air semifinal rounds from 9 a.m. to noon.
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): When the CSI team investigates a case involving the world of domination, Grissom pays a visit to Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke, “The O.C.”) to help find some answers.
◊“Guest of Cindy Sherman” (6 p.m. on Sundance): This documentary is a snapshot of photographer Cindy Sherman through her relationship with artist-turned-cable TV-host, Paul Hasegawa-Overacker, aka Paul H-O.
◊“Kick Like a Girl” (5 p.m. on HBO): This documentary tells the story of a third-grade soccer team that defied gender prejudice to compete with the boys.
◊“The Oprah Effect” (8 p.m. on CNBC): This news special hosted by Carl Quintanilla goes inside businesses to explain Oprah Winfrey’s unparalleled impact on their bottom line, their secrets to getting on her show and how this so-called Oprah Effect continues to translate her brand and others into big business.
◊“Supernatural” (8 p.m. on CW): Sam and Dean are stunned when the spirits of Meg (Oklahoma actress Nikki Aycox, “Over There”) and Agent Henricksen appear and accuse the Winchesters of failing them.
FRIDAY, MAY 29
◊“Agnes Martin: With My Back to the World” (6 p.m. on Sundance): “I’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate,” says abstract expressionist painter Agnes Martin in this documentary about her. But it’s a lie, as she was full of ideas and dispenses them engagingly in the course of this film.
◊“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” (7 p.m. on Fox): Gary Dell Abate (“Baba Booey” from “The Howard Stern Show”) takes center stage to fill in missing lyrics in the hopes of raising $1 million dollars for LIFEbeat, a music industry charity that fights AIDS. When he gets stuck locking in his lyrics, Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) backs him up.
◊“Ladette to Lady” (7 p.m. on Sundance): It is the final week, and with it will bring the emergence of a lady. The three final ladettes are not only trying to complete their tasks with high marks, but get ready for the graduation ceremony.
◊“Nature’s Most Amazing Events” (7 p.m. on Discovery): This six-hour high definition series spotlights explosive events of nature triggered by seasonal change and vast climate change. The first two installments feature polar bears battling climate change and grizzly bear cubs emerging from winter dens. The remaining installments air Saturday and May 31.
◊“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (10:35 p.m. on NBC): “Tonight Show” heir Conan O’Brien is scheduled to be the final guest to sit on the couch during Jay Leno’s last show as host of the franchise. O’Brien, who has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” 16 times previously, will be taking over the hosting duties on June 1.
◊“Un-Broke: What You Need to Know Anout Money” (8 p.m. on ABC): This special takes an unconventional look at the fundamentals of everyday finance with all the facts about credit cards, mortgages and investing in a fresh new format combining information and humor. Will Smith (“Seven Pounds”) gets down to basics with a boardroom full of corporate finance executives while the Jonas Brothers teach screaming teenage girls the mysteries of the stock market.
◊“What Not to Wear” (8 p.m. on TLC): Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly return for a seventh season of makeovers that transform the fashion-challenged from the inside and out. The season premiere features Mayim Bialik (“Blossom”).
SATURDAY, MAY 30
◊“American Idol Rewind: Carrie Underwood Special” (5 p.m. on TV Guide Network, (4 on Cox, 117 on Dish Network, 237 on DirecTV): Through clips and interviews, find out what inspired the girl from Checotah to audition for Season 4 of ◊“American Idol.” She also reveals how she made her very first appearance before the judges a memorable one — by clucking like a chicken.
◊“Maneater” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Sarah Chalke stars in this miniseries as a shallow socialite with an elaborate plan to lasso a filmmaker to marry her. It concludes May 31.
◊“Nature’s Most Amazing Events” (7 p.m. on Discovery): The next two installments of this high definition series feature more than a million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle migrating on Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains and nearly a billion sardines arriving along South Africa’s east coast.
◊“OKC Metro” (5:30 p.m. on OETA-13): Host Gerry Bonds discusses the recent University of Oklahoma women’s basketball season with head coach Sherri Coale and freshman sensation Whitney Hand.
◊“Pete Correale: The Things We Do For Love” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Comedian Pete Correale discusses why gossiping, assembling IKEA furniture and going to nude beaches just wouldn’t be the same without his wife.
◊“Pushing Daisies” (9 p.m. on ABC): ABC has canceled this comedy series, but the network the remaining three unseen episodes. In this episode, Emerson and Chuck team up when Ned refuses to use his “gift.” Richard Benjamin (“Henry Poole Is Here”) and George Segal (“Just Shoot Me!”) guest star.
◊“Safe Harbor” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Treat Williams (“Everwood”) and Nancy Travis (“The Bill Engvall Show”) star in this true story of a Florida couple helping troubled boys chart a new course for their lives.
– Penny TV
18 TV Premieres and Finales airing March 8-14, 2009
Friday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the premieres and finales (and all the guest stars, see separate blog) coming up on TV next week.
And here are the shows beginning and ending the week of March 8.
If one was missed, the network did not issue a press release about it. But feel free to add it in the comments section to help make this list a complete and accurate source for TV watchers everywhere.
BEGINNINGS
••“Breaking Bad,” 9 p.m. Sunday on AMC (second-season premiere).
••“Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” 9 p.m. Sunday on E! (third season premiere).
••“Candy Girls,” 9:30 p.m. Sunday on E! (series premiere).
••“Dancing With the Stars,” 7 p.m. Monday on ABC (eighth-season premiere).
••“Battles BC,” 8 p.m. Monday on History (series premiere).
••“Castle,” 9:02 p.m. Monday on ABC (series premiere).
••“WCG Ultimate Gamer,” 9 p.m. Tuesday on SCI FI (series premiere).
••“The Chopping Block,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on NBC (series premiere)(NBC Photo above).
••“Idol Tonight,” 7 p.m. Wednesday on TV Guide Network (fourth-season premiere).
••“Ghost Hunters,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on SCI FI (fifth-season premiere).
••“Clean House Comes Clean,” 10 p.m. Wednesday on Style Network (fourth-season premiere).
••“Warriors,” 9 p.m. Thursday on History (series premiere).
••“Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches,” 9 p.m. Thursday on Travel Channel (series premiere).
••“Most Haunted,” 9 p.m. Friday on Travel Channel (season premiere).
••“The Graham Norton Show,” 9 p.m. Saturday on BBC America (fifth-season premiere).
ENDINGS
••“The L Word,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Showtime (series finale).
••“Tool Academy,” 9 p.m. Sunday on VH1 (first-sesaon finale).
••“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House,” 9 p.m. Thursday on VH1 (season finale).
TV Guide Network covers award shows in 2009
Lisa Rinna and Joey Fatone make a good red carpet couple. And they will be getting a lot of camera time from TV Guide Network during Award Season ’09.
Here’s a schedule of where they will be and what they will be doing for TV Guide Network (channel 4 on Cox Cable, 117 on Dish Network, 237 on DirecTV):
The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards
“Countdown to the Golden Globe Awards” (Sunday, Jan. 11, from 3 to 5 p.m.
“Live at the Golden Globe Awards with Lisa and Joey” (Sunday, Jan. 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Golden Globe Awards Fashion Wrap with Lisa Rinna” (Monday, Jan. 12, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Screen Actors Guild Awards
“Countdown to the Screen Actors Guild Awards” (Sunday, Jan. 25, from 4 to 5 p.m.
“Live at the Screen Actors Guild Awards with Lisa and Joey” (Sunday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Screen Actors Guild Awards Fashion Wrap with Lisa Rinna” (Monday, Jan. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Grammy Awards
“Grammy Awards Preview with Joey Fatone” (Saturday, Jan. 31, from 7 to 8 p.m.
“Countdown to the Grammy Awards” (Sunday, Feb. 8, from 4 to 5 p.m.
“Live at the Grammy Awards with Lisa and Joey” (Sunday, Feb. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Grammy Awards Fashion Wrap with Lisa Rinna” (Monday, Feb. 9, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Academy Awards
“Academy Award Nominations Special” (Thursday, Jan. 22, from 7 to 8 p.m.
“Academy Awards Preview with Joey Fatone” (Sunday, Feb. 15, from 7 to 8 p.m.
“Countdown to the Academy Awards” (Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 5 p.m.
“Live at the Academy Awards with Lisa and Joey” (Sunday, Feb. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m.
“Academy Awards Fashion Wrap with Lisa Rinna” (Monday, Feb. 23, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Program Planner: Jan. 4-10
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of Jan. 4:
SUNDAY, JAN. 4
◊“Golden Globe Awards Preview With Joey Fatone” (7 p.m. on TV Guide Network): Arrive fashionably early to the most glamorous award shows in 2009 with Joey Fatone (“Dancing With the Stars”). He will be joined by Lisa Rinna (“Days of Our Lives”) for upcomning coverage, including “Countdown to the Golden Globe Awards” (3 p.m. Jan. 11), ◊“Live at the Golden Globe Awards” (5 p.m. Jan. 11) and “Golden Globe Awards Fashion Wrap With Lisa Rinna” (7 p.m. Jan. 12).
◊“Masterpiece Classic” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”) stars in the new adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” about a woman violated by one mand and forsaken by another. Hosting the new season of “Masterpiece Classic” is Emmy winner Laura Linney (“John Adams”).
◊“Running the Sahara” (8 p.m. on Showtime): Matt Damon (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) narrates and executive produces this documentary that chronicles three men’s historial quest across the Saraha Desert. It took them 111 days to trek 4,300 miles through six countries.
◊“Superstars of Dance” (8 p.m. on NBC): Michael Flatley (“Lord of the Dance”) and Susie Castillo (“House of Payne”) co-host this new competitive reality series that pits teams of dancers from eight countries — India, Argentina, Australia, Russia, Ireland, China, South Africa and the U.S. — against one another in a variety of dance styles. Each country’s team is made up of two solo dancers, a duo and a larger group.
◊“Ultimate Recipe Showdown” (8 p.m. on Food Network): Guy Fieri (“The Next Food Network Star”) is back for Season 2 of the series in which a new batch of home cooks put their prized personal recipes to the test. Each week’s winner will receive $25,000 and the chance to have his or her recipe featured nationwide at TGI Friday’s restaurants.
MONDAY, JAN. 5
◊“Antiques Roadshow” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Season 13 opens with one of the most valuable object ever appraised on the show. It is a 1937 oil painting by noted abstract expressionist Clyfford Still worth $500,000. It was received as a housewarming gift.
◊“The Bachelor” (7 p.m. on ABC): Jason Mesnick, the first single dad in “Bachelor” history, gets a second chance at love when the 13th edition of the romance reality series begins. In last season’s finale of “The Bachelorette,” DeAnna Pappas rejected his proposal.
◊“Daddy’s Girls: From Run’s House to Our House” (9:30 p.m. on MTV): Over the course of five seasons, viewers have watched Vanessa and Angela Simmons grow up on “Run’s House.” This new series focuses on the Simmons Sisters as they take a major step toward independence by moving to Los Angeles and working on their already successful apparel line, Pastry.
◊“Diet Tribe” (9 p.m. on Lifetime): This new five-episode series follows five best friends who have made a commitment to lose weight together. Fitness trainer Jessie Pavelka and psycholotherapist Stacy Kaiser lend their expertise.
◊“Masters of Illusion” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): This new series will feature non-stop magic from the world’s greatest illusionists. All acts were filmed in front of an audience without camera or computer tricks.
◊“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (8 p.m. on ABC Family): The show’s second season opens with the wedding of Amy and Ben,
while Anne tells George she wants a divorce.
◊“The Story of India” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In this new miniseries, historian Michael Wood introduces viewers to India’s sights, sounds, people, places and history.
◊“True Beauty” (9 p.m. on ABC): This new competitive reality series features six women and four men competing for the title of most beautiful. What they don’t know is that they’re being judged on their inner beauty as much as their looks. Vanessa Minnillo (The Bold and the Beaituful”) is host and serves on the judges panel with Cheryl Tiegs (“Just Shoot Me!”) and Nole Marin (“America’s Next Top Model”).
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Maryland Eastern Shore in men’s college basketball action airing live at 7 p.m. on FSOK
TUESDAY, JAN. 6
◊“10 Items or Less” (10 p.m. on TBS): Shot on location in a real, working grocery store in Reseda, Calif., this series combines improvisation with a loose script as it delves into the offbeat lives of Greens & Grains employees. The third-season premiere episode will air commercial free.
◊“The Biggest Loser: Couples” (7 p.m. on NBC): It’s the biggest season ever, as 11 couples begin the seventh edition with a combined weight of more than 3.5 tons. Teams of two – including mother/daughter, father/son, sisters, best friends, grandparents, cousins, an engaged couple and former models – come together hoping to transform their bodies, their health and their lives.
◊“Dirty Jobs” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Mike Rowe, who travels the country to showcase jobs that most people would go out of their way to avoid, opens Season 5 with a visit to a bologna factory.
◊“Homeland Security USA” (7 p.m. on ABC): This new series gives viewers an unprecedented look at the agencies and people who protect our country. Each episode covers eight or more locations on the “front lines” where the officers and agents work each day.
◊“Lost Tapes” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): This new series brings the experience of first-person encounters with bizarre animals to viewers. The premiere episodes feature “Swamp Creature” and “Monster of Monterey.”
◊“Nip/Tuck” (9 p.m. on FX): Earlier this season, plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy departed Miami for Los Angeles seeking a fresh start. As Season 5 continues, McNamara/Troy faces an unexpected medical crisis.
◊“Primetime” What Would You Do?” (9 p.m. on ABC): From light-hearted situations like missing out on a supermarket prize to potentially life-threatening scenarios where people are faced with how to handle a baby left alone in a hot car, this new series will look at what people actually do in the face of everyday dilemmas.
◊“Scrubs” (8 p.m. on ABC): The medical comedy moves from NBC to ABC for its eighth season, which opens with bac-to-back episodes. In the premiere, Dr. Kelso’s beautiful but unethical replacement, Dr. Maddox (Courteney Cox, “Friends”), shakes things up at Sacred Heart.
◊“Vice Squad” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): This new series features exclusive ride-along access with local police agencies across the country as they take down real-life criminals involved in the world of narcotics, prostitution and gambling. Viewer are let in on everything from the plan, to the tactic and ultimately, the arrest of hardened criminals.
◊“Without a Trace” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): Cast member Marianne Jan-Baptiste (Vivian Johnson) directs this episode in which the team investigates a kidnapping after a teen, last seen with her mother, vanishes.
◊Mustang takes on Edmond Santa Fe in high school basketball action airing live at 6:30 p.m. (girls) and 8 p.m. (boys) on Cox-3.
◊“Wreckreation Nation” (9 p.m. on Discovery): Host Dave Mordal (“Last Comic Standing” finalist) travels the country to compete in events like fruitcake chucking, lawnmower racing and catfish wrangling.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7
◊The 35th Annual People’s Choice Awards (8 p.m. on CBS): Queen Latifah (“Chicago”) hosts the event, but fan votes determine the winners of the awards that cover movies, music and television. Carrie Underwood from Checotah is up for three awards and the musical group Rascal Flatts, featuring guitarist Joe Don Rooney from Picher, has two nominations.
◊“13 — Fear is Real” (7 p.m. on CW): This new horror reality series chronicles 13 people as they compete to “stay alive” while facing their deepest fears.
◊“Barbara Walters Special” (9 p.m. on ABC): Patrick Swayze gives his first interview since his pancreatic cancer diagnosis became public. The 56-year-old actor and his wife, Lisa Niemi, chat with Barbara Walters from their California ranch.
◊“Damages” (9 p.m. on FX): Oscar winners William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) and Marcia Gay Harden (“Pollock”) join the cast of the show for its second season. The series, which also stars Emmy winners Glenn Close and Zeljko Ivanek, follows the lives of high-stales litigator Patty Hewes and her protoge Ellen Parsons.
◊“Great Performances” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): This production of “Cyrano de Bergerac” had a limited run on Broadway about a year ago. It stars Oscar winner Kevin Kline (“A Fish Called Wanda”) as the warrior with the big nose who uses words to woo Roxane (Jennifer Garner, “Alias”).
◊“Meet the Browns” (9 p.m. on TBS): This spin-off is based on characters from Tyler Perry’s popular movie and play. David Mann (“Madea’s Family Reunion”) stars as the fun-loving but sometimes crass “Downtown” Leroy Brown trying to fulfill his father’s last request by opening a retirement home.
◊“The Real World: Brooklyn” (9 p.m. on MTV): Season 21 sets up residence in Brooklyn with eight new roommates. Cameras will track their every move as they descover who they really are and how false first impressions may be.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8
◊The 14th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards (8 p.m. on VH1): The Broadcast Film Critics Association honors the year’s finest achievements in cinema. The films “Milk” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” both received eight nominations. The rock band Rooney will serve as this year’s house band for the event.
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): Jack makes a connection with his mother’s nurse, Elisa (Salma Hayek, “Frida”) and helps Tracy and wife Angie (Sherri Shepherd, “The View”) arrange a “post-nup.”
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Elvis Presley was born on this day in 1935, and TCM celebrates by airing six of his films, including 1958′s “King Creole” (6:30 a.m.) and 1961′s Blue Hawaii” (10:15 a.m.).
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Betty struggles to impress her idol, Jodie Papadakis (Bernadette Peters, “Living Proof”), the editor running YETI. But things go from bad to worse when she encounters Teri (Nikki Blonsky, “Hairspray”), an assistant an ELLE magazine.
FRIDAY, JAN. 9
◊“Flashpoint” (8 p.m. on CBS):Returning for Season 2 is this drama inspired by the Toronto police’s Emergency Task Force. It centers on a superelite team of police officers who handle the most delicate cases.
◊“Howie Do It” (7 p.m. on NBC): Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal”) hosts this new hidden camera series in which he plays hoaxes on unsuspecting citizens.
◊“Lipstick Jungle” (8 p.m. on NBC): Nico asks Dahlia (Rosie Perez, “Pineapple Express”) to help boost her proffesional status and lands her a guest appearance on the “Today” show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.
◊“Miss America: Countdown to the Crown” (9 p.m. on TLC): All 52 of the Miss America contestants move into the Queen Mary ocean-liner and compete in a series of team and individual challenges. In the final challenge, viewers will vote four girls into the pageant’s Top 15.
◊“Stargate Atlantis” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): In the final episode of this spinoff from ‘‘Stargate: SG-1,” the Atlantis team races the clock to destroy an advanced wraith hive ship that’s threatening Earth.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10
◊“Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup” (2 p.m. on Lifetime): This all-star event features a three-round show jumping competition designed for television. Competing will be a limited invitational all-star field of international competitors and horses.
◊“Expecting a Miracle” (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Jason Priestley (“Love Monkey”) and Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents”) star as a couple who take an unexpected detour to a small town in Mexico that discover it is exactly where they need to be.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Kansas State in men’s college basketball action airing live at 12:30 p.m. on KOCB-34.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Iowa State in women’s college basketball action airing live at 3 p.m. on FSOK.
◊The University of Oklahoma takes on Nebraska in women’s college basketball action airing live at 7 p.m. on KAUT-43.
◊Oklahoma State University takes on Texas A&M in men’s college basketball action airing live at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
– Penny TV
Maximum Exposure
Of course, there are more television channels out there than are listed in The Oklahoman’s TV Week. The print would be awfully small if room was made for all of them.
TV Week, however, does list programming schedules for 76 channels in the Metro book (distributed in the Oklahoma City area) and 78 channels in the Tulsa/State book (although 15 of them are local affiliates for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS). That’s more channels than most TV books offer.
But still, some good ones are left out. Encore Westerns, WE, SoapNet, ESPNU, TV One, Science Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Outdoor Life, Toon Disney, Gospel Music Channel, not to mention the digital channels such as OETA-Okla, KTBO’s Church Channel and KOPX’s QUBO Kids.
So in this space, special announcements from the networks not listed in TV Week will be made. We don’t want you to miss anything good.
– Penny Soldan, TV Editor
“Celebrity Says!” 9 p.m. Feb. 25 on TV Guide Network
(4 on Cox Cable, 117 on Dish Network, 237 on Direct TV)
Dave Holmes (MTV’s “Say What Karaoke”) hosts this new game show in which contestants try to finish celebrities’ sentences, guessing everything from stars’ favorite movies to their favorite kind of pie. The winner of the four rounds then competes for the grand prize of $5,000.
“Allure Backstage: Hottest Beauty Trends,” 8 p.m. March 3 on Style Network
(115 on Dish Network, 235 on Direct TV)
“Ultimate Style” host Daisy Fuentes and Allure Magazine’s Linda Wells take viewers backstage at top fashion shows around the world to reveal behind-the-scenes secrets of the newest hair and makeup trends.
“Download: The True Story of the Internet,” 8 p.m. March 3 on Science Channel
(101 on Cox Digital, 193 on Dish Network, 284 on Direct TV)
The founders of eBay, Yahoo, Amazon, Netscape, Google and others go on camera and tell the behind-the-scenes stories of how they went from being geeky, computer-obsessed nerds to 21st century visionaries who launched information-sharing and e-commerce companies that took over the world. Four-part series concludes with back-to-back episodes at 8 p.m. March 4.
“High School Confidential,” 9 p.m. March 10 on WE
(128 on Dish Network, 260 on Direct TV)
This new eight-episode documentary series takes an unprecedented four-year look inside the lives of 12 teenage girls to capture the truths behind the real high school experience.
