“Greatest American Dog” update
Travis Brorsen of Perry is keeping busy — and keeping another secret.
He and his dog, Presley, are up for the favorite duo award at the 2008 Fox Reality Channel Really Awards. The event was taped two weeks ago (Sept. 24), but everyone will have to watch the broadcast at 9 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 11, channel 190 on Dish Network, 250 on Direct TV) to find out if they won.
Brorsen kept a $250,000 secret for three months. Not even his family knew that he and Presley had won the CBS series “Greatest American Dog” until the final episode aired last month.
Here is some information Brorsen is happy to share with everyone.
◊Last Saturday, he and Presley walked the red carpet for the Lili Claire Foundation benefit hosted by Matthew Perry (“Friends”). Presley wore a leash sent to him by the folks at Perry’s Ditch Witch.
◊Brorsen and Presley will return home to Perry on Oct. 17 for the town’s “Travis and Presley Day” celebration.
◊On Oct. 18, Brorsen will return to his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, to take part in the homecoming parade.
◊While in Oklahoma this month, Brorsen and Perry plan to visit several schools and organizations. To request a visit, contact Shannon Powers, Brorsen’s close friend and publicist, at britinformerlife@aol.com.
◊And fans have until Oct. 20 to enter the “Greatest American Date” contest. Go to www.starrymag.com for a chance to win a double date with Brorsen and Presley.
–Penny TV
Presidential appearances
President Clinton is making the talk show rounds next week.
He will be on “The View” and “Letterman” on Monday (Sept. 22) and on “The Daily Show” on Tuesday (Sept.23).
One thing he will be talking about is the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which brings together global leaders to address world problems like global public health, the alleviation of poverty and resolving religious and ethnic conflict. He launched CGI in 2005.
It will be President Clinton’s first appearance on “The View” (10 a.m. on ABC). He will be the only featured guest and will be interviewed by the show’s co-hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd.
“The Late Show With David Letterman” (10:35 p.m. on CBS) welcomes President Clinton back for his fifth appearance (see CBS Photo above). His previous visits were Sept. 4, 2007; June 16, 2005; August 3, 2004; and Sept. 11, 2002 (the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks).
And it will be his fourth appearance on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (10 p.m. on Comedy Central). He was also a guest on Sept. 20, 2007; Sept. 18, 2006; and Aug. 9, 2004.
–Penny TV
TV Preview Podcast: ‘Criminal Minds’
"Criminal Minds" cast (CBS Photo)
Each week, The Oklahoman TV Editor Penny Soldan hosts an audio podcast discussing an upcoming TV premiere.
This week’s premiere is Season 4 of “Criminal Minds” on CBS.
To hear her discussion with Don P. Brown, features copy editor for The Oklahoman, click here.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Great quotes from the “Greatest American Dog” winner
Want to know how Travis Brorsen of Perry plans to spend the $250,000 he and his pooch, Presley, won on the CBS series “Greatest American Dog”?
For that answer, see the story on Friday’s TV page in The Oklahoman (and on newsok.com/tv). This blog will touch on other fun facts that Brorsen shared about his Canine Academy days during a 45-minute phone conversation earlier this week.
But first, Brorsen was happy to announce that the fundraiser he co-hosted before the Los Angeles screening of the “Dog” finale raised more than $3,000 for the Best Friends Animal Society. Helping Brorsen with the effort was Laura — she and Preston, the Pomeranian, clicked with the two Perry natives on the show.
♦ “A lot of people wanted Laura and me to come out and say we’re dating. But we’re just really good friends, and that’s something that will last a lifetime.”
♦ “I also became good friends with Brandy. She is very sweet, and the editing did their job of catching all those moments that don’t define Brandy as a person.”
♦ “Teresa was one of my favorite persons on the show. She gave Presley a toy after the loyalty challenge where Presley broke is stay and ran around. We all thought I was going home, and she gave Presley one of Leroy’s favorite toys.”
♦ “One reason we did so well is because every day we tried to make the most of it. That way, if we went home that day, I could look back and say, ‘OK, we were the fourth ones out, but of the days we were there, we took full advantage of it and don’t regret any of it.’ ”
♦ A week before the show’s finale, Brorsen got together with Matt Cline from Broken Arrow and Lisa Mills of Oklahoma City and co-wrote the song “Presley, King of Rockin’ Dogs.” Cline, who wrestled at Oklahoma State, does the singing and Dave Guy does the guitar playing. Mike Trozzo took the above photo.
♦ “A lot of people wonder if the show will help out my acting career. I think the exposure is nice, but I didn’t do it to help my acting career. I did it because I had no acting going on at the time, this came along and I thought, ‘What the heck, what a great time to spend with Presley.’ ”
♦ “Bill and Star, we became really good friends. We’re going to get them up here to Perry to do some hunting on the ranch. That’s the one thing he promised Star — that he’d get her some good hunting in before her days were over.”
♦ “I had 273 emails and 94 text messages all within 10 minutes of the show being over. I told all my friends that I didn’t realize I had so many friends. They said, ‘Yeah, when you win a quarter-million dollars, your friend-meter goes up a little bit.’ ”
♦ Brorsen’s sisters, Anna-Marie and Laura, attended the L.A. screening. Laura was joined by her husband, Ryan, and son, Tucker. Anna-Marie and her fiance, Jake, got their plane tickets to the event as a wedding gift from Brorsen.
♦ “My home town of Perry is doing a proclomation — Travis and Presley day. They’re giving us our own day sometime in October. And the Oklahoma State University alumni office is paying for our transportation back to to OSU for homecoming (Oct. 18).”
♦ “Presley and I are hoping to spend much of October in Oklahoma traveling around. We want to let people meet Presley and see if we can help any local dog rescues.”
♦ “One main concern of boxer owners is they want people to know that not all boxers are like Presley. They’re not all calm like he is. But he was not that calm before the competition, either. Working with him 24 hours a day for six weeks got him to where he is.”
–Penny TV
Program Planner: Sept. 21-27
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. 21:
SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
◊“The 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” (7 p.m. on ABC): Kristin Chenoweth, who grew up in Broken Arrow and graduated from Oklahoma City University, is a nominee (for “Pushing Daisies”) and a presenter (with nominee Neil Patrick Harris). Other nominees with Oklahoma ties are Alfre Woodard (born and raised in Tulsa, nominated for “Pictures of Hollis Woods”) and Lee Pace (born in Chicasha, nominated for “Pushing Daisies”).
◊“Cold Case” (8 p.m. on CBS): Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale (“Will & Grace”) guest stars as a narcotics cop in a rebroadcast of the fifth-season finale. The show begins its sixth season Sept. 28.
◊“Countdown to the Emmys” (2 p.m. on TV Guide Channel, 4 on Cox Cable, 117 in Dish Network, 237 on Direct TV): Chris Harrison, a former News 9 sportscaster and host of “The Bachelor,” will team with Maria Sansone (“Gladiators 2000”) for three hours of live coverage from the Red Carpet to catch all the pre-show hoopla before the celebrity arrivals begin.
◊“Jimmy Kimmel’s Big Night of Stars” (6 p.m. on ABC): The late-night talk show host interviews the Emmy nominees for the new reality/competition host category, who will also co-host the event. They are Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the Stars”), Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”), Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal”), Jeff Probst (“Survivor”) and Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol”) — all pictured above in ABC Photo.
◊“Live at the Emmy Awards” (5 p.m. on TV Guide Channel): Lisa Rinna (“Days of Our Lives) and Joey Fatone (“Dancing With the Stars”) will interview TV’s biggest stars as they make their way down the Red Carpet during this two-hour pre-show. Rinna will return at 7 p.m. Monday with “Emmy Awards Fashion Wrap.”
◊“Play It Back: ’90s Game Shows” (6 p.m. on GSN): Host Carolina Rhea (“Sordid Lives: The Series”) spotlights 1990s favorite game shows, including “Wheel of Fortune,” “Hollywood Squares,” “Family Feud” and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
MONDAY, SEPT 22
◊“The Big Bang Theory” (7 p.m. on CBS): In the second-season premiere, Penny’s first date with leonard goes awry, and she shares her frustration with Sheldon. Sara Gilbert (“Roseanne”) joins the cast as Leonard’s on-again-off-again love interest, Leslie Winkle.
◊“Boston Legal” (9 p.m. on ABC): Alan Shore tackles a big tobacco company and discovers that the defense attorney is an old flame (Ally Walker, “Profiler”) on the fifth-season premiere.
◊“CSI: Miami” (9 p.m. on CBS): Last season ended with head CSI Horatio Caine being gunned down on an airstrip. In the seventh-season premiere, the CSI team will stop at nothing to find who shot him. Megalyn Echikunwoke joins the cast as the new medical examiner, Dr. Tara Price.
◊“Dancing With the Stars” (7 p.m. on ABC): Season 7 welcomes 13 new stars to the ballroom floor. Among them are Cloris Leachman (“The Facts of Life,” the oldest competitor to date) and Cody Linley (“Hannah Montana,” the youngest contestant ever).
◊“Heroes” (7 p.m. on NBC): It’s all about “Heroes” today, beginning with an hourlong clip show that recaps all the action to date. At 8 p.m., Season 3 opens with a two-hour episode. Sylar is back in action and badder than ever.
◊“How I Met Your Mother” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Stella responds to Ted’s proposal and Barney realizes that he’s in love with Robin on the fourth-season premiere.
◊“Judge Jeanine Pirro” (3 p.m. on CW): The former New York district attorney brings her no-nonsense attitude and compassionate approach to this new courtroom show. She will also take viewers into her chambers to show how the court works behind the scenes.
◊“Ralph Rucci: A Designer and His House” (6 p.m. on Sundance): Martha Stewart (“Martha”) narrates this documentary that captures the American designer as he created his Spring 2008 ready-to-wear and Fall 2008 couture collections.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): In the sixth-season premiere, Charlie (Charlie Sheen) encounters an ex-girlfriend (Rena Sofer, “Coupling”) whose son looks an awful lot like him.
◊“Trivial Pursuit: America Plays” (11 a.m. on CW): Christopher Knight (“The Brady Bunch”) hosts this new game show that launches in national syndication on the 25th anniversary edition of the popular board game. The show features a unique twist by allowing viewers to drive the action by submitting video questions online.
◊“Worst Week” (8:30 p.m. on CBS): This new comedy follows Sam Briggs, an entertainment magazine editor who will do anything to please his girlfriend’s parents. But he becomes a one-man wrecking crew whenever he’s around them.
◊“Yo Gabba Gabba” (10:30 a.m. on Nickelodeon): In the second-season premiere, guest star Melora Hardin (“The Office”) teaches the Gabba gang a Conga dane. Musical guests The Ting Tings perform Altered Images 1980’s classic “Happy Birthday.”
TUESDAY, SEPT 23
◊“American Masters” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): Clint Eastwood (“Unforgiven”) narrates this new three-part program that celebrates 85 years of the legacy and evolution of Warner Bros. Clips from hundreds of films and archival interviews will be featured. Parts 2 and 3 air Wednesday and Thursday.
◊“The Biggest Loser 6″ (7 p.m. on NBC): Chef Rocco Dispirito (“The Restaurant”) teaches contestants how to shop for and make healthy, tasty and affordable meals.
◊“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. on NBC): Sara Gilbert (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Luke Perry (“Jeremiah”) guest star in the 10th-season premiere, in which an abused foster child leads detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to reexamine a cold case involving a rape victim.
◊“The Mentalist” (8 p.m. on CBS): This new drama stars Simon Baker (“The Guardian”) as a former celebrity psychic who uses his observational skills to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve crimes.
◊“NCIS” (7 p.m. on CBS): The surprising secret behind Director Vance’s decision to split of Gibb’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service team is revealed on the sixth-season premiere.
◊“Opportunity Knocks” (7 p.m. on ABC): J.D. Roth serves as executive producer and host for this new game show that tests how well people know their family.
◊TCM Birthday Tribute: Mickey Rooney was born on this day in 1920, and TCM celebrates by airing four of his films — 1952′s “Sound Off” (11:30 a.m.), 1953′s “All Ashore” (1 p.m.), 1938′s “Boys’ Town” (2:30 p.m.) and 1939′s “Babes in Arms” (4:30 p.m.).
◊“Without a Trace” (9 p.m. on CBS): In the seventh-season premiere, the New York Missing Persons Squad seached fo a man who’s missing daughter was never found. Steven Weber (“Brothers & Sisters”) guest stars.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): The Behavioral Analysis Unit team must respond to the aftermath of a terrorist bombing in New York City on the fourth-season premiere. Michael Steger (“90210″) guest stars.
◊“CSI: NY” (9 p.m. on CBS): In the aftermath of a bank heist gone bad, Mac is taken hostage and wakes up in a submerged car with no memory of how he got there in the fifth-season premiere.
◊“David Blaine: Dive of Death” (8 p.m. on ABC): David Blaine, known for his headline-making spectacles of physical, emotional and mental endurance, will attempt to hang from a thin wire five stories in the air – with no safety net or airbag to break his fall – in Central Park’s Wollman Rink for three days and nights. Using electro-magnetic boots, Blaine will walk on and under the wire during more than 60 hours of the challenge, with the final hours airing live during this special.
◊“Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. on CBS): Jay Mohr (‘‘Ghost Whisperer”) has the title role in this new sitcom. He plays a newly divorced dad dealing with child custody issues, his ex-wife’s (Paula Marshall) impending wedding and his own love life.
◊“The Hunt for Black Gold” (8 p.m. on CNBC): Business news reporter Maria Bartiromo follows the flow of oil from the moment it comes on line, into the supertankers, into the refineries and finally pumped into the consumer’s gas tank.
◊“Knight Rider” (7 p.m. on NBC): The classic 1980s action series was revived as a TV movie last winter. Now it debuts as a weekly series starring Jason Bruening a former Army Ranger assigned to keep superintelligent car KITT out of the wrong hands. Val Kilmer (“The Saint”) provides the voice of KITT.
◊“Late Show With David Letterman” (10:35 p.m. on CBS): Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals and broke three world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, makes his first U.S. talk show appearance.
◊“Lipstick Jungle” (9 p.m. on NBC): Emmy winner Mary Tyler Moore (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”) guest stars in a multi-episode arc starting with today’s second-season premiere. She will play a retired high-powered business executive who forces Wendy (Brooke Shields), her studio-head daughter, to re-evaluate the work vs. family dilemna.
◊“The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7 p.m. on CBS): Christine proposes to save her best friend, Barb, from being deported to the Bahamas on the fourth-season premiere.
◊“Project Runway” (8 p.m. on Bravo): LL Cool J serves as a guest judge as the designers tune in to their musical side for a musical genre challenge.
◊“Top Design” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Jeff Lewis (“Flipping Out”) serves as a guest judge as the contestants re-design the bachelor pads of three men on a limited budget.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
◊“Dragons’ Den” (8 p.m. on BBC America): Five multimillionaires looking to invest in new ideas hear pitches for an exercise stimulator and a garmant to train breathing muscles.
◊“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m. on ABC): Kevin McKidd (“Rome”) guest stars as a mysterious military doctor in the two-hour fifth-season premiere. Also guest starring are Bernadette Peters (“Pennies From Heaven”), Kathy Baker (“Boston Public”) and Mariette Hartley (“WIOU”).
◊High School Football: Norman vs. Putnam West at 7:30 p.m. on Cox.
◊“My Name Is Earl” (7 p.m. on NBC): Seth Green (“Gour Kings”) guest stars in the fourth-season premiere. He plays Buddy, who asks Earl to produce a low-budget action movie. The premiere episode is followed by another new episode that is titled “Vote for This and I Promise to Do Something Crazy at the Emmys.”
◊“The Office” (8 p.m. on NBC): In the fifth-season premiere, see what happens over eight weeks of the summer, as a Dunder Mifflin weight loss initiative causes the branch to diet and become obsessed with their weight.
◊“Survivor: Gabon — Earth’s Last Eden” (7 p.m. on CBS): Eighteen contestants will embark on an African adventure in the 17th installment, which will be presented in high-definition.
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Lindsay Lohan (“Mean Girls”) will reprise her role as Betty’s high school nemesis, Kimmie, on the third-season premiere. Regis Philbin and kelly Ripa (“Live With Regis and Kelly”) appear as themselves.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
◊“2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars” (7 p.m. on My Network TV): Shannon Miller will make a special appearance during this hour-long special featuring 2008 Olymmpic medal winners Jonathan Horton, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone and Raj Bhavsar.
◊“America’s Toughest Jobs” (7 p.m. on NBC): The eight remaining contestants travel to Saint Angelo, Texas, to become professional bullfighters. They learn the seriousness of the job as they hop into a barrel and allow the bull to knock them around.
◊High School Football: Edmond Memorial vs. Midwest City at 7:30 p.m. on KSBI-52; Broken Arrow vs. Sapulpa at 7:30 p.m. on Cox.
◊“The Suite Life on Deck” (7 p.m. on Disney): This new series, a spin-off of the Emmy-nominated “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” finds Zack and Cody aboard the SS Tipton, a luxury passenger cruise liner owned by London’s father. The ship cruises the world with tourists and students who attend classes at Seven Seas High, the one high school that London’s dad thinks will make his daughter a better student.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
◊“Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger” (8 p.m. on HBO): This new special showcases the comic’s adults-only take on dozens of social and political issues. It features footage from performances at New York’s Apollo Theatre, the Carling Apollo Hammersmith in London and South Africa’s Carnival City Casino.
◊“CMT Crossroads: 38 Special and Trace Adkins” (9:30 p.m. on CMT): Southern rock and country collide when 38 Special take the stage with country star Trace Adkins. They play together, swap stories and share theic common love of music.
◊“GOGORIKI” (7:30 a.m. on CW): This new animated series follows a circle of bets friends and their zany adventures. The GOGORIKI are animal-like beings, each with a cute round shape and a unique personality.
◊“My Friends Tigger & Pooh” (7:40 a.m. on Disney): The animated series designed to teach and entertain preschoolers returns for a second season. The series features A.A. Milne’s characters Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and introduces a 6-year-old girl named Darby.
◊“Trial by Fire” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Brooke Burns (“Miss Guided”) stars as a fire fighter who sets out to become the first woman to be accepted into the elite Missoula Smokejumpers. Oklahoma actor Rex Linn (“CSI: Miami”) also stars in the 2008 drama.
◊The University of Oklahoma will take on Texas Christian in college football action airing live at 6 p.m. on FSNSW.
–Penny TV
TV Talk: Sept. 14-20
The Oklahoman’s TV Talk personalities Penny Soldan and Heather Warlick tape a weekly video for Newsok.tv that highlights upcoming TV programs worth watching. (Mel Bracht fills in when Heather is away).
They’re not fast talkers, but just in case you didn’t catch all the information for a show of interest, here is their script for the week of Sept. 14:
P: Hi, I’m Penny Soldan, this is Mel Bracht and this is TV Talk, The Oklahoman’s weekly countdown of the Top 10 progams worth watching — or at least setting the VCR or DVR for.
M: I’m filling in for Heather Warlick, who is celebrating her birthday today. Next week is “Paula’s Party,” which is No. 10 in the countdown. Southern chef Paula Deen hosts the show at 6 p.m. Saturday on Food Network. And First Lady hopeful Michelle Obama was invited to the party.
P: Martha Stewart is inviting everybody to take a tour of her 153-acre property in Bedford, New York. She opens the gates to her farmstead for the fourth season premiere of “The Martha Stewart Show,” which is No. 9 on our list. It airs 11 a.m. Monday on KOCO-5.
M: No. 8 is the 10th season premiere of “Trading Spaces” at 8 p.m. Saturday on TLC. Paige Davis is back as host of the home makeover series in which two designers and two carpenters have two days to help two people improve a room in the other’s residence.
P: Two Nickelodeon shows tie for No. 7. “Dora the Explorer” returns for Season 5 at 9:30 a.m. Monday with Caitlin Sanchez as the new voice of Dora. And “My Family’s Got Guts,” a new extreme sports competition series premieres at 7 p.m. Monday.
M: “Supernatural” is No. 6. The thrilling and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers continues in the show’s fourth season at 8 p.m. Thursday on The CW.
P: No. 5 is no secret. It’s the “Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy,” at 8 p.m. Sunday on Discovery. This high-definition special documents the discovery of a 77 million year-old dinosaur named Leonardo that has 90 percent of its body still covered in skin.
M: No. 4 are Tuesday’s finales for “Wipeout” at 7 p.m. on ABC and “Big Brother 10″ at 8 p.m. on CBS. The winner of “Big Brother” gets $500,000. The viewers of “Wipeout” get to relive the show’s most memorable moments.
P: “The Biggest Loser” at 7 p.m. Tuesday on NBC is No. 3. Last season featured Amanda and Neill Harmer of Bethany. Season 6 features two-person teams made up of either husbands and wives or adult children and parents, but no Oklahomans.
M: No. 2 is worth staying home for. It is “House,” which returns for Season 5 at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Fox. Dr. Wilson is still mourning the death of his girfriend, and his relationship with his best friend, Dr. House, is shattered.
P: And No. 1, since both the OU Sooners and the OSU Cowboys have the week off in college football action, is “Smallville.”
M: The CW’s modern retelling of the Superman legend, which is also featured on the cover of TV Week, returns for its eighth season at 7 p.m. Wednesday. And Clark Kent (alias Tom Welling) is moving closer than ever to embracing his calling as the iconic superhero.
P: That does it for the Top 10. And now we’re going to continue our countdown to the 2008-2009 fall season which is 10 days away.
M: We’ve already gone through fall premiere dates for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s primetime lineups. And Thursday’s shows begin airing this week with “Smallville” and “Supernatural” on The CW.
P: On Sept. 25, NBC will air one-hour premieres for “My Name is Earl,” “The Office” and “ER,” while ABC airs an hour of “Ugly Betty” and two hours of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
M: Three new series begin Oct. 9. There’s “Kath & Kim” on NBC, “Eleventh Hour” on CBS and “Life on Mars” on ABC. And “CSI” begins its ninth season on CBS.
P: And finally, “30 Rock,” last season’s Emmy winner for best comedy series, begins its third season on NBC on Oct. 30.
M: Well, that’s a wrap for this week. For even more TV choices, consult TV Week in Sunday’s Oklahoman or go online to newok.com/tv. Thanks for your time.
Oklahoman still among ‘America’s Most Wanted’
Saturday’s installment of “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back” will feature a segment on an Oklahoma fugitive still at-large.
Oklahoma City’s fugitive task force is still looking for Kenneth Cofer, who is accused of killing Larry Buchanan in an argument over patriotism after the 9/11 attacks. Despite confusion about numerous lookalikes, Cofer is still a free man.
This is one of nine “America’s Most Wanted” segments scheduled to air from 8 to 9 p.m. Saturday on Fox.
–Penny TV
Chance to get “Hallmark Channel Across America” to Oklahoma
Hallmark Channel is looking for quirky celebrations to feature in its new online series “Hallmark Channel Across America.”
Oklahoma surely has several. One that comes to mind is the annual Cow Chip Throwing Contest in Beaver.
But viewers have to let the network know about the events before any will be considered for the series of short films airing exclusively on HallmarkChannel.com.
So go online to www.hallmarkchannel.com/publish/consumer/home/shows/hallmark_channel_across.html/ to submit an event.
That’s also a direct link to the series, and the premiere episode currently airing showcases an annual murder-mystery event in Langley, Wash. Other upcoming short films will feature the Rubber Ducky Regatta in Cincinnati, mass pillow fights through the streets of New York City and the Rotten Sneaker Contest in Montpellier, VT.
–Penny TV
“Dog” gone from Thursdays, moving to Wednesdays
“Greatest American Dog” fans, take note.
CBS is moving the summer canine competition series to 7 p.m. Wednesdays beginning this week. The network decision was made Friday, which was too late to make changes to The Oklahoman’s TV Week and every TV book that hits the newstands.
The reason for the switch? CBS wanted to return the “Big Brother” live eviction show to its familiar 7 p.m. Thursday time period, which is where “Dog” was for its first three airings.
Over its first three broadcasts, “Dog” averaged 7.52 million viewers. The premiere episode on July 10 attracted 9.46 million viewers and was the week’s sixth most-watched primetime program on broadcast TV.
Episode four (7 p.m. Wednesday, not Thursday, on CBS) is titled “Top Dog Model.” For the best-in-show competition, the dogs and their owners spending time with a photographer to come up with a shot to impress the judges.
Regardless of who walks away with the $250,000 cash prize and the title of “Greatest American Dog,” Travis Brorsen from Perry and his boxer, Presley (pictured in CBS Photo above), are representing themselves — and the state — quite well.
–Penny TV
Smithsonian Channel revisits D-Day landing
Network News Release …
History remembers D-Day, the greatest amphibious invasion ever attempted, as a great victory by U.S. forces, which were launched across the English Channel from the southern shore of England.
“D-Day – The True Story of Omaha Beach,” an original documentary premiering on D-Day’s 64th anniversary, evaluates evidence, old and new, to reveal that the pivotal battle at Omaha Beach was nearly a total disaster. Although an accidental breakdown in communications could have led to complete loss, the opportunity for victory was seized by a small group of men who were in the wrong place at the right time.
The documentary premieres at 8 p.m. Friday (June 6) on Smithsonian Channel (channel 267 on Direct TV, 374 on Dish Network). It sheds new light on one of the iconic stories of World War II through emotional personal testimony by U.S. survivors of the battle, interviews with historians and military experts from both sides of the Atlantic, and ambitious reconstructions of battle scenes using state-of-the-art computer-generated imaging.
