tv

new and noteworthy tv: 7/26-8/1

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Monday

  • Top Gear (BBCA, 6pm) Season Premiere – A Porsche, a Jaguar, and a Chrysler…
  • Bachelorette (ABC, 8pm) – The men tell all… are the men less catty?

Tuesday

  • Breakthrough with Tony Robbins (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Tony tries to help out folks making changes in their lives.
  • Masterchef (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – More wannabe chefs compete to go pro.
  • The Colony (Disc, 10pm) Season Premiere – Another season of real folks who agree to live in a place with a fake viral apocalypse.
  • Growing Up Twisted (A&E, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – We tag along with Twister Sister front man Dee and his family.

Wednesday

  • Plain Jane (CW, 9pm) Series Premiere – Will makeovers and dating tips make these ladies confessions of crushes a success?

Thursday

  • Project Runway/On the Road with Austin & Santino (Life, 9/10:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – First another season of competitors and then two former contestants design looks for real life ladies.
  • Jersey Shore (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – The gang heads to Miami and I still can’t care.

Friday

  • Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta (TLC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – It’s like Say Yes to the Dress, but it’s set in… Atlanta.

Saturday

  • X Games (Various) – Let the games begin… ok so it’s actually starting Thursday and running through Sunday… the X Games head to LA, so check in for lots of hours of coverage on all the ESPNs including: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN International, ESPN.com\action, ESPN Classic, ESPN3.com, and SportsCenter.

Sunday

  • Rubicon (AMC, 8/9pm) Series Premiere – The latest drama brings some code crackers to our conspiracies.
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new and noteworthy tv: 1/11-1/17

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The midseason shows are starting to come in, Idol alone would take up a chunk of time if I didn’t feel like I could skip most of the early auditions, how did I get sucked back in to that show again? Anyhow, procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Pizza, pork, and paprikash, need I say more?
  • Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Trav, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tony heads to Panama.
  • Fantasia For Real (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – If you’ve been wondering, what is Fantasia up to these days this is the show for you.

Tuesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm, tues/wed) Season Premiere – We kick off the early rounds of night after night of auditions for those who just can’t get enough, and there will be some guest judges until Ellen takes her regular chair come Hollywood.
  • Southland (TNT, 10pm) – Remember that show that was canceled before they started airing the second season, well they’re starting it out from the beginning on cable, and will air at least all the produced episodes though no guarantees they’ll get anymore.
  • Blue Mountain State (Spike, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – It’s a new football comedy, maybe for those who get too upset watching Friday Night Lights.
  • Little Miss Perfect (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – Does the girl without an entourage stand a chance in this latest pageant?

Wednesday

  • Monsterquest (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – Monster Sharks!
  • High School Reunion (TVL, 10pm) Season Premiere – This season the class of ’89 brings 11 folks from Las Vegas to Hawaii.
  • Leverage (TNT, 10pm) Season Premiere – The team hits the runway to right another wrong, with some sort of con of course.
  • Solving History (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Apparently the host of this show’s name is Olly Steeds but I keep reading it as Oily.
  • Tosh.0 (Com, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Daniel Tosh puts ‘his indelible stamp on everything crazy the Web has to offer’.

Thursday

  • First 48/Manhunters (A&E, 9/10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Real life murders and fugitives.
  • Ace of Cakes (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Apparently there is a DIY show that some guys are visiting from to make a ‘man cave’ out of Duff’s basement, and there will still be some cakes.
  • Archer (FX, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – Spy spoof animation.
  • Project Runway/Models of the Runway (Life, 10/11pm) Season Premieres – They’re back…
  • Watch What Happens (Brav, midnight) Season Premiere – I think if you tune in something will happen.

Friday

  • Critic’s Choice Movie Awards (VH1, 8:30/9pm) – First the arrivals and then Kristin Chenoweth hosts as the awards season moves along.
  • I Shouldn’t Be Alive (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – Creepy stories where people could have died but didn’t.
  • The Singing Bee (CMT, 9pm) Season Premiere – More karaoke singing competition.
  • Swamp Loggers (Disc, 10pm) Season Premiere – Swamps, logging…

Saturday

  • Alli Winter Dew Tour (NBC, 10am sat, 12pm sun) – Winter action sports hit Snowbasin, Utah.
  • Pit Boss (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – I feel like making a little person/pit bull rescue joke would be un-pc…

Sunday

  • Golden Globe Awards (NBC, 7/8pm) – Ricky Gervais hosts this one for television and filmmakers from the Hollywood Foreign Press.
  • Human Target (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – Mark Valley puts himself between his clients and their deaths, based on a comic book, it moves to its regular timeslot on Wednesday.
  • Food Network Challenge (Food, 8pm) Season Premiere – 4 barbecue teams need to master 4 kinds of meats.
  • 24 (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – That guy must be very good at his job to have survived all these days, or the show could be unbelievable, nah…
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damn you cable

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HDTPCubePaying money to watch television is something that I may still need some help in getting over. When NBC made its signal change eons ago I finally broke down and got ‘basic’ cable to get channels clearly. And when I say basic I don’t mean not premium, I mean cable to get regular networks clearly, something that a city dweller should not feel compelled to do. So when along with my basic cable I received one or two additional channels like VS. (formerly OLN) offering me access to things like the Tour de Lance France I felt giddy.

And then at some point I had a cable problem and my wonderful cable guy didn’t put the blocker back on. A whole new world opened up to me. The world that was normally reserved for visiting my parent’s house and watching cable (minus HBO). I was slowly sucked into show after show, The Closer, Breaking Bad, even Rock of Love… It was a world I always said wasn’t worth the cost but I was getting it for FREE. And even when cable problems arose at a later time I decided to wait it out in fear of inviting the cable guy back over and having him put the dreaded blocker back on.

And then one day, no call to the cable guy, I woke to find that I could no longer get Gillmore Girls reruns on ABC Family. I could no longer get Project Runway on Lifetime. I could no longer get the final season of Monk on USA. What is a person to do? Well, I could pay for more cable, $29.99 a month seems reasonable and when that expires after 12 months I could probably negotiate down from the standing $59.99, which is an amount that seem ridiculous. And then there’s always the reported triple play deal of packaging cable, internet, and phone. Or I could try to take better advantage of the posting of shows online (it’ll get me through at least some current missing episodes) and of course I can wait for the shows that I might really care about to release on dvd.

So what to do? At least for now I’ll leave it on my list of things to do, along with upgrading my tivo.

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tv

my schedule

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Well another year of television and almost everything has started. Until they cancel more stuff, move stuff around, or we get to midseason changes here is where things seem to be settling in for me.  I wouldn’t recommend it all but it’s what I watch, or at least what I tend to tivo (I am still trying to narrow this down to no more than two shows per timeslot).

Monday chuck.jpg

  • 8pm: NBC – Chuck (CBS – The Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother) (CW – Gossip Girl)
  • 9pm: NBC – Heroes (CBS – 2 1/2 Men/ABC – Samantha Who?)

Tuesday

  • 8pm: Fox – House
  • 9pm: CBS – The Mentalist (CW – Privileged)
  • 10pm: NBC – Eli Stone (NBC – L&O: SVU)

Wednesday bones_main.jpg

  • 8pm: Fox – Bones (ABC – Pushing Daisies) (CBS – The New Adventures of Old Christine/Gary Unmarried)
  • 9pm: NBC – Life
  • 10pm: ABC – Dirty Sexy Money (NBC – L&O)

Thursday

  • 8pm: NBC – My Name is Earl
  • 9pm: NBC – The Office/30 Rock (ABC – Grey’s Anatomy)
  • 10pm: ABC – Life on Mars

Friday life.jpg

  • 9pm: CBS – The Ex List (CW – ANTM encore)
  • 10pm: CBS – Numb3rs

Saturday

  • Nothing

Sunday

  • 9pm: CW – Easy Money

But wait there’s more… known midseason and cable picks: Breaking Bad (AMC), Burn Notice (USA), Celebrity Rehab (VH1), The Closer (TNT), Dexter (Show), Eureka (SciFi), Flight of the Conchords (HBO), Greek (Fam), Lost (ABC), Project Runway (Bravo), Reaper (CW), Saving Grace (TNT), Scrubs (ABC), Sons of Anarchy (FX).

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next week 10/13

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New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • Little People, Big World (TLC, 8pm) Season Premiere – I think we’re following a family.
  • Samantha Who? (ABC, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – This Applegate amnesiac show amused me last year.
  • My Own Worst Enemy (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Christian Slater is a spy with an average guy split personality as his alter ego.

Tuesday

  • The Cleaner (A&E, 10pm) Season Finale – I didn’t love this Benjamin Bratt gets druggies clean show.
  • Eli Stone (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – I’m assuming Eli survives his brain surgery and still has those wacky visions.
  • Iditarod (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – This reality show follows the ‘toughest race on earth’.
  • The Rachel Zoe Project (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – Annoying people at work and some pretty clothes.

Wednesday

  • Presidential Debate (Various, 6pm/pst 9pm/est) – They’re back.
  • Time Warp (Disc, 8/8:30pm) Series Premiere – Looking at things like movement too fast for the human eye and juggling.
  • Project Runway (Brav, 9pm) Season Finale – I am so behind on this I can expect to find out who won before I get caught up.
  • Parking Wars (A&E, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – I think this is like your worst parking moments caught on tape.
  • Prototype This (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can a car be designed that eliminates road rage?
  • Chocolate News (Com, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – This sketch show has David Alan Grier giving his take on current events.

Thursday

  • International X-Games (ESPN2, 8pm) – Do the boards flip the same way in mexico?

Friday

  • Crusoe (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Crusoe crashes on an island and faces danger… more Gilligan or Lost?
  • Real Simple, Real Life (TLC, 8pm) Series Premiere – A team of experts help simplify a person’s life.
  • Crash (Starz, 10pm) Series Premiere – The film comes to tv with Dennis Hopper as one of the ensemble.

Saturday

  • Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling (CMT, 8pm) Series Premiere – Ten ‘celebrities’ like Danny Bonaduce compete to be the top celebrity wrestler.

Sunday

  • Action Sports (NBC, Sat/Sun 1pm/pst, also on USA and Spike) The Playstation Pro in Orando will give you another chance to catch people doing the near impossible on boards, bikes, and more.
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more fall fun

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So some folks were asking about shows that they know I watch but weren’t listed in Fall Favorites… By now folks know I watch and enjoy more shows than a person probably should. In addition to previously noted favorites Bones, Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, Gossip Girl, Heroes, The Office, Pushing Daisies, and 30 Rock, there are a few other returning shows that typically hit my tivo:

  • America’s Next Top Model (CW, Wed 9/3 ) – Yes Tyra is annoying but it’s not really about her, it’s about the annoying wannabe models and this year they promise a transgender contestant.
  • Big Bang Theory (CBS, Mon 9/22) – I don’t love this show but Sheldon makes me laugh enough, and Darlene is joining her Roseanne boyfriend as a regular this season.
  • Brothers & Sisters (ABC, Sun, 9/28) – I almost don’t even like this show but I can’t help but tune in to see what mess the Walker family is getting into and this season we should see the real illegitimate half sibling.
  • Criminal Minds (CBS, Wed 9/24) – I usually actually only catch this special FBi unit cathing the brutal serial killer of the week show in repeats.
  • Eli Stone (ABC, Tues 10/14) – This quirky guy with visions that may be leading him along won me over, but did we really leave him in a coma after an operation?
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, Thurs 9/25) – Yes Grey herself is totally annoying but maybe as she theoretically sticks with McDreamy this season we can focus on the rest of the good supporting cast.
  • House (Fox, Tues 9/16) – Last year’s shakeup to cranky House’s team gave him some new fodder, though they didn’t find a good balance yet of old and new, and what of best bro after his girlie’s death?
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mon 9/22) – This show still has a lot of hilarity, though I don’t care how he met the mother, or whether it is or isn’t Sarah Chalke.
  • Law & Order (NBC, midseason) – I dropped this for a few years but found myself tuning back in this last season as the current ensemble seems to be working.
  • Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Tues 9/23) – I know this show is all about Stabler and Benson but I don’t love them, though I keep tuning in, this is the one with the sex crime slant.
  • Life (NBC, Mon 9/29) – This detective back on the force after being falsely accused amused and interested with his oddball antics though not so much on the conspiracy of his conviction.
  • Lost (ABC, midseason) – Well I loved the start of last season but at the end of the day was a little underwhelmed by the Oceanic 6 getting off and having to go back, this season starts a new chapter, I’m very curious and definitely still in.
  • My Name is Earl (NBC, Thurs 9/25) – I am still amused enough by Earl and his trashy family getting his karma back in line, though bored by the coma version of Earl and the normally likable Alyssa Milano.
  • The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, Wed 9/24) – I still think this is a great role for Dreyfus to do broad funny as an crazy and awkward single mom with her misfit family.
  • Numbers (CBS, Fri 10/3) – This isn’t a great procedural but the interplay between FBI and math genius brothers solving cases works, though math brother just lost his credentials, whatever will they do.
  • Reaper (CW, midseason) – This show started strong last season and almost lost me with its capture of the week but the devil’s bounty hunter and friends found a new rhythm by introducing some additional intrigue, and the devil is fantastic.
  • Samantha Who? (ABC, Mon 10/6) – Applegate is winning as her post amnesia persona tries to marry her old bad ways with her new clean slate.
  • Scrubs (ABC, midseason) – I was surprised by the network move though I think this show has a great cast and good balance of silly fun, though we’ll see how well they transition to the predicted new young cast additions.
  • Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, Mon 9/8) – This show grew on me as the cast and intrigue were better developed while Sarah and her son John try to change the future by jumping years with the help of hot chick terminator Summer Glau.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS, Mon 9/22) – This show’s lost its edge a bit for me as the brothers work their odd couple dynamic with lazy kid getting less cute as he grows up, but there are still some good laughs.

And before you ask, current cable faves include: Battlestar Galactica (behind but catching on dvd), Breaking Bad, Burn Notice, The Closer, Dexter (dvd), Eureka, Flight of the Conchords, Greek, Project Runway, The Riches (yet to be renewed), and Saving Grace.

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sports, tv

next week 7/14

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New and notable for the week ahead… live times are noted as pst, always check your local listings.

Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) – Where are they now? Or you can look it up on tvguide.
  • The Closer (TNT, 9pm) Season Premiere – I have been watching reruns of this on TNT and just realized that they are skipping episodes and not showing the whole seasons, now I’m debating whether trying to netflix just the episodes I missed which is kind of a pain, they are doing a marathon throughout the day.
  • Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premieres – I’ve been looking forward to season two of Holly Hunter drinking and sleeping with inappropriate men and dealing with her angel Earl.
  • China’s Stolen Children (HBO, 9pm) – The latest special…

Tuesday

  • The Cleaner (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Benjamin Bratt is a now clean but not problem free addict who helps others get clean, and for some reason has a crew of folks to help him out.
  • From G’s to Gents (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can they make these bad boys go good, a new reality competition was definitely needed to answer that.

Wednesday

  • Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm) Season Premiere – I think the whole gang is back for the new crew of competition.
  • Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – This guy is apparently back with a vengeance.
  • Celebrity Circus (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Wee man, Stacey Dash, and Antonio ‘actor” Sabato Jr. compete for… circus bragging rights.
  • Family Foreman (TV Land, 10pm) Series Premiere – Apparently we need to see more of George Foreman in this reality series.

Thursday

  • The Gong Show (Comedy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Dave Attell (?) hosts the new version of this classic hit of wacky acts.
  • Reality Bites Back (Comedy, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – What could follow the Gong Show better than comedians competing in classic game show feats from gladiators to smarter than a 5th grader.

Friday

  • Monk (USA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Tony Shaloub plays a nutso phobic private detective.
  • Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – A particularly observant guy pretends to be psychic and solves crimes with a buddy.

Saturday

  • Action Sports Tour (NBC, sa/su 1pm – also on USA sa/su 12am) – The Right Guard Open is the Cleveland stop of the Dew Tour.
  • Beach Volleyball (NBC, sa/su 11:30am) – The AVP Crocs Tour shows us the finals from Brooklyn.
  • Skateboarding (CBS, 12pm) – The Maloof Money Cup Championships from Costa Mesa, Ca.
  • And of course you could catch up on more of the tour de france, moving right along…

Sunday

  • High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC, 8pm) Series Debut – Nick Lachey hosts this competition for kids to get into the action of the High School Musical franchise, and I think the winner gets shown in the closing credits.
  • ESPYs (ESPN, 9pm) – Justin Timberlake hosts as they recognize sports achievements throughout the year.
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reality detox

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crehab.jpgI made a decree a few years ago that I wasn’t adding any more reality television, I just watch too much television and I can be easily sucked into nearly anything. I also decided that I’d be dropping a few of the regulars, ANTM obviously made the cut, Survivor and American Idol did not (I did tune back into AI this last season but that’s it, I’m pretty sure). I watched my first full episode of the Bachelorette just to be able to contribute to the conversation of what kind of guy I thought was cute (of that lot, Graham, but not just because he’s super hot).

I tried not to sample too much of the new options that they trotted out over the years though I was a big fan of Rock Star: INXS/Supernova. Last year when I expanded my television from network to basic cable my channel surfing led me to review a show or two more. After some sampling, Project Runway is a keeper, I love the personalities but it’s the clothes each week that kept me coming back. Rock of Love stayed on the tivo for the first season but I couldn’t stay on the train wreck through season two.

Last season I was so indignant about the new show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew that I almost didn’t watch the first episode. Now I knew Dr Drew was a real Dr, I had listened to Loveline on KROQ back when it started and was Dr Drew and the Poorman, but I didn’t realize he was an addiction specialist. I still had my doubts as I thought reality had sunk to a new low. But you can tell where this is heading, I was addicted.

Sure there was a train wreck aspect to things, but I was again surprised at how I came to be interested in the lives of people who I really couldn’t care less about. When Jeff Conaway left we all thought he was going to die when he checked out, and were frustrated that Chyna was having trouble even identifying/admitting what her problem was, and we all hoped that they would make it. Dr Drew and the staff really appeared to want to help these people and seeing them struggle with the filmed/celebrity aspect of the show was a challenge that I wonder how it will change in the next season.

And you can tell where this is leading, there is a next season. Casting is confirmed as: Jeff Conaway (back after back surgeries to give it another go), Sean Stewart (reality specialist and son of Rod/Sons of Hollywood), Amber Smith (model/actress?), Rodney King (from back when reality made people famous), Nikki McKibbon (this year’s American Idol), Steven Adler (this year’s rocker from Guns n Roses) and Tawny Kitaen (Actress?). And we also have Gary Busey (this year’s Baldwin sharing his path to sobriety – 13 years sober from his cocaine addiction?).

I assume this means they’ll be checking in now, but we won’t see shows until around October. Does that mean to fill this summer I should watch more Denise Richards or Living Lohan? The answer to that is no.

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potpourri

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Not much to report on tv shows themselves this week so I thought I’d just check in on a few things of note.

NBC released its year round upfront to the upfronts. Although I actually try not to pay much attention to these since everything changes or disappears before it goes live but, worth noting are a ‘The Office’ spin-off, the surprising return of not great ‘Knightrider‘ and ‘Lipstick Jungle‘ but also another shot for ‘Life‘ which I just told someone wasn’t coming back.

As for the other networks we’re not official yet but I might be a tiny bit excited about Joss Whedon’s (Buffy!) expected ‘Dollhouse‘ show starring Eliza Dushku (Faith!) and trepidatious about Rob Thomas’s (VMars) ‘90210‘ the next generation (Donna has expressed interesting in playing a milf though it sounds like they’re courting Kelly to round out the older generation on the show).

‘Project Runway‘ is slated to move from Bravo to Lifetime, not this next season but the one after, though NBC has something to say about that. People with Tivos will follow but will this impact the show or the networks? Wait do I get Lifetime? And if I hear correctly ‘Scrubs‘ is moving to ABC. So what one more season?

‘ANTM‘ is getting busted for showing some full frontal – albino Anya’s nudie shoot with Nigel was deemed by some to be inappropriate for evening eyes. I actually watched this and thought she was wearing little coveries but I guess they just blurred her out, really it was all fine, but conservative parental organizations are still arguing about Dennis Franz’ butt on ‘NYPD Blue‘ so perspective is not something these organizations have.

Oh and Kathie Lee Gifford took up residence in the last hour of ‘The Today Show‘, I haven’t watched this in ages but maybe she can put some life in what I recall was nearly dead air.

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next week 3/3

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Monday

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 8-10pm) Season Finale – I have to say I am still not in love with Sarah or John but still find this show pretty interesting with the past, present, and future and what the right thing to do is.

Tuesday

  • New Amsterdam (Fox, 8pm) Series Debut – So some immortal guy is looking for his true love while fighting crime of course.
  • Carpoolers (ABC, 9:30) Season Finale – This is the show about four guys who… carpool, with Jerry O’Connell, and I find it almost funny.
  • The Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo, 11pm) Series Premiere – For those of you who just couldn’t get enough of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

Wednesday

  • Project Runway (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – Who will have the finest collection? Ok, I’m still like four episodes behind.

Thursday

  • Celebrity Rehab With Dr Drew (VH1, 10pm) Season Finale – Addiction isn’t always pretty, but I’m addicted to this show, which actually surprised me with how much I thought this show was a bad idea but these ‘celebrities’ were shown as real people with real issues.

Friday

  • Stargate Atlantis (SciFi, 10pm) Season Finale – I think I’ve seen at least some sort of Stargate… I don’t know if this is underwater?

Saturday

  • Beach Volleyball (Kron, 9pm) – AVP Crocs Hot Winter Nights tour and I do love me some good beach volleyball.

Sunday

  • The Wire (HBO, 9pm) Series Finale – Well this is it for the series and I know some obsessive folks who are bummed about that, and some folks who still aren’t caught up on the dvds so they won’t really appreciate the loss for a while.
  • Breaking Bad (AMC, 10pm) Season Finale – Well I am behind on these as well but wanna stick through and see what other ridiculous things these drug guys are into.
  • My Fair Brady (VH1, 10:30pm) Season Finale – I’m just noting this because I know someone who watches this show.
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