The Andromeda Strain (A&E, 9pm – also Tues, 9pm) – Miniseries based on the Michael Crichton novel starring Benjamin Bratt, Andre Braugher, and Eric McCormack.
Wildfire (ABC Fam, 9pm) Series Finale – I think wildfire is a horse.
Denise Richards: It’s Complicated/Living Lohan (E!, 10/10:30pm) Series Premieres – In case you wanted to see what was going on behind the scenes with either of these women.
The Paper (MTV, 10/10:30) Season Finale – Big confrontation in the newsroom, or the classroom, or something.
Tuesday
According to Jim (ABC, 8/8:30pm) Season Finale – Not only is this show still on, it’s renewed for next season.
Wednesday
Stanley Cup Finals (NBC, 5pm/pst) – Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Redwings, Game 3 is on Wed, with Games 4/5 scheduled for Sat/Mon.
Men in Trees (ABC, 10pm) – Returning from strike break, for those who enjoy, enjoy it while it lasts.
Thursday
Lost (ABC, 9pm) Season Finale – Ok I’m like three behind on this, time to catch up.
Friday
Scripps National Spelling Bee (ABC, 8pm) – The kids, they spell.
Sarah Jane Adventures (Scifi, 8/8:30pm) Season Finale – There’s an adventure.
Saturday
French Open (NBC, 10am pst sat and sun – also ESPN2 coverage weekdays starting 5/27) – It’s the big clay court tennis tournament, will Nadal add another win to his list, or will Djokovic or Federer take him out?
Saturday Night Fights (CBS, 9pm) – Includes heavyweight bout with Kimbo Slice and James “Colossus” Thompson, I don’t know who’s favored but Kimbo needs a tough nickname.
Dead at 17 (Life, 9pm) – Original telefilm of a woman, her son, his death and of course secrets.
Heat Stroke (SciFi, 9pm) – Not to be outdone on telefilms, a model and a soldier try to fight alien created global warming.
Sunday
Million Dollar Password (CBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – My friend and I used to make up words and play this when we were bored, Regis hosts and it looks like Neil Patrick Harris as one of the first celebrity word givers.
The Tudors (Show, 9pm) Season Finale – Old school courtly drama.
In Plain Sight (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere -Mary McCormack plays a US Marshall for the witness protection program.
Next Food Network Star (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Folks compete to get their own cookster show.
House (Fox, 9pm) – Back after the strike hiatus and our favorite curmudgeon is back diagnosing and annoying those around him.
Tuesday
Shark (CBS, 9pm) – Back from strike I sometimes catch this abrasive celebrity attorney as he continues trying to convict and keep his personal life together.
The Riches (Fx, 10pm) – Last ep due to the strike, I dig this show but so far have this season all backlogged on tivo.
Women’s Murder Club (ABC, 10pm) – Returning from strike is this light yet enjoyable procedural show with each of the gals bringing cop, coroner, da and journalist pov.
Wednesday
Secrets of the Dead (PBS, 8pm) – Documentary that shows the story of two men who escaped Auschwitz to try to warn the world.
The Farmer Wants a Wife (CW, 9pm) Series Premiere – This is what it sounds like, a version of The Bachelor on a farm, personally I pass.
Boston Legal (ABC, 10pm) – This show gets a new time slot though I’m not sure what the old time slot was as I could never quite get into this crazy legal show.
Thursday
My Name is Earl/Scrubs/The Office/30 Rock (NBC, 8-10pm) – The second week of the new order of the lineup.
Friday
Man vs. Wild (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Bear Grylls returns to the wild to show how he can keep getting out.
Saturday
Nascar (Fox, 7pm) – They go round and round I think.
The Shell Seekers/A Teacher’s Crime (Hallmark/Lifetime, 9pm) – How could a person decide which movie of the week to watch?
Sunday
Cold Case (CBS, 8pm) Season Finale – This procedural, that I usually miss, solves old cases as it wraps up another season.
Family Guy (Fox, 9pm) Season Finale – This family gets a pet or something, and Amanda Bynes guests.
This American Life (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – This NPR show starts its second series of televised stories.
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, 9:30pm) Season Finale – Could it be peramenopause and could her gynecologist be Jason Alexander.
CSI: Miami (CBS, 10pm m/t) – A special two parter brings Elizabeth Berkley back into David Caruso’s life.
Tuesday
Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – He yells at people again.
Live to be 150… Can You Do It? (ABC, 10pm) – Barbara (76) talks to ‘old’ folks including Paul Newman (83).
Wednesday
Criminal Minds/CSI: NY (CBS, 9, 10pm) – Post strike returns.
Thursday
My Name is Earl (NBC, 8/8:30pm) – Post strike return and Paris wouldn’t let Britney be the only useless guest star on a series.
Miss/Guided (ABC, 8:30pm) Season Finale – Apparently though I noted this as a finale last week, there is one more.
CSI/Without a Trace (CBS, 9/10pm) – Post strike returns.
Make Me a Supermodel (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – And a model is chosen.
Friday
Ghost Whisperer/Numb3rs (CBS, 8/10pm) – Post strike premieres.
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi, 10pm) Season Premiere – The fourth season begins, and a friend is going to loan me the started dvd.
Saturday
NCAA Championship (CBS, 6pm) – In this one the ball goes through a hoop…
Sunday
Sony Ericsson Open (FSN, Sat noon/est, Sun 1pmest) – This one’s tennis… Women’s finals on Saturday and Men’s on Sunday, with coverage starting Sunday 3/30.
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.
Welcome to the Captain (CBS, 8:30) Series Premiere – Flailing filmmaker moves into an apartment building that is eclectic to say the least, starring Jeffrey Tambor among others.
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – Christine deals with her ex, his new girlfriend Christine, her brother/manny, her kind of geeky son, the mean moms at the private school she can barely afford, and of course the funny Wanda Sykes as gal pal and now curves-like business co-owner.
The Game (CW, 9:30) – The last episode due to the strike as I’m sure some drama and comedy will ensue with the gals of football.
Tuesday
House (Fox, 9pm) – Enjoy the last ep due to strike, as House deals with the always good, religious zealot with unknown ailment.
Super Tuesday Coverage (check your local listings) – Coverage on the elections, it’ll be super!
Wednesday
ANTM: Exposed (CW, 8pm) – I almost didn’t list this because I hate the clips shows, but apparently they’ve got highlights if you just can’t wait for the new season.
CSI: NY (CBS, 10pm) – Last ep due to the strike as ickily a victim is found drowned in a self cleaning toilet.
Thursday
Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – So this time they’re hitting Micronesia and it’s fans vs. favorites, I wonder how much money Jeff Probst makes for these.
Lipstick Jungle (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This is the other one (if you like or wanted to like Cashmere Mafia) where it’s successful gal pals, only this one has three friends and one of them is Brooke Shields.
Friday
Davis Cup (OLN, Fri/Sat/Sun, 9am/pst, check your local listings) – Last year’s USA tennis champs head to Austria to start the new season.
Flash Gordon (Scifi, 8pm) Season Finale – I’ve never seen this show but have a nostalgic remembrance of the cheesy old movie version.
Friday Night Lights (NBC, 9pm) Last ep due to the strike as the players and those around them do what they do.
Saturday
Bernard and Doris (HBO, 8pm) – Ralph Fiennes and Susan Sarandon add some acting chops to the original HBO film’s fictionalized story of Doris Duke’s (who?) final years.
Sunday
Grammy Awards (CBS, 8pm) – They come, they model their outfits, they sing, they win… or lose as the case may be.
British Academy Film Awards (BBC, 8pm) – Apparently the stars are heading to this one if you want to catch them in case we don’t settle domestically.
100 Most Outrageous Moments of All Time (NBC, 9pm) – Not sure if this is a Britney biography or what.
State of the Union (6/9pm est/pst, Check Your Local Listings) – We don’t have to listen to him for much longer.
In Treatment (HBO, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Gabriel Byrne is a therapist with of course a ton of issues of his own in this 5 night a week show, man, 5 nights a week?
Gossip Girl (CW, 8pm) – A special presentation of the pilot with additional behind the scenes and interview footage.
Making the Band (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Hmm, so I read that this is the 11th season, then I read that this was Making the Band 4, maybe they stopped making new bands? I remember watching the first season on network tv with the making of OTown but haven’t watched since.
Tuesday
Baghdad Hospital: Inside the Red Zone (HBO, 8:30pm) – A close look at life in Baghdad by an Iraqi doctor who has since fled the country.
House (Fox, 9pm) – It’s new, they try to diagnose someone… should still be two more after this.
Wednesday
Lost (ABC, 9pm) – Last season’s finale with extra facts and tidbits to get you caught up.
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – I don’t know what they win, but one team will win.
American Ballroom Challenge (PBS, 8pm) – And they dance….
Thursday
Lost (ABC, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – It’s baaack, and they really want you to know what’s going on so the recap espisode at 8 should tell us all we need to know to get sucked in yet again… they better settle this strike.
Eli Stone (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Is this lawyer a prophet, a sick man, or a nut job? No matter what his life is going to change.
Friday
1 vs. 100, Friday Night Lights, Las Vegas (NBC, 8/9/10) – They’re new…
Dinner for Five (IFC, 10:30) – Jon Favreau welcomes guests Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsley, Justin Long and Keir O’Donnell.
Saturday
Trading Spaces (TLC, 9pm) – This episode is the first in its regular timeslot, we had the first ep of the season last week, and we were all excited to have Paige back holding the reigns again.
Sunday
Suberbowl XLII (Fox, 3pm/pst ) – This might be the only occasion that we use roman numerals.
House (Fox, 7:15?) – In the coveted after superbowl spot Mira Sorvino gets some remote diagnosis.
Life is Wild (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – I guess you could find out how the wild is treating this family.
Wildfire (ABC Fam, 9pm) Season Premiere – It’s actually quite surprising how many original series there are out there on other cable channels, this is season 4 of this delinquent-but-good-with-horses gal gets another chance with a ranch family.
Democratic Presidential Debate: South Carolina (CNN, 5pm pst) – What have they got to say? Maybe nothing new, but maybe worth a look.
Tuesday
Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) Last episode due to strike – An embryo caper makes Olivia question her own timeline, too bad they couldn’t just time this to when Mariska was pregnant.
Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo, 11pm normally at 10pm) Series Premiere – Follow a matchmaking service with, yes you guessed it, millionaire clientele.
Wednesday
Criminal Minds (CBS, 9pm) Last ep due to strike – I tend to only watch this show in reruns, which is I guess next week, but I’m sure the BAU gang will find a serial killer.
Moment of Truth (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – This is the one where they hook the contestants up to a lie detector and ask humiliating questions for money, what will they think of next?
Thursday
Chuck (NBC, 8 & 10pm) Last eps due to strike – They’re kicking us out with a little double shot, where Chuck will get into some shenanigans with his friends, coworkers and spy guys.
Ugly Betty & Big Shots (ABC, 8 & 10pm) Last eps due to strike – I’ll be watching Chuck of course.
Winter X Games 12 (24-27th, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Check your local listings) – Skis, snowmobiles, and snowboarders get gnarly in Colorado and it should include another round of Shaun White.
Friday
Garth Brooks: Live in LA! (CBS, 9pm) – It’ll be Garth, he’ll be singing, in LA, will it be live?
Saturday
Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials (CBS, 8pm) – This must mean the super bowl is coming up.
US Figure Skating Women’s Championships (NBC, 8pm) – Isn’t the winter Olympics coming up, no I guess that’s next winter.
Torchwood (BBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – They describe this as ‘part X-Files part Angel… where excitement comes before morality,’ hmm…
Sunday
US Figure Skating Men’s Championships (NBC, 7pm) – Well I mentioned the women’s…
Screen Actors Guild Awards (TNT, 8pm) – This one could be picket free and actually attended.
Shark (CBS, 8pm) Last ep due to strike – Always good to get into Sebastian’s dark past when he’s a target for murder.
The Russell Girl (CBS, 9pm) – Probably a typical cheesy Hallmark movie but I developed a liking for Amber Tamblyn since Joan of Arcadia.
Dick Clark’s Primetime/New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (ABC, 10pm/11:35pm) – Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest count it down with Mylie Cyrus and Fergie among others.
New Year’s Eve Live (Fox, 11pm) – Cat Deely counts it down with some partiers and performers.
New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (NBC, 11:35) – Carson counts it down with Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keys.
Tuesday
Tournament of Roses Parade (8/11am, Check Your Local Listings) – The floats they are a covered with flowers…
Bowl Games (Check Your Local Listings) – I went to a college without a football team so I didn’t even care then.
The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Ok we did just have one of these but this one is apparently pairs.
Just for Laughs (ABC, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – This is the second season of this hidden camera prank show.
According to Jim (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is this show still on?
Wednesday
Wife Swap (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – More family care bordering on child abuse as pageant family and feminist family collide.
Law & Order (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – The gang returns with another cast shuffle and more cases ‘ripped from the headlines.’
Super Nanny (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – The nanny saves a family caring for 3 year old twins.
Late Night Talk Shows (Check Your Local Listings) – As it stands the gang will be back on the air, so far with only Letterman’s company (that owns his and Craig Ferguson’s shows) negotiating a deal with the writers while the rest of the crews will be winging it.
Thursday
Celebrity Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Fourteen ‘celebrities’ take their turn getting fired.
Friday
1 vs 100 (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – I don’t really get this show but Barry Williams from the Brady Bunch and Dawn Wells from Gilligan’s Island are stopping by.
Saturday
New Hampshire Presidential Debates (ABC, 7pm) – Back to back debates showcase the republican and democratic candidates.
Sunday
American Gladiator (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere– Ok there is a part of me that really wants a ridiculous remake of this show about regular folks competing against ‘gladiators’ to be a success but I won’t watch.
Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Lucy Liu and three successful gal pals deal with work and life, I’m sure whilst sipping cocktails and wearing good clothes.
The Bachelor (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – Two weeks touting the bachelor, really? Anyhoo, you get this, he picks a gal and they break up doing promotional appearances… ‘After the Rose’ show airs on Tuesday at 10pm.
Weeds (SHO, 10pm) Season Finale – I’ve started making my list of cable shows to get on dvd if this pesky strike keeps up, I like ML Parker, and is this the one that one of those Olsens joined?
Tuesday
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC, 8pm) – I can taste the turkey and mashed taters already. Followed by ‘He’s a Bully Charlie Brown’ to round out the hour.
Wednesday
Pushing Daisies (ABC, 8pm) – Just when I wondered if this show could be any more delightful they get a guest spot from Paul Reubens (the artist formerly known as Pee Wee Herman).
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, 10pm) – All may not go smoothly for the Darlings as a couple of meetings are arranged, Tripp and Simon Elder and Patrick’s wife and his transsexual mistress.
Thursday
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade/National Dog Show (NBC, 9am/noon) – I don’t recall watching the parade in recent years but I assume it’s all floats and bands and whatnot, you know, a parade, but I do try to catch the dog show, though I always just root for the big fuzzy breeds I like best.
Ugly Betty/Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8pm/10pm) – Buffy alum night as Faith/Eliza Dushku gets ugly and Oz/Seth Green pops by Grey’s for what I can only hope will be some funny.
October Road (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Sappy, and in my opinion unwatchable (though I admittedly stopped watching), show where boy returns home after writing first novel, somewhat unflatteringly, about his small home town and its inhabitants and comes to wonder if his best gal, that he ditched, is raising his kid.
Friday
Numbers (CBS, 10pm) – Christopher Lloyd guests for the makings of a little Taxi reunion with he and Judd Hirsch, and I’m sure there’s some math.
Saturday
Battlestar Galactica: Razor (SciFi, 9pm) – A movie that explains some of the haps from the series that I hear great things about but have yet to start the dvds.
Sunday
The Simpsons (Fox, 8pm) – Sideshow Bob’s family nods to Friasier as Kelsey Grammer is joined by Frasier’s Niles/David Hyde Pierce and Martin/John Mahoney.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC, 7pm) 100th show – Ty and the gang help a family of ten by doing something extreme.
Action Sports (NBC, 11am – check your local listing) – Highlights of the season’s best competitions in the Dew Action Sports tour for skateboarding, fmx, and bmx.