tv

new and noteworthy tv: 12/13-12/19

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Not a ton new happening until after the holidays, I suppose it’s time to start catching the end of year movie releases.

Monday

  • Phowned (Spike, 7pm) Series Premiere – Prank calls.
  • Howe & Howe Tech (Disc, 7pm) Season Premiere – The gents look into some metal stuff.
  • Mariah Carey (ABC, 9pm) – And she sings…
  • Intervention (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is it time to battle the addiction?
  • Swamp Men (NatGeo, 10pm) Series Premiere – Gator, raccoon, and snakes oh my.

Tuesday

  • I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Don’t we all want a dog for Christmas?

Wednesday

  • 24/7 (HBO), 10pm) Season Premiere – A look at the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals may explain what a capital is.

Thursday

  • Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – First the dog, now what?

Friday

  • Yes, Virginia/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/I Get That A Lot (CBS, 9:30pm) – Holiday fun and then Heidi Klum, I think I would never recognize a celebrity in real life.

Saturday

  • WWE Tribute to the Troops (NBC, 9pm) – Do the troops really want to see wrestlers?

Sunday

  • Running Wilde (Fox, 7pm) – Never a good sign when they move new episodes of a show to Sunday at 7.
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new and noteworthy tv: 12/6-12/12

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TNT is bringing back some good stuff before we hit the new year, did I say new year?

Monday

  • American Country Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Trace Adkins hosts the country kids.
  • The Sing-Off (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – I actually kind of enjoyed this a capella glee-esque reality competition.
  • The Closer/Men of a Certain Age (TNT, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Will Brenda’s business change with a new chief and how will the men fare in business and in pleasure?
  • Next Great Baker (TLC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Pastry chefs compete.
  • Tabatha’s Salon Takeover (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – Hairy business.
  • True Life/The Vice Guide to Everything (MTV, 10/11/11:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – A look at ladies without sex and then lots of sex.

Tuesday

  • Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – Good grief.
  • Minute to Win It (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – More weird tasks for money.
  • Cupcake Wars (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Cakes, small but with wow.
  • Eureka/Warehouse 13 (Syfy, 9/10pm) – Holiday specials syfy style.
  • Ramsay’s Best Restaurant (BBCA, 9pm) Series Premiere – Because we need more Gordon Ramsay.
  • Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (Sund, 10pm) Series Premiere – Reality with a gals and gays grouping.

Wednesday

  • Fashion Forward (CW, 9pm) – Fashion, designers, celebrities…
  • MANswers (Spike, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Random dude stuff.

Thursday

  • Shrek the Halls/Prep & Landing/Barbara Walter’s Specials (ABC, 9/10pm) – Animation, Oprah, and… the 10 most fascinating people

Friday

  • Tom Brokaw Presents Bridging the Divide (USA, 7pm) – Civil rights, the economy, technology…

Saturday

  • Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/The Flight Before Christmas (CBS, 8/8:30/9pm) – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
  • Video Game Awards (Spike, 8pm) – Get your joysticks ready.

Sunday

  • Ax Men (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – Alaska logging at its finest.
  • Basketball Wives (VH1, 9pm) Season Premiere – Will someone offend someone else?
  • Leverage (TNT, 9pm) Season Premiere – Let’s get our con on.
  • Midseason Preview (NBC, 9:30pm) – What, more television?
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new and noteworthy tv: 11/29-12/5

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Thanksgiving is over and time to officially start Christmas programming…

Monday

  • CMA Country Christmas (ABC, 9:30pm) – Holiday performances and traditions, country-style.

Tuesday

  • Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC, 8pm) – Natalie Morales and Al Roker host the celebs and the flipping of the switch.
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (CBS, 8/10pm) – Fun for the whole family.
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Shrek the Halls (ABC, 8/8:30pm) – Good green fun. 
  • Strange Days with Bob Saget (A&E, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – Saget joins in subcultures to entertain with bikers and bigfoot.

Wednesday

  • The Grammy Nominations Concert Live (CBS, 10pm) – LL Cool J hosts noms and performances.
  • Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew (VH1, 10pm) Season Premiere – I can’t resist the draw of the greatest train wreck show of all, but glad to say Dr Drew really is trying to help them.
  • Storage Wars (A&E, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – What happens when you stop paying for your storage unit?
  • Top Chef (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – The all-stars edition brings back contestants.

Thursday

  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (ABC, 8pm) – He sees you when you’re sleeping…
  • Brad Meltzer’s Decoded (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – A ten-part series on conspiracies that may or may not be decoded.

Friday

  • Gold Rush (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Who doesn’t think looking for gold in Alaska is a good idea in this latest reality?

Saturday

  • The Shield (Spike, 3am) – Reairing the pilot of this series that I never caught the first time around.

Sunday

  • Gene Simmons Family Jewels/The Hasselhoffs (A&E, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – More family reality fare.
  • Bama Belles (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Will it dispel clichés about Southern gals or reinforce them.
  • I Survived… (BIO, 10pm) Season Premiere – People survive yucky things.
  • Brandy & Ray J (VH1, 11pm) Season Premiere – I’m sure something happens.
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new and noteworthy tv: 11/22-11/28

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Monday

  • Antiques Roadshow (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – What’s valuable?
  • Skating with the Stars (ABC, 9:11pm) Season Premiere – Contestants include… some people you have maybe heard of.
  • Fabulous Cakes (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Even bad cake isn’t so bad.

Tuesday

  • Start Thanksgiving planning early.

Wednesday

  • Merry Madagascar/Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special (NBC, 8/8:30pm) – Can we hold the Christmas/Winter specials for another two days?

Thursday

  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (CBS, 9am) – Where there’s turkey there’s a parade.
  • Punkin Chunkin (Disc, 8pm) – Launch those punkins.
  • Taylor Swift/People of the Year (NBC, 8/9pm) – Blah, blah, blah.
  • Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/Beyonce (ABC, 8/9:30pm) – Wa wa wah wa wa.
  • Cold Diggers (Sci, 10pm) Series Premiere – Digging in the cold.

Friday

  • TV’s Funniest Holiday Moments (Fox, 8pm) – Hilarity.

Saturday

  • Merry Madagascar/Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special (NBC, 8/8:30pm) – Was that so hard… after Thanksgiving.

Sunday

  • Kate Plus 8 (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – And the reality continues.
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new and noteworthy tv: 11/15-11/21

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Monday

  • 1 vs. 100 (GSN, 7pm) Season Premiere – One person competes against one hundred in trivia.

Tuesday

  • Glory Daze (TBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – Four guys try to join fraternity life when heading off to college, though I enjoy a youngster frolic and an 80s show this doesn’t look good. 

Wednesday

  • Human Target (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – I almost liked this spy guy for hire show last season, and will give it another shot to see how they tweaked.
  • 25 Years of Sexy (ABC, 10pm) – Kim Kardashian hosts this look at People Magazine’s sexiest man alive past and present.

Thursday

  • Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC, 8pm) – What’s Snoopy cooking up?
  • Pawn Queens (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – The ladies cater to the ladies in matters of pawn.

Friday

  • Homemade Millionaire (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Kelly Ripa hosts some ladies trying to get their inventions selling on HSN.

Saturday

  • College Football?

Sunday

  • 2010 American Music Awards (ABC, 8pm) – Current artists and The Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block.
  • Brew Masters (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – What goes into a craft brew?
  • Jilted? (WE, 10pm) Series Premiere – What happens when the ladies give an ultimatum?
  • Top Gear (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Vehicle reviews.
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new and noteworthy tv: 11/8-11/14

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Monday

  • Decision Points (NBC, 8pm) – Matt Lauer has a conversation with George W. Bush about his book and his time in office.
  • Strike Force (NatGeo, 10pm) Series Premiere – Week one, is cageless underwater shark feeding good for tourists or sharks?
  • Conan (TBS, 11pm) – He’s back… so catch Coco, Andy, and Jimmy Vivino hosting the house band.

Tuesday

  • Auction Hunters (Spike, 10pm) Series Premiere – Auction show #478…
  • The Fashion Show (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – Since Runway moved to Lifetime here’s a different crew of designers with Iman.

Wednesday

  • CMA Awards (ABC, 8pm) – Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood and a country tune or two.
  • Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – The fake psychic and his sidekick keep detecting.

Thursday

  • Burn Notice (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – This generation’s MacGyver tries to prevent a bombing…

Friday

  • Avalon High/Wizards of Waverly Place (Dis, 8/9:30pm) Season Premiere – First a flick about high school Camelot and then the wizards are back and going public.

Saturday

  • Back From Hell (Com, 10pm) – Clips and comedians in a tribute to Sam Kinison.
  • Tracy Morgan (HBO, 10pm) – Performing his Black and Blue standup.

Sunday

  • Sarah Palin’s Alaska (TLC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Seeing the sights of Alaska through Palin’s eyes, take that however you will.
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new and noteworthy tv: 11/1-11/7

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Not a lot new of note, though of course there’s the World Series, go Giants.

Monday

  • Wreck Chasers (Disc, 8/8:30pm) Series Premiere – How much wreck can a tow truck tow.
  • The Women of SNL (NBC, 9pm) – Funny with the ladies.
  • My Big Friggin Wedding/Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby (VH1, 9/10:30pm) Series Premieres – Big weddings and big personalities.

Tuesday

  • Election Coverage (Various) – Senate, House, props…
  • Meteorite Men (Sci, 9pm) Season Premiere – Starting with a meteorite at a secret location.
  • Mysteries at the Museum (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – There’s a story behind that thing.
  • Running Russell Simmons (Oxy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ever wonder how his business runs?

Wednesday

  • My Dog Ate What (NatGeo, 9pm) Series Premiere – No explanation needed.
  • All Access Nashville (ABC, 10pm) – Brad, LeAnn, Carrie, and Miranda.

Thursday

  • Pranked/Megadrive/Bully Beatdown (MTV, 10/10:30/11pm) Season/Series Premieres – Pranks, drives, and bullies.

Friday

  • Supernanny (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – More family mess that maybe gets helped.

Saturday

  • Downsized/The Locator (WE, 9pm) Series/Season Premiere – Following a family in financial difficulty, then finding family and others.

Sunday

  • Shake It Up (Dis, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Teenyboppers perform on a teen dance show, it’s a sitcom.
  • Kendra/Married to Rock (E!, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – More reality.
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new and noteworthy tv: 10/25-10/31

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Monday

  • In Treatment (HBO, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – The doctor is in.
  • Dead Set (IFC, 9pm) Series Premiere – If I understand this correctly the miniseries, airing each night this week, has zombies attacking Big Brother, I guess that’s one way to make it interesting.

Tuesday

  • Raising Hope (Fox, 9pm) – An hour of Hope is a bad sign for Running Wilde.
  • 16 & Pregnant (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – More pregnant teens.
  • Auction Kings (Disc, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – Aren’t there already a few of these auction shows?
  • Dance Cam Slam (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Reality shows get cheaper with folks sending in dance moves from their own computers.

Wednesday

  • World Series (Fox, 4:30pm) – Go Giants.
  • Friday Night Lights (DirTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – The final season begins, and it’s a Wednesday, I’m just irritated that they stopped replaying this on ABC Family, I guess I’ll have to move to netflix as I’m only on season two.
  • I’ll Do Anything (BBCA, 9pm) Series Premiere – Folks compete to get on the big stage.
  • Hollywood Treasure (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – It’s basically another auction show but for Hollywood memorabilia.

Thursday

  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm, and Fri) – ‘Tis the season.
  • Scared Shrekless (NBC, 8pm, and Sat) – Shrek leads the Halloween spirit and pushes Community to 8:30, though why we’re losing 30Rock for the night and not Outsourced is beyond me.
  • Police Women of Dallas (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – This season moves to Dallas to follow police women, I guess the title is pretty self explanatory.
  • Ancient Aliens (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – A look at places that have some mysterious history.
  • Fact or Faked (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – The truth behind mysterious images caught on camera.
  • The Fairy Jobmother (Life, 11pm) Series Premiere – A career specialist helps folks in need.

Friday

  • What Not To Wear (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – They’re back and starting with a makeover of Facts of Life’s Mindy Cohn.
  • Snow Men (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Folks open snowy roads, maybe for Ice Road Truckers.

Saturday

  • Monsters vs. Aliens (NBC, 8:30pm) – Now you will wonder is it a jack-o-lantern or is it an alien?
  • The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Russell Howard and Charlotte Church guest.

Sunday

  • Outrageous Food (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Biggest burgers, hottest peppers, and more.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This new series explores a world taken over by zombies, I’m sensing a zombie theme week.

* Times noted are PST and schedule as always is subject to change.

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new and noteworthy tv: 10/18-10/24

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Monday

  • The Talk (CBS, 2pm) Series Premiere – The latest day time talk with Sara Gilbert, Leah Remini, Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, and Marissa Jaret Winoker.
  • Rock of Love: Where Are They Now?/Brett Michaels: Life as I Know It (VH1, 9/10pm) Special/Series Premiere – Something tells me Brett is more entertaining as a carouser instead of as a part time family man.

Tuesday

  • Freak Encounters (AnPl, 7:30pm) Series Premiere – It starts with a giant mutant bat.
  • Nova/Independent Lens (PBS, 8/11pm) Season Premieres – Great cathedral architecture then America Ferrara hosts film looks.
  • Dirty Jobs/Ghost Lab (Disc, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Exotic animals and Civil War ghosts.
  • Millionaire Matchmaker (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – New York millionaires.
  • Scream 2010 (Spike, 9pm) – Horror awards.

Wednesday

  • Tailgate Warriors (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Guy Fieri hosts the latest challenge.

Thursday

  • Night of Too Many Stars (Com, 9pm) – Jon Stewart hosts a concert for autism education with many a star.

Friday

  • Catch up on dvr!

Saturday

  • 24/7 (HBO, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Pacquiao and Margarito prep for the big brawl.

Sunday

  • Football Wives (VH1, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – More reality fare.
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my schedule

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Until mid-season or the schedules shake up again I’ve mostly settled in to a lineup. So far here’s how things shake out. Though there aren’t any new breakout hits for me I have added a couple new picks.

Monday

  • 8pm – Chuck (NBC)/How I Met Your Mother (CBS) [House (Fox)]
  • 10pm – Castle (ABC)/Hawaii Five-O (CBS)

I’m still tempted to drop House but I get into this mental state where I feel like I’ve invested so many seasons into it so I kind of want to see how things play out. Other than that old favorites Chuck, HIMYM, and Castle are joined by fluffy fun enough so far 5-0.

Tuesday

  • 8pm – No Ordinary Family (ABC)/Glee (Fox)
  • 9pm – Raising Hope/Running Wilde (Fox)
  • 10pm – The Good Wife (CBS)/Parenthood (NBC) [Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC)/Sons of Anarchy (Fx)]

So far NOFamily is a nice mix of family drama and super skills [though this isn’t a bad show I found I wasn’t engaged enough to keep it on the listings] while the uneven Glee still keeps me coming back. Keeping SofA on the schedule is not a problem since FX replays stuff repeatedly, but debating on what to do about wanting to add 1-8-7 to my already booked hour. Since both Hope and Wilde are on my chopping block I wish I could move one of these up an hour.

Wednesday

  • 8pm – The Middle/Better With You (ABC)/America’s Next Top Model (CW)
  • 9pm – Modern Family/Cougar Town (ABC)/Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
  • 10pm – The Defenders (CBS)/Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC) [Terriers (Fx)]

Am losing interest in ANTM and the Law & Orders but keeping them in the running with the comedies. Better w/You isn’t quite funny but the episode about living in a fire house kept me interested just because I’ve always wanted to live in a fire house (or light house) but it may go soon. Terriers is probably my favorite new show so keeping that on the agenda isn’t a problem while Defenders is so far sort of charming enough to keep me tuned in.

Thursday

  • 8pm – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)/Bones (Fox)/Community/30 Rock (NBC)
  • 9pm – Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)/The Office (NBC) [Project Runway (Life)]
  • 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS)/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx)

Another tough first hour as I’m not willing to give up Bones, Big Bang or Community though the rest of the night seems to fit in fine. Holding out to see if Office picks up or drops off, especially with Michael’s scheduled departure.

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