tv

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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critic’s picks – best books of 2009

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Another year of publishing gone by, and if you know me, you know I didn’t read anything new. So I will pass along some of the critical picks if you’re looking for something good. I tend to read almost all fiction so that’s what’s here.

  • The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi – LG
  • Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell – LG
  • Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon – PW
  • “Moe Prager” mysteries by Reed Farrel Coleman – NPR
  • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – LG
  • Spooners by Pete Dexter – Am
  • Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer – LG, PW
  • The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam – NPR
  • Tinkers by Paul Harding – Am
  • The Believers by Zoe Heller – NPR
  • Swimming by Nicola Keegan – LG
  • The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larson – Am
  • Big Machine by Victor Lavalle – PW
  • Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem – NYT
  • The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell – LG
  • The Stalin Epigram by Robert Littell – WP
  • Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – LG, WP, Am
  • Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann – Am
  • Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy – NYT
  • American Rust by Philipp Meyer – WP
  • The City & The City by China Mieville – Am
  • A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore – NYT, WP, Am, NPR
  • In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin – LG, PW
  • The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk – WP
  • Brooklyn by Colm Toibin – Am, NPR
  • Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower – LG
  • This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper – Am
  • The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez – Am
  • Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – Am
  • Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls – NYT
  • A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert – NYT
  • The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter – LG, NPR
  • Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead – Am

Am – Amazon, LG – Lev Grossmas for Time, NPR – Maureen Corrigan for NPR, NYT – New York Times , PW – Publisher’s Weekly, WP – Washington Post

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 1/4 – 1/10

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Lots of things kicking back in this week but so little to watch. The procrastinator’s single pick is underlined, it’s like a Where’s Waldo.

Monday

  • Antiques Roadshow (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Find the antiques on the road.
  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – As I understand from the fans of this show, this is the boring guy who’s coming back, and he’s a pilot I guess.
  • Emeril Green (PlGr, 8pm) Season Premiere – Emeril goes to Vermont.
  • The Secret Life of the American Teenager/Make It Or Break It (ABCFam, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – First whiny teenagers then whiny teenagers who do gymnastics, though I have to admit I got a little hooked on MIOBI last season.
  • Conveyor Belt of Love (ABC, 10pm) – I thought this was a joke, thirty men are given a minute to impress women.
  • Blood, Sweat & Takeaways (PlGr, 10pm) Series Premiere – Six teens start by checking out the tuna industry.

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – This show doesn’t take much of a breather, this round is couples, which means pairs, oh and there’s a fattest contestant ever.
  • Last Restaurant Standing (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Hopeful restaurateurs try to impress some chef.
  • Wild Recon (AnPl, 9pm) Series Premiere – ‘Adventurer’ Donald Schultz tries to get ‘samples’ from deadly animals.
  • Howe & Howe Tech (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Follow this real life family owned engineering business.
  • Life After People (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – What would happen to stuff if people disappeared?
  • Maneaters (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – We’re starting with sharks!

Wednesday

  • Big Chef Takes on Little Chef (PlGr, 8pm) Series Premiere – Some established chef takes over some small English cafes, not as you may have thought a knife fight with a tall and short chef.
  • People’s Choice Awards (CBS, 9pm) – Queen Latifah is hosting the awards of the people, I don’t remember anyone asking me who I thought deserved an award.
  • Ghost Hunters International (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – This season starts with looking for nazi ghosts.
  • Conviction Kitchen (PlGr, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ex cons learn to cook.
  • Nip/Tuck (Fx, 10pm) Season Premiere – I’ve never seen this show but apparently the plastic surgeon pair are back.
  • Tailgate Takedown (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – USC vs. UCLA and Alabama vs. Florida, but the important question is whose food is better.

Thursday

  • Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (VH1, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s the car-wreck show I just can’t look away from, Heidi Fleiss, Dennis Rodman, and Mackenzie Phillips is it good or bad that my cable is out?

Friday

  • Shark Tank (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Wacky or dumb inventions with battles or boredom over their development.
  • What Not to Wear (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Start the season with making over a ballet dancer.
  • The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Food Network hosts talk hometown food.
  • Operation Wild (PlGr, 10pm) Series Premiere – First stop, lobster fishing.
  • John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show (Com, 11pm) Series Premiere – I guess this is stand-up comedians hosted by John Oliver.

Saturday

  • World’s Greenest Homes (PlGr, 6/6:30pm) Season Premiere – I wonder if any of these homes have a green decor.

Sunday

  • The Simpsons (Fox, 8/8:30pm) – What do they have in store for the 450th episode, stay tuned for Morgan Spurlock’s special.
  • Chuck (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – So Chuck is now downloaded with not just government secrets but much, much more, something tells me it will still be fun, the two hour return tonight is followed by tomorrow’s hour ep.
  • Battlestar Galactica (Syfy, 9pm) – The special ‘The Plan’ takes a look at the series from the cylon’s POV.
  • Big Love (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – The drama continues, ok I don’t watch this show and didn’t want to read the plot points but I hear it’s good.
  • Iron Chef America (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Morimoto vs. Marino!
  • Ax Men/Madhouse (Hist, 9pm) Season/Series Premieres – Logging and car racing!
  • Masterpiece (PBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – Return to Cranford! Ok last exclamation point…
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best, tv

procrastinator picks – top tv of 2009

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So we’ve seen what the critics gave their shout outs to, but what about me? Following are my top ten-ish tv shows for 2009. Now these may not all be the ‘best’ shows on the air but they’re the ones that I look most forward to or finish with the most joy (or anticipation for the next episode).

So here goes:

  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – A motorcycle club with layers and layers of drama and plenty of violence, I can’t turn away and I can’t wait to tune in to see what Jax and the others will do next season.
  • Chuck (NBC) – A wonderful balance between the spy capers, the geeky humor, and of course the romance, I’m thrilled to see Chuck 2.0 next season.
  • Glee (Fox) – My favorite newcomer, although the first season was a bit uneven (we were all so over the wife) the humor, the mix of poignant moments, and yes, the songs, made me keep coming back.
  • Bones (Fox) – Still my favorite crime solving pair, will FBI Sealy Booth and Forensic Anthropologist Temperance Brennan ever get together?
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – Another new addition to the lineup, so far it’s a great balance between the case-of-the-week and Margulies struggling with her family and potentially corrupt cheater husband, there’s more politics afoot than we know.
  • The Mentalist (CBS) /Castle (ABC) – These two guys are worth tuning into no matter where they are but both are set up as great characters with fun casts and of course the case-of-the-week.
  • Dexter (Sho) – No season has been as good at the first but it doesn’t stop me from yelling at the tv when Dexter is doing something foolish, juggling job, family, friends, and being a serial killer is a tough balance.
  • Dollhouse (Fox) – Another uneven addition to the list but as the season has progressed we see what the show could have been with its corrupt organization and complex issues of identity, too bad there are only three more.
  • Modern Family (ABC)/Community (NBC) – So I still laugh at 30 Rock, The Office, HIMYM, Parks & Rec, but the shows I was most excited to watch were the new ones, MF takes us into the new form of funny families and Community just puts together some weirdos, I don’t know, I am amused.

Special shout outs  for some of the cable fluff that I tended to watch first that even I’m not tempted to make the case that they’re ‘the best’: Drop Dead Diva (Life) – the dumbest premise made the cutest show, Leverage (TNT) – I love a good caper show, and this was good enough, Burn Notice (USA) – cheesy but Macgyver of this generation shouldn’t be skipped, and Greek (ABCFam) – fun plots and characters are all you need to keep you tuning in.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 12/28-1/3

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New series, new season, or just a little something of note, here’s what you might (or might not) want to know about in the week to come. Not a lot of note but procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • Motor City Motors (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Detroit kicks off the latest reality series by trying to turn a Model T into a hot rod.

Tuesday

  • Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (ABC, 8pm) – A little claymation as you hear a little narration from Red Skelton.
  • Kennedy Center Honors (CBS, 9pm) – Springsteen honored among others and Barack says, “I’m the president, but he’s the Boss.”

Wednesday

  • Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Charlie and everyone else could use a good year.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Eight strangers start getting real, or whatever they do on this show, in DC.

Thursday

  • Twilight Zone (Syfy, 8:30am) – This marathon will take you through ’til 6am January 2nd.
  • Live From Lincoln Center (PBS, 8pm) – The New York Philharmonic provides an alternate to the rockers in this new year’s eve special.
  • Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest (ABC, 10pm) – The boys will be in Times Square while Fergie hosts from Vegas.
  • New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (NBC, 10pm) – Also in Times Square, I wonder if he can see Ryan and Dick?
  • Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live (Fox, 11pm) – And I wonder if hostess Carmen Electra will hang out with Fergie in Vegas?

Friday

  • Better Off Ted/Scrubs (ABC, 8:30/9pm) – Following the Rose Bowl we get a special night of these comedies.
  • Now on PBS (PBS, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – The season starts with a look at the road to recovery for bankers and businesses.
  • The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Australian Jamie travels the world in search of inspiration for ‘lackluster’ backyard designs.
  • Friday Night Alright (VH1, 11pm) Series Premiere – Starts with Pink performing in Australia.

Saturday

  • How Do I Look/What I Hate About Me (Style, 8pm) Season/Series Premiere – From style issues to looks at women’s top ten issues with  ‘expert’ advice.
  • Underdog to Wonderdog/It’s Me or the Dog (AnPl, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Starting the season with one problem dog and then handling a household’s nine dogs.
  • Demons (BBCA, 10pm) Series Premiere – More vampires…

Sunday

  • Frank the Entertainer… (VH1, 8pm) Series Premiere – The cheap version of the Bachelor where ladies move into Frank’s parent’s basement.
  • Durham County (Ion, 9/10pm) Season Premiere – The detective deals with another season of mystery as he tries to hold his family together.
  • Guiliana & Bill (Style, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is Guiliana having a baby, does anyone care?
  • Platinum Weddings (WE, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – Like weddings aren’t expensive enough, here’s a look at really expensive ones.
  • Secrets of Aspen (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another ‘reality’ look at ladies, this time singles in a ski-resort town.
  • Worst Cooks in America (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Culinary boot camp competition, sign me up, too bad I already cut my finger on a knife, darn, will have to sit this one out.
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best, tv

critic’s picks – top tv of 2009

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madmenWe’re wrapping up the year and critics and award shows are singing the praises of the best of 2009. Following is a consolidation of what I’ve found on folk’s best lists.

Who said which? Initials included after titles and full names and links below. Am I missing some? Post them in comments and I’ll make updates. What do I think? Stay tuned for my year end tv post.

  • Battlestar Galactica (Syfy) – JP, MR, Wat, TG, AS
  • Better Off Ted (ABC) – TG, AS, CNN
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – AFI, MR, Wat, SA, AS, CNN, AF
  • Big Love (HBO) – JP, AFI, TG, SA, AF
  • Bored to Death (HBO) – TG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – JP, MR, WG, TG, KT, SA, AS, AF
  • Chuck (NBC) – Wat, AS, AF
  • The Closer (TNT) – TVG, SAG
  • Community (NBC) – TG, AS
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – TVG
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – TG, WG, SAG, AS
  • Damages (FX) – TVG, SA
  • Dexter (Show) – WG, SAG, TG
  • Dollhouse (Fox) – Wat
  • Flight of the Conchords (HBO) – TG, SA, AS
  • Friday Night Lights (NBC) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, Wat, KT, AS, AF
  • Fringe (Fox) – KT, CNN
  • Glee (Fox) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, SAG, TG, KT, SA, CNN
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – SAG, KT, SA
  • Greek (ABCFam)- TVG
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – TG, SA, AF
  • Hung (HBO) – TG
  • In Treatment (HBO) – SA, AS
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) – TG
  • The League (FX) – TG
  • Lost (ABC) – JP, TVG, WG, Wat, TG, AS
  • Mad Men (AMC) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, Wat, SAG, TG, KT, SA, AS, AF
  • The Middle (ABC) – TVG
  • Modern Family (ABC) – JP, AFI, TVG, TG, MR, WG, Wat, SAG, KT, AS, CNN, AF
  • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO) – AFI
  • Nurse Jackie (Show) – AFI, MR, Wat, TG, KT, AF
  • The Office (NBC) – JP, TG, WG, SAG, AS, AF
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – JP, TG, Wat, SA, AF
  • Party Down (Starz) – AFI, Wat, AS
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX) – JP, Wat, TG, KT, SA
  • Supernatural (CW) – Wat
  • 30 For 30 (ESPN) – AS
  • 30 Rock (NBC) – TVG, TG, WG, SAG, SA, AF
  • 24 (Fox) – TVG
  • Torchwood: Children of Earth (BBCA) – MR, Wat, AS
  • True Blood (HBO) – AFI, MR, Wat, SAG, TG, KT, CNN, AF
  • Ugly Betty (ABC) – AF
  • United States of Tara (Show) – AS
  • Weeds (Show) – SA

AF – Ausiello Files, AS – Alan Sepinwall for Star-Ledger,  AFI, CNN, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for Entertainment Weekly, MR – Matt Roush for TV Guide Magazine, SA – Satellite Awards, SAG – Screen Actor’s Guild (best ensemble), TVG – TV Gal, TG – Tim Goodman for SF Chronicle Comedies, Dramas, Wat – The Watcher by Maureen Ryan, WG – Writer’s Guild

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 12/21-12/27

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Moving forward ‘next week’ posts are now being titled ‘new and noteworthy tv’ with the full date range. The content will still include things that are technically new -and/or- noteworthy and might not already be in your queue. And although the procrastinator doesn’t endorse everything, procrastinator picks will still be underlined just to give you a heads up on what might be worth a watch, which over the holidays probably won’t be much.

Monday

  • The Sing-Off (NBC, 8pm) – I’ve somehow found myself having watched this enough to know and actually care a little who wins this a cappella challenge.
  • I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Linus and Lucy’s brother rerun hangs with Snoopy and Spike.
  • Little Chocolatiers/World Chocolate Championship (TLC, 9/10pm) – Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

Tuesday

  • Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) – Where are the big fat losers now?
  • Carrie Underwood (Fox, 8pm) – We’re visiting her all-star holiday special again.
  • Melrose Place (CW, 9pm) – What I might be more intrigued by is the pilot of the original series but if you missed the first of this remake, and for some reason want to know these new kids from the start here’s your chance.
  • Christmas at the White House (ABC, 10pm) – The Oprah visit, will Obama still give himself a B+ when it airs again.

Wednesday

  • A Home for the Holidays (CBS, 8pm) – Faith Hill and others entertain and raise adoption awareness.
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – Boris Karloff narrates again, and again.

Thursday

  • Prep & Landing (ABC, 8pm) – In case you missed the first few airings.
  • Raising the Bar (TNT, 8/9/10pm) – They’re running through them ’til they’re done.
  • The Vampire Diaries (CW, 8pm) – Already seen Twilight New Moon and want to see more longing glances from the undead, here’s your chance to return to the pilot and wonder what all the fuss is about.

Friday

  • ‘Til Death (Fox, 8-10pm) – It’s another mini marathon, at least it’s Christmas so you probably have better things to do.
  • SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (NBC, 8pm) – Skits new and old are coming to you one more time.

Saturday/Sunday

  • Plan for a crowded weekend at the theaters.
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tv

next week 12/14

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

Monday

  • Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – Singing, and, well I guess singing is enough.
  • The Sing-Off (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Nick Lachey hosts the battle of the a cappella singers, will four nights of this make up for no Glee?
  • Bank of Hollywood (E!, 10pm) Series Premiere – Looking for someone to bankroll their causes.

Tuesday

  • Golden Globe Nominations (NBC, 8am) – Let the competitions begin.
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – Or just buy the soundtrack.
  • Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live (Fox, 9pm) – Cook along with Gordon, assuming you have the ingredients on hand.
  • Psychic Kids/Paranormal State (A&E, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Psychics and ghosts.

Wednesday

  • Prep & Landing (ABC, 8pm) – Still finding random things to fill the Hank slot.

Thursday

  • SNL: A Very Gilly Christmas (NBC, 8pm) – Hopefully mostly clips and very little Gilly.

Friday

  • Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns (CBS, 8pm) – The first is apparently from 1969 and the second from 1995, progress?

Saturday

  • Alli Winter Dew Tour (NBC, 12pm and Sun 1pm) – Coming to you from Breckenridge Colorado.
  • Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa/WWE Tribute to the Troops (NBC, 9pm) – Muppets again and then fighting to entertain the fighters.

Sunday

  • Kendra (E!, 9pm) Season Premiere – Moving to Indianapolis and preparing for baby.
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they’re laughable

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communitySome of the tv critics I read were discussing the best comedies, and with the rare success of a few new shows this season the conversation has more to talk about. Although I’ll save official end of year rankings I thought I’d follow Tuned In’s lead and talk a little about some of the comedies I’m watching and why.

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – This show grew on me last season and although it’s still basically a make fun of the geeks (or academic geniuses) show, Sheldon is the funniest geek around, and pretty Penny makes a decent straight man for them to play off of.
  • Community (NBC) – Joel McHale’s character might be a little too smug, but I have to say I like it, and though the rest of the hodgepodge Spanish study group characters aren’t as well developed yet I like the way they are going, and they make me laugh pretty consistently bringing out new sides of each other.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – This show started off a little rough with Cox as the bumbling new single mother (reminds me a bit of Old Christine), but her inappropriateness is getting more natural and the supporting cast is all pretty amusing.
  • Glee (Fox) – I don’t know that I would normally characterize this a comedy but its hour stories have some hilarious as well as touching moments, soapy drama, and very fun musical numbers, it is about a glee club after all, though we’re all ready to get rid of the wife.
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – Although Barney alone would make this show worthwhile it’s a good ensemble piece with some nice layered characters, and the contrived storytelling to Ted’s future kids allows for some creative uses of info in the flashback stories, and I don’t care who the mother is.
  • The Middle (ABC) – Heaton is funny heading her slightly odd family muddling through life in middle America, although it’s gotten a little repetitious with the weekly struggles I’m still checking in.
  • Modern Family (ABC) – The documentary style show mixes three related and disparate families, father with new young hot Latin wife and son, uptight daughter with her geeky trying-to-be-hip husband and father of three, and the gay son with partner and newly adopted baby (my favorite), though I think the uptight couple could use a dose of balance the characters are rich and mix well for funny.
  • The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) – Maybe not quite as funny as it used to be but I still think Julia Louise Dreyfuss can do self deprecating and physical comedy better than most with her slightly pathetic (but funny) circle of friends and family.
  • The Office (NBC) – This show is still bringing some funny but it’s dropping down a few pegs for me, not at all due to Pam and Jim finally getting hitched which seems to be working well, but maybe it’s because Jim’s matured and there’s really only so believably inept Michael can be as ‘the best branch manager’ after all these years, but the characters are all still good and it’s got some layers that can keep it going.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – The Office meets small town politics and Amy Poehler is the new Michael, a bit over the top, and although this show often doesn’t make me laugh quite as much during the show, thinking back I always remember tons of funny lines and moments.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) – More episodes than not I  laugh a lot, and this show may have the most quotable one-liners for me (with Modern Family chasing), and although only Liz and Jack seem to be somewhat real characters, the ridiculous supporters help bring about situations in the behind the scenes sketch comedy show with topical humor like nobody’s business.
  • Two and a Half Men – I used to laugh at the Odd Couple style comedy of these mismatched brothers and one of their part time kids but the crass humor has run its course and the kid just gets older, though I’ve yet to reject it from the queue.
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next week 12/7

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

Monday

  • Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special (Fox, 8pm) – It’s a variety show!
  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (ABC, 8pm) – He’s making a list…
  • The Closer (TNT, 9pm) Season Premiere – Brenda and Fritz are back, and here’s betting Brenda will get to the bottom of some new dead folks.
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and Andre Braugher star in this new character drama about men in mid-life, it’s getting pretty good buzz.

Tuesday

  • Charlie Brown Christmas/Prep & Landing (ABC, 8/8:30pm) – Obama pushed this from last week.
  • Better Off Ted (ABC, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – The stuff they invent is wackier than the people who are involved in inventing it, funny enough just for the fake commercials.
  • Outer Space Astronauts (Syfy, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – It’s a sci fi sitcom, or are they syfy sitcoms now?
  • Teen Mom (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Real stories of four teenagers navigating parenting.

Wednesday

  • Shrek the Halls (ABC, 8pm) – You can share Shrek’s chaotic Christmas.
  • Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 (ABC, 10pm) – They’re apparently sticking with the word ‘fascinating’.
  • Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… (Sund, 10pm) Season Premiere – The season starts with Bono and the Edge.

Thursday

  • Michael McDonald (PBS, 9pm) – This Christmas: A Soundstage Special Event.

Friday

  • Yes, Virginia (CBS, 8pm) – NPH lends his voice to this animated holiday special though I don’t think that’s enough to make me tune in.
  • Mobsters (Bio, 10pm) Season Premiere – This week is on the Westies Irish mob in NY.

Saturday

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/The Flight Before Christmas (CBS, 8/9pm) – Reindeer, reindeer & squirrels.
  • Video Game Awards (Spike, 8pm) – I’ll unpack my atari for the occasion.
  • Ghost Intervention (TLC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Mediums check into haunted houses.

Sunday

  • The Jacksons (A&E, 9/10pm) Series Premiere – Really?
  • Christmas at the White House (ABC, 10pm) – Perhaps cutting back the decor budget could be put toward healthcare or jobs?
  • Keeping up with the Kardashians (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – How many of those Kardashians are there anyhow?
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