tv

new and noteworthy tv: 8/23-8/29

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Monday

  • Miss Universe Pageant (NBC, 9pm) – Hosted by Bret Michaels and Natalie Morales, and it looks like Sheila E will be one of the highlights.

Tuesday

  • Made: The Movie (MTV, 10pm) – Based on the reality series this scripted version of band gal goes cheerleader.

Wednesday

  • Ghost Hunters (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – Shadows, voices, noises…
  • Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – Is your spouse hiding a shocking secret?

Thursday

  • Family Style (Food, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Planning aphrodisiac apps for a speed dating event.

Friday

  • The Gulf is Back (CW, 8pm) – Hasselhoff follows up his roast with a hosting event, a tribute to Gulf Coast residents.
  • Beyond Survival with Les Stroud (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – The guy from Survivorman hobnobs with indigenous locals to learn survival skills.
  • Blood Dolphins (AnPl, 11pm) Series Premiere – For those of you who appreciate Whale Wars.

Saturday

  • Persons Unknown (NBC, 9pm) Series Finale – Persons become known?

Sunday

  • Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day (CBS, 9pm) – Kicking off the US Open is the annual charity event featuring tennis greats and some random teenybopper bands.
  • Emmy Awards (NBC, 7/8pm) – From the arrivals to the awards, Jimmy Fallon hosts.
  • Border Wars (NGC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Another look into illegal immigration.
  • Amazing Wedding Cakes (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – Another show that looks at the cakes.
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new and noteworthy tv: 8/9-8/15

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Monday

  • Teen Choice Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Katy Perry hosts this latest surf board giveaway.
  • Bachelor Pad (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – All the smarmiest do a Big Brother-esque live in the same house and compete for money kind of thang.
  • Too Fat for 15 (Style, 8pm) Series Premiere – It’s like that Huge show but with real kids.
  • Wild Nights (NatGeo, 9pm) Series Premiere – Starting with New Orleans nocturnals.
  • Dating in the Dark (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Can you build a real connection without seeing the other person, and when you see them will the connection break?

Tuesday

  • Flipping Out (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – More house flipping by some guy.
  • Swords (Disc, 6pm) Season Premiere – Hmm, I think this is swordfishing not swordfighting.
  • Hair Battle Spectacular (Oxy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another hair cutting competition, this one is extreme.
  • IT Crowd (IFC, 7:30pm) Season Premiere – Is work advancement worth it.

Wednesday

  • Man vs Wild (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – What’ll Bear get into and out of this season?
  • Hard Knocks (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere – This season we start off with the NY Jets.
  • LA Ink (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – New tattoos, new people.

Thursday

  • American Chopper/BBQ Pit Masters (TLC, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Jr vs Sr and then pitmaster vs pitmaster.
  • Deadly Women (ID, 6pm) Season Premiere – Women who kill for revenge.

Friday

  • Perhaps a dvd to entertain, I might finish up Carnivale.

Saturday

  • Dew Tour (NBC/USA, sat/sun, 1pm/various) – The event also shown on USA continues the competition at this event and for the overall Dew cup.
  • Visa Championships (NBC, 8pm) – Let the gymnasts compete.
  • The Cupcake Girls (WE, 9/9:30pm) Series Premiere – The challenges of the cupcake business.

Sunday

  • The Great Food Truck Race (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – May the most sales win.
  • Lottery Changed My Life (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – What would you do if you won the lottery, looking at real life people who have.
  • Roast of David Hasselhoff (Com, 10pm) – So much fodder.
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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 7/12-7/18

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Monday

  • Scooby-Doo: Mystery Inc (Cart, 7pm) Series Premiere – They’re back, and solving mysteries again.
  • Samantha Brown’s Asia (Trav, 8pm) Series Premiere – First stop Thailand.
  • The Closer/Rizzoli & Isles (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Can Angie Harmon and her new crime solving buddy follow the Deputy Chief, so far the critics say no but I’ll give it a shot.
  • Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory (MTV, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – With a skate board base camp and a budget what will this guy do next?

Tuesday

  • White Collar/Covert Affairs (USA, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Con artist and FBI agent together again, and then we meet the newest CIA operative as Piper Perabo starts her fieldwork, I’m always game to see if someone can be the new Sydney Bristow.

Wednesday

  • Lucy Must Be Traded (ABC, 8pm) – Who would have guessed the Peanuts gang would have issues playing baseball?
  • Espys (ESPN, 9pm) – Seth Meyers hosts the latest honoring of sports performers.
  • Ghost Hunters International (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – The global gang looks for Robin Hood, you know his ghost.
  • Chasing Mummies (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following an archaeologist, like Indiana Jones I’m sure.
  • Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – The fake psychic and his sidekick are solving crimes for another season.

Thursday

  • Mary Knows Best (Syfy, 9pm) Series Premiere – What professional are we not following with a reality series? Psychic.

Friday

  • The Jensen Project (NBC, 8pm) – A family from a secret genius society tries to thwart evil, this looks like either a made for tv movie or a series that wasn’t picked up.
  • Man, Woman, Wild (Disc, 9pm) Series Premiere – A couple faces dangers like snakes in the amazon.
  • DC Cupcakes (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Isn’t there already a cupcake baking reality series?

Saturday

  • Celebrity Ghost Stories/My Ghost Story (Bio, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – ‘Famous’ and not famous folks share their stories of ghosts.
  • Pit Boss (AnPl, 10pm) Season Premiere – The dog savers are back.

Sunday

  • 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Competing by opening a restaurant in 24 hours.
  • Strange Sex (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – It’s what it sounds like, a series about sex, first stop older women, younger men, then a woman thinking herself into her own climactic moment.
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and the emmy nomination goes to…

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As a fan of television I always feel like I should care more about the Emmy’s, but honestly I really don’t.

There is so much television out there that I enjoy for so many reasons and TV awards just don’t come close to capturing that. The categories are too specific (how many shows are really a comedy or a drama?), judging on an episode doesn’t accurately tell me about a season, esoteric channels and shows are almost always overlooked, and certain shows or actors somehow become the darling of the Emmy noms and either don’t warrant or outlive their Emmy-worthiness.

So that said, if you think they’re worth a gander have a look at the top cats. And if you want a little more, check out the Emmy site for the rest:  http://www.emmys.com/nominations

Outstanding Drama Series:

  • True Blood
  • Mad Men
  • Breaking Bad
  • Dexter
  • The Good Wife
  • Lost

Outstanding Comedy Series

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • The Office
  • Nurse Jackie
  • Modern Family
  • 30 Rock
  • Glee

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

  • Jon Hamm – Mad Men
  • Hugh Laurie – House
  • Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad
  • Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights
  • Michael C. Hall – Dexter
  • Matthew Fox – Lost

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

  • January Jones – Mad Men
  • Mariska Hargitay – L&O: SVU
  • Junianna Margulies – The Good Wife
  • Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer
  • Glenn Close – Damages
  • Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

  • Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
  • Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • Matthew Morrison – Glee
  • Tony Shaloub – Monk
  • Steve Carell – The Office
  • Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

  • Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Old Christine
  • Toni Collette – US of Tara
  • Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
  • Lea Michele – Glee
  • Tina Fey – 30 Rock
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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 6/21-6/27

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Monday

  • Unusual Suspects (ID, 7pm) Series Premiere – Normal people shocking crimes.
  • Saving Grace (TNT, 9pm) Series Finale – Grace has had a bumpy road so let’s see what Earl and his big boss have in store for the end of the show.
  • Ultimate Car Build Off/Heartland Thunder (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Minivans with oomph and race cars that race.
  • Inedible to Incredible (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – Questionable culinary creations or delectable dinners?

Tuesday

  • Wipeout/Downfall/Primetime (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Game shows where people fall, prizes fall, and then non game show about people who are weird.
  • HawthoRNe/Memphis Beat (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – The RN that cares but clashes with others series returns (I gave Jada a chance) and then we get a a Southern charmer of a detective (I’ll give Jason Lee a chance).

Wednesday

  • Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 10pm) – Is it just my imagination or is Kimmel taking over the specials, Lost, then Lakers, and now… Twilight.

Thursday

  • Rookie Blue/Boston Med (ABC, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Officers new on the job, looks average but worth a summer shot, and then a real life look at folks in Boston hospitals.
  • Futurama (Com, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s back as the straight to dvd films air as new seasons.
  • Raising Sextuplets (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – They’re two, or is that twelve?

Friday

  • Netflix?

Saturday

  • AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards (TVL, 9pm) – Mike Nichols is honored.

Sunday

  • BET Awards (BET, 8pm) – Queen Latifah hosts the tribute to musicians, actors, and entertainers.
  • Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS, 9pm) – Regis hosts the salute to the the folks that entertain during the daytime, but you’ll have to stay up until nighttime to watch.
  • Ellen’s Somewhat Special Special/Conan’s Writers Live (TBS, 9/10pm) – Comedy hosted by Ellen and then continued by Conan’s writers.
  • Hung/Entourage (HBO, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – The man whoring and entertainment whoring continue.
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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 6/7-6/13

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Looks like I’ll have more time to finish off Six Feet Under…

Monday

  • Last Comic Standing/Persons Unknown (NBC, 8/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Comic competition, and then a series being plugged as a miniseries so perhaps it won’t get canceled mid-mystery.
  • Behind the Music (VH1, 8pm) Season Premiere – Haven’t you always wondered if there was more to DMX than meets the eye?
  • The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABCFam, 8pm) Season Premiere – More pregnancy?
  • American Pickers/Pawn Star$ (Hist, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Studebaker, motorcycle, and Ford truck among other finds.
  • Last American Cowboy (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – The latest reality starts with Montana ranchers.
  • Neighbors from Hell (TBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – This new animated series finds a family visiting from Hell posing as a normal suburban family.
  • Dance Your Ass Off (Oxy, 11pm) Season Premiere – Mel B takes over as host as folks try fitness to the beat.

Tuesday

  • Pretty Little Liars (ABCFam, 8pm) Series Premiere – The posters make me want this to be like a Heathers, but I doubt it will be.

Wednesday

  • CMT Music Awards (CMT, 7/8pm) – Kid Rock hosts, I forgot he was country now.
  • Man v. Food (Trav, 10pm) Season Premiere – I don’t know why if you are going to eat a lot of steak you’d want to do it fast.
  • You’re Cut Off/Bridal Bootcamp (VH1, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Watch the real life privileged suffer, then watch brides suffer for their goal: dream weddings.
  • The Singing Bee (CMT, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Karaoke competition anyone?
  • Work of Art (Brav, 11pm) Series Premiere – Fourteen rising artists compete for art stuff.

Thursday

  • Bethenny’s Getting Married (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Spinning off from housewives means this is another show I can just skip.
  • Penn & Teller/The Green Room with Paul Provenza (Show, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – First mocking of cheerleaders and then more general mocking with a round table of comedians.

Friday

  • Fifa World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert (ABC, 8pm) – Alicia Keyes, Black Eyed Peas… more music.
  • Dual Survival (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – This reality series starts with a couple folks shipwrecked.
  • The Whitest Kids u’ Know (IFC, 11pm) Season Premiere – Sketch comedy anyone?
  • Glenn Martin DDS (Nick, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Brett Michaels continues his overbooking with a voice over on this show.

Saturday

  • The Jaquie Brown Diaries (Logo, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – New Zealand celebrity plays herself.

Sunday

  • Tony Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Sean Hayes hosts.
  • Unnatural History (Cart, 8pm) Series Premiere – Live action mystery in DC.
  • True Blood (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – There’s blood, and its true.
  • Cupcake Wars (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Not sure this needs much elaboration, although lest you think it’s an actual war, it’s just a cupcake making competition.
  • HGTV Design Star/Color Splash (HGTV, 10/11pm) Season Premieres – Goes from white to color.
  • Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami/Holly’s World (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Enough with the reality stars already…
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new and noteworthy tv: 5/31-6/6

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Most of the network shows are off but there’s always some cable action to keep you entertained. Procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Grill it up.
  • Cake Boss (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – They cake for others they cake for themselves.
  • Brett Michals Life as I Know It/Dad Camp (VH1, 10pm) Series Premieres – A preview into the series that will look at Brett at home which I fear is not just l a lot of rest for him then some new dads get some training.
  • True Beauty (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Ten folks are judges on their inner beauty, whilst thinking they are competing on their outer beauty.

Tuesday

  • America’s Got Talent (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Howie Mandel replaces the Hoff at the judges table for the latest crop of random ‘talent’,
  • Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – More competing, more yelling.
  • One Big Happy Family/The Little Couple (TLC, 9/9:30/10pm) Season Premieres – People do things.
  • Jersey Couture (Oxy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Getting on board with the Jersey reality trend we follow a family who runs a dress shop.
  • Losing It With Jillian (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – The bitchy trainer from Loser takes on families where they live.
  • Downtown Girls (MTV, 11pm) Series Premiere – Another reality look at folks not doing stuff, this focuses on girls in downtown NY.

Wednesday

  • Are We There Yet? (TBS, 9pm) Series Premiere – Ice Cube takes this film of blended family to the small screen.
  • Ghost Hunters Academy (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – How many ghost hunting series are there?
  • Tosh.0 (Com, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Hosting another round of web comedy whatnot.
  • Half Pint Brawlers (Spike, 11pm) Series Premiere – Little person wrestling.

Thursday

  • Burn Notice/Royal Pains (USA, 9pm) Season Premieres – More spy shenanigans and medical machinations.
  • NBA Finals (ABC, 6/8:30/9pm pst) – Let the games begin, followed by a special post show, and special Kimmel.

Friday

  • Scripps National Spelling Bee (ABC, 8pm) – Can you use the word in a sentence please?
  • Flashpoint (CBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – The Canadian SRU tactical team is back for another season of saves.
  • The Neistat Brothers (HBO, 11:59pm) Series Premiere – The series follows the brothers and their short films.

Saturday

  • Three Rivers (CBS, 8pm) – Dusting off this canned show for a little burn off.

Sunday

  • Bridezillas (WE, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Goth and Vegas weddings.
  • Drop Dead Diva (Life, 9pm) Season Premiere – Our funny model protagonist now in a lawyer’s body faces disbarment.
  • Ice Road Truckers/Top Shot (Hist, 9/10pm) Season Premiere – New truckers and then shooters.
  • MTV Movie Awards/The Hard times of RJ Berger (MTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Aziz Ansari hosts and then the latest scripted offering, a coming of age story of a gentleman who is well endowed.
  • The Next Food Network Star (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Who is camera ready?
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new and noteworthy tv: 5/17-5/23

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I could talk about the one new show and Lost, Lost, Lost, but I guess we can talk about finales, what will they bring?

Monday

  • House (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – Can House save another?
  • One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Are those kids still living in One Tree Hill?
  • Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) Season Finale – Will Georgina’s return bring more drama?
  • Castle (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Castle declare his love for Beckett?

Tuesday

  • 90210 (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Drama? Romance? Arson?
  • V (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – What are those Vs up to?

Wednesday

  • The Good Guys (Fx, 8pm) Series Premiere – Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks give the odd couple buddy cop show another avenue, the series premieres in its regular timeslot on 6/7.
  • The Middle/Modern Family/Cougar Town (ABC, 8:30-10pm) Season Finales – Did Cougar Town actually become one of my favorite comedies?
  • Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Sharon Stone be the next ADA to leave?

Thursday

  • Bones/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Finales – Will we continue to see creepy death and just plain creepy?
  • Community/Parks & Recreation/The Office /30 Rock/The Marriage Ref (NBC, 8-11pm) Season Finales – Will Community keep up the goodness? Will the other comedies return to goodness? Will I ever watch an ep of Ref?
  • CSI/The Mentalist (CBS, 9pm) Season Finale – Will death hit close to home? Will the psychic detective solve another?
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9pm) Season Finale – What good could Mandy Moore bring to Grey’s?

Friday

  • Ghost Whisperer/Medium/Miami Medical (CBS, 8/9pm) Season Finale – If they don’t survive Miami Medical will one of the ladies talk to their ghosts?
  • Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 9pm) Season Finale – Will the Chef ever stop yelling?

Saturday

  • Golden God Awards (VH1 Classic, 10pm) – Metal awards?

Sunday

  • Lost (ABC, 7/9) Series Finale – Will Jack wake to find it was all a dream?
  • Brooks & Dunn (CBS, 8pm) – Whatever.
  • The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show/Family Guy (Fox, 8-10pm) Season Finale – Will animation domination be funny?
  • The Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Finale – Will anyone care who wins?
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new and noteworthy tv: 4/19-4/25

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Still hoping to get caught up enough on tv to get back to some tv on dvd… procrastinator recommendations underlined.

Monday

  • Romantically Challenged (ABC, 9:30) Series Premiere – I do root for Alyssa Milano but it makes me doubtful when the promo jokes make me cringe.
  • Dhani Tackles the Globe (Trav, 11pm) Season Premiere – Not just tackling the globe but cycling.

Tuesday

  • The Lazy Environmentalist (Sund, 8pm) Season Premiere – I think if you have more money it’s easier to be lazy.
  • Deadliest Warrior (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – American SWAT vs German CSG-9.

Wednesday

  • Wa$ted (PlGr, 5pm) Season Premiere – Tips on stuff folks huck, first ep bakery good, not composting bad.
  • American Idol: Idol Gives Back (Fox, 8pm) – Another episode I can fast forward through because at the end there is an elimination.
  • Weird or What? (Disc, 8pm) Series Premiere – Investigating the weird and creepy including ‘killer ice’.

Thursday

  • 30 Rock (NBC, 8:30/9:30pm) – A double dose of Liz and Jack.

Friday

  • Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 6pm) Season Premiere – The ladies love to try on.
  • Swamp Loggers (Disc, 6pm) Season Premiere – The loggers return to a site that’s beaten them before.
  • Chandon Pictures (Sund, 8/8:30pm) Season Premiere – The filmmakers in this Australian series return for more docs and drama.
  • Party Down/Gravity (Starz, 10:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – The return of the amusing caterers and the start of a new com/dram about a suicide survivor support group.

Saturday

  • The Guard (Ion, 10pm) Season Premiere – The Canadian Coast Guard keeps saving those lives.

Sunday

  • Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (Disc, 8pm) Series Premiere – This documentary talks topics like alien life and time travel.
  • America the Story of Us (Hist, 9pm) Series Premiere – And history.
  • River Monsters (AnPl, 6/7pm) Season Premiere – Tigerfish and stingrays.
  • TV Land Awards (TVL, 9pm) – Tim Allen hosts, including a tribute to  Farrah Fawcett.
  • Girl Meets Gown (WE, 10pm) Series Premiere – In case you missed Say Yes to the Dress.
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new and noteworthy tv: 4/12-4/18

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Monday

  • Snakes’kin (AnPl, 7/7:30pm) Series Premiere – A family of animal responders in Georgia, and there’s snakes.
  • Tough Love (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – He tried to get tough on single girls and now he and his mom are taking on couples.

Tuesday

  • Tiny & Toya (BET, 7pm) Season Premiere – They’re back, though I don’t know who ‘they’ are.
  • Deadliest Catch/Construction Intervention (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – First we follow the seafarers then we check in with some construction workers who start with a restaurant redo.
  • Glee (Fox, 9:28pm) – If I weren’t so looking forward to its return I would boycott for the 9:28 start time.
  • 9 by Design (Brav, 11pm) Series Premiere – We follow interior design couple through real estate and home life of 6+ kids.

Wednesday

  • Ugly Betty (ABC, 10pm) Series Finale – Will Betty be beautiful or has she been all along.

Thursday

  • Weird, True & Freaky (AnPl, 6/6:30pm) Season Premiere – Animals that eat mind altering substances and then primates gone wild, you know for a primate.
  • SNL in the 2000s (NBC, 9pm) – Looking back on a decade worth of clips I bet they can find some funny.

Friday

  • Secrets of the Mountain (NBC/KRON, 8pm) – What will the family find when they go up to the cabin they’re going to sell, I’m guessing secrets.

Saturday

  • Doctor Who (BBCA, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – Tune in at 8 for a little more about the doc and then jump back in.
  • The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 10:07pm) Season Premiere – The season talker opens with Ricky Gervais among others.

Sunday

  • Riverworld (Syfy, 7/9pm) – Let’s hope this miniseries fares better than Waterworld.
  • Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Reba hosts and I think a former American Idol performs.
  • Chefs vs City (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s a foodie face-off!
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