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sports, tv

next week 2/4

February 1, 2008 2 Comments

Monday

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.

As the strike continues some of you may be at a loss for what to watch. This might be a good time to catch up on early seasons of some good shows that you may have missed out on. Here are some of my favorites that are worth a look, or even a second look:

Bones (Season 1 and 2) – Great chemistry between Bones and Booth and a fun supporting cast as the squints/lab kids help the FBI solve crimes through forensic anthropology, think of it as CSI/Crossing Jordan for the bodies that are just bones.
Brothers & Sisters (Season 1) – A fun soapy drama about partly dysfunctional and totally loving family with a great cast, although uneven there’s always something interesting going on from matriarch Sally Field to newest Walker Emily Van Camp.
Grey’s Anatomy (Seasons 1-3) – More soapy fun, and the best was the first season as we first meet our surgical interns and get involved in their work and romance, mostly romance at work, I’m even ok with the fact that Meredith bugs.
Heroes (Season 1) – The first season introduces us to our ‘heroes’ as they get their powers and their plotlines bring them together, somewhat uneven as they get rolling but engaging from the start and riveting by the end.
House (Seasons 1-3) – Crotchety, drug addicted, medical genius is how he’s portrayed and you get to watch him abuse patients and coworkers as he tries to diagnose the undiagnosable patients and somehow pretty entertaining, mostly thanks to Laurie but good surrounding folks for him to play off of.
Lost (Seasons 1-3) – This show has a faithful following partly because it’s really different and really well done with the interplay of on island action and back story character development, and partly because you really can’t miss an episode for fear of missing some big explanation.
Prison Break (Season 1 – Season 2 also available) – I recommend this with a warning, I loved the first season fun, watching one guy’s plan to break his brother out of prison, and watching it mostly getting thrown for a loop, but was super annoyed by the second, I have yet to tune into the third.

Maybe you’re more of a 1/2 hour comedy sort of person? How ’bout:

Girlfriends (Seasons 1-3) – Four sassy mostly professional gals deal with life and love and each other and their one guy pal through their different experiences.
How I Met Your Mother (Seasons 1 & 2) – Hopeless romantic Ted tells his tales of love, but its the ensemble cast that makes this work, as theoretically we eventually meet Ted’s true love.
My Name is Earl (Seasons 1 & 2) – I find Jason Lee kind of endearing in general and enjoy his bad guy turned good, using his lottery winning to fix his karma by righting his wrongs, with the help, or harm, of his misfit friends.
The New Adventures of Old Christine (Season 1) – Julia Louis-Dreyfus found a great format for her broad humor as she plays a hapless single mom hanging with her family and friends trying to get her act together.
The Office (Seasons 1-3) – A painful office (based on the British series) at first pained me to think of why I’d want to watch at the end of a day at the office, but its oddball characters and biting humor won me over.
Scrubs (Seasons 1-6) – Hospital comedy seen through the eyes of goofball JD as he and his buddies treat patients… well it’s kind of like Grey’s Anatomy but shorter and wackier.
30 Rock (Season 1) – This show took a little while to find its rhythm but when it does this behind the scenes look at a sketch show gets it super right with Tina Fey at the helm.
Two and a Half Men (Seasons 1 & 2) – Kind of an Odd Couple, where the guys are brothers and one of them has a kid (at least shared custody), sometimes kind of a crass humor, but pretty good humor nonetheless.

sports, tv

next week 1/28

January 25, 2008 7 Comments

Monday

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.

next week 1/7

January 4, 2008 3 Comments

Monday

Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Drew Lachey joins two of the judges from Dancing With the Stars to create two singing and dancing teams to compete in this six week series, I didn’t get Dancing with the Stars either.
Medium (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Things were shook up employment-wise for Allison and her husband, with her out of the DA’s office how will she solve her creepy vision mysteries?

Tuesday

Bones/House (Fox, 8/9pm) – See where it all began with the pilots of these two fun shows.
One Tree Hill (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – The fifth season moves forward four years to try to beat the high school turned college show crisis and get the cast to about their appropriate ages.
People’s Choice (CBS, 9pm) – The people, they pick their picks for tv and movies as Queen Latifah hosts, nobody really cares what the people think do they?

Wednesday

Law & Order: CI (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – The show banished to cable returns in reruns for its 7th season to the network where it started, this is the one L&O that bugs me, mostly D-Onofrio who I used to like.
Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 10pm) – The show stops off in its regular timeslot.

Thursday

My Name is Earl/30 Rock (NBC, 8/8:30pm) – Ok these are the last ones we get for who knows how long, enjoy.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9pm) – Ditto on last in the queue.

Friday

Catch up on some repeats (Grey’s/Cashmere Mafia on ABC) or catch some new eps of shows (Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, Numb3rs on CBS or Friday Night Lights and Las Vegas on NBC) or maybe just go out and see a movie.

Saturday

If you didn’t get away from the television last night definitely get away tonight, unless you’ve got some netflix stacking up there’s nothing on.

Sunday

Golden Globes (NBC, 8pm) – Many thanks will be given out to the Hollywood Foreign Press for tv and movies this evening.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – I haven’t heard anything about this but am intrigued and glad that Summer Glau from Firefly is going to protect them.
Commanche Moon (CBS, 9pm, also Tues/Wed) Miniseries – Prequel to the Lonesome Dove miniseries though I hear this one doesn’t live up to the previous.
Rock of Love 2/Scott Baio 46… and Pregnant (VH1, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – I got hooked on these shows last season, not good but I was truly addicted to Rock of Love.
Masterpiece: Persuasion (PBS, Check Your Local Listings) – This starts off a little Jane Austen theme for the now Masterpiece/Masterpiece Theater I always mean to watch them and this is supposed to be good.

best, tv

top tv of 2007

December 24, 2007 2 Comments

30 rock So if I’m sharing end of the year best lists I would be remiss not to throw down a little tv. The problem is it seems like a strange time to do a best tv list. So though midseason shows may be getting the short shrift we’ve probably seen enough of things to give it a go.

Andy Barker, PI (NBC) – GF
Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)- MSN, SK
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – TV
Big Love (HBO)- GF, JP, GG, MA*, MSN
The Bronx is Burning (ESPN) – TV
Brotherhood (Show) – GF, MR
Brothers and Sisters (ABC) – SAT
Burn Notice (USA)- KT
Californication (Show)- GG, MR
Chuck (NBC) – SAT, TV
The Colbert Report (Comedy) – JP
CSI (CBS)- KT
Damages (FX) – DB, GG, MA, SK, TV
Desperate Housewives (ABC) – KT
Dexter (Show)- AFI, DB, SK, MR, SAT*
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) – GF, TV
Entourage (HBO) – GG
Everybody Hates Chris (CW) – AFI
Extras (HBO) – GG, SAT
Flight of the Conchords (HBO) – GF, JP, SAT
Friday Night Lights (NBC)- AFI, DB, JP, KT, MA, MR, MSN, SAT, SK
Frisky Dingo (Cartoon) – KT
Gossip Girl (CW) – TV
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – GG, SAT
Heroes (NBC) – DB
House (Fox)- GG
Kid Nation (CBS) – JP
Life (NBC) – KT
Life of Ryan (MTV) – KT
Longford (HBO)- AFI
Lost (ABC) – DB, JP, MA, MR, SK
Mad Med (AMC) – AFI, DB, GF, JP*, MA, MR*, GG, MSN*, SAT, TV
Nip/Tuck (FX) – DB
The Office (NBC) – JP, MSN
Planet Earth (Discovery) – GF, JP, MR, MSN
Pushing Daisies (ABC) – AFI, DB, GF, JP, MA, MR, GG, SAT*, TV
The Riches (FX)- JP, SAT
Samantha Who? (ABC) – TV
The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy)- JP
The Shield (Fx) – JP, MA, MR, MSN
Sopranos (HBO) – AFI, DB, GF, JP*, KT, MA, MR, MSN
Tell Me You Love Me (HBO) – AFI, JP, KT
Top Chef (Bravo) – JP
30 Rock (NBC)- AFI, DB*, GF*, JP, KT*, MA, MR, GG, MSN
The Tudors (Show) – GG, MR
Ugly Betty (ABC) – AFI, MA, SAT
The War (PBS) – JP, MR, MSN
Weeds (Show) – JP, MR, SAT
Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nick) – JP

AFI – American Film Institute, DB – David Bianculli on Fresh Air, GF – Gillian Flynn for EW, GG – Golden Globe Nominations, JP-James Poniewozik at Time (new and returning), KT – Ken Tucker for EW, MA – Michael Ausiello for TV Guide, MR-Matt Roush at TV Guide, MSN, SAT-Satellite Awards, SK-Stephen King for EW, TV – TV Guide

* denotes top pick. I’ll update this list as new critic’s picks become available.

my schedule

October 17, 2007 10 Comments

Well almost everything has started and 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 for watching, or at least tivo backlog. (I do try to narrow things down to no more than two shows per time slot.)

Monday

8pm NBC – Chuck (CBS – How I Met Your Mother)
9pm NBC – Heroes (CBS – Two and a Half Men/Samantha Who?)

Tuesday

8pm Fox – Bones
9pm Fox – House (CW – Reaper)
10pm NBC – L&O SVU

Wednesday

8pm ABC – Pushing Daisies (CW – ANTM or in repeats Sun 9pm)
9pm CW – Gossip Girl (NBC – Bionic Woman)
10pm ABC – Dirty Sexy Money

Thursday

8/8:30pm NBC – My Name is Earl/30 Rock
9/9:30pm NBC – The Office/Scrubs (ABC – Grey’s Anatomy)

Friday

10pm CBS – Numb3rs

Sunday

5pm CW – (encore) Girlfriends
10pm ABC – Brothers and Sisters

And for a full grid of the current listings check out a couple of sites that I find helpful:

more returning fall tv

August 27, 2007 8 Comments

So in addition to the fall favorites there are some other shows that tend to hit my tivo:

2 1/2 Men – (CBS, Mon 9/24, 9:00) This sitcom sometimes errs on the crass side of comedy but for the most part they’ve made these somewhat stereotypical characters pretty funny, think Felix and Oscar as brothers only Oscar has a crude, lazy, maybe stupid kid.
30 Rock – (NBC, Thurs 10/4, 8:30) A ‘comedic’ look at behind the scenes of a SNL type show, the characters and stories started to get a good groove toward the end of the season.
America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) – (CW, Wed 9/19, 8:00) Ok I admit it, this show is super cheesy, but it’s a pretty good mix of actual challenges and model judging with that unbelievable stupid crazy that reality shows (and probably reality) tend to find.
Bones – (Fox, Tues 9/25, 8:00) So maybe I tuned into this just because I would watch anything Angel moved on to, but he and his not yet romantic partner both have good characters and chemistry as she, a forensic anthropologist, and her team, help out the FBI.
Brothers and Sisters – (ABC, Thurs 9/30, 10:00) I still don’t love Calista, but again I found myself looking forward to this show. This soapy mess of a family deals with business and personal drama that they mostly create themselves, though much was initially triggered by secrets hidden by the recently deceased patriarch of the family.
House – (Fox, Tues 9/25, 9:00) I watch it, but I find the fact that since they are always dealing with a difficult disease in a short amount of time they basically look like they try a bunch of stuff that isn’t working for an hour until they land on the right thing mostly just in time. Also though the House character is too over the top, Hugh Laurie does do a great job.
My Name is Earl – (NBC, Thurs 9/27, 8:00) I just sort of like Jason Lee as the bumbling white trash small time crook trying to right his wrongs, with the crazy cast of supporting characters.
The New Adventures of Old Christine – (CBS, Midseason) Julia Louis-Dreyfus finally found a good vehicle to do her own brand of self deprecating and physical comedy while she deals with trying to reenter the dating world, among other things, with support from her family and friends.
Numb3rs – (CBS, Fri 9/28, 10:00) A relatively formulaic crime show, I guess I like the way they use math to solve the crimes, explaining complex algorithms with silly metaphors, and the family dynamic with math wiz, fbi guy, and normal guy dad.
The Office – (NBC, Thurs 9/27, 9:00) I was pained at first by watching annoying people in an office, I mean don’t we all get enough of that at our own offices, but this US version seems to have hit it’s stride with some added subtlety to the comic folks.
Scrubs – (NBC, Thurs 10/25, 8:30) This hospital comedy has a pretty good dose of ridiculous characters and scenarios but I think it works.

I do tend to hold some procedurals ’til summer reruns: L&O, L&O: SVU, and Criminal Minds with the occasional dash of CSI.

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