tv

new and noteworthy tv: 1/31-2/6

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Fortunately not much new going on this week which hopefully means I can clean off my dvr, we’ll see how the plan to switch back to TiVo goes.

Monday

  • Cake Boss (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – What if Rachel Ray wants a cake?
  • Shatner’s Raw Nerve (Bio, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – Carol Burnett and then Marilu Henner join for Shit Shatner Says.

Tuesday

  • Seriously Funny Kids/One Born Every Minute (Life, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Heidi Klum expands her empire by engaging with kids for laughs then the latest docuseries looks at the maternity ward.

Wednesday

  • Human Target (Fox, 9pm) – The gang gets a new time slot, and I kind of like how this show has become more of an ensemble, more Guerrero is always good.

Thursday

  • Million Dollar Listing (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – There’s a new agent in town as they look at expensive digs.
  • Eagleheart (AdSw, 9pm) Series Premiere – If a show isn’t entertaining maybe a show about a show is.

Friday

  • Who Do You Think You Are (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Celebrities continue to look into their ancestry, and I continue to not care.
  • Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials (CBS, 9pm) – They spend a lot of money on these so you should watch them again.

Saturday

  • CMT Crossroads (CMT, 10pm) – Maybe a little background music with The Pretenders and Faith Hill.

Sunday

  • Puppy Bowl (AnPl, noon) – For those of you who would rather watch puppies frolic than dudes actually playing football.
  • Super Bowl (Fox, 3pm) – Go Team!
  • Glee (Fox, 7:30pm) – The special Super Bowl slot goes to… note this time is pst and may vary based on game play.
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new and noteworthy tv: 1/24-1/30

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I finally start feeling caught up on television and then the Australian Open comes along and fills up my dvr, good thing I’m skipping Idol’s early audition rounds…

Monday

  • 19 Kids & Counting (TLC, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Good gawd, is someone pregnant again?
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo, 10/11:30pm) Season Premiere – Campy fun as the ladies have a casting episode and then the competition begins.

Tuesday

  • State of the Union (Various, 6pm pst) – Let the cross party side sitting begin (though if all the Republicans and Democrats switch sides won’t they still be separated?).
  • Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best/A Stand Up Mother (WE, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – You’ve seen them together but this time Joan’s moving in, and then another comedic mother is followed in this latest reality look at life.

Wednesday

  • Sons of Guns/Desert Car Kings (Disc, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Gun restoration (among other things) and car restoration.
  • Clean House (Style, 10pm) Season Premiere – There’s messy and dirty and then there’s…
  • Face Off (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Special effects makeup artists compete.
  • Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew (VH1, 10pm) – Reunion!
  • The Traveler’s Guide to Life (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Hear folk’s momentous travel occasions.
  • Being Erica (Soap, 11pm) Season Premiere – She does some sort of time traveling therapy, soap-style.

Thursday

  • Archer (Fx, 10pm) Season Premiere – Cartoon spy business, funny-style.

Friday

  • Working Class (CMT, 8pm) Series Premiere – The country network is veering into sitcom territory bringing back Reba’s sidekick/nemesis as a plucky supermarket gal.

Saturday

  • Boomtown (PlGr, 7pm) Series Premiere – Reality series follows oil in a small town.
  • US Figure Skating Championships (NBC, 9pm) – Women’s championship.

Sunday

  • Australian Open (ESPN2, various) – The quarterfinals start on Monday with men’s and women’s finals technically hitting on Saturday and Sunday, but with the time change it starts midnight the night before, they reair but if I’m going to record it anyway.
  • Brick City (Sund, 8pm) Season Premiere – A look at Newark, NJ through the eyes of locals including the mayor.
  • SAG Awards (TBS/TNT, 8pm) – The Screen Actors Guild honors performances in film and television.
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new and noteworthy tv: 1/17-1/23

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And a little bit more mid-season coming your way…

Monday

  • Being Human (Syfy, 9pm) Series Premiere – A take on an imported show, this one a Vampire, a Ghost, and a Werewolf, maybe not as good as the original but I haven’t seen any so worth a shot.
  • Piers Morgan Tonight (CNN, 9pm) Series Premiere – Larry King has bequeathed his throne, and Oprah pops by for a chat.
  • Harry’s Law (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Kathy Bates is the latest lawyer in David E Kelley’s roster (McBeal, B Legal) sure to be filled with eccentrics.
  • Heavy (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following overweight folks trying to turn things around.
  • Skins (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – And another take on an import, now see what the crazy teens do in the US, again also maybe not supposed to be cast as well as the English but I’ll tune in.

Tuesday

  • Life Unexpected (CW, 8pm) Series Finale – Not sure this CW show ever quite caught on, and not just because the girl in high school looks more like her parents unrelated younger friend.
  • White Collar (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – I do enjoy a suave con man helping the FBI solve cases.

Wednesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm, and Thursday) Season Premiere – Has Idol lost its magic? Will you tune in at least for a couple to see how the new kids work out? I’ll tune in until I can’t stand it any longer.
  • Hot in Cleveland/Retired at 35 (TVL, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – These shows are like 70s sitcoms reruns except original.

Thursday

  • Perfect Couples/Parks & Rec (NBC, 8:30/9:30pm) Series/Season Premiere – There’s a few of these new sitcoms with a few young couples, and time will tell if any of them can get over their predicted mediocre starts, and then of course the return of the quirky folks who are trying to keep their department together, joining the new all comedy lineup.
  • Masters of Survival (Disc, 9pm) Series Premiere – Multiple folks give multiple tips for surviving multiple locations.
  • Royal Pains/Fairly Legal (USA, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – The return of the vacation doctor and the start of lawyer turned mediator with that spunky chic who was the partner of the main guy on Life.

Friday

  • Onion News Network/Portlandia (IFC, 7/7:30pm) Series Premieres – Funny stories, funny skits.
  • Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Ramsay helps more restaurateurs.
  • Medium (CBS,8pm) Series Finale – I didn’t know this show was still on.
  • My Big Redneck Wedding (CMT, 9pm) Season Premiere – When you think wedding you think mudsledding.
  • Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Starz, 10pm) Series Premiere – As the primary series takes a break (the main character sadly has cancer) they’re doing a quick prequel.

Saturday

  • A Idiot Abroad (Sci, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant put their ‘idiot’ friend into travel situations.

Sunday

  • Kourtney & Kim Take New York/Holly’s World (E!, 10/10:40pm) Series/Season Premieres – This Kardashian show is somehow different from the other ones, and then some playboy bunny or playmate or someone does stuff.
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new and noteworthy tv: 1/10-1/16

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Monday

  • Bad Girls Club (Oxy, 9pm) Season Premiere – The ‘ladies’ live together.
  • Love That Girl (TVO, 9pm) Season Premiere – This sitcom follows a ‘girl’ who’s starting fresh in real estate and life.
  • You’re Cut Off/The X Life (VH1, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Reality follows a group of gals who are cut off from luxury and then a group of extreme sports athletes.
  • Stolen Voices (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – I believe the title indicates that when a person is murdered they can no longer speak as they look at cases.

Tuesday

  • I, Predator (AnPl, 8pm) Series Premiere – This look at animal predators starts with sharks vs. seals, guess which is the predator.
  • The Game/Lets Stay Together (BET, 10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Sports couples and then non sports couples on these sitcoms.
  • Lights Out (Fx, 10pm) Series Premiere – This series starts with a heavy weight fighter now in retirement, something tells me it won’t be that simple to leave boxing behind.
  • Teen Mom (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – After 16 and pregnant comes this.
  • Tosh.0/Onion Sportsdome (Com/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Tosh introduces more clips as well as a new wardrobe and then more sports funny.

Wednesday

  • Off the Map (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Grey’s Anatomy for the third world?

Thursday

  • Police Women of Cincinnati (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – This season they follow them to another city.
  • Beyond Scared Straight (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Troubled teens visit folks in prison, scary?

Friday

  • Critic’s Choice Movie Awards (VH1, 9pm) – Black Swan reads the nominations, will it take home the most awards?
  • Flying Wild Alaska (Disc, 9pm) Series Premiere – A new reality series following a family business flying supplies in Alaska.
  • L&O: UK (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Law & Order with accents.
  • The Ricy Gervais Show (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – More of this…
  • Confessions: Animal Hoarding (AnPl, 10pm) Season Premiere – Beyond the normal pet lover.
  • Conviction Kitchen (PlGr, 10pm) Season Premiere – Not just wanna be chefs, convict wannabe chefs.
  • Real Time with Bill Maher/Funny or Die Presents (HBO, 10/11:59pm) Season Premieres – Serious funny and then funny. 

Saturday

  • Miss America Pageant (ABC, 8pm) – Brooke Burke and Chris Harrison host.

Sunday

  • Golden Globe Awards (NBC, 5pm) – Hollywood Foreign Press salutes television and film.
  • Big Love (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – The family begins its final season.
  • Wild Animal Repo/Hogs Gone Wild (Disc, 9/10pm) Series Premiere – Getting exotic animals back and then tracking down hogs.
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new and noteworthy tv: 1/3-1/9

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New year brings some new shows…

Monday

  • Antiques Roadshow (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Good antiques, bad antiques.
  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – For those of you who follow this, make your own judgments on the return of previously failed (or successful) bachelor Brad Womack.
  • Pretty Little Liars/Greek (ABCFam, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Happy to have these better of the fluffy shows return for more teen intrigue and the final season of the will they last college season.
  • Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Vegan to sausage.
  • Disappeared (ID, 10pm) Season Premiere – Looks at folks who disappeared.
  • In The Bedroom with Dr Laura Berman (Own, 10pm) Series Premiere – She talks about sex.
  • The Opener (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Renowned chef helps folks open restaurants.

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Another run with couples.
  • Live to Dance (CBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – I can’t remember why Paula Abdul said she was leaving Idol but here’s where she ended up.
  • V (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – I never quite got on board.
  • Dangerous Encounters (NatGeo, 8/9pm) Series Premiere – Pumas, gators, other dangerous things to encounter.
  • Chopped (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Chefs use goats brains…
  • Southland (TNT, 10pm) Season Premiere – Its move to TNT was an appreciated salvation, and now they’re getting to actual new episodes.
  • Permanent Mark (Spike, 11pm) Series Premiere – Apparently this is the name of the tattoo artist we follow in this series.

Wednesday

  • Ghost Hunters (Syfy, 6pm) Season Premiere – Drumming ghosts.
  • I Shouldn’t Be Alive (AnPl, 7pm) Season Premiere – Capsized boat, no supplies…
  • Mystery Diagnosis/Miracle Detectives (Own, 8/10pm) Season Premiere – More intrigue potentially solved.
  • People’s Choice Awards (CBS, 9pm) – I just never quite agree with the people.
  • Are We There Yet? (TBS, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – Season two begins.

Thursday

  • Wipeout (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – More falling.
  • Ace of Cakes (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – A tennis cake for the US Open!
  • Jersey Shore (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – The return to Jersey with the addition of another cast member.
  • Nightmare Next Door (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look at murder cases in small town America.

Friday

  • Oprah Behind the Scenes/Your Own Show (Own, 8/9pm) Series Premieres – Oprah shows a look behind her show and then a look at who might be the next host extraordinaire.
  • Say Yes to the Dress/Four Weddings (TLC, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Weddings and what you wear to them.
  • Merlin (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – Camelot returns.
  • Twisted (ID, 10pm) Season Premiere – Starting with a look at Ted Bundy.

Saturday

  • It’s Me or the Dog (AnPl, 5pm) Season Premiere – If the dogs were better behaved this answer would be more simple.

Sunday

  • Food Network Challenge (Food, 8pm) Season Premiere – Big bug cakes start the challenge.
  • Bob’s Burgers (Fox, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – The latest animation addition.
  • Alaska State Troopers (NGC, 9pm) Season Premiere – This week sees troopers keeping party goers at the Arctic Man Fest in line.
  • Californication/Episodes/Shameless (Show, 9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Without getting Showtime I’ve never quite caught on to Duchovney’s show but Matt LeBlanc’s Episodes is supposed to be a good one so may as well stay tuned in for Shameless.
  • The Cape (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – A disgraced cop starts fighting crime in costume, and the help of Summer Glau (Firefly) makes me a little interested in checking this out.
  • Kimora (Style, 9pm) Season Premiere – Life in the fab lane shows her 8 year old’s birthday party.
  • Masterpiece (PBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – The four-part Downtown Abby kicks off.
  • The Wild Within (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – Outdoorsy dude hunts and gathers like folks used to do.
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new and noteworthy tv: 12/27-1/2

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As the New Year approaches it’s not really time for new television, yet…

Monday

  • Disappeared (ID, 7pm) Season Premiere – Looking at folks who…
  • Bait Car/All Worked Up (Tru, 8/10pm) Season Premieres – Tracking cars that are too good not to steal and folks who deliver bad news.

Tuesday

  • Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (ABC, 8pm) – The claymation continues.
  • Kennedy Center Honors (CBS, 9pm) – Honorers and honorees.
  • Hardcore Pawn (Tru, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – More pawn action.

Wednesday

  • My Strange Addiction/Toddlers & Tiaras (TLC, 9/10pm) Series/Season Premieres – Folks who do weird things and folks who make their kids do weird things.
  • I Used to Be Fat (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – I guess people who used to be fat.

Thursday

  • Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Even Charlie Brown deserves a good year.

Friday

  • New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin on CNN (8pm), Daryl Hall on WGN (8pm), Fox News (8pm), New York Philharmonic on PBS (9pm), Dick Clark on ABC (10pm), Carson Daly on NBC (10pm), MTV (10:30), Andy on Brav (10:30pm), Fox (11pm).

Saturday

  • Tournament of Roses Parade (Various, 8am) – The floats, the flowers, the somewhat famous…
  • Oprah’s Guide to OWN (OWN, 12pm) Network Premiere – So Oprah’s taking on the new network with original programming that she intends to be teaching and inspiring including many of her show’s favorite personalities.
  • Cash & Cari/Selling New York/Candice Tells All/Dear Genevieve (8/8:30pm) Season Premieres – Something about houses and/or decorating.
  • V (ABC, 8pm) – In case you missed it and cared they’re replaying these starting with the pilot at 8.
  • Primeval (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Something about time and the Cretaceous period.

Sunday

  • Iron Chef America/Worst Cooks in America (Food, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – Good cooks, bad cooks.
  • My Fair Wedding/Rich Bride, Poor Bride (WE, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Wedding and wedding and…
  • What Chilli Wants (VH1, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is Chilli’s biological clock ticking?
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new and noteworthy tv: 12/20-12/26

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‘Tis the season for tv repeats…

Monday

  • Million Dollar Money Drop (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – We all felt like we were missing another nonsensical game show.
  • Perfect Couples (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This latest sitcom brings couples who are probably quirky in hopes of hilarity.

Tuesday

  • A Very Gilly Christmas (NBC, 9pm) – For those of you who just can’t get enough Gilly.

Wednesday

  • A Home for the Holidays (CBS, 8pm) – Performances to raise awareness of adoption.
  • Throwdown with Bobby Flay (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Beef empanadas.
  • Country Christmas (ABC, 9:30pm) – Holiday traditions and country tunes.

Thursday

  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, 8/8:30pm) – First the animated version and then Jim Carrey

Friday

  • Disney Prep & Landing/Phineas and Ferb (ABC, 8/8:30pm) – What Christmas Eve is complete without animated shows I’ve never heard of.

Saturday

  • TVs Funniest Holiday Moments (Fox, 8pm) – Someone came up with 30 funnies for Jane Lynch to introduce.
  • Yule Log (Kofy, 10pm) – So this is the bay area station where the flames and tunes can be found.

Sunday

  • Running Wilde (Fox, 9:30pm) – Ok so maybe this is the actual time that they start burning these off.
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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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