tv

next week 3/30

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

Monday

  • Greek (ABCFam, 8pm) Season Premiere – They’re back from summer break in this fun college show.

Tuesday

  • Osbournes: Reloaded (Fox, 9:20pm) – When you think Osbournes, you think variety show, note the annoying start time following an annoying end time for American Idol.
  • Cupid (ABC, 10pm, repeats Sat) Series Premiere – I will try not to hold my love of the previous version against them but Bobby Cannavale is no Jeremy Piven, though I might be a sucker for good matchmaking.
  • My Boys (TBS, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Another round of amusement, I understand the guys have a mustache growing contest.
  • Pretty Wicked (Oxy, 11pm) Series Premiere – In another take on the usual reality, some pretty on the outside girls compete to become pretty on the inside.

Wednesday

  • I Get That A Lot (CBS, 8pm) – An April Fools special where celebrities take everyday jobs to ‘trick’ folks.
  • Rate My Space (HGTV, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – Something about spaces, that are maybe rated…
  • The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – They’re scouting for the US vs UK teams.
  • Life on Mars (ABC, 10pm) Series Finale – Will Sam return to 2008 as this series goes off the air?
  • Reno 911 (Com, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Looks like some new officers join the force.

Thursday

  • ER (NBC, 8/9pm) Series Finale – First a look back at the 15 seasons and then a two hour wrap up.
  • Free Radio (VH1, 11pm) Season Premiere – Dimwitted intern is apparently still running the morning radio show.

Friday

  • Escape to Chimp Eden (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – Getting chimps integrated can be tricky.
  • Mistresses (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Things are still complicated.
  • Bang for Your Buck (HGTV, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Renovations with a lot of bang for the buck.
  • Unsellables (HGTV, 11:30pm) Season Premiere – Things like bad color can make a house look bad.

Saturday

  • Sony Ericsson Open (CBS, 9:30 am, Sun, 10am) – The men’s and women’s tennis finals follows a week of earlier rounds on CSNBA.

Sunday

  • Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (AnPl, 7pm) Season Premiere – Doggies protecting tigers!
  • The 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Reba hosts and the country folks gather and sing.
  • Food Network Challenge (Food, 8pm) Season Premiere – This four part ‘Last Cake Standing’ challenge will award some cash and glory.
  • In Treatment (HBO, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – Therapist and patients are back in business.
  • The Tudors (Show, 9pm) Season Premiere – Henry VIII takes his third bride.
  • My First Place (HGTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – The latest couple is paying for a wedding and a house…
  • River Monsters (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Where does one go after piranhas?
  • Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices (HBO, 11pm) Series Premiere – Young poets compete.

* All times are PST, always check your local listings.

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tv

next week 3/23

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

Monday

  • Roommates (ABCFam, 9pm) Series Premiere – A new roomie moves in to the NYC apartment to follow an old crush.
  • Sophie (ABCFam, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Is a ‘sucky year’ for this single mom talent manager funny, or not?
  • Table for 12 (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – For those who are a fan of John & Kate plus 8, these folks have upped the game to 2 plus 10.

Tuesday

  • Presidential Address (Mult Networks, 8pm) – Obama is back for more.
  • College Hill (BET, 7/7:30pm) Season Premiere – We’re back with these real life eight college kids in South Beach.
  • NCIS/The Mentalist (CBS, 9/10pm) – Special times for our crime fighters.

Wednesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – Idol is shifting to a Wed/Thurs presentation to give Obama some space on Tues, this week Motown, go Adam!
  • Survivor (CBS, 8pm) – A special night and time to recap the first fifteen days.

Thursday

  • In the Motherhood (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Megan Mullally, Jessica St Clair, and Cheryl Hines are mothers making funny in this update of a web series followed by the return of Samantha Who? in a new time slot.

Friday

  • NCAA Basketball (CBS, 4pm) – In case you’ve missed it the NCAA playoffs are cooking, tonight you can catch some regional playoffs.

Saturday

  • Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (Nick, 8pm) – Dwayne (no longer the Rock) Johnson hosts, and last I heard at least Chris Brown won’t be there.
  • World Figure Skating Championships (NBC, 9pm) – In case you’re getting geared up for next year’s Olympics or just like the spinning.

Sunday

  • The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (HBO, 8pm) Series Premiere – Jill Scotts plays the lead in this adaptation of the novel series set in Botswana, which I hear is delightful, the series that is.
  • Any Dream Will Do (BBCA, 8pm) Series Premiere – Who will win the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
  • G4 Underground (G4, 9pm) Series Premiere – Getting the real dirt on amateur porn and real life costumed superheroes.
  • Little Dorrit (PBS, 9pm) – Kicking off the latest Masterpiece Miniseries in this Dickens presentation.

* Times noted are PST, always check your local listings.

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tv

next week 3/16

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

Monday

  • Kyle XY (ABC Fam, 9pm) Series Finale – Things wrap up as Kyle tries to thwart a bad plan.
  • Dhani Tackles the Globe (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – NFL linebacker heads to Bangkok to do some Muay Thai.
  • Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi, 10pm) I’m only on about season two but this finale special salutes the series as it wraps.

Tuesday

  • Modern Toss (IFC, 11pm) Series Debut – A partially animated British comedy is apparently not for the easily offended.

Wednesday

  • Inside the FBI (Disc, 8pm) – Following the FBI…
  • Better Off Ted (ABC, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Sitcom set in an ethically challenged R&D co with Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi, follows Scrubs in its new time slot.

Thursday

  • Taking the Stage (MTV, 10pm) Series Debut – Real life Fame, students at the School for Creative Performing Arts.

Friday

  • Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9pm) Series Finale – The series may be done, but you can always stay tuned for Caprica.
  • Head Case (Starz, 10pm) Season Premiere – This improvised original comedy showcases a therapist to the stars.
  • Party Down (Starz, 10:30pm) Series Debut – Comedy with actors catering or catering actors… by VMars creator Rob Thomas.

Saturday

  • The Locator (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Real life looking for people all season long.
  • Nora Roberts (Life, 1pm) – Start the marathon of movies based on her books with Blue Smoke and work your way through Carolina Moon, Montana Sky, Angels Fall and the latest, Northern Lights at 9.

Sunday

  • BNP Paribas Open (CSNBA, 12pm) – The men’s and women’s tennis finals following earlier rounds throughout the week.

* Always check your local listings (times noted are PST).

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tv

next week 3/9

2 Comments

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

Monday

  • Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Jewel and Nancy O’Dell are out, and I hear at least one is being replaced by Holly, one of the Girls Next Door.
  • Battles BC (Hist, 9pm) Series Premiere – Were you wondering what really happened in ancient clashes, I mean what tactics did they really use?
  • Castle (ABC, 10pm – repeats Sunday) Series Premiere – It’s a straight-laced cop paired with not so by the book writer, with Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Dr Horrible) playing the writer I will of course tune in.

Tuesday

  • WCG Ultimate Gamer (SciFi, 10pm) Series Premiere – Twelve gamers move in together and compete at Rock Band 2, partay!

Wednesday

  • The Chopping Block (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – The guy who trained Gordon Ramsay has his own restaurant competition.
  • Ghost Hunters (SciFi, 9pm) Season Premiere – Clean your guns, or whatever the guys on Ghostbusters used, Ghost hunting season has started.
  • South Park (Com, 10pm) Season Premiere – Can these kids really be thirteen years older?

Thursday

  • Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches (Trav, 8pm) Series Debut – I can only assume we see sexy beaches with former Girl Next Door Bridget, the girls are happening this week.
  • Warriors (Hist, 10pm) Series Debut – Looks like we get to take a walk down memory lane and learn how to hold a sword among other things.

Friday

  • Batman (Cart, 8pm) Season Premiere – This is the animated one, no Christian Bale…

Saturday

  • Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America (HBO, 9pm) – A Final Night with George W. Bush Live From Broadway… need I say more?
  • The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Sarah Ferguson greets Graham for the season opener.

Sunday

  • Kings (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – It’s the fake country of Gilboa (in an alternate fake world) and it’s got a king, and I’m going to say some drama.
  • Tough Love Boot Camp (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – A matchmaker gives eight single gals a wakeup call on what they’re doing wrong when trying to find love.

* Always check your local listings (times noted are PST).

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tv

late night

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I have to admit that I’m really not qualified to critique the first episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon since I have watched but really don’t watch any of the late shows regularly (Letterman, Leno, O’Brien, Kimmel, Ferguson, Daly…) I tuned in to the first show nonetheless. Now I think this is the sort of format where it will take some time to really see what the vibe and humor will be but I would be remiss not to judge, right?

The opener with Conan was cute, giving a nod to the start of a new late night show and the long road ahead and the fact that, for Conan, Leno’s not really going anywhere. The format of the rest of the show was pretty solid late night. The opening monologue introduced Fallon as well as his announcer and band The Root, which was pretty rockin’ and added a nice touch to slow jammin’ the news. Fallon has a boy next door quality about him, kind of sweet, kind of awkward, and kind of funny.

Having de Niro on as the first guest wasn’t the easiest rhythm to get going and acknowledging that he was a tough and letting him do a couple bits probably wasn’t worth the way it fed Fallon’s awkward trying hard to entertain shtick. Fortunately Timberlake’s casual style and song imitations lightened things up and and Van Morrison gave a needed breather to Fallon having to support the show.

Fallon still feels at his best when he’s doing bits, otherwise his communication is all a little too eager, but hopefully he’ll learn to use his eager to please mode in a less pleading and more comfortable way. And hopefully we’ll see Fallon develop his interviewing sea legs as the days, and weeks, go by. Although nothing about the first show would make me want to tune in again, there’s nothing that made me want to turn it off, which for a first show is probably a pretty huge triumph. The green room sponsor Bud Light with Lime was probably pleased enough.

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tv

next week 3/2

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

Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Finale – Will the single father pick the blonde or the brunette? And will he change his mind, perhaps for returning Bachelorette DeAnna? After the Rose starts at 10 and continues in part two on Tuesday, will it be the most dramatic show yet?
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – This show about folks at different stages of relationships with David Spade and Patrick Warburton among others, was one I found almost funny.
  • Ax Men (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think we look at more loggers… I think this is like the third logger show, maybe logging is that hot.
  • Harlem Heights (BET, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – This reality version follows folks in their twenties, in you guessed it, Harlem.
  • Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premiere – Looks like Grace is still a mess and we love that about her, and now she has to break in new partner Christina Ricci, at least she won’t sleep with this partner, though I hate to rule anything out.
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12:30am) – Will you tune in for De Niro and Timberlake or would you tune in for Fallon alone as he takes the desk.

Tuesday

  • Reaper (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – This slacker dude whose soul has been sold to the devil and now has to be a bounty hunter for said devil developed a great cast and even some intrigue last season.

Wednesday

  • ANTM (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – A two hour kick off brings 34 hopefuls down to 13 house dwellers, and then the mess continues with the first standard show.
  • Make Me A Supermodel (Bravo, 10pm) Season Premiere – For an alternate take on model wannabes check out Tyson hosting a crop of dudes and chicks who try to be fierce, or whatever that show’s catch phrase is.

Thursday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – In a special additional Thursday ep, the judges pick some favorites to try it again for the wild card slots.

Friday

  • Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – The process of picking a wedding gown, can’t wait!
  • Trick my Truck (CMT, 10pm) Season Premiere – A truck tricked in tribute to speedboats, woo hoo!

Saturday

  • Ashes to Ashes (BBCA, 9pm) Series Premiere – I’m not sure but this show sounds like Life on Mars but someone finds themselves in the 80s, oh wait it’s a sequel, to the BBC version of course.

Sunday

  • Cycling (Vs, 2pm) – Check out the guys at Paris Nice.
  • SNL (NBC, 7/8pm) – Game show parodies is followed by commercials.
  • The L Word (Show, 8/9pm) Series Finale – A special at 8 reviews the past seasons getting us all ready for the finale.
  • Sunday Best (BET, 9pm) Season Premiere – Undiscovered gospel singers.
  • Breaking Bad (AMC, 10pm) Season Premiere – The school teacher turned meth maker/dealer to support his family when he learns of his terminal cancer continues as he and his partner get into more messes – marathon to catch up on season 1 starting with the pilot at 8pm on Fri.
  • Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Does anyone really care?
  • Candy Girls (E!, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Eye candy for sale, well for rent, for music videos or whatever in this latest reality show.

* Always check your local listings, all times are PST.

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tv

next week 2/23

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) – The women tell all…

Tuesday

  • Presidential Address (Various, 6pm) – Obama talks to a joint session of congress to outline challenges and proposed actions.
  • Dark Days in Monkey City (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Live action and animation for a couple species of monkeys.

Wednesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – It’s on Wed and Thursday this week for the next round of twelve, so set the tivos, the results shows are definitely supposed to be fast forwarded through.

Thursday

  • Secrets of the Furious 5 (NBC, 8pm) – Apparently the guys from Kung Fu Panda are bringing another tale.
  • The Chris Isaak Hour (Bio, 7pm) Series Premiere – Trisha Yearwood joins Chris to kick off his show.

Friday

  • American Loggers (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Timberrrrrrrr!

Saturday

  • America/Anacondas (Life/SciFi, 9pm) – Desperation may make you turn to an original telefilm…

Sunday

  • Saturday Night Live Just Shorts (NBC, 7pm) – Andy Samburg has brought some funny and hosts this compilation of the mostly not live portion of the show.
  • Running in Heels (Style, 8pm) Series Premiere – A look at fashion mag Marie Claire through various employees.
  • The Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Dennis Rodman, Joan Rivers, and a bevy of d listers take on Trumps tasks. 
  • Jesse Stone (CBS, 9pm) – ‘Thin Ice’ has Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone in the latest telefilm based on the Parker novels.
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sports, tv

next week 2/16

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

Monday

  • Tour of California (Vs) – Check the week for stages 3-9, usually showing about three times a day, and get a look at some of the top cycling teams.
  • Little People, Big World (TLC, 8pm) Season Premiere – They’re heading to Iraq with a surgeon to help some kids.

Tuesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – Time to get the speed dial ready, and remember it’s a singing competition, let’s get this down to a good top 12.
  • Dogg After Dark (MTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Snoop Dogg gets a variety show.
  • Real Housewives of NYC (Brav, 11pm) Season Premiere – New housewife, old tension.

Wednesday

  • Little Miss Perfect (WEtv, 10pm) Series Premiere – Junior beauty pageants and their parents compete.
  • High School Reunion (TVL, 10pm) Season Premiere – After my high school was in consideration for a season of this I have almost been tempted to tune in, almost.

Thursday

  • Being Erica (Soap, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can you relive old moments in your life, this new series shows a gal do just that?

Friday

  • Mistresses (BBCA, 8pm) Series Debut – Four ladies have some drama on this new drama.
  • Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere -Bill has a real time.
  • Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 12:35am) – Say goodbye to Late Night with Conan O’Brien and hello to The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, but not until June 1.

Saturday

  • Taking Chance (HBO, 8pm) – Do people still do the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, check out this flick if you want fodder.
  • 2009 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards (IFC, 9pm) – These awards go indie style.
  • Aisha Tyler Is Lit: Live at the Fillmore (Com, 11pm) – I worked with Aisha forever ago at a regular office job and don’t know whether her success inspires or depresses me.

Sunday

  • Barbara Walters Special (ABC, 8:30pm) – Anne Hathaway, Mickey Rourke, Hugh Jackman, and the Jonas Brothers.
  • The 100 Most Outrageous Moments 2 (NBC, 9pm) – Outrageous home videos, that must be much better than the funniest home videos.
  • The 81st Annual Academy Awards (ABC, 3:30/5/5:30pm) – Silly preshow interviews, awkward host moments with Jackman, boring speeches, and noteworthy fashions, oh and a chance to win my Oscar pool.

* Please note all times are PST.

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sports, tv

next week 2/9

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

Monday

  • Presidential News Conference (various, 5pm*) – Obama talks the talk.
  • Top Gear (BBCA, 8pm) Season Premiere – Looks like there is some truck and porsche driving.
  • Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (USA & others mon & tues, check your local listings) – Doggies!
  • BET Honors (BET, 6pm) – Gabrielle Union hosts the latest honors.
  • The Girls of Hedsor Hall (MTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Another chance for crass girls to turn sophisticated, but this time they ship them to England.

Tuesday

  • TI’s Road to Redemption (MTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Awaiting his own sentencing on weapons charges TI is clearly the model citizen to try to help some at-risk teens.
  • From G’s to Gents (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think they keep these bad boys away from the Girls of Hedsor Hall as they try to make them more gentlemanly.

Wednesday

  • Important Things with Demetri Martin (Com, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Sketch comedy and more.

Thursday

  • NAACP Image Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Halle Berry and Tyler Perry host this one.
  • Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – The eliminations start early when they hit the Brazilian highlands.
  • Millionaire Matchmaker (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – I only caught one ep of this last season but it looked like an annoying owner of an ill equipped dating service helping socially inept men meat their trophy wives.

Friday

  • Dollhouse (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – I do love Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr Horrible) and I’m willing to give any new series of his more than a few eps of devotion, this latest brings us Buffy’s Faith/Eliza Dushku as one of a set of operatives who get new identities implanted and then wiped clean for weekly missions.

Saturday

  • Tour of California (Vs, 2pm, various times through next week) – They start out in Sacramento…
  • My Valentine Charlie Brown/A Charlie Brown Valentine (ABC, 8pm, also on previous Tues) – Romantic problems start in your youth…

Sunday

  • The Amazing Race (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – This year we’re going to see among others… the show’s first hearing-impaired contestant, along with some oldsters, some youngsters…
  • Eastbound & Down (HBO, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Washed up big league baseball guy returns to his hometown to do the PE thing.

* Times noted are PST, check your local listings.

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tv

next week 2/2

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

Monday

  • Chuck (NBC, 8pm) – Chuck goes 3d and I’m sure gets into some trouble.
  • I Love Money (VH1, 9pm) Season Premiere – This is the show where reality contestants compete in a reality contest.
  • Medium (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Allison’s got a case of the visions, or something.
  • For the Love of Ray J (VH1, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – By now you’re probably familiar with the ‘rock star’ dating shows even if you’re not familiar with Ray J.

Tuesday

  • The IT Crowd (IFC, 8pm) Season Premiere – There’s a crowd and they’re in IT.

Wednesday

  • Katie Couric “All Access” Grammy Special (CBS, 9pm) – Katie interviews the kids with the Grammys.
  • Monsterquest (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – This ep is titled ‘Death of Loch Ness’ but let me tell you if there was a Loch Ness, and I’m not saying there was, he’s gonna be pissed if people start saying he’s dead.
  • The Exterminators (A&E, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Let’s head to Louisiana to get rid of some bees and some coons.

Thursday

  • Gangland (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – We see the land of gangs.
  • Street Customs (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – We customize a ’67 barracuda.
  • Heli-Loggers (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – It’s what it sounds like, logging with helicopters.

Friday

  • Most Haunted (Trav, 7pm) Season Premiere – Not just haunted, but the most haunted places.
  • Jockeys (AnPl, 9pm) Series Premiere – We check in on the jockeys and their horses down at Santa Anita during a 30 day meet.

Saturday

  • Tour of California (Vs, 2pm) – This preview show will take a look at the tour and I’m sure mention Lance.

Sunday

  • Grammy Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Lil Wayne has the most noms and you can tune in to see him perform along with other hot hitmakers.
  • HGTV Showdown (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – It’s a family room makeover!
  • Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factor/The College Humor Show/Nitro Circus/How’s Your News? (MTV, 9/9:30/10/10:30pm) Series Premieres – Pro skateboarder, the guys from collegehumor.com, FMX, and reporters with disabilities…
  • XIII (NBC, 9pm) – Can Stephen Dorff recall whether he was involved in the assassination of the first chick prez, if not tonight check back next sunday for part two of the miniseries.
  • Mark & Olly: Living With the Machigenga (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – They start by searching for the Machigenga tribe.
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