tv

next week 9/1

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

Monday

  • Gossip Girl (CW, 8pm — repeats Sun/6pm) Season Premiere – What has become of split couples Blair/Chuck and Serena/Dan? Something tells me someone will be doing it as we greet our gang in the Hamptons before we return to school.
  • Prison Break (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – This two hour premiere continues the ridiculous brothers and others criminal chase, now apparently they’re working for homeland security… loved this show first season and can’t tune in now.
  • One Tree Hill (CW, 9pm – repeats Sun 7pm) Season Premiere – I think that Lucas is still deciding between Brooke and Peyton and some other girls.
  • The Middleman (ABC Fam, 10pm) Season Finale – I actually found this show pretty enjoyable with its mix of comicy humor and sarcastic fun as the Middleman and his trusty sidekick Wendy fight the weird.
  • Raising the Bar (TNT, 10pm- repeats 9/2) Series Premiere – This courtroom drama is getting average reviews, but if courtroom dramas are you thing it might not be all bad with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben, and Jane Kaczmarek.

Tuesday

  • 90210 (CW, 8pm – repeats Th/8pm) Series Premiere – This two hour event returns us to beloved West Beverly Hills High School along with a returning principal and his transplanted family, and Brenda is on for at least 4 eps and Kelly is the guidance counselor, apparently they’re more mature now.
  • The Shield (Fx, 10pm – repeats) Season Premiere – This final season starts with more drama, I have yet to catch this cop series but it’s in the queue as folks say great things.

Wednesday

  • America’s Next Top Model (CW, 8pm – repeats Sun, 8pm) Season Premiere – The latest ladies (and one preop transgender gal) are cast in the two hour launch for another round of ridiculous drama and surprisingly engaging modelicious challenges that always promise to bring out the fierce.
  • Bones (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – This show returns with a two hour premiere as Booth and Bones do their special forensic anthropologic fbi investigations in England, promises lots of good fun.
  • Ghost Hunters/Destination Truth (Sci fi, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Ghost hunting and paranormal mosques oh my.
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx, 10pm- repeats) Series Premiere – This one hour+ show starts out with family issues and rival motorcycle gang hijinks.
  • Top Design (Bravo, 10pm – repeats) Season Premiere – This 75 minute starter has the gang designing a loft, of course with limited time and money.

Thursday

  • Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Gordon takes two hours to revisit kitchen’s he’s harassed before.
  • Republican National Conventions (Various channels) – The convention wraps up its Minneapolis coverage that started Monday.

Friday

  • Stand Up to Cancer (ABC/CBS/NBC, 8pm) – A big gang of celebs support cancer research (and oppose cancer).
  • Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Kathy Ireland and the State Superintendent of Georgia meet the new 5th grade class in the 2 hour premiere.
  • Samurai Girl (ABC Fam, 6/8pm – Sa/Su 8 and various times) – This six-part miniseries follows a girl whose marriage is interrupted and must avenge her family’s honor, or something like that.

Saturday

  • Cops/America’s Most Wanted (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – The folks they are criminals and must be gotten.
  • US Open Tennis (USA, throughout the week, CBS Fri-Sun) – The gang raps up this hard court run with a champ Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday

  • Hole in the Wall (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – This is the one where contestants have to shape their bodies to fit through holes they’re thrust through.
  • America United: Support of Our Troops (ABC, 9pm) – Folks like Pam Anderson and Jessica Simpson honor the troops.
  • MTV VMAs (MTV, 9pm – repeats) – Host Russell Brand keeps it moving, we hear no Britney but I’m sure the Jonas Brothers will show.
  • True Blood (HBO, 9pm) Series Premiere – Alan Ball of Six Feet Under takes another pass at tv with this vampires live among us but they’re drinking synthetic blood, or are they, series based on books by Charlaine Harris.
  • Entourage (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere – The guys are back as Vincent Chase and buddies deal with business and pleasure.

Check your local listings for final times and repeat showings.

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tv

tv guide fall preview

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tvguide.jpgLabor day is upon us and fall is here! TV Guide still does a nice job laying out the new season. I am a big fan of the printable premiere calendar and of course the grid of what’s on when: http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview-2008/

Sadly as I take a closer gander at scheduling it’s looking a little cramped in a couple of slots. Monday at 8 with Big Bang/HIMYMother, Gossip Girl, Terminator, and Chuck. Then Wednesday at 8 with Pushing Daisies, Old Christine, ANTM, and Bones. I like to limit myself to two shows max per time slot so I’m going to have to make some accommodations. At least CW typically reruns ANTM and GGirl, and of course there’s some stuff online. I mean who could think of dropping a show, for other than enjoyment considerations, but that’s often how it happens for me. And of course I never expect the new shows to all hit so I should be able to drop one of the cramped Tuesday at 9 options of The Mentalist, Privileged, and Fringe (sadly the cute Joanna Garcia may lose to the cuter Simon Baker and of course JJ Abrams newest product).

So poke around and see what’s going to be happening. I will of course continue to note the premieres in the Next Weeks. And as soon as I hear a little more from the critics I’ll let you know what of the new stuff we’re all most excited about.

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sports, tv

next week 8/25

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Deal or No Deal (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Don’t ask me how they can make people randomly picking briefcases filled with money last an hour.
  • America’s Toughest Jobs (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – From the creator of Deadliest Catch and Iceroad Truckers real folks get a dose of overly tough reality in this multi job competition.
  • Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Summer Finale – What will we do until Grace comes back?
  • Exiled (MTV, 10:30) Series Premiere – So apparently the over indulged previously shown celebraters from My Sweet 16 are now being sent to see how the other half lives.

Tuesday

  • Gavin & Stacey (BBCA, 8:40pm) Series Premiere – A comedy following a couple from England and Wales who try to mix their lives.
  • Greek (ABC Fam, 9pm) Season Premiere -I’m excited for this fluffy college show to return, though Casey should get over Evan and Kappie.
  • Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – This season models new and old, the oldest being Janice, move in together.

Wednesday

  • Shear Genius (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – The final cuts are in.

Thursday

  • Democratic National Convention – Starting Monday through Thursday the convention can be seen on many a channel at many a time… check your local listings.

Friday

  • Grizzly Man Diaries (Anim Pl, 6pm) Series Premiere – An eight part series documenting the life of Timothy Treadwell (from the creepy Grizzly Man movie) in the decade before his death.

Saturday

  • Starter Wife (USA, 9am) – A little marathon of the start of Debra Messing’s freshly single series.

Sunday

  • US Open Tennis (USA starting Mon, CBS Sa/Su) – So what are the chances the final will be Nadal (1) vs Federer (2) and Ivanovic (1) vs Jankovic (2)… let’s see how this goes.
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tv

next week 8/18

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the Whitehouse (HBO, 9pm) – She quips about her tenure in the press corps with many a president.
  • The Hills (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – This is that ‘reality’ show where ‘regular’ people have become ‘celebrities.’
  • Busted (MTV, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – More reality but this time it’s kids who get arrested.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC primetime coverage includes women’s individual gymnastics events, trampoline final, track & field, and women’s beach volleyball semis.

Tuesday

  • Making the Band 4 (MTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – The bands promote what I’m sure are hot hits.
  • Olympic roundup – NBC primetime coverage includes men’s and women’s individual gymnastics events, track & field, diving, and new event: bmx cycling.

Wednesday

  • Architecture School (Sund, 9pm) Series Debut – Can you pick the hot new architect who will combine a great aesthetic and a realistic single family home?
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC primetime coverage includes gymnastics exhibition, track & field, bmx cycling, and women’s beach volleyball finals.

Thursday

  • Glam God with Vivica A Fox/The Cho Show (VH1, 10/11pm) Series Premieres – Folks compete to be a celebrity stylist, then we get to follow comedian Margaret Cho around.
  • Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – It’s like Cops but with carjackers.
  • Tabatha’s Salon Takeover (Bravo, 10pm) Series Premiere – Some chick from Shear Genius tries to turn salons around.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC primetime coverage includes track & field, women’s diving, and men’s beach volleyball finals.

Friday

  • Discovery Project Earth (DSC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Can scientists come up with the way to save the earth, hear what they have to say here.
  • Who Are you Wearing (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – I think this is kind of like Project Runway.
  • Jeffrey Ross (Com, 11:30pm) – A comedy central special of Ross doing No Offense Live from New Jersey.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC primetime coverage includes men’s diving and track & field.

Saturday

  • Olympic Roundup – NBC day and evening overage includes women’s basketball finals, women’s volleyball finals, rhythmic gymnastics, synchro swimming, boxing, canoe/kayak, men’s marathon, track & field, and diving.

Sunday

  • Law & Order: CI (USA, 9pm) Season Finale – This is actually the one of these I don’t watch, though I like Mr. Big better than D’Onofrio.
  • Generation Kill (HBO, 9pm) Miniseries finale – Does this mean the war is over?
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC day and evening coverage includes men’s waterpolo finals, rhythmic gymnastics, boxing, men’s volleyball finals, and the Closing Ceremonies.
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sports, tv

next week 8/11

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Sesame Street (PBS, 7am) Season Premiere – Feist and Jack Black hang out on the street, I’ve always wanted to visit the street.
  • Greek (ABC Fam, 6pm) – For those of you who may have missed out on this fun light show about some folks in the fraternities and sororities you can catch a first season ep every night this week at 6 starting with the pilot.
  • The Mole (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – I’m sure I noted when this show started up again but I didn’t realize this show was still on.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC evening coverage has medals for swimming, men’s team gymnastics, and men’s synchro 10m diving, as well as some prelim beach volleyball.

Tuesday

  • Samantha Who? (ABC, 9/9:30pm) – For another funny show that you may have missed, catch Christina Applegate waking up with amnesia from the start.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC evening coverage has medals for swimming, women’s team gymnastics, and women’s synchro 10m diving, as well as some prelim beach volleyball.

Wednesday

  • Olympic Roundup – NBC evening coverage has medals for swimming, men’s individual all around gymnastics, and men’s 3m synchro diving as well as some prelim beach volleyball and women’s road cycling.

Thursday

  • Olympic Roundup – NBC evening coverage has medals for swimming and women’s individual all around gymnastics as well as beach and indoor volleyball.

Friday

  • Star Stories (BBC, 9:20pm) Series Premiere – Comedians reenact the stories behind the stars stories.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC evening coverage has medals for swimming, men’s shotput, as well as track and field, beach and indoor volleyball.

Saturday

  • Instant Beauty Pageant (Style, 9pm) Season Premiere – This is where The View’s first young one Debbie is… regular gals do a pageant in the mall.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC coverage of basketball, cycling, rowing, badminton, water polo, beach volleyball, trampoline, track and field, diving, and of course swimming.

Sunday

  • Skins (BBC, 9/10pm) Series Premiere – It’s a coming of age story…
  • Bob Saget Roast (Com, 10pm) – Get ready for lots of inappropriate Mk and A Olsen jokes.
  • Kung Fu Killer (Spike, 10pm) Miniseries – Did someone say David Carradine and Kung Fu? this two part series wraps tomorrow night.
  • Olympic Roundup – NBC coverage of cycling, rowing, badminton, table tennis, equestrian, indoor and beach volleyball, track and field, diving, and individual gymnastics events.
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sports, tv

next week 8/4

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Teen Choice Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Miley Cyrus is hosting this year and as I understand it is having a dance off with her crew but has rejected the offer of a girl kiss.
  • I Want to Work for Diddy (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – Diddy is adding to his television empire.
  • Nashville Star (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – I’m torn between the hispanic country guy with a great twang and the big voiced mom though overall better talent than AI, not that I actually listen to country music, oh and that Billy Ray Cyrus is maybe the stiffest host I’ve seen in my life.
  • New York Goes to Hollywood (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – I Love New York didn’t make her a big enough celebrity so now she’s conquering Hollywood, or not.
  • Luke’s Parental Advisory (VH1, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Luke Campbell is family man and rowdy rap mogul.

Tuesday

  • Million Dollar Listing (Bravo, 11pm) Series Premiere – Follow a sale from listing to close with undoubtedly some personalities.

Wednesday

  • Hard Knocks (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere – Training camp with the Dallas Cowboys returns.
  • Man vs. Wild (Dsc, 10pm) Season Premiere – Bear hits the Mexican desert and faces off with the elements, and bees.

Thursday

  • Last Comic Standing (NBC, 8pm) Season Finale – Let’s hope this one’s funny.
  • So You Think You Can Dance (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – The final dancer is picked, and the Jonas Brothers perform.
  • Bill Engvall Show/My Boys (TBS, 9/9:30/10pm) Season Finales – Hijinks and humor as the seasons wrap.
  • Hopkins (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – And the folks at the hospital keep doing what they do.

Friday

  • Summer Olympics (NBC, 8pm 7:30pm) – The opening ceremony kicks off the NBC coverage though soccer starts the previous Wed on MSNBC, additional coverage on CNBC, USA and some Oxygen and goes for three weeks of the world’s finest in sports.

Saturday

  • Damages (Fx, 7am) Marathon – In case you missed out on all or part of this first season you can catch the full 13 episode season marathon.
  • Primeval (BBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Rips in the fabric of time seem to let prehistoric critters loose so evolutionary zoologist and his team are on it.

Sunday

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, 9pm) – Catch up on last season’s show that grew on me with a different ep Sunday through Wed at 9, starting with the pilot.
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sports, tv

next week 7/28

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • The Recruiter (HBO, 9pm) – This week’s special focuses on an army recruiter in a time where recruiting is probably not the easiest thing.

Tuesday

  • Eureka (Scifi, 9pm) Season Premiere – Another season of the wacky weird science geniuses getting out of control accidentally or on purpose and the sheriff who tries to keep it all together.

Wednesday

  • Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil (Com, 10:30) Season Premiere – Who is more evil, ultimate fighters or bloggers?

Thursday

  • Hopkins (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – I guess it’s more on the patients and staff of Johns Hopkins, but really I don’t believe the commercials that this is what the cast of Grey’s is watching now.

Friday

  • Dr Who (Scifi, 8:30pm) Season Finale – The fourth season wraps up featuring characters from spinoff shows The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood.

Saturday

  • X Games (ABC, sa/su 12pm and ESPN/ESPN2 various times starting Thurs) – Skateboard, bmx, moto x, and rally car this year in LA, but will Jake Brown try the mega ramp again, it should happen on Thursday.

Sunday

  • Girl on the Loose/Sunset Tan (E!, 10pm) Series Debut/Season Premiere – And another reality show where we learn more… this time it’s Pam Anderson, then apparently a show I’ve somehow missed where celebrities go get tan, I sense a crossover episode on the way.
  • The Factory (Spike, 10pm) Season Finale – You can catch up, if you want, with a mini marathon starting at 7:30 to see what these guys have been up to.
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sports, tv

next week 7/21

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New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Wanna Bet (ABC, 9pm) Series Debut – Celebs earn money for charities by betting on the outcome of random people’s random stunts.
  • Heidi Fleiss (HBO, 9pm) – This special takes a look at the would-be madam of crystal.
  • Date My Ex (Bravo, 10pm) – I’ve never caught the Real Housewives of OC but apparently alum Jo De La Rosa is looking for love with her ex Slade Smiley.
  • Legally Blonde the Musical (MTV, 10pm) Season Finale – And a new elle woods is crowned.
  • Breaking Bad (AMC, 12am) – If you missed this series last season they are replaying the pilot episode.

Tuesday

  • Deadliest Catch (Disc, 9/10pm) Season Finale – The finale is followed by a behind the scenes look.
  • How to Look Good Naked (Life, 10pm) Season Premiere – I hope Carson is helping these women with their self esteem issues though I wasn’t all that entertained by the one show I caught.
  • General Hospital: Night Shift (Soap, 11pm) Season Premiere – I’m just including this because we couldn’t figure out what Antonio Sabato Jr had acted in, and apparently this is it.

Wednesday

  • Buzzin’ (MTV, 10:30) Series Debut – Who was saying more reality of nobodies? If you raised your hand, check out Cisco Adler (of dated Mischa Barton fame) doing something somewhat music related.
  • Criss Angel: Mindfreak (A&E, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – I don’t really understand this guy but apparently he does ‘magic, mentalism, and dazzling pyrotechnic effects’.

Thursday

  • Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – I think the answer to that is usually no.

Friday

  • Dale Jr (ESPN, 7pm) Season Finale – Apparently Dale is switching racing teams and we’ve been following right along.

Saturday

  • Beach Volleyball (NBC, sa/su 11:30am) – The Crocs tour stops in Long Beach.

Sunday

  • Tour de France (Vs, 4:30am, and all week leading up to this – also CBS, 10am) – Well they’ve been riding for three weeks and as they ride into Paris who will be wearing yellow? Earlier stages throughout the week on vs. and several times each day but CBS is doing what will probably be a recap and final on Sunday.
  • Shark Week (Disc, 9pm – shows throughout the week) – Mythbusters kicks on shark week doing what they do best, busting myths and these are of course shark related.
  • Mad Men (AMC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Folks do seem to like this period show about ad guys.
  • The Next Food Network Star (Food, 10pm) Season Finale – And a food network star is chosen.
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tv

dr. horrible

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For those of you who somehow missed it, I am a big fan of Joss Whedon (aka creator of the Buffyverse among other things). Well whilst we wait for his next television endeavor, Dollhouse with Eliza Dushku scheduled for midseason, you can still catch some good stuff.

Joss had a little downtime during the strike so he and some of his friends created a supervillian musical. Yes, you read that correctly. Joss has some musical success with the epic episode of Buffy (they were affected by some sort of magic). And he has a fantastic cast with Broadway and How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and Firefly star Nathan Fillion, along with the lovely Felicia Day.

For a limited time only the three parts are available for free viewing online releasing July 15, 17, and 19 at http://drhorrible.com/. Each part looks to be under 15 minutes. They’re only up until midnight Sunday the 20th and following that will be available for a nominal download fee from the likes of itunes and eventually on dvd.

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sports, tv

next week 7/14

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New and notable for the week ahead… live times are noted as pst, always check your local listings.

Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) – Where are they now? Or you can look it up on tvguide.
  • The Closer (TNT, 9pm) Season Premiere – I have been watching reruns of this on TNT and just realized that they are skipping episodes and not showing the whole seasons, now I’m debating whether trying to netflix just the episodes I missed which is kind of a pain, they are doing a marathon throughout the day.
  • Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premieres – I’ve been looking forward to season two of Holly Hunter drinking and sleeping with inappropriate men and dealing with her angel Earl.
  • China’s Stolen Children (HBO, 9pm) – The latest special…

Tuesday

  • The Cleaner (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Benjamin Bratt is a now clean but not problem free addict who helps others get clean, and for some reason has a crew of folks to help him out.
  • From G’s to Gents (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can they make these bad boys go good, a new reality competition was definitely needed to answer that.

Wednesday

  • Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm) Season Premiere – I think the whole gang is back for the new crew of competition.
  • Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – This guy is apparently back with a vengeance.
  • Celebrity Circus (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Wee man, Stacey Dash, and Antonio ‘actor” Sabato Jr. compete for… circus bragging rights.
  • Family Foreman (TV Land, 10pm) Series Premiere – Apparently we need to see more of George Foreman in this reality series.

Thursday

  • The Gong Show (Comedy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Dave Attell (?) hosts the new version of this classic hit of wacky acts.
  • Reality Bites Back (Comedy, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – What could follow the Gong Show better than comedians competing in classic game show feats from gladiators to smarter than a 5th grader.

Friday

  • Monk (USA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Tony Shaloub plays a nutso phobic private detective.
  • Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – A particularly observant guy pretends to be psychic and solves crimes with a buddy.

Saturday

  • Action Sports Tour (NBC, sa/su 1pm – also on USA sa/su 12am) – The Right Guard Open is the Cleveland stop of the Dew Tour.
  • Beach Volleyball (NBC, sa/su 11:30am) – The AVP Crocs Tour shows us the finals from Brooklyn.
  • Skateboarding (CBS, 12pm) – The Maloof Money Cup Championships from Costa Mesa, Ca.
  • And of course you could catch up on more of the tour de france, moving right along…

Sunday

  • High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC, 8pm) Series Debut – Nick Lachey hosts this competition for kids to get into the action of the High School Musical franchise, and I think the winner gets shown in the closing credits.
  • ESPYs (ESPN, 9pm) – Justin Timberlake hosts as they recognize sports achievements throughout the year.
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