next week 2/2

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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next week 1/19

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

Monday

  • Australian Open (ESPN2, 12:30am, through next week*) – The open continues!
  • Electric Company (PBS, 3:30pm*) – A new generation of whatever it was this show did.
  • House (Fox, 8pm) – If you’re not a season pass sort of person you should note the new time and rumor has it we will eventually see more of the original casties Cameron and Chase.
  • Will Work for Food (Food, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Next Food Network star competitor Adam Gertler checks out food related jobs.
  • Momma’s Boys (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will the mommas and the boys agree on their romantic choices?

Tuesday

  • Inauguration (Check Your Local Listings*) – This looks like it goes on all day and night but as I understand it the actual oath taking and inaugural address happen around noon DC time.
  • Tour Down Under (Vs, 1pm*) – Lance is back and you can check him out in this tour that runs through Sunday.

Wednesday

  • Lost (ABC, 8/9pm, repeats Saturday) Season Premiere – Recapping the previous seasons at 8 then the two hour premiere at 9, I’m kind of curious as to when we’ll be and whether we’ll be doing flash backs or forwards.
  • Lie to Me (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – If you’re down with The Mentalist, Monk, and/or Psych, this latest guy with great observational skills put Tim Roth in the lie detector seat.

Thursday

  • Winter X Games (ESPN, 6pm, ESPN2, ABC*) – The stars of snow compete in Aspen through Sunday.
  • Bones (Fox, 8/9pm) – New time slot for our crime solving duo and the squints.
  • Burn Notice (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Our ousted spy is still trying to get answers while helping people in this mostly cheesy but fun caper show.

Friday

  • Wolverine and the X-Men (Nicktoons, 8/8:30pm) Series Premiere – Nothing much going on a friday night so I have stooped to noting cartoons.

Saturday

  • Gone Country (CMT, 8pm) Season Premiere – Non country folks like Justin Guarini and Micky Dolenz try out their country chops.
  • Miss America Live (TLC, 8pm) – Being on The Learning Channel I might think Miss America would teach me something.
  • US Figure Skating Championship (NBC, 9pm) – If you’re down with the tiny girls spinning around…

Sunday

  • SAG Awards (TNT, 8pm) – Film and TV actors honor each other.
  • The Last Templar (NBC, 9pm) – The miniseries continues on Monday as Mira Sorvino and Scott Foley do the sort of find the secret museumy, archaeological kind of thing.

* Check your local times.

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next week 1/12

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

Monday

  • Kyle XY (ABCFam, 9pm) Season Premiere – Kyle might be in love, trouble must follow as his lady friend gets kidnapped.

Tuesday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm – also Wed at 8pm) Season Premiere – This season we’ve added a judge as we start with the cattle call of terrible songsters.

Wednesday

  • Lost (ABC, 8pm) – Last season’s finale reminds us how confused we were last season.
  • Friday Night Lights (DirTV, 9pm) Season Finale – The kids create drama on and off the field.

Thursday

  • CSI (CBS, 9pm) – Say goodbye to Grissom.
  • Saw for Hire (TLC, 9pm) Series Premiere – A tree removal service is the latest reality focus, yes you read that right, tree removal.
  • The Beast (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Patrick Swayze is veteran undercover cop taking his new partner through the paces.
  • Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – The crews, they are a dancing.
  • Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House (VH1, 10pm) Series Debut – If you were addicted to Celebrity Rehab this might be the next step in your addiction.
  • Treasure Quest (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ready to explore ship wrecks?

Friday

  • Friday Night Lights (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – For those of you who missed the direct tv version, season 3 is kicking off network style.
  • Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9pm) Season Premiere – The final season continues the cylon battle.

Saturday

  • Solitary (Fox Real, 9pm) Season Premiere – They volunteer for torture on television, in solitary.

Sunday

  • Australian Open (ESPN2, 4pm) – Day one of the first tennis slam of the season, because today is tomorrow in Australia.
  • The Mentalist (CBS, 9pm) – Don’t miss a new episode of Simon Baker on a special night.
  • Big Love (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – The polygamists are back for another season.
  • United States of Tara (Show, 10pm) Series Premiere – Toni Collette stars as a housewife with personality disorder, written by Juno’s Diablo Cody.
  • Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Show, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – What happens when you mistake a regular guy for a client?
  • Flight of the Conchords (10pm) Season Premiere – The boys are back with songs and general hilarity!
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next week 1/5

New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – For those of you who missed the really nice guy with the kid from the Bachelorette… he gets to pick now.
  • The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Fam, 8pm) Season Premiere – I really tried to like this cheesy show but I just couldn’t groove with the bad characters and clunky dialogue.
  • Masters of Illusion (MNT, 10pm) Series Premiere – Illusions will happen.
  • Diettribe (Life, 10pm) Series Premiere – The ladies put it on together, and the ladies will take it off together.
  • True Beauty (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere -Vanessa Minnillo hosts this latest elimination series where it looks like shallow pretty folks are judged on inner beauty.
  • Daddy’s Girls (MTV, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – This is apparently a spin off of Run’s House, and I don’t know what that is either.

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – And the losing continues, this round is couples.
  • Homeland Security USA (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – I think this is kind of like an infomercial for homeland security.
  • Scrubs (ABC, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – A new network and Courtney Cox takes over where Kelso left off, at least for now.
  • Vice Squad (MNT, 9/9:30pm) Series Premiere – Like Cops but for Vice.
  • Nip/Tuck (FX, 11pm) Season Premiere – And the guys keep doing what they do.
  • Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think they cruelly make people witness awkward or illegal situations to see what they would do.
  • Wreckreation Nation (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Lawnmower racing and alligator wrestling are just a sample of things to come.
  • 10 Items or Less (TBS, 11pm) Season Premiere – Scripted and improved grocery store humor.

Wednesday

  • 13: Fear is Real (CW, 8pm) Series Premiere – Folks have now volunteered to be scared in this elimination show.
  • People’s Choice Awards (CBS, 9pm) – The people have chosen.
  • Barbara Walters Special (ABC, 10pm) – Patrick Swayze has a new cable series coming out and talks about that and his cancer.
  • Damages (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere – Folks dig this Glen Close legal thriller but I never got on board.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s the 21st season and they’re heading to Brooklyn.
  • Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (TBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – He started with House of Payne but here’s the latest.

Thursday

  • Dragon’s Den (BBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Folks pitch ideas to multimillionaires.
  • Critic’s Choice Awards (VH1, 8:30/9pm) – Red carpet followed by the awards themselves as the critics pick.
  • Greg Behrendt’s Wake-Up Call (Soap, 10pm) Series Premiere – Couples get help from Greg on their relationships.
  • Snapped (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think they look at photos of crimes.

Friday

  • Howie Do It (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – I didn’t get Mandel’s Deal or No Deal and I don’t get these pull a prank on people shows.
  • Flashpoint (CBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – This Strategic Response Unit ‘cop show’ is a decent procedural that’s back for another round.
  • Lipstick Jungle (NBC, 9pm) Series Finale – The ladies wrap thier run with a little more drama and lipstick.
  • Monk/Psych (USA, 9/10pm) Season Premiere(s) – The oddball crimefighters are back.
  • Stargate Atlantis (Scifi, 9pm) Series Finale – Will they stop the threat to earth, is there a threat to earth?

Saturday

  • Winter Dew Tour (NBC/USA, Sat/Sun, 2/12am, 1:30/1pm) – The winter action sports series is kickin’ it in Mount Snow Vt.
  • My Big Redneck Wedding (CMT, 9pm) Season Premiere – Tom Arnold lends a sarcastic line or two to these trashy weddings.
  • CMT Cribs (CMT, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – MTV cribs is doing it country-style.

Sunday

  • Golden Globe Awards (NBC, 7/8pm) – The Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out tv and movie honors.
  • 24 (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Jack’s back in some sort of fix, for hours.
  • Toolacademy (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ladies send their boyfriends to get some coaching to be less of a tool.
  • Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 11pm) – Top ten things you need to know… I am still only up to season 2.
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next week 12/29

New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Greatest Holiday Moments (NBC, 8pm) – Think funniest home videos holiday style. 
  • Bromance/The City (MTV, 9/10pm) Series Premiere(s)– A couple kids from The Hills spin off their own gigs, first Brody Jenner looks for a new beaux Paris Hilton style and then Whitney Port leaves the west coast to make it in the big apple.

Tuesday

  • Burn Notice (USA, 6am-4pm) – This fun campy no-longer-a-spy spy show set in Miami gives a little marathon to catch you up.
  • Kennedy Center Honors (CBS, 9pm) – Caroline Kennedy host the honoring of Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand, Twyla Tharp, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry.

Wednesday

  • Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest (ABC, 10pm) Ryan and Dick bring along Fergie and Kellie Pickler to help correspond with all the activity.
  • New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (NBC, 10pm) – Will this be more or less rockin’ than Dick and Ryan’s?
  • New Year’s Eve Live (Fox, 11pm) – Spike Feresten and Mark Thompson don’t even get their names in the title.

Thursday

  • Tournament of Roses Parade – Check your local listings for the various showings of this flower filled parade.

Friday

  • If you’re desperate Lipstick Jungle is new, I’m not that desperate…

Saturday

  • Game Show in My Head (CBS, 8/8:30pm) Series Premiere – Folks are foolish in public by following instructions via earpiece.

Sunday

  • Rock of Love Charm School (VH1, 7pm) – It’s the reunion show which might be good for some hair pulling.
  • Confessions of a Teen Idol (VH1, 8pm) Series Premiere – 80s and 90s teen idols give us a little insight, or something.
  • Rock of Love (VH1, 9pm) Season Premiere – Still no love for Bret, so this season the ladies are going on tour with him… will he find ‘the one’, or are we just casting for another Charm School?
  • Superstars of Dance (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Folks from all over the world compete.
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next week 12/22

New and notable in the week ahead…

Monday

  • Today Looks Back (NBC, 8pm) – The Today Show stays up to prime time to give us a look back.

Tuesday

  • A Home for the Holidays (CBS, 8pm) – Faith Hill and the gang raise adoption awareness.
  • Rediscovered (ABC, 9pm) – Donny and Marie give some folks who put their hats in the ring as child stars another shot.
  • The List (ABC, 10pm) – Entertainment lists galore.

Wednesday

  • It’s a Wonderful Life (NBC, 8pm) – Jimmy Stewart does it again.
  • The Flight Before Christmas/Story of Santa Clause (CW, 8/9pm) – A reindeer does some test flights with flying squirrels before we learn how Nick got his start.

Thursday

  • Yule Log – Check your local listings.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday

  • Not a lot new or holiday related going on after the 25th so get some dvds ready.
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next week 12/15

Monday

  • Chuck/Heroes/My Own Worst Enemy (NBC, 8/9/10pm) Season Finales – Heroes is noted as fall finale and Enemy is leaving for good.
  • Terminator (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – Will anyone be terminated?
  • I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Lucy and Linus’ brother ReRun kicks it up a notch for the holidays.
  • Drama High (ABC, 9pm) – The making of high school musical, sorry that’s not the high school musical, it’s some high school putting on the Wiz.
  • Intervention (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – This series kicks off following a 50 year old woman who suffers seizures if she tries to stop drinking.

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Finale – It’s always heartwarming to see how far they’ve come, if you like that sort of thing.
  • Momma’s Boys (NBC, 10pm) Series Finale – 32 women, 3 bachelors, and yes 3 moms who help out the selection.

Wednesday

  • A Muppets Christmas (NBC, 8pm) – Will the muppets get the letters to Santa?
  • Life (NBC, 9pm) Season Finale – Zen principals might not be enough to solve crime, save your friends, and get justice in corrupt conspiracies?

Thursday

  • Million Dollar Password (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Can Aisha Tyler kick William Shatner out of the spotlight.

Friday

  • Greatest Holiday Moments (NBC, 8pm) – A countdown of tv and film moments.

Saturday

  • WWE Tribute to the Troops (NBC, 9pm) – Wrestlers can bring up anyone’s spirits.

Sunday

  • The Shift (Inves, 10pm) Series Premiere – A docuseries that follows homicide detectives.
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next week 12/8

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

Monday

  • Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – The gang puts on a holiday pageant.
  • Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm) Series Finale – I never got into this Practice spinoff but it’s had a good run.

Tuesday

  • Olive the Other Reindeer/Santa’s Funniest Moments (MNT, 9/10pm) – Reindeer games and outtakes.
  • Manhunters (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Follow the US Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force hunt down the ‘worst of the worst’.
  • A Shot at Love (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tila Tequila has been replaced by bisexual twins being courted by both men and women.

Wednesday

  • Little Spirit: Christmas in NY (NBC, 8pm) – This animated holiday special tells a tale of magical spirits in NY.

Thursday

  • Sarah Silverman Program (Com, 10:30pm) Season Finale – What will Sarah get up to now?

Friday

  • Greatest Holiday Moments (NBC, 8pm) – Songs of the season countdown.
  • Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/The Flight Before Christmas (CBS, 8/8:30/9pm) – More Frosty! and a reindeer.
  • The Family Entertainment Awards (CW, 9pm) – Formerly known as the Family Television Awards, it now touches on family friendly entertainment in tv, movies, and video games.

Saturday

  • MADtv’s Best of Christmas Sketches (Fox, 11pm) – If you like a holiday sketch here you go.

Sunday

  • Survivor (CBS, 8/10pm) Season Finale – The reunion special kicks in at 10.
  • Dexter/Califronication (Show, 9/10pm) Season Finales – And another season down, does this mean I need to wait a whole year for another Dexter?
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next week 12/1

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

Monday

  • Shrek the Halls/How the Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC, 8/8:30pm) – It’s after thanksgiving so I’m ready to embrace the new season, ho ho ho! 
  • Privileged (CW, 9pm) – This Monday night slot with reruns in the usual Tuesday at 9 gives folks more opportunity to dig this simple but delightful premise of girl trying to do right by spoiled kids, business mogul grandmother, her own imperfect family, and some hot dudes.
  • Samantha Who? (ABC, 9/9:30pm) – Dancing with the Stars is done and Samantha rocks a whole hour this week, who wants to bet her good intentions turn humorous?

Tuesday

  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town  (ABC, 8pm) – Yes he is.
  • 2008 World Music Awards (MNT, 9pm) – I don’t know, yet another music awards show where Beyonce performs.
  • According to Jim (ABC, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – Really this show is still on?
  • Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (MTV, 9/10pm) – The finale and the reunion special, I wonder if Nichole Ritchie paid her to find someone else?
  • Bad Girls Club (Oxy, 11pm) Season Premiere – More ‘bad girls’ move in to make a ruckus.
  • Shatner’s Raw Nerve (Bio, 11/11:30pm) Series Premiere – William Shatner kicks off the first two eps of his interview show with Valerie Bertinelli and Tim Allen.

Wednesday

  • Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC, 8pm) – Al Roker and Jane Krakowski host the annual tree lighting with lots of celebrity guests.
  • Secret Millionaire (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – It sounds like rich folks work alongside less rich folks before giving them some cash in this latest reality offering.
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Grammy Nominations Concert/Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (CBS, 8/910pm) – A little something for everyone.
  • The Contender (Vs, 10pm) Season Premiere – Another round of contenders.
  • Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – A couple of reruns lead up to the season premiere.

Thursday

  • Barbara Walters (ABC, 10pm) – This year’s ten most fascinating people.

Friday

  • Greatest Holiday Moments (NBC, 8pm) – I think there should be some claymation on the list.
  • Lipstick Jungle (NBC, 9pm) – Is this new timeslot where this show has been sent to die?

Saturday

  • Crusoe (NBC, 8pm) – Crusoe and Friday are still on the island but now they’re there on Saturday.

Sunday

  • The Amazing Race (CBS, 8pm) Season Finale – The remaining teams head to Portland and a couple folks get the dough.
  • House of Saddam (HBO, 9/10pm) – The first parts of a four part miniseries.
  • Leverage (TNT, 10pm) Series Premiere -Timothy Hutton heads a crew of thieves who steal from the rich, I love a good heist show, I have no idea if this is a good heist show.
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next week 11/24

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

Monday

  • Andy Warhol’s Party People (Ovation, 8pm) – This miniseries kicks off with interviews about the gang.

Tuesday

  • Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC, 8pm – and Thursday) – Snoopy and the gang give thanks.
  • Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 9pm) Season Finale -Looks like it’s down to Brooke Burke, Warren Sapp, and Lance Bass.
  • Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo, 10pm) Season Premiere -This original housewives show returns for another season of the ladies.
  • The Shield (FX, 10pm) Series Finale – This series is supposed to be good but I’ll have to catch it on dvd.

Wednesday

  • Rosie’s Variety Show (NBC, 8pm) – There’s variety…
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx, 10pm) Season Finale -The guys are always on the verge of trouble, ok so they’re always actually in trouble, but I’d love to watch them make it through another season.

Thursday

  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC, 9am) – Matt, Meredith and Al host the floats and whatnot.
  • Purina National Dog Show (NBC, noon) – Love to watch the doggies circle the center ring, though I’m always disappointed if a big fuzzy breed doesn’t win best in show.

Friday

  • Maybe go out to a movie as you recover from your Thanksgiving food hangover.

Saturday

  • Ellen’s Even Bigger Really Big Show (TBS, 9pm) – Ellen hosts a Vegas show.

Sunday

  • Party Monsters (E, 6pm) Series Premiere – This competition show has 9 party planners try to throw the ultimate party in Cabo. 
  • Britz (BBC, 7:30pm) – This miniseries follows British born Pakistani brother and sister have different reactions to London’s 7/7.
  • Cheech and Chong Roasted (TBS, 10pm) – Let the pot jokes commence.
  • Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood (E, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – I can’t believe there’s already been a season of this.
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