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

2 Comments

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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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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sports, tv

next week 7/7

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New and notable this week, live events are typically noted as pst, check your local listings.

Monday

  • Bachelorette (ABC, 810pm) Season Finale – Will DeAnne leave without love once again, or will she join what I think is one other successful Bachelorette in beating the odds? And of course the After the Final Rose following.
  • The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale (HBO, 9pm) – Artist paints and talks and drinks.

Tuesday

  • Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – Gordon Ramsay hasn’t chased all the contestants away?
  • Celebrity Family Feud (NBC, 8pm) – The Hickies and the Camden County Allstars from My Name is Earl compete.
  • Baldwin Hills (BET, 10pm) Season Premiere – Rumor has it this show is like The Hills, which I don’t watch, but apparently the people aren’t quite so vapid.

Wednesday

  • Click & Clack’s As the Wrench Turns (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Car Talk in animation…
  • Scare Tactics (SciFi, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tracy Morgan hosts as they trick folks in a scary and mean way.

Thursday

  • Greatest American Dog (CBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – Well I know a few dog owners who think they know the answer to who is the greatest, not sure what the dogs/owners need to do to prove otherwise.
  • Burn Notice (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – As our ex spy tries to figure out why and by whom he was burned he gets forced to help the folks who did it, with help of sidekicks I’m sure.

Friday

  • Joan of Arcadia (SciFi, 8pm) – Missed this show the first time around or just miss this show, catch the pilot and fall for it again.
  • Flashpoint (CBS, 10pm – replays on Sun) Series Premiere – This elite police unit might not have much going for it but with Mr. Veronica Mars in the cast I’ll at least check it out.
  • Stargate Atlantis (SciFi, 10pm) Season Premiere – Space or water and a portal or stargate, I think.

Saturday

  • Tour de France (VS) – Perhaps today should be a catch up day for the previous week’s nearly 24 hour coverage of the tour, with Stage 8 today.
  • Beach Volleyball (NBC, Sa/Su 11:30/10:30am) – Men and then women compete in the final in the Chicago stop of the AVP Crocs tour.

Sunday

  • Big Brother (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – As we head into season 10 I can vaguely recall tuning into the first season and wondering how they could possibly get people to watch this terribly dull and cheesy show three nights a week, I can be wrong.
  • Foyle’s War (PBS, 10pm) – Masterpiece brings us the fifth round of this series.
  • Miss Universe (NBC, 9pm) – Now the prettiest in the Universe must be prettier than the prettiest in America, either that or they’re now screening super heroes.
  • Generation Kill (HBO, 9pm) – This miniseries kicks off about a Marine Unit heading to Iraq, and though the Entertainment Weekly review notes the initial difficulty in telling the troops apart they warm up to it and give it an A-.
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tv

next week 6/30

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Monday

  • Bachelorette (ABC, 8/9pm) – After the final three go to the Bahamas the ‘Men Tell All’.
  • Wimbledon/Update (NBC, 11:35pm) – For those of you who don’t have enough time or channels to watch all the coverage this is the update time that runs through Friday, you can catch NBC and ESPN2 full coverage throughout the week.

Tuesday

  • Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Fam, 8pm) Series Premiere – Done by folks of 7th Heaven, Molly Ringwald is mom to what looks like a girl who gets pregnant at band camp.

Wednesday

  • 2008 Tour de France Preview (Vs, 1:30pm) – Catch the preview to find out who’s in and who’s out (for drug related and other issues) then catch the tour in nearly 24  hour coverage starting Saturday for Stage 1.
  • Pussycat Dolls Presents (CW, 9pm) – Did you miss this the first time around? Did you care? Check out the fifteen women who started, again.

Thursday

  • Burn Notice (USA, 6:30am) – For those of you who missed season one start with the pilot and get a whole marathon of the first season shows through the evening.
  • CSI (Spike, 9am) – For an alternate marathon option start with the CSI that started it all (in 2000 if you can believe it) and stay put for a day of crime solving.

Friday

  • US Olympic Swimming Trials (NBC, 8pm – Sat 8pm – Sun 7pm) – Lots of events… also shown on USA throughout the previous week.
  • 4th Of July Fireworks (NBC, 9pm – CBS, 10pm) – Macy’s on NBC and Boston Pops on CBS and of course check your local listings or actually go outside for some fireworks near you.

Saturday

  • Beach Volleyball (NBC, 12pm – Sun 1:30pm) – AVP Crocs tour take us to Boulder for the men’s and women’s finals.
  • US Olympic Track Trials (NBC, 2pm – Sun 7pm) – Lots of events here too… also shown on USA throughout the previous week.

Sunday

  • Wimbledon (Sat/Sun, 6am) – Breakfast at Wimbledon with the Championship coverage.
  • I Love Money (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – “Stars” of Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, and I Love New York compete for $250k.
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next week 6/23

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Monday

  • Hard Times at Douglass High (HBO, 9pm) – A follow up on no child left behind.
  • Wimbledon (ESPN2 m-f, NBC s-su) – Can Federer get back in the groove and repeat his victory over Nadal, or will someone else get in the game?

Tuesday

  • BET Awards (BET, 8pm) – DL Hughley honors achievements in sports, music, and entertainment.
  • Celebrity Family Feud (NBC, 8pm) – Celebrities like Ice T, the Rivers, and Wayne Newton guess the most popular answers.
  • Wipeout/I Survived a Japanese Gameshow (ABC, 8/9pm) Series Premiere – Contestants compete in a crazy obstacle course and seem to wipe out in a big tub of mud and then japanese game show… who knows.

Wednesday

  • Baby Borrowers (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Teenage couples take care of babies, while apparently the real parents live next door.
  • Farmer Wants a Wife (CW, 9pm) Season Finale – Farmer picks a wife.
  • Shear Genius (Bravo, 10pm) Season Premiere – I’m going to go with hair cutting competition.

Thursday

  • Hopkins (ABC, 10pm) – This six part documentary takes a look into the lives of some of the staff at Johns Hopkins.

Friday

  • Glaad Media Awards (Bravo, 8pm) – Celebrating the representation of the gay community in the media.
  • Dance Machine (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Each episode features six folks from real life dancing it off.

Saturday

  • Eli Stone (ABC, 10pm) – Catch the first of Eli Stone, what turned out to be a fun show of a lawyer who follows his visions to help folks.

Sunday

  • US Olympic Track Trials (NBC, 7pm) – Run, jump, throw.
  • US Olympic Swimming Trials (NBC, 8pm) – Can Michael Phelps compete in everything?
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next week 6/16

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Monday

  • Middleman (ABC Fam, 8pm) Series Premiere – Based on graphic novels a grad student gets wrapped up in weird occurrences.
  • Resolved (HBO, 9pm) – Doc that follows some high school debating.
  • Intervention (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – This follows different individuals through their addiction and hope for recovery.
  • Weeds (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – I hear she sells pot.
  • Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Show, 10:30) Series Premiere – Follow a london high class call girl through both her working and non working times.

Tuesday

  • AFI’s 10 top 10 (CBS, 8pm) – Showing the 10 best films of 10 different genres.
  • America’s Got Talent (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – David Hasselhoff is one of the judges, last year I think they picked a ventriloquist.
  • Tori & Dean (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – Did they give up on the Inn?

Wednesday

  • Black Gold (Tru, 10pm) Series Premiere – This is apparently like the Deadliest Catch, it’s a tough job.

Thursday

  • Penn & Teller: Bullshit (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think that one guy still doesn’t talk.
  • America’s Best Dance Crew (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – If you like a dance show…

Friday

  • Daytime Emmy Awards (ABC, 8pm) – So why aren’t the daytime emmys shown during the daytime?
  • Camp Rock (Disney, 8pm) – This is something along the lines of High School Musical targeting that great tween audience.

Saturday

  • AST Dew Tour – Panasonic Open (NBC, 11am also Sun 10am – check your local listings) – The action sports tour kicks up again with skateboards, dirt bikes, fmx and more.
  • US Olympic Gymnastic Trials (NBC, 8pm also sat 1:30pm and Sun 7pm) – Get ready to ramp up for the olympic seasons, as I understand it these strong tiny people just try to stick it.

Sunday

  • US Olympic Diving Trials (NBC, 12pm – also sat 12:30pm) – No splash = good.
  • Two Coreys (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – From the previews it looks like they keep putting them together and making them fight.
  • Inspector Lewis (PBS, 9pm check local listings) Season Premiere – Masterpiece brings some murder investigations.

Times noted are pst, some sporting events are live so check your local listings.

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next week 6/9

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Monday

  • Greek (ABC Fam, 8pm) Season Finale – I think they might be going into season three still in the same college year, that’s the way to keep them in school forever.
  • Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (HBO, 9pm) – A doc on the director, his films, and yes his fleeing the US after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old, including a new interview with the victim.
  • Nashville Star (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Billy Ray hosts what I can only assume is a country style american idol.

Tuesday

  • Independent Lens: Cool School (PBS, 11pm – check local listings) – Looking back on story of curator Walter Hopps and the Ferus Gallery art scene launching artists in the 50-60s.

Wednesday

  • Celebrity Circus (NBC, NBC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Seven ‘celebrities,’ including now famous for being on reality tv Christopher Knight among others, learn some fine circus tricks.
  • Men in Trees (ABC, 10pm) Series Finale – Looks like the gang sends off the series with a talent show, can’t wait, ok won’t watch.
  • Top Chef (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – I guess we pick the chef who is tops.

Thursday

  • Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List (Bravo, 9pm) Season Premiere – Rolling into season four we follow Kathy Griffin and her D list adventures in this unscripted show.
  • Bill Engvall Show/My Boys (TBS, 9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – A guy and his family/a girl, four guys, and a sports bar – let the humor begin. (They are replaying one of last season’s eps of BES on CBS on Mon/8pm)

Friday

  • Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 10pm) Season Finale – I’m only on season one on dvd so who knows what’s going on at this point with the space caravan and the cylons.

Saturday

  • Dana Carvey: Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies (HBO, 10pm) – Carvey’s first HBO special in a while has him making the jokes and doing the impressions.

Sunday

  • Tony Awards (CBS, 8pm) –  Whoopi Goldberg hosts, and she’s supposed to be wearing something designed by Runway’s Christian, I haven’t hit the NY Broadway scene this year so can’t comment on the plays.
  • TV Land Awards (TVLand, 9pm) – If you don’t want to watch the Tonys but you still want an award show…
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tv

summer drought

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sgrace.jpg

Aside from continued reality and game shows, is there anything new coming this summer? Well if you have cable you’re not without hope, and there’s even one or two for you network kids… Here’s a couple of things I’m mostly looking forward to:

Sunday, June 1
In Plain Sight (10 p.m., USA) Series Premiere – This premiered last night though I have yet to watch, and it does repeat throughout the week (yeah for cable repeats), but I miss a good fresh procedural so I’m excited to see Mary McCormack as a US Marshall dealing with folks in witness protection.

Tuesday, June 3
30 Days (Fx, 10pm) Season Three – I actually have yet to catch this show but I’m intrigued by the premise, ‘Supersize Me’ guy (and other designated folks) walks the walk in this reality take on 30 days in the life of people from minimum wage workers to white supremacists to coal miners.

Thursday, June 5
Swingtown (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – I’ve read some good and bad of this show about a couple who moves into a swinging 70s neighborhood, it’s either an interesting look at the 70s sexuality and politics or it’s just trashy and superficial, either way could be worth a look.

Fear Itself (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This could be as dreadful as last season’s ‘Masters of Science Fiction’ but they’ve got some good talent lined up to do standalone episodes, and perhaps they might even be scary, so probably inconsistent but maybe some gems.

Thursday, July 10
Burn Notice (USA, 10pm) Season Two – I’ve been catching up on this in repeats and though I initially dismissed this ex spy guy as a stiff and predictable, I found the camp and the characters grew on me, fluffy is fine for summer.

Thursday, July 11
Flashpoint (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – I have no reason to expect this to be any more than a burned off summer series but I give network stuff a chance during the summer, so this Emergency Task Force drama is worth a shot.

Monday, July 14
The Closer/Saving Grace (TNT, 9/10pm) Seasons Two – Here are a couple of leading ladies who know how to entertain, Kyra Sedgewick is a deputy chief running a special unit cracking down on crime making things happen with her interrogation skills while Holly Hunter is a cop who won’t stop fighting crime unless she’s getting drunk, sleeping with inappropriate men, or talking to her special guardian angel, I can’t wait.

Sunday, July 27
Mad Men (AMC, 10pm) Season Two – I initially skipped this show as the thought of watching a show about advertising… lets just say I get enough of that in my day job, but folks they are a raving, so much that I’m tempted to check it out. Fortunately they’re doing a season 1 marathon 7/20 12pm.

Tuesday, July 29
Eureka (Sci Fi, 9pm) Season Three – I caught this show in the first season and was entertained by this secret super scientist community, it’s quirky characters, and the hijinks that ensue, while of course the not super scientist sheriff needs to help keep it all together.

Other summer series:
Charlie Jade (June 6, SciFi, 8pm), Army Wives (June 8, Life, 10pm), The Bill Engvall Show/My Boys (June 12, TBS, 9/9:30pm), The Middleman (June 16, ABC Fam, 8pm), Monk/Psych (July 10, USA, 9/10pm), Stargate Atlantis (July 11, Sci Fi, 10pm), The Cleaner (July 15, A&E, 10pm), Weeds/Secret Diary of a Call Girl (June 16, Show, 10/10:30pm), Primeval (Aug 9, BBC, 9pm)

For most of the rest you’ll have to wait ’til fall but for those of you who asked: Dexter season three premiere is currently scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 28, with season two now available for download on iTunes and on dvd Aug. 19. And Flight of the Conchords isn’t scheduled until 2009 though the dvd for season one is out. And of course these dates may change, I’ll continue to check in on premier dates on ‘next week’ posts.

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next week 6/2

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Monday

  • Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – I assume this is like where they looked for the new leads in Grease.
  • The Mole (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s reality, it’s a competition, does anyone care?

Tuesday

  • 30 Days (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere – Morgan Spurlock returns to 30 days in the lives of others starting with coal mining.

Wednesday

  • She’s Got the Look (TVLand, 10pm) Season Premiere – Ladies over 35 do their own version of ANTM.

Thursday

  • NBA Finals (ABC, 6pm/pst) – The series starts tonight.
  • Fear Itself (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A host of directors, actors, and writers create episodes for this series of suspense and horror shows.
  • Swingtown (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – A new couple moves to a Chicago suburb where the 70s are in full swing.

Friday

  • French Open (NBC, 10am/pst and s/su 6am/pst) – Wrapping up another fortnight of tennis following ESPN2 coverage throughout the week.
  • Charlie Jade (Scifi, 8pm) Series Premiere – A rogue PI deals with mysteries and parallel universes.
  • Meerkat Manor (Animal, 9pm) Season Premiere – Last season’s posters made the meerkats look like the sopranos, I haven’t seen any this season.

Saturday

  • America’s Best Dance Crew (MTV, 2/4:30pm) – The casting special is followed by some performances, the real competition starts on Thursday.
  • Sybil (CBS, 8pm) – Not sure that Sally Field’s multiple personalities need to be revisited in an update but here it is.

Sunday

  • When We Left the Earth: The Nasa Missions (Disc, 9pm) – This special presentation kicks off the multi part series.
  • L&O: Criminal Intent (USA, 9pm) – Returning from strike hiatus as Vincent D’Onofrio returns from a break, probably because Big is promoting Sex and the City.
  • Army Wives (Life, 10pm) Season Premiere – I got the impression this was wives of people in the army, but maybe it’s women in the army who are wives… maybe it’s both.
  • This American Life (Show, 10pm) Season Finale – Ira’s talking to guys named John Smith.
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