thursday
With the new season upon us, it’s now safe to assume all talk shows and primetime network series I mention are new unless I specifically state that they’re reruns.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon continues today on TNN.
Steve Zahn is a guest on The Rosie O’Donnell Show (syndicated, check your local listings).
Best Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 5pm) episode title ever: “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky.” Plus: it’s a McCoy episode!
Armin Shimerman makes his first appearance as Principal Snyder in “The Puppet Show” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 6pm; tomorrow at 3pm). Warning: this episode features a scary puppet. I’m just sayin’.
Word of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. reaches Vietnam in the “Promised Land” episode of China Beach (History Channel, 6pm).
Good sci-fi reruns, Monday – Thursday: Babylon 5 (Sci-Fi, 6pm, letterboxed) and Farscape (Sci-Fi, 7pm).
Get psyched for C.S.I. with two episodes of Secrets of Forensic Science (TLC, 6pm, 7pm). The 7pm episode is new.
It’s the Nick News (Nick, 7pm-8pm) tenth anniversary special. Linda Ellerbee hosts, of course. Going over some of the best stories of the last ten years.
Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) deal with the death of Prue and the loss of the “power of three” only to discover they have a half sister (played by Rose McGowan) in the two-hour season premiere of Charmed (WB, 7pm-9pm).
More post-wedding hijinks on Friends (NBC, 7pm) as Chandler misplaces the film from the wedding, Monica wants to open wedding gifts, and everyone wants to know who the father is of Rachel’s baby.
Back to back new episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway (ABC, 7pm and 7:30pm).
Alumni of the first two Survivor series meet to recount still more anecdotes and thoughts in the special Suvivor: Countdown to Africa (CBS, 7pm). Are we all over this series yet? Please? (Says she who tried to watch a couple of episodes and just couldn’t make it through an entire episode without wanting to hurt the castaways).
Wow, Inside Schwartz (NBC, 7:30pm) is already going to the “misplaced videotape of two characters having sex” plot in their second episode. I thought the pilot episode of this show was pretty lame, but there were more lines that made me laugh than I thought there would be. Note: this is a not a recommendation that you watch it.
The C.S.I. (CBS, 8pm) team gets to “race against the clock” tonight. Whee!
Someone who used to bully Will joins Will’s new firm on Will & Grace (NBC, 8pm).
Al Roker hosts Tailgating Party (Food Network, 8pm and 11pm). A new special that looks at the phenomenon (and food) of tailgating.
Another new episode of Scrubs (NBC, 8:30pm). The commercials sure try to make it sound like this is the best new sitcom on the air, but I haven’t seen it yet and the commercials thus far have made me cringe. But I’ll try to give it at least one look.
Still more spy hijinks (I mean, drama) on The Agency (CBS, 9pm). Gil Bellows, Gloria Reuben, Will Patton, Rocky Carroll, and Paige Turco star. I haven’t watched the first episode yet so can’t say much about the show thus far.
More new ER (NBC, 9pm). If you’re hooked on this show, you’ll watch. I can’t help it myself even though I know it’s bad for me. By now it’s just fun to tally up how many awful things can happen to the characters and to try and predict each new “shocking twist.” And when the ER will blow up again.
“Party Snacks” are the subject on this week’s installment of Unwrapped (Food Network, 9pm and midnight).
Kate Beckinsdale on The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).
Owen Wilson, Lisa Ling, Ryan Adams on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).
Tim Allen, Jennifer Esposito, Charlotte Church on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).
Jeremy Piven Alert!
Will Ferrell, Jeremy Piven, Remy Zero on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).
Dana Delany, Seth Rogen (of Undeclared), Suzanne Vega on The Late Late Show (CBS, check your local listings).
I’m honestly not sure which episode of Homicide: Life on the Street (Court TV, midnight) airs tonight as the listings seem to differ from what’s actually airing. It might be “Kaddish,” which is a wonderful Munch episode or it might be something else entirely.
