weekend
All talk shows and primetime network series I mention are new episodes unless I say otherwise.
Picks for Saturday and Sunday follow Friday’s picks on this page.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon continues (TNN, all day, all night, all the time).
Sci-Fi marathon du jour: Prey (Sci-Fi, 10am-3pm). Debra Messing does not play Grace. I’m just saying.
McMurphy (Dana Delany) is given leave when her father takes ill so she returns to “The World” on China Beach (History Channel, Noon and 6pm).
“Understanding Islam” is the topic on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Here’s hoping that she gets it right.
Kirk is presumed dead, Spock and McCoy bicker, Uhura is shown out of uniform (and in her quarters), and Chekov screams. C’mon, what more could you want in an episode of Star Trek (Sci-FI, 5pm)? Yeah, it’s “The Tholian Web,” one of my favorites.
I’d been wondering what had happened to The Chronicle (Sci-Fi, 6pm and 2am). Sci-Fi will rerun the first ten episodes on Fridays, and there’ll be a new season of episodes in “early 2002″. Catch a rerun of the pilot episode in case you missed it the first time around. Jon Polito, Chad Willett, Reno Wilson, Rena Sofer, and Curtis Armstrong star in this quirky series about a tabloid that reports on really weird events (that, you know, actually happen). I like it better than Men in Black, oddly enough.
Max is captured by an “exterminator” on Dark Angel (FOX, 7pm).
Anybody remember when Providence (NBC, 7pm) was fun fluff? As opposed to tortured melodrama?
Sisqo plays a vampire (would I make this stuff up?) on the season premiere of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (WB, 7pm).
Ellen protests the opening of “P.J. Knockers,” a new restaurant presumably not unlike Hooters on The Ellen Show (CBS, 7pm). Martin Mull, Cloris Leachman, and Jim Gaffigan also star.
The cool thing about Ally McBeal (FOX, 7pm)? Every so often it surprises you with a touching (yet funny) episode. Like “Boy to the World,” tonight’s rerun. Wilson Cruz (of My So-Called Life), Jennifer Holliday, and Amy Aquino guest star in one of my favorite episodes of the series (well, if I recall correctly, I haven’t seen it since it originally aired).
Julia Sweeney and Fred Willard play the parents of an “offbeat family” in the series premiere of Maybe It’s Me (WB, 7:30pm).
Danny (CBS, 7:30pm) gives his son advice on “how to play it cool at a drinking party,” but I’m guessing things go awry. Daniel Stern stars in what I’m betting will be a very short lived series.
Reba McEntire plays a mother of three kids whose husband leaves her on the series premiere of Reba (WB, 8pm).
Lydia is forced to testify about something or other and two crazy kids plan a secret wedding on That’s Life (CBS, 8pm). Directed by Joanna Kerns (of Growing Pains fame).
All sorts of dark and creepy and soapy things presumably happen on Pasadena (FOX, 8pm).
Johnny and Rita try to break a painter out of jail so he can paint a fake Degas for them in order to help them with some other heist or something on Thieves (ABC, 8pm). John Stamos and Melissa George star. Maybe Tone Loc will be around again this episode. I watched the pilot and well . . . eh. Not much chemistry between the stars and they aren’t very good thieves at all either. Dangit. So unless the thievery and/or banter improves greatly, I won’t be watching much longer.
Cal Ripken Jr. is profiled on a new Biography (A&E, 8pm and midnight).
Bob Saget plays a widowed high school teacher who is raising two kids in the series premiere of Raising Dad (WB, 8:30pm).
Grace has a tough new teacher, Judy asks Jake to work with her on a new project on Once and Again (ABC, 9pm; rerun Sunday night at 10pm on Lifetime). Still one of the best dramas on the air.
A serial killer may be after Det. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) on Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit (NBC, 9pm; rerun next Sunday–not this weekend– at 10pm on USA).
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday (TCM, 10pm).
Joshua Jackson, Tiki Barber, Emo Phillips on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).
Michael Douglas, Jessica Alba, P.O.D. on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).
John Leguizamo, Leelee Sobieski on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).
Mira Sorvino, Simon Baker, Handsome Devil on The Late Late Show (CBS, check your local listings).
Homicide: Life on the Street (Court TV, midnight).
Saturday, October 6, 2001
What could be better than 48 hours of The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Land, 5am Saturday – 5am Monday)? Not much, really. Pop a tape (or eight) in the VCR and record a bunch of episodes for a rainy day, that’s my advice. One of the best shows ever.
Brisco has a big showdown with Bly in the “Bye Bly” episode of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (TNT, 6am). Bruce Campbell his own bad self stars.
The Giant Spider Invasion gets the Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Sci-FI, 8am-10am) treatment.
Andre Braugher, Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, and Rob Lowe are profiled and interviewed in the special Emmy’s Hottest Men (E!, 7:30am).
Laurette (Chloe Webb) gets her big break in the “Chao Ong” episode of China Beach (History Channel, 10am). Nancy Sinatra guest stars in this episode.
Rare robots, Dr. Seuss memorabilia, and John Lennon’s piano on The Incurable Collector (A&E, 10am).
Yes, Virginia, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is airing in syndication in most markets on Saturdays and Sundays. But be warned that the Saturday episodes are third season episodes, whereas the Sunday episodes are first season episodes. So it might be confusing, especially for those new to the series. (syndicated, check your local listings).
Two more first season episodes of Ally McBeal (FX, 3pm and 4pm).
My favorite Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks movie? Joe vs. the Volcano (TNT, 5pm). By far.
Miss the pilot episode of Crossing Jordan (NBC, 7pm)? You can catch it again. Jill Hennessy, Miguel Ferrer, Ken Howard, and others star. Kyle Secor guest stars in the pilot. I thought the pilot episode showed potential, but there were a few things I didn’t buy. Still so far, of the new shows I’ve watched, this is one of the few that I think may last. And may be good enough to earn a spot on the list of shows I’ll watch each week.
Touched By An Angel (CBS, 7pm), Citizen Baines (CBS, 8pm), and The District (CBS, 9pm) all have new episodes. I mention ‘em to help you get to know the new lineup, not because I find any of them particularly worth recommending. Alas.
America’s Most Wanted (FOX, 8pm) is still focused on the search for terrorists.
The “What’s Up Duck” episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 8pm and 11pm). If you get the Food Network and you haven’t yet watched an episode of Good Eats, you really don’t know what you’re missing. I don’t like cooking shows and yet I love this show. Go figure.
NBC is also giving you another chance to check out the first episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm) and UC: Undercover (NBC, 9pm). I suspect the new NBC shows are better than what’s on CBS, but maybe that’s just me.
Joan Osborne on Austin City Limits (PBS, check your local listings).
New episode of Mad TV (FOX, 10pm).
Sean William Scott hosts a new Saturday Night Live (NBC, check your local listings). With musical guest Sum 41.
Val Kilmer stars in Top Secret! (Comedy Central, 11pm; 7am Sunday). A spoof of spy films and Elvis films. Gotta love that. (Well, if you’re me).
Hope and Crosby in The Road To Hong Kong (TCM, 1am). Along with Dorothy Lamour, Peter Sellers, and Joan Collins.
Sunday, October 7, 2001
Don’t trip over the ottoman, just remember that The Dick Van Dyke Show marathon continues all day Sunday (TV Land, 5am Saturday – 5am Monday).
Two more episodes of Duckman (Comedy Central, 6am and 6:30am). Bet it’s a better role for Jason Alexander than Bob Patterson. I’m just saying.
John Patrick Shanley wrote both Moonstruck (TNT, 6am) and Joe vs. the Volcano (TNT, 8:30am). He also directed the latter film. You know what? I really like both movies. So there!
Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (TCM, 9am).
Disney collectibles, cookie jars, Elvis’ handwritten lyrics to “Don’t Be Cruel,” furniture, and music boxes on a new episode of The Incurable Collector (A&E, 11am). Hosted by John Larroquette. It’s a fun show if you collect anything.
E! begins their Live Countdown to the Primetime Emmys (E!, 1pm) already at 1pm. Wow. And it segues right into their Pre-Show (E!, 5pm).
MSNBC Investigates: Attack on America — A Doctor’s Tale (MSNBC, 1pm). It’s the story of a doctor who set up a triage center on September 11th.
Marshmallows are in the spotlight on Unwrapped (Food Network, 1:30pm).
Rob Reiner hosts a movie Essential of all movie essentials: Citizen Kane (TCM, 5pm).
Expect something completely different from this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards (CBS, 7pm). Much delayed after the events of September 11th. And changed. Will be broadcast from L.A. and from the Late Night studio in New York City. Some nominees have said they won’t be there at all, in some weird form of protest that I don’t quite understand. Supposedly the dress code will be business-y and not all formal-like. Going to be a more somber affair. I think they’ve gone overboard in somber-ing it up, but what do I know? I do know that they should still be handing out Emmy awards. Do we even remember the nominees anymore? I guess that’s what that E! coverage is for (among, um, other things).
New episodes of Doc (PAX, 7pm) and Strong Medicine (Lifetime, 7pm).
Still bitter that Buffy didn’t get any Emmy nominations? Then forget that Emmy broadcast and watch Alyson Hannigan visit New Guinea on Celebrity Adventures (E!, 7pm) and watch the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer (E!, 8pm) special (that ran for the first time last week).
The Learning Channel has a new series called “Hyperspace,” which begins airing Sunday night: Hyperspace: Life (TLC, 7pm-8pm; 10pm-11pm) is about how solar systems are created, Hyperspace: Survival (TLC, 8pm-9pm; 11pm-midnight) is about what might happen if a black hole hit a solar system (eek!), and Hyperspace: Destiny (TLC, 9pm-10pm; midnight-1am) is about a “possible escape route into deep space” that could be used if the “Earth, sun, and solar system” vanished or were threatened (again: eek!).
Oh yeah, new specials: World’s Most Extreme Homes (HGTV, 7pm) and Extreme Garages (HGTV, 8pm). Followed by a rerun of Living on the Edge (HGTV, 9pm).
New installment of Band of Brothers (HBO, 8pm).
Used to be network series would air reruns against the Emmys, but this is an odd year. New episodes of Alias (ABC, 8pm) and The Practice (ABC, 9pm) air against the broadcast. As well as new episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm) and UC: Undercover (NBC, 9pm).
E!, of course, has a Live Emmy Post Show stuff (E!, 10pm).
Rerun of this season’s premiere episode of Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit (USA, 10pm).
Rerun of this week’s new episode of Once and Again (Lifetime, 10pm) which aired first on Friday night on ABC.
Spooooky. The creepy silent classic from 1919: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (TCM, 11pm).
