friday
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Richard Brooks on Firefly (FOX, 7pm)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS, 7pm)
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (WB, 7pm)
John Doe (FOX, 8pm)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm)
Jennifer Garner, John C. Reilly, Prince on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm)
Martin Scorsese, Paget Brewster, Tony Bennett, k.d. lang on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm)
Picks for Saturday are now online.
If you get the station known as Trio, you might want to check out the “Brilliant, But Cancelled” series they’re running this month. Featuring the series Now and Again, Action, Gun, Profit, The Famous Teddy Z, and some others. Check out the Trio website for schedule and details.
Firefly has been cancelled. See the recent item on Tim Minear’s website. FOX will not be ordering any new episodes. They’ll finish the episode currently in production and that’s it. FOX intends to air all the episodes produced “somehow” (I can’t help but wonder if this doesn’t mean they’ll show up on FX, if not on FOX). There are, of course, campaigns to try and save the show (at this point, I think that probably translates to “convince some other network to pick up the show”).
MDs has also been cancelled. Expect a celebrity version of The Mole to fill it’s old timeslot.
Elijah Wood, Carly Simon, Roger Ebert on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).
Jennifer Lopez, Henry Thomas, Bryant Renfroe (Ms. Walters hairstylist) on The View (ABC, check your local listings).
Allison Janney, Carly Simon on The Caroline Rhea Show (syndicated, check your local listings).
“Creating Happiness” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).
“Big Fat Wedding Surprises” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Rerun. With some of the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, plus other wedding stuff (including some surprises, obviously).
Classic “Detour” episode of The X-Files (TNT, 5pm).
“Band Candy” and “Lover’s Walk” episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 5pm, 6pm). Third season goodness. Available on DVD on January 7th.
Part 9 (of 10) of Taken (Sci-Fi, 6pm-8pm).
Part 2 (of 2) of the pilot of JAG (USA, 6pm).
A bounty hunter (played by Richard Brooks) sneaks aboard the ship on Firefly (FOX, 7pm). Cancelled, but still on the air for a while longer.
A tornado hits Providence (NBC, 7pm). Or something like that.
Sing with me: “Why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nit-wit . . . ” Ahem. Yes, it’s time for Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS, 7pm). I love this special.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (WB, 7pm)
Collectible Treasures for the Holidays (HGTV, 7pm and 10pm).
Hackers: Outlaws and Angels (TLC, 7pm and 10pm).
John Doe (FOX, 8pm) “matches wits with a cunning serial killer.” Creepy Doug Hutchinson guest stars.
Hackers: Computer Outlaws (TLC, 8pm and 11pm).
Part 10 (of 10) of Taken (Sci-Fi, 8pm, 10pm, midnight).
Alas, no Hack tonight. Instead two specials that feature Robbie the Reindeer (CBS, 8pm, 8:30pm). But honestly, if you’re gonna be watching Christmas specials on a Friday night, shouldn’t you be watching A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm)? Just saying.
Toys We Grew Up With (HGTV, 8pm and 11pm).
The President and First Lady give 20/20 (ABC, 9pm) a look at the White House Christmas decorations. I’m assuming this isn’t a rerun of last year’s program, but a show featuring this year’s decorations. I’m just hoping for a good look at Barney the Scottie.
“The detectives hunt for the person who killed a European con man who swindled investors” on a rerun of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 9pm).
Christmas: Behind the Traditions (HGTV, 9pm and midnight).
“Mr. Monk and the Psychic” episode of Monk (USA, 9:30pm, 11:30pm). Tony Shalhoub stars as a detective with OCD.
“Detectives hunt for a person with large hands when investigating a woman’s murder” on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA, 10:30pm). Linda Lavin guest stars.
Natasha Richardson, comic Mike Birbiglia, David Gray on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).
Jennifer Garner, John C. Reilly, Prince on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).
Jane Seymour, Cathy Moriarty, Eddie Izzard on The Caroline Rhea Show (ABC Family, 11pm).
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (TV Land, 11pm).
Fernwood 2Night (TV Land, 11:30pm).
Martin Scorsese, Paget Brewster, Tony Bennett, k.d. lang on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).
Kevin Nealon on The Late Late Show (CBS, check your local listings).
Soap (TV Land, midnight, 12:30am).
John Leguizamo, Brooke Burke, Taproot, Louis Ramsey, Tori Amos on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).
Superfriends (Cartoon Network, 6:30am).
Primetime Glick (Comedy Central, 6:30am, 7am). Alec Baldwin and Andy Richter are the guests on the 7am episode. Martin Short stars, of course.
Inside Taken: Behind the Scenes Special (Sci-Fi, 8am-9am).
Looney Tunes (Cartoon Network, 8am).
SpongeBob SquarePants (Nick, 8am, 8:30am).
“A Bird in the Pan” episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 8:30am). Alton Brown on how to broil a chicken.
The Fairly Oddparents (Nick, 9am).
Motown Christmas (USA, 9am).
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (Nick, 9:30am).
Miss all or part of the 10-part/20 hour miniseries Taken? It will eventually be released on DVD, of course, but in the mean time Sci-Fi is airing a marathon this weekend. Taken Part 1 of 10: Beyond the Sky (Sci-Fi, 10am-Noon Saturday); Taken Part 2 of 10: Jacob and Jesse (Sci-Fi, Noon-2pm Saturday); Taken Part 3 of 10: High Hopes (Sci-Fi, 2pm-4pm Saturday); Taken Part 4 of 10: Acid Tests (Sci-Fi, 4pm-6pm Saturday); Taken Part 5 of 10: Maintenance (Sci-Fi, 6pm-8pm Saturday); Taken Part 6 of 10: Charlie and Lisa (Sci-Fi, 8pm-10pm Saturday; Sci-Fi, 10am-Noon Sunday). Part 7 airs at Noon on Sunday and the remaining installments continue on Sunday (see Sunday’s picks or your local listings for more details).
Expect Christmas cartoons on the Cartoon Network in the afternoon and Christmas specials and movies on ABC Family Channel.
Second City Presents : Martin Short (Bravo, 11am). Martin Short is interviewed.
” Maple Glen: Fiedler Road” episode of Trading Spaces (TLC, 11am).
Behind Closed Doors With Joan Lunden : Aircraft Carrier; Betty Ford Center; Shaq O’Neal (A&E, 11am).
“Dunne overhears sensitive information at a party; co-anchor LeClaire digs into a mystery” on Breaking News (Bravo, Noon).
The Secret Garden (TCM, 1pm). 1949 movie.
Can’t get enough of Isaac Mizrahi? Watch Isaac’s Holiday Special (Oxygen, 1pm and 4pm). With a bunch of episodes of The Isaac Mizrahi Show (Oxygen, 1:30pm-4pm) airing between those two airings of his holiday special. Featuring Rosie’s haircut (Oxygen, 1:30pm); Janeane Garofalo and her dogs (Oxygen, 2pm);
lifting weights with John Leguizamo, knitting with Lauren Ambrose (Oxygen, 2:30pm); antiquing with Kristen Johnston (Oxygen, 3pm); and Natalie Portman helps Isaac bathe his dog (Oxygen, 3:30pm).
Smothered (Bravo, 1pm-3pm) is an excellent documentary that looks at the censorship of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Features clips from the show, outtakes, interviews with performers and writers from the show.
Remember all the fuss made about Rosie O’Donnell’s new haircut? See her get that actual haircut for the first time on The Isaac Mizrahi Show (Oxygen, 1:30pm).
Food Network has a batch of holiday food specials starting at 2pm.
Yeah yeah yeah, you’ll shoot your eye out. A Christmas Story (TCM, 3pm).
“A reporter reads a letter from an 8-year-old whose one wish is for a new mother, a wife for her widowed father.” Yeah, that’s a description for a new holiday TV movie called Mary Christmas (PAX, 4pm). Cynthia Gibb, John Schneider, Jenna Boyd, and Tom Bosley star.
Inside the Minnesota Governor’s mansion on Your Holiday Home : Christmas at the Governor’s (HGTV, 4pm). This is from last year, I think (or maybe even two years ago).
The Man Who Came to Dinner (TCM, 5pm).
Two Fat Ladies Christmas Special II (Food Network, 5pm).
Two Fat Ladies Caribbean Christmas (Food Network, 5:30pm).
Okay, I don’t know if this will air on your PBS station any time soon or not, but in Minneapolis on KTCI Channel 13 (our second PBS station), something called Religion & Ethics Newsweekly : Leonard Nimoy: Spock, Spirituality and Star Trek airs at 5:30pm today. Fascinating.
Inside the Actors Studio: Ian McKellen (Bravo, 6pm). I watched this last week and, sadly, found it rather dull and disappointing. Even though I love Mr. McKellen.
Heisman Trophy Presentation (ESPN, 7pm-8pm).
“Texas: Sherwood Street” episode of Trading Spaces (TLC, 7pm and 10pm). Description sez: “Bringing a drab kitchen to life; brightening up a bedroom and seating area.” I’m addicted to this show.
Figure Skating : Skaters’ Championship (NBC, 7pm-9pm).
One of the best new holiday specials Olive, the Other Reindeer (Cartoon Network, 7pm-8pm).
Happy Birthday! Frosty the Snowman (CBS, 7pm). Followed by the lame Frosty Returns (CBS, 7:30pm) special.
Holiday at Pops! (A&E, 8pm-10pm; midnight-2am) is always fun. Boston Pops orchestra. With Martina McBride, Take 6, Jimmy Tingle.
“Alton uses science to make the pie crust of his dreams” on Good Eats (Food Network, 8pm and 11pm).
I actually prefer the Saturday night reruns of Life with Bonnie (ABC Family, 8pm) to the regular airings because they show behind-the-scenes clips and interview segments along with the episode. This is a rerun of the cute Christmas episode you may have seen earlier in the week on ABC,
Another episode of Trading Spaces (TLC, 8pm and 11pm). This episode is titled ” Missouri: Sunburst Drive” and the description says: “Missouri neighbors transform each other’s master bedrooms.”
“Detectives suspect three elves of robbing a Salvation Army truck” on The District (CBS, 8pm).
A Johnny Bravo Christmas (Cartoon Network, 8:30pm).
Rerun of the new Christmas episode of South Park (Comedy Central, 9pm).
“Haisley stumbles upon a weapons deal between al-Qaida and the IRA” on The Agency (CBS, 9pm).
Dennis Miller hosts 2002 GQ Men of the Year Awards (NBC, 9pm).
Former Vice President Al Gore hosts Saturday Night Live (NBC, check your local listings). Musical guest is Phish.
“Ghosts of Christmas Past” episode of JAG (USA, 11pm).
Cowboy Bebop (Cartoon Network, 11pm). “Jamming With Edward.”
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (TV Land, 11pm).
Fernwood 2Night (TV Land, 11:30pm).
Soap (TV Land, midnight, 12:30am).
Run-DMC & Jam Master Jay: The Last Interview (VH1, 12:30am).
John Hiatt, Kelly Willis on Austin City Limits (PBS, check your local listings).
Sunday picks will be online sometime on Saturday. Probably late Saturday afternoon.
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