Laurel’s TV Picks

Series premiere of Whoopi (NBC, 7pm)
Series premiere of Happy Family (NBC, 7:30pm)
New episode of The O.C. (FOX, 8pm)
Alexander Siddig guest stars on MI-5 (A&E, 8pm and midnight)
Series premiere of The Belzer Connection (Sci-Fi, 9pm, 9:30pm)
Salma Hayek, Chris Elliott on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm)
Seth Green, the world’s smartest dog on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Had one funeral not much more than a week ago, now another funeral today (this time for my great aunt Myrt Olson). Things should settle down later this week (I hope!). Picks won’t be as complete as I’d like today, but I hope to have things back to normal (more or less) tomorrow or the next day.

TV DVDs due out today: Season 2 of 24, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, the complete Battle of the Planets, and Season 3 of Family Guy. [More TV on DVD]

Don’t forget to check out the 2003-04 Fall Schedule Grid (now with premiere dates!).

“Couple Wars” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“The Best Money I Ever Spent” is a very cool rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Surprisingly moving stories.

“Something Blue” and “Hush” episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 3pm, 4pm).

The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10pm).

Baseball: Chicago Cubs vs. Montreal Expos (WGN, 6pm). In Puerto Rico.

Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (TBS, 6:30pm).

Series premiere of Whoopi (NBC, 7pm). Whoopi plays a singer who now works overseeing a hotel. She’s, um, not politically correct in any way.

Jess’ long lost father shows up, hoping to take him to a spin-off series (that show wasn’t picked up). Lorelai and Sookie consider buying their own inn on Gilmore Girls (WB, 7pm). I just want Jess to Go Away.

Series premiere of Happy Family (NBC, 7:30pm). John Larroquette and Christine Baranski play a happily married couple who are pretty darn fond of each other, less keen about the rest of the world (of course). The plot complications? Involve their three adult children and their not-so-together lives and love lives. I like Larroquette and Baranski a lot, so will check this out. So far reviews I’ve read say there’s too little of those two and too much of their not-so-interesting or funny kids.

Alexander Siddig (Deep Space Nine’s Dr. Bashir) guest stars on MI-5 (A&E, 8pm and midnight).

I’m still really enjoying The O.C. (FOX, 8pm). This episode airs again on September 15th.

Bravo’s Reality of Reality (Bravo, 8pm and midnight) series about reality tv shows continues.

The Joe Schmo Show (Spike, 8pm and 10pm, 9pm and 11pm).

Kryptonite gets in the way (again) on Smallville (WB, 8pm). This time, Clark can’t stop a robbery.

Michael Boatman guest stars on Less Than Perfect (ABC, 8:30pm).

Series premiere of The Belzer Connection (Sci-Fi, 9pm, 9:30pm). In the first episode, the celebrity panelists discussing “The Diana Conspiracy” are Johnny Rotten, Ice-T, G. Gordon Liddy, Amy Carlson and Michael Musto. In the second episode, Janeane Garofalo, Al Franken, Ice-T and Jim Mars discuss the possibility of a government cover-up of extraterrestrial life.

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 9pm and 11pm) is a rerun tonight.

Get used to seeing Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm) on Tuesday nights, this is the show’s new timeslot.

Kim Delaney guest stars on NYPD Blue (ABC, 9pm).

Stephanie Zimbalist guest stars on Judging Amy (CBS, 9pm).

Al Franken on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

The Orlando Jones Show (FX, 10pm).

Nick DiPaolo, Joey Vega, Ellen Cleghorne, Tony Daro on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Bender lives out his “folk-rock dream” in the classic “Bendin’ in the Wind” episode of Futurama (Cartoon Network, 10:30pm).

Salma Hayek, Chris Elliott, Rick Derringer on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Dennis Miller, former POW Shoshana Johnson, Wilco on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

John Cusack, Regina Hall, the White Stripes on a rerun of Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

Seth Green, the world’s smartest dog, Taking Back Sunday, guest co-host Adam Carolla on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Willie Mays, Jordan Ladd, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on The Late Late Show (CBS, check your local listings).

Sam Rockwell, Wilmer Valderrama, Patrick Park on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Conan O’Brien, Eve, Lil’ Romeo on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Sharon Stone, Amy Grant, guest co-host Kit Hoover on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Merv Griffin, Finola Hughes, Jessica Simpson on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Breaking Teens’ Bad Habits” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston” on a rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

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