Laurel’s TV Picks

Season premiere of Wanda At Large (FOX, 7pm)
Series premiere of Like Family (WB, 7:30pm)
Season premiere of Boston Public (FOX, 8pm)
Dead Like Me (Showtime, 9pm)
Rerun of the first episode of The Chris Isaak Show (Showtime, 10pm)
WKRP in Cincinnati TV Land, 11:30pm)

Really will try to have picks for Saturday (and maybe even Sunday) online later today or tonight.

TV Land’s obituary for Larry Hovis.

You can now pre-order Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale a new CD that’s due out on September 30th and features songs that were used on the show.

You can also now pre-order Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer at amazon.com or amazon.ca. The set is due out on December 9th.

(Remember I very much appreciate if you do intend to buy these things, if you buy ‘em via my links here. Helps keep this site around. Thanks!)

They’re also releasing a set that contains seasons 1-4 of Buffy on October 14th. Great deal if you haven’t already bought the first four seasons (heck, even if you’ve already bought one of ‘em).

There’s also a set that contains seasons 1-4 of M*A*S*H due out on October 14th. Another great deal.

You can now pre-order season 2 of Dark Angel which is due out on October 21st.

Short-lived Steven Bochco cop series Brooklyn South will be released on DVD on October 28th.

DVDs due out on Tuesday: (still time to pre-order) Season 1 of I Love Lucy, Season 1 of Smallville, and Black Scorpion.

Don’t forget to check out the 2003-04 Fall Schedule Grid (with premiere dates) and the TV on DVD page.

Danny Devito, Molly Sims, Alan Jackson on Today (NBC, 7am - 10am).

Trista Rehn (of Bachelorette) and her fiance, more “Bachelor Weather”, preview of Barbara Walters interview with Kelly Ripa on Good Morning, America (ABC, 7am - 9am).

Beyonce (’cuz she hasn’t been on enough shows this week) and the first Survivor castoff on The Early Show (CBS, 7am - 9am).

Danny DeVito, Scarlett Johansson on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Beyonce Knowles, LaTanya Richardson, Charles Moose on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Beyonce Knowles, Jon Cryer, Joan Rivers on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Kim Cattrall, Seal on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings). More info.

Pamela Anderson, Brian McKnight on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“One Year Later” (catch up with former guests, look at highlights, etc.) on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

Salma Hayek and a “special” performance by Beyonc? on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

The 10am run of first season episodes of The West Wing continues today (whereas the 6pm, 10pm reruns don’t air on Fridays).

Sci-Fi’s mini-marathon du jour is of: Farscape (Sci-Fi, 10am - 3pm).

Second Chance (TLC, Noon) is about second chances at romance, Perfect Proposal (TLC, 12:30pm) is about putting together perfect marriage proposals. Two of the new shows on TLC weekdays.

Meet John Doe (TCM, 2:30pm).

“Buffy vs. Dracula” and “Real Me” eipsodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 3pm, 4pm).

Katharine Hepburn is torn between Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and some other guy in The Philadelphia Story (TCM, 5pm).

Another airing of the Jim Steinman rock musical Wuthering Heights (MTV, 5pm).

Ready for the Emmys? Gear up and see the awards that don’t get presented on the big show with The 2003 Creative Arts Awards (E, 5pm).

R.E.M.’s video for “Bad Day” will make its television debut on Anderson Cooper 360? (CNN, 6pm).

Wanda reluctantly goes to her ex-husband (Dave Chappelle) when she is challenged to get an interview with a certain famous athlete on the season premiere of Wanda At Large (FOX, 7pm). From all accounts I’ve read, this is a funny show.

Wright Brothers: First in Flight (Discovery, 7pm and 10pm).

Baseball (ESPN, 7pm).

The Cheap Detective (TCM, 7pm).

Back to back episodes of While You Were Out (TLC, 7pm, 8pm; 10pm, 11pm). Room or yard makeovers done in one day with $1500. Followed by a new What Not To Wear (TLC, 9pm and midnight).

Rerun of Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (USA, 7pm). From 1998. Chris Noth returns.

Series premiere of Like Family (WB, 7:30pm). Diane Farr (of The Job, Loveline) plays a single mom who moves in with a friend of hers (and that friend’s family). The friend is played by Holly Robinson Peete, the catch (I guess) is: the family is black (and Farr & kid are white). The pilot takes place primarily in a bathroom, critics haven’t been too pleased by the toilet humor. Let’s hope the show improves after it moves out of the bathroom. TV Guide calls it “unexceptional.” Critics have been kinder to this than Luis at least (see below), the racial humor in this one is supposedly more toned down and matter-of-fact.

Luis Guzman stars as a donut-shop owner in the series premiere of Luis (FOX, 7:30pm). I like Guzman, but critics have not been kind to this new series. TV Guide calls the show “as tasteless as week-old crullers” and says “this isn’t funny, it’s frightening.” And “How did it get on the air in the first place?” Entertainment Weekly didn’t like it either.

Season premiere of Boston Public (FOX, 8pm). Sometimes I’ve really liked this show, at other times I’ve been very disappointed with it (or bored with it). I enjoyed it early last season, but then got bored and frustrated. Didn’t care for the addition of so many new characters, among other things. The good news for this season? They’ve pruned the cast (Joey McIntyre, Jon Abrahams, Cara DeLizia, and China Shavers are gone) and added only one new castmember (Natalia Baron). Jason Katims (of Roswell) continues to work as an executive producer for the show. Dennis Miller will guest star for at least three episodes, Milo Ventimiglia (Jess from Gilmore Girls) will also guest star. My verdict? I’m gonna give the show a try for at least an episode or three this season and see how I like it this year. It’s capable of at least being a good second string show and has sometimes had episodes that were as good as any episode of first-string shows.

50 Greatest Funny Moments in Music (VH1, 8pm).

“Death takes a holiday, and the reapers catch up on paperwork” on Dead Like Me (Showtime, 9pm).

Barbara Walters interviews Kelly Ripa and her husband soap star Mark Consuelos, information about a new oral contraceptive on 20/20 (ABC, 9pm).

The investigation into the death of detective Steven’s daughter is reopened on a rerun of last season’s finale of Boomtown (NBC, 9pm).

The funny “Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus” episode of Monk (USA, 9pm).

Rerun of the very first episode of The Chris Isaak Show (Showtime, 10pm).

David Alan Grier special: The Book of David: The Cult Figure’s Manifesto (Comedy Central, 10pm).

Rerun of C.S.I. (TNN, 10pm).

Brittany Murphy, motocross star Carey Hart, Dashboard Confessional on a rerun of The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Seann William Scott, Kate Bosworth, the Bangles on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

Martin Mull & Fred Willard host the Kitschen: Welcome Back, Kotter (TV Land, 11pm); WKRP in Cincinnati TV Land, 11:30pm); Square Pegs (TV Land, midnight); Tabitha (TV Land, 12:30am).

Kelsey Grammer, Ken Burns on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

David Alan Grier, Bubba Sparxxx, guest co-host Mick Foley on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Robert Duvall, Seal on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings).

Kate Beckinsale, Rich Eisen, Carmelo Anthony, John Diresta, Kings of Leon, Los Lonely Boys on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings). Remember Friday’s edition is an hour long.

Will try to have picks for Saturday online later tonight.

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