Laurel’s TV Picks

Ed (NBC, 7pm)
Season premiere of Smallville
Season premiere of Angel (WB, 8pm)
The West Wing (NBC, 8pm)
Series premiere of Karen Sisco (ABC, 9pm)
Val Kilmer, Carmen Electra on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm)

Sorry these are late today, couldn’t be avoided.

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

The Rock, Elmo, Harold Perrineau, Jr. on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Kevin James, Dakota Fanning, a pet psychic on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings). More info.

Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, David Arquette, Sanaa Lathan, Flex Alexander, Eve 6 on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Kid’s First” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

” Older Women in Love with Younger Men” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

“The Body” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 3pm).

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (Bravo, 3:30pm).

“In The Dark” episode of Angel (TNT, 4pm). Appropriately enough, this is the last time Spike visited L.A. and the Angel gang (though Angel has seen him since in Sunnydale on Buffy).

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

ESPN has the baseball playoffs.

I liked the season premiere, I’m hopeful that Ed (NBC, 7pm) has returned to form. In tonight’s episode, Ed’s cousin wants to make a documentary about his life. This happens right around the same time Ed and Carol decide to try living together. Oh-oh. Mike also tries to “reinvigorate” his marriage to Nancy (oh-oh). And Warren plays a trick on Molly (again I say: oh-oh). Yes, hijinks will most certainly ensue. It’s good to be back in Stuckeyville. Or, um, watching the people in that fictitious town.

Clark becomes involved with a crime lord (Rutger Hauer) while under the influence of red kryptonite on the season premiere of Smallville (WB, 7pm). Part 1 of a 2-parter.

There’s a slave girl who isn’t quite what she seems on Star Trek Enterprise (UPN, 7pm). I forgot to note that if you own a Tivo and had a season pass for Enterprise, the name of the show has been officially changed to Star Trek Enterprise so you might have to change your season passes accordingly.

More of The Blues on PBS (check your local listings).

Season premiere of Angel (WB, 8pm). Part 1 of a 2-parter. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. When we last left our heroes, they were put in charge of Wolfram & Hart. Yikes. Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) and Vincent Kartheiser (Connor) are no longer regular castmembers (though it’s possible either might guest star at a future date). Lots of talk that this season will go in a “new direction” and be “lighter” and “brighter” and “more fun” and that there won’t be big long story arcs but most episodes will stand alone. Ack. Last season was great in large part because of the arcs and the darkness. ‘Course they claimed the final season of Buffy would be lighter and it ended up pretty darn dark, so who knows? Rodney Rowland guest stars.

Walken (John Goodman) orders a bombing, an ultimatum about Zoey is received, Toby writes those two difficult to write speeches, on The West Wing (NBC, 8pm). Written by John Wells, the episode title is “Dogs of War.” I say it’s worth giving the show another shot this year.

Jake falls for the daughter of an arms dealer (oh-oh) on Jake 2.0 (UPN, 8pm).

There’s less of Doug (he’s lost weight) on the season premiere of King of Queens (CBS, 8pm). And they go on a trip to a resort or something.

“See Red” (tomato sauce) episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 8pm and 11pm).

Carla Gugino stars in the series premiere of Karen Sisco (ABC, 9pm). She’s playing the same character (more or less) that Jennifer Lopez portrayed in the fabulous film Out of Sight. Character was created by Elmore Leonard. She’s a U.S. Marshall who is based in Florida. On the TV show, her tough Dad is played by Robert Forster. In the pilot episode, she’s enamored of Patrick Dempsey, who plays someone wanted by the FBI, of course. Reviews have been mostly positive and I agree with those that say ABC really should’ve put this on Sundays at 7pm as a lead-in for Alias. Definitely worth checking out.

“A bounty hunter turns up dead while trailing a fugitive rapist and bookstore heir” on Law & Order (NBC, 9pm).

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to watch the premiere of The Brotherhood of Poland, NH (CBS, 9pm) yet. Did any of you catch it? What did you think? In tonight’s new episode: “Dottie is hurt by Hank?s lack of caring and support in regards to her new theater production. Hank, while baffled by Dottie?s over-sensitivity about their relationship, keeps busy by blackmailing Sharon Ropers not to reveal her affair with Garrett. But when Garrett decides to solve his problem the way he feels is most honest, the rest of the family intervenes. Meanwhile, auditions for Dottie?s Easter pageant are not going as planned.” Yes, sounds like a small-town middle-aged family soap opera.

Two oilmen bring the promise of progress to Silver City on Peacemakers (USA, 9pm). Tom Berenger and Amy Carlson star. Is rerun a bunch so one wouldn’t have to watch it tonight. Second-to-last episode of this season.

New episode of Street Time (Showtime, 9pm). Rob Morrow and Scott Cohen star. Second-to-last for this season.

Dangle is moving and asks the rest of the department for help on Reno 911! (Comedy Central, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).

Vivica A. Fox on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

Steve Harvey on The Orlando Jones Show (FX, 10pm and 12:30am).

Futurama (Cartoon Network, 10:30pm).

Tim Robbins, Sting on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

George Clooney, Molly Sims, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

Val Kilmer, Carmen Electra on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

Bob Guiney, Peter Berg, guest co-host Kermit the Frog on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Eva Mendes, Stacy Keach, Pete Gray on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings).

Kevin James, Sugar Shane Mosely, Stereophonics on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Jim Belushi, Jewel, Travis Fimmel on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Steve Martin, Dean Cain, guest co-host Samantha Harris on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Val Kilmer, Donald Faison (of Scrubs), A Martinez, Wilshire on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Sir Elton John, Noah Wyle, The Bachelor on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings). More info.

Amanda Bynes, Jennie Garth, Henry Simmons, Gary Busey, quadruplets, Leona Naess on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“A Family Divided, Part 3″ on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Is Your Child Living a Double Life?” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).
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