Laurel’s TV Picks

Century City (CBS, 8pm)
The Shield (FX, 9pm, 10pm)
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 9pm and 11:30pm)
Tom Hanks on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight)

Keep those contest entries coming, folks! Still fewer than 30 entries, so you’ve got great odds to win something cool (TV DVD sets, promo posters, etc). Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this site during the last 5 years! I couldn’t do it without you.

TV DVDs due out today: Season 3 of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, The Richard Pryor Show, and Season 2 of Will & Grace. [ More TV on DVD ]

TV DVDs due out next Tuesday: Season 1 of A Touch of Frost, The Cisco Kid - Volume 1, Season 3 of C.S.I., Season 3 of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Season 4 of Homicide: Life on the Street, Season 1 of Penn & Teller’s show that I won’t name ‘cuz this is a family website, Season 1 of Resurrection Blvd., and Season 4 of Sanford & Son. Still time to pre-order and get ‘em by the release date (and for a discount). [ More TV on DVD ]

Thanks so much to everyone who shops at stores (like amazon.com and the A&E video store) via the links on this site. It really helps.

Harry Connick Jr, Kathy Griffin on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 10am - 3pm).

“Xmas Story” episode of NewsRadio (Biography, Noon and 6pm).

MLB Preseason Baseball: Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Boston Red Sox (ESPN, Noon).

Reno 911! (Comedy Central, 2pm - 4pm).

Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Olivier Martinez, Brad Paisley on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

DMX, Ed Begley Jr, Marisa Miller, Ryan Hurst, Butterfly Boucher on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings; WGN, midnight).

“A Family in Crisis” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“A Porn Star Gone Straight: The Traci Lords Story” on a rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

Looks like an afternoon without Buffy the Vampire Slayer on FX.

“Lullaby” episode of Angel (TNT, 4pm).

“Six Meetings Before Lunch” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10:30pm).

Another airing of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Concert Class of 2004 (VH1, 6:30pm).

Be afraid. Steven Cojocaru gives makeovers to the performers on American Idol (FOX, 7pm - 9pm). They perform country songs.

A gay wedding and a Republican social event of some sort are both scheduled for the same time at the hotel on Whoopi (NBC, 7pm).

A “lieutenant’s mummified remains are found nearly 10 years after he went missing with $1 million” on a rerun of Navy NCIS (CBS, 7pm).

Kathleen Wilhoite guest stars as Luke’s flaky sister and Milo Ventimiglia returns as Jess on a rerun of Gilmore Girls (WB, 7pm). Part 1 of the 2-part episode featuring Jess’ return. Fortunately, Jess isn’t in this episode all that much.

The best ice cream in the country on Ice Cream Palaces (Travel, 7pm and 10pm).

John Larroquette receives yet another gift that’s not to his taste and then has a “lightbulb moment” where he realizes that his family buys him gifts that are items they want on Happy Family (NBC, 7:30pm).

Season finale of America’s Next Top Model (UPN, 8pm).

More legal cases of the future (year 2030) on a new Century City (CBS, 8pm). There’s a case involving “virtual rape” and one involving a child actor who wants to take anti-aging drugs. Guest stars in tonight’s episode include Robert Guillaume (of Sports Night, Benson), Klea Scott (of Millennium, Brooklyn South, Robbery Homicide Division), Roma Maffia (of Chicago Hope, Profiler, Nip/Tuck), Daryl Sabara (of Spy Kids), Archie Kao (of C.S.I.), and Don Most (of Happy Days).

Wendie Malick and Julia Sweeney guest star on a rerun of Frasier (NBC, 8pm). Frasier ends up feeling quite the 5th wheel as his brother and father go out on dates; and Roz tries to set him up.

Episodes 3 & 4 of Significant Others (Bravo, 8pm and ; 8:30pm and ). I finally caught an episode of this show. Is mostly about three couples and their friends and families; every so often you’ll see the couples literally on a couch talking to an offscreen therapist. Some funny stuff, though I can see how it’d not be to everyone’s taste. Some folks just won’t care to watch couples bicker so much, even humorously.

Rerun of the episode of Scrubs (NBC, 8:30pm) where J.D. meets Danni (Tara Reid) for the first time and talks a whole lot about Elliott. And Freddy Rodriguez guest stars as Carla’s brother.

Lydia (Andrea Parker) and Claude (Sara Rue) share a hotel room on a rerun of Less Than Perfect (ABC, 8:30pm).

A prostitute who claims she knew Connie recognizes Vic and wants his help to take down her pimp on a new episode of The Shield (FX, 9pm, 10pm). It’s an intense episode of an intense show (yes, I had to look away from and then fast forward a scene or two when I screened this episode). Dutch investigates the rape of an elderly woman. And (of course) there are plenty of other things going on, too. A show that is lightyears ahead of NYPD Blue. (My review of the first four episodes of this season).

The Fab 5 help yet another straight guy on a new Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 9pm and 11pm). Sounds like the girlfriend wrote in about her boyfriend, but that the boyfriend may not be aware what he’s in for. And if you’ve seen the promos, you know that there’s a little tiny dog who lives with the guy and who may or may not bite Carson on the nose during the course of the episode. Fun!

Scott William Winters (of Oz) guest stars on a new NYPD Blue (ABC, 9pm). The search is on for a rapist who locks women in a dungeon. Medavoy becomes attracted to a much older sex addict (eek!).

Robert and Max Kennedy; Maria, Bobby, and Anthony Shriver on 48 Hours Investigates (CBS, 9pm).

Poison chooses a fan to play a song with them in You Rock With . . . : Poison (VH1, 9pm and 1:30am).

Jacqueline Bisset, Samantha Mathis, and Austin Pendleton guest star in a rerun of the 100th episode of Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm; airs again on USA). Gotta pay attention to catch Mickey Hargitay as a grandfather on the subway escalator.

“Judgment” episode of Angel (TNT, 10pm). From last season.

“Kids” episode of NewsRadio (Biography, 10pm and 2am).

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

Little League Unwrapped (Food Network, 10pm and 2am).

“The Egg-Files II: Man With a Flan” episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 10:30pm).

Scott Thompson (of Kids in the Hall), Wayne Federman, Greg Giraldo, Kathy Griffin on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Jamie Foxx, Al Franken on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Owen Wilson, Simple Plan on a rerun of The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

Parts 1 & 2 of the “Nothing Important Happened Today” episode of The X-Files (TNT, 11pm, midnight). First two episodes of the 9th and final season of the show.

Matt Damon, Kevin Pollack, Randy Newman on a rerun of Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

Cypress Hill, other guests TBA on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

George Carlin, Master P, Pennywise on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings).

Omar Epps, Brittany Daniel, Super Furry Animals on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Part 2 of “The Puppy Show” episode of Ellen (Lifetime, 12:30am).

Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Marlon Wayans, Linda Cardellini (of Freaks and Geeks, ER), Kathleen Daelemans (of Cooking Thin) on Today (NBC, 7am - 10am).

David Arquette, how to avoid being ripped off by a chimney sweep on Good Morning, America (ABC, 7am - 9am).

Chic on a Shoestring, prom dresses on The Early Show (CBS, 7am - 9am).

Donald Trump is Regis’ guest co-host, with guests Jamie Foxx, Usher, latest Survivor castoff on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Jason Priestley (of Tru Calling) on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 10am - 3pm).

“Station Sale” episode of NewsRadio (Biography, Noon and 6pm).

Ben Affleck, Sara Rue (of Less Than Perfect) on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Kimberly Williams (of According To Jim), Lainie Kazan on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Big Bad Bullies” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson on the “What Ya Cookin’?” rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

No afternoon Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns.

“Dad” episode of Angel (TNT, 4pm).

“Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10pm).

In Wednesday primetime expect new episodes of Keen Eddie, Survivor: All-Stars, That ’70s Show, American Idol, The O.C., The West Wing, Law & Order, Soul Food, King of Queens, The Stones, and Kingdom Hospital. No new Angel ’til April. More Charlie Chaplin movies and specials on TCM. Premiere of Kathy Griffin: The D-List. Rerun of the pilot episode of Nip/Tuck. Full details in my picks for Wednesday, which should be online sometime after midnight and before Noon Wednesday.
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