Laurel’s TV Picks

Seth Green on That ’70s Show (FOX, 7pm)
Angel (WB, 8pm)
The O.C. (FOX, 8pm)
The West Wing (NBC, 8pm)
TV Land Moguls: The ’50s (TV Land, 8pm)
Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)

Don Rickles has joined the cast of J.J. Abrams’ The Catch. He joins stars Greg Grunberg and Orlando Jones in this series that’ll likely turn up on ABC midseason next year.

Dylan McDermott returns to The Practice for an episode before the series ends. Makes sense that Bobby Donnell would show up at least once more. I’d like to see the rest of the cast turn up for the finale itself, but it’s probably not gonna happen.

More on re-negotiation of contracts for voice actors on The Simpsons. FOX should step up already. IMHO, the actors should be getting a cut of the syndication, DVD, and merchandise money.

You know, I think this is kindof sweet: TV Land goes dark during Friends finale. As in, they won’t really air anything (I like the description of what they will air). If you’re a fan of Friends, you might also want to check out the merchandise at the NBC Store (buy via my link, I get a cut of what you spend over there). Or you might be interested in ordering the final episode on DVD, seasons 1-7 together on DVD, or buying season sets separately on DVD. You might also want to pre-order the book Friends Til the End: The Official Celebration of All Ten Years.

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

John Travolta, Goran Visnjic (of ER) on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Randy Jackson, Jennifer Flavin, Angus T. Jones, Live, Shelby Lynne on The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Jack Wagner, Hal Sparks, Mark Curry, Lang Lang on The Wayne Brady Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“O, The Oprah Magazine: Sexual Confidence” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Radical Medical Makeovers” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

Baseball: 1987 ALCS, Game 1: Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins (ESPN Classic, Noon).

No Buffy the Vampire Slayer on FX on Wednesday afternoon.

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

“Bartlet’s Third State of the Union” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 6pm and 10pm).

“Pantry Raid 4: Comb Alone” (Honey) episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 6pm).

James Caan studies Bill McNeal on NewsRadio (Biography, 6pm).

Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros (ESPN, 6pm).

Movie Candy Unwrapped (Food Network, 6:30pm).

Pilot episode of Two Guys and a Girl (We, 6:30pm).

NBA playoffs games on TNT.

Seth Green guest stars on That ’70s Show (FOX, 7pm). He makes moves on Donna.

Chloe inhales a toxin that causes people around her to tell the truth on Smallville (WB, 7pm). You can imagine that this causes problems and that some people want her to talk a lot to, say, the Kents (or Luthors, for that matter). Episode is by Drew Greenberg (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly).

Archer instructs the crew to attack another ship for . . . spare parts (!) on Star Trek Enterprise (UPN, 7pm).

“An expert witness on child abuse sent innocent women to prison” on 60 Minutes II (CBS, 7pm). Well, she didn’t actually do that on the show, I’m guessing, but you know what I mean. They talk about the case.

Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children (Discovery Channel, 7pm and 10pm).

Dolly Parton hosts the 2004 Flameworthy Video Music Awards (CMTV, 7pm and 10pm). Featuring performances by Alison Krauss & Union Station, Sheryl Crow, and Shania Twain.

TBS is airing lots of Seinfeld (TBS, 7pm – 9:30pm) these days.

Theo (Dennis Haysbert) disappears and Michael (Eric Close) worries about him (and sets out to find him) in the “I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face” episode of Now and Again (Trio, 7pm and 10pm).

Another person is voted out of American Idol (FOX, 7:30pm) and Barry Manilow performs. You know, I’ve watched a little of this show lately and I don’t understand the appeal. All the singers are pretty awful, really. No one is as good as the singers who competed on the little American Idol-like thing Oprah had on her show a while back (’course the singers on her show were older, maybe that’s part of it).

I have two things to tell you about tonight’s new episode of Angel (WB, 8pm). First: it was written by Drew Goddard (a.k.a. The Ultimate Drew). I like the episodes of Buffy and Angel he’s written and I’m not just saying that ‘cuz I’m one of his minions (#159 to be precise). The second thing is that this episode involves Connor somehow.

I still love The O.C. (FOX, 8pm), y’all. Can’t help myself. Gotta love this description from the tv listings: “Marissa makes sure her mother’s shower is unforgettable.” I’ll bet she does. Marissa is my least favorite character on the show, but I’m pulling for her in this case. Meanwhile, Seth gets a chance to meet Summer’s Dad (cool!). And then there’s more drama involving Teresa from Chino, ‘cuz Ryan doesn’t have enough to deal with.

Mary McCormack begins a guest stint on The West Wing (NBC, 8pm) as “the brash new Deputy National Security Advisor.” Richard Schiff directs this episode. Josh gets upset when the President reverses his position, C.J. is unhappy with the FCC, and Donna’s unhappy with her job. I know people who think the show isn’t nearly as good this season as in prevoius ones and I know people who think it’s just as good if not better. (Me? Wish I could tell you, I’ve fallen behind. Really need to watch a bunch of episodes and catch up. The problem has come not because I wasn’t happy with the show, but because on Wednesday nights there are too many things on at once. I usually Tivo Angel, tape The West Wing, and watch The O.C. live. I get to stuff on Tivo before stuff on tape, just ‘cuz it’s easier).

First installment (of 5) of this new series of specials about TV “moguls” is hosted by Merv Griffin on TV Land: TV Land Moguls: The ’50s (TV Land, 8pm). About the folks who made TV in the ’50s. It airs lots more this month, so if you can’t catch it tonight, you’ll have plenty of other opportunities. Includes interviews with Marlo Thomas, Lucille Ball, William Asher, Madelyn Davis, Andy Griffith, Carl Reiner, and Sheldon Leonard (among others). This is followed by a very cool block of classic TV (related to the Moguls featured in the special) starting at 9pm on TV Land.

“Scrap Iron Chef” and “Fudge Factor” episodes of Good Eats (Food Network, 8pm and midnight, 8:30pm and 12:30am).

Are we all over The Apprentice yet? Please? Cast reunion (with Bill Rancic, Kwame Jackson, Amy Henry, Nick Warnock, Omarosa, The Donald, and others) on Larry King Live (CNN, 8pm, 11pm, 2am).

The “most hated Yankee’s fan in New York” is killed on Law & Order (NBC, 9pm), the detectives first suspect that it must be the work of a vengeful baseball fan (but this being Law & Order, you know that their first idea about the crime doesn’t usually pan out, don’t you?).

First of five new episodes of L.A. Dragnet (USA, 9pm) that never aired on ABC. Ed O’Neill, Desmond Harrington, Evan Dexter Parke, Eva Longoria, and Christina Chang star in this season of the show. In this episode: “Detectives look into the the lifestyle of the parents when a teenager is abducted and killed.”

“All the children of South Park are attracted to ‘Mr. Jefferson’ and his son and their home filled with games, toys and animals. Cartman goes out of his way to get ‘Mr. Jefferson’ to love him, while the local police force resent him for being black and wealthy and decide to bring him down” on South Park (Comedy Central, 9pm and 11pm).

“The sisters argue on Mama Joe’s birthday” on Soul Food (Showtime, 9pm).

Alec Guinness on Late Night with David Letterman (Trio, 9pm and midnight).

Rerun of the “Horse Heir” episode of Keen Eddie (Bravo, 9pm and 1am).

Rerun of Nip/Tuck (FX, 9pm).

“New details are reported in Princess Diana’s death” (if you can believe press releases) on 48 Hours Investigates (CBS, 9pm). Again? Really? Whatever.

“A man thinks he looks like a vampire” on Extreme Makeover (ABC, 9pm). And no, he isn’t David Boreanaz or James Marsters (I’m guessing he doesn’t look like either of ‘em, either).

Baseball: San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (ESPN2, 9pm).

Jamie’s Kitchen (Food Network, 9pm and 1am) is a lot better than The Restaurant.

Best of Season 2 on a Chappelle’s Show Special (Comedy Central, 9:30pm).

“The Trouble With Tribbles” episode of Star Trek (TV Land, 10pm). ‘Cuz it’s a Desilu show, you see, and Moguls covered Lucy & Desi & Desilu.

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

Bender gets an empathy chip on Futurama (Cartoon Network, 10pm and 1am).

Matthew Perry, Lou Reed on a rerun of The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Bill Maher, Lacey Chabert, David Bowie on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

Danny Thomas meets Andy Griffith on Make Room For Daddy (TV Land, 11pm).

Drew Barrymore, Paul Rudd, the Walkmen on a rerun of Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:35pm).

Nia Vardalos, Cal Ripken Jr., Goapele on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Kevin Smith, Jeff Cesario on a rerun of The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings).

Damon Wayans, Anna Paquin, the Von Bondies on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Will have more info on Thursday TV online later today.
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