Laurel’s TV Picks

Info on Tuesday daytime TV can be found in the tomorrow section; full picks for Tuesday should be online sometime early this afternoon (a little later than usual, due to circumstances beyond my control). Probably 1pm or 2pm or so.

History Detectives (PBS, check your local listings)
The Best TV Shows That Never Were (ABC, 7pm).
Plenty of reruns that might be “new to you!”

Olympic TV schedule is available at NBCOlympics.com.

I’m moving soon and as a result I’m seeking some advice from y’all. I’ve always just had very basic old cable (because for various reasons I didn’t have the other options available to me). But now this TV Geek needs to consider: should I try digital cable (the company would be Time Warner)? Or go with a dish? And if I go with a dish, should I go with DirecTV or Dish Network? What have your experiences been? Know of any good deals? Any advice is very much appreciated. More data points: I have two Tivos and will want TV access in two rooms in the house; probably don’t need to buy another DVR at this point and would like to keep setup costs low. I don’t need any big sports packages, would like to get HBO & Showtime if it doesn’t cost too much. Want Trio, of course, and as many cool TV stations as I can get without spending too much. Send those helpful emails to laurel@tvpicks.net. Thanks!

TCM Star of the Day is Elvis Presley: Live A Little, Love A Little (TCM, 5am); Stay Away Joe (TCM, 6:30am); Follow That Dream (TCM, 8:15am); Kid Galahad (TCM, 10am); It Happened At The World’s Fair (TCM, 11:45am); Kissin’ Cousins (TCM, 1:45pm); Girl Happy (TCM, 3:30pm); Double Trouble (TCM, 5:15pm); Jailhouse Rock (TCM, 7pm); Viva Las Vegas (TCM, 9pm); Elvis on Tour (TCM, 10:30pm); Spinout (TCM, 12:15am); Frankie and Johnny (TCM, 2am); and Harum Scarum (TCM, 3:30am).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 7am – 3pm).

“Band Candy” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 1pm).

Jim Carrey, Jamie-Lynn DiScala on a rerun of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Sheryl Crow, Ginnifer Goodwin (of Ed, Mona Lisa Smile), Anson Mount on a rerun of The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings; WGN, midnight).

“Parenting 101: Extreme Mistakes?” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“The World’s Best Advice” on a rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

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

“Process Stories” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 4pm and 10pm).

“Dip Madness” episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 6pm).

Dips & Dippers Unwrapped (Food Network, 6:30pm).

TCM Star of the Day is Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock (TCM, 7pm); Viva Las Vegas (TCM, 9pm); Elvis on Tour (TCM, 10:30pm); Spinout (TCM, 12:15am); Frankie and Johnny (TCM, 2am); and Harum Scarum (TCM, 3:30am).

Another fascinating new episode of History Detectives (PBS, check your local listings). Listings describe the three cases in this way: “Ventriloquist’s dummy; woman accused of witchcraft; detained Chinese immigrants write poems.” I’m hooked on this show.

ABC has a look at The Best TV Shows That Never Were (ABC, 7pm). Yup, they show clips from failed pilots and discuss some series that never got off the ground. But they don’t go that extra mile and show the pilots like Trio does (oh how I wish I had Trio!).

The Ernie Kovacs Show (Trio, 7pm).

They revisit the Mobster House on Monster House (TLC, 7pm and 10pm).

NFL Preseason Football: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers (ESPN, 7pm). Baseball: Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals (ESPN2, 7pm).

If you’re hard up for some new programming and like game shows, remember that PAX now airs On The Cover (PAX, 7pm) and Balderdash (PAX, 7:30pm).

Ava doesn’t do so well running her business on her own on a rerun of Summerland (WB, 8pm).

“Fiery Foods” and “Hot Stuff” Unwrapped (Food Network, 8pm and midnight; 8:30pm and 12:30am).

Tony Bennett returns to The Casino (FOX, 8pm).

Ray’s friend the contractor takes forever to fix a stove on Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS, 8pm).

Jake befriends one of Charlie’s one-night-stands on Two and a Half Men (CBS, 8:30pm).

“Victoria takes her sons and 10 of their friends on a Miami vacation” on Growing Up Gotti (A&E, 8:30pm).

The “Sideshow” two part Law & Order (TNT, 9pm) and Homicide: Life on the Street (TNT, 10pm) crossover episode. From the 9th season of Law & Order and the 7th (and final) season of Homicide. Richard Belzer, Michael Michelle, and Zeljko Ivanek guest star on Law & Order; Benjamin Bratt, Jerry Orbach, and Sam Waterston guest star on Homicide. Zeljko Ivanek shines in both episodes as A.S.A. Danvers. Part 1 (the Law & Order part) was written by Rene Balcer, part 2 (the Homicide part) was written by David Simon (who went on to create The Wire). Ed Sherin directed both episodes.

Rerun of the latest episode of Rescue Me (FX, 9pm). Callie Thorne (of Homicide) continues her guest stint on the show.

Horatio investigates the death of a “thrill seeker” on C.S.I. Miami (CBS, 9pm).

Baseball: Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres (TBS, 9pm).

Rerun of the latest new Reno 911! (Comedy Central, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).

New episode of The Assistant (MTV, 9:30pm). Who will Andy Dick keep around to vie for a chance to be his personal assistant? What will he make them do next? Tune in to find out.

All-American Festivals: Cajun Pirate Days (Food, 9:30pm and 1:30am).

Rerun of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

Rerun of the latest Nip/Tuck (FX, 10pm).

TCM Star of the Day is Elvis Presley: Elvis on Tour (TCM, 10:30pm); Spinout (TCM, 12:15am); Frankie and Johnny (TCM, 2am); and Harum Scarum (TCM, 3:30am).

No Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn tonight. Instead Comedy Central airs The Graham Norton Effect (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Matt Damon, Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony, the Hives on a rerun of The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm). Dave’s in reruns all this week.

No Tonight Show ‘cuz of the Olympics.

Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica marathon (MTV, 11pm – ).

“Mr. Monk and the Game Show” episode of Monk (USA, 11:30pm). Where Monk visits his in-laws. No Sharona or Stottlemeyer at all in this one, yet it’s a good episode.

“Who Wants to Be in a Club That Would Have Me as a Member” episode of Keen Eddie (Bravo, midnight).

No Late Night with Conan O’Brien or Last Call ‘cuz of the Olympics.

Julie Delpy, Sacha Baron Cohen, Incubus on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Mark Ruffalo, Ayda Field on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (CBS, check your local listings). Have you heard Kilborn is leaving the show soon? Unless CBS can get him to sign on for a little longer (i.e. ’til they figure out what to do with the timeslot/show).

TCM Star of the Day is Elizabeth Taylor: Raintree County (TCM, 5am); A Date With Judy (TCM, 8:15am); Father of the Bride (TCM, 10:15am); Father’s Little Dividend (TCM, Noon); National Velvet (TCM, 1:30pm); Elizabeth Taylor: An Intimate Portrait (TCM, 3:45pm); The Last Time I Saw Paris (TCM, 5pm); Ivanhoe (TCM, 7pm); Rhapsody (TCM, 9pm); Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (TCM, 11pm); The Comedians (TCM, 1am); and The Girl Who Had Everything (TCM, 3:45am).

“Band Candy” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 6am).

Sci-Fi mini-marathon du jour: Star Trek (Sci-Fi, 7am – 3pm).

Fashion and food trends in Athens on Today (NBC, 7am – 10am).

Good Morning, America (ABC, 7am – 9am).

The cast of the new Survivor series is announced on The Early Show (CBS, 7am – 9am).

Scott Baio, Guinness World Record holder Roy Berger on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Reruns of a bunch of interviews with Tina Fey, Lindsay Lohan, Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Charlize Theron, Brooke Shields on a rerun of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Duane Martin, Jane Seymour, Susie Essman, Katy Rose on a rerun of The Sharon Osbourne Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“A Family in Crisis: What Does the Future Hold?” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Wynonna, Ashley and Naomi Judd: A Follow-Up” on a rerun of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Revelations” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FX, 1pm).

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

“Swiss Diplomacy” episode of The West Wing (Bravo, 3pm and 10pm).

“Spice Capades” episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 6pm).

Spices Unwrapped (Food Network, 6:30pm).

Full picks for Tuesday will be online sometime early Tuesday afternoon.
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