Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Prison Break (FOX, 7pm)
Season finale of Kyle XY (ABC Family, 7pm and 11pm; also airs on ABC on Friday)
New The Closer (TNT, 8pm and 10pm)
NewWeeds (Showtime, 9pm, 9:30pm, 11pm)
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel, 9pm and midnight)

Primetime Grid

News & Notes

Last night I was part of a conference call (via Skype) with five other Vidiots from TeeVee.org; some of our discussion ended up part of our second ever TeeVee podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast feed or subscribe via iTunes. And here’s a link to the latest edition. More info at TeeVee of course. You may have noticed I’ve added the TeeVee Feed to the sidebar here; you should be able to see links to the five most recent posts over there.

Premiere dates for new and returning shows are listed on the Fall Schedule Grid. I’ll be adding links from the names of the new shows on the grid to my coverage of them as I get that stuff posted; you can also watch the Shows page for a straightforward list. (Yeah, I’ve reorganized things a little bit since last week; apologies. Bookmarks and such should still get you to appropriate places.) So far I’ve just got two previews up, they’re for Vanished & Day Break.

Had some major technical difficulties regarding TVPicks.net over the weekend and as a result I had to make a slightly different version of the site live before I’m fully comfortable with it and have worked out all the kinks. If you notice anything weird or any broken links, please let me know. (I am aware that archives are messed up, that’s why they aren’t linked to right now). A niftier redesign is in the works, but it won’t be ready for another week or two; I’m trying my best to keep things up and running in the interim.

Times listed are for the Central timezone, please adjust accordingly if you’re in a different timezone.

Primetime

Lincoln decides it’s a good idea to try and break his son L.J. out of a courthouse not long after their escape on a new Prison Break (FOX, 7pm; airs again on Friday). (Hasn’t it only been 24-48 hours?) Stupid Lincoln. We also catch up with Tweener, not that anyone was begging for that. Bellick and Mike Hammer the warden face an inquiry. And, well, lots of stuff happens. I’ve seen this episode and I enjoyed it; so far season two is shaping up to be better than season one and not just ‘cuz William “Bill” Fichtner has joined the cast as a smart FBI agent who is on the trail of Lincoln and Michael.

A couple claims that they’re Kyle’s parents in the season finale of Kyle XY (ABC Family, 7pm and 11pm; airs again on ABC on Friday). Nicholas “Krycek” Lea guest stars again. I’m happy to report that this fine show has been picked up for a second season.

A ticket that may have been signed by Lou Gehrig, electric trolley cars, and “freedom paper” are the items investigated by History Detectives (PBS, check your local listings).

Brian Williams reports in Katrina: The Long Road Back (NBC, 7pm).

The fabulous Hugh Laurie (of House) on Inside The Actors Studio (Bravo, 7pm).

Monday Night Football moves to ESPN this season. NFL Preseason Football: Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN, 7pm).

Rose tries to help Alan and Charlie “sort out their feelings” in the “I Always Wanted A Shaved Monkey” episode of Two and a Half Men (CBS, 7pm). From late in season two.

Lily, Barney, and Robin go to a high school prom in the “Best Prom Ever” episode of How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30pm). They’re scouting a possible band for Lily & Marshall’s wedding. Of course the rest of the gang is sure to show up there. This is one of the last episodes from this past season.

Lily & Robin: (To Barney about their prom dresses) “Alright, what do you think?”
Barney: “Horrible!”
Lily: (Disgusted) “You’d make such a great dad.”
Barney: “It’s so classy and nice; you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb. Have you seen how the kids are dressing these days? With the Ashley, and the Lindsay and the Paris. They all dress like strippers. It’s go ho or go home.”
Lily: “Well we have to get in. I have to see this band because we have to make a decision by Monday because I’m getting married in 71 days and we still–”
Robin: (Cutting off Lily’s panicked rant) “Shhhh. Sweetie, just focus on one thing at a time. Okay? Right now you just have to dress like a whore and that’s it.”
Lily: “Alright.”
Barney: “Now that’s the spirit. Now ladies, slut up!”
  from How I Met Your Mother

The detectives finally learn of Deputy Chief Brenda’s past romantic relationship with her boss in a new episode of The Closer (TNT, 8pm and 10pm; also at 11pm tomorrow). Oh-oh. But you knew that had to happen at some point. And of course there’s also an interesting case to solve too. Thank yew. Be careful, ‘cuz the “content may be sensitive to some viewers.” Poor sensitive content.

My reaction to a commercial on FOX promoting Vanished (FOX, 8pm; airs again on Friday) that mentions a “centuries old conspiracy” was uproarious laughter. You gotta be kidding me! There really isn’t much of a hint of that in the pilot, perhaps there will be something along those lines in tonight’s new episode.

Rerun of The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (Bravo, 8pm – 11pm). Underwhelming show. Some funny bits, but lots of boring stuff too. And, as usual, an odd collection of winners. I was happy about a couple of awards, but mostly befuddled by the whole thing.

Jake gets invited to his first “boy-girl” party in the “Just Once with Aunt Sophie” episode of Two and a Half Men (CBS, 8pm).

Alan: “What’s going on in school?”
Jake: “Nothin’.”
Alan: “Nothing? You just sit there all day and stare at the wall?”
Jake: “That’s where the clock is.”
  from Two and a Half Men

Old Christine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who inexplicably won an Emmy award last night) worries about her kid going to a Rolling Stones concert with his Dad and “New Christine” on The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, 8:30pm).

Another new episode of Weeds (Showtime, 9pm, 9:30pm, 11pm). I need to get Showtime or find some other way to see season two episodes and not just ‘cuz I want to hear all the covers of “Little Boxes” (a different artist is covering it for the opening credits of each episode of season two). Watching the season one DVD set got me hooked.

Baseball: Boston Red Sox at Oakland A’s (ESPN2, 9pm).

The lawsuit looms large on a new episode of Saved (TNT, 9pm; also 10pm on Wednesday). Wyatt thinks he should take the fall, even as his partner distances himself from him.

Sam ends up in a hostage situation in Life On Mars (BBC America, 9pm and midnight). BBC series about a modern day police detective who ends up transported back to the ’70s.

Anthony Bourdain heads to Rajasthan, India on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel, 9pm and midnight).

Allison dreams she hits someone with her car; she also dreams of a haunted house in “The Reckoning” episode of Medium (NBC, 9pm). I’m bummed that this show won’t be back ’til midseason as this past season of the show improved on season one and really was one of the better shows last season.

“10-7″ is the season finale from the season before last; Horatio finds a fingerprint that matches his (supposedly dead) brother on CSI: Miami (CBS, 9pm).

Late Night

“Seeing Red” (tomato sauces) episode of Good Eats (Food Network, 10pm and 1am).

Rebroadcast of the “Pro-choice/Pro-life” episode of 30 Days (FX, 10pm).

Rebroadcast of the “Shawn vs. The Red Phantom” episode of Psych (USA, midnight).

It looks like Letterman and Leno are the only late night talk shows with new episodes tonight. Check out Sue Trowbridge’s late night talk show listings to see who the guests are on various late night and daytime talk shows.