Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

Joel Grey on a new House (FOX, 7pm)
Season premiere of NCIS (CBS, 7pm)
Season premiere of The Unit (CBS, 8pm)
Season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm)
New Eureka (Sci-Fi, 8pm and 10pm; also on Fri)
Season premiere of Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm)
Michael J. Fox returns for the season premiere of Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm)
Peter Dinklage and Mario Lopez on a new Nip/Tuck (FX, 9pm, 10pm)

Other Premieres

Series premiere of Smith (CBS, 9pm)

News & Notes

If my coverage of all things cable seems lighter than usual right now, it’s because I figure many of you will be most interested in checking out new and returning shows on the networks. I’ll try to mention series and season premieres of cable stuff and also continue my coverage of ongoing original scripted series; I’ve got a lot to cover and I hope you understand I can’t get to everything! As always, I appreciate hearing from you about what shows you like and what you’d like me to cover. And I like to know what you like about the site, too!

USA has picked up Psych for a second season (of 16 episodes) and The Dead Zone for a sixth season (of 13 episodes); Monk and The 4400 were already renewed for additional seasons a while ago.

This site may be down for maintenance from time to time this week, but I’ll try to keep that to a minimum (and at late at night). Still working on a new design that should be up at some point this week.

As always, I recommend regular visits to TV Tattle to keep up with breaking news about television as well as links to interesting reviews and articles.

Times listed on this page are for the Central time zone, please add an hour for Eastern/Pacific.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Joel Grey guest stars as a medical research pioneer who now wants his life to end on a new episode of House (FOX, 7pm). The team disagrees on how to deal with the case. And there’s a teenager in the clinic who has a crush on House. I’m still enjoying the heck out of this show.

Ziva witnesses a political assassination and is in some sort of trouble, Tony is leading the team (oh-oh), and Gibbs is still retired on the season premiere of NCIS (CBS, 7pm). Mark Harmon has not left the show, I’m guessing Gibbs will still be around in some capacity for a while until he returns to the team (he’s gotta return, right? Otherwise it would get a little ridiculous if the team kept going to him with their issues).

Rerun of the season finale (of last season) of Gilmore Girls (CW, 7pm). In the finale, troubadours overrun the town, Logan prepares to leave for London, and Lorelai gives Luke an ultimatum. Troubadours are played by Joe Pernice, Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub (”Chloe” on 24), Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Daniel Palladino, David “Gruber” Allen, and (of course) Sam Phillips (who is responsible for so much of the music on the show). Series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino depart the show with this episode. Have no fear, the season premiere airs next week and picks up right where this episode left off and it’s an excellent episode.

Lorelai: (Christopher goes into the restoom a minute after Lorelai) “Oh my God, what are you doing?”
Christopher: “I thought ‘restroom’ was code to follow me and figure out how to get me out of this.”
Lorelai: “What the hell kind of spy school did you go to?”
Christopher: “Well now that I am here lets figure out how to get me out of this!”
Lorelai (jokes): “Out of what?”
Christopher: “What do you mean out of what? This is a set up!”
Lorelai (laughing): “So it seems!”
Christopher: “I can’t believe Emily would do this!”
Lorelai: “You are talking about Emily Dickinson, right? Because Emily Gilmore was made to do this.”
  from Gilmore Girls

The season premiere of The Unit (CBS, 8pm) picks up some months after the events of the rather over-the-top season finale. Mack and Tiffy are about to have their “permanent change of station” but both seem to be having second thoughts about it (go figure, eh?). The rest of the team is in Pakistan dealing with yet another crisis (go fig– you know). I just watched this episode and it’s another strong offering from this show. This one is written by series co-creator David Mamet and that’s always a good thing. Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley, Regina Taylor, Robert Patrick, and others star. If you somehow didn’t check this show out last season, give it a shot when you can this season (though Tuesday Nights at 7pm and 8pm are crazy busy with a bunch of good shows on opposite each other. I need another Tivo!).

The daughter of a former ambassador is murdered on the season premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm) and Goren and Eames are on the case. When there’s another brutal murder, it becomes clear that this is the work of a serial killer. A former mentor of Goren’s turns up with information on an old case that might be relevant (played by John Glover of Smallville, Brimstone; the character also has a daughter played by Martha Plimpton). The case “gets personal” too and I imagine that might have something to do with the change in cast for this new season (Courtney B. Vance, Jamey Sheridan, and Annabella Sciorra have all left the show). New members of the cast for this season are Theresa Randle as an ADA, Eric Bogosian as the captain of the major cases squad, and Julianne Nicholson (of Conviction, Ally McBeal) as Mike Logan’s new partner.

Carter tries to figure out why the people of Eureka are acting even stranger than usual in a new episode of Eureka (Sci-Fi, 8pm, 10pm; also at 6pm on Friday) titled “Purple Haze.” Still liking this show a lot even if it is lighter summer fare (perhaps because it is that, most of the new fall shows are pretty intense and serious).

A kidnapping on Standoff (FOX, 8pm) involves the child of an Asian crime lord which seriously complicates matters.

ET Presents the CW Launch Party (CW, 8pm). Red carpet interviews with stars of the shows that have moved to CW; lots of stuff promoting the new network and season.

Det. Oliva Benson (Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay) goes undercover on the season premiere of Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm) after she learns that a rape victim is an FBI informant with ties to a radical group of some sort. Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden guest stars as an FBI agent. I think this is the only Law & Order series without any sort of major cast change this season (though Connie Nielsen will fill in for a few episodes for Hargitay while she takes some more leave to be with her new baby).

Daniel (guest star Michael J. Fox) is arrested for trying to buy a lung on the season premiere of Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm) which is (of course) titled “Can’t We All Get a Lung?” Alan Shore (James Spader) defends a friend who is caught driving in a car pool lane with a blow-up doll in the passenger seat. Parker Posey and Christian Clemenson also guest star. I’m excited ‘cuz Craig Bierko joins the cast next week (and I’ve got a copy of that episode right here, will cover it next week).

Sean and Julia interview nannies and one takes an interest in Sean on a new episode of Nip/Tuck (FX, 9pm, 10pm). A recording of Christian hits the internet (you can pretty easily guess what he’s doing the recording, can’t you?). And Julia and Sean’s baby is born. Peter Dinklage and Mario Lopez guest star. If you enjoy Mario Lopez, you should know that you get to see a lot of him in this episode (and I’m not talking about his time on screen).

Series premiere of Smith (CBS, 9pm; airs again on Saturday at 8pm). Check out my review and preview of this new series for all the gory details. It’s a show with potential, but the pilot didn’t make me care at all about any of these characters and as a result it didn’t really work for me. Thief was a better show with a similar premise and it didn’t win over many people, so I’m not sure how this show will fare. Heist was another show from last season that was more enjoyable.

Late Night:

Another airing of the most recent new episode of Weeds (Showtime, 10pm).

“Gotten Grains” (wheat berries, bulgur, and couscous) episode of Good Eats (Food, 10pm and 1am).

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

Rebroadcast of the most recent new episode of The Wire (HBO, 10:30pm).

Frank Rich on The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Patrick Dempsey (”McDreamy” on Grey’s Anatomy), a Top Ten list from former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, ventriloquist Jay Johnson and Darwin, Kasabian on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm). It’s “Ventriloquism Week” on The Late Show!

Justin Timberlake, Sarah Silverman on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

Johnny Knoxville, Caroline Rhea, Bonnie “Prince” Billy on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

Skeet Ulrich (of Jericho), Nora Ephron, Rodney Atkins on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Zach Braff (of Scrubs), Xzibit, Josh Radin on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Rebecca Gayheart (of Vanished), Godsmack on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Wednesday Daytime

Patrick Dempsey, Caroline Rhea, Kenny Chesney on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Ben Affleck, Fergie, James McGreevey on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Matthew McConaughey, Eva Longoria (of Desperate Housewives), Bon Jovi on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

Diane Lane, Dixie Chicks on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Aaron Neville cooks gumbo with Martha, Martha gives tips on how to help kids keep their toys organized, a 10-year-old coin collector on Martha (syndicated, check your local listings).

Lisa Kudrow (of The Comeback, Friends), a 10-year-old opera singer, Adam Rodriguez (of CSI Miami) on The Megan Mullaly Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Rachael “reinvents school lunches” and plays a corpse on CSI: NY on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Top Model Premiere Party” on The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Revenge of the Exes” on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Face Your Fears” on The Greg Behrendt Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Why Can’t You Be A Mother To Me Now?” on The Dr. Keith Ablow Show (syndicated, check your local listings).