Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets:

New Doctor Who (Sci-Fi, 7pm and 9pm)
New Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi, 8pm, 10pm, 11pm)
New Men in Trees (ABC, 8pm)
New Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
New Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm)

News & Notes:

I’ve received a few emails inquiring about Crossing Jordan which was originally set to premiere a week ago (along with Las Vegas). The Las Vegas season premiere was pushed back ’til this week, but at this point Crossing Jordan is nowhere to be found on the schedule. I’ve sent an email to someone at NBC to try to find out what’s going on; it’s possible that with Medium’s early return, they’ve pushed Crossing Jordan back to midseason (as originally announced back in May before they made changes to the fall sked). Or maybe it’s just been pushed back for a couple of weeks. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out what’s going on (if you know the skinny, please drop me a line). Medium returns on November 15th with a two-hour season premiere.

I meant to mention this yesterday, but forgot: Scrubs is returning to the schedule a bit earlier than originally planned! Hooray! Starting on November 30th, Scrubs will air on Thursdays at 8pm, to be followed by 30 Rock at 8:30pm. 30 Rock is moving from Wednesday to Thursdays and will air for the first time on the new night on November 16th. It sounds like Twenty Good Years is probably dead as starting on November 22nd, NBC will be filling the 7pm hour on Wednesdays with “various specials”.

Times listed are for the Central timezone, add an hour for Eastern/Pacific.

Primetime Grid:

Late Afternoon / Early Evening

“Stakeout” episode of Homicide: Life on the Street (Sleuth, 4pm and 2am). Excellent episode that features lots of interesting conversations as the detectives stake out a house. Kate Walsh (”Addison Shepherd” on Grey’s Anatomy) is one of the guest stars.

Bayliss: (about Adena Watson) “I can’t stop seeing her face in the rain. She looked so tiny. I try not to care but I can’t not care, because if I actually do stop caring, then I just stop being who I am. No job’s worth that.”
  from Homicide: Life on the Street

“Moonlight Sonata” episode of Everwood (ABC Family, 5pm) from near the end of season one. I probably should’ve plugged the ABC Family reruns of this excellent series a bit when the show first started airing there, but I figure anyone who has been reading this site for any length of time is already hooked on Everwood as I’ve been a supporter of the show since the very first episode. If you somehow missed this show on the WB, the reruns on cable and/or DVDs are worth checking out.

The most recent episode of Heroes (Sci-Fi, 6pm) which is titled “Hiro’s”. Someone flies, various characters with powers start to meet each other. Another intriguing episode.

Hiro: “Using my powers for personal gain. That’s the Dark Side.”
  from Heroes

“The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton” is the second episode ever of Gilmore Girls (ABC Family, 6pm). If you’ve never seen the show or only started watching recently, you really should catch the first seasons of this when you can. Great stuff and this is an excellent episode to start with. The show is available on DVD if you prefer to watch old episodes that way.

Miss Patty: (to her dance students who have books on their heads) “Now, walk smooth. That’s the new Harry Potter on your heads. If they should drop, Harry will die, and there won’t be any more books.”
  from Gilmore Girls

Glenn Frey guest stars (of course) in the “Smuggler’s Blues” episode of Miami Vice (Sleuth, 6pm). From season one.

Michael J. Fox guest stars in the “My Catalyst” and “My Porcelain God” episodes of Scrubs (Comedy Central, 6pm, 6:30pm). I hope those of you who missed some or all episodes of Scrubs on NBC are now catching it on Comedy Central and in syndication. Such a funny show and it’s much better than any ads would have you believe.

JD: “You are unflappable.”
Dr. Casey: “It’s true, I can’t be flapped.”
  from Scrubs

“For Whom The Cheese Melts” (fondue, grilled cheese) episode of Good Eats (Food, 6pm).

“Chocolate Creations” are Unwrapped (Food, 6:30pm).

Primetime:

World Series, Game 5 (FOX, 7pm). Detroit Tigers at St. Louis Cardinals. They sure have had bad weather for these games, haven’t they?

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC, 7pm) we get a bonus extra cartoon and probably some other special stuff. It will run a full hour.

Rose, Mickey, and the Doctor return to Earth in 2006 only it’s an alternative Earth from a different timeline on a new Doctor Who (Sci-Fi, 7pm and 9pm) titled (ominously) “The Rise of the Cybermen.”

Tom Wilson and Debi Mazar guest star on Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 7pm) and Jay Mohr continues his stint on the show.

A secret jury begins pronouncing sentences on people believed to have collaborated with the Cylons on New Caprica on a new Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi, 8pm, 10pm, 11pm). Oh boy, I guess I should’ve seen this coming; it sure could get ugly. They better not harm Gaeta!

Marin and Annie search for a beauty salon, Patrick bonds with Buzz (who may or may not be his biological father– does this mean Patrick is related to Jimmy Walker?), and Sarah prepares for her EMS exam on Men in Trees (ABC, 8pm). I still have a crush on this show and really hope that the people who are watching don’t tune away to Las Vegas now that it’s back. Previously, this show was the only real light hearted show on Friday nights on the major networks, though I guess Las Vegas is a different sort of fluff entirely. Mario Cantone guest stars.

Season premiere of Las Vegas (NBC, 8pm; airs again on Nov 8 on TNT at 11pm). At long last, this show finally returns. Did you miss it? (I didn’t, but maybe that’s just me.) Delinda’s wedding continues or happens or something except maybe it doesn’t. Shawn Christian (of Summerland) guest stars again as her fiance. And someone shoots Big Ed! Or something. He better not be hurt because the best thing about this show (and possibly the only thing that makes it worthwile) is James Caan. I’m just saying, is all. Also appearing in this episode: Kelly Hu, Cheryl Ladd, and Jewel.

Two star college football players are accused of the murder of a teammate on Close To Home (CBS, 8pm). Greg Evigan (one of the “two dads” on My Two Dads), Bruce Davison (”Senator Kelly” in the X-Men movies), and Anne Ramsey (”Lisa” on Mad About You) are among the guest stars. Beware: Jon Seda continues his recurring role on the show.

Rebroadcasts of the latest episode of Weeds (Showtime, 8pm, 8:30pm).

Don, his team, and his brother investigate a murder at a horse track on Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm).

An executive of a body armor company is gunned down on Law & Order (NBC, 9pm). Oh-oh.

Season premiere of Masters of Horror (Showtime, 9pm; lots more airings). Tobe Hooper directs the first installment titled “The Damned Thing”. Sean Patrick Flanery (of The Dead Zone) stars along with Ted Raimi (”Joxer” from Xena) and Marisa Coughlan. An unknown force descends upon a small town in Texas and it’s up to the sheriff to restore order.

Late Night

Singer Harry Belafonte, journalist Andrew Sullivan, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, author Arianna Huffington on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10pm).

Rebroadcast of the most recent episode of Dexter (Showtime, 10pm).

Rebroadcast of the latest episode of Nip/Tuck (FX, 10pm - 11:05pm).

“Tricks for Treats” episode of Good Eats (Food, 10pm and 1am).

Ron Livingston (of Standoff) guest stars in the “TB or Not TB” episode of House (USA, 10pm). He plays a doctor who is an advocate against the spread of tuberculosis in Africa; oddly enough he is admitted with symptoms of TB.

Late night talk show listings are now linked to in the sidebar on the right (on the website).