Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets:

New Doctor Who (Sci-Fi, 7pm and 9pm)
New Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi, 8pm and 10pm)
Chevy Chase on a new Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
New Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm)

News & Notes:

Dexter has been picked up for a second season, expect 12 more episodes starting next summer.

I fear I may have oversold the “dark” aspect of The O.C. this season in my picks for yesterday– it’s actually still very much a charming fun show. The Cohens and Seth in particular are still a blast; Summer and her new life at college is fabulous. It’s just a more mature show now and it seems more “on track” than it’s been in a while. Good stuff.

Still no word on when Crossing Jordan will return to the airwaves, it’s looking like that will be at midseason (which usually means January, though sometimes December or February). Though, as I mentioned yesterday, a couple of characters will cross over to Las Vegas yet again later this month.

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

Primetime Grid:

Primetime:

In part two of the two parter that began last week, The Doctor and Rose have to save the world (yet again) Doctor Who (Sci-Fi, 7pm and 9pm) and I believe Cybermen are involved somehow. Yikes!

Mickey: “You’re just making this up as you go along!”
The Doctor: “Yep. But I do it brilliantly.”
  from Doctor Who

Fay Wray stars in King Kong (TCM, 7pm).

Rerun of the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 7pm) which debuted last night.

NBA hoops on ESPN.

Eddie Cibrian’s role on Vanished (FOX, 7pm) is growing. And yes, the show is still on the air. If any of you are still watching, I’d love to know what you think of the show so far. Has it improved?

Melinda finds the daughter of a ghost (sigh) and works to help the mother and child reconnect or something on Ghost Whisperer (CBS, 7pm). Scott Holroyd guest stars (he played Paul Ryan on As The World Turns before Roger Howath took over the role).

A deadly virus has the Cylons making some tougher choices than usual on Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi, 8pm and 10pm; also airs on Monday at 10pm). If you still haven’t watched this show, go rent the miniseries and get started (or if you’ve already seen that, well check out season one or two or whatever you’ve missed thus far. And yeah, you’ve gotta see episodes of this show in order and do need to start with the miniseries not the season one set).

I find myself disappointed that Men in Trees is not on tonight because of a special. Harrumph. It’s back with a new episode next week. I guess I like the show.

A special two-hour installment of 20/20 (ABC, 8pm - 10pm) subtitled “Privilege in America: Who’s Shutting You Out?”

A father is killed during a school function and of course this case hits Close To Home (CBS, 8pm). Or something.

Ed returns from a trip with even more shocking news about his past, Mike heads to Hawaii to help Sam, and some romance or another “heats up” on Las Vegas (NBC, 8pm; airs again on 11/15 at 10pm on TNT).

Still more airings of the season finale of Weeds (Showtime, 8pm, 8:30pm).

There are a series of blackouts in L.A. and the FBI investigates (with the help of a mathematician, of course) on Numb3rs (CBS, 9pm), but was it really a hit-and-run?

Chevy Chase guest stars as a washed up TV star who makes anti-semetic remarks when arrested for a DWI on Law & Order (NBC, 9pm). Not that this is at all ripped from the headlines or anything. Of course the case takes a very different path at some point. I’ve seen the episode and it’s another solid Law & Order episode and Chase is decent enough in this role (though not great by any stretch, there have been plenty of better guest stints on shows this season already). Ami Brabson makes a brief appearance as a judge (she played “Mary Pembleton” on Homicide and is also married to Andre Braugher in “real life”). And Paul Anthony Stewart also has a small part (he played “Danny Santos” on Guiding Light and “Casey Bowman” on Loving).

John Landis directed tonight’s new episode of Masters of Horror (Showtime, 9pm; additional airings later in week). George Wendt (of Cheers) stars as creepy neighbor.

The “Sex Kills” episode of House (USA, 9pm) from season two. Guest stars include: Greg Grunberg (he’s the cop on Heroes, was on Alias and Felicity), Howard Hesseman (of Head of the Class and WKRP), Kerry Lynn Pratt (of Brothers & Sisters, Jack & Bobby), and Adam Busch (who was “Warren” on Buffy, also played recurring characters on The Jury and Point Pleasant).

Wilson: “Some people bottle up their feelings, have them come out as physical pain. Healthy human beings express feelings such as affection by giving gifts.”
House: “Gifts express guilt. The more expensive the expression, the deeper the guilt. That’s a $12 box so that means you haven’t slept with her yet, or she wasn’t that good.”
  from House

Rebroadcast of the most recent new episode of The Wire (HBO, 9pm).

Late Night

Actor Alec Baldwin, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), journalist A.B. Stoddard, actress Roseanne Barr, filmmaker Robert Greenwald on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10pm).

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

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

“Stuff It” (stuffing) episode of Good Eats (Food, 10pm and 1am).

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