Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

Salma Hayek on a new Ugly Betty (ABC, 7pm)
Christian Slater on a new My Name Is Earl (NBC, 7pm - 7:40pm)
New The Office (NBC, 7:40pm - 8:20pm)
New The O.C. (FOX, 8pm)
New Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8pm; airs again on Friday at 7pm)
New 30 Rock (NBC, 8:20pm)
Christopher Guest on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm)

News & Notes

There’s a new contest going on through Thanksgiving and it’s a great one. You could win that awesome Homicide Megaset. It’s quite a coup to have this to give away.

In related news, I have a few more Scrubs prize packs to give out, so a few lucky people who entered that contest a while back should be hearing from me soon.

Primetime Grid

Daytime

Luke and Laura renew their vows on a very special General Hospita (ABC, check your local listings). Or, at least, they’re supposed to– this being a soap opera, one never knows what may happen.

Primetime

Series producer Salma Hayek continues her guest stint on Ugly Betty (ABC, 7pm) in a new episode titled “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral”. Other guest stars include Martha Stewart, Judith Light, and Debi Mazar. This has turned into a really fun show and I’m liking it more and more. It helps that many characters which started out very one-dimensional are now well-rounded.

Christian Slater guest stars in a special “super-sized” episode of My Name Is Earl (NBC, 7pm - 7:40pm). Earl tries to make things right with a man he robbed and then he ends up on a commune. I’ve seen this episode and it’s both funny and oddly educational or insightful. Really! I know I was concerned about the show at the beginning of the season, but recent episodes have been quite good.

“Whoever said ‘laughter is the best medicine’ never had gonorrhea.”
  from My Name Is Earl

Clark heads to Seattle after an escapee from the Phantom Zone causes problems there on Smallville (CW, 7pm). Note that neither Smallville nor Supernatural will have any additional airings of these episodes on Sunday (unlike previous weeks, now that Reba joins the CW Sunday night lineup).

The Scranton and Stamford branches of the company are merged in a special “super-sized” episode of The Office (NBC, 7:40pm - 8:20pm). Jim and Pam are working together again, but what does it mean for them? I’ve seen this funny episode, though I fear I’ll forever be haunted by “Lazy Scranton”. DVR/VCR Alert: episode runs from 7:40pm ’til 8:20pm.

Seth pays Summer a visit at Brown on The O.C. (FOX, 8pm). Summer grieves and then tries to get back to being her “old self” when Seth visits. It’s a cool episode and I’m not just saying that because I was far too amused by the image of Chris Pratt playing the guitar while naked. Pratt, of course, was a scene stealer as “Bright” on Everwood and now he’s a scene stealer on The O.C.

The O’Malley family visits George at the hospital on Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8pm and tomorrow at 7pm), but it’s far from a happy occasion. Will Burke operate on George’s father? I expect more drama and humor and all the usual Grey’s Anatomy fun. George Dzundza guest stars as George’s Dad. DVR/VCR Alert: tonight’s episode runs 61 minutes.

Identical twins are both murdered and the team investigates to see if there’s a connection (um, shouldn’t that be obvious?) on CSI (CBS, 8pm). Frank Grillo is among the guest stars (he’s been in a lot of things, most recently he was the lawyer last season on Prison Break).

A deal-making demon is making people’s dreams come true in exchange for their souls on Supernatural (CW, 8pm). I’m guessing Sam & Dean will try to put a stop to that.

Joan Cusack and family celebrate Christmas in Austria on Joan Cusack’s Local Flavor (Travel, 8pm and 11pm).

Isabella Rossellini & Dean Kamen on Iconoclasts (Sundance, 8pm and 11pm, with more airings during the week).

People begin to wonder if Tracy can read, the executive played by Alec Baldwin really can’t act on a new “super-sized” episode of 30 Rock (NBC, 8:20pm - 8:59pm). The show is moving to Thursday nights, later on after Thanksgiving will air at 8pm and will be followed by Scrubs at 8:30pm. I’ve seen this episode and it’s really quite funny; this show has been steadily improving since the pilot (which I thought was merely “okay”).

Stark a.k.a. Shark (CBS, 9pm) handles a racially charged case that also involves hit-and-runs and possibly a love triangle.

Abby and Luka argue, other doctors deal with some homeless kids, and Weaver ends up having to do the unexpected while at a school on ER (NBC, 8:59pm).

Barbara Walters Special: 30 Mistakes in 30 Years (ABC, 9:01pm). I imagine this special is just what it sounds like: Baba Wawa Bloopers!

Late Night

Late night talk show listings are now linked to in the sidebar on the right on the main page.