Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

Series premiere of Hidden Palms (CW, 7pm)
Series premiere of Traveler (ABC, 8pm)
Timeslot premiere/new episode of Traveler (ABC, 9pm)

Recommended Reruns

Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm)
Medium (NBC, 9pm)

News & Notes:

If things brief or delayed, that’s ‘cuz there’s wacky health stuff going on here. And by “wacky” I mean: not terribly fun. Could be worse, though (I’m so Minnesotan).

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Series premiere of Hidden Palms (CW, 7pm). Taylor Handley stars (he was “Oliver” on The O.C.) as a teenager who was once happy-go-lucky, but now isn’t since the suicide of his father. He returns to Palm Springs with his family and things have changed, or something like that. This show is from Kevin Williamson (of Dawson’s Creek). Cast includes Tessa Thompson (“Jackie” on Veronica Mars), Sharon Lawrence, Gail O’Grady, Michael Cassidy (“Zach” on The O.C.), D.W. Moffet, Amber Heard, Cheryl White, Ellary Porterfield, and Kyle Secor (of Homicide, Commander In Chief, et al).

This new episode of So You Think You Can Dance (FOX, 7pm – 9pm) includes footage from auditions held in L.A. and Chicago.

Series premiere of The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (ABC, 7pm). The press release from ABC calls this new show “a diabolically outrageous and raucously entertaining new show” and I have a hard time believing that is an apt description of this show. Michele Merkin hosts the show where competitors do their best celebrity impressions. The judges are comedians Jeffrey Ross, Lisa Ann Walter, and Elon Gold who presumably have fun mocking or praising the competitors (and possibly those they impersonate).

Rebroadcast of the series premiere of Traveler (ABC, 8pm). In case you were busy watching other stuff on the crowded sweeps schedule when ABC aired the first episode of this summer series, you get another chance to see it again before the second episode debuts in the show’s regular timeslot (ABC, 9pm). I’m eager to see the second episode and see how it compares to the pilot. I described the show in my picks for May 10th. It’s certainly worth a look, one of the better summer shows (at least on the networks).

There’s a whole bunch of drama (as you might imagine) on tonight’s new episode of One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm) as someone tells someone else that someone is a murderer. There are still two more new episodes for this season after this one; the show will be back next year (dangit), but will jump ahead four years (a good idea, the actors will look more age appropriate for their characters and it might refresh the show a little). I’m still bitter that Everwood, Gilmore Girls, and Veronica Mars are over while this show remains. ‘Cuz I think even people who enjoy One Tree Hill would admit that it’s not in the same league as those others when at their best.

The team profiles a serial arsonist on a rerun of Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm). We learn a bit more about Hotch (Thomas Gibson) in this episode than we knew before. Stacy Edwards guest stars, which is notable ‘cuz she was also a regular on Chicago Hope at one time (as were series stars Mandy Patinkin and Thomas Gibson).

Gideon: For them, fire’s just a substitute for sexual release.
Garcia: Oh, great. So if these guys don’t get laid, they start fires?
Gideon: Or in this case, burn entire families to death.
Prentiss: (to Reid) No statistic?
Gideon: No, they don’t have statistics on this guy; one of a kind.
Garcia: Thank God.
  from Criminal Minds

Ben Weber (“Skipper” on Sex and the City) and Jon Polito (“Crosetti” on Homicide: Life on the Street) guest star on a rerun of Medium (NBC, 9pm).

Vincent: You know, for a fellow murder victim, you’re being pretty zen about all this.
Morgan: I’m dead, why shouldn’t I be zen?
  from Medium

A transgendered showgirl is murdered on a rerun of CSI: NY (CBS, 9pm).