Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Bones (FOX, 7pm)
New NCIS (CBS, 7pm)
New House (FOX, 8pm)
New The Unit (CBS, 8pm)
New Eureka (Sci-Fi, 8pm and 11:30pm)
New Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm; also on Sat at 9pm)
New Damages (FX, 9pm, 10pm, midnight; also on Wednesday at 10pm)

New Shows

Series premiere of Reaper (CW, 8pm; also on Thu at 8pm)
Series premiere of Cane (CBS, 9pm; also on Sat at 8pm)

News & Notes

So did you see any new shows last night that you like? I hope so. And it was great to have Heroes back in particular, though I’m not so sure they need to keep adding new characters to that show given how many players there already are– and yet, well gosh, it was cool to see David Anders on screen again.

Looking for daytime talk show listings for today? Check out the last section of my picks for yesterday.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Season premiere of Bones (FOX, 7pm). When we meet up with the team of squints this year, we find out that Brennan hasn’t been working with Booth much for months. They’re reunited here and that’s a whole lot of fun; I really like these characters and was happy to see them back together (and I don’t just mean Booth and Brennan, the supporting players rock as well). The case in this episode is a doozy and one that will likely have an impact throughout the season which could add an interesting new dimension to the show. Maybe they felt they needed a new ongoing tale/mystery now that things are more or less resolved with Brennan’s parents (kindof). If you haven’t watched this show before, you could certainly jump in this season and enjoy it. It’s about a forensic anthropologist (and her team) and about an FBI agent they work with. David Boreanaz and Emily Deschenal star. The show features (usually) interesting cases and good chemistry between the leads; plus a nifty quirky supporting cast. Much lighter than tone than the CSI or Law & Order shows with more focus on character development.

There’s a “showdown between the NCIS team and an elusive arms dealer” on the season premiere of NCIS (CBS, 7pm). It know it’s painfully uncool to like this show and yet I do (and not just ‘cuz of David McCallum and Pauley Perrette though I must admit they are my faves). Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, and Lauren Holly also star. The cases aren’t always that interesting, but the interplay between the characters usually is. I call this a “second string” show– one I like and will watch, but I don’t have to see every episode. Armand Assante guest stars yet again as La Grenouille.

The press release for tonight’s new episode of Beauty and the Geek (CW, 7pm) cracks me up because it contains the phrase “Oscar winning group 3/6 Mafia guest star.” It’s hard out there for a pimp . . . or a geek. The geeks are charged with writing autobiographical rap songs and performing them for 3/6 Mafia; the beauties get to debate each other on current events.

The men perform either the fox trot or the cha-cha on Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 7pm – 8:30pm). Results show airs tomorrow at 7pm.

Richard Roundtree and Beverly Todd guest star in a new episode of Lincoln Heights (ABC Family, 7pm and 11pm).

New episode of Eureka (Sci-Fi, 8pm and 11:30pm) titled “All That Glitters” and I know I’ll be watching. Thank goodness some shows air multiple times a night (or per week).

Season premiere of House (FOX, 8pm). Based on my reaction when I received this episode in the mail, I must really love this show (and I do). House is working all alone even as Cuddy and Wilson keep pestering him to hire a new team. Wilson tries a hilarious strategy to force House into doing what they want (it’s just too too funny). The case is interesting and House is interesting and don’t panic– we’ll be seeing Cameron, Chase, and Foreman again before too long (just not in this episode). Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, and Lisa Edelstein are excellent, as ever, in this episode.

Season premiere of David Mamet’s excellent series The Unit (CBS, 8pm). When we last left the team, they were splitting up and going into hiding (save for those already captured and their leader who is trying to get them out of the mess they’re in). Things are very messy right now and this is the beginning of a multi-part episode. I can’t wait! Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley, Robert Patrick, and Regina Taylor are among the stars.

Series premiere of Reaper (CW, 8pm; also on Thursday at 8pm). The main character of this show works at “The Workbench,” a place that looks a lot like Home Depot. TeeVee and TV Barn cover it in their Fall Guide and Aaron Barnhart reviews it– he liked it more than I or Jason Snell did, for what it’s worth. Check out what they have to say.

The premise is that a 21-year-old slacker has had his soul sold to the devil and he’s charged with sending people who escaped Hell, back to Hell. If this sounds familiar, you probably remember Brimstone and/or Good vs. Evil a.k.a. G vs. E which were both good shows (albeit completely different in tone from each other and from this show).

The first episode is entertaining, though I found myself intensely annoying by the sidekick character and missing the smarter store employees of Chuck. I guess I prefer watching smart people to watching dumb people, when it comes down to it, not that Chuck and his pals don’t have some redeeming qualities (and smarts). The violence here is more real and/or gross than in Reaper. And I just don’t care for humor that involves hurting dogs (there’s one little scene like that). This is the cruder show, the first episode was directed by Kevin Smith, the star of the show was on The Loop. Some of you may also not like the idea of a smirking devil character on TV and might not find it all really a joking matter. And yet I give it a mild thumbs up (at this point, future episodes may be better), but think that if it remains in this timeslot, your time would be better spent watching House and/or The Unit. And you’ll always have Chuck which so far is similar, but better.

Season premiere of Boston Legal (ABC, 8:30pm). Special 90-minute episode. There’s still more turnover in the cast for this season, but James Spader, William Shatner, and Candice Bergen will always remain. John Larroquette will be joining the cast, though he won’t be playing the murderous character he played on The Practice. Alan’s defending Shirley in court while John Larroquette ends up defending Denny Crane. I’ve become hooked on this show after resisting for a while– it’s got that David E. Kelley mix of quirky weird stuff and fascinating legal cases. Over-the-top, sure, but you’ve gotta love the friendship between the characters played by Shatner and Spader– it’s like nothing else we’ve seen before on TV. DVR/VCR Alert: Note that this is a special 90-minute episode that starts at 8:30pm.

Series premiere of Cane (CBS, 9pm; also on Sat at 8pm). Here’s a link to the TeeVee/TV Barn Fall guide entry for the show. It’s a nighttime soap opera about a rich family in Miami who have owned a sugar cane business for many years. Jimmy Smits stars as the adopted son of characters played by Hector Elizondo and Rita Moreno; further complicating matters is the fact that he ended up marrying his sister (she was the biological child of his parents). Nestor Carbonell plays one of her other brothers who doesn’t seem to keen on his adopted brother getting so much power within the family business. Ken Howard and Lee Tergeson show up in the first episode (with guest star billing) and will likely be in at least some future episodes. The first episode is engaging if you like this sort of show; the show boasts and impressive cast and looks just great. It’s worth a look if you aren’t hooked on the other network shows that air on 9pm on Tuesdays or if you enjoy family dramas (or nighttime soaps). Or, of course, if you’re a fan of any of these actors.

I don’t know what’s in store on tonight’s new episode of Damages (FX, 9pm, 10pm, midnight; also on Wednesday at 10pm), but I’m sure it’s intense. If you’re hooked on this show, you’ll watch. If you haven’t watched this show, wait for a DVD set to check it out.

Cynthia Nixon (of Sex and the City) guest stars on the season premiere of Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm; also on Saturday at 9pm; and on USA on Sun 10/7 at 10pm). She appears to be putting her hat in the ring for a “best guest actress in a drama” Emmy award with this performance. She’s good, though the previews for the show give far too much away. I enjoyed the episode, and not just because we got to see Munch in a completely different way (though that is amusing).

The drama continues with Cragen, Stabler, and Benson, of course. Olivia’s hair is short again. Adam Beach joins the cast, Bronson Pinchot also guest stars. And that’s all I’ll tell you. It’s amazing how this show has evolved, I really didn’t care much for season one, but then the show improved a great deal when they got the balance between cases and personal stuff right. Now it’s the only Law & Order show to debut on NBC in the Fall; Law & Order: Criminal Intent will air on USA, Law & Order doesn’t return to the NBC lineup ’til midseason.

Late Night:

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

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

Kate Walsh (of Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy), Kevin Smith, Rascal Flatts on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeff Corwin, Reba McEntire with Vince Gill on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

Jamie Foxx, Heather Graham, Mike Birbiglia on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

D.L. Hughley, Kaitlin Olson, Hannibal Burress on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Dylan McDermott, Tom Bergeron, Sea Wolf on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Cheryl Hines, Jamie T on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Wednesday Daytime

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Queen Latifa (as musical guest), and Carrot Top (you can’t say I didn’t warn you) on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Kate Walsh (of Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy), Christopher Titus (of Big Shots, Titus) on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Greg Kinnear, opera sensation Paul Potts, and Kat Von D (of L.A. Ink) on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Former President Bill Clinton on Martha (syndicated, check your local listings).

Kelsey Grammer (of Back to You, Frasier), and a look at whether what you wear matters to guys on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“15 Things You Must Buy for Fall” on The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings). With “style experts” Jacqui Stafford (of Shape magazine), Suze Yalof Schwartz (of Glamour magazine), and Dannielle Romano (of Daily Candy).

“Children of Divorce Reveal Their Secret Thoughts” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).