Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Chuck (NBC, 7pm; also on USA and Bravo this weekend)
New How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7pm)
Season premiere of Everybody Hates Chris (CW, 7pm)
Series premiere of Aliens in America (CW, 7:30pm)
New Heroes (NBC, 8pm; also on Sat at 7pm)
New Journeyman (NBC, 9pm; also on USA and Bravo this weekend)
New Weeds (Showtime, 9pm and 11pm)

Primetime Grid

Mon	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30
ABC	Dancing with the Stars				The Bachelor
CBS	How I Met Your Mother	Big Bang Theory	Two and a Half Men	Rules of Engagement	CSI: Miami
NBC	Chuck		Heroes		Journeyman
FOX	Prison Break		K-Ville		Local Programming
CW	Everybody Hates Chris Season premiere	Aliens in America Series premiere	Girlfriends Season premiere	The Game Season premiere	Local Programming
ESPN	Monday Night Countdown	Football: Patriots at Bengals
Show			Brotherhood Rerun		Weeds also at 11pm	Californication also at 11:30pm

News & Notes

We’re still sick here at Wit’s End (a.k.a. the home of Laurel and Kevin). Headache, fever, chills, sore throat, cough, etc. Bah humbug. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could send us soup and/or juice and/or ice cream in the mail? Soup-o-grams, that’s the ticket.

Monday Daytime

Adrien Brody, Chrisopher Meloni (of Law & Order: SVU), Jarod Miller on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

America Ferrera (of Ugly Betty), Chris Matthews, Nick Kroll (of Cavemen) on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Queen Latifah, seven-year-old race car driver Hunter Stewart, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

A special “Breast Cancer Show” on Martha (syndicated, check your local listings).

Emily Procter (of CSI: Miami), five “wonder foods,” “double-duty secrets,” and two meals in one on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Senator Barack Obama on The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“300 Men Ask Dr. Oz” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). An audience entirely composed of men ask Dr. Oz questions. There’ll also be questions from Derek Jeter and Ben Gordon.

The “Jena 6″ discussion from Friday continues on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).

Featured Picks

New episodes of Chuck (NBC, 7pm) and Journeyman (NBC, 9pm).

First episodes are tricky: they’ve got to introduce characters, set up a premise (and sometimes a world), and sell the show to potential viewers (or networks). It’s rare that a pilot episode ends up considered one of the best episodes of a show; I tend to cut pilots a whole lot of slack and always check out additional episodes to find out what a show really is going to be like.

Tonight brings us new episodes of two promising new shows. I liked the pilots for both Chuck and Journeyman quite a bit and hoped future episodes would build on their promise: I’m pleased to report that the first “regular episodes” of each are both excellent.

The pilot for Chuck was a classic case of a pilot that had a whole lot to do: lots of characters to introduce, a kooky premise to sell, and it had to lay down the rules of this particular universe (as it’s most definitely a bit different from our own).

In the second episode, we get a better idea of what Chuck’s world will be like from day to day. One federal agent (the one played by Adam Baldwin) is working with Chuck at Buy More, the other agent is “playing” Chuck’s girlfriend and also has a cover job of her own. We see Chuck try to live a normal life while keeping secrets from those he loves.

In this episode, we also find Chuck unsure of who to trust and which agent to listen to. All the relationships of the show develop in this episode, even as it tells an entertaining little spy story. This episode is an entertaining mix of drama, comedy, romance, and adventure– just what the pilot promised. This episode improves on the first episode, the third episode (which airs next week) is also excellent– what an encouraging trend for this fun series.

I liked the first episode of Journeyman and I’m pleased to report that the second episode is even better. Time travel stories have been told many times in TV and movies, but I can’t think of any tales quite like this one.

Journeyman is an intelligent time travel show, where the time traveler is smart and resourceful, but he also makes the occasional believable mistake or faulty assumption. And in this show, the time travel causes real problems for the family, friends, and co-workers of the person who is doing the time travel.

When you might time travel at any moment without warning, how do you prepare for those trips? What do you tell your boss? How do you explain your mysterious absences? It’s interesting to watch this character adapt, improvise, and learn with each trip.

This episode rocks because we see what happens when our favorite time traveler boards a plane with his wife, only to disappear from the plane mid-flight. How does his wife deal with this? We learn she’s as smart as her husband. Lots of real world headaches ensue. I love the attention to detail when it comes to these real problems he encounters.

Another very cool thing about this show is the way it explores the relationships of the characters on the show. Sometimes when taking a trip to the past, our hero will encounter his now-dead fiance or see his current wife back when she was involved with his brother. All this stuff serves to educate and illuminate.

Strangely enough, the actual reasons he time travels and the people he help doesn’t seem to matter all that much. Sometimes they’re interesting or provide insight, but mostly it’s the problems the time travel itself causes that leads to the best drama.

You can still easily jump on board with either or both of these shows.

You can check out the first episode of Chuck or the first episode of Journeyman. Both are available for free on the NBC website and should remain available for the rest of the week.

New episodes of Chuck (NBC, 7pm) and Journeyman (NBC, 9pm).

Primetime

Part 1 of the “Don’t Eat The Snow in Hawaii” episode of Magnum, P.I. (Sleuth, 6pm and midnight). This is part one of the two-part movie that launched this series. Magnum, P.I. was a great show at times; it has a reputation as being lightweight entertainment, but it was actually one of the first shows to deal seriously with the Vietnam. Good stuff, you can catch the show weeknights on Sleuth. Part two airs tomorrow at 6pm and midnight.

New episode of Chuck (NBC, 7pm; also on USA on Sat at 1pm; and on Sunday on Bravo at Noon). As discussed in the “Featured Picks” section above. It looks like the first two episodes of Chuck will both air on Bravo on Sunday (so that’s last week’s premiere episode and tonight’s new episode); I’m assuming the episode that airs on USA on Saturday is tonight’s episode, but I suppose it’s possible it’s just another airing of the first episode.

Barney and Ted decide to pose as guys who aren’t from NYC in an attempt to woo the ladies on How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7pm). I guess they’re hoping this will cause them to have the same effect that Enrique Iglesias has on women. Um. Yeah. Good luck with that.

Chris Rock guest stars in the season premiere of Everybody Hates Chris (CW, 7pm). Rock, of course, narrates the show and works behind-the-scenes on the show, this is the first time he’s taken a role in front of the camera. He plays a guidance counselor who tests Chris rather thoroughly after Chris tests poorly on a standardized test. I’m happy to see this show back for another season as it’s one of the best half-hour comedies on the air. Pity it’s up against the best current network sitcom (How I Met Your Mother). This one is the more family-friendly of the two.

Lincoln tries to rescue LJ (so what else is new?), Michael tries to get in touch with Sara (again: what else is new?), Whistler tells Michael some truth (maybe), T-Bag is T-Bag, and Bellick gets in more trouble on Prison Break (FOX, 7pm). Ah, prison life.

Rebroadcasts of the latest episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 7pm), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 8pm), and Tell Me You Love Me (HBO, 9pm). In case you missed any of them this weekend and want to check them out.

Series premiere of Aliens in America (CW, 7:30pm). What happens when a Pakistani foreign exchange student comes to leave with a nerdy kid and his middle-class family in Wisconsin? This show give you a look at one possibility. I love the two lead kids in this show and the bits with them are great, I’m less wild about Amy Pietz (of Caroline in the City) and Scott Patterson (who was “Luke” on Gilmore Girls) as the (frankly) stupid parents. I also fear they’re attempting midwestern accents . . . and failing. This show shows promise, I wanted to like the first two episodes more than I did, there’s definitely a show here that could be a good match for Everybody Hates Chris. Chris has strong characters of all ages and good comedic stories for everybody, this show just has great kids (so far).

Leonard volunteers to sign for a package for his neighbor, but when Sheldon “helps,” things go awry on The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:30pm). I, unlike quite a few critics out there, didn’t care for the first episode. Here’s hoping this episode is better.

Football: Patriots at Bengals (ESPN, 7:30pm; preceded by pre-game at 7pm).

Parkman investigates some attacks on people with “special abilities,” Suresh goes in search of The Haitian, Hiro tries to repair any damage he may have caused to history, and Claire continues to try to keep a low profile on Heroes (NBC, 8pm; also on Saturday at 7pm). Plus lots more stuff, I’m sure, I think we may actually see some characters we didn’t see in the first episode of this season. David Anders (who was “Sark” on Alias) continues his stint as Hiro’s hero (who isn’t so heroic after all).

A former district attorney for New Orleans is found dead on K-Ville (FOX, 8pm). Adrienne Barbeau, Milena Govich, and Elise Neal guest star.

Janeane Garofalo guest stars on Two and a Half Men (CBS, 8pm) as Alan’s date, who has a strange reaction to him. Meanwhile, Charlie has a stranger than usual reaction to spending time with his mother.

Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross) and her fiance Aaron (Richard T. Jones) argue over money matters, but then Aaron’s National Guard unit is activated and that puts things in perspective on the season premiere of Girlfriends (CW, 8pm).

Rebroadcast of last night’s new episode of Brotherhood (Showtime, 8pm).

Derwin tries to repair his relationship with Melanie on the season premiere of The Game (CW, 8:30pm). And a bunch of plus-sized women throw themselves at Malik. Monique makes a cameo appearance.

Heather Locklear guest stars on Rules of Engagement (CBS, 8:30pm).

New episode of Journeyman (NBC, 9pm; also on Sat at 4pm on USA; and on Sunday at 1pm on Bravo). I cover this episode in the “Featured Picks” section above.

New episode of Weeds (Showtime, 9pm and 11pm).

The internet turns a teenage girl into a sex symbol on CSI: Miami (CBS, 9pm). Jessy Schram guest stars (she’s been great on a lot of shows by now, including as “Susan” in the Jane Doe movies, “young Allison” on Medium, and as “Hannah” on Veronica Mars).

New episode of Californication (Showtime, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).

Mario Van Peebles is with Ed Begley, Jr. on Living with Ed (HGTV, 9:30pm and 1:30am).

Late Night

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

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

Sean Penn, Barry Sonnenfeld, Ben Harper on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Patricia Heaton (of Back to You, Everybody Loves Raymond), Emeril Lagasse, Tori Amos on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

Jerry O’Connell, Ken Burns, VHS or BETA on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

Juliette Lewis, David Boreanaz (of Bones, Angel) on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Amy Brenneman, Tom Ruprecht, Harry Shearer on a rerun of Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Dita Von Teese, Clay Walker on a rerun of Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).

Tuesday Daytime

Jerry O’Connell, Alyssa Milano on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings).

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Faith Hill on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

Denis Leary (of Rescue Me), Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Kenna on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Chris Matthews, creating campaign t-shirts, stickers, buttons, etc; pear charlotte, ordering the right bulbs on Martha (syndicated, check your local listings).

Apollo Anton Ohno, anti-aging expert Dr. Perricone, a hearty and healthy meal from Argentina on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Babyface, Jeff Probst, John Edward on The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

“Halle Berry’s Having A Baby” and she’s on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Benicio Del Toro is also on the show. And Oprah takes a look at chef Art Smith’s new restaurant.

“Dr. Phil House: Man Camp Newlyweds, part 3″ on Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings).