Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Ugly Betty (ABC, 7pm)
New My Name Is Earl (NBC, 7pm)
New 30 Rock (NBC, 7:30pm)
Wiliam Friedkin directs a new CSI (CBS, 8pm)
New Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8pm)
Top Chef Holiday Special (Bravo, 8pm – 9:30pm)
New Scrubs (NBC, 8:31pm)
New Without A Trace (CBS, 9pm)
New Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA, 9pm and midnight)
Peter Fonda on 300th episode of ER (NBC, 9:01pm)

News & Notes

Thanks to Star for making a donation yesterday to the laptop campaign. A handful of donations on Monday, none on Tuesday, one yesterday.

Want to help out with the site? There are always things to do around here. You’d earn my thanks and probably some TV swag. Contact me if you’re interested.

Thursday seems to be the night of odd start and end times for shows, so if you record a particular show on DVR or VCR, you might want to pad the recording where possible. I do my best to list the right times here.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

TV Land airs some classic holiday episodes of M*A*S*H (7pm and 10pm, 7:30pm and 10:30pm), The Andy Griffith Show (8pm), Designing Women (8:30pm), Good Times (9pm), and Sanford & Son (9:30pm). I love holiday episodes of shows– what are your favorites?

Henry agrees to a double-date with Betty and an interesting couple on Ugly Betty (ABC, 7pm). Wilhelmina “has an unfortunate encounter with a Golden Girl” (excellent); Betty White guest stars. Last new episode until 2008.

I should’ve seen this coming: Earl tries to break out of prison with the help of his friends on My Name Is Earl (NBC, 7pm). This should be fun! Craig T. Nelson and Michael Rapaport continue their guest stints on the show. Last new episode ’til 2008.

C.C. (Edie Falco) wants to go public with her relationship with Jack on 30 Rock (NBC, 7:30pm). Liz Lemon has difficulty appeasing both the stars of the show. James Carville also makes an appearance on the show.

Warrick becomes the prime suspect in a mob-related murder case on C.S.I. (CBS, 8pm). Eek! Oh no! That should make for a nice angst-filled episode. This episode is directed by Academy Award winner William Friedkin who directed CSI star William Peterson in the film To Live and Die in L.A. way back when. The press release tells me that this is the first time they’ve worked together since then. I must say, I’m surprised this episode didn’t air during sweeps– the timing must not have worked out. Guest stars include Rebecca Budig (of All My Children) and Beth Broderick (of Sabrina the Teenage Witch).

Meredith continues to stay with that one paramedic as they try to save his life on Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8pm – 9:02pm). This is the conclusion of a two-part episode. Lexie tries to save that nice guy played by Seth Green (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Robot Chicken). DVR/VCR Alert: Runs two minutes long. Last new episode for 2007.

Fan favorites from seasons one through three prepare holiday meals to be judged for a $20,000 top prize in the Top Chef Holiday Special (Bravo, 8pm – 9:30pm, 10:30pm – midnight).

Kelso signs Sacred Heart up for a program where patients rate the doctors on a website on Scrubs (NBC, 8:31pm – 9:01pm). That’s gonna cause trouble. Carly can’t imagine what the janitor’s girlfriend sees in him. Maybe she’s into stuff squirrels? This is the last new episode of the year.

Detective Goren goes under cover in a prison mental ward on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA, 9pm – 10:03pm, 12:03am). This should be interesting. DVR/VCR Alert: Runtime is 63 minutes.

Catherine Dent (of The Shield) guest stars as a woman who goes missing just a month after getting out of prison on Without A Trace (CBS, 9pm). James Marsters (of Buffy and Angel) continues his guest stint on the show. Henry Thomas begins a guest stint on the show as well.

Peter Fonda guest stars in the 300th episode of ER (NBC, 9:01pm). This is the last episode for 2007. Abby, Luka, and family may be heading to Croatia.

Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007 (ABC, 9pm). Some folks likely to be on the list somewhere: Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Beckham, Katherine Heigl (of Grey’s Anatomy), former President Bill Clinton, and the founders of MySpace.

New episode of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style (Gravo, 9:30pm, midnight). Slightly different time than usual because of the 90 minute Top Chef special.

Late Night

New episode of Varsity, Inc. (ESPN2, 10pm, 10:30pm).

Check out Sue’s page for Late Night Lineups. All the late night talk shows are reruns save for Last Call.

Friday Daytime

Holly Hunter (of Saving Grace), Blake Lewis, Omar Wasow on Live with Regis and Kelly (syndicated, check your local listings). With guest co-host Ted McGinley; does this mean the show will be cancelled soon?

John Cusack, Ernie Hudson on The View (ABC, check your local listings).

The eight-year-old who wowed people with his version of the national anthem on YouTube, Paula Deen (plugging her new book Christmas with Paula Deen), Trisha Yearwood on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Caroline Kennedy, “tiny tartlets” tree ornaments, gift baskets on Martha (syndicated, check your local listings).

Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Lara Spencer on The Rachael Ray Show (syndicated, check your local listings).

Tyra gets a look into the minds of 10 teenagers and the shocking opinions and stereotypes they’ve already formed in the “Teenville” episode of The Tyra Banks Show (syndicated, check your local listings). Yet another social experiment.

Rerun of the “Suddenly Skinny” episode of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings) that originally aired in October 2006. Oprah talks to people who underwent weight loss surgery to see how their lives are now. Sounds like the surgery didn’t solve problems for these peple and may have even caused more. Carnie Wilson appears on the show.

Guests call their loved ones out about their unusual behavior in an episode of Dr. Phil (syndicated, check your local listings) called “Is This Normal?”