Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New The Unit (CBS, 8pm)
New Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm)
Season finale of Saving Grace (TNT, 9pm, 11pm, midnight)

Recommended Reruns

Bones (FOX, 7pm)
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Cartoon Network, 8pm)
House (FOX, 8pm)
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABC Family, 9pm; also on Monday at 1:30pm)

News & Notes

Yesterday NBC announced that both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien will return with new episodes starting on January 2nd. Here are links to statements from Conan O’Brien and from Jay Leno.

I do post the occasional non-TV-related deals to my Livejournal and I also natter about random things via Twitter. There’s also a TV Picks Twitter account but I haven’t done much with it yet (what would you like to see there?).

Primetime Grid

Featured Pick

Season finale of Saving Grace (TNT, 9pm, 11pm, midnight).

Holly Hunter is amazing on Saving Grace and there are many other things to recommend the show. But this show is still a hard sell, isn’t it? I know people who are turned off by the whole “angel and God” aspects of the show; I know folks who don’t mind that, who have problems with Grace’s wild ways and wonder why they would want to watch such a character. And yet this may be why I like the show: it is messy and complicated, the characters are that way too. There aren’t easy answers, exactly.

We believe Grace’s struggles and she does enough good from time to time that one can understand what her friends see in her, maybe what an angel or God might see in her.

I’ve seen tonight’s season finale and it really pays off the whole season well. I don’t really want to say any more because it’d be a shame to give anything away, but wow. I liked it. I thought maybe some things were “too much” but then in the end . . . nah, I liked it. Not an easy show for anyone, believer in God or non-believer, but a good one.

Primetime

It’s a holiday classic: The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney, 7pm).

The first choir is eliminated on night two of Clash of the Choirs (NBC, 7pm). Live episode. Choir leaders on this reality competition series are Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland, and Blake Shelton.

It’s time for night two of Duel (ABC, 7pm - 8:30pm) a tournament style game show that is running all this week on ABC. Tonight’s episode was originally supposed to run just an hour, but has been extended to run ninety minutes.

Rerun of Bones (FOX, 7pm) from last season. It’s the one with murders that are just like the ones in Brennan’s bestselling book. Oh-oh. Written by Karine Rosenthal, directed by Craig Ross Jr.

Hodgins: (about the rats) “Don’t grow too attached, these little guys are destined to be snake snacks.”
Angela: “But now that we’ve confiscated them, shouldn’t they be safe? I mean, they’re material witnesses.”
Hodgins: “It’s not like they know sign language, Angela.”
  from Bones

CBS previously had said that a new episode of NCIS (CBS, 7pm) would air tonight, but they recently pulled that episode in favor of a rerun (I’m not sure which rerun as I write this). Rest assured the new episode will air at some point, just not tonight. I suppose they want to save some new stuff for later given the strike situation. DVR Alert: As I write this, a number of sources for TV listings still seem to think a new episode airs tonight, odds are your TiVo or other DVR may think so too.

“Fall finale” of The Unit (CBS, 8pm). That would be code for “last new episode for a good long while because of that darn strike”. Jonas works with a British agent to track a scientist, but things get tricky when Jonas learns the British agent may have a connection to the scientist (or a history with them or something). Phil Hendrie guest stars. It also looks like Rebecca Pidgeon may turn up again as Charlotte Ryan which should prove interesting. Written by Todd Ellis Kessler, directed by Seth Wiley.

U.S. debut of the third episode of season two of Life on Mars (BBC America, 8pm and 11pm; the second episode airs at 7pm and 10pm). An anonymous caller reports that the IRA is going to start a new bombing campaign in Manchester.

Hunt: So I’m right?
Sam: We both are.
Hunt: Right.
Sam: Right.
Hunt: Just as long as I’m more right than you.
  from Life on Mars

Another holiday classic: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Cartoon Network, 8pm; it will also air on Cartoon Network on Friday at 8am and 7:30pm and on Saturday at 2pm).

A six-year-old girl is having health issues that would be more appropriate for a much older person in this rerun of House (FOX, 8pm) from last season. Written by Sara Hess, directed by Daniel Sackheim.

House: You guys are idiots.
Dr. Cameron: Why? Because we stayed up all night doing exactly what you told us to do?
House: No. Because you stayed up all night doing exactly what I told you to do and you have nothing to show for it.
Dr. Foreman: We eliminated dozens of wrong anwers.
House: I asked you what two plus two equals, and a day later you tell me, “Not 25.”
  from House

Sam hunts an escaped soul who uses insects to kill people in this rerun of the third episode of Reaper (CW, 8pm). Robert Foxworth guest stars. Written by Jeff Vlaming, directed by Mike Rohl.

All of the contestants return for the two-hour season finale of The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm - 10pm).

Season finale of Saving Grace (TNT, 9pm, 11pm, midnight). The episode that debuted yesterday airs at 10pm on TNT. This show has been picked up for a second season.

Carl Sack (John Larroquette) and Katie Lloyd (Tara Summers) end up having to defend the firm on a new Christmas episode of Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm). And Alan decides to go after a bank when they threaten to foreclose on Clarence’s home. Plus another case or two and personal dramas and weirdness because this is Boston Legal. Written by David E. Kelley & Craig Turk & Sanford Golden & Karen Wyscarver, directed by Lou Antonio. I really do always pay attention to who writes and directs episodes, I’m surprised other TV-focused sites don’t mention those details more.

I wouldn’t call this a holiday classic exactly, but it’s a decent special that I liked a lot as a kid. Joel Grey narrates ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABC Family, 9pm; also on Monday at 1:30pm). An animated Rankin and Bass special. Someone writes a nasty letter to Santa Claus and that results in Santa refusing to stop in one town. Both mice and humans work to make this right, of course. Now if only they could fix a certain clock . . .

Father Mouse: Albert tried to fix the clock and it went . . .
Joshua Trundle: Kerplunk?
Father Mouse: Kerplowie.
  from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Hour two of the 100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s (VH1, 9pm and 11pm; with lots and lots of reruns thereafter). The first hour airs again on VH1 at 8pm in case you missed it and are interested; it will also be rerun a lot, I’m sure.

Season finale of Cane (CBS, 9pm). CBS has not ordered more episodes or picked up the show for another season, so this may be it for this show. Can’t say I mind, but then I tuned out fairly early on– if you’re still watching, I’d like to know what you’ve thought of the show. Mel Harris guest stars in tonight’s episode.

The Travel Channel pays a visit to some people who take Christmas to the Extreme (Travel, 9pm and 1am; with plenty more airings this week).

New episode of Twister Sisters (We, 9pm, midnight, 3am).

New episode of Nip/Tuck (FX, 9pm, 10:03pm; also on Fri at 10pm and Sun at 9pm). Sean discovers the secret between Christian and Julia. DVR/VCR Alert: Runs 63 minutes.

Late Night

Check out Sue’s Late Night Lineups Page to see guest lists for the late night talk shows (and some daytime ones too).

The Late Show with David Letterman is airing a memorable rerun from 1998 with guests Cher and Jerry Springer.

All the late night talk shows are in reruns right now.