Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

Pioneers of Television (PBS, check your local listings)
New Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm)
New Gossip Girl (CW, 8pm; also on Sunday)
New Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
Morgan Freeman, Tom Brokaw, Chuck Prophet on a new Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm)

News & Notes:

I’m still sick and after almost a week of this, you’ll have to forgive me for somewhat abbreviated picks (which are late to boot). Not the full coverage I’d like to do, but the best I can manage at this point.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Tonight most PBS stations will air the second part of a four-part miniseries called Pioneers of Television (PBS, check your local listings). This installment covers late night TV. Fun stuff if you’re a fan of classic TV or want to learn a bit more about TV history.

I’ve seen the season finale of Gossip Girl (CW, 8pm; also on Sun at 5pm in most markets, check your local listings) and it’s an excellent episode and a good way to end the season as things come, more or less, full circle (you’ll see what I mean). There’s some bigtime gossip making the rounds and both S. and B. are affected in huge ways.

The team profiles a serial killer who abducts and kills teenagers on a new Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm). Gina Mantegna, daughter of series regular Joe Mantegna, plays one of the missing teens. DVR Alert: This episode was originally scheduled to air a while back so it’s possible your DVR might not recognize it as a new episode; best to check to be sure if you follow this show.

If you haven’t been watching this season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm) over on USA, you’ll get another chance to catch episodes as (because of the strike) NBC is now going to air them as well. This is a rerun of the season premiere which originally aired on USA on October 4th. It’s an intense episode as one case appears to have ties to an old murder case– that of Det. Eames’ husband. You’d think that Eames wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the case, but hey– this is TV.

NBA hoops: Pistons at Mavericks (ESPN, 8pm).

Third and fourth ever episodes of NCIS (USA, 8pm, 9pm).

A pregnant security guard is injured in an explosion on a new Law & Order (NBC, 9pm) and it’s up to the detectives to find out whether she was the target or if the medical clinics in the building were the target. It’s, um, complicated. I’ve seen this episode and liked it a lot, it does deal with some controversial subject matter.

The contestants design dresses for a group of teen girls going to the prom on a new Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm, 11pm, midnight, 1am).

I liked the second episode of Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 9pm) a little more than the first, perhaps the characters are growing on me to some small degree. But . . . it’s still predictable and the characters still aren’t terribly likeable. More flawed in this one, at least. This is to be the show’s regular timeslot. Tonight’s new episode of Law & Order is much better (I’ve seen ‘em both).

Debut of a new Inside the NFL (HBO, 9pm).

Two new episodes of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS, 9pm, 9:30pm).

A much-hated hotel owner is found dead under an ice sculpture on a new CSI: NY (CBS, 9pm). DVR Alert: This episode was originally scheduled to air a while back so it’s possible your DVR might not recognize it as a new episode; best to check to be sure if you follow this show.

MonsterQuest (History, 9pm and 1am) has a look at some “Unidentified Flying Creatures”. Cryptozoologists use special equipment to try to shed light on reports of rods: torpedolike creatures that fly so fast they cannot be spotted by the naked eye.

Late Night

Check out Sue Trowbridge’s site for late night talk show listings.