Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Best Bets
New Mythbusters (Discovery, 8pm and midnight)
New (to NBC) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm)
New In Treatment (HBO, 8:30pm)
New Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
New Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm, 11pm, midnight, 2am)
News & Notes:
The WGA strike is over. Yay! Writers return to work today, many showrunners returned to work on Monday.
It will take a while for things to shake out in regards to which series will film more episodes for this season and which will wait and start up again in the summer or fall. It’s a safe bet that many of the very popular shows may have new episodes for us by the end of March or early April, though with some of the shows with complicated ongoing plots (like Heroes and 24) we may not see new episodes ’til summer or fall.
Daytime
Cary Grant stars in My Favorite Wife (TCM, 11:15am), Operation Petticoat (TCM, 12:45pm, letterboxed), Father Goose (TCM, 3pm, letterboxed), and Houseboat (TCM, 5pm, letterboxed). They’re all fun.
Primetime Grid
| Wed | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Wife Swap | Supernanny | Cashmere Mafia | |||
| CBS | Big Brother: ‘Til Death Do You Part | Criminal Minds Rerun | CSI: NY Rerun | |||
| NBC | Deal or No Deal | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Law & Order | |||
| FOX | American Idol | The Moment of Truth | Local Programming | |||
| CW | America’s Next Top Model | One Tree Hill Rerun | Local Programming | |||
Primetime
College basketball: Maryland at Duke (ESPN, 6pm), St. John’s at Cincinnati (ESPN2, 6pm), Kansas State at Texas Tech (ESPN2, 8pm). Are any of you finding my listings for college games useful?
TCM focuses on Oscar-nominated films of the ’50s: The Quiet Man (TCM, 7pm), Roman Holiday (TCM, 9:15pm), The Mating Season (TCM, 11:30pm), The Tender Trap (TCM, 1:15am, letterboxed), and Indiscretion of An American Wife (TCM, 3:15am). You can read more about them on the TCM website
Miss the first three episodes of the critically acclaimed new series Breaking Bad? AMC airs all three again tonight (AMC, 7pm – 10pm, 10pm – 1am). This is a dark (but sometimes funny) series about a science teacher who is diagnosed with lung cancer. He’s got a pregnant wife and a disabled son who he loves very much. He doesn’t tell them of his diagnosis, but starts cooking meth (yes, really) in an effort to earn a lot of money, presumably for them. Bryan Cranston, best known for playing Malcolm’s Dad on Malcom in the Middle, does great work as the lead. The series was created by Vince Gilligan who penned some of my favorite episodes of The X-Files. The show is interesting, but definitely not for the squeamish or those who can’t handle really dark humor and drama.
Jasmine Guy and Ron Montez host the latest installment of America’s Ballroom Challenge (PBS, check your local listings). Expect to see competitors waltz, fox trot, tango, and quickstep.
Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. studies the genealogy of Morgan Freeman and Peter Gomes on a new African American Lives 2 (PBS, check your local listings).
More of the best moments from America’s Next Top Model (CW, 7pm) over the years in this new special (part two of the special that aired last week).
The 24 semi-finalists are revealed tonight on American Idol (FOX, 7pm). I agree with my fellow Vidiot Jason Snell at TeeVee about the show not being worth one’s time ’til we get to this point.
A liberal Christian career Mom (with a stay-at-home husband) swaps lives with a conservative Christian housewife on a new Wife Swap (ABC, 7pm). Could be interesting.
A witness in a rape trial is murdered and that really complicates things on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, 8pm). First time this episode airs on NBC, originally aired on USA. Det. Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Det. Nola Falacci (Alicia Witt) investigate. Cynthia Watros and Andrew McCarthy guest star.
Mike Logan: “Look, there’s more to life than just one case. Higher ups have an agenda. You want 30 years in? Deal with it.”
Nola Falacci: “Hey! People told me you were a hothead; guys like Hoyle you’d eat for breakfast. What happened?”
Mike Logan: (pulls newspaper clipping from his wallet) “After ten years on Staten Island, you learn to pick your battles.”
from Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Andy and Jamie test myths suggested by viewers on a new Mythbusters (Discovery, 8pm and midnight). Second episode like this that they’ve done.
Frankie Muniz guest stars as a comic book artist on a rerun of Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm). He’s got some serious issues, I’m just saying, is all.
A couple more first season reruns of NCIS (USA, 8pm, 9pm).
HGTV airs new episodes of Deserving Design (HGTV, 8pm and midnight), Design on a Dime (HGTV, 8:30pm and 12:30am), House Hunters (HGTV, 9pm and 1am), and Sleep On It (HGTV, 9:30pm and 1:30am).
DIY airs new episodes of Sweat Equity (DIY, 8pm) and Man Caves (DIY, 8:30pm).
NBA action: Suns at Warriors (ESPN, 8pm).
It’s Sophie’s turn on a new In Treatment (HBO, 8:30pm); last week’s episode airs tonight as well (HBO, 8pm). Additional airings air all this week on the various HBO stations, the episodes should also be available on the website and as part of their podcast (if you prefer to watch on your iPod or via iTunes).
A woman is killed at an immigration rally in this new episode of Law & Order (NBC, 9pm). Could she have been killed by a cop or auxillary cop when things at the riot got a bit out of control? Yes, you can bet this episode is intense and that there’s a lot of media attention on the case and things do get political (which means more Sam Waterston, excellent). I’ve seen the episode and thought it yet another good one for this new revitalized season. John Pankow (who was “Ira” on Mad About You) guest stars.
Tonight’s challenge on a new Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm, 11pm, midnight, 2am) has something to do with art (I mean, more so than any episode).
Mia searches for a rather personal video tape she made with her ex, Alicia is surprised by Caitlin’s plans for raising a baby, Zoe tries to land a big new client, and so on and so forth on a new Cashmere Mafia (ABC, 9pm). Tom Everett Scott and Lourdes Benedicto are both back for this episode.
The team comes up with an idea on how to reduce fire-related deaths in high rises on Smash Lab (Discovery, 9pm and 1am).
Joel Madden guest stars on a new Head Case (Starz, 9pm, 10pm).
The deputies try to raise money by going door to door selling snacks on Reno 911! (Comedy Central, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).
Jamie Kennedy guest stars on a new Hollywood Residential (Starz, 9:30pm and 10:30pm).
Late Night
The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight) and The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am) air new episodes. No word on who the guests are. Their writers should be back to work today.
Martin Short, Amy Ryan (who is nominated for an Oscar for her work in Gone Baby Gone, but TV fans may best know her as “Beadie” on The Wire) on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).
Both The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm) and Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm) air new episodes, presumably with their writers back to work today. They haven’t announced who the guests are, though. I imagine they might celebrate the end of the strike, but I’m just guessing.
Tom Green, Rebecca Mader, Johnathan Rice on Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, check your local listings).
Michael Clarke Duncan, Angela Kinsey, North Mississippi Allstars on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).
Christine Lakin, Joshua Radin and Ingrid Michaelson on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).
