Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Bones (FOX, 7pm)
New Gossip Girl (CW, 7pm; also on Sun at 5pm)
New How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30pm)
New House (FOX, 8pm)
Season finale of Samantha Who? (ABC, 8:32pm - 9:02pm)
Season finale of Medium (NBC, 9pm)
Jimmy Fallon, William Shatner, Gary Vaynerchuk on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm)

News & Notes

This is the week when the broadcast networks announce their fall schedules at the Upfronts. NBC made their announcement over a month ago, but the others announce this week. Some other sites are already reporting on pick-ups and schedules for the other networks, but I always wait to update my grid and list of canceled shows until the networks make their official announcements. I’ll be updating the Fall 2008 Schedule Grid a lot this week, will also probably be posting to the tvpicks twitter account with updates.

It’s expected that NBC will announce Jimmy Fallon as the successor to Conan O’Brien as host of Late Night today, I’ll update with a link to the press release as soon as it’s available. Jimmy Fallon to take over as host of Late Night when Conan O’Brien departs to host The Tonight Show. Fallon is a guest on Late Night with Conan O’Brien tonight. While NBC’s schedule has been out for a while, they’ll be giving us more details and making some additional announcements today (like this one).

The Deals of the Day at Amazon are all TV on DVD this week. Definitely worth keeping an eye on if you like to buy TV shows on DVD. Thanks in advance to anyone who buys via my links here.

Daytime

“Oprah Presents the World’s Smartest Kids” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings).

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Baseball: Red Sox at Twins (ESPN, 6pm). I’ll be at the game, cheering for the Twins (of course). I suppose it’s a bit odd that Kevin and I find Twins games at the Metrodome romantic, but then we got married on the field there before a game! Some find that a bit strange, but it sure was fun. And low-key and affordable and did I mention fun? Plus whenever anyone asks if I’m a baseball fan or Twins fan, I can tell them I got married at a game and that answers that question rather definitively.

NBA playoff action: Celtics at Cavaliers (TNT, 7pm).

A new episode of Antiques Roadshow (PBS, check your local listings) from Las Vegas.

FDR is profiled on a rerun of American Experience (PBS, check your local listings).

Ace Young and Brandon Rogers of American Idol guest star on a new Bones (FOX, 7pm). Brennan and Booth investigate the death of an aspiring young singer. Ethan Phillips is one of the guest stars; you probably know him best for playing “Neelix” on Star Trek: Voyager or “Pete” on Benson, though he’s been a guest star on many many shows over the years.

Serena falls back into her old habits and it’s up to her friends to help her on a new Gossip Girl (CW, 7pm; also on Sunday at 5pm). Rufus is excited about a gig for his band, but then he runs into Lily on the night of her wedding rehearsal. Lisa Loeb and cake designer Sylvia Weinstock appear in the episode as themselves. I’m a little behind on the show and I’m not sure I like the sound of this secret from Serena’s past.

Penny tries to throw Leonard a surprise party after learning he doesn’t celebrate birthdays on a new episode of The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7pm). So she doesn’t like Leonard? Anyhow, Sheldon gets in the way, of course. And there’s something about a big fantasy having to do with an electronics store. This show can be hilarious, usually when focusing on the truly geeky things.

Two “lost episodes” of Little People, Big World (TLC, 7pm and 10pm, 7:30pm and 10:30pm).

Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali host the two-hour season premiere of American Gladiators (NBC, 7pm - 9pm). Yes, the new incarnation of this show is already back for another season.

The ZBZ girls compete in a series of crazy contests on a new Greek (ABC Family, 7pm; also Tuesday at 11pm and next Monday at 6pm).

New episodes of Designed to Sell (HGTV, 7pm and 11pm) and Curb Appeal (HGTV, 7:30pm and 11:30pm).

Britney Spears returns to guest star in another episode of How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30pm). It turns out her character doesn’t much care for Ted and neither does Barney right now . . . so they team up to annoy him.

Part one of a two-part season finale of House (FOX, 8pm); the conclusion airs next week. House survives a bus accident, but has memory problems and flashbacks. Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) guest stars.

Everyone seems to have doubts or reservations about an upcoming wedding on a new Wildfire (ABC Family, 8pm and 11pm).

Charlie finds himself attracted to an older woman who write self-help books (played by gueset star Susan Blakely) on a new Two and a Half Men (CBS, 8pm). This is the second episode of the series to be directed by series star Jon Cryer.

The three finalists are determined, the top three kids compete, and Macy’s Stars of Dance perform “Thriller” with Omarion on Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8pm - 9:02pm).

Mike tries his hand at being a “Turkey Inseminator” on a new episode of Dirty Jobs (Discovery, 8pm and midnight). Rerun of the “Aerial Tram Greaser” episode at 7pm and 11pm.

One new episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 (TLC, 8pm and 11pm) followed by some reruns of previous episodes.

Brooke’s baby undergoes emergency surgery on a new One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm).

Sam thinks Chloe may be lying to Todd, Sam’s Mom and her best friend disagree on how to celebrate her birthday on the season finale of Samantha Who? (ABC, 8:32pm - 9:02pm). Kiele Sanchez guest stars. If you like this show, you’ll be happy to know that it will be back next season.

Allison tries to help a young couple with their haunted house, Joe’s business partner shows her true colors, and there’s a development in the race for D.A. on the season finale of Medium (NBC, 9pm). Medium will be back next season, but isn’t on the NBC schedule ’til midseason (after football season is over).

Investigating the slaughter of Thoroughbreds for profit, profile of professional tennis player Venus Williams, the political campaign of former pro basketball player Kevin Johnson, and auto racer Danica Patrick on a new REAL Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO, 9pm; plenty of additional airings on HBO stations).

A large rat proves elusive, an animal lover struggles with their decision to hire an exterminator on a new Verminators (Discovery, 9pm and 1am).

Port pilots battle morning rush hour, terminals deal with a late ship and broken cranes, and there’s a look at a new roboship on America’s Port (National Geographic, 9pm and midnight).

A man is killed as the result of a fake 911 call, Tom Sizemore guest stars as a private investigator who goes after the team on a new CSI: Miami (CBS, 9pm).

Season finale of of The Hills (MTV, 9pm, 10:30pm).

An editors meeting reveals warring cliques within the newspaper on a new episode of The Paper (MTV, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).

Late Night

Still no scheduled guest for tonight’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight). You can check their website for updates.

Dr. Mehmet C. Oz on The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Stupid Pet Tricks, Shia LaBeouf, N.E.R.D. on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Jack Black, Clay Aiken on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).

John Stamos, Judith Smith-Levin, Jaymay on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

New Host Alert! Jimmy Fallon, William Shatner, Gary Vaynerchuk on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm). NBC is going to announce Fallon as the next host of Late Night today so it’s a good bet that will be discussed (or announced) on tonight’s show, what with Fallon a guest and all.

Robert Downey Jr, a Dancing with the Stars castoff, Lyfe Jennings on a rerun of Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).

Rob Corddry, Steve Hely & Vali Chandrasekaran on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).