Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Modern Marvels (History, 7pm and 11pm)
New Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm)
New Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm)
Melissa Leo on a new Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
New Top Chef (Bravo, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 1am)
Evangeline Lilly, Ben Barnes, Joe Jackson on Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, check your local listings)

News & Notes:

The Fall 2008 Schedule Grid Preview currently covers NBC, ABC, the CW, and CBS. FOX makes their announcement tomorrow. The Fall 2008 page also includes a list of midseason shows and a list of shows that won’t be returning. I hope you find the page useful and that if you do, you tell your friends about it.

Some of the “bubble” shows that have been picked up for next season: Boston Legal, Eli Stone, How I Met Your Mother, Reaper (at midseason), Scrubs (at midseason, moves to ABC), and The Unit.

Some of the “on the bubble” shows that won’t be returning: Aliens in America, Men in Trees, Moonlight, October Road, Shark, and Women’s Murder Club.

For a full list of shows that are and aren’t on the schedule, check out the aforementioned 2008 Schedule Grid page. Doesn’t yet cover FOX shows as they haven’t made their announcement yet.

Today’s Gold Box Deal at Amazon is for House, M.D. - Seasons 1 -3 with Book for just $70. The book that they’ve bundled with the DVD sets is about medical mysteries. It’s a good deal for the sets, they work out to costing less than you see them for individually (save for the Black Friday sales last year on seasons one and two of this show). I wouldn’t mind getting House on DVD as it’s one of my favorite shows, but since I’m caught up with the show (and have Netflix should I want to check out extras or revisit episodes), I’ll be holding out for a complete series set someday. More and more I find myself wanting to wait for complete series sets as they usually have cool packaging and are just a better deal, sometimes also contain additional extras.

Amazon’s weekly TV on DVD deal is on The Outer Limits (Original Series) - Volumes 1 - 3 for just $35. Great deal, though the sets in question have received very mixed reviews so you might want to give them a look before taking the plunge. Though honestly, having that many episodes of The Outer Limits for that little money (as these things go) seems like a great deal, even if the quality of DVD isn’t the best.

Amazon has a big TV on DVD sale this month, if you haven’t yet checked it out, they’ve got lots of good deals going on right now for TV fans.

Daytime

“Forced to Marry at 14: Lisa Ling’s Special Report on Polygamy” on Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Lisa Ling reports from behind the gates of the Eldorado, Texas compound.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Baseball: Atlanta at Philadelphia (ESPN, 6pm). Followed by Baseball Tonight (ESPN, 9pm or so).

NBA playoffs on TNT: Cavaliers at Boston (TNT, 7pm), Jazz at Lakers (TNT, 9:30pm).

Nikola Tesla is featured in a new episode of Modern Marvels (History, 7pm and 11pm) titled “Mad Electricity”.

Previous winner Saleisha Stowers stops by to cheer the contestants on during a photo shoot for a print ad in the season finale of America’s Next Top Model (CW, 7pm). This show will be back for more cycles/seasons.

A mother from a “motorcycle stunt family” swaps wives with an “artistic, eco-friendly” wife on a new Wife Swap (ABC, 7pm).

Eddie tries to one-up his wife’s anniversary gift with a special gift of his own in the season finale of ‘Til Death (FOX, 7pm). Word on the street (or at least the internet) is that FOX will renew this show for another season, but won’t be renewing Back To You.

Chuck (Kelsey Grammer) and Kelly (Patricia Heaton) try to find the best way to go public about their child on the season finale of Back To You (FOX, 7:30pm) which will probably also serve as the series finale. It will be a pity if this show is axed and ‘Til Death stays on the air given this is the funnier of the two shows by far– it’s also certainly the more expensive of the two shows which I’m sure is a big factor for FOX.

Special two-hour Deal or No Deal (NBC, 7pm - 9pm) from South Africa.

HGTV airs new episodes of Get It Sold (HGTV, 7:30pm and 11:30pm), Design on a Dime (HGTV, 8:30pm and 12:30am), and Hidden Potential (HGTV, 9:30pm and 1:30am).

A suspected serial killer wakes up from a coma on a new Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm). Weird. Guest stars include Steven Culp and Amy Carlson.

Season three finale of MI-5 (BBC America, 8pm, 11pm, 1am). Season four starts airing on BBC America next week.

Michael Dukakis on Larry King Live (CNN, 8pm, 11pm, 2am).

Only two will remain after one competitor is sent home tonight on American Idol (FOX, 8pm). Even I can do that math.

Jerry defends his ex-girlfriend when she’s arrested for prostitution (and I think it’d be funny if it was his first ex), Shirley and Carl represent a woman who is suing the Archdiocese for not letting her become a priest, and Denny runs for President on a new Boston Legal (ABC, 9pm). Well, someone is crazy enough to think he might make a good presidential candidate or something. Hijinks ensue! Guest stars include George Segal, Henry Gibson, David Clennon, Larry Drake, Gina Torres (of Firefly), and lots more because that’s the way this show is. I’m very pleased that the show will be back next season, though less wild about the fact that it will be the show’s last season because it’s so much fun I hate to see it end. Will be good for them to know it’s the last season going into it.

There’s a murder and it involves an online relationship of some sort, but the important thing to know about tonight’s new episode of Law & Order (NBC, 9pm) is that the fabulous Melissa Leo guest stars. Leo, of course, was incredible as “Kay Howard” on Homicide: Life on the Street. She’s been on Law & Order before, but that was years and years ago in a small role as an attorney; I’m hoping she gets more to do in this episode.

The chefs are challenged to reinvent the salad and to turn an unhealthy dish into a healthy one on a new Top Chef (Bravo, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 1am).

The man accused of being the “Cabbie Killer” is found dead on a new CSI: NY (CBS, 9pm). Oh-oh! Kyle Gallner (of Veronica Mars and Jessalyn Gilsig (of Nip/Tuck, Boston Public) continue their arcs on the show.

Season finale of The Big 4-0 (TV Land, 9pm and midnight).

Two episodes of Cash and Treasures (Travel Channel, 9pm and 1am, 9:30pm and 1:30am) that feature items from Australia.

Late Night

John Harwood on The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

Laura Dern, Grover Norquist on The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Jack Hanna (and some animals), Kid Rock on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Rainn Wilson (of The Office), Howard Dean, Kate Nash on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

Leighton Meester, the Black Keys on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

Tony Danza, Maura Tierney (of ER, NewsRadio) on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Evangeline Lilly (of Lost), Ben Barnes, Joe Jackson on Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, check your local listings).

Olivia Wilde (of House), Grizzly Bear on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).