Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

Season premiere of Code Monkeys (G4, 6pm)
Series premiere of Million Dollar Password (CBS, 7pm)
Season finale of The Tudors (Showtime, 8pm)
Series premiere of In Plain Sight (USA, 9pm – 10:16pm, 12:12am – 1:30am)
New This American Life (Showtime, 9pm)

News & Notes

There’s a lot going on these days on NASA TV what with the Phoenix on Mars, the space shuttle that launched yesterday, and activity on the International Space Station. I believe the shuttle is due to dock with the space station tomorrow. Listings data on my DVR (a TiVo that uses data from Zap2It) isn’t terribly accurate, I find out more on the website or by just tuning in.

Primetime Grid

Featured Pick

Mary McCormack stars as a U.S. Marshall who works for the Witness Protection Program in the series premiere of In Plain Sight (USA, 9pm, 12:12am). Please note that the premiere episode has a running time of 76 minutes. I’ve had a chance to screen four episodes of this new show, including the first one.

Based on the commercials, I was hoping that this show would be another fun bit of fluffy entertainment like Burn Notice, Psych, or even Monk but so far it’s just not got enough comedy in it to fit in the same category with those shows. It’s a pity, really, because at this point I’m ready for light entertainment.

In Plain Sight also isn’t especially dark either, it exists in some nebulous middle-ground. There’s humor, but it’s not always all that funny and there isn’t all that much of it. There’s drama, but it’s usually fairly lightweight when compared to other cable fare or even things like Law & Order and CSI. They’ve saddled the lead character with an annoying mother and sister (played by Lesley Ann Warren and Nichole Hiltz), who tend to bring down any scene they’re in.

And yet . . . by the time I finished watching four episodes of the show, I found myself warming to it. McCormack is fun to watch, even if the character she plays is prickly and has her share of issues– she gets more likeable as the series goes on. I think the first episode was actually the weakest of the four I screened, which is a pity, I think it does only a fair job of introducing the characters and situation.

Two of the episodes I’ve seen shine in large part because of the guest stars in them. One of them features Wendell Pierce (best known for playing “Bunk” on The Wire) as a successful doctor who has lots of problems when his family has to go into the witness protection program after his teenage daughter witnessese a crime. The guest performances in that episode are stellar, we also get a good feel for just what people have to give up to go into the program and how hard can be for the U.S. Marshalls to help these people, especially in the beginning.

The other episode features a fine guest performance by Dave Foley (of NewsRadio, Kids in the Hall) as someone they’re supposed to protect. Things go awry, of course, and that episode ups the angst significantly when someone gets hurt during their protection duty.

Each episode begins with a scene that explains how or why a particular person or family ends up in the program; then we get drama involving the U.S. Marshall played by McCormack, her partner (played by Fred Weller) and boss, her family, and (of course) the witness.

Do I recommend the show? I think it’s worth giving it a try and hanging with it for an episode or two after the pilot before you give up. So far it appears it’s a show you can jump into mid-stream without being lost, which is nice. I think this could grow into being a good show, but the going is rough at the start; I guess I really didn’t care for the first episode. Don’t go in with high expectations, forget any promos you’ve seen, and just give it a try. You can even skip this first episode and it’ll be alright (and you may like the show better).

The series premiere of In Plain Sight (USA, 9pm, 12:12am) airs tonight and has a runtime of 76 minutes.

Primetime

Season premiere of Code Monkeys (G4, 6pm). If you’re a geek and you haven’t yet checked out this show, it’s worth a look. The show is set in the early 1980s and follows misadventures at a videogame company.

Indicted cop Keith Herrera of the Chicago police speaks publicly for the first time on 60 Minutes (CBS, 6pm).

Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Mets (ESPN, 7pm). Johan Santana is set to pitch for the Mets, with Hiroki Kuroda pitching for the Dodgers. I’m looking forward to watching Johan pitch– I’ve missed seeing him play; he pitched my wedding game so it’s always romantic when he pitches.

Mike Myers hosts the 2008 MTV Movie Awards (MTV, 7pm; airs again at 9pm or whenever the first showing ends).

Regis Philbin hosts the season premiere of Million Dollar Password (CBS, 7pm). It’s like the original Password, more or less. The celebrities on the premiere are Neil Patrick Harris (of How I Met Your Mother) and Rachael Ray. I’ve had a chance to screen this episode and I enjoyed it, but then I always liked Password.

The Challenge (Food Network, 7pm and 2am) is to make “Disney Pixar Cakes”.

Three brides (along with their friends and family) battle to find their wedding gowns during Filene’s Basement annual wedding-gown event on Running of the Brides (TLC, 7pm and 10pm).

Season finale of The Tudors (Showtime, 8pm, 10pm). Showtime has picked up this show for a third season.

Mario Batali vs. Paul Bartolotta on a new Iron Chef America (Food Network, 8pm and 11pm). Alton Brown hosts.

New theories are featured in Stonehenge Decoded (National Geographic Channel, 8pm – 10pm, 11pm – 1am).

Police probe a series of high-profile crimes seemingly centered around a high-end mall in Boca Raton, Florida; a serial rapist in Spokane, Washington attacks more than 40 women over a period of years on Dateline NBC (NBC, 8pm – 10pm).

Engaged couples plan their first wedding dances on Rock the Reception (TLC, 8pm and 11pm). I’m guessing this will be way better than any episode of Bridezillas.

Parents are pressing for answers as to what is ailing their children on a new Mystery Diagnosis (Discovery Health Channel, 8pm and 11pm).

Season premiere of Ice Road Truckers (History Channel, 8pm).

Series premiere of In Plain Sight (USA, 9pm – 10:16pm, 12:12am – 1:28am or so). DVR/VCR Alert: The premiere has a special runtime of 76 minutes.

Chris Ware animates a true story about marriage and a husband is obsessed with a legal battle in this new episode of This American Life (Showtime, 9pm and 11pm).

Alton Brown (of Good Eats) issues the first challenge to the ten finalists on the season premiere of The Next Food Network Star (Food Network, 9pm and midnight).

The loggers try to put the storm behind them on a new Ax Men (History Channel, 9pm and 1am).

A look at three transvestite relationships through the eyes of their wives and partners on Transvestite Wives (BBC America, 9pm and midnight).

Bridesmaids compete to become the maid of honor (!?!?) on Made of Honor (TLC, 9pm and midnight).