Laurel’s TV Picks

Best Bets

New Pushing Daisies (ABC, 7pm)
New Bones (FOX, 7pm)
Rosie Live (NBC, 7pm)
New Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm)
New Law & Order (NBC, 9pm)
Season finale of Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9pm – 10:30pm, 10:30pm – midnight)

News & Notes

Life is pre-empted tonight, but will be back with a new episode next Wednesday. Dirty Sexy Money is also pre-empted tonight and should be back with a new episode next Wednesday. It appears Knight Rider is off the NBC schedule ’til it returns with new episodes in January.

NBC has announced their schedule for January. Things of note: Chuck and Heroes won’t air during January, but will return in February. Friday Night Lights returns to the NBC schedule on January 16th. Medium isn’t on the schedule for January, alas, but presumably will return in February; NBC has ordered 19 episodes of the show for this season.

I’ll have a special Thanksgiving edition of my TV Picks online shortly after midnight tonight if all goes as planned.

Daytime

It’s time for a new “Favorite Things” episode of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listings). Though this year it’s all about “How To Have the Thrifty Holiday” so don’t expect big ticket items; instead it looks like Oprah will be making some gifts. There’s a free holiday album available for download from the website for the next 48 hours or so. You can read all about this episode the Oprah website.

Primetime Grid

Primetime

Could a dead millionaire have been killed by a modern day Robin Hood? That’s what Emerson Cod and company will investigate tonight on Pushing Daisies (ABC, 7pm). Meanwhile, that mysterious man played by Stephen Root continues eto woo Vivian. Ethan Phillips, Shelley Berman, and Jennifer Elise Cox also guest star.

Ryan O’Neal returns as Brennan’s father for a new episode of Bones (FOX, 7pm). Brennan is surprised to learn he’s working as a teacher. Gina Torres also guest stars in this episode, you probably know her for her work on Firefly or possibly Cleopatra 2525 or her many guest spots on shows (like as “Jasmine” on Angel).

Rosie O’Donnell returns to TV with a special new live variety show they’re calling Rosie Live (NBC, 7pm). It will be a live show broadcast from New York City with musical acts, comedy sketches, celebrity guests, and audience giveaways. Liza Minnelli, Ne-Yo, and Alanis Morrissette are scheduled to perform; Kathy Griffin, Jane Krakowski, and Alec Baldwin are also scheduled to appear.

Autism x6 (Discovery Health Channel, 7pm and 10pm; also on Saturday at Noon) is a profile of a family which includes six autistic children.

New episodes of Time Warp (Discovery, 7pm and 11pm, 7:30pm and 11:30pm).

Brenda Blethyn guest stars as Christine’s Mother in a new Thanksgiving episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, 7pm).

Martin Mull and Jane Curtain guest star as Allison’s parents on Gary Unmarried (CBS, 7:30pm). Max Gail also appears in this Thanksgiving episode.

Agents Prentiss and Todd go undercover to profile a pick-up artist who happens to be a serial killer on Criminal Minds (CBS, 8pm). Meta Golding continues her stint as Agent Todd. Guest stars include Keri Lynn Pratt, Joanna Cassidy, and Currie Graham.

Addison is surprised by a visit from her surgeon brother (played by Grant Show) on Private Practice (ABC, 8pm – 9:01pm). Jayne Brook and David Sutcliffe both return for this episode. DVR/VCR Alert: Runs ’til 9:01pm.

Tonight’s special edition of Deal or No Deal (NBC, 8pm) features a college student from Minnesota who makes the mistake of mentioning that she’s afraid of live turkeys. They’re gonna torment her somehow with this, aren’t they?

Sorry, no new Friday Night Lights on DirecTV this week. NBC has announced that Friday Night Lights will return to their schedule this January.

President and Mrs. George W. Bush invite viewers on an in-depth, televised tour of the White House; antiquary twins Leslie and Lee Keno join the tour, offering insights on The White House: Behind Closed Doors (History Chanel, 8pm and midnight). This new special has a running time of 90 minutes.

It’s already time for a clip show on Stylista (CW, 8pm).

New Inside the NFL (Showtime, 8pm).

Barbara Walters interviews President Elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama on a new Barbara Walters Special (ABC, 9:01pm).

I don’t know much about tonight’s new episode of Law & Order (NBC, 9pm) except that the commercials claim it will be really intense and surprising and all the things they so often say about episodes. I’ve really enjoyed this season so far, so I hope this is another good episode.

90-minute season finale of Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9pm, 10:30pm; also on Thursday at 11pm and Sunday at 10pm).

They make a space-age sleeping pod on Prototype This! (Discovery Channel, 9pm and 1am).

A body is found inside a crushed car on CSI: NY (CBS, 9pm). Isn’t that at least the third body we’ve seen this TV season found inside a crushed car? It sure seems like it. Kevin Weisman, who was “Marshall” on Alias, is among the guest stars. As is Michael Kenneth Williams (who you may know best for playing “Omar” on The Wire).

The chefs must impress the Foo Fighters at a tour stop in Syracuse, New York on Top Design (Bravo, 9pm and 10pm; also on Thursday at 11am).

New Chocolate News (Comedy Central, 9:30pm and 11:30pm).

Late Night

Richard Belzer (of Law & Order: SVU, Homicide) on a rerun of The Daily Show (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).

Cory Booker, Tom Friedman on a rerun of The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).

Teri Hatcher, Ludacris on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).

Heidi Klum, Robert Pattinson, Seal on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC, 10:35pm).

Ethan Hawke, Nikki Reed, Plain White T’s on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC, 11:37pm).

Adam Arkin (of Life, Chicago Hope), Jen Kirkman, Adele on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:37pm).

Reese Witherspoon, Craig and Paul Pumphrey, Scott Weiland on Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, check your local listings).

Jeff Ross, Shirley Manson, Cut Copy on a rerun of Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).