Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Best Bets
Season finale of NCIS (CBS, 7pm)
Season finale of The Mentalist (CBS, 8pm)
Series premiere of Glee (FOX, 8:01pm)
Season finale of Without a Trace (CBS, 9pm)
New Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm)
New Rescue Me (FX, 9pm – 10:01pm, 10:01pm – 11:02pm; also on Fri)
My Boys (TBS, 9:30pm – 10:01pm; also on Wed & Fri)
News & Notes
ABC and NBC announced their schedules for Fall 2009; I’ve updated my Fall 2009 Schedule Grid to cover them. The Fall Previews from FOX, ABC, and NBC are all online (and linked to); I’ve linked to info about all the new shows from the grid page. CBS makes their announcement on Wednesday, and the CW will make their announcement on Thursday. As I’ve done since 1999, I’ll be updating the schedule grid as the announcements are made.
The Amazon Deal of the Day (in ye olde Gold Box) is on Amazon.com Exclusive: Heroes Blu-ray Franchise Collection (Season 1 | Season 2) [Blu-ray]
I finally got around to updating my little Amazon Store with some new stuff on the front page.
I got an email from a reader who said I should just quit if I’m not going to be consistent with updates and take long breaks like I did recently– I hope you don’t all feel like that. Emails like that make this all even harder for me.
Daytime
“An Oprah/People Exclusive: Heroes in Hard TImes” is the title of today’s new episode of Oprah (syndicated, check your local listing).
Primetime Grid
| Tue | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | Dancing with the Stars Rerun | Dancing with the Stars Season finale | ||||
| CBS | NCIS Season finale | The Mentalist Season finale | Without a Trace Season finale | |||
| NBC | Most Outrageous Moments Rerun | Most Outrageous Moments Rerun | Law & Order: SVU Rerun | Law & Order: SVU | ||
| FOX | American Idol runs ’til at least 8:01pm | Glee Series premiere | Local Programming | |||
| CW | Reaper | 90210 Season finale | Local Programming | |||
| TBS | My Boys runs ’til 10:01pm; airs again on Wed and Fri | |||||
| FX | Rescue Me also at 10:01pm | |||||
Primetime
At least part of the team travels with Ziva to Israel in the season finale of NCIS (CBS, 7pm). Michael Nouri returns as Ziva’s father.
Sam receives a text message from his father on Reaper (CW, 7pm).
Lisbon thinks Red John is luring Patrick Jane into a trap in the season finale of The Mentalist (CBS, 8pm). Alicia Witt, Gregory Itzen, and Kate Vernon are among hte guest stars.
The two finalists compete on American Idol (FOX, 7pm – 8:01pm; there’s a chance it could run long).
Series premiere of Glee (FOX, 8:01pm). FOX is billing this as a “special preview” of the show since it won’t start airing regularly until Fall. Fans just get to see the pilot episode (which is also all that TV critics usually see of shows before they start airing in the Fall). Ryan Murphy created this show; he also created Nip/Tuck and Popular. The series is set at a high school and focuses on the students and teacher involved with the Glee Club there. The cast (at least for this episode) includes: Matthew Morrison, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Jayma Mays, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, and Jenna Ushkowitz. FOX has ordered 13 episodes of this series which will air in this timeslot this Fall. I liked this episode, but didn’t love it; there’s surely potential there though. Some funny stuff, some fun music . . . I’m hoping the series is fab. Another reason to give it a shot? Tony nominee Victor Garber and Tony winners Kristin Chenowith and Debra Monk will join the show in recurring roles.
Adrianna gives birth and Naomi hosts and eventful after-prom part in the season finale of 90210 (CW, 8pm).
New Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel, 8pm – 9:01pm, 11pm – midnight; airs again on Thursday at 9pm and midnight).
A judge who is presiding over a harassment case asks the detectives for their help in solving a thirty-year-old case on Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm). Guest stars include Sprague Grayden (of 24, Sons of Anarchy, Jericho, Over There, John Doe ), James Ransone (of Generation Kill, The Wire), and Alan Dale (of Lost, NCIS, The O.C.). Season finale airs next week; this show will be back next season; it will air on Wednesdays at 8pm.
The team searches for a man who goes missing after a late night dive in the season finale of Without A Trace (CBS, 9pm). Martin Landau and Kenneth Mitchell (of Ghost Whisperer, Jericho).
Tommy and Janet try to survive a weekend together at Katy’s new school on Rescue Me (FX, 9pm – 10:01pm, 10:01pm – 11:02pm; also on Friday at 10pm).
Interview with the executive director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith; the world of professional bull riding; examining the motivations of ambitious sports parents; investigation of thoroughbred horse slaughter on a new REAL Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO, 9pm; check listings for additional airings).
Andrew is in Singapore for a new Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern (Travel Channel, 9pm and 10pm).
New installment of The Whitest Kids U’Know (IFC, 9pm and 12:45am). Has a running time of 15 minutes.
New Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment (Discovery, 9:01pm – 10pm, midnight – 1am).
Tori and Dean look back at their favorite family moments from the first three seasons of their show and preview the next season in the special Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (Oxygen, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 1am; with additional airings later this week).
New episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo, 9pm, 10pm, midnight).
P.J. hits it off with one of Stephanie’s friends, Kenny and Mike introduce a new friend of theirs to the group on a new episode of My Boys (TBS, 9:30pm – 10:01pm; also on Wednesday at 11pm and Friday at 10:40pm).
Late Night
Newt Gingrich on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 10pm and midnight).
Walter Kirn on The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 10:30pm and 12:30am).
Jane Fonda, Piedmont Bird Callers, Kenny Chesney on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 10:35pm).
Terry Bradshaw, 8-year-old piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick, Blink 182 on The Tonight Show (NBC, 10:35pm).
Kathy Griffin, Nelson George on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS, 11:35pm).
Matt Lauer, Mary McCormack (of In Plain Sight), Dana White, Iron & Wine on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35pm).
Eminem, Mike Tyson on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, check your local listings).
McG, Snoop Dogg, Joel Madden, Keane on Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC, check your local listings).
