Happy 4th of July! It is the 230th birthday of this wonderful country. How will you be celebrating it? If you like TV show marathons then today is your day as there are a few to choose from. This includes the continuation of The Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci Fi Channel. Others of note are Monk on USA and Who’s Line Is It Anyway? on BBC America. For a pretty complete listing of holiday TV show marathons see below. Will you be watching any of these?
Prime Picks
A Hero’s Welcome (CBS): New. Hosted by Patrick Duffy the stories of two everyday heroes are profiled.
Pepper Dennis (WB): Series Finale. The final episode of this show airs tonight with Pepper and Charlie maybe getting married so Charlie can stay in the country. He is Canadian. Kathy may have found a connection with the agent in charge of Charlie’s case and Chick and Blanca realize they have been looking for love in all the wrong places.
An American Celebration at Ford’s Theatre: The July 4th Special (ABC): Tom Selleck hosts this an array of stars to honor America’s 230th birthday. The President and First Lady will be in attendance. If you are in the Seattle area like I am then the annual 4th of Julivars fireworks celebration will be on.
Solid Selections
House (FOX): Repeat. A woman played by Cynthia Nixon at an off-track betting parlor collapses right after talking to House. He has her taken to his hospital.
House (FOX): Repeat. Great episode has House out of town when a case comes in leaving the team to try to figure it out on their own. House tries to figure it out from a distance.
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular (CBS): Hosted by Dr. Phil and his wife this year as the annual Fourth of July celebration includes performances by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
Cable Choices
Emeril Live (Food Network): Repeat. Emeril does some quick grilling.
Good Eats: Down & Out in Paradise (Food Network): Repeat. Alton stranded on an island has to cook using only ingredients he finds there like pineapple and mango.
Blade: The Series (Spike): Repeat. The two-hour pilot episode replays tonight.
Other Options
- A Capitol Fourth (PBS): Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Elmo and others join host Jason Alexander live from the nation’s capitol.
- Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (NBC): Lester Holt and Campbell Brown host. Bo Bice, Nick Lachey, Lionel Richie and Liza Minnelli perform. 40,000 shells will be blown up.
- Open Range (AMC) Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner as cattle herdsmen who unite to fight against a rancher who wants to take over the territory for himself in 1882. Runs three hours.
- Seinfeld (TBS): Repeat. George poses as a marine biologist in this very funny episode right down to the final reveal. Runs 30 minutes.
Sports Notes
- NBC has Wimbledon tennis coverage.
- ESPN has the first semifinal match from the World Cup. Earlier find the 2006 Hot Dog Eating Contest.
- ESPN2 has Wimbledon tennis coverage with a replay of the hot dog contest and the World Cup Soccer game.
- OLN has the Third Stage of the Tour de France on six times throughout the day.
4th of July TV Show Marathons
A&E – 13 episodes of The First 48.
BBC America – Who’s Line Is It Anyway? plays 18 times in a row.
BET – 18 episodes of The Wayans Bros.
Biography – Eight episodes of Murder, She Wrote.
Bravo – A complete 12 episode season of Project Runway airs today.
Cartoon Network – 16 episodes of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
CourtTV – Five episodes of The Investigators followed by 10 episodes of Beach Patrol.
Discovery Channel – 18 episodes of Dirty Jobs.
Discovery Home – 20 episodes of License to Grill.
Discovery Science – 12 episodes of How It’s Made.
FX – 34 episodes of Cops.
G4 – Nine episodes of Star Trek.
Hallmark Channel – 13 episodes of Rawhide.
Military Channel – Nine episodes of American Chopper building military themed bikes.
National Geographic – 14 showings of Megastructures.
Oxygen – The first four episodes of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency airs three times over the course of the day.
Sci Fi Channel – The Twilight Zone marathon continues for the third day.
TLC – Five episodes of Miami Ink followed by eight episodes of Overhaulin’.
TNT – 14 episodes of Law & Order.
TV Guide Channel – Nine episodes of Close Up followed by five showings of 25 Things You Didn’t Know About …
TV One – The 19 episodes of Wanda at Large play twice.
USA – 17 episodes of Monk play.
Pepper Dennis comes under a long line of shows in the news network comedy/drama category
and in my opinion is just as good as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Just Shoot Me, Murphy Brown,
WKRP in Cincinnati and so on. These types of shows tend to do well and there is a VOID right
now as regards this type of show.
Unfortunately, brining in the show at mid-season, airing Pepper Dennis against American Idol,
and the WB and UPN going through a merger with people trying to save their jobs isn’t a recipe
for ratings success or for the Pepper Dennis show holding lead in from I think the Gilmore Girls.
The major players have moved on such as Josh Hopkins and the writers/producers to some FOX
shows, and Rebecca Romijn accepted another film.
I was wondering what it would take to be able to bring the show back? How can it be done?