News & Notes
Tonight, ABC has the series premiere of Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, which runs two hours, and NBC has American Gladiators premiering in its regular time period and the season four premiere of Medium. Over on cable, VH1 has the 13th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards.
The CW has switched things up recently and will be moving their two-hour comedy block from Monday nights to Sunday nights, starting February 10th. This is where it was originally scheduled back in the fall of 2006, the first year of The CW. Mondays on The CW will become the home of Gossip Girl, as of January 28th, and the new Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious beginning February 18th. The CW is testing out some of their dramas in new timeslots, due to the writers’ strike limiting the TV schedule going forward, and to get them out of the way of American Idol on FOX.
FOX has also changed their schedule up a bit. They are turning Monday night into new drama night. Prison Break returns and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicle debuts in its regular timeslot next Monday. When each of those finish up, New Amsterdam and Canterbury’s Law, along with reruns of House, will air. This will put at least one new show on FOX Mondays through the end of the TV season in May. They are doing their best to give each show its best chance to succeed, because the longer the writers’ strike goes, the more it impacts pilot season and development for next fall. The more midseason shows that can gather an audience, the more shows the networks will have to bring back for Fall 2008, since they won’t have any new ones in development, if and when there is an end to the strike.
Prime Pick
Allstate BCS Championship Game (FOX): Ohio State vs. LSU for the college football championship. Will Ohio State be able to prove the critics wrong? Will LSU be able to prove they should have been there over some of the one-loss teams that were left outside looking in? Broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with a 45-minute pre-game show.
Solid Selections
How I Met Your Mother (CBS): Repeat. The “We’re Not From Here” episode from this season replays, where Barney and Ted pretend to be from out of town to pick up women.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Repeat. The “The Big Bran Hypothesis” episode replays, where Leonard agrees to sign for a package for Penny and it turns into more than he bargained for.
Two and a Half Men (CBS): Repeat. Janeane Garofalo (The West Wing) guest stars as a woman that Alan dates, but she has an odd reaction after they get intimate.
Rules of Engagement (CBS): Repeat. The “Mr. Fix-It” episode from this season replays, where Jeff tries to fix a problem Audrey is having with a neighbor, only to make things worse.
Medium (NBC): Season Premiere. Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family movies) begins a guest arc as an investigator searching for a missing boy that Allison makes a special deal with.
Cable Choices
Good Eats (Food Network): New. Alton pulls out his slicer and gets cutting. Alton Brown recently signed for another three years at Food Network. Plays again later.
The Secret Life … (Food Network): New. The history of military eats is profiled. Plays again later.
Unwrapped (Food Network): Repeat. Some favorite Southern treats are profiled. Plays again later.
Unwrapped (Food Network): New. More Southern treats are profiled. Plays again later.
Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food Network): New. Joints open 24/7 are visited by Guy. Plays again later.
Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food Network): Repeat. Guy visits some local country establishments. Plays again later.
Other Options
- October Road (ABC): New. It turns out that a kid Nick use to putdown in high school is the decision maker for a new project. It sounds like the cliché express continues to travel down the rickety tracks that hold this show up.
Sports Notes
- FOX has the Allstate BCS Championship Game, see Prime Pick above for more info.
Late Night
- The Closer (TNT): Repeat. The fifth episode of season three, “The Round File,” replays, where an old guy confesses to seven murders.
TV Marathons
CMT has five episodes of Dukes of Hazzard.
E! has the five part 101 Most Starlicious Makeovers.
ESPN2 has seven episodes of the 2007 World Series of Poker.
MTV has seven episodes of America’s Next Top Model early and later five episodes of Made.
Oxygen switches back and forth between blocks of The Bad Girls Club and The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency episodes all day.
Sci Fi has eight episodes of Doctor Who early.
TNT has five episodes of Law & Order tonight.
Travel Channel has episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations all day long.
What will you be watching tonight on TV?
