News & Notes
Prime Picks
Prison Break (FOX): Winter Premiere. Michael has been put in solitary. Susan has her eyes on Sucre. T-Bag is trying to scheme his way into the escape plan. Four episodes remain after tonight.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX): Timeslot Premiere. Sarah, John and Cameron find that they are not alone after infiltrating a resistance safe house. Agent Ellison sees that Sarah is still alive. Last night’s premiere was really good. Liked how they setup the show and how they moved it forward in time. There were nine episodes completed before the writers’ strike began, so there are seven more after tonight.
CSI: Miami (CBS): New. Elizabeth Berkley (Saved by the Bell) guest stars as Horatio’s ex and mother of his recently discovered son. She was supposed to have like a six episode arc, with this being the first. But, due to the writers’ strike, this looks to be the final new episode of the season.
Solid Selections
How I Met Your Mother (CBS): Repeat. The season premiere, “Wait For It …,” replays.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Repeat. The “The Dumpling Paradox” episode replays, where Wolowitz takes over Penny’s apartment leaving her to sleep on Leonard and Sheldon’s couch.
Two and a Half Men (CBS): Repeat. Jenny McCarthy guest stars as Alan and Charlie’s soon to be stepsister, but Charlie just can’t resist her, even after being warned.
Notes From the Underbelly (ABC): New. Lauren and Andrew think they have found the perfect people to be their baby’s guardians.
Medium (NBC): New. Allison is trying to help find a missing teen.
Cable Choices
Kyle XY (ABC Family): Winter Premiere. The second season continues with Kyle coming back home to tell the Tragers the truth about what is going on. Plays twice and again later. There are nine episodes from last summer that replay leading up to this episode, which includes the summer finale, “Leap of Faith,” right before and it is also available as a free download at iTunes. Watch the Kyle XY promo clip below:
Unwrapped (Food Network): Repeat. A behind the scenes look at some fruity foods. Plays again later.
Unwrapped (Food Network): New. Some of your favorite cheery foods get the unwrapped treatment. Plays again later.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel Channel): New. Berlin is visited. Plays twice.
Other Options
- Aliens in America (The CW): Repeat. The “Homecoming” episode replays, where Raja and Justin disagree over the direction of the theme of the float.
- Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (Food Network): New. Guy visits places with some interesting specials. Plays again later.
- Friends (TBS): Repeats. The Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve episodes from season one replay.
- October Road (ABC): New. This show is pretty bad, but for some reason, the TVaholic can’t seem to stop watching. Maybe out of morbid fascination with the amount of unintentional comedy the poorly written dialogue provides, or something. This is car-wreck-TV, you know you should just keep driving (clicking) by and not slow (stop) to watch, but you do anyway. Anybody else out there feel the same way? Or, do you actually like this show?
- The Secret Life Of … (Food Network): New. The history of wedding catering is profiled. Plays again later.
- Queen Sized (Lifetime): Released 2008. Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray) as a big girl who fights back against the popular kids when they pull one prank too many and she ends up becoming the homecoming queen. Runs two hours. Read our review.
Sports Notes
- ESPN has college basketball action with Georgetown at Pittsburgh followed by Oklahoma at Kansas.
- ESPN2 has Australian Open tennis coverage and women’s college basketball with Duke at Maryland.
- NBA TV has the Portland Trail Blazers at the New Jersey Nets.
- Versus has NHL action.
Late Night
- The Closer (TNT): Repeat. The season three replay continues with episode six, “Dumb Luck.”
- Monk (USA): Repeat. Friday night’s episode, “Mr. Monk Joins a Cult,” replays.
TV Marathons
ABC Family has nine episodes of Kyle XY from last summer leading up to tonight’s winter premiere.
CMT has seven episodes of Dukes of Hazard.
The N has 12 episodes of Saved by the Bell.
Oxygen has 12 episodes of Roseanne.
Sci Fi has eight episodes of The Outer Limits early.
TNT has five episodes of Law & Order tonight.
What looks good to you on TV tonight?
I have to disagree with you on your comment about October Road. I really like this show. I am really excited about the new episode of Prison Break. Of course I will also watch American Gladiator. I wasn’t gonna watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles last night, but I did and I was glad I did. It turned out to be pretty good. It will def be something I will watch. I hope journeyman comes back. But still, the comment on October road, I have to disagree. Its a good show, which I am glad it came back. The only thing I miss on Monday Nights is Studio 60. That was a great funny show. Wish they would have brought it back for a second season. No one, esp the studios, gives shows a chance anymore.
David, thanks for taking the time to leave a note. Will have to continue to disagree with you on October Road, but will be watching anyway. Do agree that it would be great to see Journeyman come back and that Studio 60 was good. The Sarah Connor Chronicles was pretty good and will definitely be watching episode two tonight after Prison Break.
I have a feeling we watch just about any show, no matter what its like. I was saying that stuff about October Road only because it is different. All the shows are the same these days, all the csi’s, ncis, sharks, etc etc. Atleast studio 60, journeyman, october road, are a little different. AND THEY ARENT REALITY TV. Getting to be too many of them, though i do like a few of them, including Next great band. One of the very few reality shows I do like.
David, your “feeling” is pretty close to correct. Also, many shows do seem similar these days, although I watch all of the ones you mentioned. As for October Road being “a little different,” it is different, but not in a good way, at least in my opinion. In regards to reality programming, the game show competition types don’t bother me all that much. Don’t really watch them, but they don’t bother me. It is the Wife Swaps, The Bachelors and most of what passes for entertainment these days on many of the cable channels that I don’t really understand why people watch.