News & Notes

Tonight, CBS has the return of new episodes of Cold Case and FOX has the season finale of Unhitched.

Over on cable, Lifetime Movie Network has the premiere of part one of The Capture of the Green River Killer two-part miniseries and Showtime has the series premiere of Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union and the second season premiere of The Tudors.

Prime Picks

The Simpsons (FOX): New. Lisa wants her mother to follow her childhood dream of becoming a ballerina, while Homer is giving Bart a tour of his secret beef jerky manufacturing room.
King of the Hill (FOX): New. Kahn’s father-in-law comes for a visit and makes him feel like he is a failure, while Hank and the rest of the gang try to make him feel better.

Cold Case (CBS): New. New direction comes in on the murder of a popular deaf kid that went missing in 2006, so the team reopens the investigation and searches for his body and the person who killed him. Runs 62 minutes.

Dexter (CBS): Repeat. In episode seven, “Circle of Friends,” the identity of the Ice Truck Killer is not sitting well with Dexter and Rita’s ex is back in town.

Solid Selections

Everybody Hates Chris (The CW): New. Chris goes with his brother on a mission to find his favorite hockey player, Wayne Gretzky.
Aliens in America (The CW): Repeat. Raja lets the class know how much he likes Justin, leading to a misunderstanding that gets them teased by their classmates.

Law & Order (NBC): Repeat. Don’t you hate it when the dry cleaner gets you mixed up with someone else and you end up dead, well that is what happens here, leading to a web of corruption and greed, in the episode “Bottomless” from earlier this season.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC): Repeat. It turns out that the only witness to a woman’s murder is her savantlike daughter, in the episode “Savant” from earlier this season.

Cable Choices

Food Network Challenge (Food Network): Repeat. Participants create cakes inspired by Disney characters. Plays again later.

John Adams (HBO): New. Part four of seven, “Reunion,” has John and Abigail back together in Paris and then he goes to London and has trouble in his return to Boston. Runs 75 minutes and plays multiple times throughout the week.

Other Options

• Army Wives (Lifetime): Repeat. Episode four, “One of Our Own,” replays, where the news of a downed helicopter with Denise’s husband in it makes the rounds at the base. Plays again later.
• Breaking Bad (AMC): Repeat. Episode three “… And the Bags in the River,” has Walter and Jesse having to clean up the house after the bathtub debacle. Plays twice and again later.
• The Capture of the Green River Killer (Lifetime Movie Network): Miniseries Premiere. This two part, four-hour miniseries stars Tom Cavanagh (Eli Stone, Ed) as Dave Reichert, who was the detective heading up of the investigation. It is based on his book Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer. I’ve only watched the first part, so far, and it moves along at quite a slow pace. If the case interests you, then you may find it worth watching, although as this article in the Seattle P-I states, it doesn’t exactly tell you the whole story. Not that packing 21 years into four TV hours could really do it justice. The miniseries interested me, because of its star, Ed is one of my all-time favorite shows, and because it is based on a true story that takes place in the Seattle area, where the TVaholic has called home for the last 17 years. Unfortunately, it didn’t really draw me in, even though Cavanagh gives a good performance of a what type a toll this takes on those that protect us by hunting down this types of criminals. Others notables appearing in the miniseries are Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules), Currie Graham (Men in Trees, NYPD Blue) and Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue). Part two plays tomorrow night.
• Dirt (FX): New. Lucy and Holt are rethinking things and Don’s friendship with a pop icon get intense. Plays twice and again later.
• Throwdown With Bobby Flay (Food Network): New. Bobby takes on the Pretzel Boys in a pretzel battle. Plays again later.
• Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union (Showtime): Series Premiere. Tracey Ullman spoofs American culture with sketches, impersonations and more. Plays twice.
• The Tudors (Showtime): Season Premiere. Season two has Henry breaking with the Roman Catholic Church and a high-ranking Bishop being poisoned. Plays twice. Don’t have Showtime? Well, you can still watch this episode.
• Unhitched (FOX): Season Finale. Tommy is teaching Freddy how to drive, while Kate is dating an exterminator. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least, if this were the series finale as well.

Sports Notes

• ABC has NBA action with the Houston Rockets at the San Antonio Spurs.
• CBS has the second day of Elite 8 action to decide the other two Final Four participants.
• ESPN has NCAA Women’s Championship Tournament action and later Sunday Night Baseball, as the season opens for the Atlanta Braves at the Washington Nationals in their new stadium.
• ESPN2 has lots of NCAA Women’s Championship Tournament action.
• FOX has NASCAR racing with the Sprint Cup: Goody’s Cool Orange 500.
• NBA TV has the Dallas Mavericks at the Golden State Warriors with both fighting to stay in the playoffs.
• NBC has NHL action.

Late Night

• Mad Men (AMC): Repeat. Episode 11, “Indian Summer,” replays, where Don is finding Roger’s problems could be an opportunity for him.
• The Riches (FX): Repeat. Last Tuesday’s episode, “Friday Night Lights,” replays, where the family has to make a decision about there future.

TV Marathons

Cartoon Network has 12 episodes of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
CMT has eight episodes of Nanny 911.
Discovery Channel has 11 episodes of MythBusters.
MTV has 12 episodes of America’s Next Top Model.
Spike TV has eight episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
TLC has 12 episodes of My First Home.
Travel Channel has eight episodes of Living With the Mek Tribe: The Adventures of Mark and Olly.

Lots to choose from tonight, what will you be watching?