Tonight on the Tube: Smallville, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Eleventh Hour & Life on Mars

News & Notes

On cable tonight, BET has the Hip Hop Awards ’08 and the third season premiere of American Gangster, Biography has a two-hour Johnny Cash’s America special, History has the fifth season premiere of Ancient Discoveries, VH1 has the 90-minute second season premiere of Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.

In late night, Spike has a UFC 90 Countdown: Silva vs. Cote special.

Will be on TV Talk with Shaun OMac later today. The show starts at 3:00 p.m. PT and I, along with Amrie from Seat42f, among other places, will be on at 3:20 p.m. PT, so why not drop on in and listen live.

Prime Picks

Smallville (The CW): New. Clark thinks a serial killer may be at work and Davis starts to think that his blackouts mean that he is responsible for the killings.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): New. The hospital is taking on a bunch of surgeries that all have to be done in a certain order and the next one depends on the previous one. Derek ends up with all the credit for the tumor study he ran with Meredith. Lexie tries to get George to notice her as more than a friend. Runs 61 minutes.

Life on Mars (ABC): New. A vet just back from Vietnam has been murdered. Tyler is heading down a path that may reveal clues to his past. After watching two episodes of this and Eleventh Hour, I think this one is the slightly better option now. The fight scene between Hunt and Tyler in the hospital room was freaking hilarious in last week’s episode.

Solid Selections

My Name Is Earl (NBC): New. Randy’s birthday present gets stolen and Earl ponders the idea of going to the cops for help.
Kath & Kim (NBC): New. This episode was originally scheduled to be the second episode, but plays tonight as episode three. I’ve seen this episode and it isn’t any better than the previous two that aired. If for some reason you actually like the first two, then you may like this one as well, but otherwise you should pass on this one.

The Office (NBC): New. Michael tries to help Pam find a part-time job so she can continue to afford art school. The office gets robbed and Michael tries to raise money to replace the items that were taken. Runs 31 minutes.
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday (NBC): New. The first two of these haven’t been all that funny. Can’t wait for the return of 30 Rock next week.

Eleventh Hour (CBS): New. There are multiple reports in Northern California of paralysis that seem to be food related and Dr. Hood is called in to investigate.

Cable Choices

Good Eats (Food Network): Repeat. Alton makes a coconut cake. Plays again later.
Food Detectives (Food Network): Repeat. Food myths are investigated. Plays again later.

American Chopper (TLC): New. The guys start work on a Dodge Ram bike. Plays again later.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX): New. Mac and Dennis find a erotic memoir written by Dennis and they try to make money off of it. Plays again later. Runs 33 minutes and plays again later.

Other Options

• Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control (TBS): Released. This stars Masi Oka (Heroes) and Nate Torrence (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) as their characters from the Get Smart movie. They are trying to keep a missing invisibility device out of the hands of KAOS. Runs 100 minutes.
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS): New. People seem to be dying in the middle of everyday activities, but they haven’t collapsed. So, the team tries to figure out how this is happening.
• Iron Chef America (Food Network): Repeat. This past Sunday’s episode with Iron Chef Cat Cora taking on Oprah’s chef and former judge on the show, Art Smith replays. Plays again later.
• Supernatural (The CW): New. A bunch of men seem to have died from fright and Dean and Sam investigate.

Sports Notes

• ESPN has college football action with Auburn at West Virginia.
• FOX has Game 2 of the MLB World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies up a game over the Tampa Bay Rays.
• TNT has a NBA preseason game with the Chalotte Bobcats taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Late Night

• Mad Men (USA): Repeat. Last Sunday’s episode, “The Mountain King,” replays.
• The Starter Wife (USA): Repeat. Last Friday’s episode, “The Remains of the Snow Day,” replays.

TV Marathons

CMT has six episodes of Nanny 911.
History has five episodes of Ancient Discoveries that play twice.