News & Notes
Over on cable, G4 has a X-Play 2008: The Year in Video Games special, Golf Channel has the season finale of Big Break X, Discovery Channel has a Speed Capital of the World: Bonneville special, HBO has a Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football special, IFC has the second season finale of The IT Crowd, Lifetime has the first season finale of Blush: The Search for the Next Great Make-Up Artist, Sci Fi has the first season finale of Cha$e, TLC has the first season finale of My Shocking Story, and truTV has the first season finale of Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Prime Pick
NCIS (CBS): New. The team has to put in some overtime over Christmas to pursue a case where the main suspect is presumed dead. New episodes return on January 6th.
The Mentalist (CBS): New. The prime suspect in the case of poisoned professor is Jane’s former psychiatrist, so Jane takes a personal interest in the case. New episodes return on January 6th.
Eli Stone (ABC): New. Eli has gone out with Ashley a few times and wants to tell her about his gift. Taylor finds some things out about Jordan that she doesn’t like.
Solid Selections
A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC): Repeat. Linus tells Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas.
Privileged (The CW): Repeat. Episode five, “All About Friends and Family,” replays. Megan has to cancel her plans to chaperone the girls’ pool party. New episodes return on January 6th.
Without a Trace (CBS): New. A local weatherman has gone missing after he showed up at work bleeding and the team searches for him. New episodes return on January 6th.
Cable Choices
A Neely Family Holiday (Food Network): Repeat. Have Christmas dinner with the Neelys. Plays again later.
Dirty Jobs (Discovery Channel): New. Mike remembers some people that should be poster people for the green movement. Last week’s episode, “Gourd Maker,” replays right before. Both play again later.
Leverage (TNT): New. It’s “The Two Horse Job,” where the team is trying to help out a trainer that lost his stables in a fire. It plays again later and again on Saturday afternoon. This is another fun episode of this show. Listen to an interview with star Gina Bellman and director & executive producer Dean Devlin. Read an interview with star Timothy Hutton.
Other Options
- Big Break X (Golf Channel): Season Finale. The final two teams compete in the final challenges. Plays again later.
- Fringe (FOX): Repeat. “The Arrival” from earlier in the season replays, where the team is investigating an explosion at a New York construction site and Olivia figures out something many events have in common. Starts a minute after the hour and runs 59 minutes. New episodes return on January 20th.
- House (FOX): Repeat. The season premiere episode, “Dying Changes Everything,” replays, where Wilson resigns and House struggles with being the cause of the death of Wilson girlfriend. Runs 61 minutes. New episodes return on Monday, January 19th.
- The Office (TBS): Repeats. “A Benihana Christmas, Part 1 & 2” from season three replays.
- Rita Rocks (Lifetime): New. Kip starts playing drums with a younger band and Rita tries writing her own music.
Sports Notes
- ESPN has college basketball action with Marquette vs. Tennessee.
- ESPN2 has college basketball action with South Florida at Vanderbilt.
- NBA TV has the New York Knicks at the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Versus has NHL action.
Late Night
- Monk (USA): Repeat. This season’s holiday episode, “Mr. Monk and the Miracle” replays.
TV Marathons
Bravo has nine episodes of The Real Housewives ….
Oxygen has 15 hours of The Bad Girls Club episodes.
Sci Fi has 11 episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures early.
Spike has 12 hours of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes.
USA has eight episodes of NCIS.
VH1 has the five-part 100 Greatest Teen Stars.
