Tonight on the Tube: Better Off Ted, The Cleaner & Saving Grace

News & Notes

Tonight, ABC has the series premiere of The Superstars, Better Off Ted returning to finish out its first season, and the third season premiere of Primetime: Family Secrets and NBC has the two-hour fourth season premiere of America’s Got Talent.

Over on cable, A&E has the second season premiere of The Cleaner, BET has the sixth season finale of College Hill, Bravo has a The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion special and the series premiere of NYC Prep, History has the first season finale of Life After People, Science has a How Do They Do It special and a Exodus Earth special, and WE has the second season finale of Women Behind Bars.

Giveaway: Two Reba – Season Six DVD sets.

Prime Picks

House (FOX): Repeat. In “The Itch” from this past season, House and the team treats an agoraphobic by going to his home, since he won’t leave.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food Network): New. Food Network personalities talk about the best foods they have eaten. This episode focuses on fried foods. A new episode about “Bar-B-Que” follows. Both play again later.
Better Off Ted (ABC): New. Lem and Phil invite Ted to participate in an after work club. Linda gets more than she bargained for by trying to be friends with Veroncia. Follows the 90-minute The Superstars premiere. This is one of the best shows to debut this year. I hope people will give it a chance, as it is very funny, so they can see why I am so glad that ABC brought it back for a second season. This is a great episode about employees and bosses trying to be friends.

Saving Grace (TNT): New. The squad questions members of an alcoholic group after a suicide note is found. Plays again later.

Solid Selections

NCIS (CBS): Repeat. In “Silent Night” from this past season, the team has to work overtime on Christmas looking for a suspect that was presumed dead.

Mental (FOX): New. A movie star that breaks down on national TV is brought into the ward for treatment.

The Cleaner (A&E) Season Premiere. An old friend of William’s comes for his help to save her husband, also an old friend, which puts him in contact with his old sponsor. Plays twice and again later twice. This is a really good episode and boasts a great trio of guest stars with Jayne Brook as the friend, Gary Cole as the husband, and Whoopi Goldberg as the sponsor. The only thing that bothers me about this show is the direction the relationship between William and his wife is heading starting in the season one finale and picking up hear at the beginning of this season. It seemed to come out of nowhere to me, unless I’m missing something. It seems like a way to create drama for dramas sake.

Other Options

• Chopped (Food Network): New. Four chefs compete to create a three-course meal with secret ingredients revealed right before they cook each course. One of the ingredients is usually a little bizarre and doesn’t really go with the others in the basket, but all must be used to complete their dishes. Plays again later.
• Rescue Me (FX): New. Lou and Tommy want to be the last single man standing. Garrity has lost all touch with reality. Plays twice.
• HawthoRNe (TNT): New. A patient with a head injury thinks that Christina is his wife. Plays again later. I thought this showed had potential, but through two episodes it is yet to realize it. Mostly, the lead character annoys me. Not necessarily Jada Pinkett Smith, but the character she portrays. I know she is the lead, but I just don’t buy that this is how things would work and that the Chief Nursing Officer has to be involved in every little thing for the hospital to run.

Sports Notes

• ESPN has Game 2 of the NCAA World Series Championship.
• ESPN2 has WNBA action.

Late Night

• Burn Notice (USA): Repeat. The series premiere episode, “Pilot,” replays. Runs 86 minutes.
• In Plain Sight (USA): Repeat. This past Sunday’s episode, “Who’s Bugging Mary,” replays.

TV Marathons

A&E has 14 episodes of The First 48.
Bravo has seven episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Discovery Channel has five episodes of The FBI Files early.
Oxygen has seven episodes of Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood tonight.
Sci Fi has eight episodes of Scariest Places on Earth early.
Spike has 12 hours of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes.
Travel Channel has eight episodes of Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern.
USA has 11 episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent early.