What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Barbara Walters Interviews Sarah Palin
I’m sure she was writing as fast as she could, and that’s not meant as any type of slam at all, but doesn’t it seem that Sarah Palin’s ship has passed? I just really don’t care anymore, and certainly not enough to buy her book. It just seems had she churned out the book six months ago, I’d care a lot more. However, I do care enough to flip on 20/20 tonight to see Barbara Walters interviewing her.
1. Oprah Winfrey. Oprah will surely discuss her recent decision to stop doing the show in 2011, and also Ray Romano and Gabourey Sidibe guest. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. The Great Debaters. Denzel is terrific as always in this true story of an all-black college debate team trying to break out of the mold and be able to debate some of the larger all-white schools back in the 1930s. 10:00 AM CT Showtime2 West
3. Teen Wolf. A teenager finds out that the reason his body is doing all these weird things isn’t just puberty. 11:20 AM HBO Zone East
4. Bonnie Hunt Show. The guests today are Larry the Cable Guy, Nigel Lythgoe, and self help guru Paul McKenna. Syndicated, Check local listings. (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Starting Off Halloween a Day Early
It’s the Friday night before Halloween. I expected there to be a lot more Halloween flavor in today’s listings. We have that on a lot of the talk shows, and have a few specials, but only Ghost Whisperer and Medium seem to be putting special Halloween episodes out there, which I guess stands to reason. Medium looks to be the most interesting as Allison’s dreams has the cast in the middle of Night of the Living Dead.
1. Oprah Winfrey. The guest today is Lisa Niemi in her first interview since husband Patrick Swayze’s death. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Resurrecting the Champ. True story of a sportswriter who chances upon a homeless man claiming to be a previously famous boxer. He sees his story as the one that will finally have him make it big. 9:50 AM Encore East
3. The Martha Stewart Show. Martha throws the ultimate monster bash with Late Night lost Jimmy Fallon; Plus, Martha Reveals Thanksgiving Menus Sure to Please Turkey Lovers & Vegetarians Alike. Joining Martha In-Studio to Celebrate The Handmade and The Homemade: ‘Mad Men’s’ Christina Hendricks; Actress Susie Essman; CNBC’s Jim Cramer; Actor Anthony Anderson; Chef Emeril Lagasse; Comedian Steve Harvey; and more. Syndicated, check local listings.
4. Bonnie Hunt Show. The guests todayin the Halloween-themed show include Jamie Kennedy, Weird Creatures host Nick Baker, and the cast of Paranormal Activity. Syndicated, Check local listings.
5. Ellen DeGeneres Show. The guests today include Kellie Pickler, Rick Springfield, and Science Guy Steve Spangler on a Haloween-themed episode.. Syndicated, Check local listings.
6. Ghost Whisperer. The headless horseman of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow comes to life, haunting Melissa, and when the book shows up at Alden’s school, she’s afraid for him. 7:00 PM CT CBS
7. Law & Order. A murdered flashion-company ownder has detectives chasing the path of a photographer who shows them a website marred by threatening posts. 7:00 PM CT NBC
8. Supernanny. A household with 4-year-old and 7-year-old twins calling their parents names and demanding a sugary diet gets a lesson in disciplne. 7:00 PM CT ABC
9. Smallville. Oliver gets deouble-crossed by Mia, aka Speedy. He offers to train her to get her off the streets. Lois wants Clark’s help in landing a job as a TV host, but the station just wants to hire them as a team. 7:00 PM CT CW
10. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfman. A wolf expert and his girlfriend live among a wolf pack to better understand the species. 7:00 PM CT Animal Planet
11. DietTribe. They women are worried about their first time swimming in the ocean, and LaNessa has a chance to sing in front of others. 7:00 PM CT Animal Planet
12. Medium. Allison has dreams putting her in the middle of Night of the Living Dead, leading her to help solve the murder of a funeral director. Aida Turturro guest stars. 8:00 PM CT CBS
13. Dateline NBC. A well-liked man loses his wife and son on a family outing, but his best friend is afraid it might not be a mystery. 8:00 PM CT NBC
14. Ugly Betty. Marc is Betty’s temporary assistant while she works on a wrost jobs in NYC story, Hil could become a political liability for Archie’s campaign, and Natalie’s group leader is interested in Daniel. 7:00 PM CT ABC
15. Monk. Monk takes in the dog of a personal who has disappeared, as he sets out to solve the mystery. 8:00 PM CT USA
16. Stargate Universe. The ship’s water supply threatens to run out, leading Col. Young and Lt. Scott to go to a frozen planet looking for drinkable samples. The crew tries to catch an intruder. 8:00 PM CT Syfy
17. Larry King Live. Dan Aykroyd and Joan Rivers talk about ghost encounters, and professional ghost hunters discuss their line of work.. 8:00 PM CT CNN
18. MTV Ulalume: Howling at New Moon. Included are haighlights fromt the first Ulalume Music Festival. Perfomers include Paramore, AFI, Death By Sunrise, Asher Rother, and Kid Cudi. Pobert Pattinson and the New Moon cast appear as well. 8:00 PM CT MTV
19. NUMB3RS. An investigation at a decommissioned air base brings about suspicion of paranormal-like activity. 9:00 PM CT CBS
20. Jay Leno Show. John Cusack and Frank Caliendo guest, and Adam Corolla makes an appearance as well. 9:00 PM CT NBC
21. 20/20. The 1971 murder of a 13-year-old in New Hampshire, and the 1989 disapperance of a 14-year-old in Massachusetts are featured. 9:00 PM CT ABC
21. White Collar. Neal and Peter get involved with New York’s Fashion week to stop the selling of security that that is stored and woven into the fabric of a model’s dress. 9:00 PM CT USA
23. Sanctuary. A superhero who lack of finesse affects the team’s work is trapped by Magnus, and the discovert of an eggshell remnant has Will and Declan searching to see if the creature is still at large. 9:00 PM CT Syfy
24. Pitbulls and Parolees. Series premiere that follows California’s Villalobos Rescue Center, founded by a pit bull trainer, whose goal is to team rescued pit bulls with parolees. 9:00 PM CT Animal Planet
25. The Amityville Horror. James Brolin and Margot Kidder star in this horror movie back when they were really scary, instead of just big gore fests. 9:30 PM CT AMC
26. Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. Guests include Susie Essman, pumpkin-grower Don Young, monster truck driver Dennis Anderson, and Alice In Chains are the guests. 10:35 NBC
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – 20/20
Tonight 20/20 features of profile of actress Valerie Bertinelli, which is very timely after the recent admissions of her One Day at a Time costar Mackenzie Phillips’ admissions. What makes this really interesting, though, is the inclusion of old interview footage from 1985 with Bertinell’s then husband Eddie Van Halen.
1 Regis and Kelly. Anderson Cooper guest co-hosts, with Daniel Craig and Joss Stone as guests. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. St. Elmo’s Fire. Here’s an oldie but goodie they don’t repeat often. I haven’t watched it in awhile, but it’s probably one of the more dated Brat Pack movies. Interesting to see where their careers have gone since this. 11:00 AM CT WE
3. Smokey and the Bandit. It’s the original one with Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, and Sally Field. I used to watch this tirelessly on HBO. Jerry Reed drives the illegal merchandise in the truck, and Burt Reynolds runs interference in his sports car with girlfriend Sally Field next to him. 12:20 PM CT ActionMax East
4. Bonnie Hunt Show. The guests today include Kristen Bell and Dancing With the Stars pair Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas. Syndicated, Check local listings. (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Country’s Night to Rock
If you like country music, this is your night. It seems that anybody who is anybody in country music is performing at the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock. Let me just throw a few names out there. Kenny Chesney. Kid Rock. Martina McBride. Sugarland. Brad Paisley. Taylor Swift. I’m not really even in to country music, and it’s enough to make me tune in.
1. Regis and Kelly. Nominations for the annual “Relly Awards” are announced with categories such as “Live Gone Wild and Best Regis. The nominees include Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks, Amy Poehler, Kelly Ripa, and Regis Philbin. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Nights In Rodanthe. It’s the second movie for Richard Gere and Diane Lane together, as she stars as a woman taking care of a friend’s inn while debating where to go in her marriage and meets him, a doctor struggling with something on his mind as well. 9:30 AM CT Cinemax East
3. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Mel Gibson again stars as an actioner hero in a postnuclear time, going against Tina Turner in a “duel to the death” challenge. This character was America’s first introduction to the Aussie actor. 12:20 PM CT Retro
4. CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock. Tonight’s performers include Trace Adkins, Jason Aldeann, Dierks Bentley, Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Julianne Hough, Jamey Johnson, the Judds, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, John Rich, Darius Rucker, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Zac Brown Band. 7:00 PM CT ABC
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Teen Heroism
It seems the best we have on network TV (read all we have in terms of new programming) are newsmagazine shows. Both Dateline NBC and 20/20 seem to have good ones. 20/20 features a story on teen heroism, a boy that sacrificed his own life jumping 65 feet from a cliff into chopping water to save a girl, and Dateline features updates on a plot that included an investment scam and a faked death, along with the disappearance of a groom on his honeymoon cruise.
1. Regis and Kelly. Guests today are Denzel Washington, Cloris Leachman, Whitney Port, Taylor Hicks, and Oscar Blandi. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Michael Cera plays his usual, a young guy with insecurities with great comic timing. He’s bemoaning the loss of a girlfriend, and doesn’t even realize who’s right next to him the whole time (Kat Dennings). 8:25 AM CT Starz West
3. The Princess Diaries. What girl doesn’t dream of waking up and finding out she’s a princess? A young Anne Hathaway and not so young Julie Andrews star. 10:45 AM CT Starz East
3. Smart People. Very well-acted movie with Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Thomas Hayden Church, which has Quaid as a widowed English professor, and Page as his disapproving daughter. 2:45 PM CT Starz East
4. NFL Football: Exhibition: Patriots at Redskins. It’s a preseason game for New England and Washington. 7:00 PM CT CBS (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Football, Murder, and a Dangerous Liaison
Featured on Dateline NBC tonight is a Dangerous Liaison of sorts. Ex-Chicago Bears Player Shaun Gayle’s pregnant girlfriend is murdered, and Gayle’s ex is the one held in custody. Local sportscaster Bruce Wolf will be part of the story as well.
1. Regis and Kelly. Bette Midler is the guest co-host, and Adam Sandler guests. A grilling segment is included, as well as the conclusion of Top Dog Week. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Austin Power In Goldmember. Mike Myers is back as the British spy and brings Beyonce Knowles this time, before she became a Dreamgirl. 9:00 AM CT TBS
3. Surviving Suburbia. Steve’s commitment is questioned by Anne after he admits that a neighbor soon to be divorced flirted with him. Courtney and Henry fight for control of the TV downstairs. 7:00 PM CT ABC
4. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. The contestants include a surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack, and a women who woke up from a coma after her family had taken her off life support. 7:00 PM CT Fox (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Are You Smarter Than Larry the Cable Guy?
I don’t know if I’m smarter than Larry the Cable Guy. I think to pull off that character, that he actually is really smart. You can see glimpses of it in the humor. It’ll be interesting then to see how he does tonight and how often he needs help from the 5th graders. Or will he chuck his own personal knowledge and just stay in character?
1. Regis and Kelly. Guests include Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Cavanagh. Also, a grilling segment and the end of Sleep Week. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Airheads. An up-and-coming rock group becomes desperate to have their music heard on the radio and holds a radio station hostage. Stars Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and Michael McKean. How’s that for a talented group? 10:05 AM CT HBO Zone
3. Thelma & Louise. Mad at the men in your life? This movie will take care of that. 6:30 PM CT WE
4. Chopping Block. Another series finishing out what’s in the can after its cancellation. Tonight the couples prepare two services, breakfast and lunch. One couple becomes overwhelmed, and another gets a huge advantage by finding out who the food critic is. The teams will try to recreate one of Marco’s dishes. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Michael Jackson Coverage Just Doesn’t End
The Michael Jackson coverage just doesn’t end. Every newsmagazine show is going to milk it for all its worth. Tonight, Dateline NBC discusses the possible drug abuse and how his death has affected his brother Jermaine and his kids, and on 20/20 a plastic surgeon will discuss the transformation from the Michael we first met as a kid from Gary, Indiana, to the guy that maybe nobody really knew as much as they thought they did.
1. Regis and Kelly. Guests include Brad Paisley and last season’s winner of America’s Got Talent, Neal E. Boyd, as well as a Montana BBQ chef. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Firehouse Dog. This was actually a very cute family movie, with a terrier mix that happens to look a lot like my dog. 11:00 AM CT HBO Family East
3. Wimbledon: Men’s semifinals. The men’s tennis semifinals in London. 12:00 PM CT NBC
4. Rachael Ray. 4th of July grilling, along with a So You Think You Can Dance segment and science experiments. Syndicated, check local listings. (more…)
What’s Hot On TV Tonight – Moving From Shock to Questions
Yesterday, much of the coverage of the death of Farrah Fawcett was immense sadness, of a beautiful and loving woman taken down way too young. By the time the news hit about Michael Jackson, it was just pure shock. Today the coverage will start to move past the shock and to the blame and questions. A Jackson family attorney was speaking very loudly last night, comparing his death to that of Elvis and Anna Nicole Smith, suggesting that doctors had been giving him scripts for unneeded prescription meds for far too long. It’s hard to tell what will be covering this tonight, but expect the autopsy results to be dominating a lot of coverage, and expect Dateline NBC and 20/20 to have something on at least one of the icons we lost this week.
1. Regis and Kelly. William Shatner is the guest co-host, with Ray Romano and Megan Fox as guests. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. Romancing the Stone. This movie was on HBO hundreds of times after it first came out, and I think I watched it each and every time it was on. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas as unlikely romantic interests.1:30 PM CT WE
3. Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon plays a fashion designer from New York that has to go back home to Alabama to dissolve her first marriage to a redneck before she can marry the much more suave Patrick Dempsey. 6:00 PM CT USA
4. Chopping Block. Another series finishing out what’s in the can after its cancellation. Tonight the couples shop in Little Italy, then prepare a luncheon for Italian customers, including Vincent Pastore, Federico Castelluccio, and Mario Batali. They’ll compete for an espresso macine and barista services. 7:00 PM CT NBC (more…)