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 by Scott Tipton  by Chris Ryall  by Scott Bowden  by Joshua Jabcuga  by Jud Meyers    |  Ron Twoeagle |
ONE HAND CLAPPING
By Chris Ryall
2008-09-29 - TV Recommendations
TV RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 29, 2008:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
CHUCK -- 8 PM, NBC
(Season Premiere!) CHUCK is back to see how many consecutive weeks they can tell the exact same story and still keep their audience. I'm betting five more seasons or so. Meanwhile, I'll be watching our next show...
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES -- 8 PM, Fox
Somehow a hot killer Terminator in the third movie didn't seem to do much for me (or for the movie), but on this show, a Terminator who looks like Summer Glau just elevates this show to a level where I'll watch it every week.
LIFE -- 10 PM, NBC
(Season Premiere!) Hey, all you fans of last season... uh, you might want to forget that you were fans of last season and just start over, since that's essentially what this retooled show is doing, too.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
HOUSE -- 8 PM, Fox
I really have no reason to turn on the TV on Tuesdays right now, so I'm mentioning this one by default, since shows like 90210 and NCIS aren't for me. Not that this one is, either, but other people seem to like it, anyway.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1
BONES -- 8 PM, Fox
Actually, according to Heidi Klum during those interminable Emmy Awards, this show is known as "The Bones." But by any name, it's a fun series.
PUSHING DAISIES -- 8 PM, ABC
(Season Premiere!) That quirky show guest-starring the diminutive Elphaba is back. And while I don't actually watch it, I do like the look and feel of the show. From afar.
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT -- 9 PM, NBC
(Season Premiere!) Talent, maybe (well, doubtful), but taste, nope, not if they're watching this show. A high tolerance for pain, yes.
PRIVATE PRACTICE -- 9 PM, ABC
(Season Premiere!) PRIVATE? Yeah, let's keep it that way. Nothing to see -- by which I mean "watch" -- here.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY -- 10 PM, ABC
Hey, all you fans of last season... uh, you might want to forget that you were fans of last season and just start over, since that's essentially what this retooled show is doing, too.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS -- 10 PM, DirecTV
(Season Premiere!) Well, FNL, even if I wanted to watch you -- and you're certainly not a bad show at all -- I can't since us cable viewers are now left out in the cold. But better this than cancellation, so let's hope it works for you.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE -- 9 PM, PBS
Talk about must-see TV, this will easily be the most amusing -- and likely very depressing -- thing on TV tonight. I hope it becomes a weekly series, like THE WEST WING meets NORTHERN EXPOSURE.
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA -- 10 PM, FX
I realize I'm a few seasons late to this show, but after finally catching the first couple new shows of this season, I am already fully onboard. No one does "amusingly depraved" like FX, and this looks to be a good show to get me by until RESCUE ME returns.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS -- 8 PM, The CW
(Season Premiere!) "Chris" on the show has had one of those growth spurts that can often derail a kid on a show (see: Urkel, Walt on LOST; don't see: THE WONDER YEARS or that Fred Savage show, since those kids don't seem to have grown at all), but this one has still retained its charm and humor.
GHOST WHISPERER -- 8 PM, CBS
(Season Premiere!) The only real show where half its audience denies watching, or at least tells its significant female other that they watch for the ghosts, is back, and this year, Malibu's Most Wanted joins the cast, too, yo.
THE GAME -- 8:30 PM, The CW
(Season Premiere!) THE GAME is afoot again, and that terribly lame comment should tell you that I'm not so well-versed in this particular GAME.
THE EX LIST -- 9 PM, CBS
(Series Premiere!) Just when you think all the contrived plotlines for shows have been taken, along comes this one to show you that nope, there're still more ways to force a new show out there.
SUPERNANNY -- 9 PM, ABC
(Season Premiere!) This is the one show that doesn't seem to be trying too hard when they add an annoying kid or two to the new season.
SANCTUARY -- 9 PM, ABC
(Series Premiere!) Well, the show's not a LOGAN'S RUN spin-off like I hoped when I saw that title, and the characters wear the same generic leather outfits that everyone in "dark" sci fi shows has worn since THE MATRIX and X-MEN, but I'm always inclined to give a new Sci Fi Channel show a chance.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS -- 9 PM, Cartoon
(Series Premiere!) The movie's many detractors are reminded here that not only was that movie aimed at a viewer younger than you (and that younger viewer likely enjoyed it a lot), but this new show has one difference from the movie itself... it won't cost you anything but time, and you can blog angrily in real-time now, too.
Also premiering but not worth a full mention: WIFE SWAP (8 PM, ABC), NUMB3RS (10 PM, CBS).
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
MTV RANKED: CELEBRITY BUSTS -- 7 PM, MTV
Celebrity mug shots. In other words, it's like TheSuperficial.com only not at all current.
BEVERLY HILLS 90210 -- 9 AM, SOAPnet
Here's a reminder of what this show was like before it was populated by skeletal skanks like the new version. Of course, it's also a reminder of just what a wuss the bad-ass Reece on the new TERMINATOR show used to be, so it's not all positive. Actually, I've watched a lot of these before -- there's not much positive to say at all, other than that it's not the new version.
LOUIS C.K.: CHEWED UP -- 11 PM, Showtime
Watch Louis' stand-up act and then ask yourself, how did this guy ever get is own sitcom...? And then be reminded that the Blue Collar Comedy guys also had their own sitcoms and realize that at least Louis is funny, if not easy to look at.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5
THE SIMPSONS -- 8 PM, Fox
Yes, just being able to mention new episodes of this show, no matter how the quality actually turns out to be, still just makes me smile.
THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR -- 10 PM, E!
(Season Premiere!) Oh, Hef, losing one of these GIRLS to Criss Angel? I don't know what's worse, her making that choice, you getting passed over for Criss Angel, or me even being aware of such worthless "news."
CALIFORNICATION -- 10 PM, Showtime
I'd mention that one of Dave Duchovny's co-stars in the recent X-FILES movie guests here tonight, but then again, Duchovny (allegedly!) saw more people naked this summer than saw that movie while it was out, so I hate to make such a limited reference and exclude the rest of us.
All listings are Pacific Standard Time and all opinions think it's never too early to start hawking a book related to this site coming next spring: Comic Books 101: The History, Methods and Madness