TV Squad

What's On Tonight: The Prisoner, Next Iron Chef, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Bob Sassone — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 7, ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7, then new episodes of The Amazing Race, Three Rivers, and Cold Case.
NBC has a new Football Night in America at 7, followed by the Patriots vs. the Colts.
At 8, FOX has a new episode of The Simpsons, then new episodes The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad.
PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece Contemporary.
AMC has the premiere of The Prisoner at 8.
Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then a new Next Iron Chef.
Also at 8: Lifetime Movie Network has Ann Rule's Everything She Ever Wanted.
At 9, HBO has a new Curb Your Enthusiasm.
There's a new Dexter on Showtime at 9, followed by a new Californication.
History Channel has a new WWII in HD at 9.
At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Titan Maximum.
At midnight, Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Venture Brothers, then a new Metalocalypse.

Check your local TV listings for more.

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What's On Tonight: iCarly, Secret Saturdays, Robin Hood, Wanda Sykes

Bob Sassone — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:12:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 7, ESPN has College Football, Alabama vs. Mississippi State.
ESPN2 has College Football at 7, Auburn vs. Georgia
At 8, ABC has College Football, Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh.
FOX has a new Cops at 8.
Food Network has Thanksgiving episodes of shows starting at 8: two episodes of Good Eats and episodes of The Secret Life Of... and Unwrapped.
Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, followed by a new True Jackson, VP.
TCM has Saboteur at 8.
At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
Cartoon Network has a new Secret Saturdays at 9.
BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9, then a new Graham Norton Show.
Also at 9: Hallmark has the movie Flower Girl.
At 9:30, Biography Channel has a new Ghostly Adventures, followed by a new Celebrity Ghost Stories.
At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show, then a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with January Jones and Black-Eyed Peas.
At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

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CBS plans Super Bowl halftime and... what comes on after the game

Allison Waldman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:09:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Sports, Industry, Programming, OpEd, Survivor, Music and Variety, Celebrities, Ratings, NCIS, The Mentalist, The Big Bang Theory

"Did you hear who's going to play during the Super Bowl halftime show?"
"No, who?"
"That's what I just said. Who."
"No, seriously. Which is the band that's going to appear?"
"It's Who."
"I'm not talking proper English. Which band will be on CBS's halftime show on February 7 at Landshark Stadium in Miami?"
"The Who -- you know, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend. 'Tommy, can you hear me?'"
"Oh! Why didn't you just say that!"

Okay, I couldn't resist the nod to Abbott and Costello's Who's On First. But the fact is that Sports Illustrated has spread the word that The Who will star in the Super Bowl big, overblown half-time pageant. This follows the safe pattern the NFL has been employing since the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake costume malfunction; that is, stick with classic rock stars who are guaranteed to do their hits and not disrobe. That's why we've had Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and now The Who. All superstar acts, no controversy.

Continue reading CBS plans Super Bowl halftime and... what comes on after the game

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What's On Tonight: Smallville, Clone Wars, White Collar, The Soup

Bob Sassone — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 7:30, Cartoon Network has a new Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
At 8, ABC has a new Supernanny, followed by new episodes of Ugly Betty and 20/20.
CBS has a new Ghost Whisperer, then new episodes of Medium and Numb3rs.
NBC has new episodes of Law and Order, Dateline, and The Jay Leno Show.
The CW has a new Smallville at 8.
PBS has a new Washington Week at 8, then new episodes of NOW and Bil Moyers Journal.
MyNetwork TV has a new Smackdown! at 8.
TBS has The Wizard of Oz at 8.
Also at 8: Nickelodeon has a new episode of The Troop.
At 8:30, Disney has a new Suite Life on Deck.
Cartoon Network has a new Ben 10: Alien Force at 8:30, followed by a new Clone Wars.
At 9, USA has a new Monk, then a new White Collar.
Syfy has a new Stargate Universe at 9, followed by a new Sanctuary.
Travel Channel has two new episodes of Ghost Adventures at 9.
BBC America has a new Friday Night with Jonathan Ross at 9.
At 10, E! has a new episode of The Soup.
History Channel has a new Lock 'N Load with R. Lee Ermey at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Smallville, Clone Wars, White Collar, The Soup

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Charlie's Angels returning to TV?

Brad Trechak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

Josh Friedman, the creator behind Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is now getting behind another movie franchise to bring to ABC. This time it's Charlie's Angels. Okay, this one started as a television franchise then moved to the movies and now is moving back to TV. Well, you get the idea.

Also involved would be Leonard Goldberg, who worked with Aaron Spelling to produce the original series, and Drew Barrymore, who produced and starred in the movie versions. My guess is that this new version would something like Charlie's Angels: The Next Generation. Will John Forsythe return as the voice of Charlie? I hope so.

Revival-mania continues strong on network television. Success has been a mixed bag. For every Battlestar Galactica there are several Bionic Womans. A new version of Charlie's Angels certainly has a shot in today's market and the movies did well. Aaron Spelling tried to revive the franchise in '88 and that didn't work. Now could be a better time. What do you think?

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What's the best TV theme of all-time, Happy Days or Gilligan's Island?

Bob Sassone — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:04:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, Web, Reality-Free

I know, I know, you're thinking, those are the only two choices I get, Happy Days and Gilligan's Island? Yes, according to this poll over at AOL Television. For the past several weeks they've pit various TV show theme songs against each other in a tournament, and the two finalists, for some reason, are Happy Days theme and the Gilligan's Island theme.

Now, it seems like these aren't the "best" theme songs, just the ones that readers and TV fans thought were the most iconic, or maybe it's the fact that they both have lyrics and that's what readers were looking for?

Continue reading What's the best TV theme of all-time, Happy Days or Gilligan's Island?

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What's On Tonight: Community, Fringe, Supernatural, Private Practice

Bob Sassone — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:16:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 8, ABC has a new FlashForward, followed by new episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
CBS has a new Survivor, then new episodes of CSI and The Mentalist.
NBC has new episodes of Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, and The Jay Leno Show.
FOX has a new Bones at 8, followed by a new Fringe.
The CW has a new Vampire Diaries at 8, then a new Supernatural.
Current has a new Current Exposed at 8, followed by a new SuperNews.
TCM has Dial M For Murder at 8, then Rear Window.
At 9, Comedy Central has a new Jeff Dunham Show.
TLC has a new American Chopper at 9.
Spike has a new TNA Wrestling at 9.
Cartoon Network has a new Total Drama Action at 9.
TruTV has a new World's Dumbest at 9, followed by two new episodes of It Only Hurts When I Laugh.
At 10, Lifetime has a new Project Runway.
There's a new It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia at 10, then a new episode of The League.
Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10.
Also at 10: Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: Community, Fringe, Supernatural, Private Practice

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Torchwood creator talks season four

Mike Moody — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, Doctor Who, Reality-Free

The miniseries Torchwood: Children of Earth was a huge ratings and critical success. It was only a matter of time before show creator Russell T. Davies started talking, officially, about moving ahead with another season of Torchwood.

Davies told TV Guide that Torchwood is likely to be renewed for a fourth season. The BBC has yet to officially green-light a fourth year, but Davies said he's already working on ideas for the further adventures of Captain Jack Harkness and crew.

"The recession has hit British television, but fingers crossed, it will be a go. We expect things to start to move in January. We've got great ideas for the show. I think there's a further lease on life for many years to come, but certainly for a [fourth season]," Davies said.

Continue reading Torchwood creator talks season four

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FOX cancels Dollhouse

Bob Sassone — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Programming, Cancellations, Reality-Free, Dollhouse, Joss Whedon

This seems to be the week for cancellation notices. ABC canceled Eastwick yesterday and Hank today, and now FOX has announced that they are canceling Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.

Is this a surprise? Not at all. In fact, a lot of people were rather surprised when the show was given a second season. I wonder how many fans of the first season didn't even bother watching the second season of the show because they knew it was a surprise that the show got renewed and they knew it was just a matter of time before FOX canceled it? Or maybe the Friday night slot was another reason a lot of people weren't watching.

The show will actually finish its whole 13 episode order, which is something a lot of canceled shows can't say. Now we'll just have to see if Whedon will have an actual ending for the show.

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Hank yanked by ABC

Bob Sassone — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Industry, Programming, Cancellations, Reality-Free

First off, thanks to ABC for canceling Hank, because I love it when headlines rhyme.

Second, yes, the network has canceled the struggling Kelsey Grammer comedy. It never really clicked with TV viewers or critics, and when ABC gave full season orders to all of the other Wednesday night comedies (The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town) you knew the writing was on the wall and this show just wasn't going to be around for a second season. Of course, it's not going to be around for a full first season either. ABC is replacing the remaining episodes with holiday specials and repeats of their other sitcoms.

This might be a silly question to ask but ... is anyone out there going to miss this show? I have a high tolerance for sitcoms, even mediocre ones. But this show was mediocre, with a capital ocore. It just wasn't funny and the characters/premise just weren't interesting enough.

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Is Canada's best science fiction TV show not on TV?

John Scott Lewinski — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, Reality-Free, Webisodes

There are plenty of sci-fi TV shows made up in Canada. The Stargate series comes out of Vancouver -- as does Fringe. There's a proud ongoing fantasy tradition deeply rooted up there.

But, the city's local newspaper insists the best show in production in Canada's Pacific Southwest isn't on broadcast TV. It's a web series called Riese. The Steampunk-themed action series is set in another time in the kingdom of Eleysia. The title character (Christine Chatelain) battles through the countryside with a wolf avenging the death of her family.

She's fighting off a crazed, fundamentalist religious group -- the Sect. So, you can set your watch by how long the tunnel-vision crew over at Big Hollywood jumps on Riese as some sort of attack on traditional religion. (It's not.)

Continue reading Is Canada's best science fiction TV show not on TV?

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What's On Tonight: CMA Awards, Glee, House of Payne, Ultimate Fighter

Bob Sassone — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 8, ABC has The CMA Awards.
CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, followed by new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by a new Glee.
The CW has a new America's Next Top Model at 8.
There's a new Secrets of the Dead on PBS at 8, then a new P.O.V.
Cartoon Network has a new Destroy Build Destroy at 8.
G4 has the season premiere of Human Wrecking Balls at 8.
At 9, TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne, followed by two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns.
DirectTV 101 has a new Friday Night Lights at 9.
Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters at 9, then the series premiere of Ghost Hunters Academy.
Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9.
Fine Living has a new Whatever, Martha at 9.
History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, then a new Mystery Quest.
Showtime has a new Inside The NFL at 9.
At 10, FX has a new Nip/Tuck.
Bravo has a new Top Chef at 10.
Comedy Central has a new South Park at 10, followed by the season finale of Secret Girlfriend.
Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10
Also at 10: Spike has a new Ultimate Fighter.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: CMA Awards, Glee, House of Payne, Ultimate Fighter

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Things are looking up for Ugly Betty... perhaps

Allison Waldman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:18:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, OpEd, Reality-Free

If you're an Ugly Betty fan, you might be wondering why ABC has been treating the show like a stepchild lately. I know I've wondered why the Peabody-award winning, Emmy-winning, universally hailed, feel-good show was getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Instead of a big, splashy Season 4 premiere, Ugly Betty was sort plunked onto the schedule on Friday night at 9 p.m. in mid-October. There was little fanfare and the ratings were underwhelming.

Well, things might be changing for the better for Betty -- like her gradual on screen makeover. With the cancellation of Eastwick, ABC has confirmed to AfterElton.com that Ugly Betty will move to Wednesday at 10 p.m. It won't happen right away, but if ABC is smart, the sooner they can shift Eastwick out of that slot and hand it over the Betty, the better.

Continue reading Things are looking up for Ugly Betty... perhaps

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What's Hot on SlashControl - Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Variety Show

Jane Boursaw — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Programming, Video

I'll say right off the bat that I didn't watch Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Variety Show, which aired this past Sunday. But I've been hearing about it for days, because my 15-year-old son is a huge fan of Family Guy.

I'm not sure what chip I'm missing that I don't find Family Guy as fascinating and hilariously funny as some. Reading some of the Twitter updates after a show airs, it's clear that some folks think it's the funniest thing they've ever seen. Then again, my son usually regales me with all the cool stuff he sees in TV shows, but didn't mention much about the Live Variety Show, so maybe it wasn't that great.

Jason had this to say about it: "Really, it was about the least funny or entertaining variety show I've ever seen. Going into this, I was going to suggest that maybe FOX should have skipped the second Family Guy and given them an hour for this thing, but now I'm going to say they should have skipped the variety show altogether." Here it is, from our sister site, SlashControl. Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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What are the odds your favorite (or least favorite) show will be canceled?

Bob Sassone — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Programming, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

A couple of weeks ago, I did a post about the shows that were "on the bubble," the ones in danger of being canceled. Now AOL TV has given the odds on what shows might not be coming back.

A lot of shows on the list won't surprise us: Hank, The Forgotten, Numb3rs, Gary Unmarried, and 'Til Death (each either gets low ratings or has been on for a while), but there are several that I think will actually make it to a another season, including The Good Wife and Parks and Recreation.

Continue reading What are the odds your favorite (or least favorite) show will be canceled?

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Discovery serves up storms, ghosts, crabs for Thanksgiving

John Scott Lewinski — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming

Nothing says "holiday season" like tornadoes, ghosts and animal dung. So, Discovery Channel is running marathons of their reality shows to make the yuletide season gay.

The network's scheduling release states that Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, Storm Chasers and Ghost Lab will each get a turn offering guys something to watch while they undo their belts after the big meal (and while the ladies do the dishes).

Here's the programming slate for when you're not watching football or A Year without a Santa Claus:

Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day: Mythbusters - 9 a.m. ET/PT - 3AM ET/PT
Nov. 27: Day after Thanksgiving: Deadliest Catch - 9 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Nov. 28: Dirty Jobs - 10 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Nov. 29: Storm Chasers - 1 p.m. - 3 a.m.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve: Dirty Jobs - 9 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Dec. 25: Christmas Day: Mythbusters - 9 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Dec. 26: Deadliest Catch - 9 a.m. - 3 a.m.

Dec. 31: New Year's Eve: Ghost Lab - 10 a.m. - 3 a.m.
Jan. 1, 2010/New Year's Day: Mythbusters - 9 a.m. - 3 a.m.

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What's On Tonight: 30 For 30, Nova, 90210, World Series of Poker

Bob Sassone — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free

At 8, ABC has a new V, then a new Dancing with the Stars and In The Spotlight with Robin Roberts.
CBS has a new NCIS at 8, followed by new episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife.
NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Jay Leno Show.
FOX has a new, two-hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
The CW has new episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place.
There's a new Nova on PBS at 8.
ESPN has a new 30 For 30 at 8, followed by the two-hour season finale of The World Series of Poker.
History Channel has a new episode of The Universe at 9.
Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9, then a new Ghost Lab.
Cartoon Network has a new Stoked at 9.
Also at 9: Syfy has two new episodes of Scare Tactics, followed by a new ECW.
At 10, FX has a new Sons of Anarchy.
Lifetime has a new Sherri at 10.
Food Network has a new Chopped at 10.
A&E has two new episodes of Parking Wars at 10.
Bravo has a new Tabatha's Salon Makeover at 10.
MTV has a new episode of The Hills at 10, followed by a new episode of The City.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Continue reading What's On Tonight: 30 For 30, Nova, 90210, World Series of Poker

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CBS picking up Shit My Dad Says from Twitter account

Brad Trechak — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:41:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

CBS has picked up a new comedy based on the ramblings of someone's father from a Twitter account called Shit My Dad Says. The title will likely change when it gets to the small screen. Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are behind it so it has some legs.

The creator of the Twitter account, Justin Halpern, has become an Internet star. Actually, this is the second Twitter account to get a sitcom, the first being TextsFromLastNight (which is being produced by Sony TV and Adam Sandler's people).

Based on the sample tweets, I can see this actually working as a sitcom where a twenty-something or early thirty-something is forced to live back with his parents. His father would be a pessimistic Larry David or Ricky Gervais character, saying awkward things all the time to humorous effect. I think the only trick would be to tone down the profanity, or perhaps just use bleeping.

This is why I have to start a Twitter account.

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Goodbye Eastwick (and hello The Forgotten, for now)

Bob Sassone — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Programming, Cancellations, Reality-Free

I don't want to say that I'm psychic or anything (I'm not, though I can bend spoons), but I had a feeling that Eastwick wouldn't last beyond one season after I saw the new shows at the ABC upfront. I don't know why or how I thought that, probably a combination of the plot, the time slot, the network it was on, and how programming on the networks is these days, but I just didn't think it would last.

And now it looks like it won't. ABC has declined to order more episodes of the series. This isn't an official "cancellation" but it's a very bad sign for the show.

There's more news coming from ABC too, and this is actually surprising: they've ordered 5 more episodes of The Forgotten. That's a show I thought would be gone quick too. It still could be, since ratings aren't great (though better than Eastwick's) and it hasn't exactly been critically-acclaimed.

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The Simpsons scavenger hunt starts tonight

Bob Sassone — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, The Simpsons, Reality-Free

As you know, we're in the middle of the 20th anniversary of FOX's The Simpsons, and the network has a special contest that actually starts during tonight's episode of House.

It's a scavenger hunt, and here's how it works. During this entire week (November 9-13) the network will scatter references to the show throughout their lineup. And this isn't something that will show up in just a few shows here and there, you're going to find a reference to The Simpsons in every FOX prime time show.

Continue reading The Simpsons scavenger hunt starts tonight

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