TVSquad

• At 8, NBC has a new Kings.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, followed by a new True Jackson, VP.
• Disney has the movie Princess Protection Program at 8.
• TCM has Notorious at 8.
• Cartoon Network has a new BrainRush at 8, then a new Destroy Build Destroy.
• At 9, CBS has a new Harper's Island.
• FOX has a new America's Most Wanted at 9.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• TBS has Ellen's Bigger, Longer and Wider Show at 9.
• BBC America has the premiere of Doctor Who: The Next Doctor at 9, then a new Graham Norton Show.
• Food Network has a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives marathon at 9.
• At 10, ABC has a new Eli Stone.
• Travel Channel has a new Samantha Brown's Great Weekends at 10.
• Also at 10: TruTV has a new Man vs. Cartoon.
• At 10:30, HGTV has a new HGTV's Top 10.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, NBC has a new Kings.
• HGTV has a new Divine Design at 8.
• Cartoon Network has a new BrainRush at 8, then a new Destroy Build Destroy.
• GSN has a new 20Q at 8, followed by a new episode of The Money List.
• TCM has Random Harvest at 8, then The Bad Seed.
• Current has Jack Black and Michael Cera Take Over Current at 8.
• At 9, CBS has a new Harper's Island.
• FOX has a new America's Most Wanted at 9.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Spike has a new Ultimate Fighter at 9.
• Also at 9: FUSE has Bonnaroo 2009.
• At 10, ABC has a new Eli Stone.
• Style has a new episode of The Dish at 10.
  
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

ABC announced their summer schedule, complete with returning reality "favorites" and some new shows, but honestly, who cares about all that?! What matters is that three of my favorite sophomore shows that were killed too soon are all scheduled to make their triumphant (?) returns to ABC this summer, as promised.

Yes, I'm talking about Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money. Apparently, ABC has decided that the Saturday 10pm/9pm Central timeslot is the perfect place to air the remaining episodes of each series, one after the other. After all, it is the dead zone of television, so what do they have to lose?

If you had to guess, what's the most coveted, prime TV real estate currently available? In February, it was the post-Super Bowl slot, but now -- what could it be. How about the hour after the American Idol finale on May 19 on FOX. With that in mind, FOX has decided to give one of its most promising, albeit unusual, new products the hour.

Ryan Murphy's musical comedy series Glee is getting the post American Idol finale hour. And yes, it is a musical comedy TV series. After American Idol crowns its new winner on May 19, all those millions of viewers, the ones who stay on the network, will see a special preview of the show about a struggling high school glee club.

I should point out that when I say "coming back this summer" in the headline I mean that ABC is bringing them back to burn off the remaining episodes that haven't aired yet. That's right, six months from now is the earliest you'll see any of these shows return. They could even come back later.

Pushing Daisies has three episodes left, while Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money each have four. Fans of these shows might not like this, but the truth is, the shows that have been in the time slots for these shows have actually done better in the ratings.

• At 8, ABC has Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, followed by Rudolph's Shiny New Year and new episodes of According To Jim and Eli Stone.
• PBS has a new Nova at 8.
• ESPN has The Holiday Bowl at 8.
• Also at 8: BBC America has a new My Family.
• At 9, CBS has The 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors.
• There's a new ECW on Sci-Fi at 9.
• At 10, TNT has a new Leverage.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County at 10.
• At 10:30, Disney has a new Life with Derek.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

... five canceled shows.

Some shows, like critical darlings The Shield and Battlestar Galactica, are allowed to end gracefully; major story arcs are wrapped up and fans are left satisfied. Others are yanked from network schedules like unsightly weeds from a rose garden.

The networks yanked a number of shows off the air this season. Most of them, like The Ex List, probably deserved the axe, but there were four that deserved more time to develop an audience and one that I'm really gonna miss. In no particular order, they are:

Oh, Festivus, Oh, Festivus, the holiday for TV fans. How exciting that once a year we can close our eyes, click our heels and make our wishes for the magical ways television can be made better in the year to come. Still, there are more than a few changes that I think need to be made to make TV better ... not to say that it's bad. It just that everything can be better.

This is a great opportunity to get a little Scrooge-y and vent about what I want to see corrected/improved/altered in TV in 2009. Is it wrong that I hope the bigwigs at the networks and cable companies are surfing the net and take my grievances to heart? Is it wrong that I still believe they care about what viewers think? Yeah, probably, but here's my wish list anyway:

• At 8, ABC has A Charlie Brown Christmas, then a new According to Jim.
• CBS has a new NCIS at 8, followed by new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
• NBC has the season finale of The Biggest Loser at 8, then the premiere of Momma's Boys.
• G4 goes over the top video game stories of the year on a new X-Play, then a new Attack of the Show has a holiday gift guide.
• Also at 8: BBC America has a new Christmas episode of My Family.
• At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a Christmas episode of Fairly OddParents, then Christmas episodes of Home Improvement and The George Lopez Show.
• At 9, Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs.
• History Channel has a new episode of The Universe at 9.
• There's a new ECW on Sci-Fi at 9, then a new Cha$e.
• At 10, ABC has a new Eli Stone.
• TNT has a new Leverage at 10.
• Lifetime has a new Blush at 10.
• Biography Channel has a new Shatner's Raw Nerve at 10, with Kelsey Grammer.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

As we reported previously, ABC decided to spin the wheel and cancel three of its shows -- Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money and, the big surprise, Eli Stone. Surprise to me, at least, because I felt that Stone was moving in the right direction since its very strong season premiere. With its slightly new direction, continuing character growth, and imaginative visions that placed the show nearly in the realm of 'musical drama,' the show seemed to be heading in the right direction.

But, as usual, my opinion didn't count in the network's decision to axe the show after 13 episodes. It should have, to be honest. Not only because I wield the power of the keyboard and can bring those programming nerds down with a stroke of my CTRL key, but because I speak for the numbers of fans who cherish the show and think it was done an injustice. Not just by being canceled, but being lumped together with Daisies and DSM.

• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of Dancing with the Stars, then a new Eli Stone.
• CBS has a new NCIS, followed by new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
• NBC has new episodes of The Biggest Loser and Law and Order: SVU.
• There's a new House on FOX at 8, followed by a new Fringe.
• The CW has a new 90210 at 8, then a new Privileged.
• PBS has a new Nova at 8, followed by a new Frontline.
• ABC Family has the two-hour season finale of Lincoln Heights at 8.
• AMC has Midway at 8.
• Also at 8: TCM has Warner at War, followed by This is the Army.
• At 8:30, Lifetime has a new Rita Rocks.
• At 9, ESPN has the two hour finale of The World Series of Poker.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new episode of The Shield.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Atlanta at 10.
• Lifetime has the series premiere of the new reality show Blush at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, followed by new episodes of Dancing with the Stars and Eli Stone.
• CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
• NBC has new episodes of The Biggest Loser and Law and Order: SVU.
• FOX has a new House at 8.
• The CW has a new 90210 at 8, followed by a new Privileged.
• There's a new Lincoln Heights at 8, then the midseason finale of Greek.
• TCM has Sunset Boulevard at 8.
• At 9, Sci-Fi has a new ECW, followed by two new episodes of Scare Tactics.
• ESPN has two new episodes of The World Series of Poker starting at 9.
• Fine Living has a new Whatever, Martha at 9.
• Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new episode of The Shield.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Atlanta at 10.
• MTV has a new Paris Hilton: My New BFF at 10.
• VH-1 has the series premiere of Coolio's Rules at 10.
• At 11, TBS has a new Frank TV.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of Dancing with the Stars, followed by a new Eli Stone.
• CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
• NBC has a new Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Law and Order: SVU.
• FOX has new episodes of House and Fringe.
• There's a new Nova on PBS at 8.
• ABC Family has a new Lincoln Heights at 8, followed by a new Greek.
• At 8:40, BBC America has a new Gavin & Stacey.
• At 9, The CW has a new Privileged.
• ESPN has two new episodes of The World Series of Poker starting at 9.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9, then two new episodes of Scare Tactics.
• At 10, FX has a new episode of The Shield.
• Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Atlanta at 10.
• Travel Channel has a Halloween episode of Bizarre Foods at 10.
• Also at 10: IFC has a new episode of The IT Crowd.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Moral Orel.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk show listings.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: Bones, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Eli Stone, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Monk, Prison Break, Privileged, Supernatural and Ugly Betty. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we'll supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479 - your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have: Big Love, Bones, Desperate Housewives, Eli Stone, Fringe, Ghost Whisperer, Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, House, Prison Break, Supernatural, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Office. (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)