TVSquad

• At 8, CBS has the season premiere of Million Dollar Password.
• NBC has the Penguins/Red Wings game at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8, then a new Iron Chef America.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery!
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, followed by a new In Plain Sight.
• History Channel has the season premiere of Ice Road Truckers, then the series premiere of Expedition Africa.
• MTV has the 2009 MTV Movie Awards at 9.
• Lifetime has the miniseries Maneater at 9.
• Also at 9: GSN has a new High Stakes Poker.
• At 10, AMC has the season finale of Breaking Bad.
• HGTV has HGTV's $250,000 Challenge at 10.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has the season finale of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, then a new Squidbillies.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• FOX has the Sprint Cup: Coca-Cola 600 race all night.
• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7.
• At 8, TNT has the Magic/Cavaliers game.
• At 9, ABC has the miniseries Diamonds.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• Sci-Fi has the movie Polar Storm at 9.
• HBO has two new episodes of In Treatment at 9.
  
• Also at 9: Showtime has the season finale of The Tudors at 9, followed by a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• At 10, AMC has a new Breaking Bad.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• 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 the season finales of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, followed by the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice.
  
• FOX has a new Sit Down, Shut Up at 7.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• TCM has Bunny Lake Is Missing at 8.
• HBO has a new No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency at 8, followed by The Alzheimer's Project.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Mystery!
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, then a new In Plain Sight.
  
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• Nickelodeon has a marathon of The Nanny starting at 9.
• Also at 9: Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors, then a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• At 10, AMC has a new Breaking Bad.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• 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, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7, then a new Celebrity Apprentice.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, followed by new episodes of Sit Down, Shut Up, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• TV Land has The TV Land Awards at 8.
• ESPN has the Red Sox/Yankees game at 8.
• TNT has the Trail Blazers/Rockets game at 8.
• HBO has a new No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency at 8, then two new episodes of In Treatment.
• There's a new Challenge on Food Network at 8, followed by a new Iron Chef America.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece Theater.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, then a new In Plain Sight.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors at 9, followed by a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• G4 has a new G4 Underground at 9.
• Also at 9: MTV has a new Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, followed by new episodes of Bully Beatdown and Nitro Circus.
• At 10, AMC has a new Breaking Bad.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
• At 1AM, Cartoon Network has a new Mighty Boosh.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and The Unit.
  
• NBC has a new, two-hour Dateline at 7, then a new Celebrity Apprentice.
• At 8, ABC has a new, two-hour Extreme Makeover.
• TBS has The World's Funniest Office Commercials at 8.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8.
• HBO has a new No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency at 8, then two new episodes of In Treatment.
• Also at 8: Disney has a new Sonny with a Chance, followed by a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• At 9, MTV has a new Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, then new episodes of Bully Beatdown, Nitro Circus, and College Life.
• There's a new episode of The Tudors on Showtime at 9, followed by a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• At 10, AMC has a new Breaking Bad.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has a new Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job.
• At 1AM, Cartoon Network has a new Mighty Boosh.

Check your local TV listings for more.

I'll be the first to agree that at some point after Chris Moneymaker's World Series win, poker on TV got a little bit out of hand. For a while it seemed that you couldn't turn on the TV without stumbling over some new poker-based show. Things have settled down somewhat lately, with a few survivors remaining. For my poker watching vote, there remains a big three. The World Series, despite ESPN's screwed up scheduling, World Poker Tour, and the newcomer, High Stakes Poker.

Now it looks like two of the three could be in trouble. It seems that the expected dates for the renewals of WPT and High Stakes over at GSN have come and gone. The speculation is that the new CEO at GSN, David Goldhill, wants to move away from the interest in poker that the former CEO, Rich Cronin, brought to the network. Goldhill would instead like to get back to more traditional game shows.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dance War.
• NBC has a new American Gladiators at 8.
• The CW has a new Gossip Girl at 8.
• There's a new Antiques Roadshow on PBS at 8.
• ABC Family has a new Kyle XY at 8, followed by a new Wildfire.
• At 9, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, CSPAN, and the news channels will have President Bush's State of the Union Address.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• At 9:30, HBO has the premiere of In Treatment.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
• Travel Channel has a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, followed by new episodes of Samantha Who? and The Bachelor.
• CBS has a new How I Met Your Mother at 8.
• NBC has new episodes of Chuck, Heroes, and Journeyman.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW at 8, then new episodes of Aliens in America, Girlfriends, and The Game.
• Also at 8: Food Network has Ham On Turkey.
• At 9, CBS has a new Two and Half Men, followed by new episodes Rules of Engagement and CSI: Miami.
• FOX has a new K-Ville at 9.
• PBS has two new episodes of Athens: The Dawn of Democracy.
• TBS has the special Ellen's Really Big Show at 9.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker, also at 9.
• At 10, Showtime has a new Weeds.
• E! has The Soup Presents at 10, focusing on celeb families.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, then new episodes of Samantha Who? and The Bachelor.
• CBS has a new How I Met Your Mother at 8, followed by new episodes of The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, and CSI: Miami.
• NBC has new episodes of Chuck, Heroes, and Journeyman.
• FOX has a new Prison Break at 8, then a new K-Ville.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris at 8, then new episodes of Aliens in America, Girlfriends, and The Game.
• TLC has two new episodes of Little People, Big World starting at 8.
• TCM has Twelve Angry Men at 8.
• At 9, PBS has Billy Crystal: The Mark Twain Prize.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• Food Network has Thanksgiving Unwrapped at 9.
• Also at 9: GSN has a new High Stakes Poker.
• At 10: Showtime has a new Weeds.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, then a new Bachelor.
• CBS has a new How I Met Your Mother, followed by The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, and CSI: Miami.
• NBC has new episodes of Chuck, Heroes, and Journeyman.
• There's a new Prison Break on FOX at 8, then a new K-Ville.
• The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris, followed by new episodes of Aliens in America, Girlfriends, and The Game.
• At 8:30, ESPN has the Cowboys/Bills game.
• At 9, USA has new Monday Night RAW.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• Also at 9: Food Network has a new Unwrapped.
• At 10, Showtime has a new Weeds, then a new Californication.
• MTV has a new ep of The Hills at 10.
• Food Network has a new Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at 10, followed by a new The Secret Life Of...

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars at 8, followed by a new episode of The Bachelor.
• CBS has the season finales of How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men, the series finale of The King of Queens, and the season finale of CSI: Miami.
• NBC has a new Deal Or No Deal at 8, then new episodes of Heroes and Law and Order: CI.
• The CW has the season finale of Everybody Hates Chris at 8, then the season finales of All Of Us and The Game (one hour).
• Four good episodes of Friends on TBS starting at 8, including ones with Chandler's new roommate Eddie and Tom Selleck.
• There are two new episodes of Little People, Big World on TLC at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a 24.
• PBS has a new episode of American Experience at 9.
• Lifetime has the new movie What If God Were The Sun? at 9.
• Also at 9: GSN has a new High Stakes Poker.
• At 10, FX has a new ep of The Riches.
• Discovery has a new Stunt Junkies at 10.
• At 10:30, Food Network has a new Unwrapped, "Crazy For Cookies."

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, The New Adventures of Old Christine returns to CBS with two new episodes.
• NBC has a new, two hour Deal Or No Deal at 8, then a new episode of The Black Donnellys.
• There's a new Wildfire on ABC Family at 8.
• Emeril cooks pasta on a new Emeril Live, on Food Network at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a new 24.
• ABC has a new Supernanny at 9, followed by a new What About Brian.
• Bill Maher is the guest on Larry King Live, at 9 on CNN.
• The new movie Cleaverville airs on Lifetime at 9.
• Another new movie at 9: The Kings of South Beach, on A&E.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• Also at 9: USA has a new WWE Monday Night RAW.
• At 9:30, CBS has a new Rules of Engagement.
• At 10, FX has the premiere of the new Eddie Izzard/Minnie Driver show The Riches (repeated at 11).
• Discovery has a new Stunt Junkies at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, FOX has a new episode of Prison Break, then a new 24.
• NBC has a new Deal Or No Deal at 8, then new episodes of Heroes and The Black Donnellys.
• TBS has four good Friends repeats starting at 8, then two episodes of Family Guy.
• ABC Family has a new Wildfire at 8.
• Also at 8: Discovery Times has The Lost Tomb of Jesus.
• At 8:30, CBS has the season finale of The Class.
• At 9, ABC has a new Supernanny, then a new What About Brian.
• Food Network has a new Unwrapped at 9, focusing on food innovations.
• USA has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker at 9.
• At 9:30, CBS has a new ep of Rules of Engagement.

Check your local TV listings for more.

2006 was a good year for television, but then all years are good years for television. Nostalgia often makes us think that things were better way back when, but I wouldn't trade my hundreds of channels of digital cable for the three networks on the rabbit ears for anything. Even the somewhat obscure channels like The-N (South of Nowhere), GSN (High Stakes Poker), and IFC (Henry Rollins Show) manage to bring some good stuff to the table. Of course, things are never all rosey, but we'll get to that later. First, some of the best things about TV this past year.

NBC's handling of Studio 60 and Friday Night Lights - Many of us, myself included, are quick to jump on the networks when they dump a show just a few episodes in. So it's worth acknowledging that the network has been more than patient with these two shows. Many shows that have come before them have been blown right off the schedule for generating similar ratings. Studio 60 kicked off their season with ratings that declined week after week and, honestly, Friday Night Lights just never had any ratings to begin with. I really hope their patience pays off and audiences find these shows. They both deserve to see a second season.

With all the ruckus around the holidays I forgot to mention that NBC's new late night poker show, Poker After Dark, was starting up this week. I'm not sure of the scheduling everywhere, but we are getting it at 3AM up in the pacific northwest. That's mighty late for most folks, but with DVRs, VCRs, and the like, time doesn't matter much anymore.

I've been checking out the show in the morning before heading off to work, and I have to say, it's not bad. I think the most popular poker show going right now is probably GSN's High Stakes Poker, and Poker After Dark has taken a lot of clues from that show's success. They've brought in a a great group of pro players. This week features Phil Hellmuth, Gus Hansen, Shawn Sheikhan, Annie Duke, Huck Seed and Steve Zolotow. Because of all those great personalities, the commentators mostly stay out of the way and let the interactions of the players power the show.