TBS and TNT Plan a Cool Line-Up For Hot Summer Nights

Before long, we'll be into the lazy hazy and hot days of summer. Sure, there will be fun in the summer sun, but there will also be evenings spent in air-conditioning watching television, too! At least, that's my plan.

Keeping up with providing new and original programming, both TNT and TBS have new and returning original series slated for us. If you have basic cable, you've got both of these networks. And, if you haven't been checking them out lately, you really should do so. They're not just running repeats, y'know!

TBS, the Very Funny Network, has a new series, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, June 6, at 9 PM ET/PT. Tyler Perry is best known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. I got a bit of a sneak peek at this show and I admit I identify with the lead character's take on children. Just based on that, I'll be giving the show a shot. Anything which can make me smile is a good thing, right?

On Tuesday, July 17, at 9 PM ET/PT, another original series will premiere -- The Bill Engvall Show. Again, I got a sneak peek. It's of the dysfunctional family genre but with the twist of the husband being a family counselor for a living. Once again, the sneak peek made me smile, so I'll be checking this show out, too. Although, looking at the day and time, it may be up against Big Brother. Uh-oh. It's a good thing I can record shows, eh?

My Boys, my favorite current sitcom outside of How I Met Your Mother, returns with new shows on Monday, July 30, at 10 PM ET/PT. The show is current, cute, witty, and has a great cast. What? You have never seen it? Sheesh... watch it. If you liked Sex in the City and Friends, this one is a shoe-in although it's not quite like either show.

Over at TNT where they know drama, I admit to being a Law and Order rerun addict. But, like TBS, they're in the original show game, albeit drama rather than sitcoms.

On Monday, June 18, at 9 PM ET/PT, The Closer returns for its third season. This heart-pounding, yet not without a sense of humor, crime drama is a must see for me. It's well-written, keeps the pace, and boasts an excellent cast. Watch it and you just might get hooked on it!

Following The Closer season premiere on June 18, a new series makes its debut. Heartland is a medical drama starring Treat Williams as a surgeon who will take any risks to save his patients in the organ donor world. I'm not always too keen on medical dramas, but I enjoy Treat Williams, so I'll have to give this show a look-see at the very least.

On Wednesday, July 18, at 10 PM ET/PT, another new original drama premieres on TNT. Saving Grace stars Holly Hunter as a "cynical police detective facing a personal crisis of divine proportions." Hmmm... the sneak peek I had of this one is definitely intriguing. The series looks quirky, fast-paced, and exciting.

On Sunday, August 5, the limited series The Company makes has its premiere. It will be aired two hours a night, three Sundays in a row. Starring Michael Keaton, Alfred Molina, and Chris O'Donnell, it portrays the events of the Cold War from both the CIA and KGB perspectives. This show looks like an intelligent, well-produced event rather than mere television fodder. Again, I'm sure to check it out.

Pants On Fire - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 30-May 4, 2007

It was so successful the first time around that he's doing it again for May Sweeps. Yes, it's a second round of Impressionists Week!

Me? Heck, if he doesn't get Rich Little, I'd just as soon see Tapdancing Week. What? No Tapdancing Week? Why not?

Here's the guest list from the official show site:

• Monday, April 30 - Kirsten Dunst promoting Spider-Man 3, impressionist Rob Magnotti, musical guest Dinosaur, Jr. (CD is Beyond). Spider-Man 3 has Venom... woo!
• Tuesday, May 1 - Amy Sedaris (oh, I so enjoy her appearances on the show!) promoting Shrek the Third (how creative to not have yet another "3" in the title), impressionist John Byner (ah, old school, love it), and musical group Modest Mouse whose latest CD is We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. This looks like the winner show of the week for me. Although... I have to admit I like Modest Mouse's name more than I enjoy their music for the most part.
• Wednesday, May 2 - Drew Barrymore promoting Lucky You, impressionist Mike MacRae, musical guest Ben Kweller (CD is Ben Kweller).
• Thursday, May 3 - Marcia Cross of Desperate Housewives, impressionist Joe Piscopo, Tori Amos (latest CD is American Doll Posse), and Kenny Brack will be sitting in with the band. No, he will not be driving a car around the band. At least, I don't think he will. That would be cool if he did.
• Friday, May 4 - Ray Romano promoting The Grand, impressionist Reggie Reg, and Dennis Haysbert of The Unit. What? No musical guest? Hmmm...

So, Dave... what about Tapdancers Week? Huh? Give it a shot!

Puff Up the Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 23-27, 2007

Ah, it's finally really spring here in the New York City area. It's the perfect time to go stand by the Hello Deli and watch the guests come and go from the show, and perhaps even a bit of tomfoolery on 53rd Street.

Oh, but I probably won't. I've done it before, though. It's fun, but be warned... no offense to Rupert, but the Hello Deli is a bit of a teensy deli dive.

Here's the guest list for this week:

• Monday, April 23: Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol recently booted contestant in case you're living under a rock) will present the Top Ten list, Brian Williams (MSNBC), and Steven Wright whose latest DVD is When the Leaves Blow Away. I'll most certainly be watching this one. I have to see if Sanjaya can get the words right when they're on a cue card and I've been a Steven Wright fan for a few decades... or so.
• Tuesday, April 24: Ex-Frasier co-star David Hyde Pierce who's currently starring in Broadway's Curtains, and Corinne Bailey Rae (CD is Live in London & New York.)
• Wednesday, April 25: Nicholas Cage promoting Next, Barry Sonnenfeld (Notes From the Underbelly - which I really have to check out, but haven't done so yet), musical group The Fratellis whose latest CD is Costello Music.
• Thursday, April 26: Oh, this one may be the winner of the week for me -- Steve Martin, David Cota & AJ the Parakeet, and a performance by Tony Trischka, Steve Martin & Bela Fleck (CD is Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular). Of course, I'm in it for the parakeet. Heh. No, I'm a big Steve Martin fan and love the banjo-playing. But, then again, maybe the parakeet will dance to the music! After all, the parakeet can golf... so I'm sure he can dance.
• Friday, April 27: Frank Caliendo as George W. Bush (which I'd prefer to watch than George W. Bush as George W. Bush), Andy Dick whose CD is Do Your Shows Always Suck? (Yes, they do, Andy. It's you, it's not me.) Jarvis Cocker whose CD is Jarvis is the musical guest.

It looks like a good week of late night entertainment and a good bit of silliness, as well. After all, there can never be too much silliness in the world today

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Monday, April 16, 2007

Ah, I'm enjoying my restful unplanned day off from my day job. I was right. Had I gone into work, I would have been stranded. NJ Transit has suspended the train line I need for my commute and flooding of the Raritan River has necessitated the evacuation of Bound Brook, a town I have to go through to get to work. And the river won't even crest until early this evening. Closed roads, canceled trains, a cozy apartment with working electricity. I'm set!

Similar to when Hurricane Floyd flooded Bound Brook, there was another fire there today. During the last really big flood, it was a motorcycle dealership burning in the middle of flood waters. That made national news. As I type this, they just announced five homes were involved in the fire, not three. Fire boats from other areas of NJ and NYC didn't arrive in time and firefighters couldn't get near enough to the fire due to the flood waters. With its history of flooding, I'm wondering why Bound Brook doesn't have its own fire boat.

Oh, well... here's hoping the cable doesn't go out. What will I watch tonight?

• 8 PM -- CBS has a repeat How I Met Your Mother followed by a new The New Adventures of Old Christine. NBC has a new Deal or No Deal. ABC has a ninety-minute Dancing With the Stars -- remember to stop by the DWTS blog discussion post to talk about the show with a fine group of folks! FOX is airing a new Drive. Hmmm... did the show start last night? I'll probably take a peek at it, but if I recall correctly, the premiere was last night while I was busy with Amazing Race. I could be wrong.
• 9 PM -- CBS has new episodes of Two and a Half Men and The King of Queens. NBC has a new Thank God You're Here. FOX has a new episode of 24.
• 9:30 PM -- ABC has a ninety-minute The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman airing. Again, if you watch the show, please drop by the blog discussion post for the skinny and good discussion!
• 10 PM -- CBS has a new C.S.I.: Miami while NBC has doubled up repeats of My Name is Earl. Chances are I'll be either watching a new Animal Precinct on Animal Planet or FOX, UPN or CW news trying to see what's happening with the storm closings around here.

All in all, it's not an exciting night of television for me although I know some very popular shows are on. What will you be watching?

It's Pouring Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 16-20, 2007

Oh, my... I've had a lazy Sunday. I usually post this early Sunday morning, but something went awry today, eh?

I blame the rain, the big nor'easter. While we haven't had the horrible winds forecasted (yet), we've had about four inches of rain. I've lazed about listening to the rain on the windows, old jazz, and the upstairs neighbors bowling (or whatever they're doing up there). I've read, watched the latest (tape) BET The Wire episode, took a bubble bath, did a bit of housecleaning... and now I should get the Letterman schedule up.

While we won't have Bruce Willis with a Sanjaya FauxHawk this week, here's what we can expect:

• Monday, April 16: Kelly Ripa from Live with Regis & Kelly, Simon Pegg promoting Hot Fuzz, and comedian Jim Short.
• Tuesday, April 17: Craig Ferguson (The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Dave Della Terza from votefortheworst.com, Avril Lavigne whose latest CD is The Best Damn Thing. Okay, I'm marking this the hit show for me for the week. Craig Ferguson makes me snicker and votefortheworst? Gotta see that segment!
• Wednesday, April 18: Edie Falco from The Sopranos, Paul Scheer (Human Giant), and musical guest Son Volt (CD is The Search).
• Thursday, April 19: Garry Shandling promoting his latest DVD Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show, American CHopper guys Paul Teutul Sr. and Jr., and musical guest Tokyo Police Club whose CD is A Lesson in Crime. This one sounds very intriguing, doesn't it?
• Friday, April 20: Jessica Biel (Next), Ira Glass (This American Life), and Regina Spektor promoting her CD Begin to Hope. Um, okay. I'm not familiar with the first two guests and not a Regina Spektor fan at all. Ira Glass sounds a bit intriguing. I guess I'll see!

There are your hip-waders pants for the upcoming week!

Pretty Kitty Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 9-13, 2007

It's Dave's birthday this week. If memory serves, it's the 12th. Happy birthday, Mr. Letterman!

And, we have a week of new shows... yay!

The guests scheduled for this week include:

• Monday, April 9: Senator Barack Obama and actress Halle Barry. Um. Okay.
• Tuesday, April 10: Actor David Duchovny, baseball player Ryan Howard and a performance by Andrew Bird.
• Wednesday, April 11: Actor Alec Baldwin and the woman whose dog performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her, Debbie Parkhurst. Musical guest is LCD Soundsystem.
• Thursday, April 12: Actor Bruce Willis (always fun on the show) and magician Jason Randal.
• Friday, April 13: Odd... the show's website says that Bill Cosby and Angela Kinsey (The Office) will be the guests, nothing about a repeat. AOL TV Listings has a generic entry about the show with no guests listed and no "new" logo. I'm thinking it's a repeat, but I'm not sure.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Well, you know me. Of course, at 8 PM ET I'll be watching American Idol. This week's pro/mentor is Tony Bennett. Whenever I think about that, I wonder if the kids on the show or following it even have a clue why Tony Bennett is "anyone." I could burst into song... "I left my heart in San Francisco..." After the show, I'll post an entry with the lowdown of the events.

I know many folks are into Dancing With the Stars. The results show airs at 9 PM ET tonight. You're all invited to head to the blog discussion post for DWTS, post the results and talk it up with fellow show fans. It's a real good bunch of fans there and the posting is friendly!

At 8 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new NCIS episode. There's a new Dateline NBC (guess what network). American Idol is the new live show for an hour on FOX. ABC has a repeat episode of George Lopez followed by a repeat According to Jim. CW has a repeat Gilmore Girls.

At 9 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new episode of The Unit. I'll be watching a new episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on NBC. FOX is airing a new episode of House. The Dancing With the Stars results show is on ABC. The CW has a new Pussycat Dolls episode.

At 10 PM ET/PT: There's a repeat C.S.I.: Miami on CBS, a new Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (my viewing choice) on NBC, and a new Boston Legal on ABC.

What will you be watching tonight?

What? Prior Pants Again? - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 2-6, 2007

Yep, it's a week of repeats ahead of us on the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, I don't know why he didn't just take his vacation during the March Madness time when he was preempted more than a few nights of the week.

My normal gripe about the repeats still stands -- the shows chosen are much too recent. But, does Dave ever listen to me? Does he care that I'd love to see shows a few years old during repeats? Um, for some reason I doubt I'm high on his list of advisors.

Here's the skinny on the week ahead:

• Monday, April 2: Stupid Human Tricks, Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac), Brand New (CD is The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me).
• Tuesday, April 3: Ventriloquist Jim Barber & Seville, Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), NAS (CD is Hip Hop is Dead).
• Wednesday, April 4: Paula Abdul (American Idol), Bernie Mac promoting Pride, Joss Stone (new CD is Introducing Joss Stone).
• Thursday, April 5: John Travolta (Wild Hogs), shark attack survivor Eric Nerhus, a performance by Broadway's Spring Awakening cast.
• Friday, April 6: Richard Gere promoting The Hoax, an odd and creepy food segment with Gene Rurka, the Explorers Club Chef. Music guest is Aqualung (CD is Memory Man).

Dang, I swear a few of these just showed a couple of weeks ago! Older stuff; I want old repeats if I get repeats! Do you hear me, Mr. Letterman?

Probably not. At least I know I'll get more rest this week by going to bed a bit earlier.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Of course, I'll be watching the American Idol 6 results show at 9 PM EDT tonight, then posting a quick East Coast Update entry with that oh-so-vital information about who gets voted off. So, if you're in another time zone and just have got to know -- check back here about 9:30 PM EDT. Hitting the American Idol label at the bottom of this entry will bring you to the latest entry.

Ah, but there's a lot of good stuff on the tube tonight besides American Idol!

At 8 PM ET/PT, there are all new episodes of Jericho (CBS), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Bones (FOX), The Great American Dream Vote (ABC), and America's Next Top Model (CW).

At 9 PM ET/PT: A Criminal Minds repeat on CBS, a new Crossing Jordan episode on NBC, the American Idol results show followed by a new 'Til Death on FOX, new episodes of According to Jim and Rules of Engagement on ABC, and a repeat Pussycat Dolls on CW.

Come 10 PM ET/PT, my choice for watching and blogging is the new Lost episode on ABC. CBS has a repeat C.S.I.:NY while NBC has a new episode of Medium.

What will you be watching tonight?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Sunday, March 25, 2007

At the moment, I have an old episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo going on in the background.

I just peeked on on the local CBS affiliate. The basketball game currently playing is in its second quarter, so CBS programming will run late all evening... again.

What does that mean for me? It means I won't get my Amazing Race 11: All Stars fix on time (once again). I will be watching it and I will post an East Coast Update with the finish order at the Pit Stop as soon as it airs here in the NYC area. What time would that be? Right now, I have no clue. But I'll zap a post up when the show starts to give you a sense of the timing for the East Coast Update. And, but of course, a full review/recap of the show will be posted late this evening.

What else is on tonight?

Although the entire evening will be delayed due to March Madness, CBS has new episodes of 60 Minutes, TAR, Cold Case, and Without a Trace.

At 8 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new episode (could it be the season finale?) of Grease: You're the One That I Want. FOX has a new The Simpsons followed by a new King of the Hill at 8:30. ABC has a new Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

In the 9 PM ET/PT hour, FOX has new episodes of Family Guy and American Dad. NBC has a repeat of Deal or No Deal and ABC has a Desperate Housewives repeat. At 10 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new episode of The Apprentice: L.A. and ABC has a repeat Brothers and Sisters.

Needless to say, the shows I watch for the most part tonight are on the delayed CBS schedule. Grr.

Take Pride in Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - March 26-30

Hopefully Dave has recovered from his stomach bug during the past few days. We're due for no March Madness schedule changes and all new shows this week.

Alas, within the show which had been scheduled for last Tuesday evening (which was impromptu-hosted by Adam Sandler), a tribute to Calvert DeForest (Larry "Bud" Melman) had been on the slate. Calvert was an active part of Dave's shows dating back to 1982. It still makes me smile to think of him, in a delivery only he could do, vouch for "Toast on a Stick." He passed away last Monday at the age of 85.

On the Late Show website, there's a brief statement from David Letterman: "Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself - a genuine, modest and nice man," said Letterman. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."

You know, that's what I always got from him, too. He seemed like a neat, nice, man off the street kind of guy. I would think that there will be some mention on Monday's show about his passing. Rest in peace, Mr. DeForest. You entertained many of us for decades.

Here are the guests we can expect to see this week:

• Monday, March 26: Will Ferrell promoting his latest movie Blades of Glory and musical guest Kings of Leon whose CD is Because of the Times. Oh, I'm so not a Will Ferrell fan, but I'll be watching.
• Tuesday, March 27: Patricia Arquette (Medium), Paul Mooney promoting his DVD Know Your History and singer Macy Gray (CD is Big). Um. Okay. As long as Know Your History isn't as foolish as Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. [I love how FOX is touting the popularity of shows which follow or are the odd half-hour with American Idol.] Hmmm... in looking up the DVD to link, it has David Alan Grier (who I adore) and Sandra Bernhard (who is quite a character all on her own). It could be interesting. And, it should be nothing like 5th Grader.
• Wednesday, March 28: Al Franken and Isla Fisher whose CD is The Lookout. Al is usually interesting when he's on with Letterman. But the site is listing The Lookout as a CD when I believe it's a movie. Heck, I could be wrong. I guess we'll see who's right - Letterman's staff or me. I bet I'm right!
• Thursday, March 29: Rosario Dawson from the movie Grindhouse and musical guests Bloc Party (CD is A Weekend in the City.)
• Friday, March 30: Donald Trump and Jon Heder promoting Blades of Glory. Now, I like Jon Heder better than I do Will Ferrell and Trump will probably say something incredibly foolish.

Overall, I'm not really too impressed with this week's guests. However, due to Dave himself and other goings-on, I will always watch the show. Oh, they could lose "Will it Float" but that could be just me. Oh, and they could do a bit better with the content on the website. There are often errors, omissions, and such. Perhaps it's interns putting up the content, but I still love my Letterman!

What's Happening With CourtTV These Days?

I'm lucky enough to get some press releases and such from the good folks at CourtTV. Although I don't think I've ever watched more than a few minutes of live trial happenings, CourtTV (or Animal Planet) is often where I hang out during phases of channel surfing.

One new show I won't catch while channel surfing because I'm now a Black Donnellys watcher is a new series which premieres tomorrow night -- 'Til Death Do Us Part. No no no, unlike the sitcom with the similar name, this one sounds very intriguing and promises to be extremely quirky. I mean, we're talking John Waters as the Groom Reaper. Yes, I'm talking John Waters of Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, and Serial Mom fame. He has a seriously twisted sense of humor and I'll be taping the back-to-back episodes which start at 10 PM ET/PT on Monday.

In other CourtTV news, I received a press release which says that CourtTV will be getting a new name, a new logo, and a new look. They'll be airing quarterly specials from The Smoking Gun, a site I've peeked in on a lot over the years. After all, they get the quickest and best dirt on reality show contestants. The re-branded network isn't slated to launch until January, 2008. I just hope they don't stop showing old COPS reruns. Yeah, call it guilty pleasure television.

Pants Madness - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - March 19-23, 2007

Huh. Once again, I try to report on this week's guests and the show's website isn't updated as of yet. What's up with that? Oh, well... there are listings available for me to check on the guest list to report here in a timely manner, at least.

Here are the guests we can expect to see this week:

• Monday, March 19: Bernie Mac, American Idol judge Paula Abdul, and music guest Joss Stone. Now, of course I'll have to watch for Paula's state of mind. And what's she doing in NY when she has to be in CA for the live show on Tuesday? We'll have to see if she falls under the table during the show!
• Tuesday, March 20: Adam Sandler promoting his new movie, Reign Over Me, race-car driver Danica Patrick, music guest Lucinda Williams.
• Wednesday, March 21: Jack Black, journalist Lara Logan, and (get this) inventor of the beer-launching refrigerator, John W. Cornwell.
• Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March 23: No show listings at all due to March Madness basketball. There aren't even any repeats listed. So, I predict an earlier bedtime for me! New shows resume Monday and the ones listed for this week (above) are new, not repeats. I guess he just has a short week, eh?

But, if I can get this written every Sunday morning, I'm not sure why the paid person for the show's website can't get the information out there!

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, March 14, 2007

It should go without saying (so don't read this out loud) that I'll be watching the American Idol results show tonight as it airs here on the East Coast at 9 PM. And, but of course, I'll post an East Coast Update about the voted-off contestant as soon as the information airs.

I won't be reviewing the show, per se. I can see that now - "Diana Ross sang. So-and-so got voted off. All cried and hugged. Then So-and-so was forced to sing in front of millions at the worst time of his/her life." But, especially if you're in another time zone and just have to know or want to chime in with your two cents -- stop back about 9:30 EDT for the update.

At 8 PM ET/PT, there is a new Jericho on CBS. I've missed the episodes since the end of the show's hiatus, so I'm not sure if I'll watch it or not. There's also a new episode of Bones on FOX. That's more likely to catch my attention at this point. I feel like I'm watching too many ongoing must see every episode type of shows and Bones isn't a demanding constant watch. NBC has a repeat Dateline, while ABC has a new George Lopez followed by a repeat According to Jim.

At 9 PM, it's American Idol vote results show for the first half hour. FOX is following it with 'Til Death which I absolutely don't want to watch. CBS has a repeat Criminal Minds for the hour while NBC is airing a new Crossing Jordan. That doesn't help me with my half-hour dilemma. ABC has a new According to Jim followed by a new In Case of Emergency. I might turn to the latter for the odd half-hour. I saw the show once before and wasn't too impressed. But I think it's better than 'Til Death.

At 10 PM, you know my must-see show is Lost. Alas, because of its late hour, I won't be able to do a proper review/recap until I return from work tomorrow. CBS has a repeat C.S.I.: NY and NBC has a repeat Medium. A&E has its Sopranos episode running at that time, but I've given up trying to catch up with that show. I'm struggling to keep up with the times I've been catching up on The Wire on BET (tomorrow I'll actually watch that one at 9 PM for the first time ever) and, as I mentioned before, I have too many can't-miss-an-episode-or-I'm-lost shows on my TV platter. The Sopranos had to go.

What will you be watching tonight?

Daylight Savings Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Mar. 12-16

Did you "spring forward" an hour? If not, you're going to be an hour out of step with the rest of the world. Me? I've always thought I was more than an hour out of step, but yeah... I messed with my clocks.

After last week's repeats, can we expect a fresh Letterman week ahead of us? Well, at least the first part of the week is fresh. Here's the skinny on the guests we can expect to see:

• Monday, March 12: Chris Rock promoting his new movie I Think I Love My Wife, Sandra Oh from Grey's Anatomy, and Amy Winehouse whose new CD is Back to Black.
• Tuesday, March 13: Jeff Goldblum, Barbara McQueen, and music guest The Good, The Bad, and The Queen (they have a self-titled CD out).
• Wednesday, March 14: Richard Gere promoting The Hoax and music group Aqualung (CD is Memory Man).
• Thursday, March 15: Oh, no! Beware! Beware of the Ides of March! Hmmm... the show's website list the guests as TBA.
• Friday, March 16: Also TBA. I think what we should be aware of is March Madness

The AOL TV Listings are also showing no information for Thursday and Friday evenings, so those shows will be Mystery Pants, I guess. They should be repeats and probably on very late.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Monday, March 5, 2007

Some shows are new tonight while others are repeats.

In the 8 PM ET/PT hour, CBS has a repeat of How I Met Your Mother followed by a new episode (and season finale) of The Class. NBC is airing a new Deal or No Deal while FOX has a new Prison Break on. ABC has a repeat episode of Wife Swap and CW has repeats of Everybody Hates Chris and All of Us.

At 9 PM ET/PT, I'll be glued to my set for the new episode of Heroes on NBC. CBS has a repeat of Two and One Half Men followed by a new episode of Rules of Engagement. FOX has a new 24 in the slot while CW has repeat episodes of Girlfriends and The Game. ABC has a new episode of Supernanny.

The 10 PM ET/PT hour brings a repeat episode of C.S.I.: Miami on CBS, a new episode of The Black Donnellys on NBC (which will be my viewing choice), and a new What About Brian on ABC.

Letterman's a repeat tonight. But since it's a Jack Hanna one with a two-headed lizard, I'll probably watch at least through that segment once again.

What will you be watching tonight?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Sunday, March 4, 2007

Since the big ratings month is over, a lot of the networks have turned to repeats later this week although tonight's programming is all new episodes.

In the 8 PM ET/PT hour, it should go without saying that I'll be watching The Amazing Race 11: All Stars. I'll be posting the finish order at the Pit Stop and eliminated team (if any - I'd say either this week or next week, we're due for a non-elimination leg) in an East Coast Update when the show nears its end at 9 PM ET.

Of course, that's all contingent on the show actually starting on time here. I'll let you know. Late tonight, a full review/recap of the show will be posted. Oh - in regard to some of the comments - I saw Kevin and Drew on The Early Show last week, but it was a fluke that I was home. I don't know if any of the booted have been on besides them.

Also in the 8 PM ET/PT hour, FOX has a new Simpsons followed by a new The Winner. NBC has a new Grease: You're the One That I Want while ABC is airing a new episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. CW is running a repeat America's Next Top Model from 8 to 10 PM.

Come 9 PM ET/PT, CBS has a new episode of Cold Case, FOX has new episodes of Family Guy and The Winner, NBC has a new Deal or No Deal (I still don't understand that show's appeal), and ABC has a new Desperate Housewives.

At 10 PM, The Apprentice: L.A. is at its new time slot with a new episode. I'll post an East Coast Update around 10 PM with the fired information. I'm considering dropping coverage of the show on the blog. Although I'm watching, it's my least favorite season so far and now with the late time slot on the same night as TAR, covering it has to wait until Monday after I get home from work... or not at all. I'll see how I feel about tonight's episode. I don't believe I've ever dropped review/recap coverage of a show mid-season, but maybe it's time.

Also new in that time slot this week are: Without a Trace on CBS and Brothers & Sisters on ABC.

Oh, No! It's Previous Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Mar. 5-9, 2007

Last night was the lunar eclipse (which was way cool, I must say) and we're into the first week out of the February Sweeps period.

What does that mean? Well, in regard to my buddy Dave Letterman, it means a week of repeats. Here's the line-up for this week:

• Monday, Mar. 5: Jack Hanna (always worth the second watching), Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy), music guest Patty Griffin.
• Tuesday, Mar. 6: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Teri and Bindi Irwin. This was a good one. If you've never seen little Bindi Irwin in action, she'll amaze you.
• Wednesday, Mar. 7: Dr. Phil and music guest Fall Out Boy. Again, Dr. Phil and Dave are always entertaining to watch as they mock-battle each other.
• Thursday, Mar. 8: Jim Carrey (The Number 23) and Daytona 500 Winner Kevin Harvick. Eh, an okay show. Carrey was quasi-entertaining.
• Friday, Mar. 9: Ricky Gervais (Extras), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and music guests The Shins. Another "eh" for me. I have no real desire to watch this one again, but if you didn't see it, it's okay.

Again, I'll make my usual fuss about Dave's reruns. They're much too recent. Some of these were just shown a few weeks back. Please, please, hear my plea, the CBS Powers That Be... go back more. Get some shows we didn't just see. It doesn't matter if they're dated. Dated is better than redundant, it surely is.

Look, It's Pants! - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Feb. 26 - Mar. 2, 2007

It's cold outside, but the Pants are always warm and fuzzy. I'm talking about those Worldwide Pants, of course.

Here are the guests we can expect on the Late Show with David Letterman this week:

• Monday, Feb. 26: Stupid Human Tricks (no, not me!), Jake Gyllenhaal promoting the movie Zodiac, musical guests Brand New whose new CD is The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me. That sounds a bit interesting. I'm not familiar with the group at all, but I know they're basically punk rock.
• Tuesday, Feb. 27: Evangeline Lilly (Kate from Lost), sportswriter Jeff MacGregor, and The Bubble Guy, Tom Noddy. Well, as long as there is no love triangle of Lost characters, I guess. Bubbles for all!
• Wednesday, Feb. 28: Senator John McCain
• Thursday, Mar. 1: Dennis Miller (Radio's The Dennis Miller Show), author Bob Woodruff (In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing), John Mayer (new CD is Continuum). As you recall, Bob Woodruff was the ABC news journalist seriously injured in Iraq. This should be an interesting show.
• Friday, Mar. 2: Charles Grodin (always a great guest!) and comedian Dan Naturman.

Interesting... usually the CBS Late Show website guest list is incomplete and I visit both the AOL TV listings and the site to gather the list. This time the TV listings don't include either Bob Woodruff or Charles Grodin. But they have Stupid Human Tricks listed for the John McCain night in addition to Monday night. Maybe it's Stupid Human Tricks Week?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Saturday, February 24, 2007

While Saturday evenings are often a bit lacking in the television programming arena, I actually think that the showing of extremely recent repeats by some networks is a good idea. Some folks still can't go online to watch shows they missed and since the night isn't a huge ratings night, it's perfect to allow them the chance.

That said, I think they sometimes show the wrong show. For example, CBS has the repeat of the "winter premiere" of Jericho at 8 PM ET/PT. That's good. I may even watch it myself as I missed it this week. But then at 9 PM, they have the recent repeat of C.S.I. - a good show, yes. But what I would have done is put last week's season premiere of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars in that slot to build up for tomorrow night's second episode. They never ask me my thoughts before they make these programming decisions, though. So, their line-up for the primetime block is: repeat Jericho, repeat C.S.I. and repeat 48 Hours Mystery (in its own regular time slot).

Also in the 8 PM ET/PT hour, NBC has a new Dateline NBC, COPS is new for the first half-hour and a repeat at 8:30, and ABC's entire evening is spent up with Forrest Gump. USA is airing its Law and Order: SVU block all evening. TLC has a new Moving Up at 8 PM. At 9 PM on FOX, there's a new America's Most Wanted.

Now, this bugs me. Any regular reader of this blog knows I'm hooked on The Wire which is being aired by BET. I don't have HBO, so it's all new to me. The "main airing" of the new episode is Thursday nights, but it's been scheduled for 9 PM on Saturdays, too. I've scheduled it into my Saturday night as my Thursday TV watching is so full. Now, for the second time in three weeks, they have something else in its place! Argh. The first time was a repeat of the movie 48 Hours, now it's the Dreamgirls-wannabe show, One Night Only, repeats. I want my Wire! They have the second airing at 1 AM, so I'll have to tape it then unless I plan on being awake until 2:30 in the morning. BET doesn't listen to me anymore than CBS does.

What are you watching tonight?