CBS
ABC’s “National Stay at Home Week” continues tonight as they offer up the series premieres of Opportunity Knocks and the continuing series premiere of Dancing with the Stars. CBS offers up season premieres of oldies favorites NCIS and Without a Trace sandwiched around new show The Mentalist. Now I know this is going to be hard to believe considering we’re talking about CBS, but The Mentalist is a new crime procedural show. It’s nice to see the Eye breaking new and innovative ground with their programming!
3:00a/2:00 Central
- Remember when Charlie Jade was on during prime time? Yeah, that didn’t last. This bizarre sci-fi series from the other side of the world was apparently just too odd to connect with American viewers. Still, it’s odd that Sci Fi put it on in the middle of the night rather than just drop it altogether.
8:00p/7:00 Central
- The CW just picked up 90210 for a full season. Did this show become good while I wasn’t paying attention? Is this a continuing sign that networks are being more patient? Or are people just so excited to see Brenda and Kelly back on TV. They do know it’s temporary, right?
- Over on FOX, Dr. House almost kills a patient two to three times before having a random epiphany and saving their life just before the end of the hour. But that’s not why we watch House. It’s for the fun of watching House abuse his staff. Tonight he tries to find a new best friend to replace Wilson.
- If reality is more your flavor, you can watch Cops … I mean Street Patrol on MyNetwork TV or the latest installment of The Biggest Loser over on NBC. Or try on something new and sample ABC’s premiere of Opportunity Knocks. It’s described as a game show variation on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and involves a game show crew setting up shop at someone’s house and then quizzing the family there about, well, the family.
- ABC Family counters with the family drama Lincoln Heights. I know it’s hard to believe, but it looks like there are still a few shows on television featuring minority families and casts. Sure, they’re not on network television, but they’re out there.
- The season premire of Navy CSI, or NCIS, starts CBS’ night of the same old thing over and over again. First up, Gibbs uncovers a connection between a case and the decision to disband his team.
- Starting at 8:40/7:40 Central, BBC America offers up the latest installment of the quirky and hilarious Gavin & Stacey. While maybe not for everyone, just like Will & Grace, I find the two “best friends” of the titular characters to be far more enterataining than the fairly straight couple in the middle.
9:00p/8:00 Central
- If you haven’t had enough of crime solving, CBS premieres The Mentalist tonight. It’s basically Psych minus the humor. It’s nice to see CBS is so innovative in their new series development.
- ABC Family peeks into college life with Greek, featuring pledges that grow a pair. Meanwhile, The CW continues exploring the pampered life in Privileged where apparently even the threat of failing Freshmen year isn’t enough to encourage the sisters to study.
- Sci Fi sends Sheriff Carter and the residents of Eureka into their hiatus after a brief eight-episode half season. Why does Sci Fi keep doing this? Do they think Eureka can’t handle this time slot?
- Sure, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars is tough competition, but I doubt those are the same demographics. Tonight is the second night of this three week launch with the first couple being eliminated. A second couple will see their very short journey end tomorrow night.
- FOX’s new X-Files, Fringe hopefully will continue to see its ratings rise as that second episode was pretty damned good. Tonight the team deals with a bus filled with frozen commuters.
- But if reality’s more your style, you have several choices. MTV offers up the musical Making the Band 4, while MyNetwork TV invites you to Jail. Or if true crime is your thing, A&E does an excellent job of leaving you hanging with no closure on ongoing investigations in The First 48. Me, I can’t stand not knowing how it all turns out.
10:00p/9:00 Central
- Backfor a tenth season is NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This series has long surpassed parent L&O in ratings and critical acclaim. For a different take on crime and punishment, you could switch over to CBS’ season premiere of Without a Trace. There wouldn’t be so many of these shows if people didn’t love them.
- While those shows are starting, WE’s The Secret Lives of Women and E!’s Pam: Girl on the Loose wrap up their respective reality runs.
- Continuing reality shows include the MTV special From G’s to Gents: Reunion, Bravo’s The Rachel Zoe Project, and Oxygen’s The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. How many fashion and style reality shows do we really need, anyway?
- In a way, I think I like that Sci Fi airs ECW. After all, wrestling is as much fantasy as anything else they air, isn’t it? Okay, I’m just trying to justify how stupid it is. I admit it.
- BET’s first original sitcom continues with the fourth installment of Somebodies, a show about an undergraduate kid trying to have a good time. The Cleaner continues on A&E. This drama is about Benjamin Bratt’s William Banks helping junkies get clean. Talk about a couple of shows with zero buzz. How many people even know these are on the air?
- A show with huge buzz, but apparently not nearly as much in the ratings is FX’s final season of The Shield. Vic and Shane’s downward spiral continues as they race to their inevitable end, which is looking more and more bleak with each passing week.
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