TV Barn's TV Picks for Oct. 20-22
WABAC MACHINE
Which of the following series would not be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2006?
A) "ALF"
B) "The Bold and the Beautiful"
C) "Designing Women"
D) "L.A. Law"
E) "Perfect Strangers"
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TV Barn's TV Picks for Friday through Sunday, October 20-22, 2006
by Tom Heald with Jon Delfin
All times Eastern
For PBS programs, check local listings
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FRIDAY
6 p.m.
"It Takes a Thief" (Discovery)
7 p.m.
Breast cancer strikes "Four Extraordinary Women" (Lifetime).
'TIS THE SEASON?
"Casper's Scare School" (Cartoon)
8 p.m.
Marlee Matlin inspires an "Extreme Makeover: Face Edition" (ABC) which helps the deaf and the spider-scar afflicted.
Raccoon hunting and kosher tradition plotz on "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" (Fox).
You thought "Las Vegas" was returning tonight? "... No Deal" (NBC).
"Doctor Who" (Sci Fi) invades France in search of killer tomatoes. But are these the droids he's looking for?
The "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS) has a grave situation on her hands when a body claims it's in the wrong plot. Which means it's a corpse from ABC's "Six Degrees."
FRIDAY THE ... 20TH?
TCM marks time until Halloween with "Mark of the Vampire," "The Return of the Vampire" (9:15), "Vampyr: Der Traum des Allan Grey" (10:30) and "House of Dark Shadows" (midnight). Before all that, though, well, Jack Benny always claimed "The Horn Blows at Midnight" (6:30 p.m.) was pretty scary.
"Meerkat Manor" (Animal Planet; also 8:30)
"WWE Friday Night SmackDown!" (CW)
"Emeril Live" (Food): "Wild Things"
"Take Home Chef" (TLC; also 8:30)
"Classic in Concert" (VH1 Classic): "Decades Rock Live: The Pretenders & Friends"
"Degrassi: The Next Generation" (Noggin): "Eyes Without a Face"
"Trick My Truck" (CMT)
8:30 p.m.
"Masterchef Goes Large" (BBC America)
"South of Nowhere" (Noggin): "Rules of Engagement"
"Foxworthy's Big Night Out" (CMT): Montgomery Gentry
"The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" (Cartoon)
9 p.m.
"Close to Home" (CBS) is pressured into making a quick call in the murder case involving an Indianapolis business mogul.
Could the "Clean Elections" movement save politics from itself? "NOW" (PBS; 60 minutes) investigates 'Who Pays for America's Elections."
Having already done a multi-night list show on the subject, why air a special of "Even Scarier Moments" (Bravo; also 10)? Simple. "The Bride of Austin Scarlett Halloween Special" is still being edited down from eight hours.
How many members of The Mob will incorrectly guess the other element needed for water on "1 vs. 100" (NBC)? Probably just the eight members of FEMA.
What better way to celebrate your birthday than to blow out the candles on the "Men in Trees" (ABC).
Can't the Cylons and humans just all get along? "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi) answers, "No, probably not."
"Rat Genius" (National Geographic)
"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" (CMT)
"What Not to Wear" (TLC)
9:30 p.m.
The merriment continues at "Ice-T's Rap School" (VH1) as Tootie and Natalie knock over a convenience store and write rap songs about their babies' daddies.
10 p.m.
"20/20" (ABC) crosses "The Bridge," a controversial documentary about 24 suicides at the Golden Gate bridge.
"AIR: America's Investigative Reports" (PBS) asks "Question 7": Are soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder being redeployed in Iraq?
HEADLINE-GEBRA
Nancy Grace x "Dateline" = "Law & Order: To Catch a Newsmagazine That Catches Predators" (NBC)
A serial killer turns the freeway into his spreeway on "Numb3rs" (CBS). Particularly targeted: people who forget to get out of their cars and cut off their slauson.
"The Soup" (E!)
"Cover Shot" (TLC; also 10:30)
"Paula's Party" (Food)
"BBC Crown Jewels" (VH1 Classic): Tom Petty
11 p.m.
"Saxondale" (BBC America)
"Best Week Ever" (VH1)
11:30 p.m.
"The Wendy Williams Experience" helps finish Milton Berle's historic 35-year contract at VH1.
TALK TO THE HAND
* Jason Alexander, Barney Frank, Steve Moore, maybe John Fund and Bill Richardson ante up for a celebrity poking showdown with Mr. Bill (Maher).
* Rose: TBA at charlierose.com
* James Cromwell and Tavis hook up with hot babes.
* Amanda Peet, John Landis, the Spiridellis Brothers and JoJo spend the night in Studio with Jay.
* Wentworth Miller, Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Lloyd Banks make a Commercial Break with Jimmy.
* Frank Black and Conan guzzle Pixie Stix.
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SATURDAY
11 a.m.
A&E burns off season four of "MI-5" with an eight-episode marathon.
7:30 p.m.
The tribes set up camp and compete for fire and immunity at "World Series: Cook Islands" (Fox).
8 p.m.
"Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand" (History)
"Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes" (Cartoon)
"CMT Greatest Garth Concert Moments" (CMT; see also 9)
"48 Hours Mystery" (CBS)
"Dateline" (NBC)
"Up Close and Dangerous" (Animal Planet)
"MSNBC Investigates" (MSNBC): "The Predator Next Door"
"i Health Presents ... Healthy Body, Healthy Mind" (i)
"Emeril Live" (Food): "Chelsea Market Bakeries"
"Little People, Big World" (TLC; also 8:30)
9 p.m.
SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALL RIGHT FOR DUMPING
The witnesses to the crime on "Kidnapped" (NBC; new night and time) are being knocked off one by one. Can Agent King save Virgil from the same fate?
"Steven Wright: When the Leaves Blow Away" (Comedy Central)
"Garth Brooks: Live From Dublin" (CMT)
"Austin City Limits" (PBS): Juanes
"Britain's Biggest Spenders" (BBC America)
"The Lost Tribe" (Logo)
"Intermedio" (Sci Fi)
"Kidnap and Rescue" (Discovery Times)
"Naruto" (Cartoon)
"Flip That House" (TLC)
"Cold Case Files" (A&E)
10 p.m.
"Trading Spaces" (TLC)
"The Secret Life of ... Halloween" (Food)
"Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman" (Court)
"Headbanger's Ball" (VH1 Classic): Black Label Society
12:30 a.m.
"Bleach" (Cartoon)
1 a.m.
"Eureka 7" (Cartoon)
VIVA VARIETY
John C. Reilly and My Chemical Romance fall in love with "Saturday Night Live" and Jerry Seinfeld has nothing to talk about with Spike Feresten.
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SUNDAY
CBS start times are unlikely in Eastern and Central time zones.
4 p.m.
"Naturally, Sadie" (Disney): "Working Stiffs"
7 p.m.
Plate glass windows and cement ponds get dove/drove into on "America's Funniest Home Videos" (ABC).
"Robo-Warriors" (History)
"Drake & Josh" (Nickelodeon)
"60 Minutes" (CBS)
"Football Night in America" (NBC)
7:30 p.m.
If you can't be with the one you glove, glove the one you're with (Fox).
8 p.m.
"Maybe Steven Seagal will see me and want me to be in one of his movies" on "The Amazing Race 10" (CBS).
"7th Heaven" (CW) continues its nine lives.
TELE-GEBRA
"Bring It On" + "The Exorcist" = "The Initiation of Sarah" (ABC Family)
"Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed" (Discovery)
"Emeril Live" (Food): "Emeril's Halloween Contest"
"Chimpanzee Family Fortunes" (Animal Planet)
"20 Most Horrifying Hollywood Murders" (E!)
"Flip This House" (A&E)
8:30 p.m.
"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" (Nickelodeon)
9 p.m.
Susan and Mike face off over Mike's (un)dead body on "Desperate Housewives" (ABC).
Can the "Cold Case" (CBS) crew get an autistic boy to warm up to them?
An old schoolmate comes between two lifelong friends via "Deceit" (Lifetime) of her pants.
THE CENTER DOESN'T HOLD
"Runaway" out, runway in. CW treads water with "America's Next Top Model" reruns.
"To the Ends of the Earth: Rites of Passage" ("Masterpiece Theatre," PBS)
"Gordon Ramsay's F Word" (BBC America)
"The Hawking Paradox" (Discovery Science)
"Hogan Knows Best" (VH1)
9:30 p.m.
"Breaking Bonaduce" (VH1; season premiere)
9:45 p.m.
If HBO is going to bump "The Wire" for a week, wouldn't it make more sense to show "Mommie Dearest" than "The Island"?
10 p.m.
VH1's latest misuse of the word "celebrity" is "Celebrity Paranormal Project." Z-listers including Donna D'Errico, Hal Sparks, Jenna Morasca, Toccara Jones, Rachel Hunter, Gary Busey, Gilbert Gottfried, David Carradine and Danny Bonaduce "will form teams to explore sites such as a tuberculosis clinic or an asylum for the criminally insane." In the debut, Gilbert and David will be looking for signs of intelligent life in Gary Busey, Danny will getting checked for TB, and Rachel Hunter will be searching through a pile of used bras for shreds of her own dignity.
An Albanian mobster's mistress and her eight-year-old son disappear "Without a Trace" (CBS) after a screening of the "Borat" movie.
UNNECESSARY SIBLING PATROL
"Brothers & Sisters" (ABC): Treat Williams. Plot: When in doubt, date.
Hey hey, they're the monks at "The Monastery" (TLC).
Assistants meddle in the lives of "Footballers Wives: Overtime" (BBC America)
Nick follows "The Line of Beauty" (Logo) to a millionaire.
The Ice Truck Killer's stalking of "Dexter" (Showtime) continues as assorted body parts continue to pile up in all the old familiar places that this artificial heart of his embraces.
"Fuse Fangoria Chainsaw Awards" (Fuse)
"Total: Bob Marley" (VH1 Classic)
10:30 p.m.
A new gig doesn't live up to its promise on "Mile High" (BBC America).
11 p.m.
"SWAT USA" (Court)
"Talk Sex With Sue Johanson" (Oxygen)
ADULT SWIM ON CARTOON NETWORK
"Aqua Teen Hungerforce" (10:30 p.m.), "Robot Chicken" (11:30), "Metalocalypse" (11:45), "Squidbillies" (midnight), "Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law" (12:15 a.m.), "Frisky Dingo" (12:30), "12 oz. Mouse" (12:45)
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SHERMAN'S LAGOON
B) "The Bold and the Beautiful" will be turning 20 in 2007.
-- posted by Jon Delfin
