TV Barn's TV Picks for Oct. 27-29

I GOT A ROCK
"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" animator and director Bill Melendez also performed the voice of which character in the special?

A) Charlie Brown
B) Franklin
C) Miss Othmar
D) Pigpen
E) Snoopy

[Skulk your way down to the bottom of the column for the correct answer.]

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TV Barn's TV Picks for Friday through Sunday, October 27-29, 2006
by Tom Heald with Jon Delfin
All times Eastern
For PBS programs, check local listings

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FRIDAY
7 p.m.
"Our Generation" (History; also 7:30)

8 p.m.
The American Family Association pushes for a constitutional amendment banning worship of false vegetation on "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: 40th Anniversary" (ABC).

With the "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS) on vacation, her husband starts receiving her mental messages. Dave Barry is not making this up.

Eddie "Third Watch"/"Invasion" Cibrian replaces Gale "Queer as Folk"/"Deadwood" Harold as the lead investigator on "Vanished" (Fox; might be bumped for baseball). Was he getting too close to the truth ... or bad focus group scores?

The mob prays to take home minimum wage on "1 vs. 100" (NBC).

Rose supposed her father was dead, but "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi) finds him on a parallel Earth, via eWhoMany.com.

"Hangin' With KISS" is followed at 9 by "KISS: Live at the Summit" (VH1 Classic).

"Meerkat Manor" (Animal Planet; also 8:30)
"WWE Friday Night SmackDown!" (CW)
"Trick My Truck" (CMT)

8:30 p.m.
"NOW" (PBS)
"Foxworthy's Big Night Out" (CMT): the Warren Brothers
"Mr. Meaty" (Nickelodeon)
"Masterchef Goes Large" (BBC America)

9 p.m.
Gunmen strike in "Las Vegas" (NBC). Quick, have any of our heroes run away, been kidnapped, or vanished?

A secret jury passes judgment upon the Cylon sympathizers on "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi). How ... futuristic.

Jim Lehrer draws the "Battle Lines 2006" (PBS).

"Close to Home" (CBS) huddles to solve the murder of a college football star.

Marin helps Patrick and Buzz bond ... until Celia reveals they're related on "Men in Trees" (ABC).

"America's Scariest Halloween Attractions" (Travel)
"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" (CMT)
"The X's" (Nickelodeon): "The Haunting of Home Base"
"Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy: Lobster Boat Jamboree" (Fox, if no baseball)
"What Not to Wear" (TLC)
"Ice-T's Rap School" (VH1)

10 p.m.
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" director Tobe Hooper leads off the new season of "Masters of Horror" (Showtime) with the story of "The Damned Thing" and its chaotic effect on a small town in Texas.

"Numb3rs" (CBS) has the horse right here. His name is Paul Revere.

Is the government wasting Homeland Security funds? "AIR: America's Investigative Reports" (PBS) has the not-so-shocking results.

A body armor executive is whacked at his daughter's sweet 16 on "Law & Order: Full Metal Ringwald Unit" (NBC).

"20/20" (ABC) goes on-set with Queen Latifah for the exclusive scoop on "Chicago 2: Denver."

"Cross Country" (CMT): Alison Krauss & Vince Gill
"The Soup" (E!)
"Jack Dee Live at the Apollo" (BBC America): Keith Barret

11 p.m.
"Saxondale" (BBC America)
"Best Week Ever" (VH1)

11:30 p.m.
"The Wendy Williams Experience" (VH1)


TALK TO THE HAND
* Harry Belafonte, Andrew Sullivan, Christine Todd Whitman and Arianna Huffington spend a day, me say day, me say day, me say day-a-a-o of "Real Time" with Bill Maher, and dey want go home.
* Rose: TBA at charlierose.com
* Bob Newhart unbuttons for Tavis.
* Bill O'Reilly and Tilly and the Wall guest as Pink Lady as Jeff Altman cooks up a nice butt-steak for Dave.
* Danny Bonaduce, Gene Pompa and Mew act pompous for Craig.

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SATURDAY
6 a.m.
A two-day "Munsters Marathon" (TV Land) begins. Hey, makes as much sense as when the channel runs "Top Gun" or "High School Reunion."

6 p.m.
"Pokemon Battle Frontier" (Cartoon)

8 p.m.
Players of the Cardinals and Tigers either play baseball or run from "Cops" (Fox).

TOO CHEAP TO BUY A DVD PLAYER THEATER
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (ABC)

"Up Close and Dangerous" (Animal Planet)
"Dateline: To Catch a Predator: Georgia" (NBC)
"Broken Government: Judges on Trial" (CNN)
"Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes" (Cartoon)
"Little People, Big World" (TLC; also 8:30)

8:30 p.m.
"American Dragon: Jake Long" (Disney)

9 p.m.
"Storytellers: Dixie Chicks" (VH1) allows the group to remind everyone why they hate America.

Leopold hopes to escape using his purloined cell phone on "Kidnapped" (NBC). Hope the Mexican carrier doesn't drop his calls.

Lance Henriksen stars in the long awaited sequel "Pumpkinhead 3: Ashes to Ashes" (Sci Fi). Long awaited by Henriksen's agent, at least.

Joey Fatone and Miss America 2006, Jennifer Berry, award teenagers scholarships because of their perky breasts ... er ... grades on "Miss America's Outstanding Teen" (Noggin).

"Austin City Limits" (PBS): Alejandro Escovedo
"Candy Convention" (Food)
"Naruto" (Cartoon)
"Flip That House" (TLC; also 9:30)
"Cold Case Files" (A&E)

9:30 p.m.
A professorial possession sends Hellboy to Japan in "Sword of Storms" (Cartoon).

10 p.m.
"Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us" (A&E) follows the "cute one" all over America on his 2005 tour, picking up rice in churches where weddings have been.

Is Scientology responsible for a woman's murder ("48 Hours Mystery," CBS)? Oh, they're gonna love this sucker as much as "The Return of Chef."

"Trading Spaces" (TLC)
"Headbanger's Ball" (MTV2): Paul Booth, followed by "Paul Booth's Last Rites" at 11:30

11 p.m.
"Viva Blackpool: Ripley's Return" (BBC America)

midnight
"Bleach" (Cartoon)

12:30 a.m.
"Eureka 7" (Cartoon)


VIVA VARIETY
Hugh Laurie and Beck give "Saturday Night Live" its annual prostate exam and mammograms.

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SUNDAY
Standard Time resumes, except for CBS' non-standard time.

6 p.m.
"Eloise" (Starz Kids & Family; also 6:30)

7 p.m.
"America's Funniest Home Videos" (ABC) offers even scarier things than Jerry Springer and Ann Coulter slow-dancing.

"AH-1 Cobra" (Military)
"60 Minutes" (CBS)
"Football Night in America" (NBC)

7:30 p.m.
"World Series If Necessary" (Fox): Void where prohibited by luau.

"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" (Nickelodeon)

8 p.m.
Love triangles and lovable homeless kids cause wacky mayhem on "7th Heaven" (CW).

The cousins of Jackie Kennedy reveal their lives to the camera in the 1975 documentary "Grey Gardens" (TCM).

A bus crash amps up the tension on "The Amazing Race 10" (CBS). Hmm, I wonder if this is going to make my fingers pickle.

Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep square off in the by-the-numbers "Prime" (HBO).

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (ABC) rebuilds torched wood.

"Scariest Places on Earth" (ABC Family; also 9 and see 10)
"Vampire Secrets" (History)
"Dream Science Classrooms" (Discovery Science)
"Prehistoric Park" (Animal Planet; also 9)
"The E! True Hollywood Story" (E!): Hilary Swank
"The Flavor of Love" (VH1): "After the Lovin'"

8:15 p.m.
The Cowboys aim to tame the Panthers on NBC.

9 p.m.
A video may have killed the radio star on "Cold Case" (CBS).

Joan Collins guests on "Gordon Ramsay's F Word" (BBC America).

"Masterpiece Theatre" (PBS) goes "To the Ends of the Earth: Close Quarters" with a bluster bound British battleship.

A non-accidental hunting accident is "The Secret of Hidden Lake" (Lifetime). Is it as scary as Lon Chaney or Dick Cheney?

Mork calls Orson on "Desperate Housewives" (ABC).

"Hogan Knows Best" (VH1): "Hogans on the High Seas"
"Iron Chef America" (Food): Cat Cora vs. Elizabeth Falkner
"Be Real: Stories From Queer America" (Logo)
"Saddam's Reign of Terror" (National Geographic)

9:30 p.m.
"Breaking Bonaduce" (VH1): "Aching Bonaduce"

10 p.m.
Post-election day, the students learn math, Royce and Carcetti bury the hatchet, Cutty plays "truancy or dare" and Bubbles' business gets botched on "The Wire" (HBO).

UNNECESSARY 100TH EPISODE HURRICANE KATRINA PLOT DEVICE/GUEST STAR PATROL
"Without a Trace" (CBS): Lisa Gay Hamilton, Eriq La Salle. Plot: Is a hurricane survivor's story all wet?

The secrets of "Brothers & Sisters" (ABC) are exposed by the wolves at the lake.

Beer is swiped from "The Monastery's" (TLC) kitchen. The devil made someone do it.

"Dexter" (Showtime) goes with caution to stop a human-trafficker.

Oliver proclaims his love while Gary's assistant winds up in a trap on "Footballers Wives: Overtime" (BBC America).

Secrets secrete and demons demonstrate in "The Line of Beauty" (Logo).

Rachel Hunter, Ethan Zohn and Tony Little go mental as the "Celebrity Paranormal Project" (VH1) grants them an asylum.

"Scariest Places: Fear Force" (ABC Family)
"Candy Castles" (Food)
"The Girls Next Door" (E!): "The Age of Aquarium"

10:30 p.m.
Will rides the mail plane on "Mile High" (BBC America).

"Naturally, Sadie" (Disney)
"Classic in Concert" (VH1 Classic): No Doubt

11 p.m.
"Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" (HBO): Alex Thomas, Roz, Don "D.C." Curry
"Talk Sex With Sue Johanson" (Oxygen)

11:30 p.m.
"Road Tasted" (Food): Portland, Maine

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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MONDAY PREVIEW
Highlights for those of you who have only Monday-Friday access. Fuller listings and Tom's commentary to follow.

8 p.m.
"Prison Break" (Fox)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (CW)
"Deal or No Deal" (NBC)

8:30 p.m.
"All of Us" (CW)

9 p.m.
"Cracker: A New Terror" (BBC America)
"Heroes" (NBC)
"American Experience" (PBS): "The Great Fever"
"Girlfriends" (CW)
"Justice" (Fox)
"The Bachelor: Rome" (ABC)

9:30 p.m.
"The Game" (CW)

10 p.m.
"Friday Night Lights" (NBC; special night and time, repeats Tuesday)
"Weeds" (Showtime; season finale)
"Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns" (Starz Cinema): documentary about They Might Be Giants
"What About Brian" (ABC)

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YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO KILL IT!
"The Great" director Bill Melendez not only regularly voiced E) Snoopy, but Woodstock as well.

-- posted by Jon Delfin