TV Tuesday - The Week to Come

Now that I've finally gotten a DVR, I've been able to catch up on some cable shows I'd missed out before for one reason or another, partially thanks to being able to program it to record all episodes of shows without having to track down dates and times myself, and partially thanks to Video on Demand. Consequently, I spent a good deal of my Christmas break wading through marathons of several shows, including True Blood, Psych, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Robot Chicken. I still need to get caught up on season 3 of Dexter, but probably need to wait for a weekend when I have nothing else going on, since odds are good once I start watching it'll be hard to pull me away.

I won't bother trying to review all the shows that I watched in the last couple of months, so let's jump straight into my viewing schedule for the week.

TUESDAY, January 13

Scrubs (ABC, 8:00 & 8:30): Hallelujah, Scrubs is back! Tonight's episodes find Dr. Cox teaming up with Dr. Kelso to take down Courtney Cox's character.

Privileged (CW, 8:00): This show teeters precariously on the verge of dropping off my viewing schedule, especially now that Charlie is leaving the show; honestly, I almost wish Charlie and Rose would get their own spin-off, since they're about the only characters I'm liking these days. Anyway, tonight's episode deals with why Lily called Megan from jail last week.

WEDNESDAY, January 14

Nothing of interest to me this week, but the fact that we're just one week away from the season premiere of Lost bears noting

THURSDAY, January 15

Smallville (CW, 7:00): I haven't watched Smallville in ages, but tonight's episode was not only written by one of my favorite comic writers, Geoff Johns, but also features the introduction of my favorite comic characters, The Legion of Super-Heroes, to the show's mythos, and I can't miss that.

My Name is Earl (NBC, 7:00): Joy tries out for a reality show, and Darnell's witness protection status may be in trouble.

The Office (NBC, 8:00): Andy finally learns out that he's been cuckolded by Dwight, and the two decide to duel.

30 Rock (NBC 8:30): The cast is besieged by the flu, but Jack is selective about who gets vaccinations.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): I haven't been too happy with the show overall this season, but I'm sticking it out for the foreseeable future.

Private Practice (ABC 9:00): See above comment about Grey's and apply here, only this one has a lot shorter leash.

FRIDAY, January 16

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Cartoon Network, 7:00): This latest Batman cartoon follows the formula used by the comic series The Brave and the Bold in the 70s and 80s: Batman teams up with random superhero to take down the villain-of-the-week. A much lighter version of Batman is on display here, harkening back more to the Superfriends era than the Batman: The Animated Series version. This week's installment has an intro featuring Kamandi, Last Boy on Earth wielding some incredibly Kirby-esque weaponry, followed by a main storyline the has Bats teaming up with Deadman to take on The Gentlemen Ghost

Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 9:00): After quit an interesting cliffhanger at the mid-season break, BSG finally returns to start the countdown to the end of the series.

Psych (USA, 9:00): Lassiter gets accused of murder, and has to turn to Shawn and Gus for help.

SATURDAY, January 17

Meadowlands (Showtime Beyond, 12:15 AM): I know this show runs several different times over the week, but this is the airing that doesn't interfere with any of my other scheduled recordings. Stumbled on this by accident while channel surfing a couple of weeks ago; it's a British series (called Cape Wrath when it aired in the UK) about an isolated community whose inhabitants are all in witness protection, meaning they all have shady, secretive pasts.

SUNDAY, January 18

Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 9:00): Everyone's favorite Kiwi comedy guitar duo are back for another season. This time around, the pair were forced to write a lot of new music rather than just dipping into their repertoire, composing 16 new songs for the season.

United States of Tara (Showtime, 9:00): I've of two minds about this one. On the one hand, it stars Toni Collette and features the writing of Diablo Cody, screenwriter of Juno; on the other hand, the fact that the hook of the show is that its main character has Dissociative Identity Disorder (better know as multiple personalities) will be sure to drive me crazy due to me having had a strange obsession with DID ever since Junior High and thereby having a low tolerance for inaccurate depictions of the condition. But, I'll at least give it a try, if for no other reason than to have something to gripe about in next week's post.

MONDAY, January 19

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 7:00): I didn't realize until a couple of nights ago that Sheldon was the "fast food knight" in Garden State; that really has nothing to do with this episode, just thought it was worth mentioning*

How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30): Marshall and Lily go to a wine and cheese party while the single folk go out clubbing.

Two and a Half Men (CBS 8:00): Alan is convinced he's the father of Judith's child


*He also had a non-speaking role in School for Scoundrels, which is what prompted me to look him up on IMDB and discover the Garden State fact in the first place.