The King of Queens (CBS, 8 p.m. ET)Everybody Loves Raymond may be gone, but Ray Romano's beloved Ray Barone lives on, tonight joining old pal
Doug (Kevin James) for a night out while their wives are out of town. At this point, few people recall that the long running Queens is actually a spin-off of Raymond. Here's hoping another much-missed Barone or two might turn up on this show.
The Engagement Ring (TNT, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Patricia Heaton stars in this Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation original movie produced by MAGNA Global Entertainment about a woman who tries to end a forty-year rift between her mother
and her mother's long-ago first love, which has lead to decades of feuding between two families of Napa Valley winemakers. Tony Lo Bianco, Lainie Kazan and Vincent Spano co-star.
National Geographic's Most Thrilling Moments (National Geographic Channel, 8 p.m. ET)
Thrill seekers are shown driving
directly into hurricanes, descending into active volcanoes, paragliding through the Himalayas and doing other crazy things the rest of us wisely avoid.
On the Frontlines of AIDS (Discovery Times Channel, 8 p.m. ET)
U.S. Premiere. Award-winning African journalist Sorious Samura examines the complex cultural, economic, sexual and religious causes of the escalating AIDS crisis in Africa. During the production of this
documentary program Samura worked as an orderly in Lewanika Hospital in Mongu, Zambia, without protective gloves or dependable running water, where the majority of the patients are HIV-positive. To date approximately 16 million Africans have died from AIDS and another 26 million are
infected. In Zambia, average life expectancy has dropped to the mid-30s and 630,000 children have been orphaned to AIDS. The latter figure climbs to 11 million across all of Africa.
Las Vegas (NBC, 9 p.m. ET)
At the end of last week's episode, a gust
of wind blew Lara Flynn Boyle off the roof of the Montecito! Tune in tonight to see where she lands.
Prison Break (Fox, 9 p.m. ET)
Fall Season Finale. This surprise hit about a young man's extreme efforts to free his brother from prison ends its fall
season run as Michael puts his plan in action and the inmates attempt their escape on the eve of Lincoln's execution. Prison Break is scheduled to return in May.
Yesterday (HBO, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Nelson Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation sanctioned this Academy Award-nominated HBO Films production about the struggles of a young mother named Yesterday in Rooihoek, a remote village in South Africa's Zululand. Caring for her seven-year-old daughter while her
husband is away in Johannesburg working as a miner, Yesterday is diagnosed with AIDS and struggles to deal with her illness even though she has no money and no modern conveniences. Leleti Khumalo stars. Yesterday was written and directed by Darrell James Roodt.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Season Finale. Two Hours. Will the title be awarded to Matt, Seth or Suzy? The second season finale of NBC's product placement-rich reality series about overweight people competing to shed poundage has
been strategically scheduled for the second to last night of the November sweeps period, but the timing may seem significant for an even larger reason: Most Americans weigh more today than they did last week at this time, having just enjoyed the Thanksgiving experience.
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (The WB, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. The WB's second original television movie is also its second adaptation of a story from the enormously popular American Girl series of books and dolls. Eleven-year-old television critic Maya
Motavalli asserts that the Felicity doll is currently one of the least popular in the line, but adds that she enjoyed this movie as much as last year's entry in the series, Samantha. Set in the days leading up to the
American Revolution, the story centers on ten-year-old Felicity Merriman and her efforts to help a beautiful horse escape from its cruel owner. In the process Felicity, the daughter of Patriot parents, befriends Elizabeth, a young girl from a Loyalist family. Julia Roberts is
among the many executive producers of this project. Shailene Woodley, John Schneider and Marcia Gay Harden star.
Commander in Chief (ABC, 9 p.m. ET)
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue) joins the cast as Richard "Dickie" McDonald, a new media strategist for President Allen charged with reversing her falling approval numbers. Polly Bergen -- shamefully
ignored by voting members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at Emmy time this year for her role as Tony's late father's mistress on The Sopranos -- guests as Mac's mother, who visits for Thanksgiving and insists on cooking the holiday dinner herself.
House (Fox, 9 p.m. ET)
Tensions continue to mount between the clueless House and the indignant Stacy now that she knows he snuck into her
therapist's office and read her session notes. Meanwhile, Chase is accused of malpractice, but his patient has a greater problem than anyone realizes.
Barbara Walters Special: 2005's Ten Most Fascinating People (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Who do Walters and her producers feel is the most fascinating person of 2005? All we know for certain is that their choice isn't Tom Cruise, Lance Armstrong, Condoleezza Rice, Teri Hatcher,
Kanye West, Dakota Fanning, Tom Mesereau, Jamie Foxx or Beth Holloway Twitty, because they occupy the other nine positions on Walters' coveted list.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS, 8 p.m. ET)
Ask any baby boomer and he or she will tell you: Rudolph isn't just the longest-running holiday special in
television history, it's the best holiday special ever. Millions of adults happily recall parking in front of the TV every year for this can't miss tale, the presentation of which officially signaled the beginning of the holiday season. After 41 years it hasn't lost its charm, and it looks better than ever, having recently been digitally re-mastered.
Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Live. Sheryl Crow, Rod Stewart, Carrie Underwood and Earth, Wind and Fire are scheduled to perform during the 8th annual telecast of the tree-lighting ceremonies in New York City's Rockefeller
Center. Al Roker and Megan Mullally are the hosts. Viewers in the New York area will be able to watch an additional hour of live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET on WNBC, featuring performances by Goo Goo Dolls and Il Divo.
Veronica Mars (UPN, 9 p.m. ET)Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsessives, take note. Tonight's episode features two beloved veterans of that series: Charisma ("Cordelia") Carpenter, continuing her role as Logan's scheming love interest
Kendall Casablancas, and Alyson ("Willow") Hannigan, returning as Logan's sister Trina, a Hollywood hi-roller who is now producing an exploitative TV-movie about their murderous father. And while Logan deals with both of them, Veronica discovers a sinister secret about her mother.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1
Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. The first of two biographical dramas airing this month about Pope John Paul II chronicles the tumultuous
childhood and teenage years and the rapid ascendancy thru the Catholic hierarchy of Karol "Lolek" Wojtyla. Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist) stars, portraying Wojtyla over a sixty-year period. The first installment of CBS' two-part, four-hour miniseries Pope John Paul II will premiere Sunday, Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. ET.
Great Things About the Holidays (Bravo, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. First of Four Parts. The latest incarnation of Bravo's strangely hypnotic Great Things About… countdown franchise offers its producers' selection of 100 noteworthy Christmas holiday events culled from real life and popular culture. Tonight's edition begins the
countdown at No. 100 and continues thru No. 76, and it includes such unforgettable holiday happenings as the all-out struggle to purchase Cabbage Patch Dolls as Christmas gifts back in the Eighties and, more recently, the coining of the term Chrismukah on Fox' The O.C. The remaining three installments of Great Things About the Holidays will be telecast Dec. 2-4 at 9 p.m. ET.
Silent Witness (BBC America, 9 p.m. ET)
U.S. Premiere. The eighth season of Britain's enduring procedural crime drama opens with long-time series star Amanda Burton making her final appearance as forensics specialist Sam Ryan. After
Ryan is reunited with the son she gave up for adoption and learns that he has a criminal record, she decides to give up her career and move to Northern Ireland to be with him. That leaves her colleagues, Dr. Leo Dalton and Dr. Harry Cunningham, in competition for a promotion to Ryan's position, and it also clears the way for the arrival (in an upcoming episode) of passionate new apprentice pathologist Nikki Alexander.
Late Show with David Letterman (CBS, 11:35 p.m. ET)
After years of begging, pleading and cajoling, Dave has finally landed Oprah Winfrey as a guest on his show. This will
be the first time the two have appeared together on television since Letterman's disastrous gig as host in 1995 of the 67th Annual Academy Awards, during which he memorably (and embarrassingly) took great delight in introducing Oprah to Uma Thurman, both seated right up front. For some reason Letterman thought the repeated stating of their two first names was truly hilarious. He
was the only one. Winfrey and Thurman recently discussed the incident on Winfrey's talk show. They could both do little more than roll their eyes.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
Eubie the Happy Elf (NBC, 8 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Harry Connick Jr. provides the voice of the title character and composed several original songs for this
animated holiday special. It's the story of an overly optimistic elf named Eubie who makes it his mission to bring holiday cheer to a town filled with unhappy people. The voices of Carol Kane and Mickey Rooney are also featured.
Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Knots Landing stars Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark, Donna Mills, Ted Shackelford, Kevin Dobson and
William Devane are reunited for two hours of memorable clips and nostalgic conversation. Series veterans Lisa Hartman-Black, Julie Harris, Alec Baldwin and Nicollette Sheridan also appear. Knots Landing, which was a spin-off of the No. 1 program of its day, the mighty Dallas, was telecast on CBS from 1979-1993 and is considered by many fans to be
the best prime time serial ever. Perhaps that's why it currently ranks as the sixth longest-running drama in television history, behind only Gunsmoke, Lassie, Law & Order, Dallas and Bonanza.
Monk (USA Network, 10 p.m. ET)Monk is between seasons, but USA Network tonight is offering an original holiday themed episode titled Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa, in which a police officer dies at the precinct's
Christmas party after drinking poisoned wine intended for Captain Stottlemeyer. Don't miss Monk masquerading as a shopping mall Santa. Tony Shalhoub stars.
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