"Desperate Housewives" Season Finale and More TiVoWorthy TV for the Week of May 18

 

 

Congratulations to America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh: As of last month, 1,000 fugitives have been captured as a direct result of his vital television franchise, now in its remarkable 21^st year. That arrest – of accused killer Dwight Smith, a New York resident who was hiding out in Richmond, VA – will be included in this special edition of the show originating from Times Square in New York City, which will highlight some of the most significant captures in AMW’s history.

 

The rotten Sheriff and his evil scientist Joseph test a chemical weapon on the streets of Nottingham, making innocent people gravely ill and blaming their misfortune on the Pestilence. The conflict that ensues leads to especially tragic consequences for one of Robin’s outlaws. Jonas Armstrong stars.

 

Live. Season Finale. Steve Carell (The Office) hosts, with musical guest Usher, who is also schedule d to perform live Tuesday on the season finale of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

 

 

 

 

 

Live. One hour before the start of the Academy of Country Music Awards tonight on CBS, tune in to GAC for live coverage of the orange carpet arrivals at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Suzanne Alexander and Nan Kelley are the hosts.

 

Live. Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Rodney Atkins, Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Sugarland and Carrie Underwood are scheduled to perform at the 43^rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, telecast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Reba McEntire returns to host the show for the 10^th time. Garth Brooks will be presented with the Academy of Country Music Crystal Milestone Award and will perform a medley of his greatest hits. He’s the only solo artist in RIAA history (that’s the Recording Industry Association of America) to have six albums top the 10 million sales mark. That makes him the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history! For the first time ever, fans are able to vote for the prestigious Entertainer of the Year Award. They can do so at www.voteacm.com and, as of May 18, http://www.cbs.com/. Rascal Flatts, Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban are the nominees. If Chesney is the top choice it will be his fourth consecutive win.

 

Season Finale. Two Episodes. During tonight’s two-hour Desperate Housewives season-ending extravaganza, Susan and Mike introduce their new baby to their neighbors, Gaby bonds with drug-dealer Ellie, Lynette is accused of child abuse thanks to the machinations of dreadful little Kayla, Susan realizes she is going to lose someone she loves and Katherine’s secrets are spilled. Guest stars include Nathan Fillion, Gary Cole, Kathryn Joosten, Justine Bateman, Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm.

 

Premiere. Are you ready for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls? Not until you’ve learned something about the true-life history of the treasure referred to in the movie’s title, as detailed in this special hosted by Lester Holt of NBC News. Holt is joined by Bill Homann, the current caretaker of one of the real skulls that was discovered in the 1920s by British explorer Frederick Mitchell-Hedges, on a trek through the jungles of Belize in search of another skull in the location where the first was found. All kinds of over-the-top mysteries surround the skulls. Some people actually believe that they store knowledge of highly advanced extraterrestrial civilizations!

 

 

 

As Oprah’s legion of loyal fans will tell you, The Mary Tyler Moore Show is her all-time favorite television series. (Mine, too!) Cast members from The MTM Show will be reunited on Oprah’s show today on a set that re-creates Mary Richards’ legendary living room (the cool one from Seasons 1-5 when Mary lived in that awesome apartment, not the ugly one in Seasons 6 and 7, when she was in that depressing high-rise). You can warm up for this television event by watching a few episodes of The MTM Show on Hulu.

 

In advance of tonight’s final competition show of the season, take the Which Dancing With the Stars Celebrity Are You? quiz at BuddyTV.

 

Live. Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas, Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska and Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke compete for the last time. Tomorrow, one of them will be honored with the coveted Disco Ball trophy!

 

Season Finale. It’s amazing how much life Michelle Trachtenberg has breathed into this one-time snooze-fest as the hateful Georgina Sparks. Tonight, Blair decides to take matters into her own hands and stop Georgina from tormenting Serena. Meanwhile, Lily continues to have feelings for Rufus while preparing for her high-society wedding to another man and Serena finally spills details about her sordid past to Dan. Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kelly Rutherford and Matthew Settle star.

 

Premiere. With Sex and the City: The Movie opening this Friday, Sarah Jessica Parker discusses playing Carrie Bradshaw on television and on the big screen with host James Lipton.

 

Season Finale. Ted faces the consequences after he reveals Stella’s intimate secret to the gang as Season 3 comes to a close. Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) returns as Stella. Will Forte guest stars.

 

Season Finale. Tension builds between the injured House and the frantic Wilson as Amber’s life hangs in the balance. And if this storyline isn’t resolved by the end of the episode you’re going to have to wait until next fall to see how it all plays out. Frankly, we’d like to see House and his original team reunited when the series returns for its fifth season, but that’s another matter for another time. Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard star.

 

Season Finale. Charlie meets the grown daughter of the woman he has been dating and realizes they have met before as television’s most successful and durable sitcom ends its fifth season. Jane Lynch and the always welcome Susan Blakely (Rich Man, Poor Man) are the guest stars. Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer star.

 

Season Premiere. DeAnna Pappas, the rejected runner-up on last fall’s edition of The Bachelor, works her way through 25 guys in search of something meaningful.

 

Season Finale. Two Episodes. MTV’s observational reality series about likeable 18-year-old professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler closes its second season tonight with two episodes. In the first, Ryan’s offer on his dream house is accepted, leaving him to wonder if best bud Tony should be one of his roommates. In the second, Ryan moves into the house, only to watch as his mom takes control of decorating it. Also, Gretchen reveals that she and her boyfriend broke up.

 

 

 

 

Live. It’s the long-awaited final competition between the two Davids!

 

If you missed Opry Live on May 10, when Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and was presented with her induction award by surprise guest Garth Brooks, you can catch it again tonight.

 

Live. Season Finale. Tonight we’ll learn the identity of this season’s winner – but not until after five-time Grammy winner Usher performs his hit singles Love in this Club and Yeah. He’ll be accompanied by dancers Cheryl Burke, Karina Smirnoff, Kym Johnson, Derek Hough and others. Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris are the hosts.

 

Season Finale. Widely heralded by critics last year as one of the best new series of the 2007-08 season, this horror comedy about a young man enslaved by Satan quickly lost its appeal and became a fall flop. Then it disappeared during the WGA strike and was presumed dead. But, in a surprise move, The CW this week renewed Reaper for a sophomore run. Perhaps tonight’s season finale, which is said to include shocking revelations that could have explosive implications for Sam’s future, will provide clues as to what The CW sees in this silly show. Bret Harrison and Ray Wise star.

 

Premiere. Coming off the cancellation of her truTV series and the much-publicized end of her marriage, it would seem that the last thing prosecutor and television personality Star Jones would want to do is attach herself to one of the cheapest and sleaziest reality series on television. But here she is, moderating a potentially explosive discussion among the temper-tantrum tossing roommates from Season 2 of The Bad Girls Club. What’s next, a guest appearance on The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency?

 

 

 

 

Season Finale. Live. Tonight, after two hours of songs by this season’s finalists and several acclaimed musical artists, one of the two Davids will become the seventh American Idol! In yet another change for the show this season, this finale will be telecast from the new Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, rather than the familiar Kodak Theater.

 

Premiere. This 90-minute documentary examines depression, a mental health problem that in many different forms (bi-polar disorder, post-partum depression, etc.) impacts approximately 19 million Americans every year. It will be followed by Caring for Depression, a 30-minute panel discussion with mental health experts hosted by veteran television journalist Jane Pauley.

 

Season Finale. Alan and Denny’s jubilation at being accepted into the Auxiliary Coast Guard is compromised, and their friendship is put to the test, when the town of Concord, Massachusetts decides to secede from the United States and Alan takes the case, while Denny, who is deeply offended, appears in court representing the opposing side. Will the guys enjoy one last drink and cigar together before this season-ending episode concludes, or will it end on a sour note? Find out tonight. James Spader and William Shatner star.

 

 

 

 

Season Premiere. Fox’s summer treat begins its fourth season with the first of four audition shows. The auditions were held in Dallas, Charleston, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C. Cat Deeley is the host. Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy return as judges. As always, top choreographers will take turns filling the position of third judge.

 

Season Finale. Circumstances press Betty to finally make a choice between Henry and Gio, an orphaned boy from France turns up at Mode with a shocking claim, Hilda learns startling news about Coach Diaz, and Betty finds herself playing centerfield at the charity softball game of the year, Mode vs. Elle Magazine, as Season 2 comes to a close. Lindsay Lohan, Eddie Cibrian, Freddy Rodriguez and Naomi Campbell are the guest stars.

 

Season Finale. Two Hours. Meredith and Derek work together on the final patient in their clinical trial while the other surgeons work to free a boy from a hardening block of cement; Izzie helps Alex care for an ailing Rebecca, and Lexie discovers important information about George’s intern status as Season 3 concludes. Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey star. 

 

Season Premiere. Season 6 opens with the first of several audition episodes taped in cities around the country. First up: Richard Belzer and Steve Schirripa scout for talent at New York auditions while Fred Willard and Kathy Najimy hit the auditions in Tempe, Arizona. Bill Bellamy is the host, with special correspondent Fearne Cotton.

 

This installment of MTV’s well-done documentary franchise looks at three young people who are doing their best to live with schizophrenia, a debilitating and often harrowing mental illness that blurs the line between reality and hallucinations and will be with them forever.

 

Series Return. Then men and women of the Reno County Sheriff’s Department return to complete their fifth season of inspired lunacy. 

 

SOAPnet’s six-week series that thematically pulls together memorable moments in the lives of celebrities, pop-culture icons and fictional primetime and daytime characters, all in one merry mix, continues with Brawl in the Family, which counts down the 25 most over-the-top TV and celebrity families. They include the legendarily tumultuous marriages of Madonna and Sean Penn and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey; the disputes between Angelina Jolie and her father, Jon Voight; the conflicts between Princess Diana and the Royal Family and, best of all, the quarreling Quartermaines of General Hospital and the clashing Carringtons of Dynasty!

 

 

 

If you missed this digital short starring Andy Samberg and guest host Shia LaBeouf on SNL last week – or you want to see it again – catch it on Hulu. The title, by the way, refers to the suave look a man can have if he elects not to wear one essential piece of clothing.

 

As I was talking with people at the Fox Upfront party last Thursday, one of them asked if I had seen the footage of Bill O’Reilly losing his cool and cursing up a storm during his days as host of Inside Edition. I hadn’t. Now I have, and you can, too, simply by clicking here.

 

CMT’s singing contest continues, with seven duos remaining. Taped at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon. Rossi Morreale is the host. Country superstar Naomi Judd, vocal coach Brett Manning and songwriter Aimee Mayo are the judges.