"House," "Gossip Girl" and More TiVoWorthy TV for April 28
By Ed Martin
MONDAY, APRIL 28
House (Fox, 9 p.m. ET)(Pictured)
Series Return. House moves to Monday night for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. In tonight’s episode, the good doctor concludes that an emergency room patient has a bigger problem than initially diagnosed because the guy is too nice. Also, House and “Cutthroat Bitch” vie for Wilson’s time and attention. Hugh Laurie stars.
Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Live. The remaining six couples dance once again.
Gossip Girl (The CW, 8 p.m. ET)
Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) begins a four-episode arc as Serena’s former partner-in-crime, nasty Georgina Sparks, back in Manhattan to stir up fresh trouble for all. Meanwhile, Dan notices that Serena is preoccupied and concludes that it must have something to do with her new roommate Chuck, Jenny decides that if she is going to become Queen Bee she needs to be King, Nate finds an unlikely romantic interest and Blair orchestrates a wicked plan to keep her rival Nelly from scoring better on the SATs. Leighton Meeser, Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Penn Badgley and Ed Westwick star.
Carrier (PBS, 9 p.m. ET, check local listings)
Parts Three and Four. PBS kicked off the 2007-08 season with the unforgettable World War II miniseries The War, from master documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Now, as the season draws to a close, PBS is unveiling Carrier, another extended look at life during wartime – in this case centered on the crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during a six-month deployment in 2005 to the Persian Gulf. Whereas The War was a 15-hour event that included riveting stories about aircraft carriers in the Pacific Theater that came under attack from Kamikazes, Carrier is a 10-hour production that largely stays with one subject, though that subject is unarguably huge. (So is the Nimitz itself: It is 24 stories high and three football fields in length.) There are more than 5000 men and women on the ship – average age 19 ½. PBS will telecast two episodes of Carrier every night through Thursday. It is the must-see special of the May sweeps period.
McMillan & Wife (NetFlix)
If you have a membership, click on over to Netflix and browse its Instant Watching Section, where you’ll be able to enjoy dozens of movies and TV shows on demand. We suggest you watch a few episodes of the delightful early-Seventies detective series McMillan & Wife, starring Rock Hudson as San Francisco police commissioner Stewart “Mac” McMillan and Susan Saint James as his sexy, spunky wife Sally, an enthusiastic amateur detective. Scene-stealer Nancy Walker plays their maid, Mildred. There are six seasons in all, but avoid the last one, in which Mac operated alone following Sally’s tragic death in a plane crash. What the hell were they thinking?
TUESDAY, APRIL 29
American Idol (Fox, 8 p.m. ET)
Live. Neil Diamond will mentor the Final Five.
Raw Nature (Animal Planet, 8 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Bertram van Munster (The Amazing Race) and Thom Beers (Deadliest Catch) are the executive producers of this five-part series featuring the work of filmmakers who get dangerously close to deadly creatures and document their encounters. It also includes inspiring stories about individuals who are dedicated to protecting animals and advancing conservation efforts.
Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 9 p.m. ET)
Live. Another couple exits the competition.
Carrier (PBS, 9 p.m. ET, check local listings)
Two Hours. PBS’ ten-part documentary series about life on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf continues with two new hours.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 10 p.m. ET)
Robin Williams plays a twisted individual who excels at mind games: First he pretends he is a detective and orchestrates an attack on a female employee at a restaurant, and he then turns his trial into so enormous a media circus that he is released. Even Benson and Stabler fall prey to his psychological trickery. Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, Adam Beach, Ice-T and Tamara Tunie star.
Women's Murder Club (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Return. Lindsay (Angie Harmon) receives an unwelcome visit from her estranged father (played by Gerald McRaney). Paula Newsome, Aubrey Dollar and Laura Harris co-star.
The Riches (FX, 10 p.m. ET)
Series Finale. Dahlia and Wayne address the problems in their relationship, Didi and Ike draw closer, Rosaleen convinces Cael to stay at the Traveller camp and the Bayou Hills deal is hanging by a thread as Season Two draws to a close. Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
The View (ABC, 11 a.m. ET)
Live. This year’s Daytime Emmy nominees will be announced during today’s show. The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be telecast June 20 on ABC.
American Idol (ABC, 9 p.m. ET)
Live. Only four finalists will remain after tonight’s show.
Farmer Wants a Wife (The CW, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Premiere. Ten city women leave their homes and compete for the affections of a hunky Missouri farmer in this new reality series. That doesn’t simply mean looking sweet and sexy – they also have to master farm chores, or at least convince him that they enjoy trying to do so. This is yet another cheap-o reality franchise that has enjoyed significant success in other countries.
Carrier (PBS, 9 p.m. ET, check local listings)
Two Hours. PBS’ ten-part documentary series about life on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf continues with two new hours.
Boston Legal (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
As Boston Legal settles into its new Wednesday time period, Denny Crane (William Shatner) falls for a pretty cattle rancher (played by Christine Ebersole) who hires him to sue the FDA over cloned meat. James Spader and Candice Bergen star. Guest stars include Henry Gibson as Judge Clark Brown and Shelley Berman as Judge Robert Sanders.
South Park (SouthParkStudios.com)
South Parkreached the end of its half-season last week with the episode Super Fun Time – which makes this as good a time as any to visit southparkstudios.com and watch any and all episodes from the series’ 12-year run.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Hulu.com)
Was Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60cut down too soon? Did it deserve to be renewed for a second year? Watch its one and only season on Hulu and decide for yourself.
THURSDAY, MAY 1
Ugly Betty (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Recent Project Runway winner Christian Siriano and Runway judge Nina Garcia appear as themselves in this episode, which finds Renee (Gabrielle Union) increasingly convinced that Betty is in love with Daniel and Hilda (Ana Ortiz) in distress over her new client at the beauty shop – her life-long nemesis Gina Gambarro, back in Queens to boast about her fabulous lifestyle. America Ferrera stars.
Smallville (The CW, 8 p.m. ET)
After Clark learns that Kara sent messages from Krypton in the past revealing that Brainiac (James Marsters) wants to kill Baby Kal-El so that Clark will not exist in the future, Jor-El arranges for him to see what the world would be like if he had never arrived in Smallville. John Schneider returns as Jonathan Kent. Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Aaron Ashmore and Michael Rosenbaum star.
The Office (NBC, 9 p.m. ET)
Michael tries to give Stanley an attitude adjustment after Stanley snaps at him during a meeting; Dwight wants to buy Andy’s car; and Pam deals with an unexpected inconvenience after spending the night at Jim’s. Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski star.
Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 9 p.m. ET)
Dr. Addison Montgomery Shepherd takes a break from Los Angeles and returns to Seattle Grace to perform an operation and is struck by all of the recent changes in the lives of her former co-workers. Also, Rebecca returns with shocking news for Alex – she’s pregnant! Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers star. Guest stars include former series regular Kate Walsh as Addison, Elizabeth Reaser as Rebecca and Amy Madigan as Dr. Wyatt.
Supernatural (The CW, 9 p.m. ET)
Trouble looms when Dean receives a phone call from his deceased dad with instructions on how to get out of his deal, which calls for him to die soon. Sam doesn’t believe that John is really on the other end of the phone and warns Dean not to listen to him, but Dean sets out to follow his father’s orders. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki star. Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns as John – or does he?
Carrier (PBS, 9 p.m. ET, check local listings)
Two Hours. PBS’ ten-part documentary series about life on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf concludes tonight.
30 Rock (NBC, 9:30 p.m. ET)
Jack is demoted, causing him to question his future with the company; Liz’s ex-boyfriend is stuck in New York and asks if he can stay at her place overnight; and Liz is infuriated when her sandwich is stolen during Annual Sandwich Day at TGS, when the Teamsters give the staff sandwiches from a mysterious deli in Brooklyn. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin star.
Lost (ABC, 10 p.m. ET)
Kate and Juliet must work together to save Jack after his appendix bursts, while Sawyer, Claire, Aaron and Miles find themselves in trouble during their trek from Locke’s camp to the beach. Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway, Evangeline Lilly and Elizabeth Mitchell star.
Step It Up and Dance (Bravo, 10 p.m. ET)
The dancers learn the choreography from the Broadway classic Damn Yankees and perform it for guest judges Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) and choreographer Lee Martino.
FRIDAY, MAY 2
The Young and the Restless (CBS, 12:30 p.m. ET, check local listings)
Nick (Joshua Morrow) surprises his wife Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) on their first anniversary with a surprise performance by country star Trace Adkins.
The Sarah Jane Adventures (Sci Fi Channel, 8 p.m. ET)
Two Episodes. In the conclusion of Eye of the Gorgon (at 8 p.m.), Sarah Jane and her young friends try to help Maria’s dad, who has been turned to stone, and set out to stop the Gorgon and her evil nuns from opening a portal to their world. In Part 1 of Warriors of the Kudlak (8:30 p.m.), Sarah Jane and Maria discover that a number of children have gone missing across the country during freaks storms in cities that are home to a particular laser tag game – one that Luke and Clyde happen to enjoy. Elisabeth Sladen stars.
Moonlight (CBS, 9 p.m. ET)
A Hollywood starlet is murdered shortly after she hires Mick as part of her security detail. Also, Beth learns that her new boss at Buzzwire has questionable journalistic ethics. Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring and Eric Winter star.
Doctor Who (Sci Fi Channel, 9 p.m. ET)
The Doctor and Donna land in Pompeii in 79 A.D., right before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius – where they are surrounded by thousands of people who don’t know that their lives are about to end. David Tennant and Catherine Tate star.
Man vs. Wild (Discovery Channel, 9 p.m. ET)
Series Return. Flash floods with 12-foot waves, crocodiles, hippos and a herd of elephants make Bear Grylls’ visit to Zambia in Southern Africa a memorable one.
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel, 10 p.m. ET)
Starbuck, Help, Anders and Athena are sent to find Earth.
Ringo Starr: Off the Record (HBO, 11 p.m. ET)
Premiere. Music legend Ringo Starr shares his memories of the Beatles, including the height of Beatlemania, the group’s trip to India to meet the Maharishi and their breakup, as well as his subsequent solo career, in an interview with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics.
Ed Martin
Ed Martin is the chief television and content critic for MediaVillage. He has written about television and internet programming for several Myers publications since 2000, including The Myers Report, The Myers Programming Report, MediaBizBloggers a…
