Season Finales of "Brothers & Sisters," "Survivor," "The Hills" and More TiVoWorthy TV for the Week of May 11

 

 

Astonishingly, Lindsay Lohan’s mom, Dina – a tabloid target in her own right – was honored this week by Mingling Moms, a Long Island-based social networking organization for mothers. Dina, who may not be the best source for advice on such matters, had this to say to the MomLogic cameras when asked to impart some words of wisdom to Miley Cyrus’ mom, Leticia.

 

Premiere. Tune in a half-hour before Carrie Underwood’s live introduction into the Grand Ole Opry (also on GAC) for an exclusive interview with Underwood about her life pre-American Idol and her post-Idol rise to country music superstardom. Underwood’s mother Carole and Opry members Vince Gill, Little Jimmy Dickens and Randy Travis are also interviewed.

 

Live. American Idol, Grammy, ACM, CMA and CMT award winner Carrie Underwood will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry tonight, live on GAC. Dierks Bentley will be featured in this special show.

 

Premiere. Recent Academy Award nominee Ellen Page stars in this harrowing, deeply disturbing true-life story that is definitely not something her young fans from Juno should watch. It’s the story of Sylvia Likens (played by Page), the Indiana teenager who in 1965 was tortured over a period of several months and eventually murdered by Gertrude Baniszewski, a divorced and desperate mother of seven who acted as caretaker to Sylvia and her younger sister Jennie at the request of the girls’ parents, both traveling carnival workers. An American Crime is based on transcripts from the 1966 trial, Baniszewski vs. The State of Indiana. Catherine Keener, James Franco, Bradley Whitford and Jeremy Sumpter co-star.

 

Robin Hood and his men come to the aid of several young boys who are taken prisoner and marked for execution after accidentally stumbling upon Gisborne’s weapon-testing site. As you might expect by now, traitorous Allan senses another opportunity to win favor with Gisborne by leaking details of Robin’s plan. Jonas Armstrong stars.

 

Trisha Yearwood and her mother and sister reveal intimate details about their collaboration on the new cookbook, Trisha Yearwood: From Our Kitchen to Yours. This special also includes a number of Yearwood’s popular videos, including Georgia Rain, Everybody Knows, Walkaway Joe and Squeeze Me In.

 

Live. Shia LeBeouf (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) is the host, with musical guest My Morning Jacket.

 

 

 

 

In case you hadn’t noticed, be advised that the sometimes annoying Angela Hoover (a Las Vegas mother of two) returned to MyLifetime last week with a second season of Mommy Madnessepisodes. If Hoover isn’t for you, check out the lovable dogs and cats in MyLifetime’s new series Hollywood Tails instead.

 

Season Finale. You know the drill: The final four (Natalie, Cirie, Amanda and Parvati) will compete and the top two will be mercilessly grilled by the jury of their ousted peers during the first two hours, with the winner announced during a live segment at the end. An hour-long live interview with the full cast will follow. Jeff Probst is the host. (P.S. Let’s give it up for the ladies. They kicked butt!)

 

Gaby and Carlos discover that their tenant, Ellie (Justine Bateman), has a dark secret; Susan’s mother-in-law (Celia Weston) arrives for a visit, and war erupts between Bree and Edie. Gary Cole and Kathryn Joosten guest star.

 

Season Finale. There’s still another seismic, late-season shock in store for the Walkers – as if the revelation that Rebecca isn’t William’s daughter and the near-loss of Ojai Foods last week weren’t enough. But there is happiness amid the mounting misery, as the family attends Kevin and Scotty’s commitment ceremony. (It’s a first for primary characters on a broadcast series.) Sally Field, Ron Rifkin, Rachel Griffiths and Matthew Rhys star. Guest stars include Tom Skerritt (returning in flashbacks as the late William Walker) and Luke MacFarlane.

 

 

 

 

Season Premiere. Two Hours. Forty heroic contenders – including a Paralympics athlete, military veterans, firefighters and police officers -- face off against the formidable American Gladiators as season two of this action-competition series begins – just in time to kick off NBC’s All-American Summer. Watch for the new state-of-the-art Gladiator Arena and seven new games. Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali return as co-hosts.

 

Live. It’s down to Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas, Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani and come-from-behind sensation Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke.

 

Former American Idol finalists Ace Young and Brandon Rogers are the guest stars in this episode about Brennan and Booth’s investigation into the murder of an aspiring singer (played by Young) that finds Booth the target of a fan who was previously obsessed with the deceased. Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz star.

 

Why is Serena reverting to her previous party-girl ways? It seems she killed someone and Nasty Georgina has all the details and is threatening her with blackmail. Can Blair, Nate and Chuck save Serena from herself? What about Dan, who assumes the worst about his girlfriend’s sudden proclivity to make bad choices? Don’t expect Serena’s mom to help: She’s busy attending Rufus’ concert on the night of her wedding rehearsal dinner! Lisa Loeb appears as herself. Michelle Trachtenberg guest stars. 

 

Live. Two Hours. Cast members and other notables gather in a Beverly Hills mansion to celebrate tonight’s real season finale of The Hills. (There was a faux finale a few months ago.) They’ll be interviewed by MTV VJ Lyndsey Rodriguez in between telecasts of the previous three episodes of the series. There will even be a live performance by Usher at one point during the evening. Look for live blogging and other treats at thehills.mtv.com.

 

Britney Spears’ guest appearance as receptionist Abby a few weeks ago brought Mother its highest ratings ever. It’s no surprise, then, that this mutually beneficial relationship is being worked again during a special Sweeps episode. This time, Abby teams up with Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) to torment Ted by pretending they are a couple. Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders star.

 

In Part 1 of this series’ two-part season finale, House loses four hours of his memory in a bus accident. All he can remember is that a fellow passenger was exhibiting signs of a deadly illness, and all he knows is that he needs to figure out who that person was to prevent him or her from dying. Part 2 will be telecast next Monday. Hugh Laurie stars.

 

Season Finale. Audrina feels shut out by Lauren’s close friendship with Lo and wants to move out, even after Lauren makes a heartfelt attempt to make Audrina feel better, while Spencer fears he’s going to lose Heidi forever, as Season 3 draws to a close.

 

Live. After Show hosts Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy will talk with cast members immediately following the season finale. Also, Usher will be joined by Young Jeezy in a performance of his hit Love in This Club. At 11:30 p.m. ET the party action will shift to thehills.mtv.com, featuring an exclusive online performance by Usher.

 

Premiere. First of Four Parts. VH1, Perry Films and Sundance Channel produced this documentary series that examines the now quaint-seeming sexual revolution and its impact on America from the Fifties to the Eighties. It will run this week on VH1 Monday-Thursday at 10 p.m. and will be telecast in two parts on Sundance Channel May 19 and 20. Tonight’s episode, Save It for Marriage, focuses on the sexual repression of the Fifties and early Sixties as it was manifested in popular culture, schools and suburbia. Included in tonight’s installment are Dr. Alfred Kinsey’s shocking documentation of women’s sexual practices, the launch of Playboy magazine, the controversial approval by the FDA of the Pill, and the spectacle of hippies taking to the streets of San Francisco and elsewhere to spread the concept of Free Love.

 

 

 

 

Live. David Archuleta, David Cook and Syesha Mercado compete to make it to the finals next week.

 

Live. At the end of this program we’ll know the three celebrities who will compete in next week’s season finale.

 

Second of Two Parts. VH1’s documentary series that examines the legendary sexual revolution and its impact on America from the Fifties to the Eighties continues. Tonight, sexual liberation spreads across the land in the late Sixties, the youth counterculture responds to the sexual revolution and the Vietnam War by popularizing the slogan “Make Love, Not War,” Madison Avenue begins to incorporate sexual innuendo into advertising, Hollywood studios add more sex and nudity to movies, swinging sweeps through the suburbs, sex researchers Masters and Johnson spark a national conversation about previously forbidden subjects, the women’s movement takes root, and president-elect Richard Nixon expresses his desire to “control and eliminate smut.” Sex: The Revolution continues tomorrow and will be telecast on Sundance Channel on May 19 and 20.

 

Logo a few days ago launched what it is calling the world’s largest central library of online video for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender audience, with more than 1,200 videos, all of them ad-supported. The network promises that there are 1,800 additional videos to come.

 

 

 

 

If you’re a fan of reality competition series you’ll find much to enjoy in this cbs.com series, which is now in its third season. A group of young and attractive aspiring soap actors live together in a giant apartment and compete in challenges designed to showcase their potential acting talent, or reveal their lack thereof. They are coached along the way by cast members from As the World Turns, which is only fitting, because the grand prize is a 13-week contract role on that show. This season of InTurn is already on its eighth episode. You can also catch the previous seven at cbs.com, along with every episode from Seasons 1 and 2.

 

Season Finale. Cycle nine winner Saliesha Stowers visits the final three models while they film their Cover Girl commercial and work a print ad shoot. After one of them is sent home, the remaining two compete on the runway in out-there fashion events and the winner is crowned America’s Next Top Model. Tyra Banks is the host.

 

Live. Will it be David vs. David or Syesha vs. a David at next week’s season finale? We’ll know at the end of tonight’s show.

 

Seventies movie fixture George Segal plays Paul Cruickshank, a high-ranking politico who asks Denny Crane to run for president, in part because his popularity has soared since his guest appearances (in previous seasons) on Larry King Live. Also, Shirley Schmidt and Carl Sack represent returning irritant Missi Pyle, who is suing the Archdiocese for not allowing her to become a priest, and Jerry Espenson’s ex-girlfriend asks him to defend her when she is arrested for prostitution. Renee Winger and Henry Gibson guest star.

 

Third of Three Parts. This installment of VH1 and Sundance Channel’s four-part documentary series about the sexual revolution looks at the swinging Seventies, including the post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS surge in gay culture; the popularity of gay bath houses in New York (where Bette Midler got her start); the cruising culture; the clothing optional Sandstone retreat for suburban swingers in southern California; the rise of feminism as represented by Gloria Steinem; the impact of Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying and Helen Gurley Brown’s Cosmopolitan; the firestorm of controversy surrounding Roe v. Wade; the mainstream popularity of Deep Throat and other pornography; the election in San Francisco of openly gay Mayor Harvey Milk; and the rise of new moral crusaders bent on reversing much or all of the above. Sex: The Revolution concludes on VH1 tomorrow night and will be telecast on Sundance Channel May 19 and 20.

 

 

 

 

Betty tries to fight her growing attraction to Gio but ends up working with him as a chaperone at Justin’s school dance; Hilda tries to get Coach Diaz (Eddie Cibrian) to notice her; Amanda agrees to appear in a reality show with her father, Gene Simmons, and Wilhelmina makes her triumphant return to Mode. Freddy Rodriguez, Gene Simmons and Larry King guest star.

 

Season Finale. After trapping her in the Phantom Zone, Brainiac impersonates Kara and tells Lex he is destined to defeat the Traveler (aka Kal-El). Then Brainiac/Kara brings Lex to the Fortress of Solitude to learn how to do so. Meanwhile, Chloe is arrested by the Department of Domestic Security, Lana awakens from her comatose state and Lex finally learns Clark’s secret. That’s a lot of plot for one episode, but we would expect no less from a Smallville season finale. How will the show deal with the loss of longtime cast members Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana) next season? Perhaps we’ll get a clue or two tonight. Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Aaron Ashmore and Laura Vandervoort star.

 

Season Finale. Warrick (Gary Dourdan) is accused of murdering a famous Las Vegas gangster and is strangely uncertain of his guilt or innocence as Season 8 draws to a close.

 

Season Finale. One Hour. Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) guest stars as Holly, a new human resources worker at Dunder Mifflin who is hazed by Dwight and Meredith. Also, Michael (Steve Carell) asks Phyllis to plan a huge goodbye celebration for Toby after Angela refuses to give in to any more of Michael’s last minute demands. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith and Melora Harden star.

 

Alex learns the truth about Rebecca’s medical condition, the Chief insists that Erica perform a risky surgery on his mentor, Cristina continues to behave strangely and Dr. Wyatt refuses to let Meredith give up on therapy. Amy Madigan is the guest star.

 

Season Finale. With only 30 hours to go until Dean’s deal with the crossroads demon comes due, Dean, Sam and Bobby search for Lilith, who has the contract in her possession. A battle to the death ensues against Lilith and her demons – with Dean’s life in the balance. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki star.

 

Season Finale. As Season 14 comes to an end, Steve Buscemi plays a drunken patient who causes all kinds of trouble at County General.

 

The survivors and the freighter people finally throw down as the two-part, three-hour Season 4 finale begins. Guest stars include L. Scott Caldwell, Nestor Carbonell, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Veronica Hamel and Michelle Forbes.

 

Premiere. This edition of MTV’s documentary series True Life focuses on two young people who are mortified by their parents’ over-the-top behavior. One of them has a surgically enhanced mother who looks like a Playboy Playmate, while the other must cope with being the daughter of eccentric professional clowns.

 

Conclusion. The final installment of VH1 and Sundance Channel’s four-part documentary about the sexual revolution of the Fifties-Eighties includes a look back at the erotic disco culture of Studio 54 and other hot spots in the late Seventies; the growth of hardcore porn magazines; the sleazy sex clubs that took over New York City’s 42^nd Street; the rise of the VCR and, with it, adult movies on video; the formation of the activist group Women Against Pornography; the growing strength of the religious right in the early Eighties; the rising rates of divorce and STDs; and the beginning of the age of AIDS. Sex: The Revolution will be telecast on Sundance Channel on May 19 and 20.

 

SOAPnet’s six-week series that thematically looks at memorable moments in the lives of celebrities, pop-culture icons and fictional primetime and daytime characters, all in one merry mix, continues with It’s a Sibling Thing, which counts down the top 25 most over-the-top brothers and sisters. They include Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Paris and Nikki Hilton, Brandon and Brenda Walsh on 90210, Kevin Fisher and Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless, and Lucky Spencer, Lulu Spencer and Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital. Commentators include Joy Behar (The View), Willie Garson (Sex and the City), Lisa Gastineau (Gastineau Girls), Sonya Eddy (General Hospital) and Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty).

 

 

 

 

Season Finale. Melinda finally gets answers to her questions about her long-absent father and why her mother has hidden the truth about him for so long. Anne Archer returns as Melinda’s mother, with Ignacio Serricchio as her step brother and Martin Donovan as her father. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars.

 

Season Finale. Season 1 of this increasingly intriguing vampire drama ends with Mick and Beth facing the ultimate consequence of a relationship between a mortal and an immortal after a vampire kills a human in the heat of passion and the subsequent investigation threatens to expose vampire identities throughout the city. Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring star. Eric Winter and Jonathan LaPaglia guest star.

 

The always welcome Martha Jones (The Doctor’s traveling companion in Season 3 and a recent visitor on BBC America’s Torchwood) returns in this two-part story that finds the Unified Intelligence Task Force doing battle against the invading Sontarans, a race of warmongering aliens first seen 35 years ago during the third Doctor Who story, The Time Warrior, and not seen since 1985’s The Two Doctors. No franchise in the history of scripted television pays more careful attention to continuity and shows so much respect for its own history than Doctor Who. David Tennant and Catherine Tate star, with Freema Agyeman as Martha.

 

Series Premiere. Comedian John Caparulo hosts this new reality series in which deserving families receive home makeovers. The twist? They live in mobile homes. In the opener, the lucky recipients are a single California dad and his five young sons, who reside in a very crowded two bedroom, two bath, mobile home.