Is Katie Couric trying to compete with Barbara Walters and her Oscar Special? Just as Walters always has a special on every year with her interviewing Oscar nominees, Couric is doing the same with Grammy nominees. We also have round two of the Hollywood auditions of American Idol. It’s so good to be able to return to the longer Hollywood process again.
1. Freedom Writers. Hilary Swank stars as an idealistic teacher that is saddled with teaching a class of troubled students, and unlike the rest of the world, she refuses to give up on them. Read more . 9:35 AM Showtime 2 West
2. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Lock up your daughters. Dylan and Cole Sprouse, aka Zach and Cody, are Ellen’s guests, along with Penelope Cruz. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. Reign Over Me. Adam Sandler like you haven’t seen him before as a widower who struggles to go on with life after his family dies in an airplane on 9/11. Check out more of this story here . 1:20 PM CT Starz 5
We’re in Hollywood tonight on American Idol, and for once I’m not yelling at the TV screen, “Finally!” The three weeks of auditions we sat through I think were doable. And after we were finally done, we didn’t then have to sit through a Best and Worst. The first night is always filled with so much drama. Other than that, I don’t know what is going on with CBS, as they’re airing reruns again.
1. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen’s guests are Josh Brolin, who’s nominated for an Oscar his role in Milk, and Pink, who performs with Butch Walker. Syndicated, check local listings.
2. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp star as brothers in a very dysfunctional family, with DiCaprio playing the part of a mentally disabled boy, while Depp is saddled with taking care of him. Learn more here . 3:30 PM CT HBO Signature
3. The Biggest Loser: Couples. We get to see the weigh-ins of the partners that returned to the ranch last week, and that could be interesting. They also visit with Dr. Huizenga to update their health status. Two partners will clash over what one of them has been doing. It can’t be Joelle this time. She rocked out last week! 7:00 PM CT NBC Continue Reading »
You can get one more usage out of those 3-D glasses you used last night before halftime of the Super Bowl. Chuck tonight will be in 3-D as the agents try to find out who’s marked a rock star for murder. Watching Bruce Springsteen last night in 3-D would have been kind of neat, wouldn’t it? Chuck isn’t the only thing new tonight. There isn’t a single repeat on all night on any of the major networks. You can tell sweeps is hitting us.
1. Some Kind of Wonderful. In my top ten movies of all time. Even though it’s from 1987, I think it stands the test of time about the state of relationships in high school. Read more here . 10:30 AM CT HBO Signature
2. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen’s guests are Heidi Klum, Justin Long, and fitness expert Marco Borges. Ellen reportedly makes Long extremely uncomfortable when she asks about his ex, Drew Barrymore. Hopefully Klum will talk more about her feelings on Jessica Simpson. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. Groundhog Day. Bill Murray as a weatherman who is forced to live Groundhog Day over and over again. Somehow, we all know how he feels. 5:00 PM CT FX
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, meaning there isn’t a lot of choices out there other than football tonight, but don’t fret if you’re not a fan, as I was able to dig up a few things. If you’re into cute little animals, check out the Puppy Bowl with puppies “performing,” during the game, which is really a large pen decorated to look like a football field. At half time, they’re cleared out and a huge scratching post monstrosity is erected as the kittens take over. What a better way to end the night after the football, whether being played by humans or pets, than watching the Office with Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman guest starring.
1. Road to the Super Bowl. It’s a look back at the 2008 season of the NFL with the top moments, as well as the best on-field sound bites, which should prove quiet interesting. 11:00 AM CT NBC
2. Super Bowl XLIII Pre-Game Show. This is one long-assed show at five hours long. Along with interviews and updates from Tampa, we also have Matt Lauer interviewing President Obama and Bob Costas talking it up with Bruce Springsteen who will perform the halftime show. Who will be the better interview? 12:00 PM CT NBC
3. Premonition. This thriller stars Sandra Bullock as a woman whose husband dies, and the next morning she wakes up to find it was all a dream. The following morning she wakes up to find that was a dream, and he really did die, and so on. Find out more here . 12:00 PM CT Showtime 2 West
It’s Steve Martin’s fifteenth time hosting Saturday Night Live. I still remember the good old days with him doing his cat nip routine and singing King Tut. Good times. Jason Mraz is the musical guest. Maybe the two can combine for a song together? You’ll need something happy like Mraz’ music after watching Disturbia. It’s scary!
1. Goodfellas. The ultimate in mob films, showing what it really takes to be a wiseguy. The cast in this is superb, with Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, just to name a few. Read more . 10:00 AM CT A&E
2. Mulan. I just made a list of my favorite Disney movies that I could watch again and again, and this one made it at #8. Eddie Murphy’s comedy helps the film along quite a bit. 12:00 PM CT CBS
3. Figure Skating: U.S. Championships. Last week we had the actual competition, and this afternoon we have the exhibition gala that was filmed on January 25 in Cleveland. Men’s, women’s, pairs, and dance winners are included in the performances. 1:30 PM CT NBC Continue Reading »
Nothing gets this guy down. Even after his health scare a few weeks ago, he’s still holding down two shows, Howie Do It and Deal or No Deal. It makes it an interesting selection on tonight, with choices of game shows, reality TV, comedies, dramas, news magazine shows, etc.. And being that it’s currently 3 degrees here, although I just talked to my friend vacationing in Miami where it’s 87 degrees, it’s not a bad night to stay in. Other than her. She should get out there and enjoy that weather.
1. Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton came together for this movie that capitalized on the dinosaur craze at the time. Or maybe it’s that the craze was created from the movie. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. 11:30 AM AM CT 5STMax
2. The Bonnie Hunt Show. After weeks of making fun of the show, today Bonnie has on the cast of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Chris Matthews is on the show as well. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. The Elizabeth Smart Story. Just a reminder to lock up your kids and keep them safe tonight. 5:00 PM CT Hallmark Movies Continue Reading »
Don’t let my daughter know I just called this Hell’s Kitchen. She insists it should be called “Heck’s Kitchen.” Fox apparently can’t stand to not have Gordon Ramsay on their schedule, as just as we had the season finale of Kitchen Nightmares, now we have the competitive kitchen show starting. It’ll have a good lead-in, too, from the last audition episode of American Idol
1. Forrest Gump. I wonder if what makes this movie so entertaining and endearing is the chance that maybe we all wish for a simple life like Forrest’s. Despite his difficult beginnings, it seemed like stuff was always simple for him … like a box of chocolates. 12:00 PM CT HBO West
2. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen’s guest today is Drew Barrymore, promoting her new movie He’s Just Not That Into You, starring … practically everybody. It opens Friday. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. Evan Almighty. It’s the sequel to Bruce Almighty with Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles. Carell’s character is now a congressman and is asked by God (Freeman) to build an ark. It has some great messages if you look for them. 4:00 PM CT 5StarMax
This is really odd, but three shows tonight feature bank robberies, and two the Russian mob. One of them comes in the form of the return of Life On Mars. That has both a bank robbery and the Russian mob. There are also a lot of repeats on tonight. Maybe the Russian mob stole some of the new programming when they robbed the banks.
1. Gone Baby Gone. Ben Affleck directed, with little brother Casey starring with Michele Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris. The younger Affleck and Monaghan star as private eyes who investigate the disappearance of a little girl, and all leads point to it being connected somehow to the girl’s mother. 10:20 AM CT Starz 1
2. Rachael Ray. Rachael’s guests include Scott Baio of Confessions of a Teen Idol, as well as tattoo artist Kat Von D. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. I waited a good fifteen to twenty years after this movie came out, for no particular reason, before I saw it for the first time. I had to admit, though, once I finally caved, that it was quite endearing. 1:45 PM CT HBO Family East Continue Reading »
I can’t quite figure out how they pulled this one off. We all know that The Biggest Loser is filmed months before it airs. This allows the finalists three months to try and lose more weight on their own. And at only thirty days into their season, they have at least another month in the house still, plus those three months at home. Yet, they’re having a Super Bowl special tonight, and it includes quarterback Kurt Warner who will be playing in the big game this weekend. It had to have been filmed at least a few months ago, so how did they know then he’d be in the Super Bowl?
1. Definitely, Maybe. Abigail Breslin and Ryan Reynolds star in this movie of a young girl who tries to figure out the mystery of which of the big loves of her dad’s life her mom was, on the eve of her parents’ divorce. This movie defines romantic comedy, although they prefer to call it a romantic mystery. 10:30 AM CT MoMax East
2. The Secret of My Success. If this movie doesn’t say 80s with its hair styles and fashion and business, I don’t know what does. Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater star in this movie about an innocent college grad who goes to New York determined to make it in the business world. 12:05 PM CT Encore East3. The Bonnie Hunt Show. Reportedly on today’s show, Donny and Marie Osmond appear, and he lets the cat out of the bag. He alludes to the fact he will follow his little sister onto Dancing With the Stars nest season. Syndicated, check local listings. Continue Reading »
We’re a few weeks into this season of The Bachelor, and still no Deanna Pappas. We were promised that at the closing of the first episode in the things to look forward to segment. We haven’t seen her yet, and from the description of tonight’s show, we still won’t. And honestly, the longer they wait to pop her out on Jason and the Bachelorettes, the more cruel it gets. By the way, the gossip is that she’s now dating Ace Amerson from Real World: Paris.
1. The View. Only in Illinois do you have your Governor requesting to go on The View because he’s wanting to help fix his public image. Perhaps he should have checked with Rosie first to see how the career move worked out for her. 10:00 AM CT ABC
2. Ellen DeGeneres Show. It’s Ellen’s birthday show which is always guaranteed to be a doozy. Last season, her 50th seemed to be short-changed somewhat because of the writers strike. New mom Amy Poehler guests and James Morrison performs. Syndicated, check local listings.
3. On Golden Pond. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen this movie since it came out, and I’m not sure why. Regardless, I loved this movie and found it so real. I’m guessing I could view it differently now than I did at 17 years old. Stars Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, and Dabney Coleman. 5:00 PM CT Turner Classic Movies
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, meaning there isn’t a lot of choices out there other than football tonight, but don’t fret if you’re not a fan, as I was able to dig up a few things. If you’re into cute little animals, check out the Puppy Bowl with puppies “performing,” during the game, which is really a large pen decorated to look like a football field. At half time, they’re cleared out and a huge scratching post monstrosity is erected as the kittens take over. What a better way to end the night after the football, whether being played by humans or pets, than watching the Office with Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman guest starring.
