Saturday, December 26, 2009

TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 12/26/2009

Time to finish of 2009 and run into 2010.  This week brings us several New Years specials along with a few premieres as well.

For those interested in the new TV Winter 2010 season, I once again joined  Phil Lozen and Adam Thursby on the “Seen in HD’ Podcast to run through the Winter 2010 TV Season.  Head over to Seen in HD to listen to the podcast or add it to your iTunes.

Don’t miss the Ultimate Guide to the 2010 Winter TV Season Premieres with free downloads by premiere date & by show name!

 

Ryan Seacrest & Dick Clark

                  Dick Clark with Fergie and Ryan Seacrest take us to 2010

Below you’ll find all this weeks TV premieres, finales and specials through next Sunday.

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST

 

Sunday, Dec. 27

Witness: The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst (10pm on MSNBC) – a look back at the infamous 1970s case that made the Symbionese Liberation Army a household phrase. If it were on any real news network I might check this one out.  But since it’s not I won’t.

Monday, Dec. 28

American Masters- Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women (9pm on PBS- Available in HD) - Louisa May Alcott, author of ``Little Women,'' leads a double literary life by writing under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard, and that identity remains until the 1940s.

 

Tuesday, Dec. 29

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (8pm on ABC) – Special where Rudolph the reindeer comes to the rescue when an evil bird kidnaps the New Year baby. Voices of Red Skelton, Frank Gorshin, Morey Amsterdam.  Originally aired in 1976

32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors (9pm on CBS) - Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, \Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen all get honored.  Why it isn’t in HD is beyond me.  UPDATE:  While my guide information still shows this as not airing in HD, I am told it will be in HD.

One Big Happy Family (9pm on TLC – Available in HD) – I normally don’t do realityTV unless it’s a particularly interesting Amazing Race or Survivor season but I’m going to make an exception here and watch this series.  It’s lead editor is Vince Anido who also happens to be a HTPC enthusiast using SageTV.  This realityTV show is about a morbidly obese family and their attempt to deal with the weight issue without professional help.  I can’t imagine doing that but it could be interesting.  From my favorite TV critic’s words about this show on TVBarn:

To their credit, TLC’s producers have chosen an entertaining group to follow, and it appears from the way the show is scripted that TLC is trying to get the Coles on the diet wagon. If it’s painful to see some of the Coles in denial about their problem, well, it’s hard to argue that isn’t a slice of Americana these days, a la mode. “If you don’t like looking at us,” one of them says, “look away.”

 

Wednesday, Dec. 30

The Real World DC (10:30pm on MTV) Another season (24) of the Real World

 

Thursday, Dec. 31 – New Years Eve

NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly (10pm on NBC – Available in HD) Carson Daly does New Years.

Billboard's New Year's Eve Live (11pm on Fox) Hosted by Carmen Electra.  That alone should make one change the channel and if that doesn’t do it – it’s not in HD…

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2010 (11:30 pm on ABC – Available in HD) Seacrest does the New Years thing.  Honestly I’m not a huge fan of Seacrest, but I consider this the best of the three network options on New Years.

Friday, January 1 – Happy 2010!

Tournament of Roses Parade (11am on ABC – Available in HD) – “The” New Years Parade to watch so they say.

NHL Hockey 2010 NHL Winter Classic (1pm on NBC) For something a little different on New Years day you can catch the Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers at the open air Fenway Park.

Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular (4pm on NBC – Available in HD) So NHL isn’t your thing?  Perhaps ice skating???  Brian Boitano with Michael Weiss, Yuka Sato, Kimmie Meissner, Alissa Czisny, Steven Cousins, and pairs Elena Leonova and Andrei Khvalko and Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon

Great Performances-From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2010 (9pm on PBS – Available in HD) Julie Andrews hosts the 26th annual New Year's celebration with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (9pm on Cartoon) – Season 2 returns

Iron Chef America (9pm on Food – Available in HD) – Season 8 premieres and then switches back to Sundays on 1/3

Jake Johannsen: I Love You (9:30pm on Showtime – Available in HD) Special with popular stand-up comedian Jake Johannsen fimed at Kansas City’s own Uptown Theater.

The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie (10pm on HGTV – Available in HD) A new home improvement show on HGTV.  They help families with a little cash renovate their patios.

The Squeeze (10pm on MSNBC) – A new documentary-style series about a criminal investigation unit at the Cook County Jail.  Not in HD and on MSNBC – both turnoffs for me but might be worth a look if you’re into the criminal investigation thing.

 

Saturday, January 2

It’s Me or the Dog (8pm on Animal) – A new season of the Reality TV where a dog trainer tackles behavioral problems in dogs by teaching their owners responsible dog ownership

What I Hate About Me (9pm on Style) – another new reality TV show

Demons (10pm on  BBCA) – The remaining descendents of Van Helsing fight demons in the London underground

The Soloist (8pm on HBO – Available in HD) Robert Downey Jr. is Steve Lopez in this documentary/drama based on Lopez's book about his friendship with a musically trained homeless man (Jaime Foxx )

Sunday, January 3

Platinum Weddings (9pm on WE) New reality TV series – not in HD

Brothers & Sisters (10pm on ABC – Available in HD) – Season 4 continues with so much overly done drama Mrs GeekTonic’s emotions will be torn :)

Desperate Housewives (10pm on ABC – Available in HD) – Season 6 continues.  Housewives like this don’t seem to be in my neigborhood – probably not yours either.  Perhaps that’s the appeal of this soap opera?

Worst Cooks in America (10pm on Food) – They finally found a realityTV show I’m qualified for – just ask Mrs GeekTonic about the bugs in the broccoli meal ;).  New realityTV series for Food network.

 

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