Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 14 > Entry
This week’s TV highlights
Hundreds of channels, hours and hours of programming. So much to watch, so little time. Here are some highlights to get you started on your week of viewing.
Sunday
“King of the Hill,” 7:30 p.m. on Fox — Austinite Mike Judge’s final season of this animated sitcom is better than ever. In tonight’s episode, Hank accompanies his boss to the National Propane Gas Convention. Temptations ensue.
“Oliver Twist,” 8 p.m. on PBS — A “Masterpiece Classic” adaptation of Charles Dickens’s 1837 novel. The young orphan flees a cruel workhouse for the dirty streets of London, where he falls in with a nefarious gang. The shrewd Artful Dodger, menacing Fagin and vicious Bill Sikes lead Oliver deep into a criminal life.
Monday
“The Bachelor,” 7 p.m. on ABC — Fans of this dating show take note: We’re getting down to the wire. Single dad Jason takes the final three women on overnight dates in New Zealand, and one (sniff, sniff) is sent packing. Two hours of torture.
“Dogs 101,” 8 p.m. on Animal Planet — The hour-long show checks out past presidential dogs. Will this help the Obamas choose a First Pup for Sasha and Malia? Maybe.
Tuesday
“Frontline,” 8 p.m. on PBS — “Inside the Meltdown” examines factors that have led to our sorry economic state, the worst such crisis since the Great Depression. Gulp.
Wednesday
“Lie to Me,” 8 p.m. on Fox — I didn’t want to like this show, but I do. Tim Roth, as the human lie detector, is fantastic. The team tries to prevent the assassination of a South Korean ambassador at a state wedding. Love the real photos of alleged liars (we’ve seen Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, among others.)
“CSI: New York,” 9 p.m. on CBS — If you’re an analog-only viewer and haven’t hooked up your converter box, you may be out of luck tonight. KEYE made the DTV switch at midnight last night. But if you’re up and running: Stella and her date find themselves in the middle of a crime scene when the corpse of the mayor falls from the ceiling as balloons drop at a charity fundraiser.
“American Masters,” 8 p.m. on PBS — Actor Ron Rifkin narrates this look at director-choreographer Jerome Robbins, who transformed Broadway with shows such as “West Side Story’’ and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Thursday
“Texas Monthly Talks,” 7 p.m. on PBS — Roy Spence, co-founder of Austin’s GSD&M Idea City, talks about launching the famous ad agency in 1971 with five enterprising friends.
“ER,” 9 p.m. on NBC — The long road to a 15th season finale continues with yet another blast from the past. Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) returns, presumably after wandering through the African wilderness all these years.
Friday
“13: Fear Is Real,” 8 p.m. on the CW — If you’ve been watching this under-the-radar reality show, this is the finale. If not, well, never mind. Tonight the remaining three contestants face the final “execution ceremony,” where one will survive and be awarded $66,666. Doesn’t seem like nearly enough money to go through such humiliation.
Saturday
“The Bridges of Madison County,” 7 p.m. on LMN — Yes, the 10-hanky romantic weeper from 1995 is sappy. So what? Memoirs tell a deceased woman’s children of her four-day affair in 1965 with a photographer on assignment. Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep will rip your heart right out of your chest.
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By KIm
February 19, 2009 9:22 AM | Link to this
Oh yes, I noticed. Seems like every other channel now if you have clung to the basic cable package is either static, infomercial, Spanish programming or community broadcast. We used channel 7 constantly to figure out when the few watchable shows might be on. And thanks Diane for your unflagging support of Friday Night Lights!!
By snowed in
February 19, 2009 9:02 AM | Link to this
Don't know about anyone else, but I noticed.
http://snowedin2006.blogspot.com/2009/02/time-warner-what-now.html
By Bob
February 18, 2009 9:52 AM | Link to this
I'm sorry to post this in a section with an unrelated topic. Have you noticed that Time Warner Cable quietly removed another station? No longer can customers on the basic or standard level get program listings on cable channel 7. I guess TWC assumes that everyone can just look up programming on their PC or check the newspaper.
I hope this move means that TWC saves money and passes it on to the customers. I know. I'm just kidding.