Notable TV Thru June 29, 2008
The Summer Season Starts Slowly
Monday | June 23
Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card: A documentary focusing on the ins and outs of urban education and the U.S. government’s No Child Left Behind Act, with Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass High School as the central setting. Guaranteed to be educating. [9pm EST/HBO]
Tuesday | June 24
Charlie Jade: Apparently this sci-fi import couldn’t hack it in primetime on Fridays, so now the network has banished it to the early morning hours on a weekday. I watched, and I was bored after the pilot, so I understand the decision. On July 11, Amber Tamblyn‘s excellent Joan of Arcadia will take over its former Fridays at 8pm time slot … until the network decides to move or remove that series, too (yes — that happens a lot). [3am EST/Sci Fi Channel]
Rescue Me: The first installment of the ten-minisode summer series premieres. It’s called “Fast,” probably not because each episode lasts only five minutes. [10pm EST/FX]
Wednesday | June 25
The Baby Borrowers: Lots of people are looking forward to this new reality series, including — shocker! — me. Will the premise, requiring a group of teenage couples to play pretend parents of a child that ages from infant to adult in just one month, serve as effective birth control? Tune in to see; I am. [9pm EST/NBC]
Farmer Wants a Wife: The first season ends, if anyone cares. Did people actually watch this? [9pm EST/The CW]
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Warren Beatty: Just what the title says — a special presentation in honor of 71-year-old actor, director, producer, and writer Warren Beatty. Last year’s recipient was Al Pacino, so you know this annual series means business. [9pm EST/USA]
Shear Genius: Season Two begins. [10pm EST/Bravo]
Thursday | June 26
Fear Itself: Psych stars and real-life couple James Roday and Maggie Lawson headline the latest episode, “In Sickness and In Health,” directed by An American Werewolf in London‘s John Landis and written by Jeepers Creepers‘ Victor Salva. Should be good, if also campy. [10pm EST/NBC]
Hopkins 24/7: The second six-episode season of this documentary series about Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital airs almost eight years after the first season. [10pm EST/ABC]
Friday | June 27
The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards: Honorees are acknowledged for accurately portraying the gay community. [8pm EST/Bravo]
Dance Machine: Goodness gracious! Yet another dance show premieres. Will the ridiculous trend ever end? [8pm EST/ABC]
Saturday | June 28
U.S. Olympic Track Trials: And Olympics fever begins! [7pm EST/NBC]
The Tenth Circle: An intense film made for television and based on the Jodi Picoult bestseller of the same name. Kelly Preston (Medium) and Ron Eldard (Blind Justice) star. [9pm EST/Lifetime]
Sunday | June 29
U.S. Olympic Track/Swimming Trials: And Olympics fever continues… [7pm EST/NBC]
The Factory: The network targeting males premieres a new comedy from some of the same people who gave the world Strangers with Candy. [10pm EST/Spike TV]
NOTE: All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Photo courtesy of Tobias
Thank you for the info on Joan of Arcadia (and all the other weekly updates).
:)
Morjana
Great, Morjana! A fellow Joan of Arcadia fan. I’m thrilled to pass along the news it’s coming back on TV; I hope lots of people watch so Sci Fi will keep it in a good time slot. Fingers crossed…