TELEVISION
Cable outlets launching lots of new series
Biggest batch of new shows rolls out Thursday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, August 18, 2008
With the Olympics almost over, cable networks are hauling out new series at a fast and furious pace while broadcast awaits the start of the new fall season. On Thursday alone, check out five new shows. And several shows are drawing to a close for the year, including “Baldwin Hills” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Monday, Aug. 18
AP
Actress Vivica A. Fox joins the reality TV hordes this month with the launch of ‘Glam God With Vivica A. Fox’ on VH1 (10 p.m. Thursday). The show follows her quest to find America’s next great fashion stylist.
• Laurence Fishburne joins cast of "CSI"
• PHOTOS: Fans, family pay tribute to Bernie Mac
• PHOTOS: Diverse array of star attend ALMA Awards
RECENT HEADLINES• “Monday Night Football” 8 p.m. ESPN — Pre-season football featuring the Browns vs. the Giants.
• “The Closer” 9 p.m. TNT — The teen murdered in this episode isn’t such a saint himself.
• “Thank You Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House” 9 p.m. HBO — White House correspondent Helen Thomas has been grilling presidents since J.F.K. Now she gets the spotlight placed on her.
• “The Hills” 10 p.m. MTV (season debut) — The two-minute teaser trailer for season four features Audrina cheating on Justin, Brody and Doug thrown in jail, Spencer and Heidi complaining, and Whtiney slobberin’ over some dude.
Tuesday, Aug. 19
• “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” 8 p.m. ABC Family — Amy and Ashley’s grandma is surprisingly zen about Amy’s pregnancy — at least on the surface.
• “Eureka” 9 p.m. CBS — Sheriff Carter lives his own “Groundhog Day” over and over.
• “Making the Band 4” 9 p.m. MTV (season debut) — If you can’t get enough of Diddy, here he is again with two of his bands.
• “From G’s to Gents” 10 p.m. MTV — Atlanta’s Keshan Moore let his anger get to him last week after he took Creepa’s joking around a wee bit too seriously. Result: Keshan was booted. Too bad. He created good drama.
• “Baldwin Hills” 10, 10:30 p.m. BET (season finale) — Back-to-back finale episodes. Will Staci keep the baby? Will Moriah go to UCLA?
Wednesday, Aug. 20
• “The Greatest American Dog” 8 p.m. CBS — So much for love on the screen. Travis’ potential squeeze Laura didn’t quite work it with her dog Preston last week and got cut. Our pic to win at this point: J.D. and Galaxy.
• “Ghost Hunters International” 9 p.m. SciFi (season finale) — The hunters check out Poienari Castle, the realm of Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes, the real-life inspiration behind Dracula.
• “Project Runway” 9 p.m. Bravo — Last season, the designers had to create clothes for female wrestlers. This year, it’s drag queens. Boy o boy o boy.
• “Family Foreman” 10 p.m. TV Land (season finale) — The ever busy George tries to spend quality time with his also very busy wife.
Thursday, Aug. 21
• “Destroyed in Seconds” 9 p.m. Discovery (new series) — An excuse to see things go boom!
• “The Principal’s Office” 9 p.m. Tru TV (new series) — A docu-reality series featuring life as a principal at a different school each week.
• “Glam God With Vivica A. Fox” 10 p.m. VH1 (new series) — VH1 is hauling out the celebreality this month. Fox seeks the next great celebrity stylist while Margaret Cho channels Kathy Griffin in her show “The Cho Show” at 11.
• “Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force” 10 p.m. A&E (new series) — The Essex/Union Auto Theft Task Force chases down car thieves.
• “America’s Best Dance Crew” 10 p.m. MTV (season finale) — We’re rooting for Super Cr3w but still miss Fanny Pak.
• “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” 10 p.m. Bravo (new series) — Think Gordon Ramsay for salons with Tabatha Coffey from Australia helping out problem salons. Why do we always need foreigners to help us?
Friday, Aug. 22
• “Gone Country 2” 8 p.m. CMT — Sean Young is flighty and nowhere near “country.”
• “The Cheetah Girls One World” 8 p.m. Disney — It’s sad to see former Atlantan Raven Symone gone. Her character went to Cambridge while the remaining trio enjoy Bollywood.
• “Outsiders Inn” 8:30 p.m. CMT — Redneck stereotypes meet Hollywood and Bobby Brown.
• “Monk” 9 p.m. USA— Monk falls in love with an alleged murderer and he naturally tries to prove she’s innocent.
• “Who Are You Wearing?” 10 p.m. TLC (new series) — Four regular folks each week are given a shot to make a dress for a celebrity to wear on a red carpet or party.
Weekend, Aug. 23-24
• “Making It Home: Greensburg” 7 p.m. Saturday TLC (new series) — Two “Trading Spaces” folks go to Kansas to help rebuild homes destroyed by a tornado.
• “Dear Prudence” 9 p.m. Saturday Hallmark — Jane Seymour plays a Martha Stewart-type who takes a vacation, gets embroiled in a murder case and solves it with her housekeeping savvy.
• “Flu Bird Horror” 9 p.m. Saturday SciFi — The title says it all, doesn’t it?
• “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” 9 p.m. Sunday USA (season finale) — Goren finds a picture by his mom’s grave and suspects his old nemesis is back yet again.
• “Generation Kill” 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (series finale) — The Bravo unit reaches Baghdad and finds barely contained chaos and a lack of a plan.
• “Z Rock” 11:30 p.m. Sunday IFC (new series) — A heavy metal trio at night doubles as a popular children’s band in the day.
