Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Thursday, February 12, 2009

Welcome to Thursday, which is like the Monday night of TV, which used to be Thursday and still kind of is, but not really because Monday is the new Thursday.  Bottom line? You’ve got a lot of choices tonight.

Survivor: Tocantins | 8pm on CBS | Season Premiere
“Let’s Get Rid of the Weak Players Before We Even Start”
The castaways are surprised to learn that they must take a preliminary vote based solely on first impressions, before starting the grueling first challenge. [GMMR: Let us know if you will be watching SURVIVOR this season.  Is this something we should be covering on the site?]

Ugly Betty | 8pm on ABC
“The Courtship of Betty’s Father”
Betty’s video tribute for Claire Meade’s birthday is more revealing than she had planned; Daniel and Wilhelmina have trouble adjusting to the new significant others in their lives. [GMMR: I feel like I haven’t watched this show in ages.  But I heard Mark and Amanda are shacking up, so I’m definitely watching this week.]

The Office | 9pm on NBC
“Lecture Circuit (Part II)”
Michael and Pam continue their branch tour; Jim and Dwight try to fulfill their party planning duties; Angela’s new cat causes a commotion. [GMMR: I know way deep down that Amy Ryan won’t be guesting tonight, but there’s a deeper part of me that hopes Greg Daniels & co pull off a big surprise.]

Grey’s Anatomy | 9pm on ABC
“Before & After”
Addison, Naomi and Sam rush Archer to Seattle Grace, where they reunite with old friends in hope of saving his life; Izzie devises a medical game to teach the interns; Owen runs into someone significant from his past.

30 Rock | 9:30pm on NBC
“St. Valentine’s Day”
Not realizing it’s going to be a holiday, Liz insists she and Drew have their first official date on Valentine’s Day; Kenneth tries to win the affections of a new staffer.

Private Practice | 10pm on ABC
“Ex-Life”
Derek asks Addison to work with his pregnant patient while Archer recuperates from surgery; Bailey and Naomi work together to find the cause of Sam’s sudden asthma attack; Cooper, Violet and Pete treat a woman with postpartum depression.

America’s Best Dance Crew | 10pm on MTV
The five remaining crews (Quest, Strikers All Stars, Beat Freaks, The Fly Khicks, and Dynamic Edition) incorporate magical illusions into their routines. [GMMR: This has potential to be a sick night of dance.  I can’t wait to see what they bring to the stage.]

Burn Notice | 10pm on USA
“Bad Breaks”
A federal agent with a knack for giving Michael trouble returns to Miami to force Michael to hand over blackmail materials; the two enemies must work together during a bank robbery.

ER | 10pm on NBC
“The Family Man”
A car accident in the ambulance bay severely injures a mother; an insurance company frustrates Morris; Neela tells Brenner about her offer in North Carolina.

Also playing…

• My Name is Earl | 8:30pm on NBC: Earl tries to return Mr. Turtle to Darnell; Joy has a difficult time fitting in with her trophy-wife neighbors; Randy accidentally begins dating a guy.

• The 40th NAACP Image Awards | 8pm on Fox: Halle Berry and Tyler Perry host a celebration of accomplishments of people of color in music, TV, film and literature; statesman Al Gore and Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai receive the organization’s Chairman’s Award; Jennifer Hudson and Seal perform.

• Kath & Kim | 8:30pm on NBC: Kath asks Athena (Maya Rudolph) for spiritual guidance before auditioning for a community production of “Cats”; Kim gets a job at Phil’s sandwich shop.

• CSI | 9pm on CBS: The team investigates a murder at a fast-food restaurant but discovers that much of the evidence is covered in cooking oil.

• Eleventh Hour | 10pm on CBS: Hood suspects that his nemesis (Kate Burton) has returned when he is called upon to investigate a string of stem-cell thefts, which appears to indicate a cloning project.

Lots and lots to choose from. What will YOU be watching?