Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Saturday, September 12, 2009

Before we get to tonight’s TV, I hope you’ll all take a moment and help me wish my sister, Karen, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  She’s about as awesome as they come. I only wish I could be down in Connecticut with her today to celebrate. Hope you have the BEST year ever! You know I love ya!

Hopefully cake and ice cream will keep Karen busy tonight, because there’s certainly not much on in the way of new TV. Well, it’s Saturday so I guess we should make it movie night.  Here are a few worthwhile (ok maybe not the 3rd one listed) flicks to check out tonight.

The Devil Wears Prada | 8pm on FX
A recent college graduate lands a job working for a famous and diabolical editor of a New York fashion magazine. Based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger. Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Adrian Grenier, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt [GMMR: Go Emily Blunt! (My therapist says I should try to deal with my feelings in a positive way) Go Emily Blunt! (I’m trying, I swear)]

Die Hard | 8pm on Fox Movie Channel
New York policeman outwits foreign thugs holding his wife and others in a Los Angeles high-rise.Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Alexander Godunov [GMMR: The original and still the best.  Yippie kai yay…you know the rest]

From Justin to Kelly | 8pm on My Network TV
Two young people fall in love while spending spring break in Florida with their friends. Starring: Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Katherine Bailess, Anika Noni Rose, Greg Siff [GMMR: Wow – how far AMERICAN IDOL has come.  Kelly & Justin win a singing contest and they are forced into taking on the lead roles as actors in a movie. Yikes! Glad this didn’t have any lasting effect on Kelly. IDOL has learned their lesson.  Although, I’d be in line on opening day to see ‘ From Adam to Kris’…just sayin’.]

Chasing Amy | 9pm IFC
A young cartoonist falls for a fellow artist, a lesbian with a long list of former lovers. Starring: Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee, Dwight Ewell, Jason Mewes [GMMR: I’m a huge Kevin Smith fan and a big fan of this movie.  The film itself is fantastic, but there is one scene that goes down as one of my favorite all time movie scenes…ever. Affleck KILLS it!]

SUPERNATURAL: Sympathy for the Devil

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your summer and you’re ready to get back into serious television again, because Supernatural is back people! If you read my pre-premiere post, you saw that our fearless leader GMMR noted that she can’t read my posts until she’s caught up on season four (which she will be shortly). She’s tacked the whole series over the summer and I’m sure she’ll be eager to join the discussion soon. There were also a couple of admitted SPN converts in the comments on my last post (hi Kimber and Kelly!), and Patty’s racking up recruits like a military sergeant (no idea if sergeants do actual recruiting), so I’m looking forward to some new fans joining the discussions this year.

Before we even get to the episode, I have to give a shout out to the awesome “Then” sequence at the start – in particular, the inspired use of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as the soundtrack. Did that not get you even more psyched than you already were for the premiere?? Two seconds in and I was in my happy place; god I love this show so much. I also loved the new title card, with the white background and swirly blood-like splash of colour – very cool.

With that said, obviously, if you haven’t watched yet, there are SPOILERS ahead, so read at your own peril. Sam and Dean are back at the church, where Lucifer is rising from Hell (and I swear by the sound effects, I half expected him to bust out of there on a giant Harley). One minute they’re locked in, about to be confronted by the devil himself and the next, they’re watching Yosemite Sam on a Jet Blue-style airplane television screen. Wuuuhhh? For a split second I was afraid we were in for one of those “it was all a dream” tv clichés, and then I remembered what show I was watching – they would never do that to us (actually, they might, but you know SPN would even do that cliché in an awesome way). The plane suddenly flies over the beam emanating from the church where Lucifer is making his entrance and it looks like they may crash, however somehow they manage to land and the brothers get off the plane, wondering what the hell just happened.

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THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Glamoured, Dazzled…Hooked

You know, I have had a lot of TV loves in my life, and I’m sort of an enthusiastic person in general (to say the least), not to mention a little obsessive, so when I saw that The CW was doing a teenage vampire love story, I was OMG EXCITED. From the very first preview, I knew I’d be watching. There was no question, no maybe, no flicker of doubt in my mind.

My boyfriend Bill tried to temper my excitement by countering that THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is a blatant rip off of ‘Twilight’, he went as far as calling TVD “Twi-lite”.  Of course those in the know are aware that “The Vampire Diaries” series was published a good 14 years before Stephenie Meyer’s ‘Twilight’, so I’m not sure if TVD is “ripping off” Twilight as much as it may be more a matter of the producers leveraging the current success of the ‘Twilight’ movie franchise. But really at the end of the day I didn’t care.  I’m really into vampires right now! I love Twilight, I love True Blood, I’ve read all but the last Sookie Stackhouse novels, and I just finished a book called Bloodsucking Fiends. Of course I was going to watch this show.

Gotta say, I was really ready to just enjoy this show for the cheese and make fun of it relentlessly, while loving it shamelessly, but it was really better than I expected. I haven’t read the books, but I’ve got plenty of things to compare it to, which is mostly what I did and, given the current vampire craze, is what I bet a lot of people did, so I’m just going to go with it.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Friday, September 11, 2009

Did you survive your first week of Fall TV? I know I didn’t. How is it that I’m already behind on watching and on blogging in this, the first few days of the new season? Yikes!

V-A-C-A-TION, where gonna (clap, clap) have a ball…
On the bright side, as of this afternoon I’m officially on vacation!! And it’s not just any vacation but a TVacation (the very best kind). If you’re a TV Talk Podcast listener then you know that Ducky and I are heading to L.A. on Monday for a week long TV extravaganza! We’re going to be hitting the sets of a few of your favorite shows and maybe even some soon-to-be favorites. Plans are still being finalized so we can’t say right yet we’re we’ll be heading, but you’ll know once we know. (Plus, I don’t want to jinx ourselves.) If you haven’t yet subscribed to The TV Talk Podcast on iTunes you should consider doing so today. We’ll be posting podcast updates of our adventures, and hopefully some podcast interviews with some of our favorite TV peeps. You don’t want to miss out on all that, do you?

And as always, Project Doogie is in effect. Neil Patrick Harris still holds his place at the very top of my ‘must meet list’. He’ll be in town prepping for the Emmys, so maybe, just maybe our paths will finally cross. Dare to dream…dare to dream.

I’m looking forward to getting out of town and really being able to focus on TV stuff for the week. (Plus, I’ll finally have time to finish Project Supernatural.)

But perhaps I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. We still have tonight’s TV to talk about. There are a few new shows on tonight for you to check out. And if you need to play catch-up from this first week then you’re in luck because some of the networks are airing encore presentations of their new shows.

Monk | 9pm on USA
“Mr. Monk Takes the Stand”
Monk’s phobias threaten to undermine a murder case when an aggressive defense attorney targets his unconventional methods in court..

Eureka | 9pm on Syfy
“Have an Ice Day”
Tess hopes her first day in charge of Global will be uneventful; the arrival of an Arctic ice core brings a new Ice Age to Eureka.

Psych | 10pm on USA
“Shawn Has the Yips”
After a police bar is shot up in an apparent robbery, Shawn realizes the shooter was targeting one of the cops.

The Vampire Diaries | 8pm on The CW | Encore Presentation
“Pilot”
Elena is drawn to Stefan, a handsome and mysterious new student; Vicki is attacked at a party; Stefan learns that his evil older brother has returned

Melrose Place | 9pm on The CW | Encore Presentation
“Pilot”
Violet Foster, the newest tenant of an apartment complex in Los Angeles, discovers a bloody corpse in the courtyard pool.

Glee | 9pm on Fox | Encore Presentation
“Showmance”
The club performs for the first time in front of the school population; Sue Sylvester sends the “Cheerios” to infiltrate the group.

The Soup | 10pm on E!
“The Week in Review”
A weekly recap of various pop culture and television show moments of the week. The show is hosted by Joel McHale, who provides sarcastic and biting commentary on the various clips.

The Holiday | 9pm on TBS
Two women, one from America and one from England, swap homes at Christmastime after bad breakups with their boyfriends. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach [GMMR: ‘The Holiday’ is one of those movies that when I’m flipping through the channels I just can NOT turn off. The few weeks it was airing on HBO I hardly left the house. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I’ve seen sections of this movie over 50 times. I don’t know what it is about this movie that I just adore. Well, I do know, it stars my very favorite actress, Kate Winslet, who is just fantastic in this movie. And I guess the small cameo by John Krasinski doesn’t hurt either.]

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Michael Douglas, Leighton Meester, Kid Cudi
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Antonio Banderas, Bill Hader, Chris Cornell
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Drew Carey, Mindy Kaling
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Julie Bowen, Rumer Willis, the Used
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Russell Brand, Kaitlin Olson, George Jones
• Chelsea Lately: Sam Trammell, Brad Wollack, Loni Love, Scott Henry
• Last Call with Carson Daly: John Scurti, Zee Avi (R 6/18/09)

As always…what will YOU be watching?

Eureka | 9pm on Syfy

Tess hopes her first day in charge of Global will be uneventful; the arrival of an Arctic ice core brings a new Ice Age to Eureka.

Who Won HOH on BIG BROTHER…And Who Got Evicted?!

A lot of people are out there tonight wondering which houseguest left the BIG BROTHER house tonight? With one houseguest gone, the final two who will face off in the finals will be revealed. But as the BIG BROTHER saying goes, ‘expect the unexpected.’

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TOP CHEF Recap: Vivre Las Vegas

Well, the obvious place to start here is OMG THE HIGHSTAKES QUICKFIRE! Am I right? That WAS high stakes, and intense. I was gripping the heck out of Billy’s arm, on par to when we see horror movies (which is like, every weekend, because I’m a huge fan). And really, it seemed like a VERY difficult challenge and I really felt like it was up in the air, especially given how many of the chefs said they hadn’t worked with escargot, and even the ones in the top (except everyone’s favorite, Mike Isabella) commented on how difficult they were to work with.

As far as the bottom three were concerned, it was no big shock to see Jessie there, and I felt like Ashley’s admitted complete lack of experience with snails was what landed her there. I was REALLY hoping she wouldn’t get sent home because I thought of all that group, she is easily the most talented. Robin is just sort of a non-entity to me, so I was just meh about her.

I did like that they let them have a little cook-off and didn’t base it entirely on the escargot, and I actually thought that Jessie had a shot at staying, since that was a pretty cute little amuse bouche, but they sent her packing and you know, I think it was time. I liked her exit interview and how what she really wanted people to know was that she didn’t suck this much, and that she hadn’t felt like herself in the competition at all. And you know? I believed her. Some people aren’t cut out for the competition thing, as we’ve seen in numerous previous seasons and on a variety of other reality shows. It happens, and I think she’ll be fine out in the real world.

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SUPERNATURAL: Are You Ready for the Fifth (and Final?) Season

[Note from GMMR: I’m going to be walking through a mine field of spoilers until next week when I’m fully caught up on SUPERNATURAL. Case in point – this post from Nicole about tonight’s season premiere. Sorry Nicole. I wish I could read it before posting, but I just can’t take the chance.]

Despite the drought of original programming in the summer, I have to admit that September really snuck up on me and I can’t believe that it’s already fall tv season. That being said, I am so excited for tonight’s return of one of my favourite shows, Supernatural. It’s pretty safe to say that most SPN fans were blown away by the level of storytelling in season 4 and I know that everyone is dying to see what happens after the cliff-hanger we were left with back in May. After the jump, we’ll review where we left off (spoilers to the end of last season!), and discuss where we might be headed in season 5.

Season 4 brought a whole new level to the show, introducing us to celestial beings and prophets, fleshing out the hunting history of the Winchester clan and Sam’s role in the Apocalypse. Oh, and then there’s the small detail of Lucifer being released from hell to walk on earth. We also spent a good part of the season watching the brothers grow further and further apart as they disagreed over how to try to stop Lucifer’s plan. For long time fans of the show, it was difficult to watch the growing distance between them – I’m hoping that in season five, we’ll see the brothers more unified than we’ve seen in a while.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Thursday, September 10, 2009

Another day and more exciting premieres tonight.  I know many of you are counting down the seconds until the season premiere of SUPERNATURAL. I wish I could watch with you…soon enough.  I’m hoping that some of you will give THE VAMPIRE DIARIES a shot tonight. It’s not going to be for everyone (that I can guarantee), but the Twilight’esque series will certainly appeal to the sweet tooth of man.

BIG BROTHER is a bit of mystery.  Will the final two be revealed tonight?  According to the episode description, yes, but I’m not convinced.

It’s a busy night of TV, but seeing what we have coming our way next Thursday, well, enjoy the breathing room while you can.

What will you be watching tonight?  Let us know.

The Vampire Diaries | 8pm on The CW | Series Premiere
Elena is drawn to Stefan, a handsome and mysterious new student; Vicki is attacked at a party; Stefan learns that his evil older brother has returned. [GMMR: Counting down the minutes. This show is my new Fall guilty pleasure. Check out our CW Fall Preview Podcast to hear more on my thoughts on THE VAMPIRE DIARIES.]

Big Brother 11 | 8pm on CBS
The final Head of Household competition is held between the three remaining houseguests. The winner evicts one person, reducing the number to two finalists. Julie Chen is the host. [GMMR: There have been rumors that perhaps the final three will stay in the house together until next week.  I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.]

Supernatural | 9pm on The CW | Season Premiere
“Sympathy for the Devil”
In the fifth season premiere, Sam, Dean and Bobby deal with the aftermath of the devil (Mark Pellegrino) rising from hell; Chuck has stunning news for the brothers. [GMMR: Ok, so I didn’t complete Project Supernatural before the S5 premiere, but I’m thisclose. Give me a week or so and I’ll be all caught up and watching Supernatural with all of you this season.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta | 10pm on Bravo
“Throwing Shade”
Lisa debuts her clothing line, while Sheree’s fashion line is put on hold; NeNe gets tough on her college dropout son; Kandi calls in a favor; Kim throws a wig party.

Project Runway | 10pm on Lifetime
“What a Woman Wants”
Thirteen is the lucky number when the group creates clothes for 13 women. [GMMR: Hmm. Here’s to hoping tonight’s challenge is a bit more exciting than the episode description.]

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Matt Damon, Jack Hanna
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Dennis Quaid, Paolo Nutini
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Carrie Fisher, Ron Livingston
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Nick Cannon, Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, White Lies
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Tyler Perry, Amber Tamblyn, Mario Batali
• Chelsea Lately: Antonio Sabato Jr., Heather McDonald, Jason Kennedy, Jo Koy (R 9/2/09)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Jeremy Renner, Brandon Jennings, the Ting Tings (R 6/17/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Pre-empted
• The Colbert Report: Pre-empted

Which shows will YOU be checking out tonight? Leave a comment here or send me a message via Twitter.

Ellen DeGeneres Replaces Paula Abdul as Judge on AMERICAN IDOL

Raise your hand if you didn’t see this one coming. I sure didn’t. Earlier this evening it was announced that Ellen DeGeneres has been named as the newest judge on AMERICAN IDOL. Nope, it’s not one of these one-episode guest judges shindigs, Ellen will be sitting alongside Randy, Kara and Simon every week and will critique the contestants throughout the whole season. WOW!

“I’m thrilled to be the new judge on AMERICAN IDOL,” said DeGeneres. ”I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.”

“I could not be more excited to have Ellen join the AMERICAN IDOL family,” said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “Ellen has been a fan of the show for many years, and her love of music and understanding of the American public will bring a unique human touch to our judging panel. I can’t wait for this next season to begin.”

Watch Ellen Make the Big Announcement to Her Studio Audience

I’m actually a big fan of Ellen DeGeneres but I’m not sure how I feel about her in this new role. Last season Ellen sat in as a guest judge on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, another one of her favorite reality shows, and she brought nothing to the table. She shared a few canned quips, but really didn’t offer up any kind of criticism. I was disappointed in her appearance at the time. But perhaps things will change now that she has a standing voice within IDOL. Clearly the producers needed to fill the gap left by Paula Abdul’s departure. It’s not that Paula offered up insightful commentary (far from it), but she did fill the need for a support system for the contestants. Someone who was there to encourage them and keep their confidence up despite the harsh words of the other judges. Some would argue that perhaps the contestants didn’t need to be coddled like that, but at the end of the day, it made for better, more palpable television.

Ellen alluded that she would be representing the voice of the audience at home. The average person that would be the records put out by the IDOL wannabes. We’ve all played judge from our coaches, and now after 9 seasons a true fan will be sitting at the big kids table. Here’s to hoping she’s more about adding something to the show and less about being the comic relief all the time.

I don’t know that AMERICAN IDOL needed a fourth judge, but at the end of the day I’m glad that seat will be taken up by someone I completely dig.

Best of luck, Ellen!

The 9th season of AMERICAN IDOL premieres in January 2010.

Are you IDOL fans excited about Ellen joining the show as the new judge? Worried? Could care less?

About Last Night…MELROSE PLACE

So did you check out the all new MELROSE PLACE last night? I can’t wait to hear what you all thought about it.

Head over to yesterday’s GMMR post, “There’s No Place Like MELROSE PLACE” and share your thoughts on last night’s episode.

GLEE Podcast…Oh and Other Shows Too – The TV Talk Podcast

What? You can’t handle two podcasts in two days? Yeah, that’s right…Ducky and I have been chatterboxes. Yesterday we shared our thoughts on the new CBS shows as part of our Fall TV podcast series. And today, well today we’ve got more of general TV Talk Podcast, but it’s definitely a GLEEful podcast.

Tonight is the fall premiere of GLEE so we thought we’d start the podcast off this week with an in depth conversation about the first few episodes (which we’ve already seen) including Glee Cast Interviews!

After Glee, we briefly talk about this week’s TRUE BLOOD finale, our upcoming Los Angeles trip and SUPERNATURAL! Then it’s on to MAD MEN, AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW and BIG BANG THEORY casting news. We finally talk about this season of PROJECT RUNWAY and tease some of our Fall TV Preview podcasts.

*Recorded 9/7/09

To listen to TV Talk Podcast (with Chapter Markers) head on over to our iTunes page and subscribe! It’s the fastest and easiest way to listen to The TV Talk Podcast from week to week.

Listen: The TV Talk Podcast

Ellen DeGeneres Dances with the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCErs

THIS is why I need my own talk show. Ellen DeGeneres kicked off her 7th season on Tuesday by performing a choreographed routine along with the top ten finalists from Season 5 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. I’m so jealous! Way to kick it, Ellen!

Yes, the Season 5 winner was just crowned, but tonight kicks off Season 6 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. We’ve got more than a few weeks of auditions, and the of course Vegas week, before we get to the real competition. Bring it! I’m ready!

America’s Next Top Model | 8pm on The CW

Season Premiere: Fourteen contestants, who are 5-feet-7-inches or shorter, move into their home in Los Angeles; the contestants receive makeovers.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Wednesday, September 9, 2009

You gotta love these short weeks.  It’s already Wednesday! And it’s Wednesday on the brand new Fall TV season which means I’m jumping out of my skin with excitement. Why? Well, I’ve got two words for you – SYTYCD & GLEE (ok technically not two words but just go with it)!

Although it just a few weeks ago that Jeanine Mason was crowned the S5 champion, the best dance show on TV is back tonight to kick off it’s sixth season.  We’ve got almost a month of auditions before we get to the real competition, but I’m ok with that.  Just to think – Cat Deeley – back on TV in just a matter of hours. Welcome back SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!

And in what is probably the most long awaited second episode of the Fall season, we finally get a new episode of GLEE tonight. This is can’t miss TV! Here’s to hoping all the promotion effort Fox has put behind the show has paid off.  With Obama on most of the networks, GLEE has a chance for a big night. Fingers crossed! Later today, an all-new TV Talk Podcast will be posted during which Dan and I spend a fair amount of time talking about GLEE – what works, what they could be doing better, and how much we worship Chris Colfer (just wait, you will too).  We’re careful not to spill too many spoilers, so I think it’s safe for everyone to listen.

After all this, the least you could do is tell me what shows YOU will be watching tonight!

Presidential Address | 8pm on ABC, NBC, CBS
After months of criticism that he has failed to outline a specific health care reform plan, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress tonight in a speech aides say will be to the point. At stake for the president: getting Democratic factions on board with his plan and convincing Americans of the need for health care reform [GMMR: I grabbed that blurb from CNN.com. Read it over a few times and see if it doesn’t sound like an episode of a reality show to you. Clearly Obama has won HOH.  But who will win the healthcare POV? Ha! Ha!]

So You Think You Can Dance | 8pm on Fox | Season Premiere
“Season 6”
The SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE team start their journey across the country to find America’s favorite dancer. One of tonight’s featured audition cities will be Boston, MA. Cat Deely hosts.

America’s Next Top Model | 8pm on The CW | Season Premiere
“How Short Can You Go; The Early Bird Gets a Makeover”
Fourteen contestants, who are 5-feet-7-inches or shorter, move into their home in Los Angeles; the contestants receive makeovers.

Glee | 9pm on Fox | Season Premiere
“Showmance”
The club performs for the first time in front of the school population; Sue Sylvester sends the “Cheerios” to infiltrate the group.

Ghost Hunters | 9pm on SyFy
“I am Not Guilty”
The team investigates alleged paranormal activity at the Essex County Jail in New Jersey. [GMMR: For what it’s worth, I can’t even have this show on the background. I don’t know how you people watch this and still sleep through the night.]

Top Chef: Las Vegas | 10pm on Bravo
“Vivre Ls Vegas”
The contestants pair up to create the perfect French dish for acclaimed chefs Joël Robuchon, Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel and Jean Joho.

Leverage | 9pm on TNT
“The Lost Heir Job”
The con is on when Nate’s justice league targets a shady lawyer who’s out to wrest control of his client’s estate. Parker moves to the forefront of the scheme, masquerading as a long-lost daughter. Jeri Ryan and Peter Riegert guest star.

Dark Blue | 10pm on TNT
“Betsy”
Jaimie revisits her dark past when she goes undercover as her former self in a mission to crush a big-shot smuggler. For the case to succeed, she must reconnect with a bygone acquaintance—and ask a big favor of her boyfriend.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Jay-Z, Martha Stewart, George Jones
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Tom Arnold, Reba McEntire
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Danny DeVito, Audrey Tautou
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kathy Griffin, Ryan Kwanten, Brendan Benson
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Queen Latifah, Ed Westwick
• Chelsea Lately: Aaron Carter, John Caparulo, Donnell Rawlings, Arden Myrin
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Sig Hansen, Derek Dunfee, Diane Birch (R 6/16/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Pre-empted
• The Colbert Report: Pre-empted

This is where I turn it over to YOU! Share with us what YOU are watching tonight!

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