7 shows that should be on your radar this week (Aug. 24-30)
Kevin Bacon directs wife Kyra Sedgwick in the season finale of "The Closer," Monday on TNT.
Why is August like May? In May, network series wrap up for the season. In August, many scripted cable series air their season finales, and a lot of them are signing off this week.
1. “Mad Men,” No. 1 series this week and for the next 12 weeks. The current episode finds Betty Draper struggling with her father’s mental decline while the ad agency tries to land the account for the new Madison Square Garden — a project that will mean demolishing historic Penn Station. And in the very funny Episode 3, debuting Sunday, Roger and his new bride throw a party, and so do Joan and her new husband. Meanwhile, back at the office, a different kind of party breaks out. Watch for Joan to display an unexpected talent and Peggy to emerge from her shell.
2. “The Closer,” Season 5 finale, 8 p.m. Monday on TNT. Kevin Bacon directed his wife and daughter, Sosie, in the last new episode until December. Also ending their seasons this week on TNT are “Raising the Bar,” 9 p.m. Monday, and “Leverage,” 8 p.m. Wednesday.
3. “The Soup Presents: The Best Clips of ‘09 So Far,” 9 p.m. Monday on E! Joel McHale has the lead in a sitcom, NBC’s “Community,” for fall, but vows that “The Soup” won’t suffer. But first, he raises his profile with a series of four “Soup” specials.
4. “Nurse Jackie,” Season 1 finale, 9:30 p.m. Monday on Showtime. Jackie (Edie Falco) makes a dramatic decision in the Showtime hit, already picked up for a second season.
5. “Crash Course,” premiere, 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC. Two-person teams drive an obstacle course in a quest for a $50,000 prize. Fine, but I ask — could any of them navigate the Hanley-Eager interchange?
6. “Royal Pains,” Season 1 finale, 9 p.m. Thursday on USA. This adorable comedy drama, already remewed by USA, ends its first season with Jill casting doubt on her relationship with Hank by letting her ex-husband move back in.
7. “Daytime Emmy Awards,” 7 p.m. Sunday on the CW. Tributes to “Guiding Light,” ending its run in September, and to the late Phil Carey and Clint Ritchie (”One Life To Live”), should be highlights of the ceremonies, live from Los Angeles. More in Friday’s GO! section, including a list of major nominees from soaps, talk shows and children’s programming.
Hmmmm.
Since the digitalization of network broadcasts, I know a whole bunch of people who, like me, don’t get HBO, USA, E!, TNT, etc. anymore. Just cannot justify paying for t.v. in this economy.
So, out of 7 shows to be ‘on our radar’ we’d get “Crash Course” which sounds about as entertaining as karaoke at the retirement home (and probably requires an equivalent amount of talent) or the Daytime Emmys.
Netflix.
Definitely Netflix.
If you don’t have basic cable, you probably don’t have radar either. Maybe the whole bunch of people you know can all chip in a buck and gather around the console tv to watch together.
What the heck is a console t.v.? FYI, my plasma hangs on the wall and my numerous friends have LEDs, flat panels and plasmas as well. See, we all decided not to pay $50-70 a MONTH to flip through a bunch of worthless channels, and after a year or so of SAVING that money, we could all afford decent tv’s upon which to watch quality programs - and when you score a Netflix subscription for less than $10 a month, you’re still saving over cable. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/08/business/main4783767.shtml
Not everyone has your herd mentality, MoDuKKKe
I guess you can justify spending 3000 dollars on a tv in this economy though. And a tv of that price surely is in HD, which costs more to support. I have netflix too, but what do you about sports, news, weather…. If you send in a Netflix movie on Thursday you probably dont get the next one until monday. What do you do over the weekend? Don’t tell me watch netflix online. Ive tried that too. Maybe you can watch a movie you have seen already a million times or maybe one that no one has ever heard of. I guess no one is coming over your house for the superbowl huh.
Not to mention you obviously pay for internet, and have enough time (due to nothing on tv)to keep coming back to the same article to respond to everyones comments
I’m tired of people saying “in this economy” blah, blah. You go out and spend 3k on a tv, but some of us who get HBO, and usa are the bad ones? Sure, if that makes you feel so much better then, good for you. I think the 60 i spend every month on it is okay, considering i don’t go out much and plunk down 100 bucks to drink the night away. So, if you don’t like what she’s talking about, good for you. Keep watching nexflix, and leave us who do like it to comment.
Easy, isn’t it?
Leverage isn’t ending this week, there is a new episode next week
You may well be right. I have this release from TNT, but I’ll query them.
TNT
New Programming for Week of Aug. 24
Summer Finales of THE CLOSER, RAISING THE BAR and LEVERAGE,
Plus New Episode of DARK BLUE
Thanks for the heads-up on The Soup!’s review show tonight. I was not aware that this would be on and am not sure if my DVR will automatically pick it up.
Leverage was originally supposed to end this week, but TNT asked for 2 more episodes, so it now ends September 9.