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"Real Time With Bill Maher" returns to HBO tonight, followed by the debut of "Funny or Die" presents and "The Ricky Gervais Show"
"Real Time With Bill Maher" returns to HBO tonight, followed by the debut of "Funny or Die" presents and "The Ricky Gervais Show" Weekend EditionWhile some in the press are faulting the Canadians for glitches in the Winter Olympics, Canadian television will be breaking even or turning a profit on their broadcast of the games despite showing 3-times the footage that we're seeing on NBC, which is the network that says it will be losing $250 million on these games.
This Wednesday, NBC's Olympic broadcast beat out "American Idol" so how can you not make a profit on that? Canada's CTV did it by giving the public what they wanted: they supersaturated programming with the Olympics, providing near 24/7 coverage and over a dozen live feeds. Compare that to the tape-delayed coverage NBC is providing Americans, even those in the same timezone as Vancouver as well as spotty event coverage, "highlights" of competition, and their obnoxious and time-wasting "profile" segments. As we pointed out in the 2008 Olympics, viewers want more competition coverage, and it turns out it is the most profitable way to go.
--- The Tiger Woods "Press Conference": Today Tiger Woods displayed the egotism, arrogance, and greed that got him into trouble in the first place by holding a "press conference" in order to read a prepared statement and then get a hug from his mommy. Most news shows, particularly local, only have a set amount of time for sports coverage and in order to mention his circus stunt, other athletic endeavors, probably the Olympics, will be shortened or cut from the shows.
--- "Better Off Ted" fans, there's an online petition to save the show from cancellation.
--- WHY?A&E renews "Steven Seagal: Lawman"
--- This Weekend: Tonight Bill Maher is back on HBO followed by a ton of new comedy; Saturday is all about the Olympics and on Sunday, Academy Awards fans should watch the BAFTAs on BBC America as there is usually a good correspondence between winners there and the Oscars.
--- The TV Junkie Plan: Tonight - Olympics, Bill Maher, Olympics, "Funny or Die Presents", "The Ricky Gervais Show", "The Soup", Olympics. Saturday - Olympics. Sunday - Olympics, "The British Academy Film Awards 2010" (BAFTA), Olympics, "Big Love", Olympics.
2:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 CNBC - Curling, men's: USA vs. France; hockey, men's: Czech Republic vs. Latvia; curling, women's: Denmark vs. Canada
7:00pm Real Time with Bill Maher HBO - Season Premiere. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane; journalist Norah O'Donnell; former N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer; comic Wanda Sykes; Elizabeth Warren, chair of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel.
8:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Figure skating: compulsory dance; skeleton: men's and women's Gold Medal final; skiing: men's Super G Gold Medal final; ski jumping: individual K-125 large hill
9:00pm What Not to Wear TLC - A 38-year-old professor of nonverbal communication with a collection of mom jeans tries to learn how fashion can speak louder than words.
9:00pm Funny or Die Presents HBO - Series Premiere
9:00pm Caprica Syfy - Gravedancing
9:30pm The Ricky Gervais Show HBO - Series Premiere.
9:55pm Spartacus: Blood and Sand Starz - Batiatus is given a gladitorial opportunity of a lifetime; Crixus and Spartacus must learn to fight as a team
10:00pm The Soup E! - The week of media boiled down into 1/2 hour
10:00pm The Life & Times of Tim HBO - Season Premiere
10:00pm Friday Night With Jonathan Ross BBC America Jeff Bridges; John Bishop; Westlife; Courtney Love
10:00pm 20/20 ABC - Actor Jeff Garlin discusses his memoir, "My Footprint"; the case of Yousef vs. Samantar; investigating the death of a 4-year-old foster child in Texas.
11:00pm Comedy Central Presents Comedy Central - Season Premiere. Tony Rock
11:30pm Comedy Central Presents Comedy Central - Doug Williams
11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - TV personality Nicole Richie; comic Tom Papa.
12:05am Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC - TV personality Lauren Conrad; Wale performs.
12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor Topher Grace; author Peter Sagal.
Saturday
9:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 MSNBC - Curling, men's: USA vs. Sweden; hockey, men's: Switzerland vs. Norway.
1:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Freestyle skiing: women's aerials; ski jumping: K-125 large hill Gold Medal final; cross-country skiing: men's 30km pursuit Gold Medal final.
2:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 CNBC - Curling, women's: USA vs. Great Britain.
4:30pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 MSNBC - Hockey, men's: Slovakia vs. Latvia.
7:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 CNBC - Curling, men's: Canada vs. Great Britain
8:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Speed skating: men's short track 1000m quarterfinals, semifinals and Gold Medal final; speed skating: men's 1500m Gold Medal final; bobsled: two-man; skiing: women's Super G Gold Medal final
9:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 MSNBC - Hockey, men's: Belarus vs. Germany.
12:00am Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Speed skating: women's short track 1500m semifinal and Gold Medal final; Speed skating: men's short track 1000m quarterfinals, semifinals and Gold Medal final
Sunday
9:00am Olympic Winter Games 2010 MSNBC - Curling, women's: USA vs. Canada.
12:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Hockey, men's: Russia vs. Czech Republic; freestyle skiing: men's ski cross; biathlon: men's 15km mass start Gold Medal final.
2:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 CNBC - Curling, men's: USA vs. Great Britain
4:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 MSNBC - Hockey, men's: USA vs. Canada
5:00pm The British Academy Film Awards 2010 BBC America - Special Presentation
7:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 CNBC - Curling, women's: USA vs. Sweden
7:00pm Olympic Winter Games 2010 NBC - Figure skating: original dance; speed skating: women's 1500m Gold Medal final; freestyle skiing: men's ski cross Gold Medal final; skiing: men's giant slalom; bobsled: two-man Gold Medal final
8:00pm The Amazing Race 16 CBS - A contestant encounters a moody cow at a roadblock; a newly formed alliance rubs teams the wrong way.
8:00pm King Tut Unwrapped Discovery - The truth about King Tut is finally revealed.
9:00pm Big Love HBO - Bill makes an emergency trip to Mexico; Nicki is shocked by a doctor's news; Margene tries to keep Ana from leaving the country.
9:00pm Undercover Boss CBS - While under cover within the company, the CEO of 7-Eleven discovers one of his corporate policies is not being implemented on the front lines
9:00pm Desperate Housewives ABC - Susan causes a stir when she invites Robin into her home; Bree tries to entice Orson; Gaby looks for help with Ana
9:00pm The Family Crews BET - Series Premiere
9:00pm Sinbad: Where U Been? Comedy Central - Premiere of the comedian's latest act performed at the Club Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
10:00pm How to Make It in America HBO - Ben and Cam search for a manufacturer to make their brand of jeans; Ben and Rachel realize that they have not moved on.
Every two years, Desert X presents site-specific outdoor installations throughout the Coachella Valley. Two Los Angeles artists have new work on display.
