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This may have been the last time we saw DEA agent Hank Schrader on his feet. Sunday's episode of "Breaking Bad" (AMC @ 10pm) will feature Dean Norris' performance of a lifetime.
Weekend EditionIt's Memorial Day weekend which means lots of war movies on TV, we've picked the best of the bunch for the schedule below. We'll stick with original programming tonight with Bill Maher, "Party Down" (which has been excellent this season), and "The Soup". Then we wait for Sunday's must-watch episode of "Breaking Bad" - yesterday series star R.J. Mitte told us that co-star Dean Norris gives the performance of his life. It's amazing how "Breaking Bad", the most compelling program on TV right now, only gets better.
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A picture is worth a million barrels: Evidently the American public needs everything drawn out for them, as simply as possible. Sure, we could be told that a million barrels of oil had been dumped in the Gulf of Mexico by the BP disaster but it wasn't until PBS put a live feed of the the seafloor video showing an endless geyser of oil did an inkling of the impact penetrate the awareness of Americans. The impact on wildlife and the economics of states ringing the Gulf is finally a bit more obvious - there's no way that people can ignore the fact that this is the worst toxic spill disaster of all time and that millions of people will be directly affected. We've embedded the PBS "NewsHour" barrel-counter widget below - perhaps they can find a video and make a widget for global warming that will inform and persuade a public in denial on that issue.
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Today Gary Coleman passed away from an intracranial hemorrhage caused by a fall a couple days ago. Coleman was best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" from 1978-1986 as well as various legal troubles in the last 15 years. We can only hope that Coleman is one of the last child actors to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous parents and managers as this was most likely the seed of many of his troubles later in life.
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The TV Junkie Plan: Tonight - "Hired" (Gary V!), Bill Maher, "Party Down", "The Soup" (the 10:30pm rerun), Leno (Colin Farrell, Elisabeth Moss), Ferguson (Jeffrey Ross). Saturday - Pride of the Marines. Sunday - Platoon, "Breaking Bad"
Tonight
6:30pm Hired MTV - Vayner Media, yeah Gary Vaynerchuk's company get's profiled and we watch the applicant process
7:15pm The Great Escape TCM - (1963) Allied soldiers (Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough) dig a tunnel out of a Nazi prison camp, pocketfuls of dirt at a time.
8:00pm Real Time With Bill Maher HBO - Conservationist Philippe Cousteau, Jr., author Jonathan Alter, Republican strategist Patrick Ruffini, author Scott Turow, and Dr. Cornel West
8:00pm Friday Night Lights NBC - Homecoming at the newly reopened school prompts Eric to investigate East Dillon's history; Tami feels the wrath of the boosters
9:30pm Not Going Out BBC America - Lucy discovers a side of herself that she never knew existed when Lee and Tim invite a lesbian couple over for dinner.
10:00pm Party Down Starz - Kyle promises to help his old mentor by romancing a wealthy female patron with the funds to save a theater.
10:00pm Friday Night With Jonathan Ross BBC America - Comedian Ross Noble, Mary, Queen of Shops host Mary Portas, former footballer Gary Lineker, and animated UK band Gorillaz.
10:00pm The Soup E! - Joel McHale and posse rock it
10:30pm Gravity Starz - Dogg decides to stop taking his medication, which proves to be a challenge for him when the group competes in a softball tournament; Lily takes Robert to a funeral.
11:35pm The Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC - Actor Colin Farrell; actress Elisabeth Moss; Kevin Eubanks performs.
12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Comic Jeffrey Ross; The National performs.
12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - Actor Ice Cube; actress Gemma Arterton; Stars perform.
Saturday
800pm Pride of the Marines TCM - (1945) Blinded on Guadalcanal, war hero Al Schmid (John Garfield) comes home unsure about his wife (Eleanor Parker) and future.
8:00pm Special Olympics Southern California: Be a Fan The CW - A look at the Special Olympics Southern California; athletes, sponsors, and volunteers.
Sunday
8:00pm 60 Minutes CBS - A bomb disposal unit comprised entirely of volunteers search for deadly explosive devices in Afghanistan; using DNA technology to sustain endangered species
8:00pm National Memorial Day Concert PBS/KCET - Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna co-host the 2010 concert honoring men and women of America's military services. Guests include Lionel Richie, Brad Paisley, Katherine Jenkins, Kelli O'Hara and Yolanda Adams.
8:00pm Platoon IFC - (1986) Two sergeants (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe) and a private (Charlie Sheen) join others lost in war along the 1967 Cambodian border
10:00pm Breaking Bad AMC - Skyler gets involved with Walt's business; Hank struggles with recovery; Jesse has a startling discovery.
