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Weekend Edition
On Sunday the highly anticipated 90-minute season two premiere episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead" airs at 9pm. The show pretty much puts us officially into Halloween season and while I'm very interested to see what's happened with the band of survivors who escaped Atlanta and are heading to who knows where, I'm also going to be watching to see if the show slacks off due to co-creator Frank Darabont's untimely departure earlier this year. Darabont was asked to leave the show by AMC for reasons not completely revealed by either the network or the showrunner but sources have said that AMC wanted to bring the cost-per-episode down and also that Darabont, who had never run a TV show before, was having trouble adjusting from the more languid scheduling of film production.
Whatever the reason for Darabont's departure, I've got to think that his motivating personality would be missed but I don't want to discount the extremely professional cast of great performers led by Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jon Bernthal, and Laurie Holden (see my PaleyFest interviews with most of these guys). As you can see in the above clip featuring Holden, the show has been more about human relationships than blowing away "walkers."
Be sure to watch "The Soup" tonight on E! at 10pm as they have some "Walking Dead" shenanigans in store. Also, you have a chance to get on the show as a zombie next season via the sweepstakes that AMC is running (also check out the hilarious video at the end of this post). Let me know if you win!
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The appearance of "The Walking Dead," while exciting, only jams up Sunday nights all the more. How am I supposed to consume "Boardwalk Empire," "Homeland," "Hung," and "Dexter"? It's an embarrassment of riches. Another problem is that all of these shows will end at the same time leaving us with a drought (with the exception of HBO).
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For Disney fans and/or people with kids, Hollywood Records recording artists Allstar Weekend will headline Radio Disney's first-ever "N.B.T." (Next Big Thing) Los Angeles Concert Tour, TOMORROW - Saturday, October 15 at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Other talent scheduled to attend include Radio Disney's Jake Whetter, Disney Channel stars Adam Irigoyen ("Shake It Up"), Stefanie Scott and Jake Short from "A.N.T. Farm," Olivia Holt and Dylan Riley Snyder from Disney XD's "Kickin' It," among others.
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"Daily Show" correspondent and Taco Bell commercial guy, Aasif Mandvi, has scored a new sitcom on CBS that he will star in and co-write. CBS could use his talent as their comedies seem so dated and pedestrian. We'll see how much leeway they give him. Not to have pigeonholed Mandvi, he also had a great cameo in the most recent season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He's a funny guy and we wish him well in this endeavor.
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The TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan: Tonight - "Real Time With Bill Maher," "Fringe," "The Soup," "Fashion Police," "Late Show With David Letterman," "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson." Saturday - La Strada, "Saturday Night Live." Sunday - "IGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed the World," "The Walking Dead," "Homeland"
Tonight
8:00pm Real Time With Bill Maher HBO - The roundtable guests this week are news anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, journalist John Fund and radio host Thom Hartmann; magician Penn Jillette is an interview guest.
8:30pm SoCal Connected KCET - Vaccination Battle Contagious diseases that were long thought to be under control are returning in alarming numbers because parents are waiting to vaccinate or are not vaccinating their children at all. Diabetes The rate of diabetes among African-Americans has tripled in the last 30 years. So a local podiatrist named Dr. Bill Releford has dedicated his life to decreasing that statistic. The Unger Report Satirist Brian Unger opines this week about the high cost of animal healthcare.
9:00pm Fringe Fox - Subject 9 Walter's experiments with a new drug result in a dangerous force; Olivia and Walter examine old case files in New York
10:00pm The Soup E! - Joel McHale & Friends take out the week's trashy media
10:30pm Fashion Police E! - Joan Rivers & Co. roast the week's fashion
11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Radio personality Artie Lange; comic Eddie Brill; Beirut performs.
11:35pm The Tonight Show With Jay Leno NBC - Sportscaster Terry Bradshaw; actor Rowan Atkinson; Game performs.
12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Singer Liza Minnelli; actor Adam Pally.
12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - Actor Matthew Broderick; TV personality Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Saturday
9:00pm La Strada TCM - (1954) A carnival brute (Anthony Quinn) mistreats his witless waif assistant (Giulietta Masina), who meets a friendly aerialist
11:25pm Saturday Night Live NBC - Host Anna Faris; Drake performs.
Sunday
4:30pm Epicerie Fine TV5MONDE - Series Premiere. Cooking show hosted by renowned chef Guy Martin of restaurant Le Grand Véfour in Paris, that takes a deep look into the history, production and preparation of fine French ingredients.
8:00pm IGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed the World Discovery - Documentary about Steve Jobs
9:00pm The Walking Dead AMC - Season Premiere. What Lies Ahead Rick leads the group out of Atlanta; the group is stopped by a threat unlike anything anyone has seen before; the search for someone who has gone missing.
9:00pm Masterpiece Mystery! PBS SoCal/KOCE - Case Histories: Episode 1 Jackson Brodie takes on a cold case of a girl who went missing 30 years earlier.
9:00pm Dexter Showtime - Smokey and the Bandit A serial killer from Dexter's past returns and Debra is uncomfortable in her new job.
9:00pm Boardwalk Empire HBO - What Does the Bee Do? Nucky considers a risky legal maneuver; Jimmy and Mickey head to Philadelphia; Eli worries about the Commodore's ability to lead
10:00pm Storm Chasers Discovery - Aftermath The teams all pitch in to help the recovery effort following a tragic tornado outbreak in Alabama and Mississippi.
10:00pm Hung HBO - Mister Drecker; Ease Up on the Whup-Ass Ray mistakes a former student for a client; Tanya finds herself in charge of a felon; Jessica gets a job; Lenore makes a deal with Sandee.
10:00pm Homeland Showtime - Clean Skin The Brody family prepares for a television interview; Carrie's team closes in on an Al Qaeda plot.
10:00pm Chopped Food - Trick or Treat, Chicken Feet! Candy and chicken feet in the first round; claws in the appetizers; more sweets and uncommon meats in the entrees
10:30pm How to Make It in America HBO - Money, Power, Private School CRISP lands a promising gig; Rachel gives Ben a gift; Cam raises money for an apartment; Rene shoots a viral video.
