Premieres and Notables March 24-30, 2008

I'll be using "return" a bit in the upcoming weeks when I know something's coming back from a break or airing new episodes after the strike.

Monday, 3/24

CSI: Miami; CBS. 9 pm CST. Return.

Greek; ABC Family. 7 pm. Return.

And while this may look like cheap stunt casting, Britney Spears plays a potential love interest for Ted on How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 7:30). Sounds bad on paper, but, c'mon, it's HIMYM. You just know it's gonna work...


Tuesday, 3/25

Autism: The Musical; HBO. 7 pm. Special.
HBO's music-based stories about youngsters are remarkably good. This one looks at a group of autistic children who wrote, rehearsed, and performed their own musical.

Evel Dick returns on Big Brother 9 (CBS, 8 pm). I hope he gives Natalie a dollar and tells her to buy some self-respect.

And, the bad news came in last week: tonight's finale of Jerico (CBS, 9:00) is a series finale. The fans tried, but couldn't get the ratings up. At least the producers thought this could happen and filmed endings for both a season-ender as well as a series-ender, so, hopefully, there is some closure for fans when the credits roll.


Wednesday, 3/26

Every mag I read about upcoming TV mentioned this show:
Great Performances; PBS. 7 pm (check local listings). Special.
This episode features the half-hour stop-motion animation adaptation of "Peter and the Wolf" that won this year's Oscar for Best Animated Short. And it's told without narration or dialogue...


Thursday, 3/27

Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?; PBS. 9 pm (check local listings). Mini-series.
A four-part look at the causes of socioeconomic and racial inequality in heath care.


Saturday, 3/29

Dance on Sunset; Nickelodeon. 8:30. Series Premiere.
A new show that offers easy steps for the latest dance moves.

Kid's Choice Awards; Nickelodeon. 7 pm. Special
Hosted by Jack Black.


Sunday, 3/30

The Capture of the Green River Killer; LMN. 7 pm. Mini-series.
A two-part mini about the 20-year manhunt for one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. It's supposed to be good. And it stars one of my favorite TV actors: Tom Cavanagh.

The Tudors; Showtime. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.

Tracey Ullman's State of the Union; Showtime. 9 pm. Series Premiere.
Newly American citizen Ullman takes looks at life in America in her new sketch comedy series.