Thursday 16
“Survivor: Vanuatu” (KRQE-13 7 p.m.) The ninth season of “Survivor” starts out by stranding contestants on Vanuatu. It's a chain of 83 islands out in the middle of the Pacific. You know, just northeast of New Caledonia.
Friday 17
“20/20: 25 on 20/20” (KOAT-7 9 p.m.) As Barbara Walters prepares to leave the anchor desk at 20/20, the show treats her to a 25 year retrospective of newsmaking highlights. Funny, I don't remember Geraldo Rivera getting the same treatment when he left.
Saturday 18
“2004 Miss America Contest” (KOAT-7 8 p.m.) Chris Harrison, the host of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” does man-in-tux duty at this year's telecast. Seriously? The guy from “The Bachelorette”? What, is Tom Bergeron from “America's Funniest Home Videos” too big a star now?
Darklight (Sci-Fi 7 p.m.) A demon and a secret society member race to stop an evil monster from unleashing a plague upon the Earth. Well, at least it's not space aliens.
Sunday 19
Poirot: Death on the Nile (A&E 6 p.m.) Longtime Hercule Poirot David Suchet returns as the chubby Belgian sleuth in a TV movie version of one of Agatha Christie's most famous stories.
“Family Bonds” (HBO 11 p.m.) It's a bit of a bummer that HBO's impeccable Sunday night lineup has gone the “reality” route, giving us this documentary series about a family of professional bounty hunters. Could be entertaining, but it's a bit of a letdown after such finely scripted shows as “The Sopranos,” “Entourage” and “Curb your Enthusiasm.”
Monday 20
“Listen Up” (KRQE-13 7:30 p.m.) Jason Alexander tries to break the “Seinfeld” curse by starring in this sitcom loosely based on the newspaper columns of sportswriter Tony Kornheiser. … The curse continues.
Tuesday 21
“Rodney” (KOAT-7 8:30 p.m.) Comedian Rodney Carrington plays a family man who wants to be a comedian in this (sigh) semi-autobiographical sitcom.
Wednesday 22
“Dr. Phil Primetime Special: Family First” (KRQE-13 7 p.m.) Dr. Phil tells you how to raise your kids. Great. First, he thinks he's Richard Simmons. Now he thinks he's Dr. Spock.
“Lost” (KOAT-7 7 p.m.) Created by “Alias” guru J.J. Abrams, this odd series features a planeload of people who crash on a deserted tropical island and do their best to survive. It looks a lot like “Survivor” except for the fact that the survivors get attacked by a polar bear. Yeah. Something weird is going on here. Don't know if its worth sticking around a whole season to find out what it is exactly.
“The Mountain” (KWBQ-19 8 p.m.) The WB unloads another teen-oriented soap. This one's set at a ski resort.
“Veronica Mars” (KASY-50 8 p.m.) Promising newcomer Kristen Bell stars in this drama about a teenage private investigator who solves mysteries in a rich seaside community. … Gee, it sounds silly when you say it out loud.
