Thursday 24
“The Office” (KOB-4 8:30 p.m.) Here, we've got Steve Carell (“The Daily Show”) taking over for Ricky Gervais in a stateside adaptation of the cult BBC comedy. The last remake of a British sitcom NBC tried out in this timeslot was “Coupling”–and we all know how spectacular that was.
Friday 25
“36th Annual NAACP Image Awards” (KASA-2 7 p.m.) On the down side, Li'l Kim will not be attending. On the up side, Oprah Winfrey gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Kojak” (USA 7 p.m.) I'm still not over the fact that Marsellus Wallace is Kojak. Actor Ving Rhames takes over the duty of lollipop-sucking detective Theo Kojak from Telly Savalas. … Funny, Rhames doesn't look Greek.
Saturday 26
Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie (KOAT-7 7 p.m.) The classic kiddy book series (and long-running TV show) gets a makeover with this faithful limited-series adaptation. The story will run for five consecutive Saturdays in March/April, which should give you all the covered wagons, gingham dresses and weepy life lessons you could possibly need.
“Clone Wars” (Cartoon Network 9 p.m.) Catch the newest episodes, 21-25, of Genndy Tartakovsky's animated series tonight. These energetic shorts bridge the gap between Star Wars, Episode II and III. Plus, they're probably a lot better than whatever Lucas is going to offer us this summer.
Sunday 27
“Grey's Anatomy” (KOAT-7 9 p.m.) An hour-long drama on network TV? It's gotta be A) lawyers, B) doctors or C) cops/detectives. This one's B.
“Carnivalé” (HBO 11 p.m.) HBO's epic battle between Satan (I guess) and God (I suppose) comes down to tonight's supernatural season (and possibly series) finale.
Monday 28
“Trippin'” (MTV 11:30 p.m.) Is there a slang term MTV has yet to adopt as a show title? This new travel series is described thusly: “Cameron Diaz and a group of her close, personal friends think globally and act globally too as they travel to unlikely getaways, from Chile to Yellowstone, on a quest to save the environment.” To be followed by “Bono's Self-Righteous Indignation Hour.”
Tuesday 29
“Invasion Iowa” (Spike 7 p.m.) William Shatner stars in this new reality mini-series in which tiny Riverside, Iowa (self-proclaimed “future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk”), is the victim of a giant hoax. The residents of Riverside (all 928 of them) are told that a big-budget sci-fi movie (starring Mr. Shatner) will be shooting in their town. But it's all a big prank. Spike says it's “the greatest hoax in U.S. history.” I say it's been done before.
Wednesday 30
“Eyes” (KOAT-7 9 p.m.) Tim Daly (who starred in “Wings” and is surely wondering how the hell Thomas Hayden Church got an Academy Award nomination) headlines this ensemble drama about a “risk management” company that skirts the edge of the law, spying on corporate embezzlers, high-tech thieves and Fortune 500 blackmailers. Thank God somebody's out there protecting the Enrons of the world.
