TV Daily

Salon’s guide to what to watch

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007

Prime Pick

Back to you

Photo: Fox

Traditional sitcoms may feel old and tired to most viewers, but that doesn't mean that the right mix of talent won't have you guffawing louder than that booming laugh track. If you can stomach its old-fashioned format, Fox's "Back to You" (8 p.m. EDT) has a pretty bulletproof cast, inhabiting roles they were born to play: Kelsey Grammer as an arrogant blowhard of a news anchorman, Patricia Heaton as his exasperated, put-upon co-anchor, and Fred Willard as the weirdo weatherman. These three are serious pros at the rhythms and sight gags of the multi-camera sitcom, and they have plenty of great material to play with here. Let's just hope they don't belabor love stories (the endless love of Rachel and Ross on "Friends" slowly and painfully killed that golden goose long ago), because lampooning the supreme stupidity of local news is much more fun.

-- H.H.

Also…

The second episode of surreal dramedy "Pushing Daisies" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC, and the post-finale reunion episode of "Top Chef" airs at 10 p.m. EDT on Bravo. Afterward, on MTV's new reality show "Pageant Place" (premieres at 10:30 p.m. EDT), Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA share an apartment in New York together while carrying out their duties as glad-handing spokesmodels.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT		 Joaquin Phoenix, Tyler Perry, Taylor Swift

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT		 Tracy Morgan, Alice Waters

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings		 Rita Wilson, Kate Walsh, Kristin Chenoweth

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings		 Nate Berkus

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings		 George Clooney, Emile Hirsch

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT		 Howard K. Stern

Jon Stewart

Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT		 Lynne Cheney

Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT		 Gen. Wesley Clark

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT		 Stephen Colbert, Eva Mendes, Queens of the Stone Age

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT		 Dana Carvey, Malin Akerman, Plain White T's

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings		 Janet Reno

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT		 America Ferrera, Tony Hawk, Datarock

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT		 Tracy Morgan, Emile Hirsch, A.J. Jacobs

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT		 Fred Willard, Saffron Burrows, Modest Mouse

Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter

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