Photo: PBS
The first Frontline special of the season, "Cheney's Law" (9 p.m. EDT, check listings), offers a detailed look at the ways Vice President Dick Cheney has maneuvered to give Bush unprecedented wartime power. By subverting the checks and balances set in place by the U.S. Constitution, Cheney defined and encouraged some of President Bush's most disastrous policies, and while you may be familiar with the administration's more questionable gambits, the specifics will shock you. Key figures from Colin Powell to Condoleezza Rice were cut out of the loop of several major decisions in the wake of 9/11, as Cheney and his lawyer, David Addington, engaged in legal tightrope walks to increase Bush's authority. This haunting look at the behind-the-scenes trickery includes scenes dramatic enough to belong in a "West Wing" season finale, so don't miss it.
PBS's Nova special "Ghost in Your Genes" (8 p.m. EDT, check listings) examines epigenetic therapy. The Oscar-winning film "The Last of the Mohicans" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on AMC. Sundance documentary "Wordplay," which focuses on New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz, airs as part of PBS's Independent Lens series at 10 p.m. EDT (check listings). And on FX's "Damages" (10 p.m. EDT), the events surrounding David's murder are further revealed.
Regis and KellyABC, 9 a.m. EDT | Jake Gyllenhaal, Dominic Purcell |
The ViewABC, 11 a.m. EDT | Susan Lucci, Amy Grant |
Ellen DeGeneresSyndicated, check local listings | Drew Carey, Jonathan and Kate Gosselin and their eight children, Angie Stone |
Oprah WinfreySyndicated, check local listings | Dr. Christiane Northrup |
Charlie RosePBS, check local listings | Samantha Power, Mark Penn |
Larry KingCNN, 9 p.m. EDT | Joel and Victoria Osteen |
Jon StewartComedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT | Meryl Streep |
Stephen ColbertComedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT | Bob Drogin |
David LettermanCBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT | Richard Simmons, Casey Affleck, Sondre Lerche |
Jay LenoNBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT | Reese Witherspoon, David Koechner, PJ Harvey |
Tavis SmileyPBS, check local listings | Amy Madigan, Michael Otterman |
Jimmy KimmelABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT | Kristin Chenoweth, Nick Cannon, Angie Stone |
Conan O'BrienNBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT | Jake Gyllenhaal, Christina Hendricks, Ghostland Observatory |
Craig FergusonCBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT | Vicente Fox, Leslie Bibb, Ron Pearson |
Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter
I pick me!
At least one veep also-ran is "baffled" by Cheney's self-selection.
By Jake Tapper, Salon
Dick Cheney is angry
In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Cheney's bitterness, rage, and deceitfulness were on full display.
By Alex Koppelman, Salon
Torture and truthiness
If Dick Cheney believes he can prove that torture saved us from terrorist attacks, why does he oppose a full investigation?
By Joe Conason, Salon
Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President
A fascinating book about how Dick Cheney transformed a traditionally inconsequential office into a focal point of presidential power.
By Stephen F. Hayes
Shoot first, avoid questions later
The White House's secretive response to Cheney's misfire cannot be understood apart from the society of Texas royalty.
By Sidney Blumenthal, Salon
Letterman
Halloween Stories
In Iraq, Blackwater means Sewage