TV Daily

Salon's guide to what to watch on Tuesday: Fox's "On the Lot" must be seen to be believed.

Published August 14, 2007 11:00AM (EDT)

Prime Pick

Photo: Fox

When Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg and Emmy-winning reality producer Mark Burnett teamed up to create their own reality competition for aspiring directors, most of us assumed it would be worth watching -- and it is, at least once, because you'll never quite understand how bad Fox's "On the Lot" is (the first part of a two-part season finale airs at 8 p.m. EDT) until you see it with your own eyes. Despite the high-caliber résumés of its creators, what's most amazing about this show is that the network has kept it on for so long, turning a blind eye to weak ratings and some of the least inspired short films ever seen. When someone as smart and charming as judge Carrie Fisher comes off as grumpy and unlikable, you know the producers are doing something wrong. But then, who wouldn't be as annoyed as Fisher seems after watching so many crappy films, night after night? Whether or not the winning director is moderately talented, at least we're nearing the end of what should've been called "Project Redlight."

Also…

Dying to know what new mother Tori Spelling has been up to lately? Tune in for the second season of "Tori and Dean: Inn Love" (premieres at 10 p.m. EDT on Oxygen). Oxygen follows it up at 10:30 p.m. EDT with "I Am Mandy Moore," a one-hour look at the singer/actress as she pulls together an album and promotional tour. And if that's all too fluffy for you, ESPN airs Part 6 of its eight-part miniseries "The Bronx Is Burning," at 10 p.m. EDT.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT

Tony Shalhoub

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT

Anderson Cooper, guest co-hosts Caroline Rhea and Melissa Claire Egan (repeat)

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

America Ferrera, Keane, David Frei (repeat)

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

Elizabeth Vargas (repeat)

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

Esther Dyson

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT

Bill Maher

Jon Stewart

Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT

Denis Leary

Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT

Jerry Miller, Spencer Wells

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT

Don Cheadle, Smashing Pumpkins, a Top Ten List presented by Venus Williams (repeat)

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT

Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonah Hill, MIMS (repeat)

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

Danica McKellar, Dennis Ross

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Cynthia McFadden, Ne-Yo (repeat)

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Ice Cube, B.J. Novak, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (repeat)

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Jonah Hill, Natascha McElhone, Taylor Williamson

Contributors: Matthew Fishbane, Heather Havrilesky, Amy Reiter


By Salon Staff

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