TV Daily

Friday/weekend: Kick off Super Bowl time with the pleasant chitchat on IFC's "Dinner for Five." Plus: What did you think of the "Lost" season premiere on Thursday?

Published February 1, 2008 11:00AM (EST)

Weekend Pick

IFC

Jon Favreau's "Dinner for Five" (10:30 p.m. EST Friday on IFC) has always been the sort of show that makes you thank your lucky stars for odd little cable channels. Inviting four Hollywood notables to dinner, plying them with booze and encouraging them to go on about themselves? It sounds awful, until you consider some of Favreau's past guests: Carrie Fisher, David Milch, Dave Eggers, Gary Shandling ... It's an impressive list. There's no new season ahead, so be sure to enjoy tonight's stand-alone episode, in which Favreau sits down with longtime friend Vince Vaughn plus Justin Long, Keir O'Donnell and Peter Billingsley. Of course on Sunday you'll be watching the Patriots and the Giants meet at "Super Bowl XLII" (6 p.m. EST on Fox), but if you get bored with the pregame show, don't forget the "Puppy Bowl" (3 p.m. EST Sunday on Animal Planet).

Also…

On Friday, TCM kicks off "31 Days of Oscar," which features Oscar nominees and winners, and begins with "Jaws" (8 p.m. EST); "Monk" receives acclaim as a painter (9 p.m. EST on USA); Matt Saracen is down in the dumps on "Friday Night Lights" (9 p.m. EST on NBC); and therapist Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) visits his therapist (Dianne Wiest) on nightly drama "In Treatment" (9:30 p.m. EST on HBO). On Saturday, Steven Spielberg's very dark and scary "War of the Worlds" airs at 8 p.m. EST on ABC, and the somewhat unusual sketch comedy show "Whitest Kids U Know" airs at 8 p.m. EST on IFC. On Sunday, after you catch the world's most expensive commercials plus Tom Petty's performance at Super Bowl XLII (6 p.m. EST on Fox), don't miss Terrence Malick's breathtaking WWII film "The Thin Red Line" (8:45 p.m. EST on IFC). The fifth of 10 final-season episodes of "The Wire" airs at 9 p.m. EST on HBO, while "Masterpiece" features a portrait of Jane Austen's final years called "Miss Austen Regrets" (9 p.m. EST on PBS, check listings). Flav is back for a third round on the "Flavor of Love 3 Casting Special" (10 p.m. EST on VH1), and Walter continues to struggle with his new drug business on "Breaking Bad" (11 p.m. EST on AMC).

Last night

What did you think of the "Lost" season premiere on Thursday? Go here to discuss.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EST

Jeff Probst, Jeffrey Tambor, Ted Reader, guest co-host Anderson Cooper

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EST

Julianne Moore, Toni Braxton, a performance by the cast of Broadway's "The Little Mermaid"

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

Ellen's Super Bowl celebration

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

America's toughest matchmaker Patti Novak, Katherine Heigl

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

TBA

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EST

Snoop Dogg

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST

Paris Hilton, Artie Lange, Vampire Weekend

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST

TBA

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

Sen. Hillary Clinton

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST

TBA

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST

TBA

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST

Eva Longoria Parker, Allen Covert, Al Madrigal

Contributors: Megan Doll, Molly Eichel, Heather Havrilesky, Amy Reiter


By Salon Staff

MORE FROM Salon Staff


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Television