TV Daily

Friday/weekend: The HBO "John Adams" really hits its stride. Plus: What did you think of "Lost" on Thursday?

Published March 21, 2008 8:59AM (EDT)

Weekend Pick

HBO / Kent Eanes

If you missed the past two weeks of the seven-part miniseries "John Adams" (8 p.m. EDT Sunday, March 23 on HBO), fear not. The story doesn't really hit its stride until Part 3, in which Adams (played by Paul Giamatti) and his eldest son join Benjamin Franklin (Tom Wilkinson) in Paris to help solicit the French for support in the Revolutionary War. After weathering a miserable trip across the Atlantic, Adams finds Franklin living a life of leisure, distracted by wine, women and his witty aristocratic friends. Meanwhile, wife Abigail (played by Laura Linney) is at home with the kids again, toiling away in the fields. Oh, the injustice of it all!

Also…

On Friday, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on Sundance, the new sitcom "The Return of Jezebel James" starring Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose, airs at 8:30 p.m. on Fox, and the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament airs noon-5 p.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight on CBS. On Saturday, the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament airs 2-11 p.m. on CBS. Will Ferrell hits the ice in "Blades of Glory" (8:30 p.m. on HBO). On Sunday, the NCAA Basketball Tournament airs noon-7 p.m. on CBS. "Everybody Hates Chris" airs at 8 p.m. on the CW, "Oprah's Big Give" airs at 9 p.m. on ABC, and the fifth finale of "The L Word" airs at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

Thursday night

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

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT

Katherine Heigl, Anthony Hopkins, Casey Affleck, Jarod Miller (repeat)

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT

David Schwimmer, Thandie Newton, Marc Summers, Natasha Bedingfield

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

Leslie Mann, Marlee Matlin, Fabian Sanchez, Erykah Badu

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

Polygamy in America: Lisa Ling Reports (repeat)

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

David McCullough

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT

TBA

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT

Sean "Diddy" Combs, Al Lubel (repeat)

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT

Adam Carolla, Geraldo Rivera, the Black Crowes

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

Debbie Allen, Anne Lamott

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT

Nate Berkus, Mary J. Blige, Missy Higgins (repeat)

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Ryan Phillippe, Big Show

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT

Ben Kingsley, Laura Prepon, Lupe Fiasco (repeat)

Contributors: Molly Eichel, Heather Havrilesky, Amy Reiter, Charly Wilder


By Salon Staff

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