A look at some noteworthy programs this week: New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back (Sunday, 7:00 p.m. WNET 13) Kevin Kline narrates this documentary following the journey of the New York City Balet to St. Petersburg, the birthplace of its founder George Balanchine, where they perform at the storied Mariinsky Theatre. Great Performances Garrison Keillor's New Year's Eve Special (Sunday, 10:00 p.m. WNET 13 and NJN) we all know about the other hackneyed New......

Maria Bamford is in town to tape her second Comedy Central Presents special. She discusses her years doing mall openings as a Star Trek character, her forthcoming CD and DVD, and putting on comedy shows in her house. What sort of place is Duluth, Minnesota? It's like Canada, but without the metric system. What sort of role did comedy play in your life growing up? My dad, sister, and I used to listen to Steve......

Ever since that W cover with Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan, an unexpected amount of buzz around Robert Altman's new film Prairie Home Companion has been building. Maybe it's merely the oddity of combining Garrison Keillor's radio program, Altman's usual troop of amazing character actors and the teen starlet that has people intrigued but it finally hits general theatrical release. Besides a blonde LIndsay trying to hold her own with the likes of Lily Tomlin......

KARAOKE: Tonight is the MCFGHT, a LVHRD event. Michelle Collins is the master of ceremonies, presiding over a roomful of people cheering on those who take part in the nights karaoke showdown. If you've never seen Brian Battjer do karaoke, and we're guessing most of you haven't, you do not want to miss this. He'll be one of the contestants tonight. Check out the flyer here, and buy tickets here. They're $20 ($11 if you're......

This weekend is the weekend of movie déjà vu. You will be struck with the nagging feeling that all of the major films new to theaters seem oddly like something you've seen before. But repertory programming out in Brooklyn or in the West Village will provide a much needed shot of creativity to counter balance the same old, same old. A remake of the '70s disaster classic, Poseidon opens this weekend with Josh "the poor......

There's nothing like a library to awaken our love of reading. Tomorrow night (11/30), our beautiful Main Branch of the New York Public Library (Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street) is hosting a conversation between novelist Alice Walker and Times critic Margo Jefferson. The panel costs $15 and starts at 7:30. And now that Thanksgiving is over, well, it's Christmas. And Gothamist would be remiss if we didn't point you in the direction of all things......