A look at some noteworthy television this week:
2007 American Music Awards (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., WABC 7) Most awards shows are basically useless and awards shows where people vote on line are even more so. This year this awards show invented by Dick Clark in 1973 gets even more useless. Jimmy Kimmel hosts.
Nature: The Beauty of Ugly (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., WNET 13; Wednesday, 8:00 p.m., WLIW 21) A look at some of the strangest looking members of the animal kingdom and why being funny looking has its benefits in the wild. Plus you’ll find out what a warthog’s “warts” really are.
The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard (Sunday, 9:00 p.m., WNET 13) This mini-series about a British supermarket manager who becomes Prime Minister wraps up with a somewhat disappointing ending.
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA (Monday, 8:00 p.m., HBO) A look at the co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the organization she helped found over a quarter century ago and the controversy it caused.
Athens: The Dawn of Democracy (Monday, 9:00 p.m., WNET 13) Bettany Hughes’ latest look back at the ancient world focuses on ancient Athens and the rise of democracy there in this two hour documentary.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (WABC 7, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.) It is still hard to believe that this timeless classic is from 1973, but it is and we have all been treated to a Thanksgiving dinner catered by a beagle every year since then.
Frontline: On Our Watch (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m., WNET 13) After genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia, the international community vowed it would never happen again. It did in the Darfur region of Sudan with the United Nations seemingly ignoring things as it occurred. But things aren’t that simple since the Chinese had major investments in the region. This documentary takes a look at the whole mess and tries to explain why the international community stood by this time around.
New York Voices: The Greenmarket at 30 (Tuesday, 10:30 p.m., WNET 13) A repeat from last Thanksgiving week, but it does tell the story of the city’s greenmarkets came into being and evolved.
Great Performances: The Israel Philharmonic 70th Anniversary Gala Concert (Wednesday, 9:00 p.m., WNET 13) Zubin Mehta is holding the baton for this concert held 70 years to the day that Arturo Toscanini conducted the orchestra made its debut. Daniel Barenboim and Pinchas Zukerman are also featured. We should also note that this marks the 35th anniversary for the PBS Great Performances series.
New York Documentaries (Thursday 6:00 a.m., WNET 13) Don’t want to watch the parade or football? Channel thirteen has a great alternative with a day full of Ken Burns’ The Statue of Liberty leads off at 6 a.m., followed by The Other Islands of New York at 7 a.m., Burns’ Brooklyn Bridge. These are followed by a marathon of David Hartman and historian Barry Lewis’ “A Walk Around/Through” series beginning with Brooklyn at 9 a.m., Harlem at 11 a.m., Queens at 12:35 p.m., the Bronx at 2:10 p.m. and Central Park at 3:45 p.m. with all of the “Walks” repeating stating at 9 p.m. in the same order. Also at 8 p.m. is Treasures in the Harbor, which looks at the National Parks in the city.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday, 9:00 a.m., WNBC 4; WCBS 2) If you want to watch the official coverage of the 81st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, tune into NBC 4 to catch the Today Show crew, but for the annual unofficial coverage billed as “The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS”, tune into CBS 2 to see Hannah Storm and Dave Price. Either or, you are less likely to get hit by an errant balloon watching the parade at home.
The National Dog Show (Thursday, 12:00 p.m., WNBC 4) John O'Hurley hosts the coverage of this dog show which is yet another football alternative.
World Music Awards (Thursday, 8:00 p.m., WWOR 9) Another music awards show airs this week. Instead of being based on some silly internet popularity contest, this one recognizes artists based on worldwide sales. Although that may not be any better.
October Road (Thursday, 10:00 p.m., WABC 7) After a short six episode run last season, this story about an author who returns home to his small New England home town returns for a new season.
Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Saturday, 9:00 p.m.. SciFi) This is a bit of bait and switch, since it is being marketed as a made for TV movie, but it seems as if it is basically the first two episodes of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica which will in theory start up sometime early next year.
