THIS WEEK’S TOP TV TIPS
SATURDAY
Homeland
In preparation for tomorrow’s season finale of this riveting drama, the cable channel is airing a Season 2 marathon today and tomorrow. The series stars Damien
Lewis as Nicholas Brody, an American POW who may, or may not, be part of a terrorist sleeper cell. In the finale, CIA agent Carrie ( Claire
Danes) must decide where her heart really lies, while Brody has a drink with a drink with Faber ( Diego
Klattenhoff) to consider the future of his family.
Super Channel
SUNDAY
The Bachelorette: Ashley and J.P.’s Wedding
Unlike most of the other
Bachelor/Bachelorette series, season 7 of The
Bachelorette ended with a lasting romance and, now, a wedding. Today’s two-hour special highlights the preceremony activities, including fittings for the custom-made wedding gown, and the bachelor and bachelorette parties. As requested by the happy couple, Ash-
ley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum, series host Chris
Harrison will officiate at the ceremony.
ABC, Citytv
MONDAY
DreamWorks Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury
The dragons are back in an exclusive premiere that finds the villagers of Berk busy preparing for the winter holidays when the dragons suddenly take off, leaving Hiccup ( Jay Baruchel) and the rest of the gang saddened by their departure. But all is not lost: Hiccup discovers a mysterious island and finds out why the dragons left the village. It’s followed by a repeat of the popular Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas.
Fox
TUESDAY
Doomsday Preppers
Since this is the week that the Mayan calendar supposedly indicates is going to be the end of the world as we know it, it seems appropriate to check in with the doomsday preppers who have been getting ready for the apocalypse for several years. In the series, the preppers show off their skills at archery, fishing and shooting – they all seem keen on having guns handy and stockpile ammunition along with canned goods and dry foods – while they discuss their selected doomsday scenario, be it a flood, a smallpox epidemic or a nuclear attack. National Geographic Channel
WEDNESDAY
The Soup On the other side of the coin, though, we have Joel McHale and the crew from
The Soup who will be celebrating the impending apocalypse by making fun
of everyone who didn’t believe their dire warnings over the past eight years. The show will highlight pop-culture’s most telling end-of-the-world moments in a half-hour clip show.
E! Off-season Greetings The cast of Royal Pains is back with a holiday movie that both advances the series’ storyline and goes back in time, as doctor-tothe-rich, Hank Lawson ( Mark Feuerstein), recalls his earlier romances, while brother Evan ( Paulo
Costanzo) prepares to get hitched to Page ( Brooke
D’Orsay). The off-season special will also see the return of Jill Flint as Hank’s former girlfriend.
Showcase Chicago Fire A Christmas-themed episode finds the firefighters called to a kitchen fire in upscale home – with some unexpected results. Shortly after the fire is extinguished, the rescuers are accused of stealing a diamond necklace from the house, leaving Casey ( Jesse Spencer) and Harrmann ( David Eigen
berg) targets of an internal investigation. Not much Christmas spirit there.
NBC, Global
THURSDAY
The Daily Planet We’re definitely in an apocalyptic mood this week: anchored by hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin, the science program meets up with scientist Bill Saturno to set the record straight on the Mayan calendar; then discusses a 1,300-year-old Mayan text which also references Dec. 21, 2012. Other activities include a visit to the most exclusive survival condo in the world, built into an American missile silo, and a look at asteroids and super-volcanoes as catalysts.
Discovery Channel Jersey Shore Whether it’s the end of the world or not, it is the end of this series about a group of narcissistic young guys and gals who spent six summers living together in a beach house with no phone, no TV and no Internet. The finale was shot long before Hurricane Sandy devastated the town and shattered the famous boardwalk. The series finale is followed by a live reunion show.
MTV
FRIDAY
Haven It is the Season 3 finale of this popular series based on a novella by Stephen King. With all the mysteries Audrey ( Emily Rose) has been investigating – the Bolt Killer, finding her son, The Guard and her strange past in Haven – it’s time for her to face some hard truths as the very existence of Haven hangs in the balance.
Showcase