THIS WEEK’S TOP TV TIPS
SATURDAY
And the Oscar Goes To
With the Winter Olympics beginning later this week, many of the networks have put their most popular series on hold for the time being. So for the viewer who isn’t really big on the Olympics, the pickings will be slim for the next couple of weeks. One possibility, if you’re a movie buff, is this new documentary, which revisits memorable moments in the 85 years of history of the Academy Award presentations, and kicks off the classic movie channel’s 31 Days of Oscar celebration. Robert Osborne hosts. TCM
SUNDAY
Super Bowl XLVIII The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks battle it out on the NFL’s biggest day in a football game played the way it was intended –
outdoors and subject to whatever Mother Nature wishes to throw at the participants – and onlookers. Following immediately after the conclusion of the game – and may the best team win – is a new episode of
New Girl featuring a guest appearance by Prince (he of Purple Rain fame). Fox Brave New Girls Jenna Talackova made a name for herself when Donald Trump originally refused her entry into the Miss
America Pageant because she was born a male. Jenna, who began her gender transition at the age of 14, completed her sexual realignment when she was 19 and took on Donald Trump soon thereafter. Although she didn’t make it to the final five in the 2012 Pageant, she did score a reality TV series and a chance to pursue her acting / modelling career.
E! Canada
Puppy Bowl
Airing traditionally on the same day as the Super Bowl, this cute sporting event is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with new ingame segments and happy penguin cheerleaders plus a brand new kitty half-time show. All the puppies featured in the Bowl come from SPCA shelters and pet rescue centres in the U.S. – Canadians willing to rescue an animal can check things out on petfinder.com.
Animal Planet
MONDAY
The Daily Planet Invent This! week follows hosts Dan Riskin and Ziya
Tong as they meet people who turned great ideas into great products – including a Back to the Future-inspired hovercraft, Hobbit-inspired weaponry (a huge rubber band dragon-killer) and a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook on the eve of its 10th anniversary. Among some of the more ‘out there’ ideas: a wetsuit that makes swimmers invisible to sharks, roving robots that herd cattle and a chicken vest with reflective stripes which gives the birds a fighting chance when they try to cross the road in traffic.
Discovery Channel
TUESDAY
Killer Women In a new episode of this freshman series, which focuses on the law enforcement officers of the notorious Texas Rangers, our trusty heroine, Molly ( Tricia Helfer) is after a serial killer who targets abusive women – reminding Molly of her own abusive mother, so she may have some sympathy for him. And her relationship with DEA agent Dan Winston ( Marc Blucas) takes on a new look as he gets to meet her family for the first time.
ABC, City
WEDNESDAY
Criminal Minds It’s the series 200th episode and, as might be expected, a number of ‘old’ faces are brought back in the storyline dealing with J.J.’s ( A. J.
Cook) kidnapping and the ensuing investigation into her stint in the State Department during season six. They include Paget Brewster,
Jayne Atkinson and Esai Morales. Much of the new episode is shown in flashbacks (which helps when the characters are supposedly dead) as the BAU investigates a connection between J.J.’s kidnapping and her State Department job.
CBS
THURSDAY
The XXII Winter Olympics Today marks the start of
Mark McMorris’ quest to bring home the gold in the new Olympic sport of snowboarding slopestyle, in advance of the official Opening Ceremonies which go in the wee hours of Friday morning. Peter Mans
bridge will be Canada’s host for the games with events airing in part on CBC but also on TSN and Sportsnet. An enhanced version of the Opening Ceremonies, including athlete interviews, will air on Friday evening.
CBC The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Tonight is Jay Leno’s final gig as host of the iconic talk show, which will open the door for Jimmy Fallon to take over on Feb. 17, in the middle of the Winter Olympics. The Tonight Show originated with Steve Allen, back in 1954; Jack Paar took over in 1957 but walked out in 1960 over the network’s censorship of a joke; he returned a month or so later and stayed until 1962. That led to the memorable and long-running hosting of the show by the one-and-only Johnny
Carson, who retired in 1992. NBC, CTV Two
FRIDAY
Food Factory In the first of tonight’s back-to-back episodes, the viewers learn how those overly sour Warheads are made, along with the fact that they contain as much malic acid as the law permits. We are also let into the secret of how vegetables are turned into imitation meat – is that the same as tofu? In the second episode we follow the lowly cucumber through its transition to a proud pickle.
Food Network