By Dale Roe, Austin American-Statesman –
Hanging chads? It’s time for hanging ornaments! Even though TV’s election season lingers, the Christmas season officially begins on — where else? — Lifetime. Here’s what to watch and what to avoid on television this week:
—Monday:
“Teen Mom 2” 9 p.m., MTV: Season 3 premieres.
“Independent Lens” 9 p.m., PBS: “Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream” looks at the New York City thoroughfare, which runs through both wealthy Manhattan and the very poor South Bronx.
—Tuesday:
“Mankind: The Story of All of Us” 8 p.m., History: Tonight’s premiere of this new, six-episode series has a pretty self-explanatory title.
“Doomsday Preppers” 8 p.m., Nat Geo: Since the show is back for Season 2, I guess the first season’s episodes were kind of premature. Anyway, smallpox and nuclear attacks join economic fears in tonight’s episode of (hopefully) paranoid stockpiling and shelter building.
“Vegas” 9 p.m., CBS: Going through election withdrawal? The campaign continues on television, where Savino is throwing his weight behind a friendly mayoral candidate.
—Wednesday:
“Whitney” 7 p.m., NBC: It’s back! And you thought all the terrifying stuff ended when Halloween was over.
—Thursday:
“Crossfire Hurricane: The Rise of the Rolling Stones” 8 p.m., HBO: This new documentary features archival footage, interviews and clips. Hopefully, this will finally give Stones fans … wait for it … satisfaction.
“The Office” 8 p.m., NBC: Andy utilizes the technology on his boat to make contact with the others. Great — now I want to go watch “Lost” reruns.
—Friday:
“Shark Tank” 8 p.m., ABC: I don’t understand this pitch for a “rent a live Christmas Tree” service. Isn’t that kinda’ what you do with live Christmas trees already? Plus, the market is only for those who celebrate the holiday and get live trees, and then for maybe a couple of weeks a year. Yeah, Mr. Wonderful is going to love this.
“We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston” 9 p.m., CBS: Jennifer Hudson and Usher are among the celebrities paying tribute.
—Saturday:
“Holiday High School Reunion” 7 p.m., Lifetime: I’m calling the official start of the holiday television season — no, “Shark Tank” doesn’t count. A fashion designer heads back home for Christmas to nab the one that got away in this new made-for-television movie.
—Sunday:
“The 40th Annual American Music Awards” 7 p.m., ABC: Pink, Taylor Swift and Christina Aguilera perform with others between awards handed out in Los Angeles.
