Must See HDTV (December 12th - 18th)
This week sees even more shows saying goodbye before a holiday break, but as usual cable and reality TV are around to try to pick up the slack. While Fear Factor returns on network TV, Discovery fans can check out the season premiere of Dirty Jobs. The Blu-ray release schedule has a little something for everyone as well, with cult classic The Rocketeer joining City of God and two very different 3D flicks in Kung Fu Panda 2 and Fright Night. Check below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listings of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
City of God
When Lionsgate announced its deal to distribute Miramax's movies in the US, long delayed Blu-ray releases like Pulp Fiction (deservedly) received a lion's share of the attention, but this week another one of our favorites, City of God, emerges from the vaults at last. Released in 2002 and previously available in HD internationally, this Brazilian flick tells the story of two boys growing up in Brazil's slums as one grows up to lead one of the local gangs and the other becomes a photographer. A crime epic on par with any of the other classics, it has characters that will stick with you long after the movie is over, and has a story that unfolds with more layers than can be described in this space. If you're not familiar, check out the trailer after the break.
(December 13th, $14.99 on Amazon)
Fear Factor
One of the shows that started off the reality TV craze is back this week, as Fear Factor returns on NBC. Airing for the first time in HD, host Joe Rogan will once again cajole, encourage and tease a group of contestants through a series of increasingly gross / thrilling / dangerous stunts until they are eliminated. High-brow entertainment it ain't, but it can still be a fun watch. Check out a trailer showing what's in store this season embedded after the break.
(December 12th, NBC, 8 & 9PM)
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
This week sees the season finale of Always Sunny, and as usual the gang is up to no good. This is the second of a two-part episode as they attend a high school reunion, and to recap, Dennis misguidedly believes he was one of the cool kids and is ducking his dead-toothed ex wife, Dee unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate the cool table by slinging insults around, Mac's real name has been revealed and Charlie is unconscious after huffing chemicals. So, they're up to their usual antics.
(December 15th, FX, 10PM)
Blu-ray & Games
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Kung Fu Panda 2 (3D)
Fright Night (3D)
City of God
The Rocketeer (20th Anniversary Edition)
Heavenly Creatures
Velvet Goldmine
Monday
Fear Factor (season premiere), NBC, 8 & 9PM
Stephen King's Bag of Bones Part 2 of 2 (series finale), A&E, 9PM
Enlightened (season finale), HBO, 9:30PM
Rams/Seahawks Monday Night Football, ESPN, 8:30PM
2 Broke Girls (fall finale), CBS, 8PM
Two and a Half Men (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
Mike & Molly (fall finale), CBS, 9:30PM
Hawaii Five-0 (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
Terra Nova, Fox, 8PM
The Closer, TNT, 9PM
WWE Raw, USA, 9PM
American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, Discovery, 9PM
You Deserve It, ABC, 9PM
Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 10PM
American Guns, Discovery, 10PM
Rock Center with Brian Williams, NBC, 10PM
Tuesday
Dirty Jobs (season premiere), Discovery, 9PM
Good Morning Killer (special presentation), TNT, 9PM
Knights of Mayhem (season finale), National Geographic, 9PM
Last Man Standing (fall finale), ABC, 8 & 8:30PM
NCIS (fall finale), CBS, 8PM
NCIS: LA (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
Unforgettable (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
Glee, Fox, 8PM
New Girl, Fox, 9PM
Raising Hope, Fox, 9:30PM
Flashpoint, Ion, 10PM
Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan, G4, 10PM
Wednesday
The Real World (season finale), MTV, 10PM
Psych (fall finale), USA, 10PM
Criminal Minds (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
CSI (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
Debra DiGivoanni: Single, Awkward, Female (special presentation), Showtime, 10PM
America Caught on Camera, Travel, 10PM
Survivor, CBS, 8PM
The X-Factor, Fox, 8PM
Inside The NFL, Showtime, 9PM
I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Fox, 9:30PM
State of Play, BBC America, 10PM
Moonshiners, Discovery, 10PM
American Horror Story, FX, 10PM
Thursday
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (season finale), FX, 10PM
Rules of Engagement, CBS (fall finale), 8:30PM
Person of Interest (fall finale), CBS, 9PM
Burn Notice (fall finale), USA, 10PM
The Mentalist (fall finale), CBS, 10PM
Jaguars/Falcons Thursday Night Football, NFL Network, 8PM
The X-Factor, Fox, 8PM
The Year The Earth Went Wild (special presentation), Discovery, 9PM
Less Than Kind, DirecTV 101, 9PM
Call Me Fitz, DirecTV 101, 9:30PM
Prime Suspect, NBC, 10PM
Beavis & Butt-head, MTV, 10 & 10:30PM
Big Shrimpin', History, 10PM
Good Vibes, MTV, 11, & 11:30PM
The League, FX, 10:30PM
Friday
Christmas in Washington (special presentation), TNT, 8PM
Chuck, NBC, 8PM
Grimm, NBC, 9PM
WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
The Take (part 3 of 4), Encore, 9PM
Sanctuary, Syfy, 10PM
Invention USA, History, 10PM
X-Men Anime, G4, 11PM
Saturday
Cowboys/Buccaneers football, NFL Network, 9PM
Earth's Final Hours (special presentation), Syfy, 9PM
Primeval (season finale), BBCA, 9PM
WWE Salute to the Troops (special presentation), NBC, 9PM
Saturday Night Live: Jimmy Fallon / Michael Buble, NBC, 11:30PM
Sunday
Survivor (season finale), CBS, 8PM
Allen Gregory (season finale), Fox, 8:30PM
Dexter (season finale), Showtime, 9PM
Homeland (season finale), Showtime, 10PM
Luck, HBO, 10PM
Ravens/Chargers football, NBC, 8:15PM
60 Minutes, CBS, 7PM
Leverage, TNT, 9PM
Hell on Wheels, AMC, 10PM
Pan Am, ABC, 10PM
Survivor: The Reunion, CBS, 10PM
All-American Muslim, TLC, 10PM