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Must See HDTV (June 11th - 17th)
NBA Finals The NHL Stanley Cup could be decided in just a few hours if the LA Kings can (finally) take care of business and send the Devils home for the summer, but the NBA finals are just getting started and this should be a good one. The LeBron James-led Heat face off against Kevin Durant's Thunder, pitting (arguably) the game's two best players in a best-of-seven battle for the championship. If you're a fan of basketball, this should be the matchup for you. (Tuesday / Thursday / Sunday, ABC) Falling Skies TNT is all out of NBA coverage for the season, but now its exciting sci fi series is returning for the summer. It doesn't have the biggest special effects budget, but the producers seem to get a lot out of what they're given and the writing improved as its first season went on last year. Noah Wylie of E.R. fame stars as the main character (Moon Bloodgood also appears, if that matters to you), a history professor turned resistance militia member after aliens take over the planet, and somehow manages to pull it off. We'll be watching again for the two hour premiere Sunday night, check out a season two preview trailer embedded after the break. (June 17th, TNT, 9 & 10PM)
Must See HDTV (June 4th - 10th)
Franklin & Bash We're not sure who decided putting Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer a legal comedy / drama was a good idea but we're kinda glad they did. Jared Franklin & Peter Bash bring a lighter take to what are usually very serious procedurals, a good match for our laid back summer viewing schedule. Season two kicks off this week and if you haven't seen it, just assuming their characters from Saved By the Bell and Road Trip grew up to be lawyers pretty much covers it. (June 5th, TNT, 10PM) Playoffs As the NBA conference playoff battles continue on, the New Jersey Devils will have to find a way to fight back this week against the LA Kings. They're down 2-0, but as the Thunder and Celtics have shown, that can quickly be turned on its head. The only bad news? The next two games are at LA. Ouch. E3 Well, at least while the Devils are in LA they can stop by E3 and check out some new videogames. While we're covering all the action here, and video has spread to multiple platforms, if you prefer leaning back and observing all the HD trailers on your TV, Spike TV and G4 are both blowing out their coverage all week with feeds from the show floor during the day and in prime time.
Must See HDTV (May 28th - June 3rd)
Game of Thrones HBO's premiere series wraps up season two this weekend, and while we're not going to spoil things (yeah we read ahead via wiki summaries, we're weak) we're pretty sure that someone will die in this episode. Just like pretty much every other episode. Someone else will do something honorable, someone will be betrayed, and... dragons. Game of Thrones, ladies and gentlemen. (June 3rd, HBO, 9PM) Workaholics Comedy Central's series makes its return this week, and the story of three slackers just trying to get by has really grown on us. Trying to explain the interactions between Blake, Adam and 'Ders would probably make us look crazy, so we'll just advise you to tune in and hope for another Double Dare cameo by Marc Summers. If the words "let's get weird" don't mean anything to you, check out the trailer embedded after the break. (May 29th, Comedy Central, 10:30PM) Stanley Cup Finals The NHL Playoffs are finally down to just two teams: the LA Kings and the New Jersey Devils. Hockey's biggest prize is up for grabs, however the games are pretty spaced out so we've only got two of them on the schedule this week. We're sure you can make time to tune in. (May 30th & June 2nd, NBC, 8PM)
Must See HDTV (May 21st - 27th)
House After eight seasons, the run of Gregory House MD comes to an end on Fox tonight with a double episode. While we'll miss Hugh Laurie fumbling around on our American TV screens every week, it definitely felt like time for the series to come to an end. We'll see how Wilson's cancer diagnosis wraps up and if any other old characters stop by after Thirteen popped up last week, although we will avoid throwing back a Vicodin just for old time's sake. (May 21st, Fox, 8PM) Awake Another series coming to a slightly less glorious end is NBC's Awake. The story of a cop who suddenly finds himself splitting time between two worlds, one where his son died in a car accident and the other where his wife was the victim, this week's episode is the show's last chance to give viewers resolution as to what's happening. According to its creator Kyle Killen this episode wasn't originally shot as a series finale, but says it should be satisfying. (May 24th, NBC, 10PM)
Must See HDTV (May 14th - 20th)
This week we're completely overrun by season finales -- if there's a winter show that you watch that is still airing, it's a safe bet that it will be wrapping up its run this week. Check after the break break for the dates and times on those as well as NBA and NHL playoffs action plus Blu-ray and videogame releases (we couldn't ignore Diablo 3), but there's just one finale we're highlighting this week. Community Even with the good news that NBC has ordered up (at least) 13 more episodes for next season, we'll be sad to see Greendale's study group leave for the summer. Season three wraps up Thursday night with an oddly disjointed three episode finale broken up by 30 Rock in the middle. While the only thing we know for sure is that they're never doing paintball again, it seems certain the finale will include healthy amounts of Officer Chang, a doppleDeaner, the appearance of Evil Troy, Jeff and Abed, and possibly a return trip to the Dreamatorium. (May 17th, 8, 9 & 9:30PM, NBC)
Must See HDTV (May 7th - 13th)
24/7 Wild The US rebroadcast of BBC's Planet Earth Live gets started tonight on National Geographic Wild, retitled 24/7 Wild. With a focus on simultaneously following many different groups and types of animals all around the world during this spring, it should bring an all new look at life for documentary fans, and some spectacular HD shots. (May 7th, 9PM, National Geographic Wild) Fringe This week on Fringe the team... ok, we're really not sure what's going on anymore. Somewhere in the twists of alternate universes and timelines we get left behind, but William Bell is back and that's probably not a good thing. Season four wraps up this week, tune in on Friday to get your last taste before the network closes things out with a short 13-episode run next season. (May 11th, 9PM, Fox)
Must See HDTV (April 30th - May 6th)
Mayweather/Cotto While it's not the Mayweather/Pacquiao boxing match fans want to see, this is the fight we have. Miguel Cotto believes he's in position to send Floyd Mayweather Jr. home with his first ever loss and surprisingly, some boxing experts agree with him. We'll see if Cotto's strength is enough to overcome Mayweather's speed and defensive prowess, but as usual, the story here is the fight that's not on the card. (May 5th, 9PM, HBO PPV) NBA Playoffs A knee injury to Chicago's Derrick Rose has significantly shifted the balance of power in this year's NBA Playoffs. While the Bulls suddenly have to try and win without their superstar, the triumvirate down in Miami is suddenly under even more pressure to get the job done with two of the Eastern Conference's best players (Rose, Dwight Howard) out for the season. Out west the early games showed it will be a battle no matter what seeds are matching up, your guess is as good as ours as to who will come out of that conference and vie for the title in a few weeks.
Must See HDTV (April 23rd - 29th)
NFL Draft The NFL has finally realized the reality TV potential of its big night, and moved the process of making several young players millionaires to prime time. While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are cemented as the top two picks ,there's plenty of drama left for the rest of the first round and those that follow. Whether you're watching to see what your favorite team does or where a player you watched in college goes, it's just the start of the offseason festivities for football fans. We've preferred the NFL Network's coverage to ESPN's in recent years, we'll see who wins the day in 2012. (April 26th, 8PM, ESPN & NFL Network) NBA Playoffs This weekend the NBA Playoffs get underway and ABC has the opening games. We'll have to wait a little longer to know who will be playing who in each matchup, but until then, you can see the Bobcats try to avoid breaking a record for futility Thursday night on TNT. NHL Playoffs One word: Unpredictable. Most of the top teams are already out after round one, but that's just life in the NHL Playoffs. The chase for the Stanley Cup continues this week, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to who has the edge. Many games are still TBD on the schedule, so keep your eyes peeled to find out when and where they'll be playing.
Must See HDTV (April 16th - 22nd)
Eureka One of the better sci-fi shows of late begins its final season on Syfy tonight as we take our final trip back to Global Dynamics' favorite research facility. We'll try not to let knowing it's all coming to an end soon dampen our enjoyment. (April 16th, Syfy, 9PM) Parks & Recreation Originally conceived as a spin-off of The Office, Parks & Recreation had a rough start but has now surpassed the originator of its mockumentary style. It comes back form a brief midseason break this week, and not a moment too soon. All we're saying is, if Aziz ansari really did work in a small-town Indiana parks & rec, we'd get in on the ground floor of any new startup he founded. (April 19th, 9:30PM, NBC) Frozen Planet The Discovery / BBC quest to the actual ends of the Earth wraps up this week with a final, and somewhat controversial, episode focusing on climate change. It's probably impossible to top Planet earth, but what we've seen of this nature documentary has put it above the recent Life series on our lists. Of course, another option is to snag the David Attenborough-narrated BBC version this week instead. Your choice. (April 22nd, 8PM, Discovery -- $34.99 on Amazon)
Must See HDTV (April 9th - April 15th)
This week the baseball season is in full swing and while we wait for the NBA to get its postseason started the NHL is already kicking off its race for the Stanley Cup. While that and racing action from all the major series should satisfy sports fans there's also a few treats for fans of drama with the series finale of Justified and a Titanic miniseries (spoiler alert: you already know how it ends) and reality TV with the season premiere of Deadliest Catch. Finally, there aren't any big name game releases but long awaited indie effort Fez is finally coming to Xbox Live Arcade April 13th, look for a trailer as well as our weekly listings after the break.NHL PlayoffsThe regular season is over and now the NHL Playoffs begin Wednesday night. The Rangers and the Canucks are at the top of the seeding but as we all know anything can happen. What will almost certainly happen is another fight between the Flyers and the Penguins. Our over/under on players suspended during the series is set at 2.(All Week, NHL Network & NBC Sports Network)Eastbound & DownThis week we say goodbye to Kenny Powers for the last time, as his minor and major league baseball hijinks come to an end after their third season on HBO. If you'd like a quick preview of where the story is going, there's a trailer for the finale included after the break, but if you're not a regular viewer it probably won't make any sense.(April 15, HBO, 10PM)JustifiedThis FX series has become one of the best dramas on TV right now and this week in the season finale the interesting and engaging set of characters take each other on one last time. While we're never quite sure what will go on with US Marshal Raylan Givens it's a pretty fair bet that someone will get shot, it's just a matter of who.(April 10, FX, 10PM)
Must See HDTV (April 2nd - April 8th)
NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship(s)A field of many has been reduced to two in both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournament, and while tonight's matchup between Kentucky and Kansas is the higher profile, don't overlook Baylor vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday night. Whether you prefer to watch Anthony Davis or Britney Griner going to work on their opposition in the paint, there should be excellent hoops action found in both games.(Kentucky/Kansas Men's Championship April 2nd, CBS, 9PM)(Baylor/Notre Dame Women's Championship, April 3rd, ESPN, 7:30PM)2012 Masters TournamentThe Master's Tournament takes place this week and it should be better than ever, with Tiger Woods back in the winning category, and a collection of young talent to contend with. There's coverage on ESPN, ESPN 3D and CBS throughout the week and DirecTV customers can look forward to the usual multiview assortment of cameras to keep an eye on everything at once.The KillingAfter a highly controversial finale to season one, AMC's whodunit returned last week with a two hour season premiere that... didn't suck. Is it enough to get fans of the show back on board for another round? We're not completely sure yet, but it may be worth taking a look if you were ever a regular viewer.(April 8th, AMC, 9PM)
Must See HDTV (March 26th - April 1st)
Game of ThronesHBO's hottest new series is back with a new season, and there should be plenty of action in all forms coming along with it. Whether it's through betrayal, all out warfare or political intrigue everyone is making a grab for power in the land of Westeros and of course -- winter is coming. If you're the only person who hasn't watched the show yet, there's a trailer for season two embedded after the break.(April 1st, HBO, 9PM) NBAWith the playoffs rapidly approaching we've got a slew of great games this week, including a finals rematch between the Heat and Mavericks, and a West coast battle between the Thunder and Lakers. We're finally getting to the part of the season where the games mean something, and they should at least give hoops fans a quick taste while we wait for the Final Four games this weekend.
Must See HDTV (March 19th - 25th)
March Madness is in full swing and even if you're not a college hoops fan, that should extend to the rest of the TV schedule this week. After a surprisingly exciting season finale for The Walking Dead AMC is finally ready to bring back Mad Men. Also returning are favorites like Fringe and Mythbusters, although they're balanced out by Archer's third season coming to an end. HBO's Luck also airs its final episode this week and makes the most notorious exit of them all, alongside season finales from The River, Southland and Key & Peele. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Battle RoyaleThis cult favorite is finally getting a US Blu-ray release, offering the tale of Japanese teenagers trapped on an island and forced to fight each other in a game where only one will survive. It's kind of a bizarre story if you're not familiar with it, but well worth watching. Fans can nab either the first flick by itself or a pack including the sequel along with plenty of extras. Check out a preview trailer embedded after the break.($31.99, March 20, Amazon)Mad MenAfter the longest of hiatuses, Mad Men is triumphantly returning to AMC. With its cast and director intact we don't expect the sordid tales of advertising execs and those who love them to have lost a step, but true fans have probably had this day marked on the calendar for a while.(March 25, AMC, 9PM) FringeHey, everyone's favorite universe / time shifting sci-fi show is back. We've completely forgotten where Pacey is at this point but as usual, the team of agents and scientists will be investigating some weirdness like they always do.(March 23, Fox, 9PM)
Must See HDTV (March 12th - 18th)
Community After an all-too-long midseason hiatus, everyone's favorite group of community college misfits returns on Thursday. Community has a significant online following that reacted noisily to its sudden disappearance from NBC's schedule a few months ago, although if so many people are watching it, you gotta wonder why the network seems like it's in such a hurry to press the cancel button. Oh yeah, it's NBC, the people that ruined Heroes. (March 15th, NBC, 8PM) Frozen Planet The latest series from the Discovery/BBC team up that brought you Planet Earth starts airing Stateside Sunday night so queue up the DVR and prepare to be wowed by nature. As usual, there is a downside -- the British narration by Sir David Attenborough is not in place for the US audiences, swapped out for Alec Baldwin. Check after the break for a quick preview clip featuring the underwater "Icy Finger of Death" and a standard trailer. (March 18th, Discovery, 8PM) March Madness College hoops will be in effect all week on CBS and various Turner owned networks, with the 68-team tournament kicking off Tuesday night and continuing through three weekends of single elimination ball. Kentucky is the clear favorite to take it all, but with an odd mix of young/talented and older/experienced teams, this could be anyone's year. (All Week, CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV)
Must See HDTV (February 27th - March 4th)
Our sports options may be a bit more limited this week (hope you like basketball and hockey), but while the Daytona 500 tries to get under way, there's a few other items to keep an eye on in this week's listings. One of our favorites is coming back on the air, while a couple of brand new shows also compete for our attention. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Daytona 500Yes, again. The Great American Race has been bumped to Monday night, and could even slide to Tuesday if the rain in central Florida doesn't let up by tonight. Hopefully they get the race in, seeing NASCAR's premiere race under the light's is sure to be a wild affair, if they can get in all 500 miles.(February 27th, Fox, 7PM)PsychOne of our favorite shows, it features fake psychic detective Shawn Spencer and his best friend Gus bumbling their way through various murder investigations. This usually includes a pineapple and multiple 60s/90s references, so if that sounds like your kind of procedural, you should be watchin this week as it returns from midseason hiatus with guest star Cary Elwes again filling the role of master art thief Despereaux.(February 29th, USA, 10PM)AwakeIf that's not your kind of detective show, try this one on for size. NBC's latest attempt features Detective Michael Britten alternating between two different worlds after a tragic car crash, where in one he and his wife survived, while in the other he and his son are the only survivors. The hook seems to be figuring out which one is the dream and which is real, while of course solving various murders the whole time.(March 4th, NBC, 10PM)
Must See HDTV (February 20th - 26th)
We may be living in the post-football era, but between Jeremy Lin, hockey and the Daytona 500 there's plenty for sports fans to chew on this weekend. Of course that's not all there is and there will likely be even more drama at the Academy Awards. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.FringeWe've completely lost count of the alternate universes and timelines at play in Fox's show at this point, but for sci-fi on network TV there aren't a lot of other options. The winter finale is this week and we're pretty sure Walter will say something funny, Pacey/Peter will figure something out at the last second and odds are 50/50 one of the Olivias will shoot someone.(February 24th, Fox, 9PM)NBA All-Star Weekend / LinsanityThe Jeremy Lin movement enters its third week and shows little sign of slowing down. Sure the New york Knicks point guard finally lost a game, but he put up some monster stats against the defending NBA champs over the weekend, and has already seen his name penciled in to Friday night's Rising Stars game as a result. It's a toss up over which game is more anticipated, that one or the main ASG Sunday -- or is it the Lin vs. LeBron showdown Thursday night?(All Weekend, TNT)Academy AwardsThe 84th Annual Academy Awards take place Sunday night and we're figuring this will takes its place on the list of Twitter/TV events, so either work on your @Tront style jokes or just plan to do something else for a few hours. We'll be watching to see who walks away with the Best Picture statue.(February 26th, ABC, 8:30PM)
Must See HDTV (February 13th - 19th)
This week sees the annual return of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show alongside other premieres sprinkled among the Whitney Houston tributes. Still, even with football off the schedule we're focused on sports, whether it's New York's newest star or a fictional player in an HBO series. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.Mavericks/KnicksOne word: LINSANITY. Jeremy Lin mania has swept the nation and we are completely caught up in it. The Harvard star turned Knicks starting point guard brings his show back to national TV Sunday afternoon against the defending NBA champions -- catch the fever.(Sunday, ABC, 1PM)Survivor, The Amazing RaceThe two big reality show / travelogue contenders both return with new seasons this week. While we prefer The Amazing Race for its varied locales, we're sure whatever island Survivor sticks its collection of money-hungry individuals on this time will be quite beautiful as well.(Wednesday, CBS, 8PM) (Sunday, CBS, 8PM)Eastbound & DownKenny Powers returns for the final season of Eastbound & Down Sunday night, as he joins a minor league team and attempts to make it back to the major leagues. If you haven't been watching this comedy, you've been missing out. One of our managing editor's favorite shows, Kenny is not exactly a role model, but that's what makes him so hilarious as a disgraced former star who goes from big time baseball to gym teacher. Check out the trailer for the new season embedded after the break.(Sunday, HBO, 10PM)
Must See HDTV (February 6th - 12th)
The Super Bowl is over, the ads have aired, and now we're trying to fill a football-sized hole in our TV schedules. Luckily there's a few new shows airing that may help us get through the winter, unless of course we get more Glee clones that push us outdoors into the harsh, unforgiving elements. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.The Walking DeadAMC's hit show is back for the second half of its second season Sunday night, and we're... actually anticipating it? Stranger things have happened, and now that the little girl we never really got to know or care about is gone maybe they can leave the farm to go places where things happen. There's a quick preview trailer embedded after the break.(February 12th, AMC, 10PMSmashIt's another show that's a lot like Glee. These words have either filled you with dread or uncontrollable excitement. Schedule your DVR and plans for this evening accordingly.(February 6th, NBC, 10PM)Doomsday PreppersWe know, we said we were against the quirky reality TV shows (on a slightly related note, the second jousting reality show of the season also premieres this week -- how has jousting become a thing?) but this one is crazy enough to pique our interest. Doomsday Preppers goes inside your neighbor's underground vault to see just what he's got stocked in there should the worst happen. Don't wait for the air-raid sirens to go off to find out, just tune into National Geographic tomorrow night, or check out the trailer embedded after the break.(February 7th, National Geographic, 9 & 10PM)
Must See HDTV (January 30th - February 5th)
This week is all about the big game, but even if you're not watching the Super Bowl, there's a lot to tune in for. We've got a slew of new premieres, plenty of NBA and NHL action, and even an old favorite coming home on Blu-ray. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Next LevelOne of the best science fiction series ever returns, this week, remastered and in HD. Check after the break for a video splitscreen showing off the original video crossed over with the new special effects, which were recomposited back on top of the original film negatives for what seems to be an incredible new experience. Not every revisitation in the past has gotten a positive reception, but it appears this is one fans will enjoy. The release this week is a quick three episode teaser of what's to come, the full meal of season one is still on the way later this year.(January 31st, $14.99 on Amazon)Super Bowl XLVI*Cough*(February 5th, NBC, 6PM)I Just Want My Pants BackYet another young adult dramedy on MTV, but after the solid efforts of RJ Berger and Awkward (we're going to pretend the ill-fated port of Skins never happened) it may be worth a shot. The title comes from the main character, who is left looking for his pants which were taken by a particularly special one night stand that he's trying to find in the big city. Yeah.(February 2nd, MTV, 11PM)
Must See HDTV (January 23rd - 29th)
The new year is well underway and there's plenty to watch, including more Blu-ray discs with accompanying iPad apps like Real Steel and the season premiere of House. While we pause before the Super Bowl our normal football schedule finally comes to an end, with only the Pro Bowl available for viewing by the most diehard fans Sunday night. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.TouchKiefer Sutherland is coming back to broadcast TV after a brief foray into the online realm with Touch, the story of a widower who suddenly discovers his mute 11-year old son is apparently capable of predicting the future. Whatever. We're not really pulled in by the plot, but when you combine Jack Bauer and Tim Kring, the creator of Heroes (we choose to remember it as a show that only lasted one season), we'll give it a shot. Also, our international readers should have a shot at viewing this one eventually, since the show is apparently scheduled to debut in over 100 countries starting in March -- this week's episode is a one-off special preview.(January 25th, Fox, 9PM)ChuckThe adventures of our favorite Buy More employee come to a close this week with a double episode of Chuck Friday night. After five seasons it's about time things got wrapped up and we'll finally see if Chuck and Sarah ride off into the sunset together, or if he ends up back on the couch playing videogames with Morgan. Check out a quick preview trailer embedded after the break, and get your Subway subs, Jefster CDs and other related memorabilia ready.(January 27th, NBC, 8PM)NBAA compressed lockout-shortened schedule means all the stars are playing all the time, and that's as obvious as ever this week. 2003 draftees LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony will all share the court (pending returns from injury) Friday night on ESPN, while the Lob City Clippers are all over national broadcasts, facing the Lakers Wednesday and the Grizzlies Thursday night.
