Monday: Confessions of a Teen Idol
So it’s a little more lowbrow than we usually recommend, but we’re feeling like watching Confessions of a Teen Idol might actually count as charity work. The eight-episode reality series focuses on a handful of 80s was-beens-including Christopher Atkins (remember The Blue Lagoon?), Jamie Walters (90210 crooner turned fireman), and Eric Nies (he of the original Real World and The Grind)-as they deal publicly with their status as ex-heartthrobs and even possibly attempt comebacks. Scott Baio, whose own Vh1 shows about fatherhood were surprisingly felt and charming, produces. [Vh1, 6:30 p.m.]
Tuesday: The Biggest Loser
We suspect that this weight loss competition has more female followers than male, but shouldn’t weeping and weighing in be for everyone? While we can’t recommend watching The Biggest Loser over dinner (unless you plan on chowing down on steamed chicken and broccoli, which are approved healthy foods) it’s our DVR guilty pleasure.
Monday: Confessions of a Teen Idol
So it’s a little more lowbrow than we usually recommend, but we’re feeling like watching Confessions of a Teen Idol might actually count as charity work. The eight-episode reality series focuses on a handful of 80s was-beens-including Christopher Atkins (remember The Blue Lagoon?), Jamie Walters (90210 crooner turned fireman), and Eric Nies (he of the original Real World and The Grind)-as they deal publicly with their status as ex-heartthrobs and even possibly attempt comebacks. Scott Baio, whose own Vh1 shows about fatherhood were surprisingly felt and charming, produces. [Vh1, 6:30 p.m.]
Tuesday: The Biggest Loser
We suspect that this weight loss competition has more female followers than male, but shouldn’t weeping and weighing in be for everyone? While we can’t recommend watching The Biggest Loser over dinner (unless you plan on chowing down on steamed chicken and broccoli, which are approved healthy foods) it’s our DVR guilty pleasure. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you may even be inspired to go for a walk. Seriously. [NBC, 8 p.m.]
Wednesday: The Real World, Brooklyn
Apologies for all of the reality TV recommendations, but haven’t you been waiting for this one? MTV’s ever-increasingly disgusting and absurd franchise (now in its twentieth season!) stuck a bunch of idiots in a loft in Red Hook and filmed them ruining a bunch of things that we love about our borough (ie, our favorite Williamsburg bar). Count on feeling morally superior, at least for an hour. [MTV, 10 p.m.]
Thursday:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Brad Pitt’s got Oscar buzz this year for his turn as Benjamin Button, but last year he quietly turned in a top notch performance as Jesse James in Andrew Dominik’s film about the killing of the outlaw by his friend and admirer. Casey Affleck acts his pants off as Robert Ford, and supporting turns from Paul Schneider and Sam Rockwell as part time robbers and doofuses round out a terrific cast. If you’re looking for an Oscar-caliber film but don’t feel like trekking to the theater, this is your movie. [HBO2, 3 p.m.]
Friday: Lipstick Jungle
This show is still on death’s door and it doesn’t deserve to be. Lipstick Jungle gets knocked around for its chickness and fabulosity and focus on shopping, but that’s all undeserved. This is a feminist show people! Three powerful, working women. Two single. One (Kim Raver) freezing her eggs, contemplating having a baby on her own; the other (Lindsay Price) just proposed to her boyfriend. Brooke Shields, the married mama, is running her own film production company. Sure, there’s a focus on fashion….but someone also seems to have made a conscious decision to have these women eating on camera all the time, sandwiches not salads. And if that’s not a positive message, we don’t know what is. [NBC, 10 p.m.]
