House

9.30pm Wednesday, November 24 on Ten

Science and faith are called into question when a patient is admitted to Plainsboro following his re-enactment of the Cruci xion. Meanwhile, Taub questions his wife about her relationship with an in delity support group member, and another solid relationship comes under the microscope.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, House manages to throw away the cane and take Cuddy out on the dance oor at a co-worker’s wedding. Whether the good doctor’s able to bust out the running man remains to be seen.

Can you really still call it fast tracking when only a few shows of a new season have been shown, and those that have, a month or so after their US premieres? Are networks trying to get the best of both worlds here by putting on just a few new episodes – enough for fans to think they are fast tracked, while, at the same time, leaving the majority of the new season until the new year?

Both Seven and Nine have done exactly that.

Nine have only shown three new episodes of The Mentalist since the new season premiered in the US back in September. They have also only shown three new episodes of the Big Bang Theory (thanks to William and Kate which replaced the fourth) and only three new episodes of their favourite show Two and a Half Men.

Seven only aired four new episodes of Bones and Criminal Minds before lapsing back into repeats.

Both networks continue to show repeats of these shows knowing full well that repeats rate quite well, while leaving fans either waiting for months for new episodes or sourcing them by other means.

Ten, on the other hand, despite losing two weeks of programming to the Commonwealth Games back in October have managed to show seven episodes from new seasons of The Good Wife, House and Glee, as well as six of NCIS by the time ratings season ends. They have even gone so far as having one extra episode of Glee (perhaps making up for the one they didn’t schedule on Wed Nov 17) on Monday Nov 29 which is not part of the official ratings survey. These shows are all as close as days behind their US air times.

GO, part of the Nine network have also successfully managed to air Hellcats and The Vampire Diaries so close to the US air dates, that the two shows end up having breaks between new episodes when they are not shown over there.

There was a time when you would see all new episodes of whatever shows were on air on the main channels right until the last week of official ratings. Now, in this new television environment where we have more channels to spread limited content over, and where repeats of shows rate well enough to justify playing them during official ratings time, it seems the true concept of fast tracking is out the window, as networks try to manage stock of new shows, holding back until the new year.

It’s kind of crazy to see just a few new episodes of a show only to have to wait up to three months for more in the new year. Maybe they should just hold back any show they are not going to give a significant run at the end of the year until the next year.

Fast tracking is not fast tracking when a few episodes are show a month after they are in the US, while the rest of the season ends up being many months later.

9.30pm Wednesday, November 17 on Ten

This episode of House begins in the most unlikely of places, aboard a Dutch slave ship bound for the Caribbean. It’s stormy and the sailors are panicked; it would seem this vessel and all of its passengers are doomed.

Cut to hundreds of years later, and two teenagers are diving around the wreckage of the same ship. Bring- ing a jar to the surface, the girl cuts herself on the relic, and within hours she’s admitted to Plainsboro with a suspected case of small pox, a disease that has been eradicated for decades.

As the disease spreads, and her condition worsens House puts his life on the line to save the patient.

9.30pm Wednesday, November 10 on Ten

This episode of House begins in the most unlikely of places, aboard a Dutch slave ship bound for the Caribbean. It’s stormy and the sailors are panicked; it would seem this vessel and all of its passengers are doomed.

Cut to hundreds of years later, and two teenagers are diving around the wreckage of the same ship. Bringing a jar to the surface, the girl cuts herself on the relic, and within hours she’s ad- mitted to Plainsboro with a suspected case of small pox, a disease that has been eradicated for decades.

As the disease spreads, and her condition worsens House puts his life on the line to save the patient.

The final week of ratings on Ten sees the network put the final Glee for the year on a different night and another Hamish and Andy special on the Sunday night.

On Sunday November 21, new Modern Family continues at 7pm. At 7.30, is the premiere of the Hamish and Andy Special called Hamish and Andy’s Reministmas – a Christmas special. See below for more. Offspring finishes the year with a two hour season finale at 8.30pm. Offspring has been renewed for a second season, which will air late 2011.

On Monday November 22, at 7.30pm will be the last episode of Glee we will see for 2010 – called The Substitue, guest starring Gwenyth Paltrow. After a week off, due to a break in the US, Glee makes the move to Monday night for just one week, and lands against the Grand Finale of Seven’s The X Factor. Another four episodes of Glee are scheduled to air in the US in 2010, we won’t see them until 2011.

At 8.30, Monday November 22, is the final of Undercover Boss Australia which focusses on Ritchie’s Stores Pty Ltd, followed by the last Good News Week for 2010.

At 7.30 on Tuesday November 23, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation has its final for the year, which is a Christmas special. To me – Nov 23 is too early for Christmas specials on TV, but I guess they have to show it before ratings finishes for the year. NCIS follows at 8.30pm, which will be the last new episode we see until 2011 (UPDATED: Confirmed last new NCIS for 2010).

The Wednesday line up for November 24 includes new Modern Family at 7.30pm, Raising Hope episode two at 8pm, The Good Wife at 8.30pm, and House at 9.30pm. All are new episodes.

On Thursday night, November 25, Bondi Vet at 7.30 is a repeat. Keeping Up With the Joneses continues with a new episode at 8pm, while Rush is a two hour episode at 8.30pm.

Then on Friday November 26, new Simpsons remains at 7.30pm with two new episodes from the latest season – season 22 – in an hour of all new Simpsons. At 7.30, it’s the 21st annual Tree House of Horrors, followed by “Lisa, This Isn’t Your Life” at 8pm.

More details on Hamish and Andy Remistmas:

Hamish and Andy have stumbled across a brand new holiday – Reministmas, the perfect mix of reminiscing and Christmas, and to celebrate they are going to revisit some of their favourite adventures from 2010. But with no room at the TEN Inn they have been forced to present their Reministmas special from a humble stable.

This year saw Hamish and Andy compete in the Bi-Bi-Tri-Bi-athlon (24 sports in one weekend), experience deafness and blindness for 50 hours, take on the world of competitive eating with the Hungry Hungry Heroes, visit the mystic isles of Great Britain and Ireland on their Caravan of Courage, learn everything they could about India and bring the nation’s favourite Stallone, Frank, to Australia to perform a sold out gig.

Find out how the boys fared in 2010, and if the horses let them into the stable, when they celebrate Hamish and Andy’s Reministmas Special.

Prison Break actor to reprise role

Former Prison Break actor Robert Knepper looks set to reprise his role as T-Bag on new drama series Breakout Kings next year. The actor said: “T-Bag will live again. What I realised by saying yes to that is now they’ll entertain the possibility of a T-Bag spinoff. Like a Hannibal Lecter-type series. Or a doll line. It’d be big with the kids!”

WOF contestant solves puzzle with one letter

A Wheel of Fortune contestant in the US has solved an entire puzzle by filling only one letter of the seven-word phrase. With $900 on the wheel, the contestant selected “L” and still managed to guess correctly the phrase: “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

Vardalos to join Cougar Town?

My Big Fat Greek Wedding actress Nia Vardalos is a possibility to join Cougar Town in the show’s second season. Writers for the series have begun penning possible storylines for the actress who is married to Cougar Town actor Ian Gomez.

Wilde to return to House

Olivia Wilde has promised a return to House later in the show’s current season. There were questions as to whether the actress would return to the series after she departed to film a couple of movies, but Wilde says she is “coming back to House. This season, as a matter of fact. It is a done deal.”

Junior Masterchef - Mon Nov 15, 7.30pm, Ten

Packed to the Rafters – Tue Nov 16, 8.30pm, Seven

Parenthood – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm (double episode), Seven

RPA – Thur Nov 18, Nine

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – Tue Nov 23, 7.30pm, Ten – Xmas Special

The Big Bang Theory (new) – Wed Nov 10, 8.30pm, Nine. NO MORE FOR 2010.

The Block – Wed Nov 24, 7.30pm, Nine

NCIS (new) – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm, Ten

Offspring – Sun Nov 21, 8.30pm, Ten (two hours)

The Force – Wen Nov 17, 7.30pm (double episode), Seven

The Good Wife – Wed Nov 24, 8.30pm, Ten

The Mentalist – Mon Nov 8, 8.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

The X Factor – Mon Nov 22, 7.30pm, Seven

Top Gear Australia – Tue Nov 2, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Tue Nov 9, 16 or 23) – so has now finished for the year

Two and a Half Men (new) – Mon Nov 8, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

Undercover Boss Australia – Mon Nov 22, 8.30pm, Ten

Assumed:

60 Minutes – playing best of in summer.

Neighbours – 6.30pm, Friday Dec 17, Ten

Rush – Continues in summer. If no doubles, last would be Thur Dec 16, 8.30pm

Two and a Half Men (repeats) – At this stage, appear to be continuing into summer

* Not including GO – which may continue playing repeats at varying times – although I would assume the need to fill the GO schedule with Big Bang and Two and a Half Men repeats would not be as prevalent during non-ratings.

The Amazing Race and Survivor Nicaragua will continue as it would not make sense to hold off the final few episodes until 2011.

The list will be updated as more information comes to hand. Focus here is mostly on prime time main channels. Feel free to comment or question any exclusions.

Neighbours generally finish later than the end of ratings. Will add dates once confirmed. 

9.30pm Wednesday, November 3 on Ten

SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing)

When an infant suffers breathing trouble and liver failure, House and the team must look at the mother’s medical history in order to find an answer. Ultimately, House and co. land on a discovery that forces the mother to jeopardise not only her child’s health, but her own.

Meanwhile, Taub and Foreman must find a new female doctor to fill the spot vacated by Thirteen, and House and Wilson learn a thing or two about parenting while caring for Cuddy’s daughter.

Ten programming gets a bit of a shake up in the second last week of the 2010 ratings survey with the Junior Masterchef finale over two hours on Monday November 15, Glee off for a week due to pre-emptions in the US, and Bondi Vet concluding that week as well.

All new Simpsons continues with the latest season – season 22 on Friday nights, while Raising Hope premieres on Wednesday night of that week. There is also a bonus episode of Modern Family on the Wednesday night – being the Halloween special for 2010 – a few weeks late is better than not being on until 2011!

Here’s the summary.

Sunday November 14
7.00 New Modern Family, S2E5 Unplugged
7.30 Junior Masterchef – the four finalists battle to see which two will go to the grand final.
9.30 Offspring, S1E11 The Confession…

Monday November 15
7.30 Junior Masterchef finale over two hours
9.30 Undercover Boss Australia, S1E5 Toga Hospitality

Tuesday November 16
7.30 Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – second last episode for 2010
8.30 NCIS S8E5 Dead Air
9.30 Good News Week. Moved from Monday as a result of the Junior Masterchef finale running over 2 hours

Wednesday November 17
7.30 Modern Family, S2E6 Halloween
8.00 Raising Hope Pilot, Premiere. More details here.
8.30 The Good Wife S2E5 VIP Treatment
9.30 House S7E7 A Pox in our House

Thursday November 18
7.30 Bondi Vet Season Finale
8.00 Keeping up with the Joneses
8.30 Rush S3E17
9.30 Burn Notice S4E12 Guilt as Charged (and Prize Give Away) – Mid season finale.

Friday November 19
7.30 New Simpsons S22E2 Loan-A-Lisa, guest star is Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg
8.00 New Simpsons S22E3 Money Bart
8.30 NCIS repeat S4E21 Brothers in Arms
9.30 Law and Order SVU repeat S10E15 Lead

9.30pm Wednesday, October 20 on Ten

Things were gettingweird…

The team is still a man (Thirteen) down, and the boss is still in love. Have the halls of Plains- boro been turned upside down?

Not entirely.

The team is facing the usual battle against the clock to save a life, but this time around they’re also up against an uncooperative patient.

The highly successful, yet heavily depressed, author is determined to end her own life, and re- peatedly sabotages the team’s attempts to help her. Unlucky for her, House appears to be a fan of her books, and takes an unusual interest in her case. The author is cunning, but is she smart enough to outwit a concerned House?

Huddy Watch: Naturally, House is troubled by his new found happiness. Could their lack of common ground spell an early end to the House and Cuddy romance?