Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Around the remote: Television picks for the week of Nov. 8-14

DON'T MISS:

THE "CSI" TRIPLE CROSSOVER - Just follow the bouncing actor. This week Laurence Fishburne racks up the frequent-flier mileage as his character, Dr. Ray Langston, gets involved in a three-episode story arc that takes him to Florida ("CSI: Miami"), the Big Apple ("CSI: NY") and back to Las Vegas ("CSI"). It all begins when a severed leg found in the Everglades is linked to a missing girl from Las Vegas. Eventually, Langston and his cohorts find themselves probing a case tied to human trafficking and black-market organ harvesting. The "CSI" franchise has done crossovers before, but this is the first time it has followed a case across all three shows. "CSI: Miami" 10 p.m. Monday; "CSI: NY" 10 p.m. Wednesday; "CSI" 9 p.m. Thursday, CBS

OTHER BETS:

TONIGHT: Seth McFarlane isn't really taking over TV. It only seems that way. Tonight, the cartoon czar joins Alex Borstein (voice of Lois Griffin) in "Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show." It's a special crammed with skits and musical numbers. 8:30 p.m., Fox.

MONDAY: You knew it had to happen. On "How I Met Your Mother," the romance between Barney and Robin hits a rough patch, and Lily devises a scheme to break them up. Alan Thicke guest stars. 8 p.m., CBS.

MONDAY: The face of late-night TV continues to change as "Lopez Tonight" has George Lopez rocking his own gab fest. The comedian promises to bring a lively street party atmosphere to the genre. 11 p.m., TBS.

TUESDAY: Talk about "Street" cred. After four decades, "Sesame Street" still has it. The beloved children's show kicks off its 40th season with an episode that features first lady Michelle Obama teaching residents about the benefits of healthy eating. Cameron Diaz also drops by, along with Big Bird, Elmo and our other pals. 10 a.m., PBS.

WEDNESDAY: It could be a big night for Brad Paisley on "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards." Not only is the country crooner co-hosting the event with Carrie Underwood, he leads all performers with seven nominations, including entertainer and male vocalist of the year. 8 p.m., ABC.

WEDNESDAY: "Glee" keeps things rolling with a funny - and touching - episode that has Will encouraging members of the group to perform in wheelchairs as a show of support for Artie (Kevin McHale). 9 p.m., Fox.

THURSDAY: On "Bones," the death of a little person plunges Booth and Brennan into the world of little-person wrestling, where they must determine who's on the list of suspects. 8 p.m., Fox.

THURSDAY: On "The Mentalist," see Jane investigate the murder of a baseball scout. See Jane get clocked on the noggin by a stray pitch that triggers terrible flashbacks of his overbearing dad. So much for his field of dreams. 10 p.m., CBS.

FRIDAY: Adam Rodriguez ("CSI: Miami") joins "Ugly Betty" in a recurring role. He plays a former bad boy who made the hearts of both Betty and Hilda flutter in their high school days. 9 p.m., ABC.

SATURDAY: "Flower Girl" is a romantic film starring Marla Sokoloff as a love-starved florist who suddenly has two suitors vying for her heart. But will true love bloom? 9 p.m., Hallmark.

Chuck Barney: cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com