Due to the ridiculous tenacity of the Boston Red Sox there will actually be a game seven of the ALCS, so the previously scheduled Pub Quiz at the Wild Colonial has been postponed to October 26th. I hope TBS has worked out the bugs. It would be nice to see the whole game.

I think we all know by know how I feel about Tiffany, the woman who had a bunch of hits in the late eighties despite a total lack of singing ability, good looks, dance skills, catchy songs, or, well, anything positive, really.

So why am I not surprised that she’ll be making her reality TV debut this weekend, starring on–are you ready for this?–Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Wrestling–alongside the likes of Screech, Dennis Rodman, Ian Ziering’s ex-wife, and Trishelle from like nine seasons of The Real World ago.

If the thought of this television program horrifies you–and it should–check out the banner ad from the CMT website.  Tiffany is, I’m pretty sure, the one in the unitard with ab cut-out and arm warmers immediately to the Hulk’s left:

Tonight on Metalocalypse: Dethrecord — The world economy is crumbling and waiting for the next Dethklok album to stimulate it back into order. It’s up to Dethklok to get the album just right and finished on time.

Adult Swim/Cartoon Network/11:59pm

 For those of us lacking cable and the stomach for reality shows, TV pickings are slim.  Luckily, “Pushing Daisies” creates a vividly colorful world with quirky one-eyed aunties, magic, and character names like Emerson Cod and Olive Snook–all narrated by that pleasant old Brit from the Harry Potter audio books. 

The writers’ strike snipped “Daisies” in the bud last season, when a creepy new guy (Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman) began suspecting that adorable chick Chuck and dog Digby were walking corpses.  I’m tuning in tonight to see if Ned’s eatery being called The Pie Hole will still make me giggle.

 Pushing Daisies, ABC, 8 p.m.

Tonight at 9pm is the season premiere of Family Guy on Fox.  If you are new to town you may not know that you now basically live in Quahog.  Seth MacFarlane is from Connecticut, with a BFA from RISD, and the show is heavily larded with inside names and visual jokes that outsiders probably ignore.  Here’s a primer. 1) The skyline in the background is recognizable as Providence.  2) A quahog is a hard-shelled clam and can be prepared and eaten in any number of delicious ways, including raw. 3) Buddy Cianci Junior High is named for the former mayor of Providence, who recently spent almost 5 years in federal prison for violation of the RICO statute. 4) Roger Williams Park is real and a very nice place to visit. 5) James Woods pops in from time to time and he is also real and comes from Warwick.  I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of stuff.

The larger issue of whether  Family Guy is any good or not is so divisive that it has actually been the subject of an episode of South Park.  (I believe Cartman thinks it sucks balls.)  I’m inclined to defend it, in that the stuff that is good is so funny as to make up for the occasional lapses in taste. Plus, except for icebergs, this is the only national exposure that Rhode Island ever gets.

(Illustration courtesy of Fox who can clearly see that this is an educational Fair Use of same.)

This was on Letterman last night — the new Hello Deli concert series.  I like this song a lot, but look at the audience. Why aren’t they moving?  How can they not move? (Update: TVOTR will appear at Lupo’s, Saturday, October 11th.)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzSvqzOrfBY]

John Krasinski, Brown class of 2001, appears at 9pm tonight in the season opener of The Office.  Just think… he once walked these streets… went to the Avon… ate at Spike’s… crossed against the light…

Tonight’s episode of Metalocalypse — When Nathan learns that his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Nightrod, has already found new love while still in a coma, he decides to return to the dating scene. Unfortunately, the rest of the band makes it difficult for Nathan to make a true love connection. (rerun:good one)

Adult Swim/Cartoon Network/11:59pm

One of the all-time best SNL bits … EVER!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc3Zxq078ns]

I’m not quite sure about this new True Blood series on HBO.  The characters introduced in the first episode were often cartoonish and silly, and the effort to be quirky threatened to sink the whole effort.  But by the end, the Anna Paquin character — who is not a vampire but can hear what people are thinking — had started to grow on me.  Sometimes it takes a while for a series to find its footing, getting all the people introduced and back-story laid out.  The writing is witty and there are some highly provocative and unsettling sex scenes.  I’ll keep watching for now. (And I agree with The New York Times review, the opening credits are awesome.)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNb9WjTn1xQ]

Metalocalypse is fast becoming one of my favorite things ever. Lately they have been running two episodes back-to-back.  Tonight’s listing is “The band’s new album is released; the Revengencers make their next move”.  Dethklok is a real ‘band’ that has actually performed live and you can buy ‘Dethalbum’.  Past guest voices have included Brian Posehn and Andy Richter — and an impressive roster of metal musicians have sat in on the show.  It always makes me laugh out loud at least twice.

11:59pm/each episode is 11 minutes/Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network

10:30 pm Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil

Tonight: Disney vs. Scientology

On the other hand… there is that Palin thing.

His ‘coverage’ starts tonight at 11pm on location in Denver with guest Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. Check out Comedy Central’s Indecision 2008 site for their live blog etc.

Sick of the Olympics? Tonight on Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil — NRA vs. PETA. The second season of this show has been every bit as good as the first. Past advocates have included Patton Oswalt and Greg Giraldo. (He is my hero — the day he graduated from Harvard Law he said “Screw this”.)

10:30pm/Comedy Central

Tonight on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim

12:00am to 12:15am on Metalocalypse — Auto Event

Followed by the Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job* — Spaghetti

*The New York Times describes this show as “shoddily produced, sloppily edited”.

I am not the only person who has been commenting on Cox’s choppy and undependable signal lately, but last night takes the cake. ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’ had on Seth Green, Eugene Mirman, and Russell Brand. It does not get any better than that folks — what was it, ‘adorable’ night? (At least RB got past immigration this time.) But for about the first 12 minutes of the show the signal was kaput! Cox customers saw nothing but a “Gone Fishing” sign. That’s considered a lot of dead air in the TV business I believe. And it blacked out twice during the Russell Brand segment as well. (Go here to watch the segment.) This is not the first time I have lost patience with Cox — maybe it’s time to get a dish.

*(That’s right Jersey Girls, I’m throwing down. I can talk dirty and get my numbers up too. See you at the next Christmas Party — we’ll see who’s on top then.)