Thursday, Sept. 2

	PARIS JE T’AIME Showtime, 7:30 p.m. ET If, by chance (or my earlier recommendation), you saw last year’s New York, I Love You movie anthology, then this 2006 French film – from which the concept of short-stories-in-the-same-city was taken – will be very familiar. The stars of this one may not, although there are a few very famous actors known to U.S. audiences taking part, including Steve Buscemi (soon to star in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire), Nick Nolte and Natalie Portman.
	BONES Fox, 8 p.m. ET It takes a lot for me to recommend a rerun, and here’s why this one is special: It’s a creepy episode written by Kathy Reichs (pictured), author of the book series on which this TV show is based.
	FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH Encore, 8 p.m. ET Fabulous cast, funny movie. Before he took his movie roles so seriously (in terms of subject matter), Sean Penn took this 1982 role very comically -- as Spicoli, the druggie surfer slacker dude. Watch it now, and imagine Spicoli and Jeff Bridges’ Dude, from The Big Lebowski, in a surfside buddy comedy.
	ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST TCM, 8 p.m. ET Director Sergio Leone loved American Westerns so much he made one of his own – a dark, twisted, violent, beautifully photographed genre triumph starring Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and Charles Bronson.
	FUTURAMA Comedy Central, 10 p.m. ET SEASON FINALE: This is the 100th episode of this series, and the century marker leaks into the show as a sly subplot. But think of this: It usually takes a TV series five years of production, at 22 episodes a season, to reach 100 episodes. Because of this show’s shortened production schedule, cancellation, dormancy and rebirth, it’s taken more than twice that. So happy 100th, Futurama! Party like it’s 1999 – because that’s when you premiered.

Traveling the 'Downton Abbey' Road: Where It Came From, and Why Viewers Are Watching

Noel Holston

When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go... Down-tonnnn! Okay, I've gotten that out of the way, my worst pun of the year. So far. But let's do talk about Downton Abbey, the most watched and talked-about series PBS has had since, oh, The Civil War...(more)

Win or Lose Sunday, New England Knows Both Very Well

Eric Gould

BOSTON -- Make a casual check into the all-time most watched television broadcasts, and you'll quickly find that about half of them are Super Bowls. And the focus is, once again, on the Boys from Boston. This modern American spectacle has it all: brute force, high-flying athletic ability, luxury sports palaces, dolled-up cheerleaders and, this year, Madonna. The only thing left out are the caged, lip-smacking lions. This year, the New England Patriots go for their fourth title of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, and the buzz here in Boston has been double-edged, even a little ambivalent...(more)

Get Happy! (Via Television)

Theresa Corigliano

The last few weeks have made reminded me that when television is good, it just makes you happy. Enchanting characters, indelible performances, memorable moments that resonate, stories about make-believe circumstances that touch your real life. And, more surprising, shows that grab you even if you're not sure why . . . (more)

The Most Human Moments at the Most Unexpected Times

Theresa Corigliano

Mad Men and Downton Abbey -- I know. It seems odd to talk about these two shows in the same paragraph. But both shows hold up mirrors to their times. Both of them have persuaded me that . . . (more)

HOT SPOTS: Super Bowl Ads!

Are you getting psyched about the Super Bowl? Or are you getting psyched about Super Bowl commercials? The NFL's big clash sometimes seems less about pigskin than about advertising, as sponsors fight to stand out among the fusillade of spots coming at viewers on the most-watched program of the year. Here's some ratings perspective . . . (more)

FLICK PICKS: Bela Says 'Pull the String!'

If I tout a triple feature of Bela films, nobody's going to ask "Bela who?" Eighty years after his first Hollywood splash, Bela Lugosi remains an icon, whether it's from Martin Landau's delirious tribute in Tim Burton's Ed Wood or Lugosi's eerie work in films like the three '30s chillers . . . (more)

SUPER BOWL DVDs

What do you need to see? Last year's Packers victory? The first Giants-Patriots match? Official digests of all the Super Bowls? Look at the discounts here! (Box set of Super Bowls I-XXX - now 75 percent off!) .

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