The Hartford Courant, Conn., Roger Catlin Column: ‘Pioneers Of Television’ Has Too Many Too-Familiar Programs

By Roger Catlin, The Hartford Courant, Conn.

Jan. 2–There has never been a shortage of self-referential television histories, whether specials and biopics or Emmy salutes and entire networks (TVLand). So the makers of “Pioneers of Television” (CPTV, 8 p.m.) are covering some well-trod ground.

In the first of its four parts tonight, sitcoms cover the usual suspects: “The Honeymooners,”"I Love Lucy,”"Make Room for Daddy,”"The Dick Van Dyke Show” and a show that can still be seen nightly, “The Andy Griffith Show” (TVLand, 7 and 7:30 p.m.).

Couldn’t they find some hidden gem nobody has seen a million times? Still, the producers, who previously were behind 2005′s “Pioneers of Primetime,” select uncommon clips, though the overall tone of the first installment is one of sadness and loss for a time they can’t quite grasp.

Remote Patrol Jeremy Sisto adds his brooding personality to the cast of “Law & Order” (NBC, 9 and 10 p.m.) and Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy moves into the district attorney’s office of Arthur Branch, a character vacated by a guy running for president, as the 19th season starts with a pair of unrelated episodes.

Besides that and a new episode of “Gossip Girl” (The CW, 9 p.m.), the rest of prime time on the networks is reruns and new reality, including the return of the Drew Carey game show “The Power of 10″ (CBS, 8 p.m.), new episodes of both “Wife Swap” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “Supernanny” (ABC, 9 and 10 p.m.) and a new compendium of viral films, “Whacked Out Videos” (MyNetwork TV, 8 and 8:30 p.m.).

The only other new episode during prime time is “Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants” (The CW, 8 p.m.).

It’s West Virginia vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl (Fox, 8:15 p.m.).

Having left Cartoon Network with a marathon that ended New Year’s Eve, “Futurama” (Comedy Central, 8 p.m.) moves to a new cable network with all of its previous episodes from a three-year run on Fox as well as 16 new episodes for the first time since 2003.

A monthlong, 37-film salute to James Cagney Wednesdays on Turner Classic Movies begins with crime classics “Sinner’s Holiday” (8 p.m.), “The Public Enemy” (9:15 p.m.), “White Heat” (10:45 p.m.) as well as the 1992 documentary “James Cagney: Top of the World” (12:45 a.m.), hosted by Michael J. Fox.

Late Talk For the first time since the TV writers’ strike began two months ago, hosts of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC, 11:35 a.m.), “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS, 11:35 p.m.), “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC, 12:05 a.m.), “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC, 12:35 a.m.) and “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (WFSB, Channel 3, 1:05 a.m.) are back. At press time, however, none had announced initial guests.

Ironically, “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC, 1:35 a.m.), which was first to return without writers Dec. 3, opts for a rerun with Mike Cammalleri, Derek Armstrong and OneRepublic.

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