cops

• Food Network has a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives marathon all night.
• At 8, NBC has an NFC Playoff Game, the Eagles vs. the Cowboys.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• HGTV has a new Divine Design at 8.
• TCM has Notorious at 8, then Flying Down to Rio.
• At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a new True Jackson, VP, followed by a new episode of The Troop.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Secret Saturdays at 9.
• Hallmark has the movie The Wishing Well at 9.
• Also at 9: BBC America has a new Demons, then a new Graham Norton Show.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Charles Barkley and Alicia Keys.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Be warned - I'm starting the New Year with a cold. A cold that prevented me from properly introducing 2010 to my friend Stella Artois, and a cold that prevented me from enjoying my favourite Christmas gift - a trip to the big city to see the ballet - and it is a cold that is even now preventing me from breathing, speaking and sleeping peacefully.

Which basically means I am one cranky TV columnist.

My intention this week is to discuss the TV-related New Year's Resolution. For some it is a 'more-and-bigger' proposition, like my neighbours, who scoured the Boxing Day sales for a massive flat-screen to replace their large flat-screen. But for most of us, it is a 'less-and-better' motive that drives us to promise ourselves that this year we will watch only quality programming, and only for two hours a week, and only one night a week, because we'll join a book club, a gym, an internet dating service, whatever.

What I've been thinking about is this: what is good television?

• At 7, Syfy has the movie Ice Twisters, then the movie Annihilation Earth.
• At 8, CBS has Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, followed by The Flight Before Christmas and a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• NBC has It's A Wonderful Life at 8.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• HGTV has Sandra Lee Celebrates: Season of Surprise at 8.
• ESPN has the 2009 Heisman Trophy Presentation, followed by a new 30 For 30.
• Also at 8: Hallmark has the movie Christmas in Canaan.
• At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a new True Jackson, VP, then a new episode of The Troop.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Animal Planet has a new Dogs 101 at 9.
• There's a new Secret Saturdays on Cartoon Network at 9.
• At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures, followed by a new Celebrity Ghost Stories.
• At 10, BBC America has a new Graham Norton Show.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Taylor Lautner and Bon Jovi.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, ABC has College Football, Nebraska vs. Texas.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8.
• BBC America has the season finale (two new episodes) of Robin Hood starting at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• Lifetime has the movie 12 Men of Christmas at 9.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• History Channel has two new episodes of Cowboys & Outlaws at 9.
• Spike has a new Ultimate Fighter at 9.
• There's a new Dogs 101 on Animal Planet at 9.
• Also at 9: Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Secret Saturdays.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Blake Lively and Rihanna.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• Discovery has a Dirty Jobs marathon all night.
• At 7, ABC Family has A Boy Named Charlie Brown, followed by Snoopy, Come Home.
• ESPN has College Football at 7, Arkansas vs. LSU.
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Notre Dame vs. Stanford.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• HGTV has Sandra Lee Celebrates Holiday Homecoming at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, then the movie Big Time Rush.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• Syfy has the movie Beyond Sherwood Forest at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9.
• Animal Planet has a new Dogs 101 at 9.
• Also at 9: CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show.

Check your local TV listings for more.

When I heard that Steven Seagal had a new A&E series coming out called Steven Seagal: Lawman, I thought, oh great, another cop show starring an aging movie star. But that's not what it is at all! Ok, I'll qualify that. Yes, it IS a cop show starring an aging movie star, but probably not what you think.

Turns out that Steven Seagal, best known for his action movies like Above the Law, Hard to Kill, and Under Siege, has been quietly working under the radar for the past 20 years as a real-life deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. Part of his duties there include instructing the other officers on weapons skills and martial arts.

• At 7, Cartoon Network has a new Bakugan, followed by a new episode of The Super Hero Squad Show.
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Kansas vs. Texas.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• HGTV has a new Divine Design at 8.
• Food Network has All-Star Thanksgiving at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Lifetime has the movie Personal Effects at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9, then a new Graham Norton Show.
• Also at 9: Cartoon Network has a new episode of The Secret Saturdays.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show, followed by a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and The Dave Matthews Band.
• At 1AM, Cartoon Network has a new Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, ESPN has College Football, Alabama vs. Mississippi State.
• ESPN2 has College Football at 7, Auburn vs. Georgia
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• Food Network has Thanksgiving episodes of shows starting at 8: two episodes of Good Eats and episodes of The Secret Life Of... and Unwrapped.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, followed by a new True Jackson, VP.
• TCM has Saboteur at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Cartoon Network has a new Secret Saturdays at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9, then a new Graham Norton Show.
• Also at 9: Hallmark has the movie Flower Girl.
• At 9:30, Biography Channel has a new Ghostly Adventures, followed by a new Celebrity Ghost Stories.
• At 11, FOX has a new Wanda Sykes Show, then a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with January Jones and Black-Eyed Peas.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, Syfy has the movie Open Graves.
• At 7:15, ESPN2 has College Football, Florida vs. Vanderbilt.
• At 7:30, Disney has a new Hannah Montana.
• At 7:45, ESPN has College Football, Florida State vs. Clemson.
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Connecticut vs. Cincinnati.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• TCM has Take the Money and Run at 8.
• At 8:30, Disney has a new Jonas.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• NBC has Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers martial arts at 9.
• There's a new Suze Orman Show on CNBC at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9, followed by a new Graham Norton Show.
• Also at 9: Cartoon Network has a new Secret Saturdays.
• At 11, FOX has the series premiere of The Wanda Sykes Show, then a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Taylor Swift.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• TBS has Baseball Playoffs all night.
• At 7, NBC has the President's Cup golf tournament.
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Michigan vs. Iowa.
• CBS has College Football at 8, Florida vs. LSU.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• AMC has Rio Bravo at 8.
• ESPN2 has College Football at 8, Georgia Tech vs. Florida State.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• There's a new Suze Orman Show on CNBC at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 8, followed by the season premiere of The Graham Norton Show.
• At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures, then a new Celebrity Ghost Stories.
• At 10, Food Network has the Good Eats 10th Anniversary.
• Style has a new episode of The Dish at 10.
• HBO has Wanda Sykes I'ma Be Me at 10.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Drew Barrymore and Regina Spektor.
• At midnight, FOX has a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
• At 12:30AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Let me start by confessing that every morning, I watched Bravo's back-to-back episodes of The West Wing. That means I get a dose of Bradley Whitford every weekday. Then, there's Burn Notice, created by Matt Nix. I don't miss any of those shows either.

So, the news that Bradley Whitford is signed for Jack and Dan, Matt Nix's new series for Fox, was happy indeed. My reaction was enthusiastic optimism bordering on a reason to sing. "Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day... "

• At 8, ABC has College Football, Iowa vs. Penn State.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, then a new True Jackson, VP.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• Lifetime has the movie Homecoming at 9.
• Syfy has the movie Children of the Corn at 9.
• Also at 9: BBC America has a new Robin Hood.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• At 9:30, Biography Channel has a new Ghostly Adventures.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• Style has a new episode of The Dish at 10.
• At 11:30, NBC has a new Saturday Night Live, with Megan Fox and U2.
• At midnight, FOX has a new Sit Down, Shut Up.
• At 12:30 AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7:45, ESPN has College Football, Georgia vs. Arkansas.
• Also at 7:45, ESPN2 has College Football, West Virginia vs. Auburn.
• At 8, ABC has College Football, Texas vs. Texas Tech.
• FOX has a new Cops at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8, followed by a new True Jackson, VP.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• BBC America has a new Robin Hood at 9.
• Lifetime has the movie Georgia O'Keeffe at 9.
• Comedy Central has the movie Still Waiting at 9.
• WE has a new episode of The Locator at 9.
• At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures.
• At 10, CBS has a new 48 Hours Mystery.
• Style has a new episode of The Dish at 10.
• At 12:30 AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• Food Network has an Iron Chef America marathon.
• At 7, ESPN2 has College Football, South Carolina vs. Georgia.
• At 7:30, ABC has the Sprint Cup: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR race.
• At 8, FOX has the season premiere (two episodes) of Cops, followed by a new America's Most Wanted.
• CBS has the U.S. Open Women's Final at 8.
• Nickelodeon has a new iCarly at 8.
• ESPN has College Football at 8, USC vs. Ohio State.
• HGTV has a new Divine Design at 8.
• At 9, CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show.
• BBC America has the season premiere of Robin Hood at 9.
• HGTV has a new Color Splash at 9.
• Also at 9: Hallmark has the movie Citizen Jane.
• At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures.
• At 10, Style has a new episode of The Dish.
• At 12:30 AM, Cartoon Network has two new episodes of Bleach.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Ah, Labor Day. Isn't it great to have the summer over (yes, I consider Labor Day as the end of summer) and the new TV season about to begin?

Here's a list of the various marathons, specials, and sports that you can see on Sunday and Monday. Let us know if we've missed anything.

Sunday

• At 8 AM, Hallmark has a Golden Girls marathon.
• At 9, USA has a Law and Order: SVU marathon.
• At 10, WE has a marathon of Girlfriends episodes.
• At 10:30, TV Land has a Beverly Hillbillies marathon.
• At 11, CBS has U.S. Open coverage.
• At 1 PM, Discovery has a Planet Earth marathon.
• Bravo has a Top Chef: Las Vegas marathon at 1.
• At 3, Spike has a Band of Brothers marathon.
• NBC has the Deutsche Bank Golf Championship at 3.
• At 5, TV Land has an Andy Griffith Show marathon.
• At 9, it's the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon (check local listings).