tennis

If you really think about it, the U.S. Open tennis tournament is a weird television event. Everyone talks about the Super Bowl and it's massive coverage, but it's really amazing that a network actually gives up its entire schedule and devotes all day, every single day, for almost two weeks to a tennis tournament.

But that's what's happening starting today on USA at 11am. The network will have coverage all day until 5pm, then there's a break for dinner or to shower or to run errands or whatever. And then coverage starts up again at 7pm and runs til 11pm (or whenever matches are over). Nice! This continues for the next two weeks. CBS will have daytime coverage on the weekends, including the men's and women's finals.

If you need me for the next weeks, I'll be in front of my TV in my U.S. Open Underoos.

• At 7:30, ESPN has coverage of The Little League World Series.
• At 8, FOX has the premiere of Anchorwoman.
• At 9, ABC has a new NASCAR in Primetime.
• NBC has a new Last Comic Standing at 9, then a new Dateline.
• Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9.
• There's a new Lost Worlds on History Channel at 9.
• At 9:30, HGTV has a new Design on a Dime.
• At 10, Bravo has a new Top Chef.
• Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10.
• At 10:30, ESPN2 has coverage of the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, CBS has a preseason football game, the Chargers vs. the Rams.
• ESPN has the Little League World Series at 8, while ESPN2 has the Western & Southern Financial tennis tournament (followed by a Rogers Cup semi-final).
• TCM has It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at 8.
• High School Musical 2, which is apparently very popular, repeats on Disney at 8.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• There's a new Feasting On Asphalt on Food Network at 9, then Top American Restaurants: Bon Appetit Picks The Best.
• Also at 9: BBC America has a new Jekyll, followed by a new Graham Norton Show with guest Dustin Hoffman.
• At 10, ABC has a new Masters of Science Fiction.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 8, FOX has a new Cops.
• TLC has a new Property Ladder at 8, then two new episodes of Flip That House.
• AMC has The Godfather at 8.
• Also at 8: ESPN2 has the Kroger 200 NASCAR race, followed by Bank of the West Tennis.
• At 9, FOX has a new America's Most Wanted.
• CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9.
• Food Network has a special at 9, Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Grilling.
• Sci-Fi has the movie Sands of Oblivion at 9.
• There's a new Naruto on Cartoon Network at 9.
• At 10, HGTV has a new Design on a Dime.
• Cartoon Network has a new Bobobo-bo Bobo at 10, then a new One Piece.
• WE has the series premiere of She's Moving In at 10.

• At 8, ABC has a new Ugly Betty, followed by a new Grey's Anatomy and the premiere of October Road.
• CBS has March Madness all night.
• NBC has a "newpeat" of The Office and a new Scrubs, then the premieres of both Andy Barker, P.I. and Raines.
• There's a new Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? at 8 on FOX.
• The CW has a new Smallville at 8, then a new Supernatural.
• At 9, ESPN has a new U.S. Poker Championships, followed by coverage of the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament.
• History Channel has a new Decoding The Past at 9.
• Also at 9: HBO has the Addiction special.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay, then a new Ace of Cakes.
• Comedy Central has a new Showbiz Show with David Spade at 10:30.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Do you love professional tennis and completely unnecessary re-imaginings of classic cartoon characters and wish you could see a television series that combines them both? Well, you can't. At least not really. The closest you're going to get is the February 17 episode of Loonatics Unleashed that will feature tennis star Serena Williams as the voice of Queen Athena, leader of the Apacazons, a race of powerful women who confront the Loonatics while they're on vacation on a tropical island.

Williams also voiced herself along with her sister Venus on the Simpsons episode "Tennis the Menace." She has also appeared on ER, Law and Order: SVU, The Bernie Mac Show, My Wife and Kids and The Division. The Loonatics Unleashed episode will air February 17 at 8:00 a.m. on the CW.

• CBS has the U.S. Open men's final, Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick, after football (probably around 4:15-4:30).
• At 7, NBC has the premiere of Football Night in America, followed by the Colts vs. Giants.
• CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7 (or after tennis).
• The WB has a new Just Legal at 7.
• At 8, ABC has (probaby) the miniseries The Path to 9/11.
• FOX has the season premieres of The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy, and The War at Home, starting at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Mystery!
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9.
• There's a new Iron Chef America on Food Network at 9.
• VH-1 has a new Celebrity Fit Club at 9, followed by a new Flavor of Love.
• At 10, HBO has the season premiere of The Wire.

• At 7, USA has more coverage of the U.S. Open.
• At 8, FOX has the premiere of 'Til Death, followed by the premiere of Happy Hour and a new Celebrity Duets.
• CBS has a new Big Brother: All Stars at 8.
• NBC has the first football of the season at 8, Dolphins vs. Steelers.
• Court TV has the movie A Few Good Men at 8.
• Also at 8: HBO runs the entire When The Levees Broke miniseries.
• At 9, TV Guide Channel has the special A Salute to the Crocodile Hunter.
• Larry King has an interview with Andre Agassi on CNN at 9.
• TCM has the original The Producers at 9.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Throwdown With Bobby Flay, followed by a new Ace of Cakes.
• The History Channel has a new American Eats at 10, about beer, followed by a new Modern Marvels.

• At 7, Andre Agassi is in action as USA continues U.S. Open coverage.
• At 8, ABC has a new Big Brother: All-Stars.
• FOX is repeating the two hour premiere of Celebrity Duets at 8, for some reason.
• MTV has the 2006 Video Music Awards at 8.
• FX has The Transporter at 8 (repeated at 10).
• Also at 8: TCM has the classic film noir Double Indemnity.
• At 10, NBC has a new Windfall.
• There's a new American Eats on The History Channel at 10, focusing on "Canned Foods."
• Food Network has a new Throwdown With Bobby Flay at 10, followed by a new Ace of Cakes.
• E's Fashion Police rip apart what the celebs wore at the Emmys. It's on at 10.
• Also at 10: GSN ends their countdown of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time with shows 2 and 1.

• At 7, USA continues U.S. Open coverage.
• At 8, FOX has the season premiere of Bones, followed by the series premiere of Justice.
• At 9, ABC has a new 20/20.
• Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9, followed by two new episodes of Stunt Junkies.
• There's a new Inked on A&E at 9.
• Also at 9: IFC has George Clooney in Solaris.
• At 10, FX has a new 30 Days.
• Spike has a new episode of Blade at 10.
• GSN has shows 4 and 3 in their 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time countdown, also at 10.
• At 10:30, Food Network has a new Ham on the Street.

(S01E17) Basically, it's all Pete Sampras' fault.

That's what everyone thinks in this, one of my favorite episodes. Pete Sampras is in the middle of a U.S. Open match with a guy he should be beating easily, but the nobody is actually making a comeback against the world's #1 player, which means that Sports Night is delayed (side note: I'd love to find out how CSC got the rights to the U.S. Open). It also means that Dana might have to cancel her date with Gordon, Rebecca won't be able to see her first live broadcast of the show, and Dana might have to hand the show over to Sally's 2am show.

But it gives Jeremy time to write a letter to his sister Louise, who's in college but is thinking about quitting because of boyfriend problems.

• At 7:30, ESPN has more of the Little League World Series.
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother: All-Stars.
• FOX has pre-season football at 8, the Dolphins vs. the Panthers.
• At 9, Sci-Fi has a new Who Wants To Be A Superhero?
• Spike has a new UFC Unleashed at 9, followed by a new episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
• At 10, ABC has a new Primetime.
• NBC has a new Windfall at 10.
• The History Channel has a new American Eats at 10, about "Barbecue."
• ESPN2 has coverage of the Pilot Pen tennis tournament at 10.
• Also at 10: GSN has show # 7 on their list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time.

There isn't an event I look forward to more than the U.S. Open (the tennis one, not the golf one). For two weeks, USA has over 10 hours of coverage each and every day, and it's like I'm in a wonderland. I'm glued to the set for two straight weeks, and there's nothing that can pull me away, not even getting a guy who likes to snort coke and make rude sexual remarks to women to host CBS' late night wrapup shows.

The Insider's Pat O'Brien will host CBS' 12:35am daily highlights show the second week of the Open. Ugh.

But whatever. One less thing to watch at 12:35 in the morning I guess. In other news, Diana Ross will sing at the opening night ceremonies, next Monday on USA. The night will include appearances by John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Venus Williams, and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and they will rename the tennis center for veteran player Billie Jean King.