Talk-show tango Aug. 24-28: Anna Wintour on Letterman’s Late Show and Jay-Z on Bill Maher’s Real Time

There’s a bit of a lull before the fall TV season starts up and that includes talk shows, with many still coasting in reruns. New this week are Letterman, O’Brien, Kimmel and Handler. Of those, I’m looking forward to: Anna Wintour on Letterman Monday night, talking about the doc made about the making of Vogue’s biggest annual project, called The September Issue; Bill Maher visiting O’Brien Monday night; and Jay-Z and Bill Moyer in one-on-ones with Bill Maher on Friday night.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Anna Wintour (The September Issue), Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees all-star first baseman)

Tuesday: Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), Eugene Levy (Taking Woodstock), Jet (Shaka Rock)

Wednesday: Anne Heche (Hung), Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory), Care Bears on Fire (Get Over It!)

Thursday: Andy Roddick (US Open), Mutemath (Armistice)

Friday: Artie Lange (The Howard Stern Show), comic Todd Barry

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Mario Cotillard, Michael Musto (R)

Tuesday: comic Eric Idle (R)

Wednesday: Holly Hunter, Camera Obscura (R)

Thursday: Jeff Foxworthy, Gavin De Graw (R)

Friday: Selma Blair, Connie Schultz (R)

Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Bill Maher (Real Time), Nick Cannon, Kings of Leon

Tuesday: Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Mark Feuerstein, Smokey Robinson

Wednesday: Bradley Cooper, Franz Ferdinand

Thursday: Mike Tyson, Matisyahu

Friday: reptile expert Nigel Marven, Colbie Caillat

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Kevin Connolly, Alexa Chung, Aimee Mann (R)

Tuesday: Lauren Graham, Bill Engvall, Jonas Brothers (R)

Wednesday: Fred Armisen, The Mighty Boosh, Flo Rida (R)

Thursday: Alec Baldwin, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter (Michael and Michael Have Issues), Jordin Sparks (R)

Friday: Sean Combs, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Tom Colicchio (R)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Sienna Miller (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Dave Salmoni (Into the Pride) (R)

Tuesday: Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen), Rob Zombie (Halloween II), Friendly Fires

Wednesday: Robin Williams (World’s Greatest Dad), Bobcat Goldthwait (World’s Greatest Dad), Matt & Kim

Thursday:  Kathie Lee Gifford (Just When I thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities), Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie), Darius Rucker

Friday: Dylan McDermott (Dark Blue), B.J. Novak (Inglourious Basterds)

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Reba McEntire (Keep on Loving You), comics Guy Branum, Mo Mandel and Sarah Colonna

Tuesday: Backstreet Boys (This Is Us), comics Loni Love, Dan Levy, Chris Franjola

Wednesday: Eli Roth, comics Randy and Jason Sklar and Gary Valentine

Thursday: Kevin Nealon (Weeds), comics Brad Wo9llack, Jeff Wild and The Insider’s Ross Matthews

Friday: Dave Salmoni (Into the Pride), comics T.J. Miller, Nathasha Leggero and George Wallace (R)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (11 p.m. Comedy Network, midnight ET, CTV)

Monday-Thursday: repeats

The Colbert Report (11:30 p.m. Comedy Network, 12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday-Thursday: repeats

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday-Friday: repeats

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: one on one with Jay-Z and Bill Moyers

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday-Friday: repeats

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday-Friday at Disney Studios: repeats

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday-Friday: repeats until Sept. 8

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday-Friday: repeats

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday-Friday: repeats

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Straight Girl, Gay Crush

Tuesday: A Mother’s Revenge

Wednesday: Love Decoded, Mantrums

Thursday: Pressure to Be Promiscuous

Friday: Teen Pregnancy

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango June 22-26: Gimme Megan Fox over Bruno any day

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has the talk-show circuit in its thrall this week. Or, rather, Megan Fox does. Hey, who’s going to complain. The girl is cute. At least it’s a bit of relief from the neverending promotional tour that is Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno. Will someone please open that movie and get it over with so we can all get on with our summers? Ridiculously, the Bruno tour (which touches down on O’Brien’s show on Thursday) does not peak until the movie opens in the U.S. on July 10. Here’s the trailer for Transformers. It opens midnight on Tuesday here in Montreal.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Samuel L. Jackson (ESPY Awards), Emeril Lagasse, BPA featuring Iggy Pop (I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat)

Tuesday: Sandra Day O’Connor (Finding Susie), MSTRKRFT with John Legend (First of God)

Wednesday: Ray Romano (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs), St. Vincent

Thursday: Johnny Depp (Public Enemies), Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

Friday: Martin Short, Regina Spektor (Far)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), Michael Musto

Tuesday: Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory), James Frey

Wednesday: Mary Steenburgen (The Proposal), Bettye LaVette, Todd Sawyer

Thursday: Larry David (Whatever Works), chef Wolfgang Puck

Friday: Lisa Kudrow, Alan Furst, Chairlift

Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Cameron Diaz (My Sister’s Keeper), Johnny Strange, Pete Yorn

Tuesday: Lisa Kudrow, Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, Elvis Costello

Wednesday: Brandon McMillon, Kerry Washington, Wilco

Thursday: Bruno, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity

Friday: Snoop Dogg, Adele

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: John Leguisamo, Nick Cannon, Sonic Youth

Tuesday: Abigail Breslin (My Sister’s Keeper), James Purefoy (The Philanthropist), Blake Griffin, The BPA featuring Iggy Pop

Wednesday: Richard Branson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Dwight Howard, The Roots

Thursday: Tiger Woods, Evan Rachel Wood (Whatever Works), Dinosaur Jr.

Friday: Cameron Diaz, Universal Record Database, Grizzly Bear

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Thomas Haden Church, Ed Helms (The Hangover), Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Kavya Shivashankar, 311 (R)

Tuesday: Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

Wednesday: Josh Duhamel (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Tracy Hutson (Feathering the Nest)

Thursday: Shia Labeouf (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), June Diane Raphael (Year One), Eric Hutchinson

Friday: Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), David Cross (Year One), Phoenix

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Derek Fisher (L.A. Lakers), comics Sarah Colonna and Randy and Jason Sklar

Tuesday: Tyrese Gibson (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), comics Jo Koy, Christian Finnegan and Guy Branum

Wednesday: Penn and Teller (Bullshit!) and comics Loni Love, Brad Wollack and Heather McDonald

Thursday: Holly Williams (Here with Me) and comics Bryan Callen and Chris Franjola and E!’s Ken Baker

Friday: MC Hammer (Hammertime), comics Kevin Hart, Sarah Colonna and John Caparulo

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Bill Russell (Red and Me)

Tuesday: Larry David (Whatever Works)

Wednesday: Reza Aslan (How to Win a Cosmic War)

Thursday: Cameron Diaz (My Sister’s Keeper)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Simon Schama (The American Future: A History)

Tuesday: David Kilcullen (the Accidental Guerilla)

Wednesday: Matthew Crawford (Shop Class as Soulcraft)

Thursday: Jim Fouratt, journalist activist

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Tony Bennett, Mariane Pearl (R)

Tuesday: Super Dave Osborne, David Foster (R)

Wednesday: tba

Thursday:

Friday:

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: Victory Begins at Home standup special (new episodes return soon)

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain), Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Tonioli (R)

Tuesday: Kara DioGuardi co-hosts), Nick Cannon, Ashanti

Wednesday: Cameron Diaz (My Sister’s Keeper), Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains)

Thursday: Shia LaBeouf (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Il Divo

Friday: Ray Romano (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs), Megan Fox (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Nancy Grace

Tuesday: Maksim Chmerkovskiy (the Superstars), Benjamin Bratt and Warren Boyd (The Cleaner)

Wednesday: former crown prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi, Joan Rivers

Thursday: Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood (Whatever Works), Darius Rucker

Friday: John Edwards

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Paula Deen (My First Cookbook), Gurbaksh Chahal (The Secret Millionaire), Kellie Pickler (R)

Tuesday: Zachary Levi (Chuck) (R)

Wednesday: Jeff Probst (Survivor) (R)

Thursday: Tom Bergeron (America’s Funnniest Videos), Lisa Lillien (Hungry  Girl) (R)

Friday: Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Ghost Whisperer), Freddy Rodriguez (Nothing Like the Holidays), REO Speedwagon (Find Your Own Way Home) (R)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Anne Hathaway (R)

Tuesday: Dustin Hoffman, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto (R)

Wednesday: Anderson Cooper, Katy Perry (R)

Thursday: Steve Martin, Ephraim Salaam (R)

Friday: No Doubt, George Lopez (R)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Does My Butt Look Big? (R)

Tuesday: 300 Men Ask Dr. Oz (R)

Wednesday: Nate Builds a Dream House (R)

Thursday: And Overwhelmed Mom’s Deadly Mistake (R)

Friday: Obese Families in Crisis: The Intervention (R)

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Transforming Your Life

Tuesday: Wishes and Dreams

Wednesday:  Don’t Ruin My Gay Wedding

Thursday: Tyra Show Survey

Friday: Fantasy Makeovers

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango June 15-19: Colbert’s buzz cut, O’Brien’s brief reign and … Oprah’s books!

Let’s see now. Stephen Colbert has returned from Iraq with a whole lot less hair. Conan O’Brien has shocked no one by having his version of The Tonight Show fall in the ratings to David Letterman’s Late Show, even thought NBC had already declared O’Brien the “new king of late night”. Craig Ferguson, O’Brien’s former competitor, knows better and, on Friday, revealed … himself to be the king! And — yes, I saved the best for last — Oprah has finally revealed her summer reading list. Before you mock (oh wait — too late?), this list includes the classic collection of essays, Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, and the new novel which I hope to jam into my summer somewhere, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Now, go and make a living so you can buy all the books on Oprah’s list as well as a bigger TV and a better cable package!

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Jack Black (Year One), M.A. Sanjayan (The Nature Conservancy)

Tuesday: Michelle Pfeiffer (Sherie), Ian McLagen and the Bump Band (Never Say Never)

Wednesday: Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal)

Thursday: Phoenix (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix)

Friday: Jada Pinkett-Smith (Hawthorne), Michael Cera (Year One), The Sounds (Crossing the Rubicon)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Joe Torre, Spinal Tap

Tuesday: Larry David (Whatever Works), Lauren Conrad (The Hills), Gavin Rossdale

Wednesday: William Shatner, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Year One), Incubus

Thursday: Eva Mendes, Jack White’s new supergroup The Dead Weather

Friday: Brandon McMillan, Holly Williams

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Matthew Broderick, Sean Avery, Spenser and Heidi Pratt, Jason Aldean

Tuesday: Horatio Sanz, Selena Gomez, Hank Williams Jr.

Wednesday: Al Roker, Gary Vaynerchuk, Joshua Topolsky, Street Sweeper Social Club

Thursday: Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal), Lauren Conrad (The Hills), The Fray

Friday: Jeff Goldblum (Law & Order: CI), Tamra Davis

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: David Spade (Rules of Engagement), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Black Eyed Peas (R)

Tuesday: Ty Pennington (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), David Sedaris (When You Are Engulfed in Flames), Jonas Brothers

Wednesday: Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Roseanne Barr

Thursday: Kathy Griffin (My Life on the D-List), Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Ben Harper

Friday: tba

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Betty White (The Proposal), comics Josh Wolf, Jen Kirkman and George Wallace

Tuesday: MC Hammer (Hammertime), comics Kevin Hart, Sarah Colonna and John Caparulo

Wednesday: Denise Richards and comics Loni Love, Brad Wollack and Heather McDonald

Thursday: Holly Williams (Here with Me), comics Bryan Callen, Ken Baker and Chris Franjola

Friday: Nia Vardalos (My Life in Ruins), comics Chris Hardwick and Guy Branum, and Arden Myrin

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Ed Helms (The Hangover)

Tuesday: Thom Folsom (The Mad Ones)

Wednesday: Peter Laufer (The Dangerous World of Butterflies)

Thursday: Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Austan Goolsbee, vice-chairman, Council on Economic Advisors

Tuesday: Jim Rogers, Duke Energy

Wednesday: Joshua Micah Marshall, Talking Points Memo

Thursday: Paul Muldoon, White House poetry slam

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Joe Dinicol, Michaelle Jean (R)

Tuesday: Gene Simmons, Malcolm McDowell (R)

Wednesday: David Thewlis, Alanis Morissette (R)

Thursday: tba

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: CNN’s Paul Begala, BBC’s Katty Kay, Beast blogger Meghan McCain, Time columnist Joel Stein,

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Megan Mullally co-hosts, Jack Black (Year One)

Tuesday: Molly Shannon co-hosts, Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place)

Wednesday: Joy Philbin co-hosts, Sandra Bullock (The Proposal)

Thursday: Joy Philbin co-hosts, Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal)

Friday: Julia Roberts (Duplicity), New Kids on the Block, Keke Palmer, David Bach (R)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Heidi and Spencer Pratt (I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here), Dr. Larry Norton

Tuesday: Jada Pinkett Smith (Hawthorne), Lauren Costello

Wednesday: Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend (Cheri), Shirley Jones, Marty Engles

Thursday: Anne Hathaway, Lauren Conrad (The Hills)

Friday: George Lopez, Mario Cantone, Lewis Black

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Carnie Wilson, Derek Luke (Notorious), kid inventors (R)

Tuesday: Brian Austin  Green (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Ballas Hough Band (R)

Wednesday: Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Gabriella Crump, Spike Feresten (R)

Thursday: Jane Kaczmarek (Raising the Bar), Jensen Ackles (Supernatural/My Bloody Valentine 3-D), Dr. Ian Smith (R)

Friday: Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Carrie Ann Inaba (Dancing with the Stars) (R)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Mariah Carey, Milan Simone Tuttle

Tuesday: Simon Cowell (American Idol), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek)

Wednesday: Brad Pitt, Keane

Thursday: Melissa Rycroft, Kym Douglas

Friday: Jason Mesnick, Molly Malaney

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Get Your Sexy Back Makeovers (R)

Tuesday: Dr. Oz and th Ultimate Health Checklist (R)

Wednesday: Miracle Children with Celine Dion (R)

Thursday: Tent Cities in America, a Special Report by Lisa Ling (R)

Friday: Unconventional, Unforgettable Dads (R)

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: I Suffer From a Sex Addiction

Tuesday: Tori Spelling plus Daphne Oz and YouTube Stars

Wednesday: Trust Your Dating Instincts

Thursday: Focus Group Your Life

Friday: Pregnancy Intervention

– Denise Duguay

The Tonight Show: Run Conan run!

Conan O’Brien is one helluvan elegant runner. He’s beautiful. And in a suit!
Having started the running theme on the beach in his promo ads, O’Brien opened his first edition of The Tonight Show Monday night by running across America (having forgotten to move to L.A.). Clever. And the running!
“Yeah, maybe he shoulda just kept running.”
That, of course, was the boyfriend. Millions of wired TV viewers were sharing their views of the show on Twitter. Me? I get the real-time phone call from the boyfriend, who’s on the road working.
“It’s worse than I thought it would be. And Andy Richter looks creepy. But (O’Brien) running was fabulous.” Boyfriend out.
And the moral of that story? If you, like the boyfriend, didn’t like Conan O’Brien at 12:35 a.m. on Late Night, you probably won’t like him at 11:35 p.m. on The Tonight Show.
But even if you like him, as I do, last night was nothing better than treading water.
Despite big thumbs up from show announcer Andy Richter, returned to O’Brien’s side after he left Late Night to pursue sitcoms, and some mania on the high hat by Max Weinberg and the band, the show was a little flat.
If you missed it last night: It started out strong with the running, led into a monologue opened with the string dance (quick version), then a very non-topical jokes that introduced the word “Choco-taco” into the Tonight Show lexicon.
Where Leno had Jay Walking and other out-of-studio bits, O’Brien spent the day playing tour guide to people visiting Universal Studios. F, slightly absurd O’Brien stuff that involved him screaming “Oh my God” over and over and ended with him buying two cartloads of junk from a 99-cent store for the people on his tour busses.
A couple of other bits were flatter, although a bit showing how not-connected he is in L.A. (a nosebleed seat at a Lakers’ game to Jack Nicholson’s courtside throne) revealed the secret to his flaming red pompadour: popcorn butter and bathroom spackle. Now you know.
Will Ferrell, promoting new film Land of the Lost, arrived in a throne carried by Egyptian slaves and deadpanned his way through two segments. Tips on living in L.A. did nothing to spike the energy level of the show.
Much might be made of Ferrell first deadpanning his congratulations to O’Brien because “no one thought you’d make it. No one.” and then later, after, serenading O’Brien with the oh-so inappropriate Never Can Say Goodbye, finishing with “Don’t get me wrong, I’m pulling for you man, but… there’s studio execs shaking back stage, ready the pull the plug.” Much might be made, but it’s a joke. A JOKE. Probably.
Just as when O’Brien earlier tittered that Jay Leno would be back in a couple of days. A joke!
Overall, O’Brien had moments last night where he was funny, moments where he was flat. Andy Richter is wasted, given what he contributed last night, but again, one night does not define much.
Musically, however, I hope that subsequent bands sound better than Pearl Jam did; the sound of their performance never rose above muddy.
Of course Twitter was alive with fans and foes. Conan sucks. Conan’s brilliant.
I’ll leave you with the one I liked best, being, as you might have read, not a big fan of Jay Leno:
“Conan’s Tonight Show is stupid, narcissistic, pointless & bland. Still funnier than Leno.”
People. There’s no pleasing them all.
Wanna leave your two cents? Knock yourself out in the comments below or send me an email.
– Denise Duguay

Exit stage left: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 1992-2009

As you probably know, Jay Leno does the last Tonight Show of his 17-year stint behind the iconic desk, starting tonight (May 29) at 11:35 p.m. James Taylor is the musical guest. Conan O’Brien, the former East Coast Late Night host who takes over the Tonight Show Monday, will be his guest. Expect also what has come on every night so far, a montage of past moments. Tonight it’s Extreme Tonight Show Montage. The week started with the montage When Things Go Wrong, for which Leno was accompanied by frequent guest Mel Gibson. The montage, about things that have gone wrong on the Tonight Show, was mostly amusing. The Tonight Show is almost always amusing, usually mildly amusing, but still. What followed Monday is why I don’t ordinarily watch the show.

Gibson was going on about his new girlfriend, having just confirmed that she was expecting their first child together. He mentioned the girlfriend’s musical talents and used the composer’s name Rachmaninov, pronouncing the first syllable “rack”. To which Leno lept in with:

“And I assume she’s got a ‘Rack’-maninov?”

Now, I’m a grownup. I’m not offended by the sexual nature of this joke, the type of which pops up — although I wouldn’t use that word if Leno were in the room, for fear of provoking another creepy-uncle zinger — more nights than not. But as a viewer I am offended that this is the type of thing that passes for a joke.

Andrew Ryan of the Globe and Mail and many others have weighed in on NBC’s decision to take Leno to prime time in the fall, for a show apparently similar to his Tonight Show. It’s sensible cost-cutting, say some observers, noting that no matter how much Leno makes, his show will not require the financial investment necessary to develop the hour-long dramas that occupy that spot on other major networks. For NBC, Leno’s show is money in the bank. That it will also kneecap O’Brien’s Tonight Show debut by siphoning off the audience is a whole other lament, which I’ll save for later in the weekend.

Moving Leno to prime time is also a brave gamble on NBC’s part. Will this be a new Ed Sullivan-type show, heavy not just on humour but also on performance? Could this signal a revival of the era when Carole Burnett and Dean Martin et al kept audiences rapt with their celebrity-sketch-song-and-dance variety shows? Will the majority of the U.S. audience lap up the comedy, “Rack”-ish though it is, instead of crime, death, rape, serial-killing and the zooming shots of autopsied organs and the probably flight path of the murder weapon? Or, for relief, the disease of the week? (I intended to list the shows in these categories, but it was almost all the shows at the top of the ratings. As a friend recently wondered, “What the hell is our obsession with death, illness, women in peril?” But that’s a column for another day.)

So will Leno be welcome with open arms and huge audience numbers? Will the CSIs, Law & Orders, Criminal Minds, Southlands, Houses, Boneses, Fringes feel the heat? Will their commissioning networks scramble for their own versions of The Jay Leno Show?

I dunno. Ryan over at the Globe says:

“Coming from a fourth-place network, during a recession, the new Leno show is probably as close as TV comes to a sure thing.”

What do you think? And yes, my friend, this plea for your opinion is a transparent attempt to drive up traffic to this blog. Tell your family! Tell your friends! Let’s get the party started! But it is also a sincere call for help: What the hell is the attraction of Jay Leno? Will you follow him to prime time?

Our lines are open. The operators are standing by. Or you could just comment below.

And if I’ve whipped you into a frenzy of late-night theorizing, you might enjoy The Late Shift, the movie inspired by New York Times columnist Bill Carter’s take on the whole Leno vs. Letterman for helm of the Tonight Show back when Johnny Carson left. It’s airing tonight (May 29) on HBO Canada at 8 p.m. ET.

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: May 25-29

Oh dear. It’s Jay Leno’s last week helming the Tonight Show. Hang on a sec. … No, I’m certain. I have no tears on this loss. Not a big fan. He aims low and to the middle of America. Boring. But it will probably be worth checking out at least a couple of nights this week: say tonight’s fiesta of schadenfreude called Things Gone Wrong montage, with guest Mel “Gone Wrong” Gibson, and Friday’s finale with Conan O’Brien, who will step in Monday, June 1. Jay, if you must know, will return this fall (date tba) to take up space that should go to TV dramas when The Jay Leno Show premieres weeknights at 10 p.m. ET.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Beyonce Knowles (Obsessed), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) (R)

Tuesday: Russel Crowe (State of Play) (R)

Wednesday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Lauren Conrad (The Hills), the Dead (R)

Thursday: Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons), The Killers (Day & Age) (R)

Friday: Robin Williams (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Wynton Marsalis (He and She) (R)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Bob Saget, P.W. Singer

Tuesday: Chris Isaak, Moon Bloodgood

Wednesday: former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, Amy Smart (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian)

Thursday: Michael Caine, Matt Baetz

Friday: Simon Cowell (American Idol), Erin McCarley

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Mel Gibson (Things Gone Wrong montage), Lyle Lovett

Tuesday: Arnold Schwarzenegger (political montage), Dwight Yoakam

Wednesday: Wanda Sykes, Dame Edna, Sarah McLachlan

Thursday: Billy Crystal, Prince

Friday: Conan O’Brien (Extreme Tonight Show montage), James Taylor

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Beastie Boys, The Amazing Kreskin, David Cook

Tuesday: Whoopi Goldberg (The View), Stephen Baldwin (I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here), Keane

Wednesday: Brooke Shields, Chris Hardwick, Kris Allen, The-Dream

Thursday: Jack McBrayer, Janeane Garofalo, Rodney Atkins

Friday: Justin Long, Tony Hawk

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Chris Pine (Star Trek), Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation), Scott Weiland (R)

Tuesday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) (R)

Wednesday: Matthew Fox (Lost), Ben McKenzie (Southland), Ciara (R)

Thursday: Channing Tatum (Fighting), Elisha Cuthbert (24), Depeche Mode (R)

Friday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), John Cho (Star Trek), Flo Rida

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Real and Chance (A Real Change of Love 2), comics Sarah Colonna, Hyla Matthews, Chris Hardwick

Tuesday: Lisa Rinna (Rinnavation), comics Brad Wollack, Arden Myrin, Jo Koy

Wednesday: Mayim Bialik, comics Steve Marmalstein, Jen Kirkman and Josh Wolf

Thursday: comics T.J. Miller, Natasha Leggero and Greg Proops

Friday: Busta Rhymes (Back on my G.S.), comics Ben Gleib, Whitney Cummings and Chris Franjola

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: tba repeats all week

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: tba repeats all week.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Daniel Negreanu, James Lovelock

Tuesday: Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Jeff Rubin

Wednesday:  Norman Jewison

Thursday: Larry King, Steve Earle

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: tba

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Jimmy Kimmel co-hosts, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here), Chris Byrne

Tuesday: Idol winner Kris Allen

Wednesday: Idol runnerup Adam Lambert

Thursday: Idol third-place winner Danny Gokey, Jeff Daniels (God of Carnage)

Friday: Ultimate Hometown Grill-off

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: wounded soldiers Melissa Stockwell and Ireshekie Henry, Soulja Boy Tellem, hot dogs

Tuesday: Faith Prince (The Little Mermaid)

Wednesday: women’s health, performance from Broadway’s Next to Normal

Thursday: David Hyde Pierce (Accent on Youth), Justin Long (Drag Me To Hell), Mellody Hobson (Unbroke: Everything You Need to Know About Money)

Friday: Nathan Lane and Bill Irwin (Waiting for Godot), TJ Maxx and TJX

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Hank Azaria (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight), the Poor chef charles Mattocks (Eat Cheap but Eat Well), comic Melinda Hill

Tuesday: Fran Drescher (Cancer Schmancer), Joe Ward (Masters of Illusion), auditions from Idol

Wednesday: George Lopez (Beverly Hills Chihuahua), Cat Cora (Iron Chef America), Jonathan Burkin (America’s Got Talent), Sing It or Wing It audience playalong

Thursday: David Boreanaz (Bones), Bill Nyte The Science Guy, Tabatha Coffey (Tabatha’s Salon Takeover), Joel Paschal and Marcus Erickson (Junk Raft)

Friday: Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Matthew Rhys (The Edge of Love/Brothers and Sisters), Bethenny Frankel (Skinny girl)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Steve Martin, Ephraim Salaam

Tuesday: Kris Allen, Mandy Moore

Wednesday: Jennifer Hudson, Anthony Iglesia

Thursday: Reese Witherspoon, Bobby Flay

Friday: David Spade, Gilles Marini

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Christina Applegate: Why She Had a Double Mastectomy (R)

Tuesday: Truth About Food with Dr. Oz (R)

Wednesday: Your Money Plan 2009 (R)

Thursday: Weight Loss Secrets of the Biggest Losers (R)

Friday: Women Leaving Men for Other Women (R)

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Wedding Divas

Tuesday: Marry My Man

Wednesday: I Don’t Need a Husband or a Baby

Thursday: He Cheats… Take Back or Dump Him

Friday: Free Stuff

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: May 18-22

Well let’s see. Last week on The View, Brooke Shields talked about the recent alleged (don’t you love that word?) head-butting incident in NYC which may or may not have involved Kiefer Sutherland. Or rather she did not talk about it, saying as the mother of kids she was just happy to be out that late and is leaving it all to the lawyers. Will Sutherland (not) say the same when he appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday? Stay tuned!!!! Here’s Brooke:

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), White Rabbits (It’s Frightening)

Tuesday: Piedmont bird callers, Jane Fonda (33 Variations), Kenny Chesney (Greatest Hits, Vol. 2)

Wednesday: Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report), Grizzly Bear (Veckatimest)

Thursday: tba, JeanRedpath (By Request)

Friday: Ricky Gervais (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), comic Pete Correale, Green Day (21st Century  Breakdown)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Justin Long, Lawrence Block

Tuesday: comic Kathy Griffin, Nelson George

Wednesday: Guy Pearce, comic Hattie Hayridge, Hensley

Thursday: John Waters, Manda Mosher

Friday: Mark Ruffalo, Mindy Kaling, the Decemberists

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Cameron Diaz, comic Kirk Fox, Blink 182

Tuesday: Terry Bradshaw, piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick, Blink 182

Wednesday: Bill Maher, Adam Richman (Man Vs. Food), Mandy Moore

Thursday: Andy Samberg (MTV Movie Awards), American Idol winner, Lionel Richie

Friday: Brian Williams, Jesse James (J.J. Is a Dead Man), Tori Amox

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Carla Gugino, Method Man and Redman

Tuesday: Matt Lauer, Mary McCormack, Dana White, Iron & Wine

Wednesday: Bryce Dallas Howard, Dierks Bentley

Thursday: Kiefer Sutherland (24), Ivanka Trump, Billy Boy on Poison

Friday: Sig Hansen (Deadliest Catch), Chrisette Michele (Epiphany)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Dane Cook, genius Pranav Veera, Franz Ferdinand (R)

Tuesday: Eminem, Mike Tyson

Wednesday: Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Dancing with the Stars winner, No Doubt

Thursday: Tim Daly (Private Practice), Common (Terminator: Salvation), Busta Rhymes

Friday: Hank Azaria (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Anton Yelchin (Terminator: Salvation), Eminem

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: James Van Praagh (Unfinished Business), comics John Caparulo and Loni Love, Ken Baker

Tuesday: Cloris Leachman, comics Heather McDonald and Josh Wolf

Wednesday: Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), comics Frank Nicotero and Guy Branum, Janet Varney (Dinner and a Movie)

Thursday: Busta Rhymes, comics Ben Gleib, Whitney Cummings and Chris Franjola

Friday: Mel B. (Peepshow), comics Jo Koy, Natasha Leggero and Joanna Coles (Marie Claire)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Sarah Fisher (Indy 500 driver)

Tuesday: Newt Gingrich (former speaker of the house and author of 5 Principles for a Successful Life)

Wednesday: Elizabeth Edwards (Resilience)

Thursday: Larry King (My Remarkable Journey)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Meghan McCain (The Daily Beast)

Tuesday: Walter Kirn (Lost in the Meritocracy)

Wednesday: Seth Shostak (Confessions of an Alien Hunter)

Thursday: Green Day (21st Century Breakdown)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Keith Urban, Chuck Palahniuk

Tuesday: Walter Gretzky, Sheila Fraser

Wednesday: The Amazing Kerskin

Thursday: Johnny Damon, Frank McKenna

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: Muhammed Yunus, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, Simon Johnson

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Simon Baker (The Mentalist)

Tuesday: Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Jesse James (Jesse James Is a Dead Man)

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: Ricky Gervais (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian)

Friday: Matthew Broderick (The Philanthropist)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: former Minnesota governor and former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura

Tuesday: Elizabeth Edwards (Resilience)

Wednesday: Glenn Beck (the Glenn Beck Program)

Thursday: Larry King (Larry King Live), stars of Southern Belles

Friday: Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Sharlene Azam (Oral Sex Is the New Goodnight Kiss)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Brooke Shields (It’s the Best Day Ever, Dad), Elisha Cuthbert (24), Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz (At the Movies)

Tuesday: Brad Garrett (Til Death), Jewel (Lullaby), Pat and Gina Neely (Down HOme with the Neelys)

Wednesday: Andy Richter (Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien), Judge Greg Mathis, kid inventors

Thursday: John McEnroe, Chris Harrison (The Bachelorette), Jennette McCurdy (iCarly)

Friday: Dick Van Dyke, Common (Terminator: Salvation), Ask Alice

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Jamie Foxx, Umi Garrett, Marisa Miller

Tuesday: outdoor show with No Doubt

Wednesday: Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), David Cook

Thursday: Kevin Nealon, Tamar Geller

Friday: American Idol red carpet

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: the finale of Oprah’s search for the world’s most talented kids

Tuesday: Oprah/People’s Heroes in Hard Times

Wednesday: What Can You Live Without Experiment II

Thursday: Where the Skype Are You

Friday: Taboo Topic — What Social Class Are You Now?

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Are Parents to Blame for Childhood Obesity?

Tuesday: Married Virgins

Wednesday: All the Things Your Mama Never Taught You: Pregnancy Edition

Thursday: Decoding Love/Meghan McCain

Friday: My Secret Jealousy

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: May 11-15

Sweet jaysus mary and joseph! Do not watch Susan Boyle on Oprah on Monday. Do not! Nothing to see here. Just keep moving.

Montrealer-on-a-talk-show-alert: Now that makes me sound like a dork, right? But I just wanna make sure that you know that I spied Andy Nulman’s name on the guest list this week for Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show. Of course that’s Andy Nulman of Just for Laughs fame and author of Pow! Right Between the Eyes: Profiting from the Power of Surprise! As if you needed me to tell you that. Here’s Nulman writing about it on his own blog. He mentions an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction. Just so you are warned.

Elsewhere, you will not be able to avoid  noticing, on this week’s couches, that the new Tom Hanks/Ron Howard adaptation of the Dan Brown thriller Angels & Demons is in theatres starting this Friday. If that floats your boat, here’s the trailer. If it doesn’t, if, say you remember Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, he’s making a couple of stops this week also to promote his album Roadsinger. If you are so into talk shows you need the double stimulus of one talk-show host visiting another’s show, let me advise that Jay Leno visits Ellen and that Jimmy Fallon visits the Tyra show. Now here’s that trailer. Have a good week.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons), The Killers (Day & Age)

Tuesday: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Maya Rudolph (Away We Go), Chrisette Michele (Epiphany)

Wednesday: Robin Williams (Night a the Museum 2), Wynton Marsalis (He and She)

Thursday: kid scientists, Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Dick Ross and the Magazeen (Deeper than Rap)

Friday: John Goodman (Waiting for Godot), comic Tommy Tiernan, Mastodon (Crack the Skye)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: comic Steven Wrights, Bryce Dallas Howard

Tuesday: model Paulina Porzikova, Andy Nulman

Wednesday: Laurence Fishburne (CSI), Paula Poundstone

Thursday: Howie Mandel, Laura Lippman

Friday: Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons), All American Rejects

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Russell Brand, Ciara

Tuesday: Dennis Miller, piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick, Kelly Clarkson

Wednesday: Kevin Spacey, Yusuf Islam (Roadsinger)

Thursday: Katie Couris, Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons), the Decemberists

Friday: Kings of Leon

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Susan Sarandon, Randy Jackson (American Idol), Soulja Boy

Tuesday: Andy Samberg (SNL), Jorge Garcia (Lost), comic Bo Burnham

Wednesday: Jeff Goldblum (Law and Order: Criminal Intent), Jeff Probst (Survivor), The Beat Freaks dance crew

Thursday: Maya Rudolph, Damon Wayans Jr., Asher Roth

Friday: Shawn and Marlon Wayans, Steve Kroft, Yusuf Islam (Roadsinger)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Matthew McConaughey (the Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Kara DioGuardi (American Idol), Jason Aldean

Tuesday: Paula Abdul (American Idol), Dancing with the Stars ex, comic Todd Glass

Wednesday: Matthew Fox (Lost), Benjamin McKenzie (Southland), Ciara

Thursday: Andrien Brody (Brothers Bloom), Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (Anvil! The Story of Anvil), Airborne Toxic Event

Friday: Eminem

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Taryn Manning (A Million Trillion Stars), comics Chris Franjola, actress Candis Cayne, Ross Matthews

Tuesday: Michealle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl), comics Jen Kirkman, Randy and Jason Sklar

Wednesday: Bob Saget (Surviving Suburbia), comics John Caparulo and Todd Glass, actress Arden Myrin

Thursday: Krysten Ritter (Gossip Girl), comic Brad Wollack, Tanika Ray (Extra), comic Billy Gardell

Friday: Mel B. (Peepshow), comic Jo Koy, Natasha Leggero, Joanna Coles (Marie Claire)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday: Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons)

Wednesday: Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S.

Thursday: Lisa P. Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Tamara Draut (Strapped)

Tuesday: Ron Howard (Angels & Demons)

Wednesday: Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food)

Thursday: Yusuf Islan (Roadsinger)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: tba

Tuesday: Joseph Boyden, Christopher Hitchens

Wednesday: Ricky Jay, Terry Gould

Thursday: William P. Young, Tom Green

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: David Simon (the Wire), economist Elizabeth Warren, Amy Holmes, Richard Brookhiser (The national Review)

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Eric Bana (Star Trek), 4th Amerioan Idol finalist

Tuesday: Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons)

Wednesday: Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons), Jewel

Thursday: Jeff Probst (Survivor)

Friday: Nathan Lane (Waiting for Godot)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Steve Harvey, En Vogue

Tuesday: Melina Kanakaredes (CSI New York), Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Wednesday: Michael Emerson (Lost), Cheryl Saban (What’s Your Self-Worth)

Thursday: Brooke Shields, Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives)

Friday: Tom Hanks, Ron Howard and Ayelet Zurer (Angels & Demons)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Joan Lundun (Good Morning America), Scott Speedman (Adoration), Bethenny Frankel (Skinny Girl/Real Housewives of NYC), Maury Marler

Tuesday: Emily Deschanel (Bones), Diahann Carroll (The Legs Are the Last to Go), Ask Alice

Wednesday: James Denton (Desperate Housewives), snowboarder Shaun White, Lee Woodruf (Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress)

Thursday: Alyssa Milano (Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic), Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of NYC), Dierks Bentley (Feel That Fire)

Friday: Tori Spelling and Dean McCermott (Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood), Yara Shahidi (Imagine That), chef Eric Ripert, Amazing Race winners Tammy and Victor Jih

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Yuto Miyazawa, Allison Iraheta

Tuesday: Matthew Fox (Lost), Lady Gaga

Wednesday: Jay Leno, Ciara

Thursday: Anderson Cooper, Kelly Clarkson

Friday: Pink

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Simon Cowell (American Idol)

Tuesday: Embarrassing Questions and Lifesaving Updates: The Best of Dr. Oz

Wednesday: Oprah’s Comedy House: Dane Cook, Mo’Nique and George Lopez

Thursday: Released From Prison After Killer Her Father

Friday: Amazing Animals

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Trading Popularity — High School Edition

Tuesday: What Is Good Hair

Wednesday: cycle 12 graduation party from America’s Next Top Model

Thursday: Jimmy Fallon and Kathy Griffin

Friday: Mario Lopez and Saved by Tyra

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: May 4-8

Mega-viral-flavour-of-the-moment U.K. singing sensation Susan Boyle, says Entertainment Weekly, was destined to be a star. Quebec singer Bernard Lachance might have a similar world-famous destiny, but he’s fought for every bit of exposure and success, and his efforts are being rewarded Tuesday when he is featured on Oprah in a segment taped last week and reported on here by Gazette reporters Max Harrold and Catherine Solyom.

“What can I say? Oprah is like a religion,” the singer told the Gazette on Saturday. The story is an amazing one. Let’s all tune in and hear Lachance experience his latest big moment.

It’s enough to make me feel inspired. Alternating with hopelessness. Check out the rest of the talk-show listings while I go out and get some Haagen Dazs.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Gordon Ramsey (Hell’s Kitchen), Chris Pine (Star Trek), Keri Hilson with Kanye West (In a Perfect World…)

Tuesday: Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Sanjay Gupta (CNN), Franz Ferdinand (Tonight)

Wednesday: Bruce Willis, Ben Harper and Relentless 7 (White Lies for Dark Time)

Thursday: Norm MacDonald, Leonard Nimon Top 10 (Star Trek), Animal Collective (Merriweather Post Pavilion)

Friday: Matthew Broderick (The Philanthropist), comic Brian Regan, Chris Cornell (Scream)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey’s Anatomy), Stana Katic (Castle)

Tuesday: George Hamilton, Jenny Lewis

Wednesday: Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY), Nathan Fillion (Castle), Zac Brown Band

Thursday: Matthew McConaughey (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Cokie Roberts

Friday: Amy Smart, Kunal Nayyar (Big Bang Theory)

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Anderson Cooper (CNN), comic Kathleen Madigan, Eli Young Band

Tuesday: Howie Mandel (Howie Do It), Robert Randolph and the Clark Sisters

Wednesday: Tim Allen, John Cho (Star Trek), Van Morrison

Thursday: Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow

Friday: Jamie Lee Curtis, Jonah Hill (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Jewel

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Jennifer Aniston, Donald Faison (Scrubs), Adele

Tuesday: J.J. Abrams (Star Trek), Colin Quinn, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

Wednesday: Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal (Rudo y Cursi), The National

Thursday: Martha Stewart, Ben Harper and the Relentless 7

Friday: Joan Rivers (Celebrity Apprentice), Rachael Ray

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Justin Timberlake (The Phone), Eliza Coupe (Scrubs), The Whip

Tuesday: Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), latest ex of Dancing with the Stars

Wednesday: David Spade (Rules of Engagement), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Black Eyed Peas

Thursday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), John Cho (Star Trek), Flo Rida

Friday: Chris Pine (Star Trek), Aziz Ansari, Scott Weiland

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Bob Saget (Surviving Suburbia), comic John Caparulo, actress Arden Myrin and comic Todd Glass

Tuesday: Krysten Ritter (Gossip Girl), comic Brad Wollack, Tanika Ray (Extra) and comic Billy Gardell

Wednesday: comic Jo Koy, comic Natasha Leggero and Joanna Coles (Marie Claire)

Thursday: Michelle Trachtenberg (Gossip Girl), comics Jen Kirkman,  Randy and Jason Sklar

Friday: Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), comics Kevin Hart, Whitney Cummings and Guy Branum

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Denis Leary (Rescue Me)

Tuesday: Fareed Zakaria (The Post-American World)

Wednesday: George Stephanopoulos (ABC)

Thursday: Ken Salazar (U.S. Secretary of the Interior)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: J.J. Abrams (Star Trek)

Tuesday: Cliff Sloan (Slate), Paul Rieckhoff (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America)

Wednesday: Laurie Garrett (The Coming Plague)

Thursday: Mitchell Joachim (The Carborexic City)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: David Waltner-Toews

Tuesday: Bruce Greenberg (Star Trek), Nandan Nilekani

Wednesday: Atom Egoyan (Adoration), Daniel Sekulich

Thursday: Joseph Boyden, Christopher Hitchens

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday:

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Ciara

Tuesday: in Miami — Nicole Richie, Anna Maria Polo, Danny Daze

Wednesday: in Miami — Rob Lowe (Brothers and Sisters), Marlins Manatees, American Idol ex

Thursday: Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy)

Friday: Mom’s Dream special

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: James Carville, Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s book The G-Free Diet

Tuesday: Donald Trump (Think Like a Champion), Ivanka Trump (Celebrity Apprentice), WWE superstar MVP

Wednesday: Judy Scheindlen (Judge Judy), Justin Chambers (Grey’s Anatomy), Twitter’s Biz Stone and Evan Williams

Thursday: Michael J. Fox (Always Looking Up: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist), Nancy Snyderman

Friday: John Stossel (ABC), Kenneth Branagh (Wallander), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Alyse Myers

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP), Jason Aldean (Wide Open)

Tuesday: Kara Dioguardi (American Idol), repeat of a Danny Ganz performance in tribute to the illusionist, who passed away last week.

Wednesday: Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Sam Haskell (Promises I Made My Mother)

Thursday: Balthazar Getty (Brothers and Sisters), Faryl Smith (Faryl), teacher Gregg Breinberg

Friday:

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Heidi Klum

Tuesday: Simon Cowell (American Idol)

Wednesday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

Thursday: Vanessa Hudgens

Friday: Mother’s Day show with Ryan Seacrest

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: The McCanns and the Search for Madeleine

Tuesday: Quebec singer Bernard Lachance and other Oprah “discoveries”

Wednesday: moms on bullying

Thursday: Elizabeth Edwards’ first interview

Friday: Oprah Live

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Return of Pregnant Bunny

Tuesday: Teens and Parents

Wednesday: Prom Time

Thursday: Gay Is the New Black

Friday: Let’s Make a Deal Fashion Edition

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: April 27-May 1

What the hell was the big deal about Jay Leno’s sick days? Or so says Leno himself, who will, dammit, be back at work Monday, April 27, AND appear at a benefit in Knoxville, Tenn. on May 2. Or so Leno said to Terry Morrow of the Knoxville Sentinel News when he called — to make good on a previously scheduled phone interview — moments before being checked out of the hospital on Saturday.

Most news reports now say the problem was exhaustion or dehydration, but Leno did not tell Morrow why he’d gone to the hospital and cancelled a couple of Tonight Show tapings last week. He did say he was amused by the massive news coverage.

“It’s flattering people are concerned. That’s very nice,” he said. “It definitely does not seem like a news story. One guy here tried to sneak in (dressed) as a Jesuit priest. It’s hilarious. You get on the blogs and (it reads), ‘He’s really dead, and they are pretending he’s still alive.’ It’s hilarious. It’s unbelievable.”

A few reports on Saturday wondered if Leno’s first sick days in 17 years might have been related to the impending Tonight Show finale on May 29, followed by Conan O’Brien’s takeover — reunited with Andy Richter!!! — on June 1. I’m not convinced Leno, man of steel (and with a prime-time talk show starting next fall), gets stressed by anything.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Matthew Fox (Lost), Carol Leifer (When You Lie About Your Age the Terrorists Win), The All-American Rejects (When the World Comes Down)

Tuesday: Dolly Parton (9 to 5), Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Star Trek)

Wednesday: Jennifer Garner (The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Manchester Orchestra (Mean Everything to Nothing)

Thursday: Regis Philbin (Live with Regis and Kelly), Broadway’s Hair

Friday: Kiefer Sutherland (24), comic Jim Norton, Bat for Lashes (Two Suns)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Breckin Meyer (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Shirley Manson

Tuesday: John McEnroe, Stana Katic (Castle)

Wednesday: Kenneth Branagh, Antony and the Johnsons

Thursday: Michael Douglas (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Carrie Ann Inaba

Friday: Henry Winkler (Sit Down Shut Up), boxer Ricky Hatton

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Eric Bana (Star Trek), blue ribbon baker Margorie Johnson

Tuesday: Michael Douglas (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately), Country Bones

Wednesday: Jimmy Fallon (Late Night with…), Chris Matthews (Hardball), Zac Brown Band

Thursday: Matthew McConaughey (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Earvin Magic Johnson, StarSailor

Friday: Arsenio Hall, Ziggy Marley

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Regis Philbin, Kat Von D, Jon Glaser, Morrissey (R)

Tuesday: Jason Segel, The Amazing Kreskin, Universal Record Database (R)

Wednesday: Glenn Close, Kristen Wiig (SNL), Gomez (R)

Thursday: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Jon Bon Jovi, Santigold (R)

Friday: Lauren Graham, Judah Friendlander (30 Rock), Cold War Kids

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Zac Efron (17 Again), Patti Stanger (The Millionaire Matchmaker), Franz Ferdinand (R)

Tuesday: Michael J. Fox (Rescue Me), latest ex of Dancing with the Stars, Asher Roth

Wednesday: Dominic Monaghan (Lost, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek), superfan Steve Zaragoza, Bang Camaro

Thursday: Brooke Shields, Balthazar Getty (Brothers and Sisters), standup comic Kumail Nanjiani

Friday: Matt McConaughey (The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), TV judge Kara DioGuardi, Jason Aldean

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Christine Legarde (French minister of finance)

Tuesday: Cliff May (head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies)

Wednesday: Doris Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals)

Thursday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: The Decemberists (The Hazards of Love)

Tuesday: Richard Engel (NBC chief foreign correspondent), Daniel Gross (Dumb Money)

Wednesday: David Kessler (The End of the Overearting)

Thursday: Ethan Nadelmann, advocat for drug legalization

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Charlie Kaufman, Jamie Kennedy, Malcolm Gladwell (R)

Tuesday: Joshua Jackson, Chris Noth, Shai Agassi (R)

Wednesday: tba

Thursday:

Friday:

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: Fareed Zachariah, Barney Frank

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Allison Janney (9 to 5), American Idol exes, Broadway: Mary Poppins

Tuesday: Matthew Fox (Lost), Jill Hennessy (Lymelife), Broadway: Billy Elliot

Wednesday: Matthew McConaughey (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Broadway: Rock of Ages

Thursday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Broadway: West Side Story

Friday: Jennifer Garner (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), Broadway: Shrek the Musical

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics

Tuesday: Emily Deschanel (Bones), Kim Kardcashian (Keeping Up with the Kardashians)

Wednesday: Harrold Perrineau (The Unusuals)

Thursday: Real Life Hot Topics (as opposed to????)

Friday: Dolly Parton, Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block and Megan Hilty (Broadway’s 9 to 5), Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: William Shatner (William Shatner Presents), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), chef Tom Colicchio (Wichcraft)

Tuesday: Carson Daly (Last Call), Brandon McMillan (Night on Animal Planet), Phil Keoghan (Ride Across America, Amazing Race)

Wednesday: Kristin Chenoweth (A Little Bit Wicked, Sit Down Shut Up), Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (The Kosher Sutra), Ask Alice

Thursday: Dominic Monaghan (Lost, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Lacey Chabert (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past), chef John Hemple

Friday: Henry Winkler (Sit Down Shut Up), Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), viewer mail

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds (American Idol), Kristin Chenoweth (A Little Bit Wicked, Sit Down Shut Up)

Tuesday: Kate Walsh (Private Practice), Dierks Bentley

Wednesday: Michael Douglas (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past),

Thursday: Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

Friday: 1,000th show with Matthew McConaughey (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: The Gay Kingdom

Tuesday: Love Decoded and Mantrums

Wednesday: Kim Kardashian, America’s Next Top Model castoff

Thursday:  Jamie Foxx (The Soloist)

Friday: Tori Spelling plus Daphne Oz and YouTube stars

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: April 20-24

Hugh Jackman for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr. for The Soloist and even Jeff Goldblum for Law & Order: Criminal Intent. These are a few of my favourite actors so this is a good week. But, sigh, I must also report that Billy Bob Thornton, he of the CBC tirade that led to his Montreal show absence, will be making a couple of stops this week also. I hate to give the guy any more press, but my music blogging colleague Bernard Perusse is adamant that at least his band The Boxmasters deserve it at least. And so…

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Jeff Goldblum (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), ventriloquist Jeff Dunham

Tuesday: Nathan Lane (Waiting f or Godot), Tinted Windows

Wednesday: Beyonce Knowles (Obsessed), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Thursday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Paula Abdul (American Idol), The Dead

Friday: Michael Keaton (The Merry Gentleman), Lily Allen (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Simon Cowell (American Idol, Britain’s Got Talent), Jean Smart, Erin McCarley

Tuesday: Rob Morrow (Numb3rs), Jean-Michel Cousteau

Wednesday: Kristin Chenoweth (Sit Down Shut Up), Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory)

Thursday: Breckin Meyer, Martina McBride

Friday: Bob Barker, P.W. Singer

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Martha Stewart, Tracy Ullman (State of the Union), The Killers

Tuesday: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Abigail Breslin, Ida Maria

Wednesday: Robert Downey Jr. (The Soloist), Alexandra Wentworth  (Headcase), comic George Wallace

Thursday: Jules Sylvester and reptiles, Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Friday: Anderson Cooper, comic Kathleen Madigan, Brad Paisley

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Terrence Howard (Fighting), Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), Rick Ross

Tuesday: Jerry O’Connell, Thomas Lennon, Chester French

Wednesday: Seth Meyers, Michelle Trachtenberg, BMG biker Mike Spinner

Thursday: Ali Larter (Obsessed), Tinted Windows

Friday: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Emily Deschanel (Bones)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Vin Diesel (Fast and Furious), Anna Faris, Eli Young Band (R)

Tuesday: Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Dancing with the Stars castoff

Wednesday: Justin Timberlake (The Phone), Eliza Coupe (Scrubs), The Whip

Thursday: Channing Tatum (Fighting), Elisha Cuthbert (24), Depeche Mode

Friday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

Chelsea Lately (12:35 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Jimmy Carter, Eckhart Tolle (R)

Tuesday: David Byrne, Erin Brockovich (R)

Wednesday: Paul Rudd and Jason Segel (I Love You, Man), Nickelback (R)

Thursday: Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee (R)

Friday: Garry Marshall (R)

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: P.J. O’Rourke, Alan Cumming

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Chevy Chase (Chuck), American Idol’s 7th finalist

Tuesday: Jimmy Fallon (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Neil Sedaka

Wednesday: Jennifer Lopez, Brooke Shields, Cirque du Soleil

Thursday: Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

Friday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Ali Larter (Obsessed)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics with Dr. Steven Lamm

Tuesday: Exceptional Women, with Sally Quinn and Quinn Bradlee (A Different Life), Candy Spelling (Stories from Candyland), Susan Welch (10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea), Lily Allen (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

Wednesday: Jeremy Irons (Impressionism), Clark Sisters

Thursday: Meghan McCain, Beyonce (Obsessed), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Friday: Jamie Luner (All My Children), Lil Wayne, best products of the year from Self magazine

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Olivia Newton John Easterling, Bruno Tonioli

Tuesday: Jorge Garcia (Lost), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse)

Wednesday: Mary Tyler Moore (Growing Up Again), Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory), wunderkind Carrick McCullough

Thursday: Heather Graham (Baby on Board), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?)

Friday: Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Carrie Ann Inaba (Dancing with the Stars)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Pussycat Dolls

Tuesday: Jimmy Kimmel

Wednesday: Jennifer Love Hewitt

Thursday: Lindsay Lohan, Prince

Friday: Matthew Perry (17 Again)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Released from Prison: A Mom of 3 Goes Home

Tuesday: Oprah’s Most Memorable Guests

Wednesday: Earth Day Special 2009

Thursday: Where Are They Now? Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobbitt and ’90s Newsmakers

Friday: Oprah Fridays Live

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Teen Talk: Ending Violence Before It Starts

Tuesday: Patti LaBelle, pop chef

Wednesday: Advice Squad, Dara Torres, America’s Next Top Model castoff

Thursday: Pressue to Be Promiscuous

Friday: Teen Pregnancy

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: April 13-17

Hello chickens! I dunno who this Zac Efron guy is but he’s everywhere this week. Doesn’t look old enough to be up that late, but his parents know best, I guess. Speaking of staying up late, I’ve added listings to Chelsea Lately!, weeknights on E! at 1:37 a.m. Not 1:35 mind you. You are warned.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Zac Efron (17 Again), A.C. Newman with Nicole Atkins (Get Guilty)

Tuesday: Kelly Ripa (Live with Regis and Kelly), Bill Scheft (Everything Hurts), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (It’s Blitz)

Wednesday: Drew Barrymore (Grey Gardens), Neko Case (Middle Cyclone)

Thursday: Matthew Perry (17 Again), Elisha Cuthbert (24), Rascal Flatts (Unstoppable)

Friday: Russell Crowe (State of Play)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Dwight Yoakam, Mary McCormack

Tuesday: Adam Goldberg (The Unusuals), Anna Gunn, Brett Dennen

Wednesday: Michael Caine, Matt Baetz

Thursday: former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, Amy Smart

Friday: tba

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Senator John McCain, Kristin Chenoweth (Sit Down Shut Up), Billy Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana: The Movie)

Tuesday: Jamie Foxx (The Soloist), Carol Liefer, The Airborne Toxic Event

Wednesday: Don Rickles, Richard Engel (NBC News), Chris Botti with John Mayer

Thursday: Jessica Alba, Bob Saget (Surviving Suburbia), Jonny Lang

Friday: Charles Barkley, Leslie Mann (17 Again)

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Denis Leary (Rescue Me), Jill Hennessy, Sara Watkins and John Paul JOnes

Tuesday: guest tba, Akon

Wednesday: Ice-T, Elmo, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Thursday: Rachel McAdams, potential No. 1 NFL draft pick Matthew Stafford

Friday: Matthew Perry (17 Again), Plain White T’s

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Ben Affleck (State of Play), Lily Allen (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

Tuesday: Jorge Garcia (Lost), latest ex of Dancing with the Stars, Mims (Guilt)

Wednesday: Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), Mike Tyson (Tyson), comic Dana Gould

Thursday: Zac Efron (17 Again), Patti Stanger (the Millionaire Matchmaker), Pete Yorn (Back and Forth)

Friday: 6-year-0ld genius Pranav Veera, Franz Ferdinand (Tonight)

Chelsea Lately (1:37 a.m. ET on E!)

Monday: Roselyn Sanchez (Without a Trace), comics Michelle Biloon, Randy and Jason Sklar

Tuesday: Bow Wow (New Jack City II), comics Sarah Colonna and Chris Franjola, Jeff Wild

Wednesday: Ty Murray (Dancing with the Stars), comics Whitney Cummings, Brody Stevens and Guy Branum

Thursday: Melora Hardin (17 Again), comics Chris Hardwick and Natasha Leggero

Friday: Carey Hart, comics John Caparulo, Jen Kirkman and Donnell Rawlings

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: repeat

Tuesday: Ron Darling (The Complete Game)

Wednesday: Elizabeth Warren

Thursday: Ben Affleck (State of Play)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: repeat

Tuesday: NASA astronaut Sunita L. Williams, Susie Orbach (Bodies: Big Ideas/Small Books)

Wednesday: Jim Lehrer (Oh Johnny: A Novel)

Thursday: openDemocracy associate editor Kanishk Tharoor, legal scholar Doug Kmiec

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: NHL commish Gary Bettman, Jason Mewes (repeat)

Tuesday: Joshua Cooper Ramo, Tom Avery

Wednesday: Gene Simmons (repeat)

Thursday: tba

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: repeat (new episode April 24)

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Nancy O’Dell (Full of Life: Mom to Mom Tips I wish Someone Had Told MeWhen I Was Pregnant), latest ex of American Idol, Alan Taylor (New York Auto Show Week)

Tuesday: Kathie Lee Gifford (Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities)

Wednesday: Russel Crowe (State of Play)

Thursday: Joy Philbin co-hosts, Ben Affleck (State of Play)

Friday: Mark Consuelos co-hosts, Drew Barrymore  (Grey Gardens)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Zac Efron (17 Again), Lloyd Boston (Closet Cases)

Tuesday: Bank on The View: How to Get a Job

Wednesday: Tori Spelling (Mommyhood), chef Bobby Flay

Thursday: Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars, I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can), Kristin Chenoweth (A Little Bit Wicked)

Friday: Matthew Perry (17 Again), Tracy Pollan (Natalee Holloway)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Rosie O’Donnell, Oliver Hudson (Rules of Engagement)

Tuesday: Cloris Leachman (Chloris), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory), Dennis DeYoung (One Hundred Years From Now)

Wednesday: Kathy Griffin (The A-List Awards, She’ll Cut a Bitch), personal trainer John Hemple, Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (Deadliest Catch)

Thursday: Jenny McCarthy (Mother Warriors), Billy Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana: The Movie)

Friday: Michelle Trachtenberg (17 Again), Maury Marler

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Hidden Audiendce Talents

Tuesday: Jenny McCarthy (Mother Warriors)

Wednesday: Zac Efron (17 Again)

Thursday: Jessica Lange (Grey Gardens)

Friday: Drew Barrymore (Grey Gardens)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Unconventional, Unforgettable Dads

Tuesday: Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland — Stars of Country Music

Wednesday: Lured at 13 — Held Captive As a Sex Slave

Thursday: 14 Years Old — They Say They’re Ready to Have Sex

Friday: Oprah Fridays Live

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Teen Dating Violence Epidemic

Tuesday: Porntown

Wednesday: Simplify Your Life: Spring Cleaning

Thursday: Millionaire Matchmaker/Steroids

Friday: The Truth About Lying

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: March 9-13

Well, Jimmy Fallon made it through his first week and the critics have weighed in. So now Fallon can calm down and get down to making the show his own. And now that that particular distraction is done with for now, the talk shows are abuzz with week with Dwayne Johnson, whose Rock Obama skit on SNL was one of the strongest moments on SNL in a while (although of course it went on too long); he’s stumping for Race to Witch Mountain, the March 13 opener which is firmly in the Rock-as-friend-to-kids-everywhere side of his movie-making ledger. On the other side of the spectrum, closer to grossout bromance in the spirit of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is I Love You Man, which is getting the promo treatment this week with a slew of appearances by stars Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. I was lucky enough to see a sneak peek screening and if you like Forgetting, Rush and public discussion of “blowies”, you will laugh out loud. Many times. It opens in Montreal March 20. Here’s the trailer for I Love You Man.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Russell Brand (My Booky Wook), Jungle Jack Hanna

Tuesday: Stupid Pet Tricks, Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man)

Wednesday: Tom Brokaw (Global Warming: The New Challenge with Tom Brokaw), Razorlight (Slipaway Fires)

Thursday: Paul Teutul (American Chopper), cast of Broadway’s West Side Story

Friday: Will Ferrell (You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush), Cursive (Mama, I’m Swollen)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother and film I Love You, Man), comic Dave Attell

Tuesday: Rosario Dawson (Wonder Woman DVD), Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen)

Wednesday: Egyptologist Kara Cooney, Tim Daly (Private Practice)

Thursday: Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory), Sara Bareilles (Little Voice)

Friday: Christina Ricci (Saving Grace), comic Mike Birbiglia

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Elisabeth Hasselbeck (The View), Demetri Martin (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Rocco de Luca & The Burden (Open Pages)

Tuesday: Whoopi Goldberg (The View), Elle Fanning (Phoebe in Wonderland), Keysha Cole (A Different Me)

Wednesday: Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen Show), Christopher Mintz0-Plasse (Role Models), Raul Malo (Lucky One)

Thursday: Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain), Heather Headley (This Is Who I Am)

Friday: American Idol Kara Dioguardi, Randy Travis (I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis)

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Amanda Peet (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Rose Byrne (Damages), Joshua Topolsky (engadget)

Tuesday: Emily Blunt, Michael Stipe, Pussycat Dolls (Doll Domination)

Wednesday: Russell Brand (My Booky Wook), Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht (Diggnation), The Virgins (The Virgins)

Thursday: Tracy Morgan (30 Rock), Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Glen Hansard (Swell Season)

Friday: Jarod Miller, Trace Adkins (X)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Jonas Brothers (Jonas Brothers: the 3-D Concert Experience), defending NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, Darius Rucker (Learn to Live)

Tuesday: Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Chris Cornell (Scream)

Wednesday: Jaime Pressly (I Love You, Man and It’s Not Necessarily Not the Truth: Dreaming Bigger than the Town You’re From), animal trainer Kirstin McMillan, The Pretenders (Break Up the Concrete)

Thursday: David Hasselhoff (Ready 2 Rumble Revolution), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse), Pendulum (In Silico)

Friday: Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain), Kristen Stewart (Adventureland), The-Dream (Love vs. Money)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Nathaniel Frank (Unfriendly Fire)

Tuesday: Craig Mullaney (The Unforgiving Minute)

Wednesday: Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man)

Thursday: Tom Zoellner (Unarium)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Natalie Brown (Sophie), Scott Kersterton

Tuesday: Jason Segel and Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man),

Wednesday: Kat Von D

Thursday: CBS News’ John Roberts, Biff Naked

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: guests include Sarah Silverman

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain)

Tuesday: Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives), Whitney Port (The City)

Wednesday: David Boreanaz (Bones), High School Musical’s Corbin Bleu

Thursday: Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man), Pussycat Dolls (Doll Domination)

Friday: Larry the Cable Guy (The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy), Kelly Clarkson (All I Ever Wanted)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Miley Cyrus (Miles to Go), Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live)

Tuesday: Jay Leno (Tonight Show with Jay Leno), Lady Gaga, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman (Dancing with the Stars)

Wednesday: Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy), Bob Iger (Disney co.)

Thursday: James Denton, Kyle Maclachlan and Doug Savant (Desperate Housewives), Maurice Benard (General Hospital), Keysha Cole (A Different Me)

Friday: Sally Field and Calista Flockhart, Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters), Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (The Hills), Sherri Shepherd behind the scenes on Dancing with the Stars

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds), Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney (The Bachelor)

Tuesday: Sherri Shepherd (The View)

Wednesday: Garry Marshall (Race to Witch Mountain), Nathan Fillion (Castle), Rocco Deluca and the Burden (Open Pages)

Thursday: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen), T.I. (Road to Redemption), latest exes of Amazing Race

Friday: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig (Race to Witch Mountain)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Paris Hilton

Tuesday: Sean Combs, Carla Gugino (Watchmen)

Wednesday: Carole Burnett (Law & Order: SVU), Taylor Hicks (The Distance)

Thursday: Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives, film Phoebe in Wonderland), Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas (Dancing with the Stars), Rascal Flatts (Greatest Hits)

Friday: Dwayne Johnson (Race to Witch Mountain), Elle Fanning (Phoebe in Wonderland)

Oprah (4 p.m. ET on NBC and CTV)

Monday: Ruby, Little People Just Married: the New Stars of Reality TV

Tuesday: Medical Mistakes: Dr. Oz Talks to Actor Dennis Quaid

Wednesday: Celebrity Chefs Move in with Viewer Families

Thursday: tba

Friday: Live tba

The Tyra Show (10 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: One More Date With My Ex

Tuesday: Straight Girl, Gay Crush

Wednesday: Dr. Drew on Sex with Mom and Dad

Thursday: Deadly Teen Dating

Friday: Toddlers and Tiaras

– Denise Duguay

Jimmy Fallon stays up Late

One night is not enough to judge a new talk show, so let’s meet back here on the weekend to see how we really feel after the first full week of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But after just having watched the debut episode at 12:35 a.m. last night (March 2), I know this much:
1. Great opening scene of JF on the streets of NYC, all streaky and haloed, which is exactly how a Lasik surgery patient sees the world. JF, who recently underwent the operation to save himself from having to wear specs to read the prompter/cards. He was kind enough to post the video on his website. Only the sturdy should attempt viewing.
2. Good opening-night bit, teasing about the real test for JF coming in Week 2, in which former host Conan O’Brien, crankily dragging his feet on cleaning out what is now JF’s dressing room, asks who is on the guest list this coming week, leading JF to gush about Robert De Niro and Justin Timberlake et al.
CO: “And next week?”
JF: “Ummm … So it’s going to be like that?”
CO: “Yeah.”
3. The jury is out, at least on my couch, about the opening monologue. Obama and economy  jokes were so last week, but were revived slightly by Slow Jamming the News with Roots man Tariq Trotter doing backup while JF lounge-lizards the likes of Nancy Pelosi hammering Republican governors for opposing U.S. President Barack Obama’s stimulus package. It had a bit of a Will Ferrell flavour to it. But will it get old?
4. I laughed a couple of times (Justin Timberlake doing John Mayer, then doing Michael McDonald doing a Bud Light ad) and tapped a toe more than once (let’s here it for The Roots and debut musical guest Van Morrison).
5. Kudos to JF for facing full-on the fear of the unresponsive guest: While Robert De Niro is a nimbly comic actor, as witnessed by his blink and you’d miss it kibbitzing with Timberlake, De Niro is a notoriously bad interview. JF, seizing this opportunity, launched into a series of questions that required only one-word answers. It failed and succeeded, breaking even but doing what JF appears to be aiming for: the host who doesn’t hide his nervousness, doesn’t hide behind a snide persona (hello David Letterman) and doesn’t stoop to trashy supposed humour (oh Jay Leno). Now of course, playing a regular guy who, aw shucks, is lucky enough to have a show and the incredibly nimble Roots as his regular band is, of course, a persona. But it’s one with appeal.
What do you think? Are you like John Doyle of the Globe and Mail who thinks the talk-show scene is an overheated pile of pitiful ratings? Or do you, like me, dabble? I sample a bit of Letterman, a lot of the Daily Show, some of Ferguson if I can stay awake and a touch of Leno ONLY if the guest is good.
In case you need reminding, here’s a link to who’s where on the talk-show couches this week.

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: March 2-6

I’m all atwitter about this week in late night. And I don’t mean the time gobbling micro blogging site that is taking up waaaaay too much of my TV-watching time. I mean the double whammy of the launch of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, debuting Monday, March 2 on NBC at 12:35 a.m. You can watch his last pre-show vlog interview with his boss Lorne Michaels here.

But then there’s this cool upstart band that’s sitting in on Late Show with David Letterman. Perhaps you’ve heard of their leader, Saint Bono? I might just be not sick enough of Bono to get through a few of the shows. While you wait for late night to … dawn?, you should check out the video for U2’s single Get On Your Boots, which is on the album No Line on the Horizon, which — quel coincidence! — is in stores as of Tuesday, March 3. You can listen to all 11 tracks online here — at least you can as of this writing.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Katie Couric, U2

Tuesday: Felicity Huffman (Phoebe in Wonderland), Artie Lange, U2

Wednesday: Dr. Phil, U2

Thursday: Jon Stewart, U2

Friday: Jason Segel (I Love You, Man), comic Brian Kiley, U2

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Paris Hilton, Dee Dee Myers

Tuesday: Kristin Davis, Wolfgang Puck

Wednesday: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Thursday: Holly Hunter, Andrew Bird

Friday: Amy Adams, M. Ward

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Robert De Niro and Van Morrison

Tuesday: Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi and Santogold

Wednesday: Cameron Diaz, Billy Crudup

Thursday: Donald Trump, Serena Williams and Ludacris

Friday: Drew Barrymore and Mario Batali

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Evangeline Lily, Jason Mesnick, New Kids on the Block

Tuesday: Charles Gibson, Lil’ Wayne, Robyn

Wednesday: Bonnie Hunt (the Bonnie Hunt Show), Nathon Fillion (Castle)

Thursday: Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Kate Walsh (Private Practice), Raphael Saadiq

Friday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), jet-pack pilot Eric Scott, Crooked X

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Harold Varmus (The Art and Politics of Science)

Tuesday: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Wednesday: Rick Santelli (CNBC)

Thursday: Billy Crudup (Watchmen)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: David Byrne (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)

Tuesday: Mark Bittman (Food Matters)

Wednesday: Carl Wilson (Let’s Talk about Love)

Thursday: Steven Johnson (The Invention of Air)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge

Tuesday: actor Levar Burton

Wednesday: Malin Akerman (Watchmen)

Thursday: Emmanuel Jal, Corbin Bernsen

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: tba

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: David Spade (Rules of Engagement), Taylor Hicks

Tuesday: Cynthia Nixon (Distracted), Van Morrison

Wednesday: Carla Gugino (Watchmen), Caroline Rhea

Thursday: Ted Danson (Damages), Bruno Tonioli

Friday: Felicity Huffman (Phoebe in Wonderland)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics

Tuesday: Marcia Gay Harden (God of Carnage)

Wednesday: Dr. Phil, RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race)

Thursday: Glenn Close (Damages), Rachel Maddow (The Rachael Maddow Show)

Friday: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Nathan Fillion (Castle)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: John C. McGinley, Jill Zarin, Bethenny Frankel

Tuesday: Brian Austin Green (Terminator), Dancing with the Stars’ Mark Ballas, Derek Hough

Wednesday: Charles Gibson, Fabio Viviani, Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights)

Thursday: Jeff Probst (Survivor), Debbie Reynolds, kid chef Jake Littel

Friday: Heidi Klum, Plain White T’s, Flipping Out’s Jeff Lewis

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Kaley Cuoco

Tuesday: Judge Judy, Bret Michaels, Matt Nathanson

Wednesday: Eric McCormack, Bachelor host Chris Harrison, The Fray

Thursday: Kym Douglas

Friday: Sean Diddy Combs, Bachelor’s Jason Mesnick and his chosen

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Oprah’s What You Can Live Without

Tuesday: That Little Girl Found Living Like an Animal (uh…..?)

Wednesday:  Suze Orman, Can You Afford College, a Wedding, a Divorce? (um….?)

Thursday: Exclusive Update with Lisa Ling: Inside the Polygamist Compoint and the Heroin Family (oh dear…)

Friday: Oprah Fridays Live

– Denise Duguay

Conan O’Brien’s Heart of Darkness

“I’ve spent my fair share of time at 3 in the morning,” he said, “lying awake like Martin Sheen in the movie [Apocalypse Now], staring at the ceiling fan, thinking about my trip up river — and we all know how that turned out.”

That, Conan O’Brien tells the NYT’s Bill Carter, is a little snapshot of what it’s like to be on the verge of assuming control of the late-night institution, the Tonight Show on June 1.

After O’Brien wraps his last NYC-based Late Night show Friday (Feb. 20) at 12:35 a.m. ET on NBC, O’Brien’ll have a few nights of lying awake, recreating scenes — sans Sheen’s actual heart attack, of course — from the epic Coppola film inspired by the great Joseph Conrad novel.

While you’re waiting for O’Brien’s East Coast finale or his West Coast debut, read Carter’s piece, Building a home in late night’s shifting sand. He’s brilliant and so it the story, in which he weaves his ample knowledge of the late-night scene.

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Feb. 9-13

Soooooooo. Since Bill Maher has made his living by wanking about the former wanker in the White House, what’s he to do now that there’s a new guy in the Oval Office? Perhaps he’ll give a tease Tuesday when he visits Jay Leno to promote the Feb. 20 return of his Real Time rant on HBO Canada.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Naomi Watts (The International), Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), The Von Bondies (Love, Hate and Then There’s You)

Tuesday: The crew of US Airways 1549, Heartless Bastards (The Mountain)

Wednesday: Joaquin Phoenix (Two Lovers), Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, Anthony Hamilton (The Point of It All)

Thursday: The Jonas Brothers (Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience), Chris Russo, Ashford and Simpson (Sitting-In)

Friday: Martha Stewart (The Martha Stewart Show), Janke Johannsen, Matt Nathanson (Some Mad Hope)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Michael Clarke Duncan, Richard Zoglin, Adele

Tuesday: Sean Combs, Olivia Williams

Wednesday: comic Steve Coogan, Connie Britton

Thursday: comic Lewis Black, Shirley Manson

Friday: Tom Selleck, Glen Campbell

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (The Hills), Duffy

Tuesday: Bill Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher), Viola Davis (Doubt), Raphael Saadiq

Wednesday: Amy Adams (Doubt), Paula Abdul (American Idol), Dierks Bentley

Thursday: Bill Cosby, Alec Greve, Erin McCarley

Friday: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Arizona Cards’ Kurt Warner, Annie Lennox

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Clive Owen (The International), Judah Friendlander (30 Rock), Brett Bennen

Tuesday: Norm MacDonald, Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen), Levon Helm

Wednesday: Jimmy Fallon

Thursday: Adam Baldwin (30 Rock), Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse),

Friday: Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic), Jonas Brothers, Dan Auerbach

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), sportscaster Michael Strahan, comic Morgan Murphy

Tuesday: Josh Brolin (Milk), Dancing with the Stars Season 8 contestant, The Little Ones

Wednesday: Grant Show (Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice), Any Dick (Sober House), The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Thursday: Demetri Martin (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), Mishka, Matthew McConaughey

Friday: Johnny Knoxville (Nitro Circus and Jackassworld), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), musical guest Mark Seliger and Rusty Truck

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Walter Isaacson (How to Save Your Newspaper)

Tuesday: Thomas Ricks (The Gamble)

Wednesday: Daniel Sperling (Two Billion Cars)

Thursday: John Sununu, former U.S. senator for New Hampshire

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: TV on the Radio (Dear Science)

Tuesday: Robert Ballard (Titanic)

Wednesday: Steven Pinker (My Genomic Self)

Thursday: Adam Gopnik (Angels and Ages)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Gordon Ramsay, John Howard

Tuesday: Mike Holmes

Wednesday: Ron MacLean, Chris Noth

Thursday: tba

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: repeat this Friday and returning with the new season Feb. 20.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday:  NBA all-star Tony Parker

Tuesday: Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopoholic), Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen)

Wednesday: Naomi Watts (The International), Annie Lennox

Thursday: Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse)

Friday: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop), David Cook, Don Rickles

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics, Mario Cantone (Sex and the City)

Tuesday: Joan Rivers, Daniel Dae Kim (Lost)

Wednesday: Kate Winslet (The Reader and Revolutionary Road), Joan Krakowski (30 Rock)

Thursday: Love-theme show with Miss Piggy, Patti Stanger (Millionaire Matchmaker), Helen Fisher (Why Him Why Her)

Friday: Clive Owen (The International), Melissa Leo (Frozen River)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Peter Reckel and Kristian Alfonso (Days of Our Lives), Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck)

Tuesday: Hillary Duff

Wednesday: Rob Morrow (Numb3rs)

Thursday: Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy)

Friday: Joan Rivers, Phil Keoghan (Amazing Race)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: John Mayer, Josh Groban, Chester Pitts, Ephraim Salaam, Lady Antebellum

Tuesday: Amy Brenneman (Private Practice), Lisa Wong, Jason Mraz, colbie Caillat

Wednesday: Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy), Robin Tunney (the Mentalist), Mel B, Melinda Doolittle

Thursday: Cardinals’ Kurt Warner, Steve Harvey, Neil Shaw

Friday: Jon Legend, Naila and Lee Simpson

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Princess Fannie Moves Back Home (R)

Tuesday: Dr. Oz and the Woman with the 140-Pound Tumour (R)

Wednesday: Why Men Cheat (R)

Thursday: Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali (R)

Friday: I Love You Surprises (R)

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Feb. 2-6

“But I don’t do ads,” Conan O’Brien says at the beginning of this, well, ad. But this is Bud Light. Which means that not only is he soon under the influence — of the brand, not the beer, at least for the moment — but he deeply regrets it the next morning.
Enjoy O’Brien’s ad, one of this year’s fabled Super Bowl ads. And if you missed the whole lot on Sunday, Just for Laughs has them online.
And then on with the usual roundup of talk-show guest lists.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Steve Martin (The Pink Panther 2 and The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo)

Tuesday: Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

Wednesday: Joe Torre (The Yankee Years), Demetri Martin (Important Things with Demetri Martin), Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt (It’s Not Big It’s Large and Same Old Man)

Thursday: Extreme Fisherman, Matt Watson, Mark Olson and Gary Louris (Ready for the Flood)

Friday: Dakota Fanning (Push), comic Keith Alberstadt, Beirut (The Flying Club Cup)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Alfred Molina (The Pink Panther 2), magician Lance Burton

Tuesday: comic Robin Williams, magician Jason Randal

Wednesday: Samuel L. Jackson (Afro Samurai), magician Jason Hudy

Thursday: magician Ed Alonzo

Friday: Kristen Bell (Fanboys), Alex Kapranos and Franz Ferdinand (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand)

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), Akon

Tuesday: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), K.L. Hughley (D.L. Hughey Breaks the News), Sara Bareilles

Wednesday: Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You), Matthew Goode (Watchmen), will.i.am

Thursday: Jennifer Aniston (He’s Just Not That Into You), Jamey Johnson

Friday: Fred Salmoni and Animals, Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Ben Lee

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Kathy Griffin (My Life on the D List), Paula Dern, Amy Lavere

Tuesday: Brian Williams, Johnny Knoxville, Zac Brown Band

Wednesday: Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ginnifer Goodwin (He’s Just Not That Into You), Theresa Andersson

Thursday: Seth Meyers, Taraji P. Henson

Friday: Russell Crowe, Alicia Keys, Death Cab for Cutie

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), jet pack pilot Eric Scott, Crooked X

Tuesday: John Cleese (The Pink Panther 2), Chris Ayres (Death by Leisure: A Cautionaray Tale), The Bird and the Bee

Wednesday: Justsin Long (He’s Just Not That Into You), Camilla Belle (Push), comic Nick Kroll

Thursday: Vanessas Minnillo (True Beauty), Morrissey

Friday: Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives, Larry Wilmore (I’d Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts), Jazmine Sullivan

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday:tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Dan Zaccagnino (Indaba Music)

Tuesday: Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Wednesday: Jonah Lehrer (How We Decide)

Thursday: somebody tba from The Pink Panther 2 (or whoever was updating the show sched was very tired and wrote “actor” instead of the actual actor’s name)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: animal expert Dave Salmoni, mathematician Daniel Tammet

Tuesday: Garry Marshall, Paul Saltzman

Wednesday: Gary Bettman

Thursday:Jason Mewes, John Howard

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: repeating until Season 7 episodes start Feb. 20.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives, Coraline), Mel. B

Tuesday: Steve Martin (The Pink Panther 2), Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire)

Wednesday: Katie Couric (All Access Grammy Special), Joe Torre

Thursday: Kierks Bentley

Friday: Mom’s Dream Come True contest

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics

Tuesday: Paula Deen, Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

Wednesday: Jane Seymour, advice columnist Amy Dickinson, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

Thursday: Cuba Gooding Jr. (Gifted hands), Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Dancing with the Stars)

Friday: Molly Ringwald and Shailene Woodley (The Secret Llife of an American Teenager)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Danny Gans, Jack Witherspoon

Tuesday: Don Rickles, Niecy Nash, Solomon Leo

Wednesday: John Cleese (The Pink Panther 2), Jay McCarroll, Ask Alice

Thursday: Ricardo Antonio Chavira (Desperate Housewives), bear attack survivor Allena Hansen

Friday: Jo Frost (Supernanny), Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory), Rob Morrow (Numbers)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Forgiving the Son who Killed a Family (R)

Tuesday: Thriftiest Family in America (R)

Wednesday: Jenny McCarthy’s Warrior Moms (R)

Thursday: Elizabeth Smart, John Ramsey: The Stories That Captured the Nation (R)

Friday: Beauty Secrets Around the World (R)

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Jan. 26-30

That annoying nattering you hear shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday is the gals on The View having their way, in a catty nasty smiling kinda way, with Rod Blagojevich and his wife. Or is it possible that they’ll play nice?

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Brian Williams (NBC news anchor), Ben Kweller (Changing Horses)

Tuesday: Evangeline Lilly (Lost), Seth Meyers (SNL), Andrew Bird (Noble Beat)

Wednesday: Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All American Road Trip… with Recipes)

Thursday: Renee Zellweger (New in Town), Tony Dungy (Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance), Graham Nash (Reflection and sitting in with the band)

Friday: Mary Hicks, The Gaslight Anthem (The 59 Sound)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Chris Matthews, comic Paul Morrissey

Tuesday: RZA, Jared Harris (Fringe)

Wednesday: Cuba Gooding Jr., Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire)

Thursday: Dominic Monaghan, Rosemarie DeWitt (United States of Tara)

Friday: Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), comic Russell Peters, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Josh Brolin, The Bird and the Bees (The Bird and the Bee)

Tuesday: Rainn Wilson, Paula Abdul (American Idol), Hoobastank (For(N)ever)

Wednesday: Dakota Fanning, Bradley Cooper, The Neville Brothers (The Best of)

Thursday: Justin Long, Franz Ferdinand (Tonight)

Friday: Elizabeth Banks, Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), James Morrison (Songs for You Truths for Me)

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: John C. Reilly, NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, The Walkmen (You and Me)

Tuesday: Matt Lauer (The Today Show), Steve Harvey (Chocolate News), M83 (Saturdays Youth)

Wednesday: Evangeline Lilly (Lost), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), Cold War Kids (Robbers and Cowards)

Thursday: Jon Stewart (Daily Show), Mary Lyn  Rajskub (24), Mike Birbiglia

Friday: Greg Kinnear, J.J. Abrams (Lost), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Kiefer Sutherland (24), Malcolm  Gladwell (Outliers), David Cook (David Cook)

Tuesday: Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), Boz Scaggs (Speak Low), comic Dov Davidoff

Wednesday: Kristen Bell (Fanboys), Brody Jenner (Bromance), Disturbed (Indestructible)

Thursday: Andy Garcia (The Pink Panther 2), macaroni and cheese box collector Ian Golder, Kraak and Smaak (Plastic People)

Friday: Carlos Bernard (24), Benji Hughes (A Love Extreme)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: former U.S. president Jimmy Carter (We CanHave Peace in theHoly Land: A Plan that Will Work)

Tuesday: Gwen Ifill, editor Washington Week (The Breakthrough)

Wednesday: Neil DeGrasse Tyson (The Pluto Files)

Thursday: P.W. Singer (Wire for War)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Chris Mooney (The Republican War on Science), Past Ed Young

Tuesday: Philippe Petit (Man on Wire)

Wednesday: Denis Dutton (The Art Instinct)

Thursday: John Pedesta (Centre for American Progress)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Dana White, Robert Munsch

Tuesday: Garth Turner, Paul Gross

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: tba

Friday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: repeating until Season 7 episodes start Feb. 20.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Miss America 2009, Joshua Jackson (Fringe)

Tuesday: Harry Connick Jr. (New in Town)

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: Renee Zellweger (New in Town), Demi Lovato

Friday: co-host Ted McGinley

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Rod Blagojevich and wife Patricia Blagojevich

Tuesday: Liza Minnelli, Padma Lakshmi

Wednesday: Liam Neeson (Taken), Jason O’Mara (Life on Mars)

Thursday: Condoleeza Rice, former secretary of state

Friday: Julianne Moore (Save the Children), Whitney Port (The City), Peter Cincotti (Peter Cincotti)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Micky Dolenz, Nick Malis (CuteThingsFallingAsleep.org)

Tuesday: Donnie and Marie Osmond, David Tutera

Wednesday: Fran Drescher (Cancer Schmancer), Joel Ward (Master of Illusion),

Thursday: Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), animal expert Gary Faucher

Friday: Chris Matthews

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Amy Poehler, James Morrison, Ellen’s birthday

Tuesday: Joey Faatone, O.A.R.

Wednesday: Ted Danson (Damages), Ernie Bjorkman

Thursday: Kevin Nealon (Weeds)

Friday: Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Obese Families in Crisis: The Intervention

Tuesday: Dr. Oz on Why America’s Kids Are Fat

Wednesday: evangelist Ted Haggard, his wife and the gay sex scandal

Thursday: Suzanne Somers: The Bioidentical Hormone Follow-up

Friday: tba

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Jan. 19-23

There’s only one talk-show pre-emption caused by coverage of Barack Obama’s inauguration, which will dominate TV Tuesday on main networks from 10 a.m. (some starting only at 11 a.m.) until 1 p.m. ET and all day on the news channels. The View is taking Tuesday off. Also of note this week, Jimmy Fallon is making the rounds. He’s promoting his online talk show. Review are mixed. If you’ve checked it out, please vote now.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me), Jim Carrey Top 10, Broken Social Scene (R)

Tuesday: Jerry Seinfeld, Leona Lewis (R)

Wednesday: Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), Fall Out Boy (R)

Thursday: Will Smith (Seven Pounds), Of Montreal (R)

Friday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), Todd Rundgren (R)

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Kevin McKidd (Gray’s Anatomy), Seal

Tuesday: Trace Adkins, Perez Hilton, the Submarines

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: James Earl Jones

Friday: tba

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Jimmy Fallon (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Lee Ann Womack

Tuesday: Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men), “baseball-card granny” Bernice Gallego, Buckcherry

Wednesday: Cuba Gooding Jr., “No Cussing Club Kid” McKay Hatch, Musiq Soulchild

Thursday: tba, Jerome Bettis, Lady Antebellum

Friday: Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), animal expert Grey Stafford, comic Ty Barnett

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Aries Spears, T-Tip

Tuesday: Steve Nash, Los Straitjackets

Wednesday: Meredith Vieira, Fall Out Boy

Thursday: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Eric McCormack (Trust Me), tba

Friday: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Michael Cera, Nate Bargatze

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Kathy Griffin, Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky), comic Mike Birbiglia

Tuesday: Sarah Silverman, “U.S. President Barack Obama”, Soulja Boy Tellem

Wednesday: Randy Jackson (American Idol, America’s Best Dance Crew), Diablo Cody (United States of Tara), Thriving Ivory

Thursday: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart), Jonathan Goodwin (One Way Out), Blake Shelton

Friday: Tim Roth (Lie to Me), Joan Rivers (Celebrity Apprentice and Men Are Stupid and They Like Big Boobs)

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: Abderrahim Foukara, Washington bureau chief for Al Jazeera International

Tuesday: Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, bishop of New Hampshire

Wednesday: David Sanger, New York Times correspondent in Washington

Thursday: Liam Neeson (Taken)

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: Frank Rich, New York Times columnist

Tuesday: Jabari Asim (What Obama Means)

Wednesday: Elizabeth Alexander, inaugural poet

Thursday: Jon Meacham (American Lion)

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Bill Ayers, Joshua Jackson (Fringe)

Tuesday: Inauguration special

Wednesday: Barbara Becnel

Thursday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday: repeating through early Feb.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Brody Jenner (The Hills, Bromance), Kara DioGuardi (American Idol)

Tuesday: Debra Messing (The Starter Wife), Whoopi Goldberg (The View), Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim), designer Isaac Mizrahi

Wednesday: William H. Macy (The Deal)

Thursday: Mira Sorvino (The Last Templar), Fall Out Boy

Friday: Eric McCormack (Trust Me)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s Oval Office encounter with George W. Bush, ABC News’ Jake Tapper tours pre-inauguration hot spots, Barbara Walters’ past presidential interviews

Tuesday: pre-empted by inauguration coverage

Wednesday: Sigourney Weaver (Prayers for Bobby), discussion of previous day’s inauguration

Thursday: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)

Friday: Susie Essman (Loving Leah)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Emma Roberts (Hotel for Dogs), Lil Mama, Tyce Ciorio

Tuesday: Nia Vardalos, Glenn Campbell

Wednesday: Julia Ormond (Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Lee Ann Womack, Daniel Seddiqui (Livingthemap.com)

Thursday: Brooke Burke (Tauts)

Friday: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Will Ellen catch George Clooney? Kiefer Sutherland, T.I.

Tuesday: Beyonce

Wednesday: Ellen’s inauguration coverage, Jimmy Fallon, Kelli Williams (Lie to Me), Trace Adkins

Thursday: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart), Emily Deschanel (Bones), James Morrison

Friday: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: In Washington, Oprah’s inaugural celebration

Tuesday: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wednesday: InWashington, Oprah’s post-inauguration special

Thursday: Suze Orman: Can You Afford College, a Wedding, a Divorce?

Friday: Oprah Live

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Jan. 12-16

Oprah offers something predictable this week (not that there’s anything wrong with that) in her Monday episode of Falling Off the Wagon Follow-up. Which presumably will have her following up on fessing up to what everyone who watches the show and passes by a magazine rack knows: Oprah has not gotten her weight under control, which probably wouldn’t have been as tantalizing a bit of observation had she not made herself and then declared herself thin every 10 months or so. But I digress. This will be interesting. Sure. But on Friday, Oprah will host… the most bad boy of bad boy comics and foul-mouthed actors Denis Leary. Oy. Who knows what will happen? But I’ll be watching (or recording, unless I have a “sick” day which of course would never happen).

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Billy Crystal (PBS’s Make ‘Em Laugh), Kara DioGuardi (American Idol)

Tuesday: Salma Hayek (30 Rock)

Wednesday: Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Randy Rogers Band

Thursday: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Gwen Ifill (The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama)

Friday: Zach Braff (Scrubs), comic Ari Barker, The Airborne Toxic Event

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: John Corbett (The United States of Tara)

Tuesday: Kristin Scott Thomas, Tracie Thoms (Cold Case), The Submarines

Wednesday: John Waters, news anchor Norah O’Donnell

Thursday: Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Glasvegas

Friday: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: David Duchovny (Californication), film critic Richard Roeper, The All American Rejects

Tuesday: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Toni Collette (The United States of Tara), John Legend

Wednesday: Cherie Blair, Brett Dennen

Thursday: Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Emma Roberts (Hotel for Dogs), Mutemath

Friday: Hugh Laurie (House), White House correspondent Chuck Todd, Band from TV

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Daniel Radcliffe, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Eric Hutchinson

Tuesday: Rosario Dawson (The Spirit), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Susan Tedeschi

Wednesday: Salma Hayek (30 Rock), Paul Bettany, Patty Loveless

Thursday: Fred Armisen (SNL), Robert Schimmel

Friday:  Brooke Shields, Robert Reich, Amos Lee

Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Keri Russell (Bedtime Stories), Steve Martorano, The Fray

Tuesday: Kiefer Sutherland (24), Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers), David Cook

Wednesday: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), sportscaster Michael Strahan, comic Morgna Murphy

Thursday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), pilot Eric Scott, Crooked X

Friday: Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler), Delta Spirit

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: tba

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Adrian Brody, Parag Khanna

Tuesday:The Smashing Pumpkins, Geoff Green

Wednesday:Dave Salmoni

Thursday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday:repeating through early Feb when new season starts.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl)

Tuesday: Zach Braff (Scrubs)

Wednesday: Daniel Craig (Defiance)

Thursday: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

Friday: Brendan Fraser (Inkheart)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Hot Topics

Tuesday: Ed Westwick and Chase Crawford (Gossip Girl)

Wednesday: Richard Belzer and Richard Lewis (An Evening with Richard Belzer and Richard Lewis), James Earl Jones (SAG lifetime achievement award)

Thursday: George Stephanopoulous (This Week)

Friday: Toni Collette and Diablo Cody (The United States of Tara)

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Jason Mesnick

Tuesday: Carnie Wilson, Derek Luke (Notorious)

Wednesday: Gary Sinise (CSI: New York), Jaime King (My Bloody Valentine 3D), Whitney Casey (The Man Plan)

Thursday: Camryn Manheim (Ghost Whisperer)

Friday: Jennifer Beals, Kyle Bornheimer (Worst Week), Charles Mattocks (The Poor Chef)

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday:  Wolf Blitzer

Tuesday: Randy Jackson (American Idol), winner of Biggest Loser

Wednesday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire)

Thursday: tba

Friday: Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives), Howie Mandel (Howie Do It), the All-American Rejects

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Falling Off the Wagon Follow-up

Tuesday: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Movies Oprah Loves

Wednesday: When Life Breaks You Open

Thursday: Biodentical Hormones, Part 1

Friday: Oprah Fridays Live with Denis Leary

– Denise Duguay

Talk-show tango: Jan. 5-9

Hello chickens! Happy New Year and you are WELCOME; I knew you’d be grateful that I spared you from my best of the year lists and other tiresome proclamations. Why would I bother when there are so many really smart people out there who’ve already done it better?

But on to business. The roundup of talk-show guest lists is a little lifeless this week. Kiefer Sutherland is stumping for 24, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are promoting Bride Wars and Glenn Close is chatting up Season 2 of Damages. I guess everyone else’s trying out new hairdos and gaudy dresses as the days tick down to Sunday Jan. 11’s Golden Globe Awards. But at least there are very few repeats. And yes, we are thankful. Thank god the holidays are over.

Oh, and if you’re wondering who the sam hill I am, may I present Denise Duguay, author of the Montreal Gazette’s TV blog, Inside the Box, located at montrealgazette.com/tv   I’m spreading the word by duplicating posts here at my personal TV blog. So you can catch me here or there.

LATE NIGHT

Late Show with David Letterman (11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday: Kate Hudson (Bride Wars), Glasvegas

Tuesday: Kevin James (Paul Blart, Mall Cop), Becky Quick (CNBC’s Squawk Box), Erin McCarley (Love, Save the Empty)

Wednesday: Ricky Gervais, Rose Byrne (Damages), Okkervil River (The Stand Ins)

Thursday: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road), Marv Albert

Friday: Keifer Sutherland (24), comedian Wendy Liebman

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35 a.m. ET on CBS and E!)

Monday:  Richard Lewis, Tracie Thoms (Cold Case)

Tuesday:  Ted Danson (Damages 2), Pauley Perrette (NCIS)

Wednesday: William Shatner

Thursday: tba

Friday:  tba

Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35 p.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Terry Bradshaw, 8 year old chef Jack Witherspoon, Iron & Wine

Tuesday: Queen Latifah, Adam Carolla (The Adam Carolla Show), The Pussycat Dolls

Wednesday: Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars), National Geographic’s Brady Barr, comic Jeff Dunham

Thursday: Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Lady Gaga

Friday:  Daniel Craig (Defiance), Raraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Eagles of Death Metal

Late Night with Conan O’Brien (12:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday: Benecio Del Toro (Che), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Doyle and Debbie

Tuesday: Kate Hudson (Bride Wars), Tim Daly (Private Practice), Bang Camaro

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: Howie Mandel (Howie Do It), Lady Antebellum

Friday:  tba

Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35 a.m. ET on NBC)

Monday:  Donald Faison

Tuesday: Quincy Jones, Little Joy

Wednesday: Danny Boyle

Thursday: Asher Roth

Friday: Kevin Nealon, Yelle (R)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05 a.m. ET on ABC)

Monday: Artie Lang, Candace Bushnell (One Fifth Avenue), T-Pain (R)

Tuesday: comic Mike Birbiglia

Wednesday: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey’s Anatomy), Gabe Dixon Band

Thursday: Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars), Jensen Ackles (My Bloody Valentine 3-D), Lenka

Friday: Michael Imperioli (Life on Mars), Jason Mesnick (The Bachelor), Zac Brown Band

Daily Show with Jon Stewart (midnight ET, CTV)

Monday: David Gregory (Meet the Press)

Tuesday: Michael Wolff (The Man Who Owns the News)

Wednesday: Kate Hudson (Bride Wars)

Thursday:tba

The Colbert Report (12:30 a.m. ET, CTV)

Monday: John King (CNN)

Tuesday: tba

Wednesday: tba

Thursday: tba

The Hour (11 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Tom Cruise (R)

Tuesday: David Foster (R)

Wednesday: Spike Lee, The Kings of Leon

Thursday: tba

Charlie Rose (11:30 p.m. ET, PBS)

Mr. Rose announces his guests only on the day of broadcast, so please click on the show-name link above for the most recent guest announcement.

Real Time with Bill Maher (11 p.m. ET, Fridays only, on HBO Canada)

Friday:repeating through Friday, Feb. 20, when the new season begins.

DAYTIME

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m. ET, NBC and CTV)

Monday: Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars), Lisa Rinna

Tuesday: Kate Hudson (Bride Wars),

Wednesday: Glenn Close (Damages)

Thursday: Kevin James (Paul Blart, Mall Cop)

Friday: Howie Mandel co-host, Kiefer Sutherland (24)

The View 11 a.m. ET, ABC and CTV)

Monday: Perez Hilton

Tuesday: America Ferrera and Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty)

Wednesday: Tim Daly (Private Practice), Greg Behrendt (Greg Behrendt’s Wake-up Call)

Thursday: Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), financial expert Dylan Ratigan

Friday: Kate Hudson (Bride Wars), Dr. Ian Smith

The Bonnie Hunt Show (2 p.m. ET on Citytv and NBC)

Monday: Kathy Bates, Donald Faison (Scrubs), Bonnie’s resolutions

Tuesday: Brian Williams, Christine Lahti, Rocco DeLuca

Wednesday:  Carrie Fisher, Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), chef Tyler Florence

Thursday: Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Emily Vancamp (Brothers and Sisters)

Friday: Jane Kaczmaraek, Jensen Ackles (Supernatural), posh lifestyle tips

The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 p.m. ET, CBC)

Monday: Eva Mendes, Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy)

Tuesday: Marissa Tomei (The Wrestler), Deepak Chopra, magician Hans Klok, Foreigner

Wednesday: Maria Bartiromo, Akon

Thursday: Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars)

Friday: Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino), Eric Saintonge, Jason Mesnick (The Bachelor)

Oprah 4 p.m. (NBC and CTV)

Monday: Best Life Week — Falling off the Wagon (and how to get back on)

Tuesday: Best Life Week — Dr. Oz and the Ultimate Checklist

Wednesday: Best Life Week — Finding Your Spiritual Path

Thursday: Best Life Week — Your Money Plan 2009

Relatinoships, Intimacy and Sex

– Denise Duguay