Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Oct. 2, 2009
Smallville
Smallville
8/7c CW
Everyone's out to get the Red-Blue Blur, poor thing. So persecuted. So misunderstood. So under everyone's nose! Tonight, a collision with a truck mysteriously transforms John Corben (Brian Austin Green) into a man-machine with a living, beating Kryptonite heart and, of course, superhuman strength. Rather than using his new powers for good, John decides to work out his issues on the colorful blur that's on everyone's mind — including Lois, whom John kidnaps. We suspect there'll be a rescue attempt by Clark. — Rhoda Charles
Stargate Universe
9/8c Syfy
Stargate fans who have felt a void in their lives since Atlantis took a bow can breathe easier with the launch of this likable pilot, which blends the "Where are we now?" of Lost in Space with the "Let's go home!" of Star Trek: Voyager and the ship-with-a-mind-of-its-own à la Farscape. In the debut, a pop-culture geek (David Blue) scores his ticket to ride by cracking a code in a video game. Franchise vets Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks turn up to pass the torch. — Michael Chant
Night at the Movies
8/7c TCM
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" inspired a generation, but his inspiration came from masters who create a frenzy with edge-of-your-seat movies that hold you spellbound in front of the screen. TCM's periodic series Night at the Movies kicks off with The Suspenseful World of Thrillers, a documentary featuring clips of films notorious for inducing anxiety and delivering mystery and danger. The list of titles is extensive, presenting all things Hitchcock to Silence of the Lambs and Fatal Attraction. Anyone interested in whodunits will be pleased with this exposé of chillers and psychos — without a shadow of a doubt. — Mario DiMaio
Numbers
10/9c CBS
Don investigates a disturbing case with a personal connection. Two FBI agents are killed during a shootout with bank robbers. The unit involved in the deadly encounter is commanded by Don's former mentor, making the probe emotionally more difficult. Meanwhile, Charlie and Amita become concerned when Larry opts not to travel to Switzerland for a conference. Los Angeles Lakers star Jordan Farmar guest stars as himself. — Tim Holland
The National Parks: America's Best Idea
8/7c PBS
The sixth and final installment of Ken Burns' masterful exploration of America's national parks covers the post-WWII years through 1980, when the parks saw a major increase in visitors. Among the featured individuals are fishing guide Lancelot Jones, who refused to sell his family's Biscayne Bay property to developers during the 1960s, and President Carter, who set aside more than 50 million acres in Alaska for preservation. — Jeff Gemmill
