Matt's Picks: November 1-4

The Women of SNL(Monday, 9/8c, NBC)
For years, the female members of the Saturday Night Live ensemble have been the scene-stealers to watch, and this two-hour special will put them in the spotlight, with classic clips interspersed with original material. Look for the greatest moments of contemporary faves like Kristen Wiig, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch, as well as classic bits from Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, Nora Dunn and original cast members Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman.

The Pacific(in stores Tuesday, Nov. 1)
On a day when all eyes, and most networks, will be turning their attention to the midterm elections, some significant DVD releases are getting a jump on the holiday gift-giving season. Highest-profile is the release of HBO's shattering miniseries chronicle of WWII combat in the Pacific. Another HBO classic, the late-night satire The Larry Sanders Show, issues a boxed set of the complete series. And for guilty-pleasure aficionados, Nip/Tuck: The Complete Series hits stores. In that case, stick with the first few seasons, after which it goes quickly downhill.

Cougar Town(Wednesday, 9:30/8:30c, ABC)
Is Jules capable of having a happy 42^nd birthday? Depends on who wins the annual gift contest. Ellie is the reigning champ, but Grayson teams with Laurie to see if her BF and younger BFF can trump the neighbor. It's not the only birthday being celebrated on ABC's winning comedy lineup. Earlier in the night (8/7c), Brick turns 9 on The Middle, and demands to hear the truth about the day he was born, the details of which are a skeleton in the Heck family closet.

Private Practice(Thursday, 10/9c)
I don't often recommend this overwrought Grey's Anatomy spin-off, but KaDee Strickland is getting strong advance buzz about her performance in this pivotal episode, as Charlotte is found bloodied and beaten in the hospital's halls, and confides in Addison that she was sexually assaulted. Last season's Grey's finale reminded us that Shonda Rhimes (who wrote this episode) still knows her way around a life-changing trauma. Speaking of which, this week's Grey's (9/8c) presents a new challenge to Cristina, still suffering the effects of the shoot-em-up cliffhanger, when she's put in sole charge of a lung-transplant patient. Will she finally rise to the challenge and become a full-fledged doc again?

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