Ear on TV: Week of 11.29.10: Tim & Eric

Welcome to the post-Thanksgiving television landscape, littered with taped specials galore. Holiday specials are starting to trickle in, and the first, and likely weirdest, to air is the one hour Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special, as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Sunday night lineup. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have been boldly carrying on the Andy Kauffman aggressive anti-comedy tradition for several years now, especially on their five years running Tim and Eric Awesome Show series.

Expect their holiday special to be irreverent, bizarre, and feature celebrity guests like John C. Reilly (Dr. Steve Brule, "For your health!"), Zach Galifianakis (Tairy "Lil' Dancing Man" Greene -- he gives his seal of approval in video below) and if we're lucky, Tiny Ted Danson. But as great as their work in Awesome Show has been, the best thing they've done might be their recent Old Spice commercials, featuring Terry Crews (no, he's not on a horse... but he is on a tiger.)


This week, though, the queen of the taped special is the overexposed Katy Perry. The pop tease is performing on three cleavage-filled specials this week, including the annual breastacular Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Tuesday night (pictured). Because who better to perform in front of lingerie models than the Miss Pop Cleavage herself?

Fittingly, it's her cleavage that's gotten her into more trouble than anything she's said or done. Take for instance her promotional photo for the taped special VH1 Divas Salute the Troops (airing Sunday night). Her breasts in the promo poster reportedly were photoshopped smaller so as not to draw more controversy, as her bosom is wont to do (right, Elmo?). But oddly enough, it was Perry who asked for the reduction. (See photo below for breast reduction result.)

The other taped special this week for Perry is a 30 minutes of concert footage from a London Live appearance, which will be aired Friday night as part of VH1's Friday Night Alright series. Expect the hits and plenty of costume changes. Oh, and cleavage.

Picks for the week
Monday, November 29
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Nicki Minaj
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Michael Franti
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Donavon Frankenreiter
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Elvis Costello (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Kate Nash (REPEAT)
OVATION: Tommy: The Who, Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton
SUNDANCE: Sounds Like Teen Spirit (Junior Eurovision Concert)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Rascal Flatts
TBS: Lopez Tonight: 3OH!3
TBS: Conan: Kid Cudi
Tuesday, November 30
CBS: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Katy Perry
E!: Chelsea Lately: Flo Rida
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Murderdolls
IFC: 360 Sessions: Lost Prophets
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kid Cudi (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Broken Bells (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Flo Rida
Wednesday, December 1
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Nicki Minaj (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Nellie McKay
E!: Chelsea Lately: Cee-Lo Green
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Delorean
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Bruce Springsteen (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ra Ra Riot (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Cee-Lo Green
TBS: Conan: Cake
TBS: Lopez Tonight: Cee-Lo Green
Thursday, December 2
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Norah Jones
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kings of Leon (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: School of Seven Bells (REPEAT)
TBS: Conan: Deerhunter
Friday, December 3
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Murderdolls
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: GWAR (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Built To Spill (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: 3OH!3 (REPEAT)
SYNDICATION: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Adele
VH1: London Live: Katy Perry
Saturday, December 4
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Diddy-Dirty Money
PBS: Austin City Limits: Jakob Dylan, Carrie Rodriguez
Sunday, December 5
CARTOON NETWORK: Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special: Tim and Eric
VH1: VH1 Divas: Salute the Troops: Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Keri Wilson, Sugarland, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals