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Moment of truth for 'Moment of Truth'
By Diego Vasquez
Mar 19, 2008 - 1:00:27 AM
In its first Wednesday outing without its cushy “American Idol” lead-in last week, Fox’s hit lie detector reality show “The Moment of Truth” held up pretty well, winning its new 8 p.m. timeslot easily.
Tonight, however, it will face much tougher competition as CBS’s “Survivor: Micronesia” moves into the 8 p.m. timeslot for the next two weeks to make room for NCAA basketball coverage in its usual Thursday spot.
“Survivor” averaged a 4.3 adults 18-49 rating last week on Thursday at 8 p.m., 0.1 better than “Truth.” “Truth’s” toughest competition in its hour was NBC’s “Deal or No Deal,” which averaged a mere 2.5 rating.
If “Truth” can maintain its rating from last week, that would certainly boost its legitimacy factor. Though it’s already the season’s No. 1 new show among 18-49s, much of that is because it led out of “Idol,” the No. 1 program on television. Very few shows have made the transition away from “Idol” to become hits in their own right.
“House” is certainly one, and it has shown huge growth each fall without the “Idol” lead-in. Thursday’s “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” which premiered last year behind “Idol,” has performed reasonably well, improving Fox’s 8 p.m. timeslot average, but it doesn’t really qualify as a hit.
Even if “Survivor” wins the hour in 18-49s and total viewers, “Moment” should still see ratings jump in its second half hour as people begin tuning to Fox in anticipation of “Idol,” as they did last week.
Also working in its favor, the show has faced tougher competition before. It held up decently facing ABC’s original movie “A Raisin in the Sun” several weeks ago in its lone Monday airing away from “Idol.”
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A look at this week’s top TV draws
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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7 a.m.
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NBC
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“Today” (N)
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Peter O’Toole and Jonathan Rhys Meyers both guest.
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7 p.m.
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ESPN2, ESPN Classic
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“College Basketball” (S)
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First-round action from the NIT, the other college basketball tournament.
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8 p.m.
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CBS
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“Survivor” (R)
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Moves to Wednesday this week and next due to college basketball.
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9 p.m.
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Fox
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“American Idol” (R)
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Another singer is bounced, whittling the field down to 10.
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9 p.m.
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ABC
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“Supernanny” (R)
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Jo tries to deal with a pair of boys whose mother is embarrassed to take them out in public.
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10 p.m.
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NBC
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“Law & Order” (D)
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An art dealer may have been murdered by a religious group that has ties to his son.
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10 p.m.
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MTV
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‘Real World/Road Rules Challenge” (R)
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Season finale. The teams endure the final challenge to determine a winner.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 20
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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Noon, 7 p.m.
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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First-round play from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
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8 p.m.
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ABC
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“Miss Guided” (C)
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The first of back-to-back episodes of ABC’s new comedy.
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8 p.m.
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CW
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“Smallville” (D)
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Clark
is kidnapped and held in a cell lined with kryptonite.
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9 p.m.
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ABC
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“Lost” (D)
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Ben tries to get Alex to escape Locke’s camp when he finds out about an incoming attack.
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9 p.m.
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NBC
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“Celebrity Apprentice” (R)
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The field is cut to two, and the finalists begin to put together a charity auction and concert.
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10 p.m.
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TLC
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“LA Ink” (R)
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Pixie goes off at the shop, and it could damage her relationship with Kat.
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10 p.m.
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VH1
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“I Know My Kid’s a Star” (R)
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Series premiere. Stage parents and their kids compete to be trained by, of all people, Danny Bonaduce.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 21
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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7 a.m.
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ABC
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“Good Morning America” (N)
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Ryan Phillippe guests and the Counting Crows perform.
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Noon, 7 p.m.
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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More first-round action from the NCAA men’s basketball tourney.
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7:30 p.m.
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ESPN
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“Figure Skating” (S)
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Coverage of the World Championships, from Gothenburg, Sweden.
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8 p.m.
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TCM
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“The Wizard of Oz” (M)
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This classic is now 69 years old.
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8:30 p.m.
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Fox
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“The Return of Jezebel James” (C)
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Sarah goes all-out to sign a 15-year-old author.
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9 p.m.
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Lifetime
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“Your Mama Don’t Dance” (R)
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Another team is bounced, leaving seven behind.
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SATURDAY, MARCH 22
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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2 p.m.
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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Second-round play from the NCAAs; who’ll make the Sweet 16?
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2 p.m.
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NBC
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“PGA Golf” (S)
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Third round of the WGC-CA Championship from Miami.
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3 p.m.
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ABC
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“Figure Skating” (S)
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More coverage of the World Championships from Sweden.
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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“Cops” (R)
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Cops in Las Vegas go on a chase following a hotel shooting.
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9 p.m.
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Sci Fi Channel
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“Rock Monster” (M)
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A college student tries to be a hero after he unwittingly unleashes a monster in an Eastern European Village.
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11 p.m.
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VH1
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“Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony” (A)
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Madonna and John Mellencamp are among this year’s inductees.
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SUNDAY, MARCH 23
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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Noon
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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Still more second-round games, and after today, just 16 teams will remain.
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1 p.m.
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ABC
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“NBA Basketball” (S)
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A Texas showdown between the Spurs and Mavericks.
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3 p.m.
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NBC
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“PGA Golf” (S)
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Final-round play from the WGC-CA Championship, won last year by -- who else -- Tiger Woods.
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9 p.m.
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ABC
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“Oprah’s Big Give” (R)
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The final seven are given hundreds of thousands of dollars to give away in 24 hours.
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9 p.m.
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HBO
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“John Adams” (M)
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Second of a seven-part miniseries has Adams and Ben Franklin in France to drum up support for the revolt against England.
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9:30 p.m.
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Fox
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“Unhitched” (C)
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Gator has to change his ways if he wants a chance with an animal rights activist.
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10 p.m.
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FX
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“Dirt” (D)
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Lucy falls back into her tryst with a studio executive.
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A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.
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© 2008 Media Life
