What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Jenn's Guide

May 27 – June 2, 2016

At this risk of this column intro becoming a pseudo-obituary, I must bid a formal farewell to yet another fallen television talent: the great Morley Safer. Ironically, I only last week encouraged readers to put 60 Minutes on their viewing schedules. The iconic show only hires the best talent; once you’re on 60 Minutes, you’ve arrived as a journalist. This couldn’t be truer for our Basset Hound-faced, Sunday night staple, the late Morley.

Mr. Safer has been giving us the real story for all of my life. But it’s important to note that he earned his chops as a gritty journalist who brought international news coverage to Americans far before joining 60 Minutes. He watched as communists began building the Berlin Wall, and he provided accurate (read: depressing) coverage of the Vietnam War.

Morley Safer was a keeper. That must be why 60 Minutes kept him for 46 years. What an inspiration for all of us journalists out there who don’t mind digging for and delivering the truth, like it or not.

Here are a few suggestions for the upcoming week of May 27 – June 2.

500 Questions

Friday, May 27 – ABC – 8 p.m.

ABC News correspondent Dan Harris lends an air of credibility to what actually is just another game show. But this one is a little different. Smart people get to be smart, and it moves fast. The premise: America’s most intelligent people try to answer difficult “general knowledge” questions without giving three consecutive wrong answers. There are no saves or multiple choice answers: three wrong answers, and you’re toast. It makes the yawn-inducing days of Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire a distant memory.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Friday, May 27 – FOODw – 7 p.m.

Guy Fieri isn’t your typical foodie or television host, which is probably why I’m not tired of him yet. Guy travels across America in search of some of the best greasy-spoon diners, tucked-away dives and classic drive-ins we never knew existed. We get to sample – with our eyes – foods from state to state. We also are introduced to many of our country’s most wholesome, basic and stand-up citizens: regular ole restaurant patrons. My favorite episodes usually surround Guy eating food, sauce, etc. that is so spicy we can feel the heat radiating off the TV screen.

National Memorial Day Concert

Sunday, May 29 – KOCE – 8 p.m.

Co-hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan), this celebration of Memorial Day will air live from the U.S. Capitol. It’s a nice way to have the family gather to remember that the reason for Memorial Day isn’t to commemorate the end of the school year or to kick off beach season. The concert honors the men and women of the U.S. military as America's veterans who have been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery are specially honored. Performers include The Beach Boys, Trace Adkins and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Jay Leno’s Garage

Sunday, May 29 – CNBC – 7 p.m.

We all miss Jay Leno, right? So here’s your chance to get a dose of Jay doing what he does best: messing around with old cars. Collecting cars always was a hobby, and now he’s developed a mighty interesting series. Leno delivers car and motorcycle reviews and, in this episode, he visits muscle car enthusiast Tim Allen. I predict laughter, and lots of it.

Bachelorette

Monday, May 30 – ABC – 8 p.m.

It's back and in full swing! While you were going about your business, just living your life, JoJo Fletcher was trying to decide from which poor sap she’d allow a marriage proposal. The unattached prospects include a firefighter, a quarterback, a veteran and – of course – single dad. The show’s producers seem to have found a formula that works, or at the very least, keeps us coming back for more!

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