'Law & Order' returns for record 20th season
NBC war horses return
NBC may be going against convention with "The Jay Leno Show" at 9 p.m., but it still has room on its schedule for a couple of war horses. "Law & Order" returns for its 20th season -- thus tying "Gunsmoke" for longest-running TV drama - at 7 p.m. Friday on WMAQ Channel 5. Then "Saturday Night Live" launches its 35th season at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, on Channel 5, mixing the new with the old, as Megan Fox plays host, with U2 as the musical guest.
Get out and play!
The kids' channel Nickelodeon and all its spinoffs mark the annual Worldwide Day of Play Saturday, Sept. 26, by going dark from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Yes, it's only three hours, but it's still a noble gesture for a commercial cable station, and there's no rule saying you can't turn off the TV all day long, hard as that might be to imagine.
Local Emmy nods out
The Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announces its annual local Emmy nominations at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Lawry's Prime Rib, 100 E. Ontario, Chicago. Admission is $15 and includes hors d'oeuvres, with a cash bar. For details, see chicagoemmyonline.com or make reservations by calling (312) 369-8600 or e-mailing infonatas@aol.com.
Who you gonna call?
For a while there in the '80s, Bill Murray could do no wrong with his offhand comedy. One of the best examples is "Ghostbusters," casting him with his fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum Dan Aykroyd and his "Stripes" co-star Harold Ramis. The special effects no longer seem so special, but the humor endures at 7 p.m. Friday on AMC.