TV critic's picks for the week of Aug. 28

August 27, 2011 at 7:47PM
"Outrageous Kid Parties"
"Outrageous Kid Parties" (Margaret Andrews/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Sunday

Lady Gaga wears an outfit made completely of cauliflower, Adele warbles "Rolling in the Deep" for the 3 millionth time and some famous woman makes out with Britney Spears. It's all part of what we expect from the "2011 MTV Video Music Awards" (8 p.m., MTV).

Monday

The power of the Gloved One is on full display in the 2001 special "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration" (8 p.m., TVONE). Usher, Whitney Houston, Liza Minnelli and Luther Vandross are among those singing Jackson's big hits as a solo artist. For some reason, Destiny's Child shows up to sing "Bootylicious." Not that we're complaining.

Tuesday

The first hour of "Cocaine: History Between the Lines" (7 p.m., History) is dedicated to the drug's 5,000-year history, its role in the early mixes of Coca-Cola and how drug trafficking has filled jail cells. The second hour is dedicated to Charlie Sheen.

Wednesday

For the latest edition of "Outrageous Kid Parties" (8 p.m., TLC), a woman turns her back yard into an Egyptian temple for her child's birthday, hiring belly dancers, a camel and snake charmers for a Cleopatra-themed affair. Big deal. If she really loved her kid, she would have signed up singing sensation Marc Anthony.

Thursday

The 1975 version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (7 p.m., VH1 Classic) doesn't have Don Shelby, as a local production launching next month can boast, but it does have Meat Loaf, Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry. Shelby's repeated requests to be edited into the original have gone unanswered.

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

See Moreicon

More from Minnesota Star Tribune

See More
card image
Provided/Sahan Journal

Family members and a lawyer say they have been blocked from access to the bedside of Bonfilia Sanchez Dominguez, while her husband was detained and shipped to Texas within 24 hours.

card image