Rating: NNNNN
Thursday, October 6
GENE SIMMONS’ ROCK SCHOOL The blood-spewing bassist of KISS teaches a teen-aged group of classically trained musicians how to rawk. Their reward? An opening gig with Lemmy’s Motorhead . Tonight’s lesson: Fire-breathing in the key of E. 11:30 pm on Much, repeated 9 pm and midnight Friday and 11:30 am and 7 pm Saturday.
Friday, October 7
CRAFT CORNER DEATHMATCH Glue guns at 10 paces! Hobbyists compete against the Craft Lady of Steel in a series of extreme challenges – make a coat hanger mobile, design a wedding cake or create a scarf from a teddy bear – on this ironic U.S. game show that’s more Mad Max than Martha Stewart. 9 pm on HGTV, repeated at midnight and 2 pm Saturday
BALLROOM BOOTCAMP Professional dance instructors prepare three amateurs for a national cha-cha competition in front of a live audience and real judges. 10 pm on TLC, repeated at 1 am and 1 pm Saturday
Saturday, October 8
MY NAME IS EARL Back-to-back repeats of the first three episodes of this season’s breakout sitcom starring former professional skateboarder Jason Lee as a do-good slacker. 8:30 pm on NBC
Sunday, October 9
ALI G IN DA USA UK comic Sacha Baron Cohen travels across America in the guise of a wannabe gangsta rapper, an ill-informed TV foreign correspondent and a confused fashion reporter. In this first episode of the HBO series, Ali attempts to join the Philadelphia police department. 2 pm on Showcase
CAMP MICHAEL JACKSON CAMP MICHAEL JACKSON
Documentary from the producers of The Eyes Of Tammy Faye and TransGeneration follows seven die-hard Jacko wackos camped out in front of the California courthouse for the duration of the King of Pop’s recent media circus. 7 pm on Newsworld
Monday, October 10
RED, WHITE AND BLUES In the most successful episode of the Martin Scorcese-produced history of the blues, director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) follows the music’s reinvention during the 60s UK beat boom. Tom Jones , Jeff Beck , Van Morrison and Lulu (!) belt out the hits during an Abbey Road session. 3:01 am on PBS
Tuesday, October 11
THE ULTIMATE HUSTLER Damon Dash – the hiphop honcho responsible for the chart successes of Jay-Z, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and, er, Victoria Beckham – searches for an apprentice à la Trumpster on the first of this 13-part reality series. 8 pm on BET
Wednesday, October 12
WEEDS After her husband’s unexpected death, a suburban southern California housewife ( Mary-Louise Parker ) begins selling pot to her neighbours to make ends meet as this black comedy series from U.S. Showtime premieres. 10 pm on Showcase
