Off the wall: Holidays and our veterans
Off the Wall doesn't mind celebrating Christmas before Veterans Day. (Set your clocks back to standard time tonight, or risk missing this stuff!)
VISIT THE 99 PERCENTERS "I'm Occupying Wall Street" is the latest first-person report from MTV's docuseries "True Life" (Saturday at 6 p.m., MTV). Sneak peek at truelife.mtv.com.
YULE THINK IT'S EARLY But it's never too early for noel-niks like me. Or for Hallmark Channel, which jumps the gun even on its own Countdown to Christmas, not starting till next Saturday. The channel fills this weekend with holiday films, anyway, including two TV movie premieres -- Sean Astin, JoBeth Williams and Ernest Borgnine in "Love's Christmas Journey" (Saturday night at 8, Hallmark) and Tricia Helfer in "Mistletoe Over Manhattan" (Sunday at 8 p.m. Hallmark). Get festive at hallmarkchannel.com/holiday openhouse.
CABLE PREMIERES The biggie is AMC's ambitious new drama "Hell on Wheels" (Sunday at 10 p.m., AMC), chronicling the personal and cultural conflicts of the post-Civil War construction of the transcontinental railroad westward. Starring are Anson Mount, Colm Meaney and Common. Then, there's the unscripted stuff -- "Born Dealers" (Saturday night at 10, Planet Green), about Maine antiquers; "Trashopolis" (Sunday at 8 p.m., Smithsonian), with local boy Jesse Blaze Snider, son of Dee, studying how cities like New York are built atop garbage; and the self-explanatory ride-along "Coast Guard Alaska" (Wednesday at 9 p.m., Weather).
AWARDS ALERT(S) Nick Cannon hosts the third annual "TeenNick HALO Awards" (Sunday 8-9:30 p.m., Nick at Nite; Monday at 9 p.m., TeenNick), which honors teens "helping and leading others" and features Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Jason Derulo. The party's in Belfast for the "2011 MTV EMA" (Sunday at 6 p.m., Tr3s; Monday at noon, mtvU), with performances by Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, LMFAO and many others. The 45th annual "CMA Awards" (Wednesday 8-11 p.m., ABC/7) honor Glen Campbell and include performances by Lionel Richie, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and many more (after "CMA Red Carpet" Wednesday at 7 p.m. on CMT). The first "Hero Dog Awards" (Friday 8-9:30 p.m., Hallmark) recognizes acts of canine heroism with help from host Carson Kressley, Betty White, Paula Abdul and other celebs.
MUSIC METEORS They both hit stardom in a flash. "Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar" (Sunday at 8 p.m., TLC) charts the singer's career from the "Britain's Got Talent" audition that went viral. Then "Michael Jackson: This Is It" (Monday at 9 p.m., VH1) documents the final performances of a 40-year career that blossomed at age 10.
VETERANS DAY VIEWING No "Band of Brothers" this year, but we do get the other ocean theater of World War II in all 10 parts of "The Pacific" (Wednesday-Thursday 8-11 p.m., Friday 8 p.m.-midnight, HBO Signature; Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., HBO). There also a new look at "Vietnam in HD" (Tuesday-Thursday 9-11 p.m., History). Among the movie salutes this Friday: Turner Classic Movies' daytime festival that starts with Abbott & Costello's comedy "Buck Privates" (6 a.m., TCM); Fox Movie Channel's daytime lineup beginning with Betty Grable's "Call Me Mister" (6 a.m., FMC), and AMC's run starting with "Sink the Bismarck!" (9 a.m.) and continuing through "Apocalypse Now" (5:30 p.m., AMC).
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