MONDAY
DECEMBER 19
SERIES DEBUT
8-9PM
Deal or No Deal (NBC, TV-14) ''There's no trivia, so you don't really
have to know anything. There's no skill, so you don't really have to do
anything.'' That's host Howie Mandel (left) on his new, five-episode
game show, a steroidal cousin of Let's Make a Deal, in which people
choose from 26 suitcases (containing anything from one cent to one
million bucks) and then wheel 'n' deal until they're happy — rich or
angry — poor. ''You find yourself yelling at the screen, 'You idiot! What
are you doing?''' says Mandel. ''It's incredibly engaging.''
Inflated-glove-over-the-head engaging? Fingers crossed. —Dan Snierson
CHRIS-MAS WEEK!
8-8:30PM
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN, TV-PG-L) Chris episodes all week. Hey, UPN
co-opted ''Chris-mas,'' not me. Fab. Now I've ticked off the Christians.
(R)
9-10PM So Jewtastic (VH1) Am I even allowed to say ''Jewtastic''? Is that offensive? Crap. Well, I've made my way through WASPs, black folks, and clearly, Christians, so Jews, you were due.
9-10PM WWE Monday Night Raw: Tribute to the Troops (USA, TV-14-DLV) Keeping the terrorists from winning, one totally believable half nelson at a time.
9-11PM 2005 Radio Music Awards (NBC, TV-14) Bizarre, but for the first time in a while, we're actually excited about an awards show host: Jaime Pressly! (Oh, yeah, and Mark McGrath.)
10-11PM Wanted (TNT, TV-MA) When you tail a mad bomber, you shoot first, make sense later. If ever.
SEASON FINALE
10:30-11PM
Miss Seventeen (MTV)
Finally, after all those weekly competitions of class and character, one lucky winner receives a college scholarship and paid Seventeen magazine internship.
