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A science professor and volcanologist and his nephew encounter strange creatures and stranger lands as they travel beneath the Earth's surface. Professor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is supposed to care for his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) for 10 days. Instead it seems more like 100 million years, as they plummet through the Earth's layers and encounter bad-tempered dinosaurs.

Now here's a patient House (Hugh Laurie) can relate to. In this episode, he and his team try to figure out what's wrong with a man suffering from chronic pain -- something House has lived with for years. Foreman and Thirteen (Omar Epps, Olivia Wilde) deal with their budding relationship, and Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) gets a lesson in juggling work and parenthood in "Painless."

So if he doesn't know who he is, can we call him Shirley? Leslie Nielsen stars as Santa Claus in this limp 2000 comic variation on the "Miracle on 34th Street" theme. Like the Kriss Kringle of "Miracle," he's a store Santa who's actually the genuine article. But unlike the 1947 Kringle, who knew he was real even if nobody else did, this Claus is clueless, thanks to a fall from his sleigh that left him with amnesia. He'd better snap out of it soon, or there'll be a lot of disappointed kiddies on Christmas morning.

A rematch of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals is on tap in Boston as Kevin Garnett and the Celtics host Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Magic got the better of the Celts when they met in May, winning in seven games, but that was with the now-departed Hedo Turkoglu getting the shots in key moments. For the Celts, the big question is if Garnett is his old self after last year's knee woes, but Rasheed Wallace's presence should help.

Tess (Cassidy Freeman) kidnaps Lois (Erica Durance), determined to find out where she went when she disappeared for weeks. Chloe (Allison Mack) forms a resistance group with Oliver (Justin Hartley), while Clark (Tom Welling) makes a significant decision about Zod (Callum Blue) after learning of Lois' memory of the future in the new episode "Pandora."

OK, some Christmas specials and movies based on songs of the season are adorable -- lookin' at you, "Rudolph," "Frosty," "Little Drummer Boy." Others, like this 2001 comedy, are just laughable, and not in a good way. A little boy sees his mom in a lip lock with a certain red-suited gent and assumes his folks are splitting up. Wouldn't most kids jump at the chance to have Santa for a stepdad? Good thing Connie Sellecca has some good Christmas movies on her resume, so she can be forgiven for this one.

When Allison's (Patricia Arquette) eyes develop a sensitivity to light, the sunglasses she dons display numbers that may be linked to the life expectancy of those she looks at. Life expectancy also is on the mind of Joe (Jake Weber), who starts taking better care of himself after Allison dreams about his father in the new episode "The Future's So Bright." Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, Maria Lark and David Cubitt also star.

The new episode "Betsy & Brad" features a doting Southern California husband who is only too happy to indulge his wife's dream of a baby shower in the form of a $20,000 tea party, complete with $5,000 in baby props, accompanied by harp and violin music. And the free spending continues as they select a state-of-the-art birthing suite, where their daughter is born, captured by a $31,000 baby photographer, as well as hiring a pricey "baby-proofer to the stars."

When robbers strike a diamond exchange and take hostages, Don (Rob Morrow) and his team think the culprits are copying a convict's criminal strategies, and they find an unlikely ally in convicted bus hijacker John Buckley (Fisher Stevens, reprising his guest role). David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch and Alimi Ballard also star in the new episode "Con Job."

The outlaws are stunned when Robin (Jonas Armstrong) reveals that Gisborne (Richard Armitage) is joining them so Robin can honor his father's dying wish and save his half brother, Archer (guest star Clive Standen), who is awaiting execution. Meanwhile, an anxious Isabella (Lara Pulver) bribes a toll collector to gather information on the whereabouts of her brother and Robin in the new episode "The Enemy of My Enemy."

The No. 23-ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame hope to lock up a bowl berth today in South Bend, Ind., when they clash with the UConn Huskies. Heisman candidate Jimmy Clausen will be looking downfield to his favorite target, wideout Golden Tate, who himself has drawn some Heisman mention. As for the unranked Huskies, they're trying to get through the season a month after the murder of a teammate, cornerback Jasper Howard.

The day before the Sprint Cup closes up shop and decides its championship, the Nationwide Series does the same in South Florida with the Ford 300. Through 32 races, Kyle Busch held a commanding 215-point lead in the series standings, so he hopes his appearance today at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway amounts to little more than a victory lap. Carl Edwards won this race a year ago, but Clint Bowyer wound up with the Nationwide title.

When a young man returns to his hometown to revitalize his deceased grandfather's business, he gets an unusual request from his grandmother: Find out the identity of Lillian, the mysterious woman mentioned in her late husband's journals. His search leads him to a new knowledge of himself -- and his family. Neil Patrick Harris and Debbie Reynolds star in this 1998 drama from executive producer Beth Polson ("Cab to Canada").

What is it with all these "Santa: The Next Generation" movies? Every time you turn around, there's a new spin on the St. Nick story -- often involving a Nick Jr. awaiting elevation to the jolly old elf gig. In this one from 2000, Kathy Ireland plays Santa's daughter, who makes it her mission to restore a family's lost holiday spirit so Pa Kringle will believe again. Sorry, but giving Santa kids of his own is playing a little too fast and loose with what most of us grew up with: There's only one Santa, and all children are his. Gotta admit, though, Kathy's cute.

Patrick (Simon Baker) usually relies on his uncanny powers of observation to help crack a case, but after he loses his sight in an explosion, he is forced to rely on his other senses to help him solve the murder of a financial adviser. Gregory Itzin ("24") guest stars in "Bloodshot." Robin Tunney, Tim Kang and Owain Yeoman also star.

Serious students of Brit lit might take issue with this 1963 adaptation of Henry Fielding's novel. Let them go reread the book; the rest of us will enjoy the bawdy adventures of the title character (Albert Finney), whose enjoyment of the earthly delights of 18th-century England almost get him hanged. There are some "look what we can do!" camera tricks, but they didn't keep the film from winning the best picture Oscar -- rare for both imports and comedies.

In "Bad Girls No. 12," deputies in Texas discover plenty of cracks in their case as they arrest a woman on a felony warrant. In Las Vegas, officers respond to a domestic disturbance call involving a mother and her daughter, while officers break up a fight between two women in Minnesota.

Based on a video game. Directed by Uwe Boll. That's all you need to know about this forgettable "Lord of the Rings" rip-off. Boll apparently blew most of his $60 million budget on talent, attracting the likes of Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds and John Rhys-Davies, but they're helpless to raise this flick above mediocrity. The plot involves a humble farmer (Jason Statham) on a crusade against the forces of evil trying to take over his kingdom. Did we mention ... "Lord of the Rings" rip-off?

Snoopy and Woodstock pitch in to help when -- what? Oh, right, sorry, that's "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." In this new episode, "A Brown Thanksgiving," Cleveland (voice of Mike Henry) celebrates his first Thanksgiving with his new family and discovers a shocking secret about Donna's Auntie Momma (voice of guest star Kym Whitley). Guest stars Daryl Hall and John Oates also lend their voices.

In the new episode "Fight or Flight," Reed isn't satisfied after he launches a remote-control plane to drop data probes into a tornado, so he punches right into an erratic storm, only to find himself with no time to get out of the way of the powerful vortexes that surround him. Sean Casey's crew and Tim Samaras' team confront a gigantic, rain-wrapped monster of a tornado.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup comes down to two drivers as the season-ending Ford 400 goes off today at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Three-time series champ Jimmie Johnson holds a 108-point lead over Mark Martin, meaning that if Martin wins here, Johnson need only finish 25th to claim his record-setting fourth title in a row, thus surpassing his and Cale Yarborough's (1976-78) previous mark of three straight.

From Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" to Gabrielle Carteris in "Beverly Hills, 90210," lots of actresses have played characters much younger than they are. But Julie Harris may have set a record with this 1952 drama. She was 27 when she played Frankie, a 12-year-old tomboy whose feelings of not fitting in come to a head as her brother prepares to wed. Ethel Waters plays the family maid and surrogate mom to Frankie. Brandon De Wilde also stars.

"Sorry is for criminals and screw-ups ... and I'm neither one." How about for the people who make bad movies? Billy Bob Thornton stars in this juvenile 2007 comedy as a tougher-than-tough Midwestern gym teacher who still haunts a former student (Seann William Scott), whose mother (Susan Sarandon) may end up marrying the coach. Now a self-help author, the young man does all he can to prevent the nuptials from happening. Oscar winners Thornton and Sarandon should have done likewise to keep their casting in this from happening.

Fed up with the boy's nonstop practical jokes, Principal Skinner (voice of Harry Shearer) tells Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) that there is a former Springfield Elementary student hailed as the best prankster ever. Determined to meet his kindred spirit, Andy Hamilton (voice of guest star Jonah Hill), Bart tracks down the jokester, now 19, and becomes fast friends with him in the new episode "Pranks and Greens."

Will the real Philadelphia Eagles please stand up? Are they the explosive unit that thoroughly dominated the New York Giants in Week 8 to pull into a tie for first in the NFC East, or the incompetent boobs who fell to one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Oakland Raiders, two weeks earlier? Tonight at Soldier Field, Philly's secondary will get a workout against one of the best quarterbacks in the game when they go up against Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears.

NASCAR isn't the only major sports league deciding a title today. Major League Soccer also has a championship to settle up in Seattle's Qwest Field, host venue for the MLS Cup '09. The winners receive the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy and the right to wear the MLS scudetto, a small badge with a logo of the trophy on it, on their uniforms during the 2010 season. The Columbus Crew are the defending champs, having defeated the New York Red Bulls, 3-1, in last year's title game.

The team reopens a 1983 case, originally investigated by Stillman (John Finn), focusing on a teenager who was killed before he could get justice for his slain girlfriend, who died in a spray of gunfire from Chinese gang members during a festival. Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, Jeremy Ratchford, Thom Barry and Bobby Cannavale also star in the new episode "Chinatown."

When a setback leaves a billionaire's wife without a new liver, he resorts to buying one on the black market. A friend from Andy's (Alex O'Loughlin) past resurfaces in the new episode "The Kindness of Strangers." Katherine Moennig, Daniel Henney, Alfre Woodard and Justina Machado also star; Owiso Odera, Heather Mazur, Kevin Rahm and Pablo Schreiber guest star.

Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), who has aged appreciably since losing a "slap bet" with Marshall (Jason Segel), doesn't take it at all well when Marshall bequeaths a "slap bet" slap to Ted and Robin (Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders). Lily's (Alyson Hannigan) estranged father (guest star Chris Elliott) visits for Thanksgiving in the new episode "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap."

Armed with history and humor, Lewis Black ("The Daily Show With Jon Stewart") takes aim at the holiday season and tries to make sense of the collective insanity that seems to grip most people at this time of year. The curmudgeonly comic explores the meaning of Kwanzaa, the history of Hanukkah and the real St. Nicholas and "interviews" ill-fated turkeys on a farm. Also appearing are Joy Behar, Bob Saget, David Alan Grier and Craig Ferguson.

Oh. My. Gah. They made a sequel. There's not much more that can be said to indicate how awful this film is, but an attempt must be made. Here's the list of reasons for the awfulness: fat suit, Martin Lawrence, flowered prints, Martin Lawrence in a fat suit wearing a flowered print. And don't forget the requisite booty shots. It's just too bad that doesn't mean a picture of someone's boot kicking Lawrence in the shin.

Rendered even more poignant by the recent passing of Patrick Swayze, this 1990 tear-jerker casts the "Dirty Dancing" star as a murdered man who enlists the aid of a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg, who won an Oscar) to give his beloved (Demi Moore) a warning from beyond that she may be next. The supporting cast also includes Tony Goldwyn and some clay that will have you looking at the art of pottery in a whole new light.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, the team treats a brilliant physicist (guest star Esteban Powell), who traded his career for a job as a courier because he found intelligence to be a burden that led to depression and addiction. A myriad of strange symptoms nearly stumps the doctors, who also wrestle with strained personal relationships. Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard and Lisa Edelstein also star in the new episode "Ignorance Is Bliss."

A shocking accusation threatens Nathan's (James Lafferty) career, much to the chagrin of his sports agent (Robert Buckley). Brooke (Sophia Bush) gets ready to launch a new fashion line. Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) gets an unexpected visit from her sister, Quinn (new series regular Shantel VanSanten), in "4:30 a.m. (Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad)."

Nobody seriously is going to suggest that this sitcom is really slice-of-life stuff, but the new episode "Working Girl" touches on the increasingly tense world of newspaper arts and entertainment coverage as Billie (Jenna Elfman) feels threatened when old flame and current boss James (Grant Show) hires another film critic, motivating her to prove just how valuable she is. Jon Foster and Ashley Jensen also star.

As summer draws to a close, Chuck and Blair (Ed Westwick, Leighton Meester) adjust to life as a couple. Serena (Blake Lively) returns from Europe with secrets and a complicated relationship with Carter (new series regular Sebastian Stan). Rufus, Jenny and Dan (Matthew Settle, Taylor Momsen, Penn Badgley) get used to the van der Woodsens' glamorous lifestyle in "Reversals of Fortune."

Lightman (Tim Roth) and his team help uncover the secrets of a troubled teen's (guest star Daniel Ross) past, which may have included being abducted as an infant. Loker (Brendan Hines) investigates the origin of a deadly stampede at an electronics store on the day after Thanksgiving. Kelli Williams and Mekhi Phifer also star in the new episode "Black Friday."

Charlie (Charlie Sheen) is shaken to his very core when he discovers he has not been satisfying Chelsea (Jennifer Taylor) in the lovemaking department. Alan (Jon Cryer), meanwhile, attempts to cure his thinning hair without spending much money, with results that are hair-raising in the worst sense of the term. Angus T. Jones and Conchata Ferrell also star in the new episode "Captain Terry's Spray-On Hair."

After being humiliated on the radio, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) enlists the aid of the guys as he vows to destroy Kripke (guest star John Ross Bowie). Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), meanwhile, tries not to destroy his new relationship with Bernadette (guest star Melissa Rauch). Katee Sackhoff ("Battlestar Galactica") guest stars as herself in the new episode "The Vengeance Formulation."

It probably unlikely that we'll see new editions of Clue in which Miss Scarlet murders Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with a jellyfish, but the tentacled creatures are, in fact, used as a lethal weapon in the new episode "Kill Clause," which also finds a mysterious woman from Jesse's (Eddie Cibrian) past returning. David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez and Christian Clemenson also star.

The leads -- Mila Kunis and newcomer Ben Gourley, who also wrote this 2007 comedy -- are visually appealing, Jon Heder's hitchhiking hippie is good for a few laughs, and the pig is cute. That said, the flick falls flat, thanks to a plot that's been done better in a gazillion other road-trip movies. Gourley plays a law firm intern who tries to make points with the big boss (Rutger Hauer) by driving his stuff, his niece (Kunis) and niece's pet pig cross-country. Add cheap jokes involving farts, hillbillies, mental illness and zits ... you get the idea.

With public anger toward credit card companies sharply on the rise, "Frontline" correspondent Lowell Bergman takes a look at the future of the consumer loan industry and its impact on the very fragile national economy, talking to industry insiders, lobbyists, consumer advocates and politicians in the new episode "The Card Game."

After a fight with Jonah (Michael Rady), Riley (Jessica Lucas) turns to Auggie (Colin Egglesfield) for comfort. Caleb (guest star Victor Webster) is furious with Ella (Katie Cassidy) when her director bails on a job. David (Shaun Sipos) accuses Michael (Thomas Calabro) of murdering Sydney (Laura Leighton). Violet (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz) makes moves on Auggie. Taryn Manning guest stars in "Grand."

Liam (Matt Lanter) tries to apologize to Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) for the events of prom night but denies sleeping with Annie (Shenae Grimes). Dixon (Tristan Wilds) and Liam join the surf team in a bid to keep Liam's stepfather (guest star John Schneider) from shipping him off to military school. Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) helps Navid (Michael Steger) get an interview with Teddy (guest star Trevor Donovan) in "To Sext or Not to Sext."

Ed Harris earned praise for following his "Pollock" directorial debut by calling the shots on this reasonably traditional Western, sort of a "Magnificent Seven" minus five. The adaptation of a Robert B. Parker novel casts Harris and Viggo Mortensen as the possible saviors of a New Mexico town, with Jeremy Irons as a corrupt businessman who holds the place and its population in his grip. Renee Zellweger also stars.

Tate Donovan voices the title role in Disney's animated adaptation of the Greek myth. A god by birth, the awkward adolescent Hercules must become an earthly hero to reclaim his divine powers. He's helped by an impish satyr (voice of Danny DeVito) and hindered by Hades, ruler of the underworld (voice of James Woods). The film has some fun with Disney's rampant commercialism, painting Herc as a media star complete with product endorsements.

Suze Orman talks to the five remaining contestants about the connection between health and wealth and gives them tips on becoming fiscally fit. The players take a health quiz, then talk to trainer Bob Harper about some of the challenges they will face when they get back home. Former professional football player Rod Woodson helps start an NFL challenge involving the weight each contestant has lost all season.

You may feel as if time is standing still while suffering through this stultifying 2008 remake, released almost 60 years after the original release of Robert Wise's classic sci-fi original. Once again alien Klaatu (now played by Keanu Reeves) and his fearsome robot, Gort, come to Earth to offer a warning to the entire human race, and the opposition they encounter sets off a chilling(-ish) series of events. Jennifer Connelly plays a scientist assisting the government in the matter, with Jaden Smith (Will's son) as her stepson.

A computer programmer and hacker (Keanu Reeves) discovers that his entire reality is virtual in this 1999 sci-fi tale. He's recruited by a band of freedom fighters to battle the mysterious program that's created this unreal world and return humanity to the real thing. Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano also star in the action- and effects-packed adventure.

What happens after a 6-mile-wide asteroid slams into the Earth? Scientists believe it happened 66 million years ago, and in a high-tech NASA lab, experts use new technology to re-create the force of the blast and show what probably happened in the hours that followed. Computer graphics and real-world demonstrations show what organisms survived the meteor strike that wiped out the dinosaurs and why they made it in "24 Hours After Asteroid Impact."

As generic as its title, this 2007 big-screen adaptation of a video game has lots of action of the loud and bloody variety. Unfortunately, the plot constructed around it is uninspired and at times confusing. Timothy Olyphant ("Deadwood") plays the title character, a professional assassin caught in the middle of a conspiracy involving the president of Russia, his sex slave, and his drug- and gun-dealing brother. Did we mention everyone wants him dead? The game itself is way more entertaining.

The new episode "War on Polygamy" examines the "machinery" of this controversial family structure, exploring how women and children are subjugated by corruption and political influence within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as recounted by women who have fled the church, as well as government and law enforcement officials.

Alicia (Julianna Margulies) must navigate carefully through the minefield of office politics when she's assigned to represent a partner in the firm on a charge of driving under the influence. Meanwhile, she starts to question whether Peter (Chris Noth) is guilty of corruption. Archie Panjabi and Josh Charles also star in this new episode.