COMEDY

Christmas lies

EARL ‘S (Jason Lee) been crossing sins off his list.He ‘s up to No.74 – “always ruined Joy ‘s Christmas.” So he and his buddies,Randy (Ethan Suplee) and Catalina,enter a contest to win a brand new car for Joy (Jaime Pressley) ,thinking this will atone for the past.Then he learns there ‘s a better way to make up all those ruined holidays:He can pretend to be married to Joy so she won ‘t have to tell her father she ‘s really married to a black man.

MY NAME IS EARL

Tuesday, 9 p.m., NBC

Drama

INMATE IN EXTREMIS

RISTINA YANG (Sandra Oh) has little sympathy for a prison inmate (Rosanna Arquette) who jeopardizes her health just to get out of solitary confinement.Meanwhile,the interns all keep careful watch on the family of premature quintuplets with a variety of serious health problems.Izzie (Katherine Heigl) can ‘t stop being mad at poor, unfaithful Alex (Justin Chambers) .Well,she soon has more aggravation when the frosty Dr. Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh)

decides to teach her a very painful lesson.

GREY ‘S ANATOMY

Sunday, 10 p.m., ABC

MADE-FOR-TV

CHEATIN’ CADETS

A NOTORIOUS 1951 scandal involving the Army football team at West Point is the focus of the new TV movie

“CodeBreakers.” Starring Scott Glenn as Coach “Red ” Blaik,,the film tells how 83 U.S.Military Academy cadets

become embroiled in a cheating ring started by two football teammates (Theo Rossi and Jake Busey) .The film

also tells how two roommates,George Holbrook (Jeff Roop) and Brian Nolan (Zachery Bryan) must choose between the school and the team.

CODEBREAKERS

Saturday, 9 p.m., ESPN

REALITY

Gross-out factor

YES, “Fear Factor ” is a repulsive program. But guess what?America obviously likes being nauseated because the

show is back for its sixth season.New this season is the show ‘s A-list stunt team,who will perform outrageous

feats with the aplomb that previously landed them jobs in movies such as “The Matrix Revolutions ” and “Kill Bill

Vol.2.” There are also a series of special episodes starting with the series ‘ premiere. “Heist Fear Factor ” has contestants competing in extreme stunts to obtain a submerged armored car that holds 1 million dollars inside.Other

upcoming special episodes include Reality Stars Fear Factor and Family Fear Factor.Joe Rogan returns as host.

FEAR FACTOR

Tuesday, 8 p.m., NBC

COMEDY

Religious convert

NOWthat he ‘s out of jail,Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) has decided he wants to be a missionary,encouraged no doubt by a woman who couldn ‘t be more different than his spoiled,incredibly obnoxious wife. Sister Mary (Melinda Paige Hamilton) is a warm,sympathetic nun who happens to be a blonde babe.See if Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) allows her handsome ex-con husband to pursue his newfound vocation without putting up a fight.Meanwhile,Lynette

(Felicity Huffman) tries to install a daycare center at her workplace and Bree (Marcia Cross) brings her son Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) home.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Sunday, 9 p.m., ABC

MUSIC

Vintage Boss

ATTENTION,Bruce junkies: In honor of the 30th anniversary of “Born to Run,” PBS is broadcasting one of Spring-

steen ‘s never-before-seen concerts.On November 18,1975, Springsteen and the E Street Band played London ‘s Hammersmith Odeon.The set list is classic Bruce: “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “She ‘s the One ” and “Jungleland,” among others.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, HAMMERSMITH ODEON, LONDON ’75

Thursday, 9:30 p.m., Ch. 21