Monitor picks

An 8-letter word for entertaining

Who knew crossword puzzles could be so suspenseful? Wordplay, a documentary starring New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz, also features such puzzlers (and Shortz fans) as Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton. The central story chronicles the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where a college student is poised to become the youngest champion in the event's 28-year history.

Fans of Big Ten football circle the date every season. And this year, Ohio State and Michigan swagger up to their Saturday showdown (ABC, 3:30 p.m. EDT) ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation, respectively, for what's being called the Collision in Columbus. Wear Buckeye red or Wolverine blue – and expect a big run on Doritos.

Skygazers won't need a telescope to see this show Saturday: A nice two-hour slice of the annual Leonid meteor shower should begin just before midnight US Eastern Time, low in the eastern sky. A new moon looms, which helps. But get clear of artificial light, too; experts say the shower won't be as massive as in recent years.

Got a yen for B movies and a bunch of buddies who share your taste? Go to www.cinema.lycos.com, launched this week as a chat/screening room for old-time cinephiles who just have to talk while the film rolls. Downside: the catalog is pretty thin and quirky – "Galaxy of the Dinosaurs," anyone?. Upside: You can critique movies "Mystery Science Theater" style.

Before prepping Thanksgiving dinner, browse Recipezaar.com, Epicurious.com, and allrecipes.com. All offer good recipes and advice for when the oven starts to smoke or you realize Thursday morning that you forgot to thaw the turkey!