With the soon approaching Thanksgiving break, The Quad staff will be taking advantage of their much-needed vacation time. The office will be dark, and constant e-mail flow with cease because there will be a two-week hiatus between issues. While this may send our avid Entertainment readers into a panic, don’t worry: we haven’t forgotten about you. Here are a few suggestions to keep your occupied over the next few week. Television: The fall season has definitely lived up to expectations. With ABC’s unstoppable Sunday night line-up including “Extreme Home Makeover,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” the station’s weekend ratings have soared. Also, for fans of the intriguing island drama “Lost,” a brand new episode (highlighting the lives of the tale section survivors during their first 48 days on the island) will be shown on Nov. 16. For sports fans, don’t miss the Eagles vs. the NY Giants at 1 p.m. on Nov. 20 and the Eagles vs. the Green Bay Packers at 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 27. Music: First, make sure that you tune into the 33rd annual American Music Awards on ABC, Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. Cedric the Entertainer will be hosting the event, with performances by Mariah Carey, The Rolling Stones, Gwen Stefani, Santana, Tim McGraw and many others. As for the latest albums to download to your I-pods and Mp3 players, try Confessions On A Dance Floor, Madonna’s latest release, hitting stores on Nov. 15. Also check out No City Left by The Dears, Ed Harcourt’s Elephant Graveyard and How To Save A Life by The Fray. Lastly, for those in need of a little explicit humor, grab a copy of comedian Dane Cook’s Retaliation. Books: Start your holiday shopping early by picking up a few of these best sellers for friends, or simply treat yourself to an evening in with a good book and cup of tea by the fire. According to The New York Times the best books of the season include: “A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey, “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Friedman, “Chronicles” by Bob Dylan, “The Silver Spoon” by Phaidon Press and “The Year of Magical Thinking” by John Didion. For fans of more ‘hands-on’ books, join the latest craze and pick up your own copy of Sodoku. It’s guaranteed to bring you hours of brain-testing fun.
Movies: For the best of the season, refer to our “2005 Holiday Movie Guide.” However, if you can’t wait for these much-anticipated blockbusters, there’s a few flicks out now that are worth taking a peek at. For the romantic fools, try “Pride and Prejudice,” “Prime” or “Shop Girl.” The most popular action films include “Derailed,” “Jarhead” and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” As for the predicted Oscar nominees, check out “North Country,” “Bee Season,” “The Squid and The Whale” and “Capote.” So there you have it: the best of television, music, literature and film to keep you occupied over Thanksgiving break. Don’t forget to come back and tell us what you think.