Most recent TV's have a vga port or hdmi so you need to ascertain what video port type is on the laptop and on the TV to use the type of cable required. It could be s-video or similar ..
Usually a laptop or portable will allow viewing on an external monitor or tv however there are some that require a bios change for external viewing.
See Desktop > Screen Resolution > Advanced Settings to see if you have the app installed, could be Catalyst Control Center or Nvidia Control Center
You may also need to check the video application to allow external monitor viewing but you need to have it installed if it is not available when you