Mike Hughes on TV

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: Debuts of “Melissa
& Joey” (8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC Family, rerunning at 10 and
10:30) and “Big Lake” (10 and 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central).

Here are two comedies with remarkable
similarities. Each is about a former financial whiz, now broke and
starting over; each has an inept laugh track.

In the first, Melissa Joan Hart is a
politician, transformed by a money scandal; her sister was jailed and
she's in charge of her niece and nephew. Joey Lawrence is one of the
guys ruined by the scandal; now he's her domestic and nanny. It may
seem retro, but it has sharp writing, delivered by talented pros.

In “Big Lake,” a failure (Chris
Gethard) returns to his home and the perverse people (Chris Parnell,
Horatio Sanz) of his youth. It tries harder to be hip and offbeat,
with inconsistent results.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “Glee,” 8
and 9 p.m., Fox.

As the new season nears, Fox moves
“Glee” into its fall night and slides “MasterChef” to
Wednesdays.

Tonight, it has a pair of reruns. The
first is excellent, as Will meets an opposing club and its
no-nonsense coach, played by Eve. The second is merely OK; Will's
marriage crumbles and Rachel fumes when the yearbook skips a picture
of the glee club.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Hawthorne,”
9 p.m., TNT.

This low-key drama ramps things up
tonight, as Christina (Jada Pinkett Smith) faces big issues with her
daughter and with her own love life.

The plot seems contrived – a few
words here and there would have settled everything – and a second
story involving a mean-spirited aide (Sara Gilbert) is lame. Still,
this gives good actors a chance to dig into deep moments. The best
surprise is singer Marc Anthony, who is excellent as the
compassionate cop Christina met in the previous episode.

Other choices include:

– “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. In a
rerun, two dead mercenaries are found on Gibbs' boat. Now Gibbs must
talk to his former mentor, trying to prevent an international
conflict.

– “NCIS: Los Angeles,” 9 p.m.,
CBS. Here's a rerun of the episode that borrowed the Abby character
from “NCIS.” She rushes to Los Angeles, after a murder there is
similar to the one she's probing.

– “America's Got Talent,” 9-11
p.m., NBC. There are still a few more acts to slip into the
semi-finals. Tonight, 12 rejects get a second chance; on Wednesday,
four will advance.

– “18 to Life,” 9 and 9:30 p.m.,
CW. The newlyweds get a joint bank account. Also, a secret emerges
during a dinner with a rabbi.

– “Warehouse 13,” 9 p.m., Syfy.
The good news is that a college wrestling team is suddenly winning;
the bad news is that the its guys sometimes burst into balls of
flame. That story is relatively lame, but it's the backdrop for some
personal stories – Artie and a government doctor (Lindsay Wagner)
... Pete and a veterinarian ... and the return of H.G. Welles –
who, in this offbeat show, is alive and female.

– “POV,” 10 p.m., PBS (check
local listings). Here are three mismatched films. One is a video
journal, as a photographer captures gorgeous images in the the
Australian salt flats. Another is a gentle look at people who create
replacement eyes. The third starts a weekly “StoryCorps,” in
which animation illustrates real-life audio tapes; it may be the best
five minutes on TV this summer.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “The Big C”
debut, 10:30 p.m., Showtime.

Cathy is taking this chaotic journey
alone. She has stage-four cancer, but isn't telling anyone.

Instead, she reshapes her life. She
throws out her husband (who wants to stay), befriends her son (who
wants to be ignored), orders an instant swimming pool for her
backyard.

In other hands, this character might be
tiresome. Fortunately, she's played by Laura Linney, the brilliant
actress who already has three Emmys. She brings a splendid blend of
humor and pathos.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “Two and a
Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory,” 9, 9:31 p.m., CBS.

This excellent reruns remind us that
this is the best comedy hour on TV.

On “Men,” Charlie has forgiven Alan
for endless flaws. Now, however, Alan does the unforgivable: He
suggests to Chelsea that she consider breast-reduction surgery.

On “Theory,” we jump back to last
season, with Penny on her second date with the comic-store guy.
That's when we start to learn her feelings about Leonard. Also,
Wolowitz has made a NASA error.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Lie to Me,”
9 p.m., Fox.

As creator and producer of the intense
“The Shield,” Shawn Ryan helped transform basic-cable.

He went on to regular broadcast jobs,
running “The Unit” and “Lie to Me.” Now he's filled this
episode with gifted “Shield” alumni.

That starts with David Marciano as
someone Lightman and his now-ex-wife helped convict 17 years ago; a
new case raises fresh doubts. Other former “Shield” actors
include Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Shawn's wife) as the guy's former
girlfriend, David Rees Snell as his brother, Catherine Dent and
Benito Martinez as kidnap victims and Kenny Johnson as a
photographer.

These summer episodes are Ryan's last.
He left to focus on a terrific new cable detective series..

Other choices include:

– “Bachelor Pad,” 8-10:01 p.m.,
ABC. Last week, the contestants ousted Michelle – a victim of
Tenley's overwrought rumor and histronics – and Juan. Now ABC
promises (possibly with pride) that we'll see the 17 survivors tackle
a stomach-churning challenge.

– “Huge,” 9 p.m., ABC Family.
Everyone seems to know this is Chloe's birthday; few know that it's
also Alistair's … and that they are twins. This episode – leading
into next week's season-finale – is short on humor and long on
bittersweet moments for Alistair, Amber and Dr. Rand.

– “Weeds” season-opener, 10 p.m.,
Showtime. As last season ended, sweet-faced Shane walloped cruel
Pilar with a croquet mallet. She plunged dead into a swimming pool,
while his mother Nancy stared in disbelief. Tonight, Nancy must
retreat with her sons, bringing the cowardly Andy along. There's a
lot at stake here, but Shane's calm attitude offers counterpoint
humor.

– “Hardcore Pawn” debut, 10 and
10:30 p.m., Tru TV. Sprawling across 10,000 square feet, a Detroit
pawn shop has 45,000 items. Within tonight's first half-hour, the
owners consider a boat, a home-made cannon, a horse, two ponies, a
donkey and a stripper pole. The result is only moderately
interesting.

– “Dating in the Dark,” 10:01
p.m., ABC. Usually, contestants are fairly happy when the lights go
on; tonight, someone might be delighted: One of the contestants is
Summer Altice, a Playboy Playmate.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Law &
Order: Criminal Intent,” 8-11 p.m., NBC.

If you missed this show's cable season,
you can catch up via NBC reruns.

Tonight's first two hours bring huge
changes to Capt. Ross and his detectives, Goren and Eames. They also
introduce Serena Stevens (Saffron Burrows) as Nichols' new police
partner for Nichols.

Throughout the changes, this remains
solid and intelligent. The first two hours have a complex story
involving gun-running and power-seeking in Africa; the third has a
medical-clinic murder.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE II: David
Hasselhoff roast, 10 p.m., Comedy Central.

No one seems better suited for a comedy
roast than Hasselhoff. His shows went from talking cars to beach
babes to “America's Got Talent” – which he inexplicably quit;
that, Lisa Lampanelli says, was “the worst career move since Mel
Gibson bought his girlfriend that tape recorder.”

He also sank into alcoholism. Seth
McFarlane says he went “from 'Baywatch' to death watch.”

We've only seen clips, which suggest
that this will (as usual) range from hilarious to crude and
dim-witted. Other roasters include Greg Giraldo, George Hamilton and
Jerry Springer. Hulk Hogan is also there because, Pamela Anderson
explains, “every roast needs a dumb blonde with big (breasts).”

Other choices include:

– “The Simpsons,” 7:30 and 8
p.m., Fox. In the first rerun, Homer wins a fortune in the lottery.
In the second, he gets in touch with nature, building a wind turbine
and helping Lisa try to save a whale.

– “Dora's Big Adventure,” 8 p.m.,
Nickelodeon. For 10 years, “Dora the Explorer” has delighted
pre-schoolers who root for an adventurous Latina. Still, it's
strictly for kids; even this elaborate birthday story won't hold
adults. Let the kids watch; then enjoy the breezy mini-documentary
that follows at 9.

– “Sex on TV,” 8 and 9 p.m., TV
Guide. Sure, there are a few fun moments, as we see TV leap from
forbidden navels to nudity. Still, this is written with cheap words
(“skintastic!”) and leeringly inane attitude. On “Desperate
Housewives,” Brenda Strong reads witty narration; this gives her
the opposite.

– Scoundrels” season-finale, 9
p.m., ABC. Logan finds evidence that his dad (David James Elliott)
was wrongly convicted. That works fine … until the dad finds his
wife with someone else.

– “The Next Food Network Channel
Star” finale and “The Great Food Truck Race” opener, 9 and 10
p.m., Food Channel. First, “Star” names its winner; then we meet
a fun show pitting chefs who happen to work out of little, curbside
trucks. Here, they try to instantly find customers in new towns. 

– “The Gates,” 10 p.m., ABC. Nick
tries to settle a familiar problem these days – a turf war between
vampires and werewolves. Also, Lukas' dad is attacked and left for
dead.

– “Mad Men,” 10 p.m., AMC. Pete
finds himself at a turning point, after getting orders from his boss.

– “Hung,” 10 p.m., HBO. There are
some fairly good moments tonight, when Ray is trapped between views
of a neighbor from Israel and a customer from the Arab world.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: Ovation and/or
Smithsonian channels.

Interesting things pop up in odd
corners of the satellite or digital-cable universe.

Ovation, an arts channel, starts its
“Ovation vacation” week tonight, with the amiable “Scenic
Route” at 8 p.m. and “Artland” from 9-11. Also at 8,
Smithsonian's “Inside the Music” views the electric guitar.

Some of this is on the inventors' side:
Lloyd Loar created an electric guitar in 1923, but his company
(Gibson) wasn't interested. In 1932, a Hawaiian-based “frying pan”
design appeared; a decade later, Les Paul and others found ways to
beat the feedback problems.

And some of this views performance. In
1939, Charlie Christian became “the first guitar hero”; later,
rockers worked a Stratocaster in ways that would shock its inventor,
country fan Leo Fender.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: Comedy movies,
cable.

This is a good night to let Hollywood
provide the laughs.

That's led by “Juno” (2007), at 9
p.m. on Oxygen. It won an Academy Award for Diablo Cody's witty
script and was nominated for three more – for best picture, Jason
Reitman's direction and Ellen Page's perfect performance as a
pregnant teen with a droll sense of humor.

There are also two 2005 films, large
and slick and entertaining.

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (8 p.m. on
Bravo) was written by director Judd Apatow and Steve Carell, who
plays the guy trying to change his sexual status. “The Wedding
Crashers” (7:30 p.m., Comedy Central) has Vince Vaughn and Owen
Wilson as harmless chaps who look for fun and – surprise (?) –
get serious; Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher co-star, with Will
Farrell popping up briefly.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: Gymnastics, 8-10
p.m., NBC.

Here are the Visa Championships, from
Hartford, Conn.

In the network tradition, the women get
top billing, competing tonight. The men are confined to daytime, from
2:30-4 p.m. Sunday.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “The Perfect
Storm” (2000, A&E) or “Ocean's Eleven” (2001, TNT), both 8
p.m.

Take your choice of George Clooney
moods tonight. He's dead-serious in “Perfect Storm,” the true
story of three storms that combined off the coast of Massachusetts;
he's frisky in “Ocean's Eleven,” a clever heist film.

As usual, Clooney made sure he's
surrounded by top people. “Perfect Storm” is directed by Wolfgang
Petersen (“The NeverEnding Story”); it got Oscar nominations for
its sound and special effects. “Ocean's Eleven” was directed by
Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”), with a dream cast
that included Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julian Roberts.

Other choices include:

– “Bachelor Pad” debut, 8-10
p.m., ABC. Here's a quick rerun of Monday's debut, which threw
together 11 women rejected on “The Bachelor” and eight men
rejected on “Bachelorette.” With no central person to impress,
there's more scheming and sniping and such. Tenley Molzahn screams
and hugs a lot, then plants a rumor (with little apparent basis) and
weeps copiously when confronted; viewers may wonder how Jake Pavelka
ever ended up with her and Vienna Giraldi as his final choices.

– “Cold Case,” 8 p.m., CBS.
Susanna Thompson guests as an FBI agent with a fresh crack at a case
that has eluded her for 30 years. She's greeted warily; she was once
romantically linked with Stillman, ending his marriage.

– “Rookie Blue,” 10 p.m., ABC. In
a rerun of Thursday's episode, Andy and Chris investigate a brutal
beating at a nightclub. They come across a dilemma that could have
aftershocks at the police station.

– “Law & Order: Criminal
Intent,” 10 p.m., NBC. Here's a variation on the Michael Vick case:
In this one, it's a boxer who's involved with a dog-fighting ring;
and, of course, there's a murder.

– “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29
p.m., NBC. This is a busy time for Gaboure Sidibe, the Oscar-nominee
for “Precious.” On Monday, she starts her co-starring role in
Showtime's well-made “The Big C”; she's also been popping up in
talk shows. She's the host of this rerun, with music by MGMT.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “Who Do You Think
You Are?” return, 8 p.m., NBC.

Scrambling to fill the holes it had
created by pulling Jay Leno from prime time, NBC pulled this show off
the shelf. Beautifully made, it did OJ in the ratings; after these
reruns, new hours will air this fall.

Based on a British show, this uses
experts to trace celebrities' ancestors. Some of the hours (including
next week's Sarah Jessica Parker) are so-so; tonight's finds powerful
emotions.

Lisa Kudrow's father is a prosperous
California doctor; two generations earlier his family faced the
Holocaust. Kudrow walks the path her great-grandmother took to her
death. In a rich and moving moment, she even meets a key figure from
that time.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Dog Whisperer,”
8 p.m., and “And Man Created Dog,” 9-11 p.m., National
Geographic.

An all-dog night starts with previous
“Whisperer” moments chosen by viewers. Then comes a rerun of a
well-made documentary, looking at how this all started.

The film goes back to the days when
wolves stayed near humans' camps, hoping for food. Gradually, they
were used for hunting, herding and more. We see the breeds that
emerged from centuries of evolution and selective breeding.

Other choices include:

– “A Night at the Museum” (2006),
8-10 p.m., Fox. Here's another chance to see this popular comedy in
which a night watchmen (Ben Stiller) finds characters coming to life
after dark. Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney play other watchmen; the
huge supporting cast includes Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Carla
Gugino and British stars Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan.

– “Medium,” 8 p.m., CBS. When
Allison's car is damaged in this rerun, she gets a rental car.
Naturally (her life being the way it is), the car has a satellite
radio that lets her hear people's thoughts.

– “Den Brother,” 8-10 p.m.,
Disney Channel. Hutch Dano, who plays Zeke in “Zeke and Luther,”
gets a flashy role here. He's a high school hockey star who helps his
sister by taking over a sort of Girl Scout group. There's one
complication: To do it, he must pretend to be female.

– “CSI:NY,” 9 p.m., CBS. Here's a
rerun of the season-opener. After machine-gun fire hits one of the
team members, others rush to find the shooter. They also meet Haylen
Becall (Sarah Carter), who becomes a recurring character; she's a
forensics-school grad, now doing crime-scene clean-ups.

– “Eureka,” 9 p.m., Syfy. Carter
and Kevin go camping in the woods – an iffy notion, considering all
the odd things that emerge near Eureka. That follows an 8 p.m. rerun
of last week's episode, with Claudia (the delightful “Warehouse 13”
character, played by Allison Scagliotti) helping in a crisis.

– “Flashpoint,” 10 p.m., CBS. Two
brothers become involved in a white-supremacy group. One has second
thoughts, after the group starts planning a terrorist attack.

– “Pillars of the Earth,” 10
p.m., Starz. Last week, Maud survived a siege and the war ended; now
Waleran and Regan try to work out a prisoner exchange. Meanwhile,
William still covets the earldom that was taken from Aliena's father;
his plan is to attack Kingsbridge.