• Unusual Suspects (ID, 7pm) Series Premiere – Normal people shocking crimes.
• Saving Grace (TNT, 9pm) Series Finale – Grace has had a bumpy road so let’s see what Earl and his big boss have in store for the end of the show.
• Ultimate Car Build Off/Heartland Thunder (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Minivans with oomph and race cars that race.
• Inedible to Incredible (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – Questionable culinary creations or delectable dinners?

Tuesday

• Wipeout/Downfall/Primetime (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Game shows where people fall, prizes fall, and then non game show about people who are weird.
• HawthoRNe/Memphis Beat (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – The RN that cares but clashes with others series returns (I gave Jada a chance) and then we get a a Southern charmer of a detective (I’ll give Jason Lee a chance).

Wednesday

• Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 10pm) – Is it just my imagination or is Kimmel taking over the specials, Lost, then Lakers, and now… Twilight.

Thursday

• Rookie Blue/Boston Med (ABC, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Officers new on the job, looks average but worth a summer shot, and then a real life look at folks in Boston hospitals.
• Futurama (Com, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s back as the straight to dvd films air as new seasons.
• Raising Sextuplets (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – They’re two, or is that twelve?

Friday

• Netflix?

Saturday

• AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards (TVL, 9pm) – Mike Nichols is honored.

Sunday

• BET Awards (BET, 8pm) – Queen Latifah hosts the tribute to musicians, actors, and entertainers.
• Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS, 9pm) – Regis hosts the salute to the the folks that entertain during the daytime, but you’ll have to stay up until nighttime to watch.
• Ellen’s Somewhat Special Special/Conan’s Writers Live (TBS, 9/10pm) – Comedy hosted by Ellen and then continued by Conan’s writers.
• Hung/Entourage (HBO, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere - The man whoring and entertainment whoring continue.

• 10 Things I Hate About You (ABCFam, 8pm) Season Premiere – Maybe they cover a thing a season.
• Pawn Star$ (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – What’s for sale?
• Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premiere – We edge into the final season as Grace continues her drama and her chat with her angel.

Tuesday

• My First Home/Little Chocolatiers (TLC, 8/10pm) Season Premieres – Homes and chocolate, who could ask for more?
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Goran, Eames, and their lieutenant are counting down to their departures.
• V (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – The aliens are back.

Wednesday

• In Plain Sight (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Mary and Marshall together again.
• The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Let the competition begin.

Thursday

• Bones/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) – They’ve taken a break but now they’re back.
• Mentalist (CBS, 9pm) – Will his powers of perception and persuasion work at an earlier timeslot?
• Fugitive Chronicles (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Real life infamous manhunts brought to life, I love a good reenactment.

Friday

• Wife Swap (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Tv sanctioned family torture is back.
• Stargate Universe/Merlin (Syfy, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Alien and magical worlds return.
• Miami Medical (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another take on the medical drama, the trauma unit finds expert surgeons and an adrenaline rush.

Saturday

• Maybe I should review my Netflix queue.

Sunday

• Sunday Best (BET, 5pm) Season Premiere – The gospel competition kicks off in Nigeria.
• Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom (AnPl, 7pm) – Bears like food!

• Burn Notice (USA, Returning) – The cheesy start won me over as I grew to enjoy the weekly capers, the MacGyver-esque tech, and the growing characters.
• The Closer (TNT, Returning) – I like Kyra as this driven head of a special detective squad questioning suspects into submission.
• Drop Dead Diva (Life, Premiere) – This ridiculous plot of a tiny model woman dropped into the body of a not tiny lawyer woman is somehow sweet in that Legally Blonde sort of way.
• Eureka (SyFy, Returning) – This town of science geniuses turn out problems that apparently the only nongenius member of the town can solve as the town sheriff holds them all together.
• Greek (ABCFam, Returning) – The light and silly tone paired with surprisingly complex characters and situations almost makes me miss college.
• InPlain Sight (USA, Returning) – Appealing enough as the lead is as abrasive as she is caring as she tries to help her witness protection participants and her nutso family.
• L&O: Criminal Intent (USA, Returning) – Goldblum adds a nice mix to the remaining partners as we see the criminals and the detectives.
• Leverage (TNT, Returning) – I just love a good caper show, and although this isn’t the best, it’s pretty entertaining with the mix of experts taking down the bad guys.
• Monk (USA, Returning) – The cases aren’t masterful but the quirky detective and his posse are amusing as the show reaches its final season.
• Saving Grace (TNT, Returning) – Grace still has a great mix of thoughtful and just plain crazy drama and detective work.

Show that I’ve tried but just didn’t have that thing that pushed them onto the Tivo queue:

The Cleaner (A&E, Returning), Dark Blue (TNT, Premiere), Defying Gravity (ABC, Premiere), The Goode Family (ABC, Premiere), HawthoRNe (TNT, Premiere), Hung (HBO, Series Premiere), The Listener (NBC, Premiere), Make it or Break It (ABCFam, Premiere),  Mental (Fox, Premiere), Mental (Fox, Premiere), Merlin (NBC, Premiere), Michael & Michael Have Issues (Com, Premiere), The Philanthropist (NBC, Premiere), Raising the Bar (TNT, Returning), Royal Pains (USA, Premiere), Ruby & the Rockits (ABCFam, Premiere), Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABCFam, Returning), 10 Things I Hate About You (ABCFam, Premiere), Warehouse 13 (Syfy, Premiere)

And maybe I’ll catch these cable shows on Netflix:

Being Human (BBC, Premiere), Entourage (HBO, Returning), Mad Men (AMC, Returning), Nurse Jackie (Show, Premiere), Psych (USA, Returning), Rescue Me (Fx, Returning), Skins (BBC, Returning), Torchwood (BBC, Returning), True Blood (HBO, Returning), Weeds (Show, Returning)

Monday

• Make it or Break it (ABCFam, 11am) – If you missed this new series, and not by choice, they’re doing a marathon leading up to the finale.
• The Rachel Zoe Project (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere - Have to admit that I like fashion but I’d rather look at the outfits she puts together than hear her speak.

Tuesday

• Frankie & Neffe (BET, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Mother and sister of Keyshia Cole try to make it on their own, sort of.
• Saving Grace (TNT, 11pm) – For those of you who accidently had your tivos set to only save five episodes the first of season 3 starts in again.

Wednesday

• Crash Course (ABC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Dan Cortese and Orlando Jones host this latest reality competition, this one has pair driving.

Thursday

• Marked (Hist, 9pm) Series Premiere – Exploring the history of the tattoo.
• Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory/Bully Beatdown/Nitro Circus/Pranked (MTV, 9/9:30/10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – Skate dudes, pros fight bullies, motor cross dudes, and pranks from the web.

Friday

• CMT Comedy Stage Presents Terry Fator (CMT, 10pm) – Desperate for something to note, there is a comedian I’ve never heard of on a channel I’ve never watched, live from Las Vegas.

Saturday

• Beach Volleyball (NBC, Sat/Sun, 11:30am) – The men bring it from Chicago on Saturday and the women return on Sunday.
• The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania (NBC, 9pm) – Mickey Rourke makes a guest appearance as they look back on lots of wrestly goodness.
• 24/7 (HBO, 10:15pm) Season Premiere – Marquez and Mayweather work it out.

Sunday

• Fox Fall Preview (Fox, 4pm) – What will be the faves next season?
• CW Fall 2009 Preview Special (CW, 6:30pm) – Laura Leighton and Thomas Callabro talk about all things fall including of course Melrose Place.
• Daytime Emmy Awards (CW, 7/8pm) – First the stars arrive and then Vanessa Williams hosts the show with Sesame Street getting a lifetime achievement award.
• NBC Primetime Preview (NBC, 8:30pm) – Can you say Leno at 10, I bet they can.

Monday

• The Bachelor (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Finale – Will the single father pick the blonde or the brunette? And will he change his mind, perhaps for returning Bachelorette DeAnna? After the Rose starts at 10 and continues in part two on Tuesday, will it be the most dramatic show yet?
• Rules of Engagement (CBS, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – This show about folks at different stages of relationships with David Spade and Patrick Warburton among others, was one I found almost funny.
• Ax Men (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – I think we look at more loggers… I think this is like the third logger show, maybe logging is that hot.
• Harlem Heights (BET, 10/10:30pm) Series Premiere – This reality version follows folks in their twenties, in you guessed it, Harlem.
• Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premiere – Looks like Grace is still a mess and we love that about her, and now she has to break in new partner Christina Ricci, at least she won’t sleep with this partner, though I hate to rule anything out.
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12:30am) – Will you tune in for De Niro and Timberlake or would you tune in for Fallon alone as he takes the desk.

Tuesday

• Reaper (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – This slacker dude whose soul has been sold to the devil and now has to be a bounty hunter for said devil developed a great cast and even some intrigue last season.

Wednesday

• ANTM (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – A two hour kick off brings 34 hopefuls down to 13 house dwellers, and then the mess continues with the first standard show.
• Make Me A Supermodel (Bravo, 10pm) Season Premiere – For an alternate take on model wannabes check out Tyson hosting a crop of dudes and chicks who try to be fierce, or whatever that show’s catch phrase is.

Thursday

• American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – In a special additional Thursday ep, the judges pick some favorites to try it again for the wild card slots.

Friday

• Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – The process of picking a wedding gown, can’t wait!
• Trick my Truck (CMT, 10pm) Season Premiere – A truck tricked in tribute to speedboats, woo hoo!

Saturday

• Ashes to Ashes (BBCA, 9pm) Series Premiere – I’m not sure but this show sounds like Life on Mars but someone finds themselves in the 80s, oh wait it’s a sequel, to the BBC version of course.

Sunday

• Cycling (Vs, 2pm) – Check out the guys at Paris Nice.
• SNL (NBC, 7/8pm) – Game show parodies is followed by commercials.
• The L Word (Show, 8/9pm) Series Finale – A special at 8 reviews the past seasons getting us all ready for the finale.
• Sunday Best (BET, 9pm) Season Premiere – Undiscovered gospel singers.
• Breaking Bad (AMC, 10pm) Season Premiere – The school teacher turned meth maker/dealer to support his family when he learns of his terminal cancer continues as he and his partner get into more messes – marathon to catch up on season 1 starting with the pilot at 8pm on Fri.
• Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Does anyone really care?
• Candy Girls (E!, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Eye candy for sale, well for rent, for music videos or whatever in this latest reality show.

* Always check your local listings, all times are PST.

• Bones (Fox) - My favorite of the procedurals, Bones the forensic anthropologist and Booth the FBI guy are great characters with great chemistry and I like all the supporters and flavor added to each body-of-the-week mystery.
• Breaking Bad (AMC) - Who knew the dad from Malcolm in the Middle could turn out like this, as he gets himself in terrible situations when he starts to manufacture meth with an unpredictable partner in crime, all to support his family when he’s diagnosed with cancer.
• Chuck (NBC) - Action and camp combined and I’m not sure whether I like the geeks put into the spy world or the spies put into the geek world better, with an amusing and compelling supporting cast.
• Dexter (Show) – The first season was still the best to date but I can’t turn away from Dexter and his murders and his code and the scary and comical and idiotic people around him, though I do sometimes yell at the tv.
• Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog – Not exactly television but this web based villain musical story (now available on dvd and through itunes) is a great piece by Joss Whedon (of Buffy, Angel, Firefly fame), all the main characters are fantastic but if I didn’t love Neil Patrick Harris before I do now.
• Flight of the Conchords (HBO) – Hilarious songs tie together the silly stories of these two offbeat New Zealand musicians trying to make it in New York.
• Gossip Girl (CW) - Campy soaps done right are just plain fun, and this one has over the top characters and situations going through plot twists faster than their spectacular outfits, Chuck’s ridiculous bowties and ascots alone would keep me tuned in.
• Pushing Daisies (ABC) - This was good while it lasted with its fanciful production matching story and concept and design and cast to the wonderful mysteries solved by bringing folks back to life for just a minute, when it’s more than a minute let’s just say complications arose.
• Saving Grace (TNT) – That Grace sure is crazy and it’s fun to watch her wrestle with doing the right thing by her police cases and doing the wrong thing in her personal life all while being pushed by her guardian angel, Touched by an Angel this show is not.
• Sons of Anarchy (Fx) - I wince at least once an episode at some act of unbelievable violence as this motorcycle gang survives more trouble than seems possible, but the charismatic protagonist gives the show a little heart to go along with the drama.

A little shout out to some of the comedies that didn’t make the list this year but made me laugh enough just the same, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

And of course you can see what the critics are saying.

Monday 

• 8pm: NBC – Chuck (CBS – The Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother) (CW – Gossip Girl)
• 9pm: NBC – Heroes (CBS – 2 1/2 Men/ABC – Samantha Who?)

Tuesday

• 8pm: Fox – House
• 9pm: CBS – The Mentalist (CW – Privileged)
• 10pm: NBC – Eli Stone (NBC – L&O: SVU)

Wednesday 

• 8pm: Fox - Bones (ABC – Pushing Daisies) (CBS – The New Adventures of Old Christine/Gary Unmarried)
• 9pm: NBC – Life
• 10pm: ABC – Dirty Sexy Money (NBC – L&O)

Thursday

• 8pm: NBC - My Name is Earl
• 9pm: NBC – The Office/30 Rock (ABC - Grey’s Anatomy)
• 10pm: ABC – Life on Mars

Friday 

• 9pm: CBS – The Ex List (CW – ANTM encore)
• 10pm: CBS - Numb3rs

Saturday

• Nothing

Sunday

• 9pm: CW – Easy Money

But wait there’s more… known midseason and cable picks: Breaking Bad (AMC), Burn Notice (USA), Celebrity Rehab (VH1), The Closer (TNT), Dexter (Show), Eureka (SciFi), Flight of the Conchords (HBO), Greek (Fam), Lost (ABC), Project Runway (Bravo), Reaper (CW), Saving Grace (TNT), Scrubs (ABC), Sons of Anarchy (FX).

Monday

• Deal or No Deal (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Don’t ask me how they can make people randomly picking briefcases filled with money last an hour.
• America’s Toughest Jobs (NBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – From the creator of Deadliest Catch and Iceroad Truckers real folks get a dose of overly tough reality in this multi job competition.
• Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Summer Finale – What will we do until Grace comes back?
• Exiled (MTV, 10:30) Series Premiere – So apparently the over indulged previously shown celebraters from My Sweet 16 are now being sent to see how the other half lives.

Tuesday

• Gavin & Stacey (BBCA, 8:40pm) Series Premiere – A comedy following a couple from England and Wales who try to mix their lives.
• Greek (ABC Fam, 9pm) Season Premiere -I’m excited for this fluffy college show to return, though Casey should get over Evan and Kappie.
• Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – This season models new and old, the oldest being Janice, move in together.

Wednesday

• Shear Genius (Bravo, 10pm) Season Finale – The final cuts are in.

Thursday

• Democratic National Convention – Starting Monday through Thursday the convention can be seen on many a channel at many a time… check your local listings.

Friday

• Grizzly Man Diaries (Anim Pl, 6pm) Series Premiere – An eight part series documenting the life of Timothy Treadwell (from the creepy Grizzly Man movie) in the decade before his death.

Saturday

• Starter Wife (USA, 9am) – A little marathon of the start of Debra Messing’s freshly single series.

Sunday

• US Open Tennis (USA starting Mon, CBS Sa/Su) – So what are the chances the final will be Nadal (1) vs Federer (2) and Ivanovic (1) vs Jankovic (2)… let’s see how this goes.

• America’s Next Top Model (CW, Wed 9/3 ) – Yes Tyra is annoying but it’s not really about her, it’s about the annoying wannabe models and this year they promise a transgender contestant.
• Big Bang Theory (CBS, Mon 9/22) – I don’t love this show but Sheldon makes me laugh enough, and Darlene is joining her Roseanne boyfriend as a regular this season.
• Brothers & Sisters (ABC, Sun, 9/28) – I almost don’t even like this show but I can’t help but tune in to see what mess the Walker family is getting into and this season we should see the real illegitimate half sibling.
• Criminal Minds (CBS, Wed 9/24) – I usually actually only catch this special FBi unit cathing the brutal serial killer of the week show in repeats.
• Eli Stone (ABC, Tues 10/14) – This quirky guy with visions that may be leading him along won me over, but did we really leave him in a coma after an operation?
• Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, Thurs 9/25) – Yes Grey herself is totally annoying but maybe as she theoretically sticks with McDreamy this season we can focus on the rest of the good supporting cast.
• House (Fox, Tues 9/16) – Last year’s shakeup to cranky House’s team gave him some new fodder, though they didn’t find a good balance yet of old and new, and what of best bro after his girlie’s death?
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mon 9/22) – This show still has a lot of hilarity, though I don’t care how he met the mother, or whether it is or isn’t Sarah Chalke.
• Law & Order (NBC, midseason) – I dropped this for a few years but found myself tuning back in this last season as the current ensemble seems to be working.
• Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Tues 9/23) – I know this show is all about Stabler and Benson but I don’t love them, though I keep tuning in, this is the one with the sex crime slant.
• Life (NBC, Mon 9/29) – This detective back on the force after being falsely accused amused and interested with his oddball antics though not so much on the conspiracy of his conviction.
• Lost (ABC, midseason) – Well I loved the start of last season but at the end of the day was a little underwhelmed by the Oceanic 6 getting off and having to go back, this season starts a new chapter, I’m very curious and definitely still in.
• My Name is Earl (NBC, Thurs 9/25) – I am still amused enough by Earl and his trashy family getting his karma back in line, though bored by the coma version of Earl and the normally likable Alyssa Milano.
• The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS, Wed 9/24) – I still think this is a great role for Dreyfus to do broad funny as an crazy and awkward single mom with her misfit family.
• Numbers (CBS, Fri 10/3) – This isn’t a great procedural but the interplay between FBI and math genius brothers solving cases works, though math brother just lost his credentials, whatever will they do.
• Reaper (CW, midseason) – This show started strong last season and almost lost me with its capture of the week but the devil’s bounty hunter and friends found a new rhythm by introducing some additional intrigue, and the devil is fantastic.
• Samantha Who? (ABC, Mon 10/6) – Applegate is winning as her post amnesia persona tries to marry her old bad ways with her new clean slate.
• Scrubs (ABC, midseason) – I was surprised by the network move though I think this show has a great cast and good balance of silly fun, though we’ll see how well they transition to the predicted new young cast additions.
• Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox, Mon 9/8) – This show grew on me as the cast and intrigue were better developed while Sarah and her son John try to change the future by jumping years with the help of hot chick terminator Summer Glau.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS, Mon 9/22) – This show’s lost its edge a bit for me as the brothers work their odd couple dynamic with lazy kid getting less cute as he grows up, but there are still some good laughs.

And before you ask, current cable faves include: Battlestar Galactica (behind but catching on dvd), Breaking Bad, Burn Notice, The Closer, Dexter (dvd), Eureka, Flight of the Conchords, Greek, Project Runway, The Riches (yet to be renewed), and Saving Grace.

Monday

• The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) – Where are they now? Or you can look it up on tvguide.
• The Closer (TNT, 9pm) Season Premiere – I have been watching reruns of this on TNT and just realized that they are skipping episodes and not showing the whole seasons, now I’m debating whether trying to netflix just the episodes I missed which is kind of a pain, they are doing a marathon throughout the day.
• Saving Grace (TNT, 10pm) Season Premieres – I’ve been looking forward to season two of Holly Hunter drinking and sleeping with inappropriate men and dealing with her angel Earl.
• China’s Stolen Children (HBO, 9pm) – The latest special…

Tuesday

• The Cleaner (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Benjamin Bratt is a now clean but not problem free addict who helps others get clean, and for some reason has a crew of folks to help him out.
• From G’s to Gents (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere - Can they make these bad boys go good, a new reality competition was definitely needed to answer that.

Wednesday

• Project Runway (Bravo, 9pm) Season Premiere – I think the whole gang is back for the new crew of competition.
• Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – This guy is apparently back with a vengeance.
• Celebrity Circus (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale - Wee man, Stacey Dash, and Antonio ‘actor” Sabato Jr. compete for… circus bragging rights.
• Family Foreman (TV Land, 10pm) Series Premiere – Apparently we need to see more of George Foreman in this reality series.

Thursday

• The Gong Show (Comedy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Dave Attell (?) hosts the new version of this classic hit of wacky acts.
• Reality Bites Back (Comedy, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – What could follow the Gong Show better than comedians competing in classic game show feats from gladiators to smarter than a 5th grader.

Friday

• Monk (USA, 9pm) Season Premiere – Tony Shaloub plays a nutso phobic private detective.
• Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – A particularly observant guy pretends to be psychic and solves crimes with a buddy.

Saturday

• Action Sports Tour (NBC, sa/su 1pm – also on USA sa/su 12am) - The Right Guard Open is the Cleveland stop of the Dew Tour.
• Beach Volleyball (NBC, sa/su 11:30am) – The AVP Crocs Tour shows us the finals from Brooklyn.
• Skateboarding (CBS, 12pm) – The Maloof Money Cup Championships from Costa Mesa, Ca.
• And of course you could catch up on more of the tour de france, moving right along…

Sunday

• High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC, 8pm) Series Debut – Nick Lachey hosts this competition for kids to get into the action of the High School Musical franchise, and I think the winner gets shown in the closing credits.
• ESPYs (ESPN, 9pm) - Justin Timberlake hosts as they recognize sports achievements throughout the year.