(ALL TIMES ET)

10PM, SUN | AMC
Breaking Bad – Damn, this show just gets better every week. In “Hermanos,” Walt realizes something shocking about Jesse, Hank asks for Walt’s help and, in one of the show’s all-time best sequences (which is saying a lot, obviously), we get some major insight into Gus (Giancarlo Esposito).

10PM, FRI | STARZ
Torchwood: Miracle Day – “The world is plunged into a recession” is today’s headline, er, the official description of tonight’s episode.

6PM, SUN | CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS
MDA Labor Day Telethon – That the MDA has ousted Jerry Lewis in what he had said would be his final hosting gig for the telethon? Shameful. But a lack of respect for all that Lewis has done to help the organization’s efforts – which includes helping to raise more than $2 billion in the last 50 years – doesn’t mean would-be donors shouldn’t continue to respect all the MDA has done for its beneficiaries.

9PM, SUN | DISCOVERY – SERIES PREMIERE
Dinosaur Revolution – The four-part series examines the evolution of dinosaurs, including the ones who made it the furthest through the evolutionary chain and, in a second episode on Sunday (10PM), how the dinos socialized.

9:30PM, SUN | CBS
The Good Wife: A New Beginning – To whet your appetite for the third season, which premieres on Sept. 25, The Good Wife‘s cast and producers discuss the show’s first two seasons and where the storylines are headed.

10PM, SUN | HBO
Curb Your Enthusiasm – Here it is, the “Mister Softee” episode, which reveals an incident from Larry’s early years that really explains a lot about why Larry is so … Larry. Also, Bill Buckner guest stars and, yes, his own traumatic experience from the past factors into the episode.

9PM, MON | TNT
The Closer – Brenda’s investigating the disappearance of a stage father when she gets some hopeful news and her civil suit.

9PM, MON | BRAVO – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – After Russell Armstrong‘s shocking suicide, oh yeah, the show is definitely going to be kinda creepy now. Creepy enough to make it unwatchable? That remains to be seen.

10PM, MON | A&E – 2ND SEASON FINALE
The Glades – Two ex-cons take the hospital hostage, and Jim and Callie work together to capture the dudes and make sure everyone remains safe.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
FRIDAY
– Three-hour marathon of Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central (Fri., 8PM);

SATURDAY
– The Brad Pitt/Will Ferrell/Tina Fey ‘toon Megamind makes its HBO debut (Sat., 8PM);
– On Doctor Who (Sat., 9PM, BBCA), The Doctor visits a boy who’s afraid of the monsters living in his bedroom;

SUNDAY
– Eviction nominees are revealed on Big Brother (Sun., 8PM, CBS);
– On Food Network Challenge (Sun., 8PM, Food Network), four pirates create extreme pirate-themed cakes;
– One crazy bride accuses her pregnant sister of trying to upstage her on Bridezillas (Sun., 9PM, WE);
– On Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (Sun., 9PM, VH1), a season five wrap-up includes updates on the patients, including Amy Fisher, as well as the woman she infamously shot, Mary Jo Buttafuoco;
– Parker represents his ex in a case against an insurance company on Drop Dead Diva (Sun., 9PM, Lifetime);
– On Great Food Truck Race (Sun., 9PM, Food Network), the trucks head to Kansas State University, where they have to create five-dollar dishes and sell them to KSU students;
– Lisa and Maya help a stranded driver on Ice Road Truckers (Sun., 9PM, History);
– Sam gets even with Marcus on True Blood (Sun., 9PM, HBO);
– Eric and Melinda crash Sloan’s date on Entourage (Sun., 10:30PM, HBO);

MONDAY
– On Bachelor Pad (Mon., 8PM, ABC), the remaining contestants have to pair up and compete as couples;
– Two surprise guests arrive for a graduation party on the 4th season summer finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager (Mon., 8PM, ABC Family);
– The weekly four-ep marathon of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia includes the gem “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System” (Mon., 9PM, Comedy Central);
– The death of a female dockworker may include mob connections and Maura’s biological dad on Rizzoli & Isles (Mon., 10PM, TNT);
– A vamp hooker gets out of jail and teen vigilantes are on the hunt for zombies on Death Valley (Mon., 10:30PM, MTV).

And the late-night line-up for Friday and Monday:
– Conan (11PM, TBS): Norm MacDonald (REPEAT) (Monday);
– The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (11PM, Comedy Central): Anne Hathaway (REPEAT) (Monday);
– The Colbert Report (11:30PM, Comedy Central): Jeff Bridges (REPEAT) (Monday);
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): James Franco (Friday); Emma Stone (REPEAT) (Monday);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Andy Grammer and Dick Chaney (Friday); Jane Fonda (REPEAT) (Monday);
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Joel McHale (REPEAT) (Friday); Zoe Saldana and Anton Yelchin (REPEAT) (Monday);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Jason Sudeikis (Friday); Steve Carell (REPEAT) (Monday);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Peter Krause (Friday); Annie Duke and Julie Chen (Monday);
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): David Sirota (REPEAT) (Friday); Dan Harmon (REPEAT) (Monday).

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• Filed in Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Late Night, Real Housewives, TV Marathon, TV Picks
• Tags: Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dinosaur Revolution, MDA Telethon, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Closer, The Glades, The Good Wife: A New Beginning, Torchwood: Miracle Day

(ALL TIMES ET)

10PM | STARZ
Torchwood: Miracle Day – While Cap’n Jack meets up with a man he thought was dead, Rex takes serious steps to try to – as Rob Lowe‘s Chris would say on Parks and Recreation, lit-rally – save the world.

10PM | SYFY
Haven – A drowning reveals a secret house and a family whose children all disappear under mysterious circumstances.

10PM | FOOD NETWORK
Heat Seekers – Aaron and Roger head to Charleston for Sriracha donuts and jalapeno macaroni and cheese.

10PM | NETWORK – SERIES PREMIERE
Rat Busters NYC – Following a team of New York City exterminators who handle the city’s biggest pests. Hey dudes, your services are seriously required around Port Authority.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Joel McHale leads another big, hot, tasty bowl of celeb spoofin’ on The Soup (10PM, E!);
– Scott switches roles with a computer hacker on Strike Back (10PM, Cinemax);
– On Sugar High (10:30PM, Food Network), Duff heads to Boston for Boston cream fried dough and lemon ginger mousse.

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Martin Lawrence (REPEAT);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Louis C.K. (REPEAT);
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Hank Azaria (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Justin Timberlake (REPEAT);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Shirley Manson;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Frenchie Davis (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Haven, Heat Seekers, Rat Busters NYC, Torchwood: Miracle Day

(ALL TIMES ET)

9PM | ANIMAL PLANET – SERIES PREMIERE
Tanked – The series follows a Las Vegas family who owns a custom aquarium business, including fancy, over-the-top tanks made for celebrities. In the opener, owners (and brothers-in-law) Wayde and Brett design a 1,000-gallon Mob-themed tank.

10PM | SHOWTIME
Strike Back – With Stonebridge and Scott embedded inside a New Delhi hotel, and Indian general decides not to attack the establishment.

10PM | MTV
Thumbs – Not making this up … this special profiles “competitive texters” as they prepare for the National Texting Championship in New York City.

10PM | STARZ
Torchwood: Miracle Day – Gwen’s efforts to protect her family includes a trip across several miles and decades, but just might uncover the secret behind the history of the Miracle.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Captain Awesome himself, Ryan McPartlin, guest stars on Friends With Benefits (8PM, NBC);
– On Haven (10PM, Syfy), Audrey keeps having the same day over and over again, and the consequence are nowhere near as cheery as Bill Murray‘s do-over in Groundhog Day;
– Duff heads to Dallas on Sugar High (10:30PM, Food Network), where he samples special s’mores and a red velvet peppermint Whoopie Pie;
– New ep of Whisker Wars on IFC (11PM).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Brian Williams (REPEAT);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Randy Travis and Kim Kardashian (REPEAT);
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Jessica Alba (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Beyonce, Julianne Moore and Dominic Cooper (REPEAT);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Elizabeth Banks (REPEAT);
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Rob Riggle (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Strike Back Cinemax, Torchwood: Miracle Day

(ALL TIMES ET)

8PM | DISNEY CHANNEL – MOVIE PREMIERE
Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension – The Blues Brothers, the Lone Ranger and Tonto and Laverne & Shirley factor into Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s musical delight at finding his new best friend – himself – in the premiere of this new made-for-TV movie Phineas and Ferb adventure.

8 and 8:30PM | NBC – SERIES PREMIERE
Friends With Benefits – This story has played out a couple of times already this year on the big screen, and the fact that this sitcom version of the friends-with-benefits storyline is debuting during the first week of August (and on a Friday night) … well, read into that what you should. The basic details: BFFs Ben (Party Down‘s Ryan Hansen … oh, Party Down) and Sara (One Tree Hill‘s Danneel Ackles) worry that their new BFFs-with-bennies relationship won’t work, especially when he asks her to be his date to a wedding.

8-10PM | VH1
Scrubs – Some of the programming choices on VH1 are just plain puzzling, but on a Friday night that’s pretty light on must-see options, I’m not gonna complain about this mini-marathon of Scrubs, which includes the Scott Foley eps, as well as season three’s hilarious “My White Whale” (9PM), in which Christopher Meloni plays kooky pediatrician Dr. Dave Norris, one of the few people who ever managed to best Perry Cox (the outrageously overlooked, Emmy-worthy John C. McGinley).

10PM | SYFY
Haven – Jason Priestley (Brandon Walsh forever!) begins a recurring stint on the show, playing Chris Weekly, a marine biologist who’d rather be left alone, but who is “cursed” with an affliction that makes everyone want to be his friend. Just like Brandon Walsh. Meanwhile, Priestley will be doing double duty in Haven, as he’ll direct an episode, too.

10PM | STARZ
Torchwood: Miracle Day – Cap’n Jack and the gang find out what’s really up with the Miracle while undercover.

11PM | IFC – SERIES PREMIERE
Whisker Wars – Thom Beers, the reality producer who’s given us Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers and Storage Wars, is behind this seven-episode series, which follows a group of “whisker warriors” (i.e. dudes with beards) who travel the country competing in facial fur competitions. PS – Don’t miss the chance to vote in the IFC.com Whisker Hall of Fame.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Hard Rock Calling 2011 (9PM, VH1 Classic) features Bon Jovi, Train, Rod Stewart, the Killers, Stevie Nicks and Ray Davies performing at Hyde Park in London;
– On Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta (9PM, TLC), a bride has already tried on 150 wedding gowns and still can’t find one to her liking … picky much?;
– Extraordinary Acts of Courage (10PM, OWN);
– Spicy hot cocoa and a spicy pulled pork sandwich are on the menu when Aaron and Roger visit Santa Fe on Heat Seekers (10PM, Food Network);
– Anthony Bourdain is the interview guest on Real Time With Bill Maher (10PM, HBO);
– Joel McHale and the gang serve up a delicious, pop culture-y bowl of The Soup (10PM, E!);
– Alton Brown and Robert Irvine are among the foodies who recall the best egg dishes they’ve ever eaten on The Best Thing I Ever Ate (10:30PM, Food Network).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Tom Hanks (REPEAT);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Dennis Miller;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Harrison Ford and Lady Gaga (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Horatio Sanz;
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Craig performs at the Moulin Rouge;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Todd Phillips.

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• Filed in Cartoons, Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Haven, Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, Scrubs, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Whisker Wars

(ALL TIMES ET)

10PM | STARZ
Torchwood: Miracle Day – The Torchwood crew’s battle with PhiCorp leads to California, while Jilly (Lauren Ambrose) and Oswald (Bill Pullman) have their own demons – demon – to battle.

10PM | ABC
20/20 – Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton and Everybody Loves Raymond series creator Phil Rosenthal sit down for a chat about Exporting Raymond, the documentary about Rosenthal’s attempt to make a Russian version of Raymond.

10PM | HBO
Real Time with Bill Maher – The always awesome Bryan Cranston is the interview guest.

11PM | IFC
Young, Broke & Beautiful – Broke-Ass Stuart rolls into the Motor City, where he go-karts, goes to a speakeasy and buys $12 worth of Detroit real estate.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Thundercats (8PM, Cartoon Network) is a reboot of the classic ’80s ‘toon;
– On Whale Wars (9PM, Animal Planet), the Bob Barker and Gojira attack the harpoon ship that was trailing them;
– The docks in town start attacking people on Haven (10PM, Syfy);
– On American Restoration (10PM, History), items in need of tender loving repair include a 1950s bumper car and a 1960s coin-operated motorcycle;

FX

– Aaron and Roger try the 7-Alarm Challenge on Heat Seekers (10PM, Food Network), which requires them to eat seven hot, hot, hot wings, in seven minutes, with no water;
– Funny guy John Pinette performs at the Vic Theater in Chicago in the special John Pinette: Still Hungry (11PM, Comedy Central).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Robin Williams and Judy Greer (REPEAT);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Aziz Ansari and Kelly Rowland;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): John Stamos (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Brian Williams;
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Tim Gunn;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Walt Goggins (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Real Time With Bill Maher, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Young Broke & Beautiful