Click here to download TV listings for the week of Feb. 6 - 13, in PDF format

This week's TV Movies

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COACH: Denzel Washington stars in the football-themed 2000 drama "Remember the Titans" at 8 p.m. on KTLA.

SERIES

Challenge: Chocolate is the key ingredient for the pastry chefs competing in this new episode (9 p.m. Food).

Independent Lens: A 9-year-old aspiring rapper is profiled in the documentary "P-Star Rising" (10 p.m. KCET).

Austin City Limits: It's ladies' night as Esperanza Spalding and Madeleine Peyroux perform on a new edition of the long-running concert series (11 p.m. KLCS).

Saturday Night Live: "That '70s Show's" Ashton Kutcher hosts, with musical guests Them Crooked Vultures (11:29 p.m. NBC).

SPECIALS

Anaconda: Queen of the Serpents: Herpetologists journey to Venezuela in search of the great snake in this new special (5 and 8 p.m. National Geographic).

Dog Show: Prize pooches strut their stuff as the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship takes place in Long Beach (8 p.m. Animal Planet, Discovery).

SATURDAY

The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer 2010 elections: co-authors John Heilemann and Mark Halperin ("Game Change"); gays in the military: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rep. Duncan Hunter. (R-Alpine) 3 p.m. CNN

Larry King Live 6 and 9 p.m. CNN

McLaughlin Group 6:30 p.m. KCET

SUNDAY

Today Olympic athletes; Super Bowl foods. (N) 6 a.m. KNBC

Good Morning America (N) 6 a.m. KABC

State of the Union With Candy Crowley Al Qaeda, Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, healthcare: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (N) 6 and 9 a.m. CNN

CBS News Sunday Morning Reality television; director Garry Marshall ("Valentine's Day"); Lingerie Bowl. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Fareed Zakaria GPS Middle East peace, Iran: King Abdullah II of Jordan; counterterrorism, presidential power: former Justice Department official John Yoo. 7 and 10 a.m. CNN

Reliable Sources Fox News: Arianna Huffington, Hugh Hewitt; Super Bowl XLIV: James Carville. 8 and 10 a.m. CNN

The Chris Matthews Show (N) 7:30 a.m. KNBC

Meet the Press Terrorism: Deputy National Security advisor John Brennan; the economy: former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan. (N) 8 a.m. KNBC, 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. MSNBC

This Week The economy: Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. (N) 8 a.m. KABC

Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace Tea Party movement, Obama's first year in office, 2012 presidential race: Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska). 8 a.m. KTTV

Face the Nation Super Bowl XLIV: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. (N) 8:30 a.m. KCBS

Amanpour National defense: former National Security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. 11 a.m. CNN

Former "Dexter" star Julie Benz will be staying on Wisteria Lane just a little bit longer.

Benz originally signed on for a three-episode arc as a stripper with a heart of gold and a passion to educate herself. In an exclusive interview with our pals over at Zap2it, "Desperate Housewives" executive producer Bob Daily said they were planning to keep her on the Lane for additional episodes.

"We've been enjoying [Benz] so much," Daily said. "We've extended her at least one more episode and possibly more beyond that."

Last week Robin (Benz) was inspired by Susan (Teri Hatcher) to stop stripping and pursue her dreams. After being fired for her past while working for Susan, she convinced Mike it would be a good idea to house the former stripper. But in sneak peeks of the episode it doesn't seem like she'll be a house guest for too long before making the moves on another housewife, the always unstable Katherine (Dana Delany, who'll soon reunite with her former Wisteria Lane husband, Nathan Fillion on his ABC series "Castle").

"Robin will be getting into a friendship," Daily said. "That maybe turns into more than a friendship with Katherine. Katherine has had kind of a rough year and I think she's open to new experiences. She's had a rough time with men. It's going to be a sort of twisty and turny conflicted relationship for her, I think."

Is this signs that they are ditching the "Katherine is a crazy psycho" plot? Maybe this is just the storyline needed to spice up things on the Lane.

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy (Follow me on Twitter)

Photo: Robin (Julie Benz), a stripper with ambition, and Katherine (Dana Delany). Photo credit: ABC

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Complete Show Tracker coverage of "Desperate Housewives"

 

In the past, I’ve complained that Jenna is the least-interesting character on “30 Rock.” Not so long ago (say, last week) I might have viewed a Jenna-centric episode with a sense of dread. But lately, changes have been afoot for the “TGS” gang, and it finally seems that Jenna is coming into her own. She might not be a full-fledged human being just yet, but she’s somehow become more than just a punchline.  

Case in point: This week, we got to meet her mother, Verna. Played by the brilliant and hilarious Jan Hooks, Verna is a horrible stage mom better suited for a guest appearance on “The Jerry Springer Show” than for the role of nurturing a child.  (She also looks uncannily like Jeana Keough from “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” but that's probably beside the point.)  Just like in real life, meeting a character's mother is a big deal; it makes otherwise one-dimensional characters seem like actual people who sprang forth from actual wombs, rather than just stereotypes who were hatched in a writer's room somewhere. Wasn't it weird how we hardly ever met anyone's family on “Sex and the City”? In any case, meeting Verna made Jenna seem -- however briefly -- more sympathetic, and maybe even a little funnier.  

[Updated Feb. 5 at 11:07 a.m.: A previous version of this post said: "And come to think of it, have we ever met anyone in the Lemon clan? If not, it's high time we did." As this blog's astute commenters have pointed out, "30 Rock" viewers met Liz's family, including her amnesiac brother, Mitch, in Season 2's "Ludachristmas" episode.]

Jenna isn’t the only character who has transformed this season; so has Jack.  Somewhere along the line, he turned into the unofficial heart and soul of “30 Rock,” the wise counselor, the father figure, the steadfast friend -- in short, he’s the Danny Tanner to Liz’s D.J. and Jenna’s Stephanie. (Scratch that: Jenna is definitely more of a Kimmy Gibbler type). This week, Jack’s Solomon-esque wisdom was on display yet again. First, he gave Jenna a Powerpoint presentation on how to deal with overbearing mothers (the key: Always Speak Quieter). Then, when it became clear that Verna was really just after Jenna's money after all, Jack bribed her into visiting Jenna on a regular basis. When did he turn into such a softy?

Tamra, Tamra, Tamra. A tattoo? Of Simon's name on your ring finger? Really? Was that really the only way you could profess your love? "I just hope it's not the kiss of death," she says to the camera. Oh, Tamra. We'll return to them later. On to the drama.

Lynne, in an attempt to smooth things over after her drunken outburst at the cooking party, decides to host her own (forced) shindig and (only) invites the housewives and their mates. It's supposed to be a housewarming party -- though, judging from the last two minutes of the episode, that was definitely a bit premature. Alexis and hubby Jim tell Lynne that they'll cut their romantic trip short to make it to the festivities .... but before then, we had to witness some of that romantic getaway. It consisted of this: Alexis, who (gasp!) only brought one bathing suit instead of two, squealed when Jim said she could buy another one because heaven forbid she wear the same one during their two-day love fest. Then we see the lovebirds visit the hotel where they first set eyes on each other, aka known as the time Jim approached his 'sexy elegant' future wife.

Was anyone buying his spiel about that? I'll cut the details short, wouldn't want people dozing off as they read. Wait, before I do that, I must share the laughable pickup line he used on his much younger (15 years, to be exact) wife: "I know you're either hot or thirsty, so which one is it?" Between that and his awesome (read: questionable) fashion sense, it's no wonder she found him irresistible, right?

Back in O.C., Lynne's party eventually begins. And when alcohol and the housewives mingle, there's bound to be drama. This time, it's Tamra who seems to be having one too many. And with everyone under one roof, she sees an opportunity for Simon and Vicki to reconcile. Ambitious. Simon appears as if he's willing to cooperate. But that didn't last long. And soon his childish rampage began, equipped with curse words and name calling. Oh, Simon. Get over yourself. No one is jealous of your marriage. It's not perfect. Tattoo or no tattoo. The amount of effort he puts in to believing that lie is a little ridiculous at this point. And him walking out in a heated fit only demonstrated his immaturity.

Tamra isn't any better. I get that Simon's her husband. But if what Vicki is saying is true, Tamra should own up to her involvement in putting Vicki in the middle. Simon and Jim already get too much screen time. Anymore camera time devoted to this Simon-Vicki feud would necessitate a name change for this show.

Things get more heated at the dinner table. Everyone decides to share their "how we met each other" stories. After having to hear the tale of Alexis and Jim already, I, too, was snoring when Alexis shared every detail of their story (again). The topic eventually turned to the Florida trip. You remember that, right? The girl-bonding trip that somehow turned into a couples retreat. Things escalate, and Vicki and Donn decide to leave. It's a tearful car ride back for Vicki as she questions her friendship with Tamra. Meanwhile, Tamra is joining in on the Vicki bashing back at Lynne's.

So what did you think, Show Trackers? Was anyone else hoping Donn would defend Vicki? Do you think Tamra will get that tattoo removed now that Simon has filed for divorce? Were you shocked by the lack of drama that Slade provided? It was like he wasn't even at the party!

-- Yvonne Villarreal

Photo: Vicki Gunvalson. Credit: Bravo

Last season, the East regionals produced one of the most talented crews to ever grace the stage of "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew" with Rhythm City. Can it happen again with the five crews competing for the national show? Well, the two crews from Massachusetts, one from North Carolina, one from Rhode Island and one from Montreal definitely put forth the effort. What, no New York? We'll go with what we got.

Straight out of Boston, Legendary Seven contained two members from Season 1 runner-up Status Quo, but this was not the crazy, colorful crew that SQ was. The group was better, much cleaner, and though it was there (a backflip, landing on the knees? Nice!), the group was not as reliant on acrobatics. Legendary Seven's lines weren't as clean as they should have been, but they were definitely together. Choice judge cuts:

Omarion: "Wow. That's how you're supposed to perform... Explosiveness."
Lil Mama: "It's nothing better than seeing a crew come back and transform themselves."
JC Chasez: "You guys didn't waste any time ... It's nice to see your enthusiasm. You showed us Status Quo, but a whole new side... I think that you guys are humble and showed a great attitude."

To be honest, I've been dreading tonight's "Grey's Anatomy" since the promo aired after last week's episode.  For lack of a better term, the idea of waking up in the middle of invasive surgery... freaks me out.  Luckily, that part was over within the first few minutes of the episode, titled "State of Love and Trust," so I could take my hands off of my eyes and sit back to enjoy Derek's first day as chief of surgery.

The major issue in tonight's episode was, of course, the fall-out from Derek turning Webber in.  While Meredith is still angry about Derek's decision, she puts her own feelings aside and does her best to support him.  I think that deep down, she knows Derek did the right thing.  Webber, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be ready to forgive Derek any time soon. He gets Derek to admit that Derek wanted to be Chief, but Derek also makes it very clear that if and when Webber gets sober, he can have his job back.

You'd think that when faced with the choice between rehab or surrendering his medical license permanently, Webber would choose rehab without question.  It speaks to how far he's fallen that he feels the need to "think about it." I wish that his wife would have made an appearance in this episode; he really needed an ally.  It was reassuring when he finally admitted to Dr. Bailey that he's an alcoholic.  Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery, right?

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing on Derek's first day in his new position.  Leslie (Chastity Dotson), the patient who woke up during Dr. Bailey's surgery, remembers everything about those horrifying moments, much to the dismay of Derek, Bailey, and the new Mercy West anesthesiologist, also known as "The Gas Man," played by Jason George.  While the mishap winds up being unpreventable, the result of a rare condition, the patient still refuses to let Bailey anywhere near her, so Meredith has to perform the follow-up surgery.  It does, however, allow an initial connection to form between the anesthesiologist (whose name I couldn't figure out) and Dr. Bailey.  After a rocky divorce and some family trouble, I hope that connection turns into something more meaningful for Bailey.

Cristina and Owen's relationship was really front and center this week.  Showtracker readers have frequently commented on their roughness with each other, so Cristina's "sex injury" this week - a burn from the grates in the boiler room - shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.  Still, I was glad to see Cristina finally confront Owen about their obvious issues, just as I was glad to see Owen demand information from Cristina about Burke.  In a show where no one seems to be able to say what they mean, Cristina and Owen have the worst communication issues of anyone.  Now that it's all out in the open, perhaps they'll be able to connect on a deeper level.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Arizona was exploring something we've all known for years: Karev is great with kids.  I do think that he's going to be an excellent pediatric surgeon once he gets his hair-trigger temper under control.  He made it very clear that he works well under pressure, and considering what's been going on at home for him, it's great that he can leave that behind and do his job to the best of his ability.  Speaking of his problems outside the hospital... I expected to see Izzie again, but she wasn't back this week.  Katherine Heigl's name is still in the regular credits, but there are guest stars who have appeared more frequently than she has this season.

I have to say, I'm thrilled that Derek hired back April (Sarah Drew).  She was my favorite of the Mercy West insurgents and I can't wait to see more from her character.

How do you think Derek's first day as chief of surgery went?  Let's discuss it in the comments below, and don't forget to come on back to Showtracker after next week's new episode!

--Carina MacKenzie (follow me on Twitter @cadlymack)

Photo: Derek (Patrick Dempsey) addresses the hospital as chief for the first time. (Credit: ABC)

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I want to applaud Fox for running with the concept of winter finales. Considering most shows are going on hiatus while the Olympics, “American Idol,” and “Lost” battle it out (my eyes will be on the one with parallel timelines), why not tie up some loose ends and give the audience a cliffhanger to hold them over until spring? “Glee” did a marvelous job of closing out its first chapter, and “Fringe” gave us some juicy bits to chew on while we eagerly await April.

Over the last two weeks, “Fringe” has shown us how good they have gotten with stand-alone episodes. Thursday night, “Fringe” dives straight into a mythology-heaving hour.

It all kicks off in an average Manhattan building with a couple of co-workers chatting about a series of “mini quakes” that have been hitting New York City, but things seem a little off. Why is the guy working on blueprints for a new Pentagon? Well, before we can really put too much thought into it, the “mini quakes” are replaced by a “maxi quake,” and when the dust settles, our new friend has melded to part of the building, sporting an extra pair of arms and legs like Spiderman in the Six Arms Saga. (How nerdy of a reference was that?)

After a cute call where Olivia jokes that Peter’s won a free trip to New York City, the Fringe Division arrives on the scene, and Walter quickly realizes what happened. A building from the alternate reality (or Déjà Vuniverse as I like to call it) was pulled into our reality, fusing people with their other world doppelgangers. Walter confirms this by asking the multi-limbed man about the Sept. 11 attacks. In that reality, the terrorist struck the White House and the Pentagon. Though I’m not sure how Walter knows about the Déjà Vuniverse’s day of tragedy. Wouldn’t he have been in the mental hospital by then?

Thursday night's "Vampire Diaries" episode, "Children of the Damned," is arguably the most highly anticipated episode since the series premiere. After the first flashback episode, "Lost Girls," fans of the show have been looking forward to our next glimpse of the Salvatore boys before they became vampires ... not to mention the return of Elena's evil vampiress ancestor, Katherine.

As always, last week's episode left us with plenty of questions. Cue up your DVRs, Show Trackers! Let's see if we can get some answers.

8 p.m. -- Apparently, the infamous vampire "Help us!" highway move has been around since the 1860s!  Barely a minute in, and I'm already impressed by Nina Dobrev's and Ian Somerhalder's acting chops. As Katherine and young Damon, they've dramatically reversed the roles we're used to seeing them play.  They're barely recognizable.

8:02 p.m. -- "If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it." Damon never fails to impress with his one-liners. Hey there, shirtless Stefan. I wonder when he got those tattoos. Immortality gives a whole new meaning to "permanent ink."

8:04 p.m. -- "I really like this whole menage-threesome-team thing. It's got a bit of a kink to it." I have to say, I kind of like it, too - watching the way Damon, Stefan, and Elena interact when they're all together is far more fun than watching them hang out in pairs. There's so much tension in their little trio.

Thank you, Tim Gunn.  For me, the biggest story of Thursday's episode wasn't the challenge or the designs but the fact that the designers were complaining SO much about designing for non-models.  So many of them kvetched about their clients (spokeswomen for the American Heart Assn. who had all been affected by heart disease) being "full-figured" that I wonder if they all must have been out of town for the episode of "PR" several seasons ago in which the designers had to make clothes for each other's mothers, who had a much broader spectrum of figures. Plus, the show features challenges with "real women" each season anyway, so what were they expecting?  Thankfully, Tim stepped in to stop the whining by saying: "I'm glad we have an opportunity to work with real women."

Even though the designers were working away for a good cause, I didn't think the challenge made for great TV. The goal was to create a red gala dress (the AHA's signature color) that incorporated branding from Campbell's, one of the sponsors.  I know you can't really argue with sponsorship, but the whole Campbell's tie-in cheapened the challenge and the looks for me (with apologies to Andy Warhol).  Of course, there were a few moments of genuine emotion: Anthony Williams, for example, whose mother suffers from heart problems, shed a few tears with his model.

I think because of the Campbell's tie-in, I didn't love any of the designs, but some designers did get it more than others.  I liked the cute tiered heart shape of the bodice of Jay Nicholas Sario's dress, and I liked the choice of fabric in Jonathan Peter's big red ball gown.  I thought the use of the Campbell's fabric as lining was clever and the yellow belt flattering on Ben Chmura's dress, and Mila Hermanovski's star-spangled gown was executed well (it could have gone far, far awry).  I even liked Seth Aaron Henderson's last-minute reworked dress -- it didn't quite look like a gala dress, but the black skirt was flattering, and his model, "sweet, sweet Rose," clearly felt like a million bucks. 

The judges didn't like Anna Lynett's unflattering dress, which Michael Kors said resembled a "bag tied in the middle," and Michael hated Jesus Estrada's shiny red dress with the rhinestone straps so much it was almost as if he took it personally. "It's like you used a checklist of everything that can turn tacky."

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Feb. 6 - 13 in PDF format

This week's TV Movies

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A WOMAN SCORNED: Jenny Sanford, left, soon-to-be ex-wife of Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), talks with Barbara Walters on a new "20/20," at 10 p.m. on ABC.

SERIES

Smallville: Chloe (Allison Mack) is approached by a stranger seeking help of the superhero variety on a double episode of the young Superman drama (8 p.m. KTLA).

Medium: Diedrich Bader ("The Drew Carey Show") guest-stars as the mystery man in Allison's (Patricia Arquette) visions in the new episode of the supernatural drama (9 p.m. CBS).

Bill Moyers Journal: The journalist and his guests discuss the Supreme Court's recent decision to allow corporations to spend large sums on elections (9 p.m. KCET).

NUMB3RS: Marilu Henner ("Taxi") and William Katt ("The Greatest American Hero") guest-star in this new episode of the crime drama (10 p.m. CBS).

The Early Show Quarterback Drew Brees; Justin Bieber performs. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Jennie Garth; Melissa Gilbert. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Super Bowl recipes. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

The View Jamie Foxx; Amanda Seyfried. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Doctors Will power. (N) 11 a.m. KCAL

Rachael Ray (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

The Martha Stewart Show Making nachos. (N) 2 p.m. KNBC

The Bonnie Hunt Show Lily Tomlin. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

Oprah Winfrey Pink; Dwayne Johnson. (N) 3 p.m. KABC

Dr. Phil Man falsely accused of rape. (Part 2) (N) 4 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Osbournes. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC

The Tyra Show Makeovers. (N) 4 p.m. KTLA

The Dr. Oz Show Sex; bulimia. (N) 5 p.m. KTTV

Well, she's telling you. Her timing is, well, curious.

In the last week, CBS News laid off at least 90 people. Today, video taken during her Harper's Bazaar cover shoot surfaces. In it, the $15 million-a-year "CBS Evening News" anchor is dolled up, posing with her best "glamourpuss" face, and answering questions about genetics ("I've been very fortunate, all the girls in my family have pretty good legs, I guess," she says) and when she feels sexiest ("I always feel sexiest when I'm in a little black dress with a really great pair of shoes. High heels of course.")

It's not much of an overshare. CNN's Anderson Cooper has posed for fashion spreads for Maxim and Esquire, and once compared going prematurely gray to premature ejaculation in Details magazine.

But with her show still lingering in third place in the network evening news ratings race, and her contract with CBS up next year, could this be Couric angling for an out? She used to maintain an outlet for her "nerd side," and Oprah will soon be vacating daytime. What's more, just last night, Couric filed her reporter's notebook on dating. "...instead of worrying about 'marrying up,' women should focus on marrying right -- choose someone you feel has integrity, character and shares the same values. This is supposed to be an unlimited partnership, not a leveraged buyout."

-- Denise Martin

After its appearance in the fall '09 season, "So You Think You Can Dance" returns to its regular summer schedule with its seventh season premiering Thursday, May 27, on Fox. There's word too that choreographer Mia Michaels will return, although it's not determined to what extent. Those who'd like the chance to dance for Mia, Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and the whole gang will have the opportunity: Tryouts continue through March (the complete audition schedule is here)

— Claire Zulkey

Contestants stretch for auditions on the Season 6 premiere episode.

It’s very easy to ruin an episode of “Modern Family,” for yourself.

Too much laughter and you miss one of the many sneaky punch lines. No DVR and you can’t replay your favorite Phil, Cameron or Jay moment, over and over. The pause button came in handy, as most of last night’s episode was spent at a standstill as I caught my breath.

Last week, I said I hoped the show never went down to 15%, even if they never rid themselves of the hokey "Wonder Years"-esque endings.  They didn’t fail to deliver a pitch-perfect episode, giving above and beyond 100%.

There was a bit more family interaction this week than in past episodes, something I'd been craving.

Jay and Cameron got some quality time together at the gym – including a rather awkward locker room invasion of space – Mitchell helped Gloria with a legal matter involving her wretched driving, and Claire caught up with an old friend, guest star Minnie Driver, as we reported a while back.

Driver was a wise casting decision in an often-questionable roster of guest spots that has plagued the freshman comedy. Her brand of dry wit worked perfectly in the role of Valerie, a former colleague and friend of Claire’s who chose climbing the corporate ladder over family life. Despite how Claire might have felt, she had nothing to be jealous of, right? After all, she has Phil and three kids -- there's nothing wrong with that (and, of course, she realized it during her hokey end-of-episode montage, which I've grown accustomed to). Valerie jet sets all over the world leaving lovers in different locales, some she can’t even name. And although she got the coveted promotion on the 23rd floor (well actually the 24th) she doesn't have Phil, a prize all within himself. 

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Jan. 31 - Feb. 6, in PDF format

This week's TV Movies

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SALTY AND SWEET: "The Sarah Silverman Program" returns for its third season at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.

SERIES

Fight Science: This new installment surveys the ancient Chinese martial art of kung fu (6 and 9 p.m. National Geographic).

Biography on CNBC: The history of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company is charted (7 and 10 p.m. CNBC).

The Vampire Diaries: Flashbacks to the 19th century explore the rocky relationship between brothers Stefan and Damon (Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder) (8 p.m. KTLA).

SoCal Connected: Correspondent John Larson reports on the fate of wild horses in Southern California (8 p.m. KCET).

Fringe: Olivia's (Anna Torv) mysterious past may hold the key to saving hundreds of lives in this new episode (9 p.m. Fox).

30 Rock: Jenny (Jane Krakowski) gets an unwelcome visit from her mother ("SNL's" Jan Hooks) (9:30 p.m. NBC).

Soundstage: The country and folk music stylings of Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller, a.k.a. "Three Girls and Their Buddy," are featured (10 p.m. KCET).

The Early Show Gloria Estefan. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Author Lori Gottlieb. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

Good Morning America Jamie Foxx. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Live With Regis and Kelly John Travolta. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Sarah Silverman. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Doctors Dr. Ruth Westheimer. (N) 11 a.m. KCAL

The Bonnie Hunt Show Serena Williams. (N) 3 p.m. KNBC

Oprah Winfrey Dr. Mehmet Oz. (N) 3 p.m. KABC

Dr. Phil Mistaken identity. (Part 1 of 2) (N) 4 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Heidi Klum. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC

The Tyra Show Judgmental people. (N) 4 p.m. KTLA

The Dr. Oz Show Carnie Wilson. (N) 5 p.m. KTTV

"Brothers & Sisters" fans take note—your favorite Frenchman may be here to stay! Zap2it reportsthat Gilles Marini is in negotiations with ABC to become a show regular next season. Marini himself couldn't offer additional details, but it looks as though his character, Luc Laurent, will be romancing Sarah beyond his return on Feb.21. "I'm not in liberty [sic] to say anything. I'm pretty much doing the rest of the season," Marini wrote in a text message. "I am in such a beautiful place in my life. I'm so happy and honored to be part of this fantastic cast." With Rob Lowe's impending departure, Marini could definitely fill the void in the eye-candy department, so I (along with probably most of the show's female viewers) am keeping my fingers crossed. 

— Enid Portuguez

Welcome to the first "Lost" Wednesday here at Showtracker. If our Tuesday recaps are going a little more heavily into the nuts and bolts of the show (though hopefully not all as long as last night's write-up, because that just about killed me), these Wednesday posts will share reactions to the latest episode from both critics and fans, popular theories about just what might be going on and some friendly joking about some of the show's more ridiculous moments. Think of this as a place to hang out and talk about this show we all love so much. And make sure to comment on every Tuesday's post, as I'll be highlighting some of my favorite thoughts and theories from those comments in these posts.

But if you haven't seen Tuesday's season premiere yet, you'd best turn away. Because we'll be spoiler heavy below the jump.

Despite all the marital upheaval that's going on in the show this season, the bond between HBO and "Big Love" is stronger than ever. The cable network has just renewed its vows with the Emmy-nominated drama about a man and his three wives, so it will return for a fifth season. 

According to Variety, HBO has picked up 10 episodes for Season 5 (as opposed to Season 4's nine episodes), with a premiere date set for sometime next winter.

The critically acclaimed extended family drama has had a rush of good fortune as of late. The series (whose fourth season premiered on Jan. 10) has experienced an uptick in viewership from last season, and Chloë Sevigny, who plays prickly second wife Nicki, was awarded a Golden Globe for best supporting actress last month.

"We're so happy," said Will Scheffer, who co-created and executive produces the series along with Mark V. Olsen. Particularly now that "our fans will get to experience what we have planned for next year."

—Allyssa Lee

Photo credit: Lacey Terrell / HBO