New Premieres This Week In TV: July 10th – 16th

Sunday, July 10^th

Curb Your Enthusiasm, season premiere at 10pm on HBO

– Seinfeld co-creator Larry David stars at himself in an unsparing tongue-in-cheek depiction of his life. Shot in a verite style and featuring celebrities playing themselves, the episodes are improvised by the actors from an outline created by David. Season 8 finds David relocating to his hometown of NYC and will feature the fabulous Wanda Sykes in a recurring role, as well as guest stars Ricky Gervais, Michael J. Fox, and Rosie O’Donnell.

Famous Food, series premiere at 10pm on VH1

– From Ashton Kutcher’s Geisha House to Robert DeNiro’s Ago, attaching a celebrity’s name to a restaurant is definitely a growing trend in Hollywood…. but is it always a recipe for success? This new reality series will put this concept to the test by partnering with renowned restaurateurs, The Dolce Group, to give seven celebrities the chance to turn an empty Sunset Strip eatery into a flourishing and fully operating restaurant. If they succeed — one of them will be rewarded with a partnership position in the new venture. The Hills’ star Heidi Montag, Eliot Spitzer’s call girl Ashley Dupre, Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul and Juicy “J,” New Jersey Housewife Danielle Staub, The Sopranos’ Vincent Pastore, and The Bachelor’s Jake Pavelka all try their hand at opening a restaurant, which they all have no skill or business doing but oh well I guess watching them crack and fail under the pressure will be amusing.

Monday, July 11^th

Adventure Time, season premiere at 8pm on Cartoon Network

– After the animated short became a viral hit on the Internet, Carton Network picked it up for a full-length series in 2008. The show focuses on the surreal adventures undertaken by two best friends, Finn the human boy and Jake the dog with magical powers, that dwell in the Land of Ooo.

The Closer, season premiere at 9pm on TNT

– The seventh and final season of The Closer comes at the behest of star Kyra Sedgwick, aka Kevin Bacon’s wife, who made the call to retire the crime drama after a long and successful run as Southern Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, head of the Major Crimes division, in ad-supported cable’s number 1 series. Not to fret though, in May TNT announced that a spin-off, entitled Major Crimes and starring Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor, had been picked up for a 10-episode season.

Man vs. Wild, season premiere at 9pm on Discovery

This exciting series brings seasoned adventurer Bear Grylls face to face with the grueling task of navigating remote locations, sharing invaluable survival strategies along the way. To kick off a run of all-new episodes, Bear Grylls brought along a companion — actor Jake Gyllenhaal to share in his adventures.

Anthony Bourdain No Reservations, season premiere at 9pm on Travel Channel

– Besides the chef’s hat, Anthony Bourdain wears many others: TV personality, best-selling author, public speaker, weary world traveler, gourmand, punk-rock aficionado, proud New Yorker and, most recently, doting father.  He’s even kicked his lifelong smoking habit. However, the fans that know him best can rest assured that the infamously grumpy, sharp-tongued host of No Reservations has become anything but pedestrian. As he continues to explore every corner of the globe on his Emmy winning series, Anthony Bourdain encounters the weird, wild and downright outrageous personalities and places that help define the international cultural landscape. In the world of a cook, an understanding and appreciation of how others eat is akin to discovering secret societies and cryptic subcultures. The food is only the first glimpse of a wider view of how people live their lives in faraway lands and unfamiliar territories. In the season premiere, Tony travels to Cuba in the search of the island’s heart and soul where beauty abounds in the people, the food, and the architecture and streets that are riddled with pristine cars from a different era.

Rizzoli & Isles, season premiere at 10pm on TNT

– Law & Order’s Angie Harmon stars as a Boston homicide detective in this female-centered crime drama returning for its sophomore season. The series follows Jane Rizzoli (Harmon) and medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) working together to solve crimes and bust criminals. Growing up at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, the two remain strikingly different from one another in many ways. Jane, the only female detective in Boston’s homicide division, is a tough and gutsy cop who doesn’t let her guard down, dodges her overprotective mother and is better at basketball than her brother. Maura, meanwhile, is usually more comfortable among the dead than the living. She is always impeccably dressed in designer duds with a steady, sometimes icy temperament. And she is working on curbing her tendency to diagnose the people she meets – including her first dates. Despite their many differences, Jane and Maura are best friends, with a quirky and supportive relationship.

Alphas, series premiere at 10pm on Syfy

– Alphas is an action-packed thriller from writers Zak Penn (The Avengers, X-Men: The Last Stand) and Michael Karnow.  In the series, five ordinary people are brought together to form one extraordinary team of Alphas — people with the unique power to stretch the capabilities of the human mind giving them superhuman physical and mental abilities. Operating within the Defense Criminal Investigation Service of the U.S. Department of Defense and led by preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn), an expert in Alpha phenomena, the team investigates cases that point to others with Alpha abilities. As they work against the clock to solve this new brand of crime, they must prevent their own personality differences and disparate backgrounds from interfering with their ultimate mission to catch the enemy.

Tuesday, July 12^th

It’s Worth What?, season premiere at 8pm on NBC

– Hosted by Cedric The Entertainer, this game show taps into America’s love for cost and value, such as hidden gems found in one’s attic. Through set imagery and a never-ending flow of collectibles, antiques and near-priceless treasures, America is brought into a world with seemingly endless doors behind which are various objects ranging from a life-sized replica of the White House, to William Shatner’s kidney stone which was auctioned off for charity. A pair of contestants is taken through a series of challenges that escalate in level of difficulty, tasking the contestants with discerning the price of the items in each round. If they successfully complete the challenges, contestants can win up to $1 million.

Food(ography), season premiere at 9pm on Cooking Channel

– Ever wonder how people and societies were shaped by food? Take a look at cultural food themes by learning about the past, present and future of iconic, classic and tasty treats. CBS Sunday Morning News correspondent, writer, actor, satirist and food person, Mo Rocca hosts.

Wednesday, July 13^th

Roseanne’s Nuts, season premiere at 9pm on Lifetime

– Where in the world is Roseanne Barr? Lifetime answers the question with the premiere of the all-new docu-series Roseanne’s Nuts, marking the Emmy Award–winning actress, comedienne and best-selling author’s eagerly awaited return to television. Following Barr’s decision to manage a fully functional 40-acre macadamia and livestock farm in Hawaii after a long, self-imposed sabbatical from series television, Roseanne will mark her long-awaited television re-debut with back-to-back episodes.

Damages, season premiere at 10pm on DirecTV

– The Emmy award-winning series starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrnes returns to TV on a new network after FX pulled the plug due to high production costs from the series’ all star cast and on-location shooting in NYC. The highly anticipated fourth season of the legal thriller takes on the controversial subject of private military contractors in the Middle East. Two years after the Tobin case, Ellen (Byrne) has moved on with her life. Now an attorney at her old mentor’s firm, she’s content with her cases and colleagues. Deep down, however, she wants a bigger challenge. When she discovers her friend has been through a traumatic experience while working for High Star, a private security firm hired by the U.S. government to carry out special missions in Afghanistan, she suspects foul play and asks her old boss Patty (Close), who in season 1 ordered a hit on Ellen, for help. Patty knows that trying a case against High Star can make Ellen’s career. Or ruin it.

The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants, season premiere at 10pm on Showtime

– This new docu-series follows the 2010 World Series champions as they defend their title in 2011. With unprecedented access to Giants players, their families, coaches and team personnel, this series provides a candid look at the struggles, relationships and day-to-day lives of Major League Baseball players. It’s an up close and personal journey from the off-season to Spring Training, the All-Star Game and beyond.

Rescue Me, season premiere at 10pm on FX

– In the aftermath of Damian’s on-the-job accident, Tommy, Sheila, and the guys of the 62 truck have done their best to work through the tragedy and get on with their lives. Things have slowed down for Tommy, both at home and on the job, until a news reporter decides to feature Jimmy as the subject of her 9/11 retrospective. When she delves too deep into the personal lives of her subjects and suggests fault within the FDNY, Tommy turns on her and soon finds himself jobless. With Tommy absent, Lou at less than hundred percent, and Feinberg deteriorating fast, Franco seizes the opportunity to take on a leadership role. Under Franco, the house sees order unlike ever before. But Franco’s inexperience leading the troops into battle proves to be treacherous.

Dance Moms, series premiere at 10pm on Lifetime

– Set in Pittsburgh’s renowned Abby Lee Dance Company, owned and operated by notoriously demanding and passionate instructor Abby Lee Miller, this new reality series follows children’s early steps on the road to stardom, and their doting mothers who are there for every rehearsal, performance and bow … all under the discerning eye of Miller. Presenting a powerful cast of characters sure to raise eyebrows, the series immerses itself in the highs and lows surrounding competition season to deliver an intriguing and dramatic look at the cast’s frantic pursuit of the ultimate National Dance title. Centered on the devoted Miller, who runs her school with an iron tap shoe as she instructs her young, talented students while also dealing with over-the-top mothers who go to great lengths to help their children’s dreams come true, Dance Moms will pose the tough questions many ask about what really goes on behind the scenes in the fast-growing and controversial sport of competitive dance.

Thursday, July 14^th

Sweet Home Alabama, series premiere at 9pm on CMT

– It’s a Southern version of The Bachelorette with way less resources than ABC to take them on exciting adventures around the world and possibly bachelors who are not just on the show for their own shameless self-promotion. Ten “city slickers” and 10 “country” guys are vying for the affections of Devin Grissom, a sweet Southern girl from Alabama. In order to win her heart, the bachelors from across the country compete in challenges to win time with the Southern beauty. In each one-hour episode, Devin says goodbye to more of her suitors in the hopes of finding her true love and someone her family approves.

The Green Room With Paul Provenza, season premiere at 11pm on Showtime

– New York City native Paul Provenza is a comedian/actor/producer and the director of the critically acclaimed documentary, The Aristocrats. For the second season of his backstage original Showtime series The Green Room, Provenza has assembled a wide range of hilarious panelists to tackle a variety of provocative subjects. The series offers comedy fans the chance to see the world’s greatest comedians in a roundtable setting, speaking off-the-cuff and uncensored in front of a studio audience. No rules, no agenda, no censors… just some of the funniest people around, riffing on and ripping each other apart.

Saturday, July 16^th

Pit Boss, season premiere at 10pm on Animal Planet

– Former actor, entertainment guru and pit bull rescuer Shorty Rossi has lofty ideals, a tough attitude and an entertainment industry Rolodex to help his cause. He’s gathered together a team to take on the gargantuan task of rescuing, rehabbing and training the most misunderstood breed — pit bulls. Shorty, a workaholic with a devilish sense of humor and quick temper, balances two jobs—running Shortywood Productions, a Hollywood talent management company for little people, as well as Shorty’s Rescue, his pit bull rescue group. Shorty, aptly named, and his three cohorts happen to be little people with the biggest hearts for these adorable dogs, who often are bigger than they are. From the producers of Millionaire Matchmaker and Blowout, Pit Boss follows the everyday drama and joy of these buddies and business partners as they hit the streets of Los Angeles in their fight to overcome stereotypes — for themselves and the pit bulls they save.

New Premieres This Week In TV: July 11th – 17th

Sunday July 11^th

Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch, series premiere at 9pm on VH1

– The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is certainly known for making a splash wherever he goes. From his controversial end zone celebration dances to his mischievous antics between plays he’s quickly become the NFL’s superstar. The former Dancing With The Stars contestant proved that he could shower a woman (i.e. Cheryle Burke) with lavish gifts that would make any woman swoon. At 32 years old Ocho wants to find the kind of girl he can be proud have on his arm and in his cheering section in the stands. The 85 hopeful girls starting out in the competition will be put through Ocho’s “dating training camp” and will be cut if they aren’t the type of girl he can see himself with. He will evaluate all 85 girls’ performances where only 20 will make the team. The 20 girls on the team will date Ocho and compete in head-to-head matchups until he puts a ring on the hand of the woman who stole his heart in the Championship date.

The Glades, series premiere at 10pm on A&E

– You may recognize this show from the catchy ad slogan “Sunny With A Chance of Homicide” and the picture of a bleeding orange stabbed by a knife, which gave us absolutely no idea what the show is actually about, except that we expect some people are murdered. This new original drama series follows Jim Longworth, an attractive, brilliant, yet hard to get along with homicide detective from Chicago who gets shot by his captain after being wrongfully accused of sleeping with his wife. After being exiled from the department, Longworth relocates to the sleepy, middle of nowhere town of Palm Glade, Florida, where the sunshine and golf are plentiful and crime is seemingly at a minimum. Only this town outside the Florida Everglades isn’t quite as idyllic as he thought, as he finds people keep turning up murdered. But do not be quick to judge this as another cop procedural, this is the first in a new line of original male character-driven dramas A&E is developing.

Childrens Hospital, series premiere at 10:30pm on Adult Swim

– Childrens Hospital is a new live-action 15-minute comedy series based on the Webby Award-winning WB web series of the same name. The viral Web hit is a twisted take on network medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy and House. The complete Childrens Hospital – including both the newly produced episodes as well as the original Webisodes – will premiere on Adult Swim this summer. Childrens Hospital explores the emotional struggles and sexual politics of a group of doctors charged with healthy libidos. Their dedication to their personal lives is relentless, interrupted only by the occasional need to treat sick children. The all-star cast includes the infamous Fonzie himself Henry Winkler, Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally, Party Down’s Ken Marino, film star Malin Akerman and Worst Week’s Erinn Hayes,

Monday July 12^th

Kid in a Candy Store, series premiere at 8pm on Food Network

-As a contestant on season four of The Next Food Network Star, Adam Gertler revealed his energetic passion for food and fun-loving sense of humor. Now, as the host of Food Network’s new primetime series, Adam uncovers the best, most outrageous, most innovative, and most loved sweet treats as he travels the nation visiting the bakeries, restaurants, food carts, and factories where America’s favorites are produced.

The Closer, season premiere at 9pm on TNT

– Cable’s #1 series is back for its 6^th season. Kyra Sedgwick stars in her Goldern-Globe award-winning role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, who leads the Major Crimes squad in LA after relocating from Georgia. As the new season opens, the squad is moving into its new high-tech office. With the LAPD on the hunt for a new chief of police, Brenda’s boss Assistant Police Chief Will Pope is among those in the running. Should he get the job, it could mean a promotion for Brenda, but not without a little competition from her arch nemesis Robbery-Homicide Commander Taylor. The political juggling around the office soon leads Brenda to do some career-minded soul-searching. This season, Battlestar Gallactica’s Mary McDonnell reprises her role as Capt. Raydor, the by-the-book head of the Force Investigation Division, who has butted heads with Brenda on several occasions.

Rizzoli & Isles, series premiere at 10pm on TNT

– TNT continues to pave the way for female character-driven dramas with this new series about Boston detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) working together to solve crimes and bust criminals. Growing up at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, the two remain strikingly different from one another in many ways. Jane, the only female detective in Boston’s homicide division, is a tough and gutsy cop who doesn’t let her guard down, dodges her overprotective mother and is better at basketball than her brother. Maura, meanwhile, is usually more comfortable among the dead than the living. She is always impeccably dressed in designer duds with a steady, sometimes icy temperament. And she is working on curbing her tendency to diagnose the people she meets – including her first dates. Despite their many differences, Jane and Maura are best friends, with a quirky and supportive relationship.

Tuesday July 13

White Collar, season premiere at 9pm on USA

– The hit USA series about the unlikely partnership of a con artist and the FBI agent who was chasing him for years is back for its sophomore season. The oh-so-sexy Matt Bomer stars as Neal Caffrey, a suave charming mastermind of white collar crimes, who is finally caught by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke, played by Tim DeKay, after he breaks out of prison. Instead of returning to prison, the FBI hires Neal as a consultant who provides his criminal expertise to assist in catching other elusive criminals in exchange for his eventual freedom. The 2 partners couldn’t be more different but working together they are the most successful team on the squad, often tiptoeing on the wrong side of the law to get the bad guys. Their partnership and friendship is constantly threatened by Neal’s insistence to find his ex-girlfriend Kate, which evolved into a hunt for her killer after the plane she boarded exploded before Neal’s eyes in the cliff-hanger season finale. 90210’s Tiffany Amber Thiessen plays Agent Burke’s doting and understanding wife.

Covert Affairs, series premiere at 10pm on USA

– A new series from the producer of The Bourne Trilogy starring Coyote Ugly’s Piper Perabo as CIA agent Annie Walker. After her first mission unexpectedly ends in a hail of bullets, the Agency unexpectedly promotes her to field operative. In the blink of an eye, an assignment can go from routine to rogue and when Annie finds herself in situations with no rules or prior training to guide her, all she can rely on is her intuition. As Annie plunges headlong into her new job, she soon realizes it means having to lead a double life, whether it’s lying to her family or facing down ruthless terrorists around the world and enemies of the state. 28-year-old Annie likes the peripatetic and unpredictable nature of working for the Agency, especially after a devastating heartbreak. But she’ll soon find out that staying emotionally unattached could prove to be far more challenging than staying alive.

Wednesday July 14^th

Ghost Hunters International, season premiere at 9pm on SyFy

– A spin-off of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters series, Ghost Hunters International features a squad of paranormal investigators who use their principles of scientific techniques, to explore some of the most legendary haunted spots around the world. Each week the team travels to the far corners of the globe, searching for answers to bizarre supernatural mysteries. The new episodes will take the team to countries such as Peru, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines and many others. Veteran investigators Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari, Brandy Green and Barry FitzGerald, are joined by newcomer Angela Alderman in this new season.

Psych, season premiere at 10pm on USA

– USA’s quick-witted original dramedy entering its 5^th season stars James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he’s psychic. Raised by a family of cops, Shawn possesses uncanny powers of observation honed by his police officer father, Henry, who drilled young Shawn as a way of grooming him for his inevitable career in the family business. Unfortunately, when a rift developed between father and son, Shawn took a series of random jobs instead of becoming the detective he was groomed to be. With the reluctant assistance of his best friend Gus, played by Dule Hill, Shawn uses his skills of observation and charismatic personality to become the detective he was trained to be, opening his own PI agency – Psych – and solving cases for an ever-suspicious, but grudgingly impressed, police force.

Pros vs. Joes, season premiere at 10pm on Spike

– Pros vs. Joes returns to Spike TV with a new format for its fifth season. Michael Strahan and Jay Glazer join together as hosts for the new season. This season will see Pros from NFL taking on NBA legends in basketball, Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb back on a team, and even Michael Vick is hitting the field.

Chasing Mummies, series premiere at 10pm on History Channel

– Digging up ancient treasures is dirty and dangerous business, and nobody knows that better than the legendary Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. In this new reality series, cameras follow closely as he and his cadre of fellows unearth astonishing finds and tackle some of the world’s greatest archaeological riddles, from who built the pyramids to the location of Cleopatra’s tomb. It’s a whirlwind tour, led by the man who holds the keys to Egypt’s greatest antiquities and rules his world like a modern-day pharaoh. Unfiltered, entertaining, exciting and suspenseful, Chasing Mummies lets viewers share in the thrills and hardships facing the team and crew as they toil to reveal what lies beneath the sand. With its wealth of historical information and blow-by-blow coverage of world-altering discoveries, this series breaks new ground—literally.

Thursday July 15^th

Mary Knows Best, series premiere at 9pm on SyFy

– Mary Occhino, the matriarch of a proud Long Island Italian-American family, always takes her work home with her because communicating with the spirit world is a 24-hour job. This new reality series chronicles the poignant and often funny situations that Occhino and her family get themselves into on a daily basis. A successful author, radio host, psychic intuitive and mother of three, Occhino touches the lives of nearly everyone she meets. Her children, Jackie, Chris and Carl, are a mismatched group of siblings consisting of a skeptic, a paranormal investigator and a reluctant psychic. Occhino’s radio show, “Angels on Call”, on Sirius Satellite Radio, broadcasts weekday mornings from New York City. Each day she predicts the future, speaks to the dead and offers daily advice to thousands of devoted radio fans, giving “Angels on Call” one of the highest call volumes of any Sirius Radio show.

NICU, series premiere at 10pm on Discovery Health

– This 10-episode docu-drama series goes behind the scenes of top national neonatal intensive care units (NICU), showing the day-to-day care required to sustain the smallest of lives. NICU follows real families as they experience the rollercoaster of emotions that come with having a premature baby and features doctors and nurses from leading hospitals in Baltimore, San Diego and Cleveland, as they work around the clock to ensure the survival of their tiny patients.

Friday July 16^th

DC Cupcakes, series premiere at 10pm on TLC

– This new sweet series is the latest treat in the network’s growing menu of food-themed programming. Premiering with back-to-back episodes, the six-part series follows sisters and business partners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake, a small cupcakery that they’ve transformed into a sweeping success.

Saturday July 17^th

Revenge of the Bridesmaids, TV movie premiere at 8pm on ABC Family

– That’s So Raven’s Raven-Symoné stars as Abigail Scanlon and Prvileged’s JoAnna Garcia as Parker Wald, best friends since childhood returning to their small, Southern hometown from New York City, for a visit. After running into old friends they learn that their close friend, Rachel (Chryssie Whitehead), has lost the love of her life, Tony (Lyle Brocato), to their ex-friend Caitlin (Virginia Williams) – a conniving gold-digger. Intent upon preventing the loveless marriage, Parker and Abigail go “undercover” as Caitlin’s bridesmaids to sabotage the wedding. Along the way, Caitlyn’s tightly-wound mother, Olivia (Beth Broderick), works hard to keep Abigail and Parker at bay, and Parker falls for the town cop and groomsman Henry (David Rogers). The bridesmaids put their best-laid plans in motion only to see them go outrageously awry!

Celebrity Ghost Stories, season premiere at 9pm on Bio

– Compelling, surprising and downright spooky, celebrities share their real-life personal encounters with the paranormal in this one-hour special. From encounters with ghosts and angry spirits to haunted homes, unexplainable spells and magic, these descriptive, first person narratives from our favorite stars delivers a brand new way of experiencing the thrills and chills of the addictive world of the paranormal. Celebrities featured: Gina Gershon, Ernie Hudson, Belinda Carlisle and Sammy Hagar.

Pit Boss, season premiere at 10pm on Animal Planet

– Former actor, entertainment guru and pit bull rescuer Shorty Rossi has lofty ideals, a tough attitude and an entertainment industry Rolodex to help his cause. And he’s gathered together three friends/employees; Ronald, Ashley and Sebastian, to take on the gargantuan task of rescuing, rehabbing and training the most misunderstood of dogs — pit bulls. Shorty, aptly named, and his three cohorts happen to be little people with the biggest hearts for these adorable dogs, who often are bigger than they are.