New Premieres This Week in TV: July 28th – August 3rd

Sunday, July 28^th

Inside the American Mob, series premiere at 9pm on Nat Geo

– Delve into the secret underworld of the American Mafia, as told by the criminals who lived it and the law enforcers who hunted it. This dramatic six-part series chronicles the true-life story of the modern Mob in America, as former mobsters, informants, and FBI agents expose the takedown of the deadliest and most infamous organized crime ring in U.S. history. A combination of recently declassified files, first-person accounts by federal officials and the mafioso themselves, and rare archival footage sheds a new light on the raw, violent, and corrupt underworld that gripped America for decades.

Unforgettable, season premiere at 9pm on CBS

– CBS’ resurrected sophomore crime procedural stars Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an NYPD detective with a rare ability that makes her memory so flawless that every place, every conversation, every joy and every heartbreak is forever embedded in her mind, ready to be accessed at a moment’s notice. Feeling that her ability prevented her from leading a normal life, Carrie withdrew from police work for several years, until she was unexpectedly reunited with her ex-boyfriend and partner, Detective Al Burns. After consulting on a case, Carrie decided that she belonged back on the job and joined Al in the Queens PD. Carrie’s memory helped her and Al close a staggering number of murder cases, which catches the eye of Eliot Delson, head of the Major Crimes Section of the NYPD. Carrie and Al agree to leave Queens to join Eliot’s team in Manhattan, though Carrie forces him to bring on Joanne Webster, a brilliant medical examiner well-known to Eliot for her acerbic personality. Armed with her unique ability and backed up by the people she trusts the most, Carrie now helps protect the citizens of New York, with each case more memorable than the last.

Total Divas, series premiere at 10pm on E!

– Get up-close and personal with the WWE Divas like never before with E!’s new reality show highlighting the professional and personal lives of WWE’s leading ladies. With complete and utter access to the backstage workings of WWE, the show examines the preparation and fallout from matches, the romantic entanglements of a WWE locker room and, of course, the efforts of prospective new Divas to break through into the ranks. The show will highlight the lives of five current WWE Divas — Natalya, The Bella Twins and The Funkadactyls — and hit the ground running, following a tag team match between The Bellas and Funkadactyls on the last Raw before WrestleMania 29. The show will follow the lives of WWE’s women as they travel around the country, living, loving and competing along the way. Viewers will also be introduced to Eva Marie and Jo-Jo Offerman, two prospective new Divas who have yet to earn their stripes, and will be tested along the way before they’re accepted into WWE’s prestigious women’s corps.

Monday, July 29^th

The Writers’ Room, series premiere at 10pm on Sundance

Hosted by Academy Award-winning screenwriter (“The Descendants”), comedian and actor Jim Rash (Community), the six episode series will spotlight an array of scripted television shows – from today’s pioneering cable dramas, including Breaking Bad, Dexter, Game of Thrones and American Horror Story to the most critically acclaimed and popular network sitcoms, including Parks and Recreation and New Girl.  The roundtable talk show will delve deep into the world of TV’s creative masterminds, divulging inside details about their smartest choices, toughest decisions and biggest mistakes.

Tuesday, July 30^th

Nikki & Sara LIVE, season premiere at 11pm on MTV

– Comedians Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer bring a much-needed late night sensibility to the world of pop culture featuring live commentary and celebrity guests. Nikki & Sara LIVE is a weekly late night comedy program, featuring the latest news in pop culture, co-hosted by acclaimed stand-up comedians Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer. The show-set in the MTV studios overlooking Times Square-combines fast-paced humor, celebrity interviews, pre-taped sketches, man-on-the-street packages and more. The clever and incisive commentary Nikki and Sara honed on their popular podcast “You Had To Be There,” is infused throughout the show’s four acts. Act one consists of sharp, rapid-rapid fire jokes on the latest topics and gossip. Act two features produced tape pieces, sketches and recurring segments. In act three, Nikki and Sara interview celebrity guests. And in act four, anything goes.

Capture, series premiere at 9pm on The CW

– In the wild, you are either the hunter or you are the prey. Twelve teams of two are about to enter the Hunting Grounds, a high-tech wilderness compound, where they must live in primitive conditions for one month in a winner-take-all battle to survive. At the mercy of the Game Master, the teams compete against each other for scarce resources and a $250,000 grand prize. Each week, different teams are designated as the Hunters. The teams being hunted are living on limited rations and wearing high-tech equipment that forces them to stay constantly on the move, making hunger and exhaustion very real problems. Additional food can be found at the Supply Station, but since the Hunters may the area staked out at any time, a visit to the Station is extremely risky. Emotions run high and sabotage is common as the teams all work to stay on the move and out of the range of the Hunters. The individual teams work through the tension and tough conditions, but relationships are often pushed to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the Hunters are using strategy and the latest GPS technology to track down the other teams and tag them by activating a pulsating device known as the Talon. When the Hunters have two teams in captivity, the rest of the competitors will vote on who stays and who goes. As the teams are eliminated, the Game Master also continuously decreases the size of the playing field, making hiding places even scarcer for those who remain. In this sophisticated game of cat-and-mouse, only one team will prevail to walk away with the $250,000 prize.

Wednesday, July 31^st

2013 Do Something! Awards, live awards show from 8 to 10pm on VH1

– VH1’s Do Something! Awards is back and ready to show the world that the youth of today do more than text and tweet. DoSomething.org, the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and change, teams up again with VH1 for the 2013 Do Something! Awards. This year’s high-energy celebration hosted by Sophia Bush will honor celebrities Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kelly Osbourne, LL Cool J and Patrick Dempsey for their amazing social change leadership. These five incredibly influential superstars were chosen based on the amazing work that they have done and their stories will be told for the world to see. The spotlight will also be on five “do-gooders,” 25 and under, who are in the trenches, creating substantial change in our world. Sasha Fisher, Daniel Maree, Jillian Mourning, Lorella Praeli and Ben Simon will each receive a grant of $10,000 to help with their cause. It’s safe to say, these honorees have done more in their quarter lives than most have done in their whole lives!

Thursday, August 1^st

2013 Young Hollywood Awards, live awards show from 8 to 10pm on The CW

– As it celebrates its 15th Year, The Young Hollywood Awards, long regarded as the “Oscars of Young Hollywood,” will partner with The CW Network to broadcast this year’s star-studded red-carpet event for the first time. Every year the Young Hollywood Awards honor a group of still at least somewhat wet-behind-the-ears performers who may become the next Kristen Stewart or Ryan Gosling. The 2013 recipients include Kit Harington from Game of Thrones (Actor of the Year), Orphan Black star Tatiana Malsany (Breakthrough Performance—Female), and Kelly Osbourne (Style Icon).

Chuck’s Eat the Street, season premiere at 10pm on Cooking Channel

– Eat the Street will take us on a tour of the most famous streets in America – by way of the food available on them! Be it Walnut Street in Philadelphia or Mission Street in San Francisco or Magazine Street in New Orleans – our host Chuck Hughes will experience the food, history and lore behind these famous streets.

Hatfields & McCoys: White Lightning, season premiere at 10pm on History

– To this day, the backwoods descendants of the Hatfields and McCoys continue to live in the remote and volatile hollows along the West Virginia and Kentucky border. Settled in one of the poorest areas of the country, they work in coal mines, hunt squirrels, raise goats, revere their grannies, make moonshine and take pride in their history. Now, a new state law could make things even worse, starting a whole new chapter of their infamous rivalry. To aid a troubled economy, West Virginia recently legalized the distillation and sale of moonshine. Residents can now openly sell the once-illicit whiskey their ancestors killed and died for. Seeing the potential for a hot new brand and billion dollar profits, a St. Louis investor offers to set the Hatfields and McCoys up in business to make a completely “authentic” HATFIELD & MCCOY Moonshine. The families must supply their legendary recipes, well water and family labor, and they must agree to work together. Hatfields & McCoys: White Lightning follows these two famous families as they try to put aside their hateful history and come together to build a new business. Their story is less about making moonshine and more about the clashes between and within the two families that threaten success at every turn. The only thing they agree on is that they are suspicious of their new investor. Progress is slow and often comedic as tempers flare up, tensions run high and family competition and century-old rivalries continue on a whole new level. Can the Hatfields and McCoys get past their famous feud and find a path to a brighter future and a new history?

Friday, August 2^nd

America’s Next Top Model, season premiere from 8 to 10pm on The CW

– Cycle 20 of America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks, returns with new prizes and a new twist – men! The first-ever “Guys and Girls” edition will have eight men and eight women living under one roof to battle it out to earn the prestigious title of America’s Next Top Model. This cycle will explore the similarities and differences that male and female models face in the pursuit of their careers, bringing on experts and celebrities to mentor and challenge them each week. There will be more than a little opportunity for rivalry, flirtation and romance. The model hopefuls will compete for a career-launching prize package that includes new prize suppliers Next Model Management and GUESS, as well as Nylon Magazine. The winner will receive prizes including: a $100,000 national ad campaign with GUESS, whose advertising campaigns have launched many modeling careers; a fashion feature in Nylon Magazine, as well as a modeling contract with Next Model Management. In addition to the panel of judges, which includes Banks, fashion public relations maven Kelly Cutrone, and former boxer and international male supermodel Rob Evans, the public will again be able to have a say in who stays and who goes in the competition. Famed stylist Johnny Wujek returns as photo shoot creative consultant and top fashion blogger Bryanboy will return as the social media correspondent, mentoring the models and highlighting the scores, comments and video messages from the viewers that will be revealed in the show during judging.

Tanked, season premiere at 10pm on Animal Planet

– Following the antics of two brothers-in-law as they run the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the nation, Tanked dunks viewers into the high-decibel, family-owned business of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM). Led by business partners, best friends and constant rivals Wayde King and Brett Raymer, this 13,000 square foot facility, located in Las Vegas, produces some of the most outrageous, larger-than-life and one-of-a-kind tanks for some of the most striking fish and clients around. No job is too big, too far, or too outlandish as Wayde and Brett travel the world to make fellow fish enthusiast’s dreams of having their own little piece of the ocean a reality. They’ve created tanks to look like pyramids, spheres, phone booths, cars, kegs, the female anatomy and much more. Their work is customized to fit intricate and interesting locations including restaurants, casinos, banks, hotels, churches, corporate offices, mansions, museums and zoos. Working with opinionated and outrageous family and staff, including Wayde’s wife, Heather, and Brett and Heather’s father, “The General”, the show reveals the stress, success, and sometimes dysfunction, of a family business that has been running strong for 14 years. Tanked brings the secrets of the underwater world to the surface with a comedic twist, leaving viewers amazed and enthralled with each project from conception to final reveal.

Saturday, August 3^rd

Too Cute!, season premiere at 9pm on Animal Planet

– Tune in for Too Cute! and witness the world of puppies and kittens as they never have before with unprecedented footage and never-before-seen clips of the early lives of dogs and cats. This series contains material that is just too cute! It is a world where cuddly knows no bounds and a place where fluffy reigns supreme. First up is Puppies, a light-hearted, high-end nature documentary that follows the birth and first months of three distinct puppy litters from the puppies’ perspectives. This is puppies the way they were meant to be seen, ridiculously up-close and in jaw-dropping super slow-motion. Next up is Kittens, The remarkable story of three adorable kitten litters coming of age. From unsteady first steps to daring kitty pounces, the first eight weeks of their lives will be an epic journey for these adventurous Abyssinians, brash Bengals and perfect Persians. Between pushy puppies and bubble baths, a kitten’s first few months may appear exhausting – but these cuddly kittens are simply too loveable, too curious, and too cute to quit.

Psychic Tia, series premiere at 10pm on A&E

– A&E’s new supernatural docu-series centers on celebrity psychic medium Tia and her remarkable gift to transcend the physical world and enter into the spiritual one. As a former New Jersey police detective, Tia noticed that her psychic intuition was playing a key role in her detective work, so she decided to focus her ability in a new direction: her own business! At her New Jersey store The Craft, Tia shares her exceptional skills as both a medium and a psychic with her clients…and this outspoken intuitive, like any bona fide Jersey girl, truly tells it like she sees it. Tia’s no-nonsense, direct approach is one of a kind, and an appointment with her is truly a life-changing experience! Tia’s amazing readings range from crossing over to future telling to performing charms and incantations. Her main intention throughout is to use her vision to provide guidance to her clients and help them live better lives – and in Tia’s own life, between running a business, having a family, and listening to spirits, it can get pretty noisy!

New Premieres This Week in TV: March 17th – 23rd

Monday, March 18^th

Dancing With The Stars, 2-hour season premiere at 8pm on ABC

– Fire up the spray-tan machine—it’s time to airbrush muscular definition where no abs exist for Dancing’s 16^th season! Ancient Planet Mirrorballus lore would predict victory for the young Olympic gold medalist (gymnast Aly Raisman), the NFL star (Jacoby Jones), or Derek Hough’s partner (Idol alum Kellie Pickler). But do not underestimate figure skater Dorothy Hamill and my favorite Leprechaun Tristan MacManus. But nevermind the so-called “stars,” of note this season is the absence of the Russian with the big mouth Maksim Chmerkovsky and his fine derriere.

Top of the Lake, miniseries premiere at 9pm on Sundance Channel

– Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter star in this terrifically moody 7 part miniseries about a 12-year-old girl who is 5 months pregnant when she walks into a lake…then disappears. Detective Robin Griffin (Moss) returns home to investigate, but it’s not a simple missing persons case. In this breathtaking but remote mountain town, there are evil forces as powerful as the land itself. And those who offer a glimpse of paradise also provide a path to hell. Trapped where happiness and honest work are just out of reach, Griffin must not only find the girl but also face her own haunting past. With the men that she once left behind now standing in her way, every step closer to solving the case unearths a dangerous truth about herself.

Bates Motel, series premiere at 10pm on A&E

– A&E presents a highly-anticipated sinister new series about a young pre-“Psycho” Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his sexy smothering mother Norma (Vera Farmiga). This contemporary prequel to the genre-defining Hitchock film promises to give viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn first hand just how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother truly is and how she helped forge the most famous serial killer of them all.

Tuesday, March 19^th

Splash, series premiere at 8pm on ABC

– When you run out of good programming ideas, casting washed-up celebrities in a high diving competition reality series is sure to generate viewership, right? Apparently, ABC execs seem to think so, well at least it beats The Neighbors…I think… Splash marks the first time 10 celebrities will train and compete in regulation platform and springboard diving at dizzying heights in front of a weekly poolside audience. Each week the celebrities will look fear in the face as they leap off the 10-meter high dive, pair off to complete synchronized stunts, and flip, twist and spin into the depths of the pool below. Leading up to the competition, the world’s most decorated and medaled diving legend, Greg Louganis, will give each celebrity weeks of training. Each dive will be critiqued by the judges, London Olympic U.S. Gold medalist David Boudia and Australian Olympic athlete and USA Dive Team director Steve Foley. The celebrity cast includes former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, reality star and former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner Kendra Wilkinson, comedian Louie Anderson, Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, Chelsea Lately star Chuy Bravo, pro skier Rory Bushfield, actresses Nicole Eggert and Keshia Knight Pulliam (who? Exactly…), NFL player Ndamukong Suh, and Miss USA contestant and TV correspondent Katherine Webb.

Friday, March 22^nd

Tanked, season premiere at 9pm on Animal Planet

– Following the antics of two brothers-in-law as they run the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the nation, Tanked dunks viewers into the high-decibel, family-owned business of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM). Led by business partners, best friends and constant rivals Wayde King and Brett Raymer, this 13,000 square foot facility, located in Las Vegas, produces some of the most outrageous, larger-than-life and one-of-a-kind tanks for some of the most striking fish and clients around. No job is too big, too far, or too outlandish as Wayde and Brett travel the world to make fellow fish enthusiast’s dreams of having their own little piece of the ocean a reality. They’ve created tanks to look like pyramids, spheres, phone booths, cars, kegs, the female anatomy and much more. Their work is customized to fit intricate and interesting locations including restaurants, casinos, banks, hotels, churches, corporate offices, mansions, museums and zoos. Tanked brings the secrets of the underwater world to the surface with a comedic twist, leaving viewers amazed and enthralled with each project from conception to final reveal.

Saturday, March 23^rd

Nickelodeon’s 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards, awards show from 8 to 9:30pm on Nickelodeon

– Fergie’s hubby and Safe Haven star Josh Duhamel is hosting. Bring on the slime!

New Premieres This Week in TV: August 5th – 11th

Tuesday, August 7^th

Shipping Wars, season premiere at 9pm on A&E

– A&E’s original real-life series Shipping Wars follows six independent shippers who have discovered that fortunes can be made transporting items that traditional carriers won’t touch. Each episode dives into the cutthroat world of heavy-duty movers as they battle for the chance to transport the unshippable. The competition begins with uShip, the world’s largest online marketplace for independent truckers. Every day, thousands of shipments are put up for auction. The battle is fierce as the movers have only minutes to bid, and the lowest bidder gets the load. From oversized loads and bulky packages to the truly bizarre, these shippers will haul anything if the price is right. This season, the movers tackle everything from giant crystals to Lego sculptures to a ferris wheel to a Vietnam-era helicopter! The high-stakes race is on as they set out to deliver the loads in time, and any setback can cost big bucks.

Wednesday, August 8^th

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, series premiere at 10pm on TLC

– TLC first introduced viewers to Toddlers & Tiaras star Alana, aka “Honey Boo Boo” in January, where her amusing personality and self-confidence won over viewers and her self-proclaimed nickname became a fixture in pop culture. This new reality series gives viewers an inside look into Alana’s world where the six-year-old pageant sensation proves that she is more than a beauty queen. When she’s not chasing after crowns, Alana’s with her family in rural Georgia doing what her family does best: four-wheeling through mud pits and picking up road kill for the family cookout. Each episode follows Alana and her family: stay-at-home mom June, chalk-mining dad Sugar Bear, and sisters 12-year-old Lauryn “Pumpkin”, 15-year-old Jessica “Chubbs”, and 17-year-old pregnant Anna “Chickadee”. From family outings to loud and crazy family get-togethers, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo takes us off the pageant stage and into the unapologetically outrageous family life of the Honey Boo Boo clan.

Go On, series premiere at 11:05pm (after the Olympics) on NBC

– Matthew Perry (Friends) stars as Ryan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss of his wife. Ryan’s alpha-male boss, Stephen, played by John Cho (“Star Trek,” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”), has a different plan in store for Ryan, making him attend grief counseling before returning to the air. A reluctant Ryan finds himself in a support group for “life change,” where he meets an oddball cast of characters, all with their own backstories filled with varying degrees of loss. On his very first visit, Ryan convinces the group to deviate from their normal session and starts a tournament-style competition (March Sadness!) to find out whose story is the worst. Ryan’s total lack of interest in “the healing process” proves distracting and he soon butts heads with the by-the-books group leader, Lauren (played by Tony-award winner Laura Benanti). Back at work, Ryan is confronted with the fact that he hasn’t really processed his grief and realizes Lauren and the other members of the group might be key in helping him move on.

Thursday, August 9^th

Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, series premiere at 11pm on FX

– From executive producer Chris Rock, Rock’s protégé stars in his very own six-week stand-up series in which Bell will dissect a multitude of topics including politics, pop culture, race, religion, and the media. The series will feature his commentary along with features from other contributors and sketch comedy. The six half-hour installments of the series will be shot in New York City.

Childrens Hospital, season premiere at midnight on Adult Swim

– Childrens Hospital, a comedy series created by Rob Corddry (“Hot Tub Time Machine,” The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and featuring an all-star cast, is based on the Webby Award–winning digital series that debuted on TheWB.com in 2008. Childrens Hospital is an award-winning facility where happy and healthy children are looked after by doctors who deeply care about them and the overall well-being of their community. That whole sentence was a lie. In Season 4, Corddry is again joined by a cast of comedic geniuses, including Malin Akerman (The Romantics, “Wanderlust”), Lake Bell (How to Make It in America, No Strings Attached), Erinn Hayes (Parenthood, Worst Week), Rob Huebel (“I Love You, Man;” Human Giant), Ken Marino (Party Down, Wanderlust), two-time Emmy® winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Party Down) and Henry Winkler (Arrested Development, Happy Days).

Friday, August 10^th

The Dead Files, season premiere at 10pm on Travel

– The Dead Files team approaches every case from their two specific areas of expertise: Steve DiSchiavi is a Homicide Detective and Amy Allan is a Physical Medium. They are a paranormal team like no other, combining their unique, eclectic and often-conflicting skills to solve unexplained paranormal phenomena in haunted locations across America. Each investigator’s methods and findings remain hidden from the other team member to preserve the integrity of their findings, until the shocking results are revealed to the homeowner in the compelling conclusion of each episode. While much of Steve’s factual findings have already been disclosed to the audience as we followed him on his investigation, we always save the most shocking information for last. This is the moment of truth, when Steve and Amy come together, with the homeowner, and all of the team’s findings gel into one undeniable – and often terrifying – conclusion.

Saturday. August 11^th

Tanked, season premiere at 9pm on Animal Planet

– Following the antics of two brothers-in-law as they run the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the nation, Tanked dunks viewers into the high-decibel, family-owned business of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM). Led by business partners, best friends and constant rivals Wayde King and Brett Raymer, this 13,000 square foot facility, located in Las Vegas, produces some of the most outrageous, larger-than-life and one-of-a-kind tanks for some of the most striking fish and clients around. No job is too big, too far, or too outlandish as Wayde and Brett travel the world to make fellow fish enthusiast’s dreams of having their own little piece of the ocean a reality. They’ve created tanks to look like pyramids, spheres, phone booths, cars, kegs, the female anatomy and much more. Working with opinionated and outrageous family and staff, including Wayde’s wife, Heather, and Brett and Heather’s father, “The General”, the show reveals the stress, success, and sometimes dysfunction, of a family business that has been running strong for 14 years.

New Premieres This Week in TV: August 14th – 20th

Sunday, August 14^th

The Great Food Truck Race, season premiere at 10pm on Food Network

– Hosted by Tyler Florence, The Great Food Truck Race returns for season 2 and features eight gourmet food trucks as they embark on an epic coast-to-coast culinary road trip through cities including Santa Monica, Calif.; Las Vegas; Salt Lake City; Denver; Manhattan, Kan.; Memphis, Tenn., Atlanta, and Miami. Each week, the trucks roll into a new city and compete in dynamic challenges – often battling tough conditions including weather problems, location mishaps, food sourcing issues, and ever-changing customer taste buds. In the end, it’s all about which truck can sell the most food and race to the next episode while the losing team is sent home. Guest judges join host Tyler Florence in each episode and the last truck standing wins $100,000.

Monday, August 15^th

Most Eligible Dallas, series premiere at 10pm on Bravo

– They’re young, they’re hot, they’re single – they’re Dallas’ Most Eligible. From beauty queens to pro-football players, this group of Texas socialites proves that everything’s bigger in Texas – including the drama. Some are looking for true love while others have perfected the art of the one-night stand, and somehow their love lives have all crossed paths at one time or another. Dallas serves as the sexy backdrop for this jaw-dropping series that follows a group of successful friends living it up in the lone star state.

The Lying Game, series premiere at 9pm on ABC Family

– The new series, based on the novel, follows Emma, a kind-hearted foster kid who learns she has an identical twin sister, Sutton. Sutton, unlike Emma, was adopted by wealthy parents and is seemingly living an ideal life. After their initial meeting, Sutton talks Emma into stepping into her life for a few days while she pursues a lead on the mysterious identity of their birth mother.  After Sutton inexplicably fails to return to the girls’ designated meeting place, Emma must decide whether to come clean about her identity and risk her own safety in the hope of uncovering her twin sister’s whereabouts, along with the truth about why they were separated in the first place.

Tuesday, August 16^th

Family Restaurant, series premiere at 10pm on WEtv

– This new reality series gives a hilarious glimpse into one family’s life in the high-pressure restaurant biz. The series serves up an unforgettably eccentric cast of characters, a steady diet of colorful, behind-the-scenes stories, and platter after mouthwatering platter of amazing food. Cooking frenzies, communication breakdowns and front-of-house antics abound. The daily trials and triumphs of running a busy restaurant ignite family friction, often with hilarious results. But the Quon family’s bond runs as deep as their passion for the Lingnan, and the result is a fast and funny series.

What Not To Wear, season premiere at 9pm on TLC

– TLC’s fashion reality series returns with more life-changing makeovers in the show’s 9th season. Each week, TLC resident fashion experts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly face an assortment of fashionably challenged contributors, providing them with invaluable fashion advice and life-changing transformations, inside and out. Hair stylist Ted Gibson and makeup artist Carmindy add the finishing touches that complete the change.

Wednesday, August 17^th

The Hour, series premiere at 10pm on BBC America

– Dominic West (The Wire), Romola Garai (Emma) and Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) lead an all-star cast on The Hour, an original, edge-of-your-seat spy thriller set in the world of television journalism in 1956 that The New York Times raves has “a style and intelligence all its own.” BBC reporters Bel Rowley (Romola Garai) and Freddie Lyon (Ben Whishaw) are given the opportunity to escape their jobs producing dull newsreels and work on a new, weekly investigative news program. The interplay and intense ambitions between the rising news team plays out against the backdrop of a rivalry between Freddie and lead anchorman Hector Madden (Dominic West) for Bel’s affections. But it’s only when Freddie has a chance encounter with a childhood friend, Ruth Elms, that he is thrust into the middle of a mysterious murder along with a controversial and dangerous investigation.

Thursday, August 18^th

The Millionaire Matchmaker, season premiere at 9pm on Bravo

– Newly single Patti Stanger takes reign over her clients’ love lives, but is love in store for the matchmaker herself? Patti calls on celebrity friends Tori Spelling and Jenny McCarthy to provide expert advice for her hapless millionaires. From a former NFL player to Million Dollar Listing’s Madison Hildebrand, Patti will be challenged to find love for a very diverse roster of rich singles. In each episode, two wealthy clients are set up with dates hand-picked by Patti. With a brutally blunt approach and a big heart, Patti and her staff — Chief Operating Officer, Destin Pfaff and VP of Matching, Rachel Federoff – give their millionaire clients complete transformations with the help of personal shoppers, date coaches and therapists.

Do Something Awards, awards show at 9pm on VH1

– DoSomething.org and VH1 have once again partnered to present The Do Something Awards to honor young people’s commitment to social change. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch (Glee’s fabulous Sue Sylvester) will return to host the star-studded Do Something Awards telecast for a second year. The show will feature performances by Demi Lovato, one of my favorites OneRepublic featuring B.O.B, and Foster The People. The all-star lineup of presenters includes Kristen Bell, Nick Cannon, Jon Cryer, Victoria Justice, Adam Lambert, Mario Lopez, Rose McGowan, Olivia Munn, Keke Palmer and Lauren Potter.

Friday, August 19^th

Tanked, series premiere at 9pm on Animal Planet

– Following the antics of two brothers-in-law as they run the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the nation, Tanked dunks viewers into the high-decibel, family-owned business of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM). Led by business partners, best friends and constant rivals Wayde King and Brett Raymer, this 13,000 square foot facility, located in Las Vegas, produces some of the most outrageous, larger-than-life and one-of-a-kind tanks for some of the most striking fish and clients around. No job is too big, too far, or too outlandish as Wayde and Brett travel the world to make fellow fish enthusiast’s dreams of having their own little piece of the ocean a reality. They’ve created tanks to look like pyramids, spheres, phone booths, cars, kegs, the female anatomy and much more. Their work is customized to fit intricate and interesting locations including restaurants, casinos, banks, hotels, churches, corporate offices, mansions, museums and zoos. Working with opinionated and outrageous family and staff, including Wayde’s wife, Heather, and Brett and Heather’s father, “The General”, the show reveals the stress, success, and sometimes dysfunction, of a family business that has been running strong for 14 years.

Saturday, August 20^th

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, season premiere at 10pm on VH1 Classic

– This five episode series documents the real life dream inside every music fan — becoming a rock star! Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp will follow 12 musicians ready to step out of their lives as 9 to 5’ers, truck drivers, teachers, dads and husbands and onto the stage. Over one week, our campers will form bands and rehearse…culminating in a live performance at an iconic venue their own rock idols have conquered. With a few hiccups along the way, the journey will be anything but dull…fights will erupt and stage fright will ensue, ensuring that only those with rock n’ roll in their blood will make it!