Here are some highlights of what to watch on TV this week:
MONDAY
8 PM on Channel 29
House
An ex-con friend (guest star Amy Landecker) shows up at Thirteen's (Olivia Wilde) apartment in
need of medical attention. Because she's using drugs, however, she can't go to the hospital
and risk being rearrested. So Thirteen asks Chase (Jesse Spencer) for some under-the-table
help. House (Hugh Laurie) receives some upsetting information, and Taub (Peter Jacobson) gets
a surprise in the new episode "After Hours."
8 PM on Channel 4
How I Met Your Mother
Intervening in Ted's (Josh Radnor) relationship forges a bond between Robin and Barney (Cobie
Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris). Ted, for his part, is serving as best man in a wedding that
could have a huge impact on his future. Marshall and Lily (Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan) are
more focused on the immediate future … specifically, a possible attack of food poisoning … in
the season finale, "Challenge Accepted."
8 PM on Channel 23
90210
Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) makes a decision that could keep her from graduating, while Liam
(Matt Lanter) tells Annie (Shenae Grimes) he doesn't want to attend college. Ryan (Ryan
Eggold) invites Debbie (Lori Loughlin) to go to Paris. The group shuns Adrianna (Jessica
Lowndes) after learning about her revenge plan against Silver (Jessica Stroup). An impromptu
wedding takes place in the season finale, "To the Future!" (14)
9 PM on Channel 23
Gossip Girl
Want drama? The season finale is packed to the rafters with it, starting with a life-changing
decision looming for Blair (Leighton Meester). Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg)
returns, along with those mean girls Is and Kati (Nicole Fiscella, Nan Zhang). Cecily von
Ziegesar, author of the "Gossip Girl" books, makes a cameo appearance, and the band Airborne
Toxic Event performs in "The Wrong Goodbye." (14)
9:31 PM on Channel 4
Mike & Molly
Gee, what's the rush? They haven't been together that long. Mike (Billy Gardell) doesn't know
how to respond when his mother's (Rondi Reed) new boyfriend asks him if he's planning to marry
Molly (Melissa McCarthy). Katy Mixon and Swoosie Kurtz also star in the season finale,
"Peggy's New Beau."
10 PM on Channel 2
Law & Order: LA
A state senator and six others are killed when a gunman opens fire at a rally. Jaruzsalski and
Morales (Corey Stoll, Alfred Molina) use modern technology to identify a suspect and pinpoint
a possible motive, but Rubirosa and Dekker (Alana de la Garza, Terrence Howard) can't agree on
how to handle the case in the new episode "Hayden Tract." (14)
10:01 PM on Channel 7
Castle
When hit man Hal Lockwood (Max Martini) escapes from custody during a court hearing, Beckett
(Stana Katic) reopens the investigation into her mother's murder, about which Hal had
information. As the police try to recapture him, Beckett and Castle (Nathan Fillion) find
evidence of a co-conspirator with law enforcement connections, and their search has deadly
consequences in the season finale, "Knockout." (PG)
TUESDAY
8 PM on Channel 29
Glee
As the members of New Directions work on their set list for Nationals, with assistance from
Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), someone at McKinley deals with the unexpected loss of a
loved one. Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele and Dianna Agron also star in the new
episode "Funeral."
8 PM on Channel 23
One Tree Hill
Clay and Nathan (Robert Buckley, James Lafferty) go on the road in search of new clients,
while Brooke and Haley (Sophia Bush, Bethany Joy Galeotti) get Karen's Cafe ready for
reopening. Chase (Stephen Colletti) departs for the Air Force, to the disappointment of Chuck
and Alex (Michael May, Jana Kramer). Mouth and Millicent (Lee Norris, Lisa Goldstein) begin
their new morning show in the season finale, "This Is My House, This Is My Home."
9 PM on Channel 23
Hellcats
Well, of course they're related; they're played by sisters! Marti and Deidre's (Aly and AJ
Michalka) discovery that they're kin comes as a surprise to them but probably not to viewers.
The girls' band, 78violet, performs in a season finale that finds the Hellcats dangerously
close to being disqualified from Nationals, thanks to an epidemic of strep throat that's left
them shorthanded. Ashley Tisdale also stars in "I'm Sick Y'all." (PG)
10 PM on Channel 4
The Good Wife
Obviously things are tense between Alicia and Kalinda (Julianna Margulies, Archie Panjabi)
since the latter slept with the former's husband, but they must set aside their differences to
work on the defense of a client accused of murder. Meanwhile, Alicia wonders if the time might
be right for pursuing a relationship with Will (Josh Charles). Kelli Giddish ("Chase") guest
stars in the season finale, "Closing Argument."
10 PM and Midnight on COMEDY
Tosh.0
Comedian Daniel Tosh is back with new episodes of his offbeat series, in which he introduces
and comments on Internet videos and occasionally gets into the act himself … as in this
episode, which finds him in the ring with boxer Manny Pacquiao. The result is just what you'd
expect. (14)
WEDNESDAY
6:30 PM on VH1
Movie: ATL
Based on a story by Antwone Fisher, himself the subject of an earlier movie, this heartfelt
drama focuses on young Atlanta friends bonded by their passion for roller skating. One (Tip
Harris, alias rapper T.I.) is an orphan watching over his younger brother (Evan Ross, son of
Diana) … who could use the guidance, having fallen in with a drug peddler (Big Boi of music's
OutKast). Mykelti Williamson, Keith David and Lonette McKee also star.
8:30 PM on TNT
NBA Basketball
A day after the Western Conference Finals get under way, the East follows suit with Game 1 of
its best-of-seven series. The winner here goes on to face the West champion in the NBA Finals.
Last year, the Boston Celtics did just that with their four-games-to-two victory over the
Orlando Magic.
8 PM on Channel 29
American Idol
And then there were three. Only one can be the next American Idol, so if your favorite is
still in the running, get that dialing finger ready to cast your vote to keep that person
around for the finals next week. Judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez will
have something to say about the finalists' performances tonight, but it's up to you who stays
and who goes.
9 PM on Channel 7
Modern Family
A series of mishaps threatens to keep the family from getting to Alex's (Ariel Winter)
graduation from middle school. Jay (Ed O'Neill) has an embarrassing problem involving Botox,
Cameron and Mitchell (Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson) are having a spat, and Claire
(Julie Bowen) is having an emotional crisis over the kids growing up so fast. Sofia Vergara
and Ty Burrell also star in the new episode "See You Next Fall." (PG)
9 PM and Midnight on DISCOVERY
MythBusters
Hyneman. Jamie Hyneman. In the new episode "Spy Car 2," Adam and Jamie play spy versus spy as
they try to determine whether it's possible to make a car do the tricks they do in the movies.
Can guns mounted on the hood of a car really fire accurately enough to hit a target? And is it
really possible to shred another vehicle's tires with a hub-mounted device? See for yourself.
(PG)
10:30 PM on Channel 7
Happy Endings
To prove to their friends that they can get along, Dave and Alex (Zachary Knighton, Elisha
Cuthbert) invite everyone to join them at a concert by a band they all enjoyed in college.
Things quickly go downhill, however, thanks to their bickering, Jane's (Eliza Coupe) drinking,
Penny's (Casey Wilson) attempts to get backstage and an appearance by Dave's fraternity
brothers in the new episode "Barefoot Pedaler." (PG)
THURSDAY
8 PM on Channel 4
The Big Bang Theory
Dr. Wolowitz, I presume? Oops, never mind. Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) gets her doctorate,
which means Howard (Simon Helberg) is the only one in the group without one, a fact that the
other guys can't resist teasing him about. Raj and Sheldon (Kunal Nayyar, Jim Parsons) become
roommates after an unfortunate eavesdropping incident involving Leonard and Priya (Johnny
Galecki, Aarti Mann) in the season finale, "The Roommate Transmogrification."
8:31 PM on Channel 4
Rules of Engagement
What a difference a vowel makes … to Russell (David Spade), at least. He books himself on a
cruise that he thinks will have lots of "red hot" women but finds it full of women from the
Red Hat Society, an organization for fabulous, fun-loving 50-plus females. Timmy (Adhir
Kalyan) tries to settle an argument between Jeff and Audrey (Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price)
in the season finale, "The Last of the Red Hat Lovers." Edie McClurg guest stars.
9 PM on Channel 29
Bones
Ouch! A bowling alley is the scene of a grisly discovery: a man's remains in one of the
automatic pinsetters. To solve this one, Brennan and Booth (Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz)
go under cover and join a bowling league … a very competitive one, it turns out. Michaela
Conlin and TJ Thyne also star in the season finale, "The Change in the Game." (14)
10 and 11 PM on OXYGEN
Snapped
The new episode "Kelly Ryan" chronicles the case of a fitness competitor who was charged,
along with her then-husband, bodybuilder Craig Titus, in the 2005 murder of the couple's
live-in assistant, Melissa James. The couple were on the run for nine days after James'
charred body was found in a car in the Nevada desert. (PG)
FRIDAY
7:30 PM on SHOWTIME
Movie: The Messenger
Woody Harrelson was an Oscar nominee for his work in this drama about military officers
assigned to notify other soldiers' families of the battle-related deaths of their loved ones.
Ben Foster plays Harrelson's new partner in being such emissaries, and the two men form a
close bond that helps them in unexpected ways. Jena Malone, Samantha Morton, Eamonn Walker and
Steve Buscemi also are in director and co-writer Owen Moverman's fine cast.
9 PM on Channel 23
Supernatural
The second of two new episodes airing tonight, the season finale opens with all you-know-what
breaking loose as the wall in Sam's (Jared Padalecki) head comes down. Dean and Bobby (Jensen
Ackles, Jim Beaver) are unable to do anything and must stand by helplessly while Sam falls
apart and the battle for heaven reaches its climax in "The Man Who Knew Too Much." (14)
9 PM and Midnight on DISCOVERY
Dual Survival
It's one thing to simulate being stranded in the wild with little to no gear. The fact is,
most people who land in such situations in real life do have some kind of equipment on them.
In this series, survival experts Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundin attempt to get through
precarious situations based on real life. In the new episode "Adrift," they're enacting the
scenario of being stranded on an island in the South Pacific. (PG)
10 PM on DISCOVERY
Swamp Brothers
Reptiles may be their specialty, but occasionally Robbie and Stephen get called to deal with
other members of the animal kingdom. In this new episode, Robbie's exhibiting at a reptile
show in Texas when a zoo calls him for help with an overly feisty crocodile and a gorilla in
need of dental work. A trip to tag and release sea turtles has one of the brothers forgetting
his sea legs in "Everything's Bigger in Texas." (14)
SATURDAY
4:30 PM on Channel 2
136th Preakness Stakes
The second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, the 136th Preakness Stakes, takes place today
at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where the winner of the Kentucky Derby looks for a shot
at the Triple Crown, something that hasn't been accomplished since Affirmed in 1978. In recent
years, four horses … Big Brown, Smarty Jones, Funny Cide and War Emblem … won both the Derby
and the Preakness but fell short at the Belmont Stakes.
8 PM on Channel 2
Chase
A case that directly affects her father's (guest star William Sadler) safety forces Annie
(Kelli Giddish) to divulge details of her past with the rest of the team. As they try to track
Dad down, Annie has flashbacks to her childhood and uncovers the truth behind a lifelong
betrayal. Cole Hauser, Jesse Metcalfe and Amaury Nolasco also star in the new episode "Annie."
(14)
9 PM on SYFY
Movie: Sinbad and the Minotaur
Wait, wasn't it Theseus and the Minotaur? Well, let's not let the facts get in the way of a
good story, especially since they aren't even facts. This new adventure tale has the legendary
sailor confronting the legendary half man, half bull while on a quest for the head of a
legendary statue. Where's Barney Stinson when we need him? Manu Bennett ("Spartacus: Blood and
Sand") stars. (14)
10 PM on CINEMAX
Movie: Charlie St. Cloud
Reunited with "17 Again" director Burr Steers, Zac Efron has a dramatic showcase in this
emotional adaptation of Ben Sherwood's novel. Destined for a bright future that includes a
scholarship, Charlie changes his path after a car accident results in personal tragedy. The
pain is reinforced by visions of his younger brother (Charlie Tahan), the accident's victim,
but new hope presents itself in the form of an ex-classmate (Amanda Crew).
11:29 PM on Channel 2
Saturday Night Live
There probably won't be another catfight with Madonna, but Lady Gaga and "SNL" are both full
of surprises, so it's a pretty safe bet that there will be a few when she returns as the
musical guest for the season finale. Justin Timberlake makes his fourth appearance on the show
as host. (14)
SUNDAY
1 PM on ESPN2
2011 French Open Tennis
Can anyone beat Rafael Nadal on the clay courts of Roland Garros Stadium, home of the 2011
French Open? Only one has been able to do so in Rafa's six appearances … Robin Soderling in
2009 … and that was when he was hampered by knee problems. Nadal goes for his sixth singles
title, challenged by Roger Federer, Soderling and Novak Djokovic, among others. On the women's
side, '10 champ Francesca Schiavone will take on all comers.
7:30 PM on Channel 29
American Dad
Stan and Steve attempt to spend some quality time together at the zoo, but their father-
and-son bonding is interrupted when Steve slips into the gorilla exhibit. Roger bets Hayley
that he can become a successful country singer and proceeds to write what he hopes will be the
saddest song ever in the season finale, "Gorillas in the Mist." (14)
8 PM on Channel 29
The Simpsons
Now here's an odd couple. After Ned Flanders saves Mrs. Krabappel's life, the two of them
strike up a relationship, but it may not go too far once Ned learns how many other men she's
been with … a list that includes Homer and Aerosmith's Joey Kramer, who voices his cartoon
likeness in the season finale, "The Ned-liest Catch." (PG)
8 PM on Channel 7
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Fan support … in the form of sales, airplay, concert attendance, social media interaction and
other factors … determines the winners of these awards, which span multiple musical genres.
Ken Jeong ("Community") hosts this year's gala, with Jennifer Lopez, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna,
Keith Urban, Cee Lo, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, Lady Antebellum and Taio Cruz among the scheduled
performers. (14)
9 PM on Channel 2
The Celebrity Apprentice
Murphy's Law is in effect in the season finale, as the finalists make their 7Up Retro
presentations. One team wants more direction from its leader, while the other finalist makes a
critical error in timing, introducing the band Def Leppard before it's ready to go on. When
it's all over, Donald Trump picks the winner in "Sweet Victory." (PG)
10 PM and Midnight on HBO
Treme
Lt. Colson (David Morse) finds himself questioning the quality of police investigations.
Janette (Kim Dickens) lands a new gig at Le Bernardin. Annie (Lucia Micarelli) tries her hand
at composing. Davis (Steve Zahn) discovers a new talent for the record company that he started
with Aunt Mimi (Elizabeth Ashley), who receives a track from rapper Mannie Fresh. Sofia (India
Ennenga) gets an internship in the new episode "Slip Away." (MA)
