TV This Weekend - Jan. 11, 2008

News Type: Event — Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:24 PM EST

Tonight night Mr. Monk returns with a new episode. Saturday night Rachael Ray starts a new show. Sunday night there's the prequel to Lonesome Dove.

US television highlights for the weekend of Jan. 11, 2008. Times are ET, shows are new unless noted otherwise. TV This Week will be published Monday. Tagged for your pleasure: tvtw .

Friday

Ghost Whisperer, Slam. 8:00pm, CBS.
Melinda goes to Ned's new high school to investigate what appears to be a series of hauntings.

Flash Gordon, Ebb and Flow. 8:00pm, Sci-Fi.
Rankol steals a lake from Earth and deposits the water in a reservoir on Mongo, forcing Flash and the gang to return to Mongo to thwart another theft.

Moonlight, Love Lasts Forever. 9:00pm, CBS.
Mick and Beth attempt to rescue Josh after he is kidnapped by a vindictive drug lord.

Friday Night Lights, Jumping the Gun. 9:00pm, NBC.
Smash feels pressured to make a commitment to a college. Elsewhere, Coach Taylor worries about Riggins and Julie; the Panthers gear up for the biggest game of the season; and Tami clashes with her sister (Jessalyn Gilsig).

Monk, Mr. Monk Joins a Cult. 9:00pm, USA.
Monk investigates a cult and unwillingly becomes influenced by its hypnotic leader. Howie Mandel guest stars.

Numb3rs, Breaking Point. 10:00pm, CBS.
An investigative journalist goes missing, and Charlie is physically intimidated in an effort to disrupt his work on the case.

Las Vegas, 3 Babes, 100 Guns, and a Fat Chick. 10:00pm, NBC.
It gets dicey at the casino when a government agents and bounty hunters---including one of Danny's former Marine pals---trail a mob fugitive to the Montecito. Elsewhere, Delinda's confidence dips in the wake of her pregnancy-related weight gain; Sam attempts to counsel a downcast client; and Piper oversees a profitable pool party.

Stargate Atlantis, Spoils of War. 10:00pm, Sci-Fi.
The Atlantis team salvages a damaged Wraith vessel, which turns out to hold valuable tactical information about the group's enemies.

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Saturday

Rachael's Vacation, Provence. 9:00pm, Food Network.
Debut: Globe-trotting TV cook Rachael Ray explores the history, culture and cuisine of exotic locales around the world. First up: Rachael travels to southern France. Stops include the Aix Farmers' Market in Provence and the historic ruins in Arles. Note: she visits Bordeaux at 9:30pm.

Critics Choice Awards, special 2 hrs. 9:00pm, VH1.
D.L. Hughley hosts the 13th annual awards presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Movies garnering the most nominations include "Into the Wild," "Juno" and "No Country For Old Men."

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 2005 movie, 2 hrs. 9:00pm, Sci-Fi.
Trippy adaptation of the cult sci-fi adventure follows an alien (Mos Def) and an earthling (Martin Freeman) on a cosmic joyride through space. Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel. Directed by Garth Jennings and co-scripted by Douglas Adams, the author of the original texts upon which the film is based. The animatronic creatures were designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

Saturday Night Live. 11:30pm, NBC.
Jake Gyllenhaal hosts. The Shins perform. (repeat)

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Sunday

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,pilot. 8:00pm, Fox.
Debut: The sci-fi drama, based on the "Terminator" movies, follows a fugitive mother and son on the run from cyborgs sent from the future. First up: Sarah (Lena Headey) and John (Thomas Dekker) pack up and move to a new town. Meanwhile, a Terminator is alerted to their movement and sent to assassinate John. Little do they know that another cyborg (Summer Glau) has been sent to protect John and ensure his eventual leadership of the revolution.

Amazing Race, Sorry, Guys, I'm Not Happy to See You. 8:00pm, CBS.
One female racer celebrates her birthday during the 10th leg of the competition, as the final four teams try to secure a spot as one of the three pairs who race to the finish line and the $1 million first-place prize.

Comanche Moon. 9:00pm, CBS.
Exciting prequel to "Lonesome Dove" detailing the adventures of Texas Rangers Gus McCrae (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow Call (Karl Urban). In Part 1 of 3, the Rangers track a notorious horse thief, and Gus and Woodrow are promoted to captains after their leader, Capt. Scull (Val Kilmer), abandons his men to search for his beloved horse that is stolen. Also: Gus courts Clara, a local Austin beauty, and Scull's wife takes up with Jake Spoon, a young Ranger.

Family Guy, McStoke. 9:00pm, Fox.
Peter is paralyzed after suffering a stroke caused by eating too many fast-food hamburgers. And Stewie sets out to be the most popular boy at James Woods High School, even though he's a baby. Guest voices include Ricardo Montalban as a cow.