BONES (8PM FOX)
We watch for the Sam and Dianne will they or won’t they dynamic, and it seems ever so closer to being realized in the season premiere: six weeks after his injury, Booth (David Boreanaz) is starting to realize his feelings for Brennan (Emily Deschanel) – except, ah, a catch, one involving guest star Cyndi Lauper as a psychic and a clown. Hey, it’s progress, right? Grade: B — Aleks Chan

FRINGE (9PM FOX, ‘A’ in Canada)
We last saw FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv, who’s like a Jennifer Garner-Elizabeth Mitchell hybrid), she was gazing out of a still-standing World Trade Center in an alternate universe. We next see her hurling out the front windshield of her SUV. Not a lot of explanation in the premiere (which is mostly the producers setting the stage for the season), but its back in the same focused state of mind we left it in, and it only makes the tricky season ahead seem that much more promising. Grade: B+ — Aleks Chan

COMMUNITY (9:30PM NBC, CityTV in Canada)
Joel McHale, Chevy Chase and THE DAILY SHOW’s John Oliver are just a few of the reasons why we can’t wait for school to start at the fictional Community College of Greendale. Other reasons include the brains behind COMMUNITY — who are none other than Dan Harmon (THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM) and directors Joe and Anthony Russo (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) — all of whom not only get an ‘A’ for effort, but a ‘B’ for big laughs. Thanks in no small part to the hilarious group of underachieving students and faculty that they have assembled which McHale, Chase and Oliver aside feature two of the fall’s guaranteed break-out stars: The pop-culture obsessed Abed (played by the new ‘Jack McBrayer’, Danny Puddy) and The Hangover’s Ken Jeong, who recently signed on to play faculty member Professor Sénor Chang. If only Community College was this funny in real life.

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (10PM FX)
The gang from Paddy’s Pub are back for another season of debauchery, exploitation, and vulgarity. Tonight’s premiere is wonderfully topical: Frank (Danny DeVito, who I can’t tell if he is loving this or going crazy) buys a house in foreclosure…with the family still living in it. As always, the comedic approach is comparable to throwing things against the wall to see what sticks: when it works, it kills; when it doesn’t, it’s painful. Grade: B- — Aleks Chan

NURSE JACKIE (10:30PM Showtime)
Jobs we would not want to have include being the teacher, school nurse and/or district psychologist who have to let Jackie know that her daughter Grace needs to go on anti-anxiety medication.

NEW & NOTABLE:
AMERICAN IDOL: THE JACKSON TRIBUTE (8PM FOX)
As much as our first reaction to FOX continuing to mine, not to mention profit from the Michael Jackson tragedy by re-broadcasting this season’s AMERICAN IDOL Michael Jackson Songbook is one of disgust. It’s pretty hard to blame the network when Janet is already making a ’surprise’ appearance at last night’s BET awards while father Joe Jackson hit the BET red carpet to promote his record label.

JON & KATE PLUS EIGHT (9PM TLC)
Bonus points if you can spot the exact moment Jon & Kate really stopped liking eachother when TLC continues to milk this train-wreck with a glorified clip show highlighting the first ten years of the Gosselin family.

KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST (10PM Bravo)
Kathy’s attempt to infiltrate the ‘youth’ market by taking actress Rachel True’s advice and creating a Facebook page hits a snag… when she discovers that everybody’s moved to twitter. We’re just saying, Facebook is so 2008.

DANCE YOUR ASS OFF (10PM Oxygen)
In what gets our award for the most literal title of the night, comes DANCE YOUR ASS OFF, where 12 plus-sized contestants infiltrate LA in a competition to shed pounds by means of dance and diet, hosted by Hairspray’s Marissa Jaret Winokur.

HUNG (10PM HBO)
THE PUNISHER’s Thomas Jane stars as a high school gym teacher who looks to turn his life around with the help of his biggest err… asset.

NEW & NOTABLE:
BET AWARDS (8PM BET)
As the saying goes, the show must go on. Which is why tonight’s Jamie Foxx hosted BET awards is dedicated to Michael Jackson.

MERLIN (8PM NBC)
How the mighty have…. Merlin’d? Michelle Ryan goes from headlining her very-own high profile series BIONIC WOMAN to playing a evil sorceress in back-to-back installments of this NBC summer filler series.

IMPACT (9PM ABC)
David James Elliot and Natasha Henstridge have only 39 days to save Earth from a collision with the moon! Which coincidentally enough, is probably the exact same number of people who care about the outcome of tonight’s ‘thrilling’ conclusion.

Over on NBC, the peacock network will dedicate the 9-11PM slots to retrospectives on both Jackson and Fawcett’s remarkable careers while CBS will air a prime-time special on Jackson at 10PM which may also include coverage on Fawcett’s career.

BURN NOTICE (9PM USA)
While Michael is away infilitrating a gang in order to take down a highly sought-after criminal, Sam must face down his most challenging foe yet: The IRS (Da-Da-Duh!)

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (9PM FOX)
Two more dancers have their dreams crushed on national television. Awkward.

NEW & NOTABLE:
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT (9PM NBC)
America may have talent, but do they have their very own version of Britain’s Susan Boyle? Tune in to tonight’s two-hour premiere and find out.

HAWTHORNE (9PM TNT)
Two episodes in and the Jada Pinkett-Smith vehicle is already pulling out the big guns. No, husband Will Smith isn’t dropping by, rather COSBY SHOW alum Malcolm-Jamal Warner guests as a brain-aneurysm patient who spirals into dementia.

NYC PREP (10PM Bravo)
Think GOSSIP GIRL unscripted when Bravo unveils a reality series revolving around Manhattan’s privileged prep-school elite. Who, we should probably warn you, are just as obnoxious, self-involved and unaware with regards to the world around them that they might as well be actual actors on a hit TV show.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:
MAKE IT OR BREAK IT (9PM ABC Family)
This Stick It-esque drama about young gymnasts with dreams of the Olympics may mine every teen sports movie trope there is (showbiz mom and dads; catty competition; down-on-her-luck protagonist defies odds and scores huge), but it manages to do so with a naturalness that’s a relief — I don’t I could take another broadly drawn teen drama. It’s no FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, but even if you’re not this show’s target audience, you shouldn’t feel bad for liking it. Grade: B — Aleks Chan

NEW & NOTABLE:
STAR TREK: TNG (8PM Sci Fi)
JJ. Abrams STAR TREK re-boot got you itching for more? Why not jump on the NEXT GENERATION bandwagon with the thrilling two-part episode that assimilated this TV Addict into the annals of TV nerdom.

THE CLOSER (9PM TNT)
In what will most likely be her best shot at a much-deserved Emmy nod (since the Frakkin’ nominating committee doesn’t seem to recognize anything to do with science fiction) BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Mary McDonnell arrives on the scene to investigate Gabriel’s shooting.

JON & KATE PLUS EIGHT (9PM TLC)
We hear that Jon & Kate are going to make some sort of big announcement. Wonder what that’s about?

THE FASHION SHOW (10PM Bravo)
UGLY BETTY’s Becki Newton guest judges, which means the models best not be walking down the runway in anything be-fitting a Betty. We’re just sayin’

THE LISTENER (10PM NBC, CTV in Canada)
The Listener morphs into The Suspect when a women with whom Toby left a nighclub with turns up dead the morning after.

NEW & NOTABLE:
LOOK-A-LIKE (8PM TVGuide Channel)
A woman gets a makeover to look like Hilary Swank, which we’re not gonna lie, would not be our first choice for celebrity makeovers. But hey, we once that Dawson Leery was cool. So really, who are we to judge.

TOP CHEF MASTERS (10PM Bravo)
LOSTerminds Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse take a break from their other job to drop by tonight’s TOP CHEF MASTERS, which has contestants Wylie Dufresne, Suzanne Tracht, and Elizabeth Falkner concocting meals inspired by their hit ABC show in an episode aptly titled, “The Lost Supper.”

HAWTHORNE (9PM TNT)
Good News: ALIAS’ Michael Vartan returns to series TV. Bad News: In another trademark TNT series (snoore!) featuring a career-driven woman (Jada Pinkett Smith) who must deal with her demons, both personal and professional.

MENTAL (9PM FOX)
Think you’re addicted to Wii or whatever system you play on? Tonight, Jack treats a kid obsessed with a video game… that only exists in his head. Here’s hoping he’s not a big fan of boxing!

FRONTLINE (9PM PBS)
Using Bank of America as the backdrop, this episode examines the role of big banks in the economic collapse of 2008… and how to turn the situation around.

HITCHED OR DITCHED (9PM CW)
A New Jersey couple must decide whether to walk down the aisle or run away from each other. Everyone they love says to run… at least away from New Jersey!

MAN CAVES (9PM DIY)
Okay, the title alone is great. Better still, the idea is pretty cool: Tonight, they take a 1970’s style basement and turn it into an Irish pub.

CUPID (10PM ABC)
The season series finale finds Claire trying to figure out the truth about Trevor by hiring a… speech expert? Um, okay. Meanwhile, Trevor tries to help a masseuse — played by the always-delightful Kerry Butler — class herself up.

WEEDS (10PM Showtime)
Silas and Doug second-guess their latest pot growing scheme. Which considering how well things have worked out for the Botwin clan as of late, probably isn’t the worst idea in the world.

NURSE JACKIE (10:30PM Showtime)
In a plot that will undoubtedly send the pulse of real-life nurses racing, Jackie substitutes the artificial sweetener in the hospital administrator’s coffee with a narcotic.

NEW & NOTABLE:
JON AND KATE PLUS EIGH (9PM TLC)
As much as we ‘get’ network synergy, we just can’t help but wonder if it’s really the best of ideas for the guys from AMERICAN CHOPPER to visit the Gosselin home and build a custom escape route bike for Jon. We’re just sayin’