"The Cheetah Girls One World" on Disney Channel and More TiVo-Worthy TV for the Week of August 17

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

Beijing Summer Olympic Games (NBC)

It’s the last day of swimming competition, which has proven to be the top draw of NBC Universal’s historic Olympic presentation. Will the ratings continue to hold after Michael Phelps is through smashing every record in the books?

Drama in The Hills: US Weekly Presents the Top 10 Most Memorable Moments Ever (MTV, 1 p.m. ET)

Premiere. Rev up for the return of The Hills on Monday with this dishy recap of the breakups, make-ups, betrayals, bad choices and career mishaps from its first three seasons, featuring commentary from cast members, celebrities and bloggers.

Primeval (BBC America, 9 p.m. ET)

Cutter suspects that his missing wife Helen (a time-traveler) knew about the rift that has allowed prehistoric monsters to invade present-day London. Meanwhile, Claudia’s boss, Lester, grows increasingly skeptical of Cutter, but Claudia insists that Lester keep Cutter on the team, and Abby hopes that Stephen might begin to see her as more than just an animal expert. Douglas Henshall stars.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA Network, 9 p.m. ET)

Chris Noth is leaving the wide-ranging Law & Order franchise for a second time! He exited the L&O mothership in 1995, revived his character, the temperamental Detective Mike Logan, for the 1998 TV movie Exiled, and then brought Logan back in 2005 for another run on Criminal Intent. We suspect Noth is going to stay away for good this time, so if you’re a fan, check out his swan song tonight.

Skins (BBC America, 9 p.m. ET)

U.S. Series Premiere. Two Episodes. This sexed-up, totally addictive soap about teens living in a world filled with ineffective adults, written by a team of people who are barely out of their teens themselves, has been a smash hit in England. One might think that our demo-crazed networks would be scrambling to turn out an Americanized version, but Skins is so frank and fearless that a true-to-form adaptation likely wouldn’t stand a chance in the U.S., and a watered-down version would just plain suck. So you’ll have to enjoy the original, even if BBC America trims the naughty bits and even naughtier words. Check out the first two episodes tonight and see what the fuss is about. In Episode One cocky Tony, the best-looking boy in town, seeks to get his best friend Sid laid and bring Sid’s quest to lose his virginity to an end. Tony also recruits Sid to sell some pot, but nothing goes as planned and all of the dope and most of the kids end up in a car that sinks in the river. That’s only some of the fun. In Episode Two, anorexic Cassie fools everyone into thinking that she has beaten her eating disorder, but Sid knows better. Also, Tony’s girlfriend Michelle fears that she’s in deep you-know-what when her mother and new stepfather return from a holiday and find their house has been trashed. Nicholas Hoult, Mike Bailey, Mitch Hewer, Hannah Murray and April Pearson star.

In Plain Sight (USA Network, 10 p.m. ET)

Season Finale. As Season One comes to a close, U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) has barely recovered from her harrowing kidnapping ordeal when the FBI discovers something that opens a fresh hell for her. Frederick Weller, Lesley Ann Warren and Cristian de la Fuente co-star.

Kung Fu Killer (Spike, 10 p.m. ET)

Premiere. Spike last summer stunned everyone with an original eight-hour mini-series The Kill Point that proved to be one of the smartest and most entertaining television programs of the year. (Who knew?) This summer the network is giving us yet another ambitious production: A four-hour miniseries set in late 1920s China and shot entirely on location in that country at the Zhejiang Heng Dian World Studios and the towns of Fong Yang and Heng Dian. Killer tells the story of White Crane, the orphaned son of Western missionaries who was raised as a Wudang monk to become a spiritual leader and master of the martial arts. Now getting on in years, the still-vital Crane seeks revenge against Kahn Xin, the evil warlord who killed his beloved mentor and who is now developing a deadly gas to use as an ethnic cleansing weapon. David Carradine stars as Crane, with Daryl Hannah as Jane, an American nightclub singer performing in Shanghai who is on a mission to find her brother, who is actually a prisoner of Khan. Kung Fu Killer concludes tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET.

Mad Men (AMC, 10 p.m. ET)

Peggy’s family hosts a lunch for a new priest in their church, Don and Betty enjoy a family weekend, and Sterling Cooper staffers work double time to prepare for a last minute pitch meeting. Jon Hamm, John Slattery and January Jones star.

The Two Coreys (A&E, 10 p.m. ET)

Season Finale. It certainly seemed at the end of last week’s hour that tragic D-list actor Corey Haim has bottomed out, alienating every friend he has – including best bud Corey Feldman – and moving ever deeper into denial over his drug addiction. In tonight’s season finale, Haim for the umpteenth time agrees to get sober, lands a role in an upcoming movie and reaches out to Feldman, hoping to reconnect.

MONDAY, AUGUST 18

Gemini Division (nbc.com, scifi.com, geminidivision.com)

Series Premiere. NBC today will launch Gemini Division, a new 50-Webisdoe drama series, on nbc.com, scifi.com, geminidivision.com and several mobile and VOD platforms including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and DISH Network . It will also be available via Electronic Sell-Through on Amazon Unbox and Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Zune. Rosario Dawson, Justin Hartley (Smallville) and Kevin Alejando star in the story of a New York police department vice cop named Anna Diaz (Dawson) who is drawn into a secret war between artificial life forms known as SIMs and a covert agency charged with hunting them down while she is investigating the murder of her fiancé.

Kung Fu Killer (Spike, 10 p.m. ET)

Conclusion. In the second half of Spike’s ambitious new mini-series, White Crane (David Carradine) returns to help rebuild his shattered temple, only to learn that, back in Shanghai, Jane (Daryl Hannah) has been kidnapped by an old classmate and rival of Crane’s who plans to employ her in the sex trade.

Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House (HBO, 9 p.m. ET)

Premiere. Outspoken political reporter Helen Thomas, who has covered every president since John F. Kennedy and is now in her 80s, reflects on her astonishing career in an extended interview with director (and JFK’s niece) Rory Kennedy. Born in 1920 to Syrian émigrés who could not read or write, Thomas has the distinction of having held a front row seat at White House press conferences for more than six decades. She joined United Press International (UPI) in 1943 and began covering presidents in 1960. You’ll be surprised what she has to say about many of them, especially President Bush!

The Hills (MTV, 10 p.m. ET)

Season Premiere. The inexplicably captivating adventures of Lauren, Audrina, Heidi, Whitney and the stand-up men in their lives continue for a fourth season. As always, when the show is over fans can log onto mtv.com and catch The Hills After Show, an interactive talk show hosted by Jessi Cruickshank and Dan Levy that analyzes all the vapid action and features live appearances by cast members from the series.

Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein (Discovery Channel, 10 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Hunky explorer and adventurer Josh Bernstein (Digging for the Truth) investigates some of history’s greatest mysteries in this new series.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19

Father Knows Best (Hulu)

Season One of the idyllic mid-50s family sitcom against which all others were inevitably compared (at least until The Cobsy Show came along) is now available on Hulu. Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin star.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family, 8 p.m. ET)

After sampling an episode or two of the classic family comedy Father Knows Best on Hulu, check out tonight’s installment of the contemporary family drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family and marvel at how times have changed. In this week’s story, Adrian and Grace become friends, which will strike anyone who has been watching this series as a curious development. Also, Amy’s grandmother visits and offers to help. Shailene Woodley and Molly Ringwald star.

The Cleaner (A&E, 9 p.m. ET)

Eric Roberts plays a recently released ex-con who returns to his biker gang and begins using meth again, which prompts his desperate teenage son to ask William for help. As William deals with this problematic father-son relationship he realizes that his own son is growing distant. Benjamin Bratt stars.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20

Project Runway (Bravo, 9 p.m. ET)

This week’s challenge: Design fabulous frocks for drag queens! Was that Big Brian from last season in the preview clip for this episode?

Architecture School (Sundance Channel, 9 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. This modest six-part reality series, which was very well received at the recent Television Critics Association tour, follows a group of fourth-year students at Tulane University’s School of Architecture as they submit competing designs for low-income, eco-friendly, single-family homes in post-Katrina New Orleans. Once professor and architect Byron Mouton and guest critics choose the best design, the students will actually build the winning home. School was shot during the 2007-08 school year, so you’ll see it all unfold, from the students’ early design issues to the construction of a house. You’ll also see how the neighborhood reacts to it all, which adds another level of drama to the show.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21

The Principal’s Office (truTV, 9 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Two Episodes. In this lively new reality series, cameras document encounters between school administrators and the lying, cheating, ill-behaved kids they must deal with every day. (We’re guessing the kids’ parents are even worse!) In the first of two episodes featured tonight, Steve Halter, principal at Booneville High School in Arkansas, gives a consistently tardy student his choice of discipline: Saturday detention or three whacks from a paddle. Also, Principal Eric Sheninger of New Milford High School in New Jersey copes with a student whose constant booty dancing and nipple squeezing is distracting to classmates. In the second episode, Sheninger confronts a student who has been photo-shopping bizarre pictures of him, while Assistant Principal Jessie Ballenger of Danbury High School in Connecticut refuses to allow a student to attend class without first having a physical. (Seems the boy is terrified of needles! Altogether now: Boo-Hoo!) Also, Principal Halter tells a sick girl that if she goes home she’ll be absent from her in-school suspension and will not be permitted to attend prom. The girl cries and pleads but Halter stands firm, forcing her to choose between vomiting in school or at home with her dream night hanging in the balance.

Burn Notice (USA Network, 10 p.m. ET)

Determined to find some stolen cargo, Michael tricks a group of modern day pirates into committing a heist. Jeffrey Donovan stars. Max Martin is the guest star.

Tabatha’s Salon Takeover (Bravo, 10 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Tabatha Coffey of Shear Genius helps stylists who can’t manage their own shops. It’s like Kitchen Nightmares, only with struggling hair salons instead of failing restaurants.

Glam God With Vivica A. Fox (VH1, 10 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Vivica A. Fox (Curb Your Enthusiasm) hosts this reality competition series that seeks to identify the next great celebrity stylist. Joining Fox as judges are Hollywood stylist Phillip Bloch and US Weekly West Coast bureau chief Melanie Bromley. The stylist who succeeds in avoiding those dreaded weekly eliminations will have the chance to style a real celebrity and take home a cool $100,000.

Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force (A&E, 10 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Two Episodes. This observational reality series chronicles the work of The Essex/Union Auto Theft Task Force, an elite squad of police officers in northern New Jersey who specialize in catching car thieves. Don’t expect too much action, because the ATTF adheres to a strict no-chase policy. But they do utilize a helicopter and a number of high-tech decoy vehicles! Also known as The Wolf Pack, the Essex/Union Auto Theft Task Force is the highest LoJack recovery unit in the country.

The Cho Show (VH1, 11 p.m. ET)

Series Premiere. Remember Margaret Cho’s massive conflict with ABC way back in 1994 during the short run of her sitcom All American Girl? This quasi-reality series makes clear that Cho is still fighting the good fight, determined to be the person she is while working in an industry that wants her to conform to its warped interpretation of what a woman should be. Also featured in the series are Cho’s no-nonsense assistant Selene Luna, her colorful make-up artist John Stapleton, her funky hair stylist John Blaine, her creative wardrobe master Charlie Altuna and Cho’s traditional-minded parents. A sneak peak of The Cho Show may be found at vh1.com.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22

The Cheetah Girls One World (Disney Channel, 8 p.m. ET)

Premiere. The third Disney Channel Original Movie starring the Cheetah Girls finds the talented singers (played by Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams) in India prepping for a Bollywood musical. JackMyers junior critic Maya Motavalli, a huge fan of the Cheetah franchise, has this to say:

This is a wonderful movie for young girls with a well-written story and music that kicks butt when compared to the others. The story finds Chanel, Dorinda and Aqua traveling to India to star in a director’s first Bollywood film, where they learn that only one of them can be the star of the movie. I don’t think I have ever seen an American movie about Bollywood or India. Bollywood is such an influential part of the movie business that it was nice to see a movie that exposes it to kids.

I’ve seen the “friends have to compete against each other and it doesn’t end well” story before, but it really didn’t matter to me here, because everything else about One World was so different. I really enjoyed seeing a lot of characters who were of Indian heritage. Too many Disney Channel movies are filled with plain white American teenagers. This was a refreshing change.

The music in Disney Channel movies is always great, with crazy beats and meaningful lyrics, and the music in One World is no exception. Songs like the upbeat opener Cheetah Love and the insane dance off Dance Me If You Can make the movie even more fun to watch. Slower, more meaningful songs like What If and No Place Like Us also added a lot to it.

My only real problem with One World is that Raven Symone isn’t in it! She’s one of my favorite actresses and I missed seeing her on screen. Also, I was really disappointed to see Adrienne Bailon (Chanel) as the star of every single song. I wanted to see the actual Cheetah Girls group, not the Adrienne Band. But overall the movie is great and the music is miles better than in the two previous Cheetah Girls movies. Let’s hope future Disney Channel movies will show as much diversity as this one.

Gone Country (CMT, 8 p.m. ET)

John Rich tells the aspiring country singers to head into Nashville for a photo shoot, during which they must perfect their inner country star look. Then they are sent to meet with professional country music songwriters and begin writing their own songs. So far so good, until an emotional gathering around a bonfire leads to late-night conflicts among the competitors.

Monk (USA Network, 9 p.m. ET)

Monk develops a crush on a model accused of murder and is determined to prove her innocence, even though she confessed to the crime! Tony Shalhoub stars. Joanna Pacula is the guest star.

Psych (USA Network, 10 p.m. ET)

Vick and her sister, a commander in the Coast Guard, clash while investigating a death on an offshore oil rig. James Roday and Dule Hill star. Jane Lynch is the guest star.

Ed Martin

Ed Martin is the chief television and content critic for MediaVillage. He has written about television and internet programming for several Myers publications since 2000, including The Myers Report, The Myers Programming Report, MediaBizBloggers a…