Amy Sherman-Palladino’s “Bunheads” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.) reaches a finale tonight of its summer episodes around the time the dancers are readying their performance of “The Nutcracker.”
Fans will be happy to learn that the network just last week ordered additional episode of the show that stars Sutton Foster as dance instructor for her new mother-in-law, played by Kelly Bishop of Palladino-Sherman’s last series, “Gilmore Girls.” With production commencing this fall, new episodes will be expected early next year.
It’s accompanied by a new episode of “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (ABC Family, 8 p.m.), in which Adrian and Omar consider living together.
It’s always risky to replace a hit show’s lead character, but the makers of “The Closer” did well last week, when the retooled show with much of the same cast, “Major Crimes” (TNT, 9 p.m.) did pretty well, attracting 7.2 million viewers.
That was more than the big network show that premiered last week, “Stars Earn Stripes” (NBC, 9 p.m.), which drew less than 5.2 million viewers. In addition it got criticism from Nobel Peace Prize winners who say it glorifies war, and from Sharon Osbourne, who said they eliminated her son Jack from the cast when they learned he had multiple sclerosis.
As “Big Brother” slogs on, a winner is named on the first season finale of “The Glass House” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
Both David Schwimmer and Conan O’Brien pop up on Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy” (Showtime, 11 p.m.). LeVar Burton guest stars on “Perception” (TNT, 10 p.m.).
It’s absurd that some people think “Gallery Girls” (Bravo, 10 p.m.) is somehow more high-minded than “The Real Housewives of New York City” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) because its privileged young women work in art galleries (usually for free, as interns). But so far they’ve proven to be every bit as vapid. And it’s not like they talk about art much. And at least one of the “galleries” is actually a clothing and accessories store.
Naturally “Groundhog Day” (AMC, 8 and 10 p.m.) will repeat. And it will also do so on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s a beloved film, but a Bill Murray film I like better was Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers” (Flix, 8 p.m.).
A winning couple on “Bachelor Pad” (ABC, 8 p.m.) gets to go on a “Pretty Woman” themed date in Los Angeles. Which I guess means that the woman has to act like a prostitute.
A wife’s investigation of a car crash that kills her husband and a mysterious woman is the subject of the dramatic, three-part miniseries “What to Do When Someone Dies” (Ovation, 8 p.m.) that begins tonight.
The uninitiated would think that “Hell’s Kitchen” (Fox, 9 p.m.) is merely the dining room of Gordon Ramsay’s similarly themed “Hotel Hell” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
A reporter and photographer ambushed and tortured in Somalia live to tell about it on “Locked Up Aborad” (national Geographic, 10 p.m.)
All night marathons of “Call of the Wildman” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) makes me think the world is being rid of its critters, one by one.
A singer named Tanner Patrick gets to open for Brad Paisley on a new episode of “Opening Act” (E!, 8 p.m.),
A prosthetic limb factory in Philadelphia is the destination for “American Pickers” (History, 9 p.m.).
“Bizarre Foods America” (Travel, 9 p.m.) tastes the cuisine on the blues trail of Mississippi, home of Highway 61.
A sidewalk shack in Annapolis is featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food Network, 10 p.m.).
Andrea’s boyfriend visits “The Bad Girls Club” (Oxygen, 10 p.m.). Bad idea.
Anthony Quinn is the star all day on Turner Classic Movies. But his big role was the one that kicks off prime time: “Zorba the Greek” (8 p.m.). It’s followed by “Lust for Life” (10;30 p.m.), “The Message” (12:45 a.m.) and “A Dream of Kings” (4 a.m.).
It’s Philadelphia at New England (ESPN, 8 p.m.) in preseason Monday Night Football.
In baseball, it’s Giants at Dodgers (ESPN2, 10 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Shia LeBouf, Tim Gunn, Nick Lachey. The View: Joan Rivers, Rachael Ray (rerun). The Talk: Joan & Melissa Rivers, Lynette Khalfani-Cox (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Matt LeBlanc, Olivia Munn, Rascal Flatts (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Kelsey Grammer, Olivia Munn, Train. Jay Leno: Maya Rudolph, Jeff Foxworthy, Morning Parade. Jimmy Kimmel: Tom Arnold, Ashley Greene. Jimmy Fallon: Liv Tyler, Maria Sharapova, Yeasayer. Craig Ferguson: Rosie Perez (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Ralph Nader. Carson Daly: Kimbra, Tennis, Gary Clark Jr., Kendrick Lamar (rerun). Jon Stewart: Chris Rock (rerun). Stephen Colbert: Woody Harrelson (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Mike Tyson, Chris Elliott, Cy Amundson (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Hope Solo, Dan Maurio, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Matt Braunger.