“The Mentalist”
Tuesday 9pm, CBS
Simon Baker is drop-dead gorgeous, and he’s got a sexy accent. But for whatever reason, he can’t quite make the A-list thing happen. He starred in the short-lived lawyer drama “The Guardian,” had a supporting role in Ray Liotta’s megaflop caper show “Smith,” and now he’s giving TV another try with a new procedural on—would you believe it?—CBS. (Seriously, the network has a substance abuse problem with shows about crime solvers.) As you might glean from the title, Baker plays a celebrity psychic who faked his paranormal powers, and now works with the Los Angeles Police Department, using his keen observational skills to help solve cases. The premise is almost identical to USA Network’s charming “Psych,” except while that’s a comedy, this is a drama. Helping to keep things on the downer side is fellow bad-luck actor Robin Tunney, who was previously killed off of “Prison Break” because nobody liked her. Best of luck, guys!
“Gary Unmarried”
Wednesday 8:30pm, CBS
Speaking of actors stuck in career purgatory, here comes Jay Mohr. In a new family sitcom. Oh, Jay… You might remember Mohr from “Saturday Night Live,” Jerry Maguire, Go, “Last Comic Standing” (as a host), “Action,” and most recently, sidekicking with Jennifer Love Hewitt on “Ghost Whisperer.” In this show, which is kind of a modern take on “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” Mohr plays Gary, a divorced dad trying to get his shit together. Also along for the ride is show-killer Paula Marshall, who has so many failed series on her résumé (“Cupid,” “Cursed,” “Snoops,” “Hidden Hills,” “Out of Practice,” it goes on like this…) that co-stars should run screaming in the opposite direction. Although, personally, I kind of like her. Best of luck to you guys, too!
“Little Britain USA”
Sunday 10:30pm, HBO
When I think of Little Britain, I can only picture the recurring gag neighborhood on “Arrested Development” where Michael kept getting hit by flying Mary Poppins dolls. (God, I miss that show…) But apparently it’s also the name of a very popular British sketch show that’s making its way to our sunny shores, complete with the same cast so we can’t screw it up, like we usually do. Comedians Matt Lucas and David Williams play virtually every character on the show, which mixes short on-location sketches with studio bits shot before a live audience. The American version features plenty of potshots at our country and people (we deserve it), as well as big-name guest stars, including Paul Rudd (yay!), Rosie O’Donnell (…yay?), and Vivica A. Fox (oh, give it up for her; she’s trying so hard these days).
