"Nip/Tuck"
Tuesday 10pm, F/X
Season 4 of this racy plastic surgery fest was such a disaster—dwarf sex, lobster babies, pointless Scientology storylines, organ-stealing prostitutes—that I’d all but written it off. The decision to relocate the whole show from Miami to Hollywood seemed a last, desperate gasp. But damn if it didn’t pay off: Two episodes into Season 5, it’s safe to say that "Nip/Tuck" has been rejuvenated. Having doctors Troy and McNamara take on consulting roles on a "Grey’s Anatomy"-type TV drama has made for all kinds of show-within-a-show hilarity. The guest stars are better —so far we’ve had Lauren Hutton (still got it!), "Alias" alum Bradley Cooper and "Melrose" escapee Daphne Zuniga. And last episode ended with Christian in a three-way with two Marilyn Monroe impersonators. So much debauchery…just like the good old days.
"Project Runway"
Wednesday 10pm, Bravo
About goddamned time, Heidi Klum! It’s been an excruciating 13 months since we’ve had a new episode of our beloved "ProjRun," and not even "Top Chef" or "Shear Genius" (hey, I liked it) could fill the Michael Kors-shaped hole in my soul. We’ve got 15 new fashion designers ready to rule the runway. It’s an eclectic bunch, including a guy who modernizes Dickensian street-wear (seriously), a 46-year-old woman who unapologetically refers to herself as "Sweet P" and one smoking hot Israeli dressmaker. The rumor mill is buzzing about gender-ambiguous Christian, who Tim Gunn himself refers to as a "prodigy," but that could all be misdirection. I honestly don’t care who wins at this point. Just bring on the fashion!
"The Soup"
Monday 10pm, E!
I used to despise Joel McHale, host of this snarky pop culture round-up. But he’s grown on me, especially since VH1’s similar "Best Week Ever" has become increasingly inconsistent this season. And, like McHale or not, "The Soup"’s annual recap episodes cannot be beat. Every Monday from now until the new year, the show digs through its archives to find the juiciest clips on a variety of topics, from on-screen fights to game show moments to daytime talk shows (they should just devote that entire special to "The Tyra Banks Show"’s recent Vagina Day extravaganza). With all of the trouble Lindsay, Britney and Paris got into in 2007, there should be no shortage of footage.
