“In the Motherhood”
Thursday 8pm, ABC
This new sitcom started its life as a series of webisodes starring Leah Remini, Chelsea Handler and Jenny McCarthy. Unfortunately, none of those women are attached to the network TV version, which instead features Megan Mullaly (“Will & Grace”), Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), and Jessica St. Clair (“Best Week Ever”) as a trio of harried moms trying to muddle their way through raising kids. Certainly all three actresses are funny, and the previews are pretty hilarious —it’s a lot less cloying than it sounds, and many of the stories are adapted from real-life mom horror stories—but no offense, the original cast has considerably more star wattage. Still, after suffering through the last few seasons of “W&G” only for Karen, I’ll watch Mullaly do just about anything.
“No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency”
Sunday 8pm, HBO
After scoring a big hit with the Southern vampire drama “True Blood” (can’t come back soon enough), HBO fishes for another out-of-left-field success with this adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith’s series of mystery novels. The pilot episode was directed and co-written by Anthony Minghella, so the pedigree is there. R&B singer Jill Scott plays the lead role of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s first and only female private detective. She’s joined by Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls), who plays her secretary and sidekick, Grace Makutsi, and British stage actor Lucian Msamati as JLB Matekoni, a mechanic and Precious’ love interest. Together they investigate cases as varied as a missing finger, a rash of hospital deaths, and a cheating husband.
“Greek”
Monday 8pm, ABC Family
Jesse McCartney is a small, orange teen star who first tasted fame on the WB’s short-lived “Summerland,” and then went on to score success as a pop star (“Leaving,” the current “How Do You Sleep?”). Now he’s giving TV another chance by joining the cast of the new season of this college drama. “Greek” is a decent little show—it’s certainly better than the new “90210,” since it has plots and characters that are actually, you know, interesting and entertaining. But I remain perplexed as to how it found a home on ABC Family. I’ve seen most of Season 1 and parts of Season 2, and while I’m hardly a prude, many of the plot lines are racy for a network once owned by Pat Robertson.
