The Olympics cometh – and so this week it means the bulk of the finales and the start of a few shows to tide over those not watching “That Big Sporting Event In London” for the next couple of weeks.

Downton Abbey & Revenge finish up for Ch7 – both of them hits for the network, delivering solid ratings and heralding the return of both period drama and prime time soap opera as successful TV. Following the final episode of Revenge, the new Christina Applegate/Wil Arnett sitcom Up All Night kicks off on Monday and it’s pretty funny. A better insight to the egos of TV than it is a parody of parenting.

The Shire is back for another delightful romp, guaranteed to cause controversy. This week also sees the end of MasterChef Australia season four – a success in all regards – and the start of MasterChef All Stars which should continue the interest over the difficult Olympic period.

The ABC isn’t slacking with the start of a new spinoff Gruen Sweat, especially Olympically themed.
Dumb, Drunk & Racist rounds out on Wednesday night with the end result – do the Indian guests think we’re as Dumb, Drunk and Racist as they may have before? Also, Saturday starts a series of specials celebration 25 years of Rage – 1987 to 1990. Bring on the death of 80’s pop and the start of the Seattle sound and grunge.

For Ch9, Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year comes to an end just in time for the Olympics, and then from Saturday morning it’s game on – London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony starts 5:30am AEST, and is repeated Saturday night from 6:30pm. Then it’s pretty much wall to wall Olympics for the next 15 days.

MOLK PICKS

  • Sunday Night – Sun 6:30pm, Ch7
  • Reach Out – Sun 6:30pm, Ch9
  • Grand Designs Revisited (series return) – Sun 7:30pm, ABC1
  • Once Upon A Time – Sun/Tue 7:30pm, Ch7
  • 60 Minutes – Sun 7:30pm, Ch9
  • MasterChef Australia Finals Week – Sun 7:30pm, Ch10
  • Downton Abbey (double episode – season finale) – Sun 8:35pm, Ch7
  • MasterChef Australia Finals Week – Mon 7pm, Ch10
  • Mythbusters – Mon 7:30pm, SBS one
  • The Amazing Race Australia – Mon 7:30pm, Ch7
  • Australian Story – Mon 8pm, ABC1
  • The Shire – Mon 8pm, Ch10
  • Four Corners – Mon 8:30pm, ABC1
  • Man vs Wild – Mon 8:30pm, SBS one
  • Revenge (season finale) – Mon 8:40pm, Ch7
  • Media Watch – Mon 9:20pm, ABC1
  • Q&A (Simon Sheikh, Julie Collins, Christopher Pyne, Jane Caro, Michael Spence) – Mon 9:35pm, ABC1/ABC News 24 (AEST)
  • Up All Night (season premiere) – Mon 9:40pm, Ch7
  • Louie – Mon 10:05pm, ABC2
  • Ten Late News – Mon-Thu 10:30pm, Ch10
  • Fringe – Mon 11pm/Tue 11:05pm, GO!
  • MasterChef Australia Finals Week – Tue 7pm, Ch10
  • Good Game – Tue 8:30pm, ABC2
  • Winners & Losers – Tue 8:35pm, Ch7
  • The Office US (season finale) – Tue 8:35pm, Eleven
  • NCIS – Tue 8:45pm, Ch10
  • Archer – Tue 9pm, ABC2
  • Wilfred – Tue 9:05pm, Eleven
  • Episodes – Tue 9:30pm, Ch9
  • World’s Strictest Parents – Tue 9:35pm, Ch7
  • Survivor: One World (season finale) – Tue 10:05pm, Ch9
  • MasterChef Australia (season finale) – Wed 7pm, Ch10
  • Australia’s Got Talent (Grand Final “Decider”) – Wed 7:30pm, Ch7
  • Gruen Sweat (series premiere) – Wed 8:30pm, ABC1
  • Randling – Wed 9:10pm, ABC1
  • Dumb, Drunk & Racist (season finale) – Wed 9:40pm, ABC2
  • Life’s Too Short (season finale) – Wed 9:45pm, ABC1
  • At The Movies “In Conversation with Rachel Griffiths” – Wed 10:15pm, ABC1
  • Tricky Business (double episode – series finale) – Wed 10pm, Ch9
  • Homeland (rpts) – Wed 10:45pm, ONE
  • Let The Games Begin – Thu 7pm, Ch9
  • MasterChef All Stars (season premiere) – Thu 7pm, Ch10
  • Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials: Olympics – Thu 8pm, ABC1
  • Hamish & Andy’s Euro Gap Year (season finale) – Thu 8pm, Ch9
  • Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo (part 1 rpt) – Thu 8:30pm, ABC1
  • The Marngrook Footy Show – Thu 8:30pm, ABC2
  • Before The Game (Vic/SA/WA) – Thu 8:40pm, Ch10 (Qld/NSW – Thu 10:30pm, ONE)
  • The Game Plan NRL (Qld/NSW) – Thu 8:40pm, Ch10 (Vic/SA/WA – Thu 10:30pm, ONE)
  • Planet America – Fri 6pm (AEST), ABC News 24
  • The Glee Project – Fri 7:35pm, Eleven
  • Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell – Fri 8pm, ABC1
  • News Exchange – Fri 8pm (AEST), ABC News 24
  • The Living Room – Fri 8pm, Ch10
  • Playing It Straight – Fri 8:30pm, ABC2
  • Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games – Sat 5:30am (rpt 2pm), Ch9
  • The Simpsons – Sat 6pm, Ch10
  • Massive Moves – Sat 7:30pm, SBS one
  • RocKwiz – Sat 8:30pm, SBS one
  • 25 Years of Rage (1987-1990) – Sat 11:20pm, ABC1

BURIED TREASURE

  • Snog, Marry, Avoid – Sun 7:30pm, Eleven
  • Suburgatory – Sun 7:35pm, GO!
  • Raising Hope – Mon 8pm, Eleven
  • Embarrassing Bodies – Mon 9:30pm, GEM
  • Hardcore Pawn – Wed 8:30pm, 7mate
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    SECRET TV PLEASURES

    • The Project – Sun-Fri 6pm, Ch10
    • Compass – Sun 6:30pm, ABC1
    • Whose Line Is It Anyway? – Mon 7:30pm, ONE

    AT YOUR OWN RISK

    • Last Man Standing – Sun 6:30pm, Ch10
    • Grandstand – Mon-Thu 7:30pm, ABC News 24
    • Criminal Minds – Thu 8:35pm, Ch7
    • The Footy Show AFL – Thu 9:30pm (MEL/ADL/PER), Ch9
    • Better Homes and Gardens – Thu 7:30pm MEL/ADL/PER, Fri 7:30pm BNE/SYD, Ch7

    LAST CHANCE(S)

    • Mrs Brown’s Boys – Wed 9:15pm, Ch7

    DO. NOT. BOTHER.

    • The Finder – Mon 9:30pm, Ch10
    • Being Lara Bingle – Tue 8:10pm, Ch10
    • Fairly Legal – Mon 11:05pm/Tue 10:40pm, Ch7
    • The Footy Show NRL – Thu 9:30pm (BNE/SYD), Ch9
    • Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show – Sat 6:30pm, Ch9