It’s getting very serious in TV land now, peeps. Last week before ratings proper, and Channel 10 have jumped early to show off their wares (and a great idea too), while the ABC, SBS, Channel 7 & Channel 9 may drip feed some sneak peaks through the week or quickly slot in a surprise airing of the show. In a few instance, the networks dragging their feet are slotting a recent repeat of the show they’re about to drop into that slot so we know what’s coming.

No matter what it is, it means that the PVR/IQ/VCR is gonna get a workout this week in preparation for ‘the big show’ starting next week. Buckle up, hang on…

CAN’T MISS

• Modern Family (two eps) – Sun 7:30pm, Ch10
• Hawaii Five-O – Sun 8:30pm, Ch10
• Glee – Mon 7:30pm, Ch10
• Southland – Mon 11:15pm, GEM
• Raising Hope – Tue 7:30pm, Ch10
• The Office (US) – Tue 8:30pm/9pm, Eleven
• Californication – Tue 10:05pm, Eleven
• Blue Bloods – Wed 8:30pm, Ch10
• Fringe – Wed 9:30pm, GO!
• Party Down – Thu 8:30pm, ABC2
• The Shield (rpt) – Thu 10:30pm, 7mate
• Chopper Rescue – Fri 8pm, ABC1
• Movie: No Country For Old Men – Sat 10:05pm, SBS One

BURIED TREASURE

• Airwolf (rpt) – DAily 1pm, 7mate
• Cheers (rpt) – Daily 3pm, Eleven
• Mork & Mindy (rpt) – Daily 4:30pm, Eleven
• Black Books (rpt) – Tue 8pm, ABC2
• Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares Revisits – 10:30pm, Ch9
• Bob’s Burgers – Wed 8:30pm, Eleven

SECRET TV PLEASURES

• NZ’s Next Top Model – Sun 7:30pm, Eleven
• 6pm with George Negus – Weeknights 6pm, Ch10
• The 7pm Project – Weeknights 7pm, Ch10
• Undercover Boss (USA) – Mon 8:30pm, Ch10
• The Trophy Room – Wed 8:30pm, ABC1
• The Simpsons – Wed 8:30pm, Eleven
• V – Wed, 8:30pm, GO!
• CSI – Thu 8:30pm, Ch9

AT YOUR OWN RISK

• My Kitchen Rules – Mon/Tue/Wed 7:30pm, Ch7
• $#*! My Dad Says – Mon 8pm, Ch9
• Dexter – Mon 9:30pm, Eleven
• Fat & Fatter – Wed 8:30pm, ABC2
• Bionic Vet – Thu 8pm, ABC1
• Move: TMNT – Fri 7:30pm, GO!

LAST CHANCE(S)

• Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention – Sun 6:30pm, ABC1
• The Late Session – Tue 10:05pm, SBS1
• High Road, Low Road – Wed 8pm, Ch7
• Big J’s place – Sat 11:30am, 7mate

DO. NOT. BOTHER.

• Cougar Town – Tue 10:30pm, Ch7
• Deperate Housewives – Thu 9:30pm, Ch7
• 30 Rock – Thu 11:30pm, Ch7
• The Gadget Show – Sat 6:30pm, Ch10
• The Cube – Sat 7:30pm, Ch9

I can indeed barely contain myself. There’s at least two times this week where my PVR is set to record 4 shows at one – it’s gonna be even harder next week.

A very welcome return to all of Channel 10’s programming – including new eps of Modern Family, Glee & The Biggest Loser: Families. The new eps of Hawaii Five-O and Blue Bloods also bode well for the network. Channel 7 starts in with a new season of My Kitchen Rules (which still has a long way to go to compete with Ch10’s MasterChef but will likely try hard), and Channel 9 returns new episodes of CSI & CSI:New York to Thursday nights.

I’m holding hope that $#*! My Dad Says is good, however this first season we’re seeing is now a year old and pilloried by the critics in the US means it’s likely on a short leash. Ch9 have given it the best lead in they can with a new ep of Two and a Half Men… but how it will perform is now in our hands. Watch or don’t – your choice. And that will be the challenge for the networks this year.