The run down to the last week of the final ratings season used to be simple. A wedding, or a forecast death as a cliffhanger to tide us all over to next year. Packed to the Rafters has already had a death, no sign of a wedding on the horizon (although I’m not paying attention to Home & Away or Neighbours), and all the other shows will wrap up in a neat little package (a la Junior MasterChef). That’s not how it’s supposed to end! I wonder what delights this second last week of ratings for 2010 will hold for us all?

CAN’T MISS

  • Hillary Rodham Clinton: An Australian Conversation – Sun 6pm, ABC1
  • Modern Family – Sun 7pm, Ch10
  • Junior MasterChef – Sun/Mon/Fri 7:30pm, Ch10
  • Q & A (2010 final) – Mon 8:35pm, ABC News 24; 9:35pm, ABC1 (Both BNE times)
  • Media Watch (2010 final) – Mon 9:20pm, ABC1
  • A Quiet Word with… Carrie Fisher – Tue 10:05pm, ABC1
  • Glee “Never Been Kissed” – Wed 7:30pm, Ch10
  • The Block – Wed 7:30pm, Ch9
  • Fringe (S03E01!) – Wed 9:30pm, Go!
  • 4 Nations Rugby League Grand final – Sat 6:30pm, Ch9

BURIED TREASURE

  • Back To The Future Cast Reunion – Mon 10:50am, 7Mate
  • Mad Men – Sun 9:30pm, SBS One
  • Conan – Tue-Fri 11:30pm, GEM
  • Tetsuya’s Pursuit of Excellence – Thu 7:30pm, SBS One
  • School of Comedy – Thu 8:30pm, ABC2
  • Breaking Bad – Fri 9:30pm, ABC2

SECRET TV PLEASURES

  • The Office – Sun 10pm, ABC2
  • The Librarians – Wed 8:30pm, ABC1
  • Sleek Geeks – Thu 8pm, SBS One
  • Beauty & the Geek Australia – Thu 8:30pm, Ch7
  • James May’s Toy Stories (Rpt) – Fri 7:30pm, SBS One

AT YOUR OWN RISK

  • The National IQ Test – Tue 7:30pm, Ch9
  • Warehouse 13 – Thu 8:30pm, 7Mate
  • Cops LAC (Double episode) – Thu 9:30pm, Ch9
  • Hey Hey it’s Saturday – Sat 9:15pm, Ch9

Q & A will be a must watch this week, if only for the fact that it may be the last time we see Tony Jones in the host’s chair (he’s tipped to take over the 7:30 Report now that Kerry O’Brien is finishing up). Leigh Sales’s audition for the hosting role will play out in Hillary Rodham Clinton: An Australian Conversation tonight on ABC1, which really could have been branded as a Q & A event.

I cannot tell you how excited I am about the return of Fringe to Go! with Season 3 starting up on Wednesday nights (a little later that the US, but still – FRINGE!). Ahhh… Additionally, the return of Tony Martin & his spectacular interview/chat series A Quiet Word With…, featuring author, actor & one time addict of everything Carrie Fisher. It will likely be a joy to behold.

If you’re the kind of person to take part in The National IQ Test, then your score outcome should be no surprise. Ch9 are burning through the remaining eps of Cops LAC by running two eps at once on Thursday night. A sad end to a sad attempt at drama. Hey Hey It’s Saturday pushed back even further due to the 4 Nations Rugby League Grand Final (in BNE & SYD)… so ratings should further decline.