TelePhillyist

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week.

ET Presents The CW: Launch of a New Network (Mon; 9PM-10PM; UPN/CW) - As you already know if you've watched TV or read anything about TV in the past month or so, there's a new network being born on September 20th, which is really just the sad remains of two networks: UPN and The WB. If you're interested to see what programming they'll be offering, you can catch this hour-long special Monday night. You'll recognize most of the shows, though; they haven't got much new or exciting going on. But if you get excited about it anyway, then you can tune in again on Tuesday night, same Bat time, same Bat channel, to see an hour-long Launch Party special. (Link)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Mon; 10PM-11PM; NBC) - The new Aaron Sorkin drama is here! The new Aaron Sorkin drama is here! ....Sorry, we got a little excited there. Anyways, Bradley Whitford and Timothy Busfield, Sorkin's partners in crime from "The West Wing," are here, too, in this series about the backstage antics at a popular late-night comedy-sketch show (so, "SNL," pretty much). In the opening episode, the showrunner has a public meltdown and the new network president has to decide how to deal with it. Also starring are Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, and D. L. Hughley. (Link)

Steve Irwin Memorial Service (Tue; 9PM-10PM; Animal Planet) - Pay your respects to the Croc Hunter by watching his memorial service commercial-free on TV - and not, as we hear some people are doing, by killing stingrays. C'mon, people; he obviously wouldn't have wanted you to do that. (Link)

Smith (Tue; 10PM-11PM; CBS) - Yep, another new show. It really is fall! Well, sort of. Anyway, this one stars Ray Liotta as a criminal mastermind plotting big thefts across the US, while his wife (Virginia Madsen) thinks he's just going on business trips. In the pilot, a theft of some paintings at the Pittsburgh museum (woo! Pennsylvania pride!) turns deadly. (Link)

Dog: The Family Speaks (Tue; 10PM-11PM; A&E) - Recently, three of the stars of A&E's show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" were arrested for illegally apprehending a convicted rapist in Mexico over three years ago; this hour-long special purports to tell what really happened, with exclusive interviews and first-hand accounts. (Link)

Jericho (Wed; 8PM-9PM; CBS) - Another of the more interesting new shows starting this week, this one's about a small town that gets cut off from the outside world after a mushroom cloud appears on the horizon. Skeet Ulrich plays a fellow who happened to pick the wrong time to return to town after being away for 5 years. (Link)

Photo of dog in jail (sorry, we couldn't resist) by Flickr user kenchanayo