TVSquad

Before American Idol totally takes over the landscape next week when the top 24 start "singing," lots of stuff is happening on, you know, the rest of television. Jack Bauer's on for two hours tonight, while a new season of The Amazing Race revs up Sunday. Here are AOL Television's picks of the week.

24 (Mon., 8PM, Fox)
Seriously, where do 24 presidents find their awful advisors? Monster.com? In particular, the Palmer brothers need a better headhunter. In season two, David Palmer's chief of staff, Mike Novick, organized the Cabinet to use the 25th amendment and declare him unfit for office. Now, Wayne Palmer's chief of staff, Tom Lennox, and vice president, Noah Daniels, are conspiring to enact tougher security measures -- without Palmer's approval. Just goes to show, only Jack Bauer can be trusted.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (Tue., 8PM, USA)
Maybe dogs get stressed out, just like us. They have to replace children and spouses for many owners, look good as celebrities' accessories and perform well at dog shows like Westminster. Next thing you know, we'll want them to attend college. It must be overwhelming. Consider the award-winning whippet named Bohem C'est La Vie, who escaped from her cage after Westminster last year. The police, psychics and group prayers couldn't find her. Hey, even pups need vacation time, too

Beauty and the Geek (Wed., 8PM, The CW) 3rd season finale
It's the battle of the blondes! Cecille and Nate face off against Megan and Scooter in the finale for the grand prize of $250,000. But hold on -- there's a twist (of course): surprise visitors arrive at the mansion to throw the two teams for a loop. Meanwhile, one team member makes a sacrifice that changes the game. I can't wait for next week's reunion to see if Nate and Jennylee still heart each other.

Grey's Anatomy (Thu., 9PM, ABC)
Why are surgical interns on the scene of a major disaster? Aren't there any ER interns at Seattle Grace? But surgical interns are the focus of Grey's Anatomy, so whatever the illogical reasoning, they're there and all have crises to manage. Izzy's tending to a pinned victim, George is looking for a lost child, Alex is placating worried families, Cristina's moping about her engagement while Meredith's drowning. No doubt McDreamy will complete last week's foreshadowing and be her knight in shining armor.

Las Vegas (Fri., 9PM, NBC)
Friday night doesn't boast a strong TV lineup -- and that's OK. Frankly, after a long week at work, I don't want to wade into the complex storylines of a Heroes or Lost. I want fun, frivolous eye candy, which is exactly what Las Vegas is. Tonight, Sandra Bernhard guest stars as Ed's housekeeper (!), whom he wants to fire. Meanwhile, Sam's long-lost flame wakes up after a 20-year coma. Is that deliciously soapy or what?

The Amazing Race: All Stars (Sun., 8PM, CBS)
I've been waiting for an All Stars edition since season one. It's finally here, with fan faves like Kevin and Drew (season one), Team Guido (season one) and Cha Cha Cha (season two). And, love 'em or hate 'em, Rob and Amber are great racers and will raise everyone's game. They're in a rematch with their season seven winners, Uchenna and Joyce. Plus, I can't wait to see how Rob gets along with take-no-prisoners dwarf Charla from season five. The only bummer: Where's Kris and Jon?

Wildcard - Veronica Mars (Tue., 9PM, The CW)
Do my eyes deceive me or does Veronica's best friend Wallace Fennel actually make an appearance in her life?

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