TVSquad

• AMC's Mad Men marathon runs all night until 1am.
• BBC America's Spaced marathon continues until 9pm.
• At 7, G4 has a new Hurl!
• At 8, CBS has a new Big Brother.
• ABC has the premiere of High School Musical: Get in the Picture at 8.
• Disney has a new Hannah Montana at 8, followed by a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• There's a new Challenge on Food Network at 8, then new episodes of Iron Chef America and Next Food Network Star.
• At 9, NBC has a new Dateline.
• PBS has a new Masterpiece at 9.
• ESPN has the ESPY Awards at 9.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, then a new In Plain Sight.
• A&E has two new episodes of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels starting at 9, followed by a new Two Coreys.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 9.
• HBO has a new Generation Kill at 9.
• Nickelodeon has a new Nick News at 9.
• Sundance Channel has a new Shameless at 9.
• Also at 9: HGTV has a new Design Star.
• At 9:30, TCM has Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• E! has a new Denise Richards: It's Complicated at 10, then a new Living Lohan.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Venture Brothers.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Fat Guy Stuck In Internet.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

Yes! The second season premiere of Burn Notice hit #2 this week! Sure, it was expected, but that doesn't mean it's not fantastic news. USA has a ton of shows in the top 10, actually, taking six of the spots. Those Sprint Cup races seem to make an appearance every week now, as do Army Wives on Lifetime and something on Disney Channel that features a Hannah and/or a Jonas brother.

1. Monday Night RAW (USA)
2. Burn Notice (USA)
3. Sprint Cup - Chicago (TNT)
4. In Plain Sight (USA)
5. Monday Night RAW (USA)
6. Law and Order: CI (USA)
7. Picture This (ABC Family)
8. Camp Rock (Disney)
9. Law and Order: SVU (USA)
10. Army Wives (Lifetime)

If there's one thing about success in the entertainment business it's this: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That means if something is working on another show, steal/borrow the idea. As I've pointed out before, the soaps are inspired by movies and TV shows all the time, including Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada and 24 and anything else that the daytime dramas can adapt into the soap opera format.

The latest form of flattery will be on All My Children with the introduction of Beth Ehlers as a new character in Pine Valley, Lieutenant Taylor McBride, a U.S. Army vet who has recently been deployed in Iraq.

(S02E06) One of the really good things about Army Wives is that it presents situations and problems that don't have easy answers. As a viewer, you watch and wonder, "What would I do if I was in his/her shoes?"

That was what I was wondering when Claudia Joy was faced with advising a soldier/mother who's teenage daughter was acting out because she didn't want her mother to leave for another tour of duty. With little recourse that doesn't involve court martial and loss of benefits, Clare Duncan, faces a moral dilemma that most TV shows never address.

I have to admit I didn't even know that issues like dual deployment -- when both a father and mother are serving in combat, leaving kids behind and in need of care -- existed till tonight. It seems unfair for the children of military families, which is the point the program was making.

There were plenty of personal stories going on as well. Trevor's a wreck, uncomfortable with being hailed a hero, and Roxy is unsure how to help him.

• At 8, CBS has the premiere of Big Brother.
• Food Network has a new Challenge at 8.
• At 9, NBC has Miss Universe 2008.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, then a new In Plain Sight.
• HBO has the premiere of Generation Kill at 9.
• TLC has a new Singing Office at 9.
• A&E has a new Gene Simmons' Family Jewels at 9, followed by a new Two Coreys.
• History Channel has a new Ice Road Truckers at 9.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• Food Network has a new Next Food Network Star at 9.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Venture Brothers.
• Showtime has a new I Can't Believe I'm Still Single at 11:30.

Check your local TV listings for more.

The success of Army Wives has been huge for Lifetime. Currently, the second season is doing gangbuster ratings so it's no surprise the CEO Andrea Wong announced yesterday that Army Wives has been renewed for season number three.

Commencing in early 2009, there will be 18 new episodes of the military-oriented, drama set in Fort Marshall around the lives of the families of Army personnel. Currently, the tale of the "tribe" has been a grand slam, Sunday night success for the cable net, the number one cable show among women 25-54 and women 18-49, Lifetime's key demographics.

Kim Delaney is not Quinn Cummings, but the actresses share one thing in common: Marsha Mason as a mom, on screen that is. Army Wives has cast Marsha Mason, Oscar-nominated actress for The Goodbye Girl, as Claudia Joy Holden's mom. She will be appearing on at least two episodes this season, visiting Fort Marshall and her daughter, the general's wife.

Marsha, who is actually has been Oscar-nominated as Best Actress four times in all (Cinderella Liberty, Chapter Two, Only When I Laugh), will guest on Army Wives as Charlotte Meade, Claudia's socialite mother. Her relationship with her daughter is strained and her visit comes without warning.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

Breaking News: No SpongeBob is the top 10 this week! But USA must be happy with what they're doing, with five shows on the list. And it's a good bet that Burn Notice will be on the list when the second season premieres next week.

Don't know what to tell you about the top 4 shows. There's that many people watching wrestling and auto racing?

1. Sprint Cup - Daytona (TNT)
2. Monday Night RAW (USA)
3. Monday Night RAW (USA)
4. NASCAR Post-Race Show (TNT)
5. Law and Order: CI (USA)
6. In Plain Sight (USA)
7. Red Sox/Yankees (ESPN)
8. The Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney)
9. Army Wives (Lifetime)
10. Law and Order: SVU (USA)

(S02E05) For the first 52 minutes (including commercials) of tonight's Army Wives, I was wondering where it was going, and -- I have to admit -- I was getting a little impatient. It seemed like a lot of little bits weren't adding up for a very cohesive episode.

Then the last act kicked in and I found myself in tears. The memorial service at the end for the MIA soldier whose remains were finally being returned from Vietnam was a knockout. It just took some time to get to that point.

The heart of the show was Trevor's return from Iraq and his difficulties dealing with the aftermath of killing the man who shot and wounded him. He's uncomfortable with being labeled a hero.

• At 7:45, Showtime2 has David Duchovny in The TV Set.
• At 8, CBS has a new Million Dollar Password.
• Disney has a new Hannah Montana at 8, then a new Wizards of Waverly Place.
• At 9, NBC has a new Dateline.
• PBS has a new Masterpiece Theatre at 9.
• There's a new Law and Order: CI on USA at 9, followed by a new In Plain Sight.
• TLC has a new Singing Office at 9.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9.
• Food Network has a new Iron Chef America at 9, then a new Next Food Network Star.
• HBO has The Simpsons Movie at 9.
• Also at 9: Nickelodeon has a new Nick News Special.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• Spike has a new episode of Factory at 10.
• At 11:30, Showtime has a new I Can't Believe I'm Still Single.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Judging by the Nielsen ratings Lifetime is raking in for Army Wives in its second season, this show has found its audience. It actually started last spring when Army Wives was a national surprise -- to everyone in the business outside of Lifetime, which picked up the show when ABC passed.

It's still amazing to think that ABC had a chance to put this show in their schedule and let it get away. Their loss is Lifetime's gain -- and they're feasting on it.

If you missed the first season of Army Wives, and didn't get into the show until the fifth episode -- like me -- then you'll be glad to know that Army Wives: The Complete First Season is now available on DVD. It's a great set, too, with some very nice bonus features and quality commentaries.

(S02E04) If there's one thing about Army Wives that bothers me, it's that life is rarely this tidy. With a few exceptions, this episode was about as neat and organized as Frank Sherwood's sock drawer. If you know that character, you know what I mean.

The really good part of the show dealt not with the wives, but with the husbands. Michael Holden, usually the Rock of Gibraltar, finally was shown to be in pain.

It was fitting that Michael wouldn't make it easy for Claudia Joy to find out what was bothering him. A general doesn't show his soft underbelly, not even to his wife.

The twist of having George's sister, Leah, appear was a good development. It was unexpected that the sister of the guy who bombed the Hump Bar would approach the Holdens, but it worked because it gave Claudia Joy a chance to counsel Michael.

• At 7, NBC has more U.S. Olympic Trials, followed by a new Dateline.
• At 8, CBS has a new Password.
• TCM has Harvey at 8, then The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece.
• TLC has the premiere of The Singing Office at 9.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, then a new In Plain Sight.
• There's a new Ice Road Truckers on History Channel at 9.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• Food Network has a new Next Food Network Star at 10.
• Also at 10: Bravo has a new Denise Richards: It's Complicated, followed by a new Living Lohan.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Venture Brothers, then new episodes of Metalocalypse, Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, and Assy McGee.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S02E03) Army Wives is the kind of show that's not afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve, metaphorically speaking. That's what this episode was in essence. The writers weren't afraid to deal with some core themes like faith, courage, fear and bravery.

Time has passed since Amanda's death, but life is not returning to normal for the Holdens. Until Claudia Joy is able to begin to heal, Michael and Emmalin will be suffering, a point driven home in this episode by the messenger. In the guise of guest star Bill Cobbs, he's not real.

At least not real in human form; he's imaginary and only Claudia Joy can see and speak with him. This is very much a dramatic device to help her see that life goes on.

• At 7, NBC has the U.S. Olympic Trials, followed by a new Dateline.
• At 8, CBS has a new Million Dollar Password.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece.
• Discovery has the finale of When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions at 9.
• A&E has two new episodes of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels at 9, followed by two new episodes of The Two Coreys.
• There's a new Ice Road Truckers on History Channel at 9.
• HGTV has a new Design Star at 9, then a new Rate My Space.
• USA has a new Law and Order: CI at 9, followed by a new In Plain Sight.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Army Wives.
• Also at 10: Food Network has a new Next Food Network Star at 9, then a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• E! has a new Denise Richards: It's Complicated, then a new Living Lohan.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has a new Venture Brothers, followed by a new Metalocalypse.
• At 12:30am, Cartoon Network has a new Assy McGee.

Check your local TV listings for more.