SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
Ultimate Fight Night (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET) Live. The first-ever live Ultimate Fight Night on basic cable is a three-hour event featuring eight different fights. Matches include Pete Spratt vs. Josh Koscheck, Pete Sell vs. Nate Quarry, Sam Hoger vs. Stephan Bonnar, Patrick Cote vs. Chris Leben, Nathan Marquardt vs. Ivan Salaverry, Josh Neer vs. Drew Fickett, Alex Karalexis vs. Kenny Florian, and Gideon Ray vs. Mick Swick.
Mo'Nique's Fat Chance (Oxygen, 8 p.m. ET) Premiere. Award-winning comedienne Mo'Nique hosts the first televised beauty pageant for full-figured women. The competition will feature ten women, with the plus-sized beauty queen winning a closet full of fashionable clothing and a week at a special boot camp that offers instruction about both inner and outer beauty.
All-Star Kitchen Makeover (Food TV, 9 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Emeril Lagasse, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and Alton Brown switch off each week to make over a lucky person's boring kitchen into something fabulous. In the premiere, Brown goes to Michigan to reorganize a kitchen and give it a retro style.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
The Girls Next Door (E!, 9 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Take a look inside the Playboy Mansion and meet Hugh Hefner's three lookalike live-in girlfriends, Holly, Bridget and Kendra. In the first episode, the titular trio attend a tribute to Star Wars creator George Lucas. (Read about Jack Myers' visit to the Playboy Mansion on www.mediavillage.com.)
Ape to Man (The History Channel, 9 p.m. ET) Premiere. This documentary is a quest to find the origins of human beings. The show explains the key elements of ape-to-man evolution, including the ability to walk upright, form communities, use logic, and handle tools and fire.
Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive (E!, 10 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Ten young adult children of the rich and famous embark on a grueling 100 mile cattle drive in this rowdy new reality show. Amid their suffering they learn to cope without life pleasures. No pampering, no cell phones, and definitely no Prada. The cast includes The Incredible Hulk's daughter, George Foreman's son, Pat Benatar's daughter and E! reality star Brittny Gastineau. (Check out our exclusive Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive photo gallery on www.mediavillage.com.)
Queer as Folk (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET) Series Finale. After five seasons, this groundbreaking drama about gays and lesbians comes to a bittersweet end that finds Brian, Justin, Michael, Ben, Emmet, Melanie, Lindsay and Ted dealing with their own personal problems and greater political issues facing the gay and lesbian community.
American Princess (WE, 10 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Twenty American women are sent to London where they are taught by royalty experts and have to impress some very serious English judges. They struggle to survive British boot camp and compete to win $150,000 and the title of American Princess.
Weeds (Showtime, 11 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Housewife Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) has just lost her husband and has to figure out how she's going to raise her two sons alone. To survive, she decides to become the local pot dealer in her Los Angeles suburb. In this debut episode, Nancy's best friend Celia tries to catch her daughter in the act with Nancy's son and learns a secret in the process.
MONDAY, AUGUST 8
Beautiful People (ABC Family, 9 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. When Sophie receives a full scholarship to a Manhattan prep school, her family packs up and moves to New York. Once there, Sophie has trouble fitting in with all the socialites. Meanwhile, her older sister Karen – an aspiring model with hopes to make it big in New York – realizes how dirty the business can be. The sisters' single mother Lynn (Daphne Zuniga) is making her own fresh start as well, but her plan hits a snag when she runs into her long lost, and now married, boyfriend. (Read Jack Myers Lunch at Michael's column with Daphne Zuniga on Monday, August 8th at www.mediavillage.com.)
Criminal Intent (Lifetime, 9 p.m. ET) Premiere. Devon (Sebastian Spence) thinks he can start his life over after a nasty divorce, until his ex-wife turns up dead. Now he's the lead suspect in the murder, and he has to hire his ex's lawyer to clear his name. Also starring Linda Purl and Vanessa Angel.
Miss Teen USA 2005 (NBC, 9 p.m. ET) Live. Fifty-one teens from across the country compete in this year's teen pageant, live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To begin the show, the top fifteen will be announced and will then participate in the evening gown round. Following that, the top ten will compete in the swimsuit round. The winner will then be crowned Miss Teen USA 2005. Kathy Hilton is set to be one of the judges.
Too Late with Adam Carolla (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Adam Carolla (The Man Show, Loveline) returns to Comedy Central in this new late night show. Carolla uses his unique style of comedy to interview celebrity guests and random people on the street and takes live phone calls from viewers. E-mail Adam your question – you could be on TV!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9
Situation: Comedy (Bravo, 8 p.m. ET) The casts for the final two teams' scripts have their final auditions before the network.
Going Tribal (Discovery, 10 p.m. ET) Series Premiere. Explorer Bruce Parry hosts this six-part series in which he visits indigenous people and immerses himself in their cultures. First up is the Suri tribe in Ethiopia, where Parry is taught a tribal stick-fight and is offered a drink made of ox blood.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 10 p.m. ET) The Fab Five enlist the help of the New York Knicks and the Harlem Globetrotters in order to make over Pat M., a high school basketball coach.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10
Unforgettable Moments in Television Entertainment (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET) Premiere. From the Museum of Television and Radio, celebrities recall standout moments in TV that have captivated audiences and shaped our entertainment history. From the final episode of Friends to classic I Love Lucy moments, guests like Donald Trump, Jason Alexander, Cybill Shepherd and Bob Newhart share these great memories.
Over There (FX, 10 p.m. ET) The soldiers question the interrogation techniques of a U.S. colonel who uses physical and mental distress with an Iraqi prisoner.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
Hooking Up (ABC, 9 p.m. ET) Series Finale. As the documentary series that followed eleven women through a year of online dating comes to a close most of the ladies are still searching for Mr. Right.
The Law Firm (NBC, 9 p.m. ET) The eight remaining lawyers split into two teams to battle it out in a court trial about two feuding neighbors. Outside of the courthouse, the contestants' personalities begin to clash.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
Monk (USA, 10 p.m. ET) When the father of Monk's late wife's old business partner turns up dead, Mrs. Monk becomes the main suspect. Yes, you read that right. Is Monk hallucinating or is Trudy really alive?