“Torchwood: Miracle Day”
Friday 10pm, Starz
This popular spinoff of the “Doctor Who” series returns for a pseudo-reboot, with a much more American slant. That’s because this is a co-production between the BBC Worldwide and Starz, and us Yanks actually get to see it before the Brits. The sci-fi series will feature the three remaining leads from the previous “Torchwood,” as Captain Jack Harkness and Co. investigate a dilly of a pickle: something is preventing anyone on earth from dying. Sounds great, until you consider the larger implications of overcrowding, the elderly and infirm suffering in pain, etc. The 10-episode season will also feature familiar American faces, including regular cast member Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile, “E.R.”) and guest stars Bill Pullman, Lauren Ambrose, Ernie Hudson, C. Thomas Howell and, for the geeks in the house, John de Lancie (Q from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”).
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Sunday 10pm, HBO
It’s hard to believe that this largely improvised sitcom has been on the air since 2000. Granted, only seven seasons have aired in 11 years, but still, that’s quite a stretch. Season eight brings professional curmudgeon Larry David back to his old stomping grounds of New York City, and brings in a whole host of big-time guest stars, most of whom play themselves. Look for episodes featuring Ricky Gervais, Michael J. Fox, Cheyenne Jackson, former “SNL” cast member Ana Gasteyer and Rosie O’Donnell, with whom David predictably gets into a feud. Is anybody not in a feud with Rosie at this point?
“Bad Girls Club: New Orleans”
Monday 9pm, Oxygen
It’s an amazing week for trashy reality series. “Teen Mom 3” debuts Tuesday on MTV, “Big Brother” starts on CBS Thursday and “Tough Love” relocates to Miami on VH1 this Sunday. But if you’re looking for truly loathsome people acting deplorably for your entertainment, check into this morally bankrupt franchise by the people who brought you “The Real World.” “Bad Girls Club” is like its predecessor, but instead of seven diverse strangers picked to live in a house, the producers cram seven “rebellious” (read: angry, loud, trampy and violence-prone) young women into a shared space and tell them not to punch each other (except they totally want them to punch each other). I know it’s terrible to condone or promote that kind of behavior, but who couldn’t use a little more hair pulling in their life? Better them than us.