This is why we can't complain too much that just about anything will get on TV, because sometimes "anything" does show up, and it's worth a look, if just for the weirdness factor.
Tonight, the weirdness is the semi-serious Rock Paper Scissors League championship on Fox Sports from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Right off, that tells us two things few people know: One, there's a Rock Paper Scissors League, and, second, apparently they have a championship.
The host for this is the likable Phil Gordon, a poker pro and, according to the press material, an accomplished RPS player, though how you become "accomplished" is beyond me.
In any case, it airs at 11 p.m. as a special version of "The Best Damn Sports Show Ever." No one is promising it'll be good, but a strange spectacle always seems worth checking out, which, frankly, is the motto TV critics live by.
Speaking of spectacle, that's always a possibility in the mayoral debate tonight (at 6:30 on Channel 3), though it's more likely Heather Fargo and Kevin Johnson will give us carefully prepared attack lines disguised as policy statements. Or does that make me sound cynical? As for the rest of the week, most of the action is centered on Thursday, leading with the return of "CSI" and the beginning of the goodbye for William Petersen's Gil Grissom. Here's What To Watch (or Not).
Tonight
"Chuck" (8 p.m. on Channel 3): This geek-turned-spy-but-still-a-geek show seems to have found its voice, which is a mix of clever, silly and comic book. Tonight, the always good John Larroquette guests as a superspy with renowned skills for charming the ladies.
Tuesday
Presidential debate II (6 p.m., all networks and news channels): Barack Obama and John McCain do it again, and a reminder this also means lots of regular Tuesday programming will be thrown off schedule. If you can't find your show, wait until next week to get ticked.
Wednesday
"The Tony Rock Project" (8 p.m. on Channel 58): Chris Rock's brother has a show on MyNetworkTV. What I can tell you is that Chris and Tony do look like brothers.
"South Park" (10 p.m. on Comedy Central): Cartman and the gang are back for a new season and more chances to offend just about everyone in what is still an acutely funny show.
"The Sarah Silverman Program" (10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central): Anybody left unoffended by "South Park" will surely get reamed by this comedy. In the season opener, Sarah gets high for the first time and leaves herself voicemails telling sober Sarah to carry out her stoned revelations.
Thursday
"CSI" (8 p.m. on Channel 13): It's Season 9 already, which would be shocking enough without Warrick (Gary Dourdan) getting shot last season. This week, things get personal for the crime- scene crew as they race to find the shooter. It also starts the 10-week farewell to Grissom and the ushering in of the Laurence Fishburne era.
"Kath & Kim" (8:30 p.m. on Channel 3): Molly Shannon and Selma Blair star in a new remake of a popular Aussie comedy that has 40-ish Kath finding new love and acting like a teen. Then her daughter leaves her husband and moves back with mom, and she's even more juvenile and self-involved. Expect wackiness.
"Eleventh Hour" (9 p.m. on Channel 13): Sleek and slick new series about a biophysicist (Rufus Sewell) helping government good guys fight crimes of science. It's from super producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who's very good at making these kinds of hours work, and he's come through again.
"Life on Mars" (10 p.m. on Channel 10): This is another new series premiere and it's about a modern detective (Jason O'Mara) who's somehow transported by a car crash back to 1973, when there were no cell phones or Starbucks or computers, and when people dressed embarrassingly badly. It's a remake of a smart BBC series and also stars Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli.
Friday
"The Starter Wife" (at 9 on USA Network): Debra Messing is back in a full series as a woman rebuilding her life after her movie- mogul husband dumped her. The show is stuffed with clichés, and Messing's character seems more spoiled than sympathetic, but some people watched the miniseries, so I'm just telling you it's on.
Call The Bee's Rick Kushman, (916) 321-1187. Listen to him Thursdays at 8:40 a.m. on NewsTalk 1530 (KFBK) and 8:50 a.m. on Armstrong & Getty, Talk 650 KSTE.
