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This week features the season debuts or series debuts of several shows featuring strong female dramatic leads.

The most popular drama on cable TNT’s “The Closer” is back Monday night for its fifth season starring Kyra Sedgwick. That same night, Showtime’s “Weeds” with Mary Louise Parker brings back her ever deepening drug-related problems.

And on Sunday, HBO’s dark sophomore series “True Blood” featuring Anna Paquin returns with increasing buzz and ratings.

Plus, on Monday after “Weeds,” Edie Falco (”The Sopranos”) leads in a dramedy about a nurse with plenty of compassion but also some nasty secrets of her own. (Below)

MONDAY
»“The Closer” 9 p.m. TNT (5th season debut) — Brenda and Fritz appear happily married now but poor Kitty isn’t feeling so hot.
»“Jon & Kate Plus 8” 9 p.m. TLC — This is the 100th episode as the couple’s relationship deteriorates.
»“Kathy Griffin: Life on the D-List” 10 p.m. Bravo (5th season debut) — Kathy hangs out with Bette Midler in Vegas.
»“Raising the Bar” 10 p.m. TNT (2nd season debut) — Jerry defends a man who lets a relative sell drugs out of his barbershop.
»“Weeds” 10 p.m. Showtime (5th season debut) — Nancy saved her own life last season when she reveals her pregnancy to the drug lord. Is being dead better?

Weeds Season 5 Premiere Trailer – Watch more Funny Videos

»“Nurse Jackie” 10:30 p.m. Showtime (new series) — A promising dark comedy starring Edie Falco as an ER nurse.
TUESDAY
»“18 Kids & Counting” 9 p.m. TLC — Jana and Jill are nervous about having their wisdom teeth removed.
»“Deadliest Catch” 9 p.m. Discovery— Lousy weather makes a tough job even tougher.
»“Mental” 9 p.m. Fox —The late great David Carradine guests as a famous prof hit by lightning.
»“Life After People” 10 p.m. History— What happens to Pearl Harbor if people disappear?
»“The Little Couple” 10 p.m. TLC — Jen wants a city house; Bill is leaning toward the ‘burbs.
»“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” 10 p.m. Bravo— Dina, Caroline and Teresa hit the casinos and shops in Atlantic City.
»“Rescue Me” 10 p.m. FX — Tommy’s drinking again but thinks he can control it this time.
WEDNESDAY
»“So You Think You Can Dance” 8 p.m. Fox — The top 20 perform for the first time.
»“Mythbusters” 9 p.m. Discovery (7th season finale) — Can Tory, Grand and Kari bend bullets around an obstacle?
»“Real World/Road Rules Challenge” 10 p.m. MTV (17th season finale) — Ten Americans in New Zealand vie for the top 6 posts, which reward cash from $15K to $100K .
»“Top Chef Masters” 10 p.m. Bravo (new series) — Established chefs battle it out for charity.

»“Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns” 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. TBS — Will and Sasha fight Tanya to keep her from taking the kids.
»“The Unusuals” 10:01 p.m. ABC — This show has been cancelled so enjoy the leftovers.
THURSDAY
»“American Chopper: Jon & Kate Plus 8 Bike” 9 p.m. TLC (new 90-minute episode) — Call this cross-show “synergy.” You be the judge whether it’s a good thing.
»“She’s Got the Look” 9 p.m. TV Land (2nd season debut) — Former Atlantan Raquel Riley is one of the contestants for this “Next Top Model” for women 35 and up.
»“So You Think You Can Dance” 9 p.m. Fox — The first two of the top 20 are voted off.
»“16 & Pregnant” 10 p.m. MTV (new series) — This show follows pregnant teens, most whom did not plan to get preggers.
»“Fashion Show” 10 p.m. Bravo — Designers create fashions based on high school cliques.
»“Raising Sextuplets” 10 p.m. WE (new series) — The Jon & Kate phenomenon means copycats!
FRIDAY
»“Wild Weddings” 7 p.m. TLC (1st season finale) — A couple gets hitched on a basketball court.
»“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” 8 p.m. Fox —A victim of the California wildfires tries her luck for $1 million.
»“Surviving Suburbia” 8 p.m. ABC (new time slot) — This Bob Saget sitcom won’t be coming back. ABC is burning the remaining episodes on Friday nights.
»“The Goode Family” 8:30 p.m. ABC (new time slot) — ABC moving this new animated show to Fridays is not a good sign for its future.
»“Whale Wars” 9 p.m. Animal Planet — The Sea Shepherds nearly collide with the Nisshin Maru.
»“Adam Ferrara: Funny as Hell” 11 p.m. Comedy — Don’t get enough of him on “Rescue Me”? Check out his ribald humor.
WEEKEND
»“Kings” 8 p.m. Saturday NBC — King Silas works to prevent the outbreak of a deadly plague.
»“Star Runners” 9 p.m. Saturday SciFi— One of those goofy low-budget sci-fi flicks featuring an outer-space smuggler, his sidekick and a mysterious woman landing on a planet packed with giant insects\.
»“Pushing Daisies” 10 p.m. Saturday ABC (series finale) — The Darling Mermaid Darlings come out of retirement (Nora Dunn & Wendie Malick guest)..
»“Million Dollar Password” 8 p.m. Sunday CBS — Jeff Carlin and Chelsea Handler guest.
»“Daisy of Love” 9 p.m. Sunday VH1 — The title of this episode is “Sperm Warfare.” Need we say more?
»“True Blood” 9 p.m. HBO (2nd season debut) — Sookie’s relationship with Bill is tested when she learns the truth about his involvement in her uncle’s death.
»“Hammertime” 10 p.m. A&E (new series) — If Hulk Hogan and Run can do reality shows, why not M.C. Hammer?