Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (June 19, 2009)

Following on the heels of Pushing Daisies season finale, ABC now burns off the remaining episode of Greg Berlanti's Eli Stone, a show that so deserved a better fate than this. There are also new eps of Groomer Has It, Harper's Island and BBC America's Primeval (which just got canceled in the U.K.)

R.I.P

Sunday gives us another steaming bowl of True Blood and things really get going. Lafayette proves there aren't too many lengths to which he won't go to in order to survive, plus some seeds are planted for some interesting future relationships. And Maryann continues her New Age-y "love yourself seduction" of Tara that is going to lead to some very dark places.

Much lighter in nature is NBC's Brit import Merlin that I mentioned earlier. I'll be curious to hear what you think of any potential hoyay.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Lifetime on Sunday night presents Killer Hair, a murder mystery movie set in a hair salon. Naturally there as to be someone gay involved and naturally that means Mario Cantone.

Monday's got new episodes of Weeds and Nurse Jackie. Be sure to stick around to the very end of Weeds to see the set up for a very interesting fourth episode. Both Mo-Mo and Thor pop up on Jackie, but don't have much to do this week.

Also on Monday, The Secret Life of the American Teenager returns. However, I wouldn 't go looking for Brando Eaton just yet. And Kathy Griffin drops in on the South's version of Martha Stewart, comfort food queen Paula Deen.

Last week, I reported that Peter Paige was guesting on TNT's Raising the Bar. Looks either the network changed the order in which the episodes aired or I made a mistake. The likeliest explanation, of course, is the network making a mistake. I hardly ever air, er, err. Peter's ep should air Monday night.

Jonathan Slavin and Portia De Rossi's saved from the dead sitcom Better Off Ted returns from hiatus (and a near death experience) with new eps starting Tuesday night. College Hill airs its final episode of the season while Tori and Dean and Beautiful People both have new eps.

Derek, soon to be seen on The Real World: Cancun

The Real World: Cancun bows Wednesday night with out housemate Derek. The first episode felt much like last season's edition with pretty normal folks mostly acting like human beings who don't gross you out and make you despair for humanity.

Especially cool was how matter of frank everyone was about figuring out who was gay, especially the straight guys offered up the info they were into girls so matter-of-factly and without any judgment or defensiveness.

Samantha Who? starts its final run of episodes on Thursday night before riding off into the sunset. The Fashion Show is still on Bravo but is a show really there if no one is watching it?

Next page! When Broadway Bares, we'll be there!