Appointment Viewing: It's Sci-Fi-Palooza WIth "Torchwood," "Eureka" and "Warehouse 13"

It's time to take a look ahead at another week of Appointment Viewing, and this week should be a big one for science-fiction fans with the return of Torchwood and the debut of a new Monday night line-up on Syfy featuring the returns of Eureka, Warehouse 13 and the new superhero drama Alphas.

It's been nearly two years (almost to the day, Children of Earth's finale aired on July 10, 2009) since we last saw the Torchwood team, as they decided to go their separate ways, but they're back together Friday when the new season, Miracle Day makes its debut on Starz. The anticipation for the return of the show has been pretty high, so you probably haven't been able to escape that this season will see people suddenly stop dying, discovering a literal meaning to the phrase "fate worse than death," all while Captain Jack realizes that his immortality is gone.

Thankfully,  it turns out that Captain Jack in the United States is just as slutty as he was in Cardiff, so my last remaining concern is, which Gwen will appear on this season? The woman who let her emotions get the better of her and stupidly charged into danger from the first two seasons or the surprisingly-competent officer from Children of Earth? Gwen was probably the biggest reason I didn't make it to the ends of the first two Torchwood seasons, so I'm hoping the brains that showed up in Children of Earth wasn't the work of some kind of alien.

Platinum Hit's Jewel and Kara DioGuardi have been exiled to Friday nights.

Meanwhile, I'm guessing things haven't been going well for Bravo's Platinum Hit in the ratings as the series is moving from Monday to Friday with an episode where the hopefuls have to perform on the streets of Los Angeles. I have to admit, I'm not too surprised. While there could be an interesting show where songwriters compete for a chance to grow their careers, Platinum Hit isn't that show. Maybe it's the casting, or maybe it's the challenges, but Platinum Hit failed to deliver what makes a competition between talented people compelling — it didn't make us want to see more.

When we become passionate about a Project Runway designer, it's because they make us go "Wow" when we see their design on the runway, when a Top Chef competitor impresses, fans start making trips to eat at their restaurants. Unfortunately, at the end of each episode of Platinum Hit, I didn't find myself wanting to hear more of the finalists' songs. It could turn out to be this show just isn't a proper showcase for a songwriter's talent. The main thing is that Platinum Hit's challenges haven't delivered anything that makes me root for or against its competitors.

Plus, as Ed and I discovered over Twitter, you can debate if you're more into Rhett or Link.
(Bespectacled boys FTW.)

Friday also brings a new episode of Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings on IFC. This time, the duo will be helping a salon with a primarily black clientele expand their customer base. Sounds like a chance to revisit their ad for The Red House "Where black people and white people buy furniture."

HBO has a new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. This week's roundtable includes historian Amanda Foreman, awful human being Ann Coulter and dreamy Nation editor Chris Hayes. I have to frequently hit rewind when Hayes is on the TV, sometimes I get so distracted by his good looks that I lose track of what he's saying. I guess this week I'll find out how it feels to combine that with the nausea that Coulter inspires.

Finally, NBC has a new Friday Night Lights that sees Tim dealing with a tempting offer and an old flame.