Television

It's time for another round of Stuff to Watch (or Not), where I tell you everything you need to know about TV that's coming this week.

Actually, no, I don't. There are, like, a billion shows out there. But I will give you some of the better ones, and a few you might otherwise miss.

Let's start with the pick of the week, PBS' Nova: Car of the Future, tonight at 7. It features the Car Talk guys, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, in a cheery, smart, uniquely Car Talkish search for some answers to our growing problems with the gas shortage and worldwide pollution.

This is anything but an eat-your-veggies hour. This is Click and Clack here, legendary car guys and goofballs, looking for a replacement for Tom's beloved-but-broken-down 1952 MG Roadster.

Their story is narrated by John Lithgow, who outlines the issues — one quarter of all the petroleum consumed in history has been used in the past 10 years, and we're running out — but it's the guys who carry the tale.

They roam through possible car solutions, from hydrogen power, hybrids, ethanol, and carbon-fiber ultralight cars, to a teeny, clown-sized car that gets 100 miles a gallon but has no gear for reverse. "The only thing 'alternative' about this," Ray says, "is that it's dangerous."

They also visit UC Davis and professor Andy Frank, who's working on a plug-in electric hybrid, and talk with car company people who are caught between consumer demand — around the globe, people almost always drive the most horsepower they can afford, Lithgow says and a need to change.

As merry as the Magliozzis are, there's still a serious layer because any large-scale changes are still years away. They show one rich example of the general resistance at a car show, when a GM exec hypes the 500-HP Camero. The exec is the vice president of environment & energy.

Now for more this week:

• Tonight

Reaper (at 8 p.m. on CW). This was CW's best new series out of the gate and, though it's lost a bit of zip, it's still fun, particularly when the devil (Ray Wise) is on screen. It's back for five new episodes.

• Wednesday

Law & Order (at 9 p.m. on NBC). Jesse L. Martin is leaving after nine seasons, which is like 63 seasons in Law & Order years. This week, Det. Green meets the cop who'll replace him next season, played by Anthony Anderson.

• Thursday

Ugly Betty (at 7 p.m. on ABC). Betty (America Ferrara), Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) and the gang return from the strike break. Betty tries to celebrate turning 24, and she can cry if she wants to.

Supernatural (at 9 p.m. on CW). This underrated series also returns and the guys deal with some reality-show ghost hunters. Anyone think real spooks will show up?

Grey's Anatomy (at 8 p.m. on ABC). It's TV's top-rated scripted series, despite all the whining from Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), so who am I to complain? Executive producer Shonda Rhimes says the new episodes are about bravery, so maybe Meredith will shut up.

Lost (at 9 p.m. on ABC). It's back from its strike interlude and on a hour later. Everyone is right where we left them, which is to say, confused.

Late Show With David Letterman (at 10:30 p.m. on CBS). Retired Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre makes an appearance. He's a cool guy, but a shy one, so we may not see a lot more of him.

• Friday

Moonlight (at 7 p.m. on CBS). The CBS vampire series gets a few more weeks before the network decides whether to put a stake in the show's heart.

Battlestar Galactica (at 9 p.m. on Sci Fi). Fans of the show are already watching, and I'm betting not many newcomers will join mid-story. I just want to give it a shout out.

• Saturday

Robin Hood (at 8 p.m. on BBC America). It's Season Two for the cheeky British re-imagining of the tale, with swashbuckling heroes, nefarious villains and a Maid Marian who may be the toughest of the lot. You want escapism, this is your show — as long as you have full digital cable or satellite service with BBC America. [In Calhoun County, only those viewers with home satellite dishes are able to view this channel.]

• Sunday

Carrier (at 8 and 9 p.m. on PBS). PBS starts a 10-part, engrossing look at life on the USS Nimitz. The nuclear aircraft carrier is 24 stories high, three football fields long, and carries 5,000 people who live, essentially, below a major airport. This documentary is total immersion. All that's missing is the sea spray and Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone."