What to Watch Weekend, Jan. 17-18

'United States of Tara'
(Sun., 10PM, Showtime) series premiere
When Tara (Toni Collette) isn't quite feeling like herself, she does what any other housewife would do ... if that housewife also had dissociative identity disorder.

When being Tara becomes too stressful, Tara switches to one of her alternative personalities, namely T, a wild, pot-smoking teen; Alice, an old-fashioned housewife; and Buck, a beer-guzzlin', motorcycle-ridin' dude.

Tara's family is constantly dealing with the fallout of her switcheroos in this Steven Spielberg-created comedy (which was developed by 'Juno' Oscar winner Diablo Cody), and some of the funniest moments come when her husband (John Corbett) and kids adapt their personalities to appease one of hers.


'United States of Tara'
(Sun., 10PM, Showtime) series premiere
When Tara (Toni Collette) isn't quite feeling like herself, she does what any other housewife would do ... if that housewife also had dissociative identity disorder.

When being Tara becomes too stressful, Tara switches to one of her alternative personalities, namely T, a wild, pot-smoking teen; Alice, an old-fashioned housewife; and Buck, a beer-guzzlin', motorcycle-ridin' dude.

Tara's family is constantly dealing with the fallout of her switcheroos in this Steven Spielberg-created comedy (which was developed by 'Juno' Oscar winner Diablo Cody), and some of the funniest moments come when her husband (John Corbett) and kids adapt their personalities to appease one of hers.

'Big Love'
(Sun., 9PM, HBO) 3rd season premiere
Even though Bill's got a full plate with trying to buy into a casino, the Roman situation and, oh yeah, his three wives, he's still trying to get his other spouses to bring Ana into casas de Henrickson.

'Desperate Housewives'
(Sun., 9PM, ABC) 100th episode
The death of their beloved neighborhood handyman (guest star Beau Bridges) prompts the women of Wisteria Lane to reflect on the many ways he helped them in their times of need.

'The L Word'
(Sun, 9PM, Showtime) 6th season premiere
The final season kicks off with a murder mystery in which the victim is one of the show's leading characters and most of the other characters are suspects. And if you don't know which woman has kicked the bucket, consider yourself lucky, because Showtime's promos spoiled the surprise for most fans weeks ago.

'Flight of the Concords'
(Sun., 10PM, HBO) 2nd season premiere
After a professional break up with Murray, Jemaine and Bret decide to manage their own careers, which leads to a potential job to write a commercial jingle.

'The Secret Diary of a Call Girl'
(Sun, 10:30PM, Showtime) 2nd season premiere
Belle gets a boyfriend this season, though just how serious the relationship will be remains a question since he doesn't know she makes her living in the world's oldest profession.

Also on this weekend:
- 'Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr' (Sat., 8PM, NGC)
- 'Another Cinderella Story' (Sun., 8PM, ABC Family)
- 'The Mentalist' (Sun., 10PM, CBS)


What's on tomorrow: 'Samantha Who?,' '24' and more

Check out our TV calendar for a look at the month ahead