In an era where America's unemployment rate is stubbornly hovering around 10%, Mike Rowe's Discovery show 'Dirty Jobs' has evolved from gross-out TV into an exploration of the harsh conditions faced by the country's working poor.

As he discussed on 'Rachael Ray' (weekdays, syndicated on ABC), when the show started it was "really dirty and kind of gross," and while it still certainly is still those things, it's grown to mean something more.

"Today, the show is about people, and the conversation that's really grown out of the show isn't about poop-jokes and misadventures in animal husbandry ... it's really more about what is a good job today, and what are we encouraging people to pursue," Rowe said.

Discovery Channel unveiled its lineup for the 2010-11 season this week, and it looks like more stellar programming for the real-life stories network. You can read more about it here, but two that caught my eye are 'Engineering the Impossible,' where a team of specialists search for clues about how some of the world's most fantastic structures were built; and 'The Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero.' a documentary executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

This made me think about some of my favorite shows on the Discovery Channel, and I realized that they usually involve people in ridiculously disgusting or deadly situations. I think of these as the "real" reality shows, rather than the manufactured reality shows like 'Survivor' and 'The Amazing Race.'

Ok, we'll take Bear Grylls out of the equation, because, clearly, there's no need for him to be dropped into the wilderness and have to drink his own pee. But the others on my list are just awesome people doing death-wish jobs no one else wants to do. Follow me after the jump to see who made my top five list.

It's not as easy to recognize Mike Rowe when he isn't covered in mud or knee-deep in a puddle of sludge, but the second he opens his mouth, that booming voice is unmistakable.

Beyond hosting 'Dirty Jobs' (Tuesdays, 9PM ET on Discovery) with a do-anything attitude and a say-anything wit, Rowe also lends his pipes to voiceovers for 'Deadliest Catch,' 'American Chopper,' Syfy's 'Ghost Hunters' and Ford trucks, among others.

Rowe stopped by AOL's L.A. studios to talk all about the new season of 'Dirty Jobs' -- including the dirtiest episode that will reveal why women all over the world are wearing dead cow on their faces. He also dished about the TV doc he gets mistaken for, then admitted he had a very unlikely start in Hollywood: "I wanted to get in the entertainment business ... so I got in through the opera." Don't believe it? You will when you hear him sing.

Now we can't deny that there's another kind of Mike Rowe fan out there -- the man behind the golden voice also addresses those many questions about whether or not he's single. Well, sort of. See it all right here in our exclusive video chat.

You've got questions? I've got answers. I'm The Show Girl!

This week, Mr. 'Dirty Jobs' himself, Mike Rowe, stops by to get a taste for my job ... and apparently, it's pretty filthy. He also dishes about the new season, and gives Show Girl watchers a very special performance.

Plus I've got scoop on the season premiere of '30 Rock,' and the awesomeness coming up on a little show you might've heard of called 'Glee.'

Want more? Email me TV questions at TheTVShowGirl@aol.com -- who knows, I might just give you an answer on the show. Now watch, enjoy and come back next week for more. Until then, happy TV watching! -- By Maggie Furlong

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Andy DeHart, a shark expert who currently works at the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. Dehart talked to me about his first experience with sharks (when he was five!), about his interest in conservation of the species, and about Shark Week, Discovery's annual documentary series (in its 21st year this summer). Other than Big Brother, Shark Week is the only reason I turn on the TV in the summer. I was pretty excited to talk to him about this year's event.

On Tuesday , June 17th at 10 p.m. an all new season of After the Catch will premiere. This five-part series, airing each week after Deadliest Catch, will look deeper into the most dangerous jobs and people who do them. One of these behind-the-scenes looks will feature Captain Phil Harris and Gloucester's legendary fishermen. The captain will sit down with Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs for an interview. Rowe will also talk to the crew, author Spike Walker and Dutch Harbor bartender Lisa Roberts for the inside scoop on what life is really like in the port town.

AOL TV releases their next ten Sexiest Women of TV this week. I figured I would add some more of my own television hotties to the list. For my list, I decided to pay homage to some of the beautiful hosts of Do-It-Yourself television (networks like Food Network, Fine Living, and The Discovery Channel).

You may think that this list is way too obscure. But these men and women and totally hot and they teach us how to do stuff like make roasted asparagus or build rocking chairs or pick a color scheme for our homes. I think they deserve some attention.

Feel free to add your own favorite Do-It-Yourself Hottie in the comments. (By the way, my picks are in no particular order. I just couldn't choose who I liked the best.)

Via the AOL viral video site This Just In (AOL also owns TV Squad) comes a video featuring a very young-looking Mike Rowe (currently the host of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel) selling a cat toy on QVC. Rowe was a presenter on the channel in the early '90s.

Give Rowe credit, because he's trying his best to sell a product that is, for all intents and purposes, a glorified grocery bag, but how enthusiastic can the poor guy get about a bag that even QVC's resident cat doesn't seem to care about? I suppose he could have got inside the bag himself . . . oh wait, he did.