The restaurant business is tough enough without someone coming in with the sole purpose of taking you out. But that's the situation George found himself in when his daughter's fiance, Bernard, took him to Richard's (Oliver Platt) new restaurant on 'Bored to Death' (Mon., 9PM ET on HBO).

As usual, Richard was a complete tool, particularly targeting George's boast that all of his vegetables come from within 100 miles. So Richard insisted that his are from within 50 miles, which has to be like, twice as good, right?

Now that Cathy has accepted that she has cancer and opened up to others about it, she needs to find what will become her new normal on 'The Big C' (Mon., 10:30PM ET on Showtime). That means finding a healthy relationship with husband Paul again ... including marital relations.

Paul, trying to be supportive, may have told her that he was fine with not having sex, but that wasn't true. Poor Andrea found that out first-hand when she accidentally walked in on Paul taking care of his "frustrations" himself.

When Cathy confronted him about it, he admitted that he was frustrated. She had, after all, just had an affair with another man and they'd had all kinds of crazy sex in all kinds of crazy places. And now, with him, she wanted nothing.

On 'The Big C,' co-stars Oliver Platt and Laura Linney take on a serious subject with an air of humor. That subject is, of course, aggressive farting. Or at least for those watching Platt appearing on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb Friday, it might have seemed that was the subject.

Laura Linney plays a woman living with a diagnosis of cancer, with Platt as her husband. The show does actually broach the subject of farting, and that's the clip 'Today' chose to introduce Platt. Platt has enjoyed being on 'The Big C,' but said the farting scene was not particularly pleasant.

Gifford said aggressive farting was just "another day at my house." "I've heard about Frank," said Platt. Gifford declined to blame Frank, but refused to reveal the culprit. Do tannins cause flatulence?

(Season 1, Episode 1) One of the most prominent questions that the producers of Showtime's new comedy, 'The Big C,' had to face during the Television Critics Association press tour was, 'is cancer a laughing matter?' Perhaps tonight's first episode will help to answer that question.

Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer in some way -- 'The Big C' may be described as a black comedy, but are we ready to laugh about it? It's certainly hard not to be enamored with the vivacious Laura Linney, an actress who can effortlessly blend poignancy and pathos with moments of laugh-out-loud humor.

Join me after the jump to discuss one of 2010's most controversial, and most addictive, new comedies -- were you laughing?

Laura Linney is about to face 'The Big C.' No, her new Showtime series isn't being canceled before it airs, it's called 'The Big C' and its premiere date has officially been set for Mon., Aug. 16 at 10:30PM ET.

Showtime is known for its programs with strong leading ladies -- just look at 'United States of Tara' and 'Nurse Jackie' -- so Emmy-winner Linney should feel right at home with this new comedy about a suburban housewife whose life is turned upside by a cancer diagnosis.

The series was created by Darlene Hunt. Hunt will also serve as executive producer, along with Linney, Neal H. Moritz and Vivian Cannon. Joining Linney in the half-hour comedy are Oliver Platt and Gabourey Sidibe.

When I first heard the title of Laura Linney's new show for Showtime, I thought it was going to be something salacious. Well, I was wrong. It's about cancer. And now Showtime has greenlit The Big C, placing an order for 13 episodes.

The title, actually, is altered from the original announcement. Instead of The C-Word, it's now The Big C. Linney's character is a wife and mother who is diagnosed with cancer and her life is dramatically altered.

That sounds like a simple -- perhaps obvious -- situation. However, cancer is something that has touched nearly everybody's life in some way and The Big C should have instant universal appeal.

(S01E08) "You think we learned anything tonight?" - Jonathan

I'll tell you what I learned -- Bored to Death has a lot of potential. All season long, I've gone from loving to hating to loving this show, and with the season finale now come and gone, there's a real opportunity here for Bored to Death to become HBO's next break-out hit when it returns. All the pieces are in place and it probably could have blown up this season had there not been so many episodes where the show tried to find its footing. Is it a detective show? Or is it about three friends in the publishing world trying to make their mark? Or is it both?

(S01E07) "I don't mean to be rude, but I was transporting chilled semen." - Ray

What a great way to set up the season finale! At this point, I'm not sure Bored to Death has turned out to be anything like what HBO originally green-lit, but, despite its many ups and downs, it sure has been fun to watch.

Not only did last night's episode feature the return of two plots, that, when originally introduced, seemed like throw-away gags (Ray's sperm donations; George's rivalry with Richard Antrem), but it also featured one helluva line-up of guest stars. It bodes well for season two and even though we still have one more episode left, I'm feeling a lot better about the direction Bored to Death is taking when compared to Hung.

New characters on new shows, new characters on existing shows, and even returning favorites on long-running series; this casting round-up has a little bit of everything for a little bit of everyone.

• On the heels of word coming out that Gabourey Sidibe is in negotiations for a possible recurring role on 'The C Word,' as we reported, the show has secured another major actor. Multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Oliver Platt has been cast as the husband of lead Laura Linney. His narcissistic man-child will join Linney, John Benjamin Hickey and Phyllis Somerville as regulars on the Showtime series. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Read more casting news, after the jump ...

(S05E11) "Mommy's not coming back because Daddy killed her." - Christian

Um... wow. I'm never going to a Build-A-Bear Workshop ever again. I'll come back to that later, but let's touch on the theme of this episode first: cannibalism. There's a topic that Nip/Tuck hasn't tackled before and Ryan Murphy and Co. didn't hold back either. From the teacher who bites her Kindergarten students, to the metaphors of Hollywood agents eating you alive, to the newlywed couple that actually... ate each other, all the bases were covered. Who's hungry?
%Gallery-8310%

(S05E09) "I was never in any danger of being drugged by the gays." - Freddy

After a month off, Nip/Tuck is back. Only 14 of this season's 22 episodes were finished pre-WGA Strike, so it makes sense that FX threw that mini hiatus in there. I was really looking forward to this episode, and even though I liked it, there was still a lot of stuff that just didn't feel fresh to me. Recycled is probably more accurate. I love this show, but c'mon... Sean and Christian fighting over Julia is really getting old.
%Gallery-8310%

(S05E08) "Your promises are sh*t, Matt." - Sean

They really are, aren't they? Matt is pretty much full of it, most of the time. Granted he escaped death here, but when you consider his track record (white supremacists, transvestites, Scientology, foreskin removal), it's pretty safe to assume that he'll get wrapped up in something else before too long. That's why I found it so amusing when Sean apologized and Matt said he just really needed to grow up and stop being Sean's "child." Why? So he can graduate to more adult scheming? He's there already! Last I checked, you don't see too many eleven year olds cooking meth and raising a child with a former porn star. Matt has always led a screwed up life, so it's not as if any of this comes as a surprise. Fortunately, the rest of this Christmas themed episode took the torch from previous Nip/Tuck holiday installments and the results were hilarious.

(S05E04) "I was attacked by a giant wedge-tailed eagle in Calgary." - Dawn

The return of the best guest star Nip/Tuck has ever had! Say what you will about Rosie O'Donnell (I couldn't stand her on The View), but when she steps into the shoes of Dawn Budge, it's gold. She was one of the highlights of last season (not to mention Christian's first paying "escort" customer) and her trip to Los Angeles easily made this episode an instant Nip/Tuck classic. From her hang-glider scene when the eagle attacked her to the face she made when the "ass bandit" had his way with her, she stole every scene she was in.

(S05E01) "I feel like I'm trying to sell semen at a whore house." - Christian

Life just ain't easy for Sean McNamara and Christian Troy. They moved out to LA thinking it would bring them a fresh start. Sean had just put a messy divorce with Julia to bed. Christian had backed out of his engagement to Michelle. They needed a new beginning. After pouring all their money into a new state-of-the-art Rodeo Drive operation and recovery facility, what do they have to show for it? Nothing. Saying that you "almost" did some work on Joan Rivers isn't exactly a great resume when no one has heard of you.

The set-up was to be expected. Of course it wasn't going to be easy. Everyone is a plastic surgeon in Hollywood. But it's been two months since they switched coasts and the money is running thin. That's where this season of Nip/Tuck draws its plot from and watching Sean and Christian crack the secrets of their new celebrity infested locale is plenty of fun for us viewers. I think we've got a good season in store.

%Gallery-8310%

The Hollywood Reporter reports that The Thick of It, a new pilot from Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz that was rejected by ABC, may still have a fighting chance.

The Thick of It is based on a British series about folks working for a low-level congressman. The series boasts some amazing comedic talent, including John Michael Higgins, Oliver Platt, Alex Borstein, and Michael McKean. The pilot was also directed by Christopher Guest.