rescueme

Maura Tierney is on her way to a speedy recovery.

The actress, who last year was forced to drop out of the NBC drama 'Parenthood' to undergo treatment for breast cancer, will reprise her role as Kelly McPhee on 'Rescue Me,' according to an exclusive report from TV Guide.

But don't get too excited: While Tierney has already filmed some of her scenes, executive producer and star Denis Leary told TV Guide that her arc will be delayed until the show's seventh and final season, in -- wait for it -- 2011.

The show is currently filming its final 19 episodes, which will be divided into two seasons. The final season is set to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

Poor Louie. He can never catch a break. I'm referring to both the show and the character.

Louis C.K.'s FX sitcom 'Louie' was supposed to hit the airwaves in the first part of 2010, but the network has decided to bump the show until the summer, according to a released statement.

The news isn't as bad as it sounds. The network wants to pair the show with the return of 'Rescue Me' in June to give it a better chance at a big lead-in. Would you have watched Louis C.K.'s new show either way?

More of our best of the decade coverage, which started on Tuesday. You can read the other posts at the link above. Here, we talk about the best dramatic actors of the decade. And, boy, was it a tough choice.

From a meth-making chemistry teacher to a damaged 1960s ad exec, the guys populating the dramatic actor category in our best of the decade are nothing short of brilliant.

It's hard to choose favorites when you're dealing with the likes of Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Mark Harmon, James Gandolfini, and many others, but the TV Squad team has spoken.

Did your favorites make our list? If not, feel free to add them in the comments below.

Television viewers of all ages are still reeling over the beloved holiday classic 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' being preempted by the President Obama's speech on the war in Afghanistan last week.

But for those now wondering where they will get their holiday cheer from this year, we're here to offer a possible solution. No, not the island of misfit toys; this year, why not celebrate the season by sitting down with the island of misfit polar bears, smoke monsters and four-toed feet?

'Rescue Me' schedules its last season, 'Bold and the Beautiful,' Tyra Banks win big at the Daytime Emmys, Jenna Hager heads to the 'Today' show and more of today's top TV headlines.

This week on TV: First shift ends for 'Nurse Jackie,' a 'Royal Pain' of a love triangle and Vince calls in the security big dogs on 'Entourage'

MONDAY, AUGUST 24
'Nurse Jackie' (10:30PM, Showtime) 1st season finale
The good news, of course, is that the series, one of Showtime's most successful premieres ever, will be back for a second season. But sadly, we have to bid a temporary adieu to Jackie (Edie Falco) and her shenanigans, as she ends the season in trademark chaos. While she tries to juggle her schedule to meet Kevin for a little romance and be there for O'Hara when her mother arrives, there's also a problem with Eddie, who gets drunk – at Kevin's bar! – and comes to the hospital to throw a hissy fit.

-- How well do you know your TV dads? Take the Father's Day quiz to find out [BuzzSugar]

-- Joe Buck is talking the talk with Asylum. Read the play-by-play interview [Asylum]

-- T.R. Knight is leaving 'Grey's Anatomy.' But it looks like George O'Malley won't be missed by everyone [Test Pattern]

(more headlines after the jump)

"I was very, very nervous that I was not going to be able to do that, and that I was going to get fired"

You may know Callie Thorne as "Crazy Sheila" Keefe from 'Rescue Me.' Most fans do -- and when they call her that on the street, she answers. For five years now, Thorne has been the unstable, bittersweet comic heart of the riotous and raw Denis Leary series that follows a crew of NYC firemen and their families surviving in a post-9/11 world (FX, Tues., 10PM).

We chatted with Thorne about Sheila's craziest moments, when she was scared she was going to be fired ... and why her castmates are afraid of her.

'NCIS'
(8PM, CBS)
Murder, terrorists and a spin-off ... oh my. Tonight's episode, the first of a two-parter, has it all, as Gibbs and McGee head to Los Angeles to investigate the murder of a Marine.

Once there, they meet up with fellow Office of Special Projects agents G. Callen (Chris O'Donnell) and Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), who take the lead as the murder investigation turns into an urgent race to track down a terrorist cell.

Meanwhile, back at home base, Tony questions Ziva's loyalty when Mossad agent Michael Rivkin pops up. As for guest stars O'Donnell and LL Cool J, fans could get used to seeing their faces – they've been tapped to star in an 'NCIS' spin-off that may air on CBS next fall.

• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of According To Jim, then new episodes of Dancing with the Stars and The Unusuals.
• NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8.
• FOX has new episodes of American Idol and Fringe.
• The CW has a new Reaper at 8, followed by a new 90210.
• TNT has the Pistons/Cavaliers game at 8.
• At 9, PBS has a new Frontline.
• Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9.
• Food Network has a new Food Detectives at 9.
• BBC America has a new Last Restaurant Standing at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new Rescue Me.
• There's a new Real Housewives of New York City at 10.
• History Channel has the series premiere of Life After People at 10.
• Travel Planet has a new Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern at 10.
• Also at 10: MTV has the series premiere of The Phone.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

'Rescue Me'
(10PM, FX)
Only Tommy Gavin could hatch a plan as bizarre – and bizarrely effective – as this.

When he finds out Colleen and Bart (aka "Black Shawn") plan to get married, he decides the best way to break them up is to complicate their relationship by encouraging his daughter to have sex.

Elsewhere in what is proving to be one of the show's funniest, best seasons, Franco and Mike butt heads over their differing viewpoints on 9/11, Mike – who seems oddly smarter, for the most part, this season – gets a new idea for a theme bar, Tommy meets Sheila's new therapist and Sean meets up with the creepiest back doctor ever.

'90210'
(9PM, The CW)
Donna Martin graduates! Donna Martin graduates! Nah ... that ship sailed long ago.

But after a visit from Brenda Walsh earlier in the season and a directorial effort recently by Jason Priestley, another original '90210'-er visits Kelly Taylor tonight as her one-time roommate Donna (Tori Spelling) pops into town to see Kelly and Silver.

Donna, now a very successful fashion designer in Japan, also gets a high-profile job while back in her home 'hood, when Oscar-winning 'Juno' screenwriter Diablo Cody (who guest stars) asks her to design a frock. Meanwhile, all this career success is great, but we really wanna know if Donna and hubby David are still happily coupled.

Let's just forget that drab fall TV season ever happened and prepare for the stellar lineup ahead.

Follow our midseason guide to find out what happened -- and what's going to happen -- on '24,' 'Battlestar,' 'Scrubs' and all your returning favorites.

Including gay characters on your TV show is good, unless it's two lesbians who fall in love with a straight man, as they do in a storyline on New Amsterdam. FOX learned that the hard way when they received a failing grade from GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) on their second annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index. The index measures the "quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television."

Even though GLAAD gave FOX a failing grade, the network's cable counterpart, FX, received top honors for cable channels. The advocacy group praised them for including the most original programming that featured members LGBT community. Special notice was given to Nip/Tuck, which had a gay, lesbian, or bisexual character in every episode. Rescue Me's commitment ceremony storyline was also viewed favorably by the group.