Weekend watchin'

(Credit: David Gray/FOX)

It's been a rough week for the TV world: the King of Pop and the Queen of Feathered Hair passed on, Jon and Kate are splitsville, and the New Jersey housewives are crying over spilled tables. But what better way to leave the past behind than to turn your eyes towards the future? It’s a sci-fi weekend with futuristic astronauts and time-traveling doctors. Oh, and a well-endowed male escort, of course.


Friday, June 26
What: “Virtuality”
When: 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX
Why: By the co-creator of Battlestar Gallactica, this two-hour movie is half “Star Trek,” half “The Truman Show.” It follows the 12 astronauts aboard Earth’s first starship, the Phaeton, who are on the verge of embarking on an epic decade-long journey. The crew entertains themselves with revolutionary virtual reality modules, so they can sip piña coladas in Hawaii, or rock out on stage at a sold-out concert. What they don’t know is that their internal spats are being broadcast back to Earth for a reality TV show. No, seriously.

Also on Friday: “Surviving Suburbia at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC; "The Chopping Block"  at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC; "World’s Funniest Commercials" at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TBS.

Saturday, June 27
What: “Doctor Who: The Next Doctor”
When: 9 p.m. ET/PT on  BBC America
Why: The British science fiction show follows a—wait for it—alien time-traveling man called “The Doctor” who hops around the world making wrongs right. This episode sends us back to Christmas 1851 where the Doctor meets another Doctor, and they combine forces to kick some evil butt! It’s the longest-running science fiction television show in the world, so BBC’s gotta be doing something right.

Also on Friday: “Kings” at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC; “Harper’s Island” at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS; “Eli Stone” at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Sunday, June 28
What: “Hung”
When: 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO
Why: What show could HBO ever create that would even come close to their current blood-sucking hit “True Blood”? One about a male hooker, of course. Ray Drecker’s wife leaves him, his job sucks and he moves into his parents' lakehouse with his two kids. So he uses his best asset to make his money.

Check out the preview for HBO's new series "Hung":

Also on Sunday: The BET Awards at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET; “Merlin” at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC; “Law and Order: CI” at 8 p.m. ET/PT on USA.