A brilliant "Chopped" challenge opened up the third episode of Season 8 and continues to illustrate that this three-way battle among the Flay Man, Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown -- above -- is not just for the cameras. OK, maybe it's a little bit for the cameras. But it's becoming clear that they want to win it as much as they want the bragging rights.

Each judge has a unique way of trying to get the best out of his or her team. The Flay Man plays remote father. If you want his love and adoration, you gotta work for it. He's not handing it out freely. Giada is like a more maternal Lady Macbeth. She encourages her little chickadees, but she has a stare and a glare that makes clear she'll cut anyone lose who does not get her closer to the finish line. (Speaking of that glare: She'll use it to put a whammy on competitors too.) And then there's Dr. Jekyll. A.B. is turning into the Simon Cowell of the bunch, yelling stuff like: "If you can't cook and talk at the same time, shut up and cook!" When his astonished panel mates threw their necks out swiveling in the direction of the outburst, he offered up a feeble "I'm sorry."

But enough about the mentors. We're starting to see the cream rise to the top among the competitors. Justin is an A.B. Mini-Me. I'd suggest just giving that kid some pink "lip balm" and sending him on through to the finale, but it will be far more entertaining to watch him get there on his own.

I was prepared to ditch Martie for one more week of Josh-mania. I was just finding her grating. But then came the bracement debacle. That pulled back the curtain on a charming new side of Martie. Let's hope she's the one who returns to the competition. I'd kinda written Linkie off too, but she had a stellar week and showed off a whole new appeal as well. I am not sure what Giada sees in Martita other than the exaggerated pronunciation thing. But Martita seems as if she can cook, so hopefully she will loosen up a bit.

On Bobby Flay's team: Eric makes me nervous, but I love his spirit. Michele went from warm to ... off-putting and cold. Last week, I would have put her in the finale along with Justin. This week, I'm not so sure. I would like to see Bobby put a little more work in Malcolm. I could see a show featuring Malcolm coming home at the end of a day spent exploring NYC's culinary highlights and riffing on them for a dinner with friends and family. That is, if Malcolm manages to stick around.

Bobby must love having a "Boy Meets Grill" follower in Nikki, but that P.O.V. feels manufactured, especially with the Flay Man at the helm. She also sounds like she's trying to sell me a car. As for her demo: At first, I kept hearing "girl on girl action" instead of "girl on grill" action. I thought it was my speakers, or the need to get a hearing test at my next physical. But then network honcho Bob Tuschman called her out on the risque, flirty vibe. Nikki: When you're that pretty, you don't need to play it up.

I was going to complain about the lack of Ted Allen in this episode when -- phew! -- next week's previews reveal a bigger role. That is acceptable.

'Game of Thrones' recap: The battle of Blackwater

Track star Lolo Jones strikes back at critics in wake of her 'virgin' HBO interview

--Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch

Photo: Food Network

The episode's title is, of course, an allusion to the misogynist Jaguar pitch, and to Joan's degrading but profitable tryst with the repellent Herb Rennet -- a character so thoroughly vile he's named after the gunk they use to make cheese. But to me, it also hints at the stark contrast between Peggy and Joan, two characters who have so very much in common yet, when it comes down to it, are playing by diametrically opposite rules.

Joan, a woman whose considerable business savvy will always be secondary to her sex appeal, represents the endgame of the pre-feminist playbook. She's essential, but she'll always be devalued because she does "women's work." Peggy is every bit as competent as Joan, but she's a creative and therefore gets ahead by effectively neutering herself -- by dressing like a boy and tossing back whiskey like it's water.

Both women grapple with the same question in "The Other Woman" -- just how much am I worth? -- but they come up with completely different answers. This may be the saddest thing in one of the saddest episodes of "Mad Men" I can recall: Despite their shared experiences, there's a gulf between Peggy and Joan that can never quite be bridged. 

Joan has long been one of my favorite characters on "Mad Men" because of her tragic mix of confidence and vulnerability. When I think of the most poignant moments in the history of the series, I inevitably go back to Joan -- to her brief tenure as a script reader, to that heartbreaking accordion performance, to the time her fiance raped her on the floor of Don Draper's office.

But Joan beats her own record in "The Other Woman" by agreeing to sleep with Herb in exchange for a 5% stake in the agency. Like Lane's miraculous back taxes from last week, it's a plot development that feels schematic and rather contrived. (It reminds me of nothing so much as "Indecent Proposal.") It's hardly subtle, but it's also in keeping with the blunt direction the series has taken this season. Joan has always used her sexuality to get ahead, but now she's literally sleeping her way to the top.

Unlike last week, though, the emotional payoff excuses the rather indelicate plotting. Joan reacts with mild amusement, then offense, to the offer, before finally accepting it. Believing that all the partners, including Don, are on board with the idea, Joan pays a visit to Herb's hotel room. It's telling that Joan's decision hinges so much on what the men, especially Don, think. As long as they continue to think of her as a kind of prostitute, why shouldn't she?

That's why Don's visit to Joan's apartment -- which, we only discover later, comes after she's been to Herb's hotel room -- is so devastating. Joan realizes that Don never agreed to the idea in the first place. It's clear that, had she known, Joan never would have gone through with it. As a newly minted partner, Joan sashays into Roger's office the next morning, but the look she exchanges with Don says it all: He's shocked and disgusted, she's deeply ashamed. 

Peggy's trajectory is quite different. Frustrated by getting Ginsberg's scraps and humiliated for the last time by Don, she meets with her old pal Freddy Rumsen. He tells her what we all probably know but have been afraid to admit to ourselves: She needs to move on. Peggy herself doesn't seem entirely sure until she meets with Ted Chaogh, Don's arch-rival.

Dressed in a sassy little dress and scarf, Peggy is nervous and unable to eat, like a girl on a first date. She's also modest and bashful, giving credit to her collaborators and writing down the salary she wants rather than uttering it out loud. (Peggy might try to be a man, but when it comes to asking for what she wants, she's still very much a traditional woman.) So when Ted actually offers her a higher salary, plus the title of "copy chief," it's as if Peggy has finally seen the light. It's high time she dumps the boyfriend who takes her for granted.

Unfortunately, this means she has to tell Don something that, quite understandably, she dreads. A running theme this season has been Don's fear of abandonment. Megan's decision to leave advertising threw him into an existential tailspin from which he's yet to completely recover, and now he's panicked at the idea that her acting career could take her away from him for months at a time.

But Peggy's defection might be the toughest blow yet to befall Don. Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss play this scene so perfectly. She's nervous and apologetic, but firm in her resolve; he's snide and cutting, but ultimately devastated. After Peggy makes it clear that she's moving on, he takes her hand and kisses it. It's a loaded gesture, at once subservient, tender and romantic, as well as a callback to Peggy's first day on the job. As mad as Don is, the kiss betrays his true feelings: He's already forgiven her. "Don't be a stranger," Peggy says, fighting back tears. Peggy is clearly making the right decision, and yet it also feels like she's betraying Don in a fundamental way.   

So now we're looking at the prospect of a Peggy-free "Mad Men," a possibility I'd never really entertained in the past. Series creator Matthew Weiner tends to be ruthless when it comes to writing off characters to serve the larger narrative (see: Sal, Paul, Carla), but Peggy has always seemed like a non-negotiable, second only to Don. It's no accident that "Mad Men" started on her first day at the office. She's the audience proxy, our way in to the once-foreign world of 1960s advertising. "Mad Men" can go on without Peggy, but I'm not sure I want it to without the basic sense of decency she brings. 

Of course, I could be jumping the gun here somewhat. Just because Peggy is leaving the agency doesn't necessarily mean she won't be on the show anymore. It's not inconceivable that she'll pop up now and again, the way that post-divorce Betty does, but even this possibility worries me. If "Mad Men” loses Peggy the way it has Betty, I'm not sure the series can ever be the same.

Though I applaud Weiner and co-writer Semi Chellas for doing right by Peggy -- who would no doubt feel even more confident in her decision if she knew the entire story behind Joan's partnership -- I can't help but wonder if they've done right by the show. Then again, maybe I'm just implicating myself in this sexist mess by even saying that. If I really care about Peggy, I should want her to thrive, not to stick around an abusive workplace just because she and Don share a special, albeit dysfunctional, bond.

Whatever the case may be, it's a testament to the power of "Mad Men" -- and to Peggy in particular -- that I’m even talking about a fictional character in these kinds of terms and that, the morning after watching this episode, I'm still overwhelmed by the sadness of it all.  

RELATED: 

"Mad Men" recap: Every man for himself

"Mad Men" recap: A little something on the side

"Mad Men" recap: "Money solves today but not tomorrow"

-- Meredith Blake
twitter.com/MeredithBlake

Upper photo: Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) quietly leaves the agency. Credit: Jordin Althaus / AMC

Lower photo: Joan (Christina Hendricks) finds it hard to celebrate her new partnership. Credit: Jordin Althaus / AMC

His fleet in flaming tatters, Stannis leads the remainder of his forces onto the shore, knowing full well that it will mean thousands of deaths. It's some ugly "invasion of Normandy" business as his men rush from the water toward the castle, getting cut down en masse by arrows and hurled rocks. As the Lannister troops rush to hold them back, we learn the Hound appears to be afraid of fire -- probably because of that little incident in which his older brother crushed his face against a brazier as a child -- which is unfortunate considering that pretty much everything is burning or exploding at the moment.

The Hound finally has some sort of medieval "Office Space" moment, tells the Kingsguard and Joffrey exactly what they can do with themselves and their stupid white cloaks, and decides to just peace out on the battle to go hang out in Sansa's bedroom and be creepy to her before he leaves. He actually makes a rather generous offer to take her back to Winterfell, although its appeal is probably mitigated by their last conversation about how murdering people is one of his likes on Facebook, or maybe because Theon just captured Winterfell and ostensibly killed two of her brothers. In any event, she rejects his suggestion in favor of locking the door and clutching a doll.

As Stannis' men batter the gates with a ram and defeat seems imminent, Cersei pulls Joffrey back from the battle and hides him in his room, a ridiculous mommy move that pretty much destroys the morale of the men. Tyrion is once again our hero as he steps up to command the forces himself, leading them through secret underground tunnels that allow them to attack the enemy from behind, a tactic he describes with a colorful sexual metaphor! He fights quite valiantly, hacking off limbs and facing down men three times his size while the soldiers cheer "HALF-MAN!"

The rare moment of affirmation doesn't last long, however, as a fresh wave of troops appears and a Tyrion takes a nasty sword blow to the face -- and even more shockingly, from a white-cloaked figure who doesn't look much like a member of the opposing army. As his consciousness slips away, he sees a man who looks a lot like the dearly departed King Renly appear on the battlefield, and the tide seems to change ...

Thinking all is lost, Cersei decides to have some very special, ghoulish mother-son story time with Tommen on the Iron Throne, where she tells him a tale about a young lion cub and his mother and being brave or something, which is basically just a prelude to her feeding him a bottle of poison. But before she can administer the lethal dose, a band of knights bursts into the room lead by the avenging Ser Loras (dressed in the armor of Renly) and her father, Lord Tywin, whose forces arrived at the last minute to drive back Stannis.

"The battle is over," says Tywin. "We have won!" Which is great! Except for all of the ways that it is still terrible. Were you pleased by the victory, disappointed, or conflicted? Add your thoughts in the comments.

Sex and violence tally:

Violence: Thousands of soldiers die in the battle from wildfire, drowning, arrows, stones and all manner of hacking and slashing.

Nudity: A woman strips naked in front of Bronn to entertain him before the battle begins.

Extra-credit book report:

In the book, there was no direct threat of Cersei poisoning Tommen, nor any standoff between Bronn and the Hound. Varys shared the full story of his castration to Tyrion, rather than just hinting at it, and Shae was the maid to another high-born lady during the battle, not Sansa, and had no interaction with Cersei. Also, news of Winterfell's capture had already reached Kings Landing before the Battle of Blackwater, so the Hound never offered to bring Sansa home -- only to take her with him and keep her safe.

RELATED:

Full Show Tracker coverage of "Game of Thrones"

"Game of Thrones": Richard Madden talks Robb Stark's romance

"Game of Thrones" star Carice van Houten on magic and Melisandre

-- Laura Hudson

Photo: Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) dons his armor in "Game of Thrones." Credit: HBO

TV listings for the week of May 27 - June 2 in PDF format are also available here

This week's TV Movies

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER for newlyweds Gene and Shannon on the season premiere of the unscripted “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” at 9 p.m. on A&E.

SERIES

The Bachelorette: Emily surprises Chris with a performance by Luke Bryant and Dolly Parton gives Emily and Arie a private concert at Dollywood in this new episode (8 p.m. ABC).

Basketball Wives: Jen is called out on her behavior and Shaunie seeks help with a decision in the season finale (8 p.m. VH1).

Annoying Orange: This new series brings the YouTube show to the television screen (8:30 p.m. Toon).

River Monsters: The two-hour season finale visits the jungle of Guyana in South America (9 p.m. Animal Planet).

Hatfields & McCoys: The three-part miniseries starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton begins (9 p.m. History).

Independent Lens: “Hell and Back Again” follows Sgt. Nathan Harris as he fights with his Marine regiment in Afghanistan and returns home (10 p.m. KOCE).

SPECIALS

Tom Reed's For Members Only: Remembering legends of L.A.'s black music, including: Paul Humphrey; Dexter Gordon; Big Jay McNeely; Richard Berry. Plus a look at Johnny Otis; Roy Brown; Etta James. (11 a.m. KSCI)

Witness: G.I. Homecoming: This new special reveals the stories behind videos that have become a YouTube meme: the “surprise soldier homecoming” (10 p.m. National Geographic).

MOVIES

Shadow of Fear: A woman fears for her life when a former co-worker begins to stalk her in this new TV movie starring Amanda Righetti and Will Estes (8 p.m. Lifetime).

Rags: This modern take on “Cinderella” centers on Charlie Prince (Max Schneider), an orphan living with his unloving stepfather's family, and Kadee Worth (Keke Palmer), the superstar daughter of a music mogul (8 p.m. Nickelodeon).

Hemingway & Gellhorn: Clive Owen stars as Ernest Hemingway in this new docudrama about the romance between the writer and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (Nicole Kidman) (9 p.m. HBO).

SPORTS

Baseball: The Milwaukee Brewers visit the Dodgers (5 p.m. FS Prime); the New York Yankees visit the Angels (6 p.m. FSN).

Basketball: NBA Playoffs (5:30 p.m. ESPN)

Photo credit: Tanya Doan / A&E

Today Merle Haggard; Bobby Brown performs. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Live With Kelly Jim Parsons; Katie Brown; the cast of “Pawn Stars”; Mark Consuelos. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View The co-hosts' favorite things; author Bill Evans. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Talk 1 p.m. KCBS

The Doctors (N) 2 p.m. KCBS

Dr. Phil (Part 1 of 2) (N) 3 p.m. KCBS

The Dr. Oz Show Burning fat while eating; five inexpensive meals. (N) 3 p.m. KABC

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Ellie Kemper; Rufus Wainwright performs; teacher Rebecca Mielewocki. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC

Anderson Sharon Osbourne; a trainer tells of gaining 90 pounds in four months; co-host Carrie Ann Inaba. (N) 4 p.m. KTTV

Charlie Rose Author Robert Caro (“The Passage of Power”). (N) 11 p.m. KVCR, midnight KOCE

Chelsea Lately Actress-model Bar Refaeli. (N) 11 p.m. E!

Conan Ice-T; Coco; Adam Pally; Wale; Miguel. 11 p.m. TBS

Late Show With David Letterman Chris Hemsworth; Darrell Hammond; Calvin Johnson presents the Top Ten list; Miike Snow performs. 11:35 p.m. KCBS

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Robert Downey Jr.; Katharine McPhee. 11:35 p.m. KNBC

Jimmy Kimmel Live midnight KABC

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Benjamin McKenzie. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Amy Poehler; Daniel Dae Kim; Lady Antebellum performs. 12:37 a.m. KNBC

Tavis Smiley Olympic swimmer Janet Evans. 1 a.m. KOCE

Last Call With Carson Daly Amir Bar-Lev; Lee Fields and the Expressions; Paul Qui; Roll the Tanks. 1:36 a.m. KNBC

They billed it as the first all-heavyweight main card in UFC history. And it looks like UFC 146 in Las Vegas may have weighed in with some heavy numbers from die-hard fans who coughed up coin for  Saturday's coverage on pay-per-view.

The night's main event was Brazilian champ Junior Dos Santos' defense of his UFC heavyweight title against American contender Frank Mir. Dos Santos ended up knocking out Mir in Round 2.

That was enough to bring out the hard-core mixed-martial arts fans, including -- somewhat unexpectedly? -- "The Big Bang Theory" star Kaley Cuoco, who tweeted to her more than 750,000 followers: "Big night! Dos Santos vs Mir..... #UFC Can't wait for this show down!" Twitter messages and Google searches on the topic remained high throughout Saturday night.

Still unknown is what the heavyweight event will tell us about UFC's popularity, which, Cuoco notwithstanding, is still strongest among young men. Last month UFC 145 delivered an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys, according to MMAMania.com (UFC itself does not release pay-per-view figures). But that was nothing compared with the estimated 1.5 million buys back in 2009 for UFC 100.

For all its popularity, mixed-martial arts still lags in some respects behind the old-school sport of boxing; Oscar de la Hoya's 2007 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. delivered more than 2.1 million pay-per-view buys.

UFC 146 was sold on most cable and satellite providers for about $45.

If you're a mixed-martial arts fan, what did you think of UFC 146?

ALSO:

Track star Lolo Jones bites back at critics after HBO virginity interview

Katee Sackhoff's new role is down to Earth

"Duets" ratings may be meh, but that Robin Thicke ...

-Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Junior Dos Santos, left, on his way to a knockout win over Frank Mir in Saturday's UFC 146 in Las Vegas. Credit: Julie Jacobson/Associated Press.

Lolo Jones may be able to fly over hurdles, but those obstacles are nothing compared with the blowback from her HBO interview.

In a segment earlier this week on "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," the comely 29-year-old track star -- a 2008 Olympic contender who looked bound for a gold medal until she got tripped up near the finish line -- said she's never been able to get a man to commit to her because she's a virgin and won't have sex until marriage.

This touched off a media firestorm that culminated with a TMZ TV segment, complete with ribald puns, ribbing Jones as a goody-two-shoes and even as possibly dishonest about her sex life. 

When a fan on Twitter suggested that TMZ had tried to make Jones look like a "lying, lonely virgin dork," Jones on Friday icily replied: "I've seen Celebs get teased less for releasing a sex tapes #ironic."

She didn't stop there. When another Twitter user suggested that Jones' cheesecake magazine shots are not in keeping with her Christian faith, she shot back: "Go to a museum & look at naked pictures/statues of ppl & its considered art but what I did is not? u see no parts exposed." 

And to those who joked that with her values and sports prowess, she should be dating the religiously devout NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, the biracial Jones replied cryptically: "Ask Tebow if he wants a glass of milk. If he says yes, ask him if he prefers chocolate. if he says no, then no more Tebow date suggestions."

Jones is currently hoping to nab a medal at the London Olympics that start in late July. Looks like there'll be more fiery tweets between now and then.

What do you think of Jones and her "Real Sports" interview on HBO?

ALSO:

Katee Sackhoff's new role is down to Earth

"Duets" ratings may be meh, but that Robin Thicke ...

Phillip Phillips talks about his "Idol" win: "I'm not that great a singer"

-- Scott Collins
twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT

Photo: Lolo Jones has hit back at critics after an HBO interview in which she said she's still a virgin. Credit: Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press

TV listings for the week of May 27 - June 2 in PDF format are also available here

This week's TV Movies

LIFE LESSONS are in store as the comedy “How to Be a Gentleman” returns at 8 and 8:30 p.m. on CBS. With Kevin Dillon and David Hornsby.

SERIES

The Firm: Mitch (Josh Lucas) discovers that his newest client, a young woman facing solicitation charges, has a dangerous secret. Molly Parker and Natasha Calis also star in this new episode (9 p.m. NBC). A second new episode follows at 10 p.m.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley: In anticipation of their June 9 pay-per-view boxing match in Las Vegas, Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao and challenger Timothy Bradley Jr. are the subjects of this installment of the sports documentary series (9 p.m. CNN; 9:30 p.m. HBO).

MOVIES

Flags of Our Fathers: The story of the American flag raising on Iwo Jima is recalled by director Clint Eastwood in this 2006 drama (8 p.m. AMC), followed at 11 by Eastwood's “Letters From Iwo Jima,” which tells the Japanese side of the story.

Beginners: Christopher Plummer stars in writer-director Mike Mills' seriocomic tale of a man (Ewan McGregor) recalling his deceased father (Plummer), who decided to come out of the closet late in life. (10 p.m. Cinemax).

Blue-Eyed Butcher: Sara Paxton and Lisa Edelstein star in this new TV movie about a woman who stands trial for the murder of her husband in their Texas home (10 p.m. Lifetime).

SPORTS

NASCAR: Nationwide Series: History 300: Qualifying (8 a.m. ESPN2); Racing (11:45 a.m. ABC).

Soccer: MLS: The Galaxy visit the Houston Dynamo (11:30 a.m. NBCSP); the Seattle Sounders FC visit Club Deportivo Chivas USA (7:30 p.m. FSN). International Friendly: Scotland vs. U.S. (5 p.m. NBCSP).

Golf: Crowne Plaza Invitational at the Colonial (Noon CBS); Senior PGA Championship (Noon NBC).

Baseball: The Cleveland Indians visit the Chicago White Sox (1 p.m. WGN A); the Angels visit the Seattle Mariners (4 p.m. Fox); the Houston Astros visit the Dodgers (7 p.m. FS Prime).

Basketball: The 76ers meet the Celtics in Game Seven of their playoff series (5 p.m. ABC).

Women's basketball: The Sparks visit the Phoenix Mercury (7 p.m. KDOC).

Photo credit: Greg Gayne / CBS

The Chris Matthews Show 2012 campaign, Memorial Day. (N) 5 p.m. KNBC; 5:30 a.m. Sunday KNBC

McLaughlin Group (N) 6:30 p.m. KCET

SUNDAY

Today 2012 election; the Black Dahlia murder; summer movie previews. (N) 6 a.m. KNBC

Good Morning America (N) 6 a.m. KABC State of the Union With Candy Crowley 2012 campaign: former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R); 2012 campaign: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.); treating veterans, the V.A., dealing with PTSD: Gen. Peter Chiarelli (Ret.); veterans benefits, mental health issues: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). (N) 6 and 9 a.m. CNN

CBS News Sunday Morning The nation's interstates; NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson; Philip Seymour Hoffman; WWII veteran Louis Zamperini. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Fareed Zakaria GPS U.S. debt and deficit: former Clinton chief of staff Erskine Bowles, former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wy.). (N) 7 and 10 a.m. CNN

Meet the Press 2012 campaign: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.); 2012 campaign: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, columnist E.J. Dionne, columnist David Brooks; challenges facing 2012 graduates: journalist Maria Shriver, author Michael Lewis. (N) 8 a.m. KNBC

Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace Iran's nuclear program, Secret Service scandal: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.); lawsuit against the birth-control mandate: Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. 8 a.m. KTTV

Reliable Sources Cory Booker's remarks, Bain Capital, Romney coverage; Walter Cronkite's legacy. (N) 8 a.m. CNN

Face the Nation 2012 election: Obama campaign senior advisor Robert Gibbs, Romney campaign senior advisor Ed Gillespie; how Congress and campaigns have changed: Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.). (N) 8:30 a.m. KCBS

This Week With George Stephanopoulos Afghanistan, the Tailban, Al Qaeda in Yemen, national security: Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. 12:30 p.m. KABC

60 Minutes Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, USMC; a unique program takes wounded warriors back to the battlefield; brothers in the Marine Reserves fight for the right to be on the front lines. 7 p.m. KCBS

The latest TV singing contest drew a paltry 6.7 million total viewers, not even enough to beat a block of comedy repeats on CBS, according to Nielsen. And among adults age 18 to 49, "Duets" got drowned out by Fox's rollout of "So You Think You Can Dance."

But fan reaction to Thicke -- the falsetto-singing offspring of TV star Alan Thicke -- was another story. As soon as the show aired, his name rocketed up to near the top of Google searches, a fate that somehow failed to smile upon his fellow judges: Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles.

What's behind his instant stardom? Well, Thicke was not previously as well-known as Clarkson, who won the first season of Fox's "American Idol" and has gone on to a platinum-selling recording career. But it also might have something to do with the fact that Thicke is a good-looking guy who specializes in a certain kind of R&B-flavored pop that tends to make the ladies melt.

What did you think of "Duets" and Robin Thicke?

ALSO:

Kelly Clarkson returns to TV in "Duets"

Jessica Sanchez praises "American Idol" winner Phillip Phillips

Phillip Phillips talks about his "American Idol" win: "I'm not that great a singer"

-- Scott Collins

twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT

Photo: Robin Thicke has raised his profile on ABC's "Duets." Credit: Rick Rowell/ABC

TV listings for the week of May 27 - June 2 in PDF format are also available here

This week's TV Movies

SUNDAY

Captain America times two: Genuine WWII hero Audie Murphy plays himself in the 1955 bio-pic “To Hell and Back” and Gary Cooper is WWI’s highly decorated “Sergeant York” in that fact-based 1941 drama. (AMC, 10:04 a.m.; TCM, 5 p.m.)

Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna return as hosts of the “National Memorial Day Concert” in Washington, D.C.. Trace Adkins, Natalie Cole, Daughtry and “American Idol’s” Jessica Sanchez are among the scheduled performers. (KOCE, 8 and 9:30 p.m.)

MONDAY

All is fair in love and war: Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman, above, star as literary lion Ernest Hemmingway and his third wife, trailblazing foreign correspondent Martha Gellhorn, in the made-for-cable docudrama “Hemingway & Gellhorn.” (HBO, 9 p.m.)

TUESDAY

A guilty pleasure gone to soon, “The L.A. Complex”ends its first season, unlikely to return. Too bad, because we kinda like this sweet yet cynical dramedy — imported from Canada! — about young folks trying to make it in the City of Angels. (KTLA, 9 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY

Manhattanites and their canine companions get counseling from dog trainer, animal behaviorist, pet care company owner and stand-up comic Justin Silver in the new reality series “Dogs in the City.” Woof, woof, woof, yadda, yadda, yadda. (CBS, 8 p.m.)

THURSDAY

That little red squiggle that shows up when you misspell a word in a document or e-mail? These kids don’t need it. The country’s best young spellers will strive to be letter perfect in the finals of the “2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee.” (ESPN, 5 p.m.)

FRIDAY

What color was George Washington’s white horse? When was the War of 1812? Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb? Hopefully, no such questions will be asked of students taking part in the inaugural edition of “The National History Bee.” (History, 9 p.m.)

SATURDAY

Hail to the chimp! “King Kong’s” Andy Serkis gives yet another thoroughly captivating motion-capture performance as the super-smart simian leader of the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” in this 2011 reboot of the classic sci-fi franchise. (Cinemax, 10 p.m.)

Photo credit: HBO

Will Smith stopped by "Late Night" on Thursday to plug his latest movie, "Men in Black 3" -- perhaps you've heard of it -- but little did he know he'd uncover some family secrets, too. 

Jimmy Fallon explained that studio 6B, where "Late Night" is taped, has a long and colorful broadcasting history, dating back to the early days of television and radio. The space was even home to a radio show hosted by their "grandfathers," Will "Sunnyside" Smith and James "Fatty Monroe" Fallon. 

The jazz duo had clearly influenced Smith's musical career, Fallon suggested. As evidence, he played "long-lost" black-and-white footage of grandpas Smith and Fallon performing ragtime versions of "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Gettin' Jiggy With It."  

As with all of Fallon's musical parodies, this one was spot-on, from Fallon's slightly nasal vocals to the exclamation -- "Hot peanuts!" -- with which Smith ended each of the songs. Quick, someone get these two on "Boardwalk Empire."

ALSO:

"I'm Khloe Kardashian's father," says Tracy Morgan

Jerry Seinfeld's least favorite "Seinfeld" episode

Conan O'Brien and David Letterman take shots at Jay Leno

-- Meredith Blake
twitter.com/MeredithBlake