Couch potato's survival guide to summer

Too much sun can be dangerous to your health. Foul balls at Target Field have the potential to deliver a massive headache. More than three barbecues a week will put a strain on your heart, as well as your belt.

For those reasons and more, it's imperative that you take a break from your favorite outdoor activities and medicate yourself with a proper dosage of television. Here are 25 prescriptions for the summertime blues -- with a warning: Not all have been TV-critic approved.

"Losing It With Jillian." The taskmaster from "The Biggest Loser," Jillian Michaels, makes house calls to families who aren't shy about sharing their weight issues with the world. Premieres 9 p.m. Tuesday, KARE, Ch. 11.

"One Big Happy Family." The Coles clan apparently hasn't lost enough weight for TV cameras to go away, so its adventures in dieting continue. 8 p.m. Tuesday, TLC.

"America's Got Talent." Howie Mandel has a new deal, joining Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan as a judge on this popular vaudeville vehicle. 8 p.m. Wednesday, KARE, Ch. 11.

"Lie to Me." Fox inexplicably benched this addictive detective series earlier in the season, but Tim Roth and company get another chance to dazzle us with their intuitive crime-fighting methods. 7 p.m. June 7, KMSP, Ch. 9.

"Last Comic Standing." Craig Robinson escapes from his desk on "The Office" to host a new season of this always uneven talent show that has yet to elevate anyone to superstar status. 7 p.m. June 7, KARE, Ch. 11.

"Work of Art: The Next Great Artist." Minneapolis artist Miles Mendenhall is among the contestants in this surprisingly colorful new reality series from Sarah Jessica Parker's production company. 10 p.m. June 9, Bravo.

"The Green Room With Paul Provenza." Heavyweights Roseanne Barr, Tommy Smothers and Eddie Izzard are among the panelists in this freewheeling give-and-take that's funnier than 99 percent of standup acts. 9:30 p.m. June 10, Showtime.

"True Blood." The age-old question of whether a mind-reading waitress and a sullen vampire can find true love continues with even more obstacles, villains and nudity to contend with. 8 p.m. June 13, HBO.

"Holly's World." Two can play at Kendra's game. Holly Madison becomes the second star of "Girls Next Door" to get her own reality series, documenting her performance in Las Vegas' "Peepshow," which came this close to getting a Pulitzer Prize. 9:30 p.m. June 13, E!

"Hot in Cleveland." America's love affair with Betty White continues with her latest sitcom, which also features TV veterans Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves. 9 p.m. June 16, TV Land.

"The Real L Word." If you thought the "Housewives" of Bravo were enticing, wait until you meet these real-life California lesbians, including a film executive, a special-effects artist and a gallery owner. 9 p.m. June 20, Showtime.

"HawthoRNe." Different hospital, same spunk. Jada Pinkett-Smith returns as Super Nurse, getting some assistance from guest stars Sara Gilbert and Marc Anthony. 8 p.m. June 22, TNT.

"Downfall." In this new game show, contestants must correctly answer trivia questions from a skyscraper or watch their prizes plummet to the ground. Acrophobes need not apply. 8 p.m. June 22, KSTP, Ch. 5.

"Memphis Beat." Jason Lee, star of "My Name Is Earl," sings songs and solves crime in Tennessee without the aid of any trailer-trash friends or chipmunks. 9 p.m. June 22, TNT.

"Rookie Blue." A fresh-faced cast makes arrests and mistakes in this police drama that appears to have as many smooching sessions as shootouts. 8 p.m. June 24, KSTP, Ch. 5.

"Futurama." Matt Groening's never-say-die series returns to TV -- and Earth -- after a light-year-long break. 9 p.m. June 24, COM.

"Entourage." Porn star Sasha Grey, who impressed critics in Steven Soderbergh's movie "The Girlfriend Experience," takes another step into the mainstream when she joins this high-end Hollywood boys club. 8 p.m. June 27, HBO.

"Rescue Me." One of TV's finest dramedies returns. We'll discover if Denis Leary recovered from that gunshot wound or is destined to join the ghosts who keep haunting him. 9 p.m. June 29, FX.

"Louie." The always engaging Louie CK tones down his R-rated act for a fairly gentle look at a divorced comedian struggling with dates, kids and hecklers. 10 p.m. June 29, FX.

JULY "Rizzoli & Isles." A detective (Angie Harmon) and a medical examiner (Sasha Alexander) team up to bust dangerous criminals and enjoy reruns of "Cagney & Lacey." 9 p.m. July 12, TNT.

"Mad Men." When last we left Sterling Cooper, the core of the advertising agency was preparing to go rogue and form its own business. Thankfully, they plan to keep the same wardrobe. 9 p.m. July 25, AMC.

"Jersey Shore." Snooki, the Situation and the rest of the red-hot gang temporarily move to Miami to see how Florida girls hold up in bar-room fistfights. 9 p.m. July 29, MTV.

AUGUST "Bachelor Pad." ABC must have had some extra roses to move. How else to explain this spinoff featuring past contestants from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" who are still looking for love? 7 p.m. Aug. 9, KSTP, Ch. 5.

"The Big C." Laura Linney plays a Minnesota woman who discovers she has cancer. With Oscar winner Bill Condon behind the camera and Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious") in the cast, this is shaping up to be "The Big Watch" of the summer. 9:30 p.m. Aug. 16, Showtime.

"Weeds." Our favorite pot dealer, Mary-Louise Parker, has a new crisis: a cold-blooded, murdering son. The juicy twist should make up for the fact that Elizabeth Perkins is being written out of the series. 9 p.m. Aug. 16, Showtime.

njustin@startribune.com • 612-673-7431