After a hiatus dating back to the summer of 2007, it's once again business time on HBO, as Flight of the Conchords has finally returned (Sunday, 10 PM). True, not everyone gets the humor in this series that follows a pair of deadpan New Zealand musicians (Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie) trying to make a go of it in New York City, but for those dialed into its wavelength, there's nothing like it--and probably won't be anything like it once this season is over, as the boys seem skeptical they can keep writing songs at the pace a series requires. The premiere finds Bret and Jemaine attempting to handle their own management after cutting Murray loose in a fit of pique, a decision that at first appears to pay dividends. Will success spoil the Conchords, or will they return to their natural level as lovable losers? Either way, Bret and Jemaine will no doubt have it goin' on comedically.

Also this week:

Monday: True Beauty(ABC, 10 PM): Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher have teamed up for this latest example of Dancing With the Stars filler, a game that contenders think is just another TV modeling competition. However, they are actually being judged in part on their "inner beauty" as well, and are being observed for how well, or poorly, they behave. Trying to dial back on drama queen antics goes against everything these people have ever seen on reality shows. Vanessa Minnillo is the host.

Tuesday: American Idol (Fox, 8 PM): You might have heard of it. Prime time's 1300-pound gorilla is back for an eighth season, carrying new judge Kara DioGuardi along for the ride. The first few weeks are taken up by the auditions, during which we will meet a few people with real talent and several dozen others who shouldn't even be permitted to sing inside their cars, in midwinter, with the windows rolled up. Phoenix, hometown of ex-winner Jordin Sparks, is the site of the first audition.

Wednesday: Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America (PBS, 8 PM): Billy Crystal hosts this six-hour, three-part look at the history of American comedy. The first hour looks at the outsider in comedy, from Harold Lloyd to Andy Kaufman; the second hour examines the humor inherent in family life, using examples from series such as The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, and Roseanne.

Thursday: CSI (CBS, 9 PM): The long goodbye for Gil Grissom (William Petersen) finally ends this week as he wraps up the mystery of the new deaths that seem connected to a serial killer behind bars, with the help of Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne). Petersen has by choice maintained an astonishingly low profile for a man who has starred on a Top Ten show for nine years. Let's hope he doesn't stay a stranger.

Friday: Battlestar Galactica(SciFi, 10 PM): This isn't a half-bad week of television, is it? The final half of the final season kicks off with the fallout from the discovery that the long-sought Earth is not paradise, but rather a wasteland--news that is particularly troubling for Adama (Edward James Olmos), who was already in none too pleasant a mood after being told that his closest friend is a Cylon.

Sunday: It's a big night all around, with the third season premiere of Big Love (HBO, 9 PM), as Bill tries to persuade his trio of wives to become a quartet; and the final season premiere of The L Word (Showtime, 9 PM), which finds the friends dealing with a murder mystery. Showtime is also premiering The United States of Tara (10 PM), with Toni Collette as a wife and mother with multiple personalities. Oscar winner Diablo Cody created the series.

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