Our top moments of the week:
11. Best Arrival: Viewers say goodbye to 24/7 soccer coverage and hello to FX's new sister channel, FXX, in appropriate fashion. When FXX officially kicks off at 7 a.m. Monday morning, the reception begins to go out and the game footage interchanges with an image of a black leather couch. Suddenly, the black leather couch begins to move and out from the seams bursts a very hot and a very naked Danny DeVito in a classic It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia clip. Goal!
10. Most Surprising Twist: Mistresses' Karen thinks her nightmare is over after the wrongful-death lawsuit against her is dismissed, but then her medical license gets suspended for six months. Who ratted her out for sleeping with Thomas (not to mention helping him die)? Not Elizabeth, but her...
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This week, Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show, the stars of Scandal offered a sneak peek at Season 3, and a 96-year-old wrote a touching love letter to his recently-deceased wife. Also, Lil' Bub and his feline friends starred in a documentary, and Bill Hader offered Stefon fans hope that the Saturday Night Live character may get his own feature film. Check out those clips and more in our weekly roundup of the best online videos:
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Jon Stewart reclaimed his Daily Show throne on Tuesday after a 12-week hiatus that allowed Stewart to direct a movie in the Middle East. And apparently, the experience had a lasting effect.
VIDEO: John Oliver shines as new The Daily Show host
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Some like it rough — and TV doesn't get much rougher or darker than BBC America's brutally compelling crime drama Luther, mining new depths of depravity and tragedy in its third cycle (airing as a four-night miniseries this Tuesday through Friday at 10/9c, except Wednesday, when it airs an hour earlier as the lead-in to the even more shattering Broadchurch). Once again, Luther's Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning star Idris Elba attacks his signature role of the tormented, damaged London detective John Luther with raw magnetism. He has a way of absorbing others' pain and isn't afraid to inflict some of his own, but Luther's history of explosively reckless behavior has made him the target of a relentless Internal Affairs cop (the excellent David O'Hara), who tries to turn Luther's loyal partner Ripley (Warren Brown) against him.
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There is a new king of late night, according to TV Guide Magazine's annual survey of star salaries. And he's a very rich king.
The Daily Show host Jon Stewart is now earning between $25-30 million a year, according to several sources (his network, Comedy Central, did not comment). That puts Stewart ahead of the past perennial late night salary leaders Jay Leno and David Letterman. Leno took a significant pay cut last year, as NBC wanted to reduce costs at Tonight. He now earns around $20 million a year after being up near $30 million. Letterman is also said to be in the $20 million range as the license fee CBS pays to his production company, Worldwide Pants, for Late Show has been reduced in recent years.
Stewart's ratings...
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