Tonight's TV Hot List: Monday, Jan. 25, 2010

Damages
10/9c FX
This season's villain appears to be Bernie Madoff, only the case is murkier and there's a body in a Dumpster. Len Cariou plays the Madoff-like Louis Tobin, and Campbell Scott and Lily Tomlin play his wife and son, whom Tobin insists know nothing. Patty's out to recover lost assets, while Ellen now works at the DA's office, which will prosecute Tobin. But don't expect them to work hand-in-glove. And in the flash-forward, Patty's car is rammed by a car that turns out to be registered to... — Paul Droesch
24
9/8c Fox
Season 8 moves to its regular time slot with a power struggle percolating as CTU honcho Brian Hastings is being second-guessed by his agents. It never seems to take this crew long to forget how often Jack has pulled everybody's fat out of the fire. Meanwhile, Renee's trustworthiness is in question; and Chloe has become at least underappreciated and possibly a pariah showing more loyalty to Jack than to Hastings. And then there's the Middle East peace process hanging by a thread. — Fred Mitchell
Greek
10/9c ABC Family
ABC Family expands to airing three hours of original prime-time programming on Mondays with the mid-season return of this college-set drama. The Cyprus-Rhodes kids pick up right where they left off, in the aftermath of the fire at Gamma Psi. A fund-raiser is held to help rebuild the house, and the guilt-plagued ZBZs wonder what role they played in the destructive blaze. Meanwhile, the KTs have a tough time moving on in the wake of the expulsion of three of their brothers. — Jennifer Sankowski
Chuck
8/7c NBC
The solid spy show's third season is flying high, delivering the usual fun mix of pop-culture riffs, workplace comedy, perfectly placed modernist music and, of course, guns, girls and gadgets. The series continues to take flight when Chuck departs to Paris for his very first solo assignment. During the flight, Chuck delights in a French connection when he befriends a pretty fellow passenger (Kristin Kreuk). But there'll be turbulence when Chuck must tangle with another passenger — menacing, muscle-bound goon Hugo Panzer ("Stone Cold" Steve Austin). Morgan's not on sturdy ground, either: He battles Jeff and Lester for power at Buy More. — Dean Maurer
La La Land
11/10c Showtime
British comedian Marc Wootton is absurdly funny in this new series as he plays three different off-the-wall characters stalking stardom in Los Angeles. The hapless trio includes cocky cockney cabbie Gary, who wants to be an actor; psychic Shirley Ghostman, whose connection to the spirit world seems permanently disconnected; and dimwitted documentarian Brendan, who wants to be Michael Moore but is more Ed Wood. The three outlandish poseurs' interaction with real people in real situations is the stuff of head-shaking, eye-rolling lunacy. — Ray Stackhouse