Meet Barney’s mom, J.D. and Turk bring the funny

This time of year is usually designated for February sweeps where the networks trot out all sorts of stunts, hoping for major ratings to impress the advertising industry. But with the digital TV transition taking place Feb. 17, the industry made the smart move to push sweeps back until March.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be a slew of great programming this week.

WHAT TO WATCH
SHOW: “How I Met Your Mother”
EPISODE: “The Stinsons”
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Monday on CBS
After four years of awesomeness from Barney, audiences should really never be surprised when he does something insane. This week’s episode will show that Barney actually has a faux family on payroll for any time that his mother ( Francis Conroy, “Six Feet Under”) comes calling. Luckily for us, it looks like Barney is forced to take both his pay-as-you-go family and his gang of friends to see his mom.

SHOW: “Damages”
EPISODE: “A Pretty Girl in a Leotard”
WHEN: 10 p.m. Wednesday on FX
Season Two of “Damages” might not have the mystique of its initial run, but the stories have been just as strong. In this episode, watch for Patty to take a strong look at Walter Kendrick – played to perfection by John Doman from “The Wire” – for the murder of Purcell’s wife. Meanwhile, Ellen will continue to figure out exactly what the hell happened to her fiance David, both for herself and for the FBI.

WHAT TO TIVO
SHOW: “Survivor: Tocantins – The Brazilian Highlands”
EPISODE: “Episode 1”
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS
Can you believe this will be the 18th season of “Survivor”? And even as horrible as most of the reality television spawned from its success has been, “Survivor” is still good. For the most part, the success of each season is based on the cast, so it’s crucial to watch the first episode.
    
SHOW: “Scrubs”
EPISODE: “My Comedy Show”
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on ABC
The move to ABC has been a breath of fresh air for “Scrubs,” as the eighth season has been a return to form featuring less broad humor and more of the emotional resonance that defined its early years. Yet, this season has been somewhat Turk-light, or at least J.D.-Turk bromance–light. This episode – where the two closest friends on TV get their interns to be a part of a lame sketch comedy performance – should change that.

RANT OF THE WEEK
I know the Internet has given everyone free reign to speak his or her mind, but the incessant online hate for the new team – and specifically Thirteen – on “House” is out of control. Supposed fans of the show have been whining about the increased focus on Thirteen and her battle with Huntington’s disease for too long, and I just don’t get it.
When the writing staff made the decision to break up the original team after three years, they took a risk, but it was an intelligent one that paid off completely.
The writers saw it as insulting for viewers to have to sit through six or seven years of Cameron-Chase-Foreman stories without anything new, so they mixed it up.
Now that the new team is getting its time in the spotlight just like the original did, the focus has moved away from Cameron and Chase, which does suck. But I guarantee they’ll be back in a more powerful role at least by next season.
Thirteen might be getting a bit too much focus, and her story isn’t the most exciting, but not all of Cameron’s stories were tremendous either.