Turns out "Nashville Star" winner Melissa Lawson's life turned into a bit of a mess after the show -- while she was on tour and recording, her husband had an affair. So in the wake of her personal life and career in shambles, Lawson turns to none other than Tony Robbins to help on "Breakthrough With Tony Robbins" (NBC at 8 p.m.).
Chef Gordon Ramsay tests the contestants' senses of flavor when they have to re-create a dish without actually knowing any of the ingredients on "Hell's Kitchen" (Fox at 8), and later, the winning chef gets a day of relaxation, while another has a breakdown in the kitchen.
On the heels of a few shows from Canada doing okay-ish ratings for broadcast networks in the summer, CW premieres Canadian comedy "18 to Life" (at 9 and 9:30), about two 18-year-old neighbors -- with warring families -- who get married after a high-stakes game of Truth or Dare.
Shaquille O'Neal's reality show "Shaq Vs." (ABC at 9) -- in which the NBA superstar challenges other athletes in their own sports -- takes an odd twist in the Season 2 premiere, as Shaq travels to Washington to take on . . . 15-year-old Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Kavya Shivashankar? Sure enough, Shaq tries to expand his horizons with a spelling challenge, and even gets a little help from the champ's sister, 8-year-old Vanya. But first, Shaq tries to squeeze his 7-foot-1, 325-pound frame into a stock car to compete against Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a NASCAR race in North Carolina.
Shark Week continues on Discovery, though anyone taking a beachside vacation in the next few weeks should take caution before watching "Shark Bite Beach" (Discovery at 9), which looks at the attacks along the California and Mexico coasts in 2008.
Season 3 of "The Rachel Zoe Project" (Bravo at 10) kicks off with the stylist's team reeling after Zoe fires her assistant, Taylor; and in the midst of the chaos, everyone must work to get Demi Moore ready for a photo shoot.
A couple of lottery winners mysteriously disappear on "Memphis Beat" (TNT at 10), leaving Dwight to search for the pair before something terrible happens.
Auggie diligently tries to rescue Annie from an uncomfortable situation in Moscow on "Covert Affairs" (USA at 10), not even realizing that his job could be in jeopardy when Joan and Arthur suspect him of not being faithful to the organization.
Actress Betty White stops by "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (NBC at 11:35), along with actor Sam Trammell and the Black Crowes.
"Late Show With David Letterman" (CBS at 11:35) has actor Michael Cera, talk-show host Rachel Maddow and musical guest Herbie Hancock.
LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Rachel Zoe’s Taylor Jacobson accusations fly tonight. Why did Taylor leave Rachel? Taylor Jacobson tells news that at least one Rachel Zoe Project allegation tonight is flatly false. Taylor says she can’t respond to the rest due to her employment confidentiality agreement.
Yet, clearly what is portrayed tonight is different than the news statement Taylor Jacobson gave in November 2009. Then Taylor didn’t say she was fired; rather she said she was ” saddened and exhilarated” about her departure.
But tonight, Rodger Berman announces Taylor’s departure at an “emergency conference”. Rodger is more dramatic than anything Donald Trump has offered in the boardroom. Later viewers hear the word “fired”. And yet over one hour, few details are revealed about what happened to Taylor.
In the opening segment, Rodger Berman has a sit down conference with staff in which he doesn’t use the word “fired”. When Brad Goreski asks Roger and Rachel what happened, Roger says thinks weren’t adding up. “We have been getting behind the numbers … and frankly things aren’t adding up and that’s all I want to say about it.” Zoe expresses sadness. Her sadness remains the dominant theme through the conflict. Zoe says she can’t sleep, that Taylor’s departure didn’t give her closure. Yet, Zoe has no problem doing a shoot with Demi Moore, “Taylor’s client”.
Brad then does a testimonial that he claims Taylor was different than she seemed. But yet in the next scene, in his new Mercedes driving around Los Angeles, Brad says he misses Taylor. Later in the studio, the word “fired” is said. Still viewers aren’t left with any insight as to what happened between Taylor and Rachel. Zoe says she is hurt she hasn’t heard from Taylor. But just moments earlier, Brad reveals that samples have been returned that Taylor had still had. Brad says that Taylor would wear samples out at night.
Really? Not so says Taylor to local news. Taylor has since told TV Guide that the “samples” claim in tonight’s season premiere accusation is tv fiction. “I will say this: I don’t fit into sample sizes! Where did that even come from? I’m not a size zero. I have 34-D [chest]“.
Taylor says she can’t respond to Zoe’s allegations because she is bound by a confidentiality agreement. “You sign a confidentiality agreement. That’s why I really can’t talk about it.”
But what does Taylor think about the premiere? “For legal reasons, I’m not really allowed to discuss it, which makes it hard for me to give “the juice.” But what I heard about the first episode is pretty amazing. I heard there is ripping out of pictures and throwing them into the fireplace”. Zoe takes pictures of Taylor and burns them late in the episode.\
Yet Taylor thinks viewers will release that what they are watching is simply “faux” (fake). “Reality TV is faux reality. It’s a contrived reality, and everyone knows that. I was an extremely hard worker and I still am. So, in that sense, yes. As much as people want me to go off on the show and Rachel, I don’t really have anything to say about the woman who I am not allowed to talk about. Really, I don’t have ill will. It’s time to move on and I have.”
