Critic's corner

Thursday, July 24

10 p.m., USA
Michael tries to con a con artist. Do two cons make a right?

10 p.m., Bravo
She goes to Bora Bora. To bring some blue to the lagoon?

9 p.m., National Geographic
Garbology. The study of wanting to be alone?

7 p.m., G4
G4 has a gift for those interested in the annual geek event known as Comic-Con - you know who you are. The channel is offering coverage of the first two days at the San Diego Convention Center, beginning tonight with a three-hour special on developments in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, anime, manga, animation, and video games. I'm thinking J.J. Abrams's forthcoming series, "Fringe," will be getting a lot of promotion.

10 p.m., History Channel
Power tools. A saw in a red tie?

8 p.m., Channel 7
Standup at the Playboy mansion. To amuse the articles?

Comcast Free Movies
A screwball comedy, brightly updated for the '90s. Julia Roberts tries to break up the wedding of longtime buddy Dermot Mulroney to Cameron Diaz so she can have him to herself. Rupert Everett, as Roberts's witty and stylish sounding board, is a big plus. (PG-13; runs through August 1)

Friday, July 25

10 p.m., Channel 4
I don't have much hope that "Swingtown" will return for a second season. But the 1970s-set drama has been an unexpected summer pleasure about marriage and monogamy - mostly thanks to the allure of Molly Parker, but also thanks to a few supporting players. As teenager Laurie, Shanna Collins has nicely captured the aspirations of a young intellectual with a crush on her teacher. Like Parker, who plays her mother, she wears plain outfits and affects a quiet beauty.