A look at 'Biggest Loser: Families' and other shows of note

"Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels has a retort ready for all those contestants this season who think of her as "the nice one."

"I'll break your hands off," she barks.

And so begins the warm and fuzzy "Biggest Loser: Families" (debuting 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday, NBC).

This season's group consists of four husband/wife teams and four parent/child duos. The team that loses the biggest percentage of weight through intensive exercise and dieting will win $250,000.

Michaels tends to the parents and children. Fellow trainer Bob Harper will handle the spouses.

The contestants include:

-- A husband and wife from South Carolina who have an autistic son;

-- A North Carolina couple whose combined weight is more than 600 pounds;

-- A Florida pair who have a 4-year-old daughter weighing 63 pounds;

-- A mother and daughter from Dallas who have been estranged for six years.

The premiere is a two-hour installment.

Other highlights for the week of Sept. 14-20 (all times EDT; listings subject to change; check local listings):

SUNDAY

-- "Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy" (9 p.m., Discovery Channel). A near-perfectly-preserved 77 million-year-old dinosaur is examined.

MONDAY

-- "Solo: Lost At Sea" (10 p.m., National Geographic Channel). A kayaker's journey between Australia and New Zealand is documented.

TUESDAY

-- "House" (8 p.m., Fox). Wilson ponders whether the verbally abusive Dr. House is a bad person to be around. Well, yeah.

-- "Lincoln Heights" (8 p.m., ABC Family). In season three, the Sutton family wonders if the troubled community is showing signs of change.

-- "Fringe" (9 p.m., Fox). A woman gives birth to a senior citizen. Question: Does her child qualify for AARP immediately?

-- "The Cleaner" (10 p.m., A&E). Isaiah Washington shows up to cause trouble. Again.

THURSDAY

-- "Burn Notice" (10 p.m., USA Network). As the summer season draws to a close, Michael poses as a security adviser to foil a kidnapping plot.

-- "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (10 p.m., FX). Dee and Charlie accidentally become cannibals.

(E-mail Terry Morrow of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at morrow2(at)knews.com.)