Chuck (NBC, Friday) – “Chuck” never got a lot of coverage around here, but it did have a weirdly devoted fanbase who stuck with it through a number of schedule changes. The show comes to its conclusion tonight, and I think I speak for the majority of Americans when I say, “Okay.”

Luck (HBO, Sunday) – Pilot episode. HBO aired this back in December as a sneak peek, but the new David Milch series starring Dustin Hoffman starts for real this Sunday night. I miss Barbaro. I said it.

Downton Abbey (PBS, Sunday) – Actual conversation I heard recently between two people who are clearly soulmates: HUSBAND: I like “Downton Abbey.” WIFE: Who’s in it? HUSBAND: Oh.. um… who’s that one British actress? WIFE: Maggie Smith? HUSBAND: Yeah, her.

The Good Wife (CBS, Sunday) – Sometimes watching this show makes me want to buckle down and get serious about my law career. Other times someone on the show will be eating Chinese food and it makes me want to order dumplings. My point here is that I’m easily influenced and often hungry.

Bayou Billionaires (CMT, Saturday) – I love you, you crazy hillbillies. I won’t watch your show, but I love you.

The Simpsons/Napoleon Dynamite/Family Guy/American Dad (FOX, Sunday) – Whenever people talk about “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, they say things like “he’s more hands off now” or “he’s not around much” or “Seth likes to have a drink.” This leads me to believe he is doing life properly.

Californication/House of Lies/Shameless (Showtime, Sunday) – Boobs.

John Mulaney: New in Town (Comedy Central, Saturday) – I mentioned the other day that John Mulaney is one of my favorite comedians. Not only was his last album one of the best I’ve heard in a while, he’s also the writer at SNL who’s responsible for the Stefon segments on Update. What I failed to mention is that because I am a big fancy TV blogger now, I got an advance copy of his new special earlier this week and it’s really terrific. You need to watch this Saturday night and/or get the album when it comes out on the 31st or I don’t see how we can be friends. (Clip after the jump.)

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Saturday Night Live (NBC, Saturday) – From Access Hollywood: “‘There were a lot of [skit] pitches about my boobs,’ Katy told Access Hollywood on Thursday. ‘I was cool about that, but I’m not sure all of it [got] in. So we’ll see.’” Wait. I know she’s married to Russell Brand… but who’s the other boob she’s talking about? BAZINGA! [finger guns]

Luck (HBO, Sunday) – HBO’s horse racing drama by David Milch (“Deadwood”) and Michael Mann (“Miami Vice,” Heat) debuts on Sunday night with a sneak peek weeks before it’s actual start. I would have put this up top, but I really didn’t want a giant picture of Dustin Hoffman at the top of the page all weekend. But it does look promising.

Boardwalk Empire (HBO, Sunday) – After last week’s Full Oedipus, I’m not sure exactly where else there is to go. Poison someone with hemlock? BAZINGA AGAIN! [Greek finger guns]

Boss (Starz, Friday) – The season finale of the Kelsey Grammer political drama. This show is really fun if you close your eyes and imagine Sideshow Bob never got run out of office for voter fraud.

Snowmageddon (Syfy, Saturday) – When we had that “Snowmageddon” thing in real life a couple years ago, I guaranteed that it would become both a band name and a movie within five years. I’m well on my way to rubbing THAT in some people’s stupid faces.

The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday) – The show’s Christmas episode flashes forward to 2041, when “The Simpsons” is still on the air, I imagine.

The Good Wife (CBS, Sunday) – I interned and/or hung around at a couple law firms, and no one drank as much midday scotch as they do on this show, or other lawyer shows. I was lied to. I demand a full refund of my legal education.

Dexter/Homeland (Showtime, Sunday) – I was actually upset when I heard “Homeland” was really good, because it means there’s now another show I have to start watching or get yelled at about. I’M DOING ALL I CAN AND BY “ALL I CAN” I MEAN WATCHING KIND OF A LOT OF THE FOOD CHANNEL GEEZ.

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After mailing in the “Game of Thrones” teaser, HBO stepped up their game with this tease for the horse racing drama “Luck” (video below), which is scheduled to debut in early 2012. Check out the pedigree: directed by Michael Mann, created by David Milch (“Deadwood”), starring Dustin Hoffmann and Nick Nolte, and featuring terrific supporting actors like Dennis Farina. The only way this could possibly be a disappointment is if none of the horses die.

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The video below is a featurette for HBO’s forthcoming series “Luck,” which follows the various aspects of the horse racing community. The cast is great: Dustin Hoffman plays the rich mob dude pulling strings, a bearded Nick Nolte is the washed-up old trainer, and various young up-and-comers play the jockeys, gambling addicts, and chicks taking their shirts off because it’s HBO.

The only downside is that the show is about stupid-ass horses. Man, do I hate horses. And I hate people who love horses. “Oh, they’re such beautiful animals!” Beautiful animals who get scared by paper flapping and will cleave your head in two with the pieces of metal nailed to their feet because they can’t walk around without hurting themselves. Ugh. Horses are assh*les.

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Nolte relaxing by the Santa Monica pier

Today in news that gets my panties damp, Nick Nolte will reportedly join the cast of HBO’s “Luck,” a drama about the world of horse racing produced by David Milch (who created “NYPD Blue,” “Deadwood,” and “John from Cincinnati”) and starring Dustin Hoffman (Kung Fu Panda). Bonus excellence: the pilot will be directed by Michael Mann.

The deal isn’t done yet, but I hear Nolte is already “mucking the stalls” at Santa Anita racetrack where the drama will unfold. Dustin Hoffman already signed to star, along with Dennis Farina and John Ortiz…

Mann reached out to Hoffman to play lead character Ace Bernstein, a freshly paroled track fixture… Mann hadn’t worked with Nolte before but his longtime casting director Bonnie Timmerman did and Nolte is agreeing to play The Old Man, a formerly famous trainer. [Deadline]

Oh man, I can’t wait to hear the kind of insight Nolte will infuse into The Old Man. “Dang, always tragic when a horse dies at the track. *swig of cough syrup* Welp, we better skin ‘er before the meat goes bad.”