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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Recurring characters are like inside jokes: They exist in part to reward viewers of television series, not just the episodes. They’re like drunk uncles or ex-girlfriends who drop by every few months, drink all your beer, dance naked in your living room, puke on the floor and vanish, only to return again six months later looking to crash on your couch. And we let them, goddamnit, because we have an unyielding affection for them, no matter how much they wreck the place.

The best shows use these recurring characters sparingly. They’re typically one note, but it’s a glorious note, and as long as it’s not overplayed, the character can continue to return without ever wearing out his or her welcome (see, e.g., Senor Chang, who was elevated to series regular on “Community” and almost immediately became unbearable).

I’ve taken the liberty of ranking, without comment, television’s best recurring characters. A note about the criteria: To be included on the list, the character must be in an on-going television show; he or she must have been in fewer than 30 percent of the show’s episodes; and he or she must have recurred in two or more seasons of the show. Limit one recurring character per series.

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Of COURSE he’s a shepherd. [420mansion]

The Best of #Michael Bluth. Great, now I’m sad about “Arrested Development” all over again. Some wounds never heal. [UPROXX]

HNNNNNNNNNGGGG Kate Upton’s Scorching Photo Shoot for Complex. Two things that always get me turned on: sexy teenagers and barnyard animals. [With Leather]

Lithuanian Capital City Mayor Is the Honey Badger of Mayors. Seriously, this guy is my hero. Although that’s not a tank; it’s an armored personnel carrier. [UPROXX]

Cheat Sheet: 17 Fascinating Facts About Jack Kirby, King of Comics. Did you know that he was born with a third nipple on his back? That might be true! [Gamma Squad]

John Wall Claims Another Set of Ankles. I think this guy might have a future in basketball. [The Smoking Section]

Just Your Basic Amateur MMA Fight Breaking Out at a Russian Dolphin Pool. Six-way brawl at the slippery edge of a pool. Awesome hilarity ensues. [FilmDrunk]

Suck on THAT, Danger Guerrero. Pregnant woman goes into labor during the bar exam, finishes test. [mental floss]

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The Good Wife (CBS) — It’s sweeps week, so look for big-name guest stars on all your favorite shows. Tonight, Michael J. Fox is on the “The Good Wife,” where his character, a pharmaceutical company lawyer, uses his disability to sway the jury in his favor. This episode is also the source of one of my favorite headlines ever.

30 for 30 (ESPN) — The Best That Never Was, about onetime prep football phenom Marcus Dupree, who was ruined by bad decisions, injury, and the NCAA’s knack for systematically destroying the potential of young adults. Read Spencer Hall’s review of it here.

Glee (Fox) — Darren Criss, star of the viral hit A Very Potter Musical, joins the cast as a gay love interest for Kurt. Along the way, the episode will feature several mash-ups, among them a combination of “Start Me Up” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Oh, hello there, acid reflux. I do so love the taste of bile.

The Fashion Show (Bravo) — Season premiere. Kelly Rowland is out as host, replaced by Iman. In an effort to differentiate the show from “Project Runway,” the 12 designers will be broken up into different houses that must work together.

Auction Hunters (Spike) — Series premiere. Two guys buy bargain crap, then sell it for a profit. It’s like “Antiques Roadshow” for drunk young men.

Bad Girls Club (Oxygen) — Season finale. According to my cashier at Key Foods last night, this has been a crazy season. Cultural divides, man: somehow I doubt she’s a fan of “Sons of Anarchy.”

Michael J. Fox will guest star in an episode of CBS’s critically acclaimed “The Good Wife” next season. And yes, I’m only writing about this for the headline. These are the jokes, people.

The actor will appear as Simon Canning, a shrewd and cynical litigator who squares off with Alicia Florick (Margulies) in a massive class action suit. Fox’s character is willing to use anything in court, including symptoms of his neurological condition [Parkinson's], to create sympathy for pharmaceutical company client, the network said Friday in a release. [CBS News]

I’ve heard nothing but good things about this show, and Michael J. Fox is obviously a national treasure that we stole from Canada, but I’m still powerless to stop myself from making jokes about crippling diseases. For example, here’s the banner photo taken with a slower lens:

Yep, I’m going to hell. But not until all of my children are born with neurological disorders. No, I’m just kidding. Those kids would be aborted.