‘Survivor’ returns for sweeps

February sweeps arrives with the return of television’s most durable prime time reality show, “Survivor” (7 p.m., CBS). This time, it’s called “Survivor: Panama: Exile Island.” As the title implies, some unlucky players will be asked to get “Lost” and spend some desert island time. There’s no word if they have to share the island with Panama’s exiled dictator, Manuel Noriega.

¢ “ER” (9 p.m., NBC) celebrates sweeps with a guest stint from Emmy and Golden Globe winner James Woods.

Woods guest stars as brilliant researcher and professor Dr. Nate Lennox, who is suffering through the final stages of Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). Best known for his fiery performances, Woods’ character spends much of this episode confined to a wheelchair. Abandoned and betrayed by his deteriorating condition, Lennox must communicate by means of a computer-activated speech simulator.

¢ Barbers in a Queens, N.Y., salon share thoughts about life, love, music, pop culture, women, relationships and, of course, hip hop videos in the new comedy-reality series “The Shop” (9:30 p.m., MTV).

¢ A cynical meteorologist (Bill Murray) suffers an existential nightmare and comes away with a new outlook on life in the 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day” (5:30 p.m., Showtime High Definition). The film repeats at 8:15 p.m.

Other highlights

¢ Tom Bergeron hosts “Dancing with the Stars” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ A school picture requires a cooler wardrobe on “Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m., UPN).

¢ Two murders and one suspect on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Adam Goldberg guest stars as a victim of Earl’s gas-siphoning past on “My Name is Earl” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ Marissa gets something off her chest on “The O.C.” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ The new reality series “Ladettes to Ladies” (8 p.m., Sundance) follows 10 uncouth party girls as they are transformed at a U.K. charm school, learning the finer points of sewing, cooking and even flower arranging.

¢ Billy’s return to the restaurant sparks a sibling rivalry on “Crumbs” (8:30 p.m., ABC).

¢ A case takes Jack to Tokyo on “Without a Trace” (9 p.m., CBS).

Series notes

A Canadian in need on “Will & Grace” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … On back-to-back episodes of “That ’70s Show” (Fox, TV-14), a stolen recipe (8 p.m.), Donna under suspicion (8:30 p.m., r) … Embedded media on “Smallville” (8 p.m., WB, TV-PG,D,L,V) … Out of the closet and into the primaries on “Four Kings” (8:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … A fall from Grace on “Love, Inc.” (8:30 p.m., UPN, TV-PG) … Less than maternal on “Eve” (9 p.m., UPN, TV-PG) … Gender-based shenanigans on “Beauty and the Geek” (9 p.m., WB, TV-PG) … Gender-based bias on “The Office” (9:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14) … Lost in the shuffle on “Cuts” (9:30 p.m., UPN, TV-PG).