On Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue,” world-renowned bar and nightlife expert John Taffer wields more than 30 years of industry experience to give failing bars one last shot at success. Taffer and his team perform surveillance on struggling establishments, identify problems and attempt to work with owners and staff to turn the business around.

Alas, as the following Q&A illustrates, not everyone is receptive to his rescue plan. The fifth season of “Bar Rescue” can be seen Sundays at 10 p.m. on Spike TV.

On each episode of his new Food Network show “Bakers vs. Fakers,” Buddy Valastro (“Cake Boss”) oversees four contestants competing for ultimate bragging rights and a cash prize. 

Some upcoming television debut offerings

Actor says network drama is “better than ever”

Tiffani Thiessen dishes on her Cooking Channel show

When a home renovation project doesn’t go quite as planned, it’s helpful to check in with Mike Holmes. 

The first-season finale of HBO’s acclaimed dramatic comedy “Divorce” is set to air Sunday, Dec. 11 at 10:30 p.m. 

Amazon Video offers up three offbeat series

The explosion of broadcast alternatives with regards to television has been something to see in the past few years. No longer is original programming beholden to the big networks or even cable outfits. Streaming services have thrown their respective hats into the ring to significant success.

One of the hallmarks of a new year is a resolution to change. We resolve to quit bad habits and pick up good ones, to eat less or work out more.

That desire for change is true in the world of television as well; each January brings us a wealth of new network offerings aimed at trimming the unwatched fat and finding new hits to capture viewers. You never know what's going to stick, but here are some of the fresh attempts TV will be making over the next couple of months to snag your attention.

a fall 2012 TV preview

Being a television executive is much like being a professional gambler: It's a business built around taking huge risks. Sometimes, those risks pay off hugely. More often, they don't. So it is with new network television shows. For every breakout hit, there are half a dozen flops. And that doesn't even count the scores of filmed pilots that ultimately fail to find a home.

Still, hope springs eternal, even in the entertainment business. The network dial is riddled with new offerings this fall. Any one of them could conceivably capture the public's imagination and become a mainstay for the next five years. Of course, that just means the rest of them will be boring, bland and ultimately forgettable assuming they aren't epically terrible. We can probably count on at least one of those as well.