Tough-love therapy a necessity

When Callie Thorne’s Golden Globe nomination was announced last month, the actress was dead asleep. Snuggled in slumber at her mom’s house, oblivious to the attention her role inspired by reallife Long Island therapist Dr. Donna Dannenfelser was getting. Finally, roused by worry that there might be an emergency, she picked up her phone and heard the news from her agent. “I dropped the phone, I ran to my mom’s room, jumped on her bed,” says Thorne.

Necessary Roughness follows Thorne as single mom and divorcee Dr. Dani Santino, who, to make ends meet, takes a job as a therapist for a pro football team. Spurred by her spunk, her career grows as other celebrities clamour for her tough-love therapy.

In a surprise twist at the end of Season 1, New York Hawks star player T.K. (Mehcad Brooks) faced off against his lifelong rival — and was shot. “I’m a real lover of oldschool cliffhangers,” says Thorne. “With the gunshot, it leaves you with this big question mark.” (9 p.m., W Network)

The Transporter film franchise shoots onto the smallscreen with Transporter: The Series, an action-packed Canada-France co-production about a driver-for-hire who will deliver anything for the right price.

Chris Vance (Prison Break, Dexter) replaces Jason Statham as the lead. François Berléand reprises his role as Inspector Tarconi in the Transporter films. (9 p.m., HBO)

After almost a month without new episodes, Blue Bloods returns. The city thinks an environmental serial killer is behind the shootings of two people driving gas-hungry vehicles. Meanwhile, Danny’s son is hurt badly in a bicycle accident. (10 p.m., CBS, CTV)

CSI: NY also returns from hiatus Friday. The episode Command+P sees the team puzzling over two victims who are linked by an unusual weapon. (8 p.m., CTV; 9 p.m., CBS)