procrastinationchronicles.com

Labor day is upon us and fall is here! TV Guide still does a nice job laying out the new season. I am a big fan of the printable premiere calendar and of course the grid of what’s on when: http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview-2008/

Sadly as I take a closer gander at scheduling it’s looking a little cramped in a couple of slots. Monday at 8 with Big Bang/HIMYMother, Gossip Girl, Terminator, and Chuck. Then Wednesday at 8 with Pushing Daisies, Old Christine, ANTM, and Bones. I like to limit myself to two shows max per time slot so I’m going to have to make some accommodations. At least CW typically reruns ANTM and GGirl, and of course there’s some stuff online. I mean who could think of dropping a show, for other than enjoyment considerations, but that’s often how it happens for me. And of course I never expect the new shows to all hit so I should be able to drop one of the cramped Tuesday at 9 options of The Mentalist, Privileged, and Fringe (sadly the cute Joanna Garcia may lose to the cuter Simon Baker and of course JJ Abrams newest product).

So poke around and see what’s going to be happening. I will of course continue to note the premieres in the Next Weeks. And as soon as I hear a little more from the critics I’ll let you know what of the new stuff we’re all most excited about.

Well I just saw a promo for Gossip Girl and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the campy trashy show. What else am I most eagerly awaiting? Funny you should ask.

• Bones (Fox, Wed 9/3) – Currently my favorite procedural because not only do they have fun cases with an anthropological science twist, but the leads Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz are good on their own but their chemistry is great, and the the quirky supporting cast works so well, I’ll forgive them for the weak wrap-up of last year’s serial killer.
• Chuck (NBC, Mon 9/29) – Seeing Geek Squad Best Buy Nerd Herd Buy More employee, and accidental keeper of government secrets, forced into the spy world as well as the spy world stuck into Chuck’s life creates not only plenty of action but plenty of humor as well as a little potential romance with his CIA handler (the pretty one, not the hilariously stiff Adam Baldwin).
• Gossip Girl (CW, Mon 9/1)/Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, Wed 10/1) – Who can pick between the two trashy campy soaps? Good thing you don’t have to as we catch the richest of rich families, and their lawyer who is trying to help out and not get sucked in, to more trouble each week than most folks do in a lifetime, unless that is you’re a bunch of rich private schoolers, being fashionable and popular and deceptive is such hard work.
• Heroes (NBC, Mon 9/22) – Currently my favorite of the involved conspiracy shows, though it’s been uneven, we have followed our cast favorite regular folks who got special powers like time travel, indestructibility, and mind reading, and have to deal with other heroes, secret organizations, and of course saving the world, this season as they struggle with their own right and wrong actions it looks like they take on some real villains, but typically good and evil aren’t so clear cut.
• Pushing Daisies (ABC, Wed 10/1) – Every aspect of this show was magical and captivating as I somehow fell for two characters who are so sweet and in love normally I couldn’t stand them, but I lament every moment they aren’t able to touch because what brought her back to life would take her from him forever, so in the meantime he and his supporting cast run the pie shop and solve crimes, who better to help out than a guy who brings the dead back to life for a minute.
• 30 Rock (NBC, Thurs 10/30)/The Office (NBC, Thurs 9/25) – Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin just made me laugh a lot last season as they found a good rhythm with Fey running a late night sketch comedy show, her mess of a life, and keeping a crazy supporting cast together while the season finale of the Office made me appreciate how far this show has come from one that I saw more as a placeholder in the lineup to one I tune in for, because just when you think they’ve pushed the wackies too far in one direction they remind you to care.

Well we’ve had a week to wrap up the up fronts where networks tout their fall and onward tv seasons for advertisers, so let’s take a look at what looks like it will look like:

ABC

New:

• Life on Mars - David E Kelley’s version of BBC series where cop transports back to 1970s
• Opportunity Knocks – Game show where they knock on your door, or something

Returning: 20/20, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Boston Legal (final season), Brothers & sisters, Eli Stone, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, Supernanny, Ugly Betty, Wife Swap
Midseason returns: According to Jim, The Bachelor, Lost, Scrubs (New from NBC)
Noteworthy not returning: Men in Trees, Miss Guided, October Road, Women’s Murder Club

CBS 

New:

• Eleventh Hour – Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest, adapting from the british 4 part sci fi series dealing with mysterious cases
• The Ex List – This one is based on an Israeli show where a psychic tells a woman she has already met her true love and so she revisits the exes
• The Mentalist – Simon Baker uses his powers of observation to solve crimes
• Project Gary – Comedy starring Jay Mohr as a recent divorce, and contractor which might explain the ‘project’ part
• Worst Week – This comedy of newly engaged couple is another BBC show made over american style

Returning: 48 Hours, 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, Big Bang Theory, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Ghost Whisperer, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, New Adventures of Old Christine, Numb3rs, Survivor, Two and a Half Men, The Unit, Without a Trace
Midseason returns: Rules of Engagement
Noteworthy not returning: Moonlight, Shark

CW 

New:

• 90210 – The next generation, as a new brother and sister move and start at West Beverly High, including pop bys by Jennie Garth as Guidance Counselor
• Surviving the Filthy Rich - With Reba’s JoAnna Garcia as nanny to rich kids, based on a book series
• Stylista – New reality from Tyra Banks where folks compete to work at Elle

Noteworthy note: Contracting out Sunday nights to production finance company Media Rights Capital who will be responsible for two dramas and two comedies and selling the ad time.

• FAT City, IM Valentine, Book of Murphy, Surviving Suburbia

Returning: ANTM, Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Supernatural
Midseason return: Reaper
Noteworthy not returning: Aliens in America, Girlfriends, New Amsterdam

Fox

New:

• Fringe - JJ Abrams latest starring Joshua Jackson teaming up to investigate unexplained phenomena, I wanna say like the x-files
• Do Not Disturb – Comedy starring Jerry O’Connell working at one of NY’s uber hip hotels

Returning: American Dad, America’s Most Wanted, Bones, Cops, Don’t Forget the Lyrics, Family Guy, House, King of the Hill, Kitchen Nightmares, Moment of Truth, Prison Break, Simpsons, Smarter than a 5th Grader, Terminator, Til Death
Midseason return: 24, American Idol, Hell’s Kitchen.
Noteworthy not returning: Back to You

NBC

New:

• Crusoe – As in Robinson…
• Kath & Kim – Molly Shannon and Selma Blair in remake of Australian sitcom about mother and daughter living together again
• Knight Rider – If you caught the ‘hit’ tv movie you’re familiar with this remake
• My Own Worst Enemy – Christian Slater as a gov agent/normal guy whose two lives start to blur
• Thursday Night Live – Special SNL shows leading up to the elections

Returning: The Biggest Loser, Chuck, Dateline, Deal or No Deal, Heroes, E.R. (final season), L&O:SVU, Life, Lipstick Jungle, My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock
Midseason returning: Friday Night Lights, L&O, Medium
Noteworthy not returning: Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Las Vegas 

Additional Notes:

Tons of new shows scheduled for after fall, but we’ll chime in later once those become more solid, other than the fact that I should note there’s an Office spinoff scheduled as well as the new Joss Whedon show Dollhouse with Eliza Dushku, scheduled for midseason. I miss the Grr Arg.

And if you want to see the current stab at the schedule you can check it out at TV Guide.

Monday

• Wildfire (ABC Fam, 9pm) Season Premiere - It’s actually quite surprising how many original series there are out there on other cable channels, this is season 4 of this delinquent-but-good-with-horses gal gets another chance with a ranch family.
• Democratic Presidential Debate: South Carolina (CNN, 5pm pst) - What have they got to say? Maybe nothing new, but maybe worth a look.

Tuesday

• Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) Last episode due to strike - An embryo caper makes Olivia question her own timeline, too bad they couldn’t just time this to when Mariska was pregnant.
• Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo, 11pm normally at 10pm) Series Premiere - Follow a matchmaking service with, yes you guessed it, millionaire clientele.

Wednesday

• Criminal Minds (CBS, 9pm) Last ep due to strike - I tend to only watch this show in reruns, which is I guess next week, but I’m sure the BAU gang will find a serial killer.
• Moment of Truth (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere - This is the one where they hook the contestants up to a lie detector and ask humiliating questions for money, what will they think of next?

Thursday

• Chuck (NBC, 8 & 10pm) Last eps due to strike - They’re kicking us out with a little double shot, where Chuck will get into some shenanigans with his friends, coworkers and spy guys.
• Ugly Betty & Big Shots (ABC, 8 & 10pm) Last eps due to strike - I’ll be watching Chuck of course.
• Winter X Games 12 (24-27th, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Check your local listings) - Skis, snowmobiles, and snowboarders get gnarly in Colorado and it should include another round of Shaun White.

Friday

• Garth Brooks: Live in LA! (CBS, 9pm) - It’ll be Garth, he’ll be singing, in LA, will it be live?

Saturday

• Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials (CBS, 8pm) - This must mean the super bowl is coming up.
• US Figure Skating Women’s Championships (NBC, 8pm) - Isn’t the winter Olympics coming up, no I guess that’s next winter.
• Torchwood (BBC, 9pm) Season Premiere - They describe this as ‘part X-Files part Angel… where excitement comes before morality,’ hmm…

Sunday

• US Figure Skating Men’s Championships (NBC, 7pm) - Well I mentioned the women’s…
• Screen Actors Guild Awards (TNT, 8pm) - This one could be picket free and actually attended.
• Shark (CBS, 8pm) Last ep due to strike - Always good to get into Sebastian’s dark past when he’s a target for murder.
• The Russell Girl (CBS, 9pm) - Probably a typical cheesy Hallmark movie but I developed a liking for Amber Tamblyn since Joan of Arcadia.

So we’ve seen other’s picks for the top tv, but what about me? Well I think if you’ve read any of these posts you have an idea… But what you may not know is that although I seem to be comfortable spouting my opinion, if I actually have to quantify something as ‘The Best’ or ‘Top Ten’ I am immediately concerned that I have forgotten something or will change my mind the moment I write something down, which I often do, I mean tv does change with each episode… So I’m throwing down ten items in alphabetical order and I reserve the right to change my mind.

And of course one should recall that I don’t get real cable so my lack of endorsement for certain cable shows, well isn’t really a lack of endorsement.

• Chuck (NBC) - This show isn’t more than it is, a funny action romp, but what it is, it does really well and I find myself looking forward to it each week, it’s not so much about a regular guy being pulled into the spy world as it is the spy world being pulled into the regular guy’s life and the situations with spies and with the regular folks each tend to amuse and entertain.
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) - Again, I think folks tend to not give enough credit to a campy drama done well. These characters (and actors) are not only their stereotypes done to excess but also typically a subtle twist, I am entertained by the weekly trouble they get themselves into as well as finding out what who killed Dutch.
• Flight of the Conchords (HBO) - So an HBO show? Yes I was up to date since I was at an HBO watcher’s house when it premiered, and I really can’t do this show justice with a description but the New Zealand comedy satire folk singing duo trying to make it in New York, randomly breaking into music video song stylings is super funny.
• Heroes (NBC) - Well I warmed up to this show over the season last year and though disappointed with the start of this season, found myself yet again drawn into the cast that blurs the line between using their abilities for good or evil and how you can’t tell most of the time which is which as they try to save the world, or not.
• Lost (ABC) - It’s been so long since I’ve seen this that I almost didn’t put it on the list, but it continues to entertain with a formula that seemed impossible telling character stories through past and present, from an island that is as full of mysteries as it is new characters.
• Pushing Daisies (ABC) - The best new show of the year according to many, and I can’t not delight in it myself, I do give special credit for people who try to push things, and their 360 approach to the tone is wonderful, they’ve had some fantastic guest stars and episodic mysteries but managed to keep the right focus on the core cast with the ultimate can’t-be-together couple of Chuck and Ned.
• The Riches (FX) - Another unbelievable premise that just keeps me on the edge of my seat as this Traveler family pretends to be the Riches (folks who were killed in a car accident), and how they continue to keep afloat and keep out of the way of the other Travelers who wish them ill (to say the least) and their internal struggles along the way… it kept me tuned in.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - This is my favorite new comedy and with the dearth of funny out there I think that’s not only entertaining but important. It’s a combination of Christina Applegate really getting a vehicle that suits her great combination of funny, dorky, attractive, bitchy and sweet in her own special way and of course the writing and the great supporting cast don’t hurt with special shoutouts to Jean Smart and Sookie and surprisingly Barry Watson.
• Saving Grace (TNT) - You know I’m not sure this is actually one of the best shows but Holly Hunter and her screwed up character are like a car wreck you can’t look away from and her struggle with the angel trying to save her and her friends and family… well I just can’t look away.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - This show has edged out my previous vote of funniest show How I Met Your Mother (which I still find quite funny) and it found it’s place as the dysfunctional staff of a late night sketch comedy show spouts hilarity on more levels than I can catch if I’m not paying attention, and has been funny each and every time I sit down to watch.

I also didn’t officially list, but wanted to give a special shout out to two shows that I have adored that ended their run in 2007 Gillmore Girls and Veronica Mars, oh how I do miss these sassy gals.

So if I’m sharing end of the year best lists I would be remiss not to throw down a little tv. The problem is it seems like a strange time to do a best tv list. So though midseason shows may be getting the short shrift we’ve probably seen enough of things to give it a go.

• Andy Barker, PI (NBC) - GF
• Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)- MSN, SK
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - TV
• Big Love (HBO)- GF, JP, GG, MA*, MSN
• The Bronx is Burning (ESPN) - TV
• Brotherhood (Show) - GF, MR
• Brothers and Sisters (ABC) - SAT
• Burn Notice (USA)- KT
• Californication (Show)- GG, MR
• Chuck (NBC) - SAT, TV
• The Colbert Report (Comedy) - JP
• CSI (CBS)- KT
• Damages (FX) - DB, GG, MA, SK, TV
• Desperate Housewives (ABC) - KT
• Dexter (Show)- AFI, DB, SK, MR, SAT*
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) - GF, TV
• Entourage (HBO) - GG
• Everybody Hates Chris (CW) - AFI
• Extras (HBO) - GG, SAT
• Flight of the Conchords (HBO) - GF, JP, SAT
• Friday Night Lights (NBC)- AFI, DB, JP, KT, MA, MR, MSN, SAT, SK
• Frisky Dingo (Cartoon) - KT
• Gossip Girl (CW) - TV
• Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) - GG, SAT
• Heroes (NBC) - DB
• House (Fox)- GG
• Kid Nation (CBS) - JP
• Life (NBC) - KT
• Life of Ryan (MTV) - KT
• Longford (HBO)- AFI
• Lost (ABC) - DB, JP, MA, MR, SK
• Mad Med (AMC) - AFI, DB, GF, JP*, MA, MR*, GG, MSN*, SAT, TV
• Nip/Tuck (FX) - DB
• The Office (NBC) - JP, MSN
• Planet Earth (Discovery) - GF, JP, MR, MSN
• Pushing Daisies (ABC) - AFI, DB, GF, JP, MA, MR, GG, SAT*, TV
• The Riches (FX)- JP, SAT
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - TV
• The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy)- JP
• The Shield (Fx) - JP, MA, MR, MSN
• Sopranos (HBO) - AFI, DB, GF, JP*, KT, MA, MR, MSN
• Tell Me You Love Me (HBO) - AFI, JP, KT
• Top Chef (Bravo) - JP
• 30 Rock (NBC)- AFI, DB*, GF*, JP, KT*, MA, MR, GG, MSN
• The Tudors (Show) - GG, MR
• Ugly Betty (ABC) - AFI, MA, SAT
• The War (PBS) - JP, MR, MSN
• Weeds (Show) - JP, MR, SAT
• Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nick) - JP

AFI - American Film Institute, DB - David Bianculli on Fresh Air, GF - Gillian Flynn for EW, GG - Golden Globe Nominations, JP-James Poniewozik at Time (new and returning), KT - Ken Tucker for EW, MA - Michael Ausiello for TV Guide, MR-Matt Roush at TV Guide, MSN,  SAT-Satellite Awards, SK-Stephen King for EW, TV - TV Guide

* denotes top pick. I’ll update this list as new critic’s picks become available.

Monday

• The Hills (MTV, 10pm) Season Finale - So the people on this show are the ones that I don’t recognize in all the tabloid magazines.
• I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) - Linus and Lucy’s little brother hangs with Snoopy and his brother Spike.

Tuesday

• Shrek the Halls/Winnie the Pooh and Christmas, Too (ABC, 9/8:30pm) - Shrek again, then Pooh and the gang have some snow time fun.
• Life on Mars (BBC, 8pm) Season Premiere - This is apparently the second and final season of a guy thrown back in time trying to get home kind of show.

Wednesday

• ANTM (CW, 8pm) Season Finale! - Who will it be? I still say Saleisha, but let’s be serious I only care about the journey.
• Kid Nation (CBS, 8pm) Season Finale - I haven’t heard anything about this show since the start so I think maybe no kids were maimed.
• Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 9pm) Season Finale - I didn’t really follow how this worked so I’m not sure what the finale involves.
• Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (CW, 9pm - future 8pm) Series Premiere - A house full of mother/daughter beauty contestants, Queer Eye’s Carson is one of the judges as one team gets voted of each week.
• Dirty Sexy Money (ABC, 10pm) - Catch it if you missed the pilot of the best soap in night time tv, they do the cheese factor to a T (what does that actually mean?).

Thursday

• Saturday Night Live Christmas (NBC, 9:30pm) - As they keep moving with the compilation shows the holidays seem like a logical choice.

Friday

• It’s a Wonderful Life (NBC, 8pm) - This holiday classic always gets a showing, well, around the holidays.

Saturday

• Chuck (NBC, 8pm) - Catch the pilot episode if you didn’t get on board from the start of this fun series.

Sunday

• Survivor: China (CBS, 8pm) Season Finale - Followed by reunion show at 10pm, this ultimate tribal council will crown a new ultimate Survivor.
• Dexter (Show 9pm) Season Finale - So this serial killer series comes to the end of season 2.
• Extras (HBO, 9pm) Series Finale - With Ricky Gervais, he is a wannabe actor trying to make it, and how does it all end?

I have to say I find myself looking forward to Chuck each week. And I find that it’s not just because of the interesting characters forced to work together, or the witty dialogue, or the kick-ass action scenes, but honestly also because I don’t have to think too hard. I have a few Heroes queued in the backlog because I feel like I don’t have the attention span. But though it’s easy to follow Chuck on his weekly adventure with his two agent protectors, hiding it all from his sister Ellie and best bud Morgan, there are a few big plot items. So if you haven’t been watching you should tune in and though you don’t really need it, here’s a bit of story…

Chuck was kicked out of Stanford because his roommate Bryce turned him in for cheating (which if course he didn’t do), either before or after stealing his girlfriend. Chuck can’t forgive him for it, and has yet to really get his life back on track. He’s tech support at the Nerd Herd at Buy More (think Geek Squad at Best Buy but funnier and apparently more successful at helping solve tech issues). And he’s living with his doctor sister (Everwood/What About Brian’s Sarah Lancaster) and her boyfriend dubbed Captain Awesome, because everything is in fact ‘awesome’. Their parents are gone, though we’ve yet to get what could be more than just a story of a mother who left and a father who wasn’t there for them.

So all is chugging along in Chuck’s unfulfilled life when he receives an email from his old college roommate/nemesis and what hides behind a path of a video game they wrote in college is in fact encoded images and information about all of the secrets that all of the countries agencies had hidden away. Nemesis Bryce managed to steal these before blowing up the computer that held them and getting himself killed. Apparently roommate was a rogue agent for the CIA.

Bryce’s former partner, professionally and romantically, Sarah, goes after Chuck to track it all down. Chuck is now too valuable to lose and has round the clock support from Sarah, who pretends to be his girlfriend working across the street, and Casey (the hilarious Adam Baldwin) who is NSA, works with him at Buy More, and has moved into his apartment complex. Each week Chuck is either assigned to, or happens upon, something that makes him ‘flash’ and tap into the downloaded info.

Sarah is clearly getting close to Chuck, though when he asked her with a little truth serum happening about her true feelings for him, her training allowed her to say no. Though of course her kissing him when she thought they were about to die cleared that up. But with Bryce returning from the dead for a makeout session of his own, who knows where Sarah’s heart lies. Bryce, it turns out, was on assignment, and not in fact rogue, and is now heading out to find the true evildoers. We knew there was a chance he wasn’t evil when we found out that he got Chuck kicked out of Stanford to avoid his being recruited by the CIA and ruining his life. Funny how things work out.

Monday

• Chuck (NBC, 8pm) - If you miss the quality days of the OC maybe Summer/Rachel Bilson can fill the void as she charms Chuck, tough to date with a fake girlfriend even if she is only your CIA contact.
• The Bachelor (ABC, 10pm) - The women tell all, probably won’t muck it all up before he picks his bride in the finale.

Tuesday

• Bones (Fox, 8pm) - Timecapsules and murder, I’m nostalgic to visit the class of ‘87! woo hoo!
• Reaper (CW, 9pm) - What’s Gladys the demon do when she’s not at the dmv? And is the devil doing something evil?

Wednesday

• Project Runway (Bravo, 10pm) Season Premiere - Fifteen new folks compete to try to stich their way to success.
• Private Practice (ABC, 9pm) - Looks like there’s some nookie gonna be going on, bets on the longevity of Addison and Pete vs. Violet and Cooper…

Thursday

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS, 9pm) - Boring Jorja Fox leaves the team, who will Grissom inappropriately sleep with now?
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx, 10pm) Season Finale - I am amused by this group of serious misfits and their totally inappropriate behavior.

Friday

• Women’s Murder Club (ABC, 9pm) - This is it’s regularly scheduled time but don’t miss it’s Thursday night showing (10pm) with Angie’s real life guy Jason Sehorn (and yes I should put this under Thursday but there’s really nothing of interest on Friday).

Saturday

• MadTV (Fox, 11pm) - Former castmates return for the 300th episode but since I don’t ever watch this show I couldn’t tell you who’s who.

Sunday

• American Music Awards (ABC, 8pm) - Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel there might be some life input into one of the many music awards shows.

In addition to just seeing folks dress up in cute Halloween costumes here’s a few things happening this week:

Monday

• Chuck (Fox, 8pm) - Chuck meets another agent who reminds him of himself, let’s hope he’s as charming.

Tuesday

• Nip/Tuck (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere - Ok, it’s another FX show that I don’t watch, but it’s in my Netflix queue.
• It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) - Tis the season, can’t beat the classics.

Wednesday

• Criminal Minds (CBS, 9pm) - Since Mandy Patinkin left there’s been a void and this week Joe Mantegna picks up the reins of the BAU.
• Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) - Repeats already? But at least those of you who missed the pilot get another shot to see Serena rejoin her old friends.

Thursday

• The Office (NBC, 9pm) - Jim’s ex in real life and on the show Karen comes back, but is it for Jim?
• My Name is Earl (NBC, 8pm) - They’re doing another round of the gang on the show Cops, the last round was funny, parts 1 & 2 (8-9pm).

Friday

• Men in Trees and 20/20 (ABC, 8 & 10pm) - They’re switching timeslots on these so MIT will go at 8:00….

Saturday

• Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) - See where it all began, with the pilot rerunning.
• Austin City Limits (PBS, Check your local listings) - If you haven’t caught this good series of live band performances check out this week with Wilco.

Sunday

• Simpsons (Fox, 8pm) - The annual halloween Treehouse of Horrors, too bad it’s after Halloween.
• The Amazing Race (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere - I cut off reality shows before this came out but this one is actually critically acclaimed, showing pairs of folks traveling with challenges round the globe