Sunday Night Preview

The Simpons (FOX) 8:00PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - The first season I plan on watching fairly regularly on a week to week basis. Although not the first animated television show to be nominated for an Emmy as an Outstanding Comedy Series, (that honor goes to Family Guy this year), there is no question that it set the standard, and has been consistently one of the better shows on television for over 20 years now.

The Cleveland Show (FOX) 8:30PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - Honestly? No idea. Could be good, could be awful. I'm not sure I saw a spin-off from Family Guy as a safe bet, but I suppose it's inevitable. With the success of American Dad, Family Guy and Simpsons (long ago established) it was a foregone conclusion that FOX would try something to capitalize. We'll see if this is worth wasting time on after a week or two. Methinks it will end up being something to have on in the background while performing menial tasks, but little more. Then again, I was wrong about American Dad, so who knows.

The Amazing Race 15 (CBS) 8:00PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - Are you as excited as I am? I love The Amazing Race. The worst part about it is that I love it for some unknown reasons. I almost always hate all the racers, the challenges are silly at best, and the production is sometimes annoyingly cut together. Despite all these factors, I can't get enough. Who knows if I'll find a team to root for, but chances are I will not. I'll enjoy rooting against everyone indiscriminately and enjoying my schadenfreude with the rest of them. Plus the vicarious traveling is quite a thrill.
Alison's Take - This show is pretty amazing as the title alludes. Traveling across the globe for the chance to win a million dollars, sign me up! This is by far the best reality TV show on right now, which is why I watch it. I crave the cultural infusion and the fantastic sites every week. I can relate to real life people and form invisible relationships with them. I can irrationally hate someone from a distance and since I have TiVo I can fast forward through the annoying couple fights.

Family Guy (FOX) 9:00PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - It's hard to argue (though possible, I suppose) that at the moment this is not the best animated show on television. Even if you were to make an argument, I must say, the show still makes me laugh out loud on a weekly basis. On of the few shows that actually makes me laugh out loud, and I'm not about to take that for granted. Looking forward to seeing what Peter, Brian, Stewie and the rest have in store this season (not to mention what they apparently had in store in previous years, which we'll only see this season via flashback...)

American Dad (FOX) 9:30PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - Good television. Sometimes this show even rivals Family Guy, and I especially enjoy the delicious political comedy that is somewhat less overt in the Family Guy. An interview with the creator Seth McFarlane even had him disclose that the show emerged out of his frustration and anger at the Bush administration. While I'm not making commentary on specific policies, the political comedy is something that is otherwise lacking in prime-time television, especially on the basic cable channels.

Desperate Housewives (ABC) 9:00PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - The last season left us with the end of Dave, the potential affair of Bree, and the pregnancy for Lynette. I'm not terribly interested in any of the plot lines, but in all likelihood will still be watching. To be fair, that's mostly because other people sharing the same television are very interested in the show and I'll end up watching it more by accident than anything. Would I pick the show up this year if that wasn't the case? Probably not, since I've got plenty of other things to deal with on Sunday, and even if I didn't it's not a bad idea to rest up to prepare for the week of television!

Brothers & Sisters (ABC) 10:00PM Premier 9/27
Gavin's Take - Don't care about Ryan Lafferty. Other than that, I'm excited to have the Walkers back on Sunday nights. The show is engaging and entertaining, and yes, Sally Field is awesome. If you recall, Tommy is still in Mexico on the lamb, and may not be inclined to come back, even if he can. I'm guessing this is a casting decision, since rumor has it that he's unhappy in the role and wanted off the show. Perfect, I never liked him much anyway, and abandoning his wife and daughter doesn't make me like him more!

Mad Men (AMC) 10:00PM Now Playing
Gavin's Take - Mad Men is consistently one of the most interesting, complicated, and entertaining shows from week-to-week. Is Don going to reform his wandering ways? Will Betty strike out on her own? Which characters are likely to be caught up in the upcoming Hippie revolution? As the show struggles with some of the societal issues that plagued the US in the 1960's (and indeed continue to plague our society), the show provides an interesting perspective. On top of all else, it's one of the few shows that watching can feel distinctly like watching a movie. As somebody just getting into The Soprano's (Season 3 now), I can say even great shows like that rarely capture the feel of a film quite like Mad Men.

The Next Iron Chef (Food Network) 9:00PM Premier 10/4
Gavin's Take - Another guilty pleasure. Will it be good? I doubt it. Will the food be tasty? Well it's certainly more likely than on Hell's Kitchen, or The Next Food Network Star... I dig Alton Brown, and I'm curious what chef is able to make it to the top and add their culinary perspective to an already formidable (minus Cat Cora) collection of Iron Chefs. I am hoping it'll be a woman, since having only Cat Cora to represent is... well... sad.
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As you can tell, I (Gavin) have a bit more to do on Sunday night. Let's hope the schedule evens out over the rest of the week!