Tonight on the Tube: The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters and Sunday Night Football

Are you a Dexter fan? If you are then there is good news about the show. It has been picked up by Showtime for a second season. Another 12 episodes will be produced for air sometime next summer as it looks right now. Hopefully this show won’t go the way of Huff, Dead Like Me and other Showtime Originals. Showtime has become the “pump and dump” of the TV world. Instead of pumping up a stock and then dumping the shares after getting other to buy in, they get people to sign up for their premium channel and then once they think they have gotten all they can from a show they dump it. It seems to happen quite regularly over at Showtime. Have you had a show you really liked that Showtime decided not to continue with just as you were getting to really enjoy where the story was taking you?

Prime Picks

The Simpsons (FOX): New. It is the “Treehouse of Horror XVII” where Homer turns into a blob and many more spooky and funny happenings with our favorite Springfieldians.
American Dad (FOX): New. Just something to occupy your TV screen until something really worth watching comes on. Really you should just go grab a snack or something after The Simpsons or flip over and see how the Colts and Pats are doing on NBC.

Desperate Housewives (ABC): New. Everybody’s lives are changed after hostages are taken at the grocery store. Runs 61 minutes.

Brothers & Sisters (ABC): New. Kitty and Warren head off to the country for a quiet weekend that ends up being anything but while Tommy and Julia think about their options for starting a family.

Solid Selections

7th Heaven (The CW): New. Paramedics are called to the Camden house and Annie sees she needs to figure out what Eric has been hiding while Lucy visits Sandy unexpectedly.

Cold Case (CBS): New. In 1979 Det. Jeffries promised a young girl he would find her mother’s killer and reopens the case when new evidence is found.

Without a Trace (CBS): New. A woman disappears after a priest performs an exorcism and the team investigates. Meanwhile Jack and Anne are looking for a place to cohabitate.

Cable Choices

Emeril Live (Food Network): New. Emeril whips up some great soups and stews to keep you warm and full this winter.

Iron Chef America (Food Network): New. Chef Joey Campanaro takes on Iron Chef Cat Cora.

Dexter (Showtime): New. The Ice Truck Killer leaves yet another surprise for Dexter. This show was picked up for a second 12-episode season, which will probably be on next summer sometime. I wonder if it will be two and out like pretty much every other Showtime Original Series.

Other Options

• Nip/Tuck (FX): Repeat. The “Liz Cruz” episode from last week replays.
• The Wire (HBO): New. The force is making the rounds with Carcetti.

Sports Notes

• ABC has the final round of the Tour Championship PGA golf tournament.
• CBS has NFL Football with the Denver Broncos at the Pittsburgh Steelers the featured game.
• ESPN has college football with Southern Mississippi at Memphis.
• ESPN2 has the MLS Soccer Conference Finals.
• FOX has NFL Football with the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins the featured game.
• NBC has Sunday Night Football with the game of the day as the Indianapolis Colts face off against the New England Patriots. NASCAR Racing precedes the football game with the running of the Dickies 500 from Texas Motor Speedway.