Tonight on the Tube: The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal and Dexter

Sunday nights will be the new home of Battlestar Galactica on the Sci Fi Channel as of January 21st. What do you think of that move? Will you move with it? It looks like it will be going up against Brothers & Sisters and Without a Trace and whatever NBC puts on after football in the third hour of primetime. There are a few small holiday TV show marathons to partake of today, if you just need to sit in front of the tube and watch the same thing hour after hour. The best of the bunch looks like the Monk marathon on USA, which includes this season’s holiday episode, “Mr. Monk Meets His Dad.”

Prime Picks

The Simpsons (FOX): New. Homer loses his job at the nuclear plant and starts running the ice cream truck while Marge is depressed.
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 Eagles and Colts are doing on NBC.

Desperate Housewives (ABC): New. Wysteria Lane celebrates the holidays with a block party. Runs 61 minutes.

Boston Legal (ABC): New. Alan helps Jerry Espenson with one of his clients while Lincoln takes an interest in Shirley. This episode is Part 1 of 2. The second part plays on its normal night and time, this Tuesday night.

Solid Selections

7th Heaven (The CW): New. Eric, Annie and Ruthie get the once over by airport security after Ruthie says something she shouldn’t have.

Candles on Bay Street (CBS): Released 2006. Alicia Silverstone stars in this Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-TV movie. Runs two hours.

Cable Choices

Emeril Live (Food Network): New. Emeril whips up some happy dishes for the holidays.

All Star Holiday Gifts (Food Network): New. Stars from the Food Network share some of their holiday memories.

Dexter (Showtime): New. Dexter finds out that his biological father has died.

Other Options

• Nip/Tuck (FX): Repeat. Last week’s episode, “Diana Lubey,” replays. Runs 66 minutes.
• Reba (The CW): New. A new episode plays tonight before a new 7th Heaven where Van builds a home office in the garage so they can be more productive in the real estate business.
• The Wire (HBO): New. Carcetti has to figure out a dilemma while Freamon realizes something revealing.

Sports Notes

• ABC has the second day of the LG Skins Game with Fred Couples in the lead after the front nine yesterday.
• CBS has NFL Football with the game of the day being the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens.
• ESPN has Sunday Night Basketball with the Los Angeles Clippers at the Denver Nuggets.
• ESPN2 has college basketball with the cancellation game and then the final from the Old Spice Classic.
• FOX has NFL Football with the game of the day being the Chicago Bears at the New England Patriots.
• NBC has Sunday Night Football with the Philadelphia Eagles at the Indianapolis Colts.

Holiday Weekend TV Show Marathons

BBC America has 13 episodes of Cash in the Attic.
Bravo has eight episodes of Project Runway and then later eight episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Discovery Channel has eight episodes of MythBusters late.
Discovery Kids has 11 episodes of Endurance – Hawaii.
Disney Channel has 16 episodes of Hannah Montana.
MTV has seven episodes of True Life.
Sci Fi Channel has the Back to the Future Trilogy tonight.
Speed has 18 episodes of American Thunder.
TV Land has seven episodes of Gunsmoke today.
TV One has 14 episodes of Eve.
USA has 11 episodes of Monk ending with this season’s and last season’s holiday episodes.