Fall Premiere Week - Sunday
Each network has owned Sunday - television’s most lucrative night - in recent years. It is the most watched night of television. It’s also the only night when prime-time starts an hour earlier than usual. This year there are no new shows on any of the major nets.
ABC starts things off with two hours of tears courtesy of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The original plastic series, Extreme Makeover, has been off the air for a couple of years. The rest of the night is the same as last year with Desperate Housewives and the under-appreciated Brothers and Sisters. While I’m not a regular watcher of the latter, it has come a long way since it’s uneven pilot and rocky start. It might deem a second look.
CBS has the sexy 60 Minutes followed by Cold Case and the James Woods drama Shark. It’s make or break time for Shark, which had the luxury of airing after CSI last season.
NBC is guaranteed high ratings in the fall with Sunday Night Football but once January comes, the net has to start from the bottom up. The peacock apparently didn’t learn anything from ABC’s 30 years of failure to launch a successful Monday night lineup after Monday Night Football ended.
FOX has its usual night of animation with The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad. The Sarah Conner Chronicles will join the Fox Sunday night lineup at midseason.
And then there’s The CW, which offers up the tabloid shows CW Now and Online Nation, followed by repeats of Gossip Girl and America’s Next Top Model.
However the best choice for Sunday night viewing goes to Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO. Taste the awkward.