Kat with a K

Fall TV Handbook: Sundays at 9

The shows: American Dad, Boardwalk Empire, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, Undercover Boss

What I'm doing: Hey, another hour when there are no shows I want to watch! This is kind of reassuring.

American Dad, FOX, Sundays at 9:30, 10/3
Stars and how you know them: Seth MacFarlane (All these Fox shows)
What it is: Apparently it is an absurdist right-wing CIA thing. I actually had no idea until I looked it up.
The buzz: People don't talk about this much. But maybe I just don't pay attention.
You might like this if you like: Family Guy, etc.

*Boardwalk Empire, HBO, Sundays at 9, 9/19
Stars and how you know them: Steve Buscemi (The Sopranos, 30 Rock, every movie ever), Michael Pitt (Dawson's Creek), Kelly Macdonald (State of Play, No Country for Old Men), Michael Shannon (Jonah Hex, The Runaways), Dabney Coleman (The Guardian)
What it is: Gangsters and politicians in Atlantic City during Prohibition.
The buzz: Everyone who has seen screeners says this is AMAZING. I would definitely be watching it if I got HBO; unfortunately I have to wait for DVD.
You might like this if you like: Deadwood, The Sopranos, historical dramas

Desperate Housewives, ABC, Sundays at 9, 9/26
Stars and how you know them: Teri Hatcher (Lois & Clark), Felicity Huffman (Sports Night), Marcia Cross (Melrose Place), Eva Longoria Parker, Brenda Strong, Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty)
What it is: A soapy suburban drama
The buzz: This show had lost a lot of steam, but people are saying it might get good again with the addition of Vanessa Williams.
You might like this if you like: Soaps, Brothers and Sisters, The Gates (minus the supernatural element)

Dexter, Showtime, Sundays at 9, 9/26
Stars and how you know them: Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez (Oz), James Remar (tons of movies and guest spots)
What it is: A serial killer hunts down criminals.
The buzz: Everyone loves this show, except the people who think it's too gory. I've never seen it because I don't have Showtime.
You might like this if you like: Mysteries with a heavy heaping of violence, I guess.

Family Guy, FOX, Sundays at 9, 9/26
Stars and how you know them: Seth MacFarlane (I hadn't realized he was involved in ALL these shows), Alex Borstein (MADtv), Seth Green (Buffy), Mila Kunis (The '70s Show)
What it is: Grown-up cartoon about a dysfuctional family
The buzz: Again, everyone in the universe except for me seems to like this.
You might like this if you like: Oh, all these Sunday Fox shows.

Undercover Boss, CBS, Sundays at 9, 9/26 at 10
Stars and how you know them: N/A
What it is: Executives go "undercover" to see what life is like for everyday workers in their companies.
The buzz: This seems to be a "love it or hate it" kind of thing.
You might like this if you like: Barbara Ehrenreich? I don't know.