Highlights

What will Don Draper do?

1. “Mad Men” (AMC). A brilliant season finale for the best series on TV. It was a remarkably hopeful episode, in stark contrast to the overwhelming sadness of the previous week. Don led a talent jailbreak from the doomed Sterling Cooper, and it seemed like ages since he, Roger and Bert seemed so alive. Did we also see an epiphany in Don as well? After being dumped by his biggest client, then his wife, and his corporate masters ready to do the same, he seemed to suddenly take notice of his own faults and shortcomings, and gain a new appreciation for the talents of others — Roger, Peggy, Pete . . . . even Betty, who he comfortingly told he wouldn’t fight their divorce. (BTW, does anyone else think Betty’s new beau is a little creepy? Getting married and they barely know each other! And nice move at the end, as she runs off to Reno and leaves her kids alone with the housekeeper for six weeks. That’s parent-of-the-year stuff.) Back at the office, how awesome was it to see Lane stick it to his ungrateful British bosses? Great to see Joan back in the fold too. Those were both woo-hoo moments. All in all, a stirring episode that worked on so many levels, and set up a ton of interesting storylines for next season.

2. “Sons of Anarchy” (FX). What a great episode. Jax and the club agonized over his decision to go nomad (loved the looks of hurt and betrayal as he told each member, it was like he was renouncing his friendships), Chibs became a snitch out of pure revenge, and Gemma unburdened herself of her big secret in a (successful) gamble to heal the rift between Jax and Clay. Oh, and then there were the magic mushrooms that turned the Prospect giddy and made Tig break down. Just a mesmerizing episode, with so much going on.

3. “Amazing Race” (CBS). A brutal episode. How twisted are the producers to bring back the most agonizing challenge in the show’s history, the ol’ needle-in-a-haystack? But it made for gripping TV. It was fascinating to watch each team handle it differently. The Globetrotters lucked out and won the leg on Flight Time’s birthday. Cheyne inexplicably let Meghan do the gruelling physical task, but she rocked it . . . . eventually. Ericka and Brian were cute, dull, but efficient. Sam and Dan (I still can’t tell which is which) spent the challenge screaming at each other until a tearful realization that screaming wasn’t helping them. (Duh.) Gary and Matt persevered until the end, and were rewarded for the effort with a non-elimination leg. Five teams remain, and it’s getting good. There’s no one left who I don’t like, and that’s the telltale sign of a good season.

Honorable mention: “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO). For perhaps the most ridiculous (and hilarious) rule Larry has ever decreed: “There are only two ways to injure your neck. . . .” (This being a family blog, suffice to say one way is a car crash and the other, well, isn’t.) Also “South Park” (Comedy Central) for perfectly summing up James Cameron’s upcoming flop, “Avatar”: It’s “Dances with Smurfs.” God, they hit the nail right on the head with that one. Ouch.

Lowlights

Lonely Boy's not so lonely anymore.

1. “Gossip Girl” (The CW). That was it?!? The much-anticipated, controversial threesome was totally anticlimactic and lame. A few kisses and boom, cut away to morning. I expected something more racy from this show. On a more critical note, the threesome was also a terrible plot point that could cause long-term ruin. After three years of suppressing their attraction and being “just friends,” what in the world would make Dan and Vanessa sleep together with nothing more than a raised eyebrow? (And no, they didn’t seem drunk enough.) Dan, especially, overthinks everything and takes the sloooow approach to sex. It was completely out of character for him to just jump in to something as game-changing as sleeping with his best friend. Besides, it needed more buildup to be remotely believable; coming in the last two minutes, it felt like a gratuitous throwaway scene. And now we’re doubtlessly going to be subjected to regrets and jealousy and stupidity for weeks to come. And in the other storyline, Jenny has turned completely evil and nasty. What happened to her kinder, gentler reign? Does absolute power corrupt that absolutely? Another case of a character throwing away three seasons’ worth of development.

2. “The Office” (NBC). Otherwise known as the episode where Jim sold his soul and became a corporate stooge. Maybe this hits too close to home for me, but I can’t respect a boss who keeps secret information critical to the lives of his employees. If the company’s failing, it might be nice if they had a little heads-up that they might not be getting paychecks in another month. This is why people resent upper management. Here’s a hint: Employees aren’t children, and playing games won’t distract them from the harsh realities. It just bugged me. Can you tell?

3. “Top Chef” (Bravo). It’s ironic. I’m relieved that Robin is finally gone. But based on their dishes, Eli was the one who deserved to go. When Padma said she never wanted to taste something like that again, and Nigella Lawson said she wanted to spit it out, it should have been pretty clear that his was the worse dish. At least they could swallow Robin’s. And her Jeff Chihuly concept was creative and interesting. Oh well, Eli’s toast anyway, as long as Jen can avoid self-destructing again this week.

Looking forward to . . .

1. “The Prisoner” (8 p.m., Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, AMC). This re-imagining of the classic ’60s series has had me excited for months. But the reviews are in and they aren’t good. I’m gonna cross my fingers and give it a shot anyway.

2. “Sons of Anarchy” (10 p.m., Tuesday, FX). Jax and Clay now have a common goal: Kill Zobelle and his crew. Oooooh, this is gonna be good. And so well-deserved.

3. “Top Chef” (10 p.m., Wednesday, Bravo). The five remaining cheftestants take part in the Culinary Olympics. What’s that? Beats me. But such kitchen luminaries as Paul Bocuse, Daniel Bouloud, Thomas Keller and Traci Des Jardins will be involved somehow.

Oh, and if you have DirecTV, definitely watch the new season of “Friday Night Lights” that starts tonight. Outside of “Mad Men,” it’s the best show on TV. Just don’t give away any spoilers – like most of you, I have to wait until next summer for NBC to run it.

“The Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS). The race continues in Dubai, where Mika has an absolute meltdown when she has to go down a waterslide. I’m ready for her and Canaan to go home.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (9 p.m., HBO). Larry and Jerry Seinfeld meet to figure out details of the reunion show, and Larry thinks his secretary is showing a little too much skin in the office. Can you say, “muffin top”?

“Bored to Death” (9:30 p.m., HBO). I’m not totally sold on this series, but Patton Oswalt guest stars tonight and he’s never not funny. Tonight, George (Ted Danson, who’s awesome in this role) begs to join the action and Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) gets caught up in a sex-tape extortion ring.

“Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC). Don finds himself alone (err, sorta) when Betty takes a trip with the kids. Geez, after last week’s revelation, will she ever come back? And Joan and Dr. McJerky plan for their future.

(FYI, “Dexter” and “Californication” are must-sees if you have Showtime. I don’t, which is why I never include them.)

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“The Next Iron Chef” (9 p.m., Food Network). It’s down to seven, and the two with Bay Area ties are still alive.

“Werewolves: The Dark Survivors” (9 p.m., Animal Planet). This could be a fun pre-Halloween show. It’s a fake documentary that describes the lives and behaviors of werewolves, as if they actually existed.

“Endgame” (10 p.m., PBS). A dramatized look at the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. It’s supposed to be pretty darn good. William Hurt and Jonny Lee Miller star, and Clarke Peters of “The Wire” plays Nelson Mandela.

“Cold Case” (10 p.m., CBS). It’s another musical-themed episode, this time featuring ’70s soul. That could be cool.

“Venture Bros.” (midnight, Cartoon Network). It’s back, and it’s spectacular.

Games of the day

49ers at Texans (10 a.m., Fox). It’s the debut of the 49ers’ top draft pick, Michael Crabtree. He’d better be good; after his ugly holdout, fans are going to have a quick fuse.

(Note: The Raiders are blacked out, so Fox will show a real team at 1 p.m.)

Cardinals at N.Y. Giants (5:30 p.m., NBC). A rematch of last season’s NFC championship game. Don’t expect the Cards to pull off another win.

Angels at Yankees (5 p.m., Fox). Game 6 of the ALCS got postponed yesterday, so it’ll have to compete with football today. The Yankees can clinch a World Series berth with a win. Quite a dilemma for New York sports fans, what to watch, what to watch. The rest of us don’t have to care.

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“Tool Academy” (9 p.m., VH1). Don’t encourage them. Please.

Highlights

1. “Mad Men” (AMC). Betty finding the Dick Whitman Box in Don’s locked drawer. Hoooo boy, how’s he gonna explain that one? Come on Don, haven’t you ever heard of a bank safe deposit box? And with Sterling Cooper on the market again, we might see quite a shakeup before the season’s done. Will anyone jump ship to Duck’s company? And is Don’s contract binding if there’s a new owner? Hmmmmm.

2. “Top Chef” (Bravo). Fantastic episode. The blindfolded cooking relay was surprisingly fun, and Restaurant Wars was as awesome as ever. It was a little shocking to see the talent meltdown on the losing team, but it just goes to show, anyone can have an off night. Note to self: Always make sure Padma’s food is properly salted.

3. “White Collar” (USA). Wow, this really might be the best new drama of the fall. The caper mystery about a con man teaming up with an FBI agent is smart, breezy and a ton of fun. Not a bad looking cast too. It’s got a definite “Burn Notice” type of vibe, deftly balancing high-stakes cops-and-robbers drama with humor. Finally, there’s something worth watching on Friday nights.

Honorable mention: Lance and Keri getting the boot on “The Amazing Race” (CBS). Ahhhh, finally. There are no teams left that I really hate. Ehh, though Mika & Canaan really bug me. Also, the prison fight between Jax and Clay on “Sons of Anarchy” (FX). Wow, that was brutal. Shows like to play around with “after this, nothing will ever be the same” moments, but I can’t see how things will go back to the way they were after this. The club is officially split.

Lowlights

1. “FlashForward” (ABC). At least we got some plot advancement and action. But dude, Joseph Fiennes is not an action hero. In a departure, it was the last five minutes that was the weak link. How our heroes escaped the exploding car (without even a scratch!) was beyond me, and the slo-mo shootout as “Like a Rolling Stone” played was ridiculously cheesy and ruined the entire scene. The ambush on Janis was done so much more effectively. Oh and did anyone else notice that the FBI guy called the senator “Joyce” twice, but her placard at the hearing said “Jane”? Come on guys, details!

2. “Gossip Girl” (The CW). Scheming and backstabbing over a freshman toast? A millionaire playboy who has a secret gambling club in a warehouse? Hillary Duff being the best actress on the show? It all baffled me. The “All About Eve” opening was great though.

3. There is no 3. I just didn’t watch enough bad TV last week. Sorry, I’ll do better next week.

Looking forward to . . .

1. “The League” (10:30 p.m. Thursday, FX). A new series revolving around a fantasy football league. There’s some rich comedy to mine there.

2. “Sons of Anarchy” (10 p.m. Tuesday, FX). The club’s divisions get wider, and Georgie (Tom Arnold) has his thugs attack Luanne’s porn studio. Good stuff.

3. “Amazing Race” (8 p.m. Sunday, CBS). Mika’s waterslide meltdown looks classic. And ridiculous.

“Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS). The racers hit Dubai. Can can only mean one thing: A challenge involving camels! Those are always the best. Hopefully Lance will get trampled, or at least spit in the eye.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (9:30 p.m., HBO). Larry fights with Rosie O’Donnell and learns a lesson in being disabled. Uh oh.

“Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC). Peggy and Paul compete for an account. How much you wanna bet Peggy wins?

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“Occupation” (5 p.m. and re-aired at 9 p.m., BBC America). A four-hour miniseries (all airing tonight) about British soldiers in Iraq who return home changed men, then head back to post-war Basra after not fitting into civilian life. It’s drawing rave reviews.

“The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox). It’s the annual Treehouse of Horror episode. They rarely turn out as good as you’d like, but . . .

“Monty Python: Almost the Truth” (9 p.m., IFC). The first in a six-part documentary about the iconic British comedy troupe. Can you believe the series debuted on the BBC 40 years ago? Wow. Tonight’s episode focuses on the group’s youth, and how they found each other.

“Next Iron Chef” (9 p.m., Food Network). The cheftestants must create an Asian/American fusion dish. Doesn’t sound too hard – here’s your teriyaki burger.

“Bored to Death” (9:30 p.m., HBO). It’s kinda starting to bore me to death. Every scene Ted Danson is in is great, though. Tonight Jonathan gets mixed up with the Russians.

Games of the day

Best news of the day: The Raiders are blacked out, so football fans can finally watch a decent team play this afternoon. (Oh wait, never mind, it’s Cardinals-Seahawks.) Even though the 49ers have a bye week, the NFL still is sticking the Bay Area with just one early game and one late one. Whatever happened to the days of having two of each?

Ravens at Vikings (10 a.m., CBS). Should be the game of the day. I say Baltimore’s defense proves to be too much for Brett Favre.

Cardinals at Seahawks (1 p.m, Fox). Mehh.

Bears at Falcons (5 p.m., NBC). Should be a decent game. The Falcons looked pretty good last week.

NLCS: Dodgers at Phillies (5 p.m., TBS). Game 3, with the series tied one apiece. Come on, Phillies . . .

“The Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS). The race goes to Cambodia for the first time, and one team loses its passports. Oh geez, didn’t these people learn anything from Toni & Dallas? As an aside, Cambodia would be high on my list of places where I would not like to lose my passport.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (9 p.m., HBO). It’s a guest-star bonanza. Larry offends Christian Slater at Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen’s anniversary party (Ted and Mary episodes are always good), and Larry goes to his doctor, played by Phillip Baker Hall.

“Bored to Death” (9:30 p.m., HBO). This series is getting slightly better each week, but I still can’t decide if its hipster quirkiness is endearing or annoying. There’s a guest-star bonanza here too — Parker Posey and Bebe Neuwirth.

“Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC). There’s no point pretending to know what it’s about, the previews and capsule summaries are always totally cryptic. Just watch and count on it being good.

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“Wild Pacific” (8 p.m. and 9 p.m., Animal Planet). I stumbled across this stunning documentary series last week. It’s all about Pacific islands, their wildlife and ecology, and the scenery is mind-blowing. Especially in HD. Two episodes air back-to-back, followed by a “Making of…” episode at 10 p.m.

“The Next Iron Chef” (9 p.m., Food Network). This is no “Top Chef,” but it seems to be a step up from “Chopped.”

Best games

Angels at Red Sox (9 a.m., TBS). The Sox need to win to stay alive. I don’t hate the Angels nearly as much as I should. And I’m sick of the Red Sox bandwagon. Go Halos!

Presidents Cup (10 a.m., NBC). Watch Tiger Woods at Harding Park and see if you can spot anyone you know in the gallery.

Raiders at N.Y. Giants (10 a.m., CBS). Wanna see the Raiders get destroyed? You know you do.

Falcons at 49ers (1 p.m., Fox). Can the Niners’ defense rise to the occasion again? I’m thinking yes.

Yankees at Twins (4 p.m., TBS). The Twins are down 2-0, but have the best home-field advantage in the playoffs with their plastic stadium.

Phillies at Rockies (7 p.m., TBS). If it’s not snowed out again. Even if it’s not, it’s gonna be coooold.

Skip it

“The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations” (7 p.m., Syfy). Good lord, they made two sequels to that stupid movie?!? This made-for-TV movie stars no one you’ve ever heard of. But here’s a revelation: I’ll bet it doesn’t need Ashton Kutcher to suck.

Highlights

1. “The Office” (NBC). I was braced for the big wedding to be overly cute and sappy. And it had its cute and sappy moments. But it was also a great hour of TV. Soooo many funny moments: the mass barfing, the rehearsal dinner speech from hell, Andy’s torn scrotum, the fact that Dwight’s got game with the ladies, Kevin’s . . . well, everything about Kevin. And was I the only one who thought Michael was headed toward a hookup with Pam’s mom?  I think I’m the only person in the country who hasn’t seen that YouTube video, so I didn’t really get the inside joke with all the dancing down the aisle. But whatever, it was a thoroughly fun time, one of the very few wedding episodes of any series that actually worked well.

2. “Mad Men” (AMC). Who knew Betty spoke Italian? Her and Don’s little jaunt to Rome put their dormant chemistry back on display and rekindled the sparks between them — until they returned home and Betty crashed back into reality. Quite a disparity between the glamorous life she once had and the mundane suburban life he now has. Meanwhile, back home, like a puppy who just peed on the carpet, Pete showed he just can’t be left alone. Oh Pete, you couldn’t even find an au pair on another floor?

3. (Tie) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (FX). The creepy cousin Snail, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, was a piece of sheer comic brilliance. She was hilarious even when she was just standing there, hunched over and slurping. Then she’d open her mouth and be even funnier. It takes a lot to be more disgusting and unappealing than the regulars on this show, but she made Dennis and Dee seem completely sane and justified for throwing salt at her. I loved the gang’s wine-in-a-can obsession too. Just a great episode.

3. (Tie) “South Park” (Comedy Central). I thought the main “Ghost Hunters”/Billy Mays/Michael Jackson storyline was pretty ho-hum, but the Chipotle jokes absolutely killed me. Outrageous, disgusting and devastatingly hilarious, the Chipotlaway cleanser (for removing bloodstains from your underwear caused by Chipotle burritos) bits left me with my jaw agape. Think Matt Stone and Trey Parker got bad service one day when they were on a burrito run? Wow.

Lowlights

1. “FlashForward” (ABC). A complete waste of 55 minutes. Seriously, did any plotlines advance in that time? There’s still waaaay too much exposition and pontificating and not nearly enough action, or even progress. Until the last five minutes, that is, which provided another “holy crap” moment. I’m getting a really bad feeling about this series – I’m starting to suspect that it’ll be like Season 2 of “Lost,” with shocking cliffhangers at the end of every episode, but nothing but filler for the previous 55 minutes.

2. Ron and Marcy on “The Amazing Race” (CBS). So . . . . one of my picks for the final three was the third team to be eliminated. This is why I don’t play Vegas. They seemed so good on paper, but in action they were nothing but a disappointment. They lacked any sense of urgency, made poor decisions and there wasn’t even good chemistry between them – Marcy was a nut and Ron seemed pretty fed up with her. To make matters worse, they couldn’t even do me the courtesy of  hitting the finish line before Lance and Keri, thus ensuring I’ll be stuck watching that Masshole at least one more week.

3. Tyra Banks on “Gossip Girl” (The CW). I haven’t seen such horrible, wooden acting since Joe Montana guested on “Saturday Night Live” like 25 years ago. At least “SNL” made fun of it. “GG” tried to make us believe Tyra’s character was actually a good actress. Ha! She made Blake Lively look good.

Looking forward to . . .

1. “30 Rock” (9:30 p.m. Thursday, NBC). The best comedy on network TV and reigning Emmy winner is back for a new season. Can’t wait to see Liz, Jack, Tracey and the gang.

2. “Durham County” (10 p.m. Monday, Ion). In the first-season finale, Mike tries to prove his innocence and Ray goes off the deep end and kidnaps Mike’s daughter. Um, that may help Mike’s case.

3. “The Amazing Race” (8 p.m. Sunday, CBS). For no other reason than I’m interested to see Cambodia. One of the things I love about this show is how it provides a window into completely foreign lands and cultures. This is the show’s first time there, and I’m curious.

“Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS). The racers slog their way through Vietnam during a typhoon or something. And someone breaks their giraffe in Ho Chi Minh City. Sounds awesome.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (9 p.m, HBO). The much-anticipated “Seinfeld” reunion starts to take shape. Of course, it’s all a ploy by Larry to get Cheryl to come back to him. Meg Ryan and David Spade make appearances too.

“Bored to Death” (9:30 p.m., HBO). Jonathan takes a timeout from private detecting to work on a Jim Jarmusch script. Unfortunately, he promptly loses it. Hijinks ensue.

“Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC). Don takes Betty on a business trip. Guess he won’t be wooing any stewardesses this time.

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“Next Iron Chef” (9 p.m., Food Network). Season premiere. The second season kicks off with 10 chefs vying to become, well, the next Iron Chef. Alton Brown is your host. There are two contestants with San Francisco ties: Nate Appleman, a James Beard award-winner who recently left A16 and SPQR for New York, and Dominique Crenn of Luce, located South of Market.

“Entourage” (10:30 p.m., HBO). The season finale. The UCLA girl tries to seduce a heartbroken Turtle. E tries to get back together with Sloan. Drama considers a huge career change. Ari tries to buy Terrence’s company (and Lloyd with it). And Vince? Still doing nothing.

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“Three Rivers” (9 p.m., CBS). Series premiere. Does the world really need another generic hospital drama? I say no. And for some reason, every time I hear the title of this show, I think of Johnny Drama’s fictional series on “Entourage,” “Five Towns.” Given the choice, I’d rather watch Drama’s show.

“My Monkey Baby” (9 p.m., TLC). No, wait, maybe this is worth watching, just for the weirdness factor. The show profiles a couple who are raising a monkey as their child, pretty much. If you’re a harried parent, you might watch and be comforted by the fact that at least your kid doesn’t throw his poo and isn’t a risk to rip your arms off someday. Well, hopefully.

“Hoarders: Buried Alive” (8 p.m., TLC). Wow, can you say “rip-off”? A&E’s “Hoarders” series just ended last week, and I’ll bet you a roomful of old newspapers and 17 rotting pumpkins that it was better.

Games of the day

Raiders vs. Texans (10 a.m., CBS). Who cares, sleep in.

49ers vs. Rams (1 p.m., Fox). Even without Frank Gore, the Niners should pick up a pretty easy win here.

Seahawks vs. Colts (10 a.m., Fox). Again: Who cares, sleep in.

Giants vs. Padres (1 p.m., CSN-BA). The last game of the season. Say goodbye to Kruk & Kuip for a few months.

Chargers vs. Steelers (5 p.m., NBC). LaDanian Tomlinson should be back for the Chargers, and the Steelers might be without Fast Willie Parker. That should even the scales a bit. Should be a good game.

Watch it

“Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS). Season premiere. Woooooooo! My favorite show is back, in a two-hour extravaganza. Tonight the teams fly from L.A. to Tokyo and in a new twist, one team is supposedly eliminated very early on. Can’t . . . . freakin . . . wait. (BTW, for a sneak peek at the teams, click here.)

“Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC). Betty gets involved in local politics. Wha-wha-wha-whaaaaat?

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“National Parks: America’s Best Idea” (8 p.m., PBS). Ken Burns is back with a new six-part documentary. Tonight the miniseries kicks off with the history of how Yosemite and Yellowstone were preserved.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (9 p.m., HBO). Larry tries to break up with his cancer-stricken girlfriend, and manages to sabotage another one of Richard Lewis’ relationships.

“Bored to Death” (9:30 p.m., HBO). Kristen Wiig guest stars as a woman who hires Jonathan to find out if her boyfriend is cheating on her.

“Entourage” (10:30 p.m., HBO). Turtle says goodbye to Jamie-Lynn (which actually really sucks), Drama stresses over his “Melrose Place” audition, and Terrance pays a surprise visit to Ari.

“Dexter” (9 p.m., Showtime).  Season premiere. I’m still catching up on last season, but for those who are caught up, this is a must-see. John Lithgow guest stars as the rival serial killer this season, and Dexter has a baby.

“Californication” (10 p.m., Showtime). Season premiere. Another one I’m not caught up on. Ehh, I don’t get Showtime anyway. But David Duchovny is really good as a womanizing writer in this comedy that’s never afraid of some gratuitous nudity.

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“The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox). Season premiere. Homer lands the starring role in a movie. Seth Rogen supplies a guest voice. Mehhh. Classic series, but I stopped watching years ago. That’s what reruns are for.

“The Cleveland Show” (8:30 p.m., Fox). Series premiere. Um, do we really need a “Family Guy” spinoff? Might be decent, but there are too many other good shows on against it.

“Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox). Sure it’s funny, but it’s nothing urgent enough for me to see now as opposed to next year in a rerun, since it’s shown about a dozen times a day on a half-dozen networks.

Highlights

1. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO) and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (FX). It’s a tie. Larry and Jeff’s antics with Bam-Bam the crazy person had me in stitches on “Curb,” and I’m already cringing at how Larry is going to try to dump cancer-stricken  Loretta. Very sick, very wrong, and very, very funny. Over on “Sunny,” the stupidest road trip ever had me literally gasping for breath, I was laughing so hard. From haggling with Italian “gypsies” to Mac getting a face full of pee (long story), it was nonstop hilarity, one of the series’ best episodes ever.

2. “FlashForward” (ABC). The nightmarish first 30 seconds sucked me in and kept me transfixed. This will fill the gap left by “Lost” very nicely. How freaky was that line by the little girl: “I had a dream that there were no more good days”? Very quickly, the show created a tangible sense of forboding. This is going to be goooood.

3. “Mad Men” (AMC). Fantastic episode from beginning to end, with lots of unexpected humor. The highlight: the shocking spray of blood on everyone’s dress shirts as Lois lawnmowed Guy’s foot. That was jaw-droppingly great.

Honorable mention: ABC’s new series “Modern Family” was smart and very funny. I loved the layers of comedy, the reactions of people in the background, the jokes within jokes . . . . very “Arrested Development”-like.  I think it’s safe to say this is the new hit sitcom of the season.

Lowlights

1. “Jay Leno Show” (NBC). It’s bad enough that the “Green Car Challenge” is ripped off from “Top Gear,” but to dumb it down to the point of sucking every last bit of fun from it is inexcusable.

2. “Big Bang Theory” (CBS). I really don’t get why this is getting such critical buzz. Seemed like a very ordinary sitcom to me, and not a particularly funny one at that.

3. “Cougar Town” (ABC). The show itself is ehhh, decent. A few good laughs, but a little too sitcom-ey. But come on, they’re trying to tell us Courtney Cox is old and fat and flabby? That pushes the boundaries of suspension of disbelief just a bit too much.

Looking forward to . . .

1. “Amazing Race” (8 p.m. Sunday, CBS). The best reality show on TV (sorry, “Top Chef”) is back with a two-hour premiere. Hey, didn’t I complain last season that the season premiere needed to be two hours? Glad CBS listened. With so many new faces, the extra time really helps the flow of the show. This season’s race will stop in Tokyo, Cambodia, Estonia and Czech Republic, among other places. Can’t wait.

2. “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” (8 p.m. Sun.-Fri., PBS). Well, maybe the second-best idea, behind the notion that all men are created equal. But you get the gist of it. I’m a fan of the national parks and look forward to seeing this in HD. I just hope Ken Burns doesn’t put me to sleep over this 12-hour miniseries.

3. “FlashForward” (8 p.m. Thursday, ABC). Told you I’m hooked already. So who is that guy walking in the stadium? D. Gibbons? And how was he unaffected? Hmmmmmm.