A look back at the best and worst of TV in the past week (Sept. 19-25), and a peek at what’s coming up.
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.
