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What to Watch on Sunday: Rumplestiltskin, zombies, an obnoxious kid

Once Upon a Time (8pm, ABC) - Emma learns more about Henry's theories and the people of Storybrooke, while Mayor Regina uses a gift of apples to encourage her to leave the town. In the fairytale world, the Evil Queen makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle, left) to get the curse she needs.

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - In Treehouse of Horror XXII, Homer gets his arm caught in a boulder in an isolated canyon, where's paralyzed by can communicate via natural gases. Mountain climber Aron Ralston provides his own voice.

Allen Gregory (8:30pm, Fox) - A new animated series about an arrogant and mature-beyond-his-years seven-year-old (voiced by Jonah Hill) who must attend public school after one of his fathers makes a bad investment. Check out Adrienne's review.

The Walking Dead (9pm, AMC) - The group await Shane's return from the school, unaware that he's trapped and surrounded by zombies. Meanwhile, Daryl and Andrea continue to scour the woods for Sophia.

The Good Wife (9pm, CBS) - It's the season of the ex-wife on "The Good Wife." This time, Eli's ex (Parker Posey) asks him to vet her for a possible political campaign.

Case Histories (9pm, UNC-TV) - The third episode in this series finds Scottish PI Jackson Brodie acquiring a teen partner (Gwyneth Keyworth) who wants him to find her missing employer in exchange for having saved his life after he's involved in a train wreck. Based on the stories of Kate Atkinson.

Homeland (10pm, Showtime) - Carrie believes her suspicions about Brody may be proven correct when he confronts the sole survivor of the insurgents who held him hostage. But the reunion ultimately raises even more questions. This series, filmed partially in Charlotte, was just renewed for a second season.

Pan Am (10pm, ABC) - Katie is given a difficult mission involving Yugoslavian diplomat Niko Lonza (Goran Visnjic), and Maggie fights to keep her job after she's accused of insubordination.

What to Watch on Sunday: Big premieres! Lots of new stuff tonight.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8pm, ABC) - First Lady Michelle Obama appears in this Season 9 premiere, which features the residence for homeless female veterans in Fayetteville. The Steps-N-Stages Jubiliee house was founded by Navy veteran Barbara Marshall, and was renovated with the help of armed forces members and the Godfrey Group of Durham. Photos from the construction.

Amazing Race 19 (8pm, CBS) - The 19th season begins with 11 two-team members, including former "Survivor" winners Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca. The show introduces a new "hazard" penalty this season.

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - The Season 23 premiere has Homer involved in a terrorist plot and features Kiefer Sutherland as a security guard. Meanwhile, Marge dreams of being on "Top Chef," so Tom Colicchio lends his voice.

Cleveland Show (8:30pm, Fox) - In the Season 3 premiere, Cleveland is upset when Peter (Seth McFarlane) comes to town and doesn't look him up, she goes camping with Ric Flair.

Boardwalk Empire (9pm, HBO) - Lots of trouble all around for Nucky Thompson in tonight's second season premiere. Nucky (Steve Buscemi) must try to play peacemaker after Chalky has a dangerous run-in with the KKK, and must also try to dodge the feds, who are still after him. Meanwhile, Al Capone looks to expand the illegal booze business in and around Chicago, and Agent Nelson Van Alden's wife comes for a visit.

The Good Wife (9pm, CBS) - Season 3 opens with Alicia defending a Muslim student accused of murdering a Jewish classmate. Look for the animosity between Alicia and Peter to heat up this season. And based on this new poster, look for the romance between Alicia and Will to heat up as well.

Desperate Housewives (9pm, ABC) - The eighth and final season begins with the ladies and Carlos trying to dispose of the body of Gaby's evil stepfather after Carlos killed him to protect Gaby.

Family Guy (9pm, Fox) - The Griffins are broke as Season 11 opens, but Peter has a plan to turn that around: the purchase of 200,000 lottery tickets.

American Dad (9:30pm, Fox) - In the seventh season premiere, Stan buys a singing hot tub. Cee-Lo Green provides his own voice and that of the hot tub.

Pan Am (10pm, ABC) - A new series following the adventures of stewardesses and pilots during the glamorous 1960s "Jet Age." The show is pretty to look at, but not much happens in the first episode. Still, I'm hopeful enough to watch at least once more (read my short review). Christina Ricci stars.

CSI: Miami (10pm, CBS) - The tenth season begins with Horatio bleeding from a gunshot wound and Natalia battling to free herself from the trunk of a submerged car, as the other CSIs try to capture an escaped murderer before he kills again.

Breaking Bad (10pm, AMC) - This isn't a premiere, but it's worth mentioning because it's the best thing on TV tonight (or any night). And we're getting close to the season winding down. Tonight, Walt makes moves to protect his secret and to protect Gus. Meanwhile, Skyler is further stymied in her attempt to help Ted with his financial problem.

Also tonight, a new season of "60 Minutes" (CBS, 7pm) begins, "Drop Dead Diva" (Lifetime, 9pm) season finale, and the second season of "The Great Food Truck Race" (Food, 9pm) ends.

What to Watch on Sunday: Selleck returns in new 'Jesse Stone' movie

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - In the 22nd season finale, Ned Flanders saves Edna Krabappel's life and they begin dating. To Ned's surprise, he learns Edna has been with many Springfield men, including Homer and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, who provides his own voice.

Bob's Burgers (8:30pm, Fox) - In the Season 1 finale, Bob's hero, a washed up baseball player, joins the local minor league team and befriends him.

Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (9pm, CBS) - In the latest from the Jesse Stone crime series, ex-New England police chief Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) investigates the apparent suicide of a teen girl he once tried to help. Her body is found in her car near Jesse's house, but Jesse doesn't believe she took her own life. Meanwhile, a new chief arrives, much to the dismay of Jesse's former colleagues.

Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - In the live two-hour finale, we watch Team John Rich and Team Marlee Matlin work through their retro-soda battle. One finalist seems to lack direction and the other's event is jeopardized by an awkward moment. After much Trump-rump-kissing, a winner will be hired.

Family Guy (9pm, Fox) - The one-hour Season 10 finale concludes the "Star Wars" trilogy. Guest voices: Anne Hathaway, Carrie Fisher, H. Jon Benjamin, and Rush Limbaugh.

The Borgias (10pm, Showtime) - In the season finale, Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons), abandoned by his cardinals, faces Charles, whom he crows "King of France and Naples" and hopes the gesture and his humility will be enough to save his papacy.

The Killing (10pm, AMC) - The Larsens tire of the police's inability to collar a suspect and decide to take matters into their own hands.

What to Watch on Sunday: Championship football and British nobility

NFL Playoffs - We usually leave the sports programming to the sports pages, but these games are big. At 3pm on Fox, the NFC Championship game pits the Bears vs. the Packers. Then at 6:30pm on CBS, the AFC game has the Jets vs. the Steelers. That means a lot of repeats on the broadcast networks tonight.

The Simpsons/Bob's Burgers/etc (8pm, Fox) - Except on Fox, where they hope you'll stick around for new episodes after the NFC game. On "The Simpsons," Homer learns about parenting from a 1980s sitcom. James Lipton and David Mamet have voice cameos. On "Bob's Burgers," a documentary filmmaker tries to make a statement by leaving a live cow outside the burger joint, but Bob treats the cow like part of the family. "Family Guy" and "Cleveland Show" are also new.

Downton Abbey (9pm, UNC-TV) - I find myself waiting all week for the next installment in this excellent Masterpiece Theatre series. Tonight, in part 3 of 4, the rivalry between Mary and Edith reaches a fever pitch, and Thomas and O'Brien plot against poor Mr. Bates while Anna's (and my) fondness for him grows.

Big Love (9pm, HBO) - Now that his private life is public, Bill tries to bring more polygamists into the open. Ellen Burstyn guest stars.

Californication (9pm, Showtime) - Hank is pleasantly surprised when Karen invites him to stay with her following his accidental overdose, and Becca is invited to join a band. "Episodes" is after this at 9:30.

Shameless (10pm, Showtime) - The family must come up with a plan when the feds come searching for "Aunt Ginger," whose social security checks are getting cashed in town despite the fact that she supposedly lives in another state. Also, Ian angers the brothers of a girl whose advances he rejects.

New to Fox's animation menu, "Bob's Burgers" is worth sampling

There's a new addition to Fox's "Animation Domination" block, and while it is about an oddball working-class family and does have some crude low humor, "Bob's Burgers" (8:30 tonight) has a different feel than the "The Simpsons" and all the Seth MacFarlane stuff that surrounds it.

Deadpan is the word I'm going for; low-key works too. And while not fall-down hilarious "Bob's Burgers" has enough quirkiness, smarts and slow-burn lines to say it has the potential to get better and better.

Tonight's episode introduces Bob (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) and his family on the event of the grand re-re-reopening of their burger joint. (You can tell by the all the re's that Bob is both hapless and perhaps, not the best businessman.)

What to Watch on Sunday: 'Dexter' and 'Amazing Race' finales

Amazing Race (8pm, CBS) - The final three teams race to the finish line to claim the $1 million top prize.

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - After Homer is jailed on New Year's Eve for bribery, he agrees to go undercover as an informant against mobster Fat Tony (voiced by Joe Mantegna) to reduce his sentence. Jon Hamm does the voice of the FBI investigator.

Dexter (9pm, Showtime) - In the fifth-season finale, Dexter (Michael C. Hall) smells a trap being set for him and Lumen (Julia Stiles, left) and pulls out all the stops in an effort to avoid getting caught in it. Elsewhere, personal feelings get in the way of Debra's investigation into the Barrel Girls, and Quinn gets in a bind from which only Dexter can extricate him.

Wishful Drinking (9pm, HBO) - Carrie Fisher's autobigraphical stage production chronicles her life in and out of show business as the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. Here's our review.

Hot in Cleveland (9pm, TV Land) - Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick look back at the best moments (and bloopers) of their inaugural season. They also preview Season 2, which begins in January.

Marry Me (9pm, Lifetime) - In part one of a two-part movie, a social worker (Lucy Liu) with aspirations of a fairy-tale romance is torn between three suitors, all of whom propose to her. Steven Pasquale and Bobby Cannavale also star. Adrienne reviews it.

Sarah Palin's Alaska (9pm, TLC) - Palin takes fellow reality star Kate Gosselin and her brood on a camping trip.

Brothers & Sisters (10pm, ABC) - The Walkers are without their matriarch for Christmas when Nora takes off for a last-minute vacation with Karl. Meanwhile, Saul runs into a former lover (Richard Chamberlain).

What to Watch on Sunday: Finales for 'Boardwalk Empire' and 'Walking Dead'

The Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - An edgy, dysfunctional Christmas with the Simpsons features some disturbing twists. Martha Stewart has a voice cameo and Katy Perry appears in a live-action segment with puppets of the Simpsons.

On Strike for Christmas (8pm, Lifetime) - Daphne Zuniga stars in this story about a group of wives who go on strike in the days leading up to Christmas beacuse they cannot get their families to participate in holiday preparations. David Sutcliffe and Julia Duffy also star.

Boardwalk Empire (9pm, HBO) - In the first season finale, Nucky (Steve Buscemi, left) wonders how election day will change Atlantic City, while Johnny Torrio tries to play peacemaker for two bitter rivals. Don't forget to enter our contest to win a copy of Nelson Johnson's book, which was the inspiration for the HBO series.

Dexter (9pm, Showtime) - Someone outside the department is showing a vested interest in Dexter and Lumen's clandestine activities, forcing Dexter to engage in his own special kind of damage control.

The Walking Dead (10pm, AMC) - In the Season 1 finale, a strange doctor allows Rick and the group access to the CDC facilities in Atlanta, but everything is not as rosy as it seems there

The Hasselhoffs (10pm, A&E) - In the opener of a new series following the life of David Hasselhoff and his two daughters, Taylor and Hayley, the Hoff visits Taylor in Arizona to persuade her to stay in school, and Hayley gets a role on a TV series. Another episode airs at 10:30pm.

Bama Belles (10pm, TLC) - Following the Sarah Palin reality show tonight is a new series following the activities of a group of women residing in rural Dothan, Alabama.

What to Watch on Sunday: "Sherlock" ends (for now), "Walking Dead" ups the gore

BAFTA/Los Angeles Awards (8pm, TV Guide Network) - The British Academy of Film and Television Arts will televise for the first time in the U.S. Betty White will receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy.

Simpsons (8pm, Fox) - The 21st Treehouse of Horror episode (which didn't run last Sunday on Halloween?!) includes three haunting tales, including one in which Lisa falls for a vampire (voiced by Daniel Radcliffe) and another in which Marge and Homer's romantic second honeymoon is spoiled by a castaway (voiced by Hugh Laurie).

Sherlock (9pm, UNC-TV) - The final installment this season finds Holmes challenged by a deranged bomber who straps his devices onto innocent people before having them call the detective with a series of difficult mysteries to solve in order to gain their freedom. Mysteries include a 20-year-old murder and a case involving a lost painting worth millions of pounds.

Boardwalk Empire (9pm, HBO) - Nucky wields his influence at the National Republican Convention in Chicago, where he asks an old acquaintance to help him with a sudden crisis in Atlantic City. Meanwhile, Van Alden bristles at his wife's request for an unorthodox procedure.

Keep reading for info on "Dexter," "Luther," "Walking Dead," "Eastbound & Down," and more.

The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror won't give you chills

Halloween has passed which means it's time for The Simpsons' 21st annual "Treehouse of Horror" (Fox, 8 tonight).

This year, the animated series presents three shorts based on movies. The first is about Marge's effort to get Bart and Milhouse away from violent video games by encouraging them to play a good old-fashioned board game.

When they choose one with Satan in the title (because it must be good if Satan is in the title), they end get sucked into an alternative universe where board games come to life.

Last night's remarkably bleak "Simpsons" intro

Last night's "couch gag" intro to "The Simpsons" was out of the ordinary, to say the least. The provocative intro was created by Banksy, a British street artist and social activist, and depicted people in a sweatshop producing "Simpsons" merchandise. It's a little bit horrifying, especially for a cartoon. 

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