TV Daily

Salon’s guide to what to watch

Weekend Pick

Dexter

Photo: Showtime

If every fall drama sounds exactly the same to you, you might want to check out "Dexter" (second season premieres at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday on Showtime), in which Michael C. Hall plays a homicidal maniac with a very nice disposition. As brilliant as Hall was as David on "Six Feet Under," he brings even more flair to his role as a forensics specialist with a thirst for blood. But be forewarned: Even though "America's Favorite Serial Killer" tracks down and kills only very bad people who need to be stopped before they kill again, the blood and gore and cheerful killing sprees can be more than a little unsettling. At least this season the feds will be hot on Dexter's trail, thanks to a surprise discovery at the end of tonight's episode.

Also…

On Friday, "Numb3rs" premieres at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS. On Saturday, Mike Judge's comedy "Office Space" airs at 8 p.m. EDT on Comedy Central, and LeBron James hosts "Saturday Night Live" at 11:30 p.m. EDT on NBC. On Sunday, part five of Ken Burns' seven-part documentary series on WWII, "The War," airs at 8 p.m. EDT on PBS (check local listings); Showtime's acclaimed drama series "Brotherhood" returns for its second season at 10 p.m. EDT; and ABC's tear-jerky dysfunctional family circus, "Brothers & Sisters," premieres its second season at 10 p.m. EDT.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT
Sally Field, Molly Sims, Melissa Etheridge, guest co-host Pat Sajack

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT
Jason Lee, Diane Sawyer

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings
Ben Stiller, will.i.am

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings
Born in the Wrong Body

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT
Deadliest Jobs!

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT
Paris Hilton, Emile Hirsch

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT
Teri Hatcher, Kevin McKidd, Queen Latifah

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings
Presidential Forum Analysis. Ray Suarez, Michael Fauntroy, Hazel Trice Edney

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT
Michael Douglas, Amanda Bynes, James Blunt

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT
Seth Meyers, Bret Michaels, Jose Gonzalez

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT
Greg Kinnear, Jenny McCarthy, Raul Midon

Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter

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