I’m on vacation from Sept. 25 to Oct. 8. So anything I post during these dates were completed before that. If you have breaking news, contact my colleague Melissa Ruggieri at mruggieri@ajc.com or editor Tracy Brown at tracybrown@ajc.com. If not, I’ll certainly catch you all up when I get back to work!

Dexter is back Sunday on Showtime for its sixth season.

After last week’s staggering number of new and returning programs, things are a bit quieter this week as viewers try to figure out which ones are worth watching again in the coming weeks.

Among the shows coming back: “The Real World” on MTV Wednesday,  ABC’s “Private Practice” Thursday and “Dexter” on Showtime Sunday.

And a few new shows trickle in, including the ambitious “Terra Nova” on Fox Monday, the promising “Suburgatory” on ABC and the abysmal “How To Be a Gentleman” on CBS Wednesday.

MONDAY

“Dancing With the Stars” 8 p.m. ABC — We learned last week: Nancy Grace can be graceful!
“Gossip Girl” 8 p.m. the CW (fifth season debut) — Serena is enjoying life in Hollywood.
“Terra Nova” 8 p.m. Fox (new series)— Light family drama mixed with impressive dinosaurs as the human race goes back 85 million years.
“Hart of Dixie” 9 p.m. the CW (new series) — Rachel Bilson stars as a New York City doctor adjusting to life in a small Southern town.
“Mike & Molly” 9:30 p.m. CBS  (second season debut)— Molly is already planning the wedding.
“Alphas” 10 p.m. Syfy (first season finale) — Syfy has given this drama a second season.
“Weeds” 10 p.m. Showtime (seventh season finale) — Silas turns the table on Nancy.
“The Big C” 10:30 p.m. Showtime (second season finale) — Showtime has given this show a third season.
“The Playboy Club” 10 p.m. NBC  — This could be the first show canceled this fall (unless it’s “Free Agents”)

TUESDAY

“Glee” 8 p.m. Fox — Mr. Schuester stars a boot camp for some members of New Directions.
“NCIS” 8 p.m. CBS — A young marine shows up to his homecoming party with a fatal stab wound.
“19 Kids & Counting” 9 p.m. TLC (fifth season fall debut) — Take that, Kate Gosselin!
“Dancing With the Stars” 9 p.m. ABC — Then there were nine.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” 9 p.m. CBS — There’s a cyber attack on the Department of Defense.
“Ringer” 9 p.m. the CW — Bridge learns a potential clue to bring her close to Siobhan’s killer.
“Parenthood” 10 p.m. NBC — Amber enjoys her new freedom.
“Sons of Anarchy” 10 p.m. FX — Gemma makes a new ally.
“Body of Proof” 10:01 p.m. ABC — A millionaire’s new trophy wife is killed during a family deer-hunting expedition.
WEDNESDAY
“Up All Night” 8 p.m. NBC — Reagan realizes she has to give up her convertible.
“The X Factor” 8 p.m. Fox — More auditions for folks vying for a $5 million prize.
“Suburgatory” 8:30 p.m. ABC (new series) — A single dad and daughter move to the suburbs from the city and have culture shock.
“Criminal Minds” 9 p.m. CBS — A murder robs women of their five senses.
“Mythbusters” 9 p.m. Discovery (10th season debut)— Claims about motorcycles being greener than cars are put to the test.
“Modern Family” 9 p.m. ABC — Jay’s bonding with the dog Stella grates on Gloria’s nerves.
“Happy Endings” 9:30 p.m. ABC (second season debut) — Penny buys her first home.
“The Real World” 10 p.m. MTV (26th season debut) — The show returns to San Diego – but still has never been to Atlanta.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” 10 p.m. NBC — Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh make special appearances.

THURSDAY

“The Big Bang Theory” 8 p.m. CBS — Howard and Bernadette spend the weekend with Mrs. Wolowitz.
“Vampire Diaries” 8 p.m. the CW — Klaus and Stefan arrive in Chicago, where Stefan is reunited with a vampire.
“The X Factor” 8 p.m. Fox — The final first-round auditions are featured.
“How To Be a Gentleman” 8:30 p.m. CBS (new series) — Don’t open the door for this loser.
“Grey’s Anatomy” 9 p.m. ABC — The fifth-year residents are tested in their first solo surgeries.
“The Office” 9 p.m. NBC — Robert California (James Spader) challenges the office to double sales.
“Person of Interest” 9 p.m. CBS — Reese and Finch begin to question the infallibility of The Machine.
“Project Runway” 9 p.m. Lifetime — Designers use fashion from the 1970s to inspire new works.
“Jersey Shore” 10 p.m. MTV — Deena has a pregnancy scare.
“The Mentalist” 10 p.m. CBS — Patrick Jane is now reinstated and back to business.
“Prime Suspect” 10 p.m. NBC — Duffy works with Timoney and of course, it does not go smoothly.
“Private Practice” 10:01 p.m. ABC (fifth season debut) — Benjamin Bratt (“Law & Order”) joins the cast.

FRIDAY

“A Gifted Man” 8 p.m. CBS — Michael works double duty saving a pregnant personal friend with a brain tumor and a boy with sickle cell disease.
“Nikita” 8 p.m. the CW — Devon Sawa returns as Owen.
“Kitchen Nightmares” 8 p.m. Fox — Gordon Ramsay works on an Italian eatery in Springfield, MA.
“CSI: NY” 9 p.m. CBS — An awkward teen wooing a sexy punk rock chick dies.
“Fringe” 9 p.m. Fox — A serial killer forces the two Fringe teams to work together.
“Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” 9 p.m. TLC (second season finale) — A breast-cancer survivor searches for a dress.
“Blue Bloods” 10 p.m. CBS — Danny accidentally shoots a cop and is put on desk duty.

WEEKEND

“ ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Live!” 9 tonight Comedy — The parodist has managed to keep his career alive for three-plus decades.
“Saturday Night Live” 11:29 tonight NBC — Melissa McCarthy, riding high on her Emmy win, hosts.
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” 8 p.m. Sunday ABC — Jonah, a first-grader with a blood disorder, gets a new house.
“Desperate Housewives” 9 p.m. Sunday ABC — Gaby tries to get Carlos’ sexual mojo back.
“Dexter” 9 p.m. Sunday Showetime (sixth season debut) — Dexter confronts the former prom king at his 20th high school reunion.
“The Good Wife” 9 p.m. Sunday CBS — Eddie Izzard guests.
“Breaking Bad” 10 p.m. Sunday AMC — Walt scrambles to protect his family.
“Homeland” 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime (new series) — Is a POW from Afghanistan a war hero or enemy agent?
“Hung” 10 p.m. Sunday HBO — Ray and Tanya get creative to find financing to help relaunch a proven product.
“Pan Am” 10:01 p.m. Sunday ABC — Maggie deals with the unwanted attentions of an aggressive passenger.

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