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A select viewing guide to the next seven days of television

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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22 Forever (ABC, CTV, 10 p.m.) The rakish Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd was probably miscast as stretchy superhero Mr. Fantastic in the two Fantastic Four movies (though don’t blame him for both movies flopping), but he’s a natural fit as the main player in this new offbeat drama. Gruffudd’s generally befuddled manner serves him well in his portrayal of Dr. Henry Morgan, New York City’s head medical examiner with a lot of experience: He’s more than 200 years old. Every time Dr. Henry dies, you see, he immediately springs back to life as his old vigorous self (and always returning in water, for reasons he can’t explain). Tonight’s opener introduces the quirky doctor gets a fast introduction to his new semi-partner/handler, the hot NYPD cop Jo Martinez (Alana De La Garza) when they investigate a subway fatality. Think House meets Sherlock meets The X-Files.

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TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23 NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Global, 9 p.m.) Get ready to hear a lot of people saying “N’Awlins.” That’s how life rolls in the Big Easy and that’s how every witness, perp and victim talks in this entry in the ever-expanding NCIS franchise (thanks, Jerry Bruckheimer!). As per the template established by NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, and pretty much every Tom Clancy novel, the show revolves around one solidly honourable military man, in this case Special Agent Dwayne Pride, played by TV veteran Scott Bakula, who heads up the elite team investigating terrorist threats and criminal cases affecting military personnel. Just for good luck, NCIS mainstay Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David MCallum) makes a guest appearance.

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WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24 Extreme Cheapskates (TLC, 9 p.m.) Remember that corny old expression “A penny saved is a penny earned”? Welcome to the wacky world of people who took it as life advice. Back for a third season, this popular TLC oddity profiles people who go to truly absurd lengths to save money for themselves and their loved ones. But mostly for themselves, really. The season opener makes the most of a “Guide to Love” theme and introduces viewers to a fella who buys funeral flowers for his girlfriends, a couple redoing their bedrooms with used hotel sheets and a lady who likes to buy her lingerie in thrift stores. Watch it just to feel like a spendthrift.

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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25 How To Get Away with Murder (ABC, CTV, 10 p.m.) It’s about darn time somebody cast the brilliant Viola Davis into a weekly TV series. Launching with the imprimatur of Grey’s Anatomy kingpin Shonda Rhimes, this new crime drama revolves around the Tony-winning actress as the legal genius Annalise Keating, who works cases in between her duties as law professor at Middleton University. Professor Keating her class to solve seemingly unsolvable cases and then picks the four most promising pupils (played by four unknown good-lookings) to work at her law practice. Murder afoot?

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26 The Amazing Race (CBS, CTV, 8 p.m.) Can American television’s pre-eminent scavenger hunt survive on Friday nights? Watch and see if CBS doesn’t receive praise for shifting the Emmy-winning series from Sunday to Friday night, where the only competition seems to be ABC’s Shark Tank. Back for a 25th season, the show’s opener introduces viewers to 11 new two-person teams that will job all over the while dodging detours and speed traps and other Amazing Race challenges. According to the CBS release, the show will hit eight countries and 20 cities and span more than 26,000 miles. And for the first time, they’re going to Malta! The indefatigable Phil Keoghan returns to host.

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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27 Napoleon Dynamite (Teletoon, 9 p.m.) Can it be ten years already? The buzz movie of the 2004 Sunday Film Festival, this low-budget debut of director Jared Hess actually seems funnier with each new viewing. Full marks go to Jon Heder as the titular Napoleon, a hopeless nerd with the added misfortune of living in the rural burg of Preston, Idaho. The lovable carrot-top finds new purpose in life with his ridiculous plan to help new pal Pedro (Efrem Ramirez) run for president of their high school, while Napoleon’s brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) awaits the arrival of his online-dating girlfriend LaFawnduh. The best character of all: Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), Napoleon’s bewigged and delusional uncle who lives in camper van in a farm field and is still replaying that big football game from high school.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28 Family Guy (Fox, 9 p.m.; Global, 10 p.m.) Worlds are about to collide. Following months of advance buildup, the long-awaited mashup of Family Guy and The Simpsons finally airs in hourlong length, and you just know the chatrooms will be buzzing with critiques. The no-frills plotline finds Family Guy fixture Peter Griffin and his family going for a drive and somehow ending up in good ol’ Springfield, where they are greeted by a friendly chap name of Homer Simpson (who immediately think the non-yellow Griffins are albinos). Elsewhere, Bart and Stewie become immediate kindred spirits toward the cause of deviltry; Lisa teaches Meg how to play the saxophone; and Homer and Peter drink beer at Moe’s.

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