Tonight's TV Hot List: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

Desperate Housewives
9/8c ABC
So, did Danny attack Julie? Susan sure thinks so, and this could mean war with the Bolens, what with those promo pictures on the Web of Angie hefting a baseball bat. Moving from fighters to lovers, Bree and Karl are trysting again. What about Orson? Maybe we'll find out tonight. And John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe) is back in Gaby's life for the first time in a long while. It's a chance encounter in a restaurant, but Carlos doesn't like it. And John will be back next week, too, so we shall see. — Paul Droesch
Curb Your Enthusiasm
9/8c HBO
It's always fun to see what Hollywood types turn up as themselves on Curb, and even more so to find out how they get along with chief curmudgeon Larry David. Christian Slater's cameo fills the former role tonight, and judging by an argument over caviar servings at Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen's anniversary party, it looks like the latter issue could be described as "not very well." Philip Baker Hall and Sherry Stringfield guest star as, respectively, Larry's doctor and Larry's old girlfriend. — Joe Friedrich
Californication
10/9c Showtime
College professor Hank Moody reluctantly attends Dean Koons' English-department mixer, a "sad assembly of two-bit intellectuals," in this sharply written and witty half hour. In between the small talk, noshing and boozing, Hank spends some time trying to console his teaching assistant, Jill (Diane Farr), who's been jilted by her "fireman dude" date. Meanwhile, Charlie signs a "big fish" client for the agency and his new boss (Kathleen Turner) is most appreciative. Rick Springfield has a cameo. — Ray Stackhouse
Mad Men
10/9c AMC
Peggy and her team experience the wrath of Don, who has serious reservations about their ad campaign for a luxury hotel in Athens. Their less-than-impressive concepts are all Greek to him, so he shoots them down and demands they give him "more ideas to reject," so it's back to the drawing board for them. On the home front, Betty gets the bug to be a do-gooder and seizes the opportunity to host a fund-raiser. — Ray Stackhouse
Family Guy
9/8c Fox
Vladimir Putin appears in this episode of Family Guy, but the stars of the show are spies who look a lot like Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. In fact, they are, providing their own voices in their Spies Like Us personae. This time, they're in Russia (Brian and Stewie have tagged along), and Putin is the least of their problems. Dan and Chevy are on the trail of a Soviet-era sleeper agent from Quahog who was inadvertently activated and will unleash a nuclear holocaust unless the pair can stop him. — Paul Droesch

Leave It to Lamas

11/10c E!
E! continues to mine the lives of D-list celebrities for its latest reality series that follows the so-called adventures of ex-Bachelor star Shayne Lamas and her pampered Hollywood family, which includes dad Lorenzo. In the contrived opener, Shayne and sister Dakota are "shocked" to discover a front-page story on a tabloid about the strained relationship between their dad and brother A.J., who haven't spoken in four years. In an effort to reunite her loved ones, Shayne hosts a family barbecue. — Tim Holland