Tonight's TV Hot List: Monday, Oct. 18, 2010

The Talk
2/1c CBS
Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Jaret Winokur host this View-like chat fest in which the six working moms discuss their lives at home in addition to current events and news. Celebrity guests will also be featured on each episode. Christie Brinkley is up first. The series airs each weekday. — Tim Holland
Dancing with the Stars
8/7c ABC
There's a whole lot of newness to Season 11! Last week, a new round stage was unveiled for a special acoustic episode. This week, the show is debuting TV-theme-song week. This could go one of two ways: We'll either be treated to fun, nostalgia-inspired performances, or have to witness some awkward, kitschy routines. Some song rumors include the themes from Charlie's Angels, Friends, Bewitched and possibly (hopefully) The Brady Bunch — because how could Mrs. Brady dance to anything else? — Jennifer Sankowski
House
8/7c Fox
Chase's choice for the female slot on House's team flamed out last week (on the job, at least; maybe not romantically), so House is making Foreman and Taub take a shot at it while he's off babysitting. Babysitting? Putting House and Cuddy together has given the show's writers any number of new dramatic options, and tonight, House steps gingerly onto the daddy track. Back at the hospital, the medical puzzle involves a dying newborn whose mother is played by Jennifer Grey, whose terpsichorean skills will be on display on ABC's Dancing with the Stars in this time slot. — Paul Droesch
How I Met Your Mother
8/7c CBS
Ted has to decide...dream job, or dream girl? Jennifer Morrison begins her first appearance in what will be a recurring role as Zoey, a beautiful woman who is as passionate about architecture as Ted is. The woman of his dreams, right? Not quite, as Ted finds out that she's trying to save a historic building...the same one that's about to be destroyed to make way for the building Ted is designing, a project that he considers his dream gig. — Bill Ecklund
Monday Night Football
8:30/7:30c ESPN
The AFC South division entered Week 6 in a four-way deadlock of 3-2 teams, with Tennessee and Jacksonville capping the week in tonight's north Florida showdown. It's a rivalry with more intensity than meets the eye, thanks to the long tenures of head coaches Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio, both former defensive stars at USC. Star RBs Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew head two of the league's top ground games, which helped their teams to impressive road wins last week. The Titans improved to 2-0 away from Nashville, while the Jags (6-2 at home on Monday nights) logged their highest-scoring game since trouncing Tennessee 37-17 early last season.  — Roger Leister
Cake Boss
9/8c TLC
Last week the Valastros embarked on a big family tour of Italy. They started in Mama and Buddy Sr.'s hometowns, and now they're making their way to Rome. The trip isn't all play though, as an art collector hires Buddy, Ralph and Danny to make an artsy cake inspired by an Italian fresco. — Karen Andzejewicz
Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It
10/9c VH1
To crib from an SNL baseball parody, Bret Michaels has been very very good to VH1. Rock of Love and its permutations of Rock of Love 2 and Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels were big hits for the cable service, and now the Poison-ous rocker is back in the reality saddle again. This show will look at how he balances life as a touring rock star with the need to spend quality time with his two beautiful young daughters, Raine and Jorja, and sometimes, with their mom, Kristi. In the opener, he hits the road for the first time since his brain hemorrhage. — Fred Mitchell