ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Last week, The Middle presented a one-hour season premiere that featured a classic set piece: The entire Heck family piling into the family car to experience their first trip to a drive-in movie. This week’s plot also is driven, so to speak, by an automotive motif: This time, though, it has Frankie losing her job at the car dealership. That doesn’t sound very funny – but The Middle will find the humor in it, no question.
The Movie Channel, 8:00 p.m. ET
Many of our TVWW readers mentioned this 1998 Coen Brothers film as a favorite
“spider-web” movie – and no wonder, with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi sharing scenes as a trio of misfit bowling buddies. What a fine, funny, strange trip.
Various Networks, 9:00 p.m. ET
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney take to the their respective podiums to debate domestic policy issues in this first presidential debate of 2012. Broadcast network coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS, as well as on CNN. Televised live from the University of Denver, this first debate is moderated by Jim Lehrer.
Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m. ET
On tonight’s new episode of South Park, Cartman finally admits he has a weight problem – and also admits he may have met his match, thanks to an equally overbearing new girl in class.
Encore, 10:05 p.m. ET
John Boorman directed this 1981 medieval epic, which is noteworthy, and watchable, both for its opulent visual design and its impressive cast. Nicol Williamson plays a booming-voiced Merlin, and some of the knights in this Arthurian saga are played by a very young Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart – but for my money, the whole movie is stolen by Helen Mirren as the evil Morgana. She casts a spell on Arthur (Nigel Terry) and several of his knights, and on Merlin (pictured) – and on me, too.