1) “Resident Alien,” 10 p.m., Syfy. This may be the first show in which someone says: “I’m so sorry; we don’t normally have bird guests.” She unthinkingly cooked chicken for Harry and his new lover, whose alternate form (shown here with his alternate form) is as a blue bird, and … Well, one of TV’s best (and strangest) shows has one of its best episodes, mixing broad humor with subtle dialog and sci-fi plot twists.
2) “Animal Control,” 9 p.m., Fox. Speaking of broad and subtle humor, that’s this show’s specialty. This week has the big sight gags – everything from a mischievous sloth to costumed cats – but that’s alongside the quieter co-worker humor. Victoria frets over her immigration status and fears Frank (Joel McHale, 52) is almost too old to find love.
3) “Family Guy,” 9:32, Fox. Then again, it’s easy for broad comedy to skid off-track. This episode veers wildly in different directions, but lacks the wit of “Animal Control” or “Resident Alien.” Two verbal riffs (both by Lois, late in the episode) are clever bits of double-entendre. The rest, alas, is mere scrambling.
4) “The Amazing Race” season-opener, 9:30-11 p.m., CBS. The 13 duos cover a wide range. There’s a mother-son and a dad-daughter. There are cousins, twin brothers and a brother-sister. One married duo has retired cops; another includes Rod Gardner, who had 242 receptions and 23 touchdowns in six pro-football seasons. Friend duos include Air Force pilots and small-town firefighters.
5) ALSO: “The Masked Singer” (8 p.m., Fox) has a “Wizard of Oz” night, complete with LeAnn Rimes singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” … After a week of reruns, ABC’s comedies are back. “Abbott Elementary” (9 p.m.) adds a librarian; that’s followed by a rerun about the school’s namesake … And FX’s “Feud” concludes, with Truman Capote straining to finish his novel.
— Mike Hughes, TV America