With the World Series now lasting till the end of October and occasionally beyond, the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episodes on The Simpsons are getting pushed beyond Halloween. Still, this is a tradition well worth the extra wait, preferably to be enjoyed with the leftover candy of your choice. This year's edition (Fox, Sunday 8 p.m.) features a takeoff on the Peanuts classic It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, with the beloved gourd not nearly as benevolent here as he was in Charles Schulz's imagination. Also, Bart's toys go on the warpath in a Transformers tribute, and Homer starts killing celebrities so he can use their images in advertising. I'm not so sure that last one isn't going to give some folks the wrong idea.

Also this week:

Monday: Gossip Girl (CW, 8 p.m.): Here's one show that isn't upset about its early ratings. Serena senses chemistry with an artist she meets at Rufus's gallery; Jenny's new friend, a young model, encourages her to take a tougher stance with her boss; Blair has a difficult time seducing Chuck. Dude, it's Leighton Meester! What's the problem?

Tuesday: Greek (ABC Family, 8 p.m.): The midseason break for this series coincides with the end of the academic year for its characters. Rusty and his fellow pledges deal with the rigors of Hell Week, while Casey ponders the choice of taking a summer internship or hanging out with her sweetheart. Noted academic powerhouse Lauren Conrad plays herself in a dream sequence.

Wednesday: Stylista (CW, 9 p.m.): CW reality shows tend to have the aroma of bad acting hovering overhead, but it's too early to say if this show will fall into that trap or not. The contestants are split into teams and tasked with finding a hot spot that hasn't yet been overexposed; they must also dress mannequins using very specific guidelines.

Thursday: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, 10 p.m.): On most series, a main character suffering a heart attack would amount to a Very Special Episode. Since it's this series, I'm sure bad taste and catheter jokes will reign instead. Dee resolves to change her lifestyle after a cardiac event while Charlie and Mac look for jobs that provide health insurance.

Friday: Numb3rs (CBS, 10 p.m.): The CBS procedural juggernaut is such that even this awful time slot can't kill them off. Don's team looks into the theft of expensive items from a shipping service while Don himself has a crisis of confidence after a colleague is killed.

Saturday: Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30 p.m.): Ben Affleck makes a return appearance as host, with newly minted American Idol David Cook promoting his debut album as musical guest. And there are tantalizing rumors of a potential appearance by a certain Midwestern legislator.

Sunday: Brotherhood (Showtime, 8 p.m.): Showtime can run as many blurbs from critics likening this series to The Sopranos as it wishes, but the audience response simply hasn't been there. Season three begins with Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) frustrated over his career path, while matriarch Rose (Fionnula Flanagan) attempts to hide her failing health.

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