TONIGHT: DVR Guide to the Biggest TV Night in Years

If you don't already own a digital/programmable video recorder, a night like tonight should finally convince you to make the investment. 

Tonight is, perhaps, the biggest night in television in several years. And it isn't just because of the massive, unbelievably-anticipated series finale of the award-winning drama 'Breaking Bad' over on AMC--although that is certainly a huge part of it. Because of all of the hype and press surrounding 'Breaking Bad,' it's possible that viewers aren't even aware of everything that is going down on the fateful evening of September 29, 2013; aren't you glad you have TVRage.com to keep track of it all for you? 

So yes, to kick it all off tonight we have the series finale of 'Breaking Bad,' running 9:00pm-10:15pm on AMC. The theories are myriad and diverse but most seem to surround the death of Walter White. How is it going to end? Is there a way that you would find most satisfying? Is there anything that could happen tonight that would upset you, as a fan, or can Vince Gilligan do no wrong at this point? 

But there's more than one big show tonight! We've also got the third season premiere of 'Homeland' on Showtime at 9:00pm. 

The critically-acclaimed hit 'Homeland' returns tonight with an episode entitled 'Tin Man is Down.' In the episode, Carrie is called to testify before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 58 days after the attack on the CIA headquarters. The last we saw her, she was pledging to clear Brody's name... but that seems like quite a tall order, given everything that transpired at the close of season two.

This is a series that has won a whopping five Golden Globe Awards over a mere two season span--and Claire Danes just took home yet another Emmy Award last week. The series has the disadventageous position of airing directly against the finale of 'Breaking Bad,' so I would expect a nice big ratings jump from episode one to episode two. 

But that's not all! Tonight, Showtime also brings us the series premiere of 'Masters of Sex' at 10:00pm!

This new series debuts during the overrun of 'Breaking Bad' and directly up against 'Talking Bad,' which has been bumped up on AMC tonight in order to air directly following the 'Breaking Bad' finale. 

'Masters of Sex' is based on the true store of Masters & Johnson, pioneering sex researchers and scientists who broke several taboos when it came to talking about sex in a sophisticated way. The trailer for the series feels like a sex-centric version of 'Mad Men' (or perhaps I should say "even more sex-centric version of 'Mad Men') with a great cast and a hell of a true story to follow. 

Check back with TVRage tonight for my exclusive review of the premiere of 'Masters of Sex' after it airs!

So there's three huge shows airing tonight... and we're just getting started. Tonight also brings us the fifth season premiere of 'The Good Wife,' airing 9:00pm on CBS!

This hit legal/political drama has developed a massive fan following and it actually stands to hold it's own against 'Breaking Bad,' if only because 'The Good Wife' appeals to a different sort of viewer than the meth-mayhem drama. 

The finale of season four gave us deception, intrigue, voter-tampering, an emergency courtroom hearing... 'The Good Wife' is a series that began to little fanfare and has consistently risen in ratings and influence as the show has progressed. Heck, the series inspired a book 'The Good Wife and Philosophy' which explores the various ethical quandries presented by the plot. There's a lot to sink your teeth into with this show. 

But we've got even more series premieres tonight, including the brand new HBO comedy series 'Hello Ladies'!

Our own Allyson Koerner posted an advance review for this new show, which she truly enjoyed. Stephen Merchant seems poised to become the next big thing in comedy, as if his stellar work with 'The Office' didn't solidify that already. 

The series is about the awkward Brit attempting to play lovebird and attract ladies that may or may not be out of his league. Given Merchant's ability to seamlessly blend realism with the absurd, I expect 'Hello Ladies' to provide several belly-laughs in each new installment. 

And hey, just because it's awesome, here's a video where Merchant takes part in a lip synch competition with Jimmy Fallon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 

But wait! There's more! Tonight, HBO also brings us the fourth season premiere of 'Eastbound & Down'!

Kenny Powers' life has changed. He's no longer a professional athlete, so he's off to do what any other ex-professional athlete would do... cash in on his short-lived celebrity! Powers joins a sports talk show where he's hired for his explosive personality... but Powers may prove more than any network show can handle. 

HBO promises that this final season of 'Eastbound & Down' will be the most outrageous in the series' history, which is either a great or a terrible thing, depending on what sort of person you are. 

Let's keep this premieres train rolling with the third season premiere of 'Once Upon a Time' airing tonight at 8:00pm on ABC!

'Once Upon a Time' is getting so popular that it has already spawned its own spin-off series, a mere two seasons into its existence. The plot of the third season will reportedly revolve around the main characters travelling from Storybrooke to Neverland in order to retrieve Henry Mills. What could possibly go wrong in Neverland? 

The solicitation for tonight's premiere reads "In search of Henry, Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Mr. Gold and Hook travel to Neverland, where they meet threatening mermaids. Meanwhile, Henry and another boy attempt to escape from the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. In the Enchanted Forest, a still-recovering Neal and Mulan embark on a quest to discover the fate of Henry and Emma."

And ABC is following up this premiere with the third season premiere of 'Revenge' at 9:00pm.

'Revenge is often referred to as a guilty-pleasure by its fans. The show is unabashedly sensational, with sex, plot-twists and deception occurring in spades. The first season was a ratings smash for ABC, however the second season saw the show taper off to cult status. What will the third season bring?

So how is ABC going to follow these two big premieres? How about a series premiere of 'Betrayal' at 10:00pm?

Yep, 'Betrayal' follows 'Revenge'... which seems backwards judging from the titles, but that's neither here nor there. The series stars Hannah Ware as Sara Hayward, a beautiful photographer, who begins an affair with Jack McAllister, a lawyer for a powerful family. Both unhappily married to other people, Jack and Sara find themselves drawn to one another. The premise also revolves around a murder trial, which involves both of them on separate sides which makes things even more complicated.

Sounds like another guilty pleasure to me. ABC is trading on guilt. 

Over on FOX, there's so many premieres I need to toss them all into one... the premieres of the entire Animation Domination High Def block happen tonight! 

'The Simpsons' kicks off its twenty-fifth season--yep, that's right, twenty-fifth--with the episode 'Homerland' at 7:00pm on FOX. In the episode, Annie (guest voice Kristen Wiig), is an intense, jumpy FBI agent investigating Homer.

The fourth season premiere of the Emmy Award nominated 'Bob's Burgers' is next. The Belcher kids share camping stories in the all-new "A River Runs Through Bob" season premiere episode at 7:30pm on FOX. 

Next is the season eleven premiere of 'Family Guy' at 8:00pm. Peter is convinced that a restaurant placemat is a treasure map, and finds a clue that could actually lead to real treasure in the episode 'Finders Keepers.' Eleven seasons is a huge accomplishment, even if it pales in comparison to 'The Simpsons' twenty-five. 

Following that is the eighth season premiere of 'American Dad!' at 8:30pm. Steve and Snot turn to the CIA's cloning machine to churn out two willing prom dates; what could go wrong? 

So that's the breakdown of all the series premieres, season premieres, and series finales--all airing TONIGHT, September 29, 2013. And amidst all of this, there are new episodes of 'Boardwalk Empire' (HBO at 9:00pm) and 'Low Winter Sun' (AMC at 11:15pm)! 

So I ask you: is this the biggest night in television since the inception of the DVR? Factor in all of the NFL games going on and my answer is yes. 

Which out of this massive list are you most looking forward to? SET YOUR DVR!