Destroyed In Seconds – Monday, 8pm, Seven
During the Simpsons episode where Lisa fears she will lose her perspicacity and succumb to the mind-numbing genes that are her family’s legacy, Bart and Homer’s gleeful idiocy was demonstrated by their love of a television program called When Building Collapse. Destroyed In Seconds is that program. Therefore it seems that the reverse of the old idiom is also true: tragedy equals comedy plus time. “The best part was when the buildings fell down!”

Media Watch – Monday, 9:20pm, ABC1
The ABC is winding up its newsgathering for the year, with an exciting final Q&A last week featuring multiple Joe Hockey/jockey gags and some brilliantly sardonic admonishments for the nation from David Marr, plus tonight’s last Four Corners. Speaking of Marr’s incorrigibility, tonight’s episode of Media Watch is the final 15 minutes of withering judgmentalism for 2009. What will be deemed the most shameful media debacle of the year? We’ve got our money on Kyle (with a side serving of ‘Make A Realistic Wish’ ABC self-flagellation).

Man Vs Wild – Monday,8:35pm, SBS
Australia free-to-air population is finally being introduced to the mad adventurer Bear Grylls and his program Man Vs Wild, where he barges into extreme environments and eats anything that moves (and is preferably slimy, squishy or dangerous). Much has been made of how much support Grylls gets from his camera crews and whether his peril is real, but this is entertainment — suspend your disbelief, people!

Hot Docs: Encounters At The Edge Of The World – Tuesday, 10:00pm, SBS
Nosferatu and Fitzcarraldo director Werner Herzog explores the fearsome reality of choosing real locales and locals for his films by creating this documentary about his travels in Antarctica. If we’ve ever wondered whether foofy arthouse film directors can hack the real world, this’ll be the proof.

John Safran’s Race Relations – Wednesday, 9:30pm, ABC
I’ve only caught the debut episode of Safran’s latest outrage but since he’s already attacked the big game (God, the music industry, Ray Martin), Race Relations felt pretty flimsy at times. And man, if he actually travelled to Africa to conduct a five-minute gag interview, I’m truly pissed. But Safran will always be brave and foolish in equal measures, and that’s why he’ll always be worth watching.

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia – Wednesday, 11:30pm, Ch7
Even though I didn’t quite get this show when I first caught it last year, the barrage of love for it overseas means that I’ll be willing to give it another shot. Centred around feckless 30-year olds who own a shitty Irish pub, it feels like the appeal is particularly Generation X. Bonus: Danny DeVito plays the shady arsehole we always suspected he really is!

Addicted To Money – Thursday, 8:35pm, ABC
This is the second part of a three-part documentary series about the GFC. It proved last week that it has teeth as well as brains. If you ever thought the financial industry was too complicated to understand or too boring to try, watch Addicted To Money and feel smarter and angrier. Or read Matt Tiabbi’s profane and enlightening article at Rolling Stone.

Glee – Thursday, 7:30pm, Ten
I’m putting Glee in here mostly for Mel and the other assorted gleeks, glosers and gleetards who are having fun with a savvy take on schoolyard (and staffroom) politics. I’m also putting the show on notice. Can someone explain to me why the production of the musical numbers is so flagrantly fake? I thought the idea was that the characters are genuinely bursting into song in service of the narrative, rather than having the directors pad the script with glossy mime acts. I’d like to pretend they’re actually singing.

Movie: Monsters, Inc. – Saturday, 7:30pm, Ch7
After watching Up last week I concluded that while it continues Pixar’s high standards of freshness and cleverness (a solid 8 stars), it wouldn’t be anyone’s favourite movie. Monsters, Inc. would be. If you haven’t seen this caper, it’s the most enjoyable allegory about corporatism, fear and friendship as you’ll ever find.

Rock Of Love – Saturday, 12:30am, Ten
The finest trash TV I’ve seen in years. Everyone is so transparently venal. Poison singer Bret Michaels continues fooling himself about his career and what love truly means by pitting groupie skanks against each other for his affections. I’ve seen this whole season and tonight’s episode is a doozy. The last three contestants have their parents visit the catfight incubator. Select your favourite intoxicant and some friends and just try to push your jaw shut.

The Enthusiast’s ‘Best Stuff On TV This Week’ column is published each Monday and compiled by sorting through the TV guide, among the dispiriting reality shows and US procedural dramas. We don’t cover digital stations or pay TV because not everyone has fancy-arse set-top boxes and Foxtel.