30 For 30 makes its official return (official enough for us to remember it, at least)
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, October 1. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
30 For 30 (ESPN, 8 p.m.): Look, The A.V. Club staff isn’t immune to mistakes. Sometimes we miss stuff—like last Tuesday, when the return of 30 For 30 flew completely under our radar. (Because maybe it was listed under the SEC Storied banner and we were like, “Welp, no 30 For 30 until next week!”) This time around, Kevin McFarland made sure we were paying attention, and we’ve made sure that he has a place to upload his review of Hawaiian: The Legend Of Eddie Aikau.
REGULAR COVERAGE
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 8 p.m.): The listings for tonight’s episode make a big deal about Coulson running across a Comandante Camilla Reyes, and the Internet is shedding no light on who that might be. So we’re looking to the next best source: Oliver Sava.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 8:30 p.m.): Santiago is put in charge of a program for troubled youth, which is bound to become some sort variation on Scared Straight! once Diaz gets involved. One flared nostril from Stephanie Beatriz, and Molly Eichel has already abandoned her life of crime.
New Girl (Fox, 9 p.m.): A “double date” has two meanings this week, seeing as Schmidt still hasn’t come clean to Cece about Elizabeth (and vice versa). “Sounds like this double date’s about to become ‘no dates,’ on the double!” Erik Adams says, while tipping his sunglasses and doing a one-legged lean against a brick wall.
Trophy Wife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.): This potentially winning comedy became the first rallying point of the fall season after it was swallowed up by the Voice–NCIS battle last Tuesday. Brandon Nowalk’s not ready to say goodbye to the kid who said “garbage and shoes,” so why not give this show a shot this week?
The Mindy Project (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): Having successfully worked James Franco out of its system, The Mindy Project may be preparing to do that to Anders Holm. At least that’s how Katherine Miller interprets the news that Holm’s Casey wants to be a DJ after returning from Haiti.
Person Of Interest (CBS, 10 p.m.): If any show was set up to tackle the Edward Snowden/NSA scandal in the first few episodes of its new season, it’s Person Of Interest. The NSA has already intercepted Phil Dyess-Nugent’s thoughts on the episode.
Sons Of Anarchy (FX, 10 p.m.): LOL: All that joking about forgetting about 30 For 30 and there hasn’t been a Sons Of Anarchy entry in the Tuesday edition of What’s On Tonight? for weeks. No offense meant to Zack Handlen, Kurt Sutter, motorcycle enthusiasts, or the general concepts of anarchy and sons.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Wolfblood (Disney, 8 p.m.): While other studios went mad for all things supernatural-romance in recent years, Disney rested on the laurels of mega-rich superstar teens (with problems just like you!) and dogs with blogs (blogs just like yours!), which explains why its first foray into that field is a British import. Genevieve Valentine gives the werewolf show a loo-ooooo-ooook! (For a show about airwolves, see below.)
Airwolf (G4, 8 p.m.): After narrowly avoiding the ax, this is what G4 is reduced to: A primetime repeat of the Airwolf in which a drunk Eugene Roche prevents nuclear war with Russia. And not a cufflink or tie bar in sight! (For a show about werewolves, see above.)
Beauty Queen Murders (ID, 10 p.m.): It’s unclear whether or not this true-crime series is about murders of beauty queens or murders committed by beauty queens. Either way, this type of murder happens often enough to fill out a full Investigation Discovery show. So beware, beauty queens. (Or beware of beauty queens. And werewolves. And airwolves, when applicable.)
Dukes Of Haggle (Discovery, 10 p.m.): Like a rat king formed from the entangled facial hair of the Duck Dynasty gang, American Pickers’ Frank Fritz, and Storage Warrior Darrel Sheets, Discovery’s latest reality show follows four groups of competitors haggling their way across the American South. (Facial hair or no facial hair, the stars of the show are not werewolves.)
Machete (FX, 8 p.m.): Grindhouse continues to have an impact far deeper than its box-office draw suggests, as indicated by the upcoming sequel to this Danny Trejo-led spinoff. And yet a full-length version of Edgar Wright’s Don’t remains a far-off dream. (Not to be confused with the similarly un-produced Grindhouse spinoff, Rob Zombie’s Werewolf Women Of The S.S. Or to be confused with Airwolf, a property Robert Rodriguez would certainly adapt into a feature.)
Singin’ In The Rain (TCM, 8 p.m.): In the inevitable robot apocalypse, a simplified version of Blade Runner’s Voight-Kampff test will be used to distinguish humans from their automated adversaries. Its single question: “Do you enjoy Singin’ In The Rain?” All answers in the negative can be attributed to unfeeling, non-empathetic beings of mechanical origins. (Werewolves, however, prefer An American In Paris.)
NHL Hockey: Capitals at Blackhawks (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.): The NHL begins its reorganization season (or whatever you want to call it when the Red Wings and Blue Jackets are shunted over to the Eastern Conference for scheduling purposes) with this high-profile opener, as reigning league MVP Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps visit the reigning Stanley Cup champs in Chicago. (No, Ovechkin is not the first werewolf to win the Hart Memorial Trophy.)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Blacklist: In spite of her inspired, insane turns in Blue Velvet and 30 Rock, whenever your What’s On Tonight? correspondent reads the name of last night’s Blacklist guest, he can only think of Tom Servo spouting “For Lancôme, Isabella Rossellini!” in the Angels Revenge episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Phil Dyess-Nugent might not concur, but he sympathizes.