Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, September 21, and Saturday, September 22. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Firefly (1 p.m., Friday): This feature took two weeks off while Noel Murray traveled to Canada, where they don’t even have space cowboys. But now, he and Donna Bowman are back to talk about the final handful of episodes of this show and then… was there something about a movie? And comic books? Okay, they’re probably not going to talk about the comic books. But maybe we can talk them into watching the movie. Anyway, this week, an old squadmate of Mal and Zoe’s from the war dies, and everybody gets kinda sad. Then not so much anymore.
REGULAR COVERAGE
Gravity Falls (Disney Channel, 8:30 p.m., Friday): Alasdair Wilkins checks in on the last of the show’s episodes that we missed when we stupidly weren’t covering this series regularly, as he takes in the wonder of an episode featuring Alfred Molina as the “Multi-Bear.” The finest role he will ever play!
Boss (Starz, 9 p.m., Friday): Tonight’s episode features looting and rioting, and we’re in favor of all TV shows that feature looting and rioting. Sonia Saraiya is fairly sure the only thing holding back, say, New Girl is that it doesn’t feature people breaking stuff and then taking it in every episode that airs.
Strike Back (Cinemax, 10 p.m., Friday): Knox helps a political leader escape from prison, and the guys decide to track him down by following his daughter. Myles McNutt thinks that’s one way to track a political leader who’s escaped from prison, but he recommends following the radioactive isotopes.
Doctor Who (BBC America, 9 p.m., Saturday): After thousands of black cubes fall from the sky, the Doctor starts worrying about an alien invasion. He’s always worrying about an alien invasion, that guy. Keith Phipps thinks he should focus on the black cubes falling from the sky. That sounds dangerous, too.
Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30 p.m., Saturday): Joseph Gordon-Levitt is this week’s host, and David Sims isn’t sure he’ll be able to conceal the staggering amount of love he holds for Mr. Gordon-Levitt. It’s to the point where he went to see Premium Rush in theaters. Premium Rush! Come back to us, David.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The X-Files/Millennium (1 p.m., Saturday): Mulder and Scully head for the suburbs to chase a trash monster. While that’s sorta lame, Todd VanDerWerff has to admit that the whole thing where they have to pose as a married couple is one of the better ways of giving ‘shippers the fan-service they desire.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
The 2012 ALMA Awards(NBC, 8 p.m., Friday): Christina Aguilera is slated to receive a special award at this ceremony that honors achievements by Latinos in the field of entertainment. We hope the award is specifically for her single “Come On Over, Baby,” because that’s the greatest song ever written.
Haven (Syfy, 10 p.m., Friday): “The town experiences its oddest events ever,” says TV Guide, in a statement we hope will be true. It better not just be a fall of fish from the sky or a UFO or a ghost or something like that. We want this third season to start with a tap-dancing Bigfoot, or we’re going home!
Secret Princes (TLC, 10 p.m., Friday): Bachelor princes from around the world move to Atlanta and live undercover to find love, in a remake of a successful British reality series that also sort of sounds like the plot to that one Eddie Murphy movie. That guy you’re talking to might be a prince, ladies of Atlanta!
The Ultimate Fighter (FX, 10 p.m., Friday): Another season of FX’s competition reality show about UFC fighters begins. Since this is FX, we’re glad the network found a way to get as much kicking and punching as possible into that series. It wouldn’t be the same if people just had to live in a house and talk.
Last Hours In Suburbia (Lifetime, 8 p.m., Saturday): A teenager frantically attempts to prove she wasn’t responsible for the car accident that killed her best friend. We’re pretty sure everybody on Suburgatory is wondering how Lifetime got their notes for season two and turned it into a made-for-TV movie.
Celebrity Ghost Stories (Biography, 9 p.m., Saturday): Our favorite of TV’s myriad “here’s a ghost story you’ll find incredible!” shows is this one, because it features some of the weirdest people you could possibly think of, telling really boring ghost stories. Tonight’s victims include Kevin Sorbo. Kevin Sorbo!
Meet The Fockers (TNT, 8 p.m., Friday): This week’s installment in “What’s On Tonight tells you what some movie you hate made at the box office” features this largely unfunny sequel to Meet The Parents, which made almost $520 million at the worldwide box office. Someone you know loves this movie.
Paths Of Glory (TCM, 9:15 p.m., Friday): Instead of watching the Fockers, then, why not watch this Stanley Kubrick classic? Kirk Douglas is riveting, and the story, about a lawyer defending French soldiers who refused to continue carrying out a suicidal attack, is terrifically involving. Your best movie bet.
A Thousand Words (HBO, 8 p.m., Saturday): We remember the days when HBO Saturday nights meant the debut of some new movie that was just in theaters a few months ago. And while that technically applies to A Thousand Words, the thought of this Eddie Murphy family comedy doesn’t give us delight.
College Football: Georgetown at Princeton (ESPNU, 7 p.m., Friday): If there’s one thing we look forward to every year, it’s the meeting between these two East Coast college football powerhouses. Don’t tell anybody, but we’re pulling for Georgetown this year, even if we find Hoyas terrifying.
MLS Soccer: Salt Lake at Portland (NBC Sports, 8 p.m., Saturday): We’ll be honest and say we’re not entirely sure what’s going on in the world of Major League Soccer, but Salt Lake seems to be doing pretty well this season, and Portland isn’t doing so hot, so we know who we’re betting on.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Parks & Recreation (Thursday): Steve Heisler really liked the Washington, D.C., travelin’ season premiére of the fifth—fifth!—season of this show. What we liked most was that little part where Olympia Snowe made a weird shrug with her hands. Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy!