Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Wednesday, April 18. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Revenge (ABC, 10 p.m.): We’ll admit it: Back when we first heard about this show last spring, we thought it was a goner, stuffed in a time slot ABC hadn’t been able to program for years, stuck with a ridiculously overwrought name. Instead, Revenge has gone on to become our favorite primetime soap in years, filled with crazy plotting, goofy characters, and a nicely over-the-top tone that stops just short of having star Emily Van Camp kneel, rain pouring around her, shaking her fists at the sky while she cries out, “REVEEEEEEEEEEENNNGE!” The show’s back after an interminable hiatus tonight, and Carrie Raisler can’t wait to find out who’s getting revenged next.
REGULAR COVERAGE
American Idol (Fox, 8 p.m.): The judges saved Jessica last week, which means that this week has the same amount of singers all over again, but the pressure’s doubled, because two of them will be going home instead of one. Claire Zulkey will be sending double the number of commenters home as well.
Survivor (CBS, 8 p.m.): Carrie Raisler’s been enjoying this season, for the most part, but she just might draw the line at an auction involving letters from home. Has there ever been a time in this show’s gajillion year run when a letter or phone call from home made for effective TV? Probably. But not often!
Best Friends Forever (NBC, 8:30 p.m.): Jessica has to face up to her divorce when her belongings show up at her doorstep. If you ask Jessica Jardine, that’s pretty nice of her ex-husband, to just ship all of her stuff to her clear across the country like that. Maybe, underneath it all, he was a nice guy! Probably not.
Suburgatory (ABC, 8:30 p.m.): Everybody’s gearing up for May sweeps, and this show, which finally cemented much of its promise last week, is doing so with Alicia Silverstone in tow. Brandon Nowalk liked Clueless, sure, but he wants to remind you all of Silverstone’s work in the short-lived Miss Match.
America’s Next Top Model (The CW, 9 p.m.): The girls work on an anti-bullying campaign and hang out with the singer Estelle. Also, they pose as art installations at a dinner party. Margaret Eby hopes it’s modeled on one of those street art projects where everybody decorates a fiberglass cow or something.
Modern Family (ABC, 9 p.m.): The comedy may be having an up-and-down season, but it’s gotten good mileage out of having Phil spend time with his daughters, so we’re getting some bonding between him and Alex in tonight’s half-hour. Donna Bowman is all in favor of wholesome family time on television.
Don’t Trust The B—— In Apartment 23 (ABC, 9:30 p.m.): What we like best about this show is that the title is so long that we have less space to fill when we’re trying to think of these things that pass for “jokes” about the series. Plus, the reviews are written by Emily Guendelsberger! Super long names!
South Park (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.): The boys are going ziplining? That sounds like it has the potential to be a great episode, especially once all goes wrong, as it inevitably will. Marcus Gilmer once went ziplining and ended up adopted by a family of bears, so nothing will be too crazy for him.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Avatar: The Last Airbender (11 a.m.): After just under a year, Hayden Childs has come to the end of his coverage of this series, as he takes on the series’ final four episodes in one giant article, just as Nickelodeon originally aired them as one giant movie. We can’t wait to see what he thinks.
The Sopranos (1 p.m.): Todd VanDerWerff is ready to get caught up with Tony and the gang, as he begins the show’s final season. Tony’s just going to head over to Uncle Junior’s to do a few things. There’s almost certainly no way this could end in anything but hugs and love, right?
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Park Secrets (Travel Channel, 8 p.m.): Why are we so excited for this show? Well, the premise seems to be, “Parks exist, and maybe you don’t know everything about them,” which just seems like the jim-dandiest premise of all time. We don’t know everything about parks, Travel Channel. Please tell us!
Behind The Music (VH1, 9 p.m.): The intermittent musical biography series takes on the life of rapper Nas, almost certainly filling on in on everything he’s done in a format that will chart his rise, fall, and inevitable return to the top, all via soothingly narrated segments. Tell us more about Nas, VH1!
Nova: Why Ships Sink (PBS, 9 p.m.): We certainly hope the answer here is more complicated than: “Because sometimes, they get flooded with a bunch of water,” but we don’t have our hopes all that high. Prove us incorrect, Nova!
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 10 p.m.): Chloe Sevigny drops by in an episode entitled “Valentine’s Day.” Hey, everybody realizes Valentine’s Day was a few months ago, right? Or has NBC figured out a way to prolong February, like it lives in the Game Of Thrones universe? March is coming!
Speed 2: Cruise Control (Cinemax, 7:45 p.m.): This movie came out when we were in high school, and even at the time, we knew that what people had liked about the first one wasn’t that it was set on a mode of transportation. So shifting the whole thing to a cruise liner just seemed like an awful idea.
Alien: The Director’s Cut (MoMax, 9 p.m.): We’d prefer the original version to the director’s cut, but we suppose you can’t have everything, and there are few other places on TV tonight where you’re going to get an alien monster stalking people around a spaceship. Well, maybe Modern Family.
Stanley Cup Playoff: Game 4: Penguins at Flyers (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.): The Flyers can put the Penguins away with a win tonight, which seemed unlikely just a few days ago, when this looked like one of the more promising match-ups of the first round. We’ll always have that Penguin that bit Newt Gingrich.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Glee: If you’re someone who still DVRs Glee out of some misplaced sense of obligation, you’ll actually want to watch this week’s Saturday Night Fever tribute. As far as themed hours of the show go, it’s more like the excellent Fleetwood Mac episode and less like the Rocky Horror debacle! Todd VanDerWerff is as surprised as anyone at the news.