Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Sunday, October 11th. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Librarians (TNT, 8 p.m.): Even as we head into November, fall premieres show no signs of ending. TNT continues the content march with season two of its Warehouse 13–meets-Leverage action/adventure series wherein Rebecca Romijn, John Larroquette, Noah Wyle (occasionally), and company hunt and protect magical artifacts. Joshua Alston was lukewarm on the start of the first season, although he did endorse it as “the type of high-energy nonsense for which the phrase ‘madcap romp’ was invented.” And since the two-hour premiere pits the team against a massive storm over New York, Frankenstein’s monster, and Professor Moriarty, we’re guessing it’s going to hang onto that title for another year.
Also noted (finale edition)
Project Greenlight (HBO, 10 p.m.): That’s a wrap on The Leisure Class in the season four finale, as Jason Mann and company finally finish shooting and race to have the film ready by the red carpet premiere. Scott Von Doviak’s pulled out his best tux for the occasion and is confident that limo will be there to pick him up any minute now.
Also noted
Sunday Night Football, Packers at Broncos (NBC, 8:20 p.m.): With all the Fox comedies taking the week off, we’ll use their space to tout our love for the Green Bay Packers. An easy love to have this week given that the Packers are 6-0 this year, and are coming off a bye week to be in prime form against the similarly undefeated Denver Broncos. Clay Matthews is going to eat no fewer than three horses to prime himself for the action. Your What’s On Tonight correspondent will content himself with a plate of chili cheese nachos.
The Walking Dead (AMC, 9 p.m.): So, after The Thing That Happened last week, events have seemingly snowballed into a no-win situation for the Walking Dead creative team. Either it turns out to be true and everyone’s angry they killed off [REDACTED], or the writers back out of the situation and everyone’s angry that they were just toying with our emotions and lowering the stakes of this world. In the midst of all this anger, Zack Handlen remains an oasis of calm.
The Leftovers (HBO, 9 p.m.): The focus shifts back to the Jamisons, as Matt leaves Miracle to try to learn more about his wife’s condition and realizes getting back in is a lot harder than he thought. “Oh, if only he still had that blue box that allowed him to go wherever and whenever he wanted, he wouldn’t be in this mess,” Joshua Alston wrly chuckles to himself.
The Good Wife (CBS, 9 p.m.): Exiling Alicia to the world of bond court has done a good turn for this season in Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya’s eyes, particularly as Alicia has to learn that she can’t be the “bond court superhero” she wants to be. Give it time, Alicia—between those Supergirl numbers last week and the constant evolution of The Good Wife’s status quo, there’s a real chance CBS and the Kings could decide that making you an actual superhero is the right course of action.
Homeland (Showtime, 9 p.m.): Carrie and Saul deal with the rise of “the hacktivists.” If only this could turn into a Mr. Robot crossover, we’d be the happiest person on the planet. C’mon, try to imagine a scene between Rami Malek and Claire Danes trying to out-intensity each other, or Christian Slater dancing circles around F. Murray Abraham and Mandy Patinkin in an interrogation scene. This is the point where Joshua Alston yells at us to stop reading his fan fiction.
Quantico (ABC, 10 p.m.): “In the future, Alex is helped with her effort to hack into an FBI computer.” We know that the future they’re referring to is in fact present-day, but Joshua Alston is enjoying the nuttiness of this show so much he wouldn’t have a problem with the introduction of some bona fide science fiction elements. We’re sure Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. could spare some props and special effects to push it over the edge.
Regular coverage
Once Upon A Time (ABC, 8 p.m.)
The Affair (Showtime, 10 p.m.)
Classic coverage
The Simpsons (3 p.m.): At first, Les Chappell was looking forward to his review of “This Little Wiggy,” until he realized that it would require a stop at the Knowledgeum. He doesn’t think good things don’t end with -eum, they end with -mania or -teria. But then we told him there’d be beer and it was all good.
Tomorrow in TV Club
Did you watch ABC’s The Quest last year and marvel that in a sea of American idols and storage warriors a show with some personality had finally emerged? Well, our latest Inventory has you covered, as we scour the vaults of the reality show genre for the ones that were too weird to live and too rare to die, the pirates and accessorizers and pitchers (both sports and advertising) that someone thought could form the nucleus of a weekly competition.
Elsewhere, Erik Adams chats with Aziz Ansari prior to the release of his new Netflix series Master Of None, and the end result is a typically candid conversation where Ansari describes how influences ranging from Richard Linklater to Warren Beatty to Sylvia Plath helped make the show what it is.
What else is on?
Madam Secretary (CBS, 8:30 p.m.): This week’s various tensions include a hacker who’s tampered with the communication system on Air Force One. Every time you push a button on the intercom, all you get is a gravelly voice saying “Get off my plane!”
Blood And Oil (ABC, 9 p.m.): We’re kind of out of things to say about this one, so we’re just going to assume that this week has a lot of convoluted and loaded conversations about whether blood or oil is thicker, and awaiting the shocking twist when it turns out that water was in fact the thickest one all along. Thick as thieves, as it were! Sorry, we’re just mixing all the metaphors.
CSI: Cyber (CBS, 10 p.m.): The title department is back in top form this week with “hack E.R.” for an episode about how a cyber-terrorist is able to take an entire hospital hostage. Finally, something that’s more inefficient for your healthcare than hospital red tape!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO, 11 p.m.): Last week was a repeat, so once again, here’s Oliver’s thoughts on the Canadian election.
The Great British Baking Show (PBS, 7 p.m.): Everything’s French for our four semi-finalists, with canapes and an opera cake on the menu. The true method chefs will be deploying a guillotine to chop up their ingredients.
The Real Housewives Of Orange County (Bravo, 7 p.m.): “An episode featuring social-media content.” So, basically, any episode of television that was made in the last six months, correct?
Home Fires (PBS, 8 p.m.): “A happy occasion turns dark when reality takes hold.” Reality, can’t you just let us have this one happy occasion? You have to ruin everything, you bastard, with your lack of dragons and jet packs.
Tis The Season For Love (Hallmark, 8 p.m.): We’re officially in November, so you know what that means! Terrible Christmas movies! Hallmark kicks off the charge with Sarah Lancaster playing a struggling actress who returns to her home town to unexpectedly find opportunities. Will she perhaps find love too? Well, as Hallmark says in the description, “this is the kind of thing that seems to happen during the Christmas season all the time.” And will probably happen about a dozen more times between now and December 25.
Holiday Baking Championship (Food Network, 9 p.m.): Also with November comes holiday cooking shows, with chocolate and pies all around! Loosen up your belt, it’s only going to get sweeter.
Indian Summers On Masterpiece (PBS, 9 p.m.): A mountaineer causes trouble on this week’s installment. We assume that said trouble is related to climbing mountains that other people would rather he not climb, and for whom the excuse “because it’s there” doesn’t fly.
A Student’s Obsession (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): “A high-school teacher is stalked by one of her students, and she must use her wit and strength to save her family from the obsessed boy.” This sounds a lot like the remake of the Jennifer Lopez classic The Boy Next Door to us. And that, funnily enough, makes us want to watch it twice.
Talking Dead (AMC, 10 p.m.): Josh Gad of 1600 Penn and The Wedding Ringer talks about tonight’s episode, in what we assume is an effort to add some much less embarrassing credits to his resume.
Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network, 10 p.m.): “Cookies are made with laser-sharp precision.” And dare we hope, actual lasers.
Crimson Tide (BBC, 7 p.m.): Not a 30 For 30 on the University of Alabama, but Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington going lockjaw to lockjaw in an effort to stave off nuclear annihilation.
Grease (ABC Family, 7 p.m.): “In Grease, there’s nothing so wonderful as the world we’ve already left, and no future so bright as the past.” So said Keith Phipps a few years ago when he finally saw this film, and so say we all.
Man Of Steel (FX, 8 p.m.): Was Supergirl’s first episode too fun, too optimistic, and too devoid of city-wide death, devastation, and Michael Shannon screaming for you? Well, Zack Snyder has you covered.
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (Sundance, 8 p.m.): It’s a day late for Sundance to air this John Carpenter “classic,” but at least it lets us make this reference one more time.
Three hundred and sixty-four days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween! Three hundred and sixty-four days to Halloween, Silver Shamrock!
The Salton Sea, Deep Blue Sea, Black Sea (Cinemax, 6:25 pm, 8:10 p.m., 10 p.m.): Cinemax is going with an oddly themed movie marathon tonight, just picking three films that have the word “sea” in the title and stringing them together in a row. Our top pick from the list is Deep Blue Sea, because in addition to all its dumb fun and Samuel L. Jackson scenery-chewing (and the scenery chewing Samuel L. Jackson) it’s the movie that gave us this epic number by NCIS: LA star LL Cool J.
Sportsball!
MLS Soccer Playoffs, Conference Semifinals (Fox Sports, 7 p.m.)
In case you missed it
Ash vs. Evil Dead: Michael Roffman has one word for you: Groovy.