Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, September 22. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Easy (Netflix, 3 a.m.): Given that The A.V. Club’s offices are located in Chicago, we’re always on the lookout for a Chicago-set series that doesn’t involve the words “Fire,” “Med,” or “P.D.” And Netflix is finally delivering what Dick Wolf hasn’t been able to: A low-key Chicago sex dramedy. Created by Drinking Buddies’ Joe Swanberg, the anthology series follows “diverse Chicago characters as they fumble through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture.” Plus it stars seemingly every actor under the sun, including Malin Akerman, Jake Johnson, Marc Maron, Dave Franco, Hannibal Buress, Emily Ratajkowski, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Aya Cash, and Orlando Bloom. While she’s personally never spotted the former Legolas on the CTA, Danette Chavez is still more than equipped to put her Chicago bonafides to good use in her pre-air review.
Notorious (ABC, 9 p.m.): Sandwiched between Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder, Notorious steps into Scandal’s usual time slot. (Never fear, Olivia Pope is set to return mid-season.) And ABC has no qualms about introducing Notorious as its latest Shonda Rhimes-esque soapy drama, even though the show isn’t created by Rhimes herself. Piper Perabo plays a high profile news producer who secretly works with her criminal defense lawyer best friend (Daniel Sunjata) to ensure that both her ratings and his clients get a boost. Gwen Ihnat was less than impressed in her pre-air review.
Pitch (Fox, 9 p.m.): It can be hard for pilots to distinguish themselves this time of year, but Pitch comes with one of the most memorable premises of the fall: Kylie Bunbury stars as Ginny Baker, the first woman to play Major League Baseball. But can her famed screwball pitch withstand the weight of so many hopes and dreams riding on it? In her pre-air review, Danette Chavez didn’t feel the show’s premiere quite hit a home run. But Pitch is certainly strong enough to get on base.
Premieres and finales
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8 p.m.): While our weekly coverage of Grey’s isn’t returning, the show is barreling into its 13th season with no signs of slowing down. Alex deals with the fall-out of beating up DeLuca while April butts heads with Catherine over her new baby. So long as sardonic post-McDreamy Meredith is back in full-force, we’re once again happy to pick, choose, and love Grey’s Anatomy. Gwen Ihnat will stop by to check out the start of lucky season 13.
Rosewood (Fox, 8 p.m.): We’re using the return of this Fox procedural as a chance to remind you that an actor named Morris Chestnut is currently playing a character called Beaumont Rosewood. If that’s not proof that we’re living in an occasionally glitching Matrix, we don’t know what is.
Superstore (NBC, 8 p.m.): Superstore has proven to be the little show that could; it produced an increasingly strong first season despite a lack of buzz and even earned a coveted Olympics special this summer. Now the show returns with a proper second season premiere. The Cloud 9 employees go on strike following their season finale walk-out. Plus Amy and Jonah discover they aren’t the best at negotiating. Also check out Erik Adams’ interview with Mark McKinney on what Superstore’s second season may hold.
The Good Place (NBC, 8:30 p.m.): Dennis Perkins was more than smitten by The Good Place’s premiere on Monday, which is good because he gets a double dose of Kristen Bell this week. The Good Place settles into its regular Thursday time slot as Eleanor continues to try to settle into The Good Place.
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10 p.m.): How To Get Away With Murder may have been on hiatus this summer, but Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya never takes a break from Shondaland. In a new For Our Consideration, Kayla explores the ways Shonda Rhimes’ protagonists are defined by what they drink. And tonight, “Tekayla” pours herself a cold one and dives into HTGAWM third season premiere as well. The Keating Five begin their second year of law school while Annalise deals with a potential PR crisis. Sounds like nothing a little vodka can’t fix.
Regular Coverage
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Logo, 8 p.m.)
Better Things (FX, 10 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Saved By The Bell, “Rockumentary” (Netflix): If you check out the Pitch premiere, prepare to have your mind blown at some point by the discovery that the show’s grizzled (and bearded) star baseball player is portrayed by none other than Mark-Paul Gosselaar. In honor of the Gossaissance, revisit Gosselaar’s origin story with this classic Saved By The Bell episode. In “Rockumentary,” the Bayside gang form a band called Zack Attack and proceed to rise to fame, fall from grace, and reunite—all within the span of half an hour.