Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Sunday, August 18. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
True Blood (HBO, 9 p.m.): The final episode of True Blood’s sixth season bears the title “Radioactive.” Wouldn’t it be hilarious if, after all the crazy, crusading politicians and possible vamp genocide, the finale just up and nuked Bon Temps, leaving the rest of the series to unfold in an atomic wasteland? No, it probably wouldn’t, because we’d hate to see what such a move did to Carrie Raisler, who’s had to put up with enough this season, hasn’t she?
REGULAR COVERAGE
Breaking Bad (AMC, 9 p.m.): And now, we move on to another kind of fallout, the type that accompanies fist fights between in-laws, cooked books, and a form of “cooking” that leaves a lot people dead. Donna Bowman never thought she’d write “consequences” so many times as she will in these final Breaking Bad reviews.
Dexter (Showtime, 9 p.m.): In Dexter’s Miami, it’s always something—either there’s a serial killer who requires dispatching, or there’s the protégé of a benevolent murderer who might prove too much to handle. Joshua Alston was too busy training his own protégé to cover the inevitable Dexter spinoff to notice.
Low Winter Sun (AMC, 10 p.m.): Dennis Perkins humbly requests that you give his reviews of this new crime drama a shot, even though it was the show that made you wait 30 minutes for a preview of tonight’s Breaking Bad. 30 minutes? Geez Louise—you wait that long, you oughta get a free pizza out of the deal. (Will you read the review if Dennis provides free pizza?)
The Newsroom (HBO, 10 p.m.): Return to the heady days of 2011 when the Republican Party tried so, so hard to convince itself that dictionary illustration of a “businessman” Mitt Romney was a viable challenger for the Oval Office. Todd VanDerWerff always thought “binders of women” sounded like something a male Newsroom character dreamed up.
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 10 p.m.): It’s a day of sad remembrance for the Donovans. And, no, it’s not the anniversary of Bill Buckner letting that grounder dribble through his legs. Though as a New Yorker, Sonia Saraiya can see herself getting a kick out of an episode like that.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Farscape (11 a.m.): Alasdair Wilkins approaches all three hours of Farscape’s epic “Liars, Guns, And Money” trilogy, which is a lot like Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, And Videotape, only it didn’t help launch the American independent film movement—and none of the aliens in these three episodes look very much like James Spader. But aside from that, totally similar.
Saturday Night Live (Classic) (1 p.m.): Dick Cavett pays his first visit to Studio 8H, but Phil Dyess-Nugent can’t stop mentally superimposing Rick Moranis’ SCTV version of Cavett over the genuine article. That sounds like a wonderful lead in to, uh, a clip…
The Simpsons (Classic) (3 p.m.): Erik Adams is unable to fulfill his Simpsons duties this week, but please accept this review written by Guy Incognito. Erik? Who is Erik? His name is Guy In-cog-nito!
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Whodunnit? (ABC, 9 p.m.): The faux murder mystery comes to an end, with the killer finally revealing his or herself. Your What’s On Tonight correspondent’s guess, as it has been since day one: The butler did it. Even if he’s been the one doling out the rules of the show this whole time, he still did it.
Orange County Choppers (CMT, 8 p.m.): Less than a year after Discovery Channel totaled American Chopper and sold it for scrap, the mustachioed men of Orange County Choppers ride again, for two full hours. But with Paul Teutul Jr. out of the mix, how will the stars ever find a reason to yell at one another?
Tattoo Titans (CMT, 10 p.m.): The two-hour Teutul assault seems partially designed to insulate this competition series, which appears to be the Chopped to Ink Master’s Top Chef—so, like Orange County Choppers, not a wholly original concept.
Crossing Lines (NBC, 10 p.m.): William Fichtner’s international team of crimefighters just might have located its archnemesis—and in an interesting, cross-network twist, it’s been the butler from Whodunnit this whole time!
Rush Hour (Encore, 8 p.m.): Do you? Understand? The words that are being typed in this sentence? If so, then you’ve probably seen this Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker buddy-cop comedy before. You might also be Brett Ratner. (If, however, you’re the butler from Whodunnit: Come out with your hands up! We have the place surrounded!)
The Great Race (TCM, 8 p.m.): Intended by director Blake Edwards as a farcical tribute to the slapstick comedies of the silent era, this post-Some Like It Hot reunion between Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon (which also brought together an armful of their best, A-list friends) later impressed its own influence on Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races. (Dick Dastardly sprang pretty much fully formed from the mustache Lemmon wears in the film.)
NFL Football: Exhibition: Colts at Giants (Fox, 7 p.m.): The gridironing continues apace, as the New York Football Giants host the Colts of Indianapolis—but not in New York as you might think! No, to witness this match, one must venture into the Meadowlands of New Jersey, a region no longer plagued by Devils or Nets—they’re Newark and Brooklyn’s problem, now.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Being Human: In its final season, Being Human finally let loose and had a little fun with its “can three supernatural beings share an apartment without driving each other crazy?” premise— or so Phil Dyess-Nugent assured us. Did the show manage to maintain that sense of fun through its series finale? Like a Brit who saw the original broadcast of the finale in March, Phil can now answer that question.