Michael Bolton’s V-Day special continues to erase the more sincere side of his music
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, February 7. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Michael Bolton’s Big Sexy Valentine’s Day Special (Netflix): Over the past 15 years or so, Michael Bolton’s sense of humor has evolved. Where he once got his feathers easily ruffled by the likes of music critics and Conan O’Brien, he’s since developed a comedic self-awareness, often participating in jokes he’d otherwise be the butt of. That perspective has carried over to his latest special, a V-Day extravaganza directed by Scott Aukerman and Akiva Schaffer. The latter already worked with Bolton on The Lonely Island’s “Jack Sparrow” and their mockumentary, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, meaning that we can probably expect more absurdity and quasi-irony, especially given the presence of several A-list comedians and “all-new original love-making music.” That sounds entertaining and all, but it also makes one wonder… what would a sincere Michael Bolton Valentine’s Day special look like in 2017? Is such a thing even possible anymore? It could arguably be just as funny.
How The Universe Works (Science, 10 p.m.): Just because science should be celebrated right now. Tonight’s fifth-season finale bears the title “Strangest Alien Worlds,” which include environments without stars and ones made up completely of diamonds. That raises the most important question of all: If these diamonds get swallowed by a black hole, do they become black diamonds? The Starchild thinks yes:
Premieres and finales
Inside The NFL (Showtime, 9 p.m.): Needless to say, there will be a lot to talk about this week in the 38th season finale.
Lawless Oceans (NGC, 9 p.m.): For its first season, Lawless Oceans has centered on real-life special investigator Karsten Von Hoesslin trying to solve a string of mysterious murders at sea. The investigation has reportedly led to encounters with everything from drug-smuggling to people-trafficking, making us wonder if tonight’s finale will reveal that The Greek was behind it all.
Imposters (Bravo, 10 p.m.): Bravo’s third scripted series stars Inbar Lavi as an identity-shifting con-artist who seduces a variety of men and women, only to take them for all they’re worth. The show premieres tonight.
Tosh.0 (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.): For eight seasons straight, polarizing comedian Daniel Tosh has managed to survive the decline of the clip show (and how!), which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you feel about Daniel Tosh. He returns for a ninth season tonight, and it’s almost certain that he’ll be seeking out Sean Spicer for a Web Redemption of… well, everything he’s ever said.
Detroiters (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.): Our own Alex McCown-Levy pointed out the challenge of drawing humor from the revitalization of Detroit, but hey, we’re more than willing to give this new Jason Sudeikis-produced vehicle a shot. And we’ll rev up for it by listening to this:
Regular coverage
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.)
New Girl (Fox, 8 p.m.)
WWE SmackDown! Live (USA, 8 p.m.)
The Mick (Fox, 8:30 p.m.)
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow (The CW, 9 p.m.)
This Is Us (NBC, 9 p.m.)
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 10 p.m.)
Taboo (FX, 10 p.m.)
Streaming pick
The Crow (Netflix): KISS would admittedly be very out of place on the iconically gothy soundtrack, but the film is set in Detroit. Also, Eric Draven’s makeup was apparently inspired by the kabuki face paint of The Hottest Band In The World. Actually, scratch that. It looks like Crow creator James O’Barr based the design off a marionette mask he saw painted on a theater in London.