Nathan Fillion and his traveling band of merry men return to your TV sets in Castle
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, Jan. 9. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Castle (ABC, 10 p.m.): All right. Maybe TV isn’t quite ready to come back, since pretty much everybody’s in reruns again tonight. But Phil Nugent is happy that good ol’ Nathan Fillion and his carnival o’ fun are going to be rolling into town for their first new episode of 2012. In tonight’s episode, a surprising revelation in a case may lead to—gasp!—a delay in Ryan and Jenny’s wedding. Since Phil’s got so much riding on this wedding, we’re betting he’ll be pretty disappointed.
REGULAR COVERAGE
Misfits (Hulu, 8 p.m.): It’s finally time to travel back in time and kill Hitler, which is apparently a thing British shows were big on this season. If Rowan Kaiser could travel through time and kill one person, it would be James K. Polk. Just ‘cuz.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Scrubs (11 a.m.): Get ready for maximum McNutt as the good Mr. Myles McNutt reaches the two-thirds mark of the show’s first season with the episode that finally reveals just what “My Tuscaloosa Heart” means in regards to Dr. Kelso’s secrets.
Justice League (1 p.m.): These episodes feature Etrigan the Demon, and if you’re not enjoying DC’s new Demon Knights title, well you can just go to hell. That includes you, Oliver Sava. We know you’re going to haughtily dismiss it somehow. Don’t!
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family, 8 p.m.): This show came back last week, and we neglected to remind you of it because, well, just knowing it’s on always makes us feel a little skeevy. But if you enjoy watching pretty people lie about stuff, this is it.
First Week In (Discovery, 9 p.m.): It’s a new show from Discovery that’s all about what happens to people in their first week in prison. In our first week in prison, we’d be sure to master the fine art of playing pinochle as bloodsport. Of course.
Extreme Clutter (OWN, 10 p.m.): Listen, OWN. When you’re making your ripoff reality shows—and you’re totally ripping off Hoarders here and we all know it—you try to get a little distance between the original and the copy, not put it on right after!
Intervention (A&E, 10 p.m.): Just another in the long line of vaguely uncomfortable reality shows A&E has that are meant to make you feel good because you get your prescribed moment of cathartic release. Most of the time, we just feel kinda queasy.
The Andromeda Strain (TCM, 8 p.m.): There’s a virus from outer space that knocks out a small town in the middle of nowhere. And even if some of the plot twists are a little strained, this is a super fun science fiction mystery. Settle in.
Heat (Reelz, 8 p.m.): Prepare yourself for director Michael Mann’s work on HBO’s upcoming series Luck with this riveting crime drama that features the first scene Robert De Niro and Al Pacino ever shared on screen. And lots of other great stuff.
BCS Championship Game: Alabama vs. LSU (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.): It’s the last college football game of the year, with the winner taking home the national championship trophy. We’ll just say it: If it’s Alabama, that’s kinda bullshit. LSU should protest.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Shameless (Sunday): We enjoy this Showtime series, and we also enjoy that it is showing us some Chicago summertime views while we’re stuck here in the dead of winter. Joshua Alston pulls up a lawn chair and grabs a gin rickey for the premiere.