Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Raising Hope (Fox, 9 p.m., Friday): If you’ve read Todd VanDerWerff’s early review of this season, then you’ll know it hasn’t lost a step in the wake of Greg Garcia departing for parts unknown (okay, actually, just CBS). Still, Fox has relegated it to Fridays, where it will presumably garner low ratings and play out the syndication string for a few weeks—at a rate of two episodes per week for most of them—then eventually just sink away into the occasional TBS repeat. That’s too bad, and Phil Dyess-Nugent is going to save this show. Who’s with him, America?!
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Legend Of Korra (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m., Friday): Emily Guendelsberger has returned from her outer space vacation, just in time for another hourlong episode of the show. In the second half-hour, Korra tries to seal some spirit portals. Emily’s done that, too, and it necessitated a dozen trips to Home Depot.
Grimm (NBC, 9 p.m., Friday): Tonight’s episode involves some aquatic Wesen, which means that the review will be Kevin McFarland dressed up as Ariel the mermaid, singing “Part Of Your World.” Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to TV Club, but, actually, Kevin’s rendition is quite lovely.
Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC, 10 p.m., Friday): Jim Gaffigan drops by, presumably to talk about all of the My Boys episodes that never were and never will be. David Sims will feel an intense sadness at the prospect of that, because My Boys was the only television show that he ever truly loved like his own.
Dracula (NBC, 10 p.m., Friday): Tonight’s episode is entitled “From Darkness To Light,” and we wish this show would just suck it up and name an episode “Pocketful Of Dracula” already. Les Chappell has a pocketful of Dracula, and he’s just happy to see you. Because you brought him a really nice present.
Borgen (LinkTV, 1 a.m., Saturday): Borgen, Borgen, Borgen. Keep them doggies Borgen. Borgen, Borgen, Borgen. DENMARK! Rain and wind and coffee, hell bent for pastry. Wishin’ my statsminister was by my side. DENMARK! (Todd VanDerWerff neither supports nor condemns this theme song parody.)
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The X-Files (1 p.m., Saturday): After Mulder returned in a flashback last week, he now “officially” returns when the aliens realize he has a defect and try to give him back at their local FBI outpost, only to find they lack a receipt. Hilarity ensues, and Todd VanDerWerff will be there to describe all the laughs.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Alpha House (Amazon, 12 a.m., Friday): Amazon’s first big entry in the TV series game kicks off today with three straight episodes. Because they haven’t yet quite figured out the whole “timely screener” thing (or are trying to hide it), our TV Review will run early next week. But enjoy it unadvised for now!
Bones (Fox, 8 p.m., Friday): After literally years of threatening to do so, Fox has finally just given up any pretense of not wanting to move Bones to Fridays and gone ahead and done it. Will this kill the remarkably resilient procedural dead? We’re willing to bet it will be back on Mondays before too long.
Ghost Adventures (Travel, 9 p.m. Friday): One of the locations investigated by the team in this week’s episode is the so-called “H.P. Bottom House,” which sounds like either the sort of adorable home a stuffed animal would live in in a book by A.A. Milne or something just a little bit worth giggling over.
Against The Tide (Showtime, 10 p.m., Friday): Showtime’s latest sports documentary dares to ask what made Bear Bryant so great, without seeming to realize that it was probably the fact that his name was fucking “Bear”! If you haven’t already, check out Kevin McFarland’s early review of the new movie.
Undisputed Truth (HBO, 8 p.m., Saturday): Spike Lee directs this concert film of Mike Tyson’s recent Broadway one-man show about his life and times, and in reviewer Josh Modell’s estimation, that results in a lot of Iron Mike talking around the more unfortunate incidents of his life, which doesn’t quite work.
The Challenger Disaster (Discovery/Science, 9 p.m., Saturday): The Discovery family of networks makes one of its first big forays into scripted programming with this docudrama about the investigation into the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle. Zack Handlen thinks it’s well worth your time to watch.
Billy Madison (IFC, 8 p.m., Friday): Do you enjoy independent films? Would you like to watch one of the all-time classic indie films, starring Adam Sandler as a manchild with a whiny voice? Then you’re in luck because the Independent Film Channel has you covered on this fine evening. Go to town, little ones!
Lawless (TMC, 8 p.m., Friday): We were really excited for this movie in the buildup to its release, what with its all-star cast and intriguing premise. But then when it came out, the reviews were kind of lukewarm, and we eventually just lost interest. What’s On Tonighters: Did we make a huge mistake?
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Sundance, 8 p.m., Saturday): If you haven’t seen this masterful cinematic tone poem about the end of the American West, along with a bunch of other stuff, then block out some time tonight to make sure you get caught up with it.
NBA Basketball: Timberwolves at Nuggets (ESPN, 8 p.m., Friday): Serious, important question: If a timber wolf tried to eat a nugget of gold, what do you think would happen? He’d probably just bust up his teeth, but we’re betting he could eventually choke it down if he were sufficiently motivated.
U.S. Olympic Trials: Women’s curling (NBC Sports, 8 p.m., Saturday): Screw college football! The real action is going to be a bunch of women, most of them from Minnesota, walking before a sliding stone and sweeping the path before it just so. You will watch this, and you will enjoy it. We command you.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Returned (Thursday): Three episodes in, everybody’s favorite French show about the return of the dead to the land of the living is percolating right along, casting mysteries every which way like a flower girl who spreads mysteries rather than flowers. Erik Adams finds our simile to be quite labored.