Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Sex Box (WE, 10 p.m., Friday): In the series premiere of this remake of the British reality show of the same name, couples have sex. In a box. The Sex Box. Then they come out all flushed and sweaty and a group of experts ask them questions about their relationship, presumably starting with, “Did you really both think it was a good idea to have sex in a box on national television?” Our own Joshua Alston reviews the first two episodes from inside the A.V. Club’s suspiciously similar-looking Reviewing Box. Meanwhile, Helen Lovejoy doesn’t need two episodes to chime in with her feelings:
Also noted
Glee (Fox, 9 p.m., Friday): The New Directions prepare to perform at a bar mitzvah, as Glee’s narrative voice continues to crack like Peter Brady’s in its final season. Brandon Nowalk soldiers on, covering the off-key carnage.
12 Monkeys (Syfy, 9 p.m., Friday): This week, Stephen McHattie stops by to menace Cassie and promptly disappear again, continuing this series’ trend of underusing cool character actors (see: Robert Wisdom, Tom Noonan, Zeljko Ivanek). Despite being pleasantly surprised by this series at times, Emily L. Stephens is getting steamed about that.
Banshee (Cinemax, 10 p.m., Friday): Lucas and Brock investigate an underground fight club, meaning that either Lucas or Brock doesn’t actually exist. While Les Chappell would be surprised if that actually turns out to be the case on this brilliantly bananas show’s best season, he wouldn’t be that surprised.
Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC, 11 p.m., Friday): LaToya Ferguson sees how Jesse Tyler (No Relation) Ferguson’s Modern Family vibe meshes with Scott and Reggie’s avant-garde goofiness. With guest appearances by CB!B! all-star weirdo Seth Morris and….NORM! (Okay, George Wendt.)
Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30 p.m., Saturday): Dakota Johnson hosts the first show back after the big 40th Anniversary special, so you know what that means—90 minutes of Ben And Kate sketches! Nat Faxon makes a cameo as Ben, pitching impractical sketch ideas to Lorne! Echo Kellum makes an Update debut as new correspondent Paulo! Alabama Shakes returns as musical guest, with lead singer/musical powerhouse Brittany Howard introducing their new Ben And Kate-themed concept album, “You Can Count On Me!” Because Dakota Johnson will be remembered for Ben And Kate—and nothing else ever happened. Ever.
Elsewhere in TV Club
Continuing the TV Club celebration of the best television finales of all time, Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya explains why Angel’s “Not Fade Away” belongs in the conversation. Then shifting from endings to beginnings (although about the end of the world), Molly Eichel brings us a TV Review of the first few episodes of Will Forte’s The Last Man On Earth. Then Marah Eakin sits down (on the phone, but still) with Togetherness and The Lazarus Effect star Mark Duplass for 11 Questions. No more, no less, Duplass.
What else is on
House Of Cards (Netflix, 3 a.m., Friday): After briefly being allowed to escape early in what was absolutely, positively not a publicity stunt, Netflix officially releases a third season of Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood on the unsuspecting Internet in the wee hours of the morning. Check in on Monday, March 2, for a double-dose of T.V. Club reviews, with Joshua Alston giving the whole season a once-over in his TV Review, while Scott Von Doviak handles the episodic reviews with two-at-a-time on Mondays and Fridays.
Parks And Recreation (Esquire, 8-10 p.m., Friday): Now that one of the best sitcoms ever has ended, revealing the ultimate fates of almost all its characters, tune in to Esquire’s mini-marathon reruns to see if you can spot exactly where the show’s creators started planting clues about where Nibbler started messing with the time stream.
Great Performances—La Dolce Vita: The Music Of Italian Cinema (PBS, 9 p.m., Friday): The New York Philharmonic plays tribute to some of the most memorable scores from classic Italian movies, such as Ennio Morricone’s score from Cinema Paradiso and Nino Rota’s from Amarcord. Open yourself a nice bottle of wine.
Helix (Syfy, 10 p.m., Friday): “Things go from bad to worse on the island”? Considering these people have had to deal with a deadly plague, murderous survivors of said plague, and I seem to recall talk of radioactive bees at one point, that should probably be “things go from worse to double-secret worse,” right?
U.S. Curling Grand Prix (NBCSP, 10 p.m., Friday): Tune in for the frictionless thrills of America’s second-favorite “disc-shaped objects sliding on ice” sports.
The Jack & Triumph Show (Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m., Friday): The newest offbeat offering from Adult Swim did not find a sympathetic wavelength in A.V. Clubber Ben Phillippe in its premiere last week. Tune in and see if Jack McBrayer and Triumph can pull it together for episode two, as they go into business together.
Hot Package (Adult Swim, 12:30 a.m., Saturday): Since you’re awake and all weirded out already, why not stay up for the second season premiere of this unsettlingly funny faux Entertainment Tonight-style celebrity news show from another dimension somehow more fame-obsessed and ridiculous than our own.
Good Witch (Hallmark, 8 p.m., Saturday): After using her twinkly magic only for good in a series of TV movies, Catherine Bell’s titular witch Cassie Nightingale is rewarded with her own series in this premiere episode.
The Musketeers (BBC America, 9 p.m., Saturday): The musketeers totally blow their mission to protect the king’s cousin. All for naught, jackasses.
Shania: Still The One Live From Vegas (ABC, 9 p.m., Saturday): The lack of punctuation suggests that Ms. Twain really wants us to know that of all the Shania Twains out there, this concert is being performed by the one Shania who continues to reside and perform live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kobe Bryant’s Muse (Showtime, 9 p.m., Saturday): This documentary about the life and career of (very) arguably the best basketball player ever was done with final approval from Bryant himself, so it’s sure to really delve into that whole “accused of rape” thing. If it turns out his muse is actually a basketball with a face drawn on it, that’ll at least be something. Noel Murray’s on hand to give us the play-by-play.
Black Sails (Starz, 9 p.m., Saturday): This pirate series gripping mix of ocean-going action and civil administration continues. Yarrrrr!
In case you missed it
Vikings: Dennis Perkins continues concerns about the direction of this third season, although he thinks Ragnar sailing smilingly into battle with the heads of his vanquished enemies mounted on his ship is a step in the right direction.