Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, March 24. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Catch (ABC, 10 p.m.): ABC’s latest series offers a brand new take on the Shondaland formula: A hyper-competent woman has to balance her personal life with her high-stakes job! Okay, so maybe it isn’t exactly mold-breaking, but Joshua Alston was relatively charmed by the show in his pre-air review. As he writes: “Of Shonda Rhimes’ block of Thursday night dramas, The Catch most resembles Scandal, with a gorgeous, well-heeled squad of operators doing dirty work for powerful people…[but it] distinguishes itself from its Shondaland peers by being bubbly, not just soapy.” Created by Jennifer Schuur and Helen Gregory and developed by Allan Heinberg, the series stars Mireille Enos as a top-notch private investigator named Alice who is conned out of millions by her fiancé (Peter Krause). She sets out to get payback in ways that will likely lend themselves to cute outfits and zippy montages. The Catch slips into How To Get Away With Murder’s old time slot, joining Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal as part of ABC’s “TGIT” lineup. Perhaps that means we’ll also learn where Mireille Enos stands on Hillary Clinton.
Also noted
Baskets (FX, 10 p.m.): Have you been watching Baskets? Because Vikram Murthi would like to inform you that this Zach Galifianakis dramedy has had a phenomenal first season. And it all comes to a close tonight in the season finale (thankfully, however, the show has already been renewed for a another year). Dale learns about cacti, Christine tries to manage her diabetes, and Chip hits a new low point, which could very well result in a new high for Baskets.
Portlandia (IFC, 10 p.m.): It’s also time for the Portlandia season finale, which caps off a similarly strong sixth season. The mayor tries to impress a major brand that might be looking to set up shop in Portland. Unfortunately, that proves to be rather difficult when a noodle monster begins terrorizing the city. Les Chappell hates it when that happens.
Vikings (History Channel, 10 p.m.): Things get international on this week’s Vikings. Ragnar plans to re-raid Paris, where Rollo is waiting for him. Meanwhile Ecbert sends Aethelwulf and Alfred on a pilgrimage to Rome. Dennis Perkins hopes everyone remembers to pack their passports.
Regular Coverage
Daredevil (Netflix, 12 p.m.)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8 p.m.)
Scandal (ABC, 9 p.m.)
Elsewhere in TV Club
***Programming Note: What’s On Tonight is getting a revamp starting Monday, March 28th. We’re aiming to bring you an even more useful guide that offers easy-to-find information on premieres, returns, and streaming recommendations. These new WOTs will now debut at 9 a.m. EST each morning, where we very much look forward to your Jeopardy recap threads in the comments section.***
Otherwise there’s a lot of interview content in TV Club today: We chat with the one and only Sutton Foster about Younger’s second season finale and her upcoming role on the Gilmore Girls revival. Elsewhere we have a brand new Random Roles with Louie Anderson, which touches on everything from Baskets to Life With Louie to the diving reality show Splash. And finally, at 10 a.m. we’ll be bringing you an interview with Last Week Tonight writer Josh Gondelman
What else is on?
LEGO Ninjago (Cartoon Network, 7:30 p.m.): What’s better than ninjas? Lego ninjas! At least that’s what Cartoon Network is hoping with this brand new series built around their Lego Ninjago line. In the premiere, the ninjas return from the Cursed Realm and have to face a new evil. We recommend they simple lay on the floor and wait for this new evil to walk around barefoot—that’ll show ‘em!
You, Me, And The Apocalypse (NBC, 8 p.m.): In You, Me, And The Apocalypse’s penultimate episode, Jamie is separated from Layla and Frankie while Celine returns to Slough. Emily L. Stephens will be back next week to weigh in on the finale.
Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): The all-star designers must create “evening-resort fashions” using another designer’s chosen fabric. But more importantly, Megan Hilty is this week’s guest judge, which is reason enough for us to share a Smash song (R.I.P. Smash).
Sisters In Law (We, 10 p.m.): WE’s newest reality series centers on a tight-knit group of high-powered black female lawyers in Houston Texas. According to WE, “The ladies may differ in their fundamental beliefs when it comes to right and wrong, but what they have in common is their passion for trying cases in a traditionally white, male-dominated profession.” While the title and the tagline (“Raising the bar in every way”) are a little much, we’ll give the show points for shining a light on some unsung trailblazers.
Shades Of Blue (NBC, 10 p.m.): Harlee and Wozniak deal with the fallout from the heist, and Jennifer Lopez continues to really pull off that messy bob in the penultimate episode of Shades Of Blue’s first season.
Movie Marathon BvS edition
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Wonder Woman hits theaters tonight, so gear up for the premiere with all the Batman and/or Superman related movies on TV today. As with BvS, however, quality is not guaranteed:
- Superman II (SyFy, 5 p.m.)
- Man Of Steel (FX, 7 p.m.)
- Superman III (SyFy, 8 p.m.)
- The Dark Knight Rises (TNT, 8 p.m.)
- Superman IV (SyFy, 11 p.m.)
- Batman & Robin (Encore, 11:05 p.m.)
NCAA Basketball: Villanova vs. Miami (CBS, 7 p.m.): NCAA Basketball once again preempts The Big Bang Theory, proving reports of nerd cultural dominance have been greatly exaggerated.
In case you missed it
Younger: Alex Panje’s excellent reviews of Younger’s second season come to an end with the season finale, “No Weddings & A Funeral.” Millennials (or forty-somethings posing as Millennials) should be sure to check it out.