Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Wednesday, February 26. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
The Americans (FX, 10 p.m.): Look, guys, What’s On Tonight doesn’t like to fan out, but The Americans is back! It’s better than ever! (Cue grousing from the people who believe it was never all that good to begin with, WHO ARE WRONG.) The adventures of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, KGB spies living in early ‘80s Washington, D.C., continue apace, and this season, they’re going to track down the United States’ top two secret agents: a particularly squirrelly squirrel and one dunderheaded moose. Who will triumph? Boris and… er, Philip and Elizabeth? Or Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose? Todd VanDerWerff and Genevieve Koski are pulling moose and squirrel. Elsewhere, Todd went to the set of the show and has some thoughts on it navigating its second season.
ALSO NOTED
Arrow (The CW, 8 p.m.): Oliver’s bringin’ Sara into the Arrow family. Felicity’s feelin’ left out. And when Felicity feels left out, you’re going to feel left out, too, because Emily Bett Rickards is just that good. Why, Alasdair Wilkins is feeling bereft just thinking about it!
Revolution (NBC, 8 p.m.): Revolution and Les Chappell fought the good fight, but even a creative upturn in season two couldn’t combat the awful one-two combination that was the terrible first season and the move to a timeslot when fewer of you had it on your radar. This is our last regular review of it.
Survivor (CBS, 8 p.m.): Eighteen castaways are divided into three tribes: brains, brawn, and beauty. Carrie Raisler is already groaning at all of the reductive stereotypes the show will surely employ! It’s good to have you back, Survivor.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Middle (ABC, 8 p.m.)
Suburgatory (ABC, 8:30 p.m.)
Modern Family (ABC, 9 p.m.)
Workaholics (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.)
Broad City (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.)
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Mad Men (1 p.m.): Peggy gets to write copy for a supposed weight-loss device that actually gives a, er, certain sensation to a, uh, woman, uh, down there. Todd VanDerWerff wishes they had stuck with Don’s original name suggestion of “Electrosizer.”
ELSEWHERE IN TV CLUB
Our TV Reviews section has some great stuff going on, with Phil Dyess-Nugent taking a look at the second season of Legit, which returns tonight on FXX at 10 p.m. Eastern. He likes what he sees. We can’t say the same for Brandon Nowalk when it comes to Sundance’s The Red Road, debuting tomorrow.
It’s TV Club 10 day, and it’s time for Robert David Sullivan to put the [blank] in the [blank] with his selection of 10 essential Match Game episodes. We’ll be handing out some handsome imaginary prizes to those of you who make the best Match Game innuendos in comments, so get those thinking caps on!
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Opposite Worlds (Syfy, 8 p.m.): It’s the finale of this ridiculous reality show competition, which, sadly, does not end every episode with one contestant yelling at another that they can never understand each other because they come from OPPOSITE WORLDS!
The Tomorrow People (The CW, 9 p.m.): The CW’s erstwhile superhero show returns to this timeslot for a while, before being rudely dispatched to Mondays in the middle of next month, in favor of The 100. Get your jollies now, Tomorrow People! You won’t have Wednesdays forever!
Mixology (ABC, 9:30 p.m.): David Sims was not a fan of this program, comparing it to being trapped in some sort of nightmarish hell dimension with a bunch of irritating people. Honestly, What’s On Tonight has stayed in David Sims’ apartment, and we wouldn’t say it was all that different.
Super Skyscrapers (PBS, 10 p.m.): Finally, someone is ready to tell us the truth about mutant skyscrapers and how they pose a serious threat to normal skyscrapers. Call your friends and family, and tell them to watch this important program.
Braveheart (AMC, 6 p.m.): What’s On Tonight was just thinking the other day about what the worst Best Picture was, and we thought long and hard about this one before going with something else. But seriously, this movie isn’t very good.
Sydney White (ABC Family, 9 p.m.): Add this to the long list of Amanda Bynes star vehicles we had completely forgotten about the existence of.
NBA Basketball: Pelicans at Mavericks (ESPN, 8 p.m.): People still keep mocking New Orleans for its new choice of mascot, but we don’t get it. The pelican, ‘tis a noble bird.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Justified (Tuesday): We’ve reached the point in every Justified season where it becomes almost as exciting to try to figure out if the writers have any idea where they’re going with all of this stuff as it does to watch the show itself. Alasdair Wilkins keeps the faith.