Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Coin Heist (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., Friday): In this Netflix original film, a quartet of diverse prep school students (“the hacker, the slacker, the athlete, and the perfect student”) decide the only way to solve their various problems is to pull off a—wait for it—coin heist! It’s like The Breakfast Club… but with a coin heist.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW, 8 & 9 p.m., Friday): What? Two Crazy Ex-Girlfriend episodes!? It’s truly a world gone mad, especially as Rebecca attempts to mend her relationship with Paula by volunteering to babysit Paula’s demon-seed son, Tommy. Suggested song titles for this special-timeslot episode: “Poison Control Hotline, Hello?”, “Reluctant Bonding: Reprise,” and “Inappropriate.” Then, Darryl sells Whitefeather & Associates? Man, this night just keeps whipping the surprises on us. Luckily, Allison Shoemaker is super on top of things doing double-duty, unlike Rebecca, whose plan to save everyone’s jobs no doubt goes musically awry.
Life, Animated (A&E, 8 p.m., Saturday): This documentary follows a young man with autism who has learned to relate to the world through the lens of his favorite Disney animated movies. In his review, Noel Murray says the film is a lot more challenging than the seemingly sickly-sweet description might make it sound.
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds (HBO, 8 p.m., Saturday): The tempestuous lives and iconic careers of mother-daughter duo Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher come to us a little earlier than originally planned, as HBO pushes up the release date of this dual doc. Each woman created an enduring, unique show business legacy that left fans from the entire age spectrum seriously bummed out when they died just a day apart recently in the year that shall not be named. Break out the tissues.
Premieres and finales
Degrassi: Next Class (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., Friday): The third season of the beloved Canadian teen drama is what it’s all about. Say it. Say “about.” You know you want to.
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan & Jane (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., Friday): This new animated series takes the monkey-lovin’ Tarzan back to the original stories’ conception of the nobleman-gone-feral John Clayton as he adjusts back into British society life. Perhaps further afield from Burroughs, he’s now a hunky 16-year-old at a snooty English boarding school, fighting injustice and courting fellow student Jane Porter.
One Day At A Time (Netflix, 3:01 a.m., Friday): Six Feet Under’s Justina Machado steps into Bonnie Franklin’s sensible shoes in this remake of the Norman Lear sitcom classic about an independent single mom coping with her two rebellious daughters and her meddling mom (played here by the agelessly amazing Rita Moreno). Will this reboot rise above the fate of most such outings? Well, possibly, but it will no doubt result in a very confused battle between jerks moaning about the new version’s focus on a Cuban-American family and jerks moaning about its revival of the original’s proudly feminist point of view.
Grimm (NBC, 8 p.m., Friday): Captain Renard calls a shoot-to-kill manhunt on Nick, just because of all that murder in Nick’s loft at the end of season five. Nick attempts to escape—possibly on the technicality that he’s not a completely human man at this point. Portland native Les Chappell, as ever, is back to review this sixth and final season, and, also as ever, is scanning the streets in the vain hope that the show’s demon-infested Portland will start to spill over into his beloved, yet demon-free city. Les likes excitement, you guys.
Emerald City (NBC 9 p.m., Friday): “But do we really need another gritty ’re-imagining’ of The Wizard Of Oz, NBC?” “You’re goddamned right we do!” “Well, okay. Can we at least have Vincent D’Onofrio as the Wizard?” “[Pauses.] Yes. Yes you may.”
Sleepy Hollow (Fox, 9 p.m., Friday): Hey! Remember how the delicious chemistry between series leads Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison was always your favorite part of this supernatural series? Well, um, how would you feel about a Beharie-less season four with just Ichabod Crane fighting some ghosts and stuff? Anyone?
Ransom (CBS, 8 p.m., Saturday): This hostage negotiator thriller series, starring Game Of Thrones’ Luke Roberts, shows that the combined production might of four nations (Canada, the U.S., France, and Germany) can produce a show that looks exactly like a CBS cop series.
Mythbusters: The Search (Science, 9 p.m., Saturday): With the B-team from the original Mythbusters busting some workmanlike myths on Netflix’s White Rabbit Project, the mothership wheels out Mythbusters: The Next Generation, as some young, would-be mythbusters attempt to bust some myths. First up: Can Mythbusters survive without Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman? (Also: Ejector seats!)
“Winter premieres”
(a.k.a. shows that took a few weeks off and their networks invented a fancy new term to try to get your What’s On Tonight author to put them in with the real premieres. But What’s On Tonight don’t play that.)
Last Man Standing (ABC, 8 p.m., Friday)
MacGyver (CBS, 8 p.m., Friday)
Rosewood (Fox, 8 p.m., Friday): New time slot.
Dr. Ken (ABC, 8:30 p.m., Friday)
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 9 p.m., Friday)
Blue Bloods (CBS, 10 p.m., Friday):
Regular coverage
Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD, 8:30 & 9 p.m., Saturday)
Streaming pick
Tin Man (Hulu, Netflix): You want Wizard Of Oz grit? Well this 2007 miniseries stars Zooey Deschanel as a small-town waitress named D.G. She gets swept off to a magical land called the O.Z., and sets out with companions named Glitch, Raw, and Cain to overthrow the evil O.Z. government. That’s some grit right there.