Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, March 7, 2013. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Gilmore Girls (1 p.m.): It took a season of Bunheads coverage, a TV Roundtable drop-in, and a few hundred “Hey, why does TV Club Classic hate Gilmore Girls?” emails, but TV Club has finally opened its big tent wide enough for the whole of Stars Hollow to move in. (Actually, we were always planning to do this—it just took a while to get to it.) In celebration, David Sims is on the hunt for a surly owner of a diner with whom he can develop a tense will-they/won’t-they relationship while eating greasy-spoon comfort food in between snappy, pop-culture-referencing barbs.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.): There’s going to be another season of Raising Hope, so Kate Micucci doesn’t have to hide out on Big Bang Theory forever. Unless the show plans on absorbing her like it did Melissa Rauch—and if it that’s the plan, Oliver Sava humbly requests that Micucci be allowed to bring her ukulele along.
Community (NBC, 8 p.m.): It’s Thanksgiving in Greendale, and Jeff’s off to meet his father, played by James Brolin. Todd VanDerWerff swears that his fingers will not type the words “Wouldn’t this be cool if Bill Murray ended up playing Mr. Winger?”
Person Of Interest (CBS, 9 p.m.): The case of the week involves protecting six people at the same time—which reminds Phil Dyess-Nugent of the time he scheduled a date and a meeting with his boss on the same night! Boy, was that ever a pickle.
Project Runway (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): The producers are apparently getting to the email forwards their moms sent them three years ago, as this week the designers are tasked with crafting prom wear from duct tape. Sonia Saraiya wonders what brands of tape you might be able to find on the Lord & Taylor Accessory Wall.
Glee (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): Airing at a special, American Idol-delayed time, Glee’s tribute to movie music features the show’s 500th musical number. Brandon Nowalk hopes the show made this arbitrary milestone count by selecting Rhinestone’s “Drinkenstein” for the occasion.
Archer (FX, 10 p.m.): In what better not be an attempt to replace Babou in the hearts and minds of the show’s fans, Archer goes hunting for a “notorious coyote.” Do not take that fox-eared bastard away from Todd VanDerWerff, show—sometimes it’s like he’s the only creature in the world who truly gets him.
Legit (FX, 10:30 p.m.): Little known fact: A Johns Hopkins University study showed that up to 4 percent of Americans are hoarders—and you can trust this fact because we looked it up on the Internet, rather than taking this week’s Legit guest, John “Cliff Clavin” Ratzenberger, at his word. Steve Heisler (“STEVE!”) stands behind that logic.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (11 a.m.): The second of this week’s episodes, “To The Death,” was directed by LeVar Burton. But don’t take Zack Handlen’s word for it—check out Burton’s IMDb page! [Bah dah dum!]
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Battleground: Rhino Wars (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.): Following in the footsteps of Whale Wars, here’s a controversy-courting docuseries about the paramilitary forces protecting rhinoceroses from poachers in South Africa. Sonia Saraiya suits up to stop those horn-stealing bastards in their tracks.
L.A. Frock Stars (Smithsonian, 8 p.m.): The hunt for vintage clothes, set among the threads and employees of Los Angeles’ The Way We Wore. Since this is airing on Smithsonian, we can only assume they’ll be seeking, say, tricorn hats and Fonzie’s leather jacket, too.
King Of The Nerds (TBS, 10 p.m.): At last, the true King of the Nerds takes his rightful place upon the throne of geekery, which is a full-scale model of the Iron Throne that they built in their spare time with their own disposable income—so, no, you can’t sit in it and rub your grimy Cheetos fingers all over it!
Delocated (Adult Swim, 12:30 a.m.): Jon Glaser’s very funny, very strange (and as so often happens to shows that fit both of those descriptions, under-appreciated) reality-TV sendup heads to that big potato-skin bar in the sky. You would be able to see Steve Heisler crying, were it not for the ski mask he’s wearing in mourning.
Marmaduke (FXM, 7 p.m.): FX Movie Channel thinks it’s critically important that you see this CGI-laden comic-strip adaptation from 2010. Why else would they be playing it twice in one night? To suit cable TV’s newfound love of Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace?
The School Of Rock (Flix, 8 p.m.): Do you miss Enlightened already? Well here’s another project written by and co-starring Mike White that’s about sticking it to The Man—albeit with AC/DC covers and silly capes, rather than a damning exposé in The L.A. Times.
College Baskteball: Wisconsin at Michigan State (ESPN, 9 p.m.): Earlier this week, we saw a tweet about how the NCAA men’s basketball polls are only good as “a viewing guide” for casual fans. That person was right—we’re only highlighting this game because its a match between Top 25 teams. (And also because of your What’s On Tonight correspondent’s educational biases—but those are neither here nor there.)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Kroll Show: The first season of Nick Kroll’s sketch show rides off into the sunset, but don’t worry, little David Sims—Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland will return to give you too much tuna on some glorious day in the future.