They're giving Naya Rivera stuff to do on Glee, so, sure, we'll recommend it. What the hell!
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, November 15. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Glee (Fox, 8 p.m.): So it’s come to this. Yes, we’re recommending an episode of Glee as the top pick here, mostly because we haven’t recommended it as the top pick just yet, and we’re running out of things to talk about in this slot. That said, this season has been a marked improvement over last season so far—though it essentially would have just had to show up and tell coherent stories where point A always led to point B to achieve that—and we’re excited that tonight’s episode apparently gives Naya Rivera an opportunity to sing about something. We’re sensing a very special “Straight Guys Talkin’ ‘Bout Glee” from Todd VanDerWerff tonight.
REGULAR COVERAGE
Last Man Standing (ABC, 8 p.m.): Tonight’s episode description contains the phrase “Mike, who thinks firearms and fists are the answer to the problem.” “Oh, sure, I’ll cover the first few episodes of that show,” Todd VanDerWerff said. “It’s got talented people behind the scenes,” he said. Sucker!
New Girl (Fox, 9 p.m.): Justin Long begins a several-episode guest stint in tonight’s episode, which features the gang celebrating Thanksgiving a full week before they should be in TV time. Erik Adams does not approve of premature TV holiday celebrations and has his scolding face on.
Ringer (The CW, 9 p.m.): We just want Carrie Raisler to tell us one thing: Have all of the other characters figured out that there’s, like, 56 Sarah Michelle Gellars running around this universe, and every single one of them has a disappointing lack of superpowers? Not yet? Damn.
Raising Hope (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): The Chances are also celebrating Thanksgiving early on this show, indicating that a certain rascally network apparently wants to knock off November sweeps early for whatever reason! Oh, Fox, you incorrigible kids. Phil Nugent will never understand your ways.
Covert Affairs (USA, 10 p.m.): Oded Fehr’s in tonight’s episode, and everybody knows that an episode of television with Oded Fehr is an episode that will live on in the memory of all who watch it. Unless it isn’t. We mostly just like Oded Fehr, but it’s not like the guy’s impeccable. Simon Abrams shrugs.
Parenthood (NBC, 10 p.m.): It might be the fact that this show got a reduced episode order of 18 for this season (and will air its season finale in February!), but it seems awfully soon for the show to play the “sexy new assistant ‘accidentally’ kisses her married boss” card. Todd VanDerWerff tut tuts.
Sons Of Anarchy (FX, 10 p.m.): Just a word to the wise: Tonight’s episode will take up 90 minutes of TV time (though if you subtract commercials, it’s more like an hour total), so you know some big stuff will go down. Zack Handlen has already seen it, and he didn’t have to watch the commercials! Lucky s.o.b.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The Muppet Show (1 p.m.): A brief note: This is not the episode in which the Muppets finally find the Rainbow Connection they’ve been seeking all this time. That comes in the show’s disappointing and truncated fifth season, when Erik Adams will have given up trying to make sense of the “mythology.”
The Larry Sanders Show (3 p.m.): There’s no Avatar write-up this week, due to unforeseen circumstances. We didn’t really have a place to tell you that, so we’re going to use the Larry Sanders capsule to do so, because we don’t want to go look up which episodes Kyle Ryan is covering this week.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
AFI’s Master Class: The Art Of Collaboration (TCM, 8 p.m.): John Williams and Steven Spielberg are all, “Hur hur hur. We’re in the movies, and we have more money than you,” and then you have to just sit there and take it while you hum the Raiders march quietly to yourself.
Knights Of Mayhem (National Geographic, 9 p.m.): When we asked ourselves which new shows we wanted to see the networks come up with this fall, we didn’t necessarily have a show where modern day guys try to revive jousting as a professional sport at the top of the list, but we do now.
Elusive Justice: The Hunt For Nazi War Criminals (PBS, 9 p.m.): Candace Bergen takes away your Frontline for the evening, so she can narrate this documentary that… well, it’s really all there in the title, if you think about it.
Unforgettable (CBS, 10 p.m.): You’ve got time tonight. Well, actually you don’t, if you’re watching Parenthood or Sons in this hour, as you should be. But if you’re not, why not check out what’s the fall’s top new drama in total viewers? It’s about a woman who remembers things really well!
Scarface (Flix, 8 p.m.): Here is a movie you can watch with your dad, if you’re intent on family togetherness and your family is all about the usual gender stereotypes.
While You Were Sleeping (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m.): Here is a movie you can watch with your mom, if you’re intent on family togetherness and your family is all about the usual gender stereotypes. Or if you’re Todd VanDerWerff, and you just want to believe in love again.
NHL Hockey: Avalanche at Penguins (Versus, 7:30 p.m.): We don’t really think that we would have gotten all that invested in an NBA season had one happened, but it looks pretty likely that you sports fans are going to have to put up with this shit if you want a primetime pro sports fix for the foreseeable.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
How I Met Your Mother (Monday): Was this week’s HIMYM a heartbreaker or yet another of the show’s endless attempts to jerk its surprisingly faithful audience around? Was it a step down a promising new road or more of the same old bullshit? Come to Donna Bowman’s review and argue it out.