This Father’s Day, salute Noah Wyle, father of a brave, new post-alien-invasion world
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Sunday, June 17. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Falling Skies (TNT, 9 p.m.): In a world where all children between the ages of 8 and 16 are controlled by extraterrestrial beings, there might not be a better gift to your dad than saying, “Hey, pops—isn’t it great we don’t live in the Falling Skies universe?” Of course, that wouldn’t brighten the day of the alien-resistance leader played by Noah Wyle, so maybe Les Chappell will give Wyle’s Tom Mason a gaudy Father’s Day tie in the form of a charitable review for this sci-fi series’ second-season debut.
REGULAR COVERAGE
Ultimate Spider-Man (Disney XD, 11 a.m.): Spider-Man and Wolverine may not agree on the best way to take down a supervillain, but they can find common ground in their complicated father issues. And the mutant’s in the cradle and silver web, little boy blue and David Sims in the moon.
Rev. (Hulu, 5:30 p.m.): If only the central character of Rev. was a Catholic priest, then we could make a terrible, “On Rev., every day is father’s day joke.” But here we are, so we have to leave the clergy-related puns to Todd VanDerWerff.
Longmire (A&E, 9 p.m.): Look, your dad (and every American male over the age of 55) has the first two episodes of Longmire on the DVR, and he’s all set to record tonight’s, too. The least you can do is sit down and enjoy three hours of contemporary cowboy action with the man who gave you life—and make Zack Handlen less of a demographical anomaly.
The Killing (AMC, 9 p.m.): What could be worse than the first-season finale of The Killing? Maybe if the show celebrated Father’s Day by concluding its second season with the reveal that Stan Larsen was responsible for his daughter’s death. Brandon Nowalk thinks it would require an awful lot of power tools to make up for a gaffe like that.
True Blood (HBO, 9 p.m.): Consider Bill and Eric’s grilling at the hands of the Vampire Authority a spot of fatherly “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” from True Blood. “Sorry” just isn’t going to cut it with Carrie Raisler this time around, misters.
Nurse Jackie (Showtime, 9 p.m.): Elsewhere in the tough-love department, Cruz and Jackie’s latest head-on-collision ends in the latter getting the boot from All Saints’. TV Club shows its tough love by forcing our one dad (or stepdad, as the case may be) on duty, Phil Dyess-Nugent, to cover four shows in one day…
The Big C (Showtime, 9:30 p.m.): …and one of those shows is The Big C. Sorry, Phil—does it help to know that this torturous season is finally coming to an end?
Girls (HBO, 10 p.m.): Lena Dunham’s first time at the season-finale rodeo revolves around a party organized by Jessa, almost guaranteeing there should be no appearance of Hannah’s dad here. Todd VanDerWerff, who hasn’t been able to look Peter Scolari in the eye since “The Return.”
The Borgias (Showtime, 10 p.m.): Ah ha, here’s where we can make that joke we wanted to make back at Rev. Even better, we can be all, “Watch the last Borgias of season two, or give Les Chappell three ‘Hail Mary’s and two ‘our Father’s Day’s.’” Nailed it.
Metalocalypse (Cartoon Network, midnight): Before we drop this forced (and frankly restrictive) conceit, remember this: At the end of the day, dad just wants to know you appreciate him—like how the members of Dethklok appreciate Murderface for being their means of comparison for relative attractiveness. Now go drop your cards for Phil Dyess-Nugent in the mailbox.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
South Park (Classic) (1 p.m.): The boys learn a lesson about tolerance, acceptance, and the benefit of celebrity voice cameos via Big Gay Al and special guest barker George Clooney. “Bow wow!” raves Phil Dyess-Nugent.
The Simpsons (Classic) (3 p.m.): “Hi, Dr. Nick!” an adoring public yells at their computer screens, downright giddy about the return of Springfield’s favorite quack. Nathan Rabin’s less giddy about the circumstances necessitating that return: a near-death experience for Homer.
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Oprah’s Next Chapter (OWN, 8 p.m.): So it’s come to this: In order to keep her network afloat, Oprah Winfrey must pay the cable piper and interview the Kardashian family—in two hour-long parts.
MuchMusic Video Awards (Fuse, 9 p.m.): Between “Call Me Maybe”’s refusal to stop playing in your head and Justin Bieber’s continued ubiquity, Canadians are in the process of hijacking the U.S. pop scene. May as well give in by watching the Great White North’s glossy, frothy equivalent to the Video Music Awards.
Head Games (Discovery, 10 p.m.): With apologies to John Lennon, you can’t keep on playing those head games forever—eventually, you have to brainstorm a whole new set of experiments about brain functions for John Krasinski to narrate. This season finale pushes the barrier and plants the seeds—IN YOUR MIND!
Taboo (National Geographic, 10 p.m.): There’s nothing like winding down the weekend with a nice, quiet visit with a family of skull cleaners. Or cleaning a skull yourself, which we imagine is as relaxing as whittling—but, you know, with brain matter involved.
24 Hour Party People (Sundance, 8 p.m.): In a meeting of things that are great, Steve Coogan trips merrily through the Manchester music scenes of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, reinforcing (and exaggerating) the myths of Joy Division, Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Happy Mondays, and other bands well-suited for turning an unassuming manufacturing town into a hub of pop innovation.
Beetlejuice (ABC Family, 10 p.m.): Wash that lingering Dark Shadows/Alice In Wonderland aftertaste out of your mouth with the macabre comedy that proves that Tim Burton movies were once carried by more than just the “Tim Burton aesthetic.”
MLB Baseball: Red Sox at Cubs (ESPN, 8 p.m.): In an apparent bid to steal back some of that “lovable loser” mojo they lost after a pair of World Series wins, the Sox dropped the first game of their series with the ailing Cubs. Maybe Adrian Gonzalez can bring back the bad old times by bobbling a grounder at a key moment of tonight’s series closer.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Blue Lagoon: The Awakening (Saturday): If the youth of today don’t have a Blue Lagoon to call their own, wherever will they learn about the natural attraction between two teenagers marooned on an island? On the Internet? Not on Will Harris’ watch.