Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, May 26. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Finding Carter (MTV, 10 p.m.): Look, this isn’t exactly a consistently brilliant show—just look at Joshua Alston’s reviews, which run the gamut from C to A-, and that’s just the last two weeks!—but the show is coming off its strongest episode of the season, and there’s some pretty intriguing stuff going on whenever the show digs into the impossible, irreconcilable tension between the title character’s past and future as she continues to deal with the fact that the woman she thought was her mother is actually her kidnapper, with all that implies about … well, about everything. Now that the networks have more or less completely wound things down for the season, this might be worth giving a shot.
Also noted
iZombie (The CW, 9 p.m.): Well, we did say “more or less” wound things down, and it feels entirely appropriate that it would be the zombie show that keeps shuffling and shambling along after all the other network shows have wrapped up their season. Tonight, “Someone close to Major dies of an apparent suicide, so Liv consumes the victim’s brains to learn more and the result is a mix of reality and paranoia.” We realize we’ve given this show some good-natured guff for the craziness of its premise, but, wow, is this show good at finding every conceivable twist on what really ought to be a fairly limited concept. Respect, iZombie, respect. Carrie Raisler knew this all along.
Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.): So, among other things tonight, Amy “defends Bill Cosby.” Should be fun! Kate Knibbs is pretty sure Amy has got this, but still…
Regular coverage
Community (Yahoo!, 3:01 a.m.)
Younger (Nickelodeon/TV Land, 10 p.m.)
Elsewhere in TV Club
An old favorite makes a most welcome return as Noel Murray revives A Very Special Episode, and what could be a more appropriate way to celebrate this fact than by looking at some episode of AfterMASH? On the one hand, it feels like almost anything would be more appropriate. On the other hand, we’re not nearly foolish enough to doubt Noel Murray when he’s throwing down some of that Very Special Episode thunder.
What else is on?
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? (Fox, 8 p.m.): Yes. Yes we absolutely, obviously are. Not really sure why that needed to be explicitly stated, but, hey, ask a stupid question…
I Can Do That (NBC, 10 p.m.): America’s real sweetheart, Marlon Wayans, hosts this opportunity for celebrities to show off their hidden talents by teaming up with people who are already famous for publicly sharing these skills the celebrities keep secret. In the first episode, that means playing basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters and doing magic with Penn and Teller, and the celebrities to choose from include Cheryl Burke, Ciara, Joe Jonas, Nicole Scherzinger, Jeff Dye, and Alan RItchson. We guess at least some of those people might be more famous than Penn and Teller, but we don’t have to like that fact.
Frontline (PBS, 10 p.m.): The simply titled “Obama At War” does pretty much exactly what it promises to, focusing specifically on the administration’s handling of the conflict with ISIS and the Syrian civil war.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (Starz, 8:55 p.m.): If nothing else—and for the record, there’s plenty else that’s good about this movie—this might be our favorite Bradley Cooper performance. That dude just gets what it means to be a wisecracking, genetically engineered space raccoon, you know?
The Road Warrior (Spike, 9 p.m.): Fury Road is the damn truth, so what better time is there to check out its closest sibling in the Mad Max canon? Also, after getting a load of Immortan Joe, Lord Humungus is looking pretty damn reasonable as post-apocalyptic warlords go. We bet his tax policy is just rock-solid.
Stanley Cup Playoff: Game 6: Rangers at Lightning (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.): Like most NHL playoff series, the conference finals have been sort of close, with the teams trading blowouts and Tampa Bay winning a crazy overtime game on the way to a 3-2 lead and a chance to close out the series on their home ice.
NBA Playoff: Game 4: Hawks at Cavaliers (TNT, 8:30 p.m.): Yeah, so this series is over, even if the Hawks do manage to grind out one win and avoid the sweep. But hey! LeBron James (and, um, James Jones) is on the verge of making his fifth consecutive NBA finals, a feat only Bill Russell and the ‘60s-era Boston Celtics have previously accomplished. So there’s some history waiting to be made here, even if the last few games suggest said history isn’t going to be pretty.