Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, November 7. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
House (Fox, 9 p.m.): Have you been waiting all this time for the whole House crew to get back together? Have you been sitting there, saying, “Geez, I wonder what Taub is up to right now?” while watching other shows, so distracted are you by the fact that you haven’t gotten any sweet, sweet Taub action this season? Well, tonight’s episode is the one for you, because the folks who’ve been sitting this season out so far turn up again. Why? That’s a question for the episode, but we’ll assume they just sort of stop by the hospital, and House asks them to help out, and they say, “All right.” Zack Handlen’s been missing Chase something fierce, so he’s ready.
REGULAR COVERAGE
How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8 p.m.): Were you sitting around this summer when Hurricane Irene hit, wondering just what the gang from How I Met Your Mother was doing to face down the storm? Of course you were! Don’t pretend you weren’t! Anyway, tonight’s episode shows us how they all coped with the crazy amounts of rain and wind. Donna Bowman was wondering what the 30 Rock crew did.
Terra Nova (Fox, 8 p.m.): Okay, so, a meteor hits the compound, and the security systems are all down, which means that everybody’s pretty much down to the wall standing between them and the jungle. What a great setup for a show about dino… the Sixers are going to be the main villains? The boring, stupid Sixers? Ugh. This show. Rowan Kaiser devours all.
2 Broke Girls (CBS, 8:30 p.m.): Finally, a hard-hitting sitcom episode about hoarder culture! Seriously, show. Todd VanDerWerff keeps trying to defend you, and then you go and do an episode about hoarders? Have you read a newspaper or magazine or popular Weblog in the last three years? There are more interesting things on heaven and Earth, Michael Patrick King, than are dreamt of on Hoarders.
Bored To Death (HBO, 9 p.m.): Even if this season hasn’t quite been up to snuff, we still find ourselves humming along to the theme song and pretending we’re cooler than we are (which is not difficult, as we’re not very cool at all). Tonight’s episode is called “I Keep Taking Baths Like Lady Macbeth,” which, if nothing else, promises the hot bathing action David Sims has been waiting for.
Enlightened (HBO, 9:30 p.m.): Amy gets upset about the deportation of an illegal immigrant mother, putting to the test her new attempts to be a force for good in the world. And even though this show is sort of the opposite of “exciting,” it gets more sweetly entertaining by the week, so Erik Adams would very much appreciate if the same five or six of you drop by to talk about it with him.
Castle (ABC, 10 p.m.): Castle burns through classic TV episode tropes like most other detective shows burn through bodies, and tonight, we get the “everybody goes on a vacation to a gambling destination” episode, as Castle and the gang head on down to Atlantic City to solve a murder/host a bachelor party. We’re planning on solving mysteries at Phil Nugent’s bachelor party, too.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Scrubs (11 a.m.): Time was that just saying the word Scrubs could ignite an angry feud ‘round these parts, but we’re happy to have Myles McNutt taking on the show’s first season for us, starting today. He’ll begin with the first two episodes, including the influential pilot, then will take on two episodes per week for the next few. Get your arguing hats on, folks!
Justice League (1 p.m.): Oliver Sava knows a lot about superheroes, but does he know a lot about What’s On Tonight perennial favorite Detective Chimp? Here’s a quiz for Oliver, drawn entirely from Detective Chimp’s Wikipedia page: What was the name of Detective Chimp’s trainer, the murder of whom prompted his detective chimping skills? Why did Detective Chimp become an alcoholic?
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness (Nickelodeon, 5:30 p.m.): The latest Dreamworks animated series follows on the heels of the mostly enjoyable (no, we can’t believe we’re saying it either) Penguins Of Madagascar. While not featuring the voice talents of Jack Black, Lucy Liu has stuck around because why not, right? Kevin McFarland lets you know if your kids should watch.
Antiques Roadshow (PBS, 8 p.m.): Tonight’s episode: “Junk In The Trunk.” Now, we know that those of you who are Roadshow enthusiasts already know it’s new tonight, but we wanted to make sure that you were adequately prepared, had sufficient amounts of chips and salsa purchased, had cleared everything else from your schedules, etc. Good? Good.
WWE Monday Night Raw (USA, 9 p.m.): You’ve been wanting us to do more wrestling coverage, and while we’re not ready to dive down that particular rabbit hole, we are ready to give you an open thread where you can talk about wrestling amongst yourselves. Just try and keep the conversation polite and civilized. It’s what James Brian Hellwig would want.
Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives (Food, 10 p.m.): Look: We want Guy Fieri to just go away, too, and we’re surprised the dark incantations we’ve been using to invoke the spirits meant to do just that haven’t been working. But damned if we aren’t watching this show if we stumble across it. Tonight’s episode is about pizza, pancakes, and pork. Who doesn’t like that equation?!
This Gun For Hire/The Blue Dahlia (TCM, 8 p.m.): TCM pulls two Alan Ladd film noirs out of the vault tonight, with the former being particularly well worth watching. The Blue Dahlia is also worth it, particularly for the fact that its script is written by Raymond Chandler. And just look at that network lineup! If you watch these movies instead of 2 Broke Girls, you’ll get instant bragging points.
Up In The Air (HBO Signature, 9 p.m.): This critically acclaimed hit from 2009 was nominated for a bunch of Oscars and features fine performances from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. And while not everybody liked it—or its closing act twist—you can count us as among its fans. It’s just a solid movie, with a surprisingly emotional core, perfect for the holiday season.
Monday Night Football: Bears at Eagles (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.): Our collective wife is a Bears fan, so we’re not allowed to say anything bad about them, though we are allowed to mock Rex Grossman as much as we need to. (Still, now that he’s with the Redskins, it’s lost some of its thrill.) We made fun of the Eagles last week, so we won’t poke Philadelphia’s wounds too much.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Critic (Sunday): Nathan Rabin takes you through the pilot of the best—okay, only—series about a critic, as he returns you to the days when it seemed like Jay Sherman might be the logical successor to Homer Simpson, when ABC gave the show its very best timeslot, putting it on after… Home Improvement. Because that’s what America wanted to see after Tim Allen.