CNN hopes The Seventies are the new The Sixties
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, June 11. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Seventies (CNN, 9 p.m.): After earning positive buzz with its exploration of the 1960s, CNN applies the same docuseries approach to an era that’s not colored by quite as much nostalgia: The 1970s. This eight-part series will examine topics like the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the sexual revolution, terrorism, music, and more. But first up the premiere focuses on television of 1970s, which should be of note for historically-minded TV Club fans. All In The Family, Monday Night Football, Happy Days, Saturday Night Live, and Roots are just a few of the shows set to be discussed as the episode examines the way TV either embraced cultural change or provided an escape from it. Like all CNN shows, The Seventies is best enjoyed in bell bottoms and/or on acid.
Also noted
Aquarius (NBC, 9 p.m.): For those who prefer to keep their nostalgia firmly focused on the 1960s, there’s always Aquarius. Although the show hasn’t lived up to its potential so far, Gwen Ihnat hopes things finally start clicking this week as Hodiak investigates the murder of a corrupt coffee-hut owner. Sounds like it will take a latte work to solve that one.
Wayward Pines (Fox, 9 p.m.): Wayward Pines trades more in mysteries than answers, but this midseason episode might finally start offering up the latter. According to TV Guide, “Ethan ventures outside of Wayward Pines and is shocked by what he discovers.” If it’s a cloning factory, Alex McCown is going to have a field day.
Hannibal (NBC, 10 p.m.): Molly Eichel called last week’s premiere “a stellar start to the third season,” but she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed by its Will Graham-shaped hole. Thankfully, this week looks particularly Will-focused as the FBI profiler arrivers in Italy to hunt down Hannibal.
TV Club Classic
Futurama (10 a.m.): Fittingly for a show about time travel, it’s immensely confusing to figure out the correct order to watch Futurama because the episodes are listed differently in different places. After bouncing around for a bit, Zack Handlen will now officially be tackling the show in production order aka the Wikipedia order. That means “Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch” and “Leela’s Homeworld” are up next.