Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Guardians Of The Galaxy (Disney XD, 9:30 p.m., Saturday): Marvel has perhaps inevitably spun off its surprise hit film about a raccoon guy, tree guy, green lady, burly monster guy, and Pratt into an animated series. Sure, none of the film’s movie star and former pro wrestler cast is on board for all the fractious team’s comical, universe-despoiling adventures, but it does feature voice actor all-stars like Will Friedle (Batman Beyond) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Gravity Falls, everything else). Resident animation expert Kevin Johnson’s on board to review the first two episodes, and he says there’s some promise here. Sure, his first review was just a thousand words of “I AM KEVIN! I AM KEVIN? I AM KEVIN: I. AM. KEVIN.” and so forth, but he was persuaded that was a little too inside. Plus he wasn’t getting paid. Anyway—HE IS KEVIN!
Also noted
The Amazing Race (CBS, 8 p.m., Friday): Season 27 of this reality/competition/get on each others’ nerves in exotic locations series continues, as the still-talking-to-each-other teams are whisked off to Rio de Janeiro to fins a solution to Brazil’s crippling poverty and social injustice. Or, a beanbag. Whichever.
Doctor Who (BBC America, 9 p.m., Saturday): Alasdair Wilkins was guardedly complimentary of last week’s premiere, as is only wise in evaluating the front part of any Doctor Who two-parter. With Davros back and Missy acting all crazy and oddly jealous and all, it’ll be seen whether this back end to the opener can really take off. What is not up for debate is this:
Blunt Talk (Starz, 9 p.m., Saturday): There’s presumably hilarious awkwardness when Walter’s estranged son comes to Los Angeles for a visit. Meanwhile, Celia has family drama of her own to deal with. Brandon Nowalk continues in his appreciation for this show’s highly dysfunctional family of newspeople himself, especially proud, cricket bat-happy papa Patrick Stewart.
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz, 9:30 p.m., Saturday): Cam has trouble with his new line of sneakers and a reporter. Joshua Alston has little trouble believing, as he has all season, that this episode will be pretty good. (Also, speaking of trouble, Josh’s review of last week’s episode will accompany this one—don’t think of it as Josh’s computer destroying his life, think of it as you getting a double-feature review this week!)
Elsewhere in TV Club
Coming soon to a (computer) screen near you, your favorite AV Clubbers make their picks for the best movie trailers they’ve ever seen in this week’s AVQ&A. Then Marah Eakin takes us on a Walkthrough of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s upcoming season and last season’s finale “Johnny And Dora.” (Sure, technically, show writer Luke Del Tredici helps Marah out.) And, speaking of, Will Harris runs the show’s Joe Lo Truglio and Stephanie Beatriz through the TV Club Questionnaire.
What else is on
Last Man Standing (ABC, 8 p.m., Friday): In this season five premiere, a tornado is heading for the Baxter family home. Good luck, tornado—nothing can uproot Tim Allen from network television.
Dangerous Company (Lifetime Movie Network, 8 p.m., Friday): When a successful businesswoman discovers she has early-onset dementia, her husband swoops in to take care of her and her vulnerable business interests with no ulterior motives whatsoever. Oh, it’s Lifetime. He does the opposite of that.
Hawaii Five-O (CBS, 9 p.m., Friday): In the season six premiere, policing in Hawaii continues to be a magical, enchanted wonderland, as the cops uncover a century-old mystery involving pirates, a palace raid, and buried-freaking-treasure. Oh, also, someone has been dealing skag to school kids, probably. But—pirates!
Shark Tank (ABC, 9 p.m., Friday): For the seventh season in a row, disdainful wealthy people return to give a caesar’s thumbs up or down to the dreams of the lowly. This season premiere features “guest shark” Ashton Kutcher, presumably because of the inventing experience he gleaned from that Steve Jobs biopic he did. He’s this close to that perpetual motion machine.
American Masters: The Women’s List (PBS, 9 p.m., Friday): On a slightly less “the world is a petty and depressing place” tip, this documentary features portraits of fifteen disparate, accomplished women who, as the program states, “have created and defined contemporary American culture.” Introduced by Toni Morrison, the show features: Madeleine Albright, Gloria Allred, Laurie Anderson, Sara Blakely, Margaret Cho, Edie Falco, Elizabeth Holmes, Betsey Johnson, Alicia Keys, Aimee Mullins, Nancy Pelosi, Rosie Perez, Shonda Rhimes, Wendy Williams, and Nia Wordlaw.
Margaret Cho: psyCHO (Showtime, 9 p.m., Friday): Hey—Margaret Cho is one of those American Masters women we were just talking about! Although the fact that her new standup special is competing against that other program is no doubt another scheme by The Man to keep Cho down. Damn The Man.
Blue Bloods (CBS, 10 p.m., Friday): In the sixth season opener, a terrorist attack in the Middle East has Tom Selleck’s mustache twitching at the possibility of a similar attack on New York City.
POV: Art And Craft (PBS, 10 p.m., Friday): In this strange, compelling documentary, a reclusive man who’s spent decades slipping his impeccable art forgeries into galleries and museums around the world is pursued by an obsessed inspector determined to, among other things, ask him why.
Strike Back (Cinemax, 10 p.m., Friday): Scott and Stonebridge kick in some doors and butt some heads in pursuit of the stolen missile launch codes. Wait, guys—no! Yup, you shot the guy who knew how to disarm it. Well, see you on the other side, knuckleheads.
Z Nation (Syfy, 10 p.m., Friday): For everyone who thinks The Walking Dead is too grimly realistic, this week Z Nation introduces super-fast zombies called “Blasters” and a deadly strain of pot called “Z-weed.” Neither of those facts are being made up here. Those things are happening. Make your choice accordingly.
Continuum (Syfy, 11 p.m., Friday): In their past (our present), the time travelers from the future (their present) attempt to change the future (both of ours) to a future (ditto) which won’t suck so badly that they have to come back in time to keep our dumb asses from screwing everything up in the first place.
Black Jesus (Adult Swim, 11 p.m., Friday): Gerald “Slink” Johnson’s stoner Savior confronts a corrupt preacher. Go, Black Jesus, go!
Cedar Cove (Hallmark, 8 p.m., Saturday): In the season three finale, Grace and Cliff finally tie the knot in a wedding that essentially screams, ”Suck it, Martha Stewart!” all through the streets of Cedar Cove.
Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story (Lifetime, 8 p.m., Saturday): A reality television footnote murders his wife while on vacation in Mexico, so naturally Lifetime makes a TV movie about it. Lifetime—television for women. To watch other women get murdered.
Premier Boxing Champions: Alabama: Wilder-Duhaupas (NBC, 8:30 p.m., Saturday): Heavyweight champion Deontary Wilder takes on Johann Duhaupas. Combined, they have won 66 fights and have lost only two! And, in those, they have collectively rendered their opponents unconscious some 53 times! So you know it’s good!
Brian Regan: Live From Radio City Music Hall (Comedy Central, 9 p.m., Saturday): Standup Regan works the really big room.
Love On The Air (Hallmark, 9 p.m., Saturday): When two opposing talk radio hosts are forced to share the mic, will they overcome their differences and fall in love? Oh, they’re both blond, heterosexual, of opposite genders, and this is a Hallmark original movie—should have mentioned that at the outset. Please write your guess in the comments!
College feetballs
BYU At Michigan (ABC, noon, Saturday)
LSU At Syracuse (ESPN, noon, Saturday)
Georgia Tech At Duke (ESPN2, noon, Saturday)
Central Florida At North Carolina (ESPNU, noon, Saturday)
U Mass At Notre Dame (NBC, 3:30 p.m., Saturday)
Tennessee At Florida (CBS, 3:30 p.m., Saturday)
Western Michigan At Ohio State (ABC, 3:30 p.m., Saturday)
Oklahoma State At Texas (ESPN, 3:30 p.m., Saturday)
A Game They Have Not Decided On Yet (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m., Saturday)
North Texas At Iowa (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m., Saturday—See? Was that so hard, ESPN2?)
TCU At Texas Tech (Fox, 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Seriously—just pick a a game, ESPN2.)
Texas A&M Vs. Arkansas (ESPN, 7 p.m., Saturday, What, you’re better than ESPN? Or should we say ESPN1?)
Vanderbilt At Mississippi (ESPNU, 7 p.m., Saturday, Seriously, just screw you, ESPN2.)
In case you missed it
Documentary Now/Review: When Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya and Emily L. Stephens both give their respective shows an A, well, there’s really no point in choosing between them.