“Knope we can!”: Parks And Recreation resumes its fourth-season campaign
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, April 19. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Parks And Recreation (NBC, 9:30 p.m.): It’s only been one month since Parks And Recreation moved aside to let its buddy Community finally air the second half of its third season—but it seems like so much longer, right? Return to Pawnee tonight to meet Councilman Pillner, the bespectacled Bradley Whitford character who controls the fate of the Parks Department. As TV Club Classic’s West Wing correspondent, Steve Heisler demands an Amy Poehler-Bradley Whitford walk-and-talk.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 p.m.): Mystic Falls also fell off the TV map in recent weeks, but The Vampire Diaries roars back to life tonight by fleeing its main locale for… scenic Denver! While in The Mile-High City, Carrie Raisler recommends the characters dine at Casa Bonita, Colorado’s premier Mexican restaurant/tacky tourist attraction.
American Idol (Fox, 8 p.m.): So if the judges saved Jessica last week, does that mean we’re losing two Idol hopefuls tonight? Or is the show going to pull a Voice and let the judges randomly and unceremoniously shed talent? Everything in Emily Yoshida’s world is turning upside down.
Community (NBC, 8 p.m.): We have a feeling that everyone will draw parallels between the latest Community—where Annie and Abed spend time together in the Dreamatorium—and last season’s stellar “Critical Film Studies.” Why wait until the review posts to do so? Both come at similar points in their respective seasons, both involve a character gaining unprecedented insight into Abed’s psyche, and, spookiest of all, Todd VanDerWerff is wearing the same shirt he wore when he reviewed “Critical Film Studies.”
30 Rock (NBC, 8:30): Something’s wrong with the couches produced at Jack’s new factory. If NBC’s promos for the episode are any indication, the problem with the couches is that they’re designed to eat TV writers. If this is the point where 30 Rock fully transforms into The Muppet Show, then it’s a perfect time for Meredith Blake to start reviewing the show full-time.
The Secret Circle (The CW, 9 p.m.): Cassie has a previously unknown sibling, which means it’s finally time for The Secret Circle to pull some Parent Trap-style sibling mischief—with magic. Katherine Miller can’t wait until the Blackwell kids mirror each other’s motions—with magic!