Here’s what’s up in the world of television for Sunday, May 11. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 10 p.m.): Screenwriter John Logan was working in his office, late one night, when he and Sam Mendes decided to give TV viewers a fright. Calling upon the all-stars of Victorian horror, the two threw a little party—a monster party, if you will. Could such a gathering truly take place? After reading initial reports from Sonia Saraiya, Scott Von Doviak was skeptical—but then monsters from Logan’s notepad appeared before his eyes.
AND SUDDENLY, TO HIS SURPRISE
ALSO NOTED
Once Upon A Time (ABC, 8 p.m.): Season three ends with a two-hour finale, which Gwen Ihnat reports is roughly eight minutes longer than the 1939 version of The Wizard Of Oz and a startling 44 minutes longer than Disney’s Peter Pan. (Who knew Peter Pan was only 76 minutes long—with barely enough content for a half-hour timeslot if you cut out all of the racist stuff!)
Revenge (ABC, 10 p.m.): Can Revenge put a happy ending on the comeback story detailed in Joshua Alston’s full-season review? Can it get its own REEEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENGE? Carrie Raisler will tell all, after a breathtaking in media res cold open.
Rosemary’s Baby (NBC, 10 p.m.): Since the original novel in ’67, this spooky tale has been hellish heaven. Thrill as Zoe Saldana, Patrick J. Adams, and a Satanic Jason Isaacs invite Zack Handlen into their Parisian abode.
BUT HE GETS NO JOLTS FROM ITS TWO EPISODES
REGULAR COVERAGE
Bob’s Burgers (Fox, 7 p.m.)
American Dad (Fox, 7:30 p.m.)
The Simpsons (Fox, 8 p.m.)
Family Guy (Fox, 8:30 p.m.)
Turn (AMC, 9 p.m.)
The Good Wife (CBS, 9 p.m.)
Game Of Thrones (HBO, 9 p.m.)
Mad Men (AMC, 10 p.m.)
Silicon Valley (HBO, 10 p.m.)
Veep (HBO, 10:30 p.m.)
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The Simpsons (Classic) (3 p.m.): Season seven is rocking, that opinion is sound. “Lisa The Iconoclast” is one of its best episodes, responsible for introducing “embiggen” and “cromulent” to the pop-culture lexicon. But Erik Adams is thinking of another Simpsons, one that could keep this joke alive.
FROM SEASON FOUR, EPISODE ONE-FIVE
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Dateline (NBC, 7 p.m.): Tonight’s story: “Who killed NBC’s Sunday nights?” Someone should check the trail of bloody footprints leading toward HBO’s place.
Oprah’s Master Class (OWN, 10 p.m.): A new season kicks off with guest Justin Timberlake. Hey Justin, what month will it be when this episode airs? (Answer.)
Kitchen Casino (Food Network, 11 p.m.): Title to the contrary, this is not a cable repeat of an old Bob’s Burgers.
Mars Needs Moms (Disney, 8 p.m.): Oh, shit—we’ve been so busy making dumb “Monster Mash” jokes that we totally forgot it’s Mother’s Day. Is it too late to order the Mom Needs Mums bouquet from FTD?
Stoker (HBO Signature, 9 p.m.): Then again, there are nastier things you can do to your family, as evidenced by this Park Chan-wook sleeper from 2013.
TOMORROW IN TV CLUB
Flintstones: Todd VanDerWerff has met the Flintstones. And he has a 100 Episodes column all about the modern stone age family. It’s the grand marshal in a big parade of TV Club content heading your way, a veritable “Wolfman, Dracula, and Red John” guest list featuring an epic Random Roles with Xander Berkeley, an Inventory about actors guest starring on shows that feature their significant other, and a pair of TV Reviews. The first finds Phil Dyess-Nugent taking on PBS’ new “life after wartime” series, Coming Back With Wes Moore; the second has Erik Adams considering Fox’s big, loud improv competition Riot. During the series premiere, Erik closed his eyelids, shook his fist and said:
“WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MY TRANSYLVANIA TWIST?”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Orphan Black: Now everything’s cool, Erik’s a part of the band, and the Monster Mash is the hit of the land. To you the living, Caroline Framke’s latest review is meant, too.
WHEN YOU GET TO HER DOOR, TELL THEM ALDOUS SENT YOU