Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, January 16. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Regular Show (Cartoon Network, 6 p.m.): The time has come—Regular Show… In Space is blasting off for good. And it’s doing so with an hour’s worth of farewell episodes in the form of “Cheer Up Pops” and the “A Regular Show Epic Final Battle.” “Cheer Up Pops” is just as simple as it sounds, as “the guys want to cheer up Pops.” Pretty regular, right? As for that epic final battle… “An epic final battle begins.” Then, “an epic final battle comes to its dramatic conclusion, and the fate of the universe is decided.” We’re really going to miss Regular Show’s ability to sell itself. So long, Regular Show. We hope your universe’s fate doesn’t suck.
Gotham (Fox, 8 p.m.): You’re probably wondering: How are things going for prepubescent Batman? “Falcone wants Gordon dead after learning that he shot Mario; Gordon and Bullock trail a Jerome fanatic who’s plotting to bring his idol back to life; Penguin sits for a major TV interview; and Selina’s mother returns to Gotham.” So Gotham is still a pretty Mad City, and given that synopsis, you must still be wondering how things are going for baby Bruce Wayne. At least this leaves an opening for reviewer Kyle Fowle to fill in the blanks with his own original Gotham fanfiction in this week’s Gotham discussion post.
The Odd Couple (CBS, 9:30 p.m.): The title of this week’s The Odd Couple is “Batman Vs. The Penguin,” and with a title like that, it should make an obvious choice after an episode of Gotham. “Oscar matches wits against a penguin in a TV segment that tests who is better at predicting the winners of hockey games.” But where does Batman come in? You see, if it were baseball instead of hockey, one would assume a “Batman”/”bat man” situation would ensue. This just sounds like false advertising. And yet, The Odd Couple has achieved top pick status this week. You win again, Matthew Perry.
Premieres and finales
Howie Mandel All-Star Comedy Gala (The CW, 8 p.m.): Looking for laughs? Then you should check out this comedy gala, recorded at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. See? “Laughs” are even in the title of the festival. And it’s not just Howie Mandel: “The special features stand-up performances by Jay Pharoah, Iliza Shlesinger, Russell Peters and JB Smoove, as well as many others.”
The Young Pope (HBO, 9 p.m.): No Young Pope jokes to see here; this is just a heads up that the series sees its time slot premiere tonight with “Second Episode.” As for the episode itself: “Sofia (Cécile De France), the Vatican’s marketing director, receives a surprise directive as Lenny (Jude Law) prepares for his first public appearance.” Like we said, no Young Pope jokes to see here.
The Story of God With Morgan Freeman (NatGeo, 9 p.m.): The Morgan Freeman-hosted series returns for its second season tonight, with “The Chosen One”: “Those believed to be chosen to lead their believers are examined.” But what about those believed to be too young a pope?