Return with us to 30 Rock’s first season, when it was almost a different show
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, August 12. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
30 Rock (3 p.m.): To give you some idea of just how long TV Club has been running—the exact start date is known only to the ancients, so we’re forced to estimate—consider this: 30 Rock premiered in 2006, ran for seven seasons, ended 20 months ago, and yet still we covered all but one of its seasons during its initial run. Erik Adams is on the case to complete our coverage by examining the first season, which fast became just as crazy as the show’s later seasons but definitely shifted from its original vision. He’ll be looking at the pilot episode today, then tackling two episodes per week thereafter. So return to those stranger, simpler times when Jack Donaghy was theoretically the show’s villain, Rachel Dratch would show up in random cameos, Tracy Jordan employed entourage members beyond Grizz and Dot Com, and 30 Rock was even vaguely about the actual making of a sketch comedy show.
ALSO NOTED
4th And Loud (AMC, 9 p.m.): Some sentences defy any attempts at parody or satirical exaggeration. One such perfectly ludicrous sentence is the following: “AMC is launching a new reality show about KISS rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley owning an Arena Football League team in Los Angeles, which they have of course named the LA KISS, and, yes, you’re supposed to capitalize all six letters.” There’s just no way this show is going to be as wonderful and ridiculous as the version in our head, but that’s mostly because our version of the show involves AMC giving Ace Frehley and Peter Criss the money to start their own rival Arena Football League team.
Drunk History (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.): We don’t cover this half of Comedy Central’s Tuesday night lineup, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to learn from this historical series. (I mean, the main reason there isn’t plenty to learn from this show is that everyone involved is really pretty drunk, but that’s beside the point.) Tonight’s episode is all about America’s 50th state, touching on such crucial figures in Hawaiian history like explorer James Cook and Senator Daniel Inouye. So to any Hawaiian summer school students out there who totally forgot to do their history assignment, this is your lucky day!
Nathan For You (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.): On the other hand, we do
cover this half of Comedy Central’s Tuesday night lineup. John Teti has been loving the recent run of episodes, but will he be similarly impressed by tonight’s episode? All we know is that Nathan Fielder is out to save the tarnished reputations of a hot dog stand and a taxi cab company. Those do seem like the sorts of places that could use Nathan’s unique assistance.
TV CLUB CLASSIC
The Shield (12 p.m.): Brandon Nowalk’s exploration of the fifth season continues as Internal Affairs Lt. John Kavanaugh bugs the Strike Team’s clubhouse. To our great dismay, your What’s On Tonight correspondent still hasn’t gotten around to watching The Shield, but we’re going to guess that the Strike Team’s clubhouse isn’t nearly as whimsical as the term “clubhouse” might normally imply.
WHAT ELSE IS ON?
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family, 8 p.m.): Most of tonight’s episode description focuses on abductions and lying about abductions and framing innocent men and coming up with backup plans in case the whole lying about abductions and framing innocent men gambits don’t work out. You know, the usual. The other sentence, however, simply reads, “Elsewhere, Hanna attempts to lead a more ordinary life.” We know which one we’re guessing isn’t going to work out exactly as planned!