Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, January 25. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Lucifer (Fox, 9 p.m.): Cop Devil! Devil Cop!? Alright, that’s not as catchy as “Cop Mom! Mom Cop!” but we can work on it. So, just how is Fox selling this newest version of a show about a cop who is also something else? “Meet Los Angeles’ newest hellraiser.” Ugh. Let us back up. Fox’s Lucifer is very loosely based on the Vertigo comic of the same name. Hey, the last Vertigo comic to be loosely adapted for television was iZombie, and that show is dope as heck. There’s no reason Lucifer couldn’t be dope as—you guessed it—hell, right?
As for the actual plot: “Upon leaving hell, Lucifer Morningstar retreats to Los Angeles for a more exciting life. When the murder of a friend connects him with LAPD detective Chloe Decker, Lucifer becomes intrigued with the idea of punishing criminals, sending the devil himself into a struggle between good and evil.” Okay, uh huh, we see. Alasdair Wilkins’ pre-air review of the series calls it “so-stupid-it’s-almost brilliant,” which is definitely something. But we like Tom Ellis (not enough to have watched Rush, but still), so let’s do this. Wait, wait, wait—“Devil Detective!” Insert SportsCenter riff here.
Also noted
Supergirl (CBS, 8 p.m.): This week’s episode of Supergirl (which, sadly, does not feature Emma Caulfield) is titled “Strange Visitor From Another Planet.” Yes, this episode—and this episode alone—is titled that. Weird. Anyway, “Kara must help Hank face his painful past when a White Martian, a member of the alien race that wiped out his people, kidnaps Senator Miranda Crane, an anti-alien politician.” Anti-alien politician? Insert obvious joke right here, Caroline Siede.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW, 8 p.m.): What would you have done if we’d made this the top pick again? Nothing—that’s what! Anyway… The CW is back with a fresh (let’s bring that one back, WB style) episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “I’m Going To The Beach With Josh And His Friends!” Does this possibly mean the return of the human puppy dog that is White Josh? Please, please, please. He can drive the party bus. Oh yeah, there’s a party bus: “In an attempt to impress join Josh’s friend group, Rebecca rents a party bus to take the group to the beach. On the trip, Rebecca learns more about her new friends than she expected and makes a surprising revelation herself.” You had Allison Shoemaker (and the rest of us) at “party bus.”
The X-Files (Fox, 8 p.m.): Oh yeah, it’s the season premiere of The X-Files continuation. Part. Two. Are you feeling this? Are you feeling the truth? X-Files things! (You may already know how your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor feels about all of this, so please bear with.) “Founder’s Mutation” has everything! And when we say “everything,” we’re literally only talking about Desperate Housewives and Melrose Place’s Doug Savant. As for the episode itself: “When a scientist suddenly commits suicide, Mulder and Scully investigate what unseen force may have driven him to it. What they uncover is a laboratory where extreme genetic experimentation has been going on for decades, breeding subjects who possess unexpected and dangerous powers—and who harbor deep resentments.” Yep, sounds like The X-Files. Right, Zack Handlen?
WWE Monday Night RAW (USA, 8 p.m.): AJ STYLES! CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP! (Is that a spoiler? If so, you’re out of the loop. Sorry. You can direct all complaints to Kyle Fowle.)
Wander Over Yonder (Disney XD, 8:30 p.m.): You want some Wander Over Yonder? We’ve got your Wander Over Yonder. New episodes begin with a double-dose of animated… “fun.” First up, in “The Secret Planet,” “Wander’s white lie sets off a ridiculous chain of events that threatens to expose a hidden planet to Lord Dominator.” Then, in “The Bad Hatter,” “Lord Hater gets more than he bargained for when he steals Wander’s hat in order to impress Lord Dominator.” Like we said: “fun.” Also, is this supposed to be a kids’ show? Please explain, Kevin Johnson.
American Dad (TBS, 8:30 p.m.): Eleven. Seasons. That’s just good for America and dads. We know what you’re aggressively thinking: Are we doing weekly reviews of the series yet? The answer is no. But, your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor did just add the entire series to her Favorites on Hulu, so fingers crossed. One day. Anyway, the episode is titled “Roots,” and “conventional” TV listing sites have given absolutely no synopsis for it. We’re assuming it’s a shot-for-shot animated Roots remake then.