TV Club Classic formally invites you to its neighborhood bar for drinks and conversation
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, November 10. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Cheers (3 p.m.): We’ve often had trouble expanding our TV Club Classic coverage into shows that haven’t aired in the last 20 years or aren’t in the science fiction genre, so here’s our attempt to get you interested in an older sitcom. Instead of the usual essay format, we’ve gotten a bunch of our writers—including Erik Adams, Meredith Blake, Donna Bowman, Ryan McGee, Noel Murray, Phil Nugent, Keith Phipps, and Todd VanDerWerff—together to talk about two episodes per week, and we’ll have questions we’d like to hear your thoughts on, too. The whole things up and streaming on Netflix (and many episodes are also available on YouTube), so what’s keeping you from joining us? Only your own sense of haughty pride, and you know how we feel about that!
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.): Like many breakout characters before him, Sheldon Cooper has often been the subject of temptation for those writing him. What was once an interesting, nuanced look at particular kinds of social awkwardness has skirted awfully close to a stereotype in some recent episodes. And tonight, he’s afraid of birds! Oliver Sava has high hopes.
Community (NBC, 8 p.m.): Sure, Annie’s moving in with Troy and Abed, but what’s getting Todd VanDerWerff really excited is the idea of Jeff and Dean Pelton hanging out at the mall together. Will it be an actual mall? Or will it be a sitcom mall, complete with stores called things like “Clothes” and “Toys” and “Cell Phones”? Only time will tell!
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 p.m.): My Morning Jacket performs in tonight’s episode, which means that they bridge realities, between ours and one where vampires exist and are kind of awesome, surprisingly. But you’d think they’d offer up some hints of that in their songs. Carrie Raisler’s disappointed they haven’t recorded one called “The Vampire Universe Is Cooler Than This One.”
The X Factor (Fox, 8 p.m.): Fox’s description for this episode includes the charming description “Performers are eliminated in a results edition,” which just sounds like the description of this show that would be offered up in the old Soviet Union or in North Korea. Granted, in those shows, the prize is a giant sack full of wheat flour, but Emily Yoshida would like to remind the contestants they can’t be picky.
Parks And Recreation (NBC, 8:30 p.m.): Leslie decides to schedule a Model U.N. competition, and we’re wondering just what it is that’s making Model U.N. competitions such hot comedic business this season. Clearly, it’s the chance to make jokes about Luxembourg, wackiest country of them all. Community passed on this chance; will Parks take it? Meredith Blake steps in for Steve Heisler to find out.
The Office (NBC, 9 p.m.): The enjoyable comedic actress Lindsey Broad turns up as the woman who will step into Pam’s role while the latter’s on maternity leave. Since Jenna Fischer is also going on maternity leave, we can only assume Broad will also soon be sharing irritatingly lovey-dovey glances with John Krasinski and getting backhanded compliments from Myles McNutt.
The Secret Circle (The CW, 9 p.m.): Katherine Miller keeps telling us that this show is getting better every week, but this week’s episode is called “Balcoin,” which sounds like one of them “made-up” words, which is just about the last thing any of us needs, right? If we split it up into “Balco In,” then we’v got a delightful movie about teaching sled dogs about prepositions.