Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, February 28. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
President Donald Trump’s Address To Congress (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, 9 p.m.): We know better than to expect Donald Trump to say anything empathetic, useful, or reassuring at his address to Congress. But it will be worth tuning in for the audience alone. Apparently, many of the House Democrats are bringing Dreamers, Muslim-Americans, and others who have a bone to pick with El Trumpo to the event, hoping to ensure that the gallery reflects the diversity of our country. But let’s be real: It’s also a perfect troll move that could stir the pot and result in The Donald losing his cool, although that’s admittedly not a difficult task.
Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes (Netflix, 3:01 a.m.): Mike Birbiglia’s stand-up has always been cerebral in the most effortless way, his intellectualism made accessible by his aw-shucks approachability. In his latest Netflix special, he explores the very idea behind jokes—why we tell them, how they’re affected by and affect our psychology, etc. In other words, the eloquent yet genuinely funny monologue is the opposite of the one you’ll hear on every major news station tonight.
Chopped (Food, 10 p.m.): Tonight’s episode is called “Raw Deal”—something a lot of us are experiencing right now.
Premieres and finales
Taboo (FX, 10 p.m.): Emily L. Stephens hasn’t been won over by the first season of BBC’s moody, violent revenge yarn. Maybe tonight’s finale, where Prince Regent makes one final move against James Delaney, will change her mind. And if it doesn’t, she can end it all by doing this: