“You got Justified in my Archer!” “You got Archer in my Justified!”
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, Feb. 16. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Archer (FX, 10 p.m.): Because Thursday nights are where all of your favorite things come together, this week brings an episode of Archer set on a drug farm in a rural mining community. It’s not strictly a parody of Justified—though the Justified allusion in the title, “Bloody Ferlin,” begs to differ. Still, in Sterling Archer’s eyes, helping Ray’s redneck brother (voiced by Jack McBrayer) defend his weed empire from the local fuzz is more akin to White Lightning than anything out of an Elmore Leonard story. Undeterred, Todd VanDerWerff continues his campaign for an ongoing comic series that teams Archer with Raylan Givens.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.): Apparently all that’s been keeping Sheldon from devolving into a blithe, bongo-playing, free spirit is a regular visit to the barber. When Will Harris misses a haircut, he unleashes his alter ego: The masked marauder known as El Kabong.
American Idol (Fox, 8 p.m.):In response to this tweet from our own Keith Phipps (and as a response to American Idol’s interminable early goings), let’s all write some fan fiction set in the talent competition-based kingdom ruled by Elton John in that X Factor Pepsi ad. Here’s a prompt: “Raised in the wilds that encircled Honky Château, Claire Zulkey had never known the sweet taste of a cold Pepsi Cola… ”
30 Rock (NBC, 8 p.m.): This season’s lumpy, hour-long Valentine’s Day episode aside, 30 Rock usually shines when it applies its cockeyed perspective to holiday traditions. And since there aren’t any real traditions associated with Leap Day, that frees the TGS staff to make up a bunch of shit. Legend has it if you spot a Nathan Rabin in the wild on Leap Day, you’ll have four years of good luck!
Parks And Recreation (NBC, 8:30 p.m.): There’s numerological play afoot in Pawnee, as “Sweet Sixteen” centers on a birthday party and it’s the 16th episode of Parks And Recreation’s fourth season. You may remember Steve Heisler from an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen where he received a gold-plated pony.
Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): With our regular emissary to Project Runway All Stars off for the evening, deputy envoy to Sunday-night Showtime series Joshua Alston fills in, as the designers take inspiration from the many flags of the United Nations. The General Assembly recognizes this premise as “ridiculous.”