In a rare shift from the usual slate of reality shows focused on storage locker hunting chuckleheads and people who hoard farts in jars or whatever, tonight's TV actually features a few good, intelligent options for those of us who need more than fat men in tank tops tying ropes to large things to be satiated.
Most notably, Best Actor Oscar nominee George Clooney will be sitting across from the world's most unpretentious pretentious person, James Lipton, to discuss the many interesting facets of his long acting career on Inside the Actors Studio. I can't wait for him to talk about all those Roseanne episodes he guested on.
Elsewhere, we have new episodes of such favorites as Justified and Southland, as well as a new sketch comedy show debuting on Comedy Central tonight. Oh, and probably the most random, bizarre Colbert Report guest in ages. Seriously can't wait for this one.
 | Glee 8PM - FOX - Regionals are coming up, I guess! Also, Michael Jackson songs are featured tonight. I believe that makes this the billionth time they've used Michael Jackson songs, give or take a few. |
 | 90210 8PM - CW - Look, I'm not actually recommending this show in earnest, but tonight's episode totally reminded me of one of my favorite ridiculous tropes of '90s TV/Movies. Specifically, the Very Special Episode where some major band makes an appearance at someone's shitty bar or somebody's prom, even though that would never happen in a million years in real life. Tonight, All-American Rejects do precisely that on this show. Yeah, remember THAT band? |
 | Inside the Actors Studio 7PM - BRAVO - Two hours of George Clooney choppin' it up with James Lipton may prove to be more than I can handle, but I'm going to watch anyway. Say what you will about Lipton, the man gets good anecdotes out of his guests. |
 | Justified 10PM - FX - Raylan has his first direct encounter with the new head of the Dixie Mafia (Neal McDonough), while Boyd has his first encounter with Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson). Can't wait to see how this season manages to connect the two storylines. |
 | Southland 10PM - TNT - I'm not following this season too closely, and I've heard some grumblings about the inclusion of Lucy Liu, but I'm still going to hazard to guess that anything this show is doing right now is still light years better than most any other cop show on TV. |
 | Ink Master 10PM - Spike TV - Another episode in which strife occurs over a bad head tattoo. Hey guys? Stop getting head tattoos. |
 | Key & Peele 10:30PM - Comedy Central - This new sketch comedy series has been getting marketed pretty heavily. That said, the few clips I've seen have actually been reasonably funny (which is high praise for most Comedy Central original series), so I'm gonna give this a shot. |
 | The Colbert Report 11:30PM - Comedy Central - Bjork is tonight's guest. Yeah, Bjork. Trying to imagine Colbert's faux-conservative crazy going toe-to-toe with Bjork's impenetrably Icelandic crazy leads me to believe that this episode will collapse the universe in on itself. |
I can't tell if I like James Lipton or not. He's a total kiss ass to anyone he can get an audience with, but he also showed a sense of humor by working with David Cross on Arrested Development. Also he wrote the Thundercats theme. I'm so ambivalent.
And Keegan Michael Key was one of the few tolerable parts of MADtv's history, so I'd say a show of his is worth checking out, even if it is produced by Comedy Central.
I was going to say there's nothing on tonight (not watching Justified), but then I saw that Undercover Princes premieres tonight on TLC (The Learning Channel). "Each series follows three single princes and three single princesses from around the world who go undercover in the UK in pursuit of true love..." Undercover Princesses starts at the end of February.
I can't wait to see all the awkward confusion and hesitant banter so I must thank our British cousins for this televised treasure.
I think I should note that James Lipton is 84 years old.
Rob Delaney just said that Key & Peele is a good show. It is now legally required for everyone to watch it.
http://robdelaney.tumblr.com/post/16823187521/key-peele
I, too, grumbled when I heard Lucy Lui and Lou Diamond Phillips were going to be in Southland, but it was actually pretty good. I am bummed they scrapped most of the detective division from season 1 and some of 2 for this season, but it's still a really good show.
@RockinKemosabe said:
I know, right. Either that man has some amazing genes...or his plastic surgeon and make-up artist are damn fine artists. He does not looks 84 to me.
I don't get where all the hate for him comes from. I mean, the point of the show (and class) isn't to get actors/directors/etc to come on and have to answer questions about all the less-than-awesome movies they've made. And it's certainly not a tabloid thing, for them to have to answer to all the rumors about their personal lives, unless of course they want to. I think people forget it's meant to be a classroom-type setting, not a talk show.
Key & Peele seems promising, and those two had good chemistry together on Mad TV. I'll give it a shot. Undercover Princes also looks like it could be awkwardly amusing, good for a boring Saturday afternoon marathon or something.
I saw a commercial for Doomsday Preppers on Nat Geo debuting soon, and immediately set a DVR series recording. It combines the apocalypse, hoarding, and (presumably) rednecks: how can you go wrong with that?!
How has Clooney not been on the Actors Studio before? It's irrelevant because the show peaked when the cast of the Simpsons went on. And Bjork on the Report should be entertaining, but I don't need any extra incentive to watch that show.
Ringer also returns at 9 on CW. I'm gonna venture a guess that I may be the only person on Screened.com that's watching this show.
I don't see why anyone is still pissed off about Lucy Lui being on Southland. It's been two episodes and she fits in fine so far, so people need to take their heads out their asses.