News & Notes
Tonight, ABC has the series premiere of Forever, CBS has the eighth season premiere of The Big Bang Theory, the series premiere of Scorpion and the second season finale of Under the Dome, FOX has the series premiere of Gotham and the second season premiere of Sleepy Hollow, and NBC has the sixth season premiere of The Voice and the second season premiere of The Blacklist.
Over on cable, Bravo has an Inside the Actors Studio: Mariska Hargitay special, HBO has the documentary premiere of Terror at the Mall, and TNT has the third season finale of Dallas.
Prime Picks
Gotham (FOX): Series Premiere. James Gordon is a rookie detective in Gotham City where he deals with villains and corruption. His first case is the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. This is a very good pilot episode and sets up a very interesting world that feels both modern day and retro 70s. It is fantastically shot and looks beautiful. The cast is great with Ben McKenzie (Southland), Donal Logue (Terriers), Jada Pinkett Smith (Hawthorne) and others. There are a few too many Batman villain cameos and am not sure exactly what the series will be going forward. How much overarching story and how much will be case of the week? Will you be heading to Gotham City tonight?
Sleepy Hollow (FOX): Season Premiere. Things pick up right where we left off last season with Ichabod buried alive in a coffin, Abbie in purgatory, Jenny in danger and Katrina is being held by the Headless Horseman. Ichabod works to get out and save Abbie. After watching the first two episodes of the season, it doesn’t look like they have fallen off any and have maintained the pace and crazy fun we came to expect by the end of the first season.
The Blacklist (NBC): Season Premiere. Red meets an important person from his past, as he continues to battle Berlin, while also dealing with a new foe. Liz tries to put her past with Tom behind her.
Solid Selections
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Season Premiere. Amy and Leonard head to Arizona to find Sheldon. Penny interviews for a job where Bernadette works. Howard doesn’t understand how Stuart gets along with his mother. Runs 31 minutes.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS): New. Sheldon is forced to teach a class and everyone is shocked to find Howard wants to take it. Amy attempts to play Penny and Bernadette against each other. Starts a minute after the half hour and runs 30 minutes.
Scorpion (CBS): Series Premiere. A government agent recruits computer genius Walter O’Brien and his group of brilliant colleagues to help solve a problem with the software at the Los Angeles airport, which has many planes hanging in the balance. Starts a minute after the hour and runs 59 minutes. Look, this show could be fun going forward, but tonight’s premiere is not all that good and ends with one of the most ridiculous action segments. I do like shows that revolve around smart people solving problems and there is a very interesting storyline involving Walter and the son of the waitress that gets wrapped up in the case. I will give it a couple more episodes to see what the show will be on a weekly basis, when it is not being directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) and won’t have the same budget. Will you be watching tonight?
Forever (ABC): Series Premiere. The New York City medical examiner dies in a fatal subway collision and then participates in the investigation. He is also searching for the truth behind his immortality. Starts a minute after the hour and runs 59 minutes. The second episode plays tomorrow night in its regular timeslot. There are a couple of things that bother me about this show, like where do his clothes go when his body disappears and how has does nobody wonder why he shows up naked so often? But, putting those aside, I really, really like this show. It is one of my favorite new shows this fall. It is like a combination of Castle and Elementary, if Rick or Sherlock were also immortal, or very similar to the short-lived New Amsterdam from a few years ago. I really like these types of fun cop-procedurals, especially when they add in a bigger story element. In this case, the how and why he does not die. Will you be tuning in tonight?
Other Options
- Dallas (TNT): Season Finale. Christopher is searching for Elena. Bobby gets double-crossed by the cartel. John Ross goes all out to rescue someone. Not everyone makes it out alive. Bobby and Sue Ellen come to an agreement. Runs two hour and two minutes. Plays twice.
- The Knick (Cinemax): Repeat. This past Friday night’s episode, “Start Calling Me Dad,” replays. Plays again later.
- Masters of Sex (Showtime): Repeat. Last night’s episode, “One for the Money, Two for the Show,” replays. Plays again later.
Sports Notes
- ESPN has Monday Night Football NFL action with the Chicago Bears at the New York Jets.
- MLB Network has a game tonight.
Late Night
- Rush (USA Network): Repeat. Last Thursday night’s first season finale episode, “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” replays.
Monday TV Marathons
Awkward. (MTV): Has 34 episodes.
Castle (TNT): Five episodes tonight.
Criminal Minds (ION): Has 12 episodes.
CSI: Miami (WEtv): Nine episodes tonight.
Law & Order (SundanceTV): Has 12 episodes.
Martin (TV One): Has 12 episodes.
NCIS (USA Network): Has 14 episodes.
