TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: Debuts of “Melissa
& Joey” (8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC Family, rerunning at 10 and
10:30) and “Big Lake” (10 and 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central).
Here are two comedies with remarkable
similarities. Each is about a former financial whiz, now broke and
starting over; each has an inept laugh track.
In the first, Melissa Joan Hart is a
politician, transformed by a money scandal; her sister was jailed and
she's in charge of her niece and nephew. Joey Lawrence is one of the
guys ruined by the scandal; now he's her domestic and nanny. It may
seem retro, but it has sharp writing, delivered by talented pros.
In “Big Lake,” a failure (Chris
Gethard) returns to his home and the perverse people (Chris Parnell,
Horatio Sanz) of his youth. It tries harder to be hip and offbeat,
with inconsistent results.
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “Glee,” 8
and 9 p.m., Fox.
As the new season nears, Fox moves
“Glee” into its fall night and slides “MasterChef” to
Wednesdays.
Tonight, it has a pair of reruns. The
first is excellent, as Will meets an opposing club and its
no-nonsense coach, played by Eve. The second is merely OK; Will's
marriage crumbles and Rachel fumes when the yearbook skips a picture
of the glee club.
TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Hawthorne,”
9 p.m., TNT.
This low-key drama ramps things up
tonight, as Christina (Jada Pinkett Smith) faces big issues with her
daughter and with her own love life.
The plot seems contrived – a few
words here and there would have settled everything – and a second
story involving a mean-spirited aide (Sara Gilbert) is lame. Still,
this gives good actors a chance to dig into deep moments. The best
surprise is singer Marc Anthony, who is excellent as the
compassionate cop Christina met in the previous episode.
Other choices include:
– “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. In a
rerun, two dead mercenaries are found on Gibbs' boat. Now Gibbs must
talk to his former mentor, trying to prevent an international
conflict.
– “NCIS: Los Angeles,” 9 p.m.,
CBS. Here's a rerun of the episode that borrowed the Abby character
from “NCIS.” She rushes to Los Angeles, after a murder there is
similar to the one she's probing.
– “America's Got Talent,” 9-11
p.m., NBC. There are still a few more acts to slip into the
semi-finals. Tonight, 12 rejects get a second chance; on Wednesday,
four will advance.
– “18 to Life,” 9 and 9:30 p.m.,
CW. The newlyweds get a joint bank account. Also, a secret emerges
during a dinner with a rabbi.
– “Warehouse 13,” 9 p.m., Syfy.
The good news is that a college wrestling team is suddenly winning;
the bad news is that the its guys sometimes burst into balls of
flame. That story is relatively lame, but it's the backdrop for some
personal stories – Artie and a government doctor (Lindsay Wagner)
... Pete and a veterinarian ... and the return of H.G. Welles –
who, in this offbeat show, is alive and female.
– “POV,” 10 p.m., PBS (check
local listings). Here are three mismatched films. One is a video
journal, as a photographer captures gorgeous images in the the
Australian salt flats. Another is a gentle look at people who create
replacement eyes. The third starts a weekly “StoryCorps,” in
which animation illustrates real-life audio tapes; it may be the best
five minutes on TV this summer.