Reliving the 1990s, CW Adds More Comedy, ‘Breeders’ Final Season, Bachelorette’s Hometown Visits
A National Geographic docuseries revisits the pop-culture trends and breakthroughs of the 1990s. The CW adds a new Canadian comedy and the second season of Australian import Bump to its Monday sitcom lineup. FX launches the fourth and final season of the edgy parenthood comedy Breeders. ABC’s The Bachelorette is in the final stretch, which means traveling to the beaus’ hometowns.
Rewind the 90s
Series Premiere
Feeling nostalgic for the days before we added “200-” to our datebook? A 10-part docuseries takes us back to a time before Y2K, with a pop-cultural survey of the trends and breakthroughs of the 1990s. The first two chapters explore “The Reality Revolution,” with the rise of America’s Funniest Home Videos, MTV’s The Real World (paving the way for reality TV) and the O.J. Simpson trial taking over TV; followed by a “Comedy Rebellion” led by The Simpsons (still running!) and Seinfeld when network TV still ruled. Those were the days.
Run The Burbs
Series Premiere
The everyday aggravations and joys of suburban life are seen through the prism of a Vietnamese-South Asian family in a Canadian sitcom moving into The CW’s Monday comedy block. Andrew Phung stars as stay-at-home dad Andrew, raising their two kids with entrepreneur wife Camille (Rakhee Morzaria). In the opener, Camille learns it’s harder than it looks to get a permit for a neighborhood block party. An hour later, the Australian dramedy Bump (9:30/8:30c) returns for a second season of domestic conflict.
Breeders
Season Premiere
Bombshells rock the Worsley home as the darkly funny British comedy returns for a fourth and final season with a five-year time jump. Harried parents Paul (Martin Freeman) and Ally (Daisy Haggard) are contemplating the end of their marriage, but their own woes are diverted at Christmastime when 18-year-old son Luke (Oscar Kennedy) breaks startling news. Being mom and dad was hard enough, but becoming grandparents on the cusp of 50?
The Bachelorette
Charity hits the road to meet the four remaining bachelors’ families—at least keeping tennis pro Joey around means a trip to beautiful Hawaii. But with only three roses left, making the next cut only becomes harder after getting to know where the guys came from.
INSIDE MONDAY TV:
- Son of a Critch (8/7c, The CW): In the nostalgic ’80s-era comedy, young Mark’s (Benjamin Evan Ainworth) fears come true that his cello will make him a target of bullies. Fox (Sophia Powers) to the rescue!
- Stars on Mars (8/7c, Fox): This week’s mock challenge: Repair solar panels damaged by fake solar flares on pretend Mars.
- Miracle Workers: End Times (10/9c, TBS): Reformed road warrior Sid (Daniel Radcliffe) meets the parents in the post-apocalyptic comedy when he and Freya (Geraldine Viswanathan) head to a utopia in the sky to visit her folks (Garcelle Beauvais and Tim Heidecker).
