What’s On: Conan Goes to Comic-Con, ‘Broadchurch’ Deepens Its Mysteries

Matt Roush
17 Comments
Conan O'Brien on TBS
Tiffany Roohan/Conaco
Conan O'Brien

Conan (11/10c, TBS): For the third year, Conan O’Brien takes his act to Fan Frenzy Central, otherwise known as San Diego’s Comic-Con International, joining the orgy of hype by inviting casts of present and future cult sensations to the stage of the Spreckels Theatre. First up: the cast of the upcoming sci-fi thriller Bright, including Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace; then a Comic-Con classic, the brothers Winchester from The CW’s long-running Supernatural, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The week builds to a Sunday climax, with a Game of Thrones cast event (the perfect way to come down from a new episode).

The Carmichael Show (9/8c, NBC): In its waning weeks, the provocative family sitcom provides a showcase for the excellent Loretta Devine as matriarch Cynthia. When she discovers her own parents (Starletta Dupois and Bill Cobbs) are having marriage difficulties, Cynthia takes a hard look at her own relationship with Joe (David Alan Grier).

Broadchurch (10/9c, BBC America): The news earlier this week that Jodie Whittaker was chosen to be the newest incarnation of Doctor Who adds new impetus to check out this excellent mystery series. She plays Beth Latimer, who has evolved from grieving mother of a murdered child in the first season to a crisis counselor whose own family still needs some serious healing. In this week’s twisty episode, she accompanies sexual-assault victim Trish (Julie Hesmondhalgh) back to the crime scene for an emotionally grueling exercise. But when results come back from the DNA found on Trish, the investigation by Hardy (former Doctor David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) takes yet another dark detour.

Inside Wednesday TV: You didn’t think getting the team back together on USA’s Suits (9/8c) would go without a hitch, did you? Harvey (Gabriel Macht) clashes with his partners, and even Donna (Sarah Rafferty) is ruffling feathers with her recent actions. … CBS’s Salvation (9/8c) reminds us that sometimes you can’t help hurting the one you love when the fate of the Earth is at stake. Which is why even on her birthday, Grace (Jennifer Finnigan) betrays her bureaucratic beau Harris (Ian Anthony Dale) to get access to enriched uranium that would help Tanz (Santiago Cabrera) attempt the impossible and stop the asteroid hurtling toward the planet. … Now that Liza (Sutton Foster) and Kelsey (Hilary Duff) have made up on TV Land’s Younger (10/9c), it’s time for both to give dating a go again. Easier said than done. … TBS’s Emmy-nominated Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (10:30/9:30c) is back with a new episode, in which Team Sam checks out an impeachment rally.

 




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  1. R

    RedCupcake

    The only must-watch for me tonight is Salvation. Good summer popcorn fare.

    (I watched the first episode of Hooten and the Lady. First of all, whoever came up with that title should be taken outside, smeared with peanut butter, and dragged over an ant-hill. It's HORRIBLE. Secondly, I was just surprised to see Kitty from Elementary in the lead female role, so the whole premise of the show sailed past me. Thirdly, yeah, it's a very (very) lightweight show, but I'll probably watch it as I like this sort of adventure thing.

    1

    1. P

      PurpleHammer

      I'm enjoying Salvation. Best of the summer new series IMO.

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I thought last night's episode was good.

  2. C

    CyanCoathanger

    Wow...has he ever mentioned so many shows in one article? You'd think it was a week out of the fall schedule with so many shows to watch, and he didn't even mention the perennial summer favorites MasterChef and Big Brother.

    I'm still riveted by Broadchurch, enjoying the return of Suits, and finding Salvation entertaining enough to keep watching for now. We'll have to see where it goes.

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      CBS's Big Brother and FOX's Master Chef are the highest rated summer shows for their networks. Surprised no mention today.

      NBC's America Got Talent and ABC's Bachelorette

      are the champs for these networks. I think they get some press most weeks.

      CW is suffering badly this summer. Can't think of one single solid performer.

      Fall can't come soon enough for CW.

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I don't remember him ever mentioning Big Brother or MasterChef unless it's just to say a new season was beginning. I'm not sure what the purpose of this column is. At first, I thought it was what he recommended watching, but occasionally, he says that something isn't worth watching. I guess it's just the shows he feels like commenting on.

  3. G

    GoldSubmarine

    Salvation is just good enough to keep me watching. Had it aired during the regular season, I would likely not continue. I tried watching CW reruns of The Flash and Hooten and the Lady last night, but baseball was airing instead. So I switched to NBC's America's Got Talent.

    Tonight TCM is airing Hitchcock two favorites of mine The Rope and Strangers on a Train much later. Sandwiched in between Stage Fright.

    1. C

      CyanFish

      Oh my gosh, "Hooten and the Lady" was so awful I stopped watching after about 10 minutes. Just the opening premise had so much WRONG with it: 1) The plan was to leave England, go to South America, find "lost" tribe and "lost" archaeological object; 2) Retrieve "lost" archaeological object and return it to England; 3) within six weeks time, so that it could be put on display, increase the number of visitors to the museum; 4) so that it's membership was up, thereby hoping that the government (on its upcoming yearly budget), would increase the budget for the museum. In six weeks time? And, the "lost" Indian tribe was portrayed by ... white actors. Yikes! I was out of there.

    2. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Now Disney is getting slammed for hiring a partial Indian Jasmine for Aladdin.

      This stuff has been going on since early last century when Hollywood hired white actors to play blacks.

      As for Hooten and the Lady, it's a light adventure show, not meant to be taken too seriously.

    3. C

      CyanFish

      "Hooten and the Lady" was awful, plain and simple.

    4. G

      GoldSubmarine

      My standards are way lower in the summer. I'm watching ABC's Still Star-Crossed, CBS's Salvation and plan on watching NBC's Midnight, Texas and ABC's Somewhere Between.

    5. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I get tired of all the political correctness BS. I can see where blackface was insulting and the idea of white actors playing Asians in some old movies was beyond ridiculous, but the complaints about Indians playing Arabs or Arabians playing Persians just go to far. It's like complaining about a Polish actor playing a German.

    6. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I didn't care for it either. I thought the acting was very mediocre and the plot lines were beyond belief...even for a "light adventure."

    7. G

      GoldSubmarine

      I agree with this entire post.

    8. C

      CyanCoathanger

      The reviews I've seen of Midnight, Texas weren't very positive, but I'm willing to give it a chance. I used to love vampire movies, but the new generation of teenage vampires has really turned me off to the genre. They've taken all the horror out of horror movies and replaced it with a bunch of broody, boring brats.

    9. G

      GoldSubmarine

      True, those classic vampire movies were much more frightening.

      Most of the old horror films in general were far scarier than today.

    10. G

      GreenCarrot

      I gave up when the lady used WiFi not to contact her museum but to ask someone to contact the museum, almost as if the writers got confused between Skype and a phone line from last century.