What’s On: ‘Young Sheldon,’ Nostalgic ‘There’s … Johnny!’ on Hulu, Jeff Ross at the Border

Matt Roush
18 Comments
Iain Armitage playing cards as Young Sheldon
Michael Desmond/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Sheldon (Iain Armitage)

Young Sheldon (8:30/7:30c, CBS): Add this to the Sheldon Cooper canon: How as a 9-year-old boy (the fantastic Iain Armitage), recovering from a near-death scare after choking on a Jimmy Dean sausage, he discovered his love for comic books. Once again, Annie Potts comes close to stealing the show as a Meemaw we all might wish had indulged us with milkshakes as a kid.

There’s … Johnny! (Hulu): Commissioned for the defunct comedy hub Seeso, this warmly nostalgic but salty-tongued behind-the-curtain salute to Johnny Carson’s classic Tonight Show is closer in spirit to My Favorite Year than The Larry Sanders Show. Set in 1972, not long after Carson & Co. decamped from New York City to Burbank, the series (co-created by Paul Reiser) stars fresh-faced Ian Nelson as Andy, a naïve 19-year-old fan-boy from Carson’s home state of Nebraska who stumbles into a backstage job. Clips from the classic show are interspersed throughout, and Johnny only appears as himself on camera, sparing us the sort of bad impersonation we got in Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here. Jane Levy (Suburgatory) shines as Andy’s tart supervisor who naturally becomes an object of romantic interest.

Jeff Ross Roasts the Border: Live from Brownsville, Texas (10/9c, Comedy Central): The pugnacious roastmaster, who has developed a powerful new genre of investigative docu-comedy, travels to a border town on the southern tip of Texas to deliver a free outdoor concert in front of a fenced wall separating the U.S. from Mexico. His audience is, to put it mildly, racially mixed. While there, Ross puts a very personal spin on the immigration debate, speaking to undocumented immigrants, “Dreamers,” law enforcement agents and supporters of the president, who aren’t all united on this divisive issue.

Inside Thursday TV: With the final season of Longmire and the feminist Western Godless on the Netflix horizon, it seems only fitting that The CW’s Supernatural (8/7c) would pay homage to the Western genre. When Team Winchester looks into a murder in a (pardon the expression) ghost town, Dean (Jensen Ackles) is especially keen to face off with a famous gunslinger. … Fall finales on ABC’s “TGIT” lineup include a hacker wreaking havoc with the hospital’s computer system on Grey’s Anatomy (8/7c), and a desperate search for a missing Quinn (Katie Lowes) on Scandal (9/8c). … Recently seen as Jack’s grown son on NBC’s Will & Grace, Michael Angarano guests on CBS’s Mom (9/8c) as a classmate of Christy’s (Anna Faris) who is interested in being more than a study buddy. … Hulu’s British comedy import GameFace, starring Roisin Conaty as a pathetic train-wreck of a single woman, makes the heroine of Amazon’s superior Fleabag look almost well-adjusted. … Also streaming with a British accent: Sundance Now’s Back, a dark comedy reuniting Peep Show co-stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Mitchell is an underachiever who, after the death of his father, prepares to take over the family business when he is upstaged by the arrival of a former foster brother (Webb).

 

Jeff RossJohnny Carson



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  1. C

    CyanFish

    Supernatural's episode, "Tombstone," was awesome! Just excellent. And especially wonderful as Eric Schweig (Uncas from "Last of the Mohicans") guest starred.

  2. C

    CyanCoathanger

    Big Bang and Sheldon on CBS and Gotham and Orville on Fox. I was watching Ghost Wars on SyFy, but I'm a couple of episodes behind.

  3. R

    RedCupcake

    I'll watch Supernatural and S.W.A.T. (BTW, I'm not sure I like that they use the same general theme music as the '70s version of the show.)

    Re Designated Survivor (POSSIBLE SPOILERS... BEWARE).... I'm wondering who tipped off the (of course) young, pretty reporter, and if there isn't any connection to the FBI guy. And that FBI guy, by the way, isn't he a friend of Hannah's? ANd doesn't she still work for the FBI? Her special role in finding out who blew up the government is over, and she even tossed in solving another crime, the murder of the British embassy person, for good measure. But why isn't she back at the FBI herself?

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      I really enjoyed Designated Survivor last night. But can't answer one of your inquiries. At least not yet. The son returned after a very long absence, but he looked different to me? Is he another actor? Hannah's makeup was too dark and ruddy last night, she usually looks flawless to me. So we have to wait another 2 weeks for a new episode! It was just off last week for the CMAs!

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I don't believe they've really explained what's going on with her. She's still an FBI agent, but she seems to still be working independently from them. It wasn't just that one man who orchestrated the blowing up of the capital but a whole conspiracy of people trying to get rid of the current government and administration and replace them with their own people.

    3. R

      RedCupcake

      I'm pretty sure that's the same actor playing son Leo, but I think his hair was different this time.

      As for the cutesy-wootsie reporter, I wanted someone to spike her guns and put her in her place.

    4. R

      RedCupcake

      I totally agree about the blowing-up-the-capitol conspiracy. As far as I know, that storyline is totally finished and the show has moved on from it And I also totally agree that that's a silly notion. Such a huge conspiracy couldn't possibly rest only on the shoulders of one person. If there IS more to it, I wish the show would start doling out a few small breadcrumbs. I still don't see what this stupid POTUS mother-in-law thing has to do with anything. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

    5. C

      CyanCoathanger

      The MIL thing makes sense as part of a campaign someone is waging to make his family look bad and thus sway popular opinion against him.

    6. R

      RedCupcake

      Yes, that's true, it could harm the President's image, but it seems like sort of a clumsy way to do it. Not exactly the kind of plan I'd expect from someone who masterminded the destruction of the US government.

    7. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Maybe it's a different person or persons.

    8. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Cutesy-wootsie , LOL, annoyingly cute. I get what you mean.

  4. C

    CyanFish

    Thursday night is the busy night for TV watching in my home. There's "The Big Bang Theory,""Gotham," "Supernatural" (woo-hoo!); "The Orville" (I get to practice my swearing); "SWAT" (as a former police dispatcher, I laugh at this show); "Arrow," and "Van Helsing." Thank goodness for the DVR!

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      7 shows is a lot for one night, Which shows are you watching live? Decisions , decisions....

    2. C

      CyanFish

      I haven't watched a TV show live since ... 1972. From 1972 through 1978, I worked swing shift full-time, and I also worked a part-time job(s). In 1978, I purchased my first VCR. I finally was able to see some prime time programming. I got used to watching my programs recorded, so that I could fast frame through commercials. So that when I moved to working on day shift, I continued to record all my programs. I still do so do this day, and I'm retired now. I watch TV when I want to watch it.

    3. G

      GoldSubmarine

      I've been using multiple VCRs for a long time also (although you bought yours some time earlier ) and for the last several years I switched to the DVR. I prefer to watch my favorites live for many reasons.

      The first is I'm anxious to see the next episode as quickly as possible. I don't want to accidentally hear or read spoilers. I want to be informed about the program so when I am posting or talking to friends and family I'm up to date. I don't have time to watch too many shows in the delayed fashion. As it is I have to stay up very late catching up and on weekends when not working. If I never watched live and all my shows were backed up on DVR, I would surely just delete some of them because of lack of time.

  5. C

    CyanCandy

    Fred, sorry didn't see your question about "The Exorcist". I did watch the 1st season, and I agree it was scary and very good. I'll catch up this season at the thankfully upcoming winter break. Is it as good as the 1st season?

    1. G

      GoldSubmarine

      Starts a bit slow , but still plenty scary. This past new ep that just aired was scarier than any ep I've seen in all of television, ever! Enjoy!!

      Off topic:

      I'm not sure if you watch Designated Survivor. But last night's ep was especially good. I can't believe its off again next week! It was off last week for the CMAs.

      The son of the president looks different from the last time I've seen him. He doesn't have a huge role in the show, so I don't recall his face, but they may have changed the actor. Wonder why? It wasn't like the last one did anything wrong. He just wasn't given enough material. The first lady has finally been getting some better material lately.

    2. C

      CyanCoathanger

      It's the same kid. I think he's just had a drastic haircut/restyling since last year. Both kids were reduced from regular to recurring characters this season.