What’s On: ‘Portlandia’ Final Season, ‘Supernatural’ Spinoff, ‘TGIT’ Returns, Launch of Paramount Network

Matt Roush
13 Comments
Portlandia - Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein
IFC
Portlandia - Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein

A selective critical checklist of notable Thursday TV:

Portlandia (10/9c, IFC): As recently seen on 60 Minutes, the whimsical sketch-com celebrating the quirky sensibility of the Oregon burg has reached its final season, with the protean Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (who directs the opener) inhabiting a variety of memorably warped characters. Ed Begley Jr. and Terry Crews are among the visitors in the season premiere, in which Spike tries to revive the protest band Riot Spray only to discover the members (including Henry Rollins) have mellowed considerably in middle age. “What am I refusing again? … I like a lot of stuff.” The funniest sketch involves patronizing podcasters infiltrating the police station, imposing a Serial-like narrative on the mundane grind. Portlandia provides wonderful cultural snapshots from a place that is also proudly a state of mind. It will be missed.

Supernatural (8/7c, The CW): A new attempt to spin off the long-running horror hit feels very of the moment in its assembly of an all-female army in a backdoor pilot titled “Wayward Sisters.” Led by monster-hunting Sheriff Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes), who calls back home her Buffy-like rebel ward Claire (Kathryn Love Newton), the team also includes fellow “sister” Alex (Katherine Ramdeen), Minnesota cop Donna Hanscum (Briana Buckmaster, channeling Fargo-speak) and a nervous psychic, Patience (Clark Backo), whose dark vision fuels conflict between Jody and Claire. But the mission comes first: Rescue Sam and Dean (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) from the alternative universe they’re trapped in, with the help of dreamwalker Kaia (Yadira Guevara-Prip). Monsters and spear-throwing menaces won’t make it easy.

TGIT: After two months of holiday hiatus, the Shondaland troika of Grey’s Anatomy (8/7c), Scandal (9/8c) and How to Get Away With Murder (10/9c) returns with all new episodes. And while Grey’s continues to score, with the new twist of the surprise arrival of Jo’s (Camilla Luddington) abusive ex (Glee’s Matthew Morrison in a sinister change-of-pace guest role), all eyes are on Scandal as the over-the-top melodrama embarks on its final 11 episodes. The question looming over Olivia (Kerry Washington) and her crew: Is Quinn (Katie Lowes) alive?

A New Network: What formerly was known as Spike TV is now christened as Paramount Network, with an ambitious slate of original programming in the pipeline, including next week’s limited-series docudrama Waco. To launch the rebranded channel, though, a remnant of Spike’s past in a special live version of Lip Sync Battle (9/8c) billed as “A Michael Jackson Celebration.” Hosted by LL Cool J and Chrissy Tiegen from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the participants paying homage to the King of Pop include Neil Patrick Harris, Empire’s Taraji P. Henson and Hailee Steinfeld.

Inside Thursday TV: Raj (Kunal Nayyar) is caught in a testy love triangle on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory (8/7) when he discovers his new girlfriend (2 Broke Girls’ Beth Behrs) is married to a very angry mate (Justified’s Walton Goggins). … Freeform’s supernatural thriller Beyond kicks off a second season with a two-hour episode (8/7c). … When mom (Zoe Perry) fights with dad (Lance Barber) on CBS’s Young Sheldon (8:30/7:30c), the family moves in with Meemaw (the wonderful Annie Potts). … What happens when the refugees from NBC’s The Good Place (8:30/7:30c) find themselves in the “bad place?” Let’s just say all you-know-what breaks loose. … NBC’s Will & Grace (9/8c) welcomes back Bobby Cannavale, who won a 1998 guest actor Emmy as Will’s boyfriend Vince. Now Vince is getting married, and Grace (Debra Messing) accompanies Will (Eric McCormack) to the ceremony to keep him from making a scene. Good luck

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Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Brownstein

Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen

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  1. R

    RedCupcake

    I\'ll be watching Supernatural and SWAT.

    So Spike is rebranding itself... again? It started life as TNN (The Nashville Network) and then was something else before it became Spike, which was branded as \"TV for men.\" Sounds like that narrow niche didn\'t work out so well, so it\'s broadening itself.

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    1. C

      CyanCoathanger

      It was dropped from my cable tier last year, so it doesn\'t matter to me anyway. The only thing I\'ve watched from Spike was The Fog which I watched on their web site.

    2. This comment was removed by its author.

    3. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Yeah. Fog--Mist--Whatever. Same difference...if you ask me. ;-)

    4. This comment was removed by its author.

    5. C

      CyanCoathanger

      Yeah, but it didn\'t really follow the book, so maybe it should have had a different name.

    6. O

      OrangeController

      After it was know as TNN, it rebranded itself as “The New TNN”, before it rebranded itself again as Spike before it rebranded itself yet again now as The Paramount Network!

  2. C

    CyanCoathanger

    Big Bang and Sheldon for me. I\'ll have to catch Superstore and Good Place on demand because my DVR is full from last night.

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    1. This comment was removed by its author.

    2. R

      RedQuill

      ..

      Assuming that you ENJOY all the shows you listed...wouldn\'t this be, instead, your GOOD day???

      ..

    3. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I might watch Project Runway if I\'m awake at 1:00. It\'s better than the infomercials that are on most channels at that hour!

    4. This comment was removed by its author.

    5. R

      RedQuill

      ..

      What\'s the capacity of your DVR...Don...?

      Do you think that the \"TV Gods\" MAY be trying to tell you that it\'s time to WEED OUT any show with 5 or more episodes backed up...or anything OLDER than 6 months???

      ..

    6. R

      RedQuill

      ..

      uni...do you have a DVR...or watch them \"live\"?

      I\'m STILL not sure whether having a DVR makes my life more complex...or simpler !!??!!

      ..

    7. C

      CyanCoathanger

      I don\'t know the capacity offhand. I\'ve got 101 recordings many of which are 2 or more hours. I go through and eliminate some every now and then, but many are things I really want to watch someday.

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  3. C

    CyanFish

    Woo-hoo! Supernatural and The Big Bang Theory (and Conan) for me tonight. :)

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  4. R

    RedQuill

    ..

    Because...1 or 2 seasons ago...I ended up with 5 episodes of Supernatural backed up on my DVR...I eliminated it from my \"Season Passes\" and quit watching it...(obviously, to me, I had more interesting stuff to watch at that time)...

    But...WILL DVR the Wayward Sisters tonight...in case it DOES end up becoming a spin off...

    ..