Worth Watching: ‘This Is Us,’ ‘Kids’ and the Partridge Family, Amy’s Anniversary
A selective critical checklist of notable Tuesday TV:
This Is Us (9/8c, NBC): Can this marriage be saved? You’ll probably hope so after watching the history of Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) unfold in an episode tracing their relationship from first date and wedding to an emotionally lacerating fight that could prove to be a turning point. “You’re a lot,” Beth tells her persistent and super-sensitive soulmate early on, but she’s a handful as well. They’re better together and know it, but when words are said that can’t be unspoken, who can tell if the damage is permanent.
The Kids Are Alright (8:30/7:30c, ABC): Any time I watch my favorite new network comedy of the season, I’m reminded there may be one kid in America who consumed TV more avidly than I did in the 1970s: little Timmy Cleary (Jack Gore), who has the added advantage of living close to the action in L.A. When he enters a contest to appear on The Partridge Family — what, The Brady Bunch wasn’t available? — Timmy goes the extra mile to try to get his show-biz dreams to come true. Similarly, when his mom Peggy (Mary McCormack) finally takes her driving test, she enlists her boys to help her game the system to get her license.
At Home With Amy Sedaris (10/9c, truTV): The guest stars come out to celebrate a special occasion — the 15th “anniversary” episode of the demented homemaker spoof, as Amy looks back at memorable moments that no one can actually remember. Among those in on the joke: Susan Sarandon, Janeane Garofalo, Community‘s Gillian Jacobs and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt herself, Ellie Kemper.
Inside Tuesday TV: Who doesn’t love a good submarine thriller? On CBS’s NCIS (8/7c), Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Bishop (Emily Wickersham) board a nuclear sub to conduct a murder investigation, and Director Vance (Rocky Carroll, who directed the episode) worries when the ship goes radio silent… Katt Williams guests on ABC’s black-ish (9/8c) as Perry, the estranged father of Kyra (Quvenzhané Wallis), who’s been living with cousin Dre (Anthony Anderson) and family. Perry wants to take his daughter back to Houston, but the family hopes to convince him otherwise… In the season finale of TBS’s fantastical comedy Miracle Workers (10:30/9:30c), Craig (Daniel Radcliffe) has one last desperate Hail-Mary idea for him and fellow angel Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan) to try to get humans Laura (Sasha Compere) and Sam (Jon Bass) to fall in love. If they fail, God (Steve Buscemi) will end the world as we know it. Can this planet be saved?
