Advertisement

Top TV week of Sept. 15: 'The Good Wife,' 'Red Band Society,' 'The Mindy Project'

 
The cast of 'Red Band Society'. [Fox]
The cast of 'Red Band Society'. [Fox]
Published Sept. 12, 2014

MONDAY

SEASON PREMIERE Dancing With the Stars, 8 p.m., ABC

It's here, it's here! The fall TV season kicks off with a bunch of new shows this week. DWTS is one of the first with a brand new Season 19 premiere Monday. Too bad the rest of this sentence won't be as exciting. This year's lackluster "celebrity" dancer cast includes actors Antonio Sabato Jr., Lea Thompson and Alfonso Ribeiro (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Olympian Lolo Jones and comic Tommy Chong. Snooze. Wake us up when Bruno makes yet another inappropriate remark about a scantily clad celeb.

SEASON FINALE MasterChef, 8 p.m., Fox

A winner is chosen in tonight's two-hour season finale, and thank goodness it's not going to be Cutter, ousted last week. Our money's on one of the ladies (Courtney or Elizabeth) to take it home over stay-at-home dad and renowned rabble-rouser Leslie.

Under the Dome, 10 p.m., CBS

Just as other shows are starting up again, this one's winding down. It's the last episode before next week's Season 2 finale, and the residents of Chester's Mill are still dealing with problems caused by that pesky dome.

SEASON FINALE Eating America With Anthony Anderson, 10:30 p.m., Food

Comedian Anthony Anderson hosts this foodie venture in which he gets to eat a lot of delicious food from very corner of the country. The fact that he's going on next week to headline new ABC comedy black-ish is the cherry on top of the bacon salted-caramel sundae he eats in this "Ice Cream Festival" episode.

TUESDAY

SEASON PREMIERE New Girl, 9 p.m., Fox

Gather 'round kids, and let us tell you about a time when Jessica Biel was a weekly fixture on our TV screens, back when she played Mary Camden on '90s tween classic 7th Heaven. Ah, how times have changed for Mrs. Justin Timberlake. She pops up on TV again in this Season 4 premiere of New Girl, as a scientist who becomes Jess' (Zooey Deschanel) rival for the best man (Reid Scott from Veep) at a wedding. Yeah, good luck, Jess.

SEASON PREMIERE The Mindy Project, 9:30 p.m., Fox

Now that they're actually dating (yay!), Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and Danny (Chris Messina) have to get used to being a couple in the workplace as the sitcom's third season begins. Oh, that shouldn't be an issue; it's not like they have a bunch of rude, nosy co-workers.

WEDNESDAY

SERIES PREMIERE Red Band Society, 9 p.m., Fox

This new drama about teen patients in the pediatric ward of a Los Angeles hospital has one of the season's most compelling pilots. Think early Glee, but without the sometimes-annoying singing and more pathos and gravitas thanks to the hospital setting and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer as a nurse.

Top Chef Duels, 10 p.m., Bravo

Two fan-favorite chefs compete, preparing a meal for the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast. Let me guess: Andre Braugher's Captain Holt is not impressed.

SEASON FINALE Extant, 10 p.m., CBS

Halle Berry heads back into space in this season's final episode, as her character Molly attempts to keep lethal spores from reaching Earth. Going out on a limb here and guessing she'll succeed.

Planning your weekend?

Planning your weekend?

Subscribe to our free Top 5 things to do newsletter

We’ll deliver ideas every Thursday for going out, staying home or spending time outdoors.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

THURSDAY

Project Runway, 9 p.m., Lifetime

In a new episode, designers are asked to create age-appropriate looks for young models based on the line of American Girl doll characters. Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men is a guest judge, which is odd, because Peggy would never approve of such a silly idea.

SUNDAY

SERIES PREMIERE Madam Secretary, 8:30 p.m., CBS

It's fitting that CBS is pairing this new drama starring Tea Leoni as secretary of state with The Good Wife on Sundays, because it's got that smart, sophisticated feel. Even if it didn't, it'd be worth watching for its all-star cast, which includes Bebe Neuwirth and Keith Carradine.

SEASON PREMIERE The Good Wife, 9:30 p.m., CBS

Will Gardner? Who needs Will Gardner? Sorry, Josh Charles, but this show seems to be finding its way splendidly without you, revving up its superlative storytelling engine for a sixth season full of state's attorney race shenanigans and guest stars like Frasier's David Hyde Pierce.