CBS, 8:00 p.m. ET
Tonight, this CBS sitcom boldly goes into the land of Star Trek – thanks to a collectible toy that figures prominently in this episode’s plot. Also a prominent figure: a little toy Mr. Spock, whose voice is provided, especially for this sitcom, by none other than Leonard Nimoy. Good thing, too. Getting any other actor to supply the voice for a Spock toy would have been so… illogical.
NBC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Fans of this show don’t need any additional bait in order to tune in: they’re already hooked. But for the vast majority of viewers, who aren’t watching Community, maybe tonight’s guest appearance by John Goodman – ponytail, beard and all – will serve as the proper enticement.
CBS, 10:00 p.m. ET
In tonight’s episode, a murder trail leads to Las Vegas – which leads, in turn, to Jane’s reunion with a magician with whom, as a mentalist, Jane used to share a double bill. Now he’s catching up on old times, while asking his old buddy about his possible involvement in the killing. Presto! Instant Entertainment! (Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! Nothin’ up my sleeve…)
MTV, 10:00 p.m. ET
SERIES RETURN: After many years in hiatus, this Ashton Kutcher-produced series returns to claim a whole new series of practical-joke victims – and this time, it enlists celebrities as both instigators and co-conspirators. Tonight, for example, Justin Bieber comes up with a prank he wants to pull on his friend Taylor Swift. Yeah, like MTV is going to say no to that one.
HBO Family, 8:45 p.m. ET
Long before most filmmakers thought it was acceptable, much less profitable, to mine cartoons and comic books for feature films, Robert Altman took a major risk with this 1980 feature – and doubled down by making it a musical, to boot. Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall star as Popeye and Olive Oyl, and you have to wonder: Was this Olive Oyl an extra virgin? While pondering that, enjoy the music, and the weird, witty lyrics: They’re by Harry Nilsson, in one of the most overlooked elements of his compositional canon.