His Friday must-watch (9/30)

There really isn't much on tonight, typical for a Friday, which is why I was tempted to just repeat my must-watch from last week, Nikita (8/7c, CW). Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to see what will happen next in this new-found rivalry between Alex & Nikita, but tonight I thought I'd switch things up.

Instead, I'll be checking out Kitchen Nightmares (8/7c, FOX). In tonight's episode, Chef Gordon Ramsay visits a small Italian eatery in nearby Springfield, MA, called Leone's. Ramsay is a pretty intense guy, and from all accounts brings quite a lot of perspective to the restauranteurs that take part in this show. Now, I don't typically watch this show, but I do love food. And with the show coming to a restaurant in Mass. I figure it is worth checking it out.

Blasts from the SNL past

Three former Saturday Night Live funny ladies are now making us laugh with their weeknight sitcoms: Maya Rudolph (Ava on Up All Night), Casey Wilson (Penny on Happy Endings) and Ana Gasteyer (Sheila aka the shouting neighbor on Suburgatory).

Don’t want to wait until next week to see these ladies again? Check out the links below for some SNL sketches you may remember.

Maya Rudolph

Casey Wilson

Ana Gasteyer

By the way, who’s your favorite of the three sitcom characters? My vote goes to Penny. As we learned last night on the Happy Endings season premiere, it’s “the year of Penny!” – which you know is awesome, because it’s like, four times longer than the “summer of George.”

Her Thursday must-watch (9/29)

What do Clark Griswold from the National Lampoon movies, Mr. Chow from The Hangover 1 and 2, and Joel McHale from The Soup have in common? Well, they’ve all caused me to pee my pants a little. (It happens.) But also, they’re all part of my must-watch show of the night: Community (8/7c on NBC).

Now, Community goes up against two of my other fave shows, The Big Bang Theory and The Vampire Diaries, so put your DVR(s) to good use and record them all. Or, if you are less of a freak than me and only have one DVR, give Community some love tonight and catch the other two On Demand later. Community is a hilarious show that needs your support.

If you’ve seen Community before, you know what I’m talking about. But if you haven’t, picture this: Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, along with the rest of their diverse and incredibly amazing ensemble cast, are all classmates at Greendale, their local community college. Ranging in age from early twenties to however the heck old Chevy Chase is, this group has amazing chemistry, bringing both the laughs and some (not too overly) sentimental moments each week. Shoutout to my favorite co-ed Alison Brie as Annie.  

Need more reasons to watch?

-Joel McHale, as unofficial group leader Jeff Winger, is much funnier than I’ve heard he is performing standup. And may I say, h to the o to the t in this role.

-Chevy Chase (as Pierce Hawthorne) is a rich, crochety old man who just wants to be accepted by the group. Can I get a collective “Aww”? But wait, he’s amoral and borderline racist and sexist.

-Ken Jeong (as Chang) used to be the gang’s Spanish professor until he was fired. Now he lives in the vents of the school.

-The bromance of all bromances, Troy and Abed (Donald Glover and Danny Pudi). And they even rap.

 Take a look and let me know what you think!

His Thursday must-watch (9/29)

Every guy needs to learn proper etiquette. But times have changed, and the average person just doesn't have a lot of need to know where to put the shrimp fork when setting the table. This is the exact dilemma that Andrew Carlson (played by David Hornsby) is faced with when he is forced to break away from old-school ideals to meet the needs of modern society and keep his job on How to be a Gentlemen (8:30/7:30c on CBS).

Enter Bert Lansing (Kevin Dillon, Johnny Drama from HBO's Entourage), the ultimate degenerate according to Andrew, but someone that understands what it takes to be a man's man. Bert is here to take a crack at helping Andrew reshape his life so Andrew can keep his job.

Honestly, I think Dillon is perfect for this role. If this character can build off of Johnny Drama even a little bit there is hope for this show. Throw in Hornsby (from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) and you have the early makings of a pretty good cast. Who knows how well it will all work together, but I'm definitely going to tune in to check it out.

His Wednesday must-watch (9/28)

Honestly, what's better than the 'burbs? White picket fences, neighbors waving as they rake leaves, perfectly edged & mowed green lawns, kids riding bikes around the cul de sac - the list goes on and on. It all sounds pretty good, unless you're a teenager who is accustomed to life in the big city.

Tonight I'll be checking out Suburgatory (8:30/7:30c, ABC). Moving from NYC to the suburbs is an adjustment for anyone. A single dad raising a teenage daughter? Adjustment would be a huge understatement. In this show we follow George Altman and his daughter Tessa as they put the city streets behind for those white picket fences, brining us a father/daughter dynamic that is sure to present a few entertaining moments.

I'm not really sure the show has the legs to make it through the season but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Her Wednesday must-watch (9/28)

Number 13 is definitely unlucky for Detective Elliot Stabler. After an incredible 12 seasons, Stabler (Chris Meloni) was nowhere to be found in  the Law & Order: SVU season 13 premiere last week. Off camera, Meloni was unable to come to a contract agreement with the network. On camera in last week's episode, we watched as Captain Kragen broke the news to Detective Olivia Benson: Stabler had submitted his papers. And there it was. No last goodbye for Benson and the rest of the squad, or for the viewers who have watched throughout the years. Like all those victims in the show's opening sequences, he's just gone.

Olivia had to steal a few moments alone, to sob for her departed partner and friend, before heading out on her next case. But what next? Will Stabler ever be mentioned again? Will the show simply go on as if he were never there, as we learn more about the new characters? I for one am curious to find out, and that's why Law & Order: SVU (10/9c on NBC) is my must-watch of the night. This one's for you, Elliot. (Plus,with rumors swirling that Mariska Hargitay may not be returning for another season, this might be the beginning of the end.)

Her Tuesday must-watch

Not only did He beat me to announcing New Girl as Tuesday's must-watch, he also stole my intro line! How can you not love a show where the awkwardly-adorable main character writes theme songs for herself? I'm totally devoting some free time - when not posting for all of you - on my own little ditty. Who's that girl who watches all the TV and writes about it and stuff...it's Her/Me! Okay, it needs some work.

Seriously though, I cannot wait for another kicka$$ episode of what looks to be one of the Fall's top new shows. Zooey Deschanel is hilarious and lovable as Jess. And I can't wait to see how her individual relationships with her three male roomies develop. Could one of them be a love interest? It's just too bad Coach has to leave us so soon. (See him on Happy Endings tomorrow night!) I would've enjoyed watching Jess teach him how to talk to women without him yelling back in their faces - "I don't care!" Classic Coach.

Here's hoping tonight's episode also includes the cast singing a song from Dirty Dancing. Or at the very least, a long walk with a watermelon.