His Thursday must-watch (10/27)

I might be in the minority here, but I think Thursday nights are tough. There are a ton of solid shows that many people follow religiously that I just haven't gotten into, but probably should (Parks & Rec, Always Sunny, Community). There are others that have been around a long time that I never watched religiously and are past their prime (Grey's, The Office). There are a bunch of random shows that may or may not do well (Charlie's Angels, Prime Suspect). There are terrible shows that shouldn't be on the air (Private Practice, The Mentalist). And then there are shows that were cool when I was 10, went away for a while and then came back (Beavis and Butt-head...really?).

Well, last week I gave Whitney a shot, and it was ok. Definitely not as funny as some other new shows, and definitely has not found a home on the DVR. But I'm always willing to try new things.

That's why tonight I'm making Prime Suspect (10/9c, NBC) my must watch. Sure, there are more than enough New York cop dramas on TV, but at least half of them are entertaining. And sure, NBC has a track record for sucking me into a show and then ripping my heart out by either canceling it (Playboy Club), threatening to cancel it 10 times (Chuck) or selling it off so a cable station can carry episodes first (Friday Night Lights). But Maria Bello is a bad ass and Peter Berg (FNL) co-created it, so I'm thinking it has a chance.

Her Thursday must-watch (10/6)

A friend said to me recently after he learned I had never seen a single episode of a popular comedy show, "You write a blog about TV and have never seen Parks and Rec? That's like being a baker and never having tasted cake."

"You mean Parks and Recreation?" I asked.

"Whatever, yeah. Parks and Rec is what the cool kids call it."

So I've decided to make this show (8:30/7:30c on NBC)  my must-watch for a few reasons. a)I want to be a cool kid. b)I'm not sure about his analogy, but I do like cake. c)I've seen every episode of Up All Night and I kind of feel like the other woman in Will Arnett's life. It's time I befriend his real-life wife, Amy Poehler. (Not sure where that leaves Christina Applegate.)

If you already watch this show, I'm about to join your ranks. If you don't, but watch it after reading this post, then decide you hate it more than the Parents Television Council hated The Playboy Club, I call no blamesies. I have no idea how good or bad this show is, but I'll have a better idea after tonight. I'm a little suspicious, though, because the same guy who I had this conversation with told me he really doesn't like New Girl. How can I trust a fool like that?