Monday: The Golden Girls
Thank you for being a friend! If it’s Labor Day Monday, that means it’s time for television marathons, and we’ll certainly take a pass by WE to catch a bit of The Golden Girls. Starting at 1 p.m., you can catch dozens of episodes back-to-back (hence the title “marathon”) and remind yourself that Betty White was funny way before she stole every scene in The Proposal this summer. [WE, starting at 1 p.m.]
Tuesday: 90210
We’d venture to say that the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the first season of 90210 was more compelling than what wound up onscreen. To wit: The reboot actually rebooted itself midseason! If the final episodes of season one were any indication, this new new version will be less inclined to care about the nostalgia of the original series (less Brenda and Kelly!) and more interested in TMZ-ready scandal. Between 90210 and the new Melrose Place (premiering afterward at 9 p.m.), the CW has made it certain that you’ll want to close Tuesday nights with a long shower to cleanse yourself of the sleaze. [the CW, 8 p.m.]
Wednesday: Glee
If you haven’t heard about Glee yet, we hope you aren’t missing the cool shade of the rock you’ve been sleeping under. Hasn’t the push for Glee been unrelenting? Since the airing of the pilot in May, not a week has gone by when we haven’t heard something about the new Fox series, a quasi-musical about the trials and tribulations of a high school glee club. While conspiracy theorists posit that Fox showing Glee in lieu of Barack Obama’s address to Congress (airing on all the major networks Wednesday night) is because of their Republican leanings, we’re pretty sure they had no choice. They’ve put too much into Glee to have its premiere shifted because of something insignificant like the fate of the health care industry in America. [Fox, 9 p.m.]
Thursday: Deep Blue Sea
Smart sharks! The premise of Deep Blue Sea—something having to do with scientists genetically engineering the brains of mako sharks to help cure Alzheimer’s (seriously)—is as ridiculous as the pastiche cast, which features LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson, who meets his maker in one of the most shocking death scenes ever filmed. (Oh, um, spoiler! Whatever, people, this thing came out 10 years ago, and the statute of limitations have long passed.) [SyFy, 9 p.m.]
Friday: Jay-Z: Live from Madison Square Garden: Answer the Call
In honor of September 11 (and to promote his new album, The Blueprint III, which conveniently comes out the same day) Jay-Z will be performing at Madison Square Garden and Fuse is kind enough to air the concert you definitely couldn’t afford to see live. Having heard Hova’s latest—it leaked onto the Internet last week—we’re pumped. While “Run This Town” might be the big single as of now, don’t think you won’t be downloading “Empire State of Mind” before this night is through. That song will be the anthem of the fall. [Fuse, 9 p.m.]
