TV critic's picks Dec. 4-8

December 4, 2011 at 12:36AM
Rob McElhenney of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
Rob McElhenney of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” (Margaret Andrews — FX/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Sunday

"Chef Roble & Co." (9 p.m., Bravo), the 8,702nd series revolving around food, features Roble Ali, whose specialty appears to be catering to spoiled rich people. By the time the client demands that her party be attended by a monkey, you will have lost your appetite.

Monday

"The Mortified Sessions" (7 p.m., Sundance) doesn't exactly reinvent the talk show, but it gives it a nice twist. Host David Nadelberg has celebrities put together scrapbooks of childhood memories and uses them as the basis of an interview. Alanis Morissette, Cheryl Hines and Ed Helms are among those who sign up for what amounts to showbiz therapy.

Tuesday

A whole generation has never seen footage of piano-playing goofball Victor Borge, but youngsters can get the chance by watching "Victor Borge: Comedy in Music!" (7 p.m., KTCA, Ch. 2), featuring clips from "The Andy Williams Show" and "The Perry Como Show." Of course, they may first have to figure out who Andy Williams and Perry Como are.

Wednesday

Forget the Josh Hartnett-Ben Affleck version of Pearl Harbor and check out "Pearl Harbor: 24 Hours After" (7 p.m., History), a top-notch documentary on how caught off-guard we were that fateful day. The stories about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's reaction are extraordinary, although, I'll admit, he's not quite as hunky as Hartnett.

Thursday

Season seven of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (9 p.m., FX) is almost at an end, but not before the gang visits their high school reunion. I'm not sure how much longer the writers can keep coming up with great material, but the series shows no signs of waning. Rob McElhenney should get an Emmy just for putting on weight for big belly laughs.

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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