TV picks Aug. 5-9

August 4, 2012 at 10:17PM
Matt LeBlanc in "Episodes."
Matt LeBlanc in "Episodes." (Marci Schmitt — Showtime/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

SundayMatt LeBlanc could invent a car that runs on maple syrup and he'll still be known as "the dumb guy from 'Friends.'" Fortunately, LeBlanc has a good sense of humor about it, which he displays on the brilliant "Episodes" (9:30 p.m., Showtime). This week, the actor is forced to call his former castmates and beg them to make cameos on his new show. It's some of the best phone humor since Bob Newhart was doing the dialing.

MondayThe highlight of "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special" (7 & 9 p.m., TV One), which first aired in November 2001, was originally a reunion of the Jackson 5. But now, the tear-inducing moment may be the late Whitney Houston's rendition of "You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin,'" performed with Usher and Mya.

TuesdayDianna Agron, who plays Quinn on "Glee," is the latest series member to help in the hunt for new castmates on "The Glee Project" (9 p.m., Oxygen). The way the show is going, maybe the winner should get something more valuable than a spot on the series -- like a part with the Woodbury Community Theatre.

WednesdayBad news: The new fall season is shaping up to be a dismal one. The exception: "Go On" (10:04 p.m., KARE, Ch. 11), which gets a commercial-free sneak peek following Olympics coverage. A kinder, gentler Matthew Perry stars as a sports-radio host who's reluctant to seek therapy after the death of his wife. Not the funniest of premises, but Perry and his strong castmates make the best of it.

ThursdayYou may not have heard of the star of "Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell" (10 p.m., FX), but you may want to check out his new sketch comedy show, if only because the executive producer is Chris Rock. The premiere episode features the obligatory dig at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

NEAL JUSTIN

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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