Comedy Central, 8:00 p.m. ET
This 2004 movie is much smarter, and funnier, than the usual stoner comedy – and part of it was the way it gave Neil Patrick Harris the opportunity to reboot his image, instantly and delightfully, shifting from former Doogie Howser, M.D. child star to grown-up mischievous imp. (Which he’s pretty much honed, and perfected, ever since.) Followed at 10 p.m. by the 2008 sequel, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. John Cho and Kal Penn star.
HBO, 8:00 p.m. ET
If you haven’t seen this 2014 movie yet, please, please do so now. Michael Keaton stars as a former cinematic superhero star, hoping to make his comeback by starring in a Broadway play. Director Alejandro Inarritu filmed this uniquely paced film with an approach – more of a metaphor than a gimmick, and employed superbly throughout – that gives it the impression of being filmed in one continuous take. And even though the pieces of the film actually are lengthy chunks slyly spliced together, they’re still intense enough to give the entire movie a sort of live theater feeling – and the performances by Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Strone, in particular, are bold, undiluted, and often unexpectedly funny.
TCM, 8:00 p.m. ET
Today TCM salutes Gene Tierney, showing a dozen of her films – the centerpiece being tonight’s entry in “The Essentials”: 1947’s The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Tierney plays the titular Mrs. Muir, a young widow who acquires a seaside cottage – and Rex Harrison plays the ghost, a former sea captain who comes with the haunted house, and has no intention of leaving. When I was a teen, I remember watching the 1968 TV remake, starring Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare. Back then, though, I had no idea they were remaking a movie.
ABC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Tonight’s episode follows first responders as they deal with several emergencies – ones that, by coincidence, hit a little too close to home for our immediate and extended TVWW family. There’s a boy who’s running for a school bus when he’s hit by a motorist (Eric, don’t watch this), a motorcyclist who’s pinned under an SUV (Ron, don’t watch this), and a pregnant woman with a very traumatic labor (Kristin, don’t watch this). Everybody else, though, feel free to watch…
NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET
In tonight’s episode, Will and Hannibal meet again – and Jannibal, once again, gets into Will’s head. Only this time, a bit less literally…