Seven Days of Television: March 10 to March 16
A select viewing guide to the next seven days of television
MONDAY MARCH 10 Believe (NBC, CTV, 10 p.m.) These are good days for Alfonso Cuaron. The recent Best Director Oscar-winner co-created this new sci-fi drama in consort with TV whiz kid J.J. Abrams and many people are already predicting a long run. The premise casts newcomer Johnny Sequoyah as Bo, a 10-year-old girl whose supernatural powers include telekinesis and the ability to predict the future. Naturally, an ominous cult wants to kidnap Bo to determine the source of her abilities, while a former cop (Delroy Lindo) takes it upon himself to become her protector. Cuaron himself directed the pilot, which is top-notch TV.
TUESDAY MARCH 11 Storage Wars (A&E, 9 p.m.) Still A&E’s highest-rated program, Storage Wars returns for a fifth season tonight and you just know there’s going to be fireworks. In the new season opener, the locker-hunters return to Montebello, California, where Darrell hopes for a repeat of past successes. But does Jarrod have a trick up his sleeve? Hey, he’s Jarrod.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 12 Modern Family (ABC, Citytv, 9 p.m.) Still the best sitcom on network television, Modern Family has earned an entire new generation of viewers courtesy of reruns in second-run syndication. In tonight’s new outing, Jay (Ed O’Neill) tries to impress grandson Luke (Nolan Gould) with his manly fix-it skills but fails miserably; Gloria (Sofia Vergara) runs afoul of Claire’s (Julie Bowen) fashion sensibilities when they go clothes-shopping; and Phil (Ty Burrell) tries to help a realty colleague create a romantic video for his girlfriend.
THURSDAY MARCH 13 Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, Citytv, 8 p.m.) He’s back. Grumpy gourmand Gordon Ramsay returns for the 12th season of this wildly popular cooking competition. As before, the winner seems to be the person who can withstand the most verbal abuse and still produce an edible dish. In tonight’s opener, the mad chef separates the amateur chefs into two teams – men versus women – and tasks them to prepare and present their “signature dish.” The winning team gets to sit down for a sumptuous repast with Ramsay, while the losing team has to scrub the kitchen. Let the games begin.
FRIDAY MARCH 14 Shark Tank (ABC, CTV Two, 9 p.m.) It’s the episode of Shark Tank we’ve all been waiting for: Deviating from the show’s regular format, tonight’s show focuses on several kid entrepreneurs pitching their great big idea to the panel of Sharks. The hopefuls include a six-year-old girl from Studio City, California, who has developed a nifty paint-on bandage, and a teen from Virgina Beach who has devised a method of making drinking water safer. Will Shark Tank meanie Kevin O’Leary soften his approach when faced with kids? Don’t bank on it.
SATURDAY MARCH 15 Sam & Cat (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.) Have you ever wondered what shows your kids watch on Saturday night? If they’re in the know, they’re likely watching this new series from Nickelodeon that shrewdly utilizes two popular characters from previous Nick series. Sam (Jennette McCurdy) is formerly of iCarly, while Cat (Ariana Grande) was plucked from the teen series Victorious. In this spinoff, the pair are living together and operating a successful babysitting service, which naturally never impacts on their usual adventures. Tonight, the pair work around the clock to get the word “lumpatious” into the dictionary. So that’s what your kids are watching.
SUNDAY MARCH 16 Crisis (NBC, 10 p.m.) Parents: Imagine your worst worse-case scenario times ten and you have the basic setup for this new drama launching tonight. The premise follows a schoolbus of privileged children - whose parents are Washington diplomats and high-ranking government officials – when the bus is ambushed on a secluded rural road. The kids are abducted and the entire country fears for their welfare. Dermot Mulroney and former X-Files regular Gillian Anderson play the grownups trying to defuse the situation.