TV: Critic's picks for Nov. 15
A select guide to the best shows on Monday
DRAMA<br> Chuck NBC, 8 p.m.<br> Yep, it's still on. More than once this series about computer-geek-turned-super-spy Chuck (Zachary Levi) has barely dodged cancellation due to abysmal U.S. ratings. The numbers are still low in the current fourth season, but NBC is staying the course, most likely because they don't have anything else to fill the hour. Tonight, Chuck tries, for what seems to be the millionth time, to impress a femme fatale by taking on a dangerous spy mission, this time with the gung-ho Agent Rye (The Daily Show's Rob Riggle) in tow. Good luck, Chuck.Mitchell Haaseth
DRAMA<br> Lie to Me Fox, Global, 9 p.m.<br> Slowly but surely, this sophomore drama starring Tim Roth as a human lie-detector is building a solid viewer following – not unlike the way House did in its second season. Tonight, Roth's character of Cal Lightman is called in to assist a wealthy woman (Julia Campbell) whose family suspects has fallen under the control of a self-help group's charismatic guru (David Sutcliffe). When the leader begins making threats against Lightman's family, the investigation gets personal – and nasty.
REALITY<br> Tabatha's Salon Takeover Slice, 9 p.m.<br> As hairstylists go, Tabatha Coffey is one tough cookie. Best known to viewers from her bombastic presence as a judge on the Shear Genius hairstyling competition series, the no-nonsense Aussie brings her fearsome passion to this series wherein she whips foundering hair salons into shape. Tonight's she's in Long Beach, Calif., to tackle The Ten Salon, which is losing money under the daily management of owners Chris and Kwann. Even worse, the Ten's staff of stylists are bored and going through the motions. Everything changes with a week-long boot camp courtesy of Hurricane Tabatha.
MYSTERY<br> Castle ABC, CTV, 10 p.m.<br> And in this corner, we have the current generation's version of Murder, She Wrote. Still pulling over a million Canadian viewers each Monday night, Castle stars Edmontonian Nathan Filion as Richard Castle, a famous mystery novelist rather deft at solving mysteries in real life. His partner-in-solving-crime is NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). Tonight they team up on the demise of a prominent astrophysicist, which appears to have all the markings of an alien abduction! These things never happened to Jessica Fletcher.
MOVIE<br> Inside Man AMC, 10:45 p.m.<br> How does a movie stuffed to the brim with big-studio budget and A-list talent flop at the box office? Watch this 2006 crime-drama. Directed by Spike Lee, the movie stars Denzel Washington as a New York detective attempting to match wits with a shrewd bank robber (Clive Owen) during a hostage drama. The feature also stars Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer and Jodie Foster as an enigmatic power broker who elevates the tense cat-and-mouse scenario to a higher level. The story works much better on the small screen, so give it a chance.Photo Credit: David Lee