TV: Five shows worth watching tonight: April 12
A select viewing guide for Thursday, April 12
FOOD Bake with Anna Olson Food Network, 7 p.m. ET; 4 p.m. PT Let the baking begin. Debuting tonight, this new series features master chef Anna Olson sharing her baking expertise. In each episode, she selects a particular facet of baking and teaches viewers how to achieve the same results in their own kitchen. In tonight's first episode, she patiently explains the fundamentals of chocolate cake, which culminates in recipes for devil's food cake and chocolate mousse cake. In the second show, Olson shares her secrets for making the perfect pie dough, which she immediately puts into service for her pecan butter tarts and classic pumpkin pie. The diet starts next week.
COMEDY Community NBC, CITY-TV, 8 p.m. ET/PT Is there any comedy on TV today that is more generous at spreading the storylines among its ensemble cast? In tonight's show, Britta (Gillian Jacobs) is alarmed when her old flame “Blade” comes to town with a travelling carnival. After confessing to the group that she needs help staying away from him, several of them keep her occupied, while Jeff (Joel McHale) and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) make a beeline to the carnival to see what makes Blade so darn irresistible. The episode also marks the return of blustery Dean Laybourne (John Goodman) who comes seeking favours from Dean Pelton (Jim Rash).
COMEDY The Office Global, 8:30 p.m.; NBC, 9 p.m. ET/PT The workday routine is changing rapidly at the offices of Dunder-Mifflin. In tonight's new episode, Robert (James Spader) forces his staff to throw a welcome party for the new office manager Nellie (Catherine Tate). Since most of the employees already detest Nellie, they naturally try to sabotage the soirée. In other news, Erin (Ellie Kemper) coaches the hapless ex-office manager Andy (Ed Helms) on how to break up with his girlfriend Jessica (Eleanor Seigler). Don't you wish your workplace was this much fun?
REALITY Dance Moms Slice, 10 p.m. ET/PT There are few guiltier pleasures on television today than this popular reality series. Recently returned for its second season, the show goes behind the scenes at Pittsburgh's Abby Lee Dance Company, which owner and lead coach Abby Lee Miller runs with an iron tap shoe. Most of the students are girls under 12 and every episode in the series features Miller clashing loudly with a mother who believes her little darling should receive special attention. The sparks fly in tonight's new episode in which Abby decides to pit the girls against each other by creating two trios of dancers in rehearsals. And then the tension ratchets even higher when the students learn that a scout from the Joffrey Ballet Company will be at their upcoming competition.
MOVIE New York, New York TCM, 11 p.m. ET; 8 p.m. PT Not your typical Martin Scorsese movie, this 1977 feature merges music and soapy drama into one slick package. Robert De Niro – who else? – plays the intense saxophonist Jimmy Doyle, who falls hard for the talented singer Francine (Liza Minnelli) at a USO dance near the end of the Second World War. Following a rocky courtship, they eventually get married but the relationship is uneasy and Jimmy splits after their baby is born. Several years later, when Francine is a big-shot movie star and Jimmy owns his own jazz club, they reunite to see if they can still make sweet music together. Worth watching if only for Liza's powerhouse delivery of New York, New York.