Your one stop spot for teen dystopia, The CW, uncorks another tale tonight. After first giving you “Star Crossed” and “Tomorrow People,” here comes “The 100” (The CW, 9 p.m.), named after the round number of kids in the juvenile detention of a failing space station circling the poisoned earth, 97 years after the nuclear apocalypse.
They’re sent back to Earth, though it’s not supposed to be habitable for another century. The point is not to start a prisoner colony like Australia, but to act more as canaries in a coal mine: to test whether it’s possible the rest of the adults at the space station to return since they’re running out of air in their spinning international station.
This means there are a couple of stories going on here: a “Lord of the Flies” fight for leadership among the sprung kids on Earth, and a low grade “Battlestar Galactica” style political battle on the ship among the adults. That Henry Ian Cusick is a villain on the space ship is meant to make you think: “Hey, this could be like ‘Lost’!” Certainly, there are unexpected monsters found in the jungles by the tribes of kids (though none yet made of smoke).
But no, it’s more like another CW teen drama in different clothes with hot girls, bad boys, cliched talk and staged fights. That it’s based on a series of books gives it more heft than most such CW dramas, but it’s almost drowning in backstory.
Another new series tonight, “Doll & Em” (HBO, 10 p.m.) is an odd one. It stars Emily Mortimer, familiar from “Hugo” and “The Newsroom,” essentially appearing as herself — or as in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” nd other semi-improvised shows, as a person with the same name, face and occupation. It’s about her relationship with her friend turned personal assistant Dolly Wells, Mortimer’s real life best friend, who also plays herself.
What’s more, the two also write the short series about the bad idea of hiring a friend as an assistant.
It’s all pretty tricky and close to home, but so low key you’ll have to look closely to detect anything happening. But there are sly turns and subtle lessons learned and it’s not terrible (still, the network must think so, premiering it without much fanfare and on a night usually bereft of original programming). Itsort of plays like a contractural obligation to get Mortimer to do the final season of “The Newsroom.”
The Top 10 on “American Idol” (Fox, 8 p.m.), which actually eliminated its first male last week, are charged with singing a Top 10 song from recent years. No oldies tonight.
“Deal With It” (TBS, 10:30 p.m.), a hidden camera show that’s a variation of the late night TV gag of making contestants do what a comedian tells them to do (this time for money) returns for its second season, with Howie Mandel and Nick Cannon doing the directing. The problem with shooting this in L.A. is that people act weird there all the time.
Abbi sells some art on “Broad City” (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.) and decides to move to a better apartment. Amy Sedaris guest stars as her real estate agent.
The new “Save My Bakery” (Food, 8 p.m.) has Kerry Vincent help struggling pastry shops, starting with one in Ardmore, Penn.
“Wahlburgers” (A&E, 10:30 p.m.) reaches a first season finale.
The month-long Wednesday night salute to Mary Astor continues on Turner Classic Movies with “The Palm Beach Story” (8 p.m.), “The Lost Squadron” (9:45 p.m.), “The Kennel Murder Case” (11:15 p.m.), “Beau Brummel” (12:45 a.m.), “Show of Shows” (3 a.m.) and “Two Arabian Knights” (5:15 a.m.).
Two more play-in games before Madness begins in earnest: Cal Poly vs. Texas Southern (truTV, 6:30 p.m.) and Iowa vs. Tennessee (ruTV, 9 p.m.).
The NIT continues first round play with Illinois at Boston University (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Vermont at Georgia (ESPNU, 8 p.m.), UC Irvine at SMU (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) and LSU at San Francisco (ESPNU, 10 p.m.).
NBA action includes Indiana at New York (ESPN, 8 p.m.) and San Antonio at Lakers (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.). In hockey, it’s St. Louis at Chicago (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.).
Spring baseball includes Angels at White Sox (MLB, 4 p.m.) and Rockies vs. Cubs (MLB, 9:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Will Ferrell, Ricky Martin, Lucy Hale. The View: Nancy Grace, Anita Hill, Sage Steele. The Talk: Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Aisha Tyler, David LeFevre. Ellen DeGeneres: Ty Burrell, Arianna Huffington, Lea Michele. Wendy Williams: Naomi Campbell.
Late Talk
David Letterman: George Clooney, Sting (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Greg Kinnear, Emilia Clarke, Frank Casronovo, Frank Falcinelli. Jimmy Kimmel: Jeremy Piven, Zoe Kravitz, YG. Seth Meyers: Wendy Williams, Lena Hadey, Eugene Mirman. Craig Ferguson: Uma Thurman, DJ Qualls. Carson Daly: Bret Mckenzie, Jenny O, Michael Malice. Tavis Smiley: Elizabeth Kolbert, Greg Edwards. Jon Stewart: Andrew Napolitano (rerun). Stephen Colbert: Theaster Gates (rerun). Arsenio Hall: T.I., the Jacksons (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Bad Religion (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Geoff Stults, Greg Fitzsimmons, Whitney Cummings, TJ Miller. Pete Holmes: Kyrie Irving, Alex & Maia Shibutani (rerun).