Thursday nights, once considered the most important night of TV — because it’s when all the new movie ads run, as people are supposedly planning their weekend — is now one of the most static nights of the week.
Men will watch football, women will watch everything Shonda Rhimes produces. In between, so far this season, one network is already showing a same-week rerun, another hasn’t stopped with its summer reruns gets.
We’ve been taking a night by night look at what the fall TV season will look like on broadcast TV. Of the new shows on Thursdays this fall is a reboot for something nobody was exactly clamoring, something that may be the worst new show of the season, and something we haven’t even seen yet.
NEW SHOWS
“Heroes Reborn” (NBC, 8 p.m.). Responding to a nonexistent public demand, here’s “Heroes” once again, the mysterious tale about ordinary people with random superpowers. Some of the faces of the old series pop up, but you can’t exactly “save the cheerleader, save the world” any more (that actress has gone on to “Nashville”). It will take a lot for creator Tim Kring to convince that this return was absolutely necessary.
“The Player” (NBC, 10 p.m.). It’d be bad enough if it were just an action/explosion show from Las Vegas. But it’s worse: Philip Winchester’s character just isn’t a security expert, he’s being bet on in an elaborate underworld operation led by too sub by half Wesley Snipes. It’s beyond preposterous; it sets a new standard for tin-eared Hollywood figuring somebody would go for this stuff.
“Angel from Hell” (CBS, 9:30 p.m., Nov. 5). I have yet to see the new comedy starring Jane Lynch as a guardian angel for a young woman played by Maggie Lawson. But I fear it may have a self-fulfilling prophesy in its title, much like last year’s “Bad Judge.”
RETURNING SHOWS
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 8 p.m., starts tonight), “The Vampire Diaries” (The CW, 8 p.m., starts Oct. 8), “Bones” (Fox, 8 p.m., Oct. 1), “The Blacklist” (NBC,9 p.m., Oct. 1), “Mom” (CBS, 9 p.m., Nov. 1), “Sleepy Hollow” (Fox, 9 p.m., 9 p.m.), “The Originals” (The CW, 9 p.m., Oct. 8), “Scandal” (ABC, 9 p.m.), “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC, 10 p.m.), “Elementary” (CBS, 10 p.m., Nov. 5).
OF NOTE ON CABLE
“Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe” (Lifetime, 10:30 p.m., starts tonight). Has the annoying stylist from “The Rachel Zoe Project” hosting her own talk show, much the way Miss Piggy has this week. She’s surrounded by her husband Rodger Berman and Harper’s Bazaar editor Derek Blasberg to talk about topical fashion things like Papal faux pas.
“Nathan for You” (Comedy Central, 10 p.m., starts Oct. 15). Underrated and insurrectionist the show starring the hilariously deadpan Nathan Fielder trying to help businesses by doing outrageous things, returns for its third season.