Type keyword(s) to search

TV TODAY

Glenn Howerton's A.P. Bio Finishes its Final Semester

ALSO: Baskets, The Real World, Strange Angel, Project Runway, the NBA Finals, and more
  • Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt in A.P. Bio (NBC)
    Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt in A.P. Bio (NBC)

    It's always sad when a TV show people care about gets wrested away from them too soon. It doesn't have to be Freaks & Geeks or Terriers or the One Day at a Time remake in order for fans to be bummed out at its passing. You won't see A.P. Bio receive any Emmy nominations next month, nor are you all that likely to see it on too many lists of shows that were tragically cancelled too soon. But for a lot of people (including the show's stars), two short seasons of Glenn Howerton begrudgingly instructing high school students in Toledo, Ohio, while simultaneously trying to regain his former Harvard standing, were not nearly enough. 

    NBC has been burning off the final A.P. Bio episodes this month alongside the also-cancelled freshman comedy Abby's. Both shows take their final bow tonight.

    SERIES FINALE: For tonight's series finale, A.P. Bio is airing back-to-back episodes, with the penultimate at 8:30 and then the finale at 9. Jack gets one shot to have his book published, if only he can pull some strings at Harvard for Sarika. 8:30 PM ET on NBC

    SEASON PREMIERE: In 1992, reality television changed forever with the MTV premiere of The Real World. The original premise was so simple, they put it right there in the opening credits: seven strangers were picked to live in a loft and have their lives taped. As the seasons went on, the casts needed further obstacles and prodding (usually in the form of some kind of shared job), while the cast members trended further and further into the college-party-time demographic. What began as genuinely provocative conversations on issues like race and sex devolved into hookups and fights, and before long, the format changed and viewer interest had migrated to The Challenge. Now, MTV has teamed up with Facebook Watch to resurrect the classic format with The Real World: Atlanta. 2019 certainly seems ripe for the return of a more socially provocative Real World, though it remains to be seen whether it'll be the same old debates about gay people versus homophobes and the bigotry of sheltered, small-town white people or something next level. Streaming on Facebook Watch

    SEASON PREMIERE: Season 4 of Baskets gets underway tonight, with this promotional description: "Susan nearly kills Ronald Reagan."Intrigue: acquired. Zach Galifianakis is back in the lead role as Chip Baskets, with Louie Anderson in his Emmy-winning role as Chip's mother. 10:00 PM ET on FX

    SEASON FINALE: Since returning to its old stomping ground on Bravo for its latest season, Project Runway experienced a strong resurgence. Tonight, the season's top 3 designers Sebastian, Hester, and Garo will put together their final collections for Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, Elaine Welteroth, and special guest judge Diane von Furstenberg. 9:00 PM ET on Bravo

    ALSO TONIGHT

    • Strange Angel returns to CBS All Access for a second season of historical fiction, with Jack Reynor back in the role of Jack Parsons, pioneering rocket scientist and sex occultist. It also stars Rupert Friend and Bella Heathcote. Streaming on CBS All Access
    • The NBA Finals hit Game 6 after the Toronto Raptors were unable to put the Golden State Warriors away in Game 5. That game featured an unfortunate Achilles injury for Golden State's Kevin Durant and was oh-so-close to being a god-making moment for Toronto's Kawhi Leonard. He'll get another crack at it tonight. 9:00 PM ET on ABC
    • Abby's airs its series finale immediately following A.P. Bio. The freshman series starring Natalie Morales as a home entrepreneur, running a bar out of her own backyard, was canceled after one season. 9:30 PM ET on NBC

    Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.

    TOPICS: A.P. Bio, Baskets, The Real World, Strange Angel