When you want to be scared, watch The Walking Dead. When you want to laugh, watch Modern Family. When you want to feel all the feelings, watch Parenthood (10 p.m. Thursdays, NBC).
The family dramedy — which breaks midseason after this week’s episode — follows three generations (almost four!) of the Braverman fam across no less than five households. If it sounds overwhelming, it kind of is, but the writing and acting really carry the complicated storylines. In this season alone we’ve seen a health scare, pregnancy problems, divorce, bullying, a first love, job insecurity and a mom starting a charter school for kids with behavioral issues. Whew!
This week, the tension between Max and Dylan comes to a head; Drew and Zeek continue their bro adventures; we catch up with Julia and Joel; and Mr. Cyr returns!
Now in its sixth and final season, Parenthood never really got the attention it deserved. During the show’s break, if you need to feel like your own family isn’t so messed up and crazy — which is necessary around the holidays — check out the series on Netflix or Hulu. If you binge hard enough (which will require ample tissues), you can catch up in time for Parenthood’s final four episodes in January.
WEDNESDAY NOV. 19
Modern Family (9 p.m., ABC) – Leave it to the Dunphy boys to inject some tech into Thanksgiving. Phil and Luke use an app to help with the holiday cooking, while Claire secretly arranges a back-up turkey in case they fail — which she assumes they will. Elsewhere, Gloria and Jay’s trip to Mexico falls through, but they try to trick the family into believing they’re out of the country.
Blackish (9:30 p.m., ABC) – Historically, wives and mothers-in-law have a hard time getting along, and the Johnson family is no exception. Bow and Dre’s mom Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) clash on Thanksgiving when Ruby starts dinner without her daughter-in-law and replaces all of her healthy options with traditional, fattening soul food.
American Horror Story: Freak Show (10 p.m., FX) – Stanley looks for inside help to secure a body; Dell’s most recent act of violence pits the women against the Strong Man; Jimmy begins to pick up on Dandy’s secret; the return of Bette and Dot.
The League (Season Finale, 10 p.m., FXX) – In back-to-back final episodes, the Shiva Bowl is upon us and there’s more at stake than a creepy trophy. As described in his will, the late Ted has left his Laguna Beach house to whoever wins the Shiva.
SATURDAY NOV. 22
An En Vogue Christmas (Premiere, 8 p.m., Lifetime) – ’90s R&B vocal outfit En Vogue reunites to save an ailing nightclub with one last Christmas concert. Can we just pretend this is a documentary?
Hello Ladies: The Movie (Premiere, 10 p.m., HBO) – Stephen Merchant fans may not get another season of his cancelled HBO comedy, but they can still enjoy this final 90-minute special with the gangly Brit’s awkward character. This time around, we find Stuart enlisting various women to pretend to be his girlfriend so he can impress his now-married ex.
Saturday Night Live (11:30 p.m., NBC) – Cameron Diaz hosts, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars perform.
SUNDAY NOV. 23
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8:30 p.m., Fox) – A lead in the Giggle Pig case brings Jake and Boyle to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, where they must work with a lame investigator (Ed Helms) to nail a dealer.
The Walking Dead (9 p.m., AMC) – Rick, Daryl, Sasha, Tyreese and newbie Noah plan a rescue mission at the hospital, where Beth is fighting for Carol’s life — and her own. Meanwhile, Carl, Michonne and Father Gabriel hold down the church and Maggie’s somewhere on the road like, “Beth? That name rings a bell…” Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha) and Christian Serratos (Rosita) are slated to appear on Talking Dead.
MONDAY NOV. 24
South Park: Mr. Garrison’s Sexual Evolution (Premiere, 9 p.m., Comedy Central) – OK?
TUESDAY NOV. 25
New Girl (9 p.m., Fox) – It’s the gang’s fourth Thanksgiving together, and Schmidt turns it into a blind date mixer by telling everyone to invite a guest that might be compatible with another roommate.
The Mindy Project (9:30 p.m., Fox) – Danny’s mom wants to get back into the dating pool, which is problematic for Danny. She ends up going out with Morgan, which is problematic for everyone.
CONTACT JAC KERN: jkern@citybeat.com or @jackern
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2014.