What to Watch on TV this Weekend: Jenn's Guide

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April 15 – April 21, 2016

“Did you remember to tape SNL?”

This is a question my husband and I regularly ask one another, and it always causes our 9-year-old daughter to look confused and baffled by our use of the word “taped.” But, hey, I grew up taping shows on a clunky VHS player, so “taping” a show is synonymous with “recording” a show in my mind. Sometimes, I remember to refer to recording a movie or show as “DVRing” it, which seems a little more acceptable.

I remember the stress of setting that VHS player to record shows. The buttons were small and hard to differentiate. What if I selected AM instead of PM? What if I totally screwed up my father’s instruction to record The Andy Griffith Show? Hands shaking and beads of sweat building on my brow, I’d kneel in front of the large, faux-wooden box, and try my hardest to set the beast to record. I think I usually got it right.

What I sometimes didn’t get right was using the correct tape. This was a common error among VHS player users. Forgetting to remove the VHS tape containing a recording of the 1980 Superbowl (Pittsburgh over Los Angeles), for example, could have been hazardous to my health.

How many families have sat down to watch the VHS recording of a wedding, Big Game, or other special occasion, only to find five minutes of what they expected to see, cut into by the start of a random golf tournament or Bob Ross, the guy who painted trees on PBS? Remember that feeling? It was pretty horrifying to watch our moms have meltdowns over the loss of those special recordings.

So remember to set your DVRs to capture your favorites, and be happy that you literally cannot “tape” over another show.

Here are a few suggestions for the upcoming week of April 15 – April 21.

Containment

Tuesday, April 19 – KTLA – 9 p.m.

This miniseries is a drama based on the Belgian TV series, Cordon. Set in Atlanta, the outbreak of a mysterious disease forces a quarantine of the entire city. Police officer Lex Carnahan is tasked with keeping violence, crime and mishap to a minimum as we watch families navigate the situation. All the while, doctors are searching for a way to slow the spread of the virus. This might be good preparation for all of us, considering all we now know about the Zika virus.

The Girlfriend Experience

Sunday, April 17 – Starz – 8 p.m.

This is one to watch when the kids aren’t around, and you are craving a healthy dose of wrong. The Girlfriend Experience is inspired by the 2009 film with the same name, but it also harkens the more recent “Fifty Shades of Grey,” in my opinion. It’s the basic “classy prostitute” story: Girl lives in the big city; girl doesn’t have a high-paying job yet but likes money; girl becomes an escort. Somewhere in between, an educated young woman has to separate her acceptable, accomplished life from her raunchy side job. Right or wrong, it sucks the viewer in and won’t let go.

Vinyl

Sunday, April 17 – HBO – 9 p.m.

The 1970s in New York was a scene, man. During such a diverse decade – from “Woody Allen’s New York” to the massive sex-and-drug onset – record companies had to figure out where music was going, and how to capitalize on it. In Vinyl, American Century Records founder and president Richie Finestra (Boardwalk Empire’s Bobby Cannavale) has lost his knack and desire for uncovering good music and solid talent. When his love of the business is rekindled, his personal life pays the price. With creators Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter, the series is a sure bet.

Strong

Thursday, April 21 – NBC – 8 p.m.

Another show about a fitness challenge? Yawn. But wait, one of the producers is Sylvester Stallone, who we know is all about rockin’ a fit bod. So, we are justified in doing a double-take and giving this program a chance. The premise isn’t new. Contestants want to lose weight but will end up gaining much more in the way of mind-and-body balance. Hosted by professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece, the 10-episode series features 10 women who will be trained by 10 fitness-expert men. That’s interesting and different. I’m in.

The Goldbergs

Wednesday, April 20 – ABC – 8:30 p.m.

If you haven’t seen The Goldbergs yet, get this episode under your belt. It’s a rebroadcast from earlier in the season, but it’s a classic that references the movie that stylized brown, leather bomber jackets, “Top Gun.” The show is set in the glorious 1980s. Middle schooler Adam documents his family’s life with one of those 50-pound video cameras that had to be propped up on one’s shoulder. Each show addresses a particular fad or significant event from the ‘80s, including music, fashion and even “Hands Across America.” The best part is that “Adam” (Adam Goldberg) really existed and created the show. We get a snippet of his actual ‘80s family footage at the end of each episode.

Empire

Wednesday, April 20 – FOX – 9 p.m.

Even the most country-music-lovin’ cowboy on the block would love this show, which is all about the dramatic and alluring world of the hip-hop music business. The CEO of Empire Entertainment – played by Terrence Howard – learns that, in three years, he will be incapacitated and unable to run his company. Everyone under the sun believes he or she should fill those shoes, including his sassy ex-wife. The drama mounts as the family fights for control of Empire. It’s full of characters you love to hate as well as those you root for unconditionally.

Blindspot

Monday, April 18 – NBC – 10 p.m.

When a naked woman is found in Times Square, FBI agents have to use the head-to-toe tattoos covering her body to unravel the mystery of who she is. An FBI agent’s name is clearly inked across her back, so that’s a great place to start the investigation. What the team of investigators soon realizes is that each tattoo on the woman’s body represents a crime that must be solved. Her involvement, along with her identity, remains to be learned.

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