There’s no need to subscribe to ‘Bold Type’
The beauty of being a TV critic is that networks find old, new and familiar ways to make terrible shows. Sometimes it’s like being the only guy with a stick in a pinata factory.
One of the easiest ways to tell if a show is going to be truly dreadful are the words, “based on” or, better yet, “inspired by” the life of an actual person who turns out to be a writer or producer trying to shoehorn anecdotes from their past into an entertaining 30 or 60 minutes. Proof of this theory arrives in three little words: “The Real O’Neals.”
Freeform offers “The Bold Type” (9 p.m., TV-14), a truly, deeply, ludicrous and preposterous take on the magazine publishing world “inspired by the life of Joanna Coles, chief content officer of Hearst Magazines.”
Naturally, this ridiculous show concerns three gorgeous young women who work at Scarlet, a lifestyle magazine office that resembles some multibillion-dollar enterprise. Staff meetings have all the levity of a gathering of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Into this grim world walks Jane (Katie Stevens), fresh from taking a selfie because she’s graduated to becoming a “real” writer.
Like TV editorial types from “Girls” on down, Jane is never seen reading. Faced with an editorial dilemma, she goes out to buy herself a new pair of sunglasses. Once ensconced as a real writer, she’s hot in pursuit of somebody, anybody, to tell her what to write about!
That person arrives in the form of Jacqueline (Melora Hardin, “Transparent”), editor-in-chief of Scarlet Magazine. She assigns Jane the job of writing about her search for her ex and her need for “closure.”
In a world where editorial jobs are disappearing faster than the polar ice caps, Jane gets a (paying) job to write about herself!
Jane’s friends include Kat (Aisha Dee), the social-media wizard for Scarlet, and Sutton (Meghann Fahy), a lowly gofer who sleeps with one of her bosses and posts questionable pictures of her undergarments on Instagram.
“Bold Type” flirts with seriousness when Kat becomes personally and professionally obsessed with a “serious” artist — a gay Muslim photographer who looks down on magazines like Scarlet. But it’s really about Kat flirting with the photographer.
“Bold” is not the first, or the worst, to turn a show about journalism into a fashion pageant and sexy soap opera. It’s just found brand-new ways to be forgettable and dumb.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Auditions continue on “America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› The 88th Major League AllStar Game (8 p.m., Fox).
› “The Story of China” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG) concludes with Mao and his aftermath.
› Elimination duels on “World of Dance” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› “Adam Ruins Everything” (10 p.m., TruTV) explores myths about getting pregnant after 35.
› Quantico becomes a target on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-PG).
› On two helpings of “The Middle” (ABC, repeat, TV-PG), Axl’s admirer (8 p.m.), too many exes (10:30 p.m.).
› Killer Frost arrives on “The Flash” (8 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-PG).
› Secrets and lies on “Fresh off the Boat” (8:30 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-PG).
› A case of libel on “Bull” (9 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).
› On two helpings of “Blackish” (9 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-14) change (9 p.m.), sibling rivals (9:30 p.m.).
› Jonathan Mangum (9 p.m.) and Cheryl Hines (9:30 p.m.) on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (CW, repeat, TV-14).
› Halloween on “American Housewife” (10 p.m., ABC, repeat, TV-PG).
› A trap for Garcia on “NCIS: New Orleans” (10 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).