CRITIC’S CORNER
Kelly Lawler @klawls USA TODAY
WILL TNT, 9 ET/PT
Shakespeare was never this cool. TNT’s latest summer diversion follows a young William Shakespeare, played by newcomer Laurie Davidson, after he arrives in London in 1589 but before his rise to historical acclaim. The series offers a “rock ’n’ roll” version of the playwright, with a modern soundtrack and plenty of sexy drama and intrigue. It kicks off with back-to-back episodes, featuring Will’s arrival in the English capital, and initial threats to his theater from the potential departure of a popular actor called Kemp (William Houston). uStory, 3D
WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? CW, 9 ET/PT
CW’s revival of the improv series is always a thoroughly enjoyable half-hour. It features comedians Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, and host Aisha Tyler with a special guest making up comedy on the fly. This week’s guest is Star Trek alum (and Big
Bang Theory guest star) Wil Wheaton, who brings his nerdy brand of humor to the sketches.
BATMAN WGN AMERICA, 7 & 9:30 ET/PT
Before Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, George Clooney and Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton wore the cowl of the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s 1989 film. In addition to helping launch the modern superhero movie, this outing gave us Jack Nicholson’s the Joker, whose smiling, unsettling villain is still one of the best. Robert Bianco is on sabbatical, but you can still email TV questions to askbianco@usatoday.com ahead of USA TODAY’s live video chat Monday, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, at facebook.com/usatodaylife.