LORI’S LIST
What’s hot and what’s not on TV this week
‘ Jane the Virgin,’ 8 p. m. Monday, WGN- Channel 9
Chicago native Gina Rodriguez is off- the- charts charming as the titular college student whose life is turned upside down after an epic fail of a routine gynecological exam makes her pregnant. This sweet, engaging series is based on a Venezuelan telenovela and plays up that campiness to full effect. Whether it can survive on a network increasingly reliant on comic book adaptations and supernatural series remains to be seen. Rating: ★★★
‘ Marry Me,’ 8p. m. Tuesday, WMAQ- Channel 5.
Broadcast TV’s best new fall comedy comes from Glencoe- raised David Caspe. Like his deadly departed sitcom “Happy Endings,” this one is set but not filmed in Chicago, and it makes the most of the comedic chops of Casey Wilson, Caspe’s real- life wife. Wilson plays Annie, a woman who’s been waiting for her longtime beau ( Ken Marino) to propose. When he does, things go horribly wrong. The botched engagement is just a welcome mat into the lives of a likable couple portrayed by two stars with impeccable timing and
chemistry. Rating: ★★★ ½
‘ Top Chef,’ 9 p. m. Wednesday, Bravo
Bean Town is the backdrop for the 12th season of this culinary competition that still feels fresh after all these years. Sixteen chefs, including Chicago’s Rebecca LaMalfa, will cook at some of Boston’s famed locations, from Fenway Park to the bar that inspired “Cheers.” Former contestant Richard Blais will serve as a recurring judge. Another twist: This season includes random, sudden- death quickfire challenges. Hope you’re hungry for more because the premiere is a super- sized 75 minutes. Rating: ★★★★
‘ Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,’ 10 p. m. Friday, HBO
Music lovers are in for a ride as Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters take viewers along on the eight- city tour that shaped the band’s upcoming album ( Nov. 10) by the same name. This innovative series explores how a particular city’s seminal performers influenced music and how each city shaped those artists. These intimate, well- told stories become the ingredients for a new Foo Fighters song recorded at a local studio and performed at the end of the hourlong episode. The captivating premiere centers on Chicago. It features some of the usual suspects, like blues legend Buddy Guy, along with lesser- known stories about the city’s punk rock scene and impression it made on a young Grohl. Rating: ★★★★
‘ Big Driver,’ 7 p. m. Saturday, Lifetime
Stephen King collaborates for the first time with the female- focused cable network for this original movie based on one of the prolific author’s stories. Maria Bello stars as amystery novelist who falls victim to a savage crime in a remote part of New England ( vintage King), launching her on a quest for payback. The movie, which also features the unlikely duo of Olympia Dukakis and Joan Jett, gets off to a decent start. But like some of King’s other tales, it loses its way, devolving into a rape revenge fantasy whose potency is diluted by silly gimmicks like a talking GPS system with a mind of its own. Rating: ★ ★