CRITIC’S CORNER
THE BIG BANG THEORY CBS, 8 ET/PT
CBS certainly seems to be on a Star Trek run this week. First the network announced it’s reviving the series for its streaming service. Now it airs a Big Bang episode that finds Sheldon being interviewed for a Star Trek documentary and interacting with Wil Wheaton and Leonard Nimoy’s son Adam. All while Bang boldly goes back into its regular Thursday time slot.
HEROES REBORN NBC, 8 ET/PT
Familiar faces may also be the best reason to tune into this Heroes reboot, which has yet to re-create the buzz of the original. We’ll see if guest shots by four former stars — Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Cristine Rose — helps.
MOM CBS, 9 ET/PT
For its third-season premiere, this unusually brave network sitcom tackles Bonnie’s estrangement from her mother (Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn), who abandoned her when she was 4. While Bonnie balks at getting back together with her mom, Christy struggles to bond with her grandmother. (“I’m glad she could be a better mother to you than I was to her.” “Let’s just say it’s a horse race.”) More bittersweet than funny, the episode avoids the hugs and stale easy-out ending most shows would give you while offering a reminder of how good Allison Janney has always been and how much more comfortable Anna Faris has become.