TV is here for you

It’s a depressing time we live in, folks. The economy is floundering, people are being massacred on what seems like a weekly basis and North Korea is firing missiles into the air. Times like these are when you’d normally turn to family and friends for comfort, but they’re all just as scared as you.
That’s where your fictional friends come in.
Maybe you need an escape, maybe you don’t – but the following shows are going to at least make you laugh, and not in the traditional way.

What to watch
SHOW: Castle
EPISODE: “Always Buy
Retail”
WHEN: 10 p.m. Monday on ABC
Laced with self-reflexivity, mostly refreshing cases and improving chemistry between its two leads, “Castle” has quickly become a favorite of mine.
Nathan Fillion’s author-turned-wannabe-cop Richard Castle is a great character and raises everyone else’s game significantly.
The sexual tension between Fillion’s Castle and Stana Katic’s Detective Kate Beckett isn’t quite “Moonlighting” good, but it’s getting better.
This episode delves into another crime based on Castle’s novels, something the show should follow up on more often to create a bit of a serialized flair that keep programs like this interesting.


SHOW: Chuck
EPISODE: “Chuck Versus the First Kill”
WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday on NBC
If this were the mid-1990s, “Chuck” would be the biggest hit on TV. Alas, with 500 channels to choose from and ratings lower than ever, the show might not even come back for a third season.
I hate to harp on shows like a typical TV critic, but “Chuck” is a show everyone can enjoy. Seriously, every single person on Earth would like this show. It’s funny and full of action and has at least 10 likable characters.
This episode continues the story line with Chuck’s dad, played by Scott Bakula, and sees the return of the evil Jill (Jordana Brewster).

What to TiVo
SHOW: Cupid
EPISODE: “The Great Right Hope”
WHEN: 10 p.m. Tuesday on ABC
Though it is a remake of a show that failed just a decade ago, “Cupid” works. The plot – a guy believes he’s Cupid, is banned from Mt. Olympus and must put 100 couples together to return – is less than believable, but intriguing.
Much like “Castle,” this show’s success hinges on the chemistry of the leads, played here by Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson, and though it is a work in progress, “Cupid” could work if given the chance.
So far the couple-of-the-week