“The Good Wife”
Tuesday 10pm, CBS
The future is uncertain for this critically acclaimed drama, which wraps up its sophomore season tonight. Ratings have never been great, but I hope it gets picked up for a third go-round, because it’s easily one of the more interesting shows on CBS’s procedural-dominated schedule. The amazing Julianna Margulies stars as Alicia Florrick, whose life gets ripped apart after her politician husband (Chris Noth, Mr. Big from “Sex and the City”) is busted in a sex and corruption scandal. To support her family Alicia is forced to return to the legal career she left behind years ago, which she ultimately sticks with even after her husband is cleared of his corruption charges and returns to public office. The show can sometimes get a bit soapy for its own good, but the stellar cast—also including Josh Charles (“Sports Night”), Christine Baranski (“Cybill), Alan Cumming, and Emmy winner Archie Panjabi—makes even the most ridiculous plot lines compelling.
“Tornado Rampage 2011”
Sunday 9pm, Discovery
On April 27, 2011, nearly 200 tornadoes were recorded and more than 300 people were killed when massive storms swept through the Midwest and South. The crew from the Discovery Channel show “Storm Chasers” was right in the middle of the action, filming for their next season in which they intentionally try to follow and document Mother Nature gone wild. This special collects some of the most incredible footage captured by the Chasers crew during that outbreak, when they were caught between multiple tornadoes. Even these professional weather junkies/crazy people say they’ve never seen anything like it, so it should be worth a watch.
“Too Big To Fail”
Monday 8pm, HBO
Several books and movies have already been released detailing the disturbing details behind the 2008 economic crisis, and the subsequent bailout of several giant financial institutions by the American government. This new HBO Films original adds to the list, with director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) focusing his lens on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (here played by William Hurt) as he tries to find some way to fix an unthinkable scenario by appealing to both Wall Street financiers and the politicians in Washington. The rest of the cast includes Paul Giamatti, Ed Asner, Cynthia Nixon, Bill Pullman, Topher Grace, Matthew Modine, James Woods and Kathy Baker. Might as well clear the Emmy ballots now.