“I Just Want My Pants Back”
Thursday 11pm, MTV
They may act like they’re too cool for it, but hipsters need love too. Thus this new so-clever-it-hurts sitcom. The attention-grabbing title stems from lead character Jason (Peter Vack, basically an amalgam of Owen and Luke Wilson), whose favorite pair of jeans go missing after a one-night stand with the funny, hot girl of his dreams. He goes on a mission to retake both his pants and his crush, and of course gets into all kinds of wacky misadventures with his pals, all of it steeped in ironic conversation and pop-culture references. That sounds like a recipe for insufferable soufflé, but the previews are charming and include some actual laugh-out-loud moments. And really, we should all support anything MTV puts out that doesn’t involve guido juiceheads or psychotic teen mothers.
“The Voice”
Sunday 10pm, NBC
Season 2 of NBC’s reality singing competition will debut immediately following the Super Bowl. Few changes have been made to the series, which was a success for the network last spring and summer. Carson Daly returns as host, the blind audition to music battle rounds to live voting format is the same, and the coaching panel is intact, with Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green. Look for a new schedule, with the show regularly airing Mondays 8-10 p.m., and a new social-media correspondent in forgettable singer/actress Christina Milian.
“Smash”
Monday 10pm, NBC
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, this new drama-musical follows the fictional creation of a new Broadway show based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”) plays the show’s writer and composer, whose very early work on the show attracts the attention of a big-time Broadway producer (screen legend Anjelica Huston) looking to make a statement to distract from her messy and financially crippling divorce. The main plot focuses on the showrunners’ struggle to cast the role of Marilyn, as they’re torn between a seasoned actress desperate for a shot at stardom (Megan Hilty, Wicked and 9-to-5) and a mega-talented relative newbie (Katharine McPhee, “American Idol” Season 5 runner-up). “Smash” is the anti-“Glee.” It’s very grown up, sometimes verging on too serious, but there’s no creative ADD. The pilot builds nicely and fully invests you in all the characters, and the original song and dance numbers are dynamite.