The fourth Wednesday of 2021 greets us with one new series and one Netflix movie debut, both of which offering rich promise (and Rotten Tomato ratings on the green side of the ledger). There’s also new episodes of a host of fan (and Scholars) favorites.

JASON’S PICK:
Resident Alien [Syfy, 10p]
Alan Tudyk and quirky, off-kilter comedy go together like–well, unlike a crashlanded alien and a small Colorado town. Tudyk’s intergalactic fish (way) out of water tries to pose as a Colorado doctor while also being called upon to solve mysteries (as doctors sometimes do in these things). It looks like goofy fun in a Police Squad/Angie Tribeca sorta way.

KATHERINE’S PICK:
The Conners [ABC, 9p]
Jackie has an “emotional revelation,” which is more interesting to me than 1) Darlene’s job promotion (is Becky going to be pissed?) and 2) Ben’s new career path, even though it comes after a steaming mug of…herbal tea. (Maybe I need to drink more tea.)

BRAD’S PICK:
Riverdale [The CW, 8p]
What will Archie do when his father’s killer needs his help? Why will Betty and Jughead uncover in their investigation? These questions and more may be answered on this week’s episode . Does trash tv get any better?

BUT, WAIT, THERE’S MORE:

• In Penguin Blood, a new Australian full-length film on Netflix, Naomi Watts is a newly paraplegic whose life changes when her daughter finds a wounded metaph… we mean, bird. Fans of The Walking Dead can get a fix of its former (and not-ruled-out-future) star as Andrew Lincoln appears as Watts’ husband.
• Netflix’s BDSM-themed comedy Bonding returns with a second season as Zoe Levin’s psychology student and Brendan Scannell’s gay aspiring standup continue to pose as dominatrix and minion and get into wacky entanglements. D’Arcy Carden is in it, so we’ll be there.
• We’ve never mentioned (or really even noticed) Airplane Repo on Discovery or House In A Hurry on HGTV and we’re not sure what they are, so we cannot endorse them, but we do love the names.
• American legend comedian George Wallace joins Conan tonight on TBS so they can discuss his home state’s glove save of the democracy.