ENTERTAINMENT

Men, women share their ‘First Dates’ do’s and don’ts

Mike Hughes
For the Lansing State Journal

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “First Dates,” 8 p.m., NBC.

Tonight's fun hour delivers important dating tips for guys. We probably shouldn't flirt with the waitress ... and definitely shouldn't ask for her phone number. Also, we apparently shouldn't be chatting with another woman on the phone, right before the date ... then refuse to admit it.

And some women are quite specific. One is bright and beautiful and (for the four years since college) alone; she has a long list of deal-breakers, including cats. Others have larger concerns: One left when a guy started talking about whips; another has twice learned she was dating married men.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Matilda” (1996), 8-10 p.m., Freeform.

People keep belatedly discovering this dark delight. Its story is from Roald Dahl, whose books -- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The BFG,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” -- combine childlike wonder and grown-up cynicism.

The tale – later turned into a Broadway musical -- introduces a little girl (Mara Wilson) who has nasty parents and special powers. Danny DeVito directed it sharply and co-starred as, of course, a villain.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “You the Jury,” 9 p.m., Fox.

An Indiana law, signed by Mike Pence, allowed businesses to reject customers for religious reasons. After gay-rights protests and threats of boycotts, it was quickly amended. In the interim, however, a pizza-restaurant owner said he would refuse to cater a gay wedding; he faced instant controversy.

Now that owner, Kevin O'Connor of Memories Pizza, is scheduled to be the defendant, in a show that has a court setting, with viewers choosing the result. The first two episodes, involving accusations of murder and racial bias, went from bad to wretched. We'll see how this does with a sensitive subject.

Other choices include:

• “21 Jump Street” (2012), 5:30 p.m., FX. This starts a night of light, fairly fun movies. The “Mamma Mia” musical (2008) – great ABBA songs, so-so singers – is 8 p.m. on HBO; the original “Ice Age” cartoon (2002) is 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

• “Famous in Love,” 7 and 10 p.m., Freeform. Before or after “Matilda,” you can catch a rerun of this season-opener, which debuted Tuesday. Bella Thorne plays a radiant,would-be actress, suddenly thrust into fame. She's terrific; the rest of the story, alas, is overwrought soap opera.

• “The Toy Box,” 8 p.m., ABC. Building blocks have been around almost forever, but here are variations. One involves large tubes for life-size creations; another has sinkable blocks for the swimming pool. Also competing are inventors of a game, a dog-shaped light-box and “Emotiplush,” a therapy doll.

• “Rosewood,” 8 p.m., Fox. The murder of a teacher pushes Villa and Dr. Rosewood into an investigation of human-trafficking.

• “Craft in America,” 9 and 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., WKAR (Channel 23). The first hour views businesses that deal with crafts. The second has art crafted from nature – wood, fiber and beyond -- and the third has finely crafted musical instruments.

• “Hawaii Five-0,” 9 p.m.. CBS. People have speculated on why John Kennedy's cabinet officials were in Oahu, shortly before his assassination. In this rerun, the murder of a conspiracy theorist pulls the team into that question.

• “Blue Bloods,” 10 p.m., CBS. This reruns a busy hour for Danny (Donnie Wahlberg). He's searching for a witness to testify against a gang leader. And with his dad (Tom Selleck), the police commissioner, he asks a detective (Steve Schirripa of “The Sopranos”) to probe a mob attack on Lt. Gormley.