TV tonight: 'Middle,' 'Arrow,' 'Black-ish'
The Middle
ABC, 8 ET/PT
Having lost their dining-room table and their kitchen sink ("What do the Hecks and Pilgrims have in common? No indoor plumbing"), the Hecks decide to spend Thanksgiving at a local discount buffet in one of the season's funniest Middle outings. Despite their financial problems and her children's typically odd behavior (most amusingly represented by Sue's efforts to have Darrin win her father over by being himself "but a little bit better"), Frankie is determined to be thankful for the holiday. Well, she may not feel she has much to be grateful for, but viewers of this excellent family comedy still do.
Arrow
CW, 8 ET/PT
Arrow gains a new villain this week, a love-struck Arrow fan who thinks the best way to win his attention is to kill people – while the show gains a new cast member: Austin Butler plays Chase, a DJ who clashes with Thea.
Black-ish
ABC, 9:30 ET/PT
One of this comedy's most impressive achievements has been its ability to tell universal stories without slighting the specific point of view promised by its title — so that while race is usually not the central focus of an episode, it never entirely vanishes, either. We'll see how that dichotomy plays out tonight in a visit from Dre's mom (Jenifer Lewis), who adores her son, but is less fond of her daughter-in-law.