TV Jukebox: 'Up All Night,' 'Sons of Anarchy' feature our favorite songs on TV this week

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Image Credit: ABC

DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)
The song: Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal/Billie Jean”
The episode: “Week 8 Results” (1316)
The hook: There was a lot of ugliness surrounding Michael Jackson’s death this week, so it was a nice change of pace when DWTS invited Cirque du Soleil to show off some moves from their Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. Politics and personal demons aside, Jackson was a stunning dancer who made game-changing music videos and will influence artists for generations to come. Cirque took the best of Jackson’s signature moves and mixed in their own inventive staging, including acrobats swinging around Dancing‘s massive disco ball, plus some fantastically shiny, LED-pimped tracksuits (take that, Step Up 3D!). It was eye candy at its best.
Watch it! The tribute begins at 26:48 on Dancing‘s Hulu, and you can see what hidden gems lurked in this week’s episode by reading Annie Barrett’s recap.

THE SECRET CIRCLE (The CW)
The song: Widowspeak, “Hard Times”
The episode: “Balcoin” (109)
The hook: Chairlift’s “Guilty As Charged” (which won’t be released until January) set the pace for a night of sparks flying between teen wiccan Cassie and her love interest Jake. As they got deeper into the evening, Widowspeak’s tune gave a party they both attended a dreamy throwback vibe, and its repetitive “over and over and over” refrain gave voice to the teens’ back-and-forth dynamic. The buzzy Brooklyn band’s ballad also “personified the longing and connection growing between Jake and Cassie,” said music supervisor Liza Richardson. Add to the mix that Jake, the would-be boyfriend, is also a witch hunter whose mission is to kill Cassie. “Hard Times” indeed.
Watch it! The CW won’t post the full episode until next week, but you can hard “Hard Times” on YouTube.

Image Credit: NBC

COMMUNITY (NBC)
The song: “Kiss from a Rose,” originally by Seal
The episode: “Studies in Modern Movement” (307)
The hook: Close your eyes and imagine the twilight sun setting in the distance as waves gently lap the beach and Seal’s velvety 1995 ballad wafts through the air. Is your next thought, “Oh yes, of course this must be a blackmail karaoke date at the mall?” If so, you are a Community fan to the core. And also a sicko. Dean Pelton was behind Jeff’s karaoke on Thursday. They ran into each other at The Gap, and it all went downhill from there. Forcing Jeff into a karaoke booth, the Dean assured his uncomfortable companion, “It’s going to be fun… or else.” Seeing Jeff’s sourpuss, he added, “We’ve sung it a thousand times together… in my mind.” Now overlay their awkward singing over Britta and Shirley giving a ride to a Jesus freak, pothead hitchhiker, Troy and Abed putting on a shadow puppet theater for Annie, and Pierce getting high on paint fumes, and you’ve got Community comedy gold. Even Jeff had to admit it was “a little fun” by the end. Pelton: “And you e-mailed your therapist that you wanted to be alone this weekend!” Ohhhh, so close!
Watch it! Join in Jeff’s power, Jeff’s pleasure, Jeff’s pain beginning at 12:32 on Community‘s Hulu, and find out where the paint fumes came into play with Christian Blauvelt’s recap.

BORED TO DEATH (HBO)
The song: Arling & Cameron, “Voulez-Vous”
The episode: “I Keep Taking Baths Like Lady Macbeth” (305)
The hook: While Ray’s elderlove for Belinda (Olympia Dukakis) provided some of the show’s standout lines this week, it was George hooking up with his ganja-loving voice teacher Josephine (played by Ted Danson’s real-life wife Mary Steenburgen) that made for a truly hilarious and bizarre musical moment. To the beats of the lounge-y, next-gen Brazilian Girls electropop outfit, Josephine put on a flapper dress and feather headdress, then undulated in front of lava lamp projections as George drank her in with glassy eyes and an open heart. Weird? Yes. Memorable? Hell yes.
Watch it! Bored To Death is only available to HBO Go subscribers, but everyone else can listen “Voulez-Vouz” on YouTube.