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True story — I did not want to watch the new NBC show "You, Me and the Apocalypse" (7 p.m., Ch. 5).

It's an hourlong comedy about the end of the world. A comet is about to destroy all life on the planet, and the series follows a group of people the last few weeks before it hits.

But, hey, it's my job to watch TV. And, much to my surprise, I fell in love with this show. Once I got started, I ended up watching all four episodes NBC sent me in one sitting.

Despite the subject material, this is a very funny show. Amusing at times; laugh-out-loud hilarious at others.

It's tough to describe, and I don't want to give too much away, but "You, Me and the Apocalypse" follows a seemingly unconnected group of people in the United States, the UK and Italy as the last 34 days of life on Earth count down. A group that includes an irreverant priest (Rob Lowe, "The Grinder"); a shy but strong-willed nun (Gaia Scodellaro); a librarian accused of espionage (Jenna Fischer, "The Office"); a white supremacist convict (Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace"), a nerdy bank manager (Matthew Baynton) still mourning his wife's disappearance seven years earlier; and a variety of people associated with them.

"You, Me and the Apocalypse" is weirdly charming. Each of the four episodes I've seen was better than the one before. The disparate stories do come together in surprising ways.

And this is the funniest apocalypse I can remember seeing on TV.

• Also tonight, there's a Republican presidential debate on the Fox News Channel at 7 p.m. There's a big stink about this one because one candidate is once again manipulating the media, boycotting so that he'll get even more headlines.

I'm not going to play along by mentioning his name.

Elsewhere on TV …

• "American Idol" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Hollywood week continues.

• Men's college basketball: Northern Arizona at Weber State (7 p.m., Ch. 14); Loyola Marymount at BYU (9 p.m., ESPNU)

• "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (7 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Atom's suit falls off and lands in the wrong hands; Snart and Rory plan to steal a key element in defeating Savage.

• "Project Runway Junior" (7 and 8:30 p.m., Lifetime): Part 1 of the season finale.

• "My Diet is Better Than Yours" (8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Not everyone sees it through to the end in the season finale.

• "The Blacklist" (8 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Red warns the task force about a lethal vigilante group from the Middle Ages that is back in operation.

• "The 100" (8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Bellamy and Kane risk their lives to save Clarke. 

• "Portlandia" (8 p.m., IFC): Fred wakes uo with a head of gray hair; Carrie contemplates a life-altering decision.

• "Angel from Hell" (8:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Marv balks at allowing Allison to make some changes to their dermatology practice.

• "Elementary" (9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Holmes learns his father has been keeping a secret that threatens their safety.

• "Shades of Blue" (9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Loman's loyalty is tested when his guilt over the death of an unarmed suspect becomes a liability;.

• "London Spy" (11 p.m., BBC America): Danny meets Alex's parents, who were presumed dead.

• "Lip Sync Battle" (11 p.m., Spike): Chris D'Elia and Brent Morin face off.

• "Colony" (11 p.m., USA): Will's search for Geronimo doesn't sit well with the resistance.

• "Idiotsitter" (11:30 p.m., Comedy Central): Gene gets a temporary release from her house arrest to attend a funeral.