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Soup to nuts

Those who miss the snark of "The Soup" may want to sample "The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale" with the former E! host stirring up a whole new mess of takes on pop culture with the aid of video clips and celebrity guests. Each weekly episode is taped a few days in advance, so don't expect the most up-to-date material. Minnesotan K.P. Anderson, who contributed heavily to "The Soup," is on board as an executive producer.

Now streaming on Netflix

Campaign stop

"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was never considered a serious platform for potential presidential candidates, but in this day and age, that may be starting to change. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has repeatedly said he doesn't want to be commander in chief, but don't be surprised if DeGeneres pops the question when he stops by. And fully expect the subject to come up on Thursday's show, when the guest list includes Oprah Winfrey.

4 p.m. WCCO, Ch. 4

Acting giants

Denzel Washington is celebrating his eighth Oscar nomination as an actor and Daniel Day-Lewis is toasting to his sixth, parties that merit a look back at some of their most memorable work. Washington goes toe-to-toe with Gene Hackman in 1995's terrifically tense submarine thriller "Crimson Tide" (6 p.m. Ovation) while Day-Lewis keeps his head above water (barely) as the 16th president in 2012 "Lincoln."

(7 p.m. History)

Neal Justin