1) “Fire Country” season-opener, 9 p.m., CBS. There have been plenty of crises in this little town, but none like this: In the midst of a festival (shown here), a sudden sinkhole swallows people and cars. The result offers a strong mix of action and drama, while also adding a key character to the show. Read more…
1) “Cupertino,” 10 p.m., CBS. The season’s best new, broadcast-network show starts with a great pairing (shown here): He’s a veteran lawyer, big, confident and imposing; she’s a first-year lawyer, a tad timid, from a deeply religious family. For different reasons, they’ve been fired by an evil firm. The result, from the “Elsbeth” producers, ripples with rage and fun. Read more…
There are plenty of right-now, ripped-from-the-headlines stories.
And then there’s the “East of Eden” tale. “It is ancient,” said Joseph Zada, one of the stars of the seven-part mini-series now on Netflix.
Or semi-ancient. It’s known from a 1955 movie … it’s based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel … its story is set in the early 1900s … and its inspiration is Cane and Abel, which goes way back.
At the core of the final two episodes are twins who have been groping for the love of a physically absent mother and an emotionally absent father. Cal (shortened from Caleb) is played by Zada, 21; Aron is Joe Anders, 22. Read more…
The newest Dolly Parton tribute will link much of Nashville.
It will have the Dolly-style country divas — Reba McEntire, Ella Langley (shown here), Carrie Underwood — and more. It will range from banjo whiz Bela Fleck to singing actresses Kristen Bell and Kristin Chenoweth.
It will also include Lainey Wilson, who hosts the Country Music Association awards, Nov. 18 on ABC ad Disney+. Before that, she’ll be one of the performers when those networks (9-11 p.m. Oct. 21) have “CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton.” Read more…
“Happily ever after” is a fine notion — depending on how long “ever” is.
A five-decade romance can be pleasant; five centuries might be a bit much. That’s one of the ideas behind “Eternally Yours,” at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS, starting Oct. 8.
Charles and Liz (Ed Weeks and Allegra Edwards, shown here) married in the heat of passion. Now, 500 years later — did we mention that they’re vampires? — the passion has cooled. Life gets complicated for their adopted daughter and her new boyfriend.
The idea reflects two Joes (Joe Port and Joe Wiseman), who created the series. They’re not romantic and not, to our knowledge, vampires; still, Port said, it’s “very, very autobiographic, in a weird way.” Read more…
1) “Abbott Elementary” season-opener, 8:31 p.m. ABC. For broadcast networks, this is the only scripted, primetime show noticed by Emmy voters. It’s had 37 nominations (including this year for best comedy, plus three actors and more) and four wins. Now Gregory (James Tyler Williams, one of the nominees, shown here) starts his duties as assistant principal. Read more…
1) “NCIS: New York” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. For 342 episodes, LL Cool J, has played NCIS agent Sam Hanna in California and Hawaii. Now (shown here) Sam returns to his home town of New York. “Hasn’t changed much,” he says, amid a gun battle. After a dazzling little solo mission, he meets his new colleagues; the pairing with Scott Caan is excellent. Read more…
1) “Private Eyes West Coast” debut, 8 p.m., CW. The producers of CW’s fun “Wild Cards” launch another Canadian crime tale. In their “Private Eyes,” Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson (shown here) worked for a Toronto detective agency. Now they quit their jobs and move to the serenity of Victoria, in British Columbia. There, of course, they find a murder. Read more…
1) “Marshals” season-opener, 8:30 p.m., CBS (but 8 p.m. on the West Coast). Other networks began earlier, but CBS held its scripted shows until now. It has 14 of them in the next six days (including “Tracker” at 9:30 today), starting here: Kayce likes Dolly Weaver (they’re shown here), but hates her dad, who wants to buy his ranch. The result is high-octane and lethal. Read more…
As the latest “NCIS” spin-off begins, Sam Hanna is finally coming home. So is LL Cool J, who plays him.
Hanna has done 342 episodes in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Now — starting at 9 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 6) on CBS — “NCIS: New York” (shown here) begins.
It will visit “every kind of nook and cranny of New York, in the five boroughs,” said showrunner Byron Balasco.
That makes this different from other shows, LL Cool J promised. “It’s definitely more gritty …. It gives you so many different people from all over the world, so many different types of energies.”
And it pairs him with a guy who feels like the consummate New Yorker. Read more…
Best-bets for Oct. 9: music, crooks and a sinkhole 
Best-bets for Oct. 8: two new shows, one a gem 
Best-bets for Oct. 7: openers for “Abbott” and Chicagos 
