ABC austerity: a wobbly, makeshift line-up

Maybe we should start worrying about ABC.
At first, its apparent austerity program seemed logical. Faced with giant jolts – the pandemic and two strikes – ABC scrambled. It added unscripted shows; it also borrowed shows from cable and streaming networks.
But now that’s gone overboard. After the season had already started, ABC decided to pillage all of “Monday Night Football,” pushing two game shows and “Scamanda” until 2025.
They won’t be missed; the world certainly has no shortage of games or true-crime stories. ABC does have some good shows — including “High Potential,” shown here, at 10 p.m. Tuesdays — but it continues its austerity trend; consider: Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 23: from gorillas to guinea pigs

1) “Nature” season-opener, 8 p.m., PBS. Eastern lowland gorillas (shown here) are huge (sometimes 500 pounds) and scarce (about 5,000 left). Now we follow a Congolese expert; he hopes to be face-to-face with a giant silverback, habituating him to humans, so tourism money can fund preservation. This spends too much time on the people, but is still impressive. Read more…

Good news: Murder still thrives in British towns

After a slow stretch, the Acorn streamer is back on track. Coming up are:
— The third season of “Whitstable Pearl” (shown here), There’s a new hour each Monday, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 25.
— The first season of “Detective Ellis.” It has movie-length (close to two- hour) tales on Nov. 4, 11 and 18,
At first glance, those might seem identical – a pair of six-hour seasons, with women solving murders in small-town England.
But they’re also opposites, reflecting Acorn’s range. One has gentle tales, pausing briefly for humor or warmth. The other is intense. Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 21: Life is funny in the shadows

1) “What We Do in the Shadows” season-openers, 10, 10:34 and 11:09 p.m., FX. This weird – and weirdly funny – show has gradually been noticed, with three best-comedy Emmy nominations in five years. Now its final season starts with these cozy vampires (Nadja is shown here) waking Jerry The Vampire, wh has a key question: If vampires are secret, why is a human camera crew there? No one can remember. Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 20: strong heroes and humble Messiah

1) “Tracker,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Yes, it’s great to have a strong-and-silent hero; that’s kind of a Hollywood tradition. But sometimes you need the opposite. Tonight, Colter (Justin Hartley), quiet and careful) is missing. His brother (noisy and risky) is called in to help. He’s again played by Jensen Ackles (left, with Hartley), in a vibrant episode. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Oct. 21: vampires, gorillas and baseball

1) “What We Do in the Shadows” season-opener, 10 p.m. today, FX. After five weirdly funny seasons (and three best-comedy Emmy nominations), this starts its final one. The three-episode opener starts with Jerry The Vampire’s key question: If they are secret, why is a human camera crew there? No one remembers … and for 48 years, no one remembered to wake Jerry. Guillermo (shown here), the wise ex-aide, might know. Read more…

Reba’s still juggling an overloaded life

Long ago, Reba McEntire received some astute maternal analysis.
“Momma always said I had the attention span of a 2-year-old,” she told the Television Critics Association.
That hasn’t changed much, now that she’s 69. It will be evident Tuesday (Oct. 22), when NBC displays her as:
— A comedy actress. At 8 p.m., it reruns the opener of “Happy’s Place” (shown here with Belissa Escobeda and McEntire) following its debut at 8 p.m. Friday (Oct. 18).
— A music judge. At 8:30 is a 90-minute version of “The Voice.” Read more…

Best-bets for Oct. 18: Reba’s in her semi-happy place

1) “Happy’s Place” debut, 8 p.m., NBC. Bobbie (Reba McEntire, second from right) inherited her dad’s bar, which she was already running. Now she learns a half-sister (left) she’d never met owns half of it. McEntire and some supporting actors get the most out of a so-so script. But the sister is underwritten and an employee (and friend) is badly overwritten, leaving a so-so show. Read more…