Best-bets for Jan. 8: The “Party” is back

1) “Party of Five” (shown here) debut, 9 and 10 p.m., Freeform, rerunning at midnight, then 9 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday. The original “Party” – smartly written, beautifully cast – had young siblings orphaned and on their own. Now, 25 years later, this reboot takes a modern twist: The parents, undocumented, are being sent back to Mexico; their kjds’ lives change instantly. A charismatic singer becomes a weary father figure; an A-student becomes an angry rebel. There’s depth and people we care about. Read more…

1) “Party of Five” debut, 9 and 10 p.m., Freeform, rerunning at midnight, then 9 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday. The original “Party” – smartly written, beautifully cast – had young siblings orphaned and on their own. Now, 25 years later, this reboot takes a modern twist: The parents, undocumented, are being sent back to Mexico; their kjds’ lives change instantly. A charismatic singer becomes a weary father figure; an A-student becomes an angry rebel. There’s depth and people we care about.

2) “Criminal Minds” season-opener, 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. The 15th and final season – just 10 episodes – starts with two hours focusing on “The Chameleon” and his daughter. In the second hour, one team member is in the hospital; also, Spencer’s mother (Jane Lynch) has a rare period of lucidity.

3) “Modern Family,” 9 p.m., ABC. After a month-long break, this classic show – five-time winner of the best-comedy Emmy – starts the second half of its final season. Alex’s company has put her in one of its luxury apartment buildings. Soon, her family is sampling the food, gym and famous residents.

4) “Stumptown,” 10 p.m., ABC. Here’s another good ABC show that’s back from a one-month break. Dex is looking for the brother of a famous TV judge … and finds she’s not the only one looking. And at home, she gets some unexpected news from her brother.

5) “Some Like It Hot” (1959), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Skillfully directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, this black-and-white film has a can’t-miss plot: Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis elude mobsters by joining an all-woman band … with Marilyn Monroe as a colleague. The American Film Institute put it at No. 22 on its all-time list … and at No. 1 on its comedy list, with another cross-dressing film (“Tootsie”) at No. 2. It also put its final line at No. 48 on the list of top movie quotes.

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