1) State of the Union address and response, 9-11 p.m. ET, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and news channels. This is a unique time in history – a president preparing his speech while he’s been facing impeachment and planning a re-election push. People will probably be interested in Donald Trump’s comments and in the Democratic response by Michigan Gov.Gretchen Whitmer. If not? We’ll list some 9 p.m. alternatives, including (shown here) some CW time-travel.
2) “Schitt’s Creek,” 9 p.m, Pop. Moira’s acting career has finally been revived, with the release of her killer-crows movie. It’s only being streamed, though, so her daughter plans a grand gesture – a premiere screening in little Schitt’s Creek. It’s a funny episode that that reminds us why crows are rarely included at elegant events.
3) “The Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow,” 8 and 9 p.m., CW. This is a new phase for “Flash” and for all the superhero shows in what’s called the Arrowerse. “The Arrow” has ended its eight-season run and Oliver Queen (the Green Arrow) has died heroically. Now Barry (The Flash) is handed a mysterious piece of his legacy. It’s a good (but open-ended) episode that has Iris clashing with a business titan. And at 9 (competing with the State of the Union in some time zones), the time-travelers chase Bugsy Siegel in 1947 Hollywood.
4) “NCIS,” 8 p.m., CBS. This slot is tenuous, because in some time zones the show will run after (not before) the presidential address. So some networks settle for reruns: Here, Ziva arrives with a cryptic warning; on ABC’s “Conners,” Darlene is torn between two guys. Others go with unscripted shows: Fox has “24 Hours to Hell and Back,” NBC has “Ellen’s Game of Games,” PBS has “Finding Your Roots,” with three science pioneers.
5) Movies, cable. Some viewers will skip the politics and catch a movie. At 8 p.m., Freeform has the brilliant “Social Network” (2010) and Sundance has “Ghostbusters” (1984), with it sequel (1989) at 10:30.. At 9, BET has Denzel Washington’s Oscar-winning work in “Training Day” (2001) and E has the comedy “Superbad” (2007). There’s even animation on FX – “The Secret Life of Pets” (2016) at 6 p.m., “Ferdinand” (2017) at 8 and 10:30.
– Mike Hughes, TV America