CALL ME KAT: L-R: Cheyenne Jackson and Mayim Bialik in the "Double Date" time period premiere episode of CALL ME KAT airing Thursday, Jan. 7 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2020 FOX MEDIA LLC. Cr. Cr: Lisa Rose/FOX.

Best-bets for Jan. 3: Kat, Carter and a masterpiece

1) “Call Me Kat” debut, 8 p.m., Fox. Like any good daughter, Kat got a college degree and a good job; then, alas, she quit and used her money to start a cat cafe. Her mom (Swoosie Kurtz) is displeased, but Kat (Mayim Bialik, shown here with Cheyenne Jackson) seems happy with life, her co-workers and her cats. Jim Parsons, Bialik’s “Big Bang” husband, is producing this, based on a British comedy. It’s lightweight, but it has likable people (including Leslie Jordan, Kyla Pratt and Cheyenne Jackson) and a goofy, throwback appeal. Read more…

1) “Call Me Kat” debut, 8 p.m., Fox. Like any good daughter, Kat got a college degree and a good job; then, alas, she quit and used her money to start a cat cafe. Her mom (Swoosie Kurtz) is displeased, but Kat (Mayim Bialik, shown here with Cheyenne Jackson) seems happy with life, her co-workers and her cats. Jim Parsons, Bialik’s “Big Bang” husband, is producing this, based on a British comedy. It’s lightweight, but it has likable people (including Leslie Jordan, Kyla Pratt and Cheyenne Jackson) and a goofy, throwback appeal.

2) “Last Man Standing” season-opener, 9:31 p.m., Fox. Over its first eight seasons, this has been the picture of a sorta-adequate comedy. Now its final season starts tonight, before moving to Thursdays, alongside “Call Me Kat.” This starts with a clever way to both address COVID and then zoom past it. After that, it’s … well, moderately funny.

3) “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” debut, 9-11 p.m., CNN (barring breaking news), rerunning at midnight. This isn’t the Carter we expect. He was the soft-spoken president, poet and peanut farmer who was smothered by the Iran hostage crisis, but later won the Nobel Peace Prize. Here’s a joyful view of another side – a guy who loved music and musicians, including long-haired, bad-boy types. It spends a little time with Carter, 96, and a lot with musicians – Bono, Buffett, Brooks – who praise him.

4) “Masterpiece: Elizabeth is Missing,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Coming soon are broadly popular series – an “All Creatures Great and Small” reboot starts next Sunday, with the dandy “Miss Scarlet & The Duke” mysteries a week later. First is this movie that has already brought four best-actress awards for Glenda Jackson, 84. She plays someone deeply bothered by the departure of her friend (recently) and her sister (generations ago). It’s a painful story, but has surprises – and brilliant work from Jackson.

5) ALSO: At 8:31 on Fox, “The Great North” offers some animated fun, six weeks before joining the schedule. At 9 on CW, “The Outpost” has its season-finalr. At 10, ABC’s “The Rookie” starts its season and Showtime’s “Your Honor” adds some tough twists: The judge (Bryan Cranston) has been trying to cover up the accident in which his son killed a mobster’s son. Now there’s a blackmailer and a tricky teen relationship. Huge parts of this require coincidence, but the story remains compelling.

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