Best-bets for Jan. 2: food, Fogg and fun

1) “Around the World in 80 Days” debut, 8 p.m., PBS. This is a “Masterpiece” show, but feels more like an epic adventure – a good one – for the big screen. It’s an international co-production, with David Tennant (who’s English) as the frantic Phileas Fogg, Ibrahim Koma (French) as his valet and Leonie Benesch (German) as a reporter. (They’re shown here.) After betting he can circumnavigate the globe, unheard of in the 19th century, Fogg faces thieves and revolutionaries. But by the end of the first hour, he’s soaring – literally. Read more…

1) “Around the World in 80 Days” debut, 8 p.m., PBS. This is a “Masterpiece” show, but feels more like an epic adventure – a good one – for the big screen. It’s an international co-production, with David Tennant (who’s English) as the frantic Phileas Fogg, Ibrahim Koma (French) as his valet and Leonie Benesch (German) as a reporter. (They’re shown here.) After betting he can circumnavigate the globe, unheard of in the 19th century, Fogg faces thieves and revolutionaries. But by the end of the first hour, he’s soaring – literally.

2) “Next Level Chef” debut, after football (about 8 p.m.), Fox. Few chefs start in the gleaming kitchens you see on TV, Gordon Ramsay says. This show splits its 15 people into groups; one gets state-of-the-art equipment and first choice of ingredients, one gets average and one is in the basement. At the end of this first hour – an interesting one – Ramsay, Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington each choose a five-person team. The show then moves to Wednesdays, where the teams will alternate between the levels.

3) “Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name,” 9 p.m. and midnight ET, CNN. As a teen, King began co-writing pop classics – “One Fine Day,” “Up On the Roof,” “Natural Woman,” more. Much later, she was asked to be the pianist in a band for Taylor … who coaxed her to sing onstage. Later, her “Tapestry” would sell 22 million albums. Now King, 79, and Taylor, 74, have a gorgeous concert film (with biographic interludes), peaking with his rendition of her “You’ve Got a Friend.”

4) “Yellowstone” season-finale, 8 p.m., Paramount Network. You can catch up on the first season and more: A marathon starts at 8 a.m., with the final two episodes of the previous season. And at 9:36 p.m., the Paramount Network reruns the second episode (the one with Tom Hanks as Gen. George Meade) of “1883”; that’s the “Yellowstone” prequel that has its fourth episode today on Paramount+.

5) “SWAT,” 10 p.m., CBS. Deacon and Chris are working on a private security detail, when they’re attacked by a drug cartel. That comes as the show makes its long-delayed move to Sundays. Other scripted shows also return from their breaks – CBS’ “Equalizer” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 and 9 p.m.), ABC’s “The Rookie” (10 p.m.), Fox’s “Simpsons” and “Great North” (about 9 and 9:30). Also at 9, PBS reruns the “All Creatures Great and Small” season-finale, setting up a terrific opener next week.

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