1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Lizzo (shown here in a different show) doubles as host and music guest, in the final rerun, before next week’s season-opener. For this season, she and Billie Eilish were the only hosts to also do the music; coming up, however, Megan Thee Stallion will do both on Oct. 15. Miles Teller opens the season, with music from Kendrick Lamar; Brendan Gleeson is Oct. 8, with Willow. Read more…
1) Streaming surge. In the first week of the broadcast season, streamers have grabbed much of the attention. Hulu alone has debuted a terrific comedy (“Reboot”), continued another first-rate comedy (“Atlanta,” shown here) and opened the season for a reality show (“The Kardashians”). Disney+ has launched a sci-fi series (“Andor”) and taken over “Dancing With the Stars.” There’s been much more, including Peacock’s “Meet Cute” movie. And today, Netflish adds several movies, including “A Jazzman’s Blues,” a Tyler Perry film with a juke-joint soundtrack. Read more…
Fictional romances are rarely convenient.
Lovers are separated by geography or war or politics or society. Still, they have it easy compared to Ben (shown here) and Addison in the “Quantum Leap” reboot.
“It’s like the long-distance relationship from Hell,” said Martin Gero, the series creator. “They’re separated by time and space …. They can’t touch.” At first, Ben doesn’t even recognize his fiancee Addison … and doesn’t recognize himself.
That unfolded in the series opener, which reruns at 8 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 24) on NBC (and any time on Peacock), before the second episode at 10 p.m. Monday. Ben adapted a high-tech program that randomly flings him into the bodies of other people in other times. The first fling involved a decent chap who was, alas, a getaway driver.
Read more…
1) “Law & Order” shows season-openers, 8-11 p.m., NBC. This is a first – all three “L & O” series sharing a story over a three-hour stretch. A mysterious girl is shot, putting two “Law & Order” detectives (Cosgrove and Shaw) on the case. As a wider plot is revealed, Benson (from “L&O: Special Victims Unit”) and Stabler (“L&O: Organized Crime”) jump in; they’re sow here. Then it’s up to the original show’s lawyers to get a conviction. Read more…
1) “Abbott Elementary” season-opener, 9 p.m., ABC. Already the winner of three Emmys (for Quinta Brunson’s script, the casting and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara) and all the top Television Critics Association awards, “Abbott” starts its first full season. A new school year beginsmid general optimism … except Janine (Brunson, show here, center, with Ralph right) is hiding her own problems. In the “Abbott” style, the result is moderately funny and immensely likable. Read more…
1) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox, and “New Amsterdam,” 10 p.m., NBC, season-openers. Both hospital shows start with intensely personal episodes. On Fox, it’s a medical crisis for someone close to the doctors; on NBC, Max is in deep despair after Helen suddenly broke up with him. (They’re shown here in a previous episode.)bThe latter makes little sense to Max – or to viewers; it drags down a usually first-rate show. Still, these are involving hours, including a key psychiatry one on “New Amsterdam.” Read more…
1) “Quantum Leap” debut, 10 p.m., NBC. On opening night of the official TV season, NBC has a winner. It keeps the fun of the original series, whiles adding some extra zing. Ben (Raymond Lee) is a physicist, adapting the program that used to propel Sam into the past … and into other people’s bodies. Once he gets there, however, he can’t remember anything. Back in the lab, people fret and his fiancee (shown here, right) – whom he also doesn’t remember – tries to be helpful as a hologram. Read more…
1) “The U.S. and the Holocaust” (shown here) opener, 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 10:12. Over three nights, Ken Burns calmly and brilliantly shows chaos on both sides of the Atlantic. Jews are desperate to leave Germany, but isolationism has swept the U.S. A 1924 law sharply reduced the number of immigrants, mostly choosing ones from Protestant countries. Prominent Americans – Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh – gave anti-Semitic speeches; tragedy loomed. Read more…
1) “Quantum Leap” debu (shown here)t, 10 p.m. today, NBC, rerunning 8 p.m. Saturday. The first day of the official TV season includes a zinger – a quick, slick fantasy show that keeps us involved, even when stretching credibility wildly, Raymond Lee plays a physicist, adapting the same notion used 30 years ago, in the original series. Suddenly, he’s in 1985, in the body of a stranger. He remembers nothing, including his fiancee, who’s there as a hologram others can’t see. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. On Monday, Jason Sudeikis won (for the second straight year) Emmys for best comedy series (“Ted Lilly,” shown here) and best comedy actor. Now here’s a rerun of his hosting gig on “SNL” – the show that won for best variety sketch series. This was Sudeikis’ first turn as host – nine years after he left “SNL”; Brandi Carlisle was the music guest. Read more…
