1) CMA Awards, 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Generations and genres merge. There are tributes to Alan Jackson (shown here) and (opening the night) the late Loretta Lynn. Reba McEntire and Patty Loveless will perform; so will crossover artists (Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Pillbox Patti, the Black Keys) and current country elite — Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson, Jimmy Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs and more.
2) “Yellowstone” season-opener, 8-10 p.m. Sunday, Paramount Network, rerunning at 10. This started on a network few people knew, with a star (Kevin Costner) most knew. He played the owner of a mega-ranch at the edge of Yellowstone, battling neighbors, developers and officials. Now he IS official, just elected Montana governor. The third season reruns from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, repeating four hours at 8 a.m. Sunday; the fourth reruns from noon to 8 p.m.
3) “Tulsa King,” any time Sunday, Paramount+. Taylor Sheridan, the “Yellowstone” creator, is a master of tersely potent dialog. Now his turf expands: “1923” (Harrison Ford in the second “Yellowstone” prequel) debuts Dec. 18 … “Mayor of Kingstown” starts its second season Jan. 11 … and a sampling of this show is promising: Fresh from prison, a mobster (Sylvester Stallone) expects to be rewarded; instead, he’s told to start new schemes in Oklahoma.
4) Election coverage, Tuesday. There’s a lot at stake here — 36 governors, 34 senators and all 435 congressmen, plus control of the House and Senate. Now the networks are going all-out: ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS all plan to start coverage at 8 p.m. ET, the moment the eastern polls close; most will pause at 11 for local newscasts, then go on and on. News networks will keep obsessing, on a night that could (like 2020) gets some big late-night shifts.
5) “The Resident,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox, and more. If you need election alternatives, there are plenty. Fox has new episodes of “The Resident” (the newlyweds, Voss and Bell, meet with the governor) and “Monarch” (secrets, lies and the Deb Ball). CW has “The Winchesters” and “Professionals” reruns at 8 and 9. Cable has “Jaws” (1975) at 7 p.m. on AMC. At 8, HBO has a Willie Mays profile and Epix has Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in “Respect” (2021).
6) “The Cleaning Lady,” 9:02 p.m today, Fox. Once a comedy actor like his mom (Goldie Hawn) and sister (Kate Hudson), Oliver Hudson is first-rate in tense scenes. He plays Garrett, an FBI guy linking with Thony and Arman, hoping to bring down the evil Kamdar. First, there are big distractions: Garrett must hide the fact that he killed Cortez; Thony hides the fact that it was her nephew who pushed her husband to his death. It’s a tough and involving hour.
7) “Atlanta” series-finale, 10 p.m Thursday, FX. One of TV’s best (if weirdest) shows ends a four-season run. It has won six Emmys and been nominated for 19 more, including two for best comedy series. That’s in a transition week for top shows: On Wednesday, “The Handmaid’s Tale” ends its season on Hulu and “The Crown” arrives on Netflix. On Sunday, AMC wraps “Interview With the Vampire” (10:05 p.m.), a week before “Walking Dead” ends..
8) Veterans Day shows, Friday. The History Channel has “Band of Brothers” – the compelling story of a World War II unit – from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; “Salute to Service” is at 8 and 11 p.m., with “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016) at 9. PBS has specials, including a 9 p.m. look at the USO. Turner Classic Movies ranges from “Sergeant York” (1941) at noon ET to “The Longest Day” (1962) at 11. It peaks with the Oscar-winning “Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) at 8..
9) “The Greatest #AtHome Videos,” 8 p.m. Friday, CBS. This started as an amiable way to fill the pandemic void: Locked down at home, people were doing creative things on the Internet; Cedric the Entertainer showed some of them. That became seven hours in 2020 and four more the next year. Now comes an hour with a Thanksgiving theme, rushing the season. Even sooner, CBS’ “So Help Me Todd” has its Thanksgiving episode at 9 p.m. Thursday.
10) “The Equalizer,” 9 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS. After missing two straight Sundays, this ratings-leader is back. On Saturday, it reruns an excellent hour from last season: To retrieve a painting that was stolen a century ago (during the 1920 massacre of Blacks in Tulsa), Robyn (Queen Latifah) links with a master thief, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. And on Sunday, there’s a new hour: Robyn tries to transfer a smuggler to a secure debriefing site.