“101” – Host RuPaul Charles welcomes four teams to face off in the original fast-paced word-twisting game show where the correct words could be worth thousands, but only one team will take home the extra $50,000 jackpot prize, on the season premiere of LINGO, Wednesday, Jan. 11 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Pictured: RuPaul Photo: Guy Levy/CBS ©2022 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Best-bets for Jan. 11: RuPaul leads a fun-and-games night

1) “Lingo” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. When this game show debuted in 1987, its host seemed to fit the times. Michael Reagan was a white guy in a suit and tie; most hosts were. Also, his dad was president. That version only lasted a year, but now there’s a host that fits the current times. RuPaul Charles (shown here) is bright and unique; as the leader of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he’s won four Emmys for best competition show and seven in a row for best host. Read more…

1) “Lingo” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. When this game show debuted in 1987, its host seemed to fit the times. Michael Reagan was a white guy in a suit and tie; most hosts were. Also, his dad was president. That version only lasted a year, but now there’s a host that fits the current times. RuPaul Charles (shown here) is bright and unique; as the leader of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he’s won four Emmys for best competition show and seven in a row for best host.

2) More games and reality. Last week, two reality shows had two-hour openers; now they shrink back to an hour, making room for others. CBS’ “Tough as Nails” moves to 10 p.m., making room at 9 for “Lingo.” Fox’s “Special Forces” moves to 9 p.m., making room at 8 for “Name That Tune.” This “Tune” opener has wrestler Chris Jericho facing skater Adam Rippon and singer-dancer Todrick Hall facing basketball great Sheryl Swoopes.

3) “The Conners” and “The Goldbergs, 8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC. Both shows return from month-long breaks. On “Conners,” a popular teacher has died; that brings back some classmates of Dan and Jackie. On “Goldbergs,” Adam finds a job in the arts, but soon manages to overdo things.

4) “Secrets of the Dead,” 10 p.m., PBS. Fleeing from murder charges, the painter named Caravaggio reached Malta in 1607. He fled again the next year, but left some of his greatest works. One was stolen in 1984 and retrieved three years later. This fascinating rerun focuses on Marius Zerafa, 92 when it was filmed; a painter, sculptor and Oxford grad, he spent eight months negotiating the painting’s recovery.

5) “Titanic” (1997), 8-11 p.m., Showtime. While James Cameron’s latest film – “Avatar: Way of the Water” – is busy rescuing the movie-theater industry, we can watch his previous ones. It doesn’t take long; in a quarter-century, he’s directed three scripted movies – two “Avatar” ones and this one. “Titanic” mixes epic visuals with richly crafted romantic drama.

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