1) Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox. After leading the regular season with 14-3 records, the Kansas City Chiefs (shown here) and Philadelphia Eagles survived the play-offs. Now they collide, with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen in the broadcast booth – each working his first Super Bowl. Erin Andrews, doing her fourth Super bowl, will be on the sidelines, with Tom Rinaldi. And at halftime, Rihanna takes over, in a show produced by her mentor, Jay-Z.
2) Super Bowl preview, all day Sunday, Fox. Things start at 11 a.m. ET with “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.” That’s followed at noon by the annual “Road to the Super Bowl” film. At 1 p.m., Curt Menefee hosts the mega-preview, with Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and such. At 6, things move to the field. Chris Stapleton sings the National Anthem, Babyface does “America the Beautiful” and Sheryl Lee Ralph does “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
3) “Not Dead Yet” debut, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. After five seasons (and a Golden Globe award) with “Jane the Virgin,” Gina Rodriguez has another comedy/drama. She plays a former star reporter who left for a guy; returning a decade later, she’s writing obituaries … and seeing the ghosts of her subjects. The opener, with Martin Mull as guest ghost, is excellent; the second episode spends too much of its time on so-so workplace scenes.
4) “A Million Little Things” season-opener, 10 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. As its final season begims, this show skips little things; it ripples with life-changing moments. That starts with Gary’s cancer treatment and his message to his not-yet-born son. Then it jumps straight to a funeral and to more – a memory-loss crisis … a return from prison … a long-ago gay romance, smothered by society and war. Tears flow, balanced (sometimes) by warmth and humor.
5) “The Flash” season-opener, 8 p.m. Wednesday, CW. “Phasing, explosions, time loops – you’ve been through a lot in nine years,” Barry’s father-in-law says. That’s an understatement. As this ninth and final season starts, Barry has a book guiding him through his life with Iris and with his work as The Flash. But now a loop seems to make them repeat the same day over and over. It’s a big, flashy hour that includes battles and, in the last minute, a return.
6) “Nature: Dogs in the Wild” opener, 8 p.m. Wednesday, PBS. This night is overstuffed, with a series debut, two season-openers and the start of this excellent documentary. Over three weeks, we’ll see all 37 canines types in the wild. This opener ranges from the Arctic wolf, a hardy sort that reaches 130 pounds, to the only type of desert dog. It has masters of the wild … and the red fox, which conquers London, sometimes hiding leftovers in car hoods.
7) State of the Union address and Republican response, 9-11 p.m. ET (6-8 p.m. PT) Tuesday, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and news channels. The union is in a great or terrible state, we’ll learn tonight. At 8 o,n,m some networks have new shows – “9-1-1: Lone Star” on Fox, “Night Court” and “American Auto” on NBC, “Finding Your Roots” on PBS – and others have reruns. Also at 8, there are movies, led by the terrific “Licorice Pizza” (2021) on MGM+, formerly Epix.
8) “Hell’s Kitchen” finale, 8-10 p.m. Thursday, Fox. This season’s twist – “20-somethings” vs. “40-somethings” – has seen the younger side prevail. Now the final three contestants create menus and dinners and are judged by five famous chefs. One person is eliminated, setting up the final hour: Previously eliminated contestants return to help the two finalists. The winner gets $250,000 and becomes head chef at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
9) “Next Level Chef” season-opener, after football (about 10:30 p.m. ET) Sunday, Fox. Three days after wrapping his “Hell’s Kitchen,” Ramsay has the second season of this show. Contestants – home chefs, social-medias stars, food-truck owners, line cooks and more – alternate between three levels of an imposing, vertical set. The bottom is similar to his early days – iffy equipment and limited ingredients; the top offers glistening equipment and abundant options.
10) And more: The week starts with joy. “Outta the Muck,” 10 p.m. today on PBS, visits a low-income Florida town, where people laugh, hug, catch fish and rabbits, have cook-outs and obsess on football. Then there’s the build-up to the game: “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials,” 8 p.m. Wednesday, CBS … “NFL Honors,” 9-11 p.m. Thursday, NBC … “The Perfect 10” (10 Heisman-winners in college who are in the pro hall of fame), 8 p.m. Saturday, Fox.