"Doll Day Afternoon" – When a murder investigation at a famous New York toy store spirals into a hostage crisis, Elsbeth must negotiate with the hapless ex-con (David Cross) inside. Outside, Captain Wagner clashes with a rival whose reckless tactics could turn the standoff deadly, on the CBS Original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Oct. 16 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and David Cross as Nolan Hurst Photo: Michael Parmelee/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Best-bets for Oct. 16: fun with Elsbeth and “English”

1) “Elsbeth,” 10 p.m., CBS. After opening its season Sunday with a fairly good episode, this returns to its regular spot with a great one. The set-up is lame, with a reluctant gunman (David Cross) in a toy story. But that manages to surround Elsbeth (shown here with Cross) with toys and danger. The result is a delight. Read more…

1) “Elsbeth,” 10 p.m., CBS. After opening its season Sunday with a fairly good episode, this returns to its regular spot with a great one. The set-up is lame, with a reluctant gunman (David Cross) in a toy story. But that manages to surround Elsbeth (shown here with Cross) with toys and danger. The result is a delight.

2) “English Teacher” season-finale, 9 and 9:30 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10 and 10:30. The first season was pretty good; this one has been much better. It ends with two strong situations — an overnight “lockdown,” when students get out of hand, and a graduation ceremony with an iffy speaker. There are plenty of laughs, occasional warmth and a clifffhanger.

3) “Georgie & Mandie’s First Marriage,” 8 p.m., CBS. Last season ended with Georgie and Ruben becoming co-owners of the tire store. They each borrowed family money to do it; now comes a bigger challenge: — agreeing on anything. It’s the season-opener, as is “Ghosts,” which sees Jay trying to save his soul; the stakes are high, the laughs are scarce.

4) “Matlock,” 9 p.m., CBS. This hour, plus the season-opener that aired Sunday, combine to set the show’s tone for the second season. Yes, we know that Julian, under orders from his dad, buried a key drug study. Matty wants to go public; Olympia (Julian’s ex-wife) doesn’t. Words fly, emotions seethe.

5) “Grey’s Anatomy,” 10 p.m., ABC. Last week was tough, with an explosion and evacuation. Now, amid repairs and renovations, surgical rotations begin. That follows two hours of crises — a geostorm and tech-gone-rogue on “9-1-1”; a rescue, in a tornado’s path, on “9-1-1: Nashville.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *