ST. DENIS MEDICAL -- "Aloha, Everyone" Episode 201 -- Pictured: Allison Tolman as Alex -- (Photo by: Justin Lubin/NBC)

Best-bets for Nov. 3: Comedy comeback starts here

1) “St. Denis Medical” season-opener, 8 and 8:30 p.m., NBC. Back from a sunny vacation, Alex (shown here) vows to retain her joy; that’s not easy. It’s a funny episode — as is the second one, with a security issue. After opening the season with no primetime comedies, NBC bounces back. It has two Friday (“Happy’s Place” and “Stumble”) and another next Monday. Read more…

1) “St. Denis Medical” season-opener, 8 and 8:30 p.m., NBC. Back from a sunny vacation, Alex (shown here) vows to retain her joy; that’s not easy. It’s a funny episode — as is the second one, with a security issue. After opening the season with no primetime comedies, NBC bounces back. It has two Friday (“Happy’s Place” and “Stumble”) and another next Monday.

2) “The Neighborhood,” 8 p.m., CBS. As Calvin’s son prepares his new place, there’s an unexpected guest — Crutch (Tracy Morgan, see next paragraph), Calvin’s cousin from Harlem. That’s followed by a “DMV” that gets silly at times — Colette pretends not to work there — but is fairly funny.

3) “Crutch,” Paramount+. The entire, eight-episode season debuts. Crutch thinks he’s an empty-nester, with a son finishing law school and a daughter in Minnesota; then things change. There’s a retro feeling here, with noisy elders, a nosy neighbor and a lead character who jumps between warmth and cruelty. But the second half of the opener does have some good moment.

4) “TV We Love,” 8 p.m., CW. “The Honeymooners” began as sketches in Jackie Gleason’s variety hour, then — for one season — was a half-hour comedy. It was revived in different forms (in color, as musicals), but that season is revered for its sharp dialog and blue-collar setting. Here’s a profile.

5) “Name That Tune,” 8 p.m., Fox. For two straight weeks, this was bumped by baseball. Now it’s back, starting with sharp contestants, Chris Harrison and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton. “Celebrity Weakest Link” follows, with eight former pro football players; at least five have been in Super Bowls.

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