1) “Doc,” 9 p.m., Fox. Yes, TV is stuffed with Ozempic ads, forever hinting at weight-loss benefits. But here’s a smart and neatly calibrated story: One doctor hates the notion of eagerly prescribing these pills; another (Amy, shown here in a previous episode) is hesitant. Alongside that, we see patients at opposite extremes. There’s another good patient story and some so-so doctor ones Read more…
1) “DMV” (shown here in a different episode), 8:30 p.m., CBS. This episode, like last week’s debut, is fast and fun. On a scorching day (shown here), these Department of Motor Vehicles workers are banned from touching the air-conditioning. Naturally, Colette obsesses on it … and on making sure the cute guy doesn’t quit. Read more…
Bright and bouncy, “The Brady Bunch” just wanted to have fun.
It had cute kids, pretty parents and lots of sight gags. So what was it like making the show?
Rough, Lloyd Schwartz says in “TV We Love,” at 8 p.m. Monday (Oct. 20) on CW. Robert Reed (shown here, alongside his TV wife Florence Henderson and two of their daughters) “fought constantly” about scripts.
Reed — who died of cancer in 1992, at 59 — was outspoken about his anger, especially toward the “Brady” creator.
“It was a well-known fact in Hollywood that Sherwood Schwartz was absolutely the worst writer working in television,” he once said. “But that all changed one day (with) one writer who was even worse. It was Lloyd, Sherwood’s son.” Read more…
1) “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox. The 36th Halloween special arrives, a tad early. It’s sometimes funny, sometimes way too violent, but always with sharp satire. One portion points to the quality kids’ shows that have ended. Others view our obsession with greasy food and with plastic (shown here). Homer fighting lard or turning into plastic? It’s both ominous and entertaining. Read more…
CBS has announced a modest-but-cheerful batch of Christmas shows.
Barring late additions, the line-up has no holiday movies, no holiday music specials and two animated specials — one new, one not. Filling in will be some other weekend specials (Kennedy Center Honors, family film awards, Latin music), plus some festive game shows. Read more…
Ah, the sweet memories of state fairs — bright lights, loud music, fast rides … and grease. Lots and lots of grease.
That’s what we see on “The Simpsons” (shown here), at 8 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 19) on Fox.
There are deep-fried pickles and deep-fried cheese steaks. There’s mac-n-cheese on a stick and fried butter sticks on a stick. There’s more.
What could go wrong? Plenty, since this is the annual “Treehouse of Horror.” Read more…
1) World Series opener, 8 p.m. ET Friday, Fox; pre-game at 7. Baseball gets a chance to swipe attention from football. It has games Friday and Saturday … skips Sunday, when pro football rules … then has games Oct. 27, 28 and (if needed) Oct. 29 and 31 and Nov. 1. The Mariners (shown here) or Bluejays face Dodgers or Brewers; check Sports for details. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. At 26, Sabrina Carpenter (shown here) takes on a challenge most people avoid — doubling up as “SNL” host and music guest. Last season, only three people — Charlie XCX, Timothee Chalamet and Lady Gaga — did both; even Ariana Grande had someone else do the music… as did Bad Bunny this season. Read more…
Being an opening act can be a matter of extremes.
You get a small space on a big stage, a brief set in a long day. You see lots of people, few of them interested in seeing you.
“We’ve all been in that position of (facing people who) not only don’t know who we are, but don’t care,” Keith Urban recalled in a Zoom press conference. “We’ve got to try and grab them in that minimal amount of time.”
Now he’s at the other end, in “The Road.”
The 90-minute opener (9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19) ends with a song by Urban — whom the crowd came to see. Before that, a dozen contestants do one song each, while Blake Shelton (shown here) and Keith Urban watch. Both of them know the turf. Read more…
1) “Boston Blue” debut, 10 p.m., CBS. After 14 years of “Blue Bloods,” CBS isn’t ready to lose a good thing. So Danny (Donnie Wahlberg, shown here) heads to Boston (Wahlberg’s home town), where his son is a cop. He soon meets a large and tangled police/courts family like his own. This opener is too busy, but it’s also well-crafted by gifted director Anthony Hemingway, offering a rich blend of warmth and intensity. Read more…
