1) “Walker” return, 8 p.m., CW. Thanksgiving was tumultuous. Walker argued with his teen daughter, Stella (shown here); then his mother collapsed. Now, after a long break, the show returns with the mom hospitalized. Walker is focusing on family while Cassie, his colleague, tries to track down a tech mogul. Read more…
PASADENA — It was three years ago that we headed home from the Television Critics Association sessions, already looking forward to the next ones.
These trips, twice a year, run for two-plus weeks in California, bringing blue skies, sunshine, optimism and TV stars. Then the world stopped.
Today (Jan. 9), the TCA finally started its first in-person sessions since January of 2020. Onstage this morning was Kiefer Sutherland … just as he’d been so often in the past. He was followed by the young cast of a “Grease” prequel (shown here). Everything was back to normal … except, of course, it wasn’t: Read more…
It was Yogi Berra, the famed philosopher, who best summed up the Disney World experience.
“No wonder no one ever comes here,” he once said. “It’s too crowded.”
Berra (also known for baseball) was talking about a New York restaurant, but his comment perfectly suits the mega-theme-park (show here) in Orlando. By all logic, the crowded conditions would keep people away … except, quite obviously, they don’t.
I went during what books describe as one of the quieter times, waiting until Jan. 2 to enter the parks. Walking past one ride, I mentioned that the stated wait-time was two hours. “It’s insane,” a stranger said, while pushing a baby stroller. Still, a 13-year-old whom I know to be exceptionally sane waited two-and-a-half hours for the “Avatar” ride. Afterward, he pronounced it as worth it. 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. Read more…
1) Golden Globe awards, 8-11 p.m., NBC. After a one-year pause (addressing diversity and ethics issues), the telecast is back, with Jerrod Carmichael hosting and some box-office hits nominated. The drama-movie category has “Top Gun” and “Avatar” sequels (the latter shown here) plus “Elvis,” “Tar” and Steven Spielberg’s “Fabelmans.” Comedy movies are “Glass Onion,” “Babylon,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Read more…
1) Football, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN2. The college season finally ends, four months (or was it four years?) after it began. Georgia – still undefeated and top-ranked, after barely surviving the semi-finals – faced Texas Christian (shown here). The “GameDay” show starts at 5 p.m., with a pre-game show at 7. Read more…
1) “All Creatures Great and Small” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. For two seasons, we’ve rooted for two sweet-natured people (shown here, center0: James is a veterinarian, working with the stern Siegfried and his cheery brother Tristan; Helen is a diligent farmer, working with her widowed dad. She almost married a rich guy, then backed out; now she and James are ready to marry … if they overcome late obstacles. The result has humor, warmth and flowing green landscapes. Read more…
1) “The Hammer,” 8-10 p.m., Lifetime. Here’s a surprise – a Lifetime movie that deftly juggles humor, mystery and a great character. She’s a circuit judge, quick with her gavel and her voice; she’s also a fictionalized version of a real judge who covers sprawling stretches of Nevada. Reba McEntire (shown here) plays her zestfully, with strong support from Melissa Peterman as her sister and Kay Shioma Metchie as her bailiff. Let’s hope for more “Hammer” movies or a series. Read more…
1) “Blue Bloods,” 10 p.m., CBS. After stuffing Christmas specials and reruns into six Fridays, CBS finally has new drama hours. “SWAT” (8 p.m.) has a random shooter; “Fire Country” (9) has a probe, after someone dies during a difficult rescue. Then “Blue Bloods” finds Joe Hill (shown here), Frank’s grandson, furious: Someone has insulted his father, who was killed during undercover police work. Read more…
For a TV writer/producer, this was a familiar moment.
Someone called, John Eisendrath said, and “wanted to pitch me an idea for a show. Usually, … I brace for a polite way of saying, ‘Thank you, but it’s a terrible idea.’”
Except, this one didn’t seem terrible at all. Now “Alert” (show here with Scott Caan and Dania Ramirez) has a two-night debut on Fox – 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 8 (after football) and 9 p.m. Monday (after the season’s second “Fantasy Island”). Read more…
