1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. Pigeons (shown here), it seems, are the ultimate urban survivors. They’re gifted physically — they can zoom vertically from the ground, like a helicopter — and mentally. They learn how to ride subways and escalators; they know which discarded bags have the best snacks. This delightful hour follows them in London and New York City. Read more…
1) “The Lowdown” finale, 9 p.m., FX, rerunning at 10:17. A great show (shown here) ends in unexpected ways. “Lowdown” has built a complex plot, with murder, schemes and a land-grab. All of that is wrapped up quickly, leaving more time for the rest — a beautifully written and played portrait of a truth-teller (Ethan Hawke), scrambling to re-assemble his makeshift life. 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. Read more…
1) “I Love LA” debut, 10:30 p.m., HBO and Max. After moving from New York to Los Angeles, Rachel Sennott had a job (playing Kyra Sedgwick’s daughter in “Call Your Mother”) and bad timing: It was 2021 and Covid made it tough to meet people and forge a new life. She partly re-creates that time in a Gen-Z comedy (shown here) about a makeshift life. Read more…
1) “Wicked: One Wonderful Night,” 8-10 p.m. Thursday, NBC. Coming soon (Nov. 21) is the second of Universal’s two “Wicked” movies. First, NBC (Universal’s corporate mate) has this concert special. The Dolby Theatre gets an Emerald City look; there, a 37-piece orchestra backs Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh (shown here) and more. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:30 p.m., NBC. After resting for a week, “SNL” starts its second string of three new shows. Miles Teller hosts; he’s done it once before and also had a good spot in the “SNL50” special. Brandi Carlile (shown here), an 11-time Grammy-winner, has her third turn as the music guest. Read more…
1) “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror,” 7 a.m. to midnight, FXX. Here’s a fun Halloween marathon. In random order, we get 34 half-hours of the annual cartoon (shown here); most have three weird shorts — sometimes gross, often funny, always imaginative. For more laughs, the original “Ghostbusters” is 3 and 8 p.m. on Bravo, with the sequel at 5:30 and 10:30; a 2016 reboot is 8 p.m. on TBS. Read more…
1) “Elsbeth,” 10 p.m., CBS. Airing on Halloween eve, this show amps up its oddness. A neighborhood trick-or-treat night has gone (very) wrong. Elsbeth is on the case — but wants to wear costumes all week; she’s into “My Fair Lady,” ranging from ragged-flower-girl to (shown here) belle-of-the-ball. It’s a fairly good hour, with Annaleigh Ashford as guest star. Read more…
When the holiday season ends, ABC’s schedule will see some sharp changes:
— “American Idol” will be back … but only on Mondays. And this season’s “Hollywood Week” will be in Nashville, 2,004 miles from Hollywood.
— The long-delayed “Bachelorette” season will finally arrive in March … taking the Sunday spot that used to belong to “Idol.”
— There will finally be a full night of dramas on Tuesdays, with “Will Trent” (shown here) and “The Rookie” starting their seasons. Read more…
1) “Shifting Gears,” 8 p.m., ABC. On Halloween (shown here), plans grow. Recalling the wild days of her youth, Riley invites Gabe and Stitch to a party. Her dad invites Eve to the house … but frets when she wants it to be a sleepover. Read more…
