1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m., NBC. After giving us exactly two episodes, “Blacklist” took a two-month break. At least, those two had some big moments – peaking with Red killing Liz’s mother, before she could reveal Red’s murky secrets to Liz. Now Liz is not happy; the former friendship (shown here in an earlier episode) has shattered. Read more…
1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. Even after a big loss – the departure of Anna Faris as Christy – this remains one of TV’s best comedies. Tonight, Jill (Jaime Pressly, right) worries that her romance with Andy (Will Sasso, left), the beefy cop, is over; her friends soon join her on a stake-out. That part is fairly good, but the big laughs come from Adam – Bonnie’s husband and Andy’s friend. When it comes to social signals, he’s genuinely clueless. Read more…
Some more starpower has been added to Inauguration Day.
Now Garth Brooks (shown here), Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga are scheduled to perform during the ceremony at noon ET Wednesday. That’s in addition to the evening TV special that will include Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, John Legend and many more. Details include: Read more…
From time to time, people have asked Paul Haggis about “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which he co-created.
“You can’t kill it with a stick,” he would say with a grin.
Not that he would want to; the show has been an eternal payday. It ran for nine years and 196 episodes … was a TV movie … reran on cable … reached more than 100 countries … and now is back as “Walker,” debuting at 8 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 21) on CW.
It has spanned generations. When the show debuted in 1983, Jared Padalecki (shown here), the new Cordell Walker, was 11; Lindsey Morgan, who plays his ranger partner Micki Rodriguez, was 3. Read more…
1) Presidential inauguration, noon ET, everywhere. It’s the start of a new era … or, at least, the end of a noisy one. Joe Biden will be sworn in and give his inaugural address. The news channels and the big networks plan to be there long before — starting with the morning shows — and afterward. Garth Brooks, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga perform at the ceremony; at night — see next item — Bruce Springsteen (shown here) and others perform. Read more…
1) “The Resident,” 8 p.m., Fox. Here’s the rare case of a show that keeps getting better. Merely OK at first, it keeps adding depth. That peaked with last week’s season-opener, which focused on the COVID crisis, but also flashed ahead to a post-pandemic time and the Nicolette/Conad wedding. Tonight’s excellent hour stays in the future, with a high-profile patient (shown here) and aftershocks from last week: Devon’s father, a cab driver, died of COVID. Dr. Cain, nudged by his boss, did unneeded surgeries. And Austin and Okafor had a surprise kiss. Read more…
If there’s a TV award for pandemic patience, it should go to the CW network.
Others scrambled to get many of their shows on the air by November; CW simply waited. Now – midway through the season – most of its shows are starting their seasons. The result, as usual, is mixed:
– One show is surprisingly good. The first season of “Batwoman” (8 p.m. Sundays), shown here, was beautifully crafted, in a grim and gloomy way. Then its star quit; the show found a way to keep the quality, while brightening a bit. “We wanted to add a little fun to the show,” said producer Caroline Dries, “because it is so bleak.” Read more…
1) “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. This has quickly become one of TV’s best comedies, built around two sorta-opposites. Bob is wealthy and sometimes whimsical; Abishola is neither – she’s a diligent nurse who’s been raising her son ever since her husband returned to their native Nigeria, eight years ago. Now the husband is back; Abishola is still married to him … and is engaged to Bob, who meets him (shown here) today. It’s the first half of a two-week story that offers big laughs and strong emotions. Read more…
This was the sort of break a young actress might covet:
Abbey Lincoln was given the same dress – red, tight, low-cut – that Marilyn Monroe had worn. She could become the new Black sex symbol.
Her reaction? She later told a friend she’d burned the dress. “I’m not wearing no white woman’s hand-me-down.”
That’s an example of the independent spirit shown by many Black women — including Lincoln, Lena Horne (shown here) and others — in Hollywood. Now we see that in “How It Feels to Be Free,” a fascinating “American Masters” film at 9 p.m. Monday (Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Day) on PBS (check local listings). Read more…
1) “Miss Scarlet and the Duke” debut, 8 p.m., PBS. Eliza Scarlet has always wanted to solve crimes, like her dad did. She learned his skills, but now faces a roadblock: This is Victorian London, when women aren’t taken seriously … and Eliza (Kate Phillips, shown here) is the very image of a society beauty. To succeed, she needs the reluctant support of Detective Inspector William Wellington, kmown as The Duke. The result spins some good mysteries, brightened by bits of humor and human quirks. Read more…
