1) “Fire Country,” 9 p.m. CBS. A quick success, this is near the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings and has been renewed for next season. At the core is Bode (Max Thieriot, shown here), trimming his prison sentence by fighting fires; his unit was sent to his home town, renewing old troubles. Now his ex-girlfriend and his mother face medical emergencies, after a crash creates a power outage and starts a blaze. Read more…
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…
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…
1) “The Parent Test” (shown here) opener, 9 p.m., ABC. “Grey’s Anatomy” and other dramas won’t return until Feb. 23. Filling the gap is a non-fiction night – “Celebrity Jeopardy” at 8 p.m. (tonight with actors Michael Cera, Zoe Chao and Brianne Howey) and “The Chase” at 10. They sandwich this show, which had a one-shot preview last month. Varying parenting styles face fine-dining and home-alone challenges. Read more…
1) “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” debut, 8-10 p.m., Fox. In a torrid Jordan desert, 16 celebrities face military-style training (shown here). Some are athletes – Dwight Howard, Danny Amendola, Carli Lloyd, Nastia Liukin, Gus Kenworthy – but many aren’t. We’ll see reality stars (Kate Gosselin, Hannah Brown, Kenya Moore, Dr. Drew Pinsky), performers (Mel B., Jamie Lynn Sears, etc.), chef Tyler Florence and former Trump official Anthony Scaramucci. Read more…
