1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m., NBC. With basketball gobbling up CBS this weekend, hour-long crime shows are hard to find. Fortunately, “Blacklist” is back, for only its third episode in eight weeks. The task force is tracking “The Chairman,” whose dark web helps criminals trade stock-market shares. Also, Ressler is angry when Red (shown here in a previous episode) goes to extremes to find a tracking device. Read more…
1) “Welcome to Flatch” debut, 9:30 p.m., Fox. Adapted from a British comedy, this is filled with droll, dry humor. A camera crew, we’re told, is studying small-town America. Mostly, it finds semi-empty lives – a local clergyman (Seann William Scott); his ex-wife (Aya Cash), editing the local paper; and two young people (shown here), clueless about life after high school. One wants a Scarecrow Festival prize; the other wants to be an influencer or spend time with her distant dad. Read more…
1) “Resident Alien” season-finale, 9 p.m. Syfy. Desperate to keep the town’s only doctor, the mayor plans a surprise party for when Harry returns to his cabin. What he doesn’t realize is … well, “Harry” is really an alien (shown here in a previous episode) who took over the body of the real Harry – who was a crook, ducking other crooks. And “Harry” is carrying the egg of a half-alien that could hatch and start eating people. The result is a dandy mix of humor and drama, with some of the best moments centering on the mayor’s wife. Read more…
1) “Young Rock” season-opener, 8 p.m. NBC. All four actors who play Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are needed today. We see him as a kid and as a teen, idolizing a big-hearted, big-bodied dad (shown here) who has little time. We also see him trying to break into Canadian pro football. And we see him in the future, played by the real Johnson. Those scenes, with Randall Park, are fairly funny; the others are merely interesting, treading a line somewhere between comedy and drama. Read more…
1) “The Bachelor” finale, 8-10 p.m. today and Tuesday, ABC. Clayton Echard was in a loving mood last week. On consecutive nights, he slept with Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey (shown here), telling each “I love you” and/or “I’m falling in love with you.” The third night, he found that Susie Evans was unhappy about this, despite him saying “I am the most in love with you.” She left; now the show has four hours to straighten this all out. Read more…
1) Basketball. At 6 p.m. ET, CBS has an hour announcing the brackets in the NCAA tourney. Before that, there are still conference tournaments to settle. On CBS. It’s the Atlantic 10 at 1 p.m. ET and the Big Ten (shown here in a previous game) at 3:30; on ESPN, it’s the SEC at 1 and the American at 3:15. Also, ESPN2 has the Ivy League at noon. In each case, the winner gets an automatic tourney spot; in most, the loser will get one, too. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Zoe Kravitz (shown here) – Catwoman in the new “Batman” movie – has her first turn as host. She’s both an actress like her mom (Lisa Bonet) and a singer like her dad (Lenny Kravitz). In this case, however, the music guest will be Rosalia. Read more…
1) “Charmed” season-opener, 8 p.m., CW. This show could have shattered when Madeleine Mantock (who played Macy) left. Harry lost his lover, Mel and Maggie lost their sister, the “power of three” was broken. But now comes a terrific hour that seems to make the show better than ever. We meet a mechanic and graffiti artist (shown here), smart, sturdy and self-reliant. This hour wastes too much time in denial, but sweeps “Charmed” in some intriguing directions. Read more…
1) “B Positive” season-finale, 9 p.m., CBS. One of TV’s best – and most undernoticed – comedies wraps its second season. As Gina, Annaleigh Ashford brings a Lucy-like touch, mixing intelligence with a random/vague outlook. On Broadway, Ashford has had two Tony nominations and a win (shown here); on TV, the Emmys and others have ignored her. This season, Gina bought the retirement home where she used to work; tonight, she considers selling it. Read more…
1) “Survivor” opener (shown here), 8-10 p.m., CBS. It’s the 42nd edition, ranging from a 19-year-old Ivy League student to a 58-year-old retired firefighter. There are 18 people in all, some coming from light-hearted jobs – a waitress, a pageant coach, a fitness consultant. Others include a therapist, a veterinarian, a data scientist and a Yale Law School grad, working as a clerk for a judge. Read more…
