1) “Patience” season-finale, 8 p.m., PBS. Over five episodes, Patience Evans (shown here) has transformed. Young and autistic, she burrowed in the police records section, rarely talking. Nurtured by Detective Inspector Bea Metcalf, she’s become a skilled crimesolver. Now Metcalf is barred from a case; the result is smartly written and perfectly played. Read more…
1) WNBA All-Star Game, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC, pre-game at 8. For Indiana, already basketball-obsessed, this is big. It’s hosting the game for the first time and its star, Caitlin Clark (shown here), is the top vote-getter and a captain. Last year, as a rookie, she led the league in 3-pointers and assists. She’s missed half this year’s games with injuries, but is back now. Read more…
1) “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (2025), 8-10:27 p.m., HBO, rerunning at 11:30. It’s been a big career for Joel (shown here), with 160 million records sold, from the basic “Uptown Girl” to the complex “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” And a big life, with four marriages and lots of Madison Square Garden” sell-outs. Susan Lacy, the “American Masters” founder, co-directed this film. Read more…
1) “Transplant” series-finale, 8 p.m., NBC. Over four strong seasons, we’ve seen Bash’s life transform. A surgeon for Syrian rebels, he moved to Toronto, finding work, friends and a lover (who recently died). Now there’s a gas leak at the hospital, alongside turning points for Theo and Bash (they’re shown here) and virtually everyone. As usual, it’s all done with subtlety and skill. Read more…
1) “Sullivan’s Crossing” season-finale, 8 p.m., CW. Last week ended with Maggie straining to restore Edna’s sight. There was a surgery crisis … and then closing credits. Now we start there, then find other turning points. There are romance questions involving Maggie, her dad, Rafe and Sydney (they’re shown here) and more, plus the opening of the new diner. It’s a solid end to a fairly good year. Read more…
1) Baseball All-Star game, 8 p.m. ET, Fox. The American League has the heavy hitters: Going into the weekend before the game, Cal Raleigh (shown here) and Aaron Judge led with 36 and 34 home runs. The National League has the No. 3 guy (Shohei Ohtani, with 31). This could be tough for star pitchers, led by American’s Tarik Skubal and National’s Paul Skenes. Read more…
1) “Lego Masters,” 8 p.m., Fox. In a replica of a 1990s teen bedroom (shown here with host Will Arnett), duos have a task: Pick one object and make an exact copy, with Legos. They grab a guitar and skateboard and more … including a bed. Yes, an entire bed out of little plastic bricks. It’s a fun hour, setting up next week’s semi-finals. Read more…
1) “Patience,” 8 p.m., PBS. Autistic actors have key roles here. That includes the superb Ella Maisy Purvis as Patience Evans; Connor Curren (shown here) as Billy, the leader of her autism support group; and everyone in the group. Now the focus moves to Billy, when his brother is reported as dead. It’s a thick, clever hour, with great work from Curren, Purvis and others. Read more…
1) Movies. This is a night of terrific films and A-list stars. At 8 p.m., it’s Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” (shown here, 1986) on CMT, Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive” (1993) on BBC America and George Clooney and friends in “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) on TBS. And E has star-stuffed films — “Goodfellas” at 1 and 7:30 p.m., “The Departed” at 4 and 10:30. Read more…
1) “The ’90s Boy Band Boom,” 8-10 pm., CW. As the ’90s began, A.J. McLean said, pop music was ignored. “It was grunge or rap.” His group (Backstreet Boys, shown here) sputtered in the U.S., but soared in Europe; it has sold130 million records. Amid attacks — one rocker called them “the spawn of Satan”– boy bands thrived, as this lively film shows Read more…
