1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. For the seventh time, Rainn Wilson plays Trevor, the floundering therapist for Bonnie (they’re shown here in a previous episode). The previous six have been hilarious, so give this one a try. Bonnie’s deciding what to do with her spare bedroom … which soon leads to bigger issues. Read more…
1) “The Masked Dancer,” 8-10 p.m., Fox. This first season has seen surprises under those masks. That’s ranged from a science guy (Bill Nye) to a boxer (Oscar De La Hoya), from former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart to Vinny from “Jersey Shore.” It’s also included three music people – Brian McKnight, Jordin Sparks and Ice-T. All that remain are Sloth, Tulip (shown here) and Cotton Candy. Tonight – after a recap of the season so far – we’ll have the final dance-off. Then “The Masked Singer” returns March 10. Read more…
1) “The Black Church” (shown here), 9-11 p.m., PBS. One of the season’s best shows begins its joyous, two-night run. Henry Louis Gates does point out flaws in some Black churches – biases against women and gays and more. Mostly, though, he looks at immense progress. He ranges from tiny shacks to a 14,000-seat arena with video screens and a band. He tells of slaves who brought religions – Christian, Muslim, more – from Africa and transformed them, making into pillars of survival, change and great music. Read more…
1) “American Experience: Voice of Freedom,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. This starts a great PBS week, including the superb “The Black Church” on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus an emotional season-finale of “All Creatures Great and Small” on Sunday. First is this compelling portrait of Marian Anderson. The world’s highest-paid singer, heralded by Arturo Toscanini for a “once in 100 years” voice, she was banned by a Whites-only concert hall; instead her free Lincoln Memorial concert (shown here) drew 75,000 people. Read more…
1) “American Idol” season-opener, 8 p.m., ABC. Last spring, “Idol” did an impressive job of adjusting to social-distancing, with talented people (including Nick Merico, shown here) and strong, at-home performances. Now auditions begin in three California cities. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are again the judges; Ryan Seacrest hosts … as he’s been doing since the opener, in the summer of 2002. Read more…
1) “A Wild Year on Earth,” 8 p.m., BBC America. In July and August, Greenland’s icebergs crumble, the great migrations begin and brown bears await their salmon feast. There are nasty creatures, from sidewinder snakes in the desert to mosquitoes on a rhino’s back – soon swooped up by birds. This series (shown here in a previous episode) has stunning footage; tonight, it ranges from nomadic Mongolians on horseback to a sly fox on an Alaskan island. He leaps out of hiding to snatch birds that were flying low to avoid sea gulls. Read more…
1) “In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl” finale, 9 p.m., PBS. This starts with the perfect way to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 212th birthday: Gustavo Dudamel (shown here) conducting Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” with Vin Scully narrating. The rest of the night has vibrant Latino music with Carlos Vives, Cafe Tacvba and flamenco dancer Siudy Garrido. This series’ only weak spots have been the pleasant-but-empty video chats; this time, there are two of them … but the rest of the hour is superb. Read more…
1) “Clarice” debut, 10 p.m., CBS. Three decades ago, “Silence of the Lambs” won the best-picture Oscar, with Jodie Foster as Clarice, a young FBI agent who catches a serial killer. Now we nudge ahead a year; Clarice (Rebecca Breeds, shown here) wants to stay in her desk job, but she’s nudged into the field. The result is beautifully directed and acted, but a mixed blessing. It has unneeded flashbacks (brief, but gory) and the cop-show cliché of higher-ups who just keep getting in the way. Read more…
1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. The Big Bend National Park (shown here) sprawls over 800,000 acres of West Texas, including 118 miles alomg the Mexican border. Much of it is desert, which may explain why this is one of our least-visited parks. Filmmakers, however, got great footage – towering bluebonnet flowers … beavers cavorting in the Rio Grande … a bear climbing a tree to steal a woodpecker’s cache … and, especially, bighorn sheep: In 1973, seven of them were brought in; now more than 1,000 roam the park. Read more…
1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” 8 p.m., NBC. Some weeks, this show is is bright, bouncy and fun. Its color palette is cheery; so are the pop songs that Zoey imagines people singing. But it also takes serious detours; last week, Simon (John Clarence Stewart, shown here) pointed to the systemic racism in his company. Now come the aftershocks. It’s a great hour, with all the songs by Black writers, performed superbly by Black (Stewart, Alex Newell as Mo) and brown (Kapil Talwalkar as Tobin) actors. Read more…
