Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 11: Three season-openers and a country cascade

1) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 pm., ABC. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and others open the show with a salute to the late Charlie Daniels. That starts a night filled with combinations: Hosts Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker perform together; he also links with Lady Antebellum; she joins Thomas Rhett and more. Gabby Barrett sings with Charlie Puth; also performing are Miranda Lanbert, Luke Combs, Eric Church, Maren Morris and more, plus a lifetime award for Charley Pride. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 10: The Tuesday dramas return

1) “NeXt,” 9 p.m., Fox. After being bumped by the elections last week, the Tuesday dramas boom back. “NeXt” is mid-crisis, as connected computers gain power. Shea, a cop, knows that her husband and son are targets. As they try to flee off the grid, she and LeBlanc head to Dartmouth, where this might be based. Late in the hour, LeBlanc (John Slattery) has a great monolog and some powerful moments with a friend (shown here) – confined to a computerized wheelchair – who may be involved. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 9: Competitions and a COVID drama

1) “All Rise,” 9 p.m. today, CBS. This episode was a big deal in May — the first one about social-distance, shot via social-distancing. Actors used their own homes, with characters communicating Zoom-style, shown here. (The actors playing Kurt and Rosa are married and did a scene together.) Judge Lola (Simone Missick) presides at the first virtual trial. The case is too simple, but it was an OK try at something others soon did better. Dorian Missick, the star’s husband, adds flavor as a disc jockey. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 8: Two openers and a dandy documentary

1) “Rebuilding Paradise” (shown here), 9 and 11:47 p.m., National Geographic. Ron Howard was already a great director of scripted films, with an Oscar (“A Beautiful Mind”) and a nomination (“Frost/Nixon”). Lately, he’s also been doing documentaries. After the 2018 wildfire, he focused on the gorgeous town of Paradise, Ca. There, we meet likable people, including a man who tells of going “from town drunk to mayor.” After the blaze, he was one of the first to rebuild. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 7: Chappelle once, Ringo twice

1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Four years ago, Dave Chapelle (shown here) hosted “SNL” after the election, when some viewers were still in shock. Kate McKinnon sang “Hallelujah”; Chapelle offered a soothing (and funny monolog), then linked with Chris Rock in a gentle sketch mocking White friends unfamiliar with bad news. Now Chappelle is back, in an episode that was added belatedly – a sixth straight new episodes, after soaring ratings for the first five. The mood may vary with the official vote count. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 6: Corden conquers silly tale

1) “Great Performances: One Man, Two Guvnors,” 9 p.m., PBS. Americans know James Corden as a terrific talk-show host, but he’s also a gifted comedy actor. Here, belatedly, is the U.S. debut of a 2011 special, with Corden (shown here) as a luckless chap who secretly has two bosses … and must keep them apart. Based on a 1743 farce, this is mostly loud and silly; what seems funny onstage can seem way over-the-top onscreen. Still, Corden — who won a Tony award in the role – is a marvel. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 5: Lots of laughs and a new star

1) “B Positive” debut, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, CBS. The first new, scripted show of the season is a delight, with great characters and sharp humor. Thomas Middleditch (the former “Silicon Valley” star) is great as a divorced dad who needs a kidney donor. But the real joy is Annaleigh Ashford (shown here with Middleditch) as Gina, a former high school classmate with a kidney to spare. A Broadway veteran (and Tony-winner), Ashford skillfully makes Gina seem caring and clueless, helpful to strangers and unable to help herself. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 4: A final night of reality overload

1) “American Ninja Warrior” (shown here in a previous week) finale, 9-11 p.m. NBC. Last week, only four of 16 finalists finished the course. There are still 11 more to tackle it tonight; then the top eight overall will face the “Power Tower” for the $100,000 prize. Lucas Reale, 21, a business student, is at the top so far. The others who finished: Najee Richarfdson, 29, a coach and ex-gymnast … Austin Gray, 22, a coach; he donated a kidney to a friend … and Jesse Labreck, 30, a gym-owner; her fiance, Chris DiGagi, fell shot. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 3: Great movies while the votes are counted

1) Election coverage, all night, everywhere. Several networks – ABC, CBS, NBC – plan to start at 7 p.m. ET, an hour before polls start closing. Fox will wait until 8, but PBS will start at 6 … and the news channels will be at it all day. But with a cascade of absentee ballots, it may be approximately forever before anyone knows the winner. While waiting, you can catch such movies as “Godfather,” “Rocky” (shown here) and more; they’re mentioned next. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 2: A good doctor, a great documentary

1) “The Good Doctor” season-opener, 10 p.m., ABC. Some shows ignore the COVID crisis, but others embrace it. Here’s the latter; working with infected patients makes everyone wary. Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, shown here with Hill Harper) loves Lea, but can’t be near her; Dr. Reznick, banned from surgery, navigates around the clinic, putting herself and others at risk. There’s more, in this start of a two-parter: Dr. Park prepares to return to Phoenix; Dr. Brown mourns Dr Melendez, who was killed in the season-ending earthquake. Read more…