Daily Best Bets

Best-bets for Nov. 26: Dolly is eternal

1) “Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry,” 9-11 p.m., NBC. Parton (shown here), 73, continues her triumphant tour of the networks. ABC had a primetime profile, then featured her at the Country Music Association awards. Netflix made eight movies based on her songs; on Dec. 8, Hallmark has her “Christmas at Dollywood” movie. And NBC has her performing along with some famous friends, including Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Emmylou Harris, Lady Antebellum, Margo Price, Hank Williams Jr. and more. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 25: “Stars” and “Bars”

1) “Dancing With the Stars” finale, 8-10:01 p.m., ABC. The final-four line-up is stuffed with people who almost won other competitions. Lauren Alaina, 25, was runner-up on “American Idol” … Ally Brooke (shown here with Sasha Farber), 26, was in a group (Fifth Harmony) that finished third on “X-Factor” … and Hannah Brown, 25, finished seventh on “Bachelor”; she then became the “Bachelorette” star. Now one of them might be a winner; they’re in the finals, alongside Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson’s former comedy colleague. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 24: American music, British drama

1) American Music Awards, 8 p.m, ABC. Taylor Swift (shown here) will perform and be crowned artist of the decade. But Post Malone leads this year, with seven nominations; he’ll perform with Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott and WATT. Ciara hosts a strong night for women: Selena Gomez has her first TV performance in two years; Shania Twain has her first AMA one in 16 years. Also performing:Billie Eilish, Thomas Rhett, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, Camila Cabello, Dua Luppo, Lizzo, Kesha, more. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 23: The Grinch and Will Ferrell

1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 7 and 8 p.m., TBS. Over the next five weeks, we’ll get lots of lookalike Christmas shows, each aspiring to adequacy. So it’s good to stop first and savor some holiday greatness; this 1966 cartoon offers TV at its best. It starts with Dr. Seuss’ brilliant book, then adds superb animation by Chuck Jones, the man behind Road Runner cartoons. Boris Karloff offers the droll narration, with Thurl Ravenscroft singing about a mean one (shown here), Mr. Grinch. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 22: Dramas like Thanksgiving, too

1) “Dynasty,” 9 p.m., CW. Comedies love Thanksgiving, but some dramas also get a crack at it. Now Blake Carrington (Grant Show, shown here) – facing criminal charges – realizes this could be his last chance for a family Thanksgiving. First, he wants Cristal and Adam to quit bickering. Also, Dominique is being pushed to disclose important information … and she’s pushing Monica to work with her new singer. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 21: It’s widower-comedy night

1) “The Unicorn,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. For half an episode, this is standard-sitcom stuff. Trying to reboot his life, a year-plus after his wife’s death, Wade (Walton Goggins) hosts the Thanksgiving dinner. There’s a turkey problem, a mumbly teen-ager and a football zealot, plus disputes over coffee and place-settings. It’s moderately funny and sort of adequate. Then, in the final minutes, we’re reminded that Goggins (shown here in a previous episode) was a terrific drama actor, long before doing comedy. It becomes a terrific episode. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov.19: Agony in Syria and at home

1) “Frontline: For Sama,” 10-11:30 p.m., PBS. As Russian bombers destroyed the Syrian city of Aleppo, a young journalist sent reports over the internet. She married the doctor who led a makeshift hospital; years later, they pondered taking their baby to safety. Eventually, Waad Al-Khateeb (shown here) took her films and linked with a British director, weaving a five-year story that has it all – love, death, youthful idealism, war-weary pain, lifesaving and lives lost. The result is simultaneously painful and bracing. Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 18: Dancers, singers and (really) a poet

1) “Dancing With the Stars,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. We’re just a week from the finale now. Last week, Sean Spicer, the former presidential press secretary, was ousted. He finished sixth … which puts him well ahead of how civilians (politicians, businessfolk, etc.) usually do. Remaining are actors James Van Der Beek and Kel Mitchell, singers Lauren Alaina and Ally Brook and “bachelorette” Hannah Brown (shown here with pro partner Alan Bersten). Read more…

Best-bets for Nov. 17: “Poldark” ends, “Crown” and “Donovan” start

1) “Masterpiece: Poldark” finale, 9 p.m., PBS. For five seasons we’ve seen Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner, shown here) try to pierce layers of corruption in England’s ruling class. Last week (rerunning at 8 p.m.), he found his ore had been stolen and traded for weapons, stockpiled for a French invasion. Officials still did nothing, so now he tries a makeshift effort as a double agent. The result is wildly unbelievable; villains here seem incapable of finishing off anyone. Still, it’s an emotional end to a lush and epic story. Read more…