1) “MasterChef,” 8 p.m., Fox. After choosing its three finalists last week, the show now pauses. This episode (which reruns on Friday) offers season highlights, plus profiles of the remaining duos. Two are married — Zach and Michelle Lamb and (shown here) Rachel Sanchez and Julio Figuerdo; Jessica Bosworth and Jesse Rosenwald have been together for eight years Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. The final eleven acts vie for the last four spots in the semi-finals. Ages range from 10 (in the Birmingham Youth Choir) to 66 (in the Funkateers dancers, shown here). There are four more music acts and another dance one, plus a magician, a bodybuilder, acrobats and a laser act. We’ll get the results Wednesday. Read more…
1) Football, 8 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2. “Monday Night Football” was an ABC bedrock for 35 years. It slid over to ESPN for 14 years, then returned to help ABC during the pandemic, the strikes and general hard times. Now it’s on both networks, starting with the Minnesota Vikings (shown here in a previous season), 14-3 during the regular season last year, at the Chicago Bears, 5-12. Read more…
1) “MTV Video Music Awards,” 8 p.m. ET, CBS, MTV and Paramount+. After 40 years on MTV, this adds CBS, with LL Cool J hosting. There are special awards for Mariah Carey (shown here) and Ricky Martin. They’ll perform, as will Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Tate McRae and more, including an Ozzy Osbourne tribute with Steve Tyler and Joe Perry. Read more…
1) “The Groomsmen: First Look” (shown here), 8-10 p.m., Hallmark. Here’s the start of an ambitious trilogy that helped launch the Hallmark+ streamer last year. Pete, a pediatrician, meets Chelsea, a doctor. She lives overseas, so they don’t feel this could work. His friends, Danny and Jackson; disagree; over the next two Saturdays, they’ll have their own romance movies. Read more…
1) “Highest 2 Lowest,” Apple TV+. With TV in its pre-season lull, streamers are bringing their top stuff. For this movie, Spike Lee directed Denzel Washington (shown hgere) in a remake of a Japanese crime classic. That follows Thursday’s terrific “The Paper” (Peacock) and “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” (Paramount+); coming Tuesday is Hulu’ “Only Murders in the Building.” Read more…
1) Football, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC. . The pro season begins, promising to dominate TV viewership. This opener has the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (shown here in a previous season), 14-3 in the regular season, host the Dallas Cowboys 7-10, with a pre-game show at 7. Most of the other teams start Sunday. Read more…
1) “MasterChef,” 8 p.m., Fox. A week from the finale, four duos face a huge challenge — creating a dish simultaneously with Gordon Ramsay, while switching back and forth. It’s an “out-of-body, instinctive” task, one woman says. Adds another: “Too many pots, too many pans; you’re screaming at me.” It’s also a fiery experience (shown here), but in its own frantic way, it’s fun to watch. Read more…
(Here are the five TV best-bets for Tuesday, Sept. 2, a bit early because
1) “America’s Got Talent,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. In the third of four quarter-finals,11 acts perform. There are six music acts (including two rappers), plus a dancer, a juggling duo, an aerial duo, an AI magic act and Anna Dangerous (shown here), wielding her crossbow. Then viewers vote; on Wednesday, they’ll learn which acts four acts advance to the semi-finals. Read more…
1) “Survival Mode” finale, 10 p.m., NBC. In 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship diverted from its planned route and struck underwater rocks near Tuscany, partly sinking (shown here). An elaborate rescue began, using helicopters and boats. In all, 33 people died and the $600-million ship was ruined. Read more…
