1) “Matlock” season-finale, 9-11 p.m., CBS. A year overdue, the show finally wraps its main story. This is the episode viewers expected a year ago: Matty and Olympia push to pin blame on the burying of a report that could have saved lives. It starts poorly (a dream scene, rarely a good idea) and has odd twists involving Senior’s ex-wife (shown here) and others, but ultimately gets a good show back on track. Read more…
1) “Orangutan” (shown here), Disney+. Each Earth Day, the DisneyNature unit debuts a richly crafted documentary. Here’s the latest; Disney+ also has the previous Disney films, plus ones from National Geographic. There are also Earth Day films on other streamers — especially HBO Max, Apple and Britbox — and (see next two items) beyond. Read more…
1) “Bear Grylls is Running Wild” opener, 9 p.m., Tuesday. Two 50-ish chaps — Grylls, 51, and Matthew McConaughey, 56 and far from his Texas roots — tackle an imposing stretch of Norway (shown here). They descend a steep, 800-foot granite cliff; eat reindeer testicles and swim in 35-degree water. Also, they chat about Woody Harrelson, “a perpetual 8-year-old.” It’s all fairly entertaining. Read more…
1) “Sullivan’s Crossing” season-opener, 8 p.m., CW. Last season seemed to be ending cheerily. With her dad leaving, Dr. Maggie Sullivan would run his resort, start a clinic and be with Cal. Then Liam showed up, saying he’s her husband. (he’s shown here, right, with Maggie and Cal in the center.) Now more complications (personal and medical) pile up, in a show that manages to remain mostly sunny and likable Read more…
1) “The Audacity,” 9 p.m., AMC, rerunning at 10:20. As the opener ended last week, Duncan (Billy Magnussen, right) grasped at a scheme. His tech company was crumbling, but he had caught his therapist using her clients (including Zach Galifianakis, left) to fuel insider-training. Now he wants her to feed tips to him — if he can find her. Meanwhile, their teens struggle. It’s a brilliant episode, deftly blending satire and drama. Read more…
1) Basketball, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC, with pre-game at 8. It’s opening day of the pro playoffs. Amazon Prime — which aired the “play-in” portion this week — has games at 1, 3:30 and 6. Then ABC has Kevin Durant’s Rockets (shown here) and LeBron James’ Lakers, which finished 5th and 4th in the 15-team Western Conference. On Sunday, games will be on ABC in the afternoon, NBC at night. Read more…
1) “Now Hear This,” 9 p.m., PBS. This beautifully crafted show — with violinist Scott Yoo (shown here in a previous episode) as host and sometimes-performer — finds fresh ways to visit music masters. Last week was Brahms and European elegance; now it’s Scott Joplin and mid-America. We hear dazzling bits of ragtime piano and much more — including a 12-piece orchestra in Pennsylvania and a Black-themed opera in Chicago. Read more…
1) “Ghosts,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Iain Armitage was 9 when he landed the title role in what became broadcast-TV’s best comedy, “Young Sheldon.” Now, just shy of his 18th birthday, he’s on TV for the first time in two years. Desperate for money, Sam and Jay try to use ghosts to fleece gamblers … including Armitage (shown here, left), playing himself. Read more…
1) “MasterChef,” 8 p.m., Fox. These are home-chefs from the U.S., but the emphasis is global. Four five-person teams will be chosen, representing roots in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. The opener is Europe, including family links. One chef’s grandma finished 14th in 2015; another (shown here) saw her husband finish fifth in 2021 Read more…
1) “Doc” season-finale, 8 and 9 p.m., Fox. It’s been a terrific season, stuffed with high-stakes medical and personal stories. Now it tries to top that with this two-parter: A deadly virus is loose; with their floor quarantined, doctors scramble to identify the virus, Amy (shown here) faces memory seizures … and when Richard (her nemesis) is stricken, she puts herself in danger. Read more…
