1) “Matlock” season-finale, 9-11 p.m. Thursday, CBS. It may be a long time before we see some more new episodes: “Matlock” is this year’s first CBS drama to wrap its season … and it won’t be on the fall schedule, waiting until mid-season. For now, Matty and colleagues (shown here) are close to nailing Senior, until a hurdle appears. Also, they have two new cases in court. Read more…
1) “The Voice” finale, NBC. Trimmed to half its usual length, this wraps abruptly. Today (9-11 p.m.), we hear Liv Ciara, 16; Mikenley Brown, 19; Lucas West (shown here), 20; Syd Millevoi, 23; J.W. Griffin, 25; Alexia Jayy, 31; Jared Shoemaker, 32; K.J. Willis, 35; and Jeremy Keith, 40. On Tuesday, there’s a recap at 8 p.m. and the final four, from 9-11 p.m. Read more…
1) “Best Medicine” season-finale, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. Last week’s hour set this up neatly: Visiting Norwegians tricked the town into a damaging deal … Greg and George (shown here, left) mentioned they’d secretly married … and Dr. Best pointed Louisa to his ex-girlfriend, a fertility expert. Now that blends beautifully, in an episode that mixes fun with strong emotion. Read more…
1) “Henry David Thoreau” 9-11 p.m., today, 9 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. We might think of Thoreau as a hermit in a cabin, but Ken Burns’ splendid film finds someone much more interesting: Thoreau was a social man who loved to talk, write and think. He was a teacher, philosopher and pencil-maker; in his two years in the cabin (shown here), he wrote memorably about man and nature. Read more…
1) Sports surge. The baseball season starts with one game Wednesday (Yankees-Giants, 8:05 p.m. ET on Netflix) and lots on Thursday, including two on NBC — Pirates and Mets at 1:15 p.m., Dodgers (shown here) and Diamondback at 8:30. Also, Thursday is when the college basketball tourney starts a new round, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on CBS, 7:30 and 10 on TBS. Read more…
1) College basketball tournament. This starts at 3:30 and 6 p.m. PT Tuesday and Wednesday on TruTV, filling the last four spots. Then comes the cascade: On Thursday and Friday, CBS has games at 9 and 11:30 a.m. PT and 4 and 6:30 p.m. Then it’s 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 9, 11:30 and 2 Sunday. There’s more on TBS, TNT and TruTV.(Shown here is top-rated Duke.) Read more…
1) Academy Awards, 7 p.m. ET Sunday, ABC. Conan O’Brien hosts a night led by “Sinners” and (shown here) “One Battle After Another.” They have 16 and 13 nominations; for best-picture, they face “Marty Supreme,” “Frankenstein” and “Sentimental Value” (9 apiece), “Hamnet” (8) and “F1,” “Train Dreams,” “Secret Agent” and “Bugonia” (4 each). Read more…
1) “NCIS” shows return, 8-11 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. After waiting for the Olympics, State of the Union and more, all three have new hours. Ellie (Emily Wickersham, shown here), now a suspected terrorist, returns to the original show. On “Origins” (9 p.m.), young Gibbs, already widowed, has married Diane; they ponder their future. On “Sydney” (10 p.m.), the team probes a murder in Antarctica. Read more…
1) “Marshals” debut, 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS. In “Yellowstone,” Kayce Dutton (shown here) left his family’s mega-ranch to be a SEAL and then to live on the neighboring reservation, where his wife grew up. Now a former military buddy is a U.S. marshal who needs help. The opener lays on the macho-folks dialog way too thick, but gives us sturdy people to care about. Read more…
1) Olympic figure skating. The pairs’ long program starts at 2 p.m. ET today on the USA Network, then moves to NBC from 12:55 to 2. Then the women (shown here is the U.S.; Alysa Liu) take over — short, Tuesday (12:35 p.m., USA; 2:40, NBC); long, Thursday (1-5 p.m., NBC). There’s a gala — no rules, just fun — at 12:55 a.m. and 13:40 p.m. Saturday. And it’s all repackaged at night. Read more…
