Week’s top-10 for Jan. 27: A super week
1) Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox. The Kansas City Chiefs were at the Read more…
Weekly Previews
Week’s top-10 for Jan. 20: Grammys and a million little shows
1) Grammy awards, 8-11 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS. Alicia Keys (shown here) hosts a night filled with music stars. Ariana Grande and Demi Lovarto will be singing; so will Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani. Bonnie Raitt will perform a tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award-winner John Prine; another lifetime award-winner, Run-D.M.C., will perform with Aerosmith. There’s much more, including Camilla Cabello, the Jonas Brothers, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, H.E.R., Charlie Wilson, Rosa, Lizzo, Tyler the Creator and late additions. Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Jan. 6: An extraordinary batch of debuts
1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (shown here) debut, 10 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. Lab accidents used to Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Dec. 30; Eve parties and beyond
1) “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” 8-11 p.m. Tuesday and 11:30 p.m. to 2:13 a.m., ABC. Here’s the plan Dick Clark created 47 years ago: Tape music in advance … put someone (now Ryan Seacrest) live at Times Square … then blend them. This year that adds live music from Times Square (BTS, shown here, plyus Post Malone, Sam Hunt and Alanis Morissette), Miami (Jonas Brothers) and New Orleans (Usher, Sheryl Crow). Ciara heads the taped party, with Paula Abdul, Kelsea Ballerini, Green Day, Dan + Shea and more. Read more…
Week’s top-10: A merry, Grinchy time
1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (shown here), 8 p.m. Wednesday, NBC. Consider this a great way to wrap up Christmas Day – one more chance to see a TV gem. It started with Dr. Seuss’ book, which ripples with both humor and (in its final minutes) warmth. Chuck Jones – the genius behind Road Runner and some of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons – added great animation, Boris Karloff narrated and Thurl Ravenscroft boomed the song. It’s a tidy 30 minutes – followed by two-and-a-half hours of Jim Carrey’s “Grinch.” Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Dec. 16: Murphy, music, more
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. Eddie Murphy reached “SNL” in 1980, when it was reeling. The original stars and producer were gone; their replacements faltered. Then Murphy was added – first as an extra, then as a regular. He was 19, raw … and brilliant. He stayed for four seasons, then became a movie star. He slumped, but now has drawn raves (and a Golden Globe nomination) for Netflix’s “Dolemite is My Name” (shown here). Murphy hosts for the first time in 35 years; Lizzo is the music guest. Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Dec. 9: lots of music, lots more Christmas
1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8-10 p.m. Sunday, CBS. It’s easy to confuse Sally Field with Linda Ronstadt (shown here). Both are 73, 5-foot-3, bubble-faced, passionate and extremely talented. Field has two Oscars, Ronstadt has 12 Grammys; now both will be honored, in an annual show known for brilliant performances and smart little profile films. Also honored will be conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, R&B group “Earth, Wind and Fire” and “Sesame Street,” the first time a TV show is included. Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Dec. 2: Farewell, Madam President
1) “Madam Secretary” series finale, 10 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 8), CBS. Back in 1974, Cicely Tyson won two Emmys for playing Jane Pittman. Tyson, then 49, portrayed the fictional Pittman, 110, recounting a life that went from slavery to civil rights. And now? Tyson, 94, plays someone who was born 99 years ago, when women got the right to vote; she watches a female president (Tea Leoni, shown here in the Dec. 1 episode) start a landmark initiative. The finale also has Tyne Daly, the U.S. women’s soccer team and music from Peter Frampton. Read more…
Week’s top-10: Christmas consumes our TV
1) Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, NBC and CBS, Even if you’re not into parades, this represents something important: It’s the start of a packed day (see next item) and of the crowded Christmas-TV season. And the parade? It has 11 bands, 1,000 clowns, 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers and 26 floats, many bearing lip-syncing stars. Networks also add separate acts, especially early. CBS has Miranda Lambert; NBC opens with “Sesame Street” Muppets and has the casts of four musicals. Read more…
Week’s top-10 for Nov. 18: Music soars Swiftly
1) “American Music Awards,” 8 p.m. Sunday, ABC. Taylor Swift (shown here), who already has 23 AMA’s, will be crowned “artist of the decade” and will perform. She’s up for artist of the year, against Post Malone (who leads with seven nominations), Ariana Grande, Halsey and Drake. Ciara hosts, Selena Gomez has her first TV performance in two years and Shania Twain has her first AMA one in 16 years. Also performing: Thomas Rhett, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Dua Luppo, Lizzo, Kesha and Big Freedia Read more…