1) “The Bachelor” opener, 8-10 p.m., today, ABC. Joey Graziadei (shown here), the “Bachelorette” runner-up, gets his chance to do the choosing. He’s 28 and teaches tennis; he’ll meet four women in their early 30s and 28 in their twenties. There are three nurses, a mental-health therapist and a mental-health counselor. There’s also an actress, an artist, an “esthetician,” a nanny and a pro-football cheerleader. Read more…
1) Emmy awards, 8 p.m. ET today, Fox. Delayed by strikes, the Emmys air seven months after the eligibility period ended. Anthony Anderson hosts, on a night led by streamers. For dramas, “Succession” (shown here) faces “The Crown,” a long-ago “Better Call Saul” and more. Comedies range from the first seasons of “The Bear” and “Wednesday” to the final ones of “Ted Lasso” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Read more…
1) Football. The week starts and ends with big games. Today, the college season has its national championship at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2, with a pregame show at 7. Michigan (shown here) and Washington – undefeated and ranked No. 1 and 2 – collide. Then the pros start their month-long playoffs. There are two games Saturday and three on Sunday, plus one more on Monday, Jan. 15.
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1) Rose Parade, 11 a.m. ET today, NBC, ABC and RFD-TV (which repeats it at 1 p.m.). The new year gets off to a bright, brassy start. There’s a music theme and 19 marching bands; the grand marshal is Audra McDonald, a Broadway star with 10 Tony nominations and six wins, half of them in musicals. There are also 18 horse units and about 39 floats. The parade (shown here in a previous year) is a Pasadena event that goes back to 1890; a football game (now the Rose Bowl) was added in 1902. Read more…
1) “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” 8-10 p.m. and 10:30 to 2:13 a.m. Sunday, ABC. Dick Clark’s clever scheme – live coverage at Times Square (shown here), a taped party in Los Angeles – has turned into a global event. Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora will be at the Square, cutting to music in Korea (NewJeans), Puerto Rico (Ivy Queen), Las Vegas (Post Malone) and Californis, with Janelle Monae, Ludacris, Bebe Rexha, Green Day, Coco Jones, Nile Rodgers & Chic and more. Read more…
1) “The Voice” finale, 8 p.m. today and Tuesday, NBC. Tonight, the five finalists each do a ballad and an uptempo song; then viewers vote. The performances will be recapped at 8 p.m. Tuesday; at 9, finalists perform with their coaches – Lila Forde with John Legend, Ruby Leigh and Jacquie Roar (shown here) with Reba McEntire, Huntley and Mara Justine with Niall Horan. Also performing: Keith Urban, AJR, Tyla, Jelly Roll and Earth, Wind & Fire and Dan + Shay. Read more…
1) “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration,” 8:30-10:30 p.m., CBS (but 8-10 p.m. on the West Coast). Nelson turned 90 almost eight months ago, but why quibble? A 12-time Grammy winner, he performs in a concert that has his sons, Lukas and Mikah, plus more. There are stars from country (George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton) and beyond (Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Beck, Gary Clark Jr. and Snoop Dogg, shown here with Nelson). Read more…
1) “Rudolph” and “The Grinch,” 8 p.m. today, CBS, and 8 p.m. Thursday, NBC. Two classic cartoons, opposites in style, return. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” debuted in 1964, with stop-motion animation and a casual pace, stretched to an hour; viewers considered it charming. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (shown here) came two years later, with a half-hour of Chuck Jones’ vigorous, movie-style animation. Next month, they’ll be on Freeform and TBS/TNT. Read more…
1) Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here), 8:30 a.m. Thursday, NBC; 9 a.m., CBS. Both networks show the same 12 marching bands, 26 floats (bearing music by Jon Batiste, Chicago, the Muppets and more) and – just before noon – Santa. The difference is in the early part, with Broadway casts. NBC even starts a half-hour early, to squeeze in five musicals (including “Spamalot” and “Back to the Future”), plus the Rockettes. It has a preview hour at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Sydney” opener, 8 p.m. Tuesday, CBS. Lots of cop cliches are bundled here, but they’re done with crisp skill. There’s the steel-tough beauty (a newer cliché) and the handsome, cocky cop (an older one). They’re loose cannons who battle each other, until authority figures try to smite both. Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance (shown here) lead a first-rate cast. Americans and Aussies merge, for an entertaining blend of action, drama and occasional humor. Read more…
