Weekly Previews

Week’s top-10 for Martch 13: lucky Hank, angry youths

1) “Lucky Hank” debut, 9 p.m. Sunday, AMC, rerunning at 10:01, 11;02, 12:03. As soon as Hank (Bob Odenkirk, shown here) unleashes his rant, we know this is special. He’s a writing professor at, he says, a mediocre college. He’s deeply flawed, but so are the other faculty members, each in a different way. His wife (Mireille Enos) is the world’s kindest vice-principal, but he’s in a perpetual funk, overshadowed by a famous father. The result ripples with great dialog. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for March 6: Oscars, plus “Voice,” Mel, more

1) Academy Awards, 8-11 p.m. ET Sunday, ABC. For three dreary years, the Oscars had no host and little fun; one year even exiled songs to the preview year. The show bounced back last year and should be fine now. Jimmy Kimmel hosts, something he does well. There’s music by Rihanna, Sofia Carson (shown here), David Byrne and more, plus an “American Idol” hour afterward. And there are some films – “Avatar,” “Elvis,” “Top Gun: Maverick” – people have seen. Read more…

Week’s top 10 for Feb. 27: CBS soars with “Lies,” “Survivor,” more

1) “True Lies” debut, 10 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. In the 1994 movie, Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t know her husband (Arnold Schwarzenegger) was a master spy. In this amiable series, that part vanishes quickly. The wife (Ginger Gonzaga) learns (shown here) about her husband (Steve Howey) … then trains to work with him. This gets a tad silly at times; master criminals seem awfully easy to defeat. Still it offers a rare mixture — action and glamour, mixed with bits of humor. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Feb. 20: Farewell to Meredith and “Mayfair”

1) “Grey’s Anatomy” return, 9 p.m. Thursday, ABC. Ellen Pompeo, shown here, is already a piece of TV history, playing the same character (Meredith Grey) for 19 seasons. Few people (Mariska Hargitay, Kelsey Grammer, James Arness) have topped that in prime time. Now – as the show returns from a 15-week break – it’s Meredith’s last day at the hospital. The doctors plan a surprise, Nick asks about the future and interns compete to be involved in key surgery. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Feb. 13: Romance, reality and a Sunday surplus

1) “The Masked Singer” opener, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Fox. Fresh from the Super Bowl, Fox has its best shot at ratings success. At 8 p.m. Thursday is Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” which had its season-opener after the game. And on Wednesday is this show, which has unmasked great singers (Jewel, Jennifer Holliday) and others, from Dog the Bounty Hunter to Larry the Cable Guy. The opener (shown here) will introduce three singers and unmask two. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for week of Feb. 6: Super Bowl and super Wednesday

1) Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox. After leading the regular season with 14-3 records, the Kansas City Chiefs (shown here) and Philadelphia Eagles survived the play-offs. Now they collide, with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen in the broadcast booth – each working his first Super Bowl. Erin Andrews, doing her fourth Super bowl, will be on the sidelines, with Tom Rinaldi. And at halftime, Rihanna takes over, in a show produced by her mentor, Jay-Z. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Jan. 30: Grammys, hip hop and a sci-fi surge

1) Grammy awards, 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) today, CBS, repeating at 8:30. Skillfully produced by Ben Winston (who also does the Tonys and James Corden’s show), the Grammys survived the pandemic. Now Trevor Noah hosts for the third straight year. Beyonce leads with nine nominations … tying her with her husband Jay-Z, as all-time leaders with 88 apiece. Performers include Mary J. Blige (shown here), Bad Bunny, Luke Combs, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Brandi Carlile and more. Read more…

Top-10 for week of Jan. 22: “Accused,” “Auto” and a new bachelor

1) “Accused” (shown here), 9:01 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. After a grim and disturbing opener Sunday, this anthology bounces back sharply. In a skillful directing debut, Marlee Matlin guided talented actors, some who are deaf, as is Matlin. The story involves a deaf baby and a drastic decision. Even when a character makes a huge mistake, we’re rooting for her. That’s a hallmark of this series, which offers neatly nuanced portraits of people in swirling situations. Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Jan. 16: a busy week for comedy

1) “Night Court” debut, 8 and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. Here are key pieces of past comedy hits: There’s “Night Court” and John Larroquette, who won four straight Emmys as Dan Fielding, before withdrawing from consideration. And there’s Melissa Rauch – Bernadette on “The Big Bang Theory” – playing the new judge. She wants Fielding back (they’re shown here) — but this time handling the defense. The result is big and broad … and, at times, quite funny Read more…

Week’s top-10 for Jan. 9: championships for movies, TV, football

1) Golden Globe Awards, 8-11 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. After a one-year pause (to fix diversity failures), the telecast is back, with Jerrod Carmichael hosting. The drama-movie nominees are strong, with “Top Gun” and “Avatar” sequels facing “Elvis,” “Tar” and Steven Spielberg’s “Fabelmans,” Comedy-movie nominees are “Glass Onion” (shown here with Daniel Craig, who’s also nominated), “Babylon,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “The Banshees of Inishirin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Read more…