Weekly Previews

1) “The Red Line” opener, 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, CBS. For years, CBS has remained No. 1 by playing it safe — dependable dramas with an ending (happy, usually) for each hour, Now comes a bold risk, a story spread over eight hours on four Sundays. We see a tragic mistake and its tangled impact. There are flaws here: The incident is too clear-cut; a key admission (late in the first hour) is unmotivated. Still, this is beautifully done; in the second hour, Noah Wylie (shown here) delivers some deeply moving moments. Read more…

1) “Motown 60,” 8-10 p.m. Sunday, CBS. It was 60 years (and three months) ago that Berry Gordy borrowed $800 and created Motown Records. It soared; one week, it had eight songs in the top 10. Some of the stars – Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, Thelma Houston, Smokey Robinson (shown here with Pentatonix) will perform and others (Mary Wilson, songwriters) will offer memories. Also performing: Tori Kelly, John Legend, Meghan Trainor, Fantasia, Ne-Yo, Ciara, more. Read more…

1) “Fosse/Verdon” debut, 10 p.m. Tuesday, FX. For Broadway, this was the perfect fit. Bob Read more…

1) “Abby’s” debut, 9:30 p.m. Thursday, NBC. A quarter-century after “Cheers” closed its doors, NBC has a new Thursday bar. It’s outdoors and probably illegal. Its proprietor (Natalie Morales) is a foot shorter than her best customer (Neil Flynn) or her worst obstacle (Neil Franklin), but she’s an ex-Marine and people obey her.
Be warned that many critics dislike “Abby’s”; we disagree and find two of the barflies (played by Jessica Chaffin and the massive Leonard Ouzts) hilarious. See what you think. Read more…