1) “Abbott Elementary,” 8:30 p.m., ABC. The Philadelphia Phillies recently ended their play-off run, but we can view their best night. The “Abbott” cast went to the Aug. 28 game (shown here), to film an episode set on “Teachers Appreciation Night.” The result: Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs in a 19-4 win. Read more…
1) “American Masters,” 9 p.m., PBS. At 21, Marlee Matlin was the youngest best-actress Oscar-winner (for “Children of a Lesser God,” shown here) and the first deaf winner. She began a torrid and toxic romance, faced some rough times …. then settled into a long acting career, long marriage and more. This film starts poorly (34 minutes before the chronology begins), then becomes compelling.
Read more…
1) “DMV” debut, 8:30 p.m., CBS. In the “Superstore” style, it’s a workplace comedy that find fun little bits with the patrons and longer stories with the staff. Since this is the Department of Motor Vehicles, the patrons are far-ranging — an entitled jerk, a scary driver, a clueless oldster. The likable staff is led by Harriet Dyer and (shown here, center) Tim Meadows. Read more…
(Portions of this are excerpted from “Television, and How It Got That Way,” a book-in-process. I’m running it now, because of an “I Love Lucy” profile airing at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, on CW. For the almost-complete book, click “The Book,” on the right side of the home page.)
To ponder the miracle of “I Love Lucy,” consider the void around it.
This was 1951, when TV was young and wobbly. There were a few worthy shows — Sid Caesar, Ed Sullivan, live dramas — and a lot of others.
In a week of primetime shows that fall, you’d find wrestling (twice) and boxing (twice). You’d find “Georgetown University Forum” and “Johns Hopkins Science Review, “Youth on the March” and “American Youth Forum,” plus “Film Filler” and “Lessons in Safety.”
Into that shaky field came the “Lucy” show. “It should bounce to the top of the ratings heap,” a Hollywood Reporter critic wrote. Read more…
1) “Matlock” season-opener, 8:30 p.m., CBS (but 8 p.m. on the West Coast. Last season ended with Matty finding the key information: It was “Senior” (Beau Bridges) who ordered that the drug study be buried; his son Julian (Jason Ritter) did it. Now Julian’s ex-wife has the study and Matty (shown here) wants to go public. Tonight and Thursday, strong hours set the tone for this second season. Read more…
1) “DMV” debut, 8:30 p.m. today, CBS. The CBS season finally begins, with lots of season-openers and a few new shows — starting with this comedy. In the “Superstore” style, it finds fun with the Department of Motor Vehicles patrons — an entitled jerk, a scary driver, a clueless oldster — and the likable staff, shown here with sweet Colette (Harriet Dyer) eyeing the newcomer (Alex Tarrant). Read more…
Hollywood has always liked frontiers, old and new.
Those are great places for a hero — Davy Crockett or Roy Rogers or Captain Kirk — to be on his own, without back-up or 9-1-1.
And now we have “The Last Frontier.” It’s a 10-parter, Fridays on Apple TV+, starting with two episodes on Oct. 10.
This time, the frontier involves distant parts of Alaska. It has some of the same things Davy and Roy faced, plus one more:
“Everyone had to do a fight sequence,” Jason Clarke (shown here), who stars, said in a Zoom press session. And “everyone had to take physical training with horses … And then to shoot in minus-25.” Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. On Oct. 11, 1975, “SNL” debuted with a busy night — three comedians, two music acts, a film, Muppets … and lots of future stars. Now, exactly 50 years later, this season’s second episode (and, by one count, the 995th overall) is hosted by Amy Poehler (shown here earlier this week), with Role Model as music guest. Read more…
1) “Blue Bloods” finale rerun, 10 p.m., CBS. The final season ended with potential chaos for the police commissioner (Tom Selleck, shown here_ and his kin: New York’s gangs linking to demand amnesty for prisoners. That reruns today, a week before the debut of a well-crafted spin-off, “Boston Blue.” This finale also has key moments in the marriages of Erin and of her brother Jamie; also, Joe finally meets his cousin. Read more…
TV viewers can be forgiven for having a few basic questions:
When will the TV season start? Will it ever start? Wait, did it start already?
The answers finally become clear when CBS has its “premiere week,” Oct. 12-19, three weeks later than usual. It includes:
— One situation comedy, a fun one. “DMV” has its sprightly start at 8:30 p.m. Monday (Oct. 13).
— Two cop shows, both spin-offs that are high-octane, slickly produced and a bit overstuffed. “Sheriff Country” and “Boston Blue”(shown here) start at 9 and 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17.
— A promising reality competition, “The Road,” at 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. Read more…
Best-bets for Feb. 7: First full day of Olympics 
Best-bets for Feb. 6: The games begin 
Best-bets for Feb. 5: fun chefs, serious sports 
