1) “I Was a Child Bride,” 8-10 p.m., Lifetime. Courtney Stodden was a teen model and singer when Doug Hutchison — a skilled actor who played the head of DHARMA on “Lost” — became her coach. They married when she was 16 and he was almost 51. (They’re shown here, later in the marriage.) Stodden narrates this, with Maggie Lawson (“Psych” and the upcoming “Boston Blue”) as her mom. Read more…
1) “Omara,” 10 p.m., PBS. We follow Omara Portuondo (shown here), now 94, on tour. (It’s the third one, she says, that promoters called a “farewell tour.”) Her gorgeous voice reflects a life of joy and pain. Her mother was ostracized for marrying a Black man; her sister later moved to the U.S. Omara stayed in Cuba and, with the Buena Vista Social Club, won Grammys and fame. Read more…
The Fox network is going back to the beach — again.
Last season, it tried “Rescue HI-Surf,” which never quite found the vibe of the old “Baywatch” (shown here). So next season it will … well, reboot “Baywatch.”
There will be different characters, but the same red swimsuits and, perhaps, same concept — lifeguards who look good in beachwear, while saving lives. Read more…
1) “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” season-opener, 9 p.m., NBC. The 27th season begins for “SVU,” which was already the longest-running primetime drama in U.S. TV history. Now Benson (Mariska Hargitay, shown here) and others try to protect a key witness in a rape case. Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent” finale, 8-11 p.m., NBC. On Tuesday, the final 10 acts (including Jessica Snchez, shown here in an earlier episode) got their last chance to impress us. Those performances will be recapped at 8 p.m.; then the next two hours have lots of guests and the 20th champion. Read more…
1) “Murder in a Small Town” season-opener, 8 p.m., Fox. This was one of last season’s best surprises, filled with subtlety and humanity. There’s a soft-spoken police chief, his librarian lover (they’re shown here) and diligent deputies. The second season starts with a domestic dispute gone bad. With the exception of an out-of-sync character (the mayor), it’s an excellent hour. Read more…
1) “The Voice,” 8-10 p.m., NBC. For reality shows, this is a pivotal week. There are finales (“America’s Got Talent” on Wednesday, “Project Runway” Thursday, “Big Brother” Sunday) and eight season-openers. That includes “Voice,” with its people — Snoop Dogg (shown here in tonight’s opener), Reba McEntire, Michael Buble and Niall Horan — starting to find their singers. Read more…
In old movies and TV shows, we saw journalists like Woodward and Bernstein, Lou Grant and Murphy Brown, Edward R. Murrow and maybe Clark Kent.
Some were fictional, some weren’t. Most were unscarred; they had thriving news organizations backing them.
And now? Meet Lee Raybon (the central figure in the poster here), the jey character in “The Lowdown,” which debuts at 9 and 10:30 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 23) on FX. He’s battered, bruised and broke; he works free-lance, with no employer to shield him.
“I think that’s all we have left, you know?” writer-director-producer Sterlin Harjo said in a Zoom press conference. “We have citizen journalists.” Read more…
1) “A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire: The 21at Night of September,” 8-10 p.m. ET, CBS. With its vibrant blend of pop, jazz, R&B and more, EWF (shown here) has had seven top-10 singles; one asks: “Do you remember the 21st night of September?” Now, on Sept. 21, we get EWF, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, Jon Batiste, the Jonas Brothers and the London Philharmonic. Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent” finale, 9-11 p.m. Tuesday and 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, NBC. The final 10 acts get one more shot. There are seven music acts (including an improv rapper and, shown here, a high school choir), plus dancers, acrobats and a spectacular projection act. Their performances Tuesday will be recapped at 8 Wednesday, setting up a two-hour finale. 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 
