Mike Hughes on TV

1) Olympic figures-skating. It’s time for the women’s individual finals, always a ratings-grabber … especially when there’s a whiff of scandal.  Russia’s Kamila Valieva (shown here) is clearly the best skater, but word came late – VERY late – that she’d tested positive for a banned drug. An agency rule that she can skate … while people figure out who’s responsible and whether she gets a medal. That’s live this morning (5-9 a.m. ET) on the USA Network, then on tape tonight (8-11:30 p.m.) on NBC. Read more…

1) “Nature,” 8 p.m., PBS. Each year, billions of sardines (shown here) make a massive South African run, for … well, no reason that researchers can discern. Along the way, they attract way too many predators; birds, sharks, whales and dolphins sometimes work together for a massive round-up and feast. The result creates visuals that are both gorgeous and bizarre. Read more…

1) Olympic figure-skating, USA Network and NBC. This was supposed to be the key time for viewers, with women skating solo. That’s live during USA’s morning (4-9:25 a.m. today, 5-9 a.m. Thursday) and taped for NBC’s evenings (8-11:30 p.m.). The problem came with the event’s star, Russia’s Kamila Valieva (shown here), 15. After she skated brilliantly in the team event, word came that she’d tested positive for a banned drug. With or without her, this loses some of its joy. Read more…

1) “State of the Union” opener, 10 p.m., Sundance. You wanna spend part of Valentine’s Day watching a fractured marriage? Maybe not; there are plenty of romantic choices, including (shown here), the splendid “Shakespeare in Love” (details below).  But “State of the Union” is special; written by novelist Nick Hornby, it has wit, depth and skilled actors. Like the first season, this has ten 10-minute episodes, airing each weekday for two weeks; each shows the couple in a coffeeshop, waiting to see a marriage counselor. He (Brendan Gleeson) resists a changing world; she (Patricia Clarkson) embraces it. Read more…

1) Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m., NBC. The Cincinnati Bengals are one win away from an amazing turnaround. Two years ago, they head football’s worst record, 2-14 … giving them a chance to draft quarterback Joe Burrow (shown here); this year, they were 10-7, then won three play-off games by a total of 13 points. Standing in their way is Matthew Stafford, who went 12 years without a playoff win; traded to the Los Angeles Rams, he went 12-5, then raced through the playoffs. Read more…