Mike Hughes on TV

1) “Fear the Walking Dead” season-opener, 9 p.m., AMC. The fifth season ended 14 months ago, with Morgan wounded and alone. That’s the perfect set-up for a pandemic production, when smaller casts are ewelcome. Tonight, just two people are key to Morgan’s life – a skilled hitman, sent by Virginia, and a stranger (shown here) with an unstated mission. The result is fierce and gory, but thoroughly involving. Read more…

1) Football and “Saturday Night Live,” 7 p.m. ET and 11:29 p.m., NBC. This is the Saturday that NBC dreamed of when the shutdown began: Fifth-ranked Notre Dame hosts Florida State; then is the second of five straight new “SNL” episodes. When the show returned last week, viewers weren’t sure what to expect: Would it be muted because of President Trump’s illness? All worries were quickly doused by host Chris Rock and by the opening bit — a Trump-Biden “debate” (shown here) with Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey. Now Bill Burr hosts, with Morgan Wallen as the music guest. Read more…

1) Basketball, 9 p.m. ET, ABC. For a while there, ABC feared the worst – a four-game sweep by LeBron James (shown here) and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers did win the first two games, but a Miami Heat victory Sunday extended the series. Then the Lakers won Tuesday, giving them a 3-1 lead and a chance to wrap it up tonight. With its scripted shows being delayed by COVID, ABC needs all the games it can get. It has a pre-game show at 8:30 ET and Jimmy Kimmel’s pre-pregame show at 8. Read more…

1) “Connecting” and “Closer Look Thursday” debuts, 8 and 8:30 p.m., NBC. First is a new effort – flawed, but fun – to make a socially distant show about social distance. Mismatched friends – ranging from the immensely lovable Annie (upper left) to a doofus named Rufus (upper middle) – chat online. It’s occasionally serious and often funny … but the biggest laughs will probably come from “Closer Look.” Seth Meyers offers a mock-newscast … something he has mastered on “Saturday Night Live” and his own latenight show. Read more…

1) Vice-presidential debate, 9 p.m. ET, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and news channels. There’s a fine chance this debate will be better than the presidential one last week. Mike Pence and Kamala Harris have worked within the rules of order in courtrooms and in Congress; neither one, we expect, will interrupt 100-plus times. And yes, there are plenty of alternatives, including a key CW night that includes “Devils” (shown here); see No. 3. Read more…