1) “The Amazing Race” opener, 9:30-11 p.m., CBS. It’s the show’s largest line-up, with 14 duos. There are married nurses and dating nurses. Three more duos are married, including Las Vegas performers and the parents of eight boys. There are father-son lumberjacks (shown here) and Chicago’s retired gangs-and-narcotics chief, who’s with his daughter. Read more…
This year’s Academy Award show gave us 31 great minutes.
It also gave us 194 not-great (and, sometimes, not good at all) minutes. But at least we got something.
The great ones were at the very start. There was a musical burst from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo that took an 85-year leap from “Over the Rainbow” to “Defying Gravity.”
Then came Conan O’Brien’s sharp monolog. (We’ll forgive his nasty mini-film that preceded it; O’Brien made up for that later with a terrific little film introducing younger generations to movie theaters.) Read more…
1) Presidential address, 9 p.m. ET, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and news channels. Technically, it’s not a “State of the Union” speech until a year into the term. But the last seven presidents also delivered a talk their first year, so here it is. The follow-up (including Democratic response by new Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan) continues to at least 11 ET. Alternatives, listed next, include “Will Trent” (shown here), Tom Hanks and more. Read more…
1) “Sullivan’s Crossing,” 9 p.m. today, CW. If you missed the second season (a good one), catch it now. In this rerun of the opener, Maggie (shown here) rushes to her dad, who is s hospitalized and has forgotten his financial deadline. Also, she thinks Cal ignored her; in truth, he left a note that Lola hid. Read more…
Here’s a handy tip for fans of documentaries:
Whenever possible, watch profiles of Texas women. Those films – like their subjects – offer rare blends of strength and joy.
There have been terrific ones about Ann Richards (the former governor) and Mollie Ivins (the former newspaper writer and “60 Minutes” commentator). And now we have, “Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter.”
That’s available on PBS’ World Channel (9 p.m. ET March 7, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. March 8), on PBS apps and on some stations during the current pledge drive. It’s worth finding. Read more…
(This is the seventh chapter of a book-in-progress, “Television, and How It Got That Way.” For the previous chapters, scroll down in “Stories.”)
In a logical world, “I Love Lucy” would have launched a revolution in clever comedies.
TV, of course, lacks logic. It would be a couple decades before Mary Tyler Moore (shown here), Archie Bunker and others propelled the first golden age of comedy.
During the “Lucy” years, networks mostly had minor comedies, often bearing characters’ names. There was “Stanley” and “Sally,” “Willy” and “Meet Millie.” There was “Hey Jeannie” and “It’s Always Jan,” “Dear Phoebe” and “Honestly Celeste,” “Leave It to Larry” and “Meet Mr. McNutley.” And that’s not to mention “Colonel Humphrey Flack” and “Adventures of Hiram Hoke.” Read more…
1) Academy Awards, 7-10:30 p.m. ET, ABC. The movies are obscure (except “Wicked,” shown here) and two Timothee Chalamet films), but the show will try to hold our attention. It has Conan O’Brien as host, Nick Offerman as announcer and top singers — Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Queen Latifah, Doja Cat, Raye, Lisa (of Blackpink) and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Excerpts are optional hand-crafted summaries of your content that can be used in your theme. Learn more about manual excerpts. Read more…
1) “Grey’s Anatomy” return (shown here), 10 p.m. Thursday, ABC. Jo and Lucas were at a convenience story, where there was a gunman, a fight and a shot. Now – 15 weeks later – we learn what happened. There’s chaos in the hospital and Ben’s emergency plan faces challenges. Also, Amelia and Winston disagree about a patient and Owen feels romantic tension. Read more…
1) “I Am Luke Perry,” 8-10 p.m., CW. Perry’s roles ranged from bull-rider to vampire-hunter, but his biggest stretch (shown here) was as a rich kid in “Beverly Hills, 90210.” He was the opposite, a steelworker’s son who grew up in an Ohio town of 2,600. Before his death at 52, following strokes, he neatly fit into “Riverdale,” playing a decent dad who did construction. Read more…
For fans of TV drama, there’s some good news:
“Doc” will be back next season on Fox – this time for 22 episodes. Also, other shows – led by ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” – are set for their spring return.
Based on an Italian series, “Doc” started with an offbeat notion: After a car accident, a doctor has lost eight years of memories, both medical and personal. She struggles to revive her career and her life.
That may sound like a stretch, but the cast (led by Molly Parker, shown here) and the writing make it work. Read more…
Best-bets for Feb. 9: survivors, skaters, librarians 
Best-bets for Feb. 8: Super Bowl … and much more 
Best-bets for Feb. 7: First full day of Olympics 
