1) “Outlander” and “The Couple Next Door, 8 and 9:05 p.m., Starz; repeating at 10 and midnight. It’s a double Sam Heughan night. In the “Outlander” season-finale, he’s an 18th-century warrior married (via time-travel) to a modern surgeon. Then a six-part drama (shown here): H’s a cop with an open marriage, complicated when a young couple moves next door. Read more…
1) “Law & Order” return, 8 p.m., NBC. After a seven-week break, NBC’s Thursday shows have new episodes. First (shown here) is a probe of why a man was pushed in front of a train. At 9, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has a woman shocked by a video of a night she can’t remember. At 10 on “Found,” a woman searches for her boyfriend, but outside forces are involved. Read more…
1) “Shifting Gears,” about 8 p.m., ABC. In last week’s opener (shown here), Matt (Tim Read more…
The sky seems to be full of blips and blobs and blinking objects.
Any one of those might be little Billy’s new drone, or maybe Venus. It might be benign or a spy balloon or …
Our minds often leap to UFO’s, the sort (shown here) depicted in old movies. That’s “pretty harmless,” Mick West told the Television Critics Association. “People seeing things in the sky and thinking they’re UFO’s or aliens or whatever, there’s no real harm in that.”
He’s a lifelong science-fiction fan, but in a new “Nova” documentary (9 p.m. Jan. 22, PBS), he creates practical explanations for events that seem exotic. Read more…
1) “St. Denis Medical,” 8 p.m., NBC. After a three-week break, this is back and at its best. Two prisoners arrive in full fury, after stabbing each other; the head nurse (Allison Tolman, shown here) bets the cynical Dr. Ron that she can soothe them. Two other stories are fairly good; this one is hilarious. In the final minute, everything reaches a comedy peak. Read more…
1) Football, 8 p.m. ET today, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2. The Vikings (shown here) have had a great season, with a 14-3 record, tied for the third among 32 pro teams. But they didn’t win their division, so they’re on the road against the Rams (10-7). The winner joins five winners from this weekend, plus two byes (Chiefs and Lions, both 15-2), for games Saturday and Sunday. Read more…
After a three-week pause for reruns, “Saturday Night Live” is back to having big-deal hosts for it 50th season.
It will be Dave Chappelle (shown here) on Jan. 18, with GloRilla as music guest. The next week, Timothee Chalamet does both functions. And on Feb. 16, the show has its 50-year special. Read more…
1) “Miss Scarlet” season-opener, 8 p.m., PBS. For four seasons, Eliza Scarlet was the smartest person in the room, a detective linking with the police to solve crimes in Victorian London. But now there’s a new chief inspector (they’re shown here), as sharp and well-spoken as she is; he also dislikes detectives. Here’s their first case together, filled with sharp dialog and quick twists. Read more…
1) Football. The pro playoffs begin with two games. At 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS has the Chargers (shown here), with an 11-6 record, at the Texans (10-7). At 8, Amazon Prime (alas) has the Steelers (10-7) at the Ravens (12-5); they’ve already met twice, with one win apiece. Still coming are three games Sunday and one Monday.
1) “St. Denis Medical,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. After a three-week break, this reminds us that it’s one of the season’s best new shows. Two prisoners (shown here) arrive, after stabbing each other; now nurses tell the cynical Dr. Ron they can soothe them. Two other stories are fairly good; the prisoner one is hilarious. And in the final minute, all the stories combine for a comedy peak 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 
