1) “Leonardo da Vinci,” 8 p.m., PBS, rerunning at 10; concludes Tuesday. His mind in perpetual motion, da Vinci painted, sculpted, invented and more. He abandoned many projects, but the ones he finished – Mona Lisa, The Last Supper (shown here), etc. – are renowned. Like previous Ken Burns films, this is beautifully filmed; unlike them, it’s fairly impersonal. Read more…
1) “Landman,” 9:09 p.m., Paramount Network. Talented writer-producer Taylor Sheridan launches a series about Texas oilmen, starring Billy Bob Thornton (shown here with Ali Larter) and Jon Hamm. That follows Sheridan’s-”Yellowstone”: Last week’s episode reruns at 6:45 p.m., with the murder of Gov. Dutton disguised as a suicide; on a new one at 8, the investigation begins. Read more…
The world keeps showing us geniuses with tortured souls. We get a grumpy Beethoven, a dreary Poe, a troubled Michelangelo.
But then there was Leonardo da Vinci, resisting stereotypes.
“The sense we get … is that he was more-or-less a happy person,” said Sarah Burns, whose epic profile of him starts Monday (Nov. 18) on PBS. “That he was the life of the party, even, in some ways.”
He was a gifted painter (an example is shown here), in a vibrant time for eager thinkers.
“They’re in these bodegas, where they are learning math,” said David McMahon, Burns’ husband and filmmaking partner. “They’re reciting poetry. They’re playing music. It feels a little bit like Warhol’s Factory, without the (drugs).” Read more…
1) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson (shown here) host and sing;, Peyton Manning merely hosts. Also, George Strait gets a lifetime award. Post Malone links with Chris Stapleton for “California Sober,” Thomas Rhett with Teddy Swims for a mash-up. Others are Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBride, Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church,, Brooks & Dunn and more Read more…
1) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” 6:27 p.m., TBS. One of the all-time great shows (shown here) arrives early – 12 days before Thanksgiving, 39 before Christmas. Chuck Jones’ animation turned Dr. Seuss’ tale into a mini-masterpiece, boosted by Boris Karloff’s narration and Thurl Ravenscroft’s booming song about a mean one, Mr. Finch. Read more…
During a long winter break, CBS will mess with success.
The network tends to dominate the Nielsen ratings. Still, it will shuffle some of its best nights, temporarily (Thursdays, Wednesdays) or longer (Sundays, Fridays).
In the process, it will return one drama (“NCIS: Sydney,” shown here) and debut another (“Watson,” with Morris Chestnut as Dr. Watson, setting up a medical clinic in Pittsburgh after Sherlock Holmes’ death). It will also add lots of game shows
The key changes are: Read more…
1) “Great Performances,” 9-11 p.m.,, PBS. Here’s a rerun of last year’s terrific special, celebrating the 80th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein. There are great moments from theater stars in London (where it was taped), especially and Marisha Wallace (shown here at a different event) and Michael Ball, and from Broadway stars, including Audra McDonald, Aaron Tveit and Patrick Wilson. Read more…
ABC’s line-up – a patchwork creation this fall – will get some much-needed repairs for mid-season. That includes:
— “Abbott Elementary” will no longer be the network’s only comedy. It will be paired with a show starring Tim Allen, with Kat Dennings as his daughter.
— “Scamanda” will finally surface. Announced for the fall schedule and then pulled, it will be paired with another true-crime tale.
— There will eventually be two drama nights, instead of one. “Will Trent” (shown here) and “The Rookie” have season-openers in January, sandwiching “High Potential” on Tuesdays. The Thursday line-up (“9-1-1,” “Doctor Odyssey,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) returns in March. Read more…
1) “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” 8 p.m., CBS. As Georgie nears the first Thanksgiving since his dad’s death, he’s determined to get his family together. But his mom is in deep despair, his sister is cynical, his grandma promised to go camping with Dale. (They’re shown here with Mandy and her baby.) Mandy tries to patch things up, in an episode that mixes sharp humor with moments of genuine emotion. Read more…
1) “The Golden Bachelorette” finale, 8-9:30 p.m., ABC The “overnight dates” brought two jolts: Joan Vassos announced there would be no sex; also, Pascal Ibgui left. That leaves Vassos – 61, a school administrator – with Guy Ganserd, 66, an ER doctor (shown here with her); or “Chock” Chapple, 61, an insurance executive Read more…
Best-bets for Feb. 10: Men’s duel begins anew 
Best-bets for Feb. 9: survivors, skaters, librarians 
Best-bets for Feb. 8: Super Bowl … and much more 
