1) “Elsbeth” season-opener, 10 p.m., CBS. Yes, Elsbeth is one of TV’s great characters, hiding a sharp mind under a surface of bright colors and cheery comments. But in this opener, much of the attention goes to a guest star: Nathan Lane (shown here) plays an opera lover who would kill for a better view. It’s a rich portrait, with Elsbeth stepping in to solve the case. Read more…
1) “Shrinking” season-opener, Apple TV+. Jimmy (Jason Segel, shown here) has a mixed record as a therapist. One client is in prison for murder, another is struggling and the boss (Harrison Ford) is frustrated. Also, a neighbor keeps telling Jimmy’s colleague to stop sleeping with him. Like the first season, this is a rare mixture of bright comedy and deep personal pain. Read more…
For decades, ABC had an October tradition:
Each of its situation comedies had a Halloween episode. “Roseanne” (later re-titled “The Conners”) was the best; “Modern Family” was close.
And now? Once again, every sitcom is involved … but, ABC only has one. That’s “Abbott Elementary,” a comedy island stranded between unscripted shows on Wednesdays. “The Conners” has been renewed for a final season, but that will be later; it’s on the shelf during its favorite holiday.
So ABC is making do with Halloween themes for other shows. Its first samplingias Oct. 13; it starts a three-Sunday string of light scare movies with “Haunted Mansion,” surrounded by spooky themes to an “America’s Funniest Home Videos” rerun and a new “Celebrity Family Feud.” The others — including “Hocus Pocus,” shown here — will be Oct. 20-31. They are: Read more…
1) “BET Hip Hop Awards,” 8-10 p.m., BET and VH1. Megan Thee Stallion and Kendrick Lamar lead nominations, with 12 and 11. They’re up for artist of the year, alongside Nicki Minaj, Drake, Cardi B, Future, 21 Savage and GloRilla (shown here), who performs. So do 2 Chainz, Yung Miami, Juiccy J, Soulja Boy, Trina, E-40, Big Boogie and more; Fat Joe hosts. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. In “NCIS,” Gibbs (Mark Harmon) was a skilled agent with a past marked by deaths and divorces. Now Harmon narrates this prequel. It’s 1991 and Gibbs (Austin Stowell), widowed and stoic, has just arrived. His first case is dark and compelling, but high-energy colleagues (two are shown here) keep this entertaining. Read more…
1) “Tracker” season-opener, 8 p.m., CBS. In its first season, this jumped to No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings. Now it makes new-season changes: Velma is helping Reeme start her law office; Colter (Justin Hartley, shown here) obsesses on a long-running case. That takes time, so the case-of-the-week – an interesting one – is solved quickly. It’s a fairly good start to a promising season. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins” debut, 9-11 p.m. today, CBS. In 1991, Leroy Gibbs starts work at what will become NCIS. He’s a stoic guy whose wife and daughter were killed, but his boss Mike Franks (shown here) sees potential. The first case – a good one — is dark and intense; so is Gibbs (Austin Stowell), but he’s surrounded by high-energy colleagues. Mark Harmon narrates as older Gibbs. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. Two generations of singers combine: Ariana Grande (shown here), 31, hosts; Stevie Nicks, 76, is music guest. It’s odd that Grande — with six No. 1 albums — isn’t singing, but she’s also a comedy actress. She did 92 Nickelodeon episodes, plus musicals on Broadway, on TV and in the upcoming “Wicked” movies. Read more…
1) “NCIS,” 9 p.m., CBS. Three days before a prequel debuts, here’s the final episode (shown here) with Mark Harmon as Gibbs. That was in October of 2021, when he headed to Alaska. We’ll get a partial glimpse of him in the excellent “NCIS: Origins” opener, from 9-11 p.m. Monday. After that, he’s strictly the narrator. Read more…
1) “Matlock” and “Elsbeth” reruns, 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. In the old days, CBS had Angela Lansbury solving murders. Now it doubles up – two terrific shows with folksy women outsmarting the bad guys. For “Matlock,” this is the third run of the pilot film, with a clever twist at the end; for “Elsbeth,” it’s the season-finale (shown here), complete with an offbeat fashion show. 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 
