1) “Chicago Fire” (shown here), “Chicago Med,” “Chicago P.D.,” 8-11 p.m., NBC. One mega-story sprawls across all three hours. Switching the shows’ usual order, it starts with a gas-main explosion causing cave-ins; doctors and firefighters work at the site. Then “Med” treats victims (including firefighters) at the hospital. At 10, “P.D.” scrambles to find who’s responsible. Read more…
Think of this as Super Bowl season for movie buffs.
It’s when Turner Classic Movies dips into its bottomless library for “31 Days of Oscar.” That starts Feb. 1 and continues through Academy Award night (March 2), with films ranging from 1928 to 2017.
This is the 30th year for the marathon, with the set-up changing – some years are alphabetical or chronological or whatever.
This year, daytime (anything before 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) will bunch the films by nominee categories. During the weekend that daytime category is always best-picture. Viewers can catch such gems as “In the Heat of the Night” (shown here) at 6 p.m. ET Feb. 1 and “Tom Jones” at 3 p.m. Feb. 2. Read more…
At the age of 50, “Nova” seems to be doing fine.
It passed the half-century mark on March 26 and kept going. Coming up are two terrific hours and several fairly good ones, including a fresh view of Pompeii (shown here).
This is a PBS science – 9 p.m. Wednesdays –that ranges afar. Viewers are happy whenever it returns to UFO’s (as it did Jan. 22), dinosaurs, or ancient worlds; still, it also tackles fresh issues, as it did with the Flint water crisis. Read more…
In movie theaters, the previews can be sort of an early warning system.
The goal is to choose ones that appeal to the people who came to see this feature. Classy previews? You’re probably getting an arty movie.
So there I was, ready for “One of Them Days,” a comedy. One preview had guys stranded underwater … One had a ballerina learning to be a fierce fighter. (That gives an ominous feel to “The Nutcracker” ballet) … One had a killer slaying couple’s on Valentine’s Day … And one topped that by having the same youths being killed over and over and … Read more…
1) “Great Migrations” opener, 9-10 p.m., PBS. For people facing cruelty in the South, this was alluring: The Chicago Defender and other Black newspapers urged them to move North. Millions did, finding jobs, freedom, hope … and fierce weather, crowded cities and new forms of bias. Over three Tuesdays, Henry Louis Gates (shown here) tells the massive story. Read more…
1) “The Bachelor” opener, 8-10 p.m., ABC. Grant Ellis (shown here), who finished fifth in the recent “Bachelorette,” now gets the focus. He’s a 6-foot-5 stock trader and former basketball player (college reserve and a few Dominican Republic games). Now he meets 25 women, including two lawyers, two nurses, two interior designers, a pediatrician and a luxury-travel host. Read more…
When Black History Month arrives, television will be ready.
Well … some of TV, anyway. PBS will have lots of documentaries and a Wynton Marsalis (shown here) concert. CBS has a special that celebrates Blacks on TV (mostly, on CBS). Streamers load up.
In the four-and-a-half years since the death of George Floyd, separate Black departments have been created at ABC, Hulu, Hallmark and more. Still, it’s uneven. Some focus on Black History Month (starting Saturday, Feb. 1), some don’t. Here’s a sampling: Read more…
1) Football, 3 p.m. ET Fox; 6:30, CBS. It’s the season’s third game between the Eagles (16-3) and Commanders (14-5). They’ve split two; this time, the winner goes to the Super Bowl. At night, the Chiefs (shown here, 16-2) host the Bills, 15-4. The Chiefs have two straight Super Bowl titles; the Bills lost four straight Super games in the early ‘90s and haven’t been back. Read more…
1) Grammys, 8 p.m. ET, CBS (5 p.m. PT, rerunning at 8:30). Trevor Noah hosts for the fifth straight year and Beyonce leads with 11 nominations. Her “Cowboy Carter” (shown here is up for best album, along with albums by Charli xcs (7 nominations), Billie Eilish (7), Taylor Swift (6), Sabrina Carpenter (6), Chappell Roan (6), Jacob Collier (3) and Andre 3000 (3). Read more…
1) “Asia” debut, 8 p.m., BBC America. Here is nature filmmaking at its best. This first hour (of seven) sticks to the water, from awesome manta ray (with 15-foot wingspan) to a two-inch mudskipper (shown here), a fish out of water (literally) that skims the surface. We see aome fish frantically trying to outrun sharks; others join with snakes for a two-tiered hunting party Read more…
Best-bets for June 30: R.J., T and soccer 
Best-bets for June 29: The July 4th build-up begins 
Best-bets for June 28: music, young comic, old Mel 
