1) Football, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. It’s time for the semi-finals of the college championships. Notre Dame (shown here) faces Penn State today, with Texas and Ohio State on Friday; the winners collide Jan. 20. And yes, there’s a trend here: The four top-ranked teams had byes the first week … and all four promptly lost in the second week. Read more…
1) “Shifting Gears” debut, 8 p.m., ABC. Tim Allen has been a comedy force forever – nine “Last Man Standing” seasons, eight “Home Improvement” (reaching No. 2 in Nielsen ratings), endless “Santa Clause” and “Toy Story” films. He’s back, at 71, playing a widower with a car shop; then his estranged daughter (Kat Dennings, shown here with Seann William Scott) arrives with her kids. Read more…
Fresh from the Golden Globes, I’m confused about life itself.
One person said “Baby Reindeer” is a success because it shows “the painful inconsistencies of being human.” Another said “Wicked” scored because it’s “a radical act of optimism.”
Which is it, pain or optimism? Several of the winners said we’re in dark times; the final one said “light always overcomes darkness.” Perhaps, but you usually have to wait four years for that.
Whatever we make of that, the Globes were a mixed bag as usual. The winners were obscure, the host (Nikki Glaser, shown here pre-show) was brilliant and the acceptance speeches were … Read more…
For most actors, a key step involves “day jobs.”
The lucky people are skilled waiters or carpenters or such, before rushing off to their next auditions. The others …?
“I am probably the worst magician in the world,” said Tom Durant Pritchard.
There he was, struggling to do balloons animals and magic and such at children’s parties. Fortunately, it worked out; at 37, he’s now had several good roles, two of them stirring up royals-watchers.
And now he steps into the male lead in “Miss Scarlet” (shown here) which starts its season at 8 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 12) on PBS, in front of the season-opener of “All Creatures Great and Small.” Read more…
1) “Doc” debut, 9 p.m., Fox. One of the season’s best new shows starts strongly: After a car crash, a doctor has lost eight years of memory. She’ll resist her bosses (shown here), re-learn modern medicine – and adjust to the tragedies and mistakes in her gap years. Molly Parker is subtly perfect, in a compelling drama. Read more…
1) “Brilliant Minds,” 10 p.m. today, NBC; after reruns at 8 and 9. The previous episode had fierce moments and introduced a key character, played by Mandy Patinkin. (It reruns at 9, so we won’t mention the details.) Now come aftershocks for Erica and a huge jolt for Dr. Wolf. It’s an involving hour, including a bizarre case (shown here) based on one from real life.
Read more…
The Lifetime network is returning to one of its specialties – movies that are by or about music stars.
That starts at 8 p.m. Jan. 25, with a sequel produced by Mary J. Blige. The next two Saturdays will profile the lives of Lisa Valez and Gloria Gaynor (shown here).
Lifetime has scored with movies about female singers (Whitney Houston, Mahalia Jackson, Keyshia Cole) or groups (TLC, Salt N Pepa). It has also had films produced by Blige; now it does both, with: Read more…
1) “Golden Globes,” 8-11 p.m. ET, CBS. After two sub-par hosts, the show can bounce back with comedian Nikki Glaser in charge. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya each have two best-picture nominees: their “Dune: Part 2” (shown here) … her “Challengers” (she’s up for best actress in a comedy) and his “A Complete Unknown” (he’s up for best actor in a drama, for his amazing work as Bob Dylan). Read more…
1) “Doc” debut, 9 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. Surviving a car crash, a doctor (Molly Parker, shown here) has lost eight years of memory. Now she’ll re-learn modern medicine – and adjust to the tragedies and mistakes in her personal life. This sounds like a soap opera, but it’s one of the year’s best new broadcast-network shows, written smartly and acted with subtle perfection. Read more…
Two remarkable talents fuel the movie “A Complete Unknown.”
One is Bob Dylan, the eternal enigma. The other is Timothee Chalamet, who doesn’t seem enigmatic at all; he’s simply in the Hanks/Streep/Newman mode, combining steep talent and hard work.
Now that pays off at the Golden Globes (8-11 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 5, on CBS). Of the six nominees for best motion picture drama, two – “Dune: Part 2” and “A Complete Unknown” – star Chalamet.
In the latter, he’s also nominated for best actor. This is the film where he becomes Dylan and, at 29, shows his range as an actor. Read more…
Best-bets for Jan. 5: time for comedy or football 
Best-bets for Jan. 8: Now the networks shift gears 
Best-bets for Jan. 7: a strong surge of new shows 
