1) “The Simpsons” season-opener, 8 p.m., Fox. The only thing that can save the school is getting a British author (Emma Thompson) to Springfield. And the only one who can do it, alas, is Homer (shown here with her). This, of course, requires car theft, jail break and freeway chaos There are plenty of funny moments, plus a clever shift into styles of children’s-book artwork. Read more…
Remember when Halloween was exactly one day long?
Or maybe — if you added some mischief and/or Day of the Dead — two or three days, tops?
Not lately. In 1998, TV people decided it should run for 13 days; 20 years later, that was expanded to a month.
That’s where we are now: Beginning Oct. 1, the Freeform channel has “31 Nights of Halloween,” with lots of old movies and — starting on opening night — a new series (shown here) about teen witches. Read more…
CBS seems determined to spotlight all of the female music icons.
Its Video Music Awards show (7:30-9:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 27) will now be a Madonna-Taylor-Dolly event. And two months later, CBS will have a Thanksgiving-night event, with Jennifer Lopez (shown here) backed by a swarm of singers, dancers and musicians.
Details include: Read more…
1) “Farm Aid,” 7-11 p.m., CNN. Ever since 1985, this mega-concert has raised money for hard-pressed farmers. The co-founders — Willie Nelson, 93, shown here; Neil Young, 80; and John Mellencamp, 74 — are expected back, plus new generations (including Nelson’s son Lukas). Also: Dave Matthews, Margo Price, Lily Meola, Chris Pierce and many more. Read more…
1) “Marshals” season-opener, 8:30 p.m. (but 8 p.m. PT) Sunday, CBS. This is when the new fall season is really here, CBS has held out, waiting to start its scripted shows Oct. 4-9. That begins with a high-stakes story: Kayce is starting to like Dolly Weaver (they’re shown here), but despises her dad, who wants to buy his ranch. That leads to a strong hour, high-octane and lethal. Read more…
1) “R.J. Decker” (ABC) or “Line of Fire” (NBC), both 8 p.m. Most scripted shows haven’t started their seasons yet, but these two began early and have reruns here. For “Decker” (10 p.m. Tuesdays), it’s the second episode, with a missing man and a dangerous stranger. For “Fire” (10 p.m. Mondays), it’s the pilot film, ending with a stark game-changer; shown here is the second generation in a family of federal agents. Read more…
(This story ran in May, when “Devil in Silver” debuted on Shudder and AMC+. Now the show gets a broader impact on AMC. Here’s the original story, slightly updated.)
We know that actors can stretch far beyond themselves. They can… well, act.
But they don’t usually stretch this far.
Judith Light (shown here) is one of the most involved and articulate people in show business. In the six-part “The Terror: Devil in Silver” — its second episode is 9 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 27) on AMC, rerunning at 10:03 — she’s Dorry, her life crumbling inside a mental hospital.
“She’s fragile and she’s heartbreaking,” Light told the Television Critics Association. Read more…
1) “Hell’s Kitchen” season-opener, 8 p.m., Fox. In the sweet-spirited “MasterChef,” home chefs cooked for a tranquil Gordon Ramsay. Now, alas, we’re back to the pros, albeit young ones, whom he can shout at. As the 25th season starts (shown here), they make their signature dishes. Read more…
As a different “Different World” arrives, it’s time to return to college life.
It’s time for “the HBCU experience, the immersiveness of it,” said writer-producer Felicia Pride.
That vibe (for historically Black colleges and universities) ripples through the “A Different World” reboot, arriving Thursday (Sept. 24) on Netflix, starring Maleah Jai Moon (shown here). It ranges from music, dance and romance to discussions of authors and philosophy.
That could invoke envy from some viewers … and maybe one of the actors. For a while, Darryl M. Bell, now 63, was in an opposite world. Read more…
1) “Survivor” opener, 8-10 p.m., CBS. An “open era” begins, with twists and detours popping up quickly. A new bunch arrives (shown here), including three farmers, two lawyers, a doctor, a med student, a wrestler and actress Ana Sani. She’s been the voice of Strawberry Shortcake, Izzy Moonbow and such; on “The Boys,” she was an analyst who was killed after five episodes. Read more…
Best-bets for Sept. 27: Homer & Madonna & more 
Best-bets for Sept. 26: “Farm Aid” is back; so is “SNL” 
Best-bets for Sept. 25: quick reruns of new shows 
