Year: 2019

1) “Great Performances: Grammy Salute to Music Legends,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. “I had no idea (songs) would last this long,” Valerie Simpson (shown here) says. Or that singers would last. Simpson, 74, is in great voice; so are other honorees – Dionne Warwick, 78; and Sam Moore, 83. Songwriters Lou Adler, 85, and Johnny Mandel, 93, show up. But PBS isn’t afraid to get heavy (Rival Sons with a great Black Sabbath tribute) or funky (George Clinton). There are great bits from Garth Brooks, Jessie Mueller and more. Read more…

1) “Perfect Harmony,” 8:30 p.m., NBC. These people are determined to win the next choir contest. They’ll practice relentlessly; nothing will get in the way … except, of course, deer season (shown here). In this Kentucky town, everything stops for hunting. Arthur, the crabby choirmaster, reluctantly joins the hunt. Tempers fray, friends fight; it’s another funny episode of the best new show on broadcast TV. Read more…

1) “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.,” 8-11 p.m., NBC. It’s time for a crossover, flipping the order of the first two shows. Firefighters and paramedics rush to a Bears game, where there’s a bacteria outbreak (shown here); then a fire causes Sevaride to suspect there’s something bigger. “Med” follows the outbreak, putting an apartment complex under quarantine; Will faces a bioterrorism suspect. That sets up “P.D.” and a massive manhunt; Voight fears it’s just a wild goose chase. Read more…

1) “The Resident,” 9 p.m., Fox. At first glance, this is a Halloween episode – vampires … and rising from the dead … and The Raptor (shown here) and Mina stranded in a creepy town, filled with angry stares. Stick around, though; there’s a medical basis for each story. The two hospital ones are heavy-handed, despite terrific work from Jonathan Lipnicki (the former child star) in the “vampire” tale. But the third, in creepyville, is beautifully written and filmed, with an important story at its core. Read more…

1) “The Terror: Impact” finale, 9 p.m., AMC. Opposite forces weave together. This is a horror story, sometimes gruesome …. It’s also a gentle folk tale, filled with gorgeous Japanese images …. And it’s a protest of sending 120,000 Japanese-Americans to internment camps. The closing credits show many of the actors and their detained ancestors … and show star George Takei (shown here), 82, a camp survivor. Read more…

1) “Batwoman,” 8 p.m., CW. In last week’s final minute, Kate (that’s Batwoman) had a startling notion: Maybe nasty Alice (Rachel Skarsten, shown here) is Kate’s long-dead sister, having become evil but not become dead. We’ll get an answer quickly, followed by ongoing arguments between Kate and her dad. He’s a one-note character, but “Batwoman” redeems itself with gorgeous visuals and its compelling lead character. Read more…