Year: 2019

1) “The College Admissions Scandal” (shown here), 8 p.m., Lifetime, rerunning at 11:03. With the subtlety of a scream and the nuance of an avalanche, “Scandal” eyes a big story. It’s still watchable, because the reality is both shocking and perversely funny; the approach, however, is inept. Ducking the real stories (including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman), this has fictional parents – then makes one a hideous Cruella/Maleficent type, burying the drama in excess. Gretchen Carlson’s follow-up is at 10:03. Read more…

1) “The Blacklist,” 8 p.m., NBC. The season opened last week with dazzling twists and illusions. Red woke up in a French hospital, nearly paralyzed … or he (and we) thought that happened. It was a fake hospital (in Maryland), an elaborate ruse by the Russian spy whose existence is a secret — even to her daughter Elizabeth, who’s scrambling to find Red. Now the illusions build. At this point, Red has escaped and been re-captured. It’s a brilliant and explosive (shown here) hour, with surprises to the end. Read more…

1) “Perfect Harmony,” 8:30 p.m., NBC. This may be the first time we’ve seen a small church choir belt out “We Are the Champions,” celebrating a trophy for being most improved. “Harmony” is like that, pulling odd twists. Bradley Whitford, already a triple Emmy-winner, provides the core as a crabby choirmaster, but others are also first-rate. Tonight, Ginny (Anna Camp, shown here) unleashes her inner Dolly. And Spencer Allport, as her son, has some droll lines, sort of like Jake in early “Two and a Half Men.” Read more…

1) “Riverdale” season-opener, 8 p.m., CW. Alongside its flaws (big ones, sometimes), “Riverdale” has had a key strength: It’s had some profoundly decent characters — Archie Andrews, his dad Fred and their neighbor Betty Cooper – at its core. Luke Perry, a small-town Ohio guy, gave Fred real depth and believability; his death in March (at 52, after two strokes) is approached tonight (shown  here) with quiet respect. This hour could be considered too one-note; still, that note is deeply moving and well-deserved. Read more…

1) “Finding Your Roots” season-opener, 8 p.m., PBS. After growing up among Hollywood privilege, Mia Farrow (shown here in her movie days) and Anjelica Huston each lost a parent at 17. The deaths — Farrow’s dad, Huston’s mom – left them knowing little about half their roots. Now they get unsettling news: Farrow’s grandfather sent his wife to a mental home, where she died at 27. Huston’s ancestor fathered four slaves; his will freed them … but not until they were 30. It’s a fascinating hour that also traces Isabella Rossellini. Read more…

1) “All American” season-opener, 8 p.m., CW. Fiction blends with a real-life tragedy. “All American,” based loosely on the life of former pro-football player Spencer Paysinger, has teens trying to escape their roots in Los Angeles’ tough Crenshaw area. In real life, Nipsy Hussle — a rapper, activist and philanthropist from Crenshaw – was shot March 31; he died at 33. A memorial (shown here) for him offers a backdrop for some potent moments, as Spencer and his coach face live-changing decisions. Read more…