1) “Survivor” opener, 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. The 40th edition is full of winners. All 20 contestants(show here with host Jeff Probst) have been champions before; one (Sandra Diaz-Twine) has done it twice. They go back as far as Ethan Zohn, who won the third edition, in 2001 … and are as recent as the 2018 winners, Nick Wilson and Wendell Holland. Rob and Amber Mariano are also back. She won in 2004, right after accepting his proposal; he won in 2011. Leaving their four daughters (ages 5 to 10) behind, they both headed to Fiji.
2) “American Idol” opener, 8-10 p.m. Sunday, ABC. Yes, the same week launches seasons for the two giants that propelled the reality-show burst. This is only the 18th edition for “Idol,” which started two years after “Survivor,” only does one edition a year and skipped a year before jumping to ABC. Ryan Seacrest again hosts, with Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as the judges. Tonight’s opener includes auditions in Savannah, Milwaukee, Washington, D.C,, Los Angeles and Sun River, Oregon.
3) “For Life” debut, 10 p.m. Tuesday, ABC. Isaac Wright’s real life is a comeback story: Convicted via New Jersey’s drug-kingpin law, he faced life imprisonment. As a paralegal, he won freedom or reduced sentences for 20 inmates … and then for himself; now he’s a defense lawyer. Using Wright as a consultant, this series changes that slightly: Nicholas Pinnock remains in prison, but becomes a lawyer; working with a progressive warden, he leaves (with guard and tether) to argue cases. It’s a solid start.
4) “Bob (Hearts) Abishola,” 8:30 p.m. today, CBS. As Valentine week begins, this show makes a leap. Last Monday, Bob (Billy Gardell) was bitter when his mom resumed control of the company, with Abishola (her nurse, his loved one) as her assistant. He quit the job and the romance and had a drunken spree with a forklift. Now, cleaned up, he takes Abishola to dinner … and is ready to say he loves her. Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku), an understated Nigerian immigrant, is unaccustomed to romance talk.
5) More Valentine’s Day comedy, ABC. Things start Tuesday, with episodes of “Mixed-ish” (it’s Rainbow’s first real date) and “Black-ish,” at 9 and 9:30 p.m. They conclude Friday, with Charlie Brown Valentine cartoons at 8 and 8:30. But the peak is Wednesday, with Valentine rounds of “Goldbergs,” “Schooled” and “Single Parents” (8, 8:30, 9:30), surrounding a “Modern Family” that’s set in Paris. Claire has a secret encounter … and Cam fullfills his dream of being a Paris street clown.
6) “Katy Keene,” 9 p.m. Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday, CW. If you missed the opener, catch its rerun on Wednesday. We meet Katy (Lucy Hale), who’s bright, beautiful and talented. Her nice-guy boyfriend proposes … and a thief swipes the ring. On Thursday, she’s wondering if she’s ready to marry. And her roommates? Josie (from “Riverdale”) finds a job in an old record store, Jorge struggles with auditions and Pepper takes a big risk. It all feels fresh and wide-eyed and wildly unrealistic.
7) “A Valentine’s Match,” 8-10 p.m. Friday, Hallmark. Here’s the standard Hallmark plot: After city success, a woman returns home, where – surprise (?!?) – her old boyfriend still lives. Both (Bethany Joy Lenz and Luke Macfarlane) are pleasant-looking. This is part of a Valentine’s Day push, ranging from cartoons – Charlie Brown on ABC and most of the day on PBS Kids – to romantic movies on cable. At 8 p.m., there are two 1990 classics – “Ghost” on Epix and “Pretty Woman” on Paramount.
8) “Casablanca” (1942), 5 p.m. PT Saturday, Turner Classic Movies. The Oscars were handed out Sunday, but TCM’s “31 Days of Oscar” continues through March 2. This week, that ranges from John Wayne’s “Stagecoach” (1939) and “True Grit” (1969), at 5 and 6:45 p.m. PT today, to the tart-tongued “Lion in Winter” (1968), at 5 p.m. PT Friday. It peaks with “Casablanca,” a best-picture winner. The American Film Institute puts it at No. 3 all-time, behind only “Citizen Kane” and “The Godfather.”
9) “Outlander” season-opener, 8-9:05 p.m. Sunday, Starz. Time-traveling gets complicated. Claire, a nurse in 1946 England, slipped into 1743 Scotland and fell for Jamie. Returning to modern time, she had his baby, became a doctor, was widowed … and returned to him. Now they’re in the New World, torn between royalists and revolutionaries; she tries to concoct versions of modern medicine. It’s a good episode, but if you prefer true tales, History’s three-night “Washington” starts, from 8-10 p.m.
10) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, NBC. The distractions (football and award shows) are gone now, so NBC starts its mid-season Sunday line-up. “Good Girls” is at 10, preceded by this goofy delight. First is the pilot (which had a sneak-peek last month) and then the first regular episode. Zoey suddenly hears people sing their hidden emotions, via pop songs. That’s nonsense, but everything else – Jane Lynch, the music, the humor and the bright visuals – makes it feel charming.