Month: February 2020

1) “Fresh Off the Boat” series finale, 8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC. This began six years ago with the real life of Eddie Huang. In the 1980s, his family moved from Washington, D.C., to Orlando … where he and his brothers felt like the only Chinese kids. That’s reflected in tonight’s first episode: The boys return to Washington to dig up their time capsule. In the second, Eddie wants to become a chef (which he did do in real life); then his mother sees his high SAT scores and tries to change his mind. (Shown here are Hudson Yang and Randall Park, as Eddie and dad.) Read more…

(Here are the five TV best-bets for Thursday, Feb. 20; feel free to use in any form, all or some, print and/or web)

1) “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay,” 8:30 p.m., Freeform. This may be one of the best half-hour episodes this season. It’s also a weird one, not for everyone. Nicholas has just hooked up his Skype; now his mother – in an Australia hospital – looms over his living room on a giant screen. He’s in the U.S., watching his teen-aged half-sisters … who arrive with friends (shown here in a previous episode), dogs and crises. It’s a big episode, centering on a long-shot dream of Matilda, who’s autistic. Stick aroound for the great closing minutes. Read more…

1) “Criminal Minds” series finale (shown here), 9 and 10 p.m, CBS. For 15 seasons, the team has chased grisly killers. That apparently puts “Minds” No. 5 among all-time dramas, trailing only “Gunsmoke,” “Lassie” and two editions of “Law & Order.” This final mission involves Everett Lynch, known as “The Chameleon,” who preys on middle-aged women. He’s eluded the team three times, once almost killing Rossi. Now Lynch gives Dr. Reid hallucinations of ghosts from his past. Every finale needs that. Read more…

1) “Frontline: Amazon Empire,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Yes, Amazon (shown here) has had startling success. By 2013, it had 40 per cent of U.S, book sales – then gobbled other fields.; now it’s nearing a million employees worldwide. This balanced documentary also views the dark side. There’s “a strategy to monopolize the markets,” says anti-trust expert Stacy Mitchell. Dealing with Amazon “was like going out to dinner with the Godfather,” a publisher says. Other issues range from taxes to unions and working conditions. Read more…

1) “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” finale, 8-10 p.m., NBC. This started by throwing together 40 acts that had done well in “Got Talent” shows – 22 in “America’s Got Talent.” Now the field is down to 10 – six from “AGT,” four from elsewhere. There are three singers (one — Hans, shown here — adding accordion and dance) and three dance groups (one adding acrobatics), plus acrobats, a trapeze act, a dog act and a violinist. Last Monday, viewers had their final vote; tonight, one act is named “world champion.” Read more…

1) “American Idol” opener, 8-10 p.m., ABC. For almost a month, TV’s Sunday line-up has been in limbo. It was the Grammys … then the Super Bowl … then the Oscars. After waiting patiently, other shows now start their seasons. Leading the way is “Idol,” starting its 18th season overall and its third at ABC. Ryan Seacrest still hosts, with Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie and lots of eager people — including Nick Merico, shown here — auditioning. Tonight has auditions in Milwaukee, Savannah, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Sunriiver, Oregon. Read more…