1) “SWAT,” 8 p.m., CBS. This was suppose to be a changeover night. CBS would debut a reality show, “The Activist,” at 8 p.m.; “SWAT” (shown here) would then move to Sundays to replace “SEAL Team,” which goes to Paramount+. Then people pointed out that the new show – activists competing for attention on social media and beyond – was a terrible idea; CBS pulled it for retooling. For now, “SWAT” stays on Fridays; tonight, vigilantes make it harder to catch a violent band of armed robbers.
2) “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. While that 8 p.m. slot gets straightened out, the rest of the night is steady and sturdy. On “Magnum,” Higgins’ therapist wants her to probe why a teen patient committed suicide. On “Blue Bloods,” Jamie (a cop) and his sister Erin (a bureau chief in the district attorney’s office) probe an underground bar used by police and firefighters.
3) Sports splurge. The pro basketball season has started, while baseball is still getting ready for the World Series. At 8 p.m. oET n Fox Sports 1, baseball has game six (if needed) in the American League’s best-of-seven series, with the Red Sox and Astros. Basketball has rwo games on ESPN – the Nets at the 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET; the Suns at the Lakers at 10. There are also two college football games apiece on CBS Sports Network (6 and 9:30 p.m.) and ESPN2 (7 and 10:30).
4) “Eli Roth’s History of Horror,” 10 p.m. Friday, AMC. In a month stuffed with horror films – including the 2003 “Carrie” remake, at 7:30 p.m. on AMC – it’s good to step back for an overview. Tonight, Roth views films about the apocalypse. He traces that to the 1954 novel “I Am Legend,” which became movies in 1964 (Vincent Price), 1971 (Charlton Heston) and 2007 (Will Smith). Heston had more apocalypses in 1968 (“Planet of the Apess”) and ‘73 (“Soylent Green”); it was a scary time.
5) “Invasion,” any time, Apple TV+. Now a new apocalypse to worry about: This big-budget story has aliens attacking. We see the impact around the globe, with Sam Neill as an American sheriff. It’s a 10-parter, with three episodes today,. Also streaming is the second season of Netflix’s “Locke & Key.” After moving with their widowed mom, three siblings found their home has magic keys and a demon.