Year: 2021

1) “The Big Leap.” 9 p.m., Fox. “Leap” tries to do everything. It has light comedy, dark drama and bits of romance, all while adding zesty dance numbers and satirizing a manipulative reality show. Tonight has two drama twists. One – Mike learns that his new love, Paula, was the executive who eliminated his job – is fairly good; the other is quietly powerful. Gabby finally reveals (and confronts) her son’s biologic father; with subtle perfection, Nicole Recasner (shown here in a previous episode) projects deep pain and rage. Read more…

1) “Succession” season-opener, 9 p.m., HBO. We’re back – at last – to the story of a media mogul and his offspring and minions … each hoping to take over the empire. When the second season ended, his son Kendall (shown here) had publicly said he’s corrupt. The show won seven Emmys (including best drama), then had a long COVID pause. After a two-year absence, it’s back, simultaneously rippling with humor and intense drama. Kendall fidgets, then plans his next move; his siblings and others jockey for position. Read more…

1) “Diana,” 9 p.m. ET, CNN. If you missed the opener last Sunday (a crowded night), here’s a second chance. This starts a six-week documentary that mixes old film, new commentary and the audio tapes Diana (shown here) made for Andrew Morton’s biography. Tonight, we meet near-opposites: As a nanny, her first employer says, Diana was “very tactile,” warm and loving. And Prince Charles? “There was never anything tactile about him,” Diana said. On Sunday, we’ll see the wedding and some ominous signs. Read more…

1) “Home Sweet Home” debut, 8 p.m., NBC. Each week, people with opposite lives will trade places. That’s been done before (“Wife Swap,” “30 Days”), but now Ava DuVernay (shown here, working on an upcoming episode) – the “Selma” director and “Queen Sugar” producer – is in charge, awash in good intentions. In the opener, a Greek Orthodox family swaps with a two-mom Black family. Both families are deeply evolved, so similar phrases – “we’re all the same,” etc. – persist. The intentions are sweet, but quite repetitious. Read more…

1) “B Positive” season-opener, 9:30 p.m., CBS. Lately, the world has been discovering the remarkable Annaleigh Ashford. Already a Tony-winner, she did this year’s Emmy and Tony shows; she sang in the “Wicked” concert, the “Broadway’s Back” special and the vibrant opening of CBS’ fall preview … and has been brilliant as Paula Jones in “Impeachment.” Now she’s back as Gina (shown here), the good (if daft) soul who donated a kidney to a guy she barely knew. Tonight, they adjust to post-surgery life; also, he tries a new romance and she learns about a friend’s death. Read more…

1) “Dopesick” debut, any time, Hulu. On the national level, this epidemic is massive. Each year, studies say, two million people misused opioids; in a 20-year stretch, almost a half-million died of ovedoses. Danny Strong (“Game Change,” “Recount”) has written a brilliant eight-parter that does it all. We see the big picture, as Purdue Pharma mis-represents OxyContin. We also see moving stories about composite characters, with great work from Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever and Rosario Dawson (shown here), as an earnest doctor, a pain-plagued miner and an investigator. Read more…