1) Olympics opening ceremony, 6:30 a.m. ET Friday, NBC, Peacock, Olympic Channel; then 8 p.m., NBC. In 2008, Beijing had a spectacular Summer Olympics ceremony (shown here), with 15,000 performers and a reported $100-million budget. Now it becomes the first city to host the summer and winter games. This ceremony has the same director, in the same building, but with a smaller scale. About 3,000 performers are expected, plus 2,900 athletes from 90 countries.
2) Olympic competition begins, 8 and midnight Thursday, NBC. Even before the ceremony, the games begin. NBC has live coverage of team figure-skating (men’s short program and rhythm dance), plus taped freestyle skiing moguls. On Saturday, that’s 2-6 p.m. ET, then 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (including more skating live); on Sunday, it’s 2-6 p.m., then back at 7. There’s more on USA, CNBC, Peacock and – if you want everything live – the Olympic Channel.
3) “The Gilded Age” and “Promised Land,” 9 p.m. today, HBO, 10:01 p.m., ABC. This was supposed to be Grammy night, but Omicron surged and the telecast moved to April 3. That lets us try two shows that debuted last week, showing great wealth, past and present. “Age,” from the Downton Abbey” creator, has Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon as sisters in 1880s New York. “Land” has John Ortiz as a winery owner, facing threats from family and beyond.
4) “The Resident” return, 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. After a seven-week break, this returns with three potent stories. Two had already started – A.J.’s mother’s cancer and Dr. Bell’s secret ailment. Now a third brings a personal link for Conrad. Add more – Devon’s clinical trial, the new doctor with an elusive past – and you have a rich brew. Despite a few excesses, it’s a well-crafted and moving hour. It’s a strong lead-in for “Monarch,” the country-music drama moving into the 9 p.m. slot.
5) Black History Month. PBS starts the month with an “In Their Own Words” rerun of Chuck Berry, at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The next three Tuesdays have new profiles of Marian Anderson, Fannie Lou Hamer, three diplomats and the civil-rights era. ABC has “Soul of a Nation” specials, at 8 and 9 p.m. Thursday. And Turner Classic Movies has Sidney Poitier’s “To Sir, With Love” (1967) and “Lilies of the Field” (1963) at 8 p.m. ET Friday and Sunday; its Poitier marathon is Feb. 19-20.
6) “Celebrity Big Brother” debut, 8 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. We meet his year’s people, many of them one step from celebrity status. There’s Khloe Kardashian’s ex-husband (Lamar Odom), Travis Barker’s ex-wife (Shanna Moakler), John Mellencamp’s daughter (Teddi), Justin Timberlake’s ex-bandmate (Chris Kirkpatrick) and Gary Coleman’s TV brother (Tod Bridges). Others include two former champs – ultimate fighter Miesha Tate and skater Mirai Nagasu.
7) More “Celebrity Big Brother,” all week, CBS. This is the third edition of the show, and the second designed to counter-program the Olympics. It starts just before the games and ends (Feb. 23) just afterward, but mostly goes head-to-head. This is the only week it will be on a Thursday (9-10 p.m.), but the other nights are consistent – 8-10 p.m. Fridays, 8-9 p.m. Sundays, 9-10 p.m. Mondays and 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays. Julie Chen Moonves will again be the host.
8) “Malcolm X” (1992), 12:58 p.m. Saturday, Sundance, 3 p.m., TNT. Spike Lee’s masterful epic leads Black History Month marathons on both channels “Ghosts of Mississippi” (1996) is 6 a.m. on TNT and 5:30 p.m. on Sundance – which follows with “The Color Purple” (1996) and “Rosewood” (1997) at 8:30 and midnight. TNT includes “Selma” (2014) at 12:15 p.m. and Michael B. Jordan films – fictional (“Black Panther,” 2018) and joltingly true (“Just Mercy, 2019”) at 7:15 and 10.
9) “All Creatures Great and Small,” 9 p.m. Sunday, PBS. Shattered by the news that he flunked his vet-school finals, Tristan is fuming at his brother, who let him think he’d passed. That comes at a key time: Helen’s former fiance’ is back, facing villagers in the annual cricket game. It’s a fairly good hour, leading to terrific ones in the next two Sundays. This Sunday also has a new “Around the World in 80 Days” at 8 p.m. and the start of a “Vienna Blood” two-parter at 10.
10) AND MORE: Tonight, NBC has the “Kenan” season-finale at 8 and 8:30 p.m. and a tribute to Betty White (who died Dec. 31, 17 days shy of her 100th birthday) at 10. There’s another great “Resident Alien” hour, at 9 p.m. Wednesday on Syfy. At 3 p,m. ET Sunday, ESPN has football’s Pro Bowl. And at 9 p.m. Sunday, one cable show debuts (“Power Book IV,” focusing on Tommy Egan, on Starz) and another concludes (“Claws” on TNT, rerunning at 10 p.m.).