Year: 2022

1) “Next at the Kennedy Center,” 9 p.m., PBS. Joni Mitchell’s two orchestral albums drew praise, but only had a brief tour with local orchestras. Now the National Symphony backs elegant vocals by Renee Fleming, Aoife O’Donovan, Jimmie Herrod and (on “Both Sides Now”) Lalah Hathaway. Amid these beautifully written Mitchell ballads, Raul Milon (shown here in a previous concert) adds pulsating renditions of “Be Cool” and (with Hathaway) “Sex Kills.” Read more…

1) “Fleishman is in Trouble,” Hulu. Toby Fleishman (a typecast Jesse Eisenberg) is a decent chap. A divorced doctor and dad, he tries to do right by his kids… and kind of likes the new emphasis on dating apps and sex. Then his cold-hearted ex-wife (Claire Danes, very much against type) vanishes. (They’re shown here.) Adapting her first novel, Taffy Brodesser-Akner fills this nine-part mini-series with witty dialog and narration, satirizing an elite corner of the world. Read more…

1) “The Conners” (8 p.m.) and more, ABC. Comedies thrive on Thanksgiving episodes, when people collide in fresh and funny (sometimes) ways. On “The Conners” (8 p.m.), Jackie (Laurie Metcalf, shown here with John Goodman) frets about her mom’s health and Darlene scrambles to find a job. On “The Goldbergs” (8:30), Beverly prepares for her first holiday as a widow … and an unexpected relative arrives. “Home Economics” (9:30) also has an unexpected guest – Tom’s superfan and half-sister. Read more…

1) “FBI,” 8 p.m., CBS. No matter where she works, Missy Peregrym has been an audience favorite. A preacher’s kid from Canada, she did “Black Sash” and “Reaper” on WB-turned-CW, was a new cop in ABC’s “Rookie Blue,” then became Maggie, a top FBI agent. She missed six episodes this fall, after having her second child on June 6. Now Maggie (recovering from sarin-gas exposure) returns (shown here), facing a double homicide and perilous undercover work. Read more…

1) “American Experience: Taken Hostage,” 9-11 p.m., PBS; concluding Tuesday. For 444 days, Americans were held hostage in Iran. The crisis engulfed the final year of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, ending just as Ronald Reagan was being inaugurated. This richly detailed film views the ordeal of the hostages, but also goes back to see decades of American links with the autocratic shah, leading to protests (shown here) and his overthrow. Read more…

1) “Yellowstone” season-opener, 8-10:27 p.m., Paramount Network, rerunning at 10:27. Ominous music looms through this two-parter, even during John Dutton’s inauguration as governor. Big things – tragedies (large and small) and triumphs — are ahead. It’s hard to empathize with a governor whose only concern is his own property. But when he’s perfectly played by Kevin Costner (shown here), with surgical-sharp dialog and epic visuals, we can’t help it. Read more…