1) “Alaska Daily” return, 10 p.m., ABC. This well-acted drama stepped aside mid-crisis, for a 15-week break. Now it’s back, with Eileen (Hilary Swank, shown here, a two-time Oscar-winner) at gunpoint. Once a star reporter, she’s rebuilding her career at an Anchorage paper. She exposed officials’ corruption and their indifference to the disappearance of native women; she’s also made an enemy, who now holds a gun. Read more…
1) “True Lies” debut, 10 p.m., CBS. Back in 1994, this was a fun James Cameron film, with Jamie Lee Curtis unaware her husband (Arnold Schwarzenegger) was a master spy. In this modern update (shown here), that won’t do; the wife (Ginger Gonzaga) learns quickly about her husband (Steve Howey) … then trains to work with him. This gets a silly at times; criminals seem awfully easy to defeat. Still it offers a rare TV blend — action and glamour, spiced with humor. Read more…
1) “Black Broadway,” 8 p.m., PBS (check local listings). Here are some of the best musical moments you’ll see on TV, back-to-back. After a bland overture (the only weak point), Corbin Bleu blasts a “Ragtime” anthem; soon, Nova Payton (shown here in a previous PBS special) sings from “The Color Purple” and “Dreamgirls.” These are potent, passionate songs that were first performed by Blacks. Stephanie Mills does a “Wiz” ballad she debuted 49 years ago, but mostly it’s a splendid showcase for young stars. Read more…
As the Academy Awards (March 12 on ABC) get closer, the signs are encouraging: This time, these people want to entertain us.
That hasn’t always been the case, you know. Two years ago, the main ceremony swept everything aside; it had no host, no songs, no fun.
That concluded a three-year stretch of hostless gloom. The Oscars bounced back last year with three hosts and some splendid songs from Beyonce, Billie Eilish and Reba McEntire. And now:
— Already announced is music from Rihanna (shown here), from Sofia Carson and from a combination including David Byrne and the Son Lux band. With luck, Lady Gaga is next. Read more…
1) “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” finale, 8 and 9 p.m., Fox. After their son Keith vanished, Jason (Scott Caan, shown heree) and Nikki drifted. He struggled after returning from the military; she became a missing-persons cop and is engaged to a colleague. In the opener, they found a teen who seems to be Keith. Now these episodes wrap that up, alongside other cases. The two villains are way too similar and overwrought, but if “Alert” isn’t renewed, it’s had a strong finish. Read more…
There’s a type of story that movies savor and TV rarely tries.
It’s high-octane action-adventure, sometimes with comedy tossed in. It might have James Bond or Charlie’s angels or the bad boys or the folks from “Ocean’s 11” or “Fast and Furious” films.
“It’s mainly a movie genre,” said Matt Nix. But now he’s adapted the 1994 “True Lies” movie into a series (shown here) that airs at 10 p.m. Wednesdays on CBS, starting March 1. Read more…
1) “The Blacklist” season-opener, 10 p.m., NBC. For nine seasons, “Red” Redington (James Spader, shown here) has been one of TV’s most distinctive characters. Rich and clever, he’s a likable crook who smites unlikable ones. As this final season starts, we see him only briefly – but see his impact as an apartment explodes. Soon, FBI agents are busy – and are meeting a key new character. This serialized tale leaves everything in limbo, but remains fascinating. Read more…
This is the sort of job many sane folks would cherish.
It’s a travel show to Italy, Costa Rica, Maldeves and more. It “visits some of the world’s most beautiful and intriguing destinations,” said Rita Cooper Lee of Apple TV+.
And it centers on Eugene Levy (shown here) … who says he really didn’t want to go.
“I’m not a great traveler,” Levy told the Television Critics Association. “I don’t have a great sense of adventure. I’m not curious by nature. I’m not proud of any of this, but it’s just a fact.” Which fits “The Reluctant Traveler,” an eight-week debuting Friday (Feb. 24) on Apple. Read more…
1) “NAACP Image Awards,” 8-10 p.m., everywhere. For a while, this was billed as “only on BET”; then common sense prevailed. This ceremony – strong on starpower (including Viola Davis, shown here) – has usually had a broadcast network, often NBC of Fox. This time, it gets CBS and many of its sister networks – CMT, VH1, MTV, TV Land, Comedy Central, Smithsonian, TV Land, Paramount Network … and yes, BET, which follows with two advance episodes of “The Ms. Pat Show.” Read more…
1) “True Lies” debut, 10 p.m. Wednesday, CBS. In the 1994 movie, Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t know her husband (Arnold Schwarzenegger) was a master spy. In this amiable series, that part vanishes quickly. The wife (Ginger Gonzaga) learns (shown here) about her husband (Steve Howey) … then trains to work with him. This gets a tad silly at times; master criminals seem awfully easy to defeat. Still it offers a rare mixture — action and glamour, mixed with bits of humor. Read more…
