Month: March 2023

1) “American Masters: Dr. Tony Fauci,” 8-10 p.m., PBS. For most of its 280 episodes, “Masters” has focused on arts and entertainment, not immunologists. But here is a slowly engaging look at Fauci (shown here), 82, who was the U.S. infectious-disease chief for 38 years. We see a gentle guy who laughs often – despite verbal assaults – and listens to his critics. In a great segment, he chats with the AIDS activists – now his friends – who fervently fought him 30 years ago. Read more…

1) “The Bachelor,” 8-10 p.m., ABC. It’s “fantasy suite” time, when Zach Shallcross invites the final three women to each spend a night with him. This season started with lots of women from serious fields – four nurses, a nursing student, two other health-care people and a therapist. Now most are gone, but Kaity Biggar, 27, a Canadian travel nurse, remains. So do Ariel Frenkel (shown here, center, with Biggar and Shallcross), 28, and Gabi Elnicki, 25, who are marketing and account executives. Read more…

1) “Sanditon” season-opener, 9 p.m., PBS. There’s lots of work left to do – and only six episodes in this final season. Sweet Charlotte has just returned from a visit to her home town, where she got engaged to a local guy. (They’re show here.) But what about the widower’s unspoken love for her? And his daughter and Georgiana, courted because of their wealth? All of that – and much more — will be settled in these crowded (and well-crafted) hours, part of a busy drama night for PBS. Read more…

1) “Succession,” 9 p.m., HBO. A much-praised drama (shown here) starts its fourth and final season, 15 months after the third ended. Each year has been nominated for the best-drama Emmy and the second and third seasons won. There have been 11 other wins, including three straight for Jesse Armstrong’s scripts. Throughout, family members have vied for control of the media conglomerate. Now, instead, there are plans for a sale to a tech visionary; lives are in flux. Read more…

1) “Despicable Me 3” (2017), 8 p.m., NBC. Facing that cascade of sports events, NBC offers a comedy refuge. First is this animated film; Steve Carell voices a former villain (shown here with minions), now in an Anti-Villain League duo with his wife, voiced by Kristin Wiig. That’s followed by “Saturday Night Live” reruns at 10 p.m. (Colin Farrell in 2004, with the Scissor Sisters) and 11:29. Read more…

1) “Grand Crew,” 8:30 p.m., NBC. Broken relationships are scattered all over this episode. Noah (Echo Kellem, left) has been in a funk since his girlfriend was deported … His sister Nicky has a romance that takes some big (and funny) turns … Anthony is nudged back into the dating scene … And Fay, celibate since her divorce, wants a bad-boy type. There are some good moments, especially when Nicky explodes. Read more…

1) Basketball tournament begins, 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS. The NCAA tourney begins with Maryland (shown here) and West Virginia. That’s followed quickly by games at 12:40 p.m. on TruTV, 1:40 on TNT and 2 on TBS. Each channel has four games today and Friday, wiping out other shows. For CBS stations, that means soap operas lose their spots for a couple days; so do some afternoon talk shows and such. Read more…