1) Grammy awards, 8-11:30 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS. Trevor Noah hosts a night stuffed with music. The first performers announced were Billy Joel, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott, Billie Eilish, Luke Combs, Burna Boy and Olivia Rodrigo (shown here) – who is also up for album of the year. She faces Sza (the leader with nine nomination), Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monae, Boygenius and Jon Batiste.
2) “Genius: MLK/X,” 9 p.m. Thursday, ABC and National Geographic Channel. On back-to-back nights, two richly crafted mini-series begin, tracing compelling lives. This one views opposite starts – Martin Luther King Jr. in clergy comfort, Malcolm X amid pain. At 10:15, Nat Geo has the second episode; ABC, instead, profiles the man wrongly convicted of killing Malcolm X.
3) “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” opener, 10 and 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, FX. Here’s the other meticulous mini-series. Truman Capote was an acclaimed author and the darling of New York society, rippling with wit and gossip. Then he hit a writer’s block and turned to exposing his friends’ secrets. The story is richly told with Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny and more.
4) “Yellowstone,” 9 and 10 p.m. today, CBS. Even after running often on cable and Peacock, this has been a ratings success for CBS. Now comes the explosive (literally) ending to the third season. (A fourth has aired, plus half of the fifth and final one.) Jamie meets his biological father, Beth has a jolt at work and her husband Rip has a violent day. Then come negotiation … and the closing chaos.
5) “The Irrational” return, 10 p.m. today, NBC. This was one of the few scripted shows that helped rescue us from an all-rerun autumn. It had nine new episodes ready during the strikes and now returns with the final four of the season. Alec (Jesse L. Martin) survived a church bombing and became an expert on criminal psychology, Now he tries to help a boy who is a burn victim.
6) “Quantum Leap” return,10 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. Here’s another show that saved us from a dreary fall. In the first season, Ben kept time-trekking, leaping into other lives. As the second began, we were told he’d vanished for three years; his ex-fiancee has a new guy, who’s ready to propose. Also, Ben keeps bumping across Hannah, a physicist. This episode (he’s a bounty-hunter) is especially good.
7) “Finding Your Roots,” 8 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. A strong hour catches extremes: Iliza Shlesinger, a comedian, learns of relatives who did and didn’t escape the Holocaust. Bob Odenkirk, an actor, is stunned to find royal roots. That’s followed by a “Frontline” that views Jan. 6 and Donald Trump. Also, at 9 p.m. Wednesday, a fascinating “Nova” eyes fossils of walking whales (really) in the desert.
8) “Farmer Wants a Wife” season-opener, 9 p.m. Thursday, Fox. These four guys vary sharply. Ty Ferrell, 42, is divorced, with a daughter; Nathan Smothers, 23, has been helping run a farm since his dad died 11 years ago. Brandon Rogers is 29; Mitchell Kolinsky is 27 and new to farming, Now they meet 32 women, including a cheerleader, a hair stylist and a social-media coordinator.
9) “The Grio Awards,” 8-10 p.m. Saturday, CBS. After airing Thanksgiving weekend, when viewers were scarce, this reruns. There are awards for Black icons – Denzel Washington, Mariah Carey, Al Sharpton, Eddie Murphy, etc. – plus entertainment. Sheryl Underwood and Roy Wood Jr. host, with music by Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Coco Jones, Patti Labelle and Boyz II Men.
10) “Curb Your Enthusiasm” season-opener, 10:05 p.m. Sunday, HBO. Fresh from Seinfeld,” Larry David created this semi-improvised comedy, with a fictionalized version of his socially clumsy persona. There have been gaps – the longest was six years – but David, 76, says this year (his 12th in 24 years) will be his last. It starts with the birthday party of a businessman in Atlanta.
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