1) “Young Sheldon” season-opener, 8 p.m. Thursday, CBS. The final season starts with life swirling. Sheldon is in Germany with his mom (shownhere) for summer classes; back home, a tornado has flattened his grandmother’s house. Everyone huddles together, including the newly engaged Georgie and Mandy and their baby. It’s a big, busy and exceptionally funny episode, a promising start for the season. Read more…
1) “Gospel Live,” 9 p.m., PBS. Over five days, we’ll hear spectacular voices do stirring songs. Henry Louis Gates co-hosts this concert, with great moments from Shelea, Erica Campbell (shown here), John Legend and more. He also has a terrific gospel documentary Monday and Tuesday. In between, CBS has “Super Bowl Soulful Celebration” at 8 p.m. Saturday and Andra Day before the Super Bowl on Sunday. Read more…
Two fonts of romance – Jane Austen and the Hallmark Channel – are finally together.
The channel has been around for 31 years, the Austen books for 223. Both have wise women fall in love (carefully and chastely) with sturdy men.
Now – each Saturday in February – Hallmark has an Austen-oriented tale.
“She was so ahead of her time,” said Deborah Ayorinde, who stars as Elinor in a “Sense and Sensibility” remake (shown here) on Feb. 24, adding: “A lot of the things that Elinor was dealing with, I felt like I could relate to.” Read more…
An old tradition – the Television Critics Association tour – has returned, with a surprise:
For now, it seems, Apple TV+ — with “The New Look” (shown here) and other large mini-series — has become the new HBO.
Certainly, the old HBO is still around and sometimes thriving. “Successiion” has gobbled up all those Emmys and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has returned.
But in the past, HBO led the semi-annual TCA sessions. It delivered the biggest stars (Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman, Garth Brooks, Briitney Spears, etc.) and shows (“Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones”). This time? Under new ownership (as part of Warner Bros. Discovery), it didn’t show up. Read more…
1) “Young Sheldon” season-finale rerun, 8 p.m., CBS. Unlike some comedies, this is at its best when it has a busy story; now that peaks. In last week’s rerun, Sheldon and his mom planned to go to Germany for his summer classes also, his brother finally had his marriage proposal accepted. Now comes the trip and a tornado (shown here), setting up next week’s great start for the final season. Read more…
1) “Abbott Elementary” (shown here) season-opener, 9 and 9:30 p.m., ABC. One of TV’s top shows is back. In its first two seasons, it’s had 15 Emmy nominations (including two for best comedy) and four wins – writer and actress (both Quinta Brunson), supporting actress (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and casting. This two-part opener has Janine (Brunson) planning a district-wide Career Day Read more…
1) “Extended Family,” 8:30 p.m., NBC. This show often has Jon Cryer (right) as TV’s usual bumbling dad. Tonight, however, offers a neat exception: With his ex-wife elsewhere, Jim (Cryer) and her new boyfriend (Donald Faison, left) are supposed to watch the kids. Emerging is a teen trauma – the sort of thing Jim is really good at. Cryer, who used to star in teen-trauma movies, handles it neatly. Read more…
For Justin Hartley, this is a new world – strong and silent … subtle sub-text … muted emotions …
That’s in “Tracker” (shown here), which debuts Feb. 11 after the Super Bowl, then stays in CBS’ Sunday line-up. It definitely was not the vibe of “This Is Us,” his previous show.
“After six years of babies and dogs, we wanted to do something (different),” Ken Olin, a producer-director on both shows, said in a virtual press conference. He added, tongue-in-cheek, that Hartley “wanted to carry a gun and get in fights.” Read more…
1) “NCIS” season-finale rerun, 9 p.m., CBS. For CBS, this is recap week. After the Super Bowl on Sunday, it will start the season for virtually all of its shows. First, this pre-Super week has eight of them rerunning their season-finales. On “NCIS,” Torres (Wilmer Valderrama, shown here) is in jail as a terrorist attack looms. Read more…
At times, gospel music might be overlooked in a rock/rap world.
Not now, though. Coming is a five-day stretch overflowing with big voices and huge passion. That includes:
— Friday (Feb. 9): “Gospel Live,” at 9 p.m. on PBS, with some stations repeating it at 10. Henry Louis Gates hosts the show with Erica Campbell, who opens with some impressive vocals. More big moments are coming from Shelea, John Legend (shown here in a previous performance), LaTocha, Anthony Hamilton, Mali Music, Lena Byrd Miles and more. Read more…
