1) “Brilliant Minds,” 10 p.m., NBC. For a gifted painter, this is a fierce blow: Suddenly, he can’t see color. Dr. Wolf (shown here) grasps for an answer, while flashing back (yet again), to his years as a gay teen with a disapproving mother. The story seems excessive at times, but is also intelligent and involving. Read more…
Scripted shows will still be a part of the CW network this winter.
Well, a small part. “All American” will be on Mondays and two light crime shows – the returning “Wild Cards” (shown here) and the new “Good Cop/Bad Cop” – will pair on Wednesdays.
The mini-network has been scrambling for an identity, ever since new owners decided to go with lower-cost series.
Right now, its only new, scripted shows are “Superman & Lois” (which ends its four-year run on Dec. 2) and two Canadian series. “Children Ruin Everything” returns Nov. 29; “Sullivan’s Crossing” ends its season Dec. 11. But now comes the mid-season recharge: Read more…
1) “The Simpsons” (shown here), 8 p.m., Fox .In the style of Ray Bradbury’s “Illustrated Man,” Lisa meets a guy whose tattoos pull her into separate stories. The first two are pretty good; the third is truly remarkable: It offers a world where people obsess on “quality TV,” with dark theme and long, tangled stories. Read more…
1) Thanksgiving Day parade (shown here in a previous year), 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, NBC and Peacock. The holiday season begins. There are 22 floats, 11 bands,17 balloons and 10 performance groups. NBC adds Rockettes, more dancers, soloists (Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Kylie Minogue) and the Broadway casts of “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders” and “Death Becomes Her.” Read more…
1) Football, 7 p.m. ET, CW; pre-game at 6:30. Let’s call this the PAC-12 Conference championship game. That was a big deal in the days with UCLA, USC and Oregon. Alas, those teams and others departed, leaving a sort of PAC-2. (Six new ones will join in 2026.) Now those two collide, with Washington State (shown here, with a 8-2 record) at Oregon State (4-6). Read more…
1) “Great Performances,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. Here is pure, passionate music. Backed by great Nashville musicians, 18 women and two groups perform the songs of Patsy Cline. Most are very good and a some are great, especially Wynonna (shown here in a previous performance), capturing the emotional power of “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy.” Read more…
We can quit worrying about orphaned situation comedies, floating around without partners.
Fox finally has a sitcom to pair with “Animal Control.” Those shows arrive Jan. 2 … six days before ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” finally gets a pairing.
For Fox, that’s part of a busy mid-season shuffle. The network adds an exceptionally strong drama (“Doc,” shown here) and obsesses on its Feb. 9 telecast of the Super Bowl. Read more…
1) “Grey’s Anatomy” (shown here), 9 p.m., ABC. After a quick start, this nears a long break; after tonight, it won’t return until March 6. Tonight’s hour (the season’s eighth) comes in a heat wave. Amelia and Winston try tough surgery; Jo and Lucas see an errand go awry. Read more…
At times, a show might demand extra patience.
A prime example is “Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story” (shown here) from 8-10 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 21) on CBS.
At first, viewers might just be annoyed, because this bumps CBS’ best night. (“Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” slides to 10 p.m.; it repeats its delightful opener, followed by a “Ghosts” rerun.)
Adding to the problem is the fact that the movie gets off to a weak start. Some of the humor comes from overlapping dialog; that’s problematic because it involves Australian accents and characters we don’t yet know. But stick around. “Nugget” turns out to be a rare blend of sharp comedy and sturdy drama, with a bit of holiday warmth around the edges. Read more…
1) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 p.m., ABC. Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson host and sing; Peyton Manning merely hosts. Post Malone links with Chris Stapleton for “California Sober,” Thomas Rhett with Teddy Swims for a mash-up. Also: Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Eric Church and more, with a lifetime award for George Strait (shown here). Read more…
