1) “Happy’s Place” and “The Voice,” 8 and 8:30 p.m., NBC. Reba McEntire has double duty here. She’s a judge on “Voice,” which trims to 90 minutes tonight, to make room for a rerun of her comedy opener. It’s an almost-adequate show, in which she learns that a half-sister (shown here) she didn’t know about has inherited half of the bar she runs. Read more…
1) “What We Do in the Shadows” season-openers, 10, 10:34 and 11:09 p.m., FX. This weird – and weirdly funny – show has gradually been noticed, with three best-comedy Emmy nominations in five years. Now its final season starts with these cozy vampires (Nadja is shown here) waking Jerry The Vampire, wh has a key question: If vampires are secret, why is a human camera crew there? No one can remember. Read more…
1) “Tracker,” 8:30 p.m., CBS. Yes, it’s great to have a strong-and-silent hero; that’s kind of a Hollywood tradition. But sometimes you need the opposite. Tonight, Colter (Justin Hartley), quiet and careful) is missing. His brother (noisy and risky) is called in to help. He’s again played by Jensen Ackles (left, with Hartley), in a vibrant episode. Read more…
1) “What We Do in the Shadows” season-opener, 10 p.m. today, FX. After five weirdly funny seasons (and three best-comedy Emmy nominations), this starts its final one. The three-episode opener starts with Jerry The Vampire’s key question: If they are secret, why is a human camera crew there? No one remembers … and for 48 years, no one remembered to wake Jerry. Guillermo (shown here), the wise ex-aide, might know. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins,” 8-10 p.m., CBS. If you missed the series debut Monday, catch this quick rerun. It’s intense and involving, but has moments of fun. Austin Stowell is sturdy as Gibbs, a young widower reporting for duty in 1991. He’s mostly silent and solemn, but surrounded by colorful colleagues (shown here), led by his high-voltage boss, Mike Franks. Read more…
1) “Happy’s Place” debut, 8 p.m., NBC. Bobbie (Reba McEntire, second from right) inherited her dad’s bar, which she was already running. Now she learns a half-sister (left) she’d never met owns half of it. McEntire and some supporting actors get the most out of a so-so script. But the sister is underwritten and an employee (and friend) is badly overwritten, leaving a so-so show. Read more…
1) “Elsbeth” season-opener, 10 p.m., CBS. Yes, Elsbeth is one of TV’s great characters, hiding a sharp mind under a surface of bright colors and cheery comments. But in this opener, much of the attention goes to a guest star: Nathan Lane (shown here) plays an opera lover who would kill for a better view. It’s a rich portrait, with Elsbeth stepping in to solve the case. Read more…
1) “Shrinking” season-opener, Apple TV+. Jimmy (Jason Segel, shown here) has a mixed record as a therapist. One client is in prison for murder, another is struggling and the boss (Harrison Ford) is frustrated. Also, a neighbor keeps telling Jimmy’s colleague to stop sleeping with him. Like the first season, this is a rare mixture of bright comedy and deep personal pain. Read more…
1) “BET Hip Hop Awards,” 8-10 p.m., BET and VH1. Megan Thee Stallion and Kendrick Lamar lead nominations, with 12 and 11. They’re up for artist of the year, alongside Nicki Minaj, Drake, Cardi B, Future, 21 Savage and GloRilla (shown here), who performs. So do 2 Chainz, Yung Miami, Juiccy J, Soulja Boy, Trina, E-40, Big Boogie and more; Fat Joe hosts. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins” debut, 9 p.m., CBS. In “NCIS,” Gibbs (Mark Harmon) was a skilled agent with a past marked by deaths and divorces. Now Harmon narrates this prequel. It’s 1991 and Gibbs (Austin Stowell), widowed and stoic, has just arrived. His first case is dark and compelling, but high-energy colleagues (two are shown here) keep this entertaining. Read more…
