1) “Have I Got News For You” debut, 9 p.m. ET, CNN. This has been big in England – even winning best-comedy awards – for 34 years. It’s a quiz about the news, hoping for witty replies. To nudge that along, several comedians will be there: Roy Wood Jr. hosts, with Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black (shown here) as team captains. Read more…
1) Football, 8 p.m. ET, Fox. For five years, Fox filled almost every Friday with wrestling. Now the wrestlers have returned to the USA Network; to fill the gap, Fox switches to football, starting with Arizona (shown here) ranked No. 20, at Kansas State, No. 14. At 7, Kansas hosts UNLV (University of Nevada – Las Vegas). Read more…
1) “America’s Got Talent,” 8 p.m., NBC. Now we learn the rest of the field for next week’s finale. Twelve acts performed Wednesday (one day later than usual) and viewers voted. Half will advance, along with the “golden buzzer” winners – singer Dee Dee Simon and aerialist, acrobatic and (shown here) “air dance” groups. Read more…
1) “MTV Video Music Awards,” 8 p.m., MTV, BET, CMT, Comedy Central; also, MTV has a preview at 6:30, repeats awards at 11. Megan Thee Stallion (shown here) hosts and performs. Also performing: Katy Perry (the Video Vanguard winner), Lenny Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, LL Cool J, Halsey and more. Read more…
1) Presidential debate, 9-10:30 p.m. ET, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, BET and news channels. It’s a high-stakes night at the Constitution Center (shown here) in Philadelphia, under firm rules. David Muir and Linsey Davis ask the questions; Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have two minutes each to reply, and are muted otherwise. Trump won a coin flip and goes last in closing remarks. Read more…
1) “Monday Night Football” season-opener, 8:20 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN. A year ago, the Jets’ expectations soared. They had traded for Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP with the highest career quarterback rating. Rodgers (shown here) threw one pass (incomplete) and, on his fourth play, was injured. He returns tonight, facing the 49ers. Read more…
1) “Tulsa King,” 8 p.m., CBS. It’s time for a showdown, with Dwight (Sylvester Stallone, shown here) and his crew facing Waltrip and his motorcycle gang. Also, a flashback shows why Dwight went to prison, 25 years ago. That wraps the first season; the second starts next Sunday on Paramount+, where this episode aired 20 months ago. Read more…
1) “Ghost” (1990), 6 p.m., CMT; 6:45, Showtime. The world seems to really want us to see Demi Moore (shown here) and Patrick Swayze film, airing it on two networks. It is a good one, richly romantic. More romance is available all day on Hallmark (including Lacey Chabert’s new “His & Hers” at 8) and on Great American Family. Read more…
1) “WWE SmackDown,” 8-10 p.m. Friday. Virtually every week for five years, this has been Fox’s Friday show. Even during summers, strikes and Covid, it’s been there. Now that ends; next week, “SmackDown” (shown here) returns to the USA Network. It’s been there before, and at UPN, CW, Syfy and MyNetwork. Read more…
1) Football, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC, with pre-game at 7. The pro season opens with a classic rematch. The Baltimore Ravens sailed through last season with a 13-4 record, won the divisional playoffs 34-10, then sputtered; the Kansas City Chiefs (shown here), 11-6, won 17-10 and then won the Super Bowl. Now it’s Ravens-Chiefs time again. Read more…
