1) Football, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. It’s time for the semi-finals of the college championships. Notre Dame (shown here) faces Penn State today, with Texas and Ohio State on Friday; the winners collide Jan. 20. And yes, there’s a trend here: The four top-ranked teams had byes the first week … and all four promptly lost in the second week. Read more…
1) “Shifting Gears” debut, 8 p.m., ABC. Tim Allen has been a comedy force forever – nine “Last Man Standing” seasons, eight “Home Improvement” (reaching No. 2 in Nielsen ratings), endless “Santa Clause” and “Toy Story” films. He’s back, at 71, playing a widower with a car shop; then his estranged daughter (Kat Dennings, shown here with Seann William Scott) arrives with her kids. Read more…
1) “Doc” debut, 9 p.m., Fox. One of the season’s best new shows starts strongly: After a car crash, a doctor has lost eight years of memory. She’ll resist her bosses (shown here), re-learn modern medicine – and adjust to the tragedies and mistakes in her gap years. Molly Parker is subtly perfect, in a compelling drama. Read more…
1) “Brilliant Minds,” 10 p.m. today, NBC; after reruns at 8 and 9. The previous episode had fierce moments and introduced a key character, played by Mandy Patinkin. (It reruns at 9, so we won’t mention the details.) Now come aftershocks for Erica and a huge jolt for Dr. Wolf. It’s an involving hour, including a bizarre case (shown here) based on one from real life.
Read more…
1) “Golden Globes,” 8-11 p.m. ET, CBS. After two sub-par hosts, the show can bounce back with comedian Nikki Glaser in charge. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya each have two best-picture nominees: their “Dune: Part 2” (shown here) … her “Challengers” (she’s up for best actress in a comedy) and his “A Complete Unknown” (he’s up for best actor in a drama, for his amazing work as Bob Dylan). Read more…
1) Football, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN2. The bowl barrage finally ends, with a game that’s early and sunny. The Bahamas Bowl has Buffalo – possibly delighted to be away from snowstorms – and Liberty. Afterward, ABC and ESPN have the regular-season pro finales for the Browns (3-13) and Ravens (11-5) at 4:30 and the Bengals (shown here, 8-8) and Steelers (10-6) at 8. Read more…
1) “Happy’s Place,” 8 p.m., NBC. Let’s at least credit this show for being one of the first with a new episode after the holidays: Competing with Gabby to be a comedy emcee Bobbie (Reba McEntire) gets coaching from her half-sister. (They’re show here.) The story requires four characters to be wildly overwrought. The others, Takoda and Emmett, provide enough laughs to make it sort of fun. Read more…
1) “Animal Control” season-opener, 9:01 p.m., Fox. This show deftly blends two kinds of comedy. Tonight, the character humor — is only moderately funny; it involves Frank and his current girlfriend, played (shown here, left and right) by Joel McHale and Sarah Chalke, but the sight gags are terrific: A zoo break leaves animals amok. Read more…
1) Rose Parade, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, NBC and ABC. It’s a high-energy start to the new year. The parade (shown here in a previous year) has 32 floats and at at least 20 marching bands (including ones from Japan and Mexico). It also has 16 horse units, including Budweiser Clydesdales and the New Buffalo Soldiers. Read more…
1) “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” 8-10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., ABC. Ryan Seacrest will be in Times Square, where Carrie Underwood (shown here in a previous concert) does the last songs of 2024, the Jonas Brothers the first of 2025. Also, Megan Moroney, TLC and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in Times Square; Luis Fonsi in Puero Rico; Blake Shelton in Las Vegas; Lenny Kravitz and more in Los Angeles. Read more…
