1) “Happy’s Place,” 8 p.m., NBC. One story puts the show’s best characters — Bobbie (Reba McEntire, right) and the bar’s cook (Rex Linn) in a fishing cabin. The other pairs the worst characters, Bobbie’s half-sister (left) and the bartender. The resulting episode – no surprise here – is half-good. Read more…
1) “Grey’s Anatomy,” 10 p.m., ABC. After pausing last week for Halloween-night reruns, ABC has new episodes. Here, Mika overloads, after taking time off to be with her sister. (They’re shown here in a previous episode.) Also, Levi faces a huge decision. At 8 p.m., “9-1-1” tries to rescue a toddler stuck in a pipe; at 9,“Doctor “Odyssey” has a wedding cruise financed by a rich family. Read more…
1) “San Diego: America’s Wildest City,” 8 p.m., PBS. Surrounded by mountains, a desert and an ocean, San Diego has rich variety. This lush hour sees whales attack dolphins, a roadrunner stalk hummingbirds. Humans also have an impact: Their garbage attracts coyotes and bobcats; their reservoirs draw grebes (shown here), which seem to walk (or dance) on water. Read more…
1) Election. TV people are quite serious about this one – what with the future of the free world and such. So they’ll start early and stay late. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on PBS; 7 on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox; and 8 on CW. The cable news channels started approximately in July. And yes, we’ll list alternatives, including “Mary Poppins” (shown here). Read more…
1) “What We Do in the Shadows,” 10 p,m., FX. Three weeks from its finale, this terrific show pushes its stories into overdrive. Nandor (shown here, left, in a previous episode) realizes that for a while – well, for centuries – he’s drifted from his role as a great commander. Now he’s organized an army that seems suspiciously invisible. Stick with this episode, because the final minutes pack surprises Read more…
1) “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox. “Treehouse of Horror” again has three tales – all of them weird and some very funny. The first is timely, as political rage creates red and blue monsters (shown here). The second (a Scrooge take-off) is so-so, but has a funny closing bit. The third is clever (albeit very adult); at the Pants For the Amply Rumped store, Homer gets killer jeans. Read more…
1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. John Mulaney (shown here) hosts “SNL,” which is his home turf. He was a writer there for five years, co-creating the Stefon character. Since then, he’s hosted five times (plus five uncredited visits). Chappell Roan has her first time as music guest; her “Midwest Princess” album was No. 2 on the Billboard chart.
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1) “Coco” (2017), 8:30 p.m., Freeform. A Mexican tradition has Nov. 1 as “Day of the Dead,” a time to think of departed ancestors. So it’s logical that today Freeform airs this gem, with a boy entering the Land of the Dead (shown here). Freeform will show it Saturday and ABC will have its turn Sunday. The film won Oscars for best song (“Remember Me”) and best animated feature. Read more…
1) “Elsbeth,” 10 p.m., CBS. Mac wakes up on Halloween-with a haircut, a hangover, a tattoo, an arrest and a foggy notion (a nightmare? a memory?) that she shot someone. She’s a former child star, beautiful and clueless; now Elsbeth (in Halloween costume) investigates. Brittany O’Grady (center) is terrific as Mac, in an hour that’s clever and fun Read more…
1) “Abbott Elementary,” 9:30 p.m., ABC. In an annual tradition, ABC has Halloween episodes for each of its comedies. That continues this year – but the network only has one comedy. At the school’s party (shown here), Janine and Gregory have a couple’s costume that doesn’t click. Also, parents question the hygiene of Barbara’s bobbing-for-apples event. Read more…
