1) Grammy trilogy, CBS. Three new specials – all from the Grammy people – offer music greats At 8 p.m. Tuesday, an Andrea Bocelli Christmas special has Jennifer Hudson (shown here with Bocelli), Dua Lipa, Josh Groban and Sofia Carson. From 9-11 p.m. Friday, we meet songwriters – Alicia Keys, Sting, Billie Eilish, etc. Then Grammy’s “Most Memorable Moments” is 9-11 p.m. Sunday. Read more…
1) “Kennedy Center Honors,” 8:30-11 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Each year, this has elegant and eloquent tributes to the arts greats. This time, it honors Bonnie Raitt, Arturo Sandoval, Francis Coppola, the Grateful Dead and (in a first) the Apollo Theater. Queen Latifah (shown here) hosts; performers include Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Savion Glover, Dave Matthews and an all-star jazz band. Read more…
1) “Blue Bloods” series-finale, 10 p.m. Friday, CBS. The14-year run of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck, shown here) ends with one more crisis: New York’s gangs combine to demand the release of prisoners and amnesty for those on trial. Things turn deadly, involving Frank’s sons, grandson and daughter-in-law (all cops) and daughter (a prosecutor). Read more…
1) “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” 8-10 p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4), NBC. Here’s a familiar Christmas combination — spectacle (including the Rockettes and the lighting of a mega-tree) plus music. That includes Kelly Clarkson (shown here at last year’s show), the host, plus Jennifer Hudson, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Raye, Coco Jones, Thalia, The Backstreet Boys, and Little Big Town. 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) Country Music Association awards, 8-11 p.m. Wednesday, ABC. Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson (shown here) host and sing;, Peyton Manning merely hosts. Also, George Strait gets a lifetime award. Post Malone links with Chris Stapleton for “California Sober,” Thomas Rhett with Teddy Swims for a mash-up. Others are Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBride, Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church,, Brooks & Dunn and more Read more…
1) “St. Denis Medical” debut, 8 and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. The “Superstore” people have another quick, slick workplace comedy. Allison Tolman (shown here), from the “Fargo” mini-series, plays an overstressed chief nurse, with Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Goldbergs”) as an underskilled administrator. David Alan Grier (shown here), 68, offers the droll counterpoint of an older doctor. Read more…
1) Election, Tuesday. It’s finally time to end the voting and start counting. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on PBS; 7 on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox; and 8 on CW, plus earlier on news channels. This takes patience; last time, it wasn’t final until Saturday. But at 11 p.m. on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart (shown here) has a live hour: “Indecision 2024: Nothing We Can Do About it Now.” Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins” debut, 9-11 p.m. today, CBS. In 1991, Leroy Gibbs starts work at what will become NCIS. He’s a stoic guy whose wife and daughter were killed, but his boss Mike Franks (shown here) sees potential. The first case – a good one — is dark and intense; so is Gibbs (Austin Stowell), but he’s surrounded by high-energy colleagues. Mark Harmon narrates as older Gibbs. Read more…
1) “Tracker” season-opener, 8 p.m. Sunday, CBS. Three weeks later than usual, CBS launches its fall season. It starts with a ratings-leader, a solid show with Colter (Justin Hartley) tracking people. This opener spends a lot of time setting up an ongoing story and a re-mix of the office team (shown here, with Velma and Reena); then it solves its case-of-the-week quickly. It’s a fairly good start to what could be a terrific season. Read more…
