Originally posted Sunday, January 5, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
It’s definitely a week of variety.
Comedy? There's Dave Chappelle being gifted the Mark Twain Prize on PBS.
Crime drama? Jason Bateman joins HBO in a Stephen King crime story "The Outsider" shot in metro Atlanta and debuting Sunday.
True crime drama? ABC explores the messy Jeffrey Epstein case.
Game show aficionado? ABC goes prime-time with a three-night event featuring three of the best “Jeopardy” players in history.
Hip-hop fan? Lifetime explores the love affair that was Faith Evans and the late great Notorious B.I.G.
Hopeless romantic? “The Bachelor” returns for a 24th time.
Tyler Perry addict? His soapy OWN series "The Haves and Have Nots" returns for a seventh season.
Needing RuPaul? He stars in a new Netflix comedic series "AJ and the Queen."
This covers Monday, January 6 through Sunday, January 12, 2019.
MONDAY
"America's Got Talent: The Champions" 8 p.m. NBC (second season debut) — An array of winners and notables from past "AGT' and comparable contests in other countries.
"The Bachelor" 8 p.m. ABC (24th season debut) — The hunt for love with Peter Weber, featuring a hard-charging career woman from a family of elite lawyers, a delightfully quirky bombshell full of self-doubt, a beauty who can be a real beast and a gorgeous girl next door who is a hoopster at heart.
"All Rise" 9 p.m. CBS — Following her battle with the Commission of Judicial Performance, Lola questions her own brand of creative justice.
"Bull" 10 p.m. CBS — Bull looks to select jurors who can empathize with an individual's need for personal privacy when he helps Marissa's friend, Stephen, sue a notable philanthropic businessman for abusing him as a child.
"Manifest" 10:01 p.m. NBC (second season debut) — As the Stone family reels in the aftermath of a devastating shooting, they're hit with their most foreboding Calling yet, sending Ben on a mission to locate two Flight 828 passengers who have mysteriously gone missing.
TUESDAY
"Ellen's Game of Games" 8 p.m. NBC (second season debut) — Contestants play "Danger Word," "Blindfolded Musical Chairs," "Don't Leave Me Hanging" and the all new game "Mazed and Confused."
"Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time!" 8 p.m. ABC (new series) —This epic television event brings together the three highest money winners in the long-running game show's history: Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer.
"NCIS" 8 p.m. CBS — Gibbs must face the reality of his actions after he assists Ziva with "the one thing" she said she would need to take care of before returning to her family.
"The Resident" 8 p.m. Fox —After being terminated from Chastain, Conrad has difficulty figuring out his next step and distracts himself by accompanying a patient on a zero-gravity adventure.
"FBI" 9 p.m. CBS —A businessman with a history of harassment claims against him is killed. The team suspects it may be one of his many accusers.
"Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours To Hell and Back" 9 p.m. Fox (second season debut) —Gordon Ramsay's "Hell On Wheels" travels to Lowery's Seafood, located in Tappahannock, VA.
"The Haves and the Have Nots" 9 p.m. OWN (seventh season debut) — Candace questions her motives after Charles disappoints her.
"Dave Chappelle: The Mark Twain Award" 9 p.m. GPB — Chappelle is feted by the likes of Common, Bradley Cooper, Morgan Freeman, Trevor Noah, Jon Stewart and Kenan Thompson.
"Schitt's Creek" 9 p.m. Pop (sixth and final season debut) — This show has gotten way more popular thanks to Netflix.
"Vanderpump Rules" 9 p.m. Bravo (eighth season debut) — Brittany, Katie, Ariana, Jax, Sandoval and Schwartz move into their "grown-up" houses.
"FBI: Most Wanted" 10 p.m. CBS (new series) — Jess LeCroix and his elite team of FBI Fugitive Task Force agents track a doctor who's deeply involved in a world of organized crime, drugs and lies.
"Hot & Heavy" 10 p.m. TLC (new series) — Couples of very different weights.
"Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist" 10:01 p.m. NBC (new series) — An introverted computer programmer living in San Francisco, begins to hear the innermost desires of the people via song.
WEDNESDAY
"Cheer" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — This gripping docuseries follows the ups and downs of Navarro College's competitive cheer squad as they work to win a coveted national title.
"Chicago Med" 8 p.m. NBC — Dr. Halstead's world is thrown into turmoil when a former patient resurfaces. April has a secret she considers confessing to Ethan.
"Undercover Boss" 8 p.m. CBS (ninth season debut) — Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar's CEO and founder goes under cover while his restaurant does some expansions.
"America's Top Dog" 9 p.m. A&E (new series) — A veteran K9 nicknamed "The Wonder Mutt" figures to be the favorite, but will he be taken out by the younger, hungrier competition?
"Chicago Fire" 9 p.m. NBC — Members of Firehouse 51 are dismayed to learn their boundaries have been redrawn to overlap with an adjacent station and problems quickly arise.
"Criminal Minds" 9 p.m. CBS (15th season debut) — The team look into an unknown subject that bears resemblance to "The Chameleon"
"Modern Family" 9 p.m. ABC — Alex's new company is putting her up at a new luxury apartment with full amenities and a list of high-profile residents that the family is eager to take advantage of, without her knowing.
"Party of Five" 9 p.m. Freeform (new series) — When ICE deports their parents, life for the five Acosta siblings is turned upside down.
"Chicago P.D." 10 p.m. NBC —As they await news of Halstead's fate, the team tries to focus on work, turning their attention to an illegal arms dealer.
THURSDAY
"Jeopardy! The Greatest Of All Time" 8 p.m. ABC — Which of the best of the best will take home the prize?
"Last Man Standing" 8 p.m. Fox — After a chat with Bonnie, Mike struggles to balance his need for "Me Time" and finding common hobbies with Vanessa.
"Superstore" 8 p.m. NBC — After Cloud 9's acquisition, Amy struggles to contact the store's new parent company, Sandra enlists Garrett and Dina's help to stand up to Carol, and Glenn wrestles with a big career decision.
"Young Sheldon" 8 p.m. CBS — George Sr. and Meemaw struggle to manage the Coopers while Mary plans Pastor Jeff's wedding
"The Good Place" 8:30 p.m. NBC — The group works to negotiate an afterlife plan with Sean and the judge.
"Deputy" 9 p.m. Fox — Struggling to come to terms with the new responsibilities of his role as Sherriff, Bill refuses to stay out of the field when a criminal to whom he is personally connected resurfaces.
"Will & Grace" 9 p.m. NBC — Committed to becoming a father on his own, Will meets a potential surrogate with stellar reviews.
"Mom" 9:01 p.m. CBS — Christy and Bonnie help Tammy with a difficult decision when her long-lost aunt, Cookie, appears with a surprising proposition.
"Truth & Lies: The Jeffrey Epstein Story" 9:02 p.m. ABC — A look at all the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death.
"Evil" 10 p.m. CBS — After David is badly wounded, he is determined to fight off the menacing presence of death from his hospital bed.
"Law & Order: SVU" 10 p.m. NBC — A desperate father takes matters into his own hands in the case against his daughter's rapist.
FRIDAY
"AJ and the Queen" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — A down-on-her-luck drag queen played by RuPaul travels across America in a van with a tough-talking 10-year-old stowaway.
"Medical Police" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — A spin-off of the Adult Swim comedic hospital comedy "Children's Hospital." There's a secret division of CDC involved.
"Hawaii Five-O" 8 p.m. CBS — Grover and Five-0 investigate a murder at a private golf course involving a man who was frozen to death in the locker room's cryo-chamber.
"Lincoln Rhyme" 8 p.m. NBC (new series) — Detective Lincoln Rhyme works with Amelia Sachs from the NYPD to look into the murders.
"Hopelessly in Love: Faith Evans and Notorious B.I.G." 9 p.m. Sunday Lifetime — The intense marriage between Faith Evans and the Notorious B.I.G., who had two of the biggest starts in R&B and hip hop.
"Magnum P.I." 9 p.m. CBS — Magnum and TC go undercover as efficiency experts when a corporate manager is murdered and everyone in the office is a suspect.
"Blue Bloods" 9 p.m. Sunday CBS — Frank takes heat when a widow blames him for her husband's recent suicide while on the job.
WEEKEND
"Psycho Party Planner" 8 p.m. Sunday Lifetime — When young art gallery owner and mother Kayla Anderson finds herself drowning in work and in need of help planning her daughter Kerry's big upcoming Sweet Sixteen bash, she hires pretty, spirited party planner Lindy Shores to help out, having no clue that Lindy is unstable and recently murdered her husband, and will stop at nothing to make Kerry a daughter of her own.
"Power" 8 p.m. Sunday Starz — James "Ghost" St. Patrick seeks vengeance. His former drug partner and brother in arms must pay for the ultimate betrayal.
"Ray Donovan" 8 p.m. Sunday Showtime— Ray asks Judge Scholl for help so he can clear his name; Daryll is cornered by the Sullivan family.
"The Outsider" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (new series) — The body of an 11-year-old boy is found in the Georgia woods, and Det. Ralph Anderson launches an investigation into the grisly murder. Jason Bateman produces and is one of the stars.
"Shameless" 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime — Lip and Tami get a new opportunity; Faye's actions get Frank in trouble; Ian joins online dating; Carl discovers something from his new work.
"The L Word" 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime — Bette and Dani reckon with the fallout of a recent scandal.
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