TV best bets with 'Homeland,' Greta Van Susteren, Jude Law, Neil Patrick Harris, Bryan Cranston

Louis Hynes and Neil Patrick Harris in the new Netflix show "A Series Of Unfortunate Events." CREDIT: Joe Lederer/Netflix

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Louis Hynes and Neil Patrick Harris in the new Netflix show "A Series Of Unfortunate Events." CREDIT: Joe Lederer/Netflix

This was posted by Rodney Ho on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog on Sunday, January 8, 2017

Netflix gives us a well received new version of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on Friday featuring Patrick Warburton as the narrator and Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf. (The Metacritic review rating so far: 82 out of 100.)

Amazon, at the same time, carts out a fun con-artist story called "Sneaky Pete" featuring Giovanni Ribisi and Bryan Cranston.

HBO on Sunday imagines a surprisingly conservative American pope played by Jude Law in a mini-series "The Young Pope" also featuring Oscar winner Diane Keaton.

In competition on Sunday, PBS brings a new series "Victoria" based on the early reign of Queen Victoria in England in the early 1800s.

Fans of President Barack Obama get to see him one last time in that capacity Tuesday night for his farewell address.

And folks who miss Greta Van Susteren on Fox News will find her on MSNBC starting Monday at 6 p.m.

If terrorism is on your mind, the sixth season of "Homeland" on Showtime is back Sunday.

And if that all sounds too heavy, goof around with Craig Robinson doing his version of "Cash Cab" focused on karaoke called "Caraoke Showdown" on Spike TV Thursday. Or check out Andy Richter-hosted "Big Fan" on ABC Monday where super-fans of a particular celebrity vie to see who knows more about said celebrity - then face off against the celebrity himself. First night: Matthew McConaughey.

This covers Monday, January 9 through Sunday, January 15, 2017.

MONDAY

"For the Record" 6 p.m. MSNBC (new show) - Greta Van Susteren moves from Fox News to MSNBC.

"The Bachelor" 8 p.m. ABC  — One anxious bachelorette hides her secret history with Nick.

"The New Celebrity Apprentice" 8 p.m. NBC — Don't mess with Boy George - or Vince Neil, for that matter.

"Beyond" 9 p.m. Freeform — Holden realizes how much has changed since his coma, leading him to seek an explanation for his newly-acquired powers.

"CNN Town Hall" 9 p.m. CNN — Bernie Sanders will talk about the upcoming Trump presidency.

"Big Fan" 10:01 p.m. ABC (new series) — Matthew McConaughey kicks off this game show in which celebrities go head-to-head with three of their biggest admirers to see who knows the most about them.

TUESDAY

"The Middle" 8 p.m. ABC— Frankie wins free maid service for one month; and Mike and Rusty look for an assisted-living facility for their father.

"New Girl" 8 p.m. Fox — Jess insists on picking up the tab for Robby's medical bill.

"President Obama's Farewell Address" 9 p.m. ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, GPB CNN, MSNBC, Fox News — With just 10 days left in his presidency, Obama tries to seal his legacy.

"The Have and the Have Nots" 9 p.m. OWN — Benny hopes that Candace will come through for the family.

"Good Behavior" 9 p.m. TNT (first season finale) — Letty makes a devastating choice and has to clean up the subsequent mess in order to save Javier.

"Bones" 9:25 p.m. Fox — A body is identified as a man who helped manufacture artificial-intelligence bots.

"Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" 10 p.m. A&E (first season finale) — Leah gets an ominous letter from the church accusing her of provoking hate crimes and sits down with a young man who committed one of those crimes.

"Shooter" 10 p.m. USA — Bob Lee negotiates an exchange in order to save his family.

"Taboo" 10 p.m. FX (new series) — James Delaney returns to London to follow his father's legacy following a ten-year stint in Africa.

WEDNESDAY

"Undercover Boss" 8 p.m. CBS — Jeff Dudan, CEO of AdvantaClean, works undercover at his Light Environmental Service franchise and tackles masses of mold in a water-damaged kitchen and a tight, dark crawl space beneath another client's home.

"Blindspot" 8 p.m. NBC — The team work with the CIA to stop a wanted terrorist who's mysteriously surfaced in New York City.

"Duck Dynasty" 9 p.m. A&E — Mia and Merrit go dove hunting with Jase and Jep and Si starts a West Monroe tour to make extra cash.

"Criminal Minds" 9 p.m. CBS — The BAU team investigates a series of deadly home invasions in upscale San Diego neighborhoods.

"Law & Order: SVU" 9 p.m. NBC — A 6-year-old vanishes in the middle of a wild party his mother was hosting.

"Little Women Atlanta" 9 p.m. Lifetime — The twins feel betrayed following Minnie's confession about her pregnancy.

"Modern Family" 9 p.m. ABC — A Pritchett family wedding turns into a surprise encounter with Dede.

"Vikings" 9 p.m. History — A great Viking army assembles at Kattegat, while Lagertha remains vigilant in the absence of Bjorn.

"Star" 9:01 p.m. Fox — When someone close to her is in jeopardy, Carlotta shifts into protector mode.

"Chicago PD" 10 p.m. NBC — The investigation into the murder of a sex offender leads to a private police force that may be involved in illegal activities.

"Workaholics" 10 p.m. Comedy (seventh season debut) — The title of best pranksters in the office pits the guys against a group of trainees.

"Match Game" 10 p.m. ABC  — Celebrity panelists include Amy Sedaris; Chris D'Elia; Constance Zimmer; Jane Krakowski; Rick Fox; and Tituss Burgess.

"Too Close to Home" 10 p.m. TLC — Unsettling news about Rebel is revealed by Mack.

"Jeff & Some Aliens" 10 p.m. Comedy Central (new series) — In this new animated effort, Jeff is a regular dude who lives with three aliens. Because that's normal, right?

THURSDAY

"Hell's Kitchen" 8 p.m. Fox — There's a new twist introduced by Gordon Ramsay, who decides the recipients of a black jacket by putting the contestants through a series of three challenges.

"Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian" 8 p.m. E! (new series) — If you thought there weren't enough shows featuring a Kardashian, congratulations: here's another one!

"Superstore" 8 p.m. NBC — The store's brand changes, a development that brings a corporate vice president to the store.

"The Good Place" 8:30 p.m. NBC — Eleanor hatches a plan with Tahani while Michael makes a stunning discovery.

"Taking the Stage: African-American Music and Stories That Changed America" 9 p.m. ABC — An array of entertainers gather for the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

"Chicago Med" 9 p.m. NBC — Two MMA fighters arrive at Chicago Med in poor shape.

"Nashville " 9 p.m. CMT — Maddie begins an internship at a recording studio and meets a street musician.

"Top Chef " 9 p.m. Bravo — Ingredients and the element of the chefs' zodiac sign must correspond.

"Mom" 9:01 p.m. CBS — Christy feels neglected when Bonnie and the ladies keep Jill's pregnancy a secret.

"My Kitchen Rules" 9:01 p.m. Fox (new series) — The premiere of the culinary series in which celebrity duos critique each other's food at intimate dinner parties. First up: siblings Brandy and Ray J prepare a challenging meal; and Lance Bass and his mother, Diane, prepare a southern feast.

"The Blacklist" 10 p.m. NBC — A mysterious diorama depicts a future crime.

"Colony" 10 p.m. USA (second season debut)  — Will and Katie struggle to keep the family together

"Caraoke Showdown" 10:30 p.m. Spike (new series) — DJ Steve Aoki joins host Craig Robinson to pick unsuspecting contestants for a karaoke competition in a car.

FRIDAY

"Sneaky Pete" 3:01 a.m. Amazon (new series) — Sneaky Pete revolves around a con man, Marius who gets out of prison only to find himself hunted by the vicious gangster he once robbed.

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — A much better take on Daniel Handler's darkly comic fantasy series than the 2004 cinematic version.

"Grimm" 8 p.m. NBC  Nick makes a pact with potentially deadly consequences.

"Last Man Standing" 8 p.m. ABC  A museum seeks an artifact donation from Mike, but Ed feels left out because he's wanted this honor.

"The Vampire Diaries" 8 p.m. the CW — Stefan and Damon attend an anger management support group looking for their next victim.

"Emerald City" 8 p.m. NBC — The Wizard sends guards to kill Dorothy.

"Hawai Five-O" 9 p.m. CBS — As Max prepares to say goodbye to his Five-0 family, they must investigate a murder during a police convention on the island.

"Shark Tank" 9 p.m. ABC — A single mom from Allen, Texas, pitches an eco-friendly method for disposing cooking grease.

"Sleepy Hollow" 9 p.m. Fox  — Witchcraft may be involved in a new case, but Ichabod isn't sure if Diana will believe it.

"Blue Bloods" 10 p.m. CBS — An adoption case gets complicated for Eddie and Jamie.

"The Rap Game" 10 p.m. Lifetime (third season debut)  — Five new kids vie to work with Jermaine Dupri, including two Atlantans.

"The Wheel" 10 p.m. Discovery (new series) — Ordinary people rely on their own skills to survive in six different South American landscapes, including the tundra, mountains and rain forest.

WEEKEND

"Open Marriage" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — To save their struggling marriage, Becca and Ron reluctantly agree to an open relationship with their friends Mindy and Max. Though their passion is rekindled, they don't expect the jealousy, heartbreak and betrayal that soon follow.

"Saturday Night Live" 11:29 p.m. Saturday NBC — Felicity Jones hosts.

"Sherlock" 7:30 p.m. Sunday GPB (fourth season finale)— Long-buried secrets catch up with Sherlock and Watson.

"The Librarians" 8 p.m. Sunday TNT— Cases of people spontaneously combusting lead the Librarians to a holistic spa run by vampires who have uncovered the burning secret to walking in the sun.

"NCIS: Los Angeles" 8 p.m. Sunday CBS — Planted evidence by the mole results in the arrests of Callen, Sam, Granger and Deeks, on the same day Under Secretary Duggan returns for Hetty's resignation.

"To Tell the Truth" 8 p.m. Sunday ABC — Ross Matthews, Iliza Shlesinger, Cedric and Jamie Chung.

"First Family of Hip Hop" 9 p.m. Sunday Bravo (new series) — A family's attempt to put hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records back on top.

"Homeland" 9 p.m. Sunday Showtime (sixth season debut) — A ruthless collector of magical artifacts seizes the Monkey King's sacred homeland.

"Is O.J. Innocent?" 9 p.m. Sunday ID (new series) — While most people now believe O.J. Simpson is guilty, this series take a contrarian view.

"Madam Secretary" 9 p.m. Sunday CBS— A bumpy aid trip to Africa is experienced by Elizabeth and her staff when they are surprised to discover that China has arrived there first with their own development plan to offer the continent.

"Victoria" 9 p.m. Sunday GPB (new series) — The story of Queen Victoria, who ascended to the throne at age 18 in 1837, begins with the young Victoria struggling to assert control amidst plots to manipulate her. Her friendship with the prime minister, meanwhile, leads to a crisis in Parliament.

"The Young Pope" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO (new series) — A ten-part miniseries following the reign of the fictional Pope Pius XIII.

"Elementary" 10 p.m. Sunday CBS — Holmes and Watson investigate a clown's murder upstate and discover a connection between his death and the creation of a new weaponized virus.

"The Affair" 10 p.m. Sunday Showtime — An unexpected event gives Alison reason to celebrate but it also provokes a sobering realization.

"The Royals" 10 p.m. Sunday E! — Christmas is celebrated at the palace.