Posted Monday, March 5, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Three well-regarded dramas enter their sophomore seasons this week:
- Marvel's Jessica Jones. Critical consensus on Metacritic: "While Jessica Jones is a slower burn with less focus than its inaugural season, its enticing new character arc more fully details the most charismatic Defender."
- Sneaky Pete. Pretending to be Pete, ex-con Marius has to outsmart two goons threatening to kill the family if he doesn't lead them to Pete's estranged mom and the $11 million she stole (and he would like himself).
- Timeless. NBC. Entertainment Weekly said: "Let's just hope the mounting conspiracies and exhausting twists don't dilute the retro-escapist vibe."
There are a few new shows, too, including docu-series about the Kennedys and the Pope on CNN Sunday, a crime drama called "Hard Sun" on Hulu, a Mindy Kaling comedy "Champions" on NBC, a sweet cured-from-cancer comedy "Life Sentence" starring Lucy Hale on the CW and ABC's "Deception," yet another wacky crime fighter from another discipline. (In this case, magic.)
Oh, and "American Idol" is coming back after a whopping 23-month break. It's now on ABC and airs on Sundays and Mondays.
This covers Monday, March 5 through Sunday, March 11, 2018.
MONDAY
"The Bachelor" 8 p.m. ABC (22nd season finale) — Arie picks between Rebecca Lauren for what will not likely to be a happy marriage down the road.
"Kevin Can Wait" 8 p.m. CBS — After convincing Kevin to break things off with his neighbor, Wendy, who had reeled him in with her delicious meals, Vanessa feels compelled to cook for him despite being culinarily challenged.
"Divided States" 9 p.m. A&E (new series) — A fight between students at a Pennsylvania high school leads to assault charges and an investigation into a racist video posted on Snapchat.
"The Resident" 9 p.m. Fox — As Conrad battles a group of overly aggressive attending physicians on behalf of a patient with a mysterious chronic ailment, he also must face off against his father who has shown up at the hospital unannounced.
"The Alienist" 9 p.m. TNT — Kreizler and Moore follow a lead. Sara visits a hospital and is forced to confront her past. Cyrus, Kreizler's carriage driver, recovers from his injuries.
"Good Girls" 10 p.m. NBC — The women struggle to come up with the money they owe the gang which, in this case, means robbing yet again.
"Scorpion" 10 p.m. CBS — Team Scorpion inadvertently crashes a bank robbery in progress and is taken hostage.
"Unreal" 10:02 p.m. Lifetime — After a poker game with the contestants that leaves Serena the sore winner, Chet teaches her how to be the woman that all men want to marry.
TUESDAY
"NCIS" 8 p.m. CBS — Gibbs and the team work to clear the name of retired Marine Sergeant John Ross when cyanide is found in one of the hundreds of care packages he sends to active-duty Marines.
"The Bachelor: After the Final Rose" 8 p.m. ABC— Arie, Becca and Lauren join host Chris Harrison to reflect on the season.
"Black Lightning" 9 p.m. the CW — Black Lightning's pursuit for Tobias continues. Anissa continues to find herself in the new normal.
"The Haves and the Have Nots" 9 p.m. OWN — David fights to save his son, Jeffery. Charles yearns to see Candace.
"This Is Us" 10 p.m. NBC — Randall and Beth welcome visitors to their home.
"Kevin (Probably) Saves the World" 10 p.m. ABC (first season finale) — Kevin struggles with the idea that his relationship with Kristin might be in jeopardy while helping a stranger honor his deceased uncle's burial wishes.
"Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and Biggie Smalls" 10 p.m. USA — Kading and Dupree brief the Biggie Smalls Task Force on the case's popular theories.
"Chicago Med" 10:01 p.m. NBC — After a neighbor is stabbed, Dr. Choi enlists the help of April to figure out who is the real cause of the incident.
"Oprah at the Apollo" 10 p.m. OWN — Oprah has one-on-one conversations with the host of the Late Show Stephen Colbert; creator of the Broadway play Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda; star of Grown-ish Yara Shahidi; actress Jessica Williams; and comedian and writer Phoebe Robinson.
WEDNESDAY
"Hard Sun" 3:01 a.m. Hulu (new series) — Jim Sturgess and Agyness Deyn play detectives Robert Hicks and Elaine Renko, partners and enemies, who seek to enforce the law and protect their loved ones in a world that every day slips closer to a world-ending natural disaster.
"Survivor" 8 p.m. CBS — This show loves casting small-town hicks. In this case, they have a sweet gay West Virginian who called the Asian dude "exotic."
"The Blacklist" 8 p.m. NBC — As Liz works a new angle in tracking Tom's killers, Red looks to find a creative solution to a tax issue in his money-laundering operation.
"The X-Files" 8 p.m. Fox — Mulder and Scully investigate the brutal animal attack on a little boy in Connecticut, while suspecting darker forces are at play.
"Street Outlaws" 8 p.m. Discovery (new series) — Thirty-two of the best racers from around the country meet in Memphis to compete for $50,000 and the chance to earn points in the first No Prep Kings points series.
"Hollywood Medium" 9 p.m. E! — Tyler relays shocking messages for Giuliana Rancic, her husband, and her best friend as well; Christa El Moussa flips out when Tyler channels advice about her divorce from her deceased grandmother.
"Life Sentence" 9 p.m. the CW (new series) — Stella learns that the cancer she thought would kill her has been cured, forcing her to face the consequences of her "live in the moment" decisions.
"Modern Family" 9 p.m. ABC — When Jay overhears Gloria on the phone talking about spanking, he assumes she is frustrated in the bedroom.
"9-1-1" 9 p.m. Fox — What goes around comes around for an unremorseful widower, an arrogant fitness club owner and an unsuspecting thief.
"The Men Who Built America" 9 p.m. History (new series) — A focus on frontiersman.
"American Crime Story" 10 p.m. FX — Andrew Cunanan leaves behind a troubled family life as Donatella Versace struggles to find her role within the Versace empire.
"Designated Survivor" 10 p.m. ABC — When a missile intended to bring water to stranded astronauts in space is hacked, President Kirkman must work with Russia and enlists the help of Dr. Andrea Frost to help save lives and find out who is behind the hack.
"Criminal Minds" 10 p.m. CBS — The FBI's assistant director of national security, Linda Barnes, joins the BAU as they investigate a quadruple homicide of a group of roommates in St. Louis.
"Hap & Leonard" 10 p.m. Sundance (third season debut) — When Florida Grange goes missing in Grovetown, Hap and Leonard set out to find her.
"If Loving You Is Wrong" 10 p.m. OWN (fifth season finale) — The sins of the neighborhood come to a head in catastrophic events across the city.
THURSDAY
"Marvel's Jessica Jones" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (second season debut) — After a tragic ending to her short-lived Super Hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases in New York City.
"The Oath" 3:01 a.m. Crackle (new series) — The 10-episode series explores a world of gangs made up of those sworn to protect and defend and sheds light on corrupt and secret societies that are nearly impossible to join - only a select few make the cut.
"Grey's Anatomy" 8 p.m. ABC — Maggie's relationship with Clive starts to progress, and she invites him over for a game night to meet Meredith and Amelia.
"The Big Bang Theory" 8 p.m. CBS — Leonard jumps through hoops to help secure the perfect wedding venue for Sheldon and Amy.
"Gotham" 8 p.m. Fox — Ivy tracks a secret project on which Wayne Enterprises is working and begins to target anyone that can give her information.
"Young Sheldon" 8:31 p.m. CBS — Sheldon makes friends with an upperclassman who introduces him to a new field of science.
"Scandal" 9 p.m. ABC — When Cyrus and David embark on a trip to Lisbon for the digital piracy summit, their plane is hacked, leaving their friends and colleagues on the ground little time to save them.
"Top Chef" 9 p.m. Bravo (15th season finale) — Adrienne and Joseph are the finalists.
"Will & Grace" 9 p.m. NBC — A baby shower makes Grace and Will question their life choices. Karen and Jack find a way to combine child labor with musical theater.
"Mom" 9:01 p.m. CBS — Bonnie locks horns with Jill's "inner strength" coach, Miranda. Also, Christy struggles to bounce back after being rejected from law school.
"Champions" 9:30 p.m. NBC (new series) — The premiere of the comedy about a washed-up high-school baseball star who reluctantly gives up his dreams to take over the family gym in Brooklyn.
"Atlanta" 10 p.m. FX — Earn gets some cash and decides to try to double his money.
"Chicago Fire" 10 p.m. NBC — While working to track down a bombing suspect, Voight and Antonio meet with Chief Boden, who unwillingly agrees to let Dawson and Brett go undercover.
"How to Get Away With Murder" 10 p.m. ABC — Annalise helps the "Keating 4" concoct a plan to prepare for another round of questioning after detectives get a break involving Simon's case..
"Truck Night in America" 10 p.m. History (new series) — It's old versus new when five decades of trucks pull up to the line, including a 1947 Dodge Power Wagon and a 1978 Jeep CJ7.
FRIDAY
"Collateral" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — A gripping, high-octane thriller set in present day London.
"Love" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (series finale) — After a long, complicated, and somewhat messy journey, Gus and Mickey enter Season 3 in a place we've never seen them before: a fully committed relationship.
"Sneaky Pete" 3:01 a.m. Amazon (second season debut) — The show is currently the most watched show on Amazon and holds an impressively high score on Metacritic.
"Blindspot" 8 p.m. NBC — When Patterson's investigation into a tattoo results in a horrible incident, she tries to figure out what went wrong but quickly realizes all is not as it seems.
"Dynasty" 8 p.m. the CW (new time slot) — Suspicious that the Colbys may be up to no good, Fallon plays a dangerous game of charades.
"MacGyver" 8 p.m. CBS — Mac, Jack and Riley set out to find a mobster-turned-informant after he's kidnapped and taken to Chernobyl by an international crime boss who's worried he will deliver incriminating information to the CIA.
"Masterchief Junior" 8 p.m. Fox —The Top 24 face their first mystery box challenge of the season.
"Hawaii Five-O" 9 p.m. CBS — Adam's mission to take down organized crime on the Island goes sideways when deadly chlorine gas he was using to bait a big fish falls into the wrong hands.
"Marvel's Agents of Shield" 9:01 p.m. ABC (100th episode) — Coulson finally reveals the mysterious deal he made with Ghost Rider, which will impact everyone on the S.H.I.E.L.D. team.
"Blue Bloods" 10 p.m. CBS — Danny and Baez investigate the murder of a man who was living a double life with two separate families.
WEEKEND
"Stalked By a Reality Star" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — When teenager Kendra lies about her age to get into a Hollywood party, she meets handsome reality TV star, Brad. Then he stalks her.
"Iyanla: Fix My Life" 9 p.m. Saturday OWN — Iyanla works with Mickey "Memphitz" Wright, a former top hip-hop executive who lost it all and turned to drugs to numb his pain.
"Saturday Night Live" 11:29 tonight NBC — Sterling K. Brown hosts.
"American Idol" 8 p.m. Sunday ABC (16th season debut) — The show returns on a new network with the same host (Ryan Seacrest) but three new judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
"O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession" 8 p.m. Sunday Fox — A controversial 2006 interview with O.J. Simpson is finally going to air after more than a decade on ice.
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" 8 p.m. Sund ay Bravo — The women attempt to heal and come together to salvage the final days of the Barcelona trip.
"The 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards" 8 p.m. Sunday TBS, TNT, truTV — Bon Jovi
"American Dynasties: The Kennedys" 9 p.m. Sunday CNN (new series) — Joseph Kennedy's political ambition passes first to his son Joe Jr. and then to reluctant second son Jack.
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