Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, originally filed February 7, 2015
Lorne Michaels is the tastemaker of NBC and has been for much of the past four decades. The stars he has helped nurture range from Bill Murray and Chevy Chase to Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell, from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Kristen Wiig and B ill Hader.
Two of his alums now man the late-night slots: Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
At age 70, he is minting stars and now creating viral videos galore. Yet people still complain how it's not as funny as it used to be.
This Sunday, NBC celebrates four decades of the show with classic clips and guest stars galore, including Murphy, who will make his first appearance on the show since he left in the mid-1980s.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
A&E's "Duck Dynasty" is also wrapping up its seventh season this Wednesday, but ratings are one quarter what they were at the peak a couple of years ago. It's unclear how much all that controversy over Phil Robertson's allegedly anti-gay comments 14 months has impacted the show vs. people just getting tired of it. MTV's "Jersey Shore," without this type of controversy, peaked season six and fell off significantly as well, dying by season six.
MONDAY
"The Bachelor" 8 p.m. ABC — Chris takes the nine remaining ladies to Deadwood, S.D., where he takes one of them on a romantic horseback ride.
"2 Broke Girls " 8 p.m. CBS — Max and Caroline are arrested for breaking into a cute guy's apartment to retrieve some rings Caroline left there after she spent the night.
"Gotham " 8 p.m. Fox — Gordon and Bullock hunt Gerald Crane, a biology teacher who harvests the glands of his murder victims
"Celebrity Apprentice " 9 p.m. NBC — The final three: Vivica A. Fox, Leeza Gibbons and the whirlwind that is Geraldo Rivera.
"Scorpion " 9 p.m. CBS — Team Scorpion work undercover on a cruise ship to locate and disable stolen rockets
"Sleepy Hollow " 9 p.m. Fox — A Thomas Jefferson encounter is a highlight during Ichabod and Abbie's quest to fight evil.
" Better Call Saul " 10 p.m. AMC — As his troubles escalate to a boiling point, Jimmy finds himself in dire straits. Meanwhile, an act of carelessness puts Chuck at risk.
" State of Affairs " 10 p.m. NBC — Charlie and Lucas help the FBI search for a terrorist who escaped custody in West Virginia.
" NCIS: Los Angeles " 10 p.m. CBS — Callen and Sam are kidnapped when they follow an anonymous tip about a missing NSA agent.
" Castle " 10:01 p.m. ABC— Castle and Beckett encounter an old rival.
TUESDAY
"Parks & Recreation" 8 p.m. NBC— While on a business trip to Washington with Leslie, April struggles with her future.
"Fresh Off the Boat" 8 p.m. ABC — Louis urges the family to make new friends -- and promote the restaurant -- during a block party.
"Masterchef Junior" 8 p.m. Fox — The cooks will split into two teams and take over a real Los Angeles establishment.
"NCIS" 8 p.m. CBS — A Marine and alumnus of the military academy DiNozzo attended is found dead.
"Marvel's Agent Carter " 9 p.m. ABC — Peggy comes to a shocking realization but isn't aware that her enemies are closer than she thought
"Girlfriends Guide to Divorce " 10 p.m. Bravo — Abby hosts an adult "Friendsgiving" dinner with her new boyfriend.
"Being Mary Jane " 10 p.m. BET — Mary Jane's plans for an anxiety-free weekend go awry when Mark asks her to be his "beard" during an unexpected visit from his parents
"Justified " 10 p.m. FX — Raylan declares war on the men who are forcing Harlan's most valuable real estate to change hands.
"Chicago Fire " 10 p.m. NBC — The pursuit of a missing teenager leaves Mills and Brett stranded in unforgiving elements.
"Person of Interest " 10 p.m. CBS — While on a jury for a murder trial, Finch becomes suspicious of another juror.
"Cougar Town " 10:30 p.m. TBS — Jules offers to help Andy prepare for his job interviews.
WEDNESDAY
"The Mentalist " 8 p.m. CBS — A psychic offers to assist with an investigation but ends up leading the FBI to additional victims.
"American Idol " 8 p.m. Fox — More Hollywood rounds.
"Top Chef " 9 p.m. Bravo — It's a battle between Mei and Gregory.
"Criminal Minds " 9 p.m. CBS — The members of the BAU team search for a suspect who may have witnessed abuse as a child.
"Hindsight "9 p.m. VH1 — Following the accident, everyone worries about Andy; Paige and Sean grow closer and connect.
"Law & Order: SVU " 9 p.m NBC — The cops must protect a female video game developer who has been receiving death threats.
"Modern Family " 9 p.m. ABC — Claire senses Phil may be more into "Juliana" than her; Gloria's sister visits.
"Empire " 9:01 p.m. Fox — Lucious asks Cookie to manage the label's first star; Vernon finds himself in a sticky situation.
"Duck Dynasty " 9:30 p.m. A&E (seventh season finale) — Jessica and Jep move into their new home; the guys seek the perfect housewarming gift for Jep.
"Black-ish " 9:30 p.m. ABC — Dre is determined to keep the peace on Valentine's Day; Diane's siblings try to help her be nice.
"The Americans " 10 p.m. FX — Elizabeth and Philip get closer to the inner circle of the C.I.A. Afghan Group.
"Schitt's Creek " 10 p.m. Pop (new series) — After losing everything, the Rose's are forced to move to the town of Schitt's Creek.
"Nashville " 10 p.m. ABC — Rayna brushes off rumors about her and Luke's breakup as she prepares to return to the stage.
THURSDAY
"American Idol" 8 p.m. Fox — One more round of solo performances and an interview session to get the numbers down to 48.
"Grey's Anatomy" 8 p.m. ABC — Meredith looks for a sitter so she can go visit Derek; Amelia and Stephanie work together on a case.
"The Slap" 8 p.m. NBC (new series) — Simmering tension and buried secrets among a group of family and friends surface in the premiere of this drama when a man slaps another couple's child at a backyard party.
"Backstrom" 9 p.m. Fox — When the team investigates the murder of a drag queen blogger, Backstrom declares it a hate crime.
"The Blacklist" 9 p.m. NBC — The task force must rescue an undercover CIA agent who was kidnapped by separatists in Uzbekistan.
"Scandal" 9 p.m. ABC— Olivia struggles to stay one step ahead; Huck, Jake and Quinn ask an old friend for assistance.
"Two and a Half Men" 9:01 p.m. CBS — After they sign divorce papers, Walden offers Alan a gift of his choice.
"How To Get Away With Murder" 10 p.m. ABC — A stunning discovery in Sam's murder case leads to changes for Annalise and the students.
"Babylon" 10 p.m. Sundance (series finale) — ARV men's suspension is lifted and they return to duty, but when Banjo's bin footage goes viral, Sharon's response sparks unofficial industrial action among the rank and file.
FRIDAY
"Bosch" 12:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — The series follows the relentless LAPD homicide detective as he pursues the killer of a 13-year-old boy while standing trial in federal court on accusations that he murdered a suspected killer in cold blood.
"Constantine " 8 p.m. NBC — Detective Jim Corrigan asks John and Zed for help with a case involving a missing girl.
"Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown " 8 p.m. ABC — When Sally sees the box of candy Linus brought for his teacher, she thinks it's meant for her.
"Undercover Boss " 8 p.m. CBS — The chief executive officer of Gigi's Cupcakes struggles with the pressures while under cover.
"Glee " 9 p.m. Fox — New Directions rallies around Rachel when she learns her childhood home has been sold.
"Hawaii Five-O " 9 p.m. CBS — The members of the Five-0 investigate a journalist's past after he is killed.
"Shark Tank " 9 p.m. ABC — Customized sandals; gold-mining bucket; sports bra; a kit for developing photos with sunlight.
"Banshee " 10 p.m. Cinemax — Lucas takes matters into his own hands in his pursuit of Chayton; Deva is drawn to a stranger.
"Blue Bloods " 10 p.m. CBS — Erin must bring a mob informant back to New York to help with a case after losing her star witness.
WEEKEND
"Back to School Mom" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — After returning to college, a middle-aged musician (Kimberly Elise) meets a man who turns out to be the son she gave up 20 years earlier.
"All Of My Heart" 8 p.m. Saturday Hallmark — After inheriting half of a house, a young woman (Lacey Chabert) develops an unexpected friendship with her co-owner.
"Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" 8 p.m. Sunday NBC — A massive celebration and the return of Eddie Murphy.
"Undercover Boss " 8 p.m. Sunday CBS (special night) — Peavey Electronics COO Courtland Gray goes under cover; a life-changing announcement is made.
"The Bachelor"9 p.m. Sunday ABC — Chris takes the remaining six women to Iowa where one lucky lady accompanies Chris to his hometown to watch a high school football game.
"Girls" 9 p.m. Sunday HBO — Hannah's friends try to help her through a crisis; Hannah and Adam have an honest conversation.
"The Walking Dead" 9 p.m. Sunday AMC — The group feels beaten after living life on the road, but must continue to trudge along.
"Downton Abbey" 9 p.m. Sunday GPB — Edith is outed; Mary shakes a suitor; Isobel and Lord Merton's plans are revealed.
"CSI" 10 p.m. Sunday CBS (15th season finale) — The team faces the Gig Harbor killer for a final showdown; Nick Stokes makes a major decision.
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