Posted Monday, January 29, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
The NFL, now politicized and taken hits by all the concussion controversy, has lost some of its luster so the Super Bowl this Sunday may not draw the audiences it used to. But it's still by far the biggest event of the year, eclipsing any drama, any comedy, any awards show.
And Justin Timberlake is back - sans Janet Jackson - for the halftime show.
Or you can watch the Puppy Bowl and Kitten Bowl earlier in the day and skip the real football.
And after the Super Bowl, the critical "This is Us" episode that may finally answer the question: how did Jack die?
Rose McGowan, an actress who has become a focal point of the #MeToo movement after helping take down Harvey Weinstein, on Tuesday takes part in a docu-series called "Citizen Rose" on E!
Otherwise, the biggest debut of the week will be Netflix's big-budget futuristic drama "Altered Carbon" out on Friday.
And the latest locally shot shot will be "Step Up High Water" on YouTube Red on Thursday, a take off on the successful run of films by the same name.
Plus, my favorite comedy "The Good Place" concludes season two on Thursday night. How will Michael get his four humans out of the Bad Place once and for all? And given how much plot the show has burned through season two, where does it go from here?
And President Trump's State of the Union address will get plenty of attention on the cable news channels and comedic talk shows on Tuesday.
This covers Monday, January 29 through Sunday, February 4, 2018.
MONDAY
"The Bachelor" 8 p.m. ABC — Chelsea receives the first one-on-one date in Ft. Lauderdale.
"Kevin Can Wait" 8 p.m. CBS — On a flight for a security job, Vanessa tells a flight attendant that she and Kevin are newly married in order to get bumped up to first class, but her fib creates a lot of extra baggage when Kevin meets Lisa and the two hit it off.
"Better Late Than Never" 9 p.m. NBC — William Shatner arranges a cinematic trek through the desert on some grumpy camels and the guys arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco.
"The Alienist" 9 p.m. TNT — The investigation heats up as Sara gets her hands on a clue and Kreizler tries to connect the evidence left behind by the serial killer.
"The Resident" 9 p.m. Fox — An old Army buddy and fellow surgeon visits Conrad at the hospital.
"The Brave" 10 p.m. NBC (first season finale) — With just four short weeks before Dalton and his team finish their deployment, they continue to race the clock on a high-stakes mission.
"Scorpion" 10 p.m. CBS — Team Scorpion must prevent an incoming tsunami from hitting a vulnerable nuclear power facility.
TUESDAY
"Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2018" 8 p.m. CBS — This year's look at the best ads from the Big Game will feature a new format: man vs. beast, pitting spots starring humans against those featuring members of the animal kingdom.
"Fresh off the Boat" 8 p.m. ABC — When Michelle Kwan comes in second place at the Olympics, Jessica tries to keep it from Emery and Evan, only to get caught up in an elaborate conspiracy theory that leads them seeking answers from Nancy Kerrigan.
"We'll Meet Again" 8 p.m. GPB — Reunions of people whose lives crossed during the deadly eruption of Mount St. Helens.
"Citizen Rose" 8 p.m. E! — In the span of ten days, artist/activist Rose McGowan was arrested, met with former President Barack Obama, and became one of Time Magazine's "People of the Year," all while navigating the minefield of those trying to silence her.
"Black Lightning" 9 p.m. the CW —As Jefferson Pierce tries to determine if the community can survive without the help of Black Lightning, Anissa starts to come into her own.
"State of the Union" 9 p.m. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, BBC, C-SPAN — President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol
"Baskets" 10 p.m. FX — Christine eats a carrot.
WEDNESDAY
"Step Up High Water" 9 a.m. YouTube Red (new series) — Ne-Yo — singer, actor, dancer and producer — plays Sage Odom, the legendary founder of the fictional High Water Performing Arts School in Atlanta.
"The Amazing Race" 8 p.m. CBS — The race continues in Prague, Czech Republic, where teams face a double U-turn.
"The Blacklist" 8 p.m. NBC — As Liz works with Red to hunt for Tom's killers, she begins to question his motives.
"Buried: Knights Templar and the Holy Grail" 8 p.m. History— A new investigation into the true fate of the Knights Templar is launched to see if the order really fell in 1307 or if they continued on in secret.
"The X-Files" 8 p.m. Fox — When a pair of teenage girls attack one another, each believing the other to be a monster, Mulder and Scully find that their investigation could possibly lead back to their long-lost son, William.
"9-1-1" 9 p.m. Fox — The crew races to an emergency when disaster strikes at an Indian wedding.
"Dynasty" 9 p.m. the CW — When the Carringtons host a lavish Casino Night party, Cristal and Blake's marriage is put to the test when an explosive secret from Blake's past surfaces
"American Crime Story" 10 p.m. FX — Chicago real-estate tycoon Lee Miglin is murdered in what police describe as a random killing.
"Happy!" 10 p.m. FX (first season finale) — With Christmas approaching, Sax and Happy are locked in a climatic confrontation to rescue Hailey from Very Bad Santa's lair.
"Match Game" 10 p.m. ABC —Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, Ron Huebel, Ana Gasteyer, Jason Biggs and Tichina Arnold.
THURSDAY
"The Big Bang Theory " 8 p.m. CBS — When Sheldon petitions Wil Wheaton to appear on the new Professor Proton show, Wil offers a role to Amy instead.
"Grey's Anatomy" 8 p.m. ABC — The stress of managing the hospital and coming to terms with Ben's decision to become a Seattle firefighter pushes Bailey to her limits.
"The Good Place" 8:30 p.m. NBC (second season finale) — Michael tries to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
"Young Sheldon" 8:30 p.m. CBS — When flu season hits Medford, Sheldon takes extreme measures to remain healthy.
"Scandal" 9 p.m. ABC — When Olivia agrees to join Fitz in Vermont for what she thinks will be a relaxing getaway, she is shocked to find that her closest friends have orchestrated a relentless intervention.
"Nashville" 9 p.m. CMT — Deacon and Jessie's relationship deepens.
"Will & Grace" 9 p.m. NBC — Jack's intimacy issues are challenged by a closeted boyfriend; and Will and Grace sell their new line of bedding on TV.
"Mom" 9:01 p.m. CBS (100th episode) — When Christy's car dies, Bonnie refuses to let Adam loan her money for a new one.
"Chicago Fire" 10 p.m. CBS — After responding to a time-sensitive rescue, Casey and Severide don't see eye to eye on the best course of action.
"How to Get Away With Murder" 10 p.m. ABC — An important person in Laurel's life comes to town to help her as private details regarding her past are revealed. Meanwhile, Annalise encounters an obstacle involving a potential plaintiff for her class action.
"Top Chef" 10 p.m. Bravo — Cooking for Michelin-starred Chef David Kinch adds pressure to an already stressful Sudden Death Quickfire based on edible flowers and the chefs are crushed as one of their own is sent packing.
FRIDAY
"Altered Carbon" 3:01 a.m. Netflix (new series) — Based on the classic cyberpunk noir novel by Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon is an intriguing story of murder, love, sex, and betrayal, set more than 300 years in the future. Society has been transformed by new technology: consciousness can be digitized; human bodies are interchangeable; death is no longer permanent.
"Absentia" 3:01 a.m. Amazon (new series) — While hunting one of Boston's most notorious serial killers, Agent Byrne disappears without a trace and is declared dead. Six years later, Emily is found in a cabin in the woods, barely alive, and with no memory of the years she was missing.
"Blindspot" 8 p.m. NBC — Weller and his former FBI partner reunite for a dangerous undercover mission while Zapata interrogates a past foe.
"Hell's Kitchen" 8 p.m. Fox (17th season finale) — Chef Ramsay informs the remaining three all-stars that all of them will compete in the finale.
"Hawaii Five-O" 9 p.m. CBS — McGarrett and Danny investigate the murder of a private detective whose client was killed the same way.
"The Trade" 9 p.m. Showtime (new series) — Atlanta's Jen Walton is featured in this series about the opioid crisis.
"Blue Bloods" 10 p.m. CBS — When a student is shot by a rival gang member in his high school courtyard, Danny and Baez try to get a grasp on the situation to prevent a reoccurrence, but the principal recklessly takes matters into his own hands. Also, Erin tries to help a friend who is mixed up.
"Strike Back" 10 p.m. Cinemax (fifth season debut) — Section 20 is tasked with tracking down Omair Idrisi, a ruthless terrorist who escaped from a Syrian prison, and set their sights on a Saudi prince who has ties to Idrisi and his British-born renegade wife.
WEEKEND
"The Simone Biles Story" 8 p.m. Saturday Lifetime — A biopic of the Olympic gymnast.
"Saturday Night Live" 11:29 p.m. Saturday NBC— Natalie Portman hosts.
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