ABC, 7:00 p.m. ET
SPECIAL: The first volume of this Disney Family Sing-Along snuck up on me, but I’m prepared to recommend this one. It’s like one of those increasingly familiar socially distanced specials, in which celebrities check in from their respective homes to entertain – this time by singing, and leading viewers in song. Except that most of the songs here are familiar Disney tunes, and many of the on-screen participants are very familiar faces from the ever-expanding Disney empire. Which now, of course, includes the Muppets – so if you have children in your house, and even if you don’t, how can you miss this? Kermit and Katy Perry, and that’s just for starters.
Various Networks, 7:00 p.m. ET
SPECIAL: When I said these socially distanced entertainment specials were “increasingly familiar,” I wasn’t exaggerating. In fact, tonight there are two of them competing for viewers in the same time slot. This one, a charity benefit for Feeding America, is co-hosted by organizer Bryon Allen, Tiffany Haddish, Kenan Thompson, and Billy Crystal. Pre-recorded comedy bits are provided by, among others, Kevin Hart, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and George Lopez. Other participants include Stephen Colbert, Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman, Michael Che, Will Ferrell, and Wanda Sykes. This special first was scheduled for The Weather Channel (owned by organizer, Byron Allen), believe it or not, and you can still watch it there – but as this comedy storm increased in intensity, it worked its way onto the NBC network as well.
Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET
There’s a special musical treat tucked into this new episode of The Simpsons. Among the week’s guest stars are, or is, Weezer. And if you ever wondered how the theme to The Simpsons would sound if played by Weezer, the answer arrives tonight. And the answer, to borrow a phrase from Larry David, is: “Pretty, pretty good…”
PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET
This is the penultimate episode of this WWII drama, and things don’t look especially good in Europe at the moment: In this installment, Paris falls. Check local listings.
BBC America, 9:00 p.m. ET
Last week, Killing Eve delighted me – by finally, if briefly, reuniting Villanelle and Eve on a massively emotional and physical bus ride (physical in the sense of beating each other up, as well as embracing). But also, it delighted me by opening with Henry Hall and His Orchestra’s “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic,” a song I first heard, and loved, when it was used in the soundtrack of the BBC miniseries The Singing Detective.
ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET
Tonight we get hours 7 and 8 of this excellent 10-part ESPN documentary on Michael Jordan’s 1997-98 final championship run with the Chicago Bulls. Every episode flashes back and covers much more ground than that – and tonight’s installments will set the stage for next week’s finale by following Jordan and the Bulls as they become one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of basketball.
HBO, 9:00 p.m. ET
MINISERIES PREMIERE: Mark Ruffalo plays a dual role in this limited miniseries, but he’s not the only actor worth paying attention to in this character study of twin brothers, one of whom is schizophrenic. Co-stars include Melissa Leo, Archie Panjabi, Juliette Lewis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kathryn Hahn. For a full review, see
David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower, and for some background info, see
Mike Hughes' Open Mike.
Showtime, 9:00 p.m. ET
Corey Stoll, as this season’s main adversary to Damian Lewis’ Axe, has proven to be a formidable foe indeed. But he’s not the only one, as others in Axe’s star system begin to spin out from their orbits. It’s starting as another strong season for one of TV’s most entertaining dramatic ensembles.
Showtime, 10:00 p.m. ET
You’d think that Natalie Dormer, as a shape-shifting demon in this new cycle of Penny Dreadful, couldn’t possibly find more to do. But tonight she does… and, once again, embodies a singularly different character. Blame it on Rio… because that’s this new character’s name.
HBO, 10:35 p.m. ET
The main characters of this series are off the train, and on the run, in pursuit of someone who’s even more impulsive than they are. And these new travels take them, in the middle of the night in the middle of the country, to seek help from a stranger – played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of Fleabag, who shows up as a guest star. So stick with Run for at least one more leg of this TV journey, as the characters played by Domhnall and Merritt Wever continue to reveal themselves slowly. Not only to their traveling companion, but to themselves.
HBO, 11:00 p.m. ET
Last week, Last Week with John Oliver returned with a very smart central segment on COVID-19 testing methods – proving, once again, that sometimes this comedy show is one of the best places on TV to actually learn things about current events. And then, in that same show, it ended with a lengthy segment produced exclusively for one segment of its viewership – specifically, for cats – that was just as deliriously stupid as the medical segment was intelligent. This is why this show, and this host, is such a treasure, and should be considered mandatory viewing whenever he’s on, as in tonight. And not just by felines…