TV Best Bets

Friday, Jan. 6: NBC Returns to Oz With Emerald City

Emerald City © 2016 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

All Times Eastern.

Friday, Jan. 6

Emerald City
NBC, 9pm
New Series!
Swept up into the eye of a tornado, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale (Adria Arjona) is transported to another world — a mystical land where an all-powerful ruler (Vincent D’Onofrio) has outlawed magic and faces not only the wrath of a growing cauldron of witches but also a looming disaster brought on by a mythical force. This retelling of the classic Oz tale also stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ana Ularu and Joely Richardson.

One Day at a Time
Netflix
New Series!
This reimagining of the classic Norman Lear sitcom stars Justina Machado as a recently separated former military mom navigating her new single life while raising a radical teenage daughter and a tween son with the “help” of her old-school Cuban-born mom (Rita Moreno) and friend-without-benefits building manager Schneider (Todd Grinnell).

MacGyver: “Screwdriver”
CBS, 8pm
In the new episode “Screwdriver,” MacGyver (Lucas Till) must find the mole who is leaking classified intel to the organization that is trying to take down the Phoenix Foundation.

Ginormous Food
Food Network, 8pm
New Series!
Funnyman food fanatic Josh Denny sets out on a quest to find the biggest, tastiest foods in America. Josh mines the minds (and kitchens) of the passionate people who come up with these oversized edibles — from a 5-foot pizza to an 8-pound barbecue sandwich to a burrito too big to wrap his arms around — and sinks his teeth into the culinary monsters.

Rosewood
FOX, 8pm
New Time Slot!
The hot Miami-based medical drama moves to a new night and time.

Grimm
NBC, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The drama begins its sixth and final season tonight. The nefarious forces of Black Claw have been silenced, and Nick (David Giuntoli) faces an all-too-familiar foe in Capt. Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz). Now in the seat of power as the mayor-elect of Portland, Renard is poised to bring rise to his own brand of law and order. Nick must take a stand to protect his city and those closest to him, especially his child with Adalind (Claire Coffee). It will take the full force of Nick and his allies to find a way to bring the peace. Meanwhile, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) grapple with bringing a child into a new and tumultuous world, and Eve (Bitsie Tulloch) faces unsettling identity issues as her former self lurks below the surface.

Dr. Ken: “Ken’s New Intern”
ABC, 8:30pm
Allison (Suzy Nakamura) starts to feel a bit insecure when Ken’s (Ken Jeong) attractive — and flirty — new intern, Erin (guest star Gillian Jacobs), arrives at Welltopia. Meanwhile, Damona’s (Tisha Campbell-Martin) boyfriend, Eric (Jerry Minor), wants her to confront her musical past when he learns she was the lead singer on C+C Music Factory’s 1990 hit “Gonna Make You Sweat.” And Molly’s (Krista Marie Yu) first date with Jae (Justin Chon) leaves her wondering if he really likes her, so matchmaker D.K. (Dana Lee) launches a secret investigation.

Hawaii Five-0: “Ka ’aelike (The Deal)”
CBS, 9pm
Chin (Daniel Dae Kim) is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel in the new episode “Ka ’aelike (The Deal), and Five-0 must find and rescue him before he is executed.

Sleepy Hollow
FOX, 9pm
Season Premiere!
After last season’s controversial decision not to kill off lead actress Nicole Beharie’s character, we’re feeling a bit like headless horsemen — unable to see where this show is going. In Season 4, Ichabod finds himself in our nation’s capital and trying to save it from otherworldly threats.

In Jackson Heights
PBS, 9pm
Examine the daily life of residents in an ethnically and culturally diverse community in Queens, New York. Witness the conflict between retaining ties to the traditions of their countries of origin and the desire to learn and adapt to American mores.

Saturday, Jan. 7

College Basketball
CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX & FS1, beginning at 12pm Live

Top Saturday college hoops games include Butler at Georgetown (FOX), Texas A&M at South Carolina (CBS), St. John’s at Xavier (FS1), Tennessee at Florida (ESPN2), Texas Tech at Kansas (ESPN2), Marquette at Villanova (FS1), NC State at North Carolina (ESPN) and Texas at Iowa State (ESPN2).

NFL Playoffs: Wild-Card
ABC/ESPN & NBC, beginning at 4:35pm Live

NFL wild-card games are Oakland at Houston (ABC/ESPN) and Detroit at Seattle (NBC) on Saturday. Sunday has Miami at Pittsburgh (CBS) and the N.Y. Giants at Green Bay (FOX).

Ransom
CBS, 8pm
Inspired by the work of world-renowned negotiators Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery, Ransom follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts), who’s called on to nonviolently resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases. The series begins in its regular time slot tonight.

Under the Bed
Lifetime, 8pm
Inspired by true events, Under the Bed tells the cautionary tale of a young woman (Hannah New, Black Sails) in the throes of a recent breakup, whose new friend on social media turns out to be an obsessed stalker who stows away in her home and begins to wreak havoc. Beverly D’Angelo costars.

Love on Ice
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!
Emily James (Julie Berman) is a former Olympic figure skating hopeful who walked away from it all. Now in her late 20s, she is considered a relic in the world of figure skating, but a handsome and energetic coach (Andrew Walker) sees that she still possesses a spark of greatness, and gives her a shot to reclaim her skating glory. As they work together, the pair discovers that their love goes beyond skating.

Sunday, Jan. 8

NFL Playoffs: Wild-Card
CBS & FOX, beginning at 1pm Live

NFL wild-card games continue today with the Miami Dolphins at the Pittsburgh Steelers on CBS and the N.Y. Giants at the Green Bay Packers on FOX.

Barbershop: The Next Cut
EPIX, 8pm
This is the fourth film in the Chicago-based Barbershop series and the most entertaining. The original 2002 Barbershop was followed by Barbershop 2: Back in Business and the spinoff Beauty Shop with Queen Latifah. This time around, Ice Cube’s barbershop owner Calvin tackles tough economic times by merging with the beauty salon, and both staffs join forces to clean up the neighborhood, where gangs have taken root.

College Basketball: Stanford at UCLA
FS1, 8pm Live

A big Pac-12 college basketball matchup on FS1 has the Stanford Cardinal heading to Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles to face the UCLA Bruins.

The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards
NBC, 8pm Live
Jimmy Fallon hosts the annual ceremony held by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, honoring the best in movies and television.

NHL Hockey: Minnesota at Anaheim
NBCSN, 8pm Live

Eric Staal and the Minnesota Wild head west to face Ryan Kesler and the Ducks at Anaheim’s Honda Center.

The Librarians: “And the Eternal Question”
TNT, 8pm
Noah Wyle steps behind the camera for this episode as director. A rash of people spontaneously combusting leads the Librarians to a holistic spa run by vampires, who have discovered the secret to walking in the sun.

Genius
HBO, 9pm
Book editors aren’t often well known, but Maxwell Perkins is an exception—being the editor of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe will do that to you. Genius focuses on Perkins’ relationship with Wolfe (Jude Law, above) and how Perkins shaped his 1929 novel, Look Homeward, Angel. The film also stars Colin Firth (as Perkins) and Nicole Kidman.

Transition of Power: The Presidency
History, 9pm
As America counts down the days till Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States, this special examines the process of building a new presidential cabinet.

Everest Rescue
Discovery Channel, 10pm
New Series!
This series journeys to the tops of the treacherous Himalayan Mountains, highlighting the work of a rare breed of pilots who put their lives on the line to save those facing certain death. The series features exclusive access to a group of diverse helicopter pilots as they manage emergency calls during the 2016 climbing season, as well as intimate interviews with them and their loved ones.

The Affair
Showtime, 10pm
Helen (Maura Tierney) gives Noah (Dominic West) the help he needs, though the cost might be too high. At his weakest moment, Noah’s world has never seemed more hostile or bewildering. A vital moment of release turns into something that can’t be undone.

Monday, Jan. 9

The New Celebrity Apprentice: “Fire Up That Chopper”
NBC, 8pm
This week the contestants must create a live health segment showcasing Welch’s grape juice while healthy-lifestyle crusader and chef Rocco DiSpirito, and prominent entertainment attorney Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger, keep a watchful eye as advisors to boardroom boss Arnold Schwarzenegger. While the teams go all-out trying to make entertaining and informative segments, one player learns the hard way how important it is to fight to stay in the competition. Later, digital influencer Justine “iJustine” Ezarik and Knapp Schwarzenegger serve as advisors to the boss when the teams are tasked with producing and editing viral videos for a new product from King’s Hawaiian.

College Football Playoff National Championship
ESPN, 8:15pm Live

College football’s national champion is crowned tonight at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the No. 2 Clemson Tigers in a rematch of last year’s title game won by Alabama in a 45-40 thriller.

Independent Lens: “Containment/Excerpt From Uranium Drive-in”
PBS, 10pm
Explore our attempts to plan for our radioactive future and the startling failure to manage waste in the present. Left over from the Cold War are 100 million gallons of radioactive sludge, covering a vast amount of land.

Tuesday, Jan. 10

College Basketball
ESPN, ESPN2 & FS1, beginning at 7pm Live

Warm up a winter Tuesday night with some of the nation’s hottest college hoops teams in action. Highlights are Kentucky at Vanderbilt (ESPN), Baylor at West Virginia (ESPN2), Xavier at Villanova (FS1), Indiana at Maryland (ESPN), Kansas at Oklahoma (ESPN2) and Providence at DePaul (FS1).

Being Mary Jane
BET, 9pm
Season Premiere!
In Season 4, when Kara (Lisa Vidal) helps her land a gig as a correspondent on Great Day USA, a national morning news show based in New York City, Mary Jane (Gabrielle Union) makes the move to achieve her lifetime career goal of becoming a national lead anchor. At Great Day, Mary Jane meets her idol, veteran lead anchor Ronda Sales (Valarie Pettiford), and realizes that working closely with your heroes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Things are further complicated when Mary Jane’s old nemesis, Justin Talbot (Michael Ealy), appears as a new producer. Along with the new job and city, Mary Jane resolves to start fresh in every way possible, including her love life. She quickly falls for Lee Truitt (Chiké Okonkwo), a successful standup comedian from the U.K. who tests MJ’s preconceived notions about what (or who) she needs in her life.

This Is Us: “The Right Thing to Do”
NBC, 9pm
Kate (Chrissy Metz) struggles with her feelings in the aftermath of Toby’s (Chris Sullivan) heart attack. As William (Ron Cephas Jones) begins to spend more time with Jesse (Denis O’Hare), Randall (Sterling K. Brown) has to get used to his father’s new relationship. After receiving the news they’re expecting triplets, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) must find a way to afford a home that can accommodate three babies. Olivia (Janet Montgomery) unexpectedly resurfaces, throwing both Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Sloane (Milana Vayntrub) for a loop.

American Experience: “Command and Control”
PBS, 9pm
Discover the terrifying truth behind one of America’s most dangerous nuclear accidents — the deadly 1980 incident at an Arkansas Titan II missile complex — in this chilling, minute-by-minute account of the long-hidden story.

Good Behavior: “All the Things”
TNT, 9pm
Season Finale!

Letty (Michelle Dockery) makes a devastating choice and once again has to clean up her own mess. But this time it’s to save Javier (Juan Diego Botto).

Taboo
FX, 10pm
New Series!

Tom Hardy stars in this visceral, visually stylized eight-part drama series set in 1814 London. Taboo follows James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), who is believed to be long dead when he returns home after 10 years in Africa. He’s come back to inherit his late father’s shipping business, but discovers he’s heir to something far more sinister. Driven by revenge and forever altered by his experiences abroad, Delaney becomes embroiled in a world of conspiracy, murder and treachery.

Chicago Fire: “The People We Meet”
NBC, 10pm
Severide (Taylor Kinney) agrees to a bone marrow donation, but a work accident throws everything into flux. Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Dawson (Monica Raymund) try to find harmony at home. Meanwhile, Otis (Yuri Sardarov) and Mouch (Christian Stolte) decide to film a PSA encouraging people to join the Chicago Fire Department, but hit a creative wall in the process.

Shooter: “Ballistic Advantage”
USA Network, 10pm
Bob Lee (Ryan Phillippe) must broker a dangerous exchange in order to save his family. Nadine (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) struggles to balance her allegiances to Bob Lee and the FBI. Isaac (Omar Epps) strikes a tenuous deal for his freedom.

Wednesday, Jan. 11

Blindspot: “Droll Autumn, Unmutual Lord”
NBC, 8pm
After one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists surfaces in New York for unknown reasons, the team must partner with the CIA to stop a deadly bombing.

Nature: “Snowbound: Animals of Winter”
PBS, 8pm
Travel with wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan to meet animal survivors of winter, from the penguins of Antarctica to the Arctic fox and the bison of Yellowstone. Snow looks magical, but it’s a harsh reality to these animals.

Are You the One?
MTV, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Season 5 of the matchmaking series tries to match 11 couples with their preselected ideal partner as determined by a rigorous, preseason matchmaking process carried out by a team of professional relationship gurus and psychologists. With only 10 tries to find the winning combination, the love seekers will have to follow their hearts if they want to walk away with love (and their share of $1 million).

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce
Bravo, 10pm
Season Premiere!
As Season 3 debuts, all five of the ladies are on the brink of big change. Abby (Lisa Edelstein) faces the final breakup of her marriage, yet another job change and, uh, the change. Delia (Necar Zadegan) plots revenge on Albert (Brian Markinson) for her wedding humiliation. Phoebe (Beau Garrett) realizes she kissed her five-figure alimony checks goodbye when she married J.D. (Aaron Staton). Jo (Alanna Ubach) gives Frumpkis (Maury Sterling) an ultimatum. And a blossoming Barbara (Retta) is on the brink of a new gig and new love interest played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Chicago P.D.: “You Wish”
NBC, 10pm
When a mutilated sex offender is found dead, it is unclear whether he was the victim of a hate crime, sexual assault or self-mutilation. As Intelligence questions those related to the case, they find themselves up against a private “special police” force who may be covering up illegal activities.

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
TBS, 10:30pm
New Time Slot!
Hailed by media outlets as “America’s new comedian-in-chief,” Samantha Bee continues her sassy-smart commentary on contemporary issues for another season; however, she’s moving to Wednesday nights. “I am only sorry that this renewal leaves me unavailable for a cabinet position in the new administration,” Bee said. “I will, however, be available to host the White House Correspondents Dinner, seeing as I already bought the dress.”

Thursday, Jan. 12

Superstore: “Rebranding”
NBC, 8pm
Jeff (recurring guest star Michael Bunin) lets the employees know that Rex (guest star Ravi Patel), a vice president from corporate, will be coming by the store to help with the rollout for Cloud 9’s storewide rebranding, and it turns out Rex is someone from Jonah’s (Ben Feldman) past. Amy (America Ferrera) and Garrett (Colton Dunn) are delighted to hear Rex’s stories about Jonah. Meanwhile, Mateo (Nico Santos) is stunned to learn of rumors that Jeff is in a relationship with an employee.

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 8pm Live

Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls head to New York City’s Madison Square Garden for a matchup against Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks, followed by the Detroit Pistons at Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.

The Good Place: “What’s My Motivation?”
NBC, 8:30pm
Eleanor (Kristen Bell) and Tahani (Jameela Jamil) hatch a plan while Michael (Ted Danson) makes a startling discovery. Meanwhile, Chidi (William Jackson Harper) confides in Eleanor after learning some interesting news.

My Kitchen Rules
FOX, 9pm
New Series!
In this American version of the Australian reality smash, celebrity pairings (including Brandy and Ray J, Lance Bass and his mom, and Naomi Judd and husband Larry Strickland) will compete to throw the best dinner parties. Their fellow competitors will judge the fetes, with additional critique coming from professional chefs/judges Curtis Stone and Cat Cora.

College Basketball
FS1,
beginning at 9pm Live
FS1 airs a Pac-12 college basketball doubleheader with the Washington Huskies at the Cal Golden Bears and the UCLA Bruins at the Colorado Buffaloes.

Chicago Med: “Heart Matters”
NBC, 9pm
Dr. Rhodes’ (Colin Donnell) and Dr. Charles’ (Oliver Platt) heart transplant patient gets into a car crash, revealing issues that could complicate her surgery. A past arrest causes trouble for Maggie (Marlyne Barrett) when the arresting officer is brought to Chicago Med with a serious injury. Elsewhere, Dr. Manning (Torrey DeVitto) and Dr. Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) must defend their actions when explaining a patient’s cause of death. Meanwhile, Dr. Halstead attempts to treat an uncooperative horse jockey.

The White House: Mysteries at the Museum
Travel Channel, 9pm
Don Wildman explores the major events that turned a simple home of wood and bricks into the most powerful house in the world, the living quarters for the U.S. president and first family.

Growing Up McGhee
UP TV, 9:30pm
Season Premiere!
In the second season, the McGhee sextuplets are 6 years old, and each day brings new challenges to parents Ro and Mia. The children’s social circles expand as they make friends at school, learn how to ride bicycles and play musical instruments. The season ends with an extra special event — Ro and Mia renew their vows with their kids in tow and get the wedding of their dreams.

The Blacklist: “The Forecaster”
NBC, 10pm
A new case arrives at Liz’s (Megan Boone) doorstep, where someone has left a diorama depicting a crime soon to be committed. Meanwhile, Red (James Spader) explores a new business opportunity.

Colony
USA Network, 10pm
Season Premiere!
As Season 2 kicks off, mysterious intruders are still in control of a near-future Los Angeles. In an effort to get their son back, Will (Josh Holloway) has been cooperating with the Collaborators and now knows about his wife Katie’s (Sarah Wayne Callies) alliance with the Resistance. With her secret out and on opposite sides of the battle, have they jeopardized any hope of reuniting their family?

Caraoke Showdown
Spike, 10:30pm
New Series!
This “party on wheels” takes groups of passengers on a musical journey to win money by competing in a variety of karaoke-style challenges. Throughout various rounds of game play, contestants compete for cash by belting out their favorite tunes, finishing lyrics or acting out songs. The series is hosted by Craig Robinson and executive produced by Howie Mandel.

Friday, Jan. 13

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Netflix
New Series!
Neil Patrick Harris headlines this eight-episode series adaptation of the best-selling books by Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel Handler). Harris plays Count Olaf, the evil guardian of Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes) and Sunny Baudelaire who will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance. Patrick Warburton costars as Lemony Snicket, with Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss.

NBA Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 8pm Live

An NBA doubleheader on ESPN has Al Horford and the Boston Celtics at Dwight Howard’s Atlanta Hawks, followed by the Detroit Pistons at the Utah Jazz.

Grimm: “Trust Me Knot”
NBC, 8pm
Hank (Russell Hornsby) and Wu (Reggie Lee) find a solution to stop Renard (Sasha Roiz) while Nick (David Giuntoli) is still on the run. Adalind (Claire Coffee) receives a phone call that throws her into the middle of everything. Back at the spice shop, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) adventure in babysitting takes an interesting turn when Diana (guest star Hannah R. Loyd) demonstrates her power.

Great Performances: “Bel Canto the Opera”
PBS, 9pm
Experience composer Jimmy López and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz’s operatic adaptation of Ann Patchett’s best-selling novel inspired by a true-life hostage crisis in the 1990s in Lima, Peru. With soprano Danielle de Niese.

The Wheel
Discovery Channel, 10pm
New Series!
This new survival adventure series dares six participants to make it through six distinctly grueling landscapes across South America. With every turn of the wheel, each survivalist is dropped into a new isolated location, exposed to the world’s deadliest terrains, including freezing tundra, rugged mountains and treacherous rainforest. Participants don’t know when or why the wheel will turn — nor that their stint at each spot is determined by the rotation of the moon. Equipped only with light survival packs and SOS devices that can be used at any time to quit the challenge and call for help, they must fend for their lives by procuring food, water and shelter. And when the wheel turns again, they will be thrust into a new location, forced to use a completely different set of skills to survive.

Saturday, Jan. 14

College Basketball
CBS, ESPN2, FOX & FS1, beginning at 12pm Live

Some of the nation’s top teams are in action with big matchups this Saturday. Highlights include Connecticut at Georgetown (FOX), Villanova at St. John’s (FS1), Texas A&M at Mississippi State (CBS), Xavier at Butler (FS1) and Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga (ESPN2).

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Playoffs
CBS, FOX & NBC, beginning at 4:30pm Live

The road to Super Bowl LI in Houston continues with the divisional playoffs Saturday and Sunday on CBS, FOX and NBC. Saturday has an NFC wild-card winner at the Atlanta Falcons on FOX, followed by an AFC wild-card winner at the New England Patriots on CBS. Sunday has an AFC wild-card winner at the Kansas City Chiefs on NBC, followed by an NFC wild-card winner at the Dallas Cowboys on FOX. The four winners advance to the conference championship games on Jan. 22.

A Royal Winter
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!
When Maggie Marks faces a tough career decision, she flees to Europe for some soul-searching and sightseeing with a friend. There she encounters a handsome European playboy prince and finds herself in a world she has never known, where she finds a new direction in life and teaches him to be a better prince along the way. Stars Merritt Patterson, Jack Donnelly and Samantha Bond.