TV Best Bets

Saturday, Jan. 21: Lifetime’s ‘Beaches’ Is the Wind Beneath My Wings

Beaches Lifetime Menzel Long ©2017 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved

All Times Eastern.

Saturday, Jan. 21

Beaches
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
Idina Menzel and Nia Long headline this modern update of the beloved 1988 paean to the resilience of female friendships. Broadway and Frozen star Menzel takes over Bette Midler’s CC Bloom role, warbling new versions of the film’s signature ballads “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “The Glory of Love.”

College Basketball
CBS & FOX, beginning at 12pm Live

CBS and FOX combine to televise some of Saturday’s best college basketball action, including Vanderbilt at Florida (CBS), Providence at Villanova (FOX), Texas at Kansas (CBS), Marquette at Creighton (FOX) and Arizona at UCLA (CBS).

NBA Basketball: San Antonio at Cleveland
ABC, 8:30pm Live

This Saturday night NBA game on ABC has LaMarcus Aldridge leading the San Antonio Spurs against LeBron James and the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sunday, Jan. 22

NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship Games
FOX & CBS, beginning at 3pm
Live
The NFL’s conference championship games today will set the teams squaring off in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Feb. 5. FOX carries the NFC Championship game, with the Green Bay Packers at the Atlanta Falcons. The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, airing on CBS.

Mercy Street
PBS, 8pm
Season Premiere!
The staff unites to save one of their own. A former slave turned activist arrives in town, causing a rift between Foster and Mary. The Greens are in disarray; Emma and Frank’s romance ignites and Samuel plans for a reunion with Aurelia.

The Librarians: “And the Wrath of Chaos”
TNT, 8pm
The Librarians’ two-front battle comes to a head when the Library is simultaneously infiltrated by DOSA and Apep. Flynn, Baird, Stone, Cassandra, Ezekiel and Jenkins must all put aside their differences in an attempt to save the Library, the world and themselves.

Hunted
CBS, 10pm
New Series!

In this new alternative series, ordinary people are challenged to go on the run as some of the world’s most highly skilled investigators and trackers use the latest technology to pursue them in a nationwide manhunt. “[Hunted] combines the suspense of a crime drama with the thrill of a competition reality series and some very topical social issues,” says CBS Entertainment President Glenn Geller. Hunted premieres tonight, then returns with a two-hour episode Jan. 25.

Secrets of the Six Wives
PBS, 10pm
Travel with historian Lucy Worsley back to the Tudor court to witness some of the most dramatic moments in the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives, each of whom found a method of exerting influence. The three-part series, which airs Sundays through Feb. 5, combines drama with historical comment.

The Affair
Showtime, 10pm
Helen’s (Maura Tierney) escape to Montauk exacerbates her guilt and hastens an identity crisis. Should the truth finally come out? Noah’s (Dominic West) world collapses, and he is left to process something horrific.

Monday, Jan. 23

AKC National Championship Dog Show
Hallmark Channel, 6pm
Royal Canin presents the AKC National Championship, one of the world’s premier dog events, which showcases competitions and animal seminars, and crowns a new national champion. This year, 4,710 dogs will compete for the title.

College Basketball
ESPN, beginning at 7pm Live

ESPN has a college basketball doubleheader tonight with the NC State Wolfpack at the Duke Blue Devils, followed by the Oklahoma Sooners at the Texas Longhorns.

Supergirl: “Supergirl Lives”
The CW, 8pm
Guest Star Alert!
Kevin Smith directs the episode in which his comic-book-character-named daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, plays a missing woman whose disappearance tugs at Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) heart. When Kara takes Mon-El (Chris Wood) with her to the last place the missing woman was seen, they are thrust through a portal to another planet, where the downtrodden are sold as slaves.

The New Celebrity Apprentice: “Scissors and Some Creativity”
NBC, 8pm
The celebrities are tasked with marketing a new product for health food brand Lorissa’s Kitchen. Fitness guru Bob Harper is on hand to help Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger advise the governor, but the Terminator himself stops by to check out the team’s presentations firsthand.

NBA Basketball: New York at Indiana
TNT, 8pm Live

The N.Y. Knicks head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for a matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

Lucifer: “Love Handles”
FOX, 9pm
Lucifer (Tom Ellis) and Chloe (Lauren German) investigate a masked killer who’s poisoning college students, while also trying to understand their new, post-kiss relationship.

Beware the Slenderman
HBO, 10pm
In May 2014, two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls stabbed a trusting young friend 19 times, claiming they were trying to please the fictional online character “Slenderman.” This sobering documentary, directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky (Oscar nominee, The Final Inch), delves deep into the shocking crime’s backstory and primary players, examining how a web-based urban legend could influence impressionable young minds enough to commit an unspeakable act.

Timeless: “The Murder of Jesse James”
NBC, 10pm
Flynn (Goran Visnjic) teams up with legendary outlaw Jesse James (guest star Daniel Lissing). Together they cut a bloody swath across the American frontier. Hot on Flynn’s trail, Lucy (Abigail Spencer), Wyatt (Matt Lanter) and Rufus (Malcolm Barrett) enlist the help of an iconic marshal to help bring the fugitives to justice.

Independent Lens: “The Witness”
PBS, 10pm
In 1964, Kitty Genovese was repeatedly stabbed on a street in Queens, New York. Soon after, the media asserted that 38 neighbors watched but did nothing to help. Follow the efforts of Kitty’s brother as he reexamines his sister’s life and death.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Gad Gone Wild
Netflix
Netflix will be airing comedy specials from French comedy star Gad Elmaleh, beginning with this one. It’s his latest one-man show, performed mainly in French and using his personal experiences as a Frenchman in the United States to humorously highlight culture differences between the two countries.

American Experience: “Rachel Carson”
PBS, 8pm
Meet the scientist whose groundbreaking writings revolutionized our relationship to the natural world. Mary-Louise Parker is the voice of Rachel Carson in this moving and intimate portrait.

The Mick: “The Master”
FOX, 8:30pm
The kids fight over who gets the master bedroom, and Mickey (Kaitlin Olson) pursues a wealthy businessman who quickly discovers that she is not the prize he thought she was.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
The CW, 9pm
New Time Slot!
TV’s time guardians move to a new night to follow their superhero sibling-series The Flash.

The New Edition Story
BET, 9pm
Who really kicked Bobby Brown out of New Edition? Find out in this six-hour miniseries, airing tonight through Thursday, about the rise of the 1980s boy band. The series, starring Empire’s Bryshere Y. Gray, reportedly brought the real-life Brown to tears when he saw it. Cool it now, Bobby!

This Is Us: “Three Sentences”
NBC, 9pm
Jack and Rebecca get in over their heads when they decide to throw Kate, Kevin and Randall three separate parties for their 10th birthday. Randall struggles to make time for William as things intensify at the office. Kevin makes a major decision in his romantic life. Kate’s gastric bypass journey takes an unexpected turn.

Face Off
Syfy, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Season 11 features 16 all-star contestants vying for a grand prize and the honor of being Hollywood’s next great special effects makeup artist. McKenzie Westmore returns as host for the new season, which features elaborate, never-before-seen challenges. Some of the entertainment industry leaders featured as guests this year include director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil).

My Big Fat Fabulous Life
TLC, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Whitney Way Thore is newly single, blond and living her life more large and in charge than ever before as she struggles to fit in a world that’s not designed for a fat person. This season Whitney also gets herself in deeper than ever before when the owner of a rival big-girl dance studio becomes her biggest nemesis.

Outsiders
WGN America, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The Farrell family warned the townsfolk not to come up their mountain, but Big Coal interests eventually resulted in a standoff. Now, there’s going to be hell to pay. The struggle for power and control continues in the rugged hills of Appalachia as the conflict between the clan and the town escalates, putting everyone to the test as they’re forced to face new challenges and enemies.

Chicago Fire: “Who Lives and Who Dies”
NBC, 10pm
Dawson (Monica Raymund) finds it hard to keep her emotions in check during an ambulance run involving a pregnant teen. Elsewhere, the firehouse is called to the site of a building fire, and Casey (Jesse Spencer) is forced to make a split-second decision when two victims are each in need of life-saving assistance.

Frontline: “Trump’s Road to the White House”
PBS, 10pm
Learn how Donald Trump defied expectations to win the presidency. Through interviews with key players, the film shows how Trump rallied millions of supporters and defeated adversaries, and whom he’s taking into the White House with him.

Tattoo Girls
TLC, 10pm
New Series!
Go inside Ink Ink, a tattoo shop like no other, which is owned and operated by young entrepreneur Kelsey and employs an all-female lineup of tattoo artists and piercers. Kelsey set out to make her Springfield, Mo., shop feel different from the usual masculine, and sometimes intimidating, traditional ones. The series will explore the friendships and working relationships among all of the artists as they navigate everyday life.

Wednesday, Jan. 25

The Path
Hulu
Season Premiere!
Season 2 follows the Meyerist Movement as it tries to make sense of Dr. Meyer’s mysterious departure. Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy star.

Hunted
CBS, 8pm

The new CBS alternative series Hunted, in which ordinary people try to disappear while highly skilled trackers and investigators try to hunt them down, features a two-hour episode tonight.

Lethal Weapon: “The Seal Is Broken”
FOX, 8pm
The anniversary of the death of Martin Riggs’ (Clayne Crawford) wife has Dr. Maureen Cahill (Jordana Brewster) attempting her head-shrinking best.

Frequency
The CW, 9pm
Season Finale!
Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) and her father, NYPD Officer Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith), communicate across time and attempt to solve crimes using a ham radio. The biggest mystery still facing this series, based on a 2000 film of the same name, is whether the trans-decade drama will return for a second season.

Star: “New Voices”
FOX, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!
Lord, have mercy — steamy model/actor Tyrese Gibson guest-stars in this episode as a pastor! Also, after getting a glimpse of their local competition, tensions rise between the three girls (Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, Brittany O’Grady) as they work on revamping their style.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “Imposter”
NBC, 9pm
A man (guest star Wallace Langham) tears a family apart when he uses a prominent fake identity to lure a vulnerable wife and mother into his bed. Barba (Raúl Esparza) argues that the evidence amounts to rape, but he’s faced with a powerful defense attorney (guest star Callie Thorne) and a skeptical judge (guest star Vincent Curatola) in court.

The Magicians
Syfy, 9pm
Season Premiere!
Heading into Season 2, Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) and the other unlikely heroes who study magic at Brakebills University must draw upon their knowledge as relative novices to defeat a threat to the magical world itself.

Bakers vs. Fakers
Food Network, 10pm
New Series!
“Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro hosts this new competition series that examines whether a talented home baker could outdo a professional. With the playing field leveled and which baker is which concealed, only a blind taste test will determine the victor. If the pro takes the cake, they score $10,000 — but if the amateur beats the odds and earns the win, he or she walks away with $15,000!

SIX: “Her Name Is Esther”
History, 10pm

In Episode 2 of the Navy SEAL action drama, former SEAL team leader Richard “Rip” Taggart (Walton Goggins) and the class of schoolgirls he was hired to protect have been taken hostage by Boko Haram in West Africa. While the SEALs formulate a rescue plan, Rip has to decide whether or not to accept the brutal fate that awaits him and the hostages. Barry Sloane, Kyle Schmid and Juan Pablo Raba also star in the new episode “Her Name Is Esther.”

Alzheimer’s: Every Minute Counts
PBS, 10pm
Explore an urgent wake-up call about the national threat posed by Alzheimer’s disease. This powerful documentary illuminates the impending social and economic crisis for America unless a cure for Alzheimer’s is found.

Incorporated: “Burning Platform/Golden Parachute”
Syfy, 10pm
Season Finale!
In Part 1, “Burning Platform,” Ben’s ongoing investigation leads to a shock, Laura’s child patient reveals sobering facts about life outside the wall, and Elizabeth and Julian finally enact their bold plan against Inazagi. In Part 2, “Golden Parachute,” Ben’s mission reaches a critical juncture, Laura finds the thief, Theo ventures inside the wall, Elizabeth and Laura reckon with the fate of the clinic, and Julian tracks a killer.

Suits
USA Network, 10pm
New Episodes!
Season 6 continues with six new episodes, picking up immediately after the midseason finale that left Pearson Specter Litt in the hands of managing partners Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman). The pair is forced to put aside their professional and personal animosities in an effort to come together and keep their struggling firm afloat after Jessica’s (Gina Torres) departure. Now more than ever, they will rely on Donna (Sarah Rafferty) and Rachel (Meghan Markle) to keep them on track. Meanwhile, Mike (Patrick J. Adams), finally reunited with Rachel, re-adjusts to life outside of prison and navigates the reality that he is no longer a lawyer. And, love is in the air following Louis’ proposal to his pregnant girlfriend, Tara (Carly Pope).

Thursday, Jan. 26

College Basketball
ESPN & ESPN2, beginning at 7pm Live

Xavier is at Cincinnati and Indiana is at Michigan in tonight’s college basketball doubleheader on ESPN2. Over on ESPN, catch Virginia Tech at North Carolina.

Grey’s Anatomy:
“You Can Look (But You’d Better Not Touch)”
ABC, 8pm
Midseason Premiere!
When we left the folks of Grey Sloan Memorial, much was amiss. Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) left Owen (Kevin McKidd) — and a note to explain herself. Jo (Camilla Luddington) dropped a bombshell on Karev (Justin Chambers), which prompted him to stun Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and take a plea deal. But Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) is at the center of the real, divisive drama. “I think the big, broad arc of the second half of the season is this hospital that has become divided in this view of Richard Webber and everything that he stands for,” McKidd told Variety after the midseason finale.
On tonight’s series return, Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Jo (Camilla Luddington) head to a maximum-security women’s prison to treat a violent pregnant teen and her unborn baby.

Supernatural
The CW, 8pm
New Time Slot!
The adventures of demon-hunting brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) continue as the series returns from its winter hiatus in a new time slot.

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 8pm Live

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks travel to Oklahoma City to face Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, followed by Luol Deng and the L.A. Lakers in Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz.

Scandal: “Survival of the Fittest”
ABC, 9pm
Season Premiere!
The ShondaLand favorite returns for Season 6 after taking time off for star Kerry Washington’s pregnancy. And if the new face in the bunch looks familiar, it should. Zoe Perry — daughter of Cyrus himself, Jeff Perry — comes aboard in a hush-hush new role. On tonight’s season premiere, “Survival of the Fittest,” the presidential race between Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) and Francisco Vargas (Ricardo Chavira) comes to an end and the shocking election results lead to an explosive outcome.

Riverdale
The CW, 9pm
New Series!
The world of Archie Comics comes to life in The CW’s newest soapy drama. High-schoolers Archie (K.J. Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and their friends straddle the line between childhood and adulthood, and they, their parents (including Luke Perry, Mädchen Amick and Marisol Nichols) and the entire town of Riverdale reel with the tragic death of the high school’s golden boy. Amick, who plays Betty’s controlling mother Alice, explains, “It’s a little wink at the comic strip, but if you didn’t know Archie prior to this, you would just really enjoy it as a good show with great characters.”

King Tut: Mysteries at the Museum
Travel Channel, 9pm
Deep in the heart of Egypt, Don Wildman explores the entire story of King Tut — from the initial discovery of his tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter to the legendary Curse of the Pharaoh.

How to Get Away With Murder: “We’re Bad People”
ABC, 10pm
Midseason Premiere!
With Annalise (Viola Davis) jailed on arson and murder charges, the D.A.’s office continues to build their case against her and the police investigate what happened to Wes on the night of the fire. Meanwhile, the Keating 4 try to adjust to the devastating realization that one of their own is dead.

Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle II
Comedy Central, 10pm

Sixteen of the world’s most venomous comedians compete in this bracket-style insult-comedy tournament, returning this month for its second go-round. Comedic combatants go one-on-one as an all-star panel of judges decide their tournament fate. Led by Jeff Ross and referee/comedian Brian Moses, the main event will be filmed in four nights in Los Angeles. The first three parts air on Comedy Central Jan. 26-28 and the finals air Jan. 29.

Colony: “Sublimation”
USA Network, 10pm
Will, Devon, and Charlie attempt a daring journey home. Fearing the worst, Katie says goodbye to her daughter. Bram makes friends at camp. Maddie finds a new project in the Greatest Day.

Friday, Jan. 27

Z: The Beginning of Everything
Amazon
New Series!
Christina Ricci stars as Zelda Fitzgerald in this fictionalized bio series about the Jazz Age icon’s life. The show begins when Zelda meets unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (played by Gavin Stenhouse in the pilot, and by David Hoflin in the remaining nine episodes) in Montgomery, Ala., in 1918, and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and marriage.

NBA Basketball: Miami at Chicago
ESPN, 8pm Live

Dwyane Wade won three NBA championships with the Miami Heat, but now D-Wade’s on the other side of the floor as the Heat head into Chicago’s United Center to face the Bulls.

Grimm: “El Cuegle”
NBC, 8pm
Nick (David Giuntoli), Hank (Russell Hornsby) and Wu (Reggie Lee) investigate a terrifying new Wesen who terrorizes a young family and has a surprising motive.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: “Is Josh Free in Two Weeks?”
The CW, 9pm
Guest Star Alert!
Seth Green guest-stars as a local deliveryman — gosh, we hope he sings! — who helps Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) when she gets overwhelmed by a stressful situation. Rebecca also discovers she has a lot in common with Nathaniel (guest star Scott Michael Foster) when his father (guest star David Grant Wright) comes to town.

Emerald City: “Everybody Lies”
NBC, 9pm
Desperately seeking revenge for the death of her sister, West (Ana Ularu) tracks down Dorothy (Adria Arjona) and uses enchanted interrogation techniques to get the information she needs. The Wizard (Vincent D’Onofrio) seeks the aid of the Kingdom of Ev to build a weapons arsenal to help him defeat the Beast Forever.

Brad Paisley — Landmarks Live in Concert: A Great Performances Special
PBS, 9pm
Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers hosts this episode featuring country music superstar Brad Paisley, who returns to his roots in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains for a special outdoor concert at West Virginia University.

Saturday, Jan. 28

Tennis: Australian Open Finals
ESPN, 3am Live

ESPN has live early-morning coverage of the Australian Open singles finals from Melbourne, with the ladies’ final on Saturday and the men’s final on Sunday. If sleep is your thing, ESPN2 airs encores of the final matches later in the morning.

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

A full day of college basketball action is in store with Texas A&M at West Virginia (ESPN), North Carolina at Miami (CBS), Florida at Oklahoma (ESPN), DePaul at Creighton (FS1), Iowa State at Vanderbilt (ESPN2), Baylor at Ole Miss (ESPN2), Kansas at Kentucky (ESPN) and Gonzaga at Pepperdine (ESPN2).

Smucker’s Skating Spectacular
NBC, 2:30pm

NBC airs the Smucker’s Skating Spectacular exhibition that closed out the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last weekend at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Love by the 10th Date
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
Gabby (Meagan Good), Nell (Kellee Stewart), Billie (Keri Hilson) and Margot (Kelly Rowland) balance their adventures in dating with their jobs at an upscale digital magazine in Los Angeles, under the watchful eye of their editor Maureen (Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance). Inspired by the site’s relationship advice column, Gabby and Nell embark on their own quest for the elusive 10th date — the holy grail of commitment.

NBA Basketball: L.A. Clippers at Golden State
ABC, 8:30pm Live

Chris Paul and the L.A. Clippers visit Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a Saturday primetime NBA matchup on ABC.