TV Best Bets

Saturday, Feb. 3: ‘The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar’

Scott Council Copyright 2018

All Times Eastern.

Saturday, Feb. 3

The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar
Lifetime, 8pm
Original Film!
Based on her book Courage to Soar, this film follows Simone Biles (Jeanté Godlock) through the sacrifices and hard work that led her to win 19 Olympic and World Championship medals and ultimately cemented her stake as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Biles’ story of pursuing a dream is an inspiring, emotional journey. “I feel like I’ve always just been pushing towards my goals,” Biles says, “and I think that’s very important for kids to realize: that if you don’t set something, you might get a little bit lost, or you might want to veer off and say, ‘I don’t want to do this,’ because you almost don’t know why you’re doing it.”

https://twitter.com/lifetimetv/status/959516793919295488

Puppy Bowl Presents: The Dog Bowl
Animal Planet, 8pm
Ahead of tomorrow’s annual Puppy Bowl, Animal Planet presents this new companion event featuring adult dogs that are living in rescue homes and shelters, and which are frequently passed over for their younger counterparts when it comes to adoption or rescue. The matchup pits Team Wags against Team Tails, and individual profiles of canine players will be presented by NFL player Eric Decker and his wife, Jessie James Decker; NFL player and animal advocate Logan Ryan; and Tia Torres from Animal Planet’s Pit Bulls & Parolees, among others.

Saturday Night Live: “Best of Football”
NBC, 8pm
Ahead of tomorrow’s Super Bowl, this special takes a look back at SNL’s fan-favorite football-themed sketches.

My Secret Valentine
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!
Lacey Chabert stars as a young woman who is devastated to learn that her father may sell her family’s winery to a big firm after the Valentine’s Festival. While she engages in heated but flirtatious banter with the prospective buyer’s sales rep (Andrew Walker), she finds herself falling for the mysterious tenant of the winery’s rental cabin who she knows only from the charming notes he leaves on the cabin’s chalkboard.

NFL Honors
NBC, 9pm
Airing the night before Super Bowl LII, this star-studded football and entertainment event features the NFL saluting its best players and plays from the 2017 season.

The Artful Detective
Ovation, 10pm
Season Premiere!
The twist-filled Season 10 finale saw the futures of Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and the heroes of Station House No. 4 in jeopardy amid a corruption investigation gone awry. Season 11 picks up with the aftermath of the finale’s events. The storylines in the new season will also feature a number of Canadian and international historical figures, including physician William Osler, Helen Keller, and the return of artist Tom Thomson, President Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Graham Bell.

The Dead Files: “Triggered — Flint, Michigan”
Travel Channel, 10pm
Season Premiere!
In tonight’s episode, “Triggered — Flint, Michigan,” Steve and Amy investigate paranormal activity harassing a young family in Flint. While Steve’s investigation of the property exposes a family man with a murderous past, Amy confronts a sinister entity that preys on the vulnerable.

Falling Water: “Promotion”
USA Network, 10pm
Tess (Lizzie Brocheré) and Burton (David Ajala) follow clues from their shared dream to search for the missing dreamer. Taka (Will Yun Lee) and Alex connect Shadowman to the people trafficking in dreamers, and Shadowman confronts his past.

Saturday Night Live: “Natalie Portman/Dua Lipa”
NBC, 11:30pm Live
Actress Natalie Portman, who stars in the upcoming theatrical release Annihilation, returns to host SNL for her second time. She is joined by first-time musical guest Dua Lipa.

Sunday, Feb. 4

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” Movie Marathon
Freeform, 11:30am
In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the animated film’s nationwide premiere, the Disney classic airs back-to-back six times today.

Kitten Bowl V
Hallmark Channel, 12pm
Beth Stern returns to host the fifth annual installment of America’s most adorable pet adoption event. NFL great Boomer Esiason returns as the Commissioner of the Feline Football League (FFL), and Dean Cain and Alison Sweeney join the fun as the event’s play-by-play announcers. The 2018 event features kittens displaced by recent natural disasters who are all hungry for the National Championship of Feline Football trophy — and forever homes.

Puppy Bowl XIV
Animal Planet, 3pm
The cute competition returns, this time with the adorable action taking place in a new, bone-shaped stadium! Along with the fluffy, adoptable pups on the field, the action will feature, among other things, the national anthem pecked out by a piano-playing chicken; Surge the hamster back to power the scoreboard with his exercise wheel; Meep the African grey parrot tweeting updates; the good ol’ Kitty Halftime Show; and baby barnyard cheerleaders, including ducklings, piglets and bunnies.

Super Bowl LII
NBC, 6pm Live

The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots square off in Super Bowl LII from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Pop star Pink sings the national anthem, and Justin Timberlake headlines the halftime show. NBC’s Al Michaels calls the game with analyst Cris Collinsworth.

Star Trek: Discovery
CBS All Access, 8:30pm
There are only two episodes remaining in the first season. And just about anything can happen before next week’s finale now that Officer Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the rest of the Starfleet team are trapped in an alternate universe where doing good is considered bad. This dimension’s version of Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) is a traitorous rebel jerk, reliable Ash (Shazad Latif) is a spy and Tilly (Mary Wiseman) is a ruthless captain. And who knows where Spock’s father, Sarek (James Frain), is? How are we even sure that a finale is a finale and not another premiere in this world?

Victoria on Masterpiece: “Faith, Hope & Charity”
PBS, 9pm
News of the horrific famine in Ireland has finally reached the queen. She is adamant that her government should be doing more to help but meets with surprising opposition from her prime minister.

“This Is Us”/“The Tonight Show” Special Post-Super Bowl Episodes
NBC, Approximately 10:15pm
A new episode of the hit drama This Is Us airs tonight following Super Bowl LII. NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt told TVLine in August that this is not a stand-alone episode, simply the next episode in the series. Following this, there will also be a special installment of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon originating from Minneapolis, site of the Super Bowl. Fallon’s guests will include the five main This Is Us cast members — Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley — along with Justin Timberlake and Dwayne Johnson.

Crashing: “Porter Got HBO”
HBO, 10:30pm
Struggling comedian Pete (Pete Holmes) must endure literally the worst catastrophe that has befallen him yet: attempting to be supportive when a fellow comic gets his big break.

Monday, Feb. 5

Better Late Than Never: “To the Sahara and Back”
NBC, 9pm
Season Finale!
In Part 2 of the second season finale, the guys get their groove on with the Gnawa tribe and bond over a campfire in the Sahara Desert. In Marrakech, William Shatner treats the group to lunch before going to hear an authentic Moroccan storyteller. Jeff Dye shows his standup skills, and at a final dinner, they all reflect on the trip they’ve had.

The Good Doctor: “She”
ABC, 10pm
When Dr. Murphy (Freddie Highmore) is surprised to learn that his young, biologically male cancer patient identifies as a girl, he must quickly learn to understand his patient, her medical needs and how to work with her family.

Scorpion: “Nerd, Wind and Fire”
CBS, 10pm
In the new Valentine’s Day-themed episode “Nerd, Wind and Fire,” Team Scorpion must set aside their romantic plans and help a doctor and pilot trapped inside a helicopter that crashed atop a skyscraper.

James Patterson’s Murder Is Forever: “Home Sweet Murder”
Investigation Discovery, 10pm
Leo Fisher and Sue Duncan were a happily married couple living in McLean, Va. But one quiet November evening, while they’re preparing dinner, the doorbell rings — and their world changes forever. Held hostage and mercilessly interrogated, the couple realizes that the invader is working with an accomplice — and they’re not leaving until they get what they want.

Independent Lens: “Winnie”
PBS, 10pm
Filmmaker Pascale Lamche’s exhaustively researched, bold biography of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s equally impassioned former wife, comes to PBS. To craft the intimate profile — winner of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Documentary directing award — Lamche interviewed Winnie, her confidants and enemies to shape a stirring portrait of a woman undeterred by the worst adversity, but often tailed by controversy.

Crazy Delicious: “Crazy Comforts”
Travel Channel, 10:30pm
Across America, food is becoming more outrageous and daring as chefs experiment with new ingredients and techniques. This episode highlights six extreme foods that seem imaginary but actually do exist. From lobster ice cream in Maine, to pizza pot pie in Chicago, to the most expensive cheesesteak in Philadelphia, these over-the-top dishes are making diners grab their forks and take notice.

Tuesday, Feb. 6

NCIS: “Keep Your Friends Close”
CBS, 8pm
Guest Star Alert!
After the body of a missing Navy commander is found, Vance (Rocky Carroll) orders Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the team to work with former FBI agent Tobias “T.C.” Fornell (guest star Joe Spano), the private investigator who was hired to locate him. Kevin Pollak also guest-stars in the new episode “Keep Your Friends Close.”

Ellen’s Game of Games
NBC, 8pm
Season Finale!
The Ellen DeGeneres-hosted and -produced game show ends its inaugural season tonight.

We’ll Meet Again: “Lost Children of Vietnam”
PBS, 8pm
Join Ann Curry for the dramatic reunions between people separated after the war. Tina, born in Vietnam, searches for her American father. Nam hopes to find the Texas cowboy he met as a young boy and who inspired him to come to America.

Fresh Off the Boat: “Ride the Tiger”
ABC, 8:30pm
For Chinese New Year, the Huangs play a game where they can only speak in Mandarin, which quickly turns into a tense competition between Jessica (Constance Wu) and Evan (Ian Chen) — and puts Jessica’s first TV interview for her novel in jeopardy. Emery (Forrest Wheeler) is excited to end his year of bad luck and finally ask his crush to the spring fling, but when he still struggles with the request, Louis (Randall Park) takes matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Eddie (Hudson Yang) doesn’t receive a red envelope from Big Auntie (Wai Ching Ho) and enlists Grandma Huang’s (Lucille Soong) help to figure out why she’s angry with him.

black-ish: “Unkept Woman”
ABC, 9pm
Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Bow’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) morning routine with the kids is changing now that Bow is taking some time off work. Meanwhile, Junior (Marcus Scribner) bonds with Diane (Marsai Martin) now that he is in charge of driving his siblings to school.

Bull: “Keep Your Friends Close”
CBS, 9pm
Bull (Michael Weatherly) is brought on to help the FBI’s case against a hacker who they believe breached air traffic control at LaGuardia Airport in the new episode “Keep Your Friends Close.”

This Is Us: “Across the Border”
NBC, 9pm
The history of the Pearson family is told through the life of the family car.

Bethenny & Fredrik
Bravo, 10pm
New Series!
In this new series, Bravolebrities Bethenny Frankel and Fredrik Eklund combine their respective expertise as a business expert and a real estate mogul and get into the renovation game. They put their friendships — and millions of dollars of their own money — on the line when they tackle the ups and downs of scouting, buying and designing multimillion-dollar homes.

NCIS: New Orleans: “A New Dawn”
CBS, 10pm
In the new episode “A New Dawn,” the NCIS team investigates the murder of a petty officer who was in town to help a refugee family being recruited by terrorists.

Baskets: “Crash”
FX, 10pm

The adventures of rodeo clown Chip Baskets (Zach Galifianakis), his family and their Baskets Family Rodeo business continue with the new Season 3 episode “Crash.” The episode involves Christine (Louie Anderson) and some celery, which sounds typical for this very atypical comedy.

Chicago Med: “On Shaky Ground”
NBC, 10pm
After discovering that a patient’s family might have been abusive, Dr. Choi (Brian Tee) and April (Yaya DaCosta) contemplate calling child services. Dr. Manning (Torrey DeVitto) and Dr. Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) struggle to see eye-to-eye in guiding a family who is dealing with their premature baby, while Dr. Rhodes (Colin Donnell) is persuaded into performing a risky surgery on Dr. Bekker’s (guest star Norma Kuhling) mentor, world-renowned surgeon Dr. Marvin Jaffrey (guest star Malcolm McDowell).

Wednesday, Feb. 7

Queer Eye
Netflix
New Series!
Fifteen years after the lifestyle makeover hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy revolutionized reality television, the series returns with a brand-new Fab Five — Antoni Porowski (food and wine), Bobby Berk (interior design), Karamo Brown (culture), Jonathan van Ness (grooming) and Tan France (fashion) — helping men and women in a new location, leaving the show’s original New York City setting for the Atlanta area.

Big Brother: Celebrity Edition
CBS, 8pm
New Series!
The first celebrity edition of reality hit Big Brother launches tonight with a three-night premiere event. Celebrity Houseguests competing for the $250,000 prize are actress Shannon Elizabeth, TV personality Brandi Glanville, model Ariadna Gutiérrez, MMA legend Chuck Liddell, actor/musician James Maslow, TV host Ross Mathews, recording artist Mark McGrath, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, actress Marissa Jaret Winokur, former NBA star Metta World Peace, and TV personality and former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault. The series airs multiple episodes per week and ends with the two-hour finale on Feb. 25. Julie Chen hosts.

Buried: Knights Templar and the Holy Grail
History, 8pm
Series Finale!
Just ahead of the season finale of the scripted dramatic series Knightfall about the Knights Templar, History airs the final episodes of this documentary miniseries (Parts 1 and 2 aired Jan. 31). It continues to delve into what actually happened with these legendary defenders — and their vast riches and holy relics — who seem to have vanished from history overnight.

The Blacklist: “The Invisible Hand”
NBC, 8pm
When bodies are discovered in abandoned woods, Red (James Spader) points the task force toward The Invisible Hand, a group that targets those whose actions are morally reprehensible yet fully legal. Meanwhile, Red steps in to assist one of his employees, and Liz (Megan Boone) discovers a major clue about Tom’s investigation.

NHL: Boston at N.Y. Rangers
NBCSN, 8pm Live

NHL players won’t be participating in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, so it’s business as usual for the Boston Bruins and N.Y. Rangers, who meet tonight in an Eastern Conference rivalry game at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

9-1-1: “Heartbreaker”

FOX, 9pm
On Valentine’s Day, a surprise marriage proposal goes awry with dangerous consequences.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “The Undiscovered Country”
NBC, 9pm
Guest star Sam Waterston returns to reprise his longtime former Law & Order role of Jack McCoy in tonight’s episode. When an infant goes missing, the SVU finds themselves taking sides in a family’s right-to-die court case. Meanwhile, Barba’s (Raúl Esparza) interference in the case puts the entire DA’s office in jeopardy.

NOVA: “First Face of America”
PBS, 9pm
Take a risky dive into an underwater cave in Mexico to uncover the 13,000-year-old skeleton of a prehistoric teenager. Follow forensic clues that reveal intimate details of her life and death, and how her people first ventured into North America.

The Magicians: “A Life in the Day”
Syfy, 9pm
Julia (Stella Maeve) helps Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) navigate a personal crisis as Quentin (Jason Ralph) and Eliot (Hale Appleman) go on an adventure.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story: “House by the Lake”
FX, 10pm

In Episode 4, “House by the Lake,” Minneapolis architect David Madson (Cody Fern) is forced to go on the run with Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss).

Knightfall: “Do You See the Blue?”
History, 10pm
Season Finale!
Vastly outnumbered, the Templars must fight for their lives in a battle with the Red Knights.

Chicago P.D.: “Anthem”
NBC, 10pm
When a basketball star is found murdered after an anti-police rally, Intelligence navigates a politically charged environment to track down the killer. To complicate matters further, Woods’ (guest star Mykelti Williamson) daughter Brianna (guest star Alexa Adderley) is tangled up in the case.

Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block
Syfy, 10pm
Season Premiere!
The third installment of this horror anthology series based on the popular “Creepypasta” tales from the internet follows two sisters who move to a dying city, where they discover that something is preying on its residents. Brandon Scott, Holland Roden, Olivia Luccardi and Rutger Hauer are among this season’s cast.

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
TBS, 10:30pm
Season Premiere!
Premiering in 2016 as the only female-hosted late-night program, this Emmy Award-winning series known to lead the cultural conversation in politics kicks off its third season. TBS picked up two additional seasons of the show last month, which will keep it on the air through 2020.

Thursday, Feb. 8

Grey’s Anatomy: “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
ABC, 8pm
April (Sarah Drew) is in charge of the new Grey Sloan Surgical Innovation Contest, and the doctors are eager to start their projects. Meanwhile, Catherine’s (Debbie Allen) old friend has a shocking idea for Catherine and Jackson (Jesse Williams), and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) treats a returning patient who inspires her project.

College Basketball: Duke at North Carolina
ESPN, 8pm Live

One of the most storied rivalries in college basketball is renewed tonight at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., as the Duke Blue Devils visit the North Carolina Tar Heels on ESPN.

The Four: Battle for Stardom
FOX, 8pm
Season Finale!
In the two-hour season finale, find out which artist will win the final fight and have his or her career launched by Grammy Award-winning musician and media mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, hit-making producer DJ Khaled, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Meghan Trainor and record label executive Charlie Walk. Pop star Fergie hosts.

NBA Basketball
TNT, beginning at 8pm Live

Eastern Conference rivals clash in the nation’s capital as Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics visit John Wall and the Washington Wizards, followed by Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

Arrow: “The Devil’s Greatest Trick”
The CW, 9pm
Lost’s Michael Emerson returns as Cayden James, who discovers a secret about the Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) that pushes him over the edge.

Mysteries at the Museum
Travel Channel, 9pm
Season Premiere!
As the series returns, host Don Wildman investigates the story behind an iconic 9/11 photo, a NASA experiment that turned deadly and a naval codebreaker determined to outsmart the enemy.

How to Get Away With Murder: “Ask Him About Stella”
ABC, 10pm
Annalise (Viola Davis) deals with an unforeseen issue after damaging details about a key witness are exposed in her case to help Laurel (Karla Souza). Meanwhile, the “K4” continue their efforts to help build a case for Annalise’s class action lawsuit.

Portlandia: “Abracadabra”
IFC, 10pm

The eighth and final season of Portlandia continues with the new episode “Abracadabra,” in which Nina (Fred Armisen) and Lance (Carrie Brownstein) tell the story of how they met.

Friday, Feb. 9

The Trader (Sovdagari)
Netflix
In this documentary short, Gela sells secondhand clothes and household items from the back of his minibus while traveling the country of Georgia in Eastern Europe in search of spuds. Money is meaningless in this market, where potatoes are what’s of value.

The Ritual
Netflix
Original Film!
Following the sudden and violent death of their best friend, four young men reunite for a hike through the Scandinavian wilderness. Deep in the woods, they find themselves lost in a hell of sinister nightmares, where something malevolent forces them to face the darkness inside themselves.

Barkfest
Nat Geo Wild, 8pm
Nat Geo Wild is expanding its annual four-legged event to a full week beginning with tonight’s special, The Science of Dogs. Think you know everything about our canine companions? Think again. Tonight’s special offers updated science and even stories of dogs that drive. You will be amazed.

2018 Winter Olympics: Opening Ceremony
NBC, 8pm

The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in South Korea open with the pageantry and spectacle of the opening ceremony, including the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

2 Dope Queens: “Hair”
HBO, 11:30pm
Divorce star Sarah Jessica Parker — whose hair has run the gamut from ’80s spiral-perm-and-mall-bangs fabulosity to Carrie Bradshaw’s myriad dos to the sleek beach waves that keep the 52-year-old looking youthful — joins hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson to talk tresses.

Saturday, Feb. 10

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

LaMarcus Aldridge and the San Antonio Spurs visit Oracle Arena for a Saturday primetime matchup against Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors.

Planet Earth: Blue Planet II: “Big Blue”
BBC America, 9pm
Blue Planet II’s fourth episode, “Big Blue,” examines life in the vast wilderness of the open ocean. Creatures who’ve adapted to life in this desert include the sperm whales, sea turtles, Portuguese man-of-war hydrozoans and whale sharks. The episode also looks at the effects of pollution — particularly discarded plastic — on the oceanic ecosystem.

Very, Very, Valentine
Hallmark Channel, 9pm
Original Film!
Danica McKellar stars as Helen, a kindhearted and shy florist who meets the perfect man at a Valentine’s masquerade ball. She enlists the help of her best friend Henry to track him down, only to find that her perfect man may already be right in front of her. Cameron Mathison and Damon Runyan also star.

Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
Showtime, 9pm
This documentary film follows the highs and lows of legendary musician Eric Clapton, from the dozens of bands and legendary musicians who became part of his personal life to his darker days that were wrought with drug and alcohol addictions, personal tragedies (his 4-year-old son’s death) and various family struggles.

Falling Water: “Mothers, Fathers, Daughters, Sons”
USA Network, 10pm
Tess (Lizzie Brocheré) and Alex try to convince the rescued dreamer to testify. Taka (Will Yun Lee) and Burton (David Ajala) pressure Nicholas Hull (Neal Huff) to flip on Taylor Bennett, as Bennett approaches Bill Boerg (Zak Orth).