‘New Girl’ Final Season, Grammy Salutes Elton John, Behind the Scenes of ‘Fixer Upper,’ ‘Frontline’ on Trump
A selective critical checklist of notable Tuesday TV:
New Girl (9:30/8:30c, Fox): The newness faded long ago, but that adorkable Jess (Zooey Deschanel) has still got it, as the zany comedy returns for a shortened seventh and final season. Time flies when you’re making googly eyes at each other, and while three years have passed between seasons, Jess and Nick (Jake Johnson) thankfully are still a couple, returning home to attend a birthday party for the daughter of Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Cece (Hannah Simone). Complications ensue when Russell (Dermot Mulroney), Jess’s “fancy man” ex, shows up at the party, thwarting Nick’s plans for a grand romantic gesture. And in the best sign that New Girl hasn’t grown too old to be silly, much sport is made of Schmidt’s ridiculous new mustache.
Elton John: I’m Still Standing—A Grammy Salute (9/8c, CBS): Filmed a few days after the Grammys in January at Madison Square Garden’s theater, this eclectic all-star concert salutes the pop icon with new takes on his timeless hits. Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Miranda Lambert, Sam Smith, SZA & Shawn Mendes are among the headliners interpreting his songbook. Not to be outdone, Sir Elton performs a medley of his own hits at the piano.
Fixer Upper: Behind the Design (8/7c, HGTV): The signature series may be history, but Chip and Joanna Gaines aren’t finished yet. A new spinoff, airing after replays of the original series, goes behind the scenes of previous Fixer Upper remodels, in some cases featuring footage of rooms not included in the original episodes. The opener provides new info on a bungalow makeover from last November.
Trump’s Takeover (10/9c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): One of TV’s best political documentarians, Michael Kirk (The Divided States of America, Putin’s Revenge), returns to the esteemed Frontline with a study of President Trump’s first year in office and his often contentious, Twitter-driven battle for control of the Republican party. The program includes interviews with GOP insiders and lawmakers about the president’s controversial governing style its impact on Washington.
Inside Tuesday TV: Discovery’s Deadliest Catch (9/8c) takes to the Bering Sea for a two-hour 14th season premiere, with captain Josh Harris returning after a year off to the Cornelia Marie. Preceded at 8/7c by a live special marking the show’s 200th episode. … If you’re seeking a legal alternative to ABC’s For the People, BET offers the gritty In Contempt (10/9c), set in a New York City legal aid office, starring Erica Ash (Survivor’s Remorse) as an outspoken public defender. … His prison-ready “dessert loaf” may be to die for, but Tray (Tracy Morgan) still can’t find work as a gourmet chef on TBS’s The Last O.G. (10:30/9:30c). Luckily, he’s a natural at charming the customers in a high-end coffee emporium—unluckily, owned by Wavy (Malik Yoba), the former drug dealer who Tray went to prison for. “I’m glad my incarceration was a teachable moment for you,” Tray quips upon getting his second chance.
Conversation18 Comments
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I had to miss MacGyver last Friday, so I'll finish watching that tonight.
Also, a minor nitpick about this page. From the TVInsider home page, we can easily click Worth Watching at the top. Then you STILL have to click again to see what's "worth watching" on that particular day. If they want to have a Worth Watching homepage, why not have an actual useful page, one that has the last four or five or six WOrth Watching articles??? As it is, it's darn near impossible to get to prior articles. Instead, the Worth Watching "homepage" has the link to ONLY today's article, and then some other stuff (news, TV schedule info, etc.) that are not necessarily recommendations of what is "worth watching.
Okay, I'm off my soapbox now. I have places to go and things to do. 🙂
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If you want to access the previous articles, go to the REAL Worth Watching page:
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Thanks for the feedback. We've updated our What's On page to show previous days' Worth Watching posts.
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I have people to see, places to go and things to do....
Just like me ; )
Nah, better off just watching more shows.
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I'm happy to see you KEPT the "Movies On TV" section...I check it EVERY day...
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Also...on the Worth Watching homepage...with all that's available to watch these days...it's hard to believe that there's only ONE series every 4-6 MONTHS...that's an "Unusual Find"...
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Why isn't THAT the Worth Watching main page, the one you get to from the tab at the top of the screen? We shouldn't have to search for it, or save it as our default page, or whatever.
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Well Jena...I think Don's link IS interesting...but...but...it does NOT list "Movies On TV" or "Unusual Find"...like the tab at the top of the screen does...
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A possible nomination for "Unusual Find"...Schitt's Creek...
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That's because we're talking about 2 different things. The "Worth Watching" link actually takes you to the "What's On" page which has all the things you're talking about, but the "real" Worth Watching page is just for Matt's daily "What's Worth Watching" column.
To make it even more confusing, they keep switching his column between the 2 categories. If you look at your address bar, today's column has "whats-on-tv" in the address. On other days, it will have "whats-worth-watching" there instead.
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Watch your language or I'll wash your mouth out with soap! 😉
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Nearly everything I want to watch is on at 8:00 tonight: Roseanne and The Middle, Lethal Weapon, and The Flash. Then, there's LA to Vegas, and I'm done. I might watch that Elton John special, but I usually don't like hearing other artists butchering someone's songs.
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ABC comedies for me. Just may switch the channel to CBS at 9:00 and check out the Elton John special if its good I'll stick around if not will switch back to ABC at 9;30 for Splitting Up Together.
Last night's The Crossing was riveting. The flashback scenes were eerie. I think this is a keeper. Highly recommended to all sci-fi fans.
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I'm so glad we didn't listen to Matt about The Crossing! I finally watched a couple of episodes of Splitting Up. I shut it off halfway through the 2nd one. I don't find it funny.
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The Crossing is one of my top new shows this season so far.
I just find Splitting Up Together likable, and I smile at the jokes. I don't out right laugh like I do with Roseanne.
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Yea...but...he was RIGHT ON about "Howards End offers so many stimulating pleasures...a literate and visually sumptuous feast" and "Killing Eve, a stylishly surprising and wildly entertaining spy thriller...this is a mission you won’t want to miss."
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I don't usually comment on shows that are on premium channels I can't get, but the original film of Howards End is considered by many one of the best films ever made and probably didn't need to be remade.
I've seen a lot of previews and scenes from Killing Eve, and it just doesn't interest me.
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Totally agree. Why remake a classic. Better off remaking movies that weren't all that great and improving them.
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