Worth Watching: ‘Good Doctor’ Returns Amid Chaos, Fox’s ‘Passage,’ the Real-Life ‘Dirty John’
A selective critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
The Good Doctor (10/9c, ABC): The hit medical drama closed out 2018 with multiple cliffhangers as the hospital went into quarantine lockdown: an infected doctor, an endangered pregnant woman, and poor Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) rendered almost catatonic, retreating into a fetal crouch as he’s bombarded by sound and strife. The crises continue to build in the winter premiere, with some wins and losses and conflicts between fathers, sons, mentors and protégés. Watching from the outside: Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) and Sean’s friend Lea (Paige Spara), who debate whether to let the young doctor know of Glassman’s latest diagnosis.
The Passage (9/8c, Fox): It’s a slow road to apocalypse in the absorbing, but derivative, opening chapter of this Stephen King wannabe, based on the epic horror trilogy by Justin Cronin. With much foreshadowing of bad tidings to come, The Passage opens with a chase. The target: spunky, orphaned Amy (Saniyya Sidney), who’s sought by the top-secret Project NOAH lab as a test subject for a vampire-derived virus that could either cure all ills or wipe out humanity. (Guess which way this is headed?) Her captor, Agent Brad Wolgast (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), soon becomes Amy’s protector, as he begins to expect the worst about his NOAH bosses. The monsters are terrifying, and the chemistry between Sidney and Gosselaar is winning.
Dirty John: The Dirty Truth (8/7c, Oxygen): If you’re still reeling from Sunday’s final chapter of Bravo’s addictive Dirty John true-crime drama, sister channel Oxygen offers a two-hour companion wallow in a documentary that dives into psycho John Meehan’s trail of unhappy conquests before he seduced and bedeviled Debra Newell. Among the subjects interviewed: detectives in Ohio and Orange County, John’s first wife Tonia and her daughters Emily and Abigail.
Inside Monday TV: Streaming service Britbox premieres a ninth season of fan-favorite mystery series Vera, starring Brenda Bletheyn as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, with episodes available within hours of their U.K. debut… Joey Fatone hosts Game Show Network’s newest Monday-Friday show, Common Knowledge (5:30 pm/4:30c), which pits teams of three in a contest to answer practical questions we all should know, but probably don’t… Happily married Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) appear on ABC’s The Bachelor (8/7c) to offer performance tips to eight of the ladies as they prepare “first-time” monologues. A dozen more head to “Camp Bachelor” where comedian Billy Eichner coaches them through challenges. Are we sure this isn’t a lost bonus episode of Difficult People?… In what is likely a series as well as first-season finale of CBS’s Happy Together (8:30/7:30c), Jake (Damon Wayans, Jr.) and Claire (Amber Stevens Ward) take a rare trip into the fast lane to attend Cooper’s (Felix Mallard) intimate concert of new music… High school is back in session for a third season of irreverent truTV comedy Those Who Can’t (10/9c), with Fairbell (Andrew Orvedahl) faring surprisingly well as principal—until an uptight new guidance counselor arrives on the scene.
Conversation17 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
R
Dear TVInsider: Please, please, PLEASE get rid of the annoying video that appears above the comments. It's very irritating. Thank you.
As for my comment, tonight I'll be watching CBS until 10:00. Then I'll find something else, probably reruns on cable.
2
-
C
"Dear TV Insider", you mean? I know they are owned by the same company, but "TV Insider" would like to have their own identity. ;^)
-
R
You're right-- my bad! I'll edit the comment. (I used to frequent TVG Online quite a lot, but it go to be very cumbersome because the site took forever to fully load, and going from one page to another was a chore.)
1
-
R
Yes, that's why I gave up on it.
-
G
I read that CBS owns the TV GUIDE website now.
But this site is superior very much like TV GUIDE Magazine is perhaps the best entertainment magazine focused on TV and streaming.
-
-
R
The 50 "Superfans" on AGT-The Champions:
Are they evenly split among women and men, old and young, black and white, etc.???
Were the Superfans chosen because they have huge online presences? Or were they hand-picked for some other reason???
Last week’s season premiere did not air live...it was pre-taped...so the 50 Superfans could not have been at home watching the performances on NBC from their couches. Were they in the audience watching in person...were they off-site watching live streams...(or did they NOT watch at all)???
Did they rank the contenders from best to worst or just pick a single favorite???
-
C
Unless they explain it better on the show, I guess we'll never know. I'd assume the "superfans" would have a way of watching the shows live through closed circuit or streaming or something.
1
-
-
C
I'll take a look at "The Passage". Stephen King adaptations are a mixed bag. I hope it's not like the worst series I ever saw: "Under the Dome", for me that series is TV's "Plan 9 from Other Space".
-
C
It's not a Stephen King adaptation. As Matt said, "it's a Stephen King wannabe, based on the epic horror trilogy by Justin Cronin."
I rather liked the first season of Dome. It didn't start falling apart until about the middle of the second season.
1
-
C
Even though I'm embarrassed, I thank you for correcting me. After that I'l go away for the rest of the week, maybe I should change my name and avatar. :'-(
4
-
G
I agree the first season of Under the Dome was impressive for the most part. It became almost unwatchable as the second season progressed.
1
-
R
Don't go away!! You pointed out my booboo above (TVGuide vs TV Insider). See? We all mis-read or mis-type now & then. :-)
1
-
C
Don't leave! You're hardly ever here to begin with!
1
-
C
I'll never forget the image of that cow cut in half!
-
-
G
FOX's new The Passage and NBC's Manifest.
-
R
Passage lost me at "vampire" .
-
-
C
Monday nights are getting busy again! I have America's Got Talent, Manifest, and The Good Doctor on my schedule! Plus, I have to check out the new show The Passage!
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services