Fox Sports 1, 1:00 p.m. ET
Because the Toronto Blue Jays staved off elimination last night, the team lived to play another day – and that day is today, at 4 p.m. ET, with the Texas Rangers enjoying a 2-1 series lead. But first, there’s another American League Division Series Game 4: The Kansas City Royals vs. the Houston Astros, with the Astros leading that series 2-1. That game begins at 1 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, the first half of an AL doubleheader.
TBS, 6:00 p.m. ET
The remaining National League teams play today also, in Game 3 of their respective series. First up, at 6 p.m. ET, is the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs contest, which switches to Wrigley Field for Game 3, each team having won one game so far. Then, at 8:30 p.m. ET, is Game 3 of another series currently tied at 1-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the New York Mets. Game 2 was especially significant because of Dodger base-runner Chase Utley’s arguably late slide into second base on a potential double-play ball. Utley not only slid into Mets second baseman Ruben Tejada (pictured) – he broke his leg. Tejada is out for the rest of the postseason, and Utley, on Sunday, was suspended for two games. Tonight the battle moves to New York and Citi Field, and the Mets fans, and probably the Mets themselves, will be highly emotional and motivated because of the loss of the team’s (literally) pivotal infield player.
Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET
This season’s first half of episodes has been dubbed “The Rise of the Villains,” but last week one of the villains fell – as in died, killed by one of his own, and apparently spreading his evil insane sensibility like a video gone viral. And this week, a new actor joins the cast, but on the heroic side, playing Gotham City’s new police captain. Well, maybe he’s on the heroic side. After all, he’s played by Michael Chiklis – and last time Chiklis played a cop on TV, his character started out by shooting a fellow officer in the face, on FX’s The Shield.
CW, 8:00 p.m. ET
SERIES PREMIERE: Last year, the CW gave us one of the best new shows of the season, somewhat unexpectedly, with
Jane the Virgin. This year, the CW introduces only one new series for fall, but, once again, it’s hit the ball out of the park.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, premiering tonight, stars Rachel Bloom as a young, Ally McBeal-ish lawyer who impulsively moves to a Los Angeles suburb to be near a former teen crush whom she just encountered on the street in New York, and who mentioned he was moving to West Covina. It’s a very funny show, with executive producer Aline Brosh McKenna from
The Devil Wears Prada and Bloom examining another take on what it’s like to be twentysomething and single – but a very different take, because occasionally, they do it with music. To hear a sample, and
my review, visit the Fresh Air website. And for a full review, see Ed Bark's
Uncle Barky's Bytes. But in any case, watch
Crazy tonight. You’d be crazy not to.
getTV, 8:00 p.m. ET
RERUN RETURN: getTV already has unearthed some long-dormant TV Westerns for our enjoyment, and now it’s tackling other TV genres – specifically, the vintage variety show and talk show. Monday nights, beginning tonight, getTV presents 8 p.m. ET showings of The Judy Garland Show from 1963-64. It opens with a repeat of the premiere, which itself opens with a full orchestra performing a full-length overture, before Judy Garland even appears (ah, for TV’s slower, less frenetic days). Every episode of this series eventually will be shown, in full. Also eventually, on this first broadcast, Mickey Rooney shows up as the evening’s guest (reuniting with his former cinema costar for the first time in 18 years), and participates in a full hour of nostalgic reverie. At 10 p.m. ET Mondays, getTV has added another jewel to its crown of golden oldies: The Merv Griffin Show, starting with tonight’s program from the late Sixties, which features Carl Reiner and Robert F. Kennedy (who would be assassinated within the year). Both conversations are fascinating, if you give them the chance – and the time – to develop. And in between, at 9 p.m. ET, random variety show specials and samples. Tonight: Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey on Broadway.
CW, 9:00 p.m. ET
SEASON PREMIERE: In last season’s cliffhanger, Jane (Gina Rodriguez) had her baby – and then had it taken away from her, kidnapped just after the boy was born. Tonight’s Season 2 premiere picks up from there, resolves that plot, and keeps moving – quickly.
PBS, 10:00 p.m. ET
This week, Phil Rosenthal travels to Paris – and I haven’t seen this episode, so I don’t know if he’s been to any of the places I sampled when I visited there a few years ago. But I haven’t forgotten a lot of it, including, from a small storefront bakery, my first bite of a ham and brie baguette, which buckled my knees. Check local listings.
FX, 10:00 p.m. ET
SEASON PREMIERE: This is both a season and a series premiere, technically, because it’s a prequel to last year’s excellent season-long story line – traveling back decades in time to 1979, to a case investigated by young lawman Lou Solverson (played here by Patrick Wilson, as a more youthful version of the character played in Season 1 of
Fargo by Keith Carradine) and grizzled veteran Hank Larsen, played by Ted Danson. I’ve seen four episodes of this new season of
Fargo, and absolutely love them. For my full review on NPR’s
Fresh Air with Terry Gross, listen to today’s show, or
visit the Fresh Air website later Monday afternoon. And for other TVWW reviews and reports on this new
Fargo, see
Ed Bark’s Uncle Barky’s Bytes, David Hinckley’s All Along the Watchtower, and
another Hinckley report, his interview with Fargo star Ted Danson.