Chuck Barney’s TV and streaming picks for Sept. 19-25
DON’T MISS: “73rd Emmy Awards” — It’s TV’s big night and we have lots of questions: Can the comical soccer underdogs of “Ted Lasso” actually experience the thrill of victory? Is “The Crown” poised to pull off a dramatic royal flush? Will Baby Yoda grace the red carpet with his presence? (Yes, please!). At least one thing appears pretty certain: Shows from streaming platforms will dominate. As for our host, let’s just hope Cedric the Entertainer lives up to his name. (5 p.m. PT; 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, CBS).
Other bets:
SUNDAY: Prolific filmmaker Ken Burns focuses on another American icon with “Muhammad Ali.” It’s a riveting four-part, eight-hour documentary series that charts Ali’s extraordinary life and examines how it intersected with sports, culture, civil rights and religion. (8 p.m., PBS)
MONDAY: Two reality TV mainstays return as “Dancing With the Stars” waltzes into its 30th season, with Tyra Banks hosting again. Meanwhile, “The Voice” launches its 21st search for a pop star with Ariana Grande debuting as a coach. (8 p.m., ABC and NBC).
MONDAY: It’s a double dose of “NCIS.” First, prime time’s most popular drama opens its 19th season. Then comes the debut of “NCIS: Hawai’i.” Vanessa Lachey stars as Jane Tennant, the big kahuna running things at Pearl Harbor. (9 and 10 p.m., CBS).
MONDAY: James Wolk has his work cut out for him as the star of the high-concept drama “Ordinary Joe.” He plays three versions of the same character and shows us what might happen if he chose different paths in life. (10 p.m. NBC).
TUESDAY: Are there more FBI agents on TV than in real life? We ask because “FBI” and “FBI: Most Wanted” both kick off new seasons, and the spin-off series, “FBI: International,” makes its debut. (8, 9 and 10 p.m., CBS).
TUESDAY: “Our Kind of People” is a soapy new saga set in a wealthy Martha’s Vineyard enclave, where the rich and powerful Black elite come to play — and a lot of drama goes down. Yaya DaCosta leads the cast. (9 p.m., Fox).
WEDNESDAY: Two more popular reality competitions return as “The Masked Singer” and “Survivor” get back in the game. The latter is launching its — gulp! — 41st season with a two-hour opener. (8 p.m., Fox and CBS).
WEDNESDAY: Ready to spend all night in the Windy City? Producer Dick Wolf’s popular trio of heroic dramas — “Chicago Med,” Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” — raise the curtains on their new seasons. (8, 9 and 10 p.m., NBC).
WEDNESDAY: We tend to greet TV reboots with a scowl. But “The Wonder Years” has us intrigued. This version follows a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, circa 1968. The story is told from the point of view of an adorably awkward 12-year-old played by Elisha “EJ” Williams. (8:30 p.m., ABC).
THURSDAY: The “Law & Order” franchise delivers three sizzling hours tonight. First, “Law & Order: SVU,” the longest-running live-action prime-time series in TV history, begins its 23rd season with a two-hour opener. That’s followed by the Season 2 opener of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” (8 and 10 p.m., NBC).
FRIDAY: Isaac Asimov’s iconic trilogy of sci-fi novels about a dying galactic empire gets an ambitious screen adaptation in “Foundation.” The series stars Jared Harris as a brilliant mathematician who predicts a bleak future for humanity. Enter a band of exiles determined to save it. (Apple TV+).
FRIDAY: Halloween’s still a month away, but “Midnight Mass” is set to bring some spooky chills. From horror maestro Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House”; “The Haunting of Bly Manor”), the series tells the story of an isolated island community where miraculous and terrifying things begin to happen after the arrival of a mysterious priest . (Netflix).
Contact Chuck Barney at cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/chuckbarney and Facebook.com/bayareanewsgroup.chuckbarney.