TV and streaming picks for Wednesday, Sept. 22
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“Survivor” (8 p.m., CBS): Eighteen new castaways begin their battle for $1 million and title of Sole Survivor, on the special two-hour season premiere. In the premiere episode, three tribes fight for their life in the first immunity challenge to guarantee safety at tribal council. (“Survivor” super fan Joan Morris provides her traditional rundown of the cast, which includes a Bay Area resident. For the first time, host Jeff Probst will also take viewers inside the action, addressing the audience directly throughout the season, even letting fans in on some twists before the players are made aware.
“The Masked Singer” (8 p.m., Fox): TV’s costumed singing contest returns for its sixth season. The first night of a two-night opener delivers debut performances from the five characters in Group A, ending with a shocking double elimination. Host Nick Cannon returns, along with celebrity panelists Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke.
“The Goldbergs” (8 p.m., ABC): The season begins with the family reflecting on the loss of their beloved Pops and together they decide to pay tribute to his memory by visiting his old stomping grounds. Adam, a forever filmmaker at heart, captures the journey on camera theming it to “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” In fact, as a senior in high school, Adam is more than ready to move on and pursue his creative dreams in college, but his plans are slightly sidelined when he discovers he has been waitlisted at NYU. While he works to sway the deferral decision, Erica and Geoff enter the next chapter of their lives together – wedding planning.
“Chicago Med” (8 p.m., NBC): In the Season 7 opener, Will Halstead returns to Med to help Goodwin with a secret investigation. Archer and Charles deal with twins who insist on being identical inside and out. Stevie and Dylan treat a young patient with sickle cell anemia.
“The Wonder Years” (8:30 p.m., ABC): Yes, our annoyance with TV reboots has reached the “overload’ level, but we have a soft spot for this fresh take on the beloved coming-of-age dramedy, even though Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper are nowhere to be found. Here, the focus is on a shy Black 12-year-old named Dean (Elisha “EJ” Williams) growing up in Alabama in the ’60s with his middle-class family. The narration by an adult Dean is provided by Don Cheadle. Parts of the show feel comfortable and familiar, but much of it is wonderfully fresh.
“Alter Ego” (9 p.m., Fox): Welcome to the world’s first avatar singing competition series. On “Alter Ego,” lost dreams and second chances are reignited when singers from all walks of life become the stars they’ve always wanted to be. However, these contestants won’t perform as themselves. Rather, they’ll be given the chance to show how they’ve always wanted to be seen, creating their dream avatar to reinvent themselves, while showcasing their unique performance style via motion capture technology. The judges table features Alanis Morissette, Nick Lachey, Grimes; and will.i.am.
“Chicago Fire” (9 p.m., NBC): The Season 10 opener — titled “Mayday” — picks up where the show’s tense cliffhanger left off as Firehouse 51 deals with the aftermath of the capsized boat rescue and lives hang in the balance. Also, Gallo, Ritter and Violet discuss plans for a side gig.
“The Conners” (9 p.m., ABC): Lights, Camera, Action! The sitcom is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of its Season 4 opener. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.
“Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC): When a P.D. informant is murdered, the team digs in to track down the perpetrator only to learn a shocking truth. Voight and Ruzek strategize to help Burgess.
“Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan” (Netflix): In 1977, a serial rapist struck Ohio State University. Overwhelming evidence quickly led investigators to Billy Milligan, an aimless young man with a traumatic childhood and a criminal record. Yet upon his arrest, Billy had no memory of the assaults, and his mannerisms seemed to change on the spot. A parade of psychiatrists diagnosed him with multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder), eventually determining that as many as 24 distinct “multiples” existed within his mind. In a case that captivated the nation, their analysis anchored a first-of-its-kind legal defense strategy, and Billy was found innocent by reason of insanity. His trials, however, were far from over.
“A Million Little Things” (10 p.m., ABC): In the Season 4 premiere, Gary struggles in the aftermath of his encounter with Peter. Meanwhile, Regina and Rome put on a united front following the closure of Someday and the deportation of Tyrell’s mother. Sophie deals with mixed emotions surrounding her mother while Delilah faces a difficult decision. Eddie inches closer to finding out who caused the accident, and Maggie navigates a new career opportunity.
Also on Wednesday:
“Muhammad Ali” (8 p.m., PBS)
“Riverdale” (8 p.m., The CW)
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (8 p.m., Bravo)
“All-Elite Wrestling: Dynamite” (8 p.m., TNT)
“Expedition Unknown” (8 p.m., Discovery)
“Married at First Sight” (8 p.m., Lifetime)
“In the Dark” (9 p.m., The CW)
“Guy’s Grocery Games” (9 p.m., Food Network)
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” (9 p.m., Bravo)
“MTV Cribs” (9 p.m., MTV)
“Home Economics,” Season premiere (9:30 p.m., ABC)
“Big Brother” (10 p.m., CBS)
“Archer” (10 p.m., FXX)
“House Hunters” (10 p.m., HGTV)